Is it just me?

the comments are so split. we have us who have read or seen chinese imperial novels/drama and then there are those who seem as though they haven't.

Lol, ikr. How everyone says "i hate the emperor/king for being an idiot in not seeing her right." Or some shit like that. Lol like thats part of the plot sis. It cannot be done. Like this type of drama is very repetitive that it tends to get boring for some shows.

Precisely. Every time someone complains about that, I roll my eyes and just tell them to watch Chinese shows more. You're reading a CHINESE manhwa about ancient CHINESE dynasties, don't go whining and impose what you think an ancient Chinese emperor should do, and instead educate yourselves more on this matter so you don't come in all offended reading it.

The same way one-marriage-partner people continue the bloodline: you have kids with your spouse. Or you adopt them.
Plus who says a kid in the bloodline should or could be a good king? If you CHOOSE your successor based on skills/personality, I imagine we'd have had a lot of better rulers than just whatever kid is the royal one.
And let's face it, sibling rivalry and harem rivalry is hardly conducive to peaceful transitions..... men just want to screw a lot of women or make alliances for power.

Gurl, u really just don't understand chinese history or even understand the culture at all. Thats the western type of way to think k. But in this type of chinese drama or really even chinese history, it must be of bloodline, adopting a child as ruler who isnt even of royal bloodline is taboo. The emperor of china must have many wives, even if he is gay or not, it is considered political but the only way to keep the bloodline going and for the country. There is always rivalry between the concubines and the children. I can recommend you some chinese dramas which have this type of genre to you if you like so you can understand chinese royalty culture.

Well true, but, most Chinese manhwas are always about the king only loving one girl and having a few side concubine

This is fantasy . People have powers REAL people don't have. People transmigrate. People go back to when they were 12 and live life over. I don't think we need to follow the rules of reality when it's a fantasy. Even when Western culture was highly homophobic, some writers of fantasy wrote tales changing the culture to gay-friendly, so a fantasy writer is not limited by cultural norms of the past (or present). A king could choose an heir in ancient China from blood-related males (didn't have to be sons). Even in ancient Western cultures, bloodlines mattered. But it was still stupid, because a smart king could have a stupid son. A discipline king could have a dissolute son.

The rules were always dumbass.

And, honestly, a king could adopt an heir and SAY HE WAS HIS BASTARD SON and in his bloodline. An emperor had the power to lie and cover up a lie and make a lie truth. So, really, not convincing enough an argument that, "the culture did it this way." And let's face it, in a hypothetical situation where an Emperor was sterile and had no issue, do you think he'd just let that slide, or he'd get someone to fuck one of his wives to issue and heir and claim him? Or if an emperor died without sons or brothers? Somehow, you'd have to choose a leader.

I've read dozens of Chinese light novels and seen a few dramas (Historical). And just because they set up a particular idea doesn't mean a writer can't be creative and deviate. Let's face it, this is hardly REALISTIC fiction.

Face it, the people back then could never ever accept such a thing to happen. The author can do whatever they like in a novel they have written and however they wish to do. But remember this, chinese emperors back in china would never do such a thing. Either you accept this or not is up to you.

I think most are familiar with the harem concept, but it still isn't easy to stomach - imagine your partner sleeping around. And even if you focus on the aspect of him being a ruler, many of us grew up in the western part of the world, where rulers only had one legal wife and all other women were considered whores and their children bastards. So to some, it is quite unfamiliar and doesn't align with our moral conception, even if it is a historical fact.

Again, it's fantasy fiction aimed at a 21st century reader. Authors can change it around as they wish (or not). It's not out of line for readers to WISH for, say, a monogamous heart.

One of my fave rebirth ones, a rebirth one, had the Emperor choose to only marry his one love (the rebirthed clever revengeful heroine). And I've read a few where a secondary character noble (when it was normal to have concubines), choose to be monogamous. For a novel, acceptable, no matter what one thinks historically.

And consider that a large number of people in Western countries grew up with some Christian exposure. The Bible has polygamy. It's not like we're not exposed to this. We just no longer approve of it and, romantically, we hold up monogamy.

In some ways, Yes, fiction allows some form of flexibility in their storytelling, but when a creator chooses to abide on what is one of the most commonly known traditions in Chinese history (HAREM) people have no right to complain or spew what they think is morally better and automatically denounce the works (or the king and his harem) as such. That's really the whole point - you can call a king scum, but a cheating bastard? Lol no.

And besides, most, if not all, harem stories would eventually lead to the king choosing his one and only over the harem. just that people don't have the patience to wait till the end, and denounces said king as cheating scum all the while having absolutely no clue on how the harem works.

Actually, readers ALWAYS have a right to complain. I don't know where you think they don't. :D I can read stories with harems, without, with poygamy, without, but there's nothing wrong with me PREFERRING there be true love with a pair, even if it means the king has harem, but he clearly chooses ONE to love wholeheartedly.

A reader's preference is just as much a right as a writer's choices. And I have dozens of friends who are published writers who would likely say the same. Readers can want what they want. And an emperor with a harem isn't a cheating bastard UNLESS he promised to keep one wife (I've read a couple where they broke the promise, in one, the wife jumped off a cliff rather than stay in an abusive marriage to a man who broke his promise).
So, on that issue I agree: An emperor with many wives is not cheating when he sleeps with his wives. Doesn't mean I have to like him. :)

Wrong voice of words. I should probably rephrase by saying that readers have the option to simply move on if they don't like the works they're reading. I have no interest in commenting on other topics other than the point I originally mentioned upon reading various comments: Don't come in here constantly crying and ranting about the Emperor being a cheating scum when you havent got a clue about Chinese history and how harem works, at every chapter, and then rag about how terrible the works are. I've seen people also commenting this in other harem stories. The Emperor may be scum if he did break off said promise - but even then, you'll be hard pressed to find anyone accusing him as a cheating bastard. If you ask me, I'm more surprised if they could

Continuing * I'm more surprised if they could remain faithful to one wife till the end, and some works DO play with that idea but unfortunately never dealt with the political fallout or just simply breezed through it and never really explored the concept fully. But I digress.

And yet we have the right to praise or whine. Why does it bother you so much? And so what if some readers don't have a clue about CHinese history? Pretty sure those emperors didn't look like Pop Stars with side-long-bangs like these are drawn (are those hairstyles authentic?) Red hair. Purple hair? Yellow hair? BLUE EYES??? Western features???
Doubt the emperors had ninja skills, either. So, if there can be all those differences, let's not talk about AUTHENTIC. Hell, many of these aren't even in a KNOWN kingdom. It's made up kingdoms in a fantasy CHina.

Yeah, talk about how realistic this is.

Actually, some do, in terms of getting grief and the intrigue. One gay one the Emperor only had his male love and then committed suicide when the lover died. Which seems hella more honorable than fucking a bunch of women you don't love for political reasons, just from a purely ethical standpoint. So, in a story, readers will accept such things, and even WELCOME them, because is speaks of rising above convention to do something FINER. And we like heroes to do finer things.

You seem to like discussing about off tangent points which I'll leave you to it then, maybe someone else would take you up on it. No harm or offense intended nor taken, just bidding a fellow reader good day.