This review may contain spoilers
An Interesting Reverse Harem Romance
Chinese heartthrobs Bai Lu & Zhang Ling He are in the news for all the right reasons. Following the success of her Xianxia romance “Till the End of the Moon” and her current on-air drama “Only for Love”, Bai Lu is obviously a fan favorite. Similarly, Zhang Ling He has been riding high on the heels of his recent IQIYI releases “My Journey to You” & “Tiger and Crane”. Adapted from the web novel “Kun Ning” (坤宁) by Shi Jing (时镜), “Story of Kunning Palace” depicts an arrogant Queen’s journey as she falls from grace, commits suicide and transmigrates to the past to redeem herself. Surprisingly, both Bai Lu and Zhang Ling Zhe are playing roles that are morally grey. Bai Lu’s character in “Story of Kunning Palace” might seem quite similar to her portrayal in “Till the End of the Moon”. But Jiang Xuening is definitely different from any of her previous renditions. Zhang Ling Zhe recently played a grey character in “Tiger & Crane” and his “Xie Wei” has similar dark undertones. It seems both actors wanted to try their hands at playing shady characters and, shockingly, they are good at it. Directed by Chu Yui Bun, the show has a star-studded ensemble and is based on the concept of a reverse harem. Yes, that’s right. Jiang Xuening has quite a few admirers in this storyline and the show majorly focuses on her burgeoning relationship with each of them.Read the complete article here-
https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2023/11/10/story-of-kunning-palace-first-impressions/
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Very Good Story
This is Bai Lu and Zhang Ling He are blended well. It is not as good as Luo Yun Xi with Bai Lu.This drama is intense as My Return To You! Suspense drama. I hook on this story. It is mystery solving case than a writer who wrote herself into drama. I notice Chinese drama tended to copy from one story to another to make another story. Therefore, the story is similar. Actor and actress made the different.
So far I enjoy it and it mixes of suspense, humorous, intense, antagonist, etc.
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BEST PLOT BUT A NOT SO GOOD CHEMISTRY
This is the first time I'll be writing review in MyDramaList even tho I'm not new in this website. I just wanted to share that the plot of this story is beyond magnificent. The writing, the satisfaction it gives to viewers, the angst, and everything. One problem is that, one actor was so good at his role that made me want him to be picked by the female lead. Yes, that's you, Yan Lin. I dunno but the writers made sure he'll be loved by viewers including me. I haven't finished it yet so I still don't feel the chemistry between the female lead, Ning'er and Xie Wei or whatever the male lead's name is but I hope I could feel the chemistry in the next episodes. It is slow burn, which I love btw, but I just really couldn't feel any chemistry of the female lead with both male leads named Zhang Zhe and Xie Wei (or whatever his name is, I repeat) because I am really a sucker for Yan Lin. After I finish this cdrama, I'll change the ratings depending if I get to like the chemistry cos that's the only problem with this cdrama imo.Was this review helpful to you?
Incompetent ex-Empress
The female lead was an empress in her last life, and for becoming the empress. she must have gone through rigorous training, and study. I thought that she would be a master in these subjects, but why the hell is she so incompetent? I mean, how is this even possible? How the hell did she even become the empress? Even if someone conspires for the phoenix coronet, they must have talent but how did this useless girl take the position?It's baffling, one would expect her to be a master strategist and adept ruler, given the prerequisites for such a role. However, her current incompetence raises questions about her past accomplishments. The narrative appears inconsistent; for someone who secured the coveted title, her lack of competence seems implausible. It challenges the credibility of the storyline; it left me pondering how this seemingly inept character managed to claim the throne.
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A True Psychological Triller
Let this story be the one to invoke the understanding of what "letting go" means. At this point in the story, the FL feels as though "nothing has changed". With this mindset, she overlooks others' individual actions. This is where she uses her past life to judge everyone's actions in the present, without acknowledging that the timeline change has affected those actions. Could this be a plot hole? Maybe. I do enjoy the irony of it all. Now the ML and FL have the "misunderstanding phase" I wonder how the writers will approach the second half of this story.Psychologically wise, this is a great thriller. Although the FL actions could be confusing at times due to her many personalites. This shows how damning our brains can be while reliving memories of violence. It's not easy to remain rational in times of facing continuous stressors and fatigue.
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This review may contain spoilers
I'm so glad they make dramas like this!
The plot is intelligent and edgy. The characters are layered, especially the male and female lead. Loved the interplay & chemistry among the 5 main characters (female lead & her 4 potential suitors), and not just the romantic ones. Enjoyed following the minor cast like Me Lyu, Fangyin, the 2 martial arts protectors of Xie Wei. Loved the drama opening. It barely took any time to get me hooked & enjoy the gripping ride until the end.Suffices to say, I loved the drama!
It left me with much to think about: what it takes to tow the line between good and bad, where to draw the line for myself.
Spoilers ahead:
The villians are rruly despicable, piling on their heinous acts until there is no scope for redemption. I wonder if this was the intent if the story writers - to push until the point of no redemption & leave no room for doubt in condemning them for all their wrongdoings.
And, never mind the cliches associated with it, I loved watching Xie Juan in the real world, smiling freely for once 😍
I highly recommend the drama if you enjoy smart characters, intelligent plot lines, suspense & well-crafted political intrigue, leads who save themselves & others - yes, the female ones.
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This review may contain spoilers
ok wow. that was intense af. looking back at it, the main reason i watched it was bc of bai lu my queen (istg none of her dramas are bad bad) but the whole main cast is familiar to me e.g. Wang Xingyue and Liu Xiening from Perfect Match. at the beginning, i felt like the relationship between Jiang Xuening (Bai Lu) and Xie Wei (Zhang Linghe) was literally never going to start, and when it did, it was giving very very large red flag ahh toxic relationship. But ig when they both gave in it was nice to see the peace between the all the characters and especially Yan Lin (Zhou Jun Wei) not becoming a villan out of jealousy. Also, the fact that not everyone except for one died in the end was a nice touch when it comes to ancient chinese dramas, quite a shock overcame me when I realized that not everyone in the main cast was corpseified. The ending was very satisfying to me, no exclusive deaths, no cliffhangers, no mysterious reincarnation, just a happy ending with all the ends wrapped up. I was so into it I forgot it was just a reflection of the "real world" lmao. Anyways, a solid 9/10 from me. Bai Lu is amazing. (p.s. through this drama i realized Zhang Linghe really has a sharp ahh jawline, never noticed that before) (p.p.s papa xie wei is a menace to that son of his. ahhhh jealousy....) Was this review helpful to you?
UM DOS MELHORES CDRAMAS POLÍTICOS
É um drama muito bom! Me lembra Love Like The Galaxy e The Rise of Phonexis! O jogo político, a seriedade da coisa, a pitada de romance ideal... quase perfeito! Então vamos lá para a resenha:Enredo: é muito bom. É sério. Fiel a novel. É um pouco fantasioso, já que ele meio que tem que provar que certos personagens são inteligentes e astutos, então inventa em algumas coisas.
Atuação: muito boa. Quase todos estão de parabéns. Achei essa personagem semelhante a que a Bai Lu fez em Till End Of Moon, mas de qualquer forma, é muito bom. Tem um ator em especial que todo drama ele ta sempre espremendo os olhos e sendo robotizado, mas, fazer o quê.
Romance: um terreno meio perigoso. Temos maios ou menos um triângulo amoroso, mas que você rapidamente já sabe qual é o escolhido. A outra opção foi mais um sentimento de culpa e idealização do que qualquer outra coisa, já que ele era um personagem que era a caracterização da palavra "justiça" e que não fugiu muito disso. Trago um alerta que a abordagem romântica é meio sádica, com muita cena de beijos forçados e enforcamento, o que infelizmente parece ser comum nos cdramas. No entanto, de modo geral, como personagens moralmente cinzas, é por esse caminho mesmo.
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Quite an unique plot
LIKEHow Xie Ju An yearning for Xue Ning's attention - his jealousy making him so hot!
When Xie Wei and Yan Mu talking to each other in front of a withered tree - that scene was touching
DISLIKE
Poor Xue Ning and Zhang Zhe - there were always something there blocking their lives
Cannot believe there is actually someone like Xue Yuan - he is so pathetic
Treacherous King Ping Nan - what a jerk and he should die by a thousand deaths
Selfish Empress Dowager Xue and the silly Xue Shu - seriously..
MUSIC - personal fav
借梦 Jie Meng - 周深 Zhou Shen
REWATCH VALUE
Shall re-watch when I'm free one day
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Definitely one of the best
Story of Kunning Palace succeeds largely because of its strong performances and mature storytelling. The male lead and the second male leads deliver standout acting, each bringing distinct personalities and emotional depth to their roles. Their restrained expressions, calculated dialogue delivery, and shifting loyalties make the political tension feel authentic. The supporting cast also deserves recognition, as even minor characters contribute meaningfully to the palace power struggles rather than feeling like background figures.One of the most interesting aspects of the story is that both the male lead and the female lead are openly toxic characters. They are manipulative, strategic, and morally ambiguous, which makes their relationship believable and compelling—they truly match each other in ambition and temperament. This dynamic sets the drama apart from more conventional romance narratives.
The theme of second chances in life is central to the plot. The female lead’s rebirth allows the story to explore regret, accountability, and the desire to rewrite one’s fate. Combined with intense political intrigue, shifting alliances, and carefully planned schemes, the narrative remains consistently engaging. Notably, the male lead breaks away from traditional archetypes: he does not rely on martial arts or physical dominance, but instead excels through intelligence, foresight, and political scheming. This emphasis on strategy over force strengthens the drama’s overall realism and depth.
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One of the best historical /palace dramas!!.
This was such an amazing drama. The storyline is beautifully packaged, there are nuances of romance, sadness, family, friends. The acting of each actor makes my heart moved. Not only the main character, but the supporting characters are also very good. So far the story is neatly packaged, harmonious and interconnected. With all kinds of problems they solve them with a climax and well And well happy ending. You will also be spoiled with luxurious visual effects, with makeup, art and the like. There is also an action part, basically complete. Thank you to all the teams involved in this beautiful drama.Was this review helpful to you?
good story, good cast
i don't watch this genre and started watching because of bailu, i drop if there's no romance,i didn't read tags of this, i did drop and came back to this one got hooked because of mystery i actually thought something big or exciting would happen in the end I mean ml revenge thing but nothing did I still like how the story went and ending,i also don't understand the part where ml is so rude to her doesn't matter how many times he saves her says rude things but will suddenly change when they're dating ?and i also didn't like the forced scenes first showing it like it was because of his sickness then he says he was sober ? i did feel bad for ml doesn't mean he can do anything,I'm not into historical that much so I won't re-watch any unless it has more romance
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