Chinese Empress

if they stick to the novel, the ending will be more than tragic. The Chinese drama has tragic vibes in a different way

She is not, she is a bit over the top in the few episodes though

I see. Thank you so much

only on Youku then?

Is the special episode only available on Youku?

Yes, because the Director of Brides is using the idea to do evil things, while the painter and cinema director are naive and genuinely trust in the idea of "Asian friendship" so the reality hits them hard.

8.6 on DB, more than 13thousand people rated it, becoming the most high ranking drama in 2025.
Western people are sleeping on this, but I'm glad people are recognising it and the great work cast and crew did. My heart aches for Chinese people who had to endure all this.
Jiang Qilin, Zhang Yu and Yin Zheng are doing a great job

And to make it clear, i'm a pragmatic person. Let's take as an example Love i the clouds, always from youku. Rating 8.7 from 12,509 users, Watchers: 28,504
Look at the numbers here, and no, it's not because MDL users tend to kdramas more. It's because of the lack of interest. I love China as a whole, and no matter what production is I watch it even in Chinese ( I am studying it). Blossom Shanghai I watched it in Chinese.
Rather than arguing between us, we should promote this drama to increase the knowledge of the matter Japan denies still today.
My point is that in the west there is very few interest in knowing what China lived through, and the numbers here are a proof of it. Among the people I know, no one is following this drama despite me promoting it, and no one watched the other series produced to honor the fall of Nazism and Fascism. The West never celebrated it, how can you expect the audience to be interested in such a topic? Except China, i have never seen other nations celebrating it, how do you explain it? And let me tell you, I am Italian and deeply ashamed about it and about the racism China goes through.
I could have agreed with you otherwise and I agree with you in other points, that's why I said at the beginning you should give it a try slowly and at your own pace, because the drama deserves it. Chinese people deserve it.

If I am wrong, explain to me why this drama and movies like Dead to right, Dongji Island, Unit 731 movie, The Great War trilogy are not deeply discussed not watched among western audience as much as dramas like Speed and Love, Feud. I watched The long way back this year, few comments because almost no one was watching it.
Vendetta of An.... i went though tons of people dropping it because "heavy".
Explain this to me, because it was what i was pointing at as a Cdrama lover no matter what genre to the point that propaganda is the most beautiful thing for me.
Only 159 people about this drama, what about the whole MDL users? It's not China' s fault, but users' fault.
this drama has not even a rating while episode 1 is enough to rate it 1. Other dramas on MDL are discussed a lot with tons of people, so why it can't happen here? Because they are not interested in it, it's not because of subs.

No, Western audience does not bother to get familiar with Chinese history and culture at all. In the west they are sinophobic.
China promotes its drama that's why this drama is on Youtube, but i can say in the west this drama is ignored because they are triggered, because it's China so they don't mind the victims. Thw west don't know that Japanese were far more cruel than Nazi, but all West think is Nazi Germany while supporting nazi Israel in present days.
You don't know how western audience mistreat people like me disgusted by any other production except Chinese. The insane thing is thinking China would bow to someone for attention. Subs? Youku is providing them, why should they spend time when people like me study Chinese too and the number of views compared to others is less internationally?
Remember that Chinese dramas are not so well received on international platforms because everyone watches it on Chinese platforms and in Chinese if necessary.
Make China guilty is racist and insane.

It's not addressed to you and I am sorry if you perceived this way, but look at the difference. Trust me, in the west this drama is literally ignored.

Whoever says movie and dramas like this are CPC propaganda, while PROPAGANDA IS THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD, I really hope they would never live what Nanjing lived and Gaza is living now. How is that Zionist movies are ok but Chinese are not? The same Zionists doing the same things Nazi and Japanese did? Double standars.
That's why the west is falling, when they can't even celebrate the fall of Nazism and Fascism.
Awful people should not watch dramas because they lack basic human feelings. That's all.

No, i was talking in general since i know a lot about what westeners like, unfortunately. And i feel ashamed everytime one of them criticise China or Chinese people only because of prejudice, because China and Chinese people does not deserve such a baseless hatred.
Few westeners could be interested in this kind of drama we are discussing, because it would be difficult for them to despise China otherwise. I really wish more westeners could know how wonderful China and Chinese people are and I do my best about it, but not everyone was listening. I know people calling China and Chinese dramas "C-Trash"...

No, the fault is from sinophobic people from the west, unfortunately. When you say you despise korean finding it cringe it seems like you are a criminal for them. They hate China and despise China, they use China and Chinese actors, they don't care for them at all. Don't think people in the west know about those events in Asia. Japanese were more cruel that Germany and k***ed more people than them, but for westeners Germany will always be worst, because it's China, and China is at fault even without any fault.
That's how their mind works, unfortunately.
And i am proud to differ from them.

I agree with you, but i said that because i know myself about the fact that westeners prefer foolish things and escapism, 2 things that gets me bored. I think people really loving China can still learn Chinese and watching dramas without any subs, and China knows it very well so there is no need to complain about the lack of subs. Of couse it's better in English, but it would be a waste of time and resources when audiences in the west is lacking. Look at the comments here and the audience compared to idol drama like Speed and Love.
I love cdramas because they mind themselves and education, even in cliché idol dramas, because i get bored in 1 second with lighthearted things. I can't stand kdramas or thai because of the lack of seriousness.
As a fan i don't want China to be westernised not to beg for western attention, if westeners want to watch it it's up to them

They filmed only partially Scarlet Heart in 2010 in the real Forbidden City and 1987 Bertolucci's movie, but nothing more.
In Hengdian they reproduced Imperial Palaced dynasty by dynasty so it's ok. Some dramas is filmed in open locations like forests, lakes and so on, but about historical sites it's a "never"

China does not bother too much about international audience, they want to promote it but they don't want to sell themselve at any costs. I don't like the west despite me being westener, but since i love Cdramas only since 2014 ( watched almost 5K cdramas at present), it's about the different perception and tastes. Western marketing is for leisure, stupid lighthearted things, and China does not bow to anyone.
Who likes Cdramas watch it in any case, celebrating when they lifte 40-ep limit because Cdrama fans love depth characters and well written plots. And more, western is very sinophobic so it's not a surprise.
I actually prefer this way, the less western the better and China is big to gain for itself

China films historical drama in Hengdian Studios, not in real historical sites in order to preserve them

international community is not good, they are not interested in this kind of drama because they think it does not apply to them

it's not a drama for everyone, but i really hope that a lot of westeners can watch it because it's a very important important even for present-day times