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!
