Best tv shows like Emperor of the Sea
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Emperor of the Sea is a South Korean television drama series directed by Kang Il-soo and Kang Byung-taek and starring Choi Soo-jong, Chae Shi-ra, Song Il-gook and Soo Ae. It aired on KBS2 from November 24, 2004 to May 25, 2005 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:50 for 51 episodes. The historical drama is based on Choi In-ho's novel of the same title, which depicts the life of Jang Bogo, who rises from a lowly slave to a powerful maritime figure who dominated the East Asia seas and international trade during the Unified Silla Dynasty. The drama was received extremely well, holding the number one spot in the ratings for majority of the weeks it aired. It was also exported to eight countries earning approximately US$1.8 million in profits. The filming set in Wando County, South Jeolla Province also became a tourist attraction.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Action, Drama, History, War
Country: South Korea
Duration: 22 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, realistic, suspenseful, tense, captivating, disturbing, historical drama, sageuk, epic
Best tv shows and movies like Emperor of the Sea (2004):
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Kim Soo Ro (2010)
Plot Summary:
This drama charts the life of Kim Soo Ro, legendary founder of Geumgwan Gaya, the ruling city-state of the Gaya confederacy, which dominated sea trade and iron working during the Three Kingdoms Period. Kim Soo Ro's fiery temperament, charisma and intelligence are his only defense in the extended political struggle, with competition for the throne from his half-brother and lifelong rival, Ijinashi, his former friend Suk Tal Hae, and the dangerous ambitions of Shin Kwi Gan.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 174
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: South Korea
Duration:
Plot tags: tense, captivating, psychological, atmospheric, family saga, costume drama, period drama
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Mendirman Jaloliddin (2021)
Plot Summary:
Jalal al-Din Khwarazmshah, the ruler of the Khwarazmian Empire, initiated a tragic but united struggle against the Mongol invasion. After unsuccessful attempts by the Khwarazm shahs to stop the Mongol invasion that began in the Central Asian steppes, Jalal al-Din, the last ruler of the empire, put dynastic fights between Seljuks and Khwarazmians aside, and tried to establish a united front to stop the Mongols.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 957
Genere: Action, Drama, History
Country: Uzbekistan, Turkey
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, disturbing, costume drama
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Water Gate Bridge (2022)
Plot Summary:
In the follow-up to "The Battle At Lake Changjin", brothers Wu Qianli and Wu Wanli undertake a new task for the People's Volunteer Army, defending a bridge part of the American troops' escape route from the advancing Chinese.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Action, Drama, History, War
Country: China
Duration: 153 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, suspense, disturbing
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Princess Agents (2017)
Plot Summary:
During the Warring Period, the Western Wei enslaved large numbers of civilians. The slave girl, Chu Qiao, is thrown into a forest along with other slaves and becomes the next hunting target for the rich lords. She is saved by the Prince of Northern Wei, Yan Xun. Afterwards, she is brought into a powerful family of Yuwen and witnesses their bloody power struggle. Seeing this, she swears to take her younger sister and flee from the situation. However, she catches the attention of Yuwen Yue, and undergoes strict training while building a sense of companionship with Yan Xun. Unfortunately, Western Wei goes into battle and Yan Xun’s family is slaughtered. After that incident, Yan Xun grows ambitious and cruel to avenge for the things and the people he lost. He doubts Chu Qiao and takes advantages of her loyalty and love many times, disregarding their relationship as well as the sacrifices he will have to make for power. Disappointed with the man she once loved, Chu Qiao eventually breaks off her relationship with Yan Xun and chooses to fight with Yuwen Yue, destroying Yan Xun’s plans of vengeance. She eventually convinces Yuwen to free the country from slavery, becoming a successful military strategist/female general in the people’s hearts.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Action, Drama, Romance, War
Country: China
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: disturbing, suspense, captivating, suspenseful
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Barbaros: Sword of the Mediterranean (2021)
Plot Summary:
Barbaros: Sword of the Mediterranean will take viewers on a historic journey across the Ottoman Empire based on the life of 16th-century Ottoman admiral "Barbaros" Hayreddin Pasha and the adventures of four brothers who become seafarers. The drama series retells this adventure through the stories of four brothers; Ishak, Oruc, Hizir, and Ilyas, fighting high tides and the secrets of the seas. It focuses on their pursuit of a holy secret with the help of Master Suleyman, and during the course of their journey, they make enemies in, Pietro; the Pope's hand reaching out to the Mediterranean who is also pursuing the secret and organizes an attack against their ship. But this doesn't stop the brothers and they continue their original quest to find the holy secret all the while fighting their enemies at high tides.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Action, Adventure, History, War
Country: Turkey
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, suspense, disturbing, nautical
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Victorious Mehmets (2018)
Plot Summary:
During World War I, a group of determined soldiers fights to defend Ottoman territory against English invasion.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama, History, War
Country: Turkey
Duration: 140 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, captivating, realistic, disturbing, islamic
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The Great Seljuks (2020)
Plot Summary:
The growth of the great Seljuk Empire. An epic journey with love, secrets and struggle for the pursuit of order in the world and justice.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama, History, War
Country: Turkey
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: tense, atmospheric, serious, captivating, realistic, stylized
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Alparslan: The Great Seljuks (2021)
Plot Summary:
This series about a Sultan of the Great Seltuks. His name is Alparslan. He is the second sultan of the Seltuk dynasty. The serious will mainly explain the key moments of the life of Alparslan.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, History, War
Country: Turkey
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, captivating, suspense, disturbing
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Sharpe's Eagle (1993)
Plot Summary:
Sharpe is a Captain saddled with the South Essex, a battalion run by incompetents and filled with soldiers who have never been in battle. When the South Essex loses its colours (its regimental flag), Sharpe vows to save the honor of the regiment by capturing a French Imperial standard: an eagle.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama, War
Country: UK
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: exciting, serious, captivating, realistic, factual, suspenseful, period drama
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The Fortress (2017)
Plot Summary:
Ancient Korea, 17th century. The powerful Khan of the Jurchen tribe of Manchuria, who fights the Ming dinasty to gain China, becomes the first ruler of the Qing dinasty and demands from King In-jo of Joseon to bow before him; but he refuses, being loyal to the Mings. On December 14th, 1636, the Qing horde invades Joseon, so King In-jo and his court shelter in the mountain fortress of Namhan and prepare to defend the kingdom.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Action, Drama, History, War
Country: South Korea
Duration: 140 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, suspense, interesting, period drama
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Kingdom of Conquerors (2013)
Plot Summary:
In the 1200s, a man arose whose ruthlessness was so feared, he emerged as the greatest empire builder ever known to mankind. Inspired by true historical events.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 225
Genere: Action, Drama, History, War
Country: China, Japan, South Korea
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: exciting, serious, suspenseful, captivating
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War & Peace (1972)
Plot Summary:
The classic BBC dramatisation of Tolstoy's epic story of love and loss set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars. Anthony Hopkins heads the cast as Pierre Bezuhov (a role for which he won the 1972 Best Actor BAFTA); Morag Hood is the impulsive and beautiful Natasha Rostova; Alan Dobie is the dour but heroic Andrei Bolkonsky; and David Swift is Napoleon, whose decision to invade Russia in 1812 has far-reaching consequences for Pierre and the Rostov and Bolkonsky families. The twenty-part serial was the vision of producer David Conroy whose principle aim was to transfer the rich characterisation and incident from Tolstoy's greatest novel to a television drama. Scripted by Jack Pulman and directed by John Davies, Conroy's War And Peace boasts superb acting, award-winning design (1972 Best Design BAFTA) and breathtaking battle sequences which were filmed in former Yugoslavia.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 716
Genere: Drama, History, War
Country: UK
Duration: 890 min
Plot tags: fairy tale, costume drama, historical drama, exciting, intellectual, epic, serious, realistic, contemplative, period drama
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Legend of the Patriots (2010)
Plot Summary:
Legend of the Patriots is a remake of the 1975 South Korean drama Comrades. Its production was spawned to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. The story centers around the lives of eleven Korean soldiers fighting in the Korean War. Director Kim Sang-hwi remarked that the series is not about the ideologies of South and North Korea, but rather focuses on the struggles of ordinary people who lived through the war.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 58
Genere: History, War
Country: South Korea
Duration:
Plot tags: tense, captivating, suspense, disturbing
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Immortal Yi Soon-shin (2004)
Plot Summary:
Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-sin is a South Korean television series based on the life of Yi Sun-sin, starring Kim Myung-min in the title role. It aired on KBS1 from September 4, 2004 to August 28, 2005 on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:45 for 104 episodes. Many times, the series filmed on location at the actual battle sites. It made extensive use of rendered images and a reconstruction of a turtle ship. Due to the preparation needed, the show took many months to produce.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 118
Genere: Action, Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: South Korea
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: tense, thought provoking, captivating
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The Slave Hunters (2010)
Plot Summary:
The Slave Hunters is a 2010 South Korean action historical drama set in the Joseon Dynasty about a slave hunter who is tracking down a general-turned-runaway slave as well as searching for the woman he loves. It aired on KBS2 from January 6 to March 25, 2010 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 24 episodes. An adequate display of muscular brawn, intricate yet gritty fight scenes, bawdy humor and eloquent moments of pathos and humanity made the series both visually and intellectually appealing to audiences. Critics gave special mention to director Kwak Jung-hwan's lush cinematography, the use of a Red One camera giving each shot its theater-worthy luster. The hit series topped the ratings chart for 7 consecutive weeks, averaging 31.7% and reaching a peak of 35.9%. The series was honored at the Seoul International Drama Awards, and the KBS Drama Awards. Jang also received a best actor nomination from the 2011 International Emmy Awards for his performance.
IMDB Rating: 8.7
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Action, Drama, History
Country: South Korea
Duration:
Plot tags: sageuk, tense, captivating, psychological, exciting
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The Kingdom of the Winds (2008)
Plot Summary:
The Kingdom of The Winds, also known as The Land of The Wind, is a 2008 South Korean historial drama, broadcast on KBS from 10 September 2008 to 15 January 2009. It was directed by Kang Il-soo, written by Choi Wan-gyu, Jung Jin-ok, Park Jin-woo; adapted from manhwa by Kim Jin.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, History
Country: South Korea
Duration:
Plot tags: sageuk, exciting, serious, captivating, suspenseful
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Pathfinders: In the Company of Strangers (2011)
Plot Summary:
Untold and lost history. A true story of the American Pathfinders, the volunteer paratroopers whose deadly mission was to land 30 minutes before the Normandy invasion, locate and mark strategic "drop zones" and set up the top-secret navigation equipment needed to guide the main airborne assault on D-Day.
IMDB Rating: 3.4
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Action, Drama, History, War
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: tense, realistic, captivating, suspenseful, epic, serious, independent film
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Hansan: Rising Dragon (2022)
Plot Summary:
In 1592, admiral Yi Sun-sin and his fleet face off against the might of the invading Japanese navy and its formidable warships. As the Korean forces fall into crisis, the admiral resorts to using his secret weapon, the dragon head ships known as geobukseon, in order to change the tide of this epic battle at sea.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Drama, History, War
Country: South Korea
Duration: 130 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, suspense, disturbing, period drama
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The Swordsman (2020)
Plot Summary:
After being blinded in a coup against the king, Joseon’s greatest swordsman (Jang Hyuk) goes into hiding, far removed from his city’s anguish. But when traffickers kidnap his daughter, he has no choice but to unsheathe his sword once more.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Action, Drama, History
Country: South Korea
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: exciting, tense, captivating, suspense, suspenseful, period drama
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Kingdom of War: Part 2 (2007)
Plot Summary:
Prince Naresuan is now the crown prince of Ayutthaya and the king of Burma is dead. While the new Burmese king is waging war, the crown prince plots to assassinate Naresuan. Hearing this, the prince decides to evacuate Thais out of the Burmese capital and declare that Siam will no longer bow to Burma. The war for the kingdom's independence begins.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 439
Genere: Action, Drama, History, War
Country: Thailand
Duration: 165 min
Plot tags: captivating, exciting, epic, serious, realistic, period drama
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The Book of Negroes (2015)
Plot Summary:
Kidnapped in Africa and subsequently enslaved in South Carolina, Aminata must navigate a revolution in New York, isolation in Nova Scotia and treacherous jungles of Sierra Leone, in an attempt to secure her freedom in the 19th century.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, History, War
Country: Canada
Duration: 265 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, emotional, disturbing, epic, serious, captivating, realistic, historical drama, stylized, uplifting
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The Legend of El Cid (2020)
Plot Summary:
The story of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, a Castilian nobleman and war hero in medieval Spain.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Action, Drama, History, War
Country: Spain
Duration: 70 min
Plot tags: exciting, rough, epic, serious, entertaining, heroic, realistic, stylized, intense, visually appealing
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The Great Battle (2018)
Plot Summary:
Kingdom of Goguryeo, ancient Korea, 645. The ruthless Emperor Taizong of Tang invades the country and leads his armies towards the capital, achieving one victory after another, but on his way is the stronghold of Ansi, protected by General Yang Man-chu, who will do everything possible to stop the invasion, even if his troops are outnumbered by thousands of enemies.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Action, Drama, History, War
Country: South Korea
Duration: 136 min
Plot tags: exciting, tense, intense, epic, period drama
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The Showdown (2011)
Plot Summary:
In the 11th year of Kwang Hae-gun, Jo-seon soldiers go to war with China after an invasion. In the middle of Manchu, three people who have barely survived are being cornered by the Chinese forces, and begin a bloody battle not with their enemies but with their friends.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 364
Genere: Action, Drama, History
Country: South Korea
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: psychological, suspenseful, exciting, tense, rough, captivating, realistic, serious, stylized
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Vikings: Valhalla (2022)
Plot Summary:
Dramatizes the legendary adventures of some of the most famous Vikings who ever lived – Leif Eriksson, Freydis Eriksdotter, Harald Hardrada and the Norman King William the Conqueror. These men and women will blaze a path as they fight for survival in the ever changing and evolving world.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 54000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama, History, Romance, War
Country: USA
Duration: 51 min
Plot tags: tense, heroic, historical drama, sad, costume drama, exciting, breathtaking, suspenseful, suspense, disturbing
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The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014)
Plot Summary:
The film mainly follows the famous 1597 Battle of Myeongryang during the Japanese invasion of Korea (1592-1598), where the iconic Joseon admiral Yi Sun-sin managed to destroy a total of 133 Japanese warships with only 13 ships remaining in his command. The battle, which took place in the Myeongryang Strait off the southwest coast of the Korean Peninsula, is considered one of the greatest victories of Yi.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Action, Drama, History, War
Country: South Korea
Duration: 128 min
Plot tags: epic, tense, exciting, suspenseful, captivating, suspense, serious, realistic, period piece, period drama
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Marco Polo (2014)
Plot Summary:
An epic adventure that follows the early years of the famous explorer as he travels the exotic Silk Road to the great Kublai Khan’s court. But Marco soon finds that navigating the Khan’s world of greed, betrayal, sexual intrigue and rivalry will be his greatest challenge yet, even as he becomes a trusted companion to the Khan in his violent quest to become the Emperor of the World.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 77000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: exciting, captivating, epic, atmospheric, serious, historical drama, costume drama, tense, erotic, sexy
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Medieval (2022)
Plot Summary:
The story of 14th century Czech icon and warlord Jan Zizka who defeated armies of the Teutonic Order and the Holy Roman Empire.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Action, Drama, History, War
Country: Czech Republic
Duration: 125 min
Plot tags: disturbing, tense, suspenseful, suspense, costume drama, heroic, exciting, captivating, contemplative
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The Last Kingdom (2015)
Plot Summary:
A show of heroic deeds and epic battles with a thematic depth that embraces politics, religion, warfare, courage, love, loyalty and our universal search for identity. Combining real historical figures and events with fictional characters, it is the story of how a people combined their strength under one of the most iconic kings of history in order to reclaim their land for themselves and build a place they call home.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 161000
Genere: Action, Drama, History
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: exciting, serious, captivating, epic, stylized, realistic, costume drama, historical drama, tense, brutal
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Spartacus (2004)
Plot Summary:
Sentenced to spend out the rest of his adult life laboring in the harsh deserts of Egypt, the Thracian slave Spartacus gets a new lease on life when he is purchased by the obese owner of a Roman gladiator school. Moved by the defiance of an Ethiopian warrior, Draba, Spartacus leads a slave uprising which threatens Rome's status quo. As Spartacus gains sympathy within the Roman Senate, he also makes a powerful enemy in form of Marcus Lucinius Crassus, who makes it a matter of personal honor to crush the rebellion.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Action, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 174 min
Plot tags: epic, serious, atmospheric, tense, uplifting, realistic, suspenseful, stylized, emotional, rough