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amusedbush
This review may contain spoilers
The Imperial Concubine Needs Better Notes (Major spoilers ahead!)
I. The Ugly
This does not have a happy ending. The edits tried to suggest an open ending to appease viewers, but the two minutes before that leads one to the logical conclusion that there is no happy ending. The last episode is just pretty takes of people waiting fruitlessly for their loved ones.
II. The Good
This seemed like someone's cinematography degree final year project, filled with beautiful shots and a flair for the dramatic. Some frames showcased a blend of bold colours and dynamic angles (e.g., the sword dance scene in episode 1 and the bamboo forest fight scene in episode 12). However, these were done at the literal expense of storytelling, edits, and acting, which is such a shame because it had a deliciously seductive premise. There were some comedic relief plots thrown in (e.g., when the FL accidentally becomes the lamppost in the 2ML and 2FL's angsty dialogue, when the ML's male servant became a horse, or when the FL misunderstood the ML, his manservant, and his female servant were in a threesome). There was so much more that could have been done with the plots and storylines.
III. The Bad
The storytelling is chaotic and choppy; scenes were pieced together without concern for continuity.
If you've ever attempted to clean a mirror with the wrong type of cleaner, you know how frustrating it can be. You keep buffing in circles, going round and round with foggy streaks. That's what the storytelling is like in this drama.
Episode 1 opens with the male lead's (ML) sword held against the female lead's (FL) neck, purportedly because he was paid a thousand gold taels to assassinate her. The FL's special skill (truth-seeking) and disease (truth-blurting) activates and she calls him out on his lie. We suddenly cut to a background introduction of the ML, a beautiful sword dance scene ruined by an assassination attempt, which is ruined by the fact that the assassin could not even stab the man sitting still next to him. As it turns out, the FL is betrothed to the ML, but the FL's father has broken off the betrothal and married his daughter off to the ML's brother, the emperor (2ML). We jump to the ten-second introduction of the vivacious and youthful FL who isn't having it easy in the palace. We are then gifted a confusing five seconds introducing the 2ML and his beloved, the 2FL. We then come back to how the ML and FL meet at the start of episode 1. FL shares the existence of her special skill, and the ML tests it. They are interrupted by a eunuch informing the FL that someone had attempted to assassinate the emperor, and the FL quickly assumed it was the ML. In episode 2. fearing for her life, she tells the ML (not knowing that he is Prince Ning) that she was betrothed to her childhood sweetheart Prince Ning and she would be happy if the emperor was dead. The ML then blackmails the FL into agreeing to cooperate with him. Meanwhile the 2ML is in love with the woman who purportedly save him, not knowing that the 2FL was sent to his side by the ML. The dowager empress is then introduced, and she appears to be conspiring with the head eunuch serving the 2ML. In episode 3, we see that the ML is supposed to be a cruel, cold-blooded killer, who grew up as an abandoned prince. The 2ML emperor is supposedly a naive, trusting fool. The dowager empress seeks to drive a wedge between the ML and 2ML to maintain power. In episode 4, we are served multiple flashbacks to when the ML and FL met, and their deal for the FL to help the ML assassinate the emperor so that the FL may marry her beloved Prince Ning. We find out that the FL is able to determine the truth only when a lie is told, but her skill does not activate if it is not a statement.
This storytelling style is repeated in all 24 episodes, as if the director and screenwriters had a collection of ideas that didn't find their narrative anchor and so lacks any form of cohesion. The FL inexplicably thinks the ML is a 'good person' despite the fact that he's only blackmailed her and instructed her to assassinate the emperor every time they meet. The ML supposedly falls in love with the FL from the time she vehemently defends her artwork. The FL supposedly falls in love at some point, but we do not know which point. The ML. 2ML, and the FL's father were secretly working together to defeat the dowager empress' plans. The 2ML is an idiot in love. The 2FL is also an idiot in love. The 2FL is killed for no reasonable plot device. The head eunuch turned out to be a spy serving another master. The dowager empress is a weak villain. All of these plot devices could have been expanded further for a more captivating story, but they burnt the opportunities to ashes instead.
I was confused about the lack of chemistry and kissing scenes between the ML and FL, given that the 2ML and 2FL had one scene, until I found out that HTT was 16 when she acted as the FL. That explained how the FL's acting is unpolished and immature; she is able to cry at the drop of a hat, but her performance lacks the in-depth angst and drama we expect from older actresses. ZJY was also a frozen stick in his scenes with HTT. which is understandable if all he can think of at that time is that she was 16. Good to know he's not a secret pedo.
IV. Conclusion
It's not an absolute do not watch, but you should not have high expectations for it.
This does not have a happy ending. The edits tried to suggest an open ending to appease viewers, but the two minutes before that leads one to the logical conclusion that there is no happy ending. The last episode is just pretty takes of people waiting fruitlessly for their loved ones.
II. The Good
This seemed like someone's cinematography degree final year project, filled with beautiful shots and a flair for the dramatic. Some frames showcased a blend of bold colours and dynamic angles (e.g., the sword dance scene in episode 1 and the bamboo forest fight scene in episode 12). However, these were done at the literal expense of storytelling, edits, and acting, which is such a shame because it had a deliciously seductive premise. There were some comedic relief plots thrown in (e.g., when the FL accidentally becomes the lamppost in the 2ML and 2FL's angsty dialogue, when the ML's male servant became a horse, or when the FL misunderstood the ML, his manservant, and his female servant were in a threesome). There was so much more that could have been done with the plots and storylines.
III. The Bad
The storytelling is chaotic and choppy; scenes were pieced together without concern for continuity.
If you've ever attempted to clean a mirror with the wrong type of cleaner, you know how frustrating it can be. You keep buffing in circles, going round and round with foggy streaks. That's what the storytelling is like in this drama.
Episode 1 opens with the male lead's (ML) sword held against the female lead's (FL) neck, purportedly because he was paid a thousand gold taels to assassinate her. The FL's special skill (truth-seeking) and disease (truth-blurting) activates and she calls him out on his lie. We suddenly cut to a background introduction of the ML, a beautiful sword dance scene ruined by an assassination attempt, which is ruined by the fact that the assassin could not even stab the man sitting still next to him. As it turns out, the FL is betrothed to the ML, but the FL's father has broken off the betrothal and married his daughter off to the ML's brother, the emperor (2ML). We jump to the ten-second introduction of the vivacious and youthful FL who isn't having it easy in the palace. We are then gifted a confusing five seconds introducing the 2ML and his beloved, the 2FL. We then come back to how the ML and FL meet at the start of episode 1. FL shares the existence of her special skill, and the ML tests it. They are interrupted by a eunuch informing the FL that someone had attempted to assassinate the emperor, and the FL quickly assumed it was the ML. In episode 2. fearing for her life, she tells the ML (not knowing that he is Prince Ning) that she was betrothed to her childhood sweetheart Prince Ning and she would be happy if the emperor was dead. The ML then blackmails the FL into agreeing to cooperate with him. Meanwhile the 2ML is in love with the woman who purportedly save him, not knowing that the 2FL was sent to his side by the ML. The dowager empress is then introduced, and she appears to be conspiring with the head eunuch serving the 2ML. In episode 3, we see that the ML is supposed to be a cruel, cold-blooded killer, who grew up as an abandoned prince. The 2ML emperor is supposedly a naive, trusting fool. The dowager empress seeks to drive a wedge between the ML and 2ML to maintain power. In episode 4, we are served multiple flashbacks to when the ML and FL met, and their deal for the FL to help the ML assassinate the emperor so that the FL may marry her beloved Prince Ning. We find out that the FL is able to determine the truth only when a lie is told, but her skill does not activate if it is not a statement.
This storytelling style is repeated in all 24 episodes, as if the director and screenwriters had a collection of ideas that didn't find their narrative anchor and so lacks any form of cohesion. The FL inexplicably thinks the ML is a 'good person' despite the fact that he's only blackmailed her and instructed her to assassinate the emperor every time they meet. The ML supposedly falls in love with the FL from the time she vehemently defends her artwork. The FL supposedly falls in love at some point, but we do not know which point. The ML. 2ML, and the FL's father were secretly working together to defeat the dowager empress' plans. The 2ML is an idiot in love. The 2FL is also an idiot in love. The 2FL is killed for no reasonable plot device. The head eunuch turned out to be a spy serving another master. The dowager empress is a weak villain. All of these plot devices could have been expanded further for a more captivating story, but they burnt the opportunities to ashes instead.
I was confused about the lack of chemistry and kissing scenes between the ML and FL, given that the 2ML and 2FL had one scene, until I found out that HTT was 16 when she acted as the FL. That explained how the FL's acting is unpolished and immature; she is able to cry at the drop of a hat, but her performance lacks the in-depth angst and drama we expect from older actresses. ZJY was also a frozen stick in his scenes with HTT. which is understandable if all he can think of at that time is that she was 16. Good to know he's not a secret pedo.
IV. Conclusion
It's not an absolute do not watch, but you should not have high expectations for it.
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