The film explores non-cisnormative identities by centering on eunuchs whose gender identities are altered by institutional mandates. It depicts homoerotic tensions and shared intimacy that disrupt conventional heteronormativity.

The narrative subverts traditional hierarchies by focusing on a demographic existing outside the standard masculine/feminine binary. It explores blurred lines of masculinity and femininity within the palace power dynamics.

Set during the Qing Dynasty, the film features a culturally homogeneous Chinese cast. It maintains historical authenticity without multi-ethnic representation or the pitfalls of whitewashing.

The film critiques imperial bureaucracy as a corrupt, oppressive system. It deconstructs the sanctity of the imperial family, framing the dynasty's collapse as the dissolution of an oppressive structure.

Physical disability and bodily alteration are addressed through the depiction of mutilation required for eunuch status. The film centers the lived experiences and agency of these physically marked characters.