This short drama is a masterpiece
This is the type of drama that makes you feel respected by the entire cast and crew. The acting was well executed, costumes, cinematography etc… all delivered what they needed to deliver.I found this drama by accident and I’m glad that I pushed through the title and the picture (didn’t appeal to me) and gave it a chance. There was no single awkwardness in the drama, there was no cringe moment.
If you want an intelligently written drama with actors who are invested in their roles, this might satisfy you. The ending of the drama was expected so it was good how it ended.
What I personally didn’t like but it didn’t take away from the acting and screenwriting was the excessive filter imo. The actors had no pores.
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A Great Blend Of Politics, Romance And Women Empowerment
I just finished watching Dominion and Devotion, and I have to say, it was an incredible series. The short length worked well, and everything from the directing to the costumes, set, acting, and even the music was top-notch. On top of that, the story was solid and engaging – definitely time well spent.The series is filled with political intrigue, which can get complex, but I appreciate how everything was explained. There weren’t any major plot holes, which is always a win in my book.
Story Overview:
The main plot revolves around Pei Shen Zhi, the son of the last ruler who fell, and now working as a eunuch with his foster father, Bai Hai Tao. Pei Shen Zhi manipulates the political turmoil surrounding the last emperor to install a puppet ruler, who ends up being Ning Jing Yi, the fifth "prince" of the Great Ning. However, Ning Jing Yi is actually a woman, hiding her identity. She tries to escape the palace with her aunt, but after being caught and facing the threat of her aunt’s life, she reluctantly accepts the role of the "puppet" emperor.
Both lead characters were smart and politically savvy, which I really appreciated. Their dynamic was full of tension, and the romance between them was done so well – from enemies to lovers, forbidden love, and a slow burn. The tension was palpable. I kind of wish Pei Shen Zhi had discovered her true identity a bit later (like after episode 4), but it wasn’t a big deal. His brief "gay panic" moment was fun. When they finally admitted their love for each other, it felt meaningful – not just a small, fleeting thing. The idea of a female emperor and a eunuch as a pair was quite intriguing and unique.
I also loved the antagonist, not because he was likable, but because he was well-written. He was ambitious, smart, and definitely a challenge to deal with, which made him an interesting character.
The supporting cast was fantastic too. Li Jing Xian, Ning Jing Yi’s aunt, was a great character. She was always there for the female lead and cared for her like no one else. While she wasn’t physically strong, she was incredibly brave when it came to protecting Ning Jing Yi. Huo Zheng, a court officer, had a strong sense of justice that I respected. Luo Wen Jing, a woman who had to disguise herself as a man to survive, was another character I admired.
What stood out to me in this show was how it validated women’s rights without downplaying men’s importance. It was refreshing to see women portrayed in such a powerful, empowering way.
Memorable Scenes:
The first kiss between the leads was perfect, and the wedding scene was beautiful too. The series did a great job building up their relationship, and when they finally came together, it was so satisfying.
One of my favorite arcs was the widow village. The women there were hardworking and managed to survive without the help of men. But of course, a man had to come along and destroy everything, and I was so mad at him. It really drove home the message of female strength.
Ending:
As for the ending, while it wasn’t the typical happily-ever-after with the leads living a peaceful married life, I still loved it. Pei Shen Zhi sacrificed for a greater cause, and his absence didn’t diminish their love. The final moments were powerful, showing Ning Jing Yi embracing her power as a female emperor. Her costume was stunning, and I loved how the show didn’t make her rise to power a quick, one-night transformation. The gradual change felt real and meaningful.
Overall, Dominion and Devotion is a fantastic series that balances politics, romance, and strong female representation. It’s definitely worth watching.
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She is Dominion, He is Devotion
This show….where do I begin.I came into it thinking the story line sounds pretty much par for the course, revenge, hidden identity, eunuch vs. royalty blah blah.......... but my cynical self is really surprised at how much I have enjoyed this drama. For a short drama, they have done an amazing job. The plot is a lot more intricate than expected from a short drama, with actual problems and cunning solutions that require creative thinking and not just moral high ground. The characters are detailed, there is massive development on both the leads' parts and the chemistry is oh so good! Despite the heavy content there are moments of comic relief just so your heart can at least rest for a moment. The settings, the costumes, the make up, all was in line and contributed towards the storytelling.
The game of chess/ Go - I saw the game as a character in its own right in this drama. And it had so much to say. This short drama managed to convey the intricacies of the game a hundred times better than Captivating the King did in 1/4th of the run time. Kudos!
Cast - absolutely top notch. FL and ML had my heart fluttering, butterflies in my stomach with their chemistry, their soulful gazes and their determination to do the right thing from the beginning. FL as king made my justice-seeking self sit up and cheer in her court scenes. Every time I thought this puppet king was finally defeated, she would show up and show them all down. I have only seen one other FL play the king with the right attitude where you are forced to believe this is the king and that was in My Uncanny Destiny.
The ML was the most flawed hero I have seen in Cdramas in a long time. He was afraid, he was torn between loyalty, love and duty, between his hatred of his foster father and his fear of his secret, yet looked for the right person for the throne for the beginning. He was able to apologize and ask for a second chance, is progressive and fair, yet at the end chooses sacrifice instead of fight, perhaps a result of the complex he has lived with all his life… one can only speculate. I found it hard to justify the last act as he left the FL to make the hardest decision ever, and to live a long, lonely and difficult life.
The villain had me hating, fearing and disgusted by him all at the same time. Wanting justice done, seeing his flaws and the larger than life persona that was so well played by the actor, I wonder if any of his future dramas will be overshadowed by this character for me. And they even threw in a moment of comic relief for him (when the aunt comes up from the underground, she says “ husband, you have major trust issues” He looks so flustered and tells her to be quiet, he did the hen-pecked husband thing really well in that micro-moment!
The plot - Tight knit, fast paced and logical. Until the end….. there were ways to tackle the prince issue…. I wish ML had kept the faith until the end and allowed our genius FL to come up with a solution. Knocking off a few points just for the writer’s need to make us cry.
PS: After In blossom I only have one request: Li Ge Yang can you please not die in at least one drama???
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the acting
the story was pretty good so far, the actings skill of the leads actors were awesome. I hope the FL gonna have more project bc she is killing it, especially her crying scenes. The ML was impressive not gonna lie, i know him has a support lead but it was refreshing to see him in that kind of role. I hope they gonna have the opportunity to do bigger drama bc they deserve it so much. If it was not for the end for me it is a 10 it is one of those short drama who are GREAT!!!!Was this review helpful to you?
well, that was a surprise!
I've never written a review before so you know there has got to be a reason. why then? because this is actually good. really good. and as someone who doesn't watch minidramas, this is big praise.the story is obviously fast-paced but still manages to introduce a large number of characters in a believable manner and in a way that you actually care about them.
the two main leads were solid in their acting, I wasn't sold on yifu and a couple of minor actors but overall it surpassed my expectations many times over.
the costumes were good and sometimes spectacular, again a massive and delightful surprise given the budget of this type of drama. special call out to Shenzhi's gothic style outfit with the train, the man is a certified drama queen.
the only things that I found distracting were the really heavy filter (negative) and Shenzhi's eyebrows (positive).
overall, the director, writer, cast and crew deserve a full-length drama next time. I'd totally watch that.
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Well Done Palace Intrigue w/ Believable Romance
In the realm of political politics mini dramas, this one was very well done and explained. There are no major loose threads or plotholes which drag down the story by the ending, instead everything appears to be well plotted and paced within their episode constraints.Often when dealing with a ruling party making the ACTUAL ruler into a puppet, I personally feel a lingering question of "why not just charge the person with a crime and kill them?". This one made use of trying to explain WHY this doesn't actually work within this story and the steps needed to EVENTUALLY remove the person.
The main leads both make interesting characters as neither one is happy with the person they have to pretend to be but they are helpless at the beginning to do anything about their circumstances. Over the course of the show this helplessness of course changes BUT they exchange it for even HEAVIER weights around their necks.
Meanwhile, the antagonist himself is a curious character I would have LOVED to have seen as the actual main character. His interactions with the FLs aunt were something I wasn't expecting to enjoy so much. My personal preferred special bonus episode would be if they gave the viewers more of HIS character backstory.
Things that "may" make you DISLIKE the show from my opinion:
● Whenever there is an emotional scene the camera moves, almost shaking. You may not even notice this but personally it made me nauseous whenever it happened
● The filter is VERY smooth, forget pores, there are times the ML looked like this was almost a hyper-realistic animated video game character
● Some fight scenes are well thought out and others are just "blink and you miss swords swinging around"
● While the "women's rights" aspect isn't NEARLY as heavy handed and degrading as some other recent dramas, they still exist and "some" aspects seen over idealized
● Biggest personal plothole: how does NO ONE but the aunt and ML know she's a female (this includes later maids and eunuchs in and out of her rooms)
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Give me more pls give me MORE
As a short Chinese drama, they seriously outdid themselves.First off, the FL? That face? So handsome I honestly wouldn’t have questioned it if someone told me she was actually a “he.” But at the same time, she’s so pretty, especially through Pei Shen Zhi’s eyes. And don’t even get me started on the ML. Man’s so pretty, I kept forgetting he’s not the female lead.
Acting wise, the FL and ML were pretty solid. Those spicy scenes? Definitely not mild.
But the villains... yeah, that acting had me cringing a bit. Just felt off.
What I really appreciated was how the FL carried herself like a true king. No awkward “I’m pretending to be regal but don’t know what I’m doing” energy, she owned it. I’ve seen other female kings try and flop hard, but not this one.
And the ML? Total love at first sight guy. Dude sacrificed everything for her.
What was refreshing though? The FL actually let him. No 10 episode back and forth of “No, I’ll sacrifice myself!” Nope. Straight to the point.
The ending though… yeah, it hurt. I would've loved to see the ML become her “queen” or royal consort, just living their best life together. Give us a few minutes of them being happy and ruling side by side, was that too much to ask?
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"the world is vast but they have no place to live"
Sorry I didn't end it,I cannot 😭.C-drama is a poison that I keep on drinking. In c-drama love is just an appetizer but not the main dish.But the unique and fast pacing of this story still amazed me,from episode one just wow until I reached episode twenty but I have a bad feeling of the ending and I couldn't bare seeing Master Pei hurting and dying so I stopped there.
The story it's hard to explain my feelings about it,this kind of drama is something that I really want and love it is rare to find a story that feeds your fantasy,it's very interesting and unique,it touched some subject that never touched by a C-drama before(as far as I know), it highlighted the women empowerment I really love it.
The male lead is a green flag,I mean he is not a complicated man,I am not surprised if why she easily fell for him.Their romance,episode 16 is the key,but watching all the prior episodes first made episode 16 a beautiful moment .
The characters they are perfectly fit,they owned it.The leading man from his appearance down to his cool demeanor u would surely think that this kind of platform is his cup of tea, I love the female lead,Chinese female lead with big eyes is my weakness,and her portrayal, don't ask me,the eyes that shed tears like an invitation for me to weep too,and the male lead could give real tears too,it flow naturally.
Dominion and Devotion,dominated my heart and I devoted my time for it. All the male lead characters scenes eyyy,eyyy I can watch and rewatch them for eternity.
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Storytelling at its finest
This drama has everything. A villain that is truly heinous, that even reaches from beyond the grave to stir up trouble. A couple that defies convention, making us sigh and cry with them as they overcome obstacles and prove how deep their love is for each other…no matter the cost. A supporting cast that only adds to the story and is not a distraction. A production team that brings this story to life in the best possible way. The actors are flawless in bringing these characters to life and making this an experience that sticks with you. All the intrigues and machinations of life in the palace are succinctly shown and there are no wasted moments. This is the first drama I’ve watched where everything truly has a purpose for being there. It is an exquisite story of love and love of country.Was this review helpful to you?
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This has to be the best short cdrama I have ever seen...
Some personal blabber:Let me start with the thing that I am usually a very lazy person, too lazy to even write a review. Another thing is I absolutely hate HATE HATE sad endings... I hate tragedy with my whole being because I become such a mess that I become very disoriented and can't function in my daily life and sometimes have severe migraines caused from too much crying. So the fact I am writing this after finishing the whole drama says a lot. After I found out it had a sad ending for the couple I stopped and decided not to see it but the plot and everything was just so good that I had to finish it. This brings me to the present writing a review with a severe migraine, sobbing and listening to sad music.
Actual review:
This is handsdown one of the best Cdramas I have seen, this being a short one as well. From the plot, cinematography, acting, cast, storytelling everything. This being a short drama accomplished a lot and covered a lots of things. Let me go by points,
Storytelling:
This had an excellent storytelling. It kept me engaged the whole time and there was no unnecessary conflict. It showed many huge points and stuck to; it showed perfectly what actually women empowerment is, not by downplaying other genders, rather by treating everyone as equals. It showed the capabilites of human beings. One of the things I personally loved was how both the MCs were shown vulnerable. It showed how the FML transformed into a strategic wise empress from a girl who hid herself and only wanted to survive. it showed how even though she became an empress, she wasn't invincible, she lost people precious to her on the way. It showed how even though she became the empress she couldn't protect who were the most important to her. But still as a ruler she persisted even after that and ensured a glorious future of her country. Not only that, for the ML as well, we could see how sometimes he had to abandon the FML's side for the greater good and how under control he was. He wasn't someone who could do whatever he wanted, but still it showed how sometimes people just don't have a choice. Moreover I loved how it showed how the FML gave in to the villain just to deceive him. And my god, this had one of the most well-written villains I ever saw, though I appreciated it if it would have delved a little more into his obsession with the former empress but still he was really a very well-written villain. Even the toxic relationship he had with the aunt was well-written in my opinion. Even the minor characters like the censor huo and the female officer who disguised as a man, achieving all this in a short drama is really an admirable feat. Another memorable thing was the symbolism of the FML as the plant, I personally loved this little detail and also the chess plays. Almost all the characters well written and had a purpose which upheld the true essence of the drama. It had an excellent power politics play but it was shown in terms which are easily understandable. Even the realtionship between the leads looked genuine, the romantics literally lit fire on my skin, it all felt so genuine and raw, even after the fallout you could see the helplessness of the ML with his acts and the determination of the FML. Her actions and feelings were fully justified and the conflict was also resolved in a genuine way. Their love really wanted me to feel love, literally the dominion in the title was for the FML showing how to transformed into a wise ruler and devotion was for the ML showing how the cynical ML became such a devoted follower of the FML. He is the defination of working behind the scenes. Not only the realtionship between the leads but also between the FML and her aunt and even the relationship between the ML and his uncle was portrayed beautifully without extending much.
Acting/Cast:
PERFECT! ABSOLUTELY PERFECT! The cast really outdid themselves. The acting was perfect, it didn't feel fake or anything. Their eyes spoke volumes, the dilemma, the pain, even when the FML threw tantrums in helplessness, it felt so real, like I felt as if someetimes I also do this. The evil acting was also portrayed beautifully. You could feel that that one side character had the "I am all for justice" vibe within them with their demeanor. You could feel the struggles and achievements of the leads with their actings. It was absolutely perfect in my opinion.
Ending:
Spoiler duh! But ig many of you already know if you read the first part that this has a sad ending for the couple, the ML dies. And as much as I hate tragic endings, this was literally very logical, like the ML's death wasn't a copout. His death was justifiable. The reasons were clearly explained. And honestly I started crying from episode 23 from the wedding scene till the end. But me being my delusional self, am assuming from the easter egg from the official douyin and take that the FML actually saved the ML somehow and made him a commoner and separated him from the palace and he returned later as a concubine (as said in ep23). He had to remove his mole as it was the identity of the former prince and now he is back to be with the FML.
For those who are wondering were am I creating this assumption is from here (https://weibo.com/tv/show/1034:5160846712569915?from=old_pc_videoshow), it is a easter egg from the official douyin of the drama in weibo. So for me I think this is a happy ending I MEAN LOOK AT BOTH OF THEIRS KNOWING SMILES. (i have a phd in delusion).
Anyways, I love this drama so much that I wrote a review with a migraine and if it gets made into a full length drama, i would pay to watch it. It was tragic and i hate tragedy but this was worth it. (sobs in migraines)
My advice, just see it, i saw it. I don't wanna suffer alone. As for rewatch value, I think it has a high rewatch value but for those people who are affected in the daily life by tragic stuff, don't rewatch it, hurting yourself once is enough. But this will always have a special position in my heart.
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Episode 16 is a gem
This was an unexpected show. I’d just been watching one silly cdrama after another- the shorts are enough for my attention span at present…And then this bloody masterpiece comes along.
The lead male is a weird looking unit in real life, but whack him in a wig, add some brown eyeshadow and a black gown and he is mesmerising. The way he looks at the female lead. Oh my.
The female lead is also a weird looking unit too. But episode 16 where she is pretending she only wants to use him to warm her bed and then he covers her eyes and he says that her eyes are lying to him. Next thing he uncovers her face and she has this haunted look of longing….
I watched this because of the dream sequence where he is imagining her in his bath, but holy shitballs this story had some grunt and substance. The bad guy is hawt in an uncle kind of way.
Episode 16 where they do some seriously noice kissing is worth a rewatch. I have watched that episode 8 times already and it might just be my go-to episode for the remainder of my life.
Now let’s hope they don’t mess up the ending. Please let the good guys win.
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Rewatch value
The actors nailed their roles.......Absolutely loved both the characters! They are graceful and kind. They never blame fate. They embrace and overcome their challenges and destiny. Whilst all this, they get drawn to eachother's character.
The music was also nice. Rewatched it multiple times!
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