Story of Yanxi Palace (2018)

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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I have to write this for my parents. They typically only watch Korean drama's, you know, a nice set 16 episodes and they're finished. After watching bits of this and the mini-series on Netflix, I talked them into trying it. They were unconvinced, thinking it was too long, but started anyway. They binged the whole thing within a week, were both sad that there was no more and hoping I could suggest something else.
The female lead is great, she's cunning but not unkind, and I loved the interactions between her and the emperor, the chemistry is great. It was nice to see a woman who didn't whine or scheme, where we weren't sure of how she'd get out of a bind until it happened. The politics between concubines was ruthless and the opening song will be recognisable for the rest of my life.

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One Of The Best FL C-Drama!

I just completed this marathon c-drama! I've got to say that this drama is truly one of the greatest that I've watched in China. The story is rich, and the cast is phenomenal. All of the actresses really did try hard to portray the complicated, cunning, jealousy, and evil corruption that happened during the Qing Dynasty.

This C-Drama actually has two stories. The first story, the first half, is about finding out the death of Wei Ring Luo's sister at the palace. And the second story, the last half, is about her climbing the ladder in the harem. A good analogy is peeling an onion; there are so many levels, and the more you peel, the more you shed tears. There are so many levels to this fantastic drama.

Lastly, if you really want to learn the complexity and complicated Chinese history, this is one of the dramas that I recommend watching. 70 episodes are truly long but worth every minute of it. Is it worth re-watching? I would say so if you missed a certain plot or if you didn't remember certain characters.

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Stunning !

What a magnificent series! It's based on real historical characters, filmed in a reproduction of the Forbidden City at Hengdian World Studios, and uses huge resources. The costumes, jewellery, ornaments and sets are sumptuous. The characters have real depth and interesting development, and the plot is very elaborate. The most interesting are the main characters, especially the LF, Wu Jin Yan, who plays a very intelligent (the most intelligent) and very fine character. 70 episodes (6 more if you add Princess Adventures) go by very quickly, I binged it to see how she comes out of it (if she does).


Spoiler:

The chemistry between her and the Emperor is perfect, she plays with him like crazy. It's so well done that you wonder at the end if she only loved the second lead (Xu Kai) and after having her heart broken, played with the emperor only for her to survive. There's a happy ending between the emperor and her, but we're very sad that Xu Kai didn't survive.

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You don't have to like her but you will respect her

Is it one of the best Cdrama I've watched? Probably.
Great story about the palace life, which involve multiple consorts, maids, eunuchs, guards and the emperor himself.
The female lead is a strong minded woman who can tell right from wrong. Her loyalty, determination and creativity made me respect her, even if at times I didn't like her ways. I think she is one of the best FL like ever, as she is also smart, hard working and confident.
Also, the drama is full with other interesting charcaters, sub-stories, heartbreaks, betrayals, intrigues and friendships. I was hooked from the start and it became even more interesting as I continued to watch (I did skiped through some episode at some point, because I was eager to know what will happen next).
I also really loved the setting and costumes, it's the first time I watched a drama about those times and everything looked majestic to me.
(I gave it a 7 in rewatch value because it's a long drama so I personally probably won't watch all of it again).

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must watch

stumbled upon 2 trailers on youtube. searched for the real thing and saw the scary "70 episodes lasting 45min". thought for myself "no, won't do it".... then was enable to forget the trailers. decided to give it a try and drop it if the first couple wasn't appealing. watched one, then 2, then 5 in a row. and thought for myself "I am so happy there is 65 more left!"

it's just so catching! I watched all 70 episodes in 9 days. slept very late twice doing so. really, be careful and strongly plan your viewing schedule. otherwise it will mess with your sleeping time.

it's just an other palace story, with intrigues and bad guys. the main character is very unique though. I was a little disappointed with the 2 last episodes, but nothing really bad. the journey was enchanting because the character development is so well done! really a must watch.

when to watch? there is some violence and the relationships between the characters are very complex. it is still suitable for teenagers over 15. the complexity of the story can lead to very interesting conversations with relatives and friends. so watch with them!

(spoilers in my comment bellow, come and let's talk about it after you watch)

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Excelente! ?

Muito, mas muito bom!
Excelente! Ele entrou no "top one". 70 episódios maravilhosos, se tivesse mais cem episódios, eu ainda veria. Ele não é nada cansativo, história envolvente você não sente passar enquanto vê, sem lenga lenga e a protagonista é a melhor que já assisti na vida! Ela é muito cativante, sagas, muito raposa astuta, inteligente e estratégista. Não é bobinha e muito menos submissa, não ela faz todo mundo que faz mal pra ela, e pro entes queridos dela pagar caro pela maldade!!! Era lindo de ver ela fazer o imperador comer na mão dela, apaixonado. Me diverti demais assistindo, e quando terminei, corri pra ver a continuação no Netflix. Lamento não ter mais temporadas. O figurino é sublime, lindo demais! Os cenários tbm. Drama muito bom!

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Strong female lead!

Excellent drama! Unlike most historical or period c-dramas and k-dramas, the female lead is strong minded, strong willed, knows what she wants and isn't afraid to speak up for herself and others. In other words, she isn't a damsel in distress constantly making mistakes and looking for the male lead to save her. Additionally, the script writer did an excellent job, as there isn't any super long and unnecessary conversations between the characters. I also like the fact that the plots are not dragged out for 30 episodes; each scandle is resolved within 2 episodes and I love it! This is the type of historical drama I dreamed of, but to be honest I am shocked that I found. For example, when the female lead actually defends herself, take actions, and doesn't back down, I am pleasantly surprised because I am not used to this level of female confidence in c-dramas. I love it! I was turned off by the king's character, but realIstically, in every culture throughout history, kings most likely acted like this king (e.g. rude, arrogant, hasty, etc). So, while I hated his character at first, I've grown to be okay with it because it's a realistic character trait of kings throughout history. I am currently on episode 23, at the 36 minute 45 second mark to be exact and the queen's brother as fine as he is, just made a stupid mistake. I had to pause, to remember that it was culturally acceptable back in those days to disregard women, and slaves. So I decided to write this, while I allow my emotions to cool down.

GREAT DRAMA
GREAT ACTORS
GREAT WRITING
GREAT FILM QUALITY (RESOLUTION)

Edited on 5/6/21:
One thing that kind of throws me off a bit is the fact that the emperor was going to rape the main lead but she was able to get away. She ends up falling in love with the emperor who wanted to rape her, and him with her. Most dramas have some level of toxicity but this is problematic because it romanticized rape, which is the reason why I dropped the rating from 9.5 to 9.

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"Being powerful is better than relying on those in power. "

Story of Yanxi Palace is one of the best-known dramas to have been produced in Mainland China. I was scared to pick it up- there were too many episodes, sounded too dramatic, bald guys, controversies, etc. I have never watched a drama with harem politics so this was completely unknown territory for me. I'm super glad I gave this so much of my time as this drama is nothing short of a rollercoaster ride.

PLOT:
It's complicated as heck. I was rooting for the female lead- Wei Ying Luo right from the get go. It reminded me a lot of Empress Ki in the aspect of a palace maid becoming the Empress of China. However, here the focus was more on her survival than the journey to royalty itself. The female lead is one of the best I have seen in any drama and she was badass, smart, witty and fearless. She's a modern woman by mind stuck in an older era. It was amazing to see how she navigated grueling circumstances and braved the storm. She has a cold heart as she values herself over others but possesses a keen sense of justice and her own way of viewing the world. Her character was deeply complex and it was interesting to her many sides. She was a protective sister, a loyal servant, a calculated lover and a fierce friend. I loved her relationship with Fuheng and also with the Empress, Empress Dowager and the Emperor himself. I couldn't hold back celebrating every time she triumphed over evildoers. She is really never scared of anything nor does she run away from any challenge.

CHARACTERS:
I've already described Ying Luo quite a bit. My next favourite characters were easily Ming Yu and Fu Heng. Ming Yu had an excellent development from evil to a supporting friend. Fu Heng was typical second lead and he succeeded in making me feel sorry for him the end. The Empress is a saint but a fool, however I loved how much she valued our female lead's service to her. The Emperor was funny at times but he was always authoritative and manipulative. I couldn't really get invested in the love story as him bedding several women made me uncomfortable as heck. I've seen Concubines in other dramas too, but never as many as in this one. The other enjoyable characters were Consort Gao and Xian- who were wonderfully wicked and never fell short of tricks to play.

ACTING:
The cast all did an excellent job at their roles. I'm super impressed with Wu Jin Yan as she played Ying Luo with perfection and no one could have done better. I was surprised to see Charmaine's role being major in this drama. She nailed the emotions and many sides to her character also - especially the twisted one. Xu Kai was lovable as Fu Heng and I'm glad he shot to stardom with such a good role in the start of his career. The others were also quite good- including the Emperor, Empress, etc.

OTHER THOUGHTS:
I know this is a historical story, but the portrayal of women in general was a little heartbreaking. They portrayed everyone as evil in the harem and there was a dialogue about self-interest being the only interest in the Forbidden City. The women are all cunning, scheming and ready to backstab each other. The Emperor treats women as object of desire and eyes our female lead as " has to made attainable by any means". Thankfully, the female lead manages to find people who give her comfort but it shows those times very bleak. It was also inspiring to see a woman stand up for herself and gives a good message about being independent and standing tall among men. It's a very feminist take on the historical times. The creative liberty the writers took clearly shows. I wish Fu Heng didn't go through what he had to because Er Qing was an evil witch. He and Ying Luo come out most memorable out of this drama.

OVERALL:
I cannot convince anyone to pick up a drama of 70 episodes. However, this is fast-paced, there are always twistsand the plot keeps progressing every episode. It became repetitive after the 58th episode and it could have done without the last arc of the new Concubine. I also wish the drama focused a bit more on the female lead as the Empress, however it continued to be about her survival in the crazy world of deranged Forbidden City inhabitants. I am quite impressed at how it maintained its quality and came out as a top-notch drama. It was well worth my time and effort.

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