This review may contain spoilers
Dress to impress
Glory is one of those dramas where you quickly realize that the core concept is strong. Very strong, actually. The series dares to do something that is still not self-evident in Chinese historical dramas: women are not only placed at the center of the story, they are not expected to sacrifice themselves or step back for the sake of others. On the contrary, the drama clearly asks why women should always be the ones to compromise. Reversing this power dynamic feels refreshing, modern, and even a little bold.
From a storytelling perspective, Glory also does several things right. Instead of relying on one single, overstretched plotline, the drama integrates multiple criminal cases that follow one another. This structure keeps the pacing steady and makes the drama easy to binge-watch without feeling dragged out.
One of the strongest aspects of the series is its visual presentation. The costumes are absolutely stunning. More than once, the drama looks like a moving Chinese painting. The final scenes in the capital, especially with the elaborate fur collars, are visually striking and elegant, regardless of whether one likes the symbolism behind them.
Where Glory falls short
Despite its strong concept and beautiful visuals, the drama struggles with its emotional core, especially when it comes to the main couple.
Neo Hou, while undeniably good-looking, delivers a performance that often feels cold and overly polished. His emotional expressions come across as acted rather than genuinely felt. This becomes a major issue in a story that is supposed to revolve around loyalty, inner conflict, and love.
The female lead is written with strength and authority, but emotionally she remains distant. The audience is told that she loves him, but it is rarely felt. There are occasional small gestures or brief moments of closeness, but overall her priorities remain work, duty, and family. Emotional intimacy is largely missing.
His eventual role as someone who simply follows her, almost submissively, is also problematic. Reversing traditional gender roles should not mean stripping one character of emotional presence or personal agency.
The late plot twist revealing his noble heritage and potential inheritance feels unnecessary and poorly integrated. It appears too late in the story to have real emotional impact and comes across as a forced dramatic device rather than a meaningful development.
Relationships without consequences
Another major weakness of Glory is its lack of consequences. Extremely cruel characters, including siblings, commit serious crimes and betrayals, yet are ultimately forgiven or reintegrated under the familiar “family above all” narrative. This undermines both realism and emotional credibility.
Not every blood relationship deserves forgiveness, and the drama fails to draw clear moral boundaries. As a result, none of the romantic relationships feel truly satisfying or emotionally complete. Most endings are predictable and strangely hollow.
Additionally, there is a noticeable lack of romantic intimacy. Meaningful love scenes, physical closeness, and moments of tenderness are largely absent. For a drama of this length, this absence is very noticeable.
Final thoughts
Glory is visually beautiful, intellectually ambitious, and thematically progressive, but emotionally distant. It is an enjoyable watch, yet often frustrating, because it never fully commits to emotional honesty or relational depth.
Personally, Neo Hou’s performance in Back from the Brink remains far more memorable. As the dragon character, he showed more charm, warmth, and emotional presence than he does here.
Glory is a drama that impresses the eye and the mind, but rarely the heart.
From a storytelling perspective, Glory also does several things right. Instead of relying on one single, overstretched plotline, the drama integrates multiple criminal cases that follow one another. This structure keeps the pacing steady and makes the drama easy to binge-watch without feeling dragged out.
One of the strongest aspects of the series is its visual presentation. The costumes are absolutely stunning. More than once, the drama looks like a moving Chinese painting. The final scenes in the capital, especially with the elaborate fur collars, are visually striking and elegant, regardless of whether one likes the symbolism behind them.
Where Glory falls short
Despite its strong concept and beautiful visuals, the drama struggles with its emotional core, especially when it comes to the main couple.
Neo Hou, while undeniably good-looking, delivers a performance that often feels cold and overly polished. His emotional expressions come across as acted rather than genuinely felt. This becomes a major issue in a story that is supposed to revolve around loyalty, inner conflict, and love.
The female lead is written with strength and authority, but emotionally she remains distant. The audience is told that she loves him, but it is rarely felt. There are occasional small gestures or brief moments of closeness, but overall her priorities remain work, duty, and family. Emotional intimacy is largely missing.
His eventual role as someone who simply follows her, almost submissively, is also problematic. Reversing traditional gender roles should not mean stripping one character of emotional presence or personal agency.
The late plot twist revealing his noble heritage and potential inheritance feels unnecessary and poorly integrated. It appears too late in the story to have real emotional impact and comes across as a forced dramatic device rather than a meaningful development.
Relationships without consequences
Another major weakness of Glory is its lack of consequences. Extremely cruel characters, including siblings, commit serious crimes and betrayals, yet are ultimately forgiven or reintegrated under the familiar “family above all” narrative. This undermines both realism and emotional credibility.
Not every blood relationship deserves forgiveness, and the drama fails to draw clear moral boundaries. As a result, none of the romantic relationships feel truly satisfying or emotionally complete. Most endings are predictable and strangely hollow.
Additionally, there is a noticeable lack of romantic intimacy. Meaningful love scenes, physical closeness, and moments of tenderness are largely absent. For a drama of this length, this absence is very noticeable.
Final thoughts
Glory is visually beautiful, intellectually ambitious, and thematically progressive, but emotionally distant. It is an enjoyable watch, yet often frustrating, because it never fully commits to emotional honesty or relational depth.
Personally, Neo Hou’s performance in Back from the Brink remains far more memorable. As the dragon character, he showed more charm, warmth, and emotional presence than he does here.
Glory is a drama that impresses the eye and the mind, but rarely the heart.
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