The Palace Gambit (2025)

Short-length series about inner court struggles

PLOT: The FL and her sister infiltrate the Palace to survive. The sister gains the Emperor's favor, but [due to the plots of the other consorts] ends up being sent to the Cold Palace and dies. The FL, an intelligent and cunning maid, remains in the service of successive consorts to clear her sister's name and expose her murderers.

+++ The story is fairly coherent, focusing on the Forbidden City, the rivalries between consorts, and the struggles for the Emperor's favor (wealth, power, status).
+++ Limited budget, but the sets are beautiful and some costumes are magnificent (other costumes, however, look very cheap).
+++ The actors are attractive, but their acting skills are uneven and inconsistent. The Emperor and the ML (the Emperor's uncle) lack charisma.

### It's difficult to get invested in this story because something's missing: less clumsy direction? More convincing actors? A more subtle plot? In any case, the recipe is incomplete...

=> Worth watching just to pass the time, nothing more.
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Short-length series about inner court struggles

PLOT: La FL et sa sœur entrent au Palais pr survivre. La sœur gagne les faveurs de l'empereur, mais [complots des autres consorts] finit envoyée au Cold Palace et meurt. La FL, intelligente et rusée, reste au service de consorts successives pr laver le nom de sa sœur et dénoncer ses meurtrières.

+++ Story à peu près cohérente, focus sur la Cité Interdite, les rivalités entre consorts et les luttes pr avoir la faveur de l'empereur (richesses, pouvoir, statut).
+++ Budget limité, mais les décors sont beaux et certains costumes, magnifiques (d'autres costumes, par contre, font très cheap :)
+++ Les acteurs sont beaux, mais ### leurs acting skills sont inégales et variables :) L'empereur, le ML (oncle de l'empereur) manquent de charisme.

### Difficile de s'investir dans cette histoire, car il manque qqchose : 1 réalisat° moins maladroite ? des acteurs plus convaincants ? 1 story plus subtile ? En tous cas, la recette est incomplète ...

=> A voir juste pour passer le temps, rien de plus.

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The Rise of a Maid

I've never watched a series that was this short from beginning to end before This was the first one I started and finished. Success stories interest me. These themes are frequently explored in Chinese dramas. There are even stories of women who enter the palace as servants and become queens. Of course, their experiences, their struggles against evil, and their rise through the ranks are captivating. I like these kinds of stories, and I've watched many similar series. This series was good. That aspect caught my attention. I watched it with curiosity. I liked it. However, I encountered the fact that it was kept too simplistic. Also, the story was superficially explored without in-depth investigation. The idea of ​​a servant ruling everything was excessive. In other words, it didn't work. Similarly, in this palace where those who gain power kill each other, it's almost impossible for this servant to rise through so much intrigue and planning over such a long period. Because she has no authority. She's just an ordinary servant. Anyone could kill her. No one would even ask. In such a time period, such a place, you're not only preventing death, but you're also imprisoning and punishing members of the royal family who are far more powerful than you. It lacks credibility. Maybe there are small things. You can prove your point. Or you can prevent some things with your intelligence. You're clever. You're intelligent. You're educated; you can get away with some things that way. But never everything. From this perspective, we can see that the series lacks credibility and realism. But if you don't mind such things, you can watch it with curiosity.

Apart from the lead actress Jade Cheng, I didn't like any of the actors. Jade Cheng really carried the series on her own from beginning to end. She was very successful. But there was no one suitable for her, no one who could carry the series with her. Aaron Deng was very weak; he could have been omitted altogether.The acting of the actresses playing the palace lady, the emperor's wife, and the concubine was terrible. It was obvious they were acting. I didn't like it. I only gave it a 7.5 rating because I watched it out of curiosity. As I said, the fact that it's a success story attracted me and made me watch it.

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