The Glory

Twists and turns

Buckle up, this is a wild ride through a crazy family's shady dealings, orchestrated by the female lead's father, the sniveling and conniving Zhuang Shiyang. He decision to murder his father in order to save his own skin sets off a huge ripple down to the next generation, entangling his wife, concubine, their children and his in-laws into a messy web of over-the-top plot twists, which require a certain amount of suspension of disbelief but in their own macabre way deliver some amount of shock entertainment.

At the center of this melodrama is female lead Zhuang Shiyang and male lead Fu Yunxi, who happens to begin this tale as her brother-in-law. Theirs is not an easy romance - even as they join hands in search of justice (or is it revenge?), there is a seemingly endless back and forth between them that may leave some romance lovers out there unsatisfied or frustrated. I enjoyed the tension between them, but some more emoting from actor Xin Yunlai would have sold the romance better.

Hoping to see Chen Duling in more complex female lead roles - she's perfectly cast in this as the shrewd, seemingly cold Hanyan. The rest of the supporting cast do their best with the extreme script (some will love Yu En Tai as the Daddy Zhuang, some will hate the crazy eyes haha), but it's the little girl as Fu Lingzhi who steals the show for me.

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TO FIND MY HOME

Just wrapped up The Glory and wow... this one crept up on me in the best way.

This isn't your typical palace drama packed with endless betrayals and over-the-top romance. It's a quietly intense revenge story that simmers beneath the surface—and once it clicks, it really pulls you in.

The story centers on Zhuang Han Yan, the third daughter of a powerful noble family who was basically tossed aside and left to fend for herself in the south. After 17 years of surviving under brutal conditions, she returns to the capital—not as a victim, but as someone who’s ready to rewrite her fate. Her goal? Reclaim her identity and expose the corruption that destroyed her life. Along the way, she partners with Fu Yun Xi, an upright court official who sees her potential—and slowly, something deeper starts to bloom between them.

WHAT I LOVED
1. Character growth that feels real
Han Yan starts off reserved and almost fragile, but you quickly realize she’s sharp—every move she makes is calculated. Chen Du Ling really grew on me; she doesn’t play Han Yan with loud dramatics, but with quiet strength. It’s refreshing to see a lead character who plays the long game, and actually learns from her pain rather than being consumed by it.

2. The vibes are immaculate
The cinematography is stunning. This drama is beautifully shot with natural lighting, detailed sets, and a muted color palette that fits the tone perfectly. The costume design? Elegant and understated. Everything looks expensive but not flashy—it sets the mood so well.

3. The slow-burn romance
There’s no swoon-heavy love story here, but the relationship between Han Yan and Fu Yun Xi is rooted in mutual respect and shared goals. It’s subtle, mature, and honestly more realistic than most drama romances. Xin Yun Lai plays Fu Yun Xi with calm intensity—he’s steady, observant, and clearly drawn to Han Yan’s strength.

4. Writing and plot
The plot is layered and well-paced (though slow at the start). There’s political maneuvering, secrets unraveling, and a deeply satisfying revenge arc. If you're a fan of smart female leads who get their wins through brains—not brute force—this one's for you.

What Didn’t Work as Well:
Some side characters felt underdeveloped, especially compared to how fleshed out Han Yan and Fu Yun Xi are. Would’ve loved more depth in a few of the antagonists.
Lead chemistry is very chill—if you like passionate, shippy moments, this might feel a bit too restrained. But personally, I liked the understated approach.

A quiet gem with rich storytelling, a strong female lead, and a beautiful visual aesthetic. It’s not trying to shock or thrill you every second—it’s here to unfold. If you’re into smart, emotionally grounded dramas that reward patient watching, The Glory is 100% worth your time.

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Plots are twisting and how many shocks would you like?Yes??

From the jump, they hit us with that "It's nothing like you've seen before" vibe, and honestly, it was a whole new experience.
FL, She's a master of strategy, slick and smart, and I'll never forget that smug little grin she throws when she unveils her master plan. You just know something huge is coming, and it's got that cold-blooded, calculated energy, all while looking like the innocent white rabbit.

ML? Yeah, he's got a few red flags, but we'll let it slide because he helps FL get her well-deserved revenge and finds her "happy family."
Now, the villain , oh wait FL’s dad, my goodness, top-tier villain right there. He nails that “clueless, loving father” act so well, you almost start questioning if they’re secretly twins.
And can we talk about He Hong Shan? At this point, I’m kind of tired of seeing her as the spoiled brat villain sidekick, but let’s be real, she does it too well.

Every plot twist hit me so hard, I might need therapy and a 3-week vacation to recover.
But still, it was brilliantly written, kept me on the edge of my seat, and left me craving more.

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A sad and beutiful story about women

I don't really know what I was expecting before watching this drama, maybe another story about the power struggles of a wealthy household, maybe an enemies to lovers with great chemistry and intense romance, maybe revenge and deceit; and while I did end up getting some of that, that's not all that there was, that wasn't the most compelling part of this story.

The beating heart of this drama were the women, their struggles and pain, their dreams and ambitions, the suffering that they had to endure just because they were women, just because a man had their eyes on them.

I don't want to give any spoilers, so I can't dive too deeply into what I mean, but if you want to watch a drama that has something to say about women and their condition, I think you'll find that The Glory is a perfect choice for you.

Sadly, I can't give it a 10/10 because, while the romance is not the focal point of the story, it still is a part of it and sadly I didn't like the romance at all. I wasn't invested at the beginning, it managed to get me invested for a bit but then it lost me again. I think the chemistry wasn't there. I don't want to spoil anything but I also hated the development of the relationship and especially the pacing.

If you are looking for a good romance, I don't think this the drama for you


The worst part of the drama was in my opinion the ML: I never cared for him and I felt like the acting was extremely poor. Maybe with a different actor I could've empathised with him more, cared about him more. Or maybe he just wasn't as a compelling characteristic as others.

There were a few moments where I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue after an interesting plot had ended, but I think the drama did a really good job at introducing new and interesting elements that kept me interested in what was going to happen next.

I think if we had to divide this drama in 3 sections (1-10; 11-20; 21-30), my favourite section would be for sure the second, then the first and lastly the last 10 episodes. I don't think they were bad at all, but I don't think they were as strong, mainly because a few things that annoyed me happened and highlighted some of my issues with the romance in this drama.

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Badass FL & ML supportive of each other relationship - well served

There are several moments where she's to agressive towards ML for no reason and stabs him for in the argument. Besides that her character would be 10/10. But making her super smart and then assaulting the men that is obviously the only one on her side is quite dumb. So there are several minutes in the show like that, that are completely out of character. Because they want us to believe she is smart and dangerous. So this is maybe a spoiler but still. For me that a bit spoiled a fun.

Good things:
- there are no repetitive scenes over used in most of drama
- no xanxia, no wuxia, no exaggeration
- characters are believable
- no palace schemes
- plot twist is really good

ML & FL
- good chemistry, but not even one kiss. They should have added at least insinuation they've kissed. It feels to much friend-zone
- ML is wow. If you were in trouble, you would want this guy around
- FL is probably the strongest in C drama, but a bit red flag for my taste.

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a story of women and revenge ?

finished 9/10 🌟
(long review)
I had a tremendous personal journey with this drama 😅
Between my work, waiting for the episodes to be translated, and avoiding spoilers... finally! I can say I've finished it!
Now let's get to the important stuff ⤵️
Overall, the story was very good.
It's NOT a romantic drama at all, so if you're looking for that, I recommend you skip it.
This story is 100% focused on its main protagonist and his journey through lies, secrets and dangers to find what he loves.
Chen Duling is an actress I'd only previously seen in TTEOTM, and while she never stood out to me, I feel like she nailed this character and gave a magnificent performance. 👏
Xin Yunlai had seen him in TLOSL as a secondary character, I really liked how he acted here... although his wardrobe was criticized and the fact that he doesn't have the "face for the historical ones" I feel that he brought out his character and he did it very well. 👏
SPECIAL MENTION TO:
Wen Zheng Rong 👏👏👏👏👏
A tremendous actress, my goodness, a supporting character who captured my heart 💓
That woman deserves all the recognition in the world.
Xiwen's character took me on a great journey full of emotions.
I still suffer with her fate. 😭💔

What I didn't like about the drama:
The last 10 episodes were kind of mediocre for me.
I think the excitement of the first part of the plot was lost a bit.
The ending left me unsatisfied. I think these endings open to interpretation are in trend, but the truth is, I hate it.
I still enjoyed it, and it'll be a drama I'll remember fondly. 👏

Wonderful work. 🙌

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Trilling, Compelling and Gorgeous - The Glory

A very richly detailed Revenge drama. From costumes, make-up, music and story, this show is mystery finely layered with elegance and balance. All key characters are multi-dimensional and complex, with individual character arcs that push the story narrative effectively. It keeps the pace and tension effectively balanced so the audience doesn't get too anxious but remain engaged to see what happens next. I particularly loved that the lead characters grow and change in response to events in the plot. They develop from their mistakes and outcomes. Wen Zheng Rong is brilliant and gives a master class in acting as Ruan Xi Wen.

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A Life Lived for Vengeance

The Glory features the intriguing journey of Zhuang Han Yan who was hell-bent on revenge. Abandoned right after birth, Zhuang Han Yan grew up facing constant abuse by her foster parents and local kids from the neighborhood. It was not until her foster father attempted to assault her that she killed him and returned to her family in the capital city. Upon her return, she met Fu Yun Xi, a deputy minister with a mysterious illness an an agenda of his own. The story then follows her journey as she attempts to rekindle her relationship with her mother and works with Fu Yun Xi to plot revenge against the people that wronged them.

This drama is the type of drama that gets you hooked from the beginning until the end as you watch with anticipation as to how the story unfolds. Although the writing was a bit sloppy towards the end and the ending felt a bit rushed, it was enough to say that this drama was well-written. This story in this drama centers on Zhuang Han Yan's revenge, which later ends in a bittersweet glory. Zhuang Han Yan was never an innocent, virtuous, or righteous lady. Abandoned as a baby, she has lived a hard life ever since she could remember. She is cunning, resilient, tenacious, and will stop at nothing to get what she wants. She is a survivor and will always fight back. Despite her tough personality, there is also a vulnerable side to her. Due to her lack of social support, she was always skeptical against new people. She would also go on emotional outbursts and make impulsive decisions when something doesn't go as planned or when something unexpected happens. Regardless of her unfortunate upbringing, she knows how to be grateful and is loyal to the people who are kind to her. She would do anything she can to protect the people who are nice to her, even if it means sacrificing herself and her revenge. She is a very well-written character in this story that definitely leaves a lasting impact. Seeing how she has lived and her journey on getting revenge just makes you want to pat her back and hug her. Casting Chen Du Ling for the role of Zhuang Han Yan was the right decision. Chen Du Ling brought life to Zhuang Han Yan, exuding vulnerability and resilience. Chen Du Ling's visual and thin figure were also befitting for the character of Zhuang Han Yan considering the character's upbringing.

The male lead, on the other hand, was a disappointment. Fu Yun Xi is written as a master of political warfare with a calm exterior and impactful depth. With his cool facade, he bears great responsibilities in addition to being chased by time. He is a character integral to the story as he aids Zhuang Han Yan in her revenge. Sadly, his character did not leave a lasting impact due to poor casting. Xin Yun Lai definitely has the charismatic and cool visual befitting for the role of Fu Yun Xi. It is a shame that his acting was far from expressive. Throughout the drama, the only expression he had was a straight face. It was like he just woke up. The only part when he showed expression was when a prince was flirting with Zhuang Han Yan. Even then, he only gave side eyes. I couldn't feel anything from him.

Although the Fu Yun Xi's character could've been improved, the casting of other characters were great. I would give a special shoutout to Wen Zheng Ron playing Ruan Xi Wen, Zhuang Han Yan's mother. Not only did she resembles Zhuang Han Yan, she also exudes the beauty, charisma, vulnerability, endurance, patience, and intelligence of Ruan Xi Wen's character. Her expressions were definitely above par and she definitely managed to leave a lasting impact!

The ending was okay in a way that Zhuang Han Yan got her revenge and Fu Yun Xi got what he wanted. Despite the symbolism trickery in the end through the alive and dead characters' blocking, as well as their outfit colors, I wish they made it clear whether or not Fu Yun Xi ended up dying in the end, hence the bittersweet glorious ending. All in all, this drama is definitely in my recommended list for those looking for a revenge plot.

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A Painful Reminder of How Close Ties Can Betray You

Revenge is best served cold, especially when it is against a ruthless father who is prone to killing his own family members!

The storyline hinges on the antagonist trajectory between Zhuang Hanyang and her father, Zhuang Shiyang. At first, they seem like a loving pair of father and daughter who were torn apart by fate and misguided destiny. But as we dwell into the storytelling, we unravel past wounds and deceptions that run deeper than most family politics. The misogyny is because Hanyang spends her entire time fighting family members who are supposed to love and protect her. She battles her stepmother, stepsister and lastly her ghastly father who is insufferably deceptive and brutal. “The Glory” isn’t about Hanyang’s journey to self discovery but her sufferings at the hands of her own family. The story is gripping from the moment you set your eyes on Zhuang Hanyang. Born in a noble family, she is abandoned after being branded as a barefoot ghost in a downtrodden countryside. Her foster parents treat her cruelly and when she reunites with her birth family, she suffers unimaginable torture at their hands. It is battle of wits from there, she has to fight off both internal and external forces for survival; this show is one women’s battle against a society that demands subservience from women. Zhuang Hanyang is anything but submissive!

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2025/04/10/the-glory-series-review/#more-1709

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