Empresses in the Palace

This is a Chinese TV series which had 76 episodes. This is a choppy version of the series with huge gaps in what and why things are happening. The original version is on YouTube, but only 35 episodes have been translated into English so far. I liked this version, but was left scratching my head at the end.

I was very disappointed, which is why I went looking for more and found the information about the series AND its availability on YouTube. There is a group of volunteers who are supplying the English translations. They say that it takes about 2 weeks per episode to add the English, I'll be waiting for them! It's a terrific series in its original form.

Sun Hao's acting is really good, the heroine is smart and kind, and finally stands at the top of the right

I am British but have no time for our TV soap operas such as Eastenders and Coronation street but having watched Empresses in the Palace I have gone on to watch many Chinese TV dramas. It is very colourful and also in the main very well acted. The twists and turns in the plot held my interest all the way through and I was genuinely deflated when I came to the end. I particularly like the acting of the star Sun Li (Susan Sun) who manages to portray ageing often with just her posture or movement, and also has a convincing range of emotional expression. I would highly recommend this if you like booing pantomime villains and have an interest in colourful well dressed drama.

The plot, the acting, the sets and landscapes, the direction-- A truly wonderful experience.

Unlike a previous subscriber who considered the Emperor a poor actor, I think he is perfectly cast, and he portrays so greatly the poise, economy of emotions and regal stillness of the Son of Heavens. He shows his bliss through two short burst of austere laughter, through small gestures of his lips, through his impassive majesty.

The female actors offer lessons of artistry and talent chapter after chapter. They are rich characters, with a complex mastery of the subtle whims of human heart, at times queens of manipulation and cunning, then goddess of deep philosophy and reflective thought.

I strongly recommend this show. It is as beautiful as interesting and rich.

What a gorgeous work this is! It just never stops filling the eyes with beauty, whether in the costumes and jewelry or the sets or in the actresses themselves. It's just a constant delight to watch. And the story never becomes dull.

It's all about a girl, Huan, in the early part of the Qing dynasty in China, who is one of the daughters of government officials called in to be reviewed as possible additions to the emperor's stable of concubines. Huan is apparently the only candidate who is not interested in leaving her previous life to live in luxury in the Forbidden City vying for the emperor's attention. Once she joins the harem, it's not long before she becomes subject to the pressures of that life, so idyllic and pampered on the outside but so uncertain and dangerous, even deadly, in reality. The plots and intrigues, conspiracies and poisonings never end. She has her setbacks but learns to survive and outlasts even the emperor. The ending is a little surprising but fits perfectly everything that has gone before.

Because this is a major Chinese production (the original version, pre-Netflix, consisted of 76 episodes), we assume a great deal of authenticity. The attention to detail in costumes and sets is astonishing, and hopefully the storyline is also accurate. We certainly get a detailed, wonderfully colourful look into what life must have been like in the Chinese court during the Qing period.

Westerners will occasionally become confused over names and titles, but usually things become clear, given a little time and patience. Certainly the story and the eye candy make it worthwhile.

Give us more, China, give us more!