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The first batch of Asian dramas I watched were Korean ones sometime in the early 2000s: Coffee Prince, My Lovely Samsoon, My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, and my forever problematique fave Boys Over Flowers (I've watched this one at least 3 times and will probably watch it a few times more in the future, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)
Then I kinda forgot abt them until Pandemic Year One, a.k.a. 2020, which reignited my interest all over again. This post will the first in an ongoing series where I jabber on abt them dramas. FTR, the bulk of what I watch are Chinese, Korean, and Thai series with a mix of things. Occasionally, I'll sneak a Japanese drama. Anyways, let's get started!
What ended up bringing me back is what I like to call the Empresses in the Palace Extended Universe, LOL.
Actually, before I begin, I gotta give a heads up for the following dramas.
All three shows are palace dramas that center around the inner court, i.e. the empress, the wives, and concubines. As such, one of the recurring themes has to do with the emperor's heirs. Subsequently, I have to give y'all a warning that all three shows deal with:
* Instances of child harm--including death by poison, suffocation, and drowning. Nothing is shown onscreen, but it happens enough times for me to mention this.
* Several of the female characters in all three shows have miscarriages. Sometimes by accident, sometimes is provoked by a rival.
* Fertility (who gets preggo the fastest, who has a hard time conceiving, etc) is something that comes up again and again in all three shows.
None of these things, aside from the child harm, are triggery for me, but I'm aware they're sensitive topics for others.
OK, let's go!
Empresses in the Palace (YouTube)
This is a historical harem drama that aired back in 2011 and, I gotta say, it still holds up!
The premise
In hopes to bring in new blood into the emperor's harem, all government official's daughters of marriageable age are presented to him and his mother. The "lucky" ones are offered a place in the Imperial Harem. The losers get a flower as a consolation prize before being sent home. #SadTrombone
FWIW, Zhen Huan (played by Sun Li)--whose father is a govt. official.--isn't too keen on the whole thing, but she's agreed to show up. Otherwise, her significantly younger sister would've taken her place. So Zhen Huan goes to the 'harem audition' with two of her best friends Shen Meizhuang (Lang Xi) and An Lingrong (Tao Xinran). OFC, all three end up among the newest Ladies. From then on, the story follows the ups and downs of Zhen Huan's life as she figures out the politics of the harem, overcomes her enemies' schemes, and tries to survive for as long as she can.
This drama works really well as in intro to the v. specific historical palace trope. As in explaining the rules, depicting everyone's struggles whether they're the Emperor's favorite or not, etc. The sets and costumes are neat and the acting is superb.
I like Sun Li's portrayal of Zhen Huan. She is smart and cool-headed. At times, she has to restart from rock bottom; viewers can't help cheering her along the way. She's also got a super amazing BFF (Shen Meizhuang) who has the most fascinating character story arc.
Oh, and depending on how you feel abt this specific type of love affair, Zhen Huan has a really swoonworthy yet ultimately doomed romance. Like, the second I saw the sparkage between her and her TRUE LURVE, I knew it was not gonna have an HEA, and quickly made my peace with that. It's soooo good, tho. 😭
That relationship left me crawling on the wall, rolling on the floor, pretty much embracing the full power of the emotional highs and lows. The CONNECTION between those two characters… LORRRDE. I think what I liked the most abt that ship is that Zhen Huan is V. AWARE (FROM THE START) how things are gonna shake out. It is NOT going to last. She's MARRIED TO THE FREAKING EMPEROR for starters. AND YET! *Clutches heart*
Although this drama doesn't have what I'd call a "traditionally happy ending", it certainly has a triumphant one.
Do I have any criticisms?
THE EMPEROR IS CRUMMY AF. I was also v. creeped out by him (especially during the second half of the drama.)
OTOH, Chen Jianbin (the actor who got cast for the role) has the poise and regal vibes when the show wants to depict the Emperor as someone who takes his role as ruler V., V. SERIOUSLY.
Unfortch, though, he has ZERO CHEMISTRY with all of the women he's meant to be romancing. I 😬 a lot (in the worst kind of way) during the romantic scenes (which are extremely mild due to Chinese TV censorship.) According to my calculations, Chen Jianbin was 41 at time of filming. Perhaps due to how young the majority of the actors in concubine roles are, he projects as being way older. So, he ends up giving what (to me) felt like slimy pervert vibes. YMMV abt this last point.
Also, this series is LONG (76 episodes total). The pace and story line begins to draaaaaag around ep. 53 or so. IMO, the drama peaks around episode 58-60, tho.
What's the FMC's plot armor level?
LOW.
Zhen Huan's plot armor remains at below 20%. Bad things do happen to her (being mistreated, there are scenes when she's slapped, there are several murder attempts against her, etc). She DOES go thru some v. difficult moments before her luck turns for the better. Maybe due to the drama being so long, the PD team felt confident on giving her the necessary time to regroup and start fighting back? IDK.
How does the show handle the inevitable "Oh Noes, the emperor's in danger of losing his throne!" storyline?
The emperor gets a sudden personality change that coincides with the mini-arc abt him trying to find his actual successor from among his remaining living children. So there are less actual!battles than expected, but way more bullshittery from him aimed at Zhen Huan especially. FWIW, I actively began to cheer for him to be taken out. XD
Do I recommend it?
Yes. It's kinda of a prototype for Palace/Harem drama and, despite the MUPPET FACE of the last 7-6 eps, the story is engaging. I'm giving it a 3.80 out of 5. Watched it on YT (with English subtitles) I think it's also on Amazon Prime and Viki. Full disclosure: I've seen commentary that the Amazon Prime episodes are more like recaps, so I urge you to watch it on YT or Viki instead.
Queerness level
Present but subtle. Per what I saw, there's NO on-screen queerness. However, I did feel in my heart that Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang have V. STRONG queerplatonic relationship. Shen Meizhuang is a true Ride or Die; it's fairly clear that she's not really interested in having a sexual or romantic relationship with the Emperor. However, she actively chooses to keep her position within the Imperial Harem SOLELY DUE to her affection for Zhen Huan. At one point, they are raising a child together in their own palace too.
Sadly, the ONLY trailer available is one with a bad voiceover that is giving the wrong information as to what the premise is. So I refuse to link it. :|
OK, so now we enter a Twilight Zone-esque setting in which the two dramas I'll be talking abt aired within months of each other in 2018. They also were set in the same time period, featuring the same characters, and the same storylines. Both are one generation in the future from the ending of Empresses in the Palace. I watched these two dramas back-to-back which made me feel a little loopy at times, NGL.
Having said that, they do have two differences. One, the casts aren't the same ppl. The real MAIN difference is the perspective. In one show, characters ABC will be villains, but in the other show they'll be the heroes. That flipped perspective was a big reason that kept me watching.
Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace (YouTube)
The premise
Ruyi (played by Zhou Xun) is an 18-y.o. noblewoman who is close friends with the Fourth Prince (played by Wallace Huo). When the Fourth Prince ascends to the throne, now-Emperor Gaozong's wants Ruyi as his First Wife, i.e. the Empress. This plan goes tits up due to manipulations from other people. So Ruyi becomes the First Consort instead--which means she's up in the rankings but she's not the Main Squeeze.
From there, the story follows the usual story of Ruyi and the Emperor being in LURVE, other women doing their darndest to take over Ruyi's position, etc.
One of the drama's strengths comes from a specific character who has a close friendship with Ruyi. This character has the BEST storyline outside of everyone including Ruyi herself. The WAY that character manages to carve her own space within that court without sacrificing her humanity? *Does a slow-clap-to-standing-ovation*
Three out of the four main villains are excellent! I looooved hating on them due to how ruthless and Machiavellian they are. Me: "Y'all doing all of these terrible things for a man. A MAN!" (LOL) I was v. enthralled by their villainy, NGL.
Do I have any criticisms?
The fourth (and last) main villain SUCKS. IMO, the actor cast for that role lacks the heaviness that's needed to show true evil. She is v. weak. Especially when compared to the true Main Villain who played a long and nasty game.
Also, this drama has one of the WORST ENDINGS EVER. I kept hoping against hope that the ending would turn around in time to land properly and yet!
The even crummier thing is that the poor ending was due to RUYI HERSELF!
FWIW, I started watching the show because of her but then, by like ep. 10 or so, I began watching it because of [Character who is close to Ruyi that I raved abt earlier] and the villains. Watching a show for everyone EXCEPT the main character was a new experience for me, but I couldn't help it. Ruyi got on my DAMN NERVES.
Zhou Xun's approach to the role of Ruyi was to show her as a super honorable woman who is extra classy and uses her kindness as a (rather poor) shield. Unfortch, this means that Ruyi becomes the WORST kind of doormat character ever. The saddest part is that there are moments in which Ruyi shows her backbone and outsmarts the folks who are literally trying to kill her. But those moments are too spread out. Which means that she spends the majority of the drama actively choosing to not speak up or avoiding coming up with plans to get herself out of a tight spot time and time again. IT WAS SO FRUSTRATING, Y'ALL!
The most RIDICULOUS aspect in the romance between Ruyi and the Emperor (because the story
.) This is exacerbated by Ruyi's insistence (from the second she becomes First Consort) on wanting a monogamous relationship with the emperor.
Like, she KNOWS that the emperor has a harem AND must get busy with all of the women (however that's all scheduled) because he's gotta have as many heirs as he possibly can. And yet, Ruyi gets jealous and acts hurt when the emperor is hopping from bed to bed. GIRL, YOU CAN'T CLAIM IGNORANCE AFTER YOU'VE WALKED INTO A SITUATION WITH EYES WIDE OPEN!!! Please keep in mind that Ruyi did grow up in the milieu of the Imperial Court. Therefore, she's culturally aware on the importance of the emperor having many wives. So...why the push for monogamy when it's a literal impossibility?????
🙄🙄🙄 Let me move on… 😅
This series is also 87 episodes long and that was a lot of time watching her getting (metaphorically) stepped on by nearly everyone. IJS.
What's the FMC's plot armor level?
LOW.
I'd say it's around 18.5-19%. Ruyi suffers a lot (considering she's the main character).
How does the show handle the inevitable "Oh noes, the emperor's in danger of losing his throne!" storyline?
Just like with Empresses in the Palace, this part of the story was all abt line of succession w/o any war or other armies vying for the throne, etc.
Thing is I HATED the emperor! (hahah). Even now, I'm not sure if he'd been a fuckboi all along who holds onto the idea that Ruyi is his true love for drama-rama reasons OR if he'd been truly in love with Ruyi and THEN becomes a fuckboi as his time on the throne goes on. In any case, he turned to be A COMPLETE AND UTTER LOSER.
Do I recommend it?
I guess? Especially if you go in realizing that the main character is extremely self-sacrificing even when she truly does not need to be. So I'm giving it a 2 out of 5.
Queerness level
Subtextual but I see it. I'm pretty convinced that [Character close to Ruyi] is in love with her.
Here's the trailer:
Story of Yanxi Palace (YouTube)
The premise
Wei Yinglou (played by Wu Jinyan) is a commoner who gets a gig at the Imperial Court with the intention of finding out who murdered her beloved older sister (who also worked for the court) and bringing her killer to justice. Whenever someone tries to mess with her, she gets them in trouble first AND always comes on top. Eventually, her meddling does catch up to her--which leads to her getting demoted. But then, her fortune changes for the better...or does it?
Wu Jinyan's acting has a lot of sassiness that's playful instead of outright mean. I liked her character's first romance (which was a starcrossed one) fine.
One of the most interesting things happen when she finds two soulmates. The bad one is a whole mess BUT her connection to that character is a mirror for her to realize that too much meddling will destroy her. Prior to that connection, she does meets her good soulmate. IMO, the truer soulmate out of the two. It's such a beautiful (if unrealistic) relationship. There's a lot of non-romantic/sexual love between Wei Yinglou and her good soulmate.
Do I have any criticisms?
Well, I didn't finish this drama, LOOOOL. It's 70 eps long and I quit it around ep. 46. By then, the storyline changed into a Wei Yinglou/Emperor thing and I lost all interest. *HANDS*
Gonna try to sidestep any major spoilers to explain this point a little better.
A little past episode 41, there's something that occurs with the sole purpose (plotwise) to lay down the foundation for Wei Yinglou's main romance to happen. Thing is, I wasn't super into the Wei Yinglou/emperor relationship. Their dynamic was shown as "cute": with Wei Yinglou as a brat and the emperor being amused/intrigued by her behavior. This then led to him slowly falling for her. FWIW, Wei Yinglou joining the harem was inevitable even though the character hadn't seem interested in the idea for the first half of the drama.
Once Wei Yinglou became a wife, though,all of her cleverness and self-confidence just dissipated into the ether. Whereas before she'd be more assertive while also giving some deference to the emperor, now Wei Yinglou would spend a lot of her screentime pining after him. Lots of wringing her hands/acting jealous/being actually worried abt no longer being the emperor's favorite EVERY. SINGLE. TIME the emperor wouldn't be able to visit her/spend time with her.
I was super disappointed to see a character who'd been fun to root for DIM HER OWN LIGHT IN HER OWN SHOW (AND FOR A MAN!). #HowEmbarrassing
Legit couldn't continue watching her fretting over this guy and not fighting back the way she'd done in the previous 40 eps. IJS. It was a total sad downgrade for me. THAT SAID, folks who shipped Wei Yinglou/emperor would probably enjoy those moments. IDK.
What's the FMC's plot armor level?
SUPER HIGH
Wei Yinglou was someone I was never worried abt her getting permanently harmed or killed. She had the THICKEST plot armor from the get! I'll admit that I handwaved a lot of the lines she crosses (especially during the first 40 or so eps) cuz I was enjoying the messiness of it all. However, once the story began to turn, I did 🙄 whenever she'd start worrying abt anything cuz I already knew she was gonna make it even if the 'verse had to bend backwards and sideways. IJS
How does the show handle the inevitable "Oh noes, the emperor's in danger of losing his throne!" storyline?
There's some stuff that comes up in the last third of the drama. I didn't watch it, but a friend who did finished it told me abt it and confirmed I'd made the right decision by dropping this show. Basically, mehhhh.
Do I recommend it?
It's a fun watch up to ep. 40-41 and then the plot goes way off track. So I don't quite feel like giving a full rec. This drama gets a 1.5 out of 5 solely based on what I watched. I watched it on YT, but I also know it's available on Netflix. Per what I've heard, there's at least one sequel (also on Netflix.)
Queerness level
There's a character who I read as asexual since [character] is not interested in anyone in a romantic or sexual way. They mention this a few times. That said, the character IS a villain almost from the get go and so it wasn't someone I wanted to root for? Personally, I wouldn't tune in to watch this solely for this ace character.
Here's the trailer:
Final Thoughts
OK, so given the choice to be able to only watch one (1) of these dramas out of these three, I say Empresses in the Palace is the no. 1 pick. Yes, it's the oldest one, BUT it's engaging without jumping thru too many logic hoops. One thing I appreciated abt Zhen Huan was seeing her become wiser as the drama progresses. She overcomes all of the obstacles that the villains throw her way, again, in a way that is satisfying and not too outlandish, IMO.
Meanwhile, Ruyi's show is v. pretty visually speaking. Also, if you like SCHEMING, this is the show to sit thru. 3 out of the 4 Main Villains are HORRIBLE and you'll be SHOOKETH TO THE CORE at both what they do and how they set their plans in motion. OTOH, you just have to deal with a main character who is spineless by choice for most of the drama, and an ending that's a total bust.
As for The Story of Yanxi's Palace, this is the one drama whose tone fits v. well with the present time culture. So I get why a lot of ppl gravitated toward it. I'd say that it has a few things that feel a little TOO contemporary for a historical period drama. But seeing Wei Yinglou get depowered at the halfway point is depressing.
Then I kinda forgot abt them until Pandemic Year One, a.k.a. 2020, which reignited my interest all over again. This post will the first in an ongoing series where I jabber on abt them dramas. FTR, the bulk of what I watch are Chinese, Korean, and Thai series with a mix of things. Occasionally, I'll sneak a Japanese drama. Anyways, let's get started!
ADDING A CUT CUZ I'M GONNA JIBBER JABBER A TON. SO, I'LL BE NICE THIS ONE (1) TIME. :D
What ended up bringing me back is what I like to call the Empresses in the Palace Extended Universe, LOL.
Actually, before I begin, I gotta give a heads up for the following dramas.
All three shows are palace dramas that center around the inner court, i.e. the empress, the wives, and concubines. As such, one of the recurring themes has to do with the emperor's heirs. Subsequently, I have to give y'all a warning that all three shows deal with:
* Instances of child harm--including death by poison, suffocation, and drowning. Nothing is shown onscreen, but it happens enough times for me to mention this.
* Several of the female characters in all three shows have miscarriages. Sometimes by accident, sometimes is provoked by a rival.
* Fertility (who gets preggo the fastest, who has a hard time conceiving, etc) is something that comes up again and again in all three shows.
None of these things, aside from the child harm, are triggery for me, but I'm aware they're sensitive topics for others.
OK, let's go!
Empresses in the Palace (YouTube)
This is a historical harem drama that aired back in 2011 and, I gotta say, it still holds up!
The premise
In hopes to bring in new blood into the emperor's harem, all government official's daughters of marriageable age are presented to him and his mother. The "lucky" ones are offered a place in the Imperial Harem. The losers get a flower as a consolation prize before being sent home. #SadTrombone
FWIW, Zhen Huan (played by Sun Li)--whose father is a govt. official.--isn't too keen on the whole thing, but she's agreed to show up. Otherwise, her significantly younger sister would've taken her place. So Zhen Huan goes to the 'harem audition' with two of her best friends Shen Meizhuang (Lang Xi) and An Lingrong (Tao Xinran). OFC, all three end up among the newest Ladies. From then on, the story follows the ups and downs of Zhen Huan's life as she figures out the politics of the harem, overcomes her enemies' schemes, and tries to survive for as long as she can.
This drama works really well as in intro to the v. specific historical palace trope. As in explaining the rules, depicting everyone's struggles whether they're the Emperor's favorite or not, etc. The sets and costumes are neat and the acting is superb.
I like Sun Li's portrayal of Zhen Huan. She is smart and cool-headed. At times, she has to restart from rock bottom; viewers can't help cheering her along the way. She's also got a super amazing BFF (Shen Meizhuang) who has the most fascinating character story arc.
Oh, and depending on how you feel abt this specific type of love affair, Zhen Huan has a really swoonworthy yet ultimately doomed romance. Like, the second I saw the sparkage between her and her TRUE LURVE, I knew it was not gonna have an HEA, and quickly made my peace with that. It's soooo good, tho. 😭
That relationship left me crawling on the wall, rolling on the floor, pretty much embracing the full power of the emotional highs and lows. The CONNECTION between those two characters… LORRRDE. I think what I liked the most abt that ship is that Zhen Huan is V. AWARE (FROM THE START) how things are gonna shake out. It is NOT going to last. She's MARRIED TO THE FREAKING EMPEROR for starters. AND YET! *Clutches heart*
Although this drama doesn't have what I'd call a "traditionally happy ending", it certainly has a triumphant one.
Do I have any criticisms?
THE EMPEROR IS CRUMMY AF. I was also v. creeped out by him (especially during the second half of the drama.)
OTOH, Chen Jianbin (the actor who got cast for the role) has the poise and regal vibes when the show wants to depict the Emperor as someone who takes his role as ruler V., V. SERIOUSLY.
Unfortch, though, he has ZERO CHEMISTRY with all of the women he's meant to be romancing. I 😬 a lot (in the worst kind of way) during the romantic scenes (which are extremely mild due to Chinese TV censorship.) According to my calculations, Chen Jianbin was 41 at time of filming. Perhaps due to how young the majority of the actors in concubine roles are, he projects as being way older. So, he ends up giving what (to me) felt like slimy pervert vibes. YMMV abt this last point.
Also, this series is LONG (76 episodes total). The pace and story line begins to draaaaaag around ep. 53 or so. IMO, the drama peaks around episode 58-60, tho.
What's the FMC's plot armor level?
LOW.
Zhen Huan's plot armor remains at below 20%. Bad things do happen to her (being mistreated, there are scenes when she's slapped, there are several murder attempts against her, etc). She DOES go thru some v. difficult moments before her luck turns for the better. Maybe due to the drama being so long, the PD team felt confident on giving her the necessary time to regroup and start fighting back? IDK.
How does the show handle the inevitable "Oh Noes, the emperor's in danger of losing his throne!" storyline?
The emperor gets a sudden personality change that coincides with the mini-arc abt him trying to find his actual successor from among his remaining living children. So there are less actual!battles than expected, but way more bullshittery from him aimed at Zhen Huan especially. FWIW, I actively began to cheer for him to be taken out. XD
Do I recommend it?
Yes. It's kinda of a prototype for Palace/Harem drama and, despite the MUPPET FACE of the last 7-6 eps, the story is engaging. I'm giving it a 3.80 out of 5. Watched it on YT (with English subtitles) I think it's also on Amazon Prime and Viki. Full disclosure: I've seen commentary that the Amazon Prime episodes are more like recaps, so I urge you to watch it on YT or Viki instead.
Queerness level
Present but subtle. Per what I saw, there's NO on-screen queerness. However, I did feel in my heart that Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang have V. STRONG queerplatonic relationship. Shen Meizhuang is a true Ride or Die; it's fairly clear that she's not really interested in having a sexual or romantic relationship with the Emperor. However, she actively chooses to keep her position within the Imperial Harem SOLELY DUE to her affection for Zhen Huan. At one point, they are raising a child together in their own palace too.
Sadly, the ONLY trailer available is one with a bad voiceover that is giving the wrong information as to what the premise is. So I refuse to link it. :|
OK, so now we enter a Twilight Zone-esque setting in which the two dramas I'll be talking abt aired within months of each other in 2018. They also were set in the same time period, featuring the same characters, and the same storylines. Both are one generation in the future from the ending of Empresses in the Palace. I watched these two dramas back-to-back which made me feel a little loopy at times, NGL.
Having said that, they do have two differences. One, the casts aren't the same ppl. The real MAIN difference is the perspective. In one show, characters ABC will be villains, but in the other show they'll be the heroes. That flipped perspective was a big reason that kept me watching.
Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace (YouTube)
The premise
Ruyi (played by Zhou Xun) is an 18-y.o. noblewoman who is close friends with the Fourth Prince (played by Wallace Huo). When the Fourth Prince ascends to the throne, now-Emperor Gaozong's wants Ruyi as his First Wife, i.e. the Empress. This plan goes tits up due to manipulations from other people. So Ruyi becomes the First Consort instead--which means she's up in the rankings but she's not the Main Squeeze.
From there, the story follows the usual story of Ruyi and the Emperor being in LURVE, other women doing their darndest to take over Ruyi's position, etc.
One of the drama's strengths comes from a specific character who has a close friendship with Ruyi. This character has the BEST storyline outside of everyone including Ruyi herself. The WAY that character manages to carve her own space within that court without sacrificing her humanity? *Does a slow-clap-to-standing-ovation*
Three out of the four main villains are excellent! I looooved hating on them due to how ruthless and Machiavellian they are. Me: "Y'all doing all of these terrible things for a man. A MAN!" (LOL) I was v. enthralled by their villainy, NGL.
Do I have any criticisms?
The fourth (and last) main villain SUCKS. IMO, the actor cast for that role lacks the heaviness that's needed to show true evil. She is v. weak. Especially when compared to the true Main Villain who played a long and nasty game.
Also, this drama has one of the WORST ENDINGS EVER. I kept hoping against hope that the ending would turn around in time to land properly and yet!
The even crummier thing is that the poor ending was due to RUYI HERSELF!
FWIW, I started watching the show because of her but then, by like ep. 10 or so, I began watching it because of [Character who is close to Ruyi that I raved abt earlier] and the villains. Watching a show for everyone EXCEPT the main character was a new experience for me, but I couldn't help it. Ruyi got on my DAMN NERVES.
Zhou Xun's approach to the role of Ruyi was to show her as a super honorable woman who is extra classy and uses her kindness as a (rather poor) shield. Unfortch, this means that Ruyi becomes the WORST kind of doormat character ever. The saddest part is that there are moments in which Ruyi shows her backbone and outsmarts the folks who are literally trying to kill her. But those moments are too spread out. Which means that she spends the majority of the drama actively choosing to not speak up or avoiding coming up with plans to get herself out of a tight spot time and time again. IT WAS SO FRUSTRATING, Y'ALL!
The most RIDICULOUS aspect in the romance between Ruyi and the Emperor (because the story
SPOILER
flips things up a little since this is a story of how to people fall out of loveLike, she KNOWS that the emperor has a harem AND must get busy with all of the women (however that's all scheduled) because he's gotta have as many heirs as he possibly can. And yet, Ruyi gets jealous and acts hurt when the emperor is hopping from bed to bed. GIRL, YOU CAN'T CLAIM IGNORANCE AFTER YOU'VE WALKED INTO A SITUATION WITH EYES WIDE OPEN!!! Please keep in mind that Ruyi did grow up in the milieu of the Imperial Court. Therefore, she's culturally aware on the importance of the emperor having many wives. So...why the push for monogamy when it's a literal impossibility?????
🙄🙄🙄 Let me move on… 😅
This series is also 87 episodes long and that was a lot of time watching her getting (metaphorically) stepped on by nearly everyone. IJS.
What's the FMC's plot armor level?
LOW.
I'd say it's around 18.5-19%. Ruyi suffers a lot (considering she's the main character).
How does the show handle the inevitable "Oh noes, the emperor's in danger of losing his throne!" storyline?
Just like with Empresses in the Palace, this part of the story was all abt line of succession w/o any war or other armies vying for the throne, etc.
Thing is I HATED the emperor! (hahah). Even now, I'm not sure if he'd been a fuckboi all along who holds onto the idea that Ruyi is his true love for drama-rama reasons OR if he'd been truly in love with Ruyi and THEN becomes a fuckboi as his time on the throne goes on. In any case, he turned to be A COMPLETE AND UTTER LOSER.
Do I recommend it?
I guess? Especially if you go in realizing that the main character is extremely self-sacrificing even when she truly does not need to be. So I'm giving it a 2 out of 5.
Queerness level
Subtextual but I see it. I'm pretty convinced that [Character close to Ruyi] is in love with her.
Here's the trailer:
Story of Yanxi Palace (YouTube)
The premise
Wei Yinglou (played by Wu Jinyan) is a commoner who gets a gig at the Imperial Court with the intention of finding out who murdered her beloved older sister (who also worked for the court) and bringing her killer to justice. Whenever someone tries to mess with her, she gets them in trouble first AND always comes on top. Eventually, her meddling does catch up to her--which leads to her getting demoted. But then, her fortune changes for the better...or does it?
Wu Jinyan's acting has a lot of sassiness that's playful instead of outright mean. I liked her character's first romance (which was a starcrossed one) fine.
One of the most interesting things happen when she finds two soulmates. The bad one is a whole mess BUT her connection to that character is a mirror for her to realize that too much meddling will destroy her. Prior to that connection, she does meets her good soulmate. IMO, the truer soulmate out of the two. It's such a beautiful (if unrealistic) relationship. There's a lot of non-romantic/sexual love between Wei Yinglou and her good soulmate.
Do I have any criticisms?
Well, I didn't finish this drama, LOOOOL. It's 70 eps long and I quit it around ep. 46. By then, the storyline changed into a Wei Yinglou/Emperor thing and I lost all interest. *HANDS*
Gonna try to sidestep any major spoilers to explain this point a little better.
A little past episode 41, there's something that occurs with the sole purpose (plotwise) to lay down the foundation for Wei Yinglou's main romance to happen. Thing is, I wasn't super into the Wei Yinglou/emperor relationship. Their dynamic was shown as "cute": with Wei Yinglou as a brat and the emperor being amused/intrigued by her behavior. This then led to him slowly falling for her. FWIW, Wei Yinglou joining the harem was inevitable even though the character hadn't seem interested in the idea for the first half of the drama.
Once Wei Yinglou became a wife, though,all of her cleverness and self-confidence just dissipated into the ether. Whereas before she'd be more assertive while also giving some deference to the emperor, now Wei Yinglou would spend a lot of her screentime pining after him. Lots of wringing her hands/acting jealous/being actually worried abt no longer being the emperor's favorite EVERY. SINGLE. TIME the emperor wouldn't be able to visit her/spend time with her.
I was super disappointed to see a character who'd been fun to root for DIM HER OWN LIGHT IN HER OWN SHOW (AND FOR A MAN!). #HowEmbarrassing
Legit couldn't continue watching her fretting over this guy and not fighting back the way she'd done in the previous 40 eps. IJS. It was a total sad downgrade for me. THAT SAID, folks who shipped Wei Yinglou/emperor would probably enjoy those moments. IDK.
What's the FMC's plot armor level?
SUPER HIGH
Wei Yinglou was someone I was never worried abt her getting permanently harmed or killed. She had the THICKEST plot armor from the get! I'll admit that I handwaved a lot of the lines she crosses (especially during the first 40 or so eps) cuz I was enjoying the messiness of it all. However, once the story began to turn, I did 🙄 whenever she'd start worrying abt anything cuz I already knew she was gonna make it even if the 'verse had to bend backwards and sideways. IJS
How does the show handle the inevitable "Oh noes, the emperor's in danger of losing his throne!" storyline?
There's some stuff that comes up in the last third of the drama. I didn't watch it, but a friend who did finished it told me abt it and confirmed I'd made the right decision by dropping this show. Basically, mehhhh.
Do I recommend it?
It's a fun watch up to ep. 40-41 and then the plot goes way off track. So I don't quite feel like giving a full rec. This drama gets a 1.5 out of 5 solely based on what I watched. I watched it on YT, but I also know it's available on Netflix. Per what I've heard, there's at least one sequel (also on Netflix.)
Queerness level
There's a character who I read as asexual since [character] is not interested in anyone in a romantic or sexual way. They mention this a few times. That said, the character IS a villain almost from the get go and so it wasn't someone I wanted to root for? Personally, I wouldn't tune in to watch this solely for this ace character.
Here's the trailer:
Final Thoughts
OK, so given the choice to be able to only watch one (1) of these dramas out of these three, I say Empresses in the Palace is the no. 1 pick. Yes, it's the oldest one, BUT it's engaging without jumping thru too many logic hoops. One thing I appreciated abt Zhen Huan was seeing her become wiser as the drama progresses. She overcomes all of the obstacles that the villains throw her way, again, in a way that is satisfying and not too outlandish, IMO.
Meanwhile, Ruyi's show is v. pretty visually speaking. Also, if you like SCHEMING, this is the show to sit thru. 3 out of the 4 Main Villains are HORRIBLE and you'll be SHOOKETH TO THE CORE at both what they do and how they set their plans in motion. OTOH, you just have to deal with a main character who is spineless by choice for most of the drama, and an ending that's a total bust.
As for The Story of Yanxi's Palace, this is the one drama whose tone fits v. well with the present time culture. So I get why a lot of ppl gravitated toward it. I'd say that it has a few things that feel a little TOO contemporary for a historical period drama. But seeing Wei Yinglou get depowered at the halfway point is depressing.
