Gorgeous sets and costumes!!
Not a fan of this period of time in China as the costumes are not not flowy like in wuxia dramas and cannot appreciate the half bald hairdo for the men and finger accessory for the women BUTThe story was engaging, the sets evoked grandeur and costumes were richly embroidered.
As this was my introduction to palace drama, I was not put off by all the back stabbing and plotting that happened at every turn. It was intriguing to watch all the events unfold as I empathised with all the women having to “share” one husband. I am glad I do not live in those times.
Yingluo was an exceptionally written character. She was placed in many different situations and through it all, her quick wit saved her and those she cared for.
If you only want to watch just one palace drama, this should be the one.
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This review may contain spoilers
I have this weird love-hate with this series. Despite its flaws, it’s still one of the better palace intrigue stories out there. So I put it on my “guilty pleasure list” and endure the bad for the sake of the good. To start with the good, this has all the elements of the addictive story. You see many nasty palace denizens plotting against our heroine, Wei Yingluo. Just when you think Yingluo is trapped, she turns the table on her enemies and knocks them down ten notches. It’s very gratifying to watch, especially when it cycles along at a steady pace, using a formula that feeds into the addiction center of our brains.
The near fatal flaw with this series is its absurdity. Case in point, Yingluo exacts revenge on a consort by throwing molten iron on her. Someone else adds fecal water to the iron so it will infect her wounds, ensuring to a slow and painful death. Since bacteria could not possibly survive in molten metal (a thousand plus degrees temperature here), the entire scheme is ridiculous. Equally ridiculous is the lighting rod scheme that struck the right person at exactly the right time. These are the kind of things that defy logic and insult the viewers’ intelligence. But we can still enjoy the show, as long as we accept it for what it is: mindless entertainment.
Years from now, people will still remember the show for its costumes. The muted color palette is very pleasing to the eyes. The traditional kingfisher feathers, velvet flowers, and the embroideries are beyond beautiful. The designers create a very distinctive look and authentic feel that sets this far apart from any other Qing era series. The set pieces are luxurious, too, although some of the rooms look sterile and not lived-in.
Notable performances are from Qin Lan and Charmaine Sheh. Qin Lan has depth as the gentle, virtuous empress who is actually broken on the inside. Charmaine is a master at facial expressions and the slightest shift in her smile alone can convey so many different emotions. Her Xian Fei is technically the main villain, but she is extremely sympathetic. I find myself rooting for her half the time, simply because life is cruel to her and she has to be cruel to survive.
The weakest link here is our leading lady, Wu Jinyan. She is given an interesting character, one that is clever and loyal, but with a ruthless streak. She comes across as this reckless girl who shows an attitude to her masters and pushes the boundaries of rules and etiquettes. In the strict Forbidden Palace, this attitude would get her killed a thousand times over. I have a hard time believing she’s that lucky or smart enough get away with it every time. Wu herself doesn’t have much range or subtlety to her acting. When she tries to act playful, it comes off as stilted. Worse, she has “dead fish eyes,” eyes that are large but mostly expressionless. However, she does look unique in period clothing and seems to have potential. Charmaine was awful in her first series, too, and look how far she came now.
The men’s acting are fine, nothing memorable in a story dominated by women. Fu Heng is your stereotypical second male lead who loves our heroine devotedly and unconditionally, as if there are no other good woman in the world. I’m glad they didn’t make Qian Long a jerk or a fool easily manipulated by his wives.
So after watching so many women fighting over one guy, we have to ask: which of his wives does Qian Long really love? No one, I suppose. As Qian Long himself said, his father trained him to be good ruler, and a good ruler cannot rule with his heart. He was raised not to care much about any woman. That’s why he greatly favors Yingluo, because she is the only wife who does not demand his love. She puts no pressure on him and does her best to amuse him. She asks only for gifts and favors - things at are easy for him to give. Does that cheapen their relationship? No, because there is real affection there. For Yingluo, the emperor represents the practical, while Fu Heng represents the ideal. You can marry a Qian Long, but good luck finding a Fu Heng in real life. That man only exists in dreams.
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Truly worth the hype!
I watched this drama because I heard so much buzz around it and finally gave it a chance to see if it was worth the hype. And I will say yes it absolutely is worth it. This is one of the few dramas that I find to be timeless. The production is flawless and the set/costumes are one of the most accurate depictions of the Qing harem I've ever seen. Not only is the set true to its times (and shows that the set/props and costuming team really did their research), the actual plot and storyline also holds up. It's all around a really quality drama.I also like that this drama is a lot more face paced than your typical historical cdrama and has multiple plot lines to keep you interested in Yingluo's growth throughout the years. Although Yingluo is the main FL, I am actually most invested and most impressed by the development and performance of Charmaine Sheh's character (Hoifa-nara Shushen). Her character development was perfect and Charmaine Sheh's performance was top notch. She really brought her to life.
I also loved the depiction of the different types of love that Yingluo has around her and can understand her actions at every turn.
The only critique I have of this drama is the lack of chemistry between Yingluo and Fuheng. I personally don't feel the chemistry between them and was not invested in their plot nearly as much as the other plots even though that was supposed to be a big part of the story. I think that Wu Jingyan and Xu Kai can improve in their acting/chemistry. But overall it still delivered the point and drove home their story.
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1. The acting is just beyond; mind-blowing veteran actors that make you feel so many conflicting emotions that it just becomes a journey you feel you took part in yourself. Nie Yuan as the quintessential brilliant and dictatorial emperor. There are very few that can so perfectly capture the chilling absolute power of imperialism like he does. YingLuo draws you in with her canny intelligence, and absolute refusal to back down against seemingly overwhelming odds.
The supporting cast would have completely stolen the show if there had been weaker leads, they were that strong. You fall in love with all of them.
2. It is very bittersweet at the ending, I was sobbing, and it is really hard to get me to do that. I can think of maybe 5 that have, and I have seen hundreds. Seriously.
3. The entire production, from the OST (which I have on my youtube playlist), to the costumes and sets, the spectacular writing and cinematography, all of it was so perfect for the show. Nothing was jarring.
4. This is one where you might not even like the main characters, but you deeply respect them. I found myself interested in the historicity of this and researched how it fits along with other shows I have seen in a similar time frame. (Scarlet Heart and Empresses in the Palace- two other favorites of mine- are about the father of this emperor, and both would be a great series to watch in conjunction with this one, preferably before and in that order.)
5. I would watch this again. And again. And probably until I got to the point where I could recite the lines myself. It will probably become a yearly thing for me. A definite can’t miss series.
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Nie Yuan is the star of the show!
Story of Yanxi Palace is my very first chinese drama and I must say this is one of my favorite asian dramas. The cast is superb! There were two actors that stood out for me. First is the actress playing Empress Nala. She was amazing. You can feel her frustrations and sadness from unrequited love. She nailed it! The star of the show for me is Nie Yuan. He had amazing chemistry with every single character on the show. I mean, seriously? Even his scenes with Li Yu were as memorable as his scenes with his concubines. I didn't see him as an actor or a character. I see him as "The Emperor". Excellent acting skills! Wu jinyan isn't so bad but she still needs to improve in my opinion. Some of her scenes are not doing it for me and seemed a bit over done. All in all, great script, good plot and outstanding performance from the actors. It was fun watching this drama. I enjoyed it!Was this review helpful to you?
After watched this drama, it makes me want to know more about history, overall is good. I never regret to watched this drama. I really must thanks to V*ki subber to sub it to English text.
In the end, please watched this drama and i'm sure you'll freaking crazy like it!
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The best harem show I've seen
This show is by far my type of show. Though there is hardly any sensual romance, at least in my opinion, it has everything to do with loyalty and love. The relationships that evolve over time are beautiful. The characters you hate, you end up loving and vice versa.The female lead is also a strong girl. She stood up for herself and didn't allow others to transpire behind her back, which I absolutely loved because it is very hard to find a strong female lead nowadays. Even though she has hardships, she knows how to remain coy and does not give any indication to how she is feeling to others, but behind closed doors, she lets her emotions out. It is awesome.
There is no politics in this drama, just mostly concubines fighting with each other, which I had no problem viewing.
The main couple is the emperor and female lead, not the warrior and female lead, which had many people angry and confused as they watched, which I totally understand, as the age difference is quite big. I however had no problems. If anything, it seemed like their relationship seemed far more mature and developed than her being with the second male lead.
The music was a bit interesting but not my taste, however, I would definitely watch it again.
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This review may contain spoilers
May 2024 Recommendation Challenge
Long time hesitate to watch this, because it really has long episodes but the review always great. But thanx to Recommendation Challenge & bitcoolcat, I finally watch this.... And yes I must admit this is one the best historical drama.The story nothing too new about the harem. Story about a girl named Wei Ying Luo (YL) who enter palace from embroiderer and rising to the top to became emperor's consort. The difference is just the motive beyond YL action. YL 1st came to the palace because of her sister rape & murder, she wanted to investigate & bring justice to her sister's death. And upon investigating, she find out, or think, the one responsible for her sister's death is Fuca Fu Heng (FH), the Empress's brother. But as time goes by, she learn the character of FH & finally trust it's not him responsible for her sister's death. How the story goes.... It's really interesting to watch how the story goes till the end.
YL is one interesting girl, she's loyal, brave, smart & quick witted girl. She's like a new wind in the palace, and her wittiness get the attention of the Empress, FH & even Emperor and later on the Empress Dowager. Her shortfall only one, she's willing & will do anything in her power to achieve her goal, no matter who obstruct her way she'll gonna strike it. And that's often bring trouble for her. But with the protection of Empress, FH, Emperor and later on the Empress Dowager, she's manage to avoid all the danger & thrive till the end.
What I like:
+ The clever FL. YL is really one smart girl that know how to manipulate situations for her advantage.
+ I finally understand the feeling of missing opportunity between FH & YL. Oh one really sadly miss opportunities for these couple. And I really quite like the chemistry between Xu Kai & Wu Jin Yan.
What i don't too like:
- A little slow pace the last 10 episode. I really hope it end when YL & 2nd Empress make peace. I mean the moment the 2nd Empress said it will gonna be peace for a couple of year, before the emperor's sons grow up. I understand they need to close the curtain when YL's revenge to Prince He is completely ending, and I really wish that happen before the emperor's sons grow up, but that's maybe what's written in the history book & I can't really blamed the writer for it.
- Watching too much of the same time period & the same person, but in different drama, make me feel the character itself blurry in the end. And the most obvious character for me is the character of the 2nd empress & the empress from Huan Zhu Ge Ge & FL from Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace is like different person although they all the same.
Overall this really one good historical drama to watch. Highly recommend.
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a piece of art
An extraordianary drama, an absolute must-watch. The actors give an outstanding performance, even the samaller side characters. The main leads are perfect for and in their roles. Kudos to the screen writer Zhou Mo, who succeeded in showing the roles and fates of women in this era. Their only purpose to serve the family and the system put up by men, to give birth to continue the bloddline, to be obidient, to behave undoubtedly chaste in general and at the same time be alluring to their spouse, who normally has been chosen for her. The same chackles of the system apply to men who have more freedom but still cannot overcome the pressure of the society. The actors spoil the audience with breathtaking expressions of their feelings and the main leads are owning their characters to perfectness. The directors supply us with beatiful takes and scenery, the costumes are splendid. Although being a source of heartbreak for the audience it was an absolute joy to view this performance. KUDOSWas this review helpful to you?
The main lead of this show, Wei Yingluo, is an upright, strong and cunning young woman is ahead of her time in terms of knowledge and reasoning. She uses her innate skills to rise above tangles of conventional palace rivalries to defeat her enemies. This portrayal of a character leaves the audience hanging on every action as they watch as this palace maid skillfully talks her way out of the worst of situations, toppling even the most ruthless of enemies.
The extent of wit and subterfuge that is witnessed in the show also makes for a thoroughly enjoyable watch as there is no shortage of humor or laughable scenes. The Story of Yanxi Palace provides a comical peek into the historical Chinese palace hierarchy (concubines, etc.) as well as the inner court workings and state affairs. However, this drama is less conformative in many aspects with a multitude of unique twists and turns that the audience won't see coming.
I highly recommend this show to anyone and everyone who is looking for something new to watch.
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it was really, really good.
---Story---The story is just plain awesome. The basic concept is pretty simple, but once you dive more in, the plot is super duper complex. Each scheme and detail flows into one another and the plot keeps on multiplying. We get WeiYingLuo as a maid and her graceful save lets her move up. All the plot points really just make sense and just tie together, and it's super intelligent. I especially enjoyed the first few episodes because it was WeiYingLuo's starting point, and the schemes and tricks were bold, simple, but yet still so intelligent and badass. The middle is also really great and there's also interesting schemes, but the schemes are less innovative, but the characters and new additions are really worth it. And the ending of the middle is also really intriguing and heartbreaking. The last few episodes after a certain character dies, in the last 10 episodes, the plot just loosens. The pacing kinda falls apart and it just isn't that intelligent. I'm a show finisher so I watched it but it just didn't match up with the quality of the previous 60 episodes. Though I will praise this show for its overall good pacing and great storyline.
---Characters, acting/cast---
So, the casting is a pretty good choice and I can remember everyone's face. The acting is also really good, especially for Noble Lady Gao and Emperor QianLong. The way they convey expressions, like Noble Lady Gao subtle eyebrow raise, and the Emperor's veins on his forehead when he gets angry. Awesome. All the other actors are good as well and we really get the emotions and personalities. Now, on to the characters themselves. WeiYingLuo herself is really cutthroat and I love seeing a smart and self-reliant female protagonist who can actually do stuff. Side characters, consorts, Empress, and pretty much everyone is loveable and sympathizable. Now about romance. The first relationship is cute, but the second lacks some chemistry, but it's still pretty good.
---Visuals, music---
The costumes, the props, the setting, the aesthetic. The embroidery looks actually good, and the clothes do too, and the show doesn't just pretend it's good. They show us. They flipping show us. Now, about the music. I think the music was like really, really, dope. I literally do not skip the opening because of the OST and I will never forget this song. Now about the actual music in the show. You don't hear it that much and it functions pretty well without it, but I would like to hear more.
---Conclusion---
This drama is a great, intelligent, well-written, show. I think you'd like it if you watched The Promised Neverland, or Death Note. The intensity and intelligence are on a similar level.
P.S. : If you like rom-coms, this isn't the best for you.
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