Story of Kunning Palace

A GREAT POWER DRAMA FOR 2023

Last year there were many power dramas that kept us happy, this year not so much. But fortunately, we have one in Story of Kunning Palace. It has the actors (some A-listers) playing intense parts with martial arts skills in a great plotline with gorgeous costumes and a superb soundtrack that adds to the different scenes in a wonderful cohesion. I don't usually give dramas a 10 rating, but the story and the acting just makes me riveted to this exciting drama. There is also its share of light-hearted moments and characters. Case in point; the actor who plays Dingfei gives this otherwise serious drama the comic-relief that is needed to keep it from becoming too gloomy. I highly recommend this power drama to binge on. Happy drama-watching.

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Overrated, pretty design but a flat dead world.

TLDR: I really wanted to love this one but it let me down in the second half. Plot hits all the points it should, the actors are alright but the cinematography, lighting, lack of lived in feel and direction to overact drag this drama down to a 7 for me. It's alright but I won't be rewatching.

Ratings: So there's a lot of hype for this show especially coming off the success of Til the End of the Moon. Bai Lu is a beloved actress and there was much disappointment when this show's release was delayed. I feel like the eventual score for this show will settle down somewhere in the 7s but in the meantime most reviews are either going to be extremely positive or extremely negative.

Plot:
I found the first half of the show enjoyable and fairly interesting although there was the occasional tedious bit. Personally I love rebirth revenge stories so I felt like this was going to be the show for me. The build up was good, I was enjoying it and then although there were plot points happening the desire to watch and see what happened next disappeared. It really began to drag once they left the capital.

If you read out the main story the plot would be solid. There's a lot happening, you've got a palace intrigue part, a mystery, battles, festivals - truly a little bit of everything and the heroine is involved in all of the above (no pining away at home while the love interest is off to fight!) However the problem is that however dark and edgy they want to make the story they just never follow through. It's obvious from the start that the two main villians of the show aren't going to be on par with the lead couple. The tone is set that no matter how bad the stakes get the leads will find a way to make it through without major pain.

I think there's more to it than that but for me there was so much happening but there was no emotion to it, the story felt dead towards the end.

Acting:
The acting was fine, nothing outstanding, nothing obviously terrible. I don't know whether it was post production, the writing, or the direction that the killed the story so badly.

I think that the actor who plays the male lead has a fair bit of room to improve his acting. He's also fairly young and did a good job in a role that would probably normally be given to an older actor. He potrays a fairly dark character and does a good job of showing the crazy/calculating side he is lacking in being able to bring all his character's traits together into someone who feels like a real person. I felt this a bit with the Bai Lu's character too - she can act fairly well but for some reason it just felt like she was doing what was required rather than putting in an outstanding performance. I felt like it was standard across the whole drama that the actors overacted which makes me think that this was a direction problem more than an acting problem.

Production:
The sets, the clothing, the world were gorgeous. Absolutely stunning. Then they served a shit sandwitch when it came to lighting and cinematography. The lighting is horrendous - characters in bright daylight but they're using a white light instead of a warm sunlight light. It being noon but the shadows are all wrong. If the sets and the clothing were low budget I think it would have been less of a problem, but when the sets are so gorgeous the drama would have been on a whole different level if they did things like use real candle light, real sunlight etc. This exacerbated the issues with the plot - if the world doesn't feel alive and lived in then it's only going to provide a pretty backdrop and not give the actors a lot to work with. The other issue was that the sets, although gorgeous, were too perfect and didn't give the vibe that they were lived in. The character's clothes are always clean, there's not a hair out of place etc. No dirt, no dust, if a character gets whipped then they add in most of the blood on the clothes afterwards etc.

Music:
Nothing memorable, nothing jarring but nothing particularily good.

Some people might say that I'm expecting too much from this kind of drama. I would have agreed, especially as I'm cocurrently watching Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace again. However, I have enjoyed shows like Romance of Tiger and Rose and Love like the Galaxy (LLTG). I wouldn't normally make a comparison between two different shows but the difference for me is glaring. In LLTG I cared what happened to the characters, the world and people felt like they could exist somewhere, although I felt like the main couple would make it through it felt like there were real stakes, it was emotional. It had dimension where this show is pretty but completely flat for me. I'm sad because this show had the potential to be everything that I've been looking for in a show but instead I'm struggling to finish.

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Upon second watching - this is a masterpiece I’ll return to again I’m sure

I absolutely loved this series! The story is fantastic and the fantasy element was the linchpin of its success. The reincarnation element allowed me to see a wild story of palace intrigue and political machinations from a new and fresh creative perspective.

ACTING
The performances by all leads and most supporting actors were outstanding - in particular Zhang Ling He. He delivered a very nuanced performance of a complex character that was mysterious, alluring, intimidating, frightening - and in the end sympathetic. Every important character was able to live more brightly in the shadow of his performance.

In general, I would say the entire cast delivered - even if it was the standard rote character you expect. But a few performances were so brilliantly well done that you can’t imagine anyone else doing better – thank you Bai Lu, Zhang Ling He, Wang Xing Yue.

SOUNDTRACK
The soundtrack is masterfully composed to both complement and amplify the on-screen drama. As soon as you would hear a track begin, the tension was immediately elevated.

SOURCE NOVEL
I felt compelled to read the novel after the first couple episodes, and the additional background added a lot to my understanding of the characters. However – as is almost always the case – the novel is better than the movie. The novel is very long and dense with detail, which left the series feeling a bit choppy with parts unavoidably left out. As a result, the last several episodes felt equally satisfying and weak. Still, I recommend reading the novel if you have time.

Favorite Quote:
(novel)
“A drop of kindness should be repaid by a gushing spring.”

(series)
“A drop of water in need, shall be returned with a spring in deed.”

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Overall, the cinematography was absolutely beautiful in all is meticulous detail, but there were a few creative choices (lighting) that took me out of the story.

RE-WATCH
For me, this drama reinforced the idea that for some very special dramas there’s no such thing as too many episodes. I avoided Chinese dramas for years because I thought they were too long. However, after watching several long series multiple times (Ashes of Love, Love Between Fairy and Devil, Till the End of the Moon, Word of Honor…) I’ve learned not avoid them based on episode numbers. Still, I’ve dropped many series after a dozen episodes because it just wasn’t working - for me.

Finally, I must applaud the insightful examination of moral dilemmas from many different perspectives. It made this drama one that lingers in the mind - and that credit goes to the author of the novel - it was brilliant in its character analysis.

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Terrific Actors. Riveting Story.

After watching this, I realized that Bai Lu is actually a good actress. I have watched her in two dramas before this and didn't really think much of her acting skills. Its not that she didn't stand out, she is terrific and charming, but the scripts just weren't right for her. Kunning palace was such a terrific script, with a lot of plot holes and missed potential, regardless it was riveting until the very end.

And after watching Zhang Ling He play the role of Xie Wei / Xie Ju'an, I have come to realize that he was made to portray historical characters. He is so unrecognizable from his modern day roles, where he reminds me of a teenager. In his historical roles, he bring us a different aura, just like he did with his role in Love Between Fairy and Devil. I'm going to check out few of his other dramas as well to see more of him. In some scenes in Kunning Palace, he kinda overdid it and we have to ask the directors what were they thinking. For example, the first scene where they introduced him, they gave us a close up of his neck. It just looked so damn funny. But apart from some of these weird instances, he did a phenomenal job with this character.

You'll Keep Guessing Who The FL ends up with until the last few episodes (Spoilers below)
Let's begin with the adorable Yan Lin, he brought light to Ning's life. While she never showed any romantic affection for him, she cherished him a lot.
With Zhang Zhe, the story was so complex that it wasn't fully explored. Even though it seemed slow paced, it felt like there were a lot of missed opportunities to make their story flow. After claiming to like him so much, Ning seem to have given up way too quickly on what could have been between them and so did he. Despite her being a stranger to him, he was attracted to her and we can see in his expression that it was not just because of her looks.
Xie Wei / Xie Ju'an, the reason I was glad that it didn't work out with Zhang Zhe. While Ning would have had a sort of peaceful life with Zhang Zhe, he would never truly have understood Ning as a person. He was a bit too rigid for her, sometimes that makes a good choice but the chemistry between Xie Wei & Ning was just too strong to notice anything else.

What really pissed me off was the story between Jiang Xuehui & Shen Jie. Shen Jie seemed like such a powerless character that it was hard not to feel sad for Jiang Xuehui and kind of curse Shen Jie for not having spine.

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Elevator boy on a rampage

I really liked this drama for around 20 episodes - or more? All the characters are well played and the plot wasn't super fast-paced, but engaging, set up well. Characters were well rounded and believable. Plot was coming along nicely.
And then the ML transformed into a creepy dude who doesn't care if the FL wants him or not, kisses her without consent, grabs her by the throat multiple times, forces her onto a bed and: she starts catching feelings for him around that time.
Under the guise that "she was misunderstanding his intentions the whole time and now that she knows spoilery stuff about him, she isn't afraid of him anymore and realizes what a great guy he is". Except that he just demonstrated he isn't. He forced a kiss, he didn't stop, he strangled her.

Sure, there should be multifaceted, grey characters, bad guys in a story. This is the ML and this story is set up in a way that shows "hey, just be forceful and persistent and the girl will be yours" and I freakin cannot stand it.
She tells him off after they spent the night together, he asks her to marry him, she needs to think about it and he acts like a four year old who didn't get to keep his favorite toy. But that is the extent of it - after that she's back to liking him.

There's imo nothing steamy about their interactions, because they are all forced - from kiss one onwards. I despise this kind of narrative. I don't even want to give it one point, if it wasn't for all the stuff that they did great on before that.

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Chemistry off the chart

I'm not entirely a fan of this trope, i.e where the audience is taken into a story written in modern times. This part however only had minimal screentime in the beginning and at the end of the actual story so I enjoyed this series ❤️

*******SPOILER ALERT********

Story: I'm only giving this a 9 rating as the concept of Ning'er reliving her life to change her destiny was sometimes a bit 'unrealistic', what I mean by this is the fact that she's completely different to what she was in the previous life. Her being a scheming individual that only wanted to be the empress, which is a person with different values. This is my only gripe with the actual story.

Actors did a great job in portraying their respective characters. Special mention to the ML, Zhang Ling He who did an excellent job portraying Xie Wei, he really looked crazed at times, unhinged, obsessed and in love with the FL, Ning'er. Bai Lu did a good job as FL. They had great chemistry. I also enjoyed the acting of the following actors, Wang Xing Yue, Zhou Jun Wei, Liu Xie Ning, Jiang Xiao Lin (bodyguard of Xie Wei), also the other bodyguard of Xie Wei who's name I can't find under the supporting actors.

Other actors that also caught my attention is Zhou Da Wei, Melody Tang, Qin Tian Yu, Yu Zhong Li, Cui Shao Yang(really played the part of a playboy and fake Xue Dingfei well) and Yu Zong Li as 'sister' of Ning'er.

Production and Visual FX : 8.5

Ost: 8.5

Rewatch value : 8 will rewatch if there's nothing better to watch

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engaging second chance

very pleasant story, never calm. the cast is amazing, I infinitely love Zhang Linghe, who despite having a toxic character, managed to make me fall in love with him. Wang Xingyue and Zhou Junwei was also fantastic and put me in difficulty as well as the protagonist. This is a story of a second chance, to ensure that the protagonist can protect the people dear to her. The tension and chemistry between her and the ML is very enjoyable and this is the reason why I continued to see it until the end... even if it is not the best historical cdrama I absolutely recommend it

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Watch for the engaging story, not the romance

An adaptation of a novel, this was a surprisingly enjoyable drama (ignoring the romances). The politics/story was actually the best part. Consistent characterizations, engaging political intrigue. I enjoyed watching everyone maneuver around each other and the various sideplots.

The various romances were however a bit of a mess. It was not clear why she rejected some men, like the young Marquis and Lord Zhang. I had to read summaries of the webnovel to understand their characters and relationships, which is the sign of a poorly written romance. Jiang Xuening's romance with Xie Wei also didn't start till late episode 32 iirc (?) and it was rushed. There was debate about whether Jiang Xuening was being groomed by Xie Wei or she truly loved him. Imo if they had paced it better and developed it better, it would have been more satisfying.

I was however pleasantly surprised that the second half and the ending didn't flop and I didn't have to skip episodes or scenes. I also felt that Zhang Linghe overacted at points but his Xie Wei was consistent. Bailu delivers a reliable performance as usual.

PS check out the As You Wish variety show. That was SO good.

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somehow its so good,,???

did not expect to be this engaged with SOKP because i dropped it after ep5, but i decided to give it another chance and im so glad i did!!

i thought the politics and revenge plot would be boring but it was well written & well paced through out that i actually sat through the whole show without skipping a lot of scenes (even with the supporting roles and im the type to skip a lot of sr scenes when i watch other dramas if they're not interesting). this show rly takes the cake for me bc i cried during the partings and felt frustrated when theres a conflict LOL. i was really genuinely locked in with the show. though the romance between MLs started late it was not a problem at all since the plot was good enough to keep me going. high budget, good castings & great plot from start to end. ZLH's character could be overbearing but its really just how he was build for it lolz everyone in the show had interesting characters

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Started ok, Finished Wonderful

The high score attracted to look into it. Than i saw Bailu and Zhang Ling He and i was convinced to proceed further :). At the beginning i was thinking why is so high rated, yes they play well, yes is filmed nicely, yes to the environment, yes to the music, but i couldn't get that emotions to keep me engaged. Is a lot of Palace dialogues and plans on revenge from different sides of the story. From ep 12 it started to move a little bit, emotions between Ning and Zhang Zhe won me to continue. I felt that love from both sides, the sadness, the helpless, the powerless, the sacrifice - played beautifully.
All story goes well, I can't say that it was something really new, but the way story goes along and how is transmitted from flashbacks and back is executed gorgeously.
The last 10 episodes made me stay hooked wholly. The first kiss is absolutely dashing, ohh boy Xie Wei - this is when i said, is all worth watching it - don't get me wrong i am not a pervert :)), but sometimes in the dramas you need this to won the scene. It was rough, craving, longing for it and i could feel his desperation, the strong desire for love and caring.
Overall is a beautiful masterpiece, absolutely all characters played well, the bad ones, the good ones, the passer by's. I loved the many locations and places they used, the decorations, the nature, this gives richness to the drama. A little bit of abuse of camera to go into eyes and see the others, or the faded colours, it didn't spoil too much, but overly done is not good either.
The only thing i didn't like is the sister story - the prince didn't tell her that she is not the chosen one, yes they show at the end as a happy family, but it got me very frustrated (i know on those time that was something ordinary, but i still don't like it :)).
Enjoy!!!

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