Yes, I know it’s been months since Story Of Kunning Palace starring Bai Lu, Zhang Ling He, Wang Xing Yue, Zhou Jun Wei, and Liu Xie Ning, but I had to write this review. It’s been a while since I wrote reviews. Let’s get into the review.
Storyline
Let’s talk about the storyline.I remember seeing a comment saying this was supposed to be a reincarnation type of drama, keep it in mind. I loved the idea of bringing XueNing back to change her life. Since she was given a chance to change her fate, she had to work hard for that. This meant she had to avoid certain incidents that happened in her previous life and amend certain mistakes she previously made. She then gets in contact with Xie Wei, who was a nightmare in her previous life. So this is where the drama begins. This storyline was making sense, it was easy to follow especially with the small introduction which was used as the opening theme.
There’s also another storyline of Lord Pingnan who’s a rebel and the battle between the Xue and Yan family. XueNing has already experienced the war between the Xue and Yan family so she always tried to help the Yan family, but she wasn’t the only person doing that. Xie Wei was always protective of the Yan family, which made XueNing and Xie Wei get closer and closer to each other. Then there’s Zhang Zhe who gets involved in the schemes, all because of his feeling for XueNing. Not to forget Yan Lin, who’s XueNing’s best friend but he’s also in love with her.
I have to say, the schemes of the Empress, Duke Xue and his gang were not tha good. It was scheme after scheme but they were always two steps behind. They were so predictable and I stopped seeing them as threats but extras, no disrespect. Lord Pingnan had his own schemes but they didn’t give him the spotlight to show how much of a theat he can be. Yes, he had his moments but they weren’t that convincing for a heartless rebel who haunted the imperial family 20 years ago.
Xie Wei On Fire
Xie Wei is a more interesting character than Jiang XueNing. Ning’er is the root of the story but Xie Wei is the stem holding the branches and leaves. His character is always arousing the curiosity in you. Firstly it was the flashbacks from Ning’er’s past life. Those flashbacks made him an evil person, Ning’er’s nightmare. I believed he was the devil but the character had more surprises in store. I began to understand him and his actions. He always takes the extreme route to get his revenge and protect those around him. His character was always suspicious and he made it obvious he was hiding his real identity. Instead of hinting us more about his identity, they used Ning’er’s flashbacks again to make us believe he might not be using a fake identity.
It’s incredible how they used Ning’er’s perception of Xie Wei to manipulate our perception of Xie Wei. Even after revealing his identity, they shifted our focus to something else. Only a few characters knew about his real identity, even Ning’er was clueless. Ning’er was focusing a lot on her past experiences with Xie Wei instead of studying the current Xie Wei. As you keep watching, you begin to ask yourself the same question Ning’er had been asking since episode 1, ‘is Xie Wei a rebel?’ No matter what happens, Xie Wei is always grabbing my attention. By the way, Zhang Linghe played this character perfectly.
What I didn’t like
I prefer the use a short preview of the story as the opening theme in the first episodes instead of using it in all episodes. The same lines over and over again got me bored, it would have been better if they used another opening theme as the story developed. Was it really genius to use the preview as the opening theme? Yes! Only at the beginning because it reminded me about the root of the storyline. I also don’t like this thing of having three men chasing after one girl… Someone called it a love ‘square’. I started witnessing this in Jun JiuLing but it was different because the Female lead’s feelings were clear. So it took a different turn in Lost You Forever and I didn’t like it then. Now I’m witnessing the same thing on Story Of Kunning Place with Ning being all over these guys who are madly in love with her. Even Xue Ning’s feelings were all over the place. One moment she’s in love with Zhang Zhe, the next she’s in Xie Wei’s arms. I don’t know about you but I don’t see myself watching a drama of this kind anytime soon. If it’s the new trend then count me out.
Story Of Kunning Palace Ending
I know you are reading this because you want to know about the ending. Story Of Kunning Palace has a happy ending and it ended the same way most dramas end. I don’t want to spoil the mood but here’s a hint, do you remember how General’s Lady ended? I’m sure you get what I’m trying to say (wink). For me, I’m just glad that the female lead managed to change whatever she wanted to change. My only complaint is the death of Fangyin, was it reallynecessary? Some say You Fangyin’s death may be a means to find an excuse for Xuening to kill Zhou Yinzhi. Zhou Yinzhi wouldn’t have survived even if he didn’t murder Fangyin.
Conclusion
To conclude this review, I didn’t feel this drama the way I expected. People talk about the romance but I couldn’t get it. Xuening’s relatinship with Xie Wei was a bit toxic for my enjoyment. The drama was great at the beginning with Xuening trying to change her fate and becoming a good person. All of that changed midway and I slowly got bored with the drama because it was slow pacing with weak schemes. The court sessions felt like a daycare. Then Lord Pingnan arrived and boosted the story. After his demise, we go back to the same old palace drama. I do recommend it. but I don’t see myself rewatching it (I rarely rewatch dramas anyways). I don’t read novel these dramas are adapted from, but I do a little bit of research before I watch a drama. I think the reason why I fail to understand some of the things in this drama is because I didn’t read the novel.
