Disney+ has released the first official stills of the K-drama adaptation of "The Remarried Empress," offering a closer look at the show's star-studded cast and visual direction.

Based on one of Naver's most popular webtoons, the series has been long-looked-forward-to by readers who had been hoping to see the story come alive. According to Koreaboo, the excitement grew earlier this year when the cast lineup was confirmed, and Disney+ announced its global release.

On November 13, production dropped a slate of character stills highlighting the four leads. Shin Min Ah plays Navier, the poised and respected empress whose life gets turned around. A neutral description released with the stills summarized her arc: a dignified leader who faces a challenge when her husband falls in love with an escaped slave, Rashta.

Lee Se Young plays Rashta, whose wide-eyed charm hides a growing jealousy toward Navier. A still released by the production shows her in a soft, innocent style meant to reflect her initial appeal to the king.

Ju Ji Hoon plays Sovieshu, the king and Navier's childhood friend. His character was introduced in the release as one that grows distant from Navier as political duty takes precedence, only to regret the decisions made as the story goes on.

Lee Jong Suk plays Heinrey, the foreign king who instantly connected with Navier and later married her to let her keep her royal status intact.

Despite the impressive visual and high-profile casting, netizens' reactions have been divided online. As discussions on theqoo indicate, many viewers expressed disappointment with both the stylistic choices and the decision not to adapt the drama as a sageuk.

One commenter opined, "The quality of the costumes..." Another audience member contributed another point, about accessibility: "It's better than I thought, but the fact that they're using the original character names poses too high a wall for people to start watching."

Another netizen compared the styling with other dramas: "Wow LOL. The male leads remind me of the scene in Penthouse where they wore wigs and danced LOL."

Some commenters said that they nonetheless would watch it, if only out of curiosity. One fan wrote, "It would've been great if they remade it in an Asian style, but anyway, I'll probably watch it out of curiosity LOL. I loved the webtoon."

Being one of the first Korean dramas to adapt a Western-style fantasy world complete with Westernized names, there are plenty of expectations placed upon "The Remarried Empress." When it finally airs on Disney+, viewers will be watching to see whether this series breaks new ground.