This review may contain spoilers
Addictive Die & Retry about redemption instead of revenge with a thrilling, dangerous romance
My second favorite 2023 drama after Till the End of the Moon and would you know it, it's another dark, sexy and twisted angst-fest with Bai Lu as its lead. The hype was sky-high, and it did not diasppoint. It is by no means a perfect drama, the story can feel rushed, the palace politics are hard to follow, and the production is of average quality with some weird lighting and framing choices (hate them or love them, here come the Chu Yui Bun lens flares and close-ups), but the plot is gripping. Bai Lu has chemistry with every character, and her (incredibly hot) slow-burn romance with Zhang Ling He's scheming and secretly unhinged teacher is rich, intense, and pays off wonderfully. It's sort of a harem, Jiang Xuening has three suitors who are based on classic tropes (childhood friend, incorruptible lawman and mysterious teacher) and after trying to convince herself that she wants the most righteous one that she missed in her previous life, she ends up falling for the most dangerous instead. Xei Wei is fascinating, and I kept rooting for him despite his ruthlessness and controlling tendencies. This is how you write a flawed character ! Yan Lin was also great, only Zhang Zhe was a letdown, and I don't know if I should fault the script or the actor (maybe both). I also really liked how the politics were cleverly intertwined with the romances and destinies of all characters, it made it all the more gripping, and the rythm was flawless. This is the kind of show that hooks you right away and never let go. I was sad to see it end, 38 episodes went by like nothing.Was this review helpful to you?
Fixing the mistakes you made in the past
Best drama ever!!!At first I was lost how will Ning'er and Xie Wei fall in love with each other since in the FL past life they were most likely enemies and still in her second chance life she was too scared of Xie Wei, I was getting curious to watch it and it was worth watching.
For me it seemed a bit obvious that Xie Wei had already fallen for Ning'er because he was so curious about Ning'er and Yan Li and also Zhang Zhe relationship with her and he was also caring, protecting and following her orders and treating her differently from others when he was her teacher. Even though Zhang Zhe seemed to be the perfect guy for Ning'er but Xie Wei's love for her was too strong to be defeated.
Best couple I wish to see them in another drama still being FL and ML loving each other.
This drama made me forget that they were acting because their love connection on-screen was too great to believe they are real lovers in reality, it also made me wish I had a boyfriend like Xie Wei even though he seemed scary because his jealousy was making me laugh 🤣🤣
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This cdrama raised the bar for my standards.
Plot had me curling my toes and made my stomach twist into knots. The tension and chemistry between the main leads and side characters are immaculate!! Miss Bai Lu was the perfect woman for her role. The story progression was quite slow, but all was worth it for build-up. I fear there's no historical cdrama better than this.Was this review helpful to you?
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Great Era of Politics with Romantic touch of FL life
Well if you are looking for Politics (most prob) than this is the best drama, a must watch. Whereas in romance it is a slow burn (means if you are asking about romance between ML than it properly start from Epi 30).Before that there are good scenes between SL and FL and Fight and Funny scenes between MC.
In every aspect story was good. I love how both Male Leads weren't clingy to FL whereas ML was more possesive and obsessed with FL but it in a good way (acc to me 🤫🥳)
A must watch drama.
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One of the Best drama from Bai Lu! Queen of Wuxia drama
*Positive things* : the chemistry's off all actor/actress is very good , their acting very impresif, especially Xue Shu and princess. I really dont like Xue Shu, but this thing proof her acting really good.I like how jealously XW with Zhang Zhe until the end, its so funny.. Even his child respect Zhang Zhe. 🤣
Finally, we got happy ending for Bai Lu wuxia drama compare to Till The End of The Moon. As expected, Bai Lu acting very good!
The negative :
- The soundtrack drama is so so, i mean not too good but not bad.
- Ep 37-38, i expect more conflict, but turn is out, the result predictable.
Anyway i glad to know and watch this drama, it will be one of the best drama in 2023!!
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This review may contain spoilers
(a rant)Firstly - the story is ridiculous. I enjoyed it sure, and it wasn't bad. Still it went so over the board.
I still appreciate the range: there were both a green and a red flag next to each other in one frame (Lyu Xian and Xie Wei).
Xie Wei is so ridiculous I only agree to have him for Xue Ning and Yan Lin. He is lowkey suicidal, keeps hurting himself, is irritable and agressive, but also has pretty eyes, so I guess we like him.
I've seen said that both ML and FL in this drama are grey characters, so suitble for each other, but I don't agree. (What, a woman makes one mistake and suddenly she's as bad as a man who made 100). Whatever people say, Xie Wei is obssesive, childish and imposing. As I think about it, I didn't like him through the entirety of the drama, and still don't (the last scene made me like him less if anything).
Second - I love Xue Ning. I really enjoy the strong female leads that apeared in dramas over the recent years. The princess was awesome (she was a perfect princess), I still not quite over it that she fell for Xue Ning. Their friendship was one of the highlights of the show for me.
I liked how both the Jing and Yan fathers were good parents. Also the bromance of Xie Wei's guards (the wink!).
I love Xue Ning, she keeps her composure, helps women, and invested in stocks as soon as she traveled in time. She is the center of the story and the best part of it.
Stil I had a hard time, going over the last episodes of the the drama, it dragged some places, were other times it omitted characters until they had to die, or just never appeared again.
Overall it wasn't horrible, but I wouldn't watch it again. I always have a hard time ranking low dramas I invested my time in and sometimes had fun watching , so it's a 7
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I was so excited to watch this drama, worth my time
Loved it, Loved it & Loved it. From story to acting, everything is perfect.The story is well written. It is about power-play & revenge. I like the leads being grayish character.
Jiang Xue Ning is short-tempered, stubborn, ignorant, smart, cunning, but despite all of that, she is afraid of Xie Wei.
Xie Wei is cold-hearted, cruel, smart, cunning, calculative but scared of cats.
I loved Jiang Xue Ning & Xie Wei interaction. He is always there helping & protecting her, sacrificing for her. It was funny to see Xie Wei saving the qin but not Jiang Xue Ning. Even when Jiang Xue Ning isn't in a good mood or upset to cheer her up, he takes her to his office to practice qin.
As always, Bai Lu did her best. I liked Zhang Ling He acting as well. Also, Zhou Jun Wei & Liu Xie Ning did a good job.
I like Yan Lin but also hate him for what he did to Jiang Xue Ning in the past in his anger. He is immature but gradually understands everything.
I liked Shen Zhi Yi, she is cute & immature. Always there to protect & help Jiang Xue Ning.
Zhang Zhe is a righteous person with strong principles.
Lu Xian is a greedy businessman who always thinks about profit. But he is always there to help Xie Wei & make fun of him. A good friend of his.
You Fang Yin is a trusting and loyal friend of Jiang Xue Ning. She is good at doing business. The ending scene broke my heart. The way Jiang Xue Ning protected her & did everything to keep her save.
It was cute & sweet to see how the princess protected Jiang Xue Ning & did everything to make Jiang Xue Ning her study partner, but poor Jiang Xue Ning didn't want to go to the palace. Their friendship, the thing Jiang Xue Ning did for her so that she doesn't have to go.
Jiang Xue Hui is kind-hearted, considerate. Even after knowing that she is a concubine daughter, she didn't hold it against or make trouble for Jiang Xue Ning as we see in other dramas.
The conversation between Xie Wei & Yan Mu was so heart touching, I feel Yan Mu may have guessed it at that moment.
Jiang Xue Ning mother is so annoying. She doesn't let Jiang Xue Ning explain or talk. Always blaming everything on her not knowing the truth.
I loved Lu Xian & Jiu Shu bickering.
The way Jiang Xue Ning tried so hard to fail the exam so that she didn't have to enter into the palace.
It was funny how Zhou Bao Ying took away walnut cake from Jiang Xue Ning & the same thing Xie Wei did to her.
Everyone's reaction to You Fang Yin & Lu Xian getting married.
It's The Starry Cast reunion. The famous TTEOM stairs.
I liked the kisses given that the director is famous, using lights, birds & flowers in kissing scenes.
I loved OST.
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This story is time travel and not reincarnation
The StoryIn the first 15 minutes (Therefore, this is not a spoiler), the Heroine dies, then gets a second chance to live her life again. Her is transported back in time via an unknown reason, hopefully to correct her past mistakes in life. The Story of Kunning Palace is a Time Slip (Time Travel) Drama, or this suggests that the means for time travel is not established. Nonetheless, this is a story within a story and is inventively designed. Both stories run concurrently, as the first life of the Heroine is threaded into the second life as flashbacks.
The heroine is the daughter of nobility, but she was switched at birth. The Noblewoman is raised as a plebeian and the switched plebeian is raised as a noblewoman. When all is discovered decades later, due to sentimentality and other reasons, the legitimate Heroine is accepted into the family only as a second daughter and not with the status of the plebeian daughter. This makes for an interesting start to The Story of Kunning Palace.
Quote: “He who has a mind to beat his dog will easily find a stick”. Young Warrior from The Story of Kunning Palace.
I love complicated dramas. The Story of Kunning Palace checks all my Asian drama criteria boxes. There is even a lot of ancient law incorporated into this intelligently written script. However, until enough of the backstory is revealed, the drama may be hard for some to follow. The heroine makes lots of mistakes as she first lives her life, which ends in her death. She is snatched out of her first timeline and reinserted back into the beginning of her failed first chance. What will she do? Will she learn from her past mistakes and correct them or is history doomed to repeat itself? It seems like that many of her efforts to change her new timeline produces failures, as history continues to make corrections back to its past timeline to thwart her new insertions. When under Time Travel restrictions, if one cannot makes changes or corrections in the new timeline then one is in a time alternative universe where changes to the future are impossible.
The heroine, who actually turned out to be a wicked person in the first timeline, gets a new chance to live a proper life. You see her make conscious efforts to correct past mistakes as these mistakes are revealed through her constant flashbacks to her original timeline. However, overall, her life course seems destined to be repeated. Will she succeed in correcting her past and saving all the lives she destroyed. You must watch The Story of Kunning Palace to find out.
Note: Some have flagged ‘The Story of Kunning Palace’ as drama about reincarnation.
It is not. Reincarnation is rebirth into a new body. The drama is a reinsertion into a first life and thus is Time Travel and not Reincarnation.
Quote: “What the world needs is heartless men. Those who abide by the rules can’t move forward fast enough. So screw the rules”. Anti-hero from The Story of Kunning Palace.
Quote: “I would not dare to ask your Majesty to move. But I also have a message for your Majesty. You must know that a man who is greedy for his own profit and who seeks the skin of a tiger, does not know that the tiger is a tiger”. Lowly Court Official loved by Her Majesty from The Story of Kunning Palace.
Actors Corner
Bai Lu—Strong female role with a woman who knows how to pull the surprise, by playing dumb.
Zhang Ling He—The anti-hero (Villain) you will love and hate to be confused by.
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Donot feel bored watching first few ep keep watching every ep them u will know how good this drama is .I hope everyone of u will like it.
From my point of view,I really like this drama specially zhang linghe (ml) and Bai lu (fl) their chemistry and later romance is damnnnnn!!!!
Other actors their roles all are perfect everything is so smooth
I hope they will lead another drama in near future.
Zhang linghe 's acting is so damn hot I cannot resist it feels like he is a real villian hehehe
Love from Isha💓
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I enjoyed every second
The casting was exceptionnal! I've seen a lot of Bai Lu's dramas and she was just as great as always, but it was only my 2nd time seeing Zhang Ling He and he really made an impression on me. Some scenes were so intense and powerful I had to watch them twice or 3 times just to focus on there expressions without needing to read the subtitles. Same for the princess, great choice.I would say I liked a lot of the characters, even the vilains, they were well written and truely usefull to the story.
The writting of the drama was also really good : great storytelling, interesting dialogues: no basic or common "wise" sentences - after watching so many Cdramas, they kind of all sound similar at some point - but these ones were truely original and adequate.
I really liked the concept of finding, NOT the best person you can find, but someone that truely fits you and understands you. There are so many dramas where you don't actually understand why the main leads are in love with each other... okay they're hot, but what else? Why are they so willing to sacrifice everything for this one person? Well this drama did an amazing job showing that.
I'm the kind who likes to skip ahead when the political games get too boring or take too much place, but I don't think I've done this once in this drama. Despide the main romance not being at the center of the show, they still managed to keep it interesting.
I look forward to watching other dramas by this screenwriter and seeing those actors again.
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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.Was this review helpful to you?
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Really good Drama
This Drama is really good I’ve been low-key obsessing over for this drama for the past few days, but i have to say that this drama would have been one of my favorites if the they wouldn’t have dragged the love triangle trope for so long, that’s one of the reasons why when the Ning’er and Xi Wei got together it felt rushed and like something was missing and that something is a build up to their relationship. It took her way to long to like him back to the point of where i got bored and a little bit frustrated. I really love all the characters, especially the main leads but i really can’t understand what the directions where thinking when they decided to drag the love triangle for so long to the point where there was almost no build up to the main leads relationship 😭Was this review helpful to you?
