Why you should watch The Legend of Zhen Huan 甄嬛传

Hello everyone, I've realised that The Legend of Zhen Huan is extremely well-liked by those who have watched it.

Since everyone can't get enough of The Legend of Zhen Huan, I thought I'd introduce something good to everyone else who hasn't watched it! :) If you are a busy person and can only catch one drama per year or something like that, make that one drama The Legend of Zhen Huan.

The Emperor with Zhen Huan (english.cri.cn)


The storyline was engaging.

Zhen Huan's character is loosely based on the mother of Emperor Qianlong (yep, if you remember 老佛爷 in Huan Zhu Ge Ge, it's that same woman in history). She enters the palace at 17, naive and idealistic, and longed for a man who loved her. Through her wit and resourcefulness, she destroys her first enemy Consort Hua (华妃), who plotted again and again to murder her. She fell in love with the Emperor, only to realise that the Emperor only loved her because she resembled the deceased Empress. Heartbroken and defeated, she leaves the palace to become a nun.

While at the nunnery she fell in love later with the Emperor's brother, the 17th prince. A misunderstanding led her to believe the 17th Prince has been murdered. Then pregnant with the 17th Prince's children, in order to protect them and avenge the 17th prince, she recaptures the Emperor's favour, adopts the 4th Prince (future Emperor Qianlong), and returns to the palace as Consort Xi (熹妃).

Once back in the palace, she finds out the 17th Prince is still alive (oops). She slowly erodes the power of her second enemy, the Empress, until the Empress is discarded. Later, the Emperor finds out about her affair with the 17th prince, and orders the latter's execution. Zhen Huan kills her final enemy, the Emperor, to avenge the 17th prince, and becomes the all-powerful but sad and disillusioned Empress Dowager.

Zhen Huan's evolution (gmw.cn)

(click to enlarge) Are you on Zhen Huan's hitlist?

You will never be bored for a moment despite the series' length. There was a story climax every 5 episodes or so, and even when it seems like nothing is going on, you can feel the suspense and unpredictability of the characters.

The character development was realistic.

There are characters you will outright detest, but many a time, you will find yourself empathising with them. Consort Hua and the Empress plotted against Zhen Huan because they truly loved the Emperor. Zhen Huan hated the Emperor so much because she was thoroughly let down after finding out the man she loved only treated her as a substitute for the dead Empress. Her friend, An Lingrong, had an inferiority complex, and turned against Zhen Huan because she felt like Zhen Huan looked down upon her.

An Lingrong during happier times

The way the environment moulds the mindset of each individual was also explored in great detail. What really impressed me was how the script showed every action has consequences, intended or not. Take for example, the dynamics of Zhen Huan and her friend An Lingrong. If only Zhen Huan had understood how her actions came across to her friend, perhaps she wouldn't have alienated Lingrong.

If anything, the most important takeaway of the series is how crucial people skills are in life. Paper qualifications (or lack thereof) may not make or break a man, but if you lack people skills, you will definitely not be successful.

The directing is meticulous and detailed.

I realise, every time I re-watch this, that there is a small detail in the shooting which I overlooked. And man am I impressed- the director went to such lengths to ensure continuity in every single movement!

Case in point: In the first episode when the ladies were awaiting the selection ceremony for imperial concubines, there was an unreasonable bully by the name of Xia Dongchun who gave An Lingrong a hard time. Xia Dongchun was selected, but Consort Hua (华妃,then the head of all concubines) caught wind that Xia Dongchun was giving her etiquette teacher (教习姑姑) a bad attitude.

Consort Hua: "Since Xia Dongchun thinks so highly of herself, tell the etiquette teacher not to put in so much effort educating her."

For those unfamiliar with the workings of the imperial palace, court etiquette is extremely important. Any mistake in the way you bow, the way you speak or greet can mean death. 

Now we fast forward to the scene where the newly appointed imperial concubines greet the Empress and senior concubines for the first time.

Click to enlarge

Pay close attention to the girl who has been circled in pink- that is Xia Dongchun. The other junior concubines, while having their heads almost upright, are looking towards the ground as they speak to the Empress. This is the correct way to greet anyone of a higher rank in the harem. However, Xia Dongchun looks directly at the Empress, which is a violation of court etiquette.

Look again at this scene where she speaks with Consort Hua.


Once again, she looks directly at Consort Hua when being called. Contrast this with Zhen Huan (in blue), whose eyes are looking to the ground. 

This was a result of Consort Hua telling Xia Dongchun's etiquette teacher not to put any effort into her. It was so subtle you wouldn't have noticed it if you didn't pay attention, but the details were on point!

I learned a lot about Chinese history!

I've always assumed all imperial Chinese concubines were either 妃 or if they were important enough, 贵妃. But in reality there is a complicated hierarchy in the inner harem. The titles of concubines differ from dynasty to dynasty but this is the ranking system for Qing dynasty (the period of this drama) concubines:

1 Empress 皇后
1 Imperial Noble Consort 皇贵妃
2 Noble Consorts 贵妃
4 Consorts 妃
6 Concubines 嫔
Unlimited Noble Ladies 贵人
Unlimited First Class Attendants 常在
Unlimited Second Class Attendants 答应

It isn't enough to be pretty. Your family background played an important role in determining your standing in the imperial household. Consort Hua has a General brother serving the Emperor in court, and was thus made the head of concubines. Zhen Huan's friend, An Lingrong, was of peasant birth, and was made a Second Class Attendant as she entered the palace.

Conclusion: Give this series a try, really. The script is intellectually-stimulating and the lines are really well-written. You will not regret a moment of these 76 episodes.

p/s: check out the prelude I had written to this entry, analysing the leadership styles employed by the major concubines in this series.

Comments

  1. Thank you so much for this post! It really helped me since I am not much related to the history and ranks of China. Hugs from Mexico!

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  2. Can I watch the 76 episodes? I'm watching the one on Netflix but it's not nearly as well as the original

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    1. Hi Bertand, yes you can, all 76 episodes are available on Youtube. Here's the link to episode 1 if you wanna watch with English subs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfBu9F2zXeI&nohtml5=False

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  3. I just finished watching the 76 episodes and it was an emotional roller coaster for me but well worth the tears. I didn't think I would make it but it is truly a very interesting series which had taught me a lot about ancient Chinese imperial etiquette. Life in the forbidden kingdom is really not a glamorous life as it seemed. Although I wish it was a happy ending for Zhen Huan but then that just makes it more unrealistic. This drama actually made me scare because it felt so real. Literally any small mistakes could cost not just your own life but people you love (family, friends). I truly recommend it!

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    1. I felt so sad when she had her miscarriage and when she left her baby for the temple. I wonder why the ladies at the temple had to be so unkind.

      When I watched the final episode out of curiosity I wondered why she had to be so harsh to the emperor and empress. Now I know. This emperor is cruel and deserves to be thus revenged.

      A moving depiction of the terrible life of a concubine and the inhumane treatment the palace can mete out. Life is so uncertain in the forbidden city. One moment you could be so loved,the next you're no better than dirt!

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    2. I agree, I found the Emperor one of the most hypocritical and poorly written characters in the story. I disliked Empress Chunyuan too, and how she was elevated to near-saint status when you could infer from the numerous dialogues that she probably wasn't as kind-hearted as the characters in the story would like you to think.

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  4. This emperor Yongzheng is like a paedophile or serial rapist. The youngest "victim" looks like a 12 year old baby/child. Damn sick! I wonder what's the minimum age they set.

    The harem represents a cattle farm. First-timers are young calves taken to the slaughter house,naked and all wrapped up in a bed-sheet? Gross!!! All those concubines are young enough to be the emperor's daughters.

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    1. The emperor was 45 when he ascended the throne. He kicked the bucket at 57.

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    2. There is one detail that the series seem to have omit and not reference to...which explain why the concubines were carried to the Emperor wrapped up in a bedsheet. Most of them, if not all, underwent footbinding.

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    3. Ken, Manchu women did not bind their feet.

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  5. Is there a source where I can find the dialogue script to this series? I'm learning Chinese and I would love to be able to get my hands on the dialogue to this movie, so I could learn the characters and sentences used in the dialogue and use it to follow while I listen to the audio of the movie. Thanks.

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    1. Hi, no I don't, but you can watch the American version which has English subs along with Chinese words.

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  6. hi! i absolutely adored this show and i was looking forward to watching mi yue zhuan because my friend said this show is similar to ZHZ. however i saw your review on MYZ and realised that it probably isn't as well written as ZHZ! do u have any recommendations that are of the same genre as zhz? thank you so much :))

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    1. Hi Jaslyn, so sorry I only saw your comment now, somehow I can no longer see if I have comments pending moderation! Anyway, you can look forward to Ru Yi Zhuan (written by the same author, even though I'm not sure how it would turn out as yet). MYZ gets better towards the end when she becomes the Empress Dowager, so if you like seeing a badass version of Sun Li, I'll recommend you start watching from Ep 66 for MYZ.

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  7. So glad LZH is my first C-drama, but now I can't seem to find anything that's even on par with this series. Except maybe Nirvana in Fire. Have seen this series like two and a half times and I'm still so in love with it.

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    1. Yes I know right, even the most hyped up dramas of late do not seem to match ZHZ.

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    2. Watch Prince of Lan Ling & Sound of the Desert on kissasian.es.

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  8. Hi, i am glad i found your blog. its so interesting! where do you suggest i watch this series LEGEND OF ZHEN HUAN? from internet or DVDs? If DVDs, where do i get it from? I need English subtitles. thank you.

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  9. Hi i am glad i found your blog. its so interesting! where i can find this series Legend of Zhen Huan? from internet or DVDs? i need english subtitles! where do i get such DVDs from nowadays? thank you

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    1. Hi Dan, thanks for your comment! You can get a DVD of the legend of Zhen Huan, not sure which outlets have them but they exist. The US (truncated) version with English subs is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et8LcwWHX6M. All 6 episodes can be found on Youtube.

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    2. Just came across your blog out of curiosity and love your review but I just want to say that Legend of Zhen Huan is easily available now on youtube (with decent fan subs too). Sadly, the true meaning and nuances of the script tend to be lost in translation.

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  10. Omg...this series is just amazing. I found myself crying watching some of these episodes. I just got so sucked in by this story. The actors and actresses were incredible. Sun Li just broke my heart in some of her scenes. This show just deserves accolades for the story and for the acting.

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    1. Yes! There was a period of time I told my friend I watch it everyday and she thought I was nuts LOL!

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  11. i also like it and rewacth over2 and over again. found a small thing

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  12. Problem I hate is Ada Choi voice were dubbed. Used to watch her TVB drama and her voice is more feminine. They should teach her to speak in Mandarin instead of letting her to speak in Cantonese and dub her voice.

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  13. My fair diva how about ruyi's love in the palace...

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    1. It's pretty good, but only exciting because of the side characters plotting and scheming for the Empress' position. Ruyi herself barely does anything and the show is more about the love between her and Qianlon g.

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    2. tq ... already finished all the episodes.... not bad .. ruyi is the same girl in ZH whose been rejected by 3rd prince right ?? in ZH ruyi so rude and dont like child ...in ruyi love in palace she so nice ... lovely ...

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  14. Did you know that Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace just came out?...it is the official sequel of The Legend of Zhen Huan with the female protagonist being the niece of the Empress - the big bad enemy of Zhen Huan. In this sequel, the Empress Dowager Zhen Huan is portrayed in the closest ways to the literary, original character of Zhen Huan in the novels where she's a very manipulative, sadistic, unlikable and cunning alpha bitch.

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    1. Yup I am watching it now! I can't get over the fact that such an old actress plays her in Ruyi since she's supposedly only twelve years older than Hong Li

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    2. that's right .... ZH just 12 years old than Qianlong Emperor ....
      because of of your ZH's review ... Im watching ZH back and that time i'm realize that ruyi continuity from ZH.... at ep 75... im keep remembering the 1st ep of ruyi ...

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    3. But, the aunt of Ruyi, is manipulative and some unpleasant?. And, Ruyi Ruyi loved his aunt, anyway. Although, she had to learn the sad politics of the palace

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  15. HELLO !! I just wanted to say that I have watched the series, but I am so upset by the way Xia was treated, I feel sick thinking about it. I know it is fiction. It is not real.... BUT still I react like this.
    The emperor wanted Xia in his harem, because her dad was an important military leader (ok?) And then when the poor girl get beaten so badly she is crippled for life, he does not react.. He says something like "We can not have violence in the harem.." So you stop violence in the harem with more violence ? AND what happens when Xia´s family gets the news that there beloved girl is punished so bad at the palace, she will be paralyzed from the waist down?? NOT A SMART MOVE BY THE DUMB ASS EMPEROR... (This is the story to write !!!) And how is it portrayed in film.. the ultra violence and cruelty ?? I think it is told like Xia was spoiled and rude so she deserved it.. AND THAT IS SICK... I do not understand how the Chinese tell a story..
    Did you know that there where a concubine Hua in real life .. She is based on a real person, but I really hope she was a nicer person... And the manchu emperors tried to stop foot binding - ONE good thing from them finally.. But they did not succeed...

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