Palace Episode 1

Off Topic: I finally got to see Bow/War of Arrows, that movie everyone's been naming their firstborn after. Once again I'm on the outside looking in. I was not impressed.

On Topic: Back when I was watching Bu Bu Jing Xin, I kept hearing how it was so similar to Palace, so I decided to give it a try and see if it really is.

A period drama is being filmed on location at the palace. Right in the middle of an action scene everything is brought to a halt when history buff Luo Qingchuan (part of a tourist group) barges in to complain how nothing is historically accurate. As she's leaving the palace grounds, Qingchuan finds herself enveloped in smoke. She can just make out the back of a woman in period dress and thinks it is the actress from the film crew. A woman's voice tells Qingchuan to "go back." The woman (wearing those dangerous shoes from back in the day) finally turns around and Qingchuan is shocked to see herself.

Wake up! It was all a dream. Qingchuan's mother yells at her daughter to get up and get dressed. She has to go down to the family's antique store and get engaged to Lin Feifan so he can continue to manage the store since Qingchuan's father died. (Thanks for the infodump, Ma.)

They go down to the very nice store and...  Ah! It's Yan Kuan from Qing Shi Huang Fei! Aw man, I bet this is the only time we see him. Feifan introduces Qingchuan to his mother. Qingchuan is quite rude, if you ask me, as she keeps her headphones in and plays with her iPod rather than hold a conversation with the woman. His mother is rather miffed at this improper behavior and I don't blame her one bit.

Just as Feifan makes the announcement to the guests about their engagement, Qingchuan's eye is caught by an antique sketch of a woman who resembles her. A powerful puff of wind blows the sketch out of the store. Qingchuan knocks waiters out of her way as she chases after the errant picture. That's some puff of wind as Qingchuan keeps running and running and running until she finally ends up in the forest. The picture gets stuck up against a tree trunk. Just as Qingchuan grabs a hold of the picture, dark clouds gather in the sky and Qingchuan is sucked down into a hole, just like Alice.

Bad special effects follow.

We now join 1708 A.D. already in progress.

A handful of women are dancing in front of a mainly male audience. It is a beauty pageant of sorts. The matron of ceremonies, an Auntie Nine, is about the announce the winner, which looks to be a lass named Suyan. Suddenly, up in the sky, Qingchuan materializes. Her shoes, her iPod, and then herself fall onto the stage. It's a miracle she didn't break anything. Auntie Nine decides to include this newcomer into the pageant. Qingchuan's iPod starts playing and boy is it loud as the audience hears the heavenly music coming from nowhere.

Qingchuan quickly figures out she's traveled back in time. She's anxious to get back to her mother and for some reason she thinks swinging around on the drapes is the way back. The audience just thinks this is part of her dance routine. Auntie Nine pronounces the flying wallenda as the winner of the beauty contest. Qingchuan asks what year it is. When she learns how far back she's gone, she faints on stage.

Evening time. A man sits fishing. This is Yinzhen, the Fourth Prince, one of a gazillion brothers. Suyan comes to report to him her failure to win the beauty pageant.

When Qingchuan wakes up it is to find herself in a palanquin and dressed in the local garb. Auntie Nine is taking her to be presented to Yingreng, the Second (and crowned) Prince. Qingchuan is trying to get away from the randy dandy. She announces she's a fairy from heaven and can tell him things, like there's a flood in the Yellow River area. Second Prince doesn't care. But before he can get his groove on a messenger arrives to tell him the Emperor wants to see the prince. Second Prince starts to panic. Why does the emperor want to see him? Qingchuan offers to help if he'll let her go.

Second Prince kneels before his father who is ripping him a new one for not doing anything about the flooding in the Yellow River area. Second Prince starts crying crocodile tears. As coached by Qingchuan, Second Prince explains it is the anniversary of his mother's death. He was busy performing ceremonies to honor her which is why he was unaware of the current disaster. This makes the Emperor all contrite and forgiving.

Off the hook, Second Prince is willing to let Qingchuan go. But then she realizes even if she does leave him, where will she go? So she decides to use him. She draws a picture of the site in the forest where she disappeared down the hole. She asks him to do what he can to find this location for her. While he's looking, she'll help him out all she can to get in good with his dad.

Fourth Prince and his father's eunuch are conspiring together. Second Prince (thanks to Qingchuan) has been a rising star in the court and they don't like it.

Second Prince is with his wife, Xueru. His men have failed to find the place in the forest and Second Prince is afraid of angering his fairy. It is Xueru herself who comes up with the idea of Second Prince marrying Qingchuan. When Qingchuan hears about their plans, she insists that she won't settle for anything less than being first wife, so he'll have to divorce Xueru. Qingchuan thinks that will stop this nonsense but instead Second Prince is all for it. He divorces Xueru and starts preparations for his wedding with Qingchuan.

Looks like she has no other choice but to pack up a few valuables (he owes her!) and hit the road, Jack. As she's trying to sneak off the grounds, Qingchuan must duck behind some bushes as a eunuch escorts some dancers that are a part of the wedding entertainment. Qingchuan recognizes one of the girls as Suyan. A small vial drops out of Suyan's clothing. After the group passes by, Qingchuan retrieves the vial and realizes it's gunpowder.

Before she can do anything about that, Qingchuan is discovered by Xueru. The vengeful ex-wife knocks Qingchuan into a pond and then leaves. Looks like Qingchuan can't swim and is crying out for help. Luckily a man hears her and dives right in to pull her to safety. This is the Eighth Prince.

So far I see just a few similarities between Bu Bu Jing Xin and Palace. There's the time travel, the land of many brothers, the dangerous shoes, and both shows just come to an awkward stop, no real closing scene. That's China for you. Yet there are many differences between the shows as well, so I wouldn't say one is a complete rip-off of the other. At least not yet.