In the development of Chinese film and television dramas, palace fighting dramas have always occupied an important position with their unique storylines and rich character relationships, whether it is a historical drama or a time-traveling theme, these works have deeply attracted the audience's attention by depicting power struggles and emotional entanglements inside and outside the court. Among the many palace fighting dramas, there are 10 dramas that are still in the forefront and become classics in the hearts of the audience because of their superb production and wonderful plots.
1. "Daming Palace Ci"
Set against the backdrop of the history of the Tang Dynasty, it depicts the story of Wu Zetian's usurpation of the Tang Dynasty as Zhou through a coup d'état, and the protagonist of the story is Taiping, who is both a witness and a victim of this power struggle in the court. This kind of narration is not common, and usually historical dramas tend to show the impact of national upheavals on the fate of individuals, but "Daming Palace Ci" goes the other way, reflecting the changes of the times from the rise and fall of the family, highlighting the complexity and richness of personal emotions.
2. "Golden Branch Desire"
This is a tragedy for all members, the first half is full of wits and courage, and the second half focuses on the arc of the characters, hoping that the enemy will live well even before death, showing great pattern and tight rhythm. The character of Kong Wu is particularly impressive, although he seems reckless, but he is full of rebellious spirit, when the palace maid Su Ying is killed, he thinks of putting her flute into the royal ancestral hall for the royal generations to worship, this spirit of rebellion is rare in modern domestic dramas, and most of today's dramas lack this spirit, but instead present a more feudal idea.
3. "The Pleiades of the Firmament"
Through a unique perspective, it tells the story of the male protagonist as a eunuch next to the Queen Mother, Chun'er's eyes are particularly bright, and his brother Liang Wenxiu is also very well shaped, the plot rhythm is tight, there are both laughter and pain points, and it fully shows the helplessness and sadness of the end of the great country. There is some delay in the later stage of the plot, Liang Wenxiu can think calmly when his father-in-law is poisoned, but he does not run away first when he helps the emperor seize power and is exposed, the contrast between before and after is too great, Cixi and Mrs. Zhang perform well in the play, Chun'er is pure and true, and finally gets the grace of the queen mother to leave the palace, which is a good ending.
4. "The Secret History of Kosho"
Although "The Secret History of Xiaozhuang" has the core of a romance drama, its pattern covers the feelings of the family and the country and the rise and fall of the dynasty, and it is filmed in a heart-wrenching manner, far from being comparable to ordinary harem battle dramas, the actors' acting skills are impeccable, and the fit between the roles and the actors is extremely high, making the characters vivid. The rivalry between Tranquility and Ma Jingtao is wonderful, and Hu Jing also performs it very well, this drama is not only a historical drama, but also a high-quality masterpiece, successfully combining the inner world of the characters with the historical background, bringing a profound visual and emotional experience to the audience.
5. "Beauty Scheming"
This is a drama full of excitement, the makeup and aesthetics are very online, the bad guys are also hard to hate, Yang Mi's Snow Mandarin is impressive, the style is realistic, compared with the current idol dramas, there is a feeling of a drama, and the most surprising thing is that there is no malicious smear of female characters like Lu Pheasant in the play. Ruby Lin's performance in the play is very good, this is one of her most suitable roles, handsome guys and beauties in the play are like clouds, but the most memorable is the puppet prince played by Luo Jin, whose decadent and sad eyes are unforgettable.
6. "The Legend of Zhen Huan"
The core of this drama is not Concubine Hua's cold palace, blood test or Ling Yunfeng's romance drama, but the patch made by the emperor before Zhen Huan returned to the palace, showing the omnipotence of power. What checks and balances can power be? At the heart of the play's criticism by progressives is that it does not pander to naïve fantasies, but instead shows the icy reality of the checks and balances of power: only power itself can counterbalance power. In addition, the play also explores the basis of the operation of the patriarchal society, revealing the cruelty and ruthlessness of power, and the answer that Zhen Huan finally realized is alarming, and this play has contributed to this point.
7. "Mother of the World"
Historical drama style with stage play lines, this drama is the last costume drama that still has ancient rhyme, although Zhaojun's actor is not good-looking, but his temperament is very in line with the role, making people believe that she is Zhaojun, although the plot is not portrayed in detail in the play, but both the decent and the villain love her, this sense of convincing is impressive. Xiao Yu's chic dedication is also very well depicted, the affectionate and polite relationship between him and the heroine is touching, Yuan Li's performance is even more unforgettable, her beauty and talent make this drama a high-quality masterpiece.
8. "True and False East Palace"
Although the plot is bloody, it is very attractive, the fate of Ling Yun and Chu Chu is entangled from the change of face, and finally Ling Yun succeeds, and her values are realized, on the one hand, the greed of human nature is vividly depicted in the play, and on the other hand, it also shows the ultimate truth, kindness, beauty, courage and strength. The role of the emperor is portrayed very complicated, and the male supporting actor can see the inner beauty of the female protagonist, which enriches the plot even more, however, the Hong Kong drama-style happy ending at the end of the play is not satisfactory, and a big pig's trotter like the emperor is not worthy of such an ending.
9. "Drunken Golden Bough"
"Drunk Golden Branch" tells the story of love from a moment of passion to the real run-in of the two personalities, the princess escaped marriage and met a commoner in the early stage, experienced the process of becoming a lover with a vindictive family, easy and interesting, and after returning to the palace, the real drama began. Due to the difference in living environment and court rules, the two gradually changed from lovers to resentful couples, and the characteristics that initially attracted each other became unimportant, and the two began to ask each other to change according to their expectations, although the ending was a happy reunion, but if no one changed, the contradiction would always exist.
10. "Returning the Pearl"
The plot is compact, the actors perform naturally, each role is very suitable, even in modern times, the idea of the big heroine in this drama is still competitive, when I was a child, I felt that Ziwei was weak and gentle, not as prominent as the lively little swallow, and when I grew up, I found that Ziwei has a rigid bone, and completely trusts and tolerates Xiaoyanzi. The friendship between the girls is very beautiful, although Xiaoyanzi is very aggressive, but her mouth is sweet, Ziwei is also very brave and dignified, rewatching this drama, I found that it is full of vitality, compared to us who are now tortured by work, they are more like living people.
Looking back on these 10 classic palace fighting dramas, we not only saw the innovation and breakthrough of film and television dramas in the historical background, but also felt the ups and downs of the fate and emotions of the characters. Whether from the perspective of emotion or power, these works have brought the audience deep thoughts and endless aftertastes, especially the last one, with its unique charm and far-reaching influence, it has become an unsurpassed classic in the hearts of the audience.