This review may contain spoilers
I Will Always Talk About This Ending
If I had to describe this drama in just one word, I would choose *painful*.Watching this drama hurts—deeply. From the very first episodes, I found myself crying over Han Yan’s life. Through this story, I could truly see how difficult it was for women in the past just to survive. How they were forced to hurt other women simply to feel safe under the so-called “protection” of men.
From the beginning, I knew this story would strongly highlight feminism—but it does so in a balanced way, never excessive. At the end of the day, humans are meant to support one another. Yes, there are many terrible men like Han Yan’s father. But perhaps, at the right time, we may also encounter men like Fu Yun Xi—men who respect people regardless of gender. In that era, Fu Yun Xi feels like an outlier. He believes intelligence isn’t something only sons can inherit; women are just as capable of possessing it.
In my opinion, even though Fu Yun Xi is portrayed as a rather harsh character, he is also deeply responsible. After losing his wife and later his father, he does everything he can to shoulder his role as the head of the family. He even prepares provisions for his family for a future where he might no longer be there. It’s heartbreaking because it feels like none of the characters in this drama are granted a true “happily ever after.”
The writer is cruel—in the most honest way. This story shows that happiness and sorrow always walk side by side. There is no happiness without sadness.
This drama also contains many plot twists, some of which may feel excessive if we imagine them in real life. But perhaps that’s the purpose of drama itself. Through exaggeration, the writer makes the message easier for viewers like me to grasp.
This story reminds us that no human is free from sin. Everyone carries their own sins—and chooses which sins they are willing to bear. This applies even to our main characters. They all have reasons for their actions. In the end, it all depends on perspective.
That said, I still refuse to understand Han Yan’s father’s perspective. What he did is unforgivable, no matter the reason.
This is one of the slowest dramas for me to finish, because watching it feels like reopening wounds. Too painful. Too cruel. Too heartbreaking. It’s a good drama—but definitely not for everyone.
And with an ending like 'that'?
I guarantee I’ll be talking about it forever.
Dear writer, you are truly cruel :’(
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10/10
My oh my!The Glory!
What an excellent drama!
The plot, actors, dialogues, scenes, costumes … all so beautiful to experience. The twists, bumps, highs and lows were thrilling.
Special shout out to the Actors who did an amazing job! I especially enjoyed the dialogues between the Leads.
This is a lovely watch which I rate 10/10!
The Glory is indeed a great watch.
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Captivating, intense, and Beautiful.
I have watched this last year but only giving a rating and review right now only because I only made an account a few days ago coz a cdrama I've watched really compelled me to make an acc lol. (Its "Glory" for anyone wondering)I don't remember the entirety of the story only the gist of it but remember how much I enjoyed this drama. The execution, the direction, cinematography, osts, and acting are very well done. Although I did find some (like one or two of the casts) acting a bit unsatisfactory, most of cast still did well.
If you want a family drama, this is definitely one of the best ones out there so feel free to give it a watch. Overall, a 9.5/10. Very well made and beautiful drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
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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Revenge Drama with a Strong FL and ML
So, there is no real romance. This is just pure revenge (not saying that is a bad thing). I think the storyline was okay and if you are a fan of historical dramas, you know it will get draggy in the middle lol. yeah I skipped through alot and it seems I didnt miss a thing.I did love Xin Yun Lai fighting scenes. For Chen Du Ling, based on the dramas I have watched with her, she plays her revengeful character well.
Zhuang Shi Yang is one greedy father, his actions were pi$$ing me off.
Overall, I was really hoping for some romance between the leads and not just "liking" each other.
Maybe, we could have gotten a better "happy" ending after all the chaos and starting their own family.
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This review may contain spoilers
Captivating
This show was fun to watch and gave me most of what I wanted. There were some areas that could use improvement, but overall, it is a fantastic drama about female empowerment, revenge, and, most of all, what it means to be a family.Spoilers below:
My top 10 moments from this show are the following:
1. Zhuang Shiyang's death
2. Ruan Xi Wen divorcing Zhuang Shiyang
3. All the flirtatious fight scenes between Fu Yun Xi and Zhuang Hanyan
4. The sismance between Chai Jing and Zhuang Hanyan (idc what anyone says they were in love)
5. The touching mother-daughter moment between Zhuang Hanyan and Fu Ling Zhi
6. The sismance between Nobel Consort Miao and Ruan Xi Wen
7. The 'accidental' kiss
8. The jail scene between Fu Yunxi and Zhuang Hanyan
9. That one insufferable prince finally meeting his end/being tied up
10. The way they ended the show
Things I did not like as much:
1. Fish kiss (why...let's stop doing this lmao. I'm not asking for a full-on makeout session but what's with the pressing lips together?)
2. How things were handled with Chai Jing and Zhuang Hanyan (I did not like how the writer chose to close out this relationship, nor did I like seeing Chai Jing on a boat in the middle of god knows where while it snows)
3. How the father seemingly never had any setbacks until the very end
4. How easy it was for Noble Consort Miao to meet her end...if she was his favorite wife, why did he easily send her off to her death?
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Loved! Didn't even skip while watching
As the title said, great drama, the acting was awesome and the soundtrack matched the vibes perfectly!!I loved how women driven it was, like sure it had its rare damsel moments but most of the times it was just our amazing FL thinking her way through situations and helping out other women. This drama to me was about understanding the other, their struggles and what pushes them to be the way they are. I loved it. The instrumental soundtracks often gave the drama its appropriate heaviness and the acting was superb. The villain actually made me hate seeing him on screen and that hasn't happened in a while for me.
P. S. CHAI JING OWNS MY HEART. THEIR FRIENDSHIP WAS EVERYTHING TO ME.
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WHAT A GEM! But criminally underrated!
What an unconventional beauty! Watching this drama will take you on a different level in comparison to the usual chinese drama made for entertainment and couple-romance-centric dramas that are trending. Revenge story but has its own charm-not tiring not repetitive cliched storyline. Though short it adds to the charm. The cast did justice to the well-written, gripping script writing. Its aesthetic is different and complements the tone of the story. The struggles are worth the struggle as a simple way to put the whole vibe of the story. The cast are splendid- the chemistry, acting and special mention to the sweet baby girl what an actress at such a young age! The story of the two leads-describes that sometimes love is not all about rainbows and butterflies- but in reality, it's about saving and being saved from yourselves. The two leads have fantastic chemistry-underrated even hope they have another collaboration. Such chemistry is such a waste to be ignored.Was this review helpful to you?
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A MUST WATCH
One of the best C-dramas this year—well-written, fast-paced, and with amazing performances (the villain especially stood out!). Every character was interesting, and the mix of revenge and political intrigue kept me hooked.I’ll admit I felt uneasy about the main leads’ relationship since the male lead was married to the female lead’s sister before, but I appreciated that the drama focused more on revenge than romance. The ending was satisfying, and overall, this series is definitely worth watching.
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Gripping and thrilling story of a comeback
A gripping, brilliantly written period drama with zero unnecessary filler. At just 30 episodes, it delivers tight storytelling, strong performances, and genuinely unpredictable plot twists that keep you on the edge of your seat.What makes this drama stand out is its powerful sisterhood and feminism—rarely done this well in historicals. The characters are layered, the subplots meaningful, and even without much romance, you never feel its absence because the political intrigue, family dynamics, and emotional depth are so compelling.
The mother–daughter storyline is the heart of the show, supported by themes of justice, identity, and breaking free from one’s cursed past. And honestly… the dad deserves an award—he fooled all of us at first!
A superb drama from start to finish: smartly paced, engaging, emotionally rich, and completely binge-worthy. Highly recommended.
A beautiful journey of calculated vengeance and evolving trust between two clever, formidable leads.Revenge drama done RIGHT with actually morally grey characters, sisterhood and strong chemistry!
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This review may contain spoilers
10 10 10 Across the Board!!
This drama is very different in a good way! What I probably love most about this drama is the father being the true villain behind everything! I find that particularly interesting because the birth fathers are NEVER the villain! It’s always the stepmothers, grandmothers, Aunts, hell sometimes even the birth mothers! And then for him to act sooooo innocent from beginning to end after doing so many horrendous things was perfection! I was TRULY SHOCKED that he was a villain! He had no shame! Bravo to the actor he did a PHENOMENAL JOB!!Another thing I loved was how the romance wasn’t the main genre of this drama. I mean, don’t get me wrong I love romance dramas as much as the next person but if the main focus was romance for this particular drama I feel like everything else been overshadowed!
I HAVE to give a shoutout to the actress who played the FL mother! She was AMAZING! When I first watched this drama her character in the beginning gave me THE CREEPS with her bulging eyes and haunting voice! I loved it!!! I have never seen a performance like that in a Chinese drama…like EVER!
In short, this drama made me feel excitement! It needs to have a higher rating on MDL! 8.3 is simply NOT HIGH ENOUGH! Truly an underrated gem ugh!
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Love Hate
I really had a hard time watching this drama - the story was good but so many parts were so ridiculous. Truly had a love hate relationship and a lot of eye rolls. It’s just constant schemes and lies that it was so annoying. Had potential but it was overboard and ML had one expression the whole time.Was this review helpful to you?
