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The turbulent life of Wu ZeTian, the one and only Empress regnant of China
This drama is about Wu ZeTian, the only empress regnant (meaning reigning as opposed to consort) of China. It tells the turbulent story of how Wu became a minor consort of Emperor Li Shi Ming, the second emperor of the Tang dynasty, and went through sabotages and betrayals. She met Li Zhi, the future emperor, went through several life threatening encounters with him and helped him became the crown prince amidst the rivalry for the throne. Li Zhi fell in love with her. When his father passed away, he insisted on making her his consort, then his empress and eventually his co-ruler, against strong opposition. Li Zhi relied on her help against his uncle and the aristocrats who controlled the court, while he was plagued with illness. After Li Zhi passed away, she became the empress dowager and regent, and took over the throne when her son messed up on the throne. Wu was and will be the one and only Empress regnant of China - past and future, since monarchy is now dead in China.Of the 3 dramas I had watched about Empress Wu through the years, I must say, this beats all of them.
The on-screen chemistry between Li Zhi Ting (Aarif Rahman) and Fan Bing Bing was absolutely amazing. I could really feel the love, the anguish and the sorrow at the ‘younger’ emperor’s death. This is one of the very few dramas which managed to make me cry – I am very immune to crying scenes. They are excellent actor and actress, and mega stars. You can see a transition of the emperor from a vibrant young lad to a feeble old man. It is a pity we do not see much of them since this drama in 2014. Aarif also wrote the music for one of the songs in the soundtrack. Aside from excellent acting, the make-up artists deserve our applause - although I think it is slightly overdone in their 'old' age since they were just about 50s - Aarif looked 80 or 90. Aarif’s performance in this drama far exceeded that in Princess Silver; I think largely due to the chemistry between him and Fan.
The costume were absolutely the best of the dramas I had seen over the last few years, especially of Li Zhi and Wu during the last one-third of the drama – there was only 74 episodes in the version I watched instead of the 90+ indicated on Mydramalist. All the actresses in the drama were all beauties.
The opening and ending theme songs were very well written especially the lyrics; it aptly describe the dramatic life of Wu.
If you leave historical inaccuracy aside, this is a mega epic. I think the romance between Li Shi Ming and Wu was made-up and fictitious as there were no historical evidence that they were that loving and the drama was draggy during this part. But between Li Zhi and Wu was believable as historically, Wu did become his empress and co-ruler – evidence of the love and trust of her, aside from her beauty and intelligence. Wu arranged to be buried next to Li Zhi, farther evidence of her reciprocating love. If I were to rewatch the drama, I would likely start from the latter. Also, there was a wordless stela on her grave – I had the privilege of visiting her grave during a tour in China.
Putting aside the historical inaccuracy, I give this drama a perfect 10.
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What impressed me most was the special effects and the cast acted well.
You would see how the main character, Xiao Yan, overcame the schemes and attacks of his enemies with unexpected help through the drama. At every crisis, you wonder how was he going to get through this one.
You would might be reminded of Harry Potter, Jumanji, Alice in Wonderland, so in terms of originality, it did not measure high.
The drama was interesting but lacked an element of surprise and mystery. It was very clear who were on the good side and who were on the bad, so there was not much of a surprise. However, it made you clutch your fist when the bad guys were winning and were blaming and punishing the good guys for crimes they did not commit. You feel like punching them, if only you were there.
The title translation 'Fights break Sphere' is terrible. 'Battle through Heaven' without 'the' would be much better.
The final battle was exciting but the attempt to turn out a surprise at the very end did not work too well. Many Chinese dramas have terrible endings - perhaps you should start the story with the end in mind.
I would rate it among the top league although not quite in the ultra top like The Untamed, Nirvana in Fire or Ten Mile Peach Blossom - they set a standard difficult to beat.
But as you know this is the first season, so you would expect a sequel and an ending that was not conclusive.
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However, if the script was properly written, this sequel could have been folded into the first series, with much less draggy moments and flashbacks in the first series.
Of course, by this stage, there were not much surprises except for what the demon beast was about and whether it and Bi Yao could be resurrected.
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The story is quite cliche. Boy met girl and fell in love with her but she was in love with someone else. In turn, another girl was in love with him and determine to stop any love blossoming between them. Further down the drama, he discovered that there was much more behind his infatuation with her. Basically, romance dramas always involve triangles or multiple triangles. As a backdrop to this romance, there was the ambitious monarch who was out to sabotage and invade the rival tribe and disrupt the peaceful lives of the people. And some people were not quite what they appeared to be. I guess I can draw some parallel in life with these - that is why dramas are always fabricated along these themes - although real life stories are seldom as dramatic, thankfully. It is the variation in the story that keep you wondering how things are going to turn out that keeps you following.
There some weaknesses in the story. The lead female character Yi FuLing was pretty stupid - she was always trying to help but instead made situations worse. The same went for Yu Huan Zhen who could not figure out the situation, was dogmatic with his beliefs and was made use of by evil minded people. However, bearing in mind that they were teenage characters, we can understand the impetuousness.
Attention to details is sometimes lacking in Chinese dramas. Some scenes were inconsistent - FuLing fell from the sky, injured her leg and could not walk. When Feng TianYi came along and argued with her, she ran off in a fit of anger - that was a miraculous cure to her injured leg? At least should let her limped away.
There is this stubbornness in the characters - they each insisted on loving the person who did not reciprocate their love - wonder if this is cultural. We get over infatuation - hurt a little when it happened but we lick our wounds and move on, except for some psychopaths who turn fatal. I guess Bai TingJun and Xue FeiShuang are the psychopath equivalent .
A review on this website recommends skipping episode 28 and go straight to 29 if you want a happy ending and I did. I am wondering what is in 28 - I may go back and watch it but I am happy I went straight onto 29.
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Great chemistry between lead actor and actress
I watched this drama a long while ago. All I could remember is that it is a great production. Chen Kun and Ni Ni acted well in the drama. Acting was excellent, period costume was beautiful, scene setting was great. It was interesting to watch how the pair fell in love in the story although they continued to 'fight' throughout the plot. Scheming in the palace for the position of the crown prince is the theme. Story was convoluted and baffling. I could not wait to get to the final episode to find out who eventually seize the throne.I thought some parts were a little juvenile and the sudden switch in people's personalities were not quite realistic - for example the hero upon finding his mother and the decision of the heroine in the last episode. I could not remember much of the music - likely because it was not great.
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An unimpressive start but developed beautifully
My initial reaction at the start of the drama was not great - I thought it was going to be boring. But I hung on and the story got more and more intriguing as the plot thickened, and then the mysteries started to unravel bit by bit as they moved from kingdom to kingdom. Easily the top 5 Chinese dramas I had ever watched in recent years.Acting was great and the character development especially of the hero, Wu Ji, was fantastic. There was an excellent mix of gut wrenching and comic moments. Yang Mi and Ethan Ruan had very good chemistry. The moments when Wu Ji teased and flirted with Fu Yao were hilarious. There were some draggy moments with the story around the general and his silly stalker but not much. It was a nice development too with Fu Yao moving on with her life as her early romantic relationship broke down - quite unlike a lot of Chinese dramas when the heros and heroines kept hanging on their love ones, which is unrealistic.
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This review may contain spoilers
Beautifully interwoven story
This is probably the best Chinese drama I have watched to-date. I gave a 10 for almost every attributes. The acting was first class - leading and supporting actors and actresses were all impressive, besides being good-looking. There was no lull moment. The plot was very well woven. The lead characters, Hu Ge and Liu Tao had excellent chemistry. The heart wrenching and gut rending moments made me cry and I do not cry easily. If I am to find any fault is the ending left me unhappy for a couple of days. The lead characters deserved better. But that is life - not everything ends happily. Later I found out that there was actually a clip which suggested a happier ending - I would have prefer if that was chosen instead.But there were some flaws - the appearance of the white-haired monster and the medical explanation for it was ridiculous. For a historic epic, there should be a more realistic medical case. If this is a fantasy drama, I would accept that. For this I took half a point off the story.
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Nothing much to say
Impressed by Luo Yunxi's acting in the Ashes of Love, I watched this drama. Unfortunately, other than him, there are no other good reasons for watching this series. If it is not because Luo was the lead actor, I would have rated it worse. He was very good. Other than him, acting and production were amateurish.I am spoiled by the epic series Ten Mile Peach Blossom, Fu Yao and Ashes of Love which have set very high standards; this drama paled in comparison. There were some interesting twists in the stories but were rather poorly developed. A lot happened in a short series which is only about one-sixth of the earlier mentioned epics. It was very fast moving and did not drag like the longer series but resulting in a story that was very shallow with too much happening. The story was also very cliche and in some parts, things just conveniently happened in favour of the heroine of the story. For example, the third prince suddenly returned from the war in time to save her from being locked up by the emperor, and an ambassador from a distance country just arrived at the right time to request for a special painting.
The lyrics at the beginning of the opening theme song made me cringed. In general, the music pieces were not that great. This could be one of the reasons that many of the romantic scenes just did not work out. Additionally, there seemed to be no chemistry between the main actor and actress. So the romantic scenes turned out completely tasteless. The romantic scenes Luo did in the Ashes of Love were a lot more touching even though it was a one-sided romance. In spite of a few 'gut wrenching' scenes, I did not even shred a tear.
The make-up artist had done a rather poor job on the main actress. She looked rather plain. Some earrings and hairpins could have improved that.
I do hope to see Luo Yunxi more often in future drama series of higher standards. He left a very positive impression in Ashes of Love.
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Heart rending
This drama was much awaited among Chinese dramas followers and did not disappoint. And I think it is under rated on mydramalist.com.I rate this drama as 60% romance and 40% action. The pace was quite moderate but there were enough events to keep you interested. The battle scenes were intense and impressive, and the interactions of the lovers were heart rending. The cast is outstanding - everyone played their part so well.
Haishi grew up in a village which fished for luminous pearls formed by the tears of the merfolks. As a child, her father died fishing for these pearls and she blamed the emperor for his heavy taxation which resulted in the death of her father. When her village was raided by soldiers, she hurt an officer, ran away and was saved by Fang Jian Ming, a close friend of the emperor. He took her in as his disciple. She chose to dress up as a boy and eventually enrolled in the emperor's military. She fell in love with Fang and so did he in return.
Throughout the drama, it is heart rending. Fang would consistently pushed away Haishi's advances although he loved and cared for her with all his heart. The clueless Haishi could not understand what was going on. She suspected that her Shifu (tutor) was in love with her too and blamed him for putting politics above their love. On numerous occasions Fang sent her away and she was sure she was being abandoned. When Fang met a rival in love and he was obviously jealous in spite of efforts to hold it back - that was double heart rending. As the drama went on, the reason behind Fang's rejection of Haishi were slowly unraveled.
There were a lot of events which would keep you in suspense: coups, rebellion, people who were not what they appeared to be, wars with tribes at the border, internal feuding for the throne, Haishi's attempted assassination of the emperor, sabotage in the court targeted at Fang instigated by hidden political rivals, conspiracies and counter conspiracies, Haishi's participation in the competition for a position in the military amidst a conspiracy to hurt her, her appointment as consort to the emperor, which she resented, and so on. There were a lot of common themes similar to other period dramas involving imperial families but these were played out differently.
There were 3 couples and a total of 9 persons in love. Only 1 couple eventually led a happy life together. The other 1 couple could continue to see each other but had to keep a distance. 2 persons died, not getting the love they were seeking. And 1 couple died in each other's arms. I shall not reveal which, but this tells you that this drama has a rather dark setting.
I wish the director would stop the drama at the 46th episode. It could have ended as: they lived happily ever after, for all. But it went on for another 2 episodes which twisted it into a tragedy. There is something sadistic with either the writer or the drama production community.
All the three lead couples did very well. I enjoyed watching William Chan and Yang Mi as leads - there were great chemistry between them - their acting were very natural. William is one of those actors who looks good even when he puts on a cold stern face. He could switch from a look ladened with a mix of sadness and heavy responsibility to one of relief and quiet happiness - and you can see an obvious difference.
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Burden of the Past
There is no doubt that Korea still holds a major position in dramas in Asia in spite of the rise of China in this industry. This story is very interesting and well-developed - with the story spanning across centuries. The twists in the story were unexpected and very craftily woven. The two lead actors are good looking. Good looking actors and actresses often help.In comparison to Chinese dramas, the male characters in Korean dramas tend to be more chauvinistic in behaviour. This may because Chinese dramas have been under scrutiny not to portrait certain values or indeed Chinese society especially in the larger cities have become a lot more receptive to women's status in the society.
The English title of this drama, however, was very poorly translated. A goblin is an ugly dwarf-like creature. But the lead character is handsome and tall - a complete mismatch. Wonder whether the translator knew this. A better title could be Immortal, Demi-god, Burden of the Past or the like of these.
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Keeps you guessing her final choice
The story is intriguing and acting was excellent. Throughout, I was left wondering what would be the heroine's eventual choice.Being a sucker for the underdog, I was rooting for the 9th lord. He was rich and powerful but had obvious inferior complex because of his disability. Hu Ge has this doleful look that melts one's heart - he is an incredibly outstanding actor. Not many actors can match up to that standard.
I did not rewatch this drama like I did for the Nirvana in Fire, Ten Mile Blossom and Fu Yao, but I would certainly recommend watching for the first time.
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The story stemmed from a boy who acquired a murderous aura because of a sword his tribe was entrusted to guard, and the heavenly Crown Prince who was trying to unite his soul which was split into two. Both had to suffer immense pain.
The drama is good but not among the top league. The story was much ado about nothing. For example, why had the Crown Prince sought such a big detour to re-unite his soul? It had already been a thousand years. He could have approached the guarding tribe and told them who he was, and what he needed and found a more direct way to re-unite his soul without such a huge upheaval.
Also, episode 48 was a big yawn. The group was supposed to be preparing for a battle. Tusu had only three days to sustain his power, yet they were indulging in leisurely mushy conversations and enjoying romantic moments under the starlight. I must have been hardened by watching too much drama - I find them neither touching nor romantic. The romance between Li Yi Feng and Yang Mi were not well played up - failed to stir up any emotion in me.
There were these persistent attempts by people around trying to dissuade the key people from certain course of action - don't do this, don't do that - after a while it became really annoying - perhaps this is the Chinese culture.
The audio on YouTube videos was muted in a number of spots - and one of the theme music sounded very familiar - I suspect there was copyright issues which did not allow it to be broadcast outside of China.
However, if you are locked down in this pandemic and running out of entertainment, this could still be worth watching.
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Power, Desire, and Deception
Gulnezar (Guli Nezha) absolutely commands the screen in this drama. The role feels tailor-made for her. She embodies Rong ShanBao with effortless authority: haughty yet intelligent, calculating yet dignified, breathtakingly beautiful and fully aware of her own power. As the heiress to the formidable Rong clan, she glides through every scene surrounded by attendants and relatives, radiating the confidence of a woman born to rule. She convincingly portrays an untouchable beauty relentlessly pursued by suitors, while remaining emotionally distant and in control. Notably, there are no tearful breakdowns here, which suits her icy, regal persona perfectly. Her chemistry with Hou Ming Hao works precisely because of this contrast: she is the cold, unattainable prize, while he spirals into near madness over her indifference.The Rong clan itself is a fascinating backdrop. Descended from a fallen matrilineal kingdom, they migrated north into the territory of the Han race after the kingdom’s collapse but fiercely preserved their customs. Women are the heads of families, love is free, divorce and remarriage are accepted, and social norms stand in stark opposition to the conservative Han traditions surrounding them. Their autonomy is safeguarded by an imperial seal granted by the founding northern emperor, making the Rong both untouchable and immensely influential. Add to this a vast tea empire, and you have a clan that is wealthy, powerful, and politically dangerous to cross, and also dares to complicate morality.
The story ignites with the grand event of selecting a matrilocal husband for ShanBao. Suitors flood in, each ready to endure a series of elaborate trials designed to test intellect, character, and ambition. They come from every corner of society: heirs of rival tea clans, a conveniently placed cousin, a poor but brilliant scholar backed by a powerful tutor, and Lu JiangLai, a mysterious man once rescued by ShanBao herself. Beneath his humble exterior lies a dangerous secret: he is an undercover investigator sent to probe an old case tied to the Rong clan, only to lose his memory in the process. What follows is a ruthless battle of wits, where public tests of skill are matched by secret schemes, sabotage, and psychological warfare.
For much of the drama, the suitor selection unfolds like a high-stakes chess match. Each move tightens the tension as personal ambitions, hidden motives, and buried crimes surface. An unresolved old case weaves itself into the competition, implicating one of the suitors and raising the stakes even further. At the same time, ShanBao is surrounded by internal threats. Sisters and cousins circle her like predators, eager to seize the heiress position the moment she falters. Every wrong decision becomes a potential downfall, and the suspense builds relentlessly from all sides.
There is a particular satisfaction in watching villains unmasked and crimes exposed, and this drama delivers on that front. My second-favourite suitor, whom I had genuinely hoped might become ShanBao’s alternative should she and Lu fail to reconcile their conflicting duties, is revealed as a villain in disguise. While ruthless, he is also deeply tragic, shaped by circumstances that make him as much a victim as a perpetrator. It is difficult not to feel sympathy for him, even while acknowledging that two wrongs do not make a right.
The final arc turns its focus fully on Lu JiangLai and the revelation of his true identity. His storyline delivers not one but two twists, reshaping everything you thought you understood about his role, his loyalties, and his connection to ShanBao.
As always, I have a bone to pick with the English title 'Glory'. The word has been overused across dramas where the Chinese title has little or nothing to do with it, and the connection to the story is often tenuous at best. It feels like a lazy attempt to copy the branding of earlier successes. Searching for this drama becomes an exercise in filtering through multiple unrelated titles. A drama should stand on its own merits, not hide behind a recycled English name. The translation clearly needed far more thought and care. I would favour something like 'The Tea Heiress' - it's all centred around Rong ShanBao.
Overall, this drama is highly recommended. It offers far more than a simple romance. You get cutthroat rivalry among suitors, intricate crime investigations, the exposure of internal traitors, and a love story forged under immense pressure. Woven throughout is well-timed humour that keeps the narrative lively and prevents the tension from becoming oppressive. It is a richly layered drama that rewards patience and keeps you hooked until the very end.
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Thoroughly enjoyed this...
This drama is not a continuation to Ten Mile Peach Blossom although many of the key characters in the former series are either mentioned or re-featured. You can watch this series on its own without watching the former. It is more of a romantic comedy and more light-hearted compared to the Ten Mile Peach Blossom. There are more romantic and comical scenes while Ten Mile has more intense battle and gut-wrenching scenes. The witty verbal exchanges are hilarious. And the scenes when DiJun is teasing and flirting with FengJiu are amusing. However, you probably need to have a good command of Mandarin to appreciate it - from the English subtitles, I suspect much is lost.It has its own moment of suspense, making you wonder what is going to happen next and it did keep me glued to YouTube and myasiantv.io especially towards the second half. If you are a romantic, you will enjoy this. Dil and Gao had 'come out of age' to convincingly play the lead roles in this drama with only a short awkward appearance by Yang Mi and none by Mark Chao.
The initial 10 scenes are a little slow but comical, and almost look like a repeat of Ten Mile Peach Blossom with FengJiu's attempt to make it to DiJun's palace to serve him and the rivalry between FengJiu and ZhiHe was boring. It would be better if the duration of an episode or two were trimmed from the initial 10 episodes - they feel like time fillers. However, the story deviates. Once you get past these, you will start to enjoy it.
Like most dramas, it has its weaknesses in the story - a lot of the plot was based on FengJiu's distrust of DiJun - almost to the extend she looked like a self-pitying fool. For a plucky and mischievous girl, she suddenly became a fool when it came to matters of the heart. A lot of the gut-wrenching scenes become unconvincing and comical as they are more of self-pitying based on some imagination she was unloved and that DiJun loved someone else.
Dil is ravishingly beautiful as FengJiu and Gao is dashingly handsome as DiJun with the white hair and purple/white robes. Good looking leads are often key success factors for a drama or movie.
We all like a happy ending - I certainly do - I watch drama to enjoy it not sadden by it and I avoid tragedies. I always check that before I start any drama these days after suffering a few sad days with some other tragedies.
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A Rich Brat, A Detective Badge, and a Deadly Mystery
Jin Yi Su is the second son of Jin Myeong Cheol, chairman of a powerful conglomerate. Unlike every other chaebol heir in K-drama history who is busy plotting corporate takeovers, Yi Su has zero interest in the family business. He happily leaves that burden to his elder half-brother and instead indulges his obsession with detective novels, crime dramas, and elaborate role-playing police raids that cost more money than most people earn in a year.Then fate intervenes.
While chasing a criminal, Yi Su ends up tackling and subduing the suspect. Unfortunately, Detective Lee Gang Hyeon arrives just late enough to draw the wrong conclusion and arrests the wrong man. Once the misunderstanding is cleared up, the police somehow decide that the best way to apologise is to recruit the billionaire playboy into the homicide division.
A bit far-fetched, that is how police hiring works in this drama. The result is comedy gold.
Gang Hyeon spends much of the early episodes trying to keep Yi Su away from investigations, but pushing aside a chaebol heir with unlimited money, unlimited free time, and unlimited curiosity proves impossible. Soon, the reluctant team finds itself solving murder of a famous artist, suspicious accidents of an old man, mysterious deaths of a CEO, and crimes involving a terrifying cult organisation.
What makes the drama work is that Yi Su is not merely comic relief. Beneath the flashy clothes, endless confidence, and attention-seeking antics lies a genuinely intelligent investigator. Gradually, the team begins to realise that the spoiled rich brat they initially despised actually has useful instincts and impressive investigative skills.
Ahn Bo Hyun absolutely shines as Jin Yi Su. He perfectly captures a character who is equal parts peacock, man-child, genius, and wounded son. Yi Su loves showing off and being the centre of attention - the absolute flex, but beneath that charming playful facade is a lonely boy who lost his mother at a young age and harbours deep resentment toward his father.
The drama cleverly blends comedy, detective mystery, thriller, corruption, politics, and friendship into one surprisingly addictive package. One moment you are laughing at Yi Su spending absurd amounts of money and resources to solve a problem. The next, you are watching a tense murder investigation.
And of course, every good detective story needs a central mystery.
For Yi Su, it is the death of his mother. He has always believed she died in a tragic accident that unfolded before his eyes. But as the story progresses, cracks begin to appear in that version of events. When his father later suffers a similar fate, it becomes increasingly clear that there is more to these deaths than simple bad luck.
Who was really responsible?
Was his mother's death an accident at all? Was Yi-Su's childhood memory reliable?
And if someone has been eliminating members of his family, is Yi Su next?
While the drama is enormous fun, there are moments where reality quietly packs its bags and leaves the building. For example, can a police superintendent really assign a civilian billionaire to active homicide investigations with so little paperwork? Probably not. Still, this is hardly the kind of drama you watch for procedural accuracy.
One interesting point that caught my attention was the discussion around the statute of limitations. A quick Google search confirmed that in South Korea, murders committed before 1 August 2000 were indeed subject to a 25-year limitation period, adding an extra layer of realism to part of the mystery.
Overall, Flex X Cop is not a drama that takes itself too seriously, and that is precisely its charm. It is funny, fast-paced, packed with memorable characters, and manages to balance comedy and suspense surprisingly well. If you enjoy detective stories but would like your murders solved by a rich show-off who treats police work like the world's most expensive hobby, this drama is well worth your time.
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