Story: Not new - Qing era - power - harem & survival- politics- love- abuse of powers - loyalty. The writers & production team brought us into the Forbidden city, behind the doors and inside the lives of the women & men who are simply wanting to live - some greedily others - some for revenge - some just for love.
Actors/Cast: YL & the Emperor were MAGNIFICENT with screen chemistry rivaling any modern drama. They both portrayed their roles with grace, power and depth. There were so many moving parts(cast members) that performed brilliantly, all the while convincing us the power & survival within - surrounding the harem life. Not one terrible actor!
Music: the score was PERFECT for the drama, while the opening soundtrack of the opera singing set the tone for the entire drama.
ReWatch: at 70 ep, may come back after I get some rest. Worthy of re-watch - REALLY!
Overall: Costumes, scenes and actors delivered a compelling drama riddle with logic, philosophy and relevance to survival & love, period! The final ep of the dialog with YL and Chun is the final learning offered to us as to survival in the forbidden domain of love. Watch if your are serious about Cdramas. Brilliant!
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This review may contain spoilers
This is a very good period drama. Although it is a solid drama for content and performances, and the actors did a great job bringing these characters to life, the romance lacks energy. If you are looking for romance, this is not the drama that will satisfy that genre. The story is about Wei Yingluo and her journey from palace embroiderer to Imperial Noble Consort. The drama explores the dynamics within the Emperor’s harem and how everything is related to the never-ending schemes to gain the Emperor’s favor. Although Yingluo, through a series of unfortunate events, becomes one of the Emperor’s women and eventually falls in love with him, she buried her true love, Fuca Fuheng, in the most inner part of her heart to pursue justice for his sister, Empress Fuca Rongyin, whom she regarded and loved as her mentor and sister. Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Saw the final episode's ending credits not more than 15 minutes ago, and I told myself I'll write a review the moment I finished this mammoth of a series.Wanted to give this a 10 (I wanted to. Really did): music overall was timely, tastefully placed. Acting was believable. The story was great .... for the first half.
Two different roles Wu Jinyan had to play (Ying Luo the servant, avenging her sister. And Ying Luo the consort). She played the first exceptionally well, but I found the second role (and not just the acting and fit, but the storyline) lacking. Wanted to love this with all my heart.
Having said that, it was still a gripping plot. The first half (and I still stand by this) was solid.
C-dramas are unique in a sense that things normally only start gaining momentum around episode 10 or so. For this, I found the first episode to completely demand your attention; it was so well done, details executed to perfection.
While I wish I could say the same for the second half, I still love the thought put in the last episodes. They didn't have to wrap things up the way they did, but it was reqlly generous of them to.
Overall, I give this a 9. Well deserving of the hype.
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What exactly do the women of the inner palace do all day?
In many big epic historical dramas, the pettiness, boredom and despair hinted at by the inner palace is never truly explored. This explores the characters of various women in the inner palace, with beautiful design, costumes and cinematography, and a nuanced, take on many different types of romance to boot.
The true strength of the series is that it's all about the characters and their relationships - how they all struggle to keep some sense of self-worth whilst competing for the attention of a very impatient and somewhat distant emperor and the current harem favorite.
The weakness is the plot points can get repetitive (multiple poisonings, very important things mysteriously disappearing, at least two women do the evil cackling going mad thing), but I kept a high score because I never felt the need to skip - the dialogue, acting and character revelations made me want to watch every minute.
The acting is generally extremely good. The opening credits are the most beautiful, haunting TV credits I think I've seen in my life. There are many scenes that I like to revisit again, but due to the repetitiveness of the plot points, I don't know if I'd ever watch the series again from start to finish.
I will note that this series does feature many petty/cruel/torturous acts.
I have other criteria I score by:
Complex Themes - 9
(The series does not jump from random plot element to plot element, but actually builds on concepts regarding patriarchy, revenge/justice, trying to live above the fight vs. engaging with it, and different types of romantic love and love between friends)
Character Growth - 7
(Characters do not undergo huge changes but they do exhibit full ranges of emotions - it's not just angry, serious all the time, but there are lots of moments of sillyness, joy and tearful gratitude as well.)
Nuanced Women -10
(Women everywhere! Esp. liked the characterisations of the main character - Wei Yingluo, the empress Fuca Rongyin, and Mingyu. Even the straightforward characters, would show surprising strengths or weaknesses).
Cinematography/Production Values - 10
(Just incredibly gorgeous and beautiful. Lovely colour combinations and interiors - whilst not too many exterior sweeping shots - the ones that did happen were very well done.)
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good palace drama
i started this cuz i watched the actress in 'the double',70 episodes is longg but i Enjoyed it (for a person who doesnt like 30/40+ episodes drama)
spoilers :
- FL did a gud job in acting; shz quick witted,
i felt in the starting 20+ episodes she was too obsessed with revenge for her sister's death & it was too exaggerated, also she is always saved by the empress/ fuheng/ emperor(unknowingly) which in reality doesnt happen everytime ; nonetheless i liked her plots n schemes for her revenge whether its for her sister/empress/for fight against other concubines n consorts.
- xu kai(fuca fuheng) role was short, but his story wid FL was amazing, their romance should have been explored/shown more;
he ditched FL first i get it so FL avoids any kindof interaction btwn them, but his love for her was until his last breath which is truly hard to see in a palace cdrama (without any expectation/response frm FL).
- Emperor was easily swayed along for eg: doubts regarding his birth mother, his concubines/consorts, various plots n schemes(imo);
also with whoever he was infatuated with at that moment/situation like in the case when he supported FL regardless if she was wrong/right (he loved FL unconditionally)
- empress/ex empress/ fuca rong yin ruled justly, loved the emperor but didnt receive his love, faced too many tragedy's regarding her offsprings, also her role was short i feel
- chunwang & FL relationship was good, they understand, depend on each other
his revenge for his birth right was ok but there no need for him to go plotting n scheming against her.
Summary :
the drama was good with its plots n each actor played his/her role well, their stories were worth watching
highlight is obviously the FL, her story
Rewatch :
i would watch it again maybe, to understand subtle details, schemes right from their start
-> to those who are contemplating whether to watch or no :
Just give it a tryyyy, & decide for yourself to watch further or no
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amazing ?
Au XVIIIe siècle à Pékin, au cours de la 6e année du règne de l'empereur Qianlong, Wei Ying Luo entre dans la Cité interdite en tant que brodeuse pour enquêter sur la vérité derrière le viol et le meurtre de sa sœur aînée. Croyant que la garde impériale Fuca Fuheng est le principal suspect, Ying Luo s'approche intrigante de sa sœur, l'impératrice Fuca Rongyin, et est transférée pour travailler comme sa femme de chambre. Prenant rapidement goût à l'attitude intelligente et courageuse de Ying Luo, l'impératrice au bon cœur lui apprend à lire et à écrire et devient son bienfaiteur, tandis que Fuca Fuheng tombe amoureux d'elle et soutient son enquête. Réalisant que les frères et sœurs Fuca sont innocents du crime, Ying Luo porte son attention sur les autres personnes présentes dans le palais dans l'espoir de retrouver l'auteur du crime, tout en protégeant l'impératrice des conspirations du harem, à mesure qu'elle gravit les échelons. (Source : MyDramaList) Modifier la traductionWas this review helpful to you?
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Wonderful drama that is worth your time
Story:(+) Though it is 70 episodes it didn't drag. Sure, there were some slow parts but almost all dramas have slow/boring moments. I'm glad I stuck with it because of the satisfying ending.
(+) FL who isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. She isn't the typical sweet FL who wouldn't hurt a fly. She is out for revenge and is willing to fight back
(+) FL having a great character arc.
(+) Wholesome relationship between the FL and the empress.
(+) Some good plot twists
(-) The time skips were confusing but not unbearable
Acting: I've been watching a lot of idol dramas which don't always have the best acting. I've forgotten what real good acting looks like and all the actors are wonderful. In particular the best performances are from Nie Yuan (the emperor) and Qin Lan (the empress). Two amazing actors playing two fantastic characters.
Overall: I initially put off this drama because I didn't like the aesthetic of the Qing Dynasty. However after a few episodes I got use to it and ended up even liking it. So if that is what is putting you off I encourage you to still give it a chance because this is one of the best cdrama out there!
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LIKE IT CAN U SHOW ME GROWN UP YONGYAN
HOW TO CALL SPECTACULAR OH THERE YANXI PALACE I like wei wei girl whos very brave and i like the guard but sadly die heesssh i cant deny the chemistry of them but I LIKE THE EMPEROR FOR HER MUCH MORE HEHEZ LOVE U QIANLONG CAN U SEND SOME ROAST BEEF TO YANXI PALACE THEKING BE LIKE OH YES PASS IT TO YANXI FAST QUAI QUAI HAHAHAHAH MUST REWATCH IF YOU WANT TO IT DEPENDS IN THE MOOD HIHIHI WOMANMANDETNG XIE LUO XIA DE SHENGYING YAH I LIKE THAT SONG EVEN IF DONT UNDERSTAND ITIWANT TO SEE GROWN UP KING YONGYAN SMOL BEAN OF WEI AND LONG
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This review may contain spoilers
Worth the Watch
I initially avoided this drama because historicals weren't really my thing, and I grew up watching Charmaine Sheh in HK dramas so... it just felt kind of weird to watch her in a cdrama now, but after heavy recommendation from a friend, I decided to give this a shot.I'm really glad I did! It pulled me in right from the very first episode, and I loved all the devious scheming and plotting that never made an episode boring. However, I felt near the end, maybe last 10-15 episodes or so it definitely began to drag a bit and I did lose a bit of interest. I'm sorry, but I really did not care enough about the Empress and Prince He to warrant having to watch that many scenes with the both of them lol.
The relationship between Wingluo and the Emperor I'm still a bit iffy about considering all the shit he had her go through before and that one totally shady noncon scene that could have went even more south if Wingluo didn't scheme her way out of it, but they do have an interesting dynamic.
Anyway, this was 70 episodes but it definitely felt shorter because it was, for the most part, an enjoyable show to watch and I can totally see how it got so many views when it first aired.
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Reveng based drama
Lead enter to king palace to take revenge of her sister death . Inorder to find out the killer of her sister she misunderstood the second male lead character ,after he proved his innocence .he had fallen in love with her . She also loved him but something bind her ,something stop her to confess her love to him . The emperor ,who is his brother in law also always had a doubt her . The emperor always thought her to be bad women who seduce man for her benefit . In order to save him from her the emperor arranged his marry with someone else . His sister the empress who also the owner of the female lead always had a soft corner for her .she never thought the way her husband thought about the female lead . When the empress brother married someone else she thought that injustice happened to her and she asked her to leave the mantion and live the free life . She listened to the empress and left the palace. At that time empress suicide . The female lead returned to the place and got disheartened after knew the empress suicide news . She always thought that something wrong happened and inorder to know the truth she accepted the emperor and become his wife and after that their story started and from here the story got interested.Watch it if you want to know the end.
Some good characters killed in the story that disappointed me.
Rest story was good.
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Best FL & Worst ML
OVERALLThis binge-worthy drama brings epicness to the least epic historical setting: the Qing dynasty harem. Watch it if 1) you enjoy never-ending catfights, 2) you love strong, smart, complex female leads, 3) you dig Qing dynasty culture. If you 1) hate long dramas (this is SEVENTY episodes y'all!!), 2) can't stand unlikeable male leads, 3) need well-developed, emotional love stories, then think about it. Think hard...and then maybe still give it a try.
THE STORY
For the longest time I shunned this drama. Qing dynasty stories really aren't my style; the costumes, the customs, the fact that the world seems to be restricted to the Forbidden City and women don't seem to have anything else to do in their life than fight for the emperor's attention, well, I'm not a fan. But this drama is rated so high, I had to give it a try eventually...and I don't regret it!
The Good: Although this drama is essentially about women fighting for attention in the Forbidden City (which I dislike with a passion), the first half of the plot also involves a murder-mystery, which gives it a refreshing twist and makes the repetitive catfights quite bearable. Another thing that helps swallow them well is the fact that FL is just absolutely AMAZING, definitely one of the best I've seen, and the best C-drama FL hands down. What's great about her is that she isn't the typical "innocent, pure" FL that responds to evilness with kindness. She stands between good and evil and when she says she wants justice, she'll do just about anything to get it. As such, she's scheming like the bad girls, and it's super satisfying to see. The drama not only has a number of epic scenes (all linked to the FL - is my girl crush obvious?), but it also has several, really emotional scenes, and a few fun ones too. Finally, the end is a fairly good one (considering C-dramas, especially period dramas, don't typically have well-written endings, that's really a blessing!). It's not rushed and it wraps up everything nicely.
The Bad: Unfortunately, there are pretty massive flaws that keep me from rating this drama higher. The biggest one is the ML, who is absolutely despicable. The emperor is egocentric and tyrannical from beginning to end. He treats everybody like they are from an inferior race, can't empathize or sympathize with anyone and makes few attempts to try to understand others . This includes FL - even though he lets her get away with more "insubordination" than others. As a result, it's impossible to enjoy his relationship with FL. Not fully, anyway. I couldn't imagine why the FL would like him, and even the screenwriters probably couldn't, because it's never clear why (or how) FL falls for him. I almost wish there wasn't any reciprocated love between them (a first in my drama journey!!) and FL was just using him for her own personal goals. That would have made a lot more sense, especially considering she has a second ML - who also isn't that great, by the way, but much better than the emperor - dying for her. Also, while there are GREAT moments in Yanxi Palace, there are also chunks of the drama that are draggy and/or sloppy. About half of it (roughly eps 20-40 and 50-60) felt like a bit of a let down. There is too much coming and going of characters, too many evildoers, less coherent plots, not enough of the FL. There also isn't a big picture anymore (once the murder-mystery ends). I wouldn't say that these chunks are bad, but they're not as good as the other solid episodes.
THE ACTING
Since the drama is mostly about the women in the harem, it really relies a lot on the female cast, and they did great. The main women - FL, Consort Guo, Consort Chun, the first and the second empresses, they are all absolutely fantastic in their roles. Most of them can appear angelic one second and the devil incarnate the next. The makeup artists also did an amazing job; the makeup really helped in making them creepy at times! Male actors also are fine, they just don't stand out as much. There isn't much chemistry between FL and ML, but they got me smiling once or twice (even though I couldn't fully ship them), so it's okay.
THE MUSIC
I wasn't a huge fan of the violin background track that was played excessively in the drama to make you feel sad, but I LOVED the opening music. Although I'm not taking any song from the drama, overall, the OST was fitting and not too distracting from the story, so that's good.
REWATCH VALUE
High. For sure I'll rewatch the drama, there are too many epic scenes that deserve to be seen again. But I will definitely be skipping lots of parts too when I do.
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