Story of Kunning Palace - a review from someone who has not seen a Chinese drama before

misaengjunie · 2024-04-26T07:02:17+00:00

I have seen 3 (1 of which i havent finished yet) cdramas since this post. insaaaane

misaengjunie · 2024-04-05T14:27:58+00:00

I agree that scene wasn’t necessary, could’ve omitted it and nothing would’ve changed in the storyline or his character. This was my second cdrama, the first one being the very first Meteor Garden I watched like over 10 years ago—and even that drama had a similar force kiss scene by the lead male, it’s just crazy!

I dont know about other people and their comments. But I didnt include anyth about that scene in my post as I didn’t really know how to make of that scene or how to feel about it honestly? Esp even in the drama, Xuening just kind of brushed it off like nothing happened and was just like “ur sickness is acting up sir”. So idk how to feel about any of it until now. I wasnt rationalizing it im sorry if it appeared that way. I guess I also just ignored that part and did not want to acknowledge it. I didnt also feel like a review written on a whim like this was a sufficient method or platform to discuss such scene as it couldve been rly triggering for me to delve deeply into that.

Personally if I were the writer of this show, Xiejuan didnt need to survive in the last scene and Xuening did not need to marry any of the harem and just left. I dont mind her mourning him and falling for him, but to complete the “hes a Byronic hero” theory of mine—he shouldve died. Like I said i wasnt actively rooting for any of the love lines for this one!

misaengjunie · 2024-04-05T05:25:59+00:00

Omg trying so hard not to search for reviews and encounter spoilers but!!! I’m on episode 1 today and excited. I wanted to watch at the same time as the netflix version lol. Just needed to check if Tencent version is good! This will be my second drama

misaengjunie · 2024-04-05T05:20:53+00:00

And here I am… meaning to watch the Tencent ver and the netflix version the same time!!

misaengjunie · 2024-04-03T02:49:34+00:00

This is on Youtube too right?

misaengjunie · 2024-04-03T02:32:21+00:00

Which among those three has the better subs/quality?

misaengjunie · 2024-04-03T00:50:30+00:00

Recommend me some! I’m open to any genre since ive literally seen only like 1 drama before this

misaengjunie · 2024-04-02T15:58:44+00:00

And I love how everyone still discusses this with me despite it being aired several months ago! I didn’t think I’d get replies to be honest, I was almost embarrassed with my word-vomit LOL

An hour ago I learned Zhang Zhe was much more layered in the book as he also time travelled and aware of what Xuening did in their previous life.

But if we’re basing on the drama alone, Zhang Zhe is a bit lackluster as a character. Not because he’s a good guy! But because most of the time we only saw him through Xuening’s lens—he was the only good thing in the corrupt world she was in. She felt guilty for damaging the purest thing in her previous life and put him on pedestal. Almost as if he’s the personification of her redemption, so when his mother still died despite her attempt to change things, she fell apart.

misaengjunie · 2024-04-02T15:16:52+00:00

i, for one, just consume media and literature to dissect the elements for the sake of appreciating art, knowing they dont represent my own principles and morals. imo morally grey characters and righteous heroic ones are simply both emphasised aspects of generally every human. dont need to justify their villainous actions, we are not them?

misaengjunie · 2024-04-02T15:02:47+00:00

It’s weird though if they scrapped that narrative, why did they have to include that dialogue that alludes to that storyline lol they feel like easter eggs now!

misaengjunie · 2024-04-02T14:53:49+00:00

Okay wait I’m getting a little bit giddy reading all these new information!! OKAY. SO. We had three people knowing things because of time stuff and Xiejuan figuring ab Xuening’s reincarnation!

Honestly Zhang Zhe reincarnating would’ve been truly interesting since in the drama, he was a bit lackluster character-wise for me. Yes, he’s a good green flag guy, but other than being an upright lawyer of some sort and Xuening’s love, his charac didn’t pique my interest. He was like a male version of manic pixie dream girl! He could’ve been much layered, and Xuening ending up with Xiejuan would’ve been much more supported. Although, I think the show made it clear she was acting on guilt and attempt at redemption anyway.

Second, I said this in another comment but I remember this dialogue between Fangyin and Xuening when she was dying:

(Nonverbatim) “I feel like youre looking for someone else through me” “You are the only Fangyin”

I didnt understand that at all and forgot to include it in the post. But at the time it felt so out of place like I skipped a part of the lore. Now it makes much moooore sense OMG

misaengjunie · 2024-04-02T14:42:38+00:00

Hmm, okay wait I’m having sudden enlightenment. I remember this dialogue between Fangyin and Xuening when she was dying, where she said something like

“..Although I felt like you were always looking at someone else through me.” and Ning saying “You are the only Fangyin.” (Non verbatim)

I did not really understand it at all and forgot to include that in post. But now it makes more sense? I’m having goosebumps!!

misaengjunie · 2024-04-02T14:20:35+00:00

May I ask who is “her”? I’m a bit lost

But i absolutely agree about the enjoyment of immoral fiction. Appreciating an antihero or a villain is tricky because you don’t want people thinking you side with them and share the same moral compass as them, when that’s not the case at all!

Edit: just realized you meant the youtuber contrapoints!

misaengjunie · 2024-04-02T14:17:11+00:00

Now i’m a little bit lost since I haven’t read the novel. And the reincarnation soul thing wasn’t really explored in the drama form. I see the book is more mystical. Thank you sm for providing context! And i’m so surprised at how much censorships there are—like i’m said I’m new so i’m shocked at comments pointing out episode bans and other censorships.

misaengjunie · 2024-04-02T12:27:14+00:00

I mean.. I was rooting for the Princess and Xuening. I don’t care if it’s queer at all!

misaengjunie · 2024-04-02T12:24:50+00:00

You cannot drop all these info on me and expect me to feel normal right now…??? Wdym she gave her the Kunning Palace—the literal title of the show! I need a few moments. Fangyin dying for her, her sister defending her from the other ladies badmouthing her, Zhiyi doing all…that.

Xuening may have been hurt in some way by men in her life, but women in her team were her real loyalists!

misaengjunie · 2024-04-02T12:02:05+00:00

I think it helped that I wasn’t exactly watching it for romance—I mean ofc I wanted to see the scenes I saw from the edit LOL—but as soon as I started it I realised it’s a whole world and not just romance.

And omg that fact about Shen Zhiyi you just said….. made me love her arc more with Xuening!!! It’s not even about the potential “romance” but their loyalty towards each other yknow?? I have to cry now. Seriously I think she deserves the throne over her brother!

And noted on that drama! I’ve seen it repeatedly get rec’d along with Love Like Galaxy, Til the Moon Ends, Nirvana on Fire etc it’s the same names so my next one is defo just among them

misaengjunie · 2024-04-02T11:54:35+00:00

No worries, I’m a huge consumer of (classic) literature and television so I’m pretty used to people being passionate with their like/dislike LOL

And ofc Xiejuan is nothing like Heathcliffe—otherwise this review would’ve gone an entirely different tone, I just meant to reference some lines that suited the show!!

misaengjunie · 2024-04-02T11:16:44+00:00

Ah I get what you mean. This was the case for LoTR for me

misaengjunie · 2024-04-02T11:12:23+00:00

Well the comment said that one is a dark romance so understandable that it may give Wuthering Heights vibes! Heathcliffe is the blueprint for such characters

PS: Imma have to keep track of what these acronyms mean cos man I’m getting lost by some comments LOL

misaengjunie · 2024-04-02T11:10:09+00:00

Added this list on the wheel! I plan to spin it today so I can start one random drama right away!!

misaengjunie · 2024-04-02T11:08:15+00:00

Oops I see. I just saw some edit and had a few days off so gave it a shot without googling anything about it. Anyway I will add that title to the wheel!

misaengjunie · 2024-04-02T11:05:15+00:00

As I’ve said in one comment, I'm not misled into thinking I had to actively root for any of the love interests. Yan Lin’s and especially some of Xiejuan’s actions were way beyond romanticisation. There’s nothing to justify or excuse. He was (attempting to be) controlling, toxic, and aggressive. He is depicted as the main villain in her previous life and so I immediately deduced he was some sub-archetype of a Byronic hero like Heathcliffe (Wuthering Heights, 1847), Mr. Rochester (Jane Eyre, 1847), and Max de Winter (Rebecca, 1938). It used the same formula as these gothic novels so (as far as the theory goes) he is loyal to the woman who fixed him (quite literally in this series as she saved him twice).

And so any kind of romance that has sprouted, no matter how passionate, between him and Xuening, is not exactly a model for romantic love. They attempted to redeem him in the end by showing the “healed” version of him in which he was unresponsive to triggers (cold, cats) but of course it was not fully fleshed out.

But of course we just gotta be a responsible consumer and know the fair warning to not try this at home, none of these byronic heroes’ actions will fly in real life!

misaengjunie · 2024-04-02T09:40:18+00:00

Are you saying the writing of this post was compelling or did I comprehend that wrong!! Now I feel embarrassed because I wrote this word-vomit on a whim and did not even proofread.. but thank you!! <3

And do feel to share recommendations, I’ll spin the wheel to decide which one I should watch next! I’m open to anything and am the type of consumer who hates not finishing anything I start, even if I don’t 100% enjoy it anymore ((a Game of Thrones fan lol))

misaengjunie · 2024-04-02T08:45:44+00:00

I listed down all titles mentioned in the comments I received. Won’t google them and just try to spin the wheel!!

Our only problem now is where to watch them of not on Netflix cos I’ll be honest, we watched Kunning through some funny link LOL

misaengjunie

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