The Imperial Coroner (2021)

Smart Storyline makes this rookie drama a compelling watch

This is a fun to watch Detective drama with multiple story arcs unfolding across the episodes to eventually reveal the key big plot. The lead and supporting cast are fairly young and unheard of, so what really drew me this drama was not the celebrity cast or famous director, but rather it's remarkably clever plot.

Summary- The story takes place in Chang An, the capital city, during the time of the Tang Dynasty, under Emperor Xuan Zhong. The Female lead character, Chu Chu, comes from a humble family of coroners that handle coroner matters in their small county. As a young lass, Chu Chu aspires to a competent Coroner, just like her Father and brother. She travels to Chang An to try to take the Imperial Exam to qualify as one but along the way and bumps into her reserved but erudite Supervisor, Xiao Jin Yu, a young but brilliant scholar who heads the entire Judicial System. As Chu Chu tries to impress her Supervisor in order to get qualified to practise as a certified Coroner, she gets roped in by Xiao Jin Yu, who borrows her coroner skills and abilities to help him solve some crime cases- various people are being "accidentally" murdered across the city and the timing of their deaths and their occupational identities seem too suspicious for their deaths to be certified as "accidental". Together with a supporting team of Xiao Jin Yu's brother Xiao Jin Li and loyal sidekicks Vice Minister Jing Yi and Martial Artist Leng Yue, the young energetic team crack their brains and support one another to piece multiple clues to uncover an underlying sinister political agenda, which inadvertently expose hidden secrets about Chu Chu and Xiao Jin Yu's births and their blood families.

2 of my favourite things about the drama, besides the clever storyline was the Female and Male Lead character's working partnership and romance.

The Working Partnership- There is little that "Alpha Male versus weak Damsel in distress" trope here. The Script-writers have in fact written the lead characters to be synergistically complementary to one another as Chu Chu's extroverted chirpy optimistic personality makes a nice pairing to Xiao Jin Yu's introverted reserved and aloof character, that has extraordinary ability to string together multiple clues to solve complex mysteries. Chu Chu respects Xiao Jin Yu enough to be serious about her work even when her boss is not looking. Xiao Jin Yu is also eager ask Chu Chu's for her opinions when he is busy analysing the details of a case matter. This is a guy who respects a smart woman regardless of how lowly they were viewed back then in society! Xiao Jin Yu is radically progressive and ahead of his time. Lol. Despite their outwardly different personalities, it is not hard to see why both Chu Chu and Xiao Jin Yu can actually work so well together. Both of them are intensely curious and observant individuals who are just passionate and persistent about finding the truth of the matter. Their kind of working partnership transcends across the gender divide and class differences, is truly admirable and praiseworthy.

The Romance- Although Chu Chu and Xiao Jin Yu's do intentionally get their initial "awkward" start, I found their romance particularly endearing because it was beautiful to see how Jin Yu's initial skepticism about Chu Chu's mysterious background gradually erode over time, as his admiration for her passion and meticulosity when it comes to her work eventually wins over his trust, respect and affections. We see how Jin Yu becomes more empathic and grounded the more he hangs around simple but kind-hearted Chu Chu while Chu Chu matures in her abilities as she learns from Jin Yu's ability to stay cool-headed while they uncover uncomfortable revelations in their search for the truth. There is progression in both their characters and affections as they experience multiple trials and setbacks together. All in, I found Chu Chu and Xiao Jin Yu's love story a good balance of heart-fluttering and heart-warming moments.

The ending of this story is a happy one, won't give away all the details here. So this is a feel-good drama you can watch if you want intellectual stimulation, comedy, zero-boredom suspense, cute romance all rolled into one!

Lire davantage

Refreshing Gem of a Drama Despite Unknown Cast

What a show! Five fully functional main leads with their heads screwed on straight!

PLOT:
Loved: - Intriguing and wonderfully complex plot.
- comedic but smart teamwork required to solve the mysteries.
- unpredictability
Points off: sometimes got a little too hard/boring to follow because of the vast amount of characters involved... I skipped around quite a bit (but that's mandatory for most cdramas IMO).

OTP:
Loved: - they were a practical, intellectual couple; neither knows how to fight.
- they complement each other
- No misunderstandings, long love triangles or separations.... just two characters in love.
Romance doesn't take center stage, so for rom-com fans, this is probably not the drama to invest your time in. However, even their tiniest interactions got me so excited.

FL is a lovely character. The writers managed to perfect that delicate balance— she's smart and skilled while also being innocent and sweet. She never got on my nerves for being too childish or stupid.

ML was very nice to all his subordinates from the get-go, even though he's aloof and tsundere-ish. I liked the fact that he was the one who kept overthinking their relationship. The actor really impressed me in one of his heightened-emotions scenes.

Supporting cast were all wonderful. Strong warrior men and women. Satisfactory Ending.

Lire davantage

something weird

Watching this while waiting the drama that I want to watch to be completed. You can say I find pearl in the ocean drama. This drama quite refreshing & definitely something worth watching for.

This drama talk about something that ominous for some people. Coroner, or talking about death. Like in this drama several times talked about, job related to death sometimes is ominous for Asia people.

Although this drama mostly about death & cases surround it, this drama still can bring us funny scene that makes us laugh & a little bit romance between our main and second lead.

What I like:
+ The relationship between the couple. I can't say the chemistry between Su Xiao Tong & Wang Zi Qi is really top notch what so ever, but still ok i guess. What i like is the growth relationship between them and how they trust & dependent toward each other.
+ Jing Yi is a very cunning & funny man, my fav character in this drama.

Ok lets talk about what I think is weird in here:
- Every thing only revolve around Xiao Jin Yu (JY). Everyone seem put their trust 100% with him, & listen to all his plan.
- The way they bring the bad guy to the light is so weird & too fast in my opinion. Much better if he still in the dark & it came out as a surprise for us in the end of the series. Because the bad guy is really someone we never gonna guess I think.
- Duke Cheng try to usurp the throne without soldier at all, just with several bandit that he fools to follow his word & hopping with killing the emperor automatically make him the emperor... OMG one of the worst plot to usurp the throne.

Overall this like I said in the beginning, refreshing & worth watching for. Even with all the weird thing I write I still happy they make this drama & I can watch this.

Lire davantage

Perfect ?

Hello everyone ☺️ This is my first ever review after I created my account.
So firstly the cast is amazing as I rated and their acting skills are superb.
I will keep it small..The best part I liked in this which was missing in various other Chinese historical dramas is that the suspense related to the main leads did not get dragged and was solved in pace.
Their was no misunderstanding between the main leads and no third party interference and they had immense trust for each other.
Also the best part is the audience was in suspense along with the other characters which will really make people interested in it unlike other dramas where the suspense is revealed to audience and not the characters which makes audience go crazy thinking that when will the character get to know about the secret.
Overall it's a perfect combo of the chemistry blw leads suspense mystery action etc..I loved it ❤️❤️

Lire davantage

Nice drama with super navie FL

Hi guys if u going to watch this show then go for it .but be ready for supper naive nd annoying(little bit) fl she is smart in her work but behave like child not cute child in some how annoying .I really don't like when she act like that that's y I skip all those clip if I skip fl then all other cast are good their character are also good not annoying even I like villan acting .so if u want to watch crime show then go for it

After watching u notice its some how related to miss truth not truely but in surface I like seconds couple more than 1 st couple because I don't like crying fl it's annoying me too much she cry without any reason nd her fairy tale handsome judge

Lire davantage

IM SAD IM LATE

This is one of the best detective historical chinese drama. Yes! i didnt skip any of the episode coz i was so immersed with the plot and all the cast acting. For sure,it is even better than The Long Ballad.
Wang ZiQi acting here is so good.He as Xiao Jinyu was excuted so well.Our Genius Wangye N ChuChu..she was so cute.i expect Xiao Jinyu will be tyrant n arrogant but he was not.He was upright n well manared.Besides,he also a genius planner. He collaborated with ChuChu as coroner so well.Both are very suitable to each other.
i like all the cast ..Our JingYi,LengYue,Xiao Jinli..im happy they always there for WangYe.
im glad i decide to watch this one. Highly recommended. 10/10

Lire davantage

Fun and smart Tang detective drama

The Imperial Coroner is an engaging, intelligent show which asks that its viewers pay attention to details. The pace of the show is brisk, as opposed to other fan service-oriented shows in which the plot drags on and a lot of screen time is lost on fluff. I would sometimes rewind to make sure I had understood every bit of the dialogue or seen all the visual cues.

The plot is interesting and intricate. It starts in a rather classic way with a murder, but it then turns into a larger conspiracy and a political drama. At the end, all the threads come together (though as with many C-Dramas, out a lack of budget, the ending is rushed). I loved that there are multiple protagonists and antagonists, and that the interactions between them is complex. For a while, we are led to think that the main villain is one character, but then the plot thickens!

As for the cast, I read that many of the main characters were played by new talents. I felt like everyone does a good job. I especially liked the dynamics between the main four heroes (Chu Chu, Xiao Jinyu, Jingyi and Leng Yue). They’re like a balanced DnD party with some characters better at investigation, others at fighting or deception. It’s fun to see them work togrther! The banter, teasing, and friendship between the main characters felt real. I also enjoyed the performance of the main characters’ parents, who were players in their own right in the power struggle.

I thought that the romance plot was well-done. Unlike other dramas, this is a relationship between two people who are equally smart, upright, and loyal. There’s no push and pull or game being played, which I liked since I’m a sucker for supportive, earnest couples. I felt like throughout the show, the two protagonists evolve in a realistic way. Chu Chu becomes more mature and assertive, while Commandery Prince An becomes more vulnerable and open.

The visual presentation is lively. I liked how the autopsy scenes provide charts to better convey the coroner’s insight.

As mentioned above, the biggest flaw of the show is the fact that it rushes the ending.

All in all, I would recommend The Imperial Coroner to anyone who likes fun, plot-heavy historical dramas!!!

Lire davantage

A historical detective/coroner drama with simple cute straightforward romance.

I was pleasantly surprised to come across this drama by chance. The first episode got me hooked.
Cast - a group of young actors and actresses who were neither popular and nor famous but their acting were super. They presented their roles well and very natural.

Plot - interesting twist and turns in the story. ML and FL developed love and learnt to trust each other, supported each other through their challenges. No complicated third party. The supporting casts have their own sweet CP too.
The story and plot were witty. Both ML and FL were smart and witty, cute in their own ways. The director had an interesting way of showing how historical coroner (FL) uncovered evidences from the corpses and crime scenes.
Refreshing to watch. The ending was a trap set up to captured the villain and of course happy ending.

Once you start, you can’t stop. Definitely worth a watch if you are in for an appetite of some simple straightforward romance and witty detective work.

Lire davantage

RARE FAST-MOVING ANCIENT DETECTIVE C-DRAMAS

This is one of the rare Chinese dramas that I completed without fast-forwarding (much) during these past years. It really deserves its high rating in all platforms.

* PLOT
I think the best thing about this drama is its plot. It’s really fast-paced, which managed to keep the viewers’ attention till the very end. The cases were not exceptionally difficult to solve but they were well-written and well-linked. All the out-smarting-each-other moves were convincing and everyone in this drama was smart in their own ways. Even the King, whom I thought was completely useless, wasn’t as clueless as he acted. No character was created only for the sake of plot-moving.

** CHARACTERS
The set-up of the characters wasn’t anything new but it didn’t feel forced. The four main characters’ chemistry worked really well together. I think supported both the main couple and the supporting couple equally.

*** RECAPS
I think the recaps were very interesting modifications because they were not merely re-showing all the things the viewers had already known. They were told by one of the main characters from their point of view, and I actually enjoyed watching these short summaries.

**** ILLUSTRATIONS
Whenever the female lead explained her autopsy, there would be drawings and animations on the screen. I didn’t know how scientifically or medical correct they were but they definitely help the viewers to imagine things more easily. They also made the whole explanation more informative without being lengthy and boring.

***** NATURAL FILTER
Any series without the skin-smoothing filter would automatically receive pluses by me.

This series was without its flaws, as far as I’ve heard it’s because of its low budget.

*PROPS
Not surprisingly, the props, despite the crew’s effort, still looked very unrealistic. I could even see the line between the wig and the male actors. In addition, I especially hated the costumes with its unnaturally vibrant colors.

**EDITING
The edit was choppy at places, many scenes were deleted, which sometimes left me confused. There were a couple of times I actually had to go back and see whether I had skipped anything important because I couldn’t understand why the characters were suddenly there doing whatever that they were doing.

*** ENDING
I’m sure most people who followed this drama to the end would be mad about the two final episodes. The big ending was too rushed. Everything was solved tooooo fast. The bad guy got such an easy way out. Most importantly there were absolutely no extra scenes between the couples. I remembered myself asking “That’s it????”. I had to resort to watching some behind-the-scene takes to quench my desire for more episodes.

**** ACTING
The acting was more than average but there were definitely rooms for development. The male leads were the strongest actor too me. The female lead was ok for her role but she still appeared plain to me.

To sum up, I could forgive most of the problems of the film because of its plot and its pacing. It’s worth checking out this drama.

Lire davantage

Skip if you are into history minus the cringe romance

Storyline started out good, there was suspense and a decent pace to the drama. There was also a hint of a triangle romance between the Prince, his buddy and Leng Yue that was light-hearted and playful.
But towards the middle, the story started to drag because of a forced cringe romance between the Prince and the babyfaced FL who seemed to have only 2-3 facial expressions throughout the drama. The plot took a downward tailspin and so did the main characters. The chief eunuch, whose acting sustained this drama, had his role chopped off to make way for the cringe romance. Likewise, the other story arcs like the fake coins and southwest military buildup were also completely abandoned midway to focus on the romance between Chu Chu and the Prince, with the Prince running behind Chu Chu just like the ML running behind the babyfaced FL in Nirvana in Fire 2.
The writers should have stuck to the original suspense theme instead of changing focus - it would have salvaged the drama.

Lire davantage

Well Constructed Drama

The Imperial Coroner was just a show I randomly saw one day on Youtube. I didn't think much of it when I first clicked on it, but boy- was I in for a ride!

First of all, the story. I thought it was a pretty coherent, well-built story. It's engaging it and can educate the viewer on subjects such as anatomy, clue finding and also on ancient China. It's always nice to view a show where you can learn something or gain some insight! The story was complex, with all moments being important and building on to the major plotline. It was kind of hard to follow at times since it does heavily revolve court politics and schemes. One thing I disliked was the ending. I found it to be quite rushed (I like smooth and longer endings to give myself a better conclusion). It wasn't bad, as most people got what they deserved, but they could have slowed it down a little since the climax of the story was basically the last couple of episodes. Overall, it was good! I also liked how they started each ep with a quick recap in a character's POV. The show is also relatively fast-paced with no unnecessary filler eps, drama, etc.

There were some graphic scenes, especially one involving a doctor, which some may find triggering or disturbing. So beware of that. In general, since Chu Chu is a coroner, they don't show many revealing/disturbing scenes (most are up close or shots of her Chu Chu's face, etc.)

The acting was, for the most part, pretty good. Apart from the second ML (Jing Yi/ Yang Ting Dong), I did not know anyone from the show, so I did not know what to expect from them. It was pleasant knowing that most of them were great with their roles! Especially the Eunuch Qin Luan (Ma Huai Hu). I found him to be very funny and interesting in a way. Since he had his reproductive organ cut off, and this could not produce hormones like testosterone, he's got an obsession with beards LOL. Chu Chu (Su Xiao Tong) was good, but I really did not like her child-like voice dub, got used to it later tho (I guess). Xiao Jin Yu was portrayed as a really smart person. Like dang, there are few things he can't overcome. At least he isn't one of those "perfect" people in some dramas who excel at everything they do :)

The music was alright. I didn't find it notable or anything, but they were appropriate for the situations and such.

Give it a watch, especially if you like detective-type shows! You'll enjoy it!!

Lire davantage