This review may contain spoilers
Rather slow-paced - started out strong
The strong start really got me hooked for the first few episodes but after that became repetitive.The “second life” trope isn’t new with c-dramas and there are many good ones out there like the double, blossom etc. But I felt the pacing for ashes to crown is pretty bad.
While it is a journey to revenge by FL, I felt it had a lot of back-and-forth. There was a lot of plotting and backfiring and after a while it just felt repetitive. Maybe the director was trying to add depth with the multilayered persona and “talking to self” but instead of adding depth it also added confusion?
And some actions of FL doesn’t feel “logical”. It felt childish and wilful for no reason. E.g expecting the ML to just serve her willingly and run errands for her while she remains as the “ultimate” mastermind of every “scheme”. The scheme itself weren’t deep and her actions were just.. childish? None of the plots felt intense despite the dramatic editing and pretty cinematography.
For someone plotting for revenge, she seems to be “revealing” herself upfront too much, so much so that the enemy has the chance to plot back against her. I.e the scene of her second chance in life, despite knowing she has went back in time after checking out the current time, she still decided to act out against her fiance and said she’s gonna unalive him. Isn’t this revealing her cards early?? It allowed him to be wary of her already. Maybe this was intentional. Maybe this just wasn’t for me.
Unfortunately I got bored and dropped it.
Was this review helpful to you?
Game of Thrones scala
The production of this drama is so amazing good. The script, story and cinematography is Game of Thrones level high. I’m so impressed there’s no dull moment at all! Acting is 10/10, cinematography is 100/10, story is 100/10. So so good!!! Every characters is so smart, cunning and well written. I think it should be more than 24 episode long because it’s so interesting seeing them battle and outwit each other.The romance is also soo good, the fl and ml have so much chemistry! I also love that our fl is strong, smart and know how to fight!
Was this review helpful to you?
Aburrimiento total
Empecé la serie con mucho entusiasmo y creía que me iba a gustar porque es un buen inicio, incluso la trama en su totalidad me ha gustado. Pero la forma en la que cuentan la historia y el ritmo al que suceden las cosas ha hecho que me aburra en cada capítulo. En algunos incluso me he quedado dormida, y no por cansancio.Los actores son increíbles y la música también, porque realmente estoy obsesionada, pero el resto deja mucho que desear. Básicamente cuando más me he emocionado ha sido cuando sonaban las canciones y me ponía a cantar.
Creo que podrían haberlo hecho en menos capítulos y así hubiese estado más condensado y entretenido.
Was this review helpful to you?
Great Ideas with poor execution
I was excited when I watched the trailer, but with the story progression my excitement vanished.Chen Du Ling is quite beautiful and we actually see her everywhere, but I have the feeling that she is female counterpart of Ren Jia Lun.-->same performance in every different drama. An actor should show some diversity and I simply don't see it in her.
The strongest side of this drama are the costumes and how the characters are visually presented, the weakest side is actually the story and the character progression.
We have the time lapse rebirth plot and all of a sudden our Huanghou ( I hope this is the word for empress ) is the most sly mastermind in the world leading armies into battles in full empress gown & jewelries (which she took from her magical backpack).
All male leads are gorgeous and in same way chaotically evil, plotting all the time for no reason.
After watching "Zhan Zhao Adventures", the fighting scenes in "Ashes to Crown" look like a joke.
My main concern here are the plot holes and the fast random story development. Instead the meaningless conversations they could have spend more time on characters progression and show us actually who these characters are, what are their values and weaknesses. Without this ,their sacrifice is meaningless and the dramatic scenes look forced even though the cast is doing their best to compensate the gaps.
It is not a bad drama, but also far from the best blue print C-dramas that we used to watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
8 Episodes In, and I'm Completely Hooked
I came back to write this review after watching 8 episodes, and honestly, I am completely hooked. From the very first few episodes, the story managed to grab my attention, but after reaching episode 8, I can confidently say that this series is far better than I initially expected.What surprised me most was the way the plot develops. Every episode reveals something new and keeps the audience curious about what will happen next. There are emotional moments, romantic scenes, and enough twists to keep things exciting without feeling forced. The pacing feels smooth, and I never found myself wanting to skip any scenes.
After scrolling through the review section, I noticed quite a few 1-star ratings, and I genuinely don't understand how some people can judge this show after watching only one episode. Many great dramas take time to build their characters and storylines. Giving up after a single episode doesn't really allow the series to show what it has to offer.
The female lead deserves special praise. She delivers an excellent performance and brings a lot of emotion and personality to her character. Her acting feels natural, and she makes every scene engaging. The male lead is also great, but what really stands out is the chemistry between the two leads. Their interactions are interesting, exciting, and believable, making the romantic storyline one of the strongest parts of the show.
The production quality, emotional depth, and character development have all impressed me so far. If the remaining episodes maintain this level of storytelling, this could easily become one of my favorite series of the year.
For anyone who dropped the show after one episode or is hesitating because of some negative reviews, I would recommend giving it a fair chance. Watch at least a few episodes before making a judgment. Sometimes the best stories take a little time to unfold, and Ashes to Crown is proving to be one of them.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Hmmm
The scriptwriter needs to be a little bit more creative in the conversations because some actors are really not good from shifting to calm and suddenly blow up. Yes they have tears in their eyes but the Jody and the face does not show the emotions of their words.Tgw story line is good. Male. Lead is pretty good. Female. Lead... Im not so sure.
Was this review helpful to you?
The fl character isnt making it any better…
The only good thing about the fl is her chemistry with the ml but even that isnt enough keep me hooked..
Ive tried watching it till episode 12 unfortunately cant get past episode 12 anymore so i’ve decided im gonna dropped this one
Was this review helpful to you?
This drama is definitely worth watching and I highly recommend it.
It's refreshing to watch another drama where the female lead really acts and fights like a true villain. Chen Duling is such a great actress, and she really gives me goosebumps every time I see her on screen. The plot is quite unique and new to me. It is not your typical romance and every episode keeps me on the edge of my seat. I am so invested in the story that I just want to keep watching until the very end. The chemistry between Chen Duling and Zhou Yiran is undeniable. Their dynamic is intense, electric, and so addictive to watch. I really can’t wait to see how this amazing drama unfolds.Was this review helpful to you?
So much potential
I had to give this 5.x because my policy for DNF due to fatal flaws is lower than 6. I won't finish this series even though it has a lot of positive qualities. I'm happy for the female lead to actually have this lead role, as she's been working in numerous shows through many types of characters! At the same time, I don't think that the assigned actors are glamorous enough or have enough gravitas to successfully carry the shifts of the show - although they really put their hearts into it and I admire them. There was just something about most scenes that felt like they were practicing on set - so not totally convincing.I love all the red colors, the cinematography, and the music is inspiring and appropriate.
It's just that the story is so utterly predictable.
The mistakes that are made while pursuing intrigue are almost childish. I quit watching when the princess' pass was handed to the enemy, it was so stupid, it didn't make any sense in terms of the actors' role, objectives, and inside information, and it creates an opportunity for a bunch of nonsense and problems that serve only to drag out the drama. Such a choice, like several before that, just lead to more predictable and unnecessary hijinks. I chalk this up to poor writing and that's the main issue with this series.
The actors are acting deep, as if they're really involved with complex decisions and profound implications, but the things that they choose to do to further their ambitions, and the responses from their opponents are quite simple, and frankly, boring. Nothing is as complex as they behave, so the story alludes to depth but doesn't achieve the richness suggested.
How could the characters, declared to be so smart, really make continuous weak choices? We've been told repeatedly within the show that they are amazing and powerful, only because the written actions fail to demonstrate it.
Was this review helpful to you?
Lousy Writing, Another Botched Adaptation
I just can’t stand the trope of dumbing down and weakening a female character just so the male lead would outshine her. In the novel, Chu Zhao could almost stand side by side with Chu Qiao from Princess Agent (the novel, not the tv adaptation), somebody who is forged with blood and sweat with an exceptional mind of a strategist. And this she accumulated not by mere chance like how this weak adaptation portrayed, but from her 20years of being the empress of the land before the emperor turned his back on her and connivingly killed her by the hands of others. Chu Zhao is supposed to learn her lesson from her past life, and put extra effort to relive her life so the past tragedy won’t ever take place. It makes sense in the novel, but in the adaptation here, she miraculously supposed to be brilliant after dying right after being crowned empress, WTH now? 😵💫 the premise is so blatantly stupid that it made Chu Zhao ridiculous sight to behold.In the novel, Chu Zhao doesnt flinch at the sight of blood, and she definitely doesnt shudder when holding the sword. This doesnt hapoen just because she’s the lead character, but because she is the daughter of a frontier general who had seen enough blood on the battlefield before she made the mistake of abandoning her father for a luxury life in the capital in her past life. As for Xie Yanlai, he too shouldve worked on his own merits through blood and sweat that eventually became the shield for the current reborn Chu Zhao. The novel had been a female centric piece where Chu Zhao never needed much saving from the ML (heck the ML is mostly away from her 80% of the time), plus even as a spoiled brat of her past life, Chu Zhao had rode and killed the enemy alongside her father, so why the heck would she need swordsmanship lessons from Xie Yanlai? Like, seriously Mr Screenwriter? 😒 That sword lesson scene that turned into quite a sexual tension is too laughable. And excuse me, Chu Zhao went into shock just because she stabbed someone to death? OMG I was so mad to see that. That is not Chu Zhao at all! It is so funny (and particularly annoying) that the screenwriter just had to put down the FL so much so the ML could make his own mark, while desperately try to build up the romance between them. The show lost its substance when they laid foundation with the shallow background of the first life and went hyperdrive on romance instead.
The way FL would huff and puff at every crisis also made my eyes roll. The actress definitely went a little extra on that part. She’s also lousy at trying to look bold and fearless, let alone to embody the conniving aura that novel Chu Zhao has. I especially cant stand FL’s bewildered expression whenever her plans is foiled. It’s just too bad, i was looking forward to see another badass FL after Tian Xiwei’s phenomenal portrayal of Fan Changyu. Honestly Chen Duling’s Chu Zhao went off track so bad I cant even force myself to watch on just for the plot. And i just can’t stand it when they push the romance onscreen so desperately. Chu Zhao is the only reason I even wanted to watch the show, and for them to turn this character into an unrecognizable one is just too disheartening.
I was so excited for the adaptation after reading the novel, too bad it did not only fell short, it actually stumbled right into the mudpit. Instead of focusing on court politics plot and FL’s military merit, they went on full blown romance buildup right off the start, when it was the very last thing to happen in the novel. To make matters worse, I failed to feel the couple’s chemistry even when they try so hard on that part. What a total disappointment after so much hype about the series. This is what you get when you try to cramp up 390+ chapters into 24 episodes. This is also a downside that I read the novel first, i already have a set of expectation waiting to be fulfilled, and when the show failed miserably at this, you get a bad review. The novel had been so good with total sense, i just dont get how did the screenwriter manage to turn it into an abomination. It wouldve been such a good show.
Was this review helpful to you?
Oke but not Okay
drama terburu buru yang pernah ditonton, drama lain ep dua itu perkenalan. Drama ini udah pemberontakan wkwkwceritanya buru buru, gaada napasnya banget. beres konflik satu lanjut konflik selanjutnya. intrik istananya kompleks banget agak capek nontonnya.
cinematography jujur agak kureng, cg dibeberapa scene agak aneh. banyak adegan yang didramatisasi juga. bahkan seinget aku di eps awal tuh ada sempet kamera geter jdi keliatan kayak short drama gutu huhu agak sad yah.
tapi untuk akting, yiran dan dudu udah gausah diraguin lagi dua duanya oke polll
Was this review helpful to you?
Nauseatinf roller coaster ride
To be honest, this series started with a compelling premise: the daughter of a respected general becomes a Grand Princess caught in the deadly political struggle between the Regent and the King’s uncle. Add a handsome love interest and a disgraced prince, and it seemed like all the ingredients were there for an engrossing historical drama.Unfortunately, the writers became so obsessed with plot twists that the story lost its way. Watching this series felt less like following a well-crafted political intrigue and more like riding the biggest roller coaster at Six Flags except every climb was followed by another unexpected drop, twist, and loop.
Every revelation was immediately replaced by another. Just when you thought you understood someone’s motives or identity, another twist turned everything upside down. Nothing was ever what it seemed until the very end, when every secret was suddenly revealed. It tried to be the perfect whodunit, but instead became so convoluted that it was exhausting to follow. I found myself spending more time trying to piece together the plot than becoming emotionally invested in it.
The romance, which should have grounded the series, felt like an afterthought. Instead of driving the story, it merely passed through it. Even more disappointing, the male lead often felt like a supporting character in his own drama.
Ironically, 24 episodes should have been enough to tell this story, yet so much time was spent on unnecessary twists that the emotional arcs and supporting characters never had the room to breathe. By the finale, I wasn’t surprised by the revelations, I was simply relieved the ride was over.
For viewers who enjoy nonstop plot twists and intricate palace conspiracies, this may be entertaining. For me, however, the series sacrificed coherence and emotional depth in favor of constantly trying to outsmart its audience.
Was this review helpful to you?
