Ning An Ru Meng (2023)

What a good series, and honestly, Zhang Ling He!

I have to admit I had a little trouble following the story at first, but that's me. Once I got the characters down, I couldn't walk away. Despite some very unkind comments I have read, the ensemble cast gave wonderful performances and made me really like (or despise) the characters.

The couples were endearing and believable - and the chemistry between Bai Lu and Zhang Ling He was sizzling hot!! (He would have electricity with a stone, I tell you!) The villains!! What superb acting - I despised them intensely; proof of the great job they did bringing their evil characters to life. The characters that people thought were weak or unimportant, really had their purpose - and it took some care and attention to realize that. Even the character of Xie Wei - he was so broken, so lonely, a product of his past longing for the love he desperately needed to heal.

I especially liked the time and attention to the final episode, and that bonus episode was just the icing on the cake!!! Loved that for the most part, they tied up the loose ends nicely - meting out justice and Karma, but wrapping up the characters' stories. I would have liked to have seen a little more of the end story of Xie Wei's two loyal aides and Xue Ding Fei. But I absolutely loved the lead couple's ending the best. The scene with Xie Wei and his kids was hilarious!

Now... why did I not go for it and give this a perfect 10? You Fang Yin & Lu Xian. They deserved so much more - and a little of the happiness that everyone else received. That broke my heart, especially for Lu Xian. Sorry, writer & director - that one cost you a perfect rating.

I will definitely be re-watching this, probably time and time again.

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Good palace politics, Horrifying ML

OVERALL
This drama is another heaven-and-hell production. Watch it if 1) you LOVE palace politics, 2) you're looking for mature cinematography and filters, 3) you want a drama with a smart(ish) FL. If you're looking for a great ML or a heartfelt love story, I can't urge you enough, SKIP!

THE STORY
So I was looking for another good historical drama after watching Wonderland Love and saw that this one was highly rated, so I decided to give it a try. Uff, what a disappointment! But let me start with the good stuff:
- The premise of FL going back to her youth to change history is interesting (while not original) because you want to see if she'll succeed. This I really liked, and I think the drama does a good job of handling this part of the plot.
- FL is smart (when the drama wants her to be) and in a mature, age-appropriate way
- For once (in a long time), we have mature cinematography with nice, dark(ish) filters and none of that childish quirky music that always plagues Chinese historicals
- Palace politics is thrilling, with the bad guys making the good guys sweat sometimes (which is good, it's boring when the good guys are always ahead)

Now, onto the bad stuff:
- Top of the list, 200%, is ML. He is so boorish, I can't believe a C-drama came up with a character like that in 2023. It's okay to have a cold or slightly aggressive ML when there is enough backstory to make us feel bad for him AND if he redeems himself. Kunning Palace's ML has neither. The backstory is definitely not enough to make me sympathize with him, and he never, NEVER redeems himself. He's just dislikable, from beginning to end.
- Obviously, the love story then falls very short. It was extremely funny (and disturbing) how his outbursts of anger and violence towards FL were romanticized. I just can't...Also, having such nice, 2nd and 3rd ML made it all worse, because in what world would a smart girl like FL EVER choose this abusive ML over her other options? It's hilariously ridiculous.
- The fact that ML is FL's teacher adds an extra layer of weird and bad for me, because of the power dynamics. He's already boorish, then you add to it the fact that he can just boss her around and treat her like a 5 year old as her teacher? Yuk.
- A third flaw in this drama (definitely less important but still worth mentioning) is how brushed aside the story of FL's sister was. I think the character is presented as somewhat important but then we never see what happens to her after a major event, which feels like a loophole.

Overall, if you are not into romance and are indifferent to ML's terrible character, go ahead, watch this drama. The palace politics will keep you going. If you really care about character development and you were craving a good love story, do yourself a favor and skip!

THE ACTING
Good, though nothing out of this world for me. I wouldn't say there was any chemistry between FL and any of the guys in the show either.

THE MUSIC
That, I liked! I'm all for more mature vibes!

REWATCH VALUE
Absolutely null. I'd rather re-watch Yanxi Palace than this, and I used to think Yanxi Palace's emperor was the absolute worse ML hahaha

Lire davantage

Well written and satisfying drama

Such a well written and satisfying drama....Truly loved it!!
The level of acting is phenomenal, pacing is beautiful and the best part for me is that it doesn't has infinite number of evil character plus the one who are evil are handled flawlessly by our leads which makes me enjoy the drama much more, as it shows that writer focus on content more than filling it will unnecessary negative schemes and plots.
The chemistry between BaiLu + Zhang Ling He is sizzling....it has slow start but its gripping till the end. It was worth my time and i feel satisfied with the end
The best part is that it has a HE as i usually avoid sad ending dramas plus it has such breathtaking kisses & it was done beautifully❤️ All in all its a 10/10 for me:)

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Different cdrama with some great politics

Greetings!!
I am writing review for this because i think this drama shows different side of chinese dramas and not just the typical romantic story i mist say it started low but the value is certainly increased even if you are struggling in first few just go through it till 3 or 4 then you will understand the whole thing.
This drama has the cast like the perfection for their each role Zhang Ling He and Bai Lu play the character slightly different this time but also showing their talents and it just remind me of Xianxia "Till the End of the Moon" where Luo YunXi and Bai Lu slayed their role and so in this Zhang Ling He and Bai Lu also slayed together and also Bai Lu's on-going drama "only for love" is also the great hit in modern romance.

The story showing some interesting politics also and that's what i love to see the more you watch the more you want to see the head strong Jiang Xue Ning who can do anything to become an empress, manipulated many people, betrayed and control them then died by killing herself in regret to exchange life for someone else and whereas Xie Wei who killed entire palace help of Yan Lin who is betrayed by Jiang Xue Ning as his lover and Zheng Zhe almost played important role of Xue Ning's lover and he has his seperate charm also his character play is great anyways not spoiling the second part of story enough for catching your intrest maybe and the most important part that it is not like the other show "My Journey to you" that drama's script was not very liking to me but this is just amazing you are drawn to this drama.

The OST: I would say that i didn't get to know all of the songs but those i have listed it feels straight to heart you can definitely feel the music like every person says you should feel yes that feel! you know what I mean...

Overall this is a very good drama with amazing costume and scenes also contains comedy with some romance i enjoyed watching it and a little disclosure, THIS DRAMA WON THE “HALL OF HONOUR” AT IQIYI SCREAM NIGHT 2023
Thankyou ^^

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Consistent plot, characterisation

First time writing a review. Been looking forward to SOKP since TTEOTM ended. Was hooked from episode 1 onwards. Very interesting plot and characters. Most importantly, consistent plot all the way from episode 1 to episode 38, and consistent characters. Some dramas start off strong but lose steam halfway through, but not this drama.

Let's start with FL Jiang Xuening, acted by Bai Lu. With her second chance in life, she hopes to amend her mistakes. She is smart and acts quite logically. She will fight for herself. I feel the acting is also good. Not sure what else to add.

Xie Wei, acted by Zhang Linghe. I was worried about ZLH acting in SOKP as XW due to MJTY's GZY, but turns out I was wrong. He acted well in this drama. I love how he portrays his crazy side, and on the flip of a switch, shows his gentle face. I also love this character, such a multi-faceted character. He is a schemer, kind of morally gray. In some episodes, he is crazy, enough to make me feel weird sometimes. This type of character adds life to a drama. He also stays true to his character.

Zhang Zhe also stays true to his character.

Yan Lin, acted by Zhou Jun Wei. He's like a puppy. Glad he's accepting of who Xuening loves, and accepts that he's not the one Xuening love.

The side characters in SOKP are also great. For example, the princess, Xuehui, Yan Lin's father, Xuening's father. Man, even Xue Shu, stays true to her character right till the very end.

Comes with a satisfying ending! Not a rushed ending. Not a 1 minute slapped ending. Not some sort of ending placed at a special episode. An actual satisfying ending to tie the ends of everything, and doesn't break immersion! I don't know why, but this is quite rare nowadays in cdrama land.

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If you’re not watching Story of Kunning Palace you are missing out in life!!!

Whoever, is trying to find a drama that will send you in comas back and forth, turn your heart inside out and back in, give you series of asthma attacks!!! Highly highly recommend watching Story of Kunning Palace!!!

Story of Kunning Palace is literally the masterpiece of all masterpieces!!! Bai Lu and Zhang LingHe’s acting of course is spectacular!!! Their abiliy to immerse themselves into their characters as if they were actually JiangXueNing and XieWei and expresss such powerful and deep emotions is insaneeee!!! In addition, their chemistry sky rockets into the sky!!! This is what scientists should study!!! And their visuals!!! Do I need to even comment on that!!! I mean whatever scene they are in they look heavenly beautiful!!!

The storyline of this drama is also sooooo well-written and addictive!!! Just the 1st episode and I was completely immersed into this drama!!! The fact that 5 epidoes were cut due to some issues, this drama is still perfectly paced and doesn’t have any missing parts!!! Also each character has their own moments to shine and have a storyline without it being unnecessary and boring!!!! This drama is probs the 1st drama where I never played forward or 2x speeded it!!! In addition, tho this drama seems to be on the serious and dull side, I guarantee you its not!!! There are many scenes that were soooo sweet, romantic and hilarious that’s makes you blush and smile while sleeping!!!! However, there are also scenes that make you hold your breath from the tension and cry rivers and oceans from the story!!!

Ultimately, everything about this drama is perfection!!! The whole cast, storyline, cinematography, OST, costumes, etc is a chef’s kiss!!! Honestly for me this drama is an infinite out of 10 but MyDramaList only lets me rate it 10/10!!!

Lire davantage

A Tale of Dark Obsession vs Courage and Redemption



This series by mutual agreement is proving to be the most captivating of all we are currently watching. And there are at least 5 serious contenders at the moment. So if period/costume series are your genre......do not miss it. I promise you will adore it.

It is primarily about one woman named Jiang Xuening (played by Bai Lu) who had an overwhelming and insatiable lust for power. Her obsession became her downfall as it ended up destroying her and all of those who had trusted her. She was so focused on her quest to become the next Empress, that she scarcely noticed the trail of destruction behind her. 
She had but one goal…and whatever it cost, that she was willing to do. But once she had achieved the position she had sought...there was little joy. 
Her ruthlessness had gained her few allies and multiple enemies. 

But of those who had once cared for her...there was one man, a very disillusioned man named Zhang Zhe
(played by Wang Xingyue) who because of her ...now awaited his death in prison.
Still she carried on...until the palace, roiled by unrest, became her prison too.
With the loss of her freedom, she realizes she has only one card left to play. So she strikes a deal with Xie Wei (Zhang Ling) to save Zhang Zhe from prison. If he will agree..she will offer her own life as collateral. When he agrees... she took her life. 

But by a strange twist of events…she awakens later in her family home… only as her much younger self. 
After the shock wears off, she realizes she has been given a second chance at life. This time she purposes she WILL make all the right choices. 

So with the benefit of her past as her guide…she attempts to change her future and her fate. This is her story of redemption. 



It is played by a stellar cast:
*Bai Lu as Jiang Xuening is utterly captivating...acting dual parts flawlessly. 

A role this complicated and the focus of so many scenes required a especially skillful actress, and wow, is she ever the one!

*Zhang Ling as Xie Wei is a very complex character....shaded by both light and shadow. 

We loved him in My Journey to You, but this more challenging role highlights the range of his talent. 

He is leaving it all on the table in this one, after this..he said he hopes to do a modern series as this one took a toll on him and I believe it. 
He is so sinister at times…that the nape of my neck tingles, yet he can wordlessly look at her with such care..that my toes curl. 
He conveys an element of mystery (never giving the game away) and a masterful presence that suits the dangerous setting of the court. 
The scriptwriter deserves props for giving him such a wonderful role but... in my view ...he is outperforming expectations.
 By far, he is the most fascinating male lead in any series that I have seen in a while. 

I simply cannot wait for the fireworks between them...one hug was mesmerizing. He understands her, because he is her match.

*Wang Xingyue as Zhang Zhe is also riveting. I don’t typically fall for the SL and I did not expect that anyone could compete with Zhang Ling in this one. Yet somehow….Wang Xingue manages to do just that. His face is fascinating. And because the chemistry between him and Bai Lu simmers every time they meet that also seems tantalizing. Lol.
But although he is an upright and honorable man, it doesn't appear that he is right for her. Even if he loved her..it is doubtful he could understand her. 
They are vastly different in every conceivable way.

Both men are beautifully defined with strengths and weaknesses, but neither are perfect.
They are complicated and mysterious men which makes them oh.... so.... fascinating to watch! Lol.

So here is your setting for the story…and as always I will be back with an update.


Enjoy..this one is gonna be one to rave about!

@Final: This series was epic to the end. The wrap up was perfect, I couldn't fault one thing. I even loved the brief modern scene with the writer where she opens the door and there he is. Perfect tiny tidbit. Likewise...I loved the special episode they included at the end and the behind the scenes were fun as well.
It is clear that this entire cast enjoyed each other and that bonding on set..contributed to the success of this project. Congratulations to everyone involved in this beautiful drama, thank you for all the thrills, the laughter and the tears..it was a wonderful experience. I am happy to recommend this series to you. It will immediately go in my fave rewatch list.

Happy Watching!

Lire davantage

Disappointingly overrated

Ning an Ru Meng started off very well and somewhere around the 15th episode I was convinced this was one of the best historical dramas this year, It certainly had all the right elements: a potential redemption arc, political intrigue, interesting characters.

Let's start with the positives: I enjoyed many things on the show. The flashbacks to the previous "life" were very engaging and well tied to the present. I enjoyed many of the characters and their little arcs. Among them the characters with the most engaging character arcs were You Fangyin (whose arc kind of ended very early on) and the princess (a very good performance from Liu Xie Ning). The political drama was overall quite enjoyable till the second half of the show, although a lot of it wasn't particularly complex or unseen before.

Now the negatives:

The romance. Yes, the “romance”. Replace the handsome Zhang Linghe with a not-so-pleasant-faced actor and many of the things he did to Ning will appear creepy. Yes, very very creepy. A teacher who has power over her - who can kiss her forcibly and make her cry. And how many times did Xie Wei do this? Episode 32, episode 34, ep 36. This toxic love story is sold to audiences at fantastic paces. In episode 34 Ning tells XW that she does not love him, so what is his response? Basically it was something on the lines of- “the things you’ve done for me prove you love me” and then he drags her outside and forces her to plunge a knife into his stomach. Hmm. Ning has done a lot of good things for many people- does that mean that she loves them all?

Well, that brings me to the person she actually loved for most of the show - Zhang Zhe. She loved him so much that she died for him in the previous “life”, and she retained those feelings. It soon became obvious that the two of them loved each other. So, circumstances allowed his feelings for her to grow - he was certain she loved him too, and in this life there were no real barriers to them being together. In fact, as it is established later on, her father would have readily chosen Zhang Zhe as a son-in-law. Yet, the novelist/screenwriter decided to put an end to this love story in the most ridiculous way possible. No-one breaks up with the one they love when their beloved is suffering. Soon after his mother died, Ning decides to break up with him and she chooses to do it by pretending that she never loved him, wringing his heart dry. It was absolutely convenient for the story not to show Zhang Zhe much later either, and neither do we watch Ning weep over him.

What was the reason for that breakup? Truly insignificant. In order to prevent him from hurting further, she hurt him even more. It truly makes no sense. Are the novelist and screenwriters suggesting that good people don’t end well? Evidently, one need not look further than Zhang Zhe to find that.

In truth the purpose of cutting short this love story short is to allow the male lead and female lead to get together. By episode 34 however, she herself says that she doesn’t love Xie Wei. Of course, everyone is busy convincing her that she DOES love him. The music is suggesting that, and all of XW’s crazy, obsessive behaviour suddenly appear romantic.

Show don’t tell- evidently the screenwriter forgot that.

Xie Wei kisses Ning’s forehead after she is flogged by Xue Shu. As I said earlier- replace ZLH with someone ugly and this won’t fly that well. Her father happens to see this and confronts XW indirectly, but XW’s reaction is hardly apologetic. Instead it’s almost as though he owns her. Then when he goes “crazy” he kisses her forcibly. The background music really presents it as the most romantic scene ever.

This toxic “love” story is presented as the most beautiful one and that is truly a concern. The wrist-pulling, force-kissing abusive ML is presented as an ideal partner? Is it 2023?

I think had this story been placed in the back burner I would have been somewhat okay with it, but when the screenwriter decided that the ML and FL must be together the plot turned to ridiculous mush. All the palace politics that had held my attention earlier dissipated.

This show started off solid - it was interesting, and then it nosedived its way into a toxic “romance” with the historical bits taking . The performances have been good, and ZLH may have received his best role so far. I really enjoyed several characters and I wish the show makers had spent more time on those character arcs.

Overall I am so so disappointed. and I think 8 is already too high.
(My actual rating: 7.75)

Lire davantage

cringefest

The biggest problem I have with this drama is the script. There were so many instances where I had multiple question marks thinking how can this be allowed?? ML had so many cringey forced actions and IMO did not convey the complexity of the character well. There were a few cute moments between the leads but the rest of the time, it felt really awkward. Bailu did well but zhang ling he unfortunately fell just a bit short. I watched it at 2x speed and some parts were still so draggy and unnecessary. Halfway through I realised I was just speeding through it for the sake of finishing it, the storyline became so repetitive and boring after a while. The only saving grace of this drama is the music choice, even then I sincerely do not recommend this drama.

Lire davantage

One of the Best Chinese Dramas 2023

I really like the drama. Really deserves to be one of my favorite dramas this year!

It's slow going at first, but I advise you to be patient and pay close attention to the storyline. The more you watch, the more addictive you will become.

Even though there are flaws in the editing, I like the action scenes in this drama. The prison scenes at episode 20 and at the Shangqing Temple just amazing.

The chemistry between Bai Lu and Zhang Linghe is also great. Their acting is perfect and makes this drama even more worth watching.

I also love all the OST. Just amazing
Solid 10/10

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Best Costume Drama of 2023

This drama is solid, and the characters are well-written, so I wanted to give it a 10/10. Xiaobo, the sweet kid who helped ML, was done wrong by the writers, so they only received a 9.5/10. Apart from the prince and princess and the one who denies relations, the Xu family is dreadful, and they can catch these hands. Watching Duke Xu's son be arrogant and hateful throughout the show was triggering to the point that even I wanted to fight him.

Now let's talk about two of my favorite characters:
Xie Wei is dark, flawed, and sometimes unhinged, and this show did not disappoint. I remember reading a comment that described the ML: "He is a walking red flag, but I am colorblind," and yes, I too am colorblind; I might have early memory loss too, because when he says 'Ning'er,' especially in that angry deep tone I forget everything and fall deeper. It's like I'm hypnotized; ML is captivating. It's like being enchanted by a beautiful voice, even when you know the speaker is threatening, which he is most of the time. ML makes no secret of the fact that he is no saint. He is like yes, I am terrible, but love me. He is entertaining to watch and very petty and jealous, even at the end. The character wasn't written for people to sympathize with. He is who he is, and I love that. The FL's relationship with him is a delicious mess because he is sometimes unhinged, and I enjoyed it.
Overall, it was an excellent performance, and I'm looking forward to more of this actor's work. Now I have to watch everything this actor has acted in because he is so talented. I was today's old when I found out he was in 'Love Between Fairy and Devil.' honestly, I have struggled to watch that drama. I don't find any enjoyment in it, and I blame all the people who hyped it because my expectations were set high. Stop the overhyping of dramas.

Now, let's talk about Yan Lin; usually, I'm not too fond of characters like this due to how they are written. However, these writers did this character justice. He is loveable, and I wanted to protect him, and he deserves the world. This beautiful character is the opposite of Xie Wei. He is the guy you yearn to be with; all your family and friends want you to be with, but too bad you are addicted to the bad guy. He is a loyal friend, an excellent son, and a loyal brother. Honesty, most of my favorite scenes from this drama include him. The scene where he gave a well-deserved ass whopping to Duke Xu's hateful son after he disrespected the FL and slapped her. He said, 'You wouldn't disrespect her not in front of me.' Next is the scene where he is in prison and talks to the FL. He asks her why she doesn't like him when she thinks he's so great and is willing to do anything for him. I love his relationship with the FL lead; it is healthy and well-written.

I have no complaints about this drama except for how they treated Xiaobo, which makes me angry. He was loyal, cute, and deserved better.

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The whole package!

Wow! Just completed 38.5 episodes in 3 days. Did not feel long at all. Fantastic entire cast, rational storyline (every detail), beautiful scenes, great pacing, perfect ending. Captivating episode after episode. One of THE best historical C-drama I’ve watched. Highly recommend to everyone, and I’m not a big historical drama fan and I LOVE every minute of it. I don’t usually rewatch dramas but this one was done superbly. I didn’t know the ML before watching this drama and wasn’t a huge fan at first but I totally fell in love with him, in fact, all three love interests. Loved how the story unfolded throughout the storytelling. Especially love the added bookends of modern day.

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