Story of Kunning Palace (2023)

Excellent balance from the best historical drama in 2023

This drama grew on me from an 8 to a 10. First I wanted to give this drama a 9 after finishing because I used two days of wondering about what really happened in our character's first life and what Xie Wei was thinking at that time. But then I decided that it was a good thing that I don’t know, the guessing makes it more interesting and the characters become more complex.

This drama has so many great things going on. The actors does an impeccable job. Bai Lu is very good at this sort of light comedic roles and Zhang Linghe surprised me as a very good morally grey male lead. I need to see him as a fully bloomed villain in the future.

The foundation of this story is interesting because it doesn’t tell the viewer everything we want to know. The flashbacks are balanced and the tempo of the story is good. Some parts of the story is predictable and tropey but not to an extent that it is bad in any way. Somehow they manage to give everything a fresh feel, perhaps because our characters aren’t always good persons. They make mistakes but they deal with it. The story is easy to follow without being simple.

The word that keeps coming back to me is “balanced”. A bit of love, mystery, tropes, fighting scenes and palace intrigue. At first I was a bit disappointed by the main leads inability to defend themselves but later I found that refreshing.

It is the combination of not knowing everything from their first life, with the fresh take on tropes and the high quality acting, costume and art direction that makes this drama worth a 10. I can’t find anything to critique. The more I think about this drama the more I like it. This 10 grew on me.

Leer más

Formidable. Awesome. Thrilling

Judging by the high score of this drama (8.8), I knew this was probably going to be good. I did not expect this perfection.
Since the FL is Bai Lu, who is my favorite Chinese actress, her perfect acting was no surprise. What makes the acting score a 10/10 is that all other actors seem to attempt to outshine her and almost succeed! all of them are performing at the top of their ability. Amazing performances from ML Zhang LiHe, Wang XinHue (who's only 22) and Zhou JunWei (who looks a little like Xiao Zhan). Every character is well thought out and given an actual story.
I don't know how the writer(s) did it, but the story is completely solid, despite the intricate intrigue, different interests, tribes, servants, aliasses etcetera. Extremely well done without any obvious plot holes.
Despite this being a romance, it's a very slow burn. First kiss happens when you've all but given up hope it will ever happen. These two people are both flawed, broken and battered and recognize this in each other early on. But it only leads to love later and to romance even later than that. That does not mean we as viewers are left without fluttering hearts. O. No. Sir. The chemistry is fantastic. Not just the one between the leads, but also between FL and her other suitors, so we are left guessing who will "get the girl"for a long time. ML is a formidable man. Very serious, very domineering, very smart, very charismatic. He's a lot. FL is a great match for him with her feistyness and defiance and at least as smart. Also smart is the fact that in this drama, the story is leading, not the romance. We feel it's there, but it does not overpower the strength of the drama, it just adds to it..
I was unable to look away from this for 38.5 eps. long. Totally epic, best c-drama ever.

Leer más

The most toxic of romances . . .

This drama's addictive qualities, and thrilling action scenes, do not matter, because the main romance is unbelievably toxic and romanticizes the most dangerous of red flags. It's as if the script writers went down the list of 'high risk factors' for murder suicide relationships :

1) Suicide threats and knives: Xie Wie takes a knife puts it into Ning'er-'s hand and invites her to stab him. This you, or I , or both of us attitude where the abuser takes a knife and points it at the other person, then at themselves, then starts screaming 'fine just do it, kill me, kill us' is usually the last step before the end. The show portrays this as showing intense love instead of an intense nihilism.

2) Strangulation and grabbing by the throat: Xie Wie repeatedly grabs Ning'er by the throat in order to force her to do something she doesn't want to do - including grabbing her by the throat and then kissing her. Strangulation and choking threats are huge red flags, mainly because it is a very vulnerable area to attack and often leads to brain injury. Strangulation/choking/non consensual breath play to initiate or coerce sex is often a sign of the same intense nihilism.

3) Drug use: Xie Wie has been using a highly damaging performance enhancing drug to make up for health issues stemming from his trauma. His friends have been trying to get him to stop, but they and Xie Wie insist that only Ning'er's love can and will get him to stop. Usually drug addiction/misuse cannot be 'solved' through a romance, and this belief causes many people to stay in toxic relationships enabled by the drug users family and friends who want someone else to bear the responsibility.

4) Untreated mental health: Xie Wie has episodes of extreme violence and paranoia due to past trauma. Ning'er and other innocent people are exposed to this dangerous behaviour repeatedly. Yet, there is no explanation on how this could be miraculously cured.

5) Romeo and Juliet sense of 'no one understands us': Xie Wie repeatedly claims to Ning'er that only they can understand each other - no one else can. That they are both meant to be forged through trauma and hardship, willing to go to lengths that other people cannot understand. Xie Wie repeatedly snears at Ning'er s love for Zhang Zhe - claiming that he's too simplistic and good for one such as her.

6) Obsessed with revenge, excellent at power games, petty to a fault: If Xie Wie only had this capacity of revenge for political wrongs, this wouldn't be such a red flag, but Xie Wie also shows a pettiness and jealousy towards the other family and friends in Ning'er's life and an inappropriate level of condescension towards Ning'er 's father.

7) Power imbalance in the relationship: Xie Wie is Ning'er's teacher and mentor at various points, and Ning'er s father and others treat him as one generation senior to Ning'er. Xie Wie often orders Ning'er around whether or not she is 'officially' his teacher at various points. Ning'er for various reasons begs him or kneels to him about various things throughout the show, but Xie Wie never puts himself in the humble position. Even when he's backed into a corner, he dramatically and violently seizes the power back.

There's probably a lot more. This is all to say in this modern age, there's no reason to teach people that these red flags are evidence of intense love - they are not. If you ever encounter anyone like this in real life - beware. That intensity is often simply a stalker like obsession and a strong desire for power and control over you.

It's one thing to portray a toxic individual who is NOT toxic towards the main love interest and is inspired by her to change (as unrealistic and problematic as that storyline is), but it's a whole 'nother thing to be directly harmful and toxic towards the main love interest.

Leer más

Story of how to create a toxic romance

5/10. I’m mad as hell that this type of abusive relationship is romanticized as true love. The plot is weak and got lost along the way.

- FL traveled back in time (same period, not from our future) to correct her evil ambition on becoming queen and the lives she cost doing so. She decided to change her ways. She wanted to right her wrongs and also change the fates of those around her. Sounds like a great plot, right? It is.. if they didn’t lose focus half way through.
- The first half focused on the FL. Long story short, she decided to be a better person. She couldn’t help but get involve in the royal family’s bloody war so to survive, she had to be smarter and less ambitious.
- Wtf happened with the plot after leading our heroine up to this? They shifted the focus on XW the ML. The FL followed him around like a lost puppy while he helped her save all the people she wanted to save but couldn’t. They then decided to give ML this crazy back story with trauma, medical issues, evil schemes, backstabbing, revenge, all of it!
- The evil villain they fought against was dumb af. He got caught in all the traps they laid out. Even when we thought the villain finally did something, it turned out the ML somehow planned it all. Take this formula, repeat it 10x , and you got the main plot. It was boring and too predictable. The endless political battles were childish and overplayed. They tried to be smart about it but it was redundantly mediocre.

Now onto the toxic “romance.”
- She had 3 suitors. The first 2 she turned down were GREAT men. Both were kind, loving, and treated her with the utmost respect. She chose the one who abused her mentally and physically

- ML was the biggest red flag.
- He obsessively claimed her. This was fine for his own delusions but she repeatedly told him, she belonged only to herself. When he couldn’t have her, control her or felt like she didn’t listen to him, he became a psychotic manipulator. 



- He got physical with her on multiple occasions and rarely was he respectful towards her. He repeatedly grabbed her by the throat (the throat!!), by the arm, wrist, and made verbal threats to her. 



- He became madly possessive. She couldn’t look at another man before he choked her and threatened her. 



-Their kisses were grossly forced upon her by him. When he asked her to be intimate, she gave in but left me wondering WTF and HTF did we get here?! This man manipulated her and it was romanticized as love?! 



-She told 3 people she loved him before she even told him. Another WTF moment for me. 



-The ending.. when he deliberately stepped on his son’s shirt to trip him and then kicked the poor boy after? Was that supposed to be funny and playful? Because it failed to be funny and playful to me. Even his daughter was shook. 

I watched 30 episodes and waited for the romance between the leads to start. I endured her giving up two potential great men for the ML only to be given 8 episodes of chaos.

Leer más

I can see why its one of the hottest dramas for 2023

This drama is about the story of a second chance in life. During the start it can be a bit confusing as they only show snippets of what happened in FL’s past life. However as the story develops, you will see how the past affects her decisions for the current life and how she is trying to be good this time round. Not too much romance going around at the beginning though FL has 3 love interests and lots of scheming plots among the villains as the FL tries to survive in the palace. Both FL and MLs played their roles perfectly. For some reason I kind of hoped the FL went with Zhang Zhe though. Kissing scenes were also really intense in the later episodes.

Leer más

"Story of Kunning Palace A Drama Worth Every Second!"

WHY TO WATCH THIS DRAMA?--If I can write this much , its definitely a worth watching , you can read my review but it has spoilers .
.I WANTED TO WRITE BEST REVIEW ON THIS DRAMA COZ I LIKED IT SO MUCH , HOPE YOU GUYS CAN HELP IN THIS MATTER????

Okay, let's spill some tea about "Story of Kunning Palace." This series? It's like an addictive drug; you start with one episode, and before you know it, you're in deep, binge-watching until the sun comes up, and you're still craving more. Seriously, this drama takes you on a wild ride—imagine a rollercoaster of emotions mixed with an entire squad of main characters whose acting skills are like top-notch gourmet meals. And yeah, even the side characters? They bring their A-game too.

So, there were rumors flying around about Bailu and Zhang Linghe dating, which, honestly, had us all hyped. But whether or not they're a thing, their on-screen vibes? Straight-up fire! The chemistry between them? Chef's kiss It's like they're meant to be together on that screen.
STORYLINE/PLOT
Now, let's talk about episode one. Hold up, it hits you like a plot tsunami! Jiang Xue Ning, our lead, starts off as this ambitious queen-to-be who's playing a crazy game, messing with friendships, family, and love just to snag that Empress throne. And then bam! She takes herself out at the end of the episode, leaving us hanging like, "Wait, what?!"
But plot twist alert! It turns out it's all part of this novel set in the modern world. So yeah, we're relieved 'cause we knew that couldn't be the end. Next, Xue Ning gets a redo, time-traveling back to square one in the capital. Classic, right? But here's the kicker: this girl is on a whole mission to right her past wrongs. And trust me, it's not your average rebirth drama. Xue Ning's out here, trying to fix things she messed up in her past life, making it a real tear-jerker.

That line, "BUT IN THE FATHOMABLE
THERE'S ALWAYS AN INVISIBLE HAND THAT PUTS EVERYTHING BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL PLACE", hits different, am I right?

Then there's Xie Wei, the ultimate complex dude. He's like a walking drama of his own—cunning, dangerous, manipulative. And guess what? Our girl Xue Ning is scared of him. Like, big time! The tension between them is thick enough to cut with a butter knife. We're talking fights, schemes, and zero trust. You're there thinking, "How on earth are these two gonna fall in love?"
==============CHEMISTRY BETWEEN XIE WEI AND JIANG XUENING==========================
The chemistry between Xie Wei and Jiang Xue Ning in "Story of Kunning Palace"? Girl, let me tell you, it's a rollercoaster ride wrapped in a tornado of emotions! These two? They're like magnets, constantly drawn together despite being on opposite sides of the game.
Picture this: they start off as these fierce rivals, scheming against each other with all the intensity of a high-stakes poker match. There's this tension crackling in the air between them, and it's so thick you could cut it with a knife. Xie Wei? He's the definition of complicated—cunning, dangerous, with layers so deep you'll need a shovel to uncover them all.
But here's where it gets wild. As the story unfolds, these two find themselves teaming up against the baddies. Yep, the classic "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" situation. And guess what? Sparks start flying! Their bond begins to grow stronger as they navigate the chaos together, fighting the same battles and facing the same dangers.
Now, here's the kicker: while us viewers are shipping them like FedEx, these two are clueless! I mean, seriously, they're both doing the whole "I'm-not-in-love-with-you" dance while we're all shouting at the screen, "Just kiss already!" It's like watching a romantic comedy where everyone can see the love story except the main characters.
Jiang Xue Ning's got legit reasons for keeping her guard up around Xie Wei. I mean, she's been through some rough stuff because of him in her past life. Imagine dying because of someone—yeah, that's bound to make you a little cautious, right? Her fear of him is understandable, but man, the tension between fear and some underlying feelings? It's a whole emotional rollercoaster.
So yeah, their chemistry? It's not just about stolen glances or sizzling tension. It's about growth, trust-building, and the slow burn of emotions simmering beneath the surface. These two might not realize it yet, but their love story? It's written in the stars, and we're just here waiting for that "aha!" moment when they finally figure it out.
In a nutshell, their love story isn't your typical fairytale. It's messy, it's complicated, and it's real. And watching these two navigate their feelings? It's like witnessing a fireworks show—you know it's going to explode, but you're eagerly waiting for that moment when everything just lights up.
Yeah, "Story of Kunning Palace" isn't just about palace politics and power plays. It's about a love story brewing amidst chaos, fear, and redemption, and let me tell you, it's one epic tale.

============CHEMISTRY BETWEEN YAN LIN AND JIANG XUENING=========

Jiang Xuening and Yan Lin? They've got that childhood buddies-turned-potential-sweethearts vibe. From day one, Yan Lin's been all heart eyes for her, but she's got him locked in the friend zone.
Remember that line? "I WILL MARRY THE ONE I SPOILED😂😂😂"?
Smooth move, bro! Yan Lin's got some serious romantic game, but Jiang Xuening's just not catching those feels. I mean, in her past life, she kinda used him, and that's some baggage hard to shake.
Thing is, Yan Lin's journey from carefree dude to Mr. Responsible is legit. He's out there, fighting bad guys like he's in an action movie, all while looking dashing AF. But here's the twist—he's not just added for the fight scenes. He's got a whole character glow-up going on!Jiang Xuening? She's got his back, no doubt. Risking it all to protect him in this life, showing she's a real one. And boy, does he wait for her to finally get those heart eyes in return. But dang, that friend zone's like a fortress!
Their chemistry? It's like a slow-burning candle—steady, warm, but waiting for that spark. And Yan Lin? He's not just a pretty face; he's leveling up from brooding to bro who's got it together. But hey, Jiang Xuening? You gotta stop leaving him in the friend zone, girl! 🔥👫✨.
This drama breaks the mold, especially with its male lead, Xie Wei. He's not your typical sword-swinging hero—nah, he's all about the brains, zero brawn vibe. But that's what makes him real. He's a mastermind without a clue about wielding a sword, giving us a refreshingly imperfect yet realistic character. Big shoutout to Zhang Linghe for bringing Xie Wei's complex emotions to life. His acting? Next level! 🔥👏.
============CHEMISTRY BETWEEN ZHANG ZHE AND JIANG XUENING=========
Yo, the love rollercoaster in those 20 episodes? It was all about Zhang Zhe and Jiang Xuening heating things up, making Xie Wei low-key jelly(jealous). But hold up, it was a tricky web with Xuening scared of Xie Wei while catching feels for Zhang Zhe. It had us all like, "When's the romance gonna kick in?" Drama, tension, and romance—talk about a wild ride! 🎢💕.
[EVIL CHARACTERS]
Yo, peep this drama's villains—no shortage of 'em! "Story of Kunning Palace" ain't about just one baddie; it's a whole squad of chaos creators. Xue Shu takes the cake for being the queen of despicable, stirring up drama left and right, while her pops adds to the mess in the court. That Xue fam? Straight-up bad news.
[PRINCESS]
But hold up, we've got more! The princess? She's out here, protecting our girl Ning'er, and things get intense when she ties the knot in enemy territory. And let's talk Liu Xie Ning—first costume gig and she's slaying it! This role? Made for her. Bet she's gonna crush it in future dramas 'cause, let's be real, she's stunning.
[SUPPORT CHARACTERS]
And check this—after watching this show, you won't be forgetting the side characters' names anytime soon. Xue Ding Fei, You Fang Yin, Lu Xian, Shen Jie the Prince, even Dao Qin—they leave an impression. This drama ain't about just the main leads hogging the spotlight; these supporting players? They're stepping up, shining bright, and adding their own flavor to the mix. They're the unsung heroes making this drama one to remember. 🌟🔥.
===================================NEGATIVE THING===========================
Okay, hear me out—this drama's got almost everything on point, except maybe a bit less of that sweet romance between the main leads. But hold up, that's just a minor setback in a sea of awesomeness. Trust me, every hour, every minute, every second you spend on this show is a vibe!
And here's the kicker: you can binge-watch this till sunrise, forget about those dark circles—they'll bounce back. But that curiosity this drama stirs up? That's gonna stick with you until you see it through to the end. So, dive in and don't sweat the tiny stuff, 'cause this ride's worth every second! 🌟📺✨

Leer más

Perfect Drama ​

I watched a very good, high-quality series. Apart from simple mistakes, I watched an excellent series, without any errors or obstacles, everything was in its place. It's a particularly good story, well-constructed and excellently directed. I found little fault with the management. That may also be due to the player. For example; Elisa Ye failed to die. How bad was that? She was already good at playing the bad woman. It must be from there. Fang Yin's death scene affected me the most, perhaps because it was in the last episodes. Actress Melody Tang seems to have been specially chosen for this role. I really saw him as the personality that best suited his role. Such a pure and clean face, the way he played a game accordingly, his performance in the scene where he died impressed me a lot. Here, Melody Tang's and later Bai Lu's games were very effective. I also congratulate the director. I actually cried in this scene. It was a very, very extraordinary scene. The series was completely impressive and gripping. It was perhaps one of the best TV series of recent times. As I said, the story is solid, the editing is very well done, a good director and excellent actors, except for a few people. I liked Bai Lu very much. He's already a player I like. Zhang Ling He is one of the star actors of recent times that I like. Although Wang Xing Yue is young, he is rising rapidly. Zhou Jun Wei appeared little but played effectively. He was also successful in active scenes. It got into my eye. I found it good. I can't help but mention that I liked the veteran actors Huang Hai Bing, Liu Min, Zong Feng Yan. They are very good players. Congratulations. I also liked Wang Zi Teng in this role.
I recommend the series to everyone. You have to watch. You will be sorry if you don't watch it.

Leer más

Beautiful and engaging masterpiece of drama

Absolutely the best drama I have seen in every aspect:
- perfect pacing
- interesting and engaging plots
- excellent acting
- great chemistry between two main leads
- amazing delivery of the complex character (XW) by the actor
- all the actors/actresses did great job, they all suited their roles
- the ending is very satisfacory and makes the journey of 38 episodes that more precious and worth it
- the music is beautiful and suits the drama so well
- the actions scenes all look very well

This is the very first time the entire show stole my heart.

Leer más

Wow, that got me. In one word - beauty.

Impressions? Feelings? Experiences? Strong, deep, unforgettable. I've been looking forward to this series for a long time, but I didn't expect it to interest me like this. I swallowed one part after another and could not tear myself away from it. Cast, great music, but above all a wonderful, incredibly strong story, under the pressure of which I could not stand up, no matter how hard I tried. The biggest rush of emotions I've ever experienced while watching a movie.


Plot, effects, camera, music, actors, jokes, chemistry, serious moments, everything works perfectly. I would rank it among the top dramas I've seen so far.


Do I recommend watching the drama? Certainly yes. - it was simply amazing!

Leer más

THE BEST HISTORICAL DRAMA THIS YEAR!

Hands down “Story of Kunning Palace” is the best historical cdrama this year!!

Story:
The story is different from the other cdramas around: this time we have an anti-hero, Jiang Xuening, going back time to fix her mistakes that led to her death. She’s a complex character that did many bad things in the past but gradually you’ll love her so much more.
Then we have Xie Wei, who is personally my fav character in the drama. He has such a complex personality and soul, he’s so cunning, so smart and he always knows what’s gonna be his next step. He has the power of the world in his head. But keep in mind that he’s not an hero. He’s truly dark.

There are many other characters that you’ll completely love or hate. But each one of them has their own story and their own path. No one is left behind in the story. Everything is connected perfectly like some pieces of a puzzle. I’m so satisfied with how the story develops and continues. No black holes, no questionable moments in terms of the narration, no WTF?! or boring moments.

It’s truly a consistent, full of twists and coherent story. I’m truly mesmerised by the writing. They did such an excellent job in describing each character and each storyline.

Acting/Cast:
The cast was perfect and Bai Lu is truly THE gem of this drama. Her acting is on point, she’s emotional, heartless and cunning. Zhang Linghe did such a good job in portraying such a complex and dark character like Xie Wei and I personally loved the fact that this was the first time he dubbed his own parts with his voice. Especially in the second half of the drama we can perceive their talents and also their chemistry which is top-notch. These two look perfect together and I totally need to see them again in another drama, maybe a modern one. All the other actors did a good job too!! Zhang Zhe is truly talented, same for the princess and Xue Shu, who’s such a terrific villain. I loved all of them, truly.

This is a MUST watch and, for the first time for a cdrama, I could rewatch it over and over again. It’s perfect, believe me.

Leer más

BEST Historical Drama

I started watching C-dramas for the wuxia genre, which is still one of my favorites. Still, I have recently been watching more historical dramas, and this drama, by far, is one of the best historical dramas that need to be on everyone's watchlist, the last historical drama that I really loved and would recommend is "Love Like the Galaxy," but that is now number two on my list. For one, ML and FL are two of my favorite actors, and they portrayed their characters perfectly, the chemistry between them was amazing, I also liked how the ML showed his feelings towards the FL towards the ending spoiler it's intense but amazing. The plot from the beginning to the ending is done amazingly, as well as all the characters in the story their actors portray them to great, making the story more emotional in scenes.

Leer más

Immersive Narratives and Flawless Portrayals: 'Story of Kunning Palace' Delivers

What struck me most about the series was the undeniable chemistry between the main leads, creating a captivating dynamic that held my attention from start to finish.

Zhang Ling He's portrayal of Xie Wei was nothing short of phenomenal. His ability to convey the complexity of his character, from childhood trauma to the intricacies of mental health issues, was done with a finesse that left a lasting impression. His eyes, in particular, became a powerful tool in expressing the depths of a man in love. Bai Lu, as the female lead, equally delivered a commendable performance, carrying herself with grace and skill throughout the series.

The storyline itself was a rollercoaster of emotions, with each episode presenting something new and intriguing. I found myself hooked, eagerly anticipating the next twist or revelation. It's rare to come across a show that keeps you engaged at every turn, and "Story of Kunning Palace" achieved just that.While the editing could have been polished in certain scenes, the compelling narrative and stellar performances by the cast overshadowed any minor shortcomings.

The power-packed storytelling and the actors' prowess managed to seamlessly compensate for any editing hiccups, ensuring a consistently enthralling viewing experience.In my opinion, "Story of Kunning Palace" stands out as one of the best dramas of 2023. The recommendation for this series as a must-watch is resounding. The thought of these talented actors gracing the screen together again is enticing, and I can't help but express a desire to see them in a modern drama, exploring a different setting and dynamic.

"Story of Kunning Palace" is a triumph in storytelling, character development, and on-screen chemistry. It has certainly set a high standard for dramas in 2023, leaving viewers like me eagerly anticipating future projects from the brilliant cast and crew.

Leer más