This has many of the tropes and styles found in GOT but without the mystical element, which in my opinion, makes this even better as it is harder to make a non-fantasy story engaging, and what makes this remarkable is how it reinterprets history with psychologically realistic characters in such a way that the reinterpretation seems like an accurate portrayal of historical characters and events.
The protagonist, the mother of the first emperor of unified China, is reviled as a lustful woman in certain historical records and has been portrayed as such in previous TV shows. But history is complicated and it is not unlikely that the historian who slandered her did so for his own political agenda. After all, how can a woman with uncontrollable urges climb the social ladder in the Zhao royal court, survive as a single mother in wartorn Zhao and solidify her power in the cutthroat Qin royal court?
Like GoT, this show has plenty of family drama, witty dialogue, tragic deaths, doomed fates but with even more intensity that makes GoT look like child's play. Although it doesn't have nudity and brutality on the level of GoT, there's more heart breaking moments in this show. But there are light hearted moments as well to balance the sadness, which is something East Asian shows do well in. Compared to GoT, this show offers more social commentary on issues such as female identity and how most people men women royalty paupers alike are the chess pieces of others. The production value is top notch. Music is great. However, be prepared for disappointment if you expect lots of action scenes like a wuxia martial arts showdown because there isn't much here. While the plot is generally fast and well-paced with little time spent on irrelevant dialogue, the downside is it leads to ridiculous scenes in which daytime suddenly becomes night time.
Two things I enjoy most: the complex character development and how various characters plot against each other. All characters even the minor ones have their moments of awesomeness. We understand their internal turmoils, the challenges they face and the sacrifices they make. There is usually an emotionally charged monologue before a death scene. We see the shades of grey in each character. There are few stock villains. Pure motivations like love and clan protection often turn characters into monsters. The other part I like is the strategizing that culminates into an Ace Attorney style debate.
The protagonist, the mother of the first emperor of unified China, is reviled as a lustful woman in certain historical records and has been portrayed as such in previous TV shows. But history is complicated and it is not unlikely that the historian who slandered her did so for his own political agenda. After all, how can a woman with uncontrollable urges climb the social ladder in the Zhao royal court, survive as a single mother in wartorn Zhao and solidify her power in the cutthroat Qin royal court?
Like GoT, this show has plenty of family drama, witty dialogue, tragic deaths, doomed fates but with even more intensity that makes GoT look like child's play. Although it doesn't have nudity and brutality on the level of GoT, there's more heart breaking moments in this show. But there are light hearted moments as well to balance the sadness, which is something East Asian shows do well in. Compared to GoT, this show offers more social commentary on issues such as female identity and how most people men women royalty paupers alike are the chess pieces of others. The production value is top notch. Music is great. However, be prepared for disappointment if you expect lots of action scenes like a wuxia martial arts showdown because there isn't much here. While the plot is generally fast and well-paced with little time spent on irrelevant dialogue, the downside is it leads to ridiculous scenes in which daytime suddenly becomes night time.
Two things I enjoy most: the complex character development and how various characters plot against each other. All characters even the minor ones have their moments of awesomeness. We understand their internal turmoils, the challenges they face and the sacrifices they make. There is usually an emotionally charged monologue before a death scene. We see the shades of grey in each character. There are few stock villains. Pure motivations like love and clan protection often turn characters into monsters. The other part I like is the strategizing that culminates into an Ace Attorney style debate.