This review may contain spoilers
I started watching this drama because I really liked Meng Zi Yi in Blossom, and her character here has a similar kind of strength and charm. As for Liu Xue Yi, this was actually my first time seeing him, and I have to say — he nailed it. From beginning to end, he held his character so well: tough and decisive, yet tender with those close to him. His performance was just perfect.The series overall can be divided into three parts:
Part One was highly enjoyable. The story focused a lot on Princess Tao Hua, who had to face her arranged marriage with Minister Zai Ye while also dealing with people plotting against both herself and her husband. These became the two main storylines, and both were incredibly engaging. The battles of wit, the careful planning, the clever moves — exactly the kind of drama moments viewers love 😅.
Part Two shifted gears when the main villain changed tactics, giving the antagonists a much stronger presence. Meanwhile, something that happened to the Princess Tao Hua at the end of Part One made her character increasingly frustrating — her decisions and communication just didn’t live up to the excitement of the beginning. On top of that, the storytelling seemed to put more focus on the villains, giving them so much screen time that they almost felt like the leads (annoying, right?). It took around 10 whole episodes for the plot to get back on track — which felt like forever 😆. Still, I get why the writers wanted to flesh out the new villain characters in detail so viewers could better understand their motivations.
Part Three (Spoiler Alert!) centered on resolving the rebellion against Princess Tao Hua. With the mix of battles, tricks, and strategies, the story became exciting again, leading to the ending everyone probably expected. But here’s the catch — the last three episodes leaned too heavily on flashback scenes, and oddly enough, there were almost no moments showing the romance between the leads. That really broke the emotional flow, especially since the love story hadn’t been properly continued. Honestly, I was surprised at how incomplete the ending felt. This is the first Chinese drama I’ve watched that left me with a sense of an unfinished conclusion.
Was this review helpful to you?
The plot is terrific.
The story is interesting since the beginning. Ren Min and Wan Yi have similar tone and fit these roles. The whole cast is really great. You can binge watch and finish it in 2 days. “The Rise of Ning” stands out as a thoughtful exploration of personal ambition and societal constraints, brought to life by strong performances and a compelling storyline.Was this review helpful to you?
One of the best Chinese historical series!
I think the screenplay is the heart of this success. With this historical romance genre, the story is well told and has many situation developments which brings me more surprised and interested along the way, and WOW after I finished. Huge applause to the director, casts, and all the crew.The chemistry between the main characters is incredible. Zhang Wan Yi has done a few the historical pieces before and he nailed it again on this one. Now, I understand why his fans define him as ‘King of Historical Palace’. In this series, I love his comedy and crafty scenes the most, while his drama and leadership are always great. Wang Chu Ran surprises me a lot as I’ve never seen her doing this kind of character. And the scene when the truth reveal at the waterfall is the best for me ❤️
Last but not least, the OSTs are perfect for this series.
Was this review helpful to you?
