Ning An Ru Meng (2023)

The man with a double life, and the woman with a second chance at it.

Admittedly, I was surprised to have missed Kunning Palace in 2023 - having only heard of the show in early December. Usually, period romance is right up my alley, but given a few disappointing dramas still in my recent memory it's been a while since I've watched anything of that genre. On this front, Kunning Palace succeeds.

From a period drama, this is exactly what we would expect; the domestic intrigue, the court intrigue, the 'hidden' past of the male lead. And, although nothing is particularly unexpected, the tropes don't necessarily grow wearisome. In particular, the relationships the female lead has with her other love interests are far from the usual "second lead syndrome" or "bothersome and obsessive reject who works to make her final relationship miserable". All of the stereotypically annoying clichés were toned down, which is a credit to the writers.

Yet, I do feel that this drama suffers from pacing and time delegation issues. Although we, as viewers, guess at the emotions of both love interests and see how they develop throughout the story - the realisation for both of the characters feels somewhat rushed. In the end, more time is spent on palace politics and battle scenes than on seeing them together as a couple. Unfortunate, given the emphasis that the drama clearly tries to place upon "love" and "loyalty".

Regardless, the stories outside of the main characters were gripping enough that I rarely skipped over them; particularly with regards to the princess, Xuehui and Fangyin. All of their characters were layered and interesting, and although I found the initial set up of the Jiang family relationship odd and forced; I liked how the tension between the family members resolved itself. It felt naturalistic and feasible.

However, the one cliché I cannot forgive is the set up for the entire 'rebirth' itself. It was superficial and poorly executed; feeling only like a weak attempt at trying to copy Joy of Life or Scarlet Heart (who at least had a purpose behind the usage which was relevant to the plot).

Ultimately, the drama is gripping and enjoyable. There is not really any criticism which can be thrown to the acting or the costume design, and the chemistry (both romantic and non-romantic) between all of the characters is palpable and poignant. It's unfortunate then, that they failed either to extend the drama, or to spend less time on its more superficial elements in order to focus on the relationships and plot that actually mattered.

Watch it though. I only have so many criticisms because it was so nearly perfect.

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Trọn vẹn.

Dưới N cái cấm từ Quảng Điện thì Ninh An là bộ phim hiếm hoi vẫn là chủ đề tái sinh mà vẫn trọn vẹn ở cốt truyện từ đầu tới, không bị hẫng ở đoạn nào. Trong bản tiểu thuyết có một cái kết đẹp và ngoài đời cả hai nhân vật giữa tiểu thuyết gia và biên tập viên cũng có một câu chuyện riêng của họ.

Lâu rồi mình mới xem hết một bộ phim mà có cái kết trọn vẹn như thế này sau Lưu Ly.

Điểm cộng:
- Bối cảnh phim đầu tư ổn nên ngoại cảnh quay khá đẹp chứ không sử dụng nhiều phông xanh giả trân.
- Cốt truyện chỉn chu từ đầu tới cuối. Không quá nhiều chỗ vô lý, tiết tấu nhanh nhưng vẫn thuyết phục người xem.
- Dàn nhân vật ai cũng có điểm để toả sáng, cũng có những câu chuyện riêng mà không quá dài dòng hay thừa thãi.
- Một bộ phim dễ xem, không quá lắt léo, khó hiểu

Điểm trừ:
- Nam chính trong phim có hơi bàn tay vàng một tí nên mình thấy phản diện bị tính toán hết đường đi nước bước dễ dàng quá.
- Quá trình phát triển tình cảm của nam nữ chính thật sự chưa thuyết phục mình lắm, sáu tập cuối mới có chút tiến triển nhưng tiến triển này có phần nhanh quá. Hình như phim bị cắt hai tập nên thành ra có đôi chút tiếc ở phần này.
- Tạ Nguy có hơi điên nửa mùa :)))). Có thể Hách diên chưa ổn lắm hoặc kịch bản có nhiều vấn đề nên mình chưa cảm nhận được Tạ Nguy điên cỡ nào.

Cảm nhận nhân vật:
Tính ra trong ba mối tình thì Yên Lâm là một người bạn thanh mai trúc mã tốt bụng, là một tri kỉ. Trương Già là người trong mộng của Tuyết Ninh còn Tạ Nguy thì là tổ hợp hai phần tính cách ấy và phù hợp vợí cô hơn cả. Tập 25 khi Tuyết Ninh quyết tâm cắt đứt với Trương Già, đoạn đó thật sự làm mình cảm động. Giá như Trương Già cố gắng ích kỉ thêm một chút, đừng quá cương trực ngay thẳng, thêm chút bỉ ổi như Tạ Nguy thì có lẽ đoạn nhân duyên của hai người đã khác...

P/s: Lưu Tá Ninh đóng trưởng công chúa xinh vãi ò.
Tính ra cuộc đời trước khi Khương Tuyết Ninh sống lại trông ngon nghẻ quá. Một người bỉ ôi, không từ thủ đoạn đạt được mục đích, có phần khốn nạn, dây dưa nhiều người để được sống. Mình thích một cốt truyện bỉ ổi đó quá :))))

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You will cry and laugh

This drama is about the FL, who went back in time to redo all her wrongs in her first life. The FL has three main guys in her life. One is her best friend, the other one is her first love, and the last one is her one true love.

This drama is also a kind of harem, in the sense that there is harem drama with the queen dowager. Anyways, the FL tries to redo all her wrongs and finds out the truth to save the people in her life.

I enjoyed this drama, and really like the ML. Love the ost, and cinematography in this drama.

I would watch it again :). 8.5/10.

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Disappointingly Average

This drama's problems begin in the marketing itself. I will be candid, I'm not really a fan of the story within a story format. Especially for romances, because that always feels so unfulfilling at the end. But nowhere in the description of the drama on MDL or IQIYI did it announce it was that, so I went in thinking it was a regular historical thriller. Despite tending to dislike that plot, I decided to watch on because I love tension and everything I'd seen had promised me that in spades. However, I think this drama only partially delivered. The past life scenes between Ning and Xie Wei were so tense and just what I was looking for however it wasn't the same with the current timeline. Obviously, they did have chemistry and tension but for me, it just wasn't doing it. Like when you compare the two timelines, past her is not nearly as frightened of him so they have this intensity that just doesn't happen in the current timeline. It is basically a one-sided obsession for the majority of the current timeline, and I don't even understand how she fell for him. Another thing, what was with the mental health rep? I don't understand why they included the mental illness at all, he could have hated the snow and been cruel without bringing in a disorder that is already stigmatized to use as an excuse for his violence.
I do want to say I did enjoy this drama, it was beautifully shot, the soundtrack was epic, and the acting was great. This was my first Bai Lu drama, but I've been in the cdrama sphere for about a year so I'm familiar with her name, and I was really impressed. I will definitely check out another one when I have the opportunity. The male lead did great as well, as did all the supporting actors.
Overall, I would recommend this drama, 8.5/10

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Excellent drama. I don't know why i put it off so long.

This is my favorite work Zhang Ling He has starred in. I didn't care for the plots in "Princess royal" and "My journey to you". But story of Kunning palace is awesome. In fact, all the actors were awesome in this drama.
The plot is nothing we haven't seen before, but what makes it riveting is the character's and seeing their internal frustrations.
And omg, was i blessed with so many hot kissing scenes towards the end lol.
I only took off .5 rating because the xue family plot was getting annoying at the end. I think they could've made it like 2-4 episodes shorter between dragging on the main enemy and female lead's indecisiveness.

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hmm

So this won’t top Scent of Time, but I enjoyed this c-drama, at first it would be a little confusing, but man the acting and chemistry is on point. I truly enjoyed this one and it only took me A day and a half to finish the whole 38 episodes plus the bonus short special.

I solely approved of the ending and who she ended up with, glad that out of all the sacrifices he did for her she was finally able to realize and recognize her feelings for him.

At first I was intrigued to watch this since Bai Lu was the FL and I truly enjoyed her in Till the end of the Moon, Zhang Linghe from Love between fairy and devil (I’m halfway from that series but had to take a break, I couldn’t stand the FL there sorry), and of course Wang Xingyue from the scent of time. (he was remarkable there!)

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A good historical drama

I have watched many Chinese costume dramas, and this one is one of the most well-made dramas. The storyline is really good and the acting of FL makes it even better. Not only the FL, but the ML, side characters, all of them are so perfectly placed, it couldn't be any more perfect.
I usually pay a lot of attention to scripts. The dialogue and the way each character enters or contributes to the plot is very good. A lot of dramas as such have a very typical story, but this one is quite well-presented. I would definitely recommend this drama to anyone who is a fan of costume dramas.

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An Interesting Reverse Harem Romance

Chinese heartthrobs Bai Lu & Zhang Ling He are in the news for all the right reasons. Following the success of her Xianxia romance “Till the End of the Moon” and her current on-air drama “Only for Love”, Bai Lu is obviously a fan favorite. Similarly, Zhang Ling He has been riding high on the heels of his recent IQIYI releases “My Journey to You” & “Tiger and Crane”. Adapted from the web novel “Kun Ning” (坤宁) by Shi Jing (时镜), “Story of Kunning Palace” depicts an arrogant Queen’s journey as she falls from grace, commits suicide and transmigrates to the past to redeem herself. Surprisingly, both Bai Lu and Zhang Ling Zhe are playing roles that are morally grey. Bai Lu’s character in “Story of Kunning Palace” might seem quite similar to her portrayal in “Till the End of the Moon”. But Jiang Xuening is definitely different from any of her previous renditions. Zhang Ling Zhe recently played a grey character in “Tiger & Crane” and his “Xie Wei” has similar dark undertones. It seems both actors wanted to try their hands at playing shady characters and, shockingly, they are good at it. Directed by Chu Yui Bun, the show has a star-studded ensemble and is based on the concept of a reverse harem. Yes, that’s right. Jiang Xuening has quite a few admirers in this storyline and the show majorly focuses on her burgeoning relationship with each of them.

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2023/11/10/story-of-kunning-palace-first-impressions/

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It was almost good-ish but..

Despite similar plot having been explored in many other dramas, I had high expectations for this one due to its impressive production quality. The beginning showed promise, with events seemingly aligning in the FL favor, and I largely overlooked the family drama subplot. Initially, it appeared that Xue Ning and Yan Lin's relationship might evolve romantically, only for her to opt for friendship instead. The pacing was pretty good at this point, I was impressed.

Suddenly, Xue Ning becomes fixated on Yan Lin, determined to protect him from all the dangers of the world, without fully understanding the motivations behind his past actions, including his betrayal (if I recall correctly, he even assaulted her?).

While she remained wary of Xie Wei from the outset, Yan Lin received a pass despite his association with him. She vilifies Xie Wei without considering her own stance.

The introduction of Zhang Zhe felt underwhelming after much anticipation. Xue Ning's sudden fixation on him, resorting to her previous tactics to win him over, seemed driven more by a desire to validate her goodness rather than genuine affection. Her moment of self-reflection following Zhang Zhe's mother's second death felt forced, especially considering her subsequent emotional outburst, which contradicted her established character. But when Xie Wei showed up and hugged her, it became evident that it was merely a setup for the introduction of Xie Wei as the new romantic interest.

As for the "plot", up until episode 25, Xie Wei seems to be in the palace for revenge. As for Queen Dowager, she seems to have had played a part in the conflict that started it all. Xie Wei is trying his best to keep Yan family safe while trying to remove the obstacles and that's where we are now, and by the looks of it, I think it will continue for at least the next 5-6 episodes which I can't endure.

Overall, the series was passable entertainment until this point, but I find myself reluctant to continue beyond episode 25. What I anticipated as a revenge-driven narrative devolved into a clichéd toxic romance drama prioritizing runtime over plot development. Nonetheless, it earns a 6.5/10 for its commendable performances and high production values.

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BEST PLOT BUT A NOT SO GOOD CHEMISTRY

This is the first time I'll be writing review in MyDramaList even tho I'm not new in this website. I just wanted to share that the plot of this story is beyond magnificent. The writing, the satisfaction it gives to viewers, the angst, and everything. One problem is that, one actor was so good at his role that made me want him to be picked by the female lead. Yes, that's you, Yan Lin. I dunno but the writers made sure he'll be loved by viewers including me. I haven't finished it yet so I still don't feel the chemistry between the female lead, Ning'er and Xie Wei or whatever the male lead's name is but I hope I could feel the chemistry in the next episodes. It is slow burn, which I love btw, but I just really couldn't feel any chemistry of the female lead with both male leads named Zhang Zhe and Xie Wei (or whatever his name is, I repeat) because I am really a sucker for Yan Lin. After I finish this cdrama, I'll change the ratings depending if I get to like the chemistry cos that's the only problem with this cdrama imo.

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