This review may contain spoilers
"Story of Yanxi Palace" follows life inside a palace harem.Ying Luo is a simple maid, but she has a lot of skills, which makes her stand out from the other girls, who are jealous of her and always try to frame her. At one point, she meets the emperor and Fu Heng, two men who will mark her life forever.
There is a purpose behind Ying Luo's arrival at the palace. Her sister was a maid there who ended up dying unexpectedly and there were rumors that Fu Heng was to blame for this, so Ying Luo ends up getting close to the empress, who is Fu Heng's sister, to get information about her sister's death.
The emperor did not like Ying Luo's closeness to the empress, he was suspicious of the girl's intentions, thinking that she did it for personal gain. As Ying Luo becomes like a personal maid to the empress, the two basically fight like children every chance they get, and it is from this that the relationship between Ying Luo and the emperor is formed. Ying Luo is an incredible character, she is not afraid to speak her mind and this is one of the reasons why the emperor ends up falling in love with her, without even realizing it.
The relationship between Ying Luo and the Emperor is very funny, the two seem like two children fighting, there were moments of love and hate, because she was the only person who didn't treat him as superior, but rather as an ordinary person.
The romance plays an important part in the story, but for me, what really caught my attention was the relationship between Ying Luo and the empress. The two created such a strong bond that you could tell when the empress died, a part of Ying Luo died too. She was like a mother and a sister to Ying Luo, helping her whenever possible and I even think she would have let Fu Heng marry Ying Luo, but with Fu Heng's decision to marry Er Qing to save Ying Luo, there was no chance of that happening.
Unlike other dramas that portray the harem of a palace, "Story of Yanxi Palace" is a more entertaining story. There are conflicts, conspiracies, and plots between the concubines for power, but this is done in a lighter way, because where else could we see an emperor basically being ordered around by his concubine? The one who had the real power in this story was always Ying Luo.
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Masterpiece
Everything about this drama is exceptional—the laughter, the excitement, and the tears it brought me. The “I promise” on the final episode completely shattered my heart! I could barely breathe in between sobs.The production, music, star studded cast and set design are top-notch, making this a true masterpiece. With 70 episodes, it was the longest series I’ve ever watched, yet I still found myself wanting more. It was truly an honor to experience this journey.
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One of the finest Chinese court dramas ever written.
The TV series "Yanxi Palace Sketch" tells the story of a woman who stands up for herself no matter where she is. In the royal land, it's hard to do what you want to do. It's almost impossible to "be yourself."In "Yanxi Palace Sketch," the actress portrays the young woman Wei Ying Luo, who enters the royal land to avenge the death of her sister, the most loved and important person in her life. At first, she is just a palace maid, and everyone advises her against investigating her sister's affairs as it might put her in danger. Even though she knows it will be dangerous for her, she still pursues her own goals. In the process, she makes some true friends. She does not give up despite warnings of the dangers involved in finding the real killer. She believes that she will be able to find the real culprit, and in the end, through her efforts, she finally discovers the person behind her sister's murder and avenges her death.
Throughout the process, Wei Ying Luo does not expect to meet people she can trust completely, especially in the palace. She meets the Empress, who is very kind to her, teaching her to read and write, patiently guiding her through her mistakes, and finding ways to help her if she is intentionally harmed as punishment. The Empress loves her as if she were her own relative. Due to this love, Wei Ying Luo eventually treats the Empress as her own sister. Once, when the Empress was almost trapped in danger by other concubines, Wei Ying Luo protects her in her own way, even though doing so exposes her to dangerous forbidden places. She acts according to what she believes is right. After careful judgment, she rationally decides not to trust people so easily, regardless of what they say. In the end, she not only successfully protects the Empress but also becomes a respected figure in the palace.
At the last moment when Wei Ying Luo is about to leave the palace due to the expiration of her service years, something unexpected happens. She must leave the palace to visit her sick family. Unfortunately, while she is away visiting her family, the queen is murdered. When she returns, it is too late to save the queen. She faces a life-changing decision: to stay in the palace to find the Empress' murderer while becoming the emperor’s consort to better investigate. Though her approach to becoming a consort was initially driven by a purpose, she always acts according to her own will. After much hard work, she finally uncovers the truth behind the Empress's death.
To many people, Wei Ying Luo is a unique character in the royal land because it is impossible for anyone to "be themselves" in such an environment. In the royal land, many people are forced to abandon their true selves for various reasons, and doing whatever they want is considered a luxury and an impossibility. However, Wei Ying Luo has always followed her heart in everything she does.
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a Whole Entire Yikes!
Listen, it's suicide, murder and mayhem led by an emperor with the strongest sperm this side of history and the lamest pull out game ever seen!😂😂😂This is a really good drama! I think many may be discouraged by the seventy episodes, and translating it to seventy hours, but you will fly through each one because the plot is captivating and the visuals do not hurt. The most pleasant thing is that the drama is available on YouTube which is available in most regions.
I would recommend this series very strongly, especially for those who love a period drama. Enjoy!
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Usually I start scrolling on my mobile phone, when I lose interest during episodes, but this drama had me hooked until the last episode. The strong acting (I love a strong and smart female lead and strong and stubborn male lead), the cleverness with which the palace game was played….sigh…. and I was even impressed by the acting skills of that crazy eunuch! Oh Eunuch...;) you had 'The Shining' written all over you....you dog you....
The villains in my opinion where formidable. Yes.....villains...as in multiple. The amazing thing was that every so-called 'villain' had u humanizing aspect to them, which made me understand were they were coming from. In some cases I rooted for the villain, but when it came to moment of truth I rooted for the leads more.
I also love how the female lead doesn't take bullshit from anyone. She fights for the ones she cares about and eliminates those who did her wrong. I'm easily annoyed by underwhelming female leads who waste my time with their almost saint-like attitude. I'm not vengeful and i believe in forgiveness, but continuously turning the other cheek to keep a female lead a pure and angel-like character, is plain boring. Nobody likes a goody two-shoes. I mean i certainly don't. I like women with integrity, good morals, passion and fighting spirit when the situation asks for it. I just like leads who play dirty, when the other side just doesn't want to back off. That's why i loved Wei Ying Luo and the actress who played her. I don't understand the crap they gave her for being an unexperienced actress. I thought she was perfect!
And Yuan Nie.......What can I say? I'm a sucker for older men of his kind. They just don't make them that way anymore…
I loved him as the emperor. He was a perfect asshole, with a bit of self-indulgence, intelligent but oblivious and lovable at the same time.
In short: Normally the Manchu style of the Qing Dynasty bothers me, but this time it totally didn't! It actually has grown on me in this drama! Don't want to spoil to much, but if you:
- can overlook the peculiar hairstyle;
- love a good historical c-drama's;
- enjoy engaging in palace politics and intrigues;
- are into love games (u know, the cat-and-mouse kind);
- love a-totally-in-denial , a somewhat childish, but somewhat adorable-at-times, unreasonably-stubborn and amazing acting Yuan Nie;
- are in need of a sometimes silly and going-overboard, but strong-and-kick-ass female lead;
than this is the one for you! Just press the button...don't hesitate….go on...you won't regret…go watch it and thank me later! ….You're welcome...;)
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What I love the most from this drama is how smart the plot is. The clever plot, interesting story line, and beautiful scene. It really is a must watch for all drama lover.
Story wise, the FL is so smart and witty, I am always being surprised. From the first episode to the last, there isn't any plot that I don't like. It is also very rare to have the kind of story where FL is this strong.
As for the casts, they are amazing. They really act well, nothing chessy, nothing too much, and less. They are perfect! I love the female lead, the emperor (even more when he acted childish around the FL), I even love the second male lead (ok, i kinda wish to find a guy like him in real life, although I ship the FL with emperor in the drama)
Music part is interesting, I won't spoil much, but you will be suprised the first moment you listen to the music choice for this drama's opening. And for this, I appreciate the music choice and varieties.
My rewatch value will be high, as I will only write lengthy review for drama I will re-watch (lol!) anyway, i will just say, watch this drama and prepare to be suprised of how well written it is. (not to forget, smart!)
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Enjoyable revenge drama with strong female lead
Unexpectedly, I enjoyed this drama. For me, episodes 1-10 and 40-49 were my favourite. I watched this in 2024 on YouTube after reading fan reviews. I heard that this drama was heavily censored in China and you can tell that some scenes were cut out. I would've loved to see the uncensored version.Acting:- All the ladies in this drama did a fantastic job, especially Consort Gao, Consort Xian and Er Qing. The emperor was also amazing in acting. I also cannot forget Li Yu (Emperor's eunuch) - his micro-expressions were always fun to watch! The only one who disappointed me was Fucha, the actor does not have a wide range of expressions.. sometimes his acting made me laugh, but he has a nice smile.
Characters:- I loved the FL, Ying Lou. I think she's my girl crush. I also liked her chemistry and witty banter with the Emperor. They were a pleasure to watch on the screen. If you liked the FL in 'The Double', then you will like her here. My favourite side-characters were Li Yu, Ye Tianshi (the only doctor who can treat diseases lol) and Xiao Quanzi.
Plot:- I think the revenge part is true and done well. The FL is an "eye for an eye" kinda character, so it is satisfying to watch. This is not a romance show, so don't expect that. It's a slow burn for sure. But it shows platonic love very well - friendship and sisterhood especially. The pace of the show varies and drags sometimes, so I found myself fast-forwarding especially when they discussed palace or war politics. This is the reason I deduct one star.
Rewatch value:- I very rarely rewatch shows. Since this is very long, I will rewatch my favourite episodes. I think you will like this show if you like smart female leads.
I rate it 9/10
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Don't let episode count scare you
honestly this drama was amazing. I typically don't like harem dramas and usually skip all the ladies fighting in other dramas but this one was just too good. It kept me invested. I could not put it down. Yinglou is an amazing female character, she's smart, stubborn and not willing to bend for anyone. There are twists and turns I didn't see coming. Most of the side characters are fairly flushed out. I would defintely recommend watching this drama, even if you usually don't like palace dramas, this one is amazing.Was this review helpful to you?
Unforgettable!
I originally entered this world through Yanxi Palace: Princess Adventures, which was also a part of my introduction to historical Chinese dramas. My interest was peaked because I first recognized Nie Yuan and Wu Jin Yan, who have become some of my favorite actors. When I realized this was the original story I was overjoyed and so glad I finally set aside time to dive into it! At this point i pretty much watch anything that Wu Jin Yan leads because her acting is so versatile and always pulls me in.I absolutely love this story. From all the ups and downs to the great chemistry between all the actors. I love it much more than Legend of Haolan, but both stories captivated me nonetheless. Even though there are so many episodes I would eagerly rewatch anytime I want to take a trip back to the Forbidden City!
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Story
The story is about a strong who enters the palace to investigate and avenge her sister’s death. I was always a fan of strong female lead dramas, and this one was no exception. Seeing Wei Yingluo so mentally strong and her way of solving things are indeed very interesting.
The story is very tight and the costumes are very colourful as well.
I can’t find any loopholes but seeing irritating characters such as Erqing is such a pain in my ass.
Cast
Wu Jin Yan was very impressive in her role of Wei Yingluo. She was not very beautiful but her way of acting was very good. Fuca Fuhen and the Empress both did a pretty good job. The empress was my favorite character in my Yanxi Palace.
They all left a good impression in my heart.
Music
The songs and osts are just average
Rewatch
I would definitely watch it again as I will miss Wu Jin Yan
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Hooked me!
I started Story of Yanxi Palace hoping for something longer I could watch for a while between waiting for new release episodes to finally come out for the dramas I was dumb enough to start before all the episodes were available—something nice and long to settle back to, and I'd heard great things about this one. 4 days, almost no sleep, and 70 episodes later...........I was confused and a bit disappointed with the last ten episodes and the direction they took the story, but it makes more sense now that I know that it was loosely based on actual historical events. I'm not a fan of love triangles, and this one was awful, especially after hearing that it's not historically accurate. So dumb.
But overall, it was a drama that kept me hooked. Now, to go watch Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace (which I've heard is more historically accurate).
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