Story of Kunning Palace (2023)

Can we have more queer coding and less toxic men plz?

The Story of Kunning Palace has a fantastic premise. It starts where most historical Cdramas end: a despotic empress dies after losing a coup d'état. But lo and behold! She suddenly wakes up, reincarnated in the same life but as an 18 year old again, with a chance to set things right.

For fellow fans of the latest isekai craze that has hit the anime scene, this plot may sound familiar. But unlike the comedic anime takes that places anime FLs in otome games, Kunning Palace takes itself far more seriously. Our FL is determined to do the right things by the people she wronged the first time round and does not mind using some underhand methods to do so. Along the way she (once again) meets the ML who, similarly, has good intentions and subscribes to an ends-justify-the means approach. A perfect match, right? So I thought initially.

Frankly, I quickly lost interest in the political intrigue of this drama and stayed around for the romance. Unfortunately, a gross error on my part. What the drama tries to construe as romance – I can only assume this from the sappy romantic soundtrack – is actually just the ML sexually assaulting the FL. Sorry to be blunt, but that's what it is.

This sexual violence would not have been an issue if the drama treated it as such. But with both the soundtrack and with the ML lead 'winning' the FL in the end, what the drama does instead is normalise violence in a romantic/sexual relationship. Ultimately, this ruined what I liked about the drama – two deeply flawed characters finding each other as soulmates.

Given this situation, I would have loved to see more romantic development with the FL and other characters. Obviously being a Chinese production, there's only so much you can do given censorship (especially recent crackdowns), but there was already clear queer coding happening between Jian Xue Ning and the Princess and You Fang Yin respectively. Perhaps this can be my pitch for a Kunning Palace baihe spin-off :)

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Cdrama Recommendation for Kdrama Addicts!

This is my first cdrama of Zhanglinghe as the lead. I'm not even a cdrama lover but just got bored one day and ended up seeing a post about red flag male leads on tiktok. I saw the poster and strangely i feel drawn to it. Among all the dramas posted there, this is the one that i gave a shot. I said to myself let's just try 1 ep and see if its good. But after first ep i started downloading all remaining eps and binge watched it for 3 days. I got really invested in the story and the characters, especially the leads xue ning and xie wei. This is the first after a very long time that I've gotten so obsessed with a drama. Xie Wei for me really stood a lot! They say he's a red flag but after watching it, he's definitely a black flag. He's character is so intelligent and cunning that he always have plans for everything. Xue ning is also smart and they are perfect for each other. I also like Zhang Zhe from the way he looks at Xue Ning, its a very genuine and warm love. Xie Wei on the other hand looks at Xue Ning with a longing expression and sometimes a bit possesive but he also has his warm and caring side. I like the reverse harem theme of the show and i like that it didn't focus that much on it and mainly on the political aspects of the show. The show is definitely a must watch!

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If we have a chance to relive our lives, can we change our lives? Or is it all fated?

Wow... completely mesmerised.

Jiang Xue Ning was an unscrupulous woman who schemed and plotted her way to the position of empress. But her reign was short-lived as Xie Wei, someone she had once saved, rebelled and seized the capital together with Yan Lin, her childhood sweetheart. As Xie Wei stormed her palace, she pleaded with him to spare the life of Zhang Zhe, a righteous man who had loved, pitied and helped her, but was sentenced to death as a result. She regretted her evil ways and offered her life for his.

She fell to her death, but to her surprise , she woke up as her 18 year old self. Armed with the knowledge of the 'future', she set to right the wrongs she had done. But along the way, things started to happen again as what she had experienced in her 'previous' life. She wondered whether it was all fated. Were things going to turn out differently for her? Would all the tragedies happen all over again?

What I like about this drama?

1. The story was very interesting. Although there had been a lot of back to the past type of dramas and movies, what made this interesting was someone had the opportunity to redress her wrongs. So you would be wondering how things is going to turn out for her this time. The previous and the current lives were very well intertwined.

2. The chemistry between Bai Lu and Zhang Ling He, the two main leads, was amazing. More accurately, the chemistry between Bai Lu and all the three male leads were amazing. What made it more interesting was that it was difficult to tell in the earlier two thirds of the story who she would choose among her 3 suitors, or would she somehow end up with Prince Linzi again, this time against her will? Even though she said to Yan Lin she only treated him as a good friend, but would his sincerity changed that? Would the stern and scary Xie Wei win her heart? And when she and Prince Lanzi ran into each other again, would Prince Lanzi mistook her for his love and rekindled feelings for her? Would she and Zhang Zhe whom she felt so indebted be together in this life?

3. Zhang Ling He was an amazing actor. He portrayed such a diverse set of emotions so well - the evil traitor, the psychotic, the stern dignified teacher, the jealous lover and the emotional nephew when he saw his uncle. He is one of the few actors who looks handsome when stern. And of course Bai Lu was very good too: the nasty resentful teenage girl, an empress full of regrets and the determined girl fighting for the people she cared for.

4. The overall cast did very well with very little shortcomings among them.

5. The costumes were beautiful and the backdrop was good.

6. The drama started with the scriptwriter not wanting to end the story as a tragedy was interesting: a departure from a scriptwriter drawn into the story as one of the characters. Also, this hit a note with me as I dislike tragedies which left me unhappy.

7. Although an intense drama, there were light-hearted and seriously humorous moments, for example when the carriage driver flipped the carriage curtains only to revealed Xie Wei kissing XueNing, to her stunned father, in old conservative China. And the way the fake Dingfei made fun of his 'father' was rather amusing. When his annoyed 'father' told him he was a disgrace to the family, he gleefully offered to change his surname to Yan (the rival family), and I burst into laughter.

8. There were touching memorable moments, for example the series of events leading to Yan Lin going into exile - Xie Wei recited a poem at Yan Lin's coming-of-age ceremony - the poems were all hinting at what was to come - and his playing the qin at the city gate when he was exiled.

8. This was one of the few occasions when I actually liked the ending. There were the last moment twists.

What I dislike about this drama?

1. There were some comments on Mydramalist about flashing bright light in the background but I was so engrossed in the story that I did not notice.

2. Music was generally good and two of the theme songs were melodious, but not outstanding. I must say music standards seemed to have deteriorated in dramas released since the pandemic. I did not come across many outstanding pieces that left a lasting impression except for those in Till the End of the Moon.

3. A couple of scenes were rather contrived, for example the two scenes that Xie Wei ended up in bed with XueNing.

What I liked about this drama largely outweighed what I do not like. You can therefore understand why I gave this drama a rating of 10.

This time I made an effort to check on the director and screenwriter as well. The director is Chu Yui Bun whose accolades include Starry Love, The Blue Whisper, The Long Ballad, Skate into Love, Eternal Love of Dream, Ashes of Love. Success of a drama production depends a lot on the teamwork: excellent cast, director and script are the obvious, then there is the editing, makeup artist and more.

To add an advice: don't watch any trailer on how the drama would end. Let it hold you in suspense until the end. Then the twist and turns would be less predictable and more striking.

Finally, it would be great if there could be a prequel to this drama. I was wondering how XueNing became the empress given a domineering Dowager who had someone else in mind for the position, and a scheming rival who more than matched her wit. But the main cast for the prequel must match this drama. Of course, this would be a tall order as I had not seen many sequel successfully completed or had seen sequels which were disappointing flops.

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Trying to change one's destiny isn't easy.

I haven't read the novel, so I came in totally blind. I know a lot of people had trouble understanding the plot, and while it's something some people abhor, for me it was a relief. I don't like it when the writers take viewers by the hand and serve them everything on a platter.

Even as someone who hasn't read the novel, I picked up the story quickly. My best advice : don't focus on what you don't know, but on what you learn.

The story is about Ning'er, a young woman with endless ambition that drives her to crush everyone in her path to reach the highest position : Empress. Including Yan Lin, her childhood friend whom she betrays after his family is massacred. Once in power, unfortunately the Emperor fell ill and die. Taking this opportunity, Xie Wei (the royal tutor) and Yan Lin rebelled ─ for a reason not immediately revealed ─ and seized power from Ning'er's hands. Ning'er in a desperate attempt to save the only man she has ever loved, Zhang Zhe (a righteous scholar and official at the Minister of Justice), who has been imprisoned, she makes a deal with Xie Wei, to follow the Emperor in his death, committing suicide in exchange for Zhang Zhe's freedom.

This is where it all begins, once she dies, she wakes up and discovers that she has traveled to the past. This time she decides to avoid making the same mistakes, to make amends and above all to renounce her thirst for power which destroyed her and those close to her before.

Unfortunately, this is where things get tricky, because she remembers past events, past relationships that haven't happened yet, and she has to change the future without herself being caught in the web of machinations of the Xue family, the royal family, the rebels, the Yan family, and above all, the terrifying Xie Wei.

The plot/story and production:

I'm rather divided. On the one hand, I think the background on which the story evolves has been really entertaining, it's an intense struggle for power and a terrible story of families being torn apart, leading to a terrible event 20 years ago that will set the revenge motivations of certain characters on a bloody path. I don't know how to describe the exact tone of this series, because there are truly terrible moments and great strategies that are however shown in a counterproductive way. I think it's more about the way it was filmed - close up, echo voice, slow-motion, bright colors, humor. I felt like I was watching a terrible scene unfold in the most light-hearted production. There was a clash. I think the drama would have benefited from a production similar to "Rise Of the Phoenixes", "The Rebel Princess" something more mature. But overall, the story is entertaining and engaging, I like following its progress and discovering the web of relationships between the characters, past and present.

Acting :

I think the standout here is inevitably Zhang Ling He, who played Xie Wei. This character is a ruthless snake whom the audience cannot help but root for. He is a complex character, who has suffered numerous traumas, but who possesses an iron determination and spirit of justice that nothing will deviate him from his trajectory. Bai Lu in the role of Ning'er did her job perfectly, and if she stands out less than Zhang Ling He, she is no less the star. I liked that she embodied a manipulative young woman in both her lives, who doesn't give in and reciprocates tenfold attacks on anyone who dared to go against her, even if her machinations are still not the best and sometimes likes to bite her in the ass, so to speak. All the secondary characters were up to the task and convincing, I wanted to slap the antagonists myself and hug the poor characters who suffered. The dynamics of several characters are amazing and touching to discover, especially I liked the interactions between Xie Wei and the Yan family, father and son.

Romance :

If romance is not in your face, it is still very present, but for someone like me who isn't into such dramas, I was not bothered. I even found myself rooting for couples. I'll try to keep it short, but in her former life, Ning'er had three men in her life. Yan Lin, her childhood friend whom she was promised to but never loved and betrayed, Zhang Zhe whose good nature she admired and ended up loving, and the Emperor (where virtually nothing of this relationship will be shown in flashbacks or in the current timeline) that she never liked and used as a stepping stone. Among all this, Xie Wei was a rather distant and abstract presence to Ning'er, she was terrified of this man in the past, and for a good part of the series in the present timeline, she continues to be as she can't understand him. It goes without saying that in the present timeline, she has the same suitors except that the emperor is replaced by Xie Wei this time. The love story between her and Xie Wei is one of the biggest slow burns I've witnessed, while they both have quite a few moments throughout the series, they are overshadowed by the fact that Ning'er is terrified of Xie Wei and she likes Zhang Zhe. It took them up until the very last episodes after the 30th to start seeing him as someone she cares about. And I can't say that the set up was ideal, Xie Wei is demanding, and often takes what he wants without tenderness. I didn't like him forcibly kissing her the first time, even though there were extenuating circumstances due to his dementia, nor all the times he was physically harsh with her. It's not romantic. But Xie Wei is a bad guy, was never portrayed in any other way, at least that. From what I know, in the novel, he and Yan Lin are much more brutal so the writers have toned down in the series even if some of it is slightly implied from the little clues if we know what to look for.

However, I was 100% sold by their chemistry from the second they interacted, but beware it's really a slow burn, who just not cute and full of rainbows.

Overall, I liked this drama, it solidified my opinion that Zhang Ling He is made for more ambiguous and complex roles than the one-dimensional do-gooder. His acting really shined here. The story was entertaining, honestly, a good series.

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What can be said for this drama ?

A superb , suspenseful show that combines drama and Romance involving the politics at its best .
incredible storyline and spectacular acting from all the actors , i personally think till now Zhang Ling He gave the best performance of his career in this one .
the Fl is adventurous , brave and witty , She knows what she wants and isn't shy of getting up snatching it up.
the ML is a grey character who gets pretty obsessive over the FL , he has a dark and twisted childhood. He fights to maintain control of his memories and always knows what to do and how to handle situations .
Also the drama has a host of deep side characters who are more than just side characters , the second ML isn't just here to make the ML jealous but he has his own emotions and his journey towards his career .
the princess has the best character development the growth in her character is great .

the only two things i'm not satisfied with are :
- the way some scenes are directed , I found it extremely exaggerated .
- the death of You Fang Yin makes no sense she died pointlessly to protect nothing , it comes from nowhere , i think it's the stupidest sacrifice a drama character has ever done .

otherwise the show is really worth exploring .

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The most unhinged love story you will ever watch

To start off, let me express that I never anticipated this drama to ascend to the zenith of my watched list. The notion of toxic couples typically repels me to the extent that I adamantly avoid any narrative steeped in toxicity. However, a shift in my perspective occurred after encountering this particular storyline. Now that this is acknowledged, let us delve into the nuances of this show.

Oh, the celestial heavens! Is this not the most captivating storyline I've ever witnessed? My disdain for characters masquerading as intelligent solely based on their aesthetic appeal, manipulating those around them without contributing substantively, is palpable. Yet, Xie Wei and Jiang Xuening defy this archetype. They possess genuine intellect, evident both in their past and present lives, coupled with a touch of selfishness—a character trait that adds a layer of complexity that I find inherently intriguing. They are acutely aware of their flaws, refusing to conceal behind a facade of sanctity. Instead, they openly acknowledge their transgressions, displaying an intimate understanding of themselves. The beauty lies in JX's discovery of love in her present life and XW's revelation of true love through his connection with JX.

Now, let's delve into the characters. Xie Wei defies the conventional male lead archetype, bordering on a second lead, if we're being candid. His relationships with others are a facade, meticulously crafted to showcase only what others desire to see. A loyal companion for the king, a strict yet compassionate teacher for his student, a manipulative official for his colleagues, and a formidable teacher for Jiang Xuening. However, with JX, he gradually reveals his true self, unintentionally unveiling his vulnerability and guarded nature rooted in the fear of abandonment. Love is a foreign concept to him, a sentiment he associates solely with his mother and uncle, while his godfather taught him that love equated to lust. Guarded and afraid, he inadvertently finds himself risking his life for someone else, a prospect that terrifies him.

Jiang Xuening, an extraordinary character, manifests selfish and cruel intentions in her first life, a result of lovelessness and neglect. Deprived of love and care, even her adopted mother fails to provide the warmth she craves. Her pursuit of becoming the most honorable woman in the world as the queen is a consequence of her belief that she could never be important. However, this pursuit prompts her to question its worth. In her present life, she retains self-awareness, relinquishing the ambition for personal importance in favor of prioritizing others. Starting with the desire to protect herself, she gradually learns to love others, feeling their affection, with one exception—Xie Wei. She fears him due to their shared past but also feels an inexplicable pull towards him. What began as mere attraction blossoms into a mutual understanding.

This drama is truly exceptional, and I fervently hope that future dramas can aspire to match the nuanced characterizations exhibited by these protagonists. Their complexity and depth are nothing short of remarkable.

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I love this ending.

Bai Lu, my favorite Korean actress, consistently impresses with her ability to embody and breathe life into her characters. Her portrayal in this drama is no exception; she effortlessly makes the role her own, delivering a truly believable performance. The intelligence woven into the storyline took me by surprise, and I find myself compelled to rewatch it, eager to catch any nuances I might have missed initially.

Zhang Ling He, a relatively new actor with four years under his belt, continues to show remarkable improvement with each project. His depiction of a character with two distinct personalities within the same time period is a testament to his talent. The first episode demands focused attention, and his compelling performance truly stood out. His captivating eyes, a personal weakness of mine, added depth to his character, resonating with my emotions throughout the drama.

This journey was an emotional rollercoaster, evoking tears, smiles, and even prompting me to throw my slipper at the TV in moments of heightened engagement. The stellar cast, comprised of many talented actors, contributed significantly to the overall excellence of the drama. Special thanks to each of them for their dedicated efforts. Kudos to the writers for crafting a compelling narrative, and I'm particularly grateful for the inclusion of martial arts in the storyline. The swordplay was a delightful element that added an extra layer of excitement. It was surprising that Zhang Ling's second persona didn't engage in much martial arts, leaving me yearning for more. Nonetheless, the overall experience was truly worth it.

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Loved this so much

This is definitely one of my highest rated dramas, and this was probably a curse because I started watching it exactly during exam season, oh well... Nonetheless, I found every episode intriguing and enjoyable. The plot is interesting: the power struggle is understandable and not overly confusing and unnecessary like in many other dramas, instead in this one it was quite fun to watch. Ning'er is a strong character, and although she appears to be very confident after having died in her first life and entered her second one, you can still see that she also brings a lot of emotional baggage with her, and she is not indestructable as often seen in other stories that have a rebirth trope. I found the relationships in the story quite beautiful and it was nice to see that there was trust between characters, such as between Xie Wei and the emperor (I think often there is always some sort of backstabbing, which becomes tiring to watch). I loved how not everything went well even though Ning'er and Xie Wei are smart, like things should go wrong but not too wrong either (as I often see in xianxia dramas, which drives me a bit crazy sometimes ngl). Xie Wei is soooo oh my god, not a good person in many ways, but he still took my breath away. And Zhang Linghe's acting was for me by far the best in this drama, better than in My Journey to You or in Love Between Fairy and Devil. Lu Bai is also a very good actress, her dramas tend to be good as well.

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Loved it.

Great fantasy/historical series. The ML totally shined in this series. The acting was amazing, Yes, he was amazing.

I had been waiting for a good one and I totally found it. This is a captivating one. You’ll grow to love the characters even the ones you think you’d dislike. There was action, drama, romance and a little humor. The chemistry was very present between the leads, even before the things progressed. You could sense it. The ML did an amazing job keeping me captivated. He totally lead all the way. His wits, dominance and communication were strong and enjoyable. The FL was great as usual.she was smart as well. Her character did frustrate me a bit in the beginning but she pulled through. Although we have all seen a somewhat similar storyline, I have yet to see one that was this rail, well written, and had so much passion behind the cast. I love the consistency amongst the characters in this drama, and I also love how their character grew and we had the opportunity to see that through their actions and their communication, and let’s not forget the emotions that they portrayed through all of those things.

I love how the story revolved around a redo of events, they didn’t attempt to delude us with major character shifts, however they did show us the change in how our FL chose to interact with others and how that impacted the outcome. It also revealed things that were previously misunderstood. It really brought back to the forefront of how we often perceive things a certain way, but they may not be what actually true. If you are looking for a great historical fantasy fiction, you will absolutely love this one.

Chemistry was onsite everyday. Action didn’t miss a step and the love boat was definitely afloat.

I loved the ending as well. It was hilarious, sweet and cute.

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Far Exceeded Expectations

Going into this drama, I expected it to be good because of Bai Lu. She never disappoints. I only remember the ML in LBFAD, and thought his performance was good. I just never thought this pairing would be as hot as it was.

The opening scene was like sitting at the top of a roller coaster and then the rest was a wild ride of intrigue and passion. What made this so good was the writing, the acting, and the cast. What makes or breaks a drama for me is how the actors portray their roles. I MUST have three dimensional characters in order to keep watching, even if the pacing is slow. Everyone does an excellent job at eliciting emotions here: regret, sadness, happiness, jealousy, anger, despair, and passion.

Speaking of characters, the FL has three, THREE ML's to contend with. Goodness! And they all did such a great job of showing why they loved the FL.

The scenes were beautifully done. I also liked the subtle humor sprinkled throughout and the natural chemistry between the leads. I became a bigger fan of Bai Lu and an even bigger fan of Zhang Ling He.

**I watched this first by myself, and then with my twin who has never watched a Chinese drama. She just happened to watch the kissing scene on YT, and then begged me to watch it with her. She LOVED this! It was great watching this once. It was even better binge watching this with my best friend.

An absolute must watch (alone or with a friend). 10/10.

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Very entertaining

I watched this drama because of the hype surrounding the drama. I was not disappointed.

Zhang Li He's performance in this drama exceeds my expectation. Bai Lu's? She is a good actress and brings value to the drama she stars in.

The story is quite interesting: the main female lead gets a second chance to repent her sins. She seizes the opportunity by ensuring she follows the rules of the game of death closely. This time, she is one step ahead of her enemies or she thinks she is.

At the same time, there is another rival who wants her dead. Will the person succeed?

Will she survive in her second life? Watch it.

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There is no love triangle (or rectangle) but it is the slowest of burns

Dear Romance Fans: don't be discouraged by the early episodes, the love story is a MAJOR part of the show (eventually). This drama is definitely a case study in a slow burn romance leading to an extremely explosive endgame.

Contrary to what some folks might've stated, there is really no love triangle (or rectangle, or hexagon, or whatever). Yeah, the FL has a few storylines with other menfolk, but those only serve to enhance her character development (and the ML's character development later on) as well as drive the plot forward. I despise love triangles, but this didn't bother me one bit.

ABSOLUTELY LOVED this one and will definitely re-watch it again, especially episodes 30-38 :-)

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