The core of this work is that it confines the background of traditional court drama within the genre framework of the occult. The title ‘East Palace’ goes beyond the physical location of the crown prince’s residence, and symbolizes the dangerous borderline where the real world and the world of the ear (⻤) meet. The production team visually implemented traditional exorcism elements such as peach tree branches, and densely depicted the process of the palace transforming into the center of power and the most terrifying closed space at the same time. This is more than just an exorcism, it is a psychological thriller that explores the secrets hidden deep within the palace and the human greed entangled within them. Viewers will experience an overwhelming sense of immersion as they witness the bizarre truth hidden behind the gorgeous palace.

‘Gucheon’, played by Nam Joo-hyuk, is a key character who drives the action and fantasy of this series. He is an exorcist who travels between two worlds and punishes evil spirits. He completely broke away from the image shown in existing youth dramas and predicted the appearance of an intense dark hero tied with a rope and jumping into a red pond. His action of swinging a sword and cutting down a ghost goes beyond mere technical splendor, and acts as a narrative device to resolve the grudge against the cursed palace. Nam Joo-hyuk is expected to make another significant mark in his filmography as an actor by simultaneously digesting historical action and occult mystery through this character.

‘Ginger’, played by Noh Yun-seo, and ‘King’, played by Jo Seung-woo, are strategic characters who control the tension of the play. Ginger is a court lady who hears the sounds of ghosts, and plays a pivotal role in solving the puzzle of the case by detecting an invisible threat next to the sword-wielding Gucheon. On the other hand, the king played by Jo Seung-woo is depicted as the client who called an exorcist to the palace to lift the curse, and as the mysterious figure most deeply connected to the true nature of the curse. Jo Seung-woo's unique cool and deep acting will firmly support the center of gravity of the play, constantly raising doubts about what the king's secret is and whether he is truly a savior or the beginning of destruction.

The reason why ‘Donggung’ is receiving more attention is because of the meeting between the writers and the director, who are credited with broadening the horizons of the Korean occult genre. Writers Kwon So-ra and Seo Jae-won, who wrote <The Guest> and <Bulgasal>, have already proven their excellent sense in weaving ghosts and human sins, and this time, they are ready to deliver the ultimate horror by taking advantage of the spatial constraints of the palace. Director Choi Jeong-gyu, who showed off his detailed directing skills through <The Devil Judge>, joined in and struck a perfect balance between visual beauty and narrative. They have created a new genre of pleasure by twisting the grammar of familiar historical dramas, and this is expected to further strengthen the competitiveness of Netflix original series as a global content goal.