The East Palace

"It means disturbing what must never be disturbed."

The East Palace was a visual spectacle with numerous supernatural fights in the drama’s Upside Down World. There was a cute creepy creature suitable for mass sales. A likeable supernatural crime fighting duo. Yet the writing was inconsistent and haphazard.

Gu Cheon has the ability to see things others don’t and can even cross over to the spirit realm. He is “encouraged” to work for the king when the crown prince’s life is in danger. Truth be told, the crown princes have been dropping dead for over 30 years. It will be up to Gu Cheon and the ghost hearing banished princess Saeng Gang to lift the curse and save the day.

What worked for me:
~~For a drama, the special effects and sets were top notch. They believably brought an Upside Down World to life or death or unlife, whatever…
~~I liked that the two main characters had abilities that contributed to solving the mysteries.
~~Even though his face was often obscured it was good to see Kwak Dong Yeon.
~~Like the acting, some of the fights were better than others. The final fight’s overuse of sped up, slowed down, shaky camera action made me dizzy.

What didn’t work for me:
~~The writing was all over the place. It also didn’t help that they spent nearly the first two episodes on exposition. That’s a lot of ‘splaining to do, especially if they were going to disregard parts of it as they went along.
~~Characters healed miraculously and almost immediately from very, very serious wounds with no magical lore explaining it. And Saeng Gang suddenly being able to accomplish similar tasks as GC without a similar creation story made no sense to me.
~~I know chemistry is in the eye of the beholder, but I found it sorely lacking between the leads.
~~Nearly the whole lot of the royal family was rotten so the stakes weren’t particularly high. Characters died or were “mostly dead” (shameless Princess Bride quote) nearly every episode diminishing the tension of whether they would survive in the next.
~~The repetitive noble idiocy and trusting untrustworthy people made one character’s statement ring particularly true though they didn’t learn from it, “I was a complete and utter fool.”
~~The ghosts wandering around had no problem yacking, except for revealing key plot points until it was too late.
~~This was a made-up world full of mystical and magical powers yet women were still pretty much kept in a cage. Defying the laws of physics and nature was perfectly fine. Letting a royal woman step foot outside the palace---now that’s just crazy talk. No wonder the Dowager Queen’s wig was wrapped a little too tightly. Felt like a decided lack of imagination.

To sum up:

The East Palace was a spectacle to watch full of creative special effects and lots of purposeful hero walks. As long as you can turn off your brain’s notifications of, “Syntax error or that didn't make sense,” it can be a binge worthy drama.

1 October 2026

Trigger Warnings: Snake (biiiig snake), child death, dismemberment/decapitation, ghosts that bordered on zombies.

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THE HAUNTED PALACE PART 2

This is what happens when production and cinematography get prioritized over storytelling. The plot was underwhelming and lacked impact. Sure, the visuals were stunning, but beyond that the story fell flat, basically a summarized version of Haunted Palace.

Honestly, the story isn’t gripping or exciting at all. It feels like a copy of Haunted Palace at least that one prioritized storytelling over flashy cinematography. I don’t get why some Kdrama fans drool over this just because of the pretty visuals. Sure, the CGI is solid and the actors are great, but overall it’s underwhelming. I kept zoning in and out, dragging myself just to finish it.

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I'm not a big fan of shows with spirits and possessed people ; VFX are often embarrassing to watch. That's invariably the case here. Stranger Things has done a lot of damage to the "otherworldly". I hope that one day we'll move beyond this blurry and unoriginal digital aesthetic.

Apart from that, the real-world production is quite beautiful, in the snow and all in shades of grey mixed with a deep blue.
They chase away the spirits, but the real monster is the king. It makes you think. The monarchy surrounded by death and decay. I like the direction the story is taking. Let's hope for a more direct and less repetitive sequel.

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Don't be fooled: ML is not the main character, ML is barely in the show.

The ML had not but almost 10 minutes of screentime episode 5. Every episode has been the exact same amount of screentime for him as well. I'm so done with this show favoring the fl who's being an absolute b word to him, complaining, being a snob and having 0 facial expressions getting ALL the screentime and plot revolving around her, over the ml actually doing anything at all. This is getting a 6 from me, I should know better than to trust mdl comments in hopes the show will get better... lol but it isn't at all.

Don't advertise Nam Joo Hyuk on the poster and trailer if he isn't even the main character. Every plot point has been about her but she's insufferable, and I'm not exaggerating that. I've never seen him in anything before and wanted to besides 25-21 because I know how it ends, but the guy isn't even here besides getting grilled by the fl. It's getting irritating and tiring, fast.

The Guest is great, but I feel the writers are horrible at writing tolerable female characters that don't b*tch and moan at the ML for absolutely no reason when they're trying their best, as shown with this show (I'm no curser, but that's how strongly this fl is annoying me).

All style, no substance. Nothing is explained when events occur and it's an absolute mess. Cgi nothing burger fest. Poor poor development and 2D characters to boot. I waited a long time for this in gleeful anticipation, but am deeply disappointed. I think this was written as a full length series but got cut short to 8 episodes, I'm not kidding you NOTHING makes any sense and you're not sure what you're watching.

Waste of a show. Roh Yoon Seo should be on the cover solely by herself, because that's all this show is, and she can't act to save her life. I bet my life on it that she has over 80% of the scenes, which would've suited it if you actually had originally advertised her as the lead so we'd know what we were signing up for, but this was misrepresented badly to draw viewers in with the lead Actor.

ML is here to be the FL's punching bag for everything and nothing more. This feels more like watching a so called "girl boss", but instead let's make her be rude to everyone around her and excuse it for being a "strong female lead."


The acting in it is quite bad too from most parties from leading roles to side characters, there's a couple actors here and there who did well, but it feels like B acting 90% of the time. It's very second-hand embarrasment to watch if I'm being completely honest. I'm wincing at the performances.


Skip on this if you don't want to waste your time. It's an incoherent mess and misleading in it's advertisement of what we originally saw of the show and how they marketed it, which is completely wrong and cheap to do.

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Too Chicken For Horror? You’ll Still Survive This Royal Bloodbath.

I went into this show blindly, and as someone who usually avoids the horror genre, I had zero expectations. However, this show absolutely shattered my bias—it was incredibly entertaining and engaging from start to finish. If you are hesitant to watch because you dislike horror, don’t be. It is not genuinely scary; the "fear factor" relies mostly on uncanny VFX and is highly comparable to Stranger Things. That said, if you are squeamish about gore, shock value, and heavy bloodshed, definitely watch it during the day!


What I appreciated most was the tight, direct storytelling. Despite a complex plot, the narrative left no room for confusion. Every twist and turn felt entirely natural. With a lean 8-episode run, the pacing was perfect—nothing felt dragged out, every subplot served a purpose, and the show actually answered the questions it raised. The plot twists were so brilliant that I audibly gasped multiple times.

The main characters were incredibly likeable. I especially loved how brave and competent the female lead was. In most dramas, the heroine tries to help but ends up being a nuisance; here, she was a genuine asset. The antagonists were plentiful and beautifully chaotic. Aside from the two leads, I hated practically everyone, which left me unsure of who to root for—and strangely, that made me love the show even more. It is refreshing to move away from typical, morally perfect heroes. In a royal setting, true innocence is impossible, and this show excels by avoiding the cliché of clear-cut villains and heroes.

Overall, this is an excellent, breezy watch regardless of your usual genre preferences. The cast did a phenomenal job, particularly the male lead, whose spiritual scenes and acting were completely out of this world. Give it a try and see for yourself

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Blood Makes Kings, Sins Make Ghosts

In a kingdom where the dead refuse to stay silent, Gu Cheon, a ghost slayer who walks between worlds, and Saeng Gang, a court lady cursed to hear the voices of restless spirits, are pulled into the East Palace, where something ancient and sinister has taken root. As buried secrets claw their way to the surface, the two find themselves trapped in a danse macabre of vengeful ghosts, royal conspiracies, and an evil lurking behind the throne. Some palaces are built on stone. This one is built on secrets.

At its core, The East Palace is a reminder that the past is never truly buried. Every hidden sin casts a longer shadow, every act of cruelty leaves a debt unpaid, and karma always finds its way home. As Gu Cheon and Saeng Gang unravel the palace's darkest secrets, they slowly realize that the most terrifying monsters are not always the spirits seeking revenge, but the people who gave them a reason to return in the first place.

The premise itself is not groundbreaking. It explores ideas that have appeared in other productions, and I even caught similarities to Stranger Things. Personally, I never saw that as a problem. Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, The East Palace takes familiar concepts and dresses them in hanboks, palace intrigue, and Korean folklore, creating an atmosphere that feels distinct enough to stand on its own. One of the things I appreciated most was how accessible it is. The drama introduces different kinds of 귀 (gwi), explaining what each spirit is, how it comes to exist, the dangers it poses, and how it can be dealt with. Even if you know very little about Korean ghost folklore, the storytelling makes it easy to follow without feeling like a history lesson.

The Realm of Gwi was another fascinating addition. This blood red spirit world where vengeful ghosts dwell felt like a twisted mirror dimension, and I could not help but think of Stranger Things' Upside Down. The mechanics behind Gu Cheon's ghost slaying also made things more interesting. To fight spirits in the Realm of Gwi, he has to temporarily die first. Only after finishing his mission can he return to life, assuming nothing goes wrong. It is a simple concept, but it gives every journey into that realm a genuine sense of risk.

Gu Cheon left the biggest impression on me precisely because he is far from perfect. The drama never tries to paint him as an untouchable, effortlessly cool hero. Instead, he is afraid of dying, sarcastic, lazy, and constantly acts like he wants to avoid responsibility, even though he almost always ends up doing the right thing anyway. Those contradictions make him feel incredibly human and surprisingly relatable. Nam Joo Hyuk portrayed him with the right balance of emotional vulnerability and unintentional comedy. While he has proven many times that he can excel as the stoic, composed lead, I genuinely think these sarcastic, slightly lazy, and deeply human characters are where he shines the brightest. I watched this drama because of him, and I stayed because of him.

The only thing that oddly distracted me was how muscular he looked in hanbok. Don't get me wrong, the man has one of the finest oppa physiques out there and I fully appreciate it. Somehow, though, his modern, athletic build felt slightly out of place in traditional royal clothing. Maybe it is the tailoring, maybe it is just me. One thing I also kept wondering throughout the drama was whether Gu Cheon could actually fight in the real world. Inside the Realm of Gwi, he slices through spirits with confidence. Outside of it, he often looks like someone who would lose a fistfight against an ordinary person.

Saeng Gang turned out to be exactly the partner Gu Cheon needed. While he handles the supernatural threats, she investigates palace politics, buried truths, and generations of resentment. She is the one constantly putting scattered puzzle pieces together, especially when Gu Cheon's laziness threatens to derail the investigation. I appreciated that the drama never reduced her to a damsel waiting to be rescued or a female lead whose only role is to emotionally support the hero. She actively moves the story forward and even throws herself into danger to save Gu Cheon. Despite her courage and competence, the drama still allows her moments of vulnerability. Beneath everything, she remains a daughter longing for warmth and family. Roh Yoon Seo portrayed those different sides of Saeng Gang beautifully, and her expressions always felt natural for the character.

The Emperor ended up being one of the drama's most compelling characters. He constantly pulled me in different directions. At first, I thought he was simply another ruthless king who built his empire on blood. Then I saw moments that suggested he genuinely wanted to become a wise ruler. Then he massacred innocent sick people, and I immediately went back to seeing him as a monster. Then more secrets surfaced, revealing layers upon layers of guilt, regret, and impossible choices. He became neither hero nor villain, but someone permanently trapped in the grey space between the two. He loved his children, yet his love was shaped by the same violence that built his throne. Realizing that his son had followed the same bloody path broke him, leading him to make another horrifying decision because he believed there only needed to be one emperor stained by fratricide. Cho Seung Woo was phenomenal. I never once questioned his performance.

The supporting cast was equally dependable, although I do wish the Crown Prince had been explored much further. Kwak Dong Yeon is an actor who thrives when given a substantial character arc, whether he is playing someone kind or someone terrifying. Here, however, the drama barely scratches the surface. We only get fragments of his relationship with the Emperor before he becomes the primary akgwi. As the central evil spirit, he never quite felt intimidating enough. Instead of becoming a memorable final obstacle, he often came across like an NPC enemy waiting for the protagonist to defeat. I genuinely think the limited episode count worked against the character. Either he needed much more development, or the role should have gone to someone whose screen presence alone could create a stronger sense of menace.

Visually, The East Palace is gorgeous. The entire production has an artistic quality that constantly pulled me into its world. There were several moments where I found myself wondering how the writers and visual directors even came up with some of these ideas. That said, the visual effects are not flawless. Certain CGI shots were noticeably artificial, and the final battle relied so heavily on green screen that it unintentionally became more comical than exciting. Thankfully, the soundtrack helped maintain the atmosphere. One particular background track stood out so much that I actually tried searching for it after finishing the episode.

I also went into this drama with certain expectations because I heard the writer also wrote The Guest, which remains my favorite Korean horror drama. Unfortunately, despite all the ghosts and supernatural elements, The East Palace never actually scared me. Even as someone who scares quite easily, the jump scares barely landed, and most of the ghosts were more interesting than frightening. Ironically, my favorite supernatural creature was not scary at all. Ggeomeoksali completely stole every scene it appeared in. This tiny gwimae looked like a haunted little Labubu and instantly became my favorite character. If they ever release an official plushie, I will probably be first in line.

As the story approaches its conclusion, the drama reveals twists upon twists, uncovering generations of buried sins, painful truths, and karma finally demanding repayment. It was genuinely enjoyable to piece everything together, although I do wish those revelations had been given a little more room to breathe. The ending maintained a steady pace from beginning to end. It was neither anticlimactic nor the explosive climax I had imagined. Instead, it left me sitting there, quietly replaying everything in my head. The final moments provide enough answers to feel satisfying while leaving behind just enough lingering questions to keep the story alive after the credits roll.

In the end, The East Palace is an entertaining and surprisingly digestible supernatural sageuk. It may not redefine the genre or deliver unforgettable horror, but it succeeds in building an atmospheric world where ghosts, guilt, and palace politics intertwine naturally. It is immersive, visually striking, easy to follow, and anchored by characters who carry both the emotional weight and the mystery. Sometimes, that is more than enough. After all, the scariest ghosts are often the ones born from human hands.

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The East Palace Is Basically Stranger Things Meets Kingdom

The East Palace felt like Stranger Things and Sweet Home meeting Kingdom. It blends the eerie supernatural mystery and creature horror of the former with the engaging palace drama of the latter, creating quite unique and thrilling experience. While the first half felt a bit underwhelming despite its fast pacing, the second half completely transformed the drama into perfectly gripping, edge of your seat thriller.

Funnily, it wasnt the ghosts or supernatural creatures that scared me the most, it was the humans, especially the royal family, who would stop at nothing for power and the throne. They didnt even spare their own flesh and blood. Even after causing so much destruction, their greed never stopped. Despite facing the consequences of their actions, they kept going until the very end and even then they never changed. They remained completely consistent with their characters, which i found to be one of the most fascinating aspects of the drama.

Also another favorite aspects of the drama was its world building. It established two parallel worlds, one inhabited by humans and the other by ghosts, spirits, supernatural creatures and powerful beings known as the Realm of Gwi. I really loved this concept. The two worlds mirrored each other while remaining completely separate. Ghosts and spirits existed and operated within the Realm of Gwi and the protagonists had to enter that realm themselves in order to confront and eliminate them. The concept was executed really well. The Realm of Gwi gave me strong Stranger Things and Sweet Home vibes, while the palace politics, royal conspiracies and historical setting reminded me of Kingdom. The drama really felt like a perfect fusion of both.

Both protagonists find themselves trapped by the big bads of the series and are left with no choice but to fight these supernatural beings to survive. What i also liked was that almost every major character outside of the protagonists existed in morally grey territory or was outright evil. Whether it was the King, the Queen Dowager, the King's biological mother, the Crown Prince or the other royals, nearly all of them were consumed by power to the point where they wouldnt even spare members of their own family.

Cho Seung Woo's character was particularly fascinating. He was the King of the nation yet completely rotten to the core. However, there were moments when he displayed genuine human emotions, making him a surprisingly layered and interesting character.

The drama also didnt limit itself to traditional ghosts. It introduced several unique supernatural creatures and i found them quite interesting. I especially loved the little Labubu like creature that constantly clung to the ML and saved his life in several critical moments. It was both cute and hilarious.

The production quality absolutely deserves special praise. The cinematography, camera work, direction, visual effects and overall atmosphere were all fantastic. Many scenes set inside the Realm of Gwi and throughout the palace were visually stunning. The eerie lighting, haunting environments and beautifully composed shots made both worlds feel immersive and unforgettable.

The acting was another major strength. The exorcism sequences, horror moments, emotional confrontations and action scenes were all very well performed. Several scenes actually gave me goosebumps because of how convincing both the performances and direction were.

If I had to criticize one aspect, it would be the first half. It wasnt bad by any means but compared to the second half, it felt relatively tame. The lighter comedic moments early on slightly reduced the tension and made it harder to fully invest in the story. However, once the second half began, the tone became much darker and more intense. The drama started delivering one plot twist after another. Although a few twists were predictable, the execution, pacing and presentation made them consistently exciting and entertaining.

The ending was satisfying. Both protagonists got a happy ending and most of the villains were punished for their crimes. The King, however, was spared. Initially, i expected him to die but keeping him alive actually made sense within the story. Removing him from the throne would have created political instability since there wasnt a suitable successor. Instead, his punishment was arguably even worse. The final scene reveals that the countless vengeful spirits would continue haunting him for the rest of his life, forcing him to live with the consequences of everything he had done.

Overall, The East Palace absolutely lived up to my expectations and didnt disappoint me at all. While the first half was somewhat dull, the action packed second half more than made up for it with its engaging narrative, thrilling plot twists and satisfying payoff.

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Great first half but disappearing second half of the drama

I was genuinely excited for this drama—it gave off major Constantinevibes, and I was ready for a thrilling ride. And for the first half, it mostly delivered.

The cinematography is stunning. I loved how they brought the realm and all its creatures to life—the visual world-building was immersive and beautifully crafted. The contrast between the two worlds of the palace was especially well done. You could clearly see the real palace, where countless souls were sacrificed to human greed, standing in stark opposition to the other realm. That tension was palpable and added real weight to the story.

The duo at the heart of the drama was another highlight. Gu-cheon (Nam Joo-hyuk), the spirit slayer who can cross into the Realm of Gwi, and Saeng-gang (Roh Yoon-seo), the court lady who can hear the voices of the dead, made a compelling team . Watching them grow into a great partnership was genuinely satisfying, and their journey kept me invested early on. Cho Seung-woo as the king and Jang Young-nam as the queen dowager, added depth to the palace intrigue . But the absolute star of the show for me was the evil creature, Mengramile. I absolutely loved every scene he was in.

Unfortunately, the second half lost all the momentum the first half had built. It became quite boring, and the story started to feel unfocused and less engaging. It's a real shame because the potential was clearly there. The foundation was solid—great visuals, a compelling duo, and a memorable villain—but the execution in the later episodes just couldn't sustain it.

Overall, The East Palace had so much going for it, but it couldn't quite stick the landing. Worth watching for the first half and Mengramile alone, but I wish the rest had lived up to the promise.

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There is nothing scary at all in this series

The plot of this series is quite interesting. The visuals are beautiful and grand, and the CGI is excellent. Unfortunately, they added so many extra elements that the plot became disappointing, boring, and lacking in interest, and the overall story turned into a complete mess.

Many of the actors did a good job. Nam Joohyuk looks really cool in this role whenever he’s in the underworld. Roh Yoonseo is very beautiful and cute here, but her acting in this drama confuses me a little. In some scenes she performs very well, while in others she comes across as stiff, emotionless, and as if she’s just reciting lines. The underworld itself is vague and complicated — they don’t really explain much about it. What I really dislike is that almost none of the villains face any consequences for their past actions. It’s like Gu Cheon and Saeng Gang are stopping the evil spirits just to protect characters who are even worse. The only scenes I actually liked were the fight against the shaman’s guardian spirit, the ancient spirit scene, and the protagonist’s little spirit pet — that one was cute.

Overall, this series has an interesting plot, beautiful visuals, and excellent CGI. If you’re a fan of Nam Joohyuk, you can definitely watch it because he looks really cool in the underworld scenes. Roh Yoonseo is also very beautiful and cute. However, the story is messy, boring, and disappointing, with a lack of consequences for the villains. For me, this is definitely one of the worst Korean dramas of the year. And most importantly, there is nothing scary at all in this series.

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