Story of Kunning Palace

Disappointingly overrated

Ning an Ru Meng started off very well and somewhere around the 15th episode I was convinced this was one of the best historical dramas this year, It certainly had all the right elements: a potential redemption arc, political intrigue, interesting characters.

Let's start with the positives: I enjoyed many things on the show. The flashbacks to the previous "life" were very engaging and well tied to the present. I enjoyed many of the characters and their little arcs. Among them the characters with the most engaging character arcs were You Fangyin (whose arc kind of ended very early on) and the princess (a very good performance from Liu Xie Ning). The political drama was overall quite enjoyable till the second half of the show, although a lot of it wasn't particularly complex or unseen before.

Now the negatives:

The romance. Yes, the “romance”. Replace the handsome Zhang Linghe with a not-so-pleasant-faced actor and many of the things he did to Ning will appear creepy. Yes, very very creepy. A teacher who has power over her - who can kiss her forcibly and make her cry. And how many times did Xie Wei do this? Episode 32, episode 34, ep 36. This toxic love story is sold to audiences at fantastic paces. In episode 34 Ning tells XW that she does not love him, so what is his response? Basically it was something on the lines of- “the things you’ve done for me prove you love me” and then he drags her outside and forces her to plunge a knife into his stomach. Hmm. Ning has done a lot of good things for many people- does that mean that she loves them all?

Well, that brings me to the person she actually loved for most of the show - Zhang Zhe. She loved him so much that she died for him in the previous “life”, and she retained those feelings. It soon became obvious that the two of them loved each other. So, circumstances allowed his feelings for her to grow - he was certain she loved him too, and in this life there were no real barriers to them being together. In fact, as it is established later on, her father would have readily chosen Zhang Zhe as a son-in-law. Yet, the novelist/screenwriter decided to put an end to this love story in the most ridiculous way possible. No-one breaks up with the one they love when their beloved is suffering. Soon after his mother died, Ning decides to break up with him and she chooses to do it by pretending that she never loved him, wringing his heart dry. It was absolutely convenient for the story not to show Zhang Zhe much later either, and neither do we watch Ning weep over him.

What was the reason for that breakup? Truly insignificant. In order to prevent him from hurting further, she hurt him even more. It truly makes no sense. Are the novelist and screenwriters suggesting that good people don’t end well? Evidently, one need not look further than Zhang Zhe to find that.

In truth the purpose of cutting short this love story short is to allow the male lead and female lead to get together. By episode 34 however, she herself says that she doesn’t love Xie Wei. Of course, everyone is busy convincing her that she DOES love him. The music is suggesting that, and all of XW’s crazy, obsessive behaviour suddenly appear romantic.

Show don’t tell- evidently the screenwriter forgot that.

Xie Wei kisses Ning’s forehead after she is flogged by Xue Shu. As I said earlier- replace ZLH with someone ugly and this won’t fly that well. Her father happens to see this and confronts XW indirectly, but XW’s reaction is hardly apologetic. Instead it’s almost as though he owns her. Then when he goes “crazy” he kisses her forcibly. The background music really presents it as the most romantic scene ever.

This toxic “love” story is presented as the most beautiful one and that is truly a concern. The wrist-pulling, force-kissing abusive ML is presented as an ideal partner? Is it 2023?

I think had this story been placed in the back burner I would have been somewhat okay with it, but when the screenwriter decided that the ML and FL must be together the plot turned to ridiculous mush. All the palace politics that had held my attention earlier dissipated.

This show started off solid - it was interesting, and then it nosedived its way into a toxic “romance” with the historical bits taking . The performances have been good, and ZLH may have received his best role so far. I really enjoyed several characters and I wish the show makers had spent more time on those character arcs.

Overall I am so so disappointed. and I think 8 is already too high.
(My actual rating: 7.75)

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One of the Best Chinese Dramas 2023

I really like the drama. Really deserves to be one of my favorite dramas this year!

It's slow going at first, but I advise you to be patient and pay close attention to the storyline. The more you watch, the more addictive you will become.

Even though there are flaws in the editing, I like the action scenes in this drama. The prison scenes at episode 20 and at the Shangqing Temple just amazing.

The chemistry between Bai Lu and Zhang Linghe is also great. Their acting is perfect and makes this drama even more worth watching.

I also love all the OST. Just amazing
Solid 10/10

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There's Just Something Missing.

Let me start off by saying this - this was a DIFFICULT show for me to finish in the beginning. The beginning of this show was incredibly slow. I don't mind the concept of shows setting the stage and foundation for whatever story they're attempting to tell, but I felt like this was one of those shows that would easily lose a potential viewer in the beginning. The only reason I kept going was because I'd been told by several people on various platforms that the set-up for the show makes the rest of it that much more worth it. I was told this, verbatim. Unfortunately, that was not my experience.

Now, the complaints I have for this show are not with the actors. The actors were okay. They did the best with what they were given. We can honestly say that. This show could have been so much BETTER but it wasn't. I'm actually quite disappointed with what this show turned out to be. The premise is intriguing and appealing, but the execution leaves a LOT to be desired. The execution fell flat, and that's my primary takeaway from this show. Months into the future, I'll probably think about how amazing this show truly could have been if given to a set of more competent writers (or directors?) Anyway, this show sounds good on paper but it doesn't deliver on those promises.

Starting off, I love Bai Lu. I love her to pieces and I find that she's quite talented for the most part. Now, I must say that I finished watching Till the End of the Moon prior to watching this show so some of this review mostly comes from my inner comparison of the two shows. Mainly for no other reason but because of the fact that Bai Lu stars in both. Let me start off with one of my biggest pet peeves EVER when it comes to watching dramas - there was a very distinct lack of chemistry between Xue Ning and her love interests. It's the strangest thing because all of her love interests were attractive. Yet, there was a strange lack of sexual tension and chemistry between her and any of them. I don't know how or why they manage to do THAT but it was one of the first things I noticed after I got through the first 10-episode slump.

Again, I'm wondering if this is due to the director or something else, because I didn't ship her with anyone. Her first two love interests were decent men for the most part. They weren't downright awful or cruel, but it felt like the writers didn't know what they wanted to do. Meaning - it's almost like they were gearing up for a very specific endgame for Xue Ning and then decided to change their minds in the last 5 episodes of the show. Also, she had amazing chemistry with her girl friends. Xue Ning's relationships with the Princess and Fang Yin were some of my favorites in the entire drama.

People often complained about TTEOTM suffering due to the writers not knowing which way they wanted to commit regarding Ye Xiwu/Li Susu's feelings but I felt the same way about this show. By the way ... Xue Ning did absolutely nothing in this drama. There was no sense of urgency; she kind of just sat around waiting for someone else to do something. She was more reactive than proactive, which makes no sense because she's the only one who knew the future. This character was way worse than Li Susu and that's saying a LOT because Li Susu was terribly written too.

Anyway, I felt like the writers were building the foundation for Xue Ning to end up with Zhang Zhe and then suddenly decided not to follow through. I'm not saying this because I shipped them. I'm saying that based on the way Xue Ning acted towards him. There is a very distinct way she looked at him that she never replicated with Xie Wei. Xue Ning looked at Zhang Zhe like he hung the fucking MOON! She had the heart eyes every time she talked to him and it was very very obvious that she liked him. It may not have been obvious to him because he's the selfless, hero type so his only purpose is to bring justice to the kingdom and blah blah blah blah. He was gorgeous but I needed more rebellion from him. If they would have shown him struggling to do the right thing while understanding that following the rules and decrees of an indecisive leader would have sent everyone straight to hell, then I would have been rooting for him honestly. Xue Ning's interest for him was there.

Their interactions were decent too, but his character was too much of a Lawful Good, which made me doubt his HEA with Xue Ning. The writers kept setting up this strange narrative of Xue Ning suffering from deep self-loathing due to the horrors she committed in her past life. Because of that, they were never going to pair her with Zhang Zhe, especially since we know they weren't going to add any extra layers to his character besides being the quintessential Good Guy.

Now, Yan Lin was a sweetheart but it was never going to be him and that was also obvious. He was a good man who really cared about her, but I knew he wasn't going to be The One. He bowed out gracefully and that just goes to show what kind of a man he was. He loved her but he knew she didn't love him the way he wanted her to; it didn't change how he treated her. He still cared about her. He still protected her. He still wanted her to find happiness, even if it wasn't with him.

Now, let's talk about her and Xie Wei. I typically don't like the enemies to lovers trope but I can be if DONE PROPERLY. That last part is the most important distinction about that statement. The teacher-student thing didn't bother me. The idea that he would be awful and toxic to her didn't bother me either. What DID bother me is the fact that there was no real sexual tension between the two of them. I wouldn't consider a man walking around choking you and telling you at every juncture that you belong to him to be sexual tension. Granted, that could be hot under the right circumstances. However, it wasn't hot in this one. The direction for those scenes were AWFUL. I don't know if it was because the director/writers were still waffling back & forth on her endgame so there was a failure to commit. They swung from "OMG, he's kissing me against my will. Let me beat my fists against his chest to get away and to stop him" to "He's kissing me? I guess this is happening; I'm not really into it but it's happening." Her responses came off more like fear rather than suppressed sexual desire. It went from fear to resignation. It was weird, very weird.

I think the fans' attachment to the dark romance/red flag ML trope did a LOT of the heavy lifting for the endgame couple here. The drama itself did none of the work and I stand by that. Someone else said it best and I'm inclined to agree, but it appeared as if Xue Ning was simply going through the motions when she got with Xie Wei. It didn't seem as if she even LIKED him. It seemed like she was mostly tolerating and humoring him for some reason? What reason would that be? I don't know, but that's what it felt like. The acting choices from the FL were incredibly confusing.

Sidenote: The one couple I actually found myself interested in was Fang Yin and her husband (whose name I can't remember for some reason). Now, those two had the potential to be great. There was just something about him wanting to lift that weight off of her shoulders and shared the burdens of life with her that I found intriguing. He saw her and he knew that she could have been the love of his life eventually. Yes, he wasn't in love with her initially but he could have been. If the writers had allowed them the opportunity to blossom and thrive, they could have fallen in love with each other and it would have been interesting. I wanted to see where it would go. I wanted to see more of it, but we didn't get that and that's unfortunate.

It bears repeating - this show could have been SO MUCH BETTER. I'm disappointed because it didn't live up to its potential. My expectations were so high based on what I'd read from other people, but I should have lowered them. Will I rewatch this show? Maybe some scenes because there were some scenes I found unintentionally funny, but not a complete rewatch. Would I recommend it though? Ehhh, maybe. It's not downright terrible but it's not as great as people claim it is. It's just okay. It's incredibly overrated though.

ETA: I ended up going back and knocking this one down to a 6.5 after some distance, funnily enough.

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Intriguing plot with a mediorce romance

This is one of the few times where i was more invested in the story rather than the romance. I liked jiang xuening, i liked xie wei, as separate characters, not together.
It doesn't help that zhang linghe is just not as good of an actor as bai lu, like he did well mostly but any time the story demanded more emotion he failed to deliver
also this drama was released in 2023, why do we still have the forced kiss trope, it was really horrible to watch. i couldn't believe that ning'er would actually like him either, it felt abrubt and all over the place.
but the actual core story? was pretty interesting
i honestly liked the other mls more too, both zhang zhe and yan lin were pretty great(but also not suitable for ning'er as well, just in a different way)
i was hooked into it at the time but thinking back there were many weird elements

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"Story of Kunning Palace A Drama Worth Every Second!"

WHY TO WATCH THIS DRAMA?--If I can write this much , its definitely a worth watching , you can read my review but it has spoilers .
.I WANTED TO WRITE BEST REVIEW ON THIS DRAMA COZ I LIKED IT SO MUCH , HOPE YOU GUYS CAN HELP IN THIS MATTER????

Okay, let's spill some tea about "Story of Kunning Palace." This series? It's like an addictive drug; you start with one episode, and before you know it, you're in deep, binge-watching until the sun comes up, and you're still craving more. Seriously, this drama takes you on a wild ride—imagine a rollercoaster of emotions mixed with an entire squad of main characters whose acting skills are like top-notch gourmet meals. And yeah, even the side characters? They bring their A-game too.

So, there were rumors flying around about Bailu and Zhang Linghe dating, which, honestly, had us all hyped. But whether or not they're a thing, their on-screen vibes? Straight-up fire! The chemistry between them? Chef's kiss It's like they're meant to be together on that screen.
STORYLINE/PLOT
Now, let's talk about episode one. Hold up, it hits you like a plot tsunami! Jiang Xue Ning, our lead, starts off as this ambitious queen-to-be who's playing a crazy game, messing with friendships, family, and love just to snag that Empress throne. And then bam! She takes herself out at the end of the episode, leaving us hanging like, "Wait, what?!"
But plot twist alert! It turns out it's all part of this novel set in the modern world. So yeah, we're relieved 'cause we knew that couldn't be the end. Next, Xue Ning gets a redo, time-traveling back to square one in the capital. Classic, right? But here's the kicker: this girl is on a whole mission to right her past wrongs. And trust me, it's not your average rebirth drama. Xue Ning's out here, trying to fix things she messed up in her past life, making it a real tear-jerker.

That line, "BUT IN THE FATHOMABLE
THERE'S ALWAYS AN INVISIBLE HAND THAT PUTS EVERYTHING BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL PLACE", hits different, am I right?

Then there's Xie Wei, the ultimate complex dude. He's like a walking drama of his own—cunning, dangerous, manipulative. And guess what? Our girl Xue Ning is scared of him. Like, big time! The tension between them is thick enough to cut with a butter knife. We're talking fights, schemes, and zero trust. You're there thinking, "How on earth are these two gonna fall in love?"
==============CHEMISTRY BETWEEN XIE WEI AND JIANG XUENING==========================
The chemistry between Xie Wei and Jiang Xue Ning in "Story of Kunning Palace"? Girl, let me tell you, it's a rollercoaster ride wrapped in a tornado of emotions! These two? They're like magnets, constantly drawn together despite being on opposite sides of the game.
Picture this: they start off as these fierce rivals, scheming against each other with all the intensity of a high-stakes poker match. There's this tension crackling in the air between them, and it's so thick you could cut it with a knife. Xie Wei? He's the definition of complicated—cunning, dangerous, with layers so deep you'll need a shovel to uncover them all.
But here's where it gets wild. As the story unfolds, these two find themselves teaming up against the baddies. Yep, the classic "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" situation. And guess what? Sparks start flying! Their bond begins to grow stronger as they navigate the chaos together, fighting the same battles and facing the same dangers.
Now, here's the kicker: while us viewers are shipping them like FedEx, these two are clueless! I mean, seriously, they're both doing the whole "I'm-not-in-love-with-you" dance while we're all shouting at the screen, "Just kiss already!" It's like watching a romantic comedy where everyone can see the love story except the main characters.
Jiang Xue Ning's got legit reasons for keeping her guard up around Xie Wei. I mean, she's been through some rough stuff because of him in her past life. Imagine dying because of someone—yeah, that's bound to make you a little cautious, right? Her fear of him is understandable, but man, the tension between fear and some underlying feelings? It's a whole emotional rollercoaster.
So yeah, their chemistry? It's not just about stolen glances or sizzling tension. It's about growth, trust-building, and the slow burn of emotions simmering beneath the surface. These two might not realize it yet, but their love story? It's written in the stars, and we're just here waiting for that "aha!" moment when they finally figure it out.
In a nutshell, their love story isn't your typical fairytale. It's messy, it's complicated, and it's real. And watching these two navigate their feelings? It's like witnessing a fireworks show—you know it's going to explode, but you're eagerly waiting for that moment when everything just lights up.
Yeah, "Story of Kunning Palace" isn't just about palace politics and power plays. It's about a love story brewing amidst chaos, fear, and redemption, and let me tell you, it's one epic tale.

============CHEMISTRY BETWEEN YAN LIN AND JIANG XUENING=========

Jiang Xuening and Yan Lin? They've got that childhood buddies-turned-potential-sweethearts vibe. From day one, Yan Lin's been all heart eyes for her, but she's got him locked in the friend zone.
Remember that line? "I WILL MARRY THE ONE I SPOILED😂😂😂"?
Smooth move, bro! Yan Lin's got some serious romantic game, but Jiang Xuening's just not catching those feels. I mean, in her past life, she kinda used him, and that's some baggage hard to shake.
Thing is, Yan Lin's journey from carefree dude to Mr. Responsible is legit. He's out there, fighting bad guys like he's in an action movie, all while looking dashing AF. But here's the twist—he's not just added for the fight scenes. He's got a whole character glow-up going on!Jiang Xuening? She's got his back, no doubt. Risking it all to protect him in this life, showing she's a real one. And boy, does he wait for her to finally get those heart eyes in return. But dang, that friend zone's like a fortress!
Their chemistry? It's like a slow-burning candle—steady, warm, but waiting for that spark. And Yan Lin? He's not just a pretty face; he's leveling up from brooding to bro who's got it together. But hey, Jiang Xuening? You gotta stop leaving him in the friend zone, girl! 🔥👫✨.
This drama breaks the mold, especially with its male lead, Xie Wei. He's not your typical sword-swinging hero—nah, he's all about the brains, zero brawn vibe. But that's what makes him real. He's a mastermind without a clue about wielding a sword, giving us a refreshingly imperfect yet realistic character. Big shoutout to Zhang Linghe for bringing Xie Wei's complex emotions to life. His acting? Next level! 🔥👏.
============CHEMISTRY BETWEEN ZHANG ZHE AND JIANG XUENING=========
Yo, the love rollercoaster in those 20 episodes? It was all about Zhang Zhe and Jiang Xuening heating things up, making Xie Wei low-key jelly(jealous). But hold up, it was a tricky web with Xuening scared of Xie Wei while catching feels for Zhang Zhe. It had us all like, "When's the romance gonna kick in?" Drama, tension, and romance—talk about a wild ride! 🎢💕.
[EVIL CHARACTERS]
Yo, peep this drama's villains—no shortage of 'em! "Story of Kunning Palace" ain't about just one baddie; it's a whole squad of chaos creators. Xue Shu takes the cake for being the queen of despicable, stirring up drama left and right, while her pops adds to the mess in the court. That Xue fam? Straight-up bad news.
[PRINCESS]
But hold up, we've got more! The princess? She's out here, protecting our girl Ning'er, and things get intense when she ties the knot in enemy territory. And let's talk Liu Xie Ning—first costume gig and she's slaying it! This role? Made for her. Bet she's gonna crush it in future dramas 'cause, let's be real, she's stunning.
[SUPPORT CHARACTERS]
And check this—after watching this show, you won't be forgetting the side characters' names anytime soon. Xue Ding Fei, You Fang Yin, Lu Xian, Shen Jie the Prince, even Dao Qin—they leave an impression. This drama ain't about just the main leads hogging the spotlight; these supporting players? They're stepping up, shining bright, and adding their own flavor to the mix. They're the unsung heroes making this drama one to remember. 🌟🔥.
===================================NEGATIVE THING===========================
Okay, hear me out—this drama's got almost everything on point, except maybe a bit less of that sweet romance between the main leads. But hold up, that's just a minor setback in a sea of awesomeness. Trust me, every hour, every minute, every second you spend on this show is a vibe!
And here's the kicker: you can binge-watch this till sunrise, forget about those dark circles—they'll bounce back. But that curiosity this drama stirs up? That's gonna stick with you until you see it through to the end. So, dive in and don't sweat the tiny stuff, 'cause this ride's worth every second! 🌟📺✨

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Best Costume Drama of 2023

This drama is solid, and the characters are well-written, so I wanted to give it a 10/10. Xiaobo, the sweet kid who helped ML, was done wrong by the writers, so they only received a 9.5/10. Apart from the prince and princess and the one who denies relations, the Xu family is dreadful, and they can catch these hands. Watching Duke Xu's son be arrogant and hateful throughout the show was triggering to the point that even I wanted to fight him.

Now let's talk about two of my favorite characters:
Xie Wei is dark, flawed, and sometimes unhinged, and this show did not disappoint. I remember reading a comment that described the ML: "He is a walking red flag, but I am colorblind," and yes, I too am colorblind; I might have early memory loss too, because when he says 'Ning'er,' especially in that angry deep tone I forget everything and fall deeper. It's like I'm hypnotized; ML is captivating. It's like being enchanted by a beautiful voice, even when you know the speaker is threatening, which he is most of the time. ML makes no secret of the fact that he is no saint. He is like yes, I am terrible, but love me. He is entertaining to watch and very petty and jealous, even at the end. The character wasn't written for people to sympathize with. He is who he is, and I love that. The FL's relationship with him is a delicious mess because he is sometimes unhinged, and I enjoyed it.
Overall, it was an excellent performance, and I'm looking forward to more of this actor's work. Now I have to watch everything this actor has acted in because he is so talented. I was today's old when I found out he was in 'Love Between Fairy and Devil.' honestly, I have struggled to watch that drama. I don't find any enjoyment in it, and I blame all the people who hyped it because my expectations were set high. Stop the overhyping of dramas.

Now, let's talk about Yan Lin; usually, I'm not too fond of characters like this due to how they are written. However, these writers did this character justice. He is loveable, and I wanted to protect him, and he deserves the world. This beautiful character is the opposite of Xie Wei. He is the guy you yearn to be with; all your family and friends want you to be with, but too bad you are addicted to the bad guy. He is a loyal friend, an excellent son, and a loyal brother. Honesty, most of my favorite scenes from this drama include him. The scene where he gave a well-deserved ass whopping to Duke Xu's hateful son after he disrespected the FL and slapped her. He said, 'You wouldn't disrespect her not in front of me.' Next is the scene where he is in prison and talks to the FL. He asks her why she doesn't like him when she thinks he's so great and is willing to do anything for him. I love his relationship with the FL lead; it is healthy and well-written.

I have no complaints about this drama except for how they treated Xiaobo, which makes me angry. He was loyal, cute, and deserved better.

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The whole package!

Wow! Just completed 38.5 episodes in 3 days. Did not feel long at all. Fantastic entire cast, rational storyline (every detail), beautiful scenes, great pacing, perfect ending. Captivating episode after episode. One of THE best historical C-drama I’ve watched. Highly recommend to everyone, and I’m not a big historical drama fan and I LOVE every minute of it. I don’t usually rewatch dramas but this one was done superbly. I didn’t know the ML before watching this drama and wasn’t a huge fan at first but I totally fell in love with him, in fact, all three love interests. Loved how the story unfolded throughout the storytelling. Especially love the added bookends of modern day.

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Is somebody gonna match my freak? -> Not 100% in this drama

STORY OF KUNNING PALACE has all the tropes that I should love, but somewhere along the way it got me scratching my head @ the execution. Usually I do a pros/cons list in my review, but I find that for every pro or con, I have a "BUT" attached. At the end of the day, I enjoyed this show BUT found a decent amount of faults that knocked down my rating from a solid 8/10. I think the (surprisingly) happy ending would be the only thing that pushes the rating up.

Nonetheless, if these themes call to you then I think you will also enjoy this show:
- Interesting court intrigue that is easy to follow and not too complex
- Second chance at life to turn wrongs into rights
- Love triangle/square where the girl chooses the "bad boy" over the "boy next door" and "nice guy"
- Good mix of likeable and hateable characters in the midst of the palace drama

❀ The introduction promised so much
Immediately we are met with a rebellion scene and the FL having so many regrets about using people in her lifetime to become empress. She k*lls herself and goes back in time to when she was 18 years old, vowing to correct all the wrongs she did in her previous life to rights. It's more "second chance rebirth" than "revenge rebirth," and it's satisfying to see the FL use her past memory to buy silk and raise money, avoid the chance of war, and ultimately save the people around her. BUT -- this plot disappears after the ep 20ish mark. When it becomes more court politics-driven, the FL's intelligence and character takes a step back as we focus on the ML. Other than key moments that the FL had, she's literally just following the Good Guy Team around like a tail. I understand that most historical dramas emphasize the court politics towards the end, but at least other FL's are kept busy (running a business, fighting a war, playing dead to name a few roles). Instead I feel like the FL was just hanging around for a good time which was a waste of her originally proactive and smart character. Also she never gave me "ruthless empress" vibes even though her whole background narrative was using others to rise to the top.

❀ ROMANCE DIDN'T MATCH MY FREAKKKkk
Y'all I was fully expecting a yandere, morally gray ML that you can't help but love despite his character flaws. While the ML is possessive and has a dark aura due to his PTSD and past, he was actually pretty chill. I know people are divided on the toxic romance and his red flag tendencies but y'all have never read a Cnovel have you. ಥ_ಥ Like Xie Wei is cute compared to the crazies in Cnovels and manhwas out there LOL.
Again, I liked the romance set-up of the FL going through various men in her life (repaying debts from the past life) before ending with the man who had been there since the beginning: the ML Xie Wei. BUT -- the show decided to put equal attention to each men which at the end of the day made for superficial relationships amongst them all. And then they added those fanservice kisses post ep 30 to make up for that lol. Seriously! Even in LOVE LIKE THE GALAXY where there were several male love interests, the FL's first fiance lasted up a bit after ep 20ish and then the show spends the next 30+ episodes focusing on her romance with the actual ML. In STORY OF KUNNING PALACE, the 3rd ML (Yan Lin) is in the background (even though she rejects him early on) until ep 10ish, which is when the 2nd ML (Zhang Zhe) shows up. Then she's interested in him until ep 24, where she decides to push him away so that he can focus on himself and his future. While the ML is always there from the beginning, offering advice, support, and rescue, their actual romantic relationship doesn't progress until like ep 31. I just feel like the show was ALMOSTTT there in making an amazing slow-burn, angst-filled triangle. But I just never felt the romantic intent from the FL until much later on. I love a pining ML but I would have also appreciated some exploration of the FL's feelings for him before the actual romantic bit. The most we get is that she trusts him, fears him, and respects their student-teacher relationship. Superficially though, I did enjoy all the male leads hehe.
3rd ML: boy next door who's your bubbly, sportsy childhood friend (he's a general and his character was literally holding the show's action scenes on his back).
2nd ML: nice guy who stays true to the law and his values (he helped the FL a lot in the first timeline despite her being "evil" which made her have a lot of regrets towards him)
1st ML: broken bad boy with tragic past who would bend over backwards to make the FL happy. The drama tried to show him as being healed from his traumas at the end but we aren't really given an explanation except for the power of the FL's love. Again, that's fine superficially BUT I really didn't feel the moral grayness from him since the beginning. Even though he was raised among the rebels, he was GOOD to his core. And even though his schemes didn't follow the law 100%, it was for the GREATER GOOD. There was one point where he was willing to sacrifice Zhang Zhe but didn't because the FL was there. Like see??? He a good guy through and through. His methods may be unorthodox but the results were giving hero that saves the day. Red flag who?
I feel like people who see their pair as a toxic romance don't like his manhandling (grabbing her by the throat, nonconsensual kiss) and pressure on making the FL see him the way he sees her. I attribute it to lackluster writing. Like I said, we just don't have a lot of time to develop their relationship by the time the writers remembered they needed to address this romance bit. By ep 31 there are multipleee characters asking the FL how she thought of the ML. Ofc they had to rush the script!! Miss girl barely even figured out her feelings about the rebirth/saving everyone (at one point she literally wanted to run away and was flip-flopping between saving people and running away lol), much less her feelings about this ML that she thought pushed her to her death in the first life. So, I get her initial hesitation which to other watchers might look like an unwillingness to be in the relationship. I just feel like with extra time and exposition, she could have come to her own conclusion about her feelings instead of using external forces to push her there.

❀ Pretty satisfying court schemes
The show keeps them simple while keeping viewers' interests. Most of the time it's the baddies getting thwarted by the main characters with mid-high stakes. There's both court politics and harem politics, which keeps the momentum going. BUT -- I started to lose interest around the ep 20 mark when I realized that we were going to rinse and repeat the same scenes: baddies (Xue family) try something bad, the main leads (mostly ML) foil their plans, and then the baddies tone it down a little before doing it all over again. I thought we would get more nuance with Pingnan in the picture as well, but his schemes were tossed aside within a few episodes. For a father-like figure and savior to the ML, I certainly didn't feel like his character got the attention and writing it deserved. Also I can't keep count of how many times the dialogue emphasized "Xue vs Yan" family like we haven't been watching the show from the get-go. Despite my complaints though, I still enjoyed watching all the scheming and knowing that the ML would be there to save the day.

❀ In terms of production...
I liked the cinematography and how the music leaned towards the melodramatic/twisted side. The acting was great from all the main actors with special mentions to Bailu and Zhang Linghe's crying scenes. BUT -- I was not living for the opening theme and overdramatic editing. Instead of having just music in the opening theme, they add Jiang Xuening's voiceover and it's just so over-the-top, cheesy, and borderline cringe. Like girl... this ain't cute. Also this isn't a revenge drama but the opening setup tries to give that vibe which is just Too Much (TM). As for the editing - I didn't expect to see Bollywood effects in a Chinese drama lol. There's epic zoom in's, frames that are doing 360 spins, and even echoes to the character's line. I'm not gonna lie, every time Xie Wei had some dramatic, emphatic line that ended with an echo I just got pulled SO out of the watching experience. It just felt so fake and over-the-top.

✕ Misunderstanding level: 4/10
FL was scared of giving into her feelings for the ML because she thought he "forced" her death in the first life. Also every time he did something for her - especially towards the beginning - she was too dense to notice it. So much for cunning empress who got reborn!! Damn girl.

OVERALL
I just feel like I came in with high expectations and the promise of something that was never fully delivered. I would say it was 75% of the way there, which matches my rating. It *checked* all the right boxes, but I guess they weren't *fully* checked at the end of the day. Both FL and ML didn't match my freak. Still an enjoyable watch though that is among the better historical Cdramas out there!

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Best Drama in 2023!!

Definitely recommended to watch! Im my opinion , this is the best Chinese Wuxia drama in 2023. The story is about revenge and hoping to change the destiny. Unique story and well written script. Love that the FL lead is also smart and strong just like the ML. the ost, story, plot, and the cast are 100000000/10. Even though, there are not much romantic scenes, but i still love it and addicted to watch. Zhang Ling He and Bai Lu’s acting are incredible 🔥😍. Their chemistry is great, but sadly had to wait for so long till I get to watch their romantic scenes together. But that’s okay, I still enjoyed this drama so much.

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Formidable. Awesome. Thrilling

Judging by the high score of this drama (8.8), I knew this was probably going to be good. I did not expect this perfection.
Since the FL is Bai Lu, who is my favorite Chinese actress, her perfect acting was no surprise. What makes the acting score a 10/10 is that all other actors seem to attempt to outshine her and almost succeed! all of them are performing at the top of their ability. Amazing performances from ML Zhang LiHe, Wang XinHue (who's only 22) and Zhou JunWei (who looks a little like Xiao Zhan). Every character is well thought out and given an actual story.
I don't know how the writer(s) did it, but the story is completely solid, despite the intricate intrigue, different interests, tribes, servants, aliasses etcetera. Extremely well done without any obvious plot holes.
Despite this being a romance, it's a very slow burn. First kiss happens when you've all but given up hope it will ever happen. These two people are both flawed, broken and battered and recognize this in each other early on. But it only leads to love later and to romance even later than that. That does not mean we as viewers are left without fluttering hearts. O. No. Sir. The chemistry is fantastic. Not just the one between the leads, but also between FL and her other suitors, so we are left guessing who will "get the girl"for a long time. ML is a formidable man. Very serious, very domineering, very smart, very charismatic. He's a lot. FL is a great match for him with her feistyness and defiance and at least as smart. Also smart is the fact that in this drama, the story is leading, not the romance. We feel it's there, but it does not overpower the strength of the drama, it just adds to it..
I was unable to look away from this for 38.5 eps. long. Totally epic, best c-drama ever.

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A MUST WATCH!

This drama is such a rollercoaster of emotions. You will cry, and you will smile, there is so much angst, and politics but also a smart villainess Female Lead, scholarly, overly intelligent ML, and a super 2-second male lead. Yes, we have 2 SMLs and the chemistry of the FL with two of them was amazing and you will cry for the other two. But our ML deserved her truly after what he had gone through, she is like a light in his dark life. A true definition of how love brightens one's life.
Talking about the story, was very distinctive from what I had expected. The FL was indeed a villainess in her first life and made some major mistakes that caused her to die. The rebirth allowed her to follow a different path, at first she tried to avoid the situation altogether. But when she realized she could not avoid it, she decided to change it but when she realized that she couldn't change it either, she became active in preventing the worse situation. Though things were happening according to the past, they still changed because of the subtle changes, especially in the characters because of her change and intervention.
It WAS A HAPPY ENDING! Though it looked like a sad ending drama throughout the show, it was a happy ending. This drama is worth watching because of the ending, after so much angst, politics, and mind games we got a happy and satisfying ending. The chemistry in the drama is mindblowing, the main leads, supporting cast, everyone did a great job in portraying emotions and playing their part. I loved Yan Lin and the Princess, their roles had drastic changes and showed so much growth and development. I don't watch many Chinese historical dramas but after Love Like the Galaxy, this became my favorite one. Can I watch this again? Maybe No! Because it was so intense and I don't think I can handle it again but I will watch their happy moments later, so yeah! Their happy moments can be seen again and the osts are just so beautiful that it would make you cry.

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Best Chinese Historical of 2023 and in recent years !!!

Let me preface this by saying that I dont like to reveal spoilers in my reviews so this will be spoiler-free. I would like to first applaud the writers, director, technical team, costume department....all the many people involved behind the scenes who worked so hard to make this drama a success. I love to see people hard work bts rewarded. Now on to the actors. Everyone did an amazing job here. ZhangLihe is a revelation. This is my 1st drama of his and I am now a fan. I loved his acting here and the nuances he gave in his performance. Quite honestly these types of MLs are really not my cup of tea in dramas but I really attribute the fact that I loved his character so much to him, the actor. I havent watched any Bailu dramas since Arsenal Military Academy and she did an amazing job here; I love the myriad of emotions she portrayed as well. The other second male leads and other actors did a great job. The way the comic timing seamlessly blend in a " dark, serious" drama like this is a testament to the actors and also the writing. I love the political intrigue, fight scenes, reverse harem , harem court drama....all of this contributed to make this drama such a good drama. I hope ZLH and Bailu work in another drama in the future because their chemistry in this one was outstanding. I also loved that it wasnt heavily romance focused; dont get me wrong, I love a good romance in a historical drama but I also appreciate the political intrigue. Give it a try, you will love it and I dont even like to follow trends or whatever but the hype that this drama is getting is very well deserved.

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