The Imperial Coroner (2021)

Mystery with a good mix of comedy and romance

I was pleasantly surprised by this drama. Its doesn't have the big names and big budget but it was a very good watch. The cast did a wonderfully job. Its not overly dramatic ( no jealous females, very out there plot twists and boring fillers) like some of the more popular dramas, just a solid plot. The ML and FL are both smart. They didn't have alot of chemistry but I was too busy following the plot for it to leave a negative impression. Even the villains are very smart so it really makes for an interesting story. I didnt have to skip any scenes or episodes. If you love crime and mystery genre this is definitely for you.

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Investigation of crime based on autopsy

In the whole drama crime had been investigated by autopsy so who like detective based story might like this one but who wants more love story so I think they might not like this drama . About acting everyone did great job even sporting actors too.
I like detective based story because I like the way the investigate and connect small small evidence and how they reach to the criminal but I also like love story so if this drama equally balanced both the part so it would be a great story .
That's why I didn't like the drama much .
It is not a bad drama .it is just a personal view.

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Good plot, great characters

Good :
Characters :
All four main characters + ML's brother you start rooting for them early on and thats the important thing. And they are so normal people. Not pigheaded with tons of misunderstand. they actually sit and talk and actually work. Specially in the name of so called "strong female character" sometimes FL is made a caricature by showing her arrogant , so confident even when mistake is done that they dont acknowledge. I so love the fact that here FL knows her thing and does not hesitate to voice her opinion and do her work and she is also willing to listen to ML bcs he has more experience and has a wider perspective. its periodic drama so women would still have limited access to anything and everything so i didnt find FL acknowledging and appreciating ML as some fan girling. (as some people commented in Viki and here).
Equally good supporting characters makes it fun to watch. Second ML is so fun. Little things he does is so funny , not over the top. Even other smaller supporting characters like ML's general or Eununch's general are fun to watch.
Best part of the drama still is that they sit and "talk" it out which i find many dramas missing. Be it leads or even other characters.

Acting :
Almost all actors have done great job although sometimes i found FL just standing there with no expression. She could have done better there with a little more expressions but still does not impact the experience. She is good enough for her role. Highlights are the Head Eununch and his assistant. They did such a great job to make sure even plotting villianous scenes of theirs is fun to watch.

Plot :
Plot is not very serious that you have to be at the edge all the time but at the same time not so loose that you lose interest in it .
Overall interesting plot but you also enjoy the journey of the characters

Bad :
Attire:
Whats with the attire of the FL !! Initially she wore sort of cottonish attire which made sense from where she came but then she changes to a more expensive attire. Well we can assume she bought it from capital but then when she is back in village she is wearing some silikish fancy coats which does not go well with what her status is or the village nor does it go well with the well to do family.

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Puzzle pieces assembled right in a detective show

Many have talked about how underrated this detective show is, and it's rightfully so. It has been awhile since one could find such compact detective story plot in recent years. So if you are a fan of this genre, you should definitely check out The Imperial Coroner.

At the heart of it, the setup of this show is straightforward. As the title of the show suggest, our main character is a coroner - an aspiring female coroner who heads to the capital to get certified as an imperial coroner. Not many people think much about the coroner profession; and it is definitely not a profession, most if not all, females would aspire to be in ancient times. Which is where the first interesting element for The Imperial Coroner comes in - and shines.

Armed with a dream, solid skill, and earnest determination, Chu Chu manages to impress Prince An, Xiao Jinyu, who heads the Three Judicial Office during the coroner exam, which thus begin her coroner journey. Together, they work together to uncover mysteries involving murders, counterfeits, their own background and court power struggles. In a story about aspiring female coroner in ancient times, it's easy to typecast Chu Chu as Mary Sue; so I am glad the production team didn't go down this route. Coming from a backwater village, Chu Chu may be naïve, but she is not dumb. She looks up to Jinyu and greatly admires him as she grows to love him, but pulls her own weight to the mysteries with her competence and capability. Her relationship build up with Jinyu is believable and sweet to watch in the midst of crime-solving and compact plot-driven story.

Another two key elements which earns The Imperial Coroner the underrated drama of 2021 by critics and audience alike are the mystery plot and the team's dynamics. First, each arc is linked to the other - like solving a puzzle. While each piece tells a story on its own, assembling the pieces and connecting them one by one leads to the complete picture. There's nothing better than solid interconnected mysteries to drive the story forward in a detective genre show.

Next, the team's dynamics. This is an important element in any show, more so in detective stories. After all, it is the narrative of the characters that engages the audience to follow through the plots through each crime scene until the picture is assembled. Keyword here: engage. The production team really does this part justice. One of the fan favorites are the reenactment of crimes by Chu Chu and Jinyu. It's a refreshing way to visualize how the murders are done without losing us or dumbing the villain...well, except for one, but it's okay, The Imperial Coroner still does a great job overall.

I also like Jing Yi, Leng Yue and Jin Li who are the core supporting characters of this team. While the main brains of the mystery-solving is Jinyu's intellect and Chu Chu's coroner's capability, they do pull their own weight and bring something to the table - whether it is brawns or network or witty lines.

I believe this is a show that will gain its waves of delightful appreciation from time to time as new audience uncovers this diamond in the rough. Look forward to see more works from the screenwriters (Imperial Coroner is their first work!) and the budding cast.

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No nonsense

I love this drama as how I love Untamed because there was no nonsense (I did not skip any scenes). The pacing is good. Not too fast or slow. What I like most in this drama is the plot. No love triangles ( I thought Leng Yue will be a third wheel or something but thank God she is actually such a wonderful character), and most importantly logical. No movie magic. Regarding the romance, not much intimate, cheesy scenes which makes it not recommended for people who are after romance stories.
I dont care about the voice though, Im after the story. Hhah
Worth watching.
Masterpiece

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Big pleasant surprise that is Imperial Coroner

Came across Imperial Coroner while searching for something meaty to watch, and boy I wasn't disappointed! The production cost is low, the leads are relatively unknown, well at least I haven't seen them in any other series, but what a great period detective drama it is! The plots are tight, and the storyline is great! And if its a book its a page turner, and I can't help myself but binge on! Can't wait for them to translate all the episodes!!! So unexpectedly good! I shall add more comments once I finished the series. I am so glad I came across it amongst some disappointing bigger series. What I like most about this series, there is no weepy girls or stupid girls, everyone is clever and useful! I LIKE IT!

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A little gem of fresh air

Am loving the interaction between ML;& FL. She's intelligent but naive and he's intelligent but street smart too. I like how issues are resolved early & misunderstandings don't linger. He is protective but not overbearing. Am enjoying the subtle romance that is blossoming although waiting every week is doing nothing for my patience. I want to see all episodes now!! ? I do hope it gets better & better... Love the actors. He actually looks like a Prince, a righteous one. My leading lady is steadfast & meticulous. Both are actors are beautiful, couldvwatch them in any show. Did I say how much am enjoying this drama? 😁😁 A great story to cosy up to when the weather is bad. Its refreshing and uust that good, like a much needed hot drink on a snow day. #happydays

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the two listed screenwriters are women

After unknowingly watching a "few" CD and KD with a similar premise before this I was a little tired of it.

When this one started showing symptoms of the same plot of the others I was ready to put it down.

But then the Murder mystery of the plot started kicking in, instead of languishing in "will they won't they" romance subplot that was just dragging the others down.

All the characters were actually working together and have great chemistry, and making headway into the "mystery" part.

in some of the other dramas the FL would start as strong character but always seemed to need rescuing or way out of her depth despite being a martial artist or whatever.

In this one everything the FL did paired nicely with her actual background and goals and most importantly her age. her actions and reactions 👌

secondary FL is an excellent support character. no notes. love her.

ML is excellent 👌
Secondary ML is a perfect foil for ML instead of just being a guy that came along.

and the Brother of ML is a perfect cinnamon bun and my husband.

right hand man of ML was actually my favorite character.

one of antagonist underlings is also my fave character but thats spoilers.

the antagonists? excellent. excellent. excellent. actually kept me guessing.

luckily they didnt langush in the royal politics like others ( or had that annoying scene where a ML is accused of whatever and FL cries while being held back as ML is punished (i hate that trope))


overall 10/10
cheese 4/10

this is a drama I can reccomend to normal people.

yes it does have a quick but happy ending. Worth it.

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It was completly fine. Yes. Just fine.

Its a well made drama with clear effort and care behind it. Its kinda funny to see that the longer the show goes on the more money they have to work with? It starts off very bare bones in terms of production value and that changes by the end.

I thought the story and mystery was consistent. Some things interested me for a while but not for long.

The biggest ick for me is the romance between the leads. No chemistry whatsoever, I feel like this could be blamed on the "innocent" nature of the FL? I just could not get invested in their romance. ML was pretty stiff with her too so its not just her fault. The 2nd leads had much better scenes with better banter.

The ending was so anticlimactic and abupt I found my self asking... "Thats it? Really? Well ok I guess."

Yea it was alright, I'd never watch it again.

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Good drama with amazing characters and story

Production: For being low-cost I thought the costumes were well-made and high-quality, and I thought the outfits they wore looked cool. If they used wigs, it looked like they used a lot of hair gel, but the hairstyles were nice, and the makeup wasn't too over-the-top.
Story: I could tell the story was well thought out, and it requires a lot of piecing together to solve the mystery. I'm not big-brained enough to figure out who did what, but they explain the process after the big reveal. What I like the most about this series is the character dynamics; the main female lead is not helpless and plays a big part in actually helping the main male lead figure out the crime. When the characters get into misunderstandings, they are very mature about it and resolve it within the episode and aren't dramatic about it. The romance is a bit cheesy at times but it works somehow because the chemistry between the characters is adorable. The female leads work together and never get into big fights; the same thing is true for the male leads too. As far as I could tell, every episode had a purpose and there were no filler episodes. Each minute was used and none was wasted, which added to the suspense and substance of the story.
Acting: In the parts where the characters feel emotion, the actors portray it very well and their reactions make you feel things. Also, the chemistry between the actors is there. Especially the actor who played Jing Yi; I could tell he enjoyed playing that character and is low-key my favorite character because of his personality.
Music: There are some songs that I would listen to on repeat because the lyrics and the way they sing is expressive and sound good.
TL;DR Despite it being low-cost I think they did pretty well. The wardrobe and makeup were perfect. A fluid story with lots of stuff to piece together and excellent acting that fits each character. The music is expressive, and when they put it in the episodes are appropriate for the scene/context. Since the insurrectionist was someone I didn't expect, I wouldn't mind watching it again to see the little details I missed the first time, though I wouldn't go through that whole rollercoaster again if I wanted to.

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