Fans of supernatural stories should check out Netflix these days. There is a new series from South Korea that has already convinced a large part of the audience with just 8 episodes.
What kind of series is this? On July 17, 2026, the miniseries The East Palace premiered on Netflix. It comes from writers Kwon So-ra and Seo Jae-won and consists of eight episodes. Each episode runs between 46 and 59 minutes.
The East Palace is set in the past, during the fictional Joseon Dynasty. A curse is haunting the royal palace, causing the heirs to the throne to perish in mysterious ways.
The ghost hunter Gu-cheon is supposed to deal with the problem, together with the court lady Saeng-gang, who can communicate with spirits. Thus, the two, commissioned by King Yeon, must confront the past, dark history, and ghosts.
The concept has already found a large audience in a very short time, which is also very impressed.
Directly ranked in the Netflix charts
How is The East Palace performing? Currently, it is doing excellently. For one, the series found a lot of viewers shortly after its launch. According to the official Netflix charts for the week of July 13-19, The East Palace ranks at number 2 among non-English series. And that, even though the 8 episodes were only released on July 17.
In these first three days, The East Palace reached already 4.9 million views and was watched for 32.9 million hours. Only the series Agent Kim Reactivated: Limited Series, also from South Korea, performed better with 8.2 million views and 72 million hours. Whether both productions can make it into the all-time top 10 remains to be seen.
Pure views, however, are not a guarantee for quality. How does it stand in that regard? The ratings on Rotten Tomatoes speak a clear language. Critics are enthusiastic and have given it a perfect 100% (9 reviews). Users rate it somewhat lower, but still end up with a strong 88% (fewer than 50 reviews).
The worldbuilding and the quick dive into the story are especially praised, which does not waste any time and establishes the central conflicts quickly. The cinematography and characters also impress and create a strong pull.
User Sylvie L summarizes: “I just couldn’t stop after one episode and ended up watching four in a row. It was that good. […] The sets and the cinematography are beautiful, and the combination of palace intrigue, supernatural elements, crime, and detective work makes the story incredibly entertaining.”
The East Palace is, shortly after its launch, already a complete success. Have you seen the series or gotten a first impression? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments. Just a few weeks ago, another series from South Korea made waves on Netflix. MeinMMO editor Niko wrote down his thoughts on this: 21 million views in a week: A new action series rightly dominates the Netflix charts
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