Great production
Captivating production. Beautiful cast. The story kept me interested for 30 episodes. It took a couple of weeks to get through it as I wasn’t desperate to watch continuously but 30 episodes watched with no skipping scenes is a huge achievement to be honest. I wouldn’t rewatch but would recommend.Was this review helpful to you?
A female-led revenge, with themes of women empowerment
Stop. I get it now.I finally understand why people love this drama so much.
Going into The Glory, all I knew was that it was a female-led revenge drama with very little romance, and that the romance itself would be a toxic enemies-to-lovers relationship.
Turns out it was so much more.
I love stories where women take center stage, and this drama delivers exactly that. The female cast is phenomenal. Every woman feels distinct, complex, and deeply flawed in her own way.
Best of all, they're treated like actual human beings.
They're allowed to make terrible decisions. They're allowed to be selfish. They're allowed to fail. They're allowed redemption.
From the mother consumed by vengeance, to the scheming concubine forever plotting her next move, to the female lead's half-sister hopelessly in love with the male lead, every woman has her own motivations and desires.
♧ And then there's Zhuang Hanyan herself. An angel's face with the mind of a devil. Absolutely loved her. 10/10 diva. No notes.
You know what I loved even more?
For once, this drama places the blame where it belongs.
With the M*N.
(Get it? It's a curse word. 😏)
Watching each of them meet the consequences of their own actions was endlessly satisfying. As they should. As they deserved.
What I appreciated most was that the story never lost sight of the system these women were trapped in. So many of the conflicts between women existed because they were forced to survive in a world designed by and for men. Instead of reducing them to jealous rivals, the drama shows how that system twists people, pits women against one another, and makes survival itself a competition.
♧ My absolute favourite part, though, was the mother-daughter relationships.
The bond between Zhuang Hanyan and her mother, and later the parallels between Hanyan and her own daughter...
Those scenes gave me chills.
The moment she recognizes that history could repeat itself, and then chooses differently, was beautiful. Half the times I cried were because of those mother-daughter moments. That dynamic gets me every single time.
● WHAT I DIDN'T LOVE:
The male lead.
He's... fine.
I understand his hesitation. I understand why he spent so long trying to keep his distance from Hanyan, and once they were married he consistently stood by her, protected her, and defended her whenever anyone tried to tarnish her reputation.
I respect him. I just never became emotionally attached to him. Even by the finale, my feelings towards him stayed pretty lukewarm.
And naturally, because I never really connected with him, the romance didn't do much for me either.
Thankfully, that's only a tiny portion of the story, maybe five percent at most.
● CONCLUSION:
The heart of The Glory is its revenge, its exploration of motherhood, the women at its centre, and the resilience they show despite everything stacked against them.
Those were the parts I absolutely adored.
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A very beautiful drama.
If you are looking for a sign to watch this, then this is the sign. It’s now one of my favorite alongside with yanxi palace and story of minglan. If I’m not mistaken, this is the only cdrama that I’ve waited for episode release daily because I usually wait for it to be completed before binge-watching, but damn this drama is something. I super love the main leads.Perfect pacing, well-written plot, and convincing acting. Everything is just perfect in this drama. No more long review. WATCH IT NOW!!🥰
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heart-wrenching
I WAS LOST FOR WORDS😭😭😭 i loved this C-drama so much, after a long break from chinese dramas i couldnt find a fun one that i could ACTUALLY sit through, i missed The Double so much and OMG.. if you also love Revenge dramas like that you NEED to watch this cuz my heart is shattered its so good, it reminds me so much of my favourite k-drama aswell “The Penthouse” with the family dynamics and oh my god im not gonna speak too much but the Mother: Ruan Xi Wen HER CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT WAS CRAZY😭Was this review helpful to you?
An interesting drama
LIKEHan Yan so poor thing my god
I love the cinematography so swift every detail, every look and angle
Chai Jing is so loyal to Han Yan
First time I loved Wen Zheng Rong who plays Ruan Xi Wen's character - she makes me have goosebumps when she tried to save Han Yan
The shock when Xi Wen learns that her life could be changed but was stopped by someone
The poor Chang An and Xi Wen
This scriptwriter is so powerful I really cannot take it
Duan Tian Shi’s reaction when he met Zhuang family at court lol
Fu family is so sweet to Yun Xi
That last scene, if you know you know
DISLIKE
Never seen such a terrible character as Zhuang Shi Yang who always find ways to push his blame to others
MUSIC - personal fav
剪 Jian - 李沫非 Li Mo Fei, 吉拉石林 Ji La Shi Lin
焰 Yan - 李琦 Li Qi
刃 Ren - 尚雯婕 Shang Wen Jie
REWATCH VALUE
Five for now
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This review may contain spoilers
I Will Always Talk About This Ending
If I had to describe this drama in just one word, I would choose *painful*.Watching this drama hurts—deeply. From the very first episodes, I found myself crying over Han Yan’s life. Through this story, I could truly see how difficult it was for women in the past just to survive. How they were forced to hurt other women simply to feel safe under the so-called “protection” of men.
From the beginning, I knew this story would strongly highlight feminism—but it does so in a balanced way, never excessive. At the end of the day, humans are meant to support one another. Yes, there are many terrible men like Han Yan’s father. But perhaps, at the right time, we may also encounter men like Fu Yun Xi—men who respect people regardless of gender. In that era, Fu Yun Xi feels like an outlier. He believes intelligence isn’t something only sons can inherit; women are just as capable of possessing it.
In my opinion, even though Fu Yun Xi is portrayed as a rather harsh character, he is also deeply responsible. After losing his wife and later his father, he does everything he can to shoulder his role as the head of the family. He even prepares provisions for his family for a future where he might no longer be there. It’s heartbreaking because it feels like none of the characters in this drama are granted a true “happily ever after.”
The writer is cruel—in the most honest way. This story shows that happiness and sorrow always walk side by side. There is no happiness without sadness.
This drama also contains many plot twists, some of which may feel excessive if we imagine them in real life. But perhaps that’s the purpose of drama itself. Through exaggeration, the writer makes the message easier for viewers like me to grasp.
This story reminds us that no human is free from sin. Everyone carries their own sins—and chooses which sins they are willing to bear. This applies even to our main characters. They all have reasons for their actions. In the end, it all depends on perspective.
That said, I still refuse to understand Han Yan’s father’s perspective. What he did is unforgivable, no matter the reason.
This is one of the slowest dramas for me to finish, because watching it feels like reopening wounds. Too painful. Too cruel. Too heartbreaking. It’s a good drama—but definitely not for everyone.
And with an ending like 'that'?
I guarantee I’ll be talking about it forever.
Dear writer, you are truly cruel :’(
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10/10
My oh my!The Glory!
What an excellent drama!
The plot, actors, dialogues, scenes, costumes … all so beautiful to experience. The twists, bumps, highs and lows were thrilling.
Special shout out to the Actors who did an amazing job! I especially enjoyed the dialogues between the Leads.
This is a lovely watch which I rate 10/10!
The Glory is indeed a great watch.
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Captivating, intense, and Beautiful.
I have watched this last year but only giving a rating and review right now only because I only made an account a few days ago coz a cdrama I've watched really compelled me to make an acc lol. (Its "Glory" for anyone wondering)I don't remember the entirety of the story only the gist of it but remember how much I enjoyed this drama. The execution, the direction, cinematography, osts, and acting are very well done. Although I did find some (like one or two of the casts) acting a bit unsatisfactory, most of cast still did well.
If you want a family drama, this is definitely one of the best ones out there so feel free to give it a watch. Overall, a 9.5/10. Very well made and beautiful drama.
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Riveting. Wish the romance was better explored.
I started watching this without too much expectation and I think this is the best way to approach this drama. The story itself and the acting alone have enough pull to keep you engaged and intrigued right to the very end, which is the strength of the show.Unfortunately showcasing a romantic partnership was not the priority of the show, which is a shame because the chemistry between the two leads were riveting.
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This review may contain spoilers
A Painful Reminder of How Close Ties Can Betray You
Revenge is best served cold, especially when it is against a ruthless father who is prone to killing his own family members!The storyline hinges on the antagonist trajectory between Zhuang Hanyang and her father, Zhuang Shiyang. At first, they seem like a loving pair of father and daughter who were torn apart by fate and misguided destiny. But as we dwell into the storytelling, we unravel past wounds and deceptions that run deeper than most family politics. The misogyny is because Hanyang spends her entire time fighting family members who are supposed to love and protect her. She battles her stepmother, stepsister and lastly her ghastly father who is insufferably deceptive and brutal. “The Glory” isn’t about Hanyang’s journey to self discovery but her sufferings at the hands of her own family. The story is gripping from the moment you set your eyes on Zhuang Hanyang. Born in a noble family, she is abandoned after being branded as a barefoot ghost in a downtrodden countryside. Her foster parents treat her cruelly and when she reunites with her birth family, she suffers unimaginable torture at their hands. It is battle of wits from there, she has to fight off both internal and external forces for survival; this show is one women’s battle against a society that demands subservience from women. Zhuang Hanyang is anything but submissive!
Read the complete article here-
https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2025/04/10/the-glory-series-review/#more-1709
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Revenge Drama with a Strong FL and ML
So, there is no real romance. This is just pure revenge (not saying that is a bad thing). I think the storyline was okay and if you are a fan of historical dramas, you know it will get draggy in the middle lol. yeah I skipped through alot and it seems I didnt miss a thing.I did love Xin Yun Lai fighting scenes. For Chen Du Ling, based on the dramas I have watched with her, she plays her revengeful character well.
Zhuang Shi Yang is one greedy father, his actions were pi$$ing me off.
Overall, I was really hoping for some romance between the leads and not just "liking" each other.
Maybe, we could have gotten a better "happy" ending after all the chaos and starting their own family.
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Ending…
A lot of people have a problem with the ending but I actually enjoyed the ending very much especially the villains ending. That whole scene was really satisfying to watch. Overall, didn’t like the ML that much. Especially his acting and smiles that truly looked faked. A lot of times his face looked like he was constipated. The story is amazing. And the revenge is chefs kiss for me. Apart from ML and the heart pumping hatred you feel for the Villain I really loved this drama and would recommend.Was this review helpful to you?
