TV REVIEW

The East Palace

COUPLE OF
CRITICS SCORE
B
85 /100 CRITIC SCORE
Bell SCORE
B Bell
Audience Score 0% Editorial Estimate

Full Review

Featuring Cho Seung-woo among its cast, the series premiered on Netflix on July 17, 2026.

The story follows a royal palace in the Joseon Dynasty that is being haunted by ghosts who reside in a mirror dimension known as the Realm of Gwi. For the past thirty years, the royal family has experienced a mysterious string of deaths involving the male heirs to the throne. Desperate to uncover the truth and protect the royal bloodline, the King hires a ghost slayer named Gu-cheon, a mysterious figure with the ability to project his soul into the Realm of Gwi.

Gu-cheon works alongside the King’s estranged daughter, Saeng-gang, a low-ranking court lady who possesses the ability to communicate with the dead. Together, they become entangled in a supernatural mystery that goes far beyond the palace walls.

Overall, this is an entertaining series with impressive and engaging storytelling. The cinematography is beautifully done, while the costumes and elaborate sets do an excellent job of bringing the Joseon era to life. The combination of dark fantasy, Korean mythology, horror, and mystery works particularly well and gives the series a unique atmosphere.

The cast also delivers strong performances. Gu-cheon is an intriguing and mysterious character, and watching his story unfold was one of the more interesting aspects of the series. However, the real highlight is the relationship between Gu-cheon and Saeng-gang. Their connection develops naturally throughout the story, and you can genuinely see the chemistry between the two characters grow into a strong and meaningful bond.

My biggest issue with the series was the pacing. The story moves very slowly at times, and honestly, I don’t think we needed all eight episodes. The series could have easily been shortened to around six episodes without losing the heart of the story. Because of the slow pacing, there were moments when I found myself becoming impatient and frustrated with how long it was taking to get to the next major development.

There was also some repetitive dialogue and a few inconsistencies that took away from the overall experience. These issues weren’t enough to ruin the series, but they definitely made it feel longer than it needed to be.

Despite those flaws, I still found the series enjoyable and thought the concept was very interesting. It blends supernatural elements, Korean mythology, mystery, and romance in a way that makes it stand out.

Couple of Critics Verdict: This is definitely a series that requires some patience. I would recommend watching it in smaller increments rather than trying to binge all eight episodes at once. The slow pacing may test your patience, but if you stick with it, there is an entertaining story underneath it all.

Audience Score
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