Zhen Huan Zhuan

My review and ratings depends on which "Empresses in the Palace" you are seeing. I started off watching the "complete series" in English, which consisted of 6 episodes on Prime Video. It, certainly, whet my appetite for more. I found it very interesting, but it seemed to jump too quickly from one scene and crisis to another. So, I gave it a 7, and looked for more. I found that it is a series consisting of 76 episodes! No wonder it seemed "off." How do you shrink a 76 hour program into 6 hours? The answer, not very well. Was it still entertaining, yes, but not great. The acting was great. Locations inside The Forbidden City outstanding. But, the story was just not smooth.

The 76 episodes version, on the other hand, were wonderful! I only got to see about 47 episodes, but the story was consistently terrific. I got to know and care about the characters. I watched them grow, age, mature, and change as life within the harem of the Emperor grew more and more complicated, as emotion, power, greed, and jealousy shaped their lives. And I, suddenly, understood those gaps in the "complete series."

The original episodes I got to see were on YouTube. They had English subtitles that were the work of a group to translate them all into English subtitles.

I check back every few weeks to see if more episodes have been added to those with English subtitles. They are over half way through, and I really hope they continue, because it's a 10, and well worth watching!

Think of the "complete series" as cliff notes!