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ok wow. that was intense af. looking back at it, the main reason i watched it was bc of bai lu my queen (istg none of her dramas are bad bad) but the whole main cast is familiar to me e.g. Wang Xingyue and Liu Xiening from Perfect Match. at the beginning, i felt like the relationship between Jiang Xuening (Bai Lu) and Xie Wei (Zhang Linghe) was literally never going to start, and when it did, it was giving very very large red flag ahh toxic relationship. But ig when they both gave in it was nice to see the peace between the all the characters and especially Yan Lin (Zhou Jun Wei) not becoming a villan out of jealousy. Also, the fact that not everyone except for one died in the end was a nice touch when it comes to ancient chinese dramas, quite a shock overcame me when I realized that not everyone in the main cast was corpseified. The ending was very satisfying to me, no exclusive deaths, no cliffhangers, no mysterious reincarnation, just a happy ending with all the ends wrapped up. I was so into it I forgot it was just a reflection of the "real world" lmao. Anyways, a solid 9/10 from me. Bai Lu is amazing. (p.s. through this drama i realized Zhang Linghe really has a sharp ahh jawline, never noticed that before) (p.p.s papa xie wei is a menace to that son of his. ahhhh jealousy....) Was this review helpful to you?
UM DOS MELHORES CDRAMAS POLÍTICOS
É um drama muito bom! Me lembra Love Like The Galaxy e The Rise of Phonexis! O jogo político, a seriedade da coisa, a pitada de romance ideal... quase perfeito! Então vamos lá para a resenha:Enredo: é muito bom. É sério. Fiel a novel. É um pouco fantasioso, já que ele meio que tem que provar que certos personagens são inteligentes e astutos, então inventa em algumas coisas.
Atuação: muito boa. Quase todos estão de parabéns. Achei essa personagem semelhante a que a Bai Lu fez em Till End Of Moon, mas de qualquer forma, é muito bom. Tem um ator em especial que todo drama ele ta sempre espremendo os olhos e sendo robotizado, mas, fazer o quê.
Romance: um terreno meio perigoso. Temos maios ou menos um triângulo amoroso, mas que você rapidamente já sabe qual é o escolhido. A outra opção foi mais um sentimento de culpa e idealização do que qualquer outra coisa, já que ele era um personagem que era a caracterização da palavra "justiça" e que não fugiu muito disso. Trago um alerta que a abordagem romântica é meio sádica, com muita cena de beijos forçados e enforcamento, o que infelizmente parece ser comum nos cdramas. No entanto, de modo geral, como personagens moralmente cinzas, é por esse caminho mesmo.
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Quite an unique plot
LIKEHow Xie Ju An yearning for Xue Ning's attention - his jealousy making him so hot!
When Xie Wei and Yan Mu talking to each other in front of a withered tree - that scene was touching
DISLIKE
Poor Xue Ning and Zhang Zhe - there were always something there blocking their lives
Cannot believe there is actually someone like Xue Yuan - he is so pathetic
Treacherous King Ping Nan - what a jerk and he should die by a thousand deaths
Selfish Empress Dowager Xue and the silly Xue Shu - seriously..
MUSIC - personal fav
借梦 Jie Meng - 周深 Zhou Shen
REWATCH VALUE
Shall re-watch when I'm free one day
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Definitely one of the best
Story of Kunning Palace succeeds largely because of its strong performances and mature storytelling. The male lead and the second male leads deliver standout acting, each bringing distinct personalities and emotional depth to their roles. Their restrained expressions, calculated dialogue delivery, and shifting loyalties make the political tension feel authentic. The supporting cast also deserves recognition, as even minor characters contribute meaningfully to the palace power struggles rather than feeling like background figures.One of the most interesting aspects of the story is that both the male lead and the female lead are openly toxic characters. They are manipulative, strategic, and morally ambiguous, which makes their relationship believable and compelling—they truly match each other in ambition and temperament. This dynamic sets the drama apart from more conventional romance narratives.
The theme of second chances in life is central to the plot. The female lead’s rebirth allows the story to explore regret, accountability, and the desire to rewrite one’s fate. Combined with intense political intrigue, shifting alliances, and carefully planned schemes, the narrative remains consistently engaging. Notably, the male lead breaks away from traditional archetypes: he does not rely on martial arts or physical dominance, but instead excels through intelligence, foresight, and political scheming. This emphasis on strategy over force strengthens the drama’s overall realism and depth.
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One of the best historical /palace dramas!!.
This was such an amazing drama. The storyline is beautifully packaged, there are nuances of romance, sadness, family, friends. The acting of each actor makes my heart moved. Not only the main character, but the supporting characters are also very good. So far the story is neatly packaged, harmonious and interconnected. With all kinds of problems they solve them with a climax and well And well happy ending. You will also be spoiled with luxurious visual effects, with makeup, art and the like. There is also an action part, basically complete. Thank you to all the teams involved in this beautiful drama.Was this review helpful to you?
good story, good cast
i don't watch this genre and started watching because of bailu, i drop if there's no romance,i didn't read tags of this, i did drop and came back to this one got hooked because of mystery i actually thought something big or exciting would happen in the end I mean ml revenge thing but nothing did I still like how the story went and ending,i also don't understand the part where ml is so rude to her doesn't matter how many times he saves her says rude things but will suddenly change when they're dating ?and i also didn't like the forced scenes first showing it like it was because of his sickness then he says he was sober ? i did feel bad for ml doesn't mean he can do anything,I'm not into historical that much so I won't re-watch any unless it has more romance
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I wanna be friends with the female lead sooo bad
I would say the strongest part of this drama is the political plot because it is so intriguing and kept me hooked on what each of the characters plans were next. Both female lead and male lead were so cunning in their own ways and I ate it up. I adored the side characters so much too. I just thought the romance was a good slow burn BUT I did not like his behavior towards her for some scenes because it made me uncomfortable and scared for the female lead. I still found them adorable together though once he started to understand her better. Justice was served and it was so satisfying to watch. I also loved how the plot wrapped up, but I always wish we get to see more scenes of the ending in these type of dramas. <3Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
oh MY goodness.
okay so honestly I never write very in depth reviews of any media I watch/read/etc. however I have to for sokp. the story was so beautiful and inciting from the beginning. me personally, I am a big fan of ‘cruel and selfish’ fl who gets sent to the past and fixes what she has done wrong. her story alone was enough to bring tears to my eyes and keep me on my toes through each episode. please, if you read this, take it as your sign to watch it. it is so beautiful and a story that will have you wishing you’d have seen it sooner.Was this review helpful to you?
A Must Watch for First Time Viewers of Chinese Historical Dramas
Honestly, I really miss this drama because it was my very first historical Chinese drama. And thanks to Story of Kunning Palace, I immediately fell in love with the genre. I think this drama, starring Bai Lu and Zhang Linghe, is truly well done especially for someone like me who’s new to historical C-dramas.In my opinion, this drama sits right in the middle. It’s not too heavy, but it’s not exactly light either. That’s why I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to start exploring historical Chinese dramas. Trust me if you’re looking for something super light, I worry it might ruin your expectations. Most historical Chinese dramas are much heavier and more complex, so Story of Kunning Palace is the perfect entry point.
In the story, Zhang Linghe plays a major red flag character, while Bai Lu portrays a smart and strategic woman. Their dynamic makes the drama feel balanced and not frustrating to watch. Even though there are a lot of conflicts in the plot, the way both characters handle them with logic and clever thinking allows viewers to enjoy the drama without feeling overwhelmed.
Many characters in the drama disliked Bai Lu’s character, especially in the beginning. But despite all the hatred and traps set against her, she always had a clever strategy to counter everything. She truly embodied the role of a smart and sharp-minded woman.
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Best Palace Drama Recently ?
One of the better palace drama recently that kept me hooked till the end i really enjoyed watching this. it is a beautifully made palace drama well-paced and worth watching. The balance between romance, revenge, and redemption is beautifully written. i really liked the chemistry between the leads if you are looking for a palace drama with not so complicated plot and smart leads this is the one i really liked leads so much overall a very good watch I finished it feeling both satisfied and wanting to rewatch it!😍Was this review helpful to you?
Story/ Plot/ Script: 9
Acting/ casting: 10
Character development:
Production quality/ budget management:
Enjoyment/ impact:
10=perfection 9=exceptional 8=really good 7=solid 6=it's fine 5=meh, forgettable 4=simply bad 3=waste of time 2=brain-rot 1=garbage
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This review may contain spoilers
Thrilling and Intriguing watch
I watched this some time ago so I'm writing based on how I felt about this.Plot :
The plot is from FL POV so you'll be be going through her journey of redemption and her righting her wrongs . FL is smart , too smart compared to others since she's a regressor. ML is smart too , most of the time it's a battle of wits between the 2 so it's really enjoyable. There are lot of regrets from FL on how she could have lived in her first life , we get a full closure on every front which was very satisfying.
Romance:
It's sooo good and soooooo slow. It's such a slow burn but it's worth the wait. Even when they're not officially together , whenever they're on screen together you'll feel that the chemistry is through the roof. ML is not green flag though , he's bit obsessive but the way their relationship developed was really good.
Music:
OSTs are really good and available on most music platforms .
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