I was really excited to start watching this series because it just seems so intriguing and interesting. The beginning started off pretty well. I did get a bit of the déjà vu in terms of fashion designer meets person then you know the rest although There is a different plot to it. I got really frustrated watching the series from episode one to 23 because I had no idea what was going on and there were too many side plots that left me wondering who is really who And what’s going on. Although some people may like the whole mystery who done it vibe, I do not. Initially I found this series entertaining until we got to around episode 6. The female lead was being portrayed as a strong individual however she turns into a weak minded naive person and at times she absolutely does seem like she’s lost her mind due to love and needs to be admitted to a mental institution. Just not my cup of tea. I began skipping scenes because it seem like they didn’t add any value to the actual story or plot and after a while it just started to get a little bit boring. The writers have managed to stretch this series out to 58 episodes which is extremely too long for a drama of this caliber. By episode 25 you sort of know which way the wind will blow and watching 28 more feels like to much of a commitment for this relationship. Can’t recommend this to my romantics, not at all. Giving it a a lower rating because the female changed from a smart and elegant woman to someone who has completely no self control or foundation. Not cute at all. I honestly stopped at episode 38. I really wanted to finish it. I had invested so much time already however by episode 38 I didn’t even care how it would end. I did not care who was who or who would win. I didn’t care who would end up together and who would end up alone. That is how bad it got for me while watching this. The plat guide old so fast and it was no longer entertaining. I honestly could not tell you what the point was. Nothing made sense. After 38 something should make sense but no. In truth the female lead begin to wonder about the real identity of the male lead but by that point for me it really didn’t matter if he was who she thought he was or someone else. But hole storage is ran into the ground and there was no redeeming quality remaining after episode six. This is officially my first time dropping a series after watching this many episodes. Literally. But I stopped once I realized that I was not amused or interested. I let go. If you are hopeless romantic this one is not for you. If you are looking for action this one is not for you. If you’re looking for some amazing chemistry this is not for you. If you’re looking for a budding romance this is not for you. If you’re looking for cute banter between the leads this is not for you. If you’re looking for confusing revenge you’ll enjoy it.

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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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Don’t do it!

Do not watch this. This has to be one of the most saddest things that I have ever watched. I really thought that it was about a husband and wife that lost their spark, but it was so much more than that which makes it even sadder. This was more, about one person settling for someone they’re comfortable with while not truly having a real physical connection to them. The synopsis makes it seem like the spark left, but what we actually see is a lack of genuine interest in the person because the relationship was one of comfort or shall I say logic rather than real connection or desire.
I will admit one person has the feelings but the other one didn’t. As a woman and human, I feel disheartened and completely sad how they ended it.


Spoilers below



this woman was married to the man who had no actual desire, physically to be with her. He was with her because he was comfortable with her not because he was attracted to her. Although she was physically attracted to him. He actually cheats on her too ?. Throughout the series, we watch her grow closer to someone else who does really have an interest in her. She discovers that her husband does not like her in that way and finally decide to leave. She then proceeds to get a divorce, but decided not to develop the other relationship with a person that really had an interest in her. Later she instead goes back with her ex, who honestly wasn’t attracted to her. I’m assuming she went back out of comfort. Also, things like this may happen in real life. No one actually want to see anything like this actually happened. It’s just one of those things that is not really enjoyable to watch. It’s not like a break up or make up. This lady literally went back to a person who had no intimate feelings for her. She was physically and emotionally lonely for so long but because she loves him she goes back. Why? I have no idea, and I don’t care, and I regret watching it . That was so sad, so I absolutely can not recommend this to anybody. What was the point?

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Give me my time back

I should have known from episode 1 that this series was not for me. I love fairy tales, happily ever afters, empowering, concrete endings and etc but I can also enjoy a decent bitter sweet series but this one was one of the worst experiences for me in the supposed romantic genre. In all fairness, just because the word love is in the title should not grant automatic permission to be placed in the romance genre. Whew!!! This was a depressing toxic mess.

We have a male and female lead who clearly like each other but they never get together. Why? The FL got issues…….
Just because she’s calm and quiet doesn’t redeem her at all.

ML like female lead, very evident. She goes through great lengths to push him away, only to slightly give hope again. So what you’ll view is a man in love with a woman getting disregarded, then given hope, then being hurt and pushed away. No dating. Just a guy falling in love with someone who got emotional issues. Never really getting accepted.

From the female standpoint she didn’t do anything g wrong by not being with a guy.

From a viewers standpoint we watch a sincere mans ‘ affections get trampled. The end.


There’s no healthy love here. There’s no dating. This is one of those experiences someone has gone through that you remember but it’s certainly not something you’d want to watch.

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Wow!

You do not want to miss this. This series was absolute gem. The truth is I actually binge watched it. Unfortunately that mean I was up all night because I was totally pulled in. I have to admit that this was one of the best lakorns that I have watched. On one point I feel very good about this. On another point I feel bad that I enjoyed it so much because it was one I had to do it revenge. I really do not enjoy revenge movies or series of any crime but this one had me like screaming yes. The action kept you engaged. From beginning to end and I honestly could not tell how it would play out but there was definitely a consistent plot. It was somewhat similar to time travel series that I’ve seen in the past but the plot itself was very unique in the sense that there was a lesson to be learned from it. There was absolute character growth throughout this series and I really mean that. There was a hint of romance but the series itself is not solely focused on the romance. I highly recommend it. You will not be disappointed.

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I won’t lie. I watched up to episode 18 and then skipped a few, then watche to episode 42 and then went right to the ending. It was just too long and boring. There was action but it wasn’t good action, well at least I wasn’t impressed with the fight scenes. There was no big conflict, just plotting. SMH. Everything about this series screams outdated, the wardrobe, the way the cast speaks, the scenery, video quality. If I didn’t know the air date, I would have assumed this was filmed in the 80’s. At first, I honestly thought this was an old Kong fu movie. The actors are a little older and they speak in that sharp manly tone, the wardrobes seemed fine for some but others it’s weird. I saw a scenery that had a garden but it wasn’t grass. It was turf grass clearly overlapping. Most of the cast are 30+ so don’t expect some youthful romance. The intro music is an indication of the type of series you’re getting yourself into. If you like long slow burners you may like this. Be warned, this is not on the level of yanxi palace or legend of Dugu, this one here is not as entertaining. There was no chemistry between anyone, no romance, no major plot except for getting the throne or keeping it. No big surprises or surprise ending. Just your good old fashion c-drama that most have grown to hate.

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Thought I would feel great but this was depressing.

Initially when I started watching it I found it entertaining and exciting with many aspects of sweetness to it. Our two main leads were very hard-working, loyal and sweet. Unfortunately that changed. Let me be clear my rating rating is not meant to say that the series is not good. My rating is based off of a personal preference and my own opinion of what I felt while watching the series. To sum it up, this series is a real world thing that happens every day.

Good relationships in the beginning. About halfway through the series all the relationships crashed and burned and deemed unredeemable. NOT an exaggeration!!!!
Our leading females went from happy to sad & struggling and they stayed that remaining 20 episodes. Not an Exaggeration!!!! Although one of them appeared to come out her slump, you still couldn’t feel any real happiness.


For me I don’t normally watch this type of series but I absolutely love shows that have a strong female lead. This series has one however it’s one of those shows where the domino effect happens. One thing happens and then another thing happens and none of it is good, but you keep watching because you’re hoping for some sort of gratification, revenge or ANYTHING that gives your character justice. It sort of happened, kinda, I think near the LAST episode!!!

It’s definitely a real world series however many may not like it because it has a somewhat melancholy vibe and gets really depressing. It is not upbeat and there is really not a good source of romance here. I personally didn’t like it so much because the series is more like a harsh reality of the struggles people trying to establish themselves in the business world and manage their marriage and relationships experience. Again it is just a harsh reality! Many may not like it because they already deal with this stuff every day; who wants to watch somebody else struggle and not overcome it. And that’s absolutely what you get here watching people struggle and fail. I personally watching things that leave me feeling empowered, hopeful, encouraged or gives enlightenment.

There is lots of backstabbing and plotting. The good people suffer, dig themselves up and then suffer again. Sadly this goes on for a very long time. The betrayals are relationship based and unredeemable, so attachment to any relationships is not good.

Would I watch this again? Absolutely not. Why? It was slow, somewhat depressing and not very gratifying.
Would I recommend the series to anyone? Not to my hopeless romantic’s but I would recommend it to people that like melancholy or melodramatic series.
What did I like most about this series? The female lead was hard-working and loyal.
What I dislike about this series? It was slow and our villains seem to win 99% of the time. Very anticlimactic. Somewhat open ended. Not a happy ending just and ending.

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When I say this was unentertaining I honestly mean it was unentertaining. Maybe it’s just me but I was expecting so much more than what I got from the series. Initially I got a positive vibe from this series based on episode one. The first episode was very upbeat. Our female lead was outgoing , somewhat adventurous and most certainly smart. Our male lead of course was a younger individual as well and had not yet come into his full character yet. I decided to give it a go and I somewhat wish I had not. Don’t get me wrong it wasn’t awful, it just wasn’t fun or fun to watch.
I will admit that the scenery, wardrobe as well as the music was perfect. I did pick up on some of the harmonic sounds from the story of Ming lan and I got a little bit excited however this is not the type to series. There was nothing witty about this series. No genius moves made. No outwitting anyone intellectually took place. There is nothing heartfelt about this series. There was nothing remotely romantic. That being said our two leads had zero chemistry. I can only assume that this has something to do with the writers attempting to depict real life events.
Well anyway there was zero chemistry. That had about as much chemistry as oil in water. There was no bickering but there was a sense of camaraderie. And what I mean by that is they each maintain their independent role. The female lead was honestly seen and treated as a colleague for the majority of the series. Truthfully speaking the emperor made an attempt to connect with our female lead in the beginning however for whatever reasons she did not appear inviting. So he merely gave up after a few tries and just honestly treated her like a coworker the entire series. I honestly am not exaggerating.
I waited so long for the Episode that somewhat reflected the synopsis of the series however I am currently at episode 45 in the series and I have yet to see our young princess meet her supposed future husband. At this point I’m not even sure if that’s going to show in the series. With all that said I think that they totally need to redo the synopsis of this series because it is absolutely misleading.

My honest synopsis about this series: it is about a man who became emperor and the empress that was chosen for him.
It most certainly reflects how they function as individuals because there was nothing remotely reflecting a power couple or team effort from them at all. What I saw was the empress making wise choices and the emperor making what he believe we’re wise choices. I no there were many comments about how he disregarded the empress and how she really cared for him but after watching 45 episodes and I honestly can’t see any of it. It’s more like two people accepted their fate and just chose to continue on how they were going. And that’s exactly what they did. I do believe that the series can actually cast without one of the leads and it will still be exactly the same.

If you’re looking for historical drama to watch you may like this one. However if you’re looking for something stimulating you won’t find it here. If you’re looking for something slightly romantic, you won’t find it here if you’re looking for something that is upbeat you will not find it here. If you’re looking for something heartfelt look someplace else you will not find it here. With that being said I understand it is so easy to get sucked in by the image that is portrayed with the series and also the cast members but be warned there is no chemistry between our leads, no warmth, heartfelt moments, no witty things, no genius plotting. FYI, there is one crazy concubine who is generally allowed to act the way she likes but that too is not cute. Not in the least. Also I am convinced that empress will live her life as a virgin empress, no kiss, no real hug. Nothing. Just so sad.

Completed the series, something happened but it was still sad. The last 10 episodes are more entertaining but sad too.

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Romance fanatic beware. If you are into long-suffering and often one-sided love you may like this, but if you need a sweet, snuggly love, steer clear. I enjoyed the concept of an endearing love in terms of the person only loving this one person their whole lives and really pursuing it with everything they have.

The series revolves around a group of friends. And it covers their lives from high school, through college and apparently into adulthood. It is presented in a different sense. It starts out in the present and during episode one it takes you back into the past. 95% of the series revolves around their past and the last few episodes takes you back to the present. So it’s kinda like telling the story in reverse or catching you up to speed on how they got where they are.

The 2 Leads really seem to have a genuine chemistry when they were around each other however it was often offset by the FL character or script which was an individual that really did not appear to have any passion or display any type of emotion. One hand you have a male that was very passionate, often displaying immature behavior and some controlling tendencies. Then on the other hand we had an emotionless FL who seemed to maintain the same facial expression the entire time, who never yells, who never gets excited, her voice stays the same the entire time. I believe throughout the series she smiled twice. So the only emotion that we saw from her was a mellow, neutral face and one that was sad. It was kind of bland for a romance series. To sum up her character she is like that daughter-in-law of a rich family that stays sweet to the end. Sheepish.

I know that this show has a high rating but for me it was somewhat depressing. It was definitely a slow paced drama, one that is for mature people in terms of communication and relationships. Let me be clear I don’t need bubbly and romantic comedies but for a romantic series I definitely expected something a little more than this. The first 21 episode consisted of the ML pursuing the FL, genuinely, openly, with everything out on his sleeves while our FL treated him like a nuisance, disregarded him and often looked down on him. In essence, if a girl says she doesn’t like you just leave her alone but of course that didn’t happen here. For me it was a little hard to watch because you know someone really loves the other person but that person is not interested in them and seriously treats them like they have wronged them in some sort of way. But as a viewer we know it didn’t happen so it’s even harder to watch. To correct myself, as youth the male lead was attentive, friendly, helpful and supportive. Then the female changed.


What I like most about the series was the scenery and the music. What I dislike was the lack of emotion and the FL character. It’s never really explained why she what is the way she is and it was just kind of boring. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a show to watch in between something great. I would also recommend this to someone that is a long suffering romantic but not my hopeless romantic or anyone that loves a great worthy romance. You’d be greatly disappointed looking for that here.


overall I gave it a seven because it wasn’t terrible but I really did feel that it was lacking the necessary emotion from one of the main characters. Also it took 22 episodes for the leads to actually get together only to face conflict a few episodes later and then guess, time skip, fairy dust and happily ever after. The conflict and pursuit was saturated in this series, while I felt deprived of the enjoyment of the loving relationship, the growth of their relationship and the cute moments. They had very few of them although the ending was not terrible.

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Perfect

This is by far one of the best C-Dramas I have ever watched. From beginning to end, I was entertained. The acting was amazing. The writing was amazing. The scenery, wardrobe and vibe were all exceptional.

Chemistry: yes, yes and yes. It was resent and it was beautiful. The leads not only looked great together but they each had charisma/flare that just blew this out of the water.

Acting: awesome. The acting didn’t feel like acting. It felt real/genuine. That’s how great it was. They played their roles perfectly.

There was action, mystery, plotting, love, sweetness overload, family drama, war drama. It had it all and they did and making job pulling it all together. I must say it was really refreshing to get a brave and smart female lead as well as a smart male lead. I totally got the “yanxi palace/minglan wits/smart” vibe from our leads and boy was a it great.

Although there is talks of fighting/ war, this series encompasses the human elements, the rebuilding and the restructuring of what’s right.

This is a rewatch for me. In fact, it just finished and I’ve already went back to a few episodes. Even the music was good.

I highly recommend this.

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I have not reviewed anything for a while but I thought I’d just add my tooth in about this one. It was honestly just OK. And while it wasn’t a horrible series I feel like it wasn’t good either. I could understand some of the emotions in the series but I just feel like this was a real dud. The ending was ridiculous. It had that cliché let’s break up and run into each other again and some years, then the end. After all of that it really seem like the female lead didn’t grow much. The supporting cast had better chemistry, better ending and a more intriguing background and story. It truly feel flat.

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Here we have the typical rich male lead with psychological trauma and the somewhat poor female lead that helps him get better. For me it was definitely lacking. Series is titled “about is love” but there was nothing lovely about it. There was no romance, no actual relationships existed. There was three potential couples and no one actually got together until the last 3 or 4 episodes.

Positives: the male lead is not so mean, family dynamic is different, the friendships were awesome.

Negatives: cliche, poor closure, chemistry is off, FL was a college student that seemed very childlike when dealing with issues (ex: running off when someone she likes, likes someone else. Add this with the other poor decision making skills).
. And my most hated thing: evil/hateful person for 27 of 30 episodes forgiven in 5 seconds without consequences. Unanswered issues.

It’s not awful but not great. I can’t recommend this as a romantic series. If you prefer strong FL, I will say she has some attributes but not enough to count. If you want a smart and mature FL you won’t like it. Like I said her personality seems extremely childlike. Male lead was arrogant, but redeemable. He was mature.

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The title of the series absolutely matches the series itself “cruel palace.” I would say that this series like many other historical dramas that surround the palace life such as emperors and all of his concubines is about the same. The only significant difference that I saw in this is that the logic of our female lead was off. What I mean by that is her hate really didn’t make sense. Usually with the dramas like this there was some serious things that happened to the character and you know why and somewhat understand why they became evil but with this one it seem that they took a small incident and made her vengeful. In truth I couldn’t power through all of the episodes. I watched what I feel was a significant amount and then I skip to the end. Bottom line or female lead wasn’t the craziest of a concubine that I’ve seen but she was definitely one that did some of the strangest things I’ve seen. I assume that the ending was fitting for most especially if you didn’t like the female lead.

If you’re looking for historical romance I would not suggest this one but if you’re into historical dramas and I do mean dramas lot plotting, murdering and scheming you may like this one. No fairy tale ending, no redemption (I.e bad guy turns good) nope.

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