New Delhi, July 21 -- Historical dramas have never been my preferred genre, which is perhaps why The East Palace surprised me as much as it did (The last historical show I liked was Ju Ji-hoon's Kingdom). Despite being set in a fictional historical era and revolving around ghosts, royal secrets and a cursed palace, the Netflix series remains remarkably accessible. More importantly, it is simply a lot of fun.

The eight-episode dark fantasy drama follows Gu-cheon, played by Nam Joo-hyuk, an arrogant but formidable ghost-slayer who can transform into a ghost himself, and Saeng-gang, played by Roh Yoon-seo, a court lady (not really) who can hear and communicate with the dead. Together, they investigate the supernatural occurrences surroundin...