Every year without fail, at least one C-drama historical that’s underrated and under-the-radar but utterly deserving of praise, would somehow make its appearance in dramaland. This year’s gem, undoubtedly for me, is The Imperial Coroner.

If you love the detective genre in ancient historical settings, you’d love this. This drama bears a close resemblance to Miss Truth, Maiden Holmes, Ancient Detective and Young Blood, among the recent productions of this genre. Furthermore, there are other compelling reasons I’ve enjoyed this show immensely.

Why I Love It

The Tang Dynasty in which the drama is set in. Among all the ancient dynasties, this one is my favoured time period, particularly during the early to mid-Tang, because of the vibrant and thriving era of peace and economic prosperity, along with the burgeoning appreciation for fine arts and fashion. This is reflected in the bustling cosmopolitan city of Chang’an with the integration of myriads of cultures, when international trade was at its peak. This year seems to be the season of Tang with a number of dramas set in this timeline already released, notably The Long Ballad, Court Lady and Weaving a Tale of Love.

The production values of this drama. Although reportedly being low on budget, the overall quality isn’t hampered and it shows, because the money is spent on all the right places. Sometimes a drama is big budget because of the fees involved in casting big name stars. There are no A-list superstars involved here, which is just as well because what we get in return are decent cinematography, art direction, set designs (courtesy of Hengdian World Studios), action choreography, engaging direction and brisk pacing of the storytelling, as well as the blossoming talents of a young cast.

Speaking of the cast, for fans of Young Blood we get to see Su Xiao Tong again, this time in the lead role of the titular character. This young woman is worthy of top billing for this show because we get to see her showcase her expanding range in carrying this show through her character of Chu Chu. The rest of the cast are equally promising, with Wang Zi Qi’s characterization of the male lead Xiao Jin Yu particularly convincing. The supporting cast comprising Zhao Yao Ke, Yang Ting Dong, and Wang Yan Bin provide a very respectable account of their respective portrayals as members of the band of friends and team of investigators.

One of the more pleasing aspects of this production is the projection of visual designs and art. Its opening title sequence is one of the few I’ve seen that does not spoil any scenes from the show. It uses two versions, all of which feature conceptual art with a dramatic original score (as opposed to having an opening theme song). Throughout the drama, scenes of medical examination are accompanied by visual aid in the form of diagrams and title cards that provide concise explanation of the technical terms. Additionally, numerous visual representations of crime scene reenactment are added for the benefit of viewers.

The captivating plot about a gifted female coroner who works for the Imperial court in solving crimes is quite cleverly conceived. Based on the novel The Story of the Imperial Gift (御赐小仵作) by Qingxian Ya Tou (清闲丫头), the story fuses factual history with fiction, alongside some rather serious fictional dramatization. Real-life characters such as Emperor Xuanzong and the infamously powerful Eunuch faction, in addition to the Tang administrative system of the Judicial Ministry and the Censorate all form part of the overarching conspiracy that drives the story of this drama.

In comparison with some of the previously mentioned productions that are similar in nature, I honestly do think The Imperial Coroner is slightly better in terms of the execution and the storytelling. The chemistry and interactions between the various characters are more organic and positive, as opposed to some of the toxicity present in the messy love triangle and the rather “misogynistic” traits portrayed by the ML, in Miss Truth. The story progression here is much more engaging while the plotline is considerably more elaborate, in addition to the consistent writing of the FL character, when compared to Maiden Holmes. The depiction of the camaraderie between the main characters are a joy to watch and reminiscent of the gang in Young Blood and Ancient Detective.

Overall

The Imperial Coroner truly is a delightful watch that has pleasantly surprised not only me but many viewers as well, for most of the reasons mentioned earlier and perhaps some others as well. It may not be an epic masterpiece but it certainly holds its own against some of the big budget and highly anticipated C-historical productions that have been released this year. With only 36 episodes, it won’t take too much viewing time to savour this drama.