Crystal Tan

Absolutely brilliant drama! The cast were both stunningly beautiful and through their acting enabled the audience to emotionally connect with the heroes, heroines and the villains. Wallace Huo had an amazing performance as the self-indulging and self-doubting, paranoid Emperor. The vacillating between liking and loathing his character brought feelings of hope and promise as well as heartbreak and betrayal right to the end. Zhao Xun’s character ‘Ruyi’ was a calm and welcoming contrast to the scheming and calculating (brilliant acting) done by other women of the harem (who were all desperately trying to survive machinations being done against themselves). Standout performances by Vivian Wu (Niohuru Zhenhuan), Jie Dong (Fuca Langhua), Yao Tong ( Gao Xiyue), Zhilei Xin (Jia Yuyan), Chun Li (Wei Yanwan), Janine Chang (Haigiya Hailan), Amy Haoyu Chen (Yehe Nara Yihuan), Huan Qi (Rong Pei), Chao Jing (Ling Yunche) and many others. This show explores a myriad of human emotions and characteristics; love, hate, loyalty, betrayal, kindness, cruelty, jealousy, surrender, greed, power and resistance. Best show of 2020