This review may contain spoilers
A Delightful Vertical Drama to Turn Your Brain Off and Just Relax
This is a good little drama to unwind and turn your brain off. You shouldn't expect the quality of a full-length series from vertical dramas, but within its own segment, it is a very decent story. Logic is present, there are no confusing or overly tangled intrigues, and no heavy angst. The costumes are excellent, and the acting is honestly wonderful.
The plot is cliché—a modern girl ends up in a harem. Of course, she meets the Emperor without knowing who he is. Of course, he falls for her because she is "not like the other concubines." And of course, they get into a bunch of funny situations before they finally figure out the truth. By the way, they didn't drag this part out, and the leads figured out each other's identities relatively quickly.
There is a female rival, a third wheel for a love triangle, and the FL's superpowers that help her survive in the Cold Palace (I was especially impressed by the weather forecast and the scene where a eunuch begged her for a cold beer). It’s cliché after cliché. But I liked it, probably because of the actors—they are just so charming.
Li Hao looks solid and impressive as the Emperor. You look at him and honestly believe that such a charismatic man could rule an empire. The fact that he isn't very knowledgeable about palace life and doesn't visit his harem is just the screenwriters' whim, which doesn't spoil his image. By the way, his costumes are great, and he has a lot of them.
The female lead didn't impress me quite as much, but my bar for female characters in vertical dramas is lower anyway—as long as they aren't annoying. Well, Zhang Qi Xuan was not only not annoying, but she also fully fit the image of a modern, cheerful girl in a historical setting.
I also liked the actors in the minor roles, especially the chubby guard from whom the FL brushed off dust while eavesdropping on the officials' conversation. In general, all the actors in this drama felt real, attractive, and so sweet that it was a genuine pleasure to watch them.
There is no erotica or even real kisses here—it’s a different type of story. But it’s completely watchable; the ML’s charisma alone was enough to keep me glued to the screen.
The music and audio effects weren't distracting and didn't pull attention away from the story. This isn't always the case with these shows, so I wanted to note that fact.
I doubt I’ll rewatch it (does anyone actually rewatch vertical dramas?), but the 2.5 hours flew by unnoticed and with great pleasure.
The plot is cliché—a modern girl ends up in a harem. Of course, she meets the Emperor without knowing who he is. Of course, he falls for her because she is "not like the other concubines." And of course, they get into a bunch of funny situations before they finally figure out the truth. By the way, they didn't drag this part out, and the leads figured out each other's identities relatively quickly.
There is a female rival, a third wheel for a love triangle, and the FL's superpowers that help her survive in the Cold Palace (I was especially impressed by the weather forecast and the scene where a eunuch begged her for a cold beer). It’s cliché after cliché. But I liked it, probably because of the actors—they are just so charming.
Li Hao looks solid and impressive as the Emperor. You look at him and honestly believe that such a charismatic man could rule an empire. The fact that he isn't very knowledgeable about palace life and doesn't visit his harem is just the screenwriters' whim, which doesn't spoil his image. By the way, his costumes are great, and he has a lot of them.
The female lead didn't impress me quite as much, but my bar for female characters in vertical dramas is lower anyway—as long as they aren't annoying. Well, Zhang Qi Xuan was not only not annoying, but she also fully fit the image of a modern, cheerful girl in a historical setting.
I also liked the actors in the minor roles, especially the chubby guard from whom the FL brushed off dust while eavesdropping on the officials' conversation. In general, all the actors in this drama felt real, attractive, and so sweet that it was a genuine pleasure to watch them.
There is no erotica or even real kisses here—it’s a different type of story. But it’s completely watchable; the ML’s charisma alone was enough to keep me glued to the screen.
The music and audio effects weren't distracting and didn't pull attention away from the story. This isn't always the case with these shows, so I wanted to note that fact.
I doubt I’ll rewatch it (does anyone actually rewatch vertical dramas?), but the 2.5 hours flew by unnoticed and with great pleasure.
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