The King's Woman

(Spoiler) If you have watched Haolan BEFORE watching this...like I did... you will be instantly mad and confused.
So I never do long reviews because I simply cannot describe in full flair what is going on, but I can tell you this: every single one of these episodes could have easily been 30 minutes long, that being said...this is a flashback drama. Storyline gets to going real good...then poof back in time.
The female lead finally has a role where she is not acting like a timid joke (mind you this is my opinion and I prefer a stronger woman instead of Juanita Sausage-Head), and the male lead is strong as expected...funny thing is in the (spoiler) love trio one would think that baby daddy would have more of an aggressive feel and look considering history's telling of this man. My insignificant opinion, the Eldest Han Shan should have had the Jing Ke role and vice versa...dude needs some man weight on him.

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+1 Cast: I don't think the two leads matched but they were great leads individual-wise. The second male lead I found to be quite boring,  except for his swordsmanship

+1 Videography/Cinematography: was absolutely amazing. Probably one of the only reasons why I kept watching this drama was because it was greatly done. The visuals were amazing.

+1 Music: It didn't catch me at first but wow, towards the end the music really gets to you

+1 Value of Friendship, Peace and Kindness: The female lead did a great job holding a strong character that stood up for her values of friendship and kindness and pursuit of peace. However, it's what got her in trouble and what made me upset at the same time.

+1 Complex Relationships: The main two leads had a complex relationship. I'm not sure if I liked it or not. All I can say is, they both have trust issues. At different points I had feelings of contempt for both of them.

+1 Action: Action was better than most I've seen in dramas. The swordsmanship and fighting kind of got redundant for me because so many fighters kept showing up and some of the same fights kept happening over and over again so I skimmed through those parts knowing that the action was already good. It was the storyline that needed to hurry up.

+1 Clothing Line: I was a bit disappointed in the female leads clothing set but I knew it showcased her value of modesty and simplicity. However, two particular I enjoyed seeing clothes in was the first male lead (King) and the Han Shen.

+1 Tragedy: I enjoy tragic genres in general

-1 Story dragged like most dramas do. I'm glad it wasn't a 50+ drama. Hallelujah Amen!
-1 I felt uneasy about the female lead the second male leads relationship (her senior, not the king). I guess I'm just never comfortable with the idea of a person who walks into another relationship while still in love with another person. On top of that, I personally wanted her to only be in love with one person.
-1 Redundant political schemes as always.

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I was hesitant to watch this drama because I knew beforehand about the ending, but gladly I did watch it for my love to Bin Bin and Raba, really despite the ending, don’t regret at all watching this series and gonna be among my all time favorite dramas. If I did not know that this drama based on historical facts, I would rate it 8/10 only because I wished the King trusted Li Er , but after knowing its truly that he didn’t trust anyone, did not appoint queen and he was the one who united China, So gonna rate it 9.5/10. The acting was brilliant by Bin Bin, the clothes and styles of The king and Li Er are incredible and probably the best ever I have yet to see! I watched countless Historical chinese & Korean dramas, but love this one so much because it’s unique & will be hardly to be forgotten! It’s almost a straightforward, not complicated plot yet magical & super addicting!
I don’t know why but truly this drama has a magic that Keeps me under its spell & makes it hard for me to move on ! I spent sleepless nights watching this series over 3 days !
Bin Bin & Raba are the most gorgeous Asian couple of 2017 & hands down ??
Love also the BGM & OSTs..
I would recommend watching this drama for any fans of the leads, historical dramas or Asian dramas. It was a wonderful journey.

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Opposite Poles Attract Each Other

A Worthwhile Watch If You Can Bear Agony And Complex Relationships.
This series clearly depicts this saying: the characters of the King and Lady Li are paradoxical. What Li possesses in sympathy, chivalry, and love, the King possesses the opposite obsessiveness, ruthlessness, and immorality.

I think the scenarist was trying to portray the story of one of the most famous Chinese historical figures, admired throughout China for uniting the state, but without dismissing his flaws. That's a huge plus, since it was done so implicitly (I even rewatched some episodes after finishing the series and noticed subtle hints and actions showing the King's immorality that I had completely missed the first time!).

The scenarist also crafted the character of Li just to highlight the King’s flaws, by showing through her what he lacks. (How brilliant, Li is like a reversed reflection of the King.)

Li is especially used in the last episode to deliver a universal message: no ruler can successfully establish peace and rule the world without possessing sympathy.

I wouldn't exactly call the relationship between the King and Li "love" (although Li at some point clearly shows affection and true love). It's more of a passion, especially for the King.

The script was slow-paced yet steady and excellent (if we ignore the second male lead, who was really annoying and immature), and the excessive flashbacks (seriously, at some point the flashbacks got on my nerves, hehe).

The part about uniting the six states was fairly covered, and I was completely hooked on the strategies the King used to conquer. It was genius to explain how he thought and what motivated his quest for unification — it really made me sympathize with or at least understand him at some points.

As for Lady Li, at first, I thought she was naïve, but as the events unfolded, I realized her decisions were wise and that she was morally driven, unlike the King.

I loved the cinematic choices, particularly in the last episode — they were grand and meticulously chosen to create an extraordinary ending (not going to spoil it!).

The costumes were just wow, and the music perfectly matched the historical vibes.

Now, about Bin Bin and Dilraba:
They completely stole my attention. What a fascinating portrayal of both characters, their flaws, and their struggles. Dilraba — when she cries, she is divine. Her depiction of Li was majestic; I could truly feel Li’s aura through her — her wisdom, her delicacy.
Bin Bin was only 24 or 25 back then, but his acting was top-tier. I can't imagine any other actor portraying the King like him. He managed to merge distinct emotions in a single glance or a single smile — you could tell he put so much effort into the role.
Although the relationship between the King and Li was wrenching and very toxic, I couldn't help but get more and more absorbed into their dynamic.

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I'm not going to lie, I dropped this drama somwhere in the last 10 ep, when I realized I was watching a wash and repeat of the same self-inflicted angst caused by our pouty king.
 If you're a fan of this genre and are immune or enjoy endings that are meant to piss you off, this is the one.
 If you are new to this kinda stuff, don't feel guilty ff through second lead jerk-face's scenes. You'll still get the idea of what's going on Ff bith hs scenes and what I call "The bad people plotting/doing/discussing the bad things'. I swear the second leads story arc despite the head-scratching simple conflict of the OTP, is the weakest and somewhat unnecessary part of the show.
I found it evtertaing until a certain point, then I just wanted to know how it ended, which as you either know or will find , a lot of stuff is given in the open/ending credits.
I wouldn't watch it again and would only recommend to the male lead's an without reservations. He did look good in this.
Other than this, I wouldn't recommend this drama to those new to historical Chinese shows, under any circumstance. 

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It's okay but nothing more

Well, i'm a big fan of Dilbara and her roles in this period like with Eternal Love and others like that so i started this one too and its "meh". It's not really bad, i dont regret watching it but their plenty of problems. The good news its the drama have de "2017 vibes" in term of acting and realisation, but their a big proble : the ML. Sériously in 48 épisodes épisodes i'have seen only one face/type of emotion from him.

The story was okay but the execution is terrible, Dilbara is okay, i mean she doing the same job as her previous drama from this period but the others actors damn it's very not a high level.

Watch it if you like Dilbara acting from this periode and the vibes of 2017-2020 dramas, otherwise its not a big deal if you skip it.

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Charming Couple with Chemistry

Personally, I really enjoyed this drama and I even re-watched it a couple of times.

I come back to this drama periodically to get my fix of Vin Zhang. He is truly handsome and manly. I like this height and built. <3

I think that the ML and FL act well and have very good chemistry in the show. I find the FL pretty and the ML very handsome. ML is such a fine actor. He showcases his acting prowess through how he can be power-hungry and cut-throat and yet, he can be obsessively loving and protective when it comes to his darling lady love. When he loves, he loves hard. e.g. My heart fluttered whenever he became crazy and searched for her desperately whenever she was not in his palace / by his side.

The plot is intriguing and engaging enough for me to ‘chase show’ (and to come back to it when I need my fix of Vin). Everything comes together in that the plot lines are well-linked and everything is wrapped up well.

What I liked a lot:
- explosive chemistry between female lead and male lead is definitely present
- strong and manly male lead who fits the role of king well; seriously, he can act so well
- feisty female lead who is smart, pretty, capable and endearing
- plot that is intriguing and engaging

What I didn’t like:
{spoilers}
- so many deaths
- a lot of bloodshed
- so many people do not get their ‘happily ever after’ and I’m a sucker for happy endings so I’m not pleased
- a lot of scheming

Anyway, this is a very watchable drama!!

Excellent acting!! Interesting plot that makes you want to find out what comes next. Highly Recommend!! <3

Most significantly, ML is a total charmer in this drama (despite his 'toxic love', obsession with FL and whatnot). Enjoy this drama to delight in seeing ML on your TV screen!! <3 What a man! Team King all the way!

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If it is based on true story then I have no words

A king, known for his cruelty, crosses every limit under the excuse of uniting the world. In the end, he is left with nothing.

I decided to watch this drama solely because of the male lead. However, his character was cruel. Since I like the male lead, I always sought the good in his character, becoming biased and overlooking his wrongdoings.

From the beginning, the king made many mistakes. Since childhood, he loved a girl because she had saved his life. When he meets her again, he recalls that she saved him twice—she is his benefactor. However, his kindness toward her soon turns into an obsession. By any means—fair or foul—he wins her over and forces her to stay with him.

One day, he learns that she is carrying another man's child and tries to get rid of it. However, she threatens to take her own life if he does so. For her sake, he accepts the child. Over time, she begins to fall for him, touched by his kindness toward her and her child. But she doesn’t know what fate has in store for her.

If this story is based on real events, I have no words to comment. But if it is purely fictional, I am not at all happy with it. The story brings a tragic ending for all the main characters. Sorry for the spoiler. Also, I was not satisfied with the ending.

Lastly, I want to appreciate the female lead’s attire and hairstyle—both were amazing.

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Vin Zhang so cool....

One word for this drama. Wow... I've never been more enchanted by Vin Zhang. Vin Zhang here is so cool... At that age played this kind of role & be this good is really something.

One thing this drama plot is not conventional, where the male lead (ML) is a good man. Here is the opposite the ML is the bad guy in the drama. Seeing how the ML never change until the end is really something, usually they became better or good man in the end. How the ending of this drama also really perfect. The ending gives me chill...

I also like dilireba here. She's not acting cute like her usual drama. In my opinion she and Vin Zhang give their best performance here.

I also like the romance between Gongsun Li / Lady Li and the king / Ying Zheng. How the hate became tolerance and eventually became love. The acting between dilireba and Vin Zhang also very supple, because they already in a lot of drama together so no awkwardness here.

But sometimes the more i think the darker this drama became. When we really want to take time to ponder the plot its actually the psychological condition where the victim became depend with the kidnapper, sometimes they became 'fall in love' with the kindapper ^_^.

So if you looked for drama that different from usual drama plot watch this. This is a very good drama to escape from boring plot. If you also looked for romance, this drama also offer that to you, enough romance but not too overwhelm. If you fans of dilireba and Vin Zhang of course you have to watch this drama, give you new perspective to them. ^_^

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