The synopsis has already revealed that a female lead lost her family and was seeking revenge or justice. This plot of hers is how our leads cross paths. Initially you will find their banter really cute and you get the feeling that this is only going to get better and better. I honestly had a hard time figuring out our mail lead. This man did an amazing job portraying a strong person, a smart person, a weak person and a cunning person. His facial expressions were second to none.
What I liked about the series is that it is a historical film and I really do enjoy watching historical fans and if you manage to tie in a little bit of romance that is just a big bonus for me. I am truly not a fan of political plotting however the relationships of the royal family was so unique that you really somewhat hope that everything worked out fine. For me I found it somewhat odd that I actually like the villain. Not because they were feelings but because of the scene they were in with their brother and father and even their nephew at times were quite hilarious. This is rare that you get to see our villainess people in a somewhat comical yet plotting manner.
Now for the hard stuff. What I did not like about the series was that thing that hooked me in somehow died off. That’s right it was completely eliminated. That banter between our two leads that was funny and get you wrapped up for more of their entertainment died when or female lead entered the palace. Our feisty, brave, outspoken and tough female lead turned into a submissive palace person. It was a complete 360° change. I am really not exaggerating. It was just like she made a decision and that decision meant she was humble submissive and whatever else you want to call a person that don’t talk unless spoken to. That most certainly ruined it for me because her personality and our male lead personalities were on fire to begin with but because her personality change it just turned bland..
In addition to this, watching the beginning of the series you would naturally assume that there was gonna be this great love, great chemistry but oh was I wrong. There was no amazing love. There was no amazing romance. There was no amazing chemistry. There was no amazing anything about the relationship between the leads. It was just awful. She essentially turned into just another person that is obedient to the emperor and it was no longer fun to watch. After a major turn of events, I don’t want to spoil anything, our smart cunning and strong male leave turns into someone who does not handle pressure well. It was so conflicting and confusing at the same time.
If you’re into historical films and politics you’ll like this one. If you’re into historical romance I would advise you not to cheat yourself because you won’t get it here. This is 62 episodes of politics and plotting. Don’t go looking for love in this place. It ain’t here. Lol.
90% politics
10% palace/harem/romance
The acting was good in the first 22 episodes and it was entertaining. Anything after the 22 episodes was just a blur for me. A blur of going to war and plotting. Not exaggerating.
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Epic Historical Drama | High Quality Production
What an incredible historical story told with a touch (a lot) of humor, initially.When I first started with the drama, I didn't know what to make of it: is it a real historical story, or is it a comedy? Real historical drama because it’s depicting one of the most interesting era of Chinese history from the Yongle reign in 1402 during the Ming Dynasty. Comedy because of the initial dialogues and relationships portrayed in the story – they are funny and entertaining. Nonetheless, a few episodes in, I found myself really enjoying this drama.
The drama is based on some real events and real figures in the early part of the Ming dynasty. It started with Zhu Di, the Yongle Emperor, seizing the throne from his nephew in a revolt. In the beginning of the story, it focuses mainly on the relationships between Zhu Di, his sons and his grandson. How these relationships are depicted is humorous and enjoyable. Fictional or not, I’m really hooked watching how the father-son-grandson, brothers-brothers, uncles-nephew dynamics played out here; the relationships are just funny, informal, silly and sweet at times. However, after the demise of Zhu Di, the same relationships become hideous and the mood of the drama turns serious and deadly.
This drama also has some brief references to the expeditions of Cheng He, the Tumu Crisis, and various important figures such as Yu Qian, Wang Zhen and the three Yangs. However, Empress Sun is given a greater influence in this drama than in reality. Her son is such a spoiled brat and incompetent.
25 episodes in, the mood changes from light-hearted into dead serious. Many episodes focus on warfare with the northern Mongol tribes. The informal relationships we see earlier within the royal family disappear. The seemingly silly and funny characters of the 2nd and 3rd princes become devious and dangerous. Even the Zhu Zhanji character becomes unpredictable and sinister.
Zhu Yawen is a seasoned actor and is very good in his craft. His portrayal of Zhu Zhanji is amazing, switching from being timid in front of his grandfather the Emperor, to silly with his father the crown prince and with his uncles, to serious and nasty with his enemies. Zhu Yawen has a magician hat filled with unlimited facial expressions, body language, smiles, sneers and demeanor. He switches from one mood to another with ease and makes his character super interesting and convincing. However, he’s gone from the screen after about 2/3 of the drama. (Likewise with Wang Xue Qi who plays the Yongle Emperor character - he exits the screen even earlier.) Both of these actors are supposedly playing the main roles. One character, apart from Sun Ruowei, that consistently appears from early in the drama till the end is Yu Qian played by Su Ke. He is a wonderful convincing actor and I really enjoy watching his character.
I don't particularly like the female lead Rebecca Tang playing Sun Ruowei initially because I find her stiff and unnatural, over acts in certain parts and under acts in others. I also dislike her voice dubbing because her voice and tone don't match the moods and situations of the events. Everything just seems off with her. The Sun Ruowei character also changes greatly before and after she married Zhu Zhanji, and it (the character) doesn't feel like a lead character anymore. However, I’m pleasantly surprised by her transformation when she becomes the Empress Dowager. Her no-nonsense demeanor which doesn’t bode well initially becomes very convincing at the later part of the drama. As mentioned earlier, Sun Ruowei is depicted as a very influential character in this drama as a regent which may not be totally accurate historically. According to the record, the Grand Empress Dowager (Empress Zhang) should have held greater power than depicted and hence been the greater influencer. The relationship between Sun Ruowei and Hu Shan Xiang has also been fictionalized.
All the other actors and supporting casts are very good in their respective roles. After the demise of the Yongle Emperor and his sons and grandson, ie. the initial cast, the drama turns dry for some viewers with politics and warfare with a lot of bloodshed and deaths. All the comedies and humors are gone. The drama progresses with each episode getting more intense then the last. Despite the fictions, this drama is still very well made with not many holes; it's interesting and wonderful to watch.
My verdict: yes, I'd recommend this drama to all, especially those who love historical stories. This is a wonderful drama worth watching despite its length of 62 episodes! I have enjoyed almost every episode, although half-way through, it gets a bit dry without all the initial humors and comedies, but the tension and plots keep me on. The acting is impeccable and the music is one of the best. This drama goes into my MUST-WATCH list.
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A classic that should be treasured
This is a brilliant work of art that follows the life of Sun Ruowei from childhood as the young daughter to an official to her rise to Empress and Empress Dowager. Every stage of her life is a progression that fills the entire 62 episodes. Integrated throughout her life story is the side story of various Emperors and relatives and court officials eventually becoming an Empress Dowager and ruler of the Mng Dynasty. These stories are interesting and give the drama historical substance.The life of Sun Ruowei is the common thread that involves the leadership of 6 different emperors of the Mng Dynasty. I love historical dramas but if you stick to "just history" the story would be boring. There is a lot of incorrect and fictionalization of history immersed with nonfictional history to keep the story truly interesting. Since I started watching in January 2020 on YT with computer-generated nonsensical subs the drama was plain AWFUL. But after 62 episodes including episodes raw I promised myself I would find it properly translated and watch again. I discovered another translated version on "V" but the translators were too slow and this is a binge-watch drama if you truly want to enjoy the essence of the story. Finally found the completed drama on "AP" and started rewatching again with every intent to finish (May 2020) I can only assume the low ratings were because of the failure to properly sub on a timely and accurate basis. Watching becomes boring and other dramas take the place and viewers time so fast-forwarding and skimming become the usual practice.
However, this is a fine wine drama. You have to watch it thoroughly to continue to enjoy the time and money that the production crew put into this drama. The costumes, filming locations, battles are all A+ rated and not skimpy computer-generated images. They look real and the filming of action scenes is truly incredible.
The Actors and Actresses - A+. You become invested in all the characters and gosh I cried so many times and was angry or personally frustrated more times watching. You feel the quality and sincerity of the actors -no slackers in this drama.
This is a good watch and deserves higher ratings. One spoiler: the ending isn't satisfying but acceptable because it still leaves a chapter in Sun Ruowei (now the retired Empress Dowager's) life explained. If you haven't watched it and want to watch a historical drama - this is definitely a better drama to watch and worth every minute (now that the subbing has been completed).
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Excellent Historical Drama
I really like this show. I’m surprised that it’s not a hit and it’s received quite some bad reviews. I find that the production is of really high quality from the actors to the costumes and war scenes.It starts off light and funny with serious undertones. The characters are all unpredictable so I don’t know what to expect next (which gives me some suspense).
Towards the middle, things get serious. I thought these fights were really good even though they were typically between the empress/concubine, prince/uncles. The backstabs, the wars, the tactics.
This seriousness continued right up to the end with even the next generation. All in all there are 4 generations of rulers in this series.
In the first arc, you see Tang Wei and the male lead’s journey up until they got married. This arc was funny, sweet and innocent. Then the 2nd arc goes into the male lead’s battle for the throne with his uncles. 3rd arc is his son’s reign, fall and reign again. I personally enjoyed the 1st and 3rd arcs the most and the 2nd arc is really good too (Zhu Yawen is an excellent actor). The 3rd arc had a lot of tough lessons to learn from and Lay portrayed his character as the fallen emperor really well. The emotions towards the last few episodes got me bawling (in a good way).
Favourite characters ? Yu Qian and Xu Bin!
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The personal costumes also left much to be desired. While not as inadequate as prior incarnations from shows depicting the same era, it was certainly nowhere near as painstakingly researched as the Longest Day in Chang'An. Not to mention the rubber armor worn by Ming and Nomadic warriors. Soldiers didn't look like soldiers, and amor didn't look like armor. Nomadic characters had it the worst, as their costumes were all over the place, including some that obviously looked like fantasy cosplay pieces purchased on a budget. Additionally, Nomadic characters behaved in a way that Chinese people thought they behaved, but not how they might have actually behaved.
Then came the war scenes, which were absolutely atrocious. Some scenes & dialogues were blatant ripoffs from existing movies, such as Lord of the Rings and Gladiator. This, coupled with bad costumes, made the war scenes prime candidate for the fast-forward button. Also, why the hell were the 'foreign' mercenaries all speaking English?
The only merit of this series came from the acting prowess of Wang Xueqi, who convincingly interpreted the third Ming Emperor, Zhu Di. In addition, the Emperor's interactions with his sons & grandson were the highlight of the show. Unfortunately, once he left the scene, the show dimmed significantly.
Overall, a terrible show with too many inprobilities that cannot be redeemed, with mediocre acting amidst some of the worst dialogues I can remember. Not something I'd recommend.
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Ming dynasty or the story of mad emperors...
With this historical drama we don't know exactly when the storyline sticks to real facts and when it doesn't. We get poor psychological developments and emperors are finally shown in their ordinary madness or worst scheming sides.Costumes are great, sceneries too. Epic war actions are quite very well depicted and give this drama real great moments. There are also poetic and beautiful scenes.
But finally my feeeling is that this drama could have been so much better ! The first part has funny moments but maybe because of my cultural gap I didn't understand the interest in bringing no relevant comedy scenes to this drama. Those scenes were rather boring and slowed the story progression . The second part of the drama is complety the opposite, quite serious and tragical.
The soundtrack is really really good and brings intensity to this drama.
Lead actors are terrific. Zhu Ya Wen (Zhu Zhan Ji) is amazing. I didn't know this actor before and he really deserves a best actor award ! I love the way he plays and give strenghth to his character : dumb, submissive and
caring as the imperial's grandson, smart, assertive and brave as a royal investigator and finally fearless as a warrior and rather mad as an Emperor. What an interesting character he is ! One can only regret not seeing him in more love scenes with Sun Ruowei. With such a talented actor it's a real pity not having given him more sensivitive and emotial love lines.
I also loved Rebecca Tang, she is so charismatic but her character (Sun Ruowei) is just unrealistic. I really didn't understand her psychology. As Empress Dowager she is just amazing with a perfect acting. Sun Ruowei is this drama's main character but she is too much idealized as a female strong historical persona. Compred to her, Ming's Emperors seem all to be mad, unhappy and finally rather ill fated.
Overall, this drama has very good moments. It's worth to be watched by all historical drama lovers.
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This review may contain spoilers
Many of the historical facts were incorrect. Firstly, Hongxi's empress (Grand Empress Dowager) died in 1442 and that was before Zhengtong emperor went to war with the Mongols and got captured in 1449. Jintai emperor was not the son of Empress Hu. In fact Empress Hu died in 1443 and that was before Zhengtong emperor went to fight the Mongols in 1449. In fact Empress Dowager Sun did not have much influence over Zhengtong emperor. It was Grand Empress Dowager that was the regent when he was 7 years when he was enthroned.The director doesn't seems to understand war tactics used. The use of cavalry and infantry were incorrect. Typical Chinese war movies that made the mistakes of soldiers fighting each other with kungfu scences. The real fact was that they fight in formations supported with artilleries and archers.
A complete friction left with only the actual character names the major event dates that are correct. What a waste with such a distortion.
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If I were more of a stickler for historical facts in my dramas, I probably would have rated this much lower as this drama takes quite a bit of artistic license with historical figures of the Ming dynasty. As a drama of itself, I found it quite entertaining and moving in parts with a terrific, experienced cast and overall great production values.The first 2/3 of this drama is pretty near perfect for me - the story and character arcs make sense. The last 1/3 (after Zhu Zhanji dies) is a bit of a mess - I've nearly blocked out all of it in rating this drama. The ending nearly obliterates the journey Zhu Zhanji and Sun Ruowei take together, and the head-scratching ending with the background music out of nowhere just seems like a weird fan MV to me.
In my mind, this could have been split into 2 dramas and would have worked better for each story being told (the first part being Ruowei and Zhanji's story and second being Ruowei and her son's story). In any case, if you are a fan of historical dramas, this is worth checking out (at least the first 2/3).
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Not a bad watch
Let me begin by saying this drama was pleasant to look at. The cinematography is rather good and the sets/costumes are lovely.Some other positives are how the story begins. The first portion of the very lengthy show are extremely interesting. We begin with action (the overthrow situation) and introducing our characters. Everyone introduced has distinguished personalities which makes learning these new faces entertaining. Their acting is pretty darn good too. I love the tease of the two main characters falling in love and all of the turmoil occurring in the background.
Now, that part about everyone being strong personalities and falling in love is also the problem. At some point, I’d say during the wars when the old emperor is ready to die, our main characters have long periods of not being well... themselves? All of the character development and prude personalities go down the drain for our main characters, Zhu Zanji and Rowei. This sucks because the show is about them! Suddenly the confidence and wittiness disappears. Ugh. They get so boring! So unlikable.
Not only that, we’re teased with the possibility of the two main leads falling madly in love , but only to find out Rowei loves someone else— which I must argue a strong love story was not established with this forbidden love she has. It was kinda like.. hey she knew this guy and he likes her. Boom, she’s in love. They could at least make it believable. Romance doesn’t live here guys.
Our main characters not being themselves towards the end of their time together was also strange. The story surrounds the larger than life personality of Zanji. When he passes away, it’s like the focal point, most likable (at least he used to be, he gets weird at the end) person is gone. We’re left with the now quiet Rowei and not one person is likable at all. I MEAN AT ALL. The story should have ended with Zhu Zanjis death. It died after that anyway with frustrating turmoil and pitiful actors playing the next emperors.
It’s worth a watch, but it could have definitely been better with minor changes.
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This review may contain spoilers
"Ming Dynasty" it's a historical drama about Ruo Wei, who lost her family when she was just a little girl. She got separated from her sister, lived her life assuming another identity and living as a man. Ruo Wei crosses path with Zhan Ji, who's a prince. He becomes interested in her, but at the same time, thinks of her as a suspicious person. Ruo Wei ends up getting married to Zhan Ji, but with thoughts of getting her revenge.The first part of the drama is lighter, with some fun moments, but when we enter the second part, the pace changes significantly, it becomes heavier and this kind of happened together with Ruo Wei herself, her personality accompanied.
I felt sorry for Shan Xiang, it wasn't her fault what she became. She was raised in the palace, with all those rules and being mistreated all the time, when she finally got some power, it went to her head. Her death scene is very beautiful, one of the best in the drama, specially because her sister Ruo Wei, was there with her.
The drama wasn't quite what I wanted, but it's an incredible production. What ended up disappointing me was the romance, in fact the lack of it. Ruo Wei never fell in love with Zhan Ji, I really thought that would happen at some point in the story, but she only stayed with him out of obligation, even her personality changed when entering the palace and that was one of the things I didn't like. It was as if Ruo Wei became another person, as if she had been tamed, I missed seeing her strength. Until the end, the only person she wanted was Xu Bin and I'm glad we have a little happy ending for both of them, even if it's late.
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Emotional roller-coster
I watched this show with my hubby. When the character we hated the most was dying, we both cried. Yes, that's what this show did to us. Captivating!The way it portrays family relationships is moving, but careful, this is not a romance - at least not in the way one might expect it to be at the beginning. If you aren't interested in history and politics, this show might not be that interesting to you, because it shows lots of real events, including political struggle, travel, and war.
Acting is top notch, costumes and interior design is beautiful (I am not a specialist, so I don't know it this is historically accurate), fictional story is smartly intertwined into the texture of real events. If anyone can recommend more series like this to me, I would be grateful.
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Empress Dowager : A Tale of Power Lost in Rushed Politics and Unfulfilled Promises
This is the story of Sun Ruo Wei, whose parents are executed on the orders of the Yongle Emperor in 1402. However, she narrowly escapes death after being secretly adopted by Sun Zhong. Later, Sun Ruo Wei becomes the concubine of the Crown Prince Zhu Zhan Ji.Tragically, Zhu Zhan Ji dies after a decade on the throne, and Sun Ruo Wei is honored as Empress Dowager when her 7-year-old son, Zhu Qi Zhen, ascends the throne.
This series is lengthy, so my review will be a bit long, though I'll try to keep it concise. I usually don’t review shows I’ve stopped watching, but I felt compelled to give my thoughts on this one.
First Part (Episodes 1-20)
The story begins by introducing key characters and exploring the historical circumstances that led the Yongle Emperor to the throne. The change in power brings a wave of killings and massacres of those loyal to the previous regime, including Sun Ruo Wei’s parents. Sun Ruo Wei is separated from her younger sister, who is saved by the Emperor’s grandson and the Crown Prince, later being handed over to a high-ranking official’s care in the palace.
Sun Ruo Wei is adopted by a friend of her parents, who saved her during the massacre. She grows up amidst rebels and orphans, plotting the death of the Yongle Emperor and the return of his nephew to the throne.
Zhu Zhan Ji, the Crown Prince’s son, is the favored imperial grandson. His relationship with his grandfather, the Emperor, is the highlight of the first two parts of the series. Despite the Emperor’s suspicions of his sons, Zhu Zhan Ji is chosen as heir. Though the Crown Prince excels at governance, he lacks the imperial stature the Emperor desires in a successor.
In the first part, we see the complicated relationships within the royal family. The Emperor, despite his paranoia, doesn’t want his sons to harm one another, leading to some dramatic yet sometimes comedic moments. For instance, when the Prince of Han argues with the Emperor, he celebrates his own funeral and lies in a coffin, almost wishing/daring for an imperial decree to announce his death. The Emperor, angered, locks him in the coffin as punishment until an apology is given.
The relationships between the princes are filled with tension, and the interactions are often humorous as they navigate the Emperor’s wrath. The most significant relationship is that between the Emperor and Zhu Zhan Ji. The Emperor shows a rare tenderness toward Zhu Zhan Ji, who is deeply devoted to his grandfather. They share many moments of affection, with Zhu Zhan Ji even earning the nickname “little monkey” from the Emperor. Despite being mischievous, Zhu Zhan Ji acts as a confidant and helper to the Emperor, even assisting with personal tasks. The Emperor, in turn, entrusts him with a precious gold totem that signifies the Emperor’s authority.
Zhu Zhan Ji and his parents have a more strained relationship with his uncles, who plot to claim the throne. They view Zhu Zhan Ji as their main threat, and the animosity between them and Zhu Zhan Ji intensifies. The first part focuses on Zhu Zhan Ji and Sun Ruo Wei’s relationship, which begins somewhat one-sided, with Zhu Zhan Ji falling in love with Sun Ruo Wei while she maintains feelings for Xu Bin.
Second Part (Episodes 20-30)
The tone shifts in the second part, becoming more serious and dramatic. Sun Ruo Wei is reunited with her sister, Hu Shan Xiang, and both marry Zhu Zhan Ji—Sun Ruo Wei as a concubine and Hu Shan Xiang as a consort. This part delves into the border wars between the Mongols, Uighurs, and the Ming Empire, as well as Zhu Zhan Ji’s wedding celebrations.
The mood darkens when both the Emperor and Crown Prince fall seriously ill, and Zhu Zhan Ji’s emotional scenes with the Emperor are heart-wrenching. His family is caught in a precarious position as his uncles wait for the death of the Emperor or Crown Prince to seize power. Amid this political turmoil, the country faces the threat of civil war.
Some viewers have criticized Sun Ruo Wei’s performance, noting that her character becomes more passive. While the change may seem abrupt, it’s understandable. Sun Ruo Wei is no longer solely driven by revenge but instead prioritizes the well-being of the nation to prevent further suffering. Her actions become more selfless as she helps manage the country while Zhu Zhan Ji is away at war.
During this period, it becomes clear that Zhu Zhan Ji and Sun Ruo Wei will not be a romantic couple, but rather partners who respect each other and must work together for the good of the country.
Third Part (Episodes 30-40)
By the third part, my interest waned. While I typically enjoy series that focus on political intrigue, power struggles, and minimal romance, this show fell short of its potential. The strategic plots are rushed, and we barely see them unfold. The female characters, especially Sun Ruo Wei, become sidelined after the Emperor’s death. Sun Ruo Wei is rarely seen after the former Crown Prince’s death, and Zhu Zhan Ji’s character, which had so much promise earlier, becomes one-dimensional. His scenes are reduced to fits of anger, lacking the cleverness and depth from earlier episodes.
Hu Shan Xiang, who becomes Empress, is suddenly pregnant with no build-up, and there are no meaningful moments between her and Zhu Zhan Ji. The lack of emotional depth and character development in this part is disappointing.
This part also focuses on the Emperor’s death, the Crown Prince’s ascension, the scheming of his brothers, and the eventual defeats of Zhu Zhan Ji’s uncles. These events feel drawn out and lack the intrigue and excitement I had hoped for. It was a frustrating and empty section, which left me feeling disconnected from the show.
Ultimately, I dropped the series. While I still recommend it for those who enjoy historical dramas, I don't otherwise for romance lovers and those who care for an intriguing script. This one failed to live up to its potential. The actors were excellent, but the writing and character development left much to be desired.
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