This review may contain spoilers
Mixed feelings...
My first impression is that there are 2 main appeals to this drama. The first is that people have been wanting to see this CP since LBFAD. The second is that people are always criticizing Yu Shuxin only playing cutesy, babyish characters and this was her chance to add something more serious to her portfolio. So far, neither box is really ticked for me. These two had more chemistry in LBFAD and I wasn't even rooting for them to end up together in that show.
As for Yu Shuxin, her characters never annoyed me that much because I feel that she is a naturally bubbly person off camera. That is why seeing her play this stoic, dull person it looks like it is physically hurting her to play this character. To me Yun Wei Shan just looks and acts emotionally constipated. YS shines in her comedic roles and this boring character is just doing nothing for me. She did kill the fighting scenes though, especially the mud scene. That was badass.
As for Zhange Linghe, I find him to be just the opposite of YS. He shines in more serious, emotionally tormented roles. The Story of Kunning Palace is easily one his best roles to date in my opinion. He's a great actor and obviously very handsome but I'm not seeing either trait being taken advantage of in this show. His spoiled, prince type persona in the beginning just isn't a full sale, and then he's immediately thrown into a leadership role and changes his personality that fast? Also they went too heavy with his make up and wardrobe where he looks like a Japanese geisha, just with more glitter.
As for the rest of the characters/story...I'm really hoping things get more interesting. So far there's been gruelingly long scenes of dialogue with very little action. The first half of the first episode was spent talking about was going to happen. Then the 3rd or4th episode the two spies literally talked for 75% of the episode. There's slightly more passion/chemistry sparking between Shangguan Qian and Shang Jue but I feel like she spends more time talking about him, than actually with him.
As for the "villian" brothers. They're not very interesting. I'm not sure if we are supposed to pity them or hate them? Maybe both? And the comedy is not comedying. Nothing clearly meant to be funny actually made me laugh. Every "funny" scene feels inorganic and forced into the overall dark and serious setting. The only scene slightly amusing is when Shang Jue calls Ziyu out for noticing Shangguan Qian's good looks and Wei Shan gives him a death stare. But unless you're five years old you probably won't find Gong Zi Shang funny either.
The cinematography is pretty good. I have no problem with the dark vibes, graphics and settings. It was part of the appeal for me. The ambient sounds can be a little too intense for what's actually happening though. The background music for Shang Jue's entrance and for the scene where the brides arrive by boat was too dramatic for the scene. But overall the OST sounds decent and fits the drama well.
The premises of this drama seems really interesting so I'm going to stick it out until the end. It's a short enough drama to endure, even if things don't get better.
As for Yu Shuxin, her characters never annoyed me that much because I feel that she is a naturally bubbly person off camera. That is why seeing her play this stoic, dull person it looks like it is physically hurting her to play this character. To me Yun Wei Shan just looks and acts emotionally constipated. YS shines in her comedic roles and this boring character is just doing nothing for me. She did kill the fighting scenes though, especially the mud scene. That was badass.
As for Zhange Linghe, I find him to be just the opposite of YS. He shines in more serious, emotionally tormented roles. The Story of Kunning Palace is easily one his best roles to date in my opinion. He's a great actor and obviously very handsome but I'm not seeing either trait being taken advantage of in this show. His spoiled, prince type persona in the beginning just isn't a full sale, and then he's immediately thrown into a leadership role and changes his personality that fast? Also they went too heavy with his make up and wardrobe where he looks like a Japanese geisha, just with more glitter.
As for the rest of the characters/story...I'm really hoping things get more interesting. So far there's been gruelingly long scenes of dialogue with very little action. The first half of the first episode was spent talking about was going to happen. Then the 3rd or4th episode the two spies literally talked for 75% of the episode. There's slightly more passion/chemistry sparking between Shangguan Qian and Shang Jue but I feel like she spends more time talking about him, than actually with him.
As for the "villian" brothers. They're not very interesting. I'm not sure if we are supposed to pity them or hate them? Maybe both? And the comedy is not comedying. Nothing clearly meant to be funny actually made me laugh. Every "funny" scene feels inorganic and forced into the overall dark and serious setting. The only scene slightly amusing is when Shang Jue calls Ziyu out for noticing Shangguan Qian's good looks and Wei Shan gives him a death stare. But unless you're five years old you probably won't find Gong Zi Shang funny either.
The cinematography is pretty good. I have no problem with the dark vibes, graphics and settings. It was part of the appeal for me. The ambient sounds can be a little too intense for what's actually happening though. The background music for Shang Jue's entrance and for the scene where the brides arrive by boat was too dramatic for the scene. But overall the OST sounds decent and fits the drama well.
The premises of this drama seems really interesting so I'm going to stick it out until the end. It's a short enough drama to endure, even if things don't get better.
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