The Rebel Princess

Beautifully produced... but little suspense

The premise: as long as you center your country and your family, contentment is possible even in the midst of adversity.

The male lead, Xiao Qi, enters the story already perfect and understanding this lesson, Wang Xuan (female lead) rapidly learns this as well within the first 20 episodes. Then they just perfectly go along, essentially completely in sync with each other as they try to deal with all the corrupt, insecure characters around them.

The acting is excellent and I was fully invested in them as characters. Even though there are dozens of characters, I could keep track of them all, and I was as interested in the side plot lines as I was the main ones. I will say, whether due to the script or direction, no acting scenes stand out to me.

The music is competent, I would not rewatch. I grade on other criteria as well:

Complex Themes: 6.5
Centering your country and your family is what results in a contented life and a dignified death, centering ones ego, ambition and desire leads to discontent and eventually catastrophe. The burdens of life are easier with a life partner.

Character Growth: 7
There is a fair amount of development early on as the care-free, childhood friends are tested by the stressors and complexity around them. Within the first 1/3 of the show, however, their characterizations grow rigid.

Relationships among Women: 7.5
There is a good amount of screen time for older women, and some decent friendship and interactions between women. They are almost always, however, about the men in their lives.

Production Budget/Cinematography: 8.5
A lot of money was spent, lots of outdoor scenes, as well as extravagant sets, constant costume changes, lots of extras etc. Oddly, however, it wasn't particularly creative or beautiful, scenes don't linger in my mind.

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Great Drama.

Great drama, definitely worth watching. I found it difficult to watch older actors playing their adolescent selves, to begin with, but once Awu got married the drama came into its own. The acting, costumes, plot, scenery, and locations are amazing. Really can't wait to watch the next episode, love it, definitely will be one of my favorite dramas. I think the prince and Awu are a perfectly well-balanced couple, I also like General Song, I thought him handsome and also a great actor, I hope nothing horrible happens to him, and also I am keeping my fingers crossed they defeat their enemies and the drama ends happily.

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lovely casts and stages .

Brilliant performance from the casts especially Zhang Zi yi , her performance was very natural and yet exciting. All the emotions on the different scenes be it happy , strong and innocent are portrayed nicely. Yes, that 30 and 15 year old question again.... no matter how it's just a movie/drqama so what do you expect ? her acting skill has greatly overcome the downfall of age difference . It didnt affect me as much , i still enjoyed the movie and the casts really well. Enjoyed every bits of it . Its one of the big production drama, not much dramas you'll find as detailed as this. Good scenery , clothes, colours.

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Palace dramas don’t get better than this. The leads have a beautiful us-against-the-world relationship, the antagonists are complex and conniving, and the political scheming and power struggles will keep you guessing.

The series must have had a big budget, and looks the part with beautiful costumes, stunning sets/locations, and a huge cast. The production values might be the best I’ve seen in a Chinese drama to date.

The number of characters can make it confusing to keep track of their connections and allegiances at times, but it’s an epic story that stays engaging across 68 episodes thanks to a well-paced script and compelling performances from the cast. The length of the series leaves plenty of room for character development, and many of the arcs are fascinating. Most of the characters inhabit a gray area in terms of their motivations and morals, and the lengths people are willing to go to in pursuit of power and the effects of jealousy and greed are recurring themes.

Viewers should know that this is a serious drama with an intricate plot that rewards full attention. There’s little in the way of comic relief or lighthearted elements, but the characters are so complex and the world they inhabit so immersive that the story doesn’t feel unbalanced. Plus, the full-circle ending is a happy one for the leads.

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I didn't see anything wrong with this Chinese Drama.

Zhang Zi Yi = My first time watching this actress and or the character of Wang Xuan / A'Wu, I felt she had to go through a lot of different acting being the love of 3 men. I felt bad for her because she did get injured in a fall.

Zhou Yi Wei= This is my 2nd time seeing him in Chinese Drama but he didn't leave an impression on my first go-round. His character Xiao Qi was impeccable. I am impressed now.

The cast of Supporting Roles: Did very well and as I always say, a drama wouldn't be a drama without the cast! I applaud them.
The directors and Producers, Designers were awesome.
I enjoyed the storyline. I feel that it was put together very well. The visuals, the set, the music, the costumes, I loved it!
Watching these types of Dramas in China, Korea, anywhere where they had Kings... People died for and to be King to sit on that throne!

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Heartwarming

When I first started watching this drama I was kind of skeptical at first. The title Rebel Princess was sort of confusing if you really haven't seen the trailers or read a summary explaining the general theme or plot in the story.

The beginning of the story was sweet starting with the background of the Female Lead becoming the young women she will turn out to be. Then you have the first love interest the childhood sweetheart. Which is super cute in the beginning a puppy love feeling .

Then the main plot starts and the Male Lead shows up and the first encounter is bittersweet. Then you can start to see the male lead is slowly falling for the Female Lead as each encounter of the two meet. At first it turns out to be forced upon the two of them being together. Then pans out to be just a normal relationship that grows over time. Accepting one another as time goes on they start to think one mind and trust each other's feelings and strengths and abilities.

The story about Awu and Xiao Qi love is heartwarming in a sense that they learned to accept each other's differences and grow a strong stable bond within one another not falling far from one another. It makes us appreciate how even if at first you don't really like the person with time and effort you can gradually develop a deep love for one another. Makes you realistically able to relate with our own relationships while watching. Which I think it's different from other CDramas that I've watched so far with the Male and Female leads falling in love.

The love story between the two feels real while you watch. giving somewhat goosebumps at the sweet tender cuddle moments. Thank you so much for making this drama for us to enjoy. It's intimate and deep and heartwarming. Overall I would place it 10 / 10 for the Love Story Plot.

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A Spoonful of Romance in the Cauldron of Court Intrigues

I loved it, but I can definitely see how it’s not for everyone.

First: despite the fact that the romance between FL and ML is absolutely central to the story and the chemistry between the lead actors is fabulous, this might not be for people looking primarily for a historical romance. I’ve seen this drama described as Slow Burn, but I’d argue the more accurate description overal is Low Burn. The first 1/4th of the story is much more dynamic when it comes to the romance aspect, but then the next 3/4ths are much more steady and subtle. I loved it, because I found it much more realistic given the personalities of the main characters and the realities of the times, but if you look for a whirlwind romance that will keep you on the edge of the sit till the end, this drama ain’t it. That said—what romantic scenes are there, they absolutely deliver, even if it’s something as small as ML throwing murder looks at a guy making unsubtle advances toward the FL.

Second: even though there is no superfluous scene in RP, this is not for people who prefer rapidly moving plot. The pacing in this drama is very slow and deliberate. There’s a lot of scenes that are crucial to fleshing out personalities, emotions and motivations of the characters, or planting clues about future events that will pay off much later, but that don’t necessarily move current events forward that much. There’s also A TON of characters with their own subplots that intertwine and influence each other, which means that at times the pacing can be downright glacial and the plotpoints that in other dramas would be solved within 1-2 episodes take 3-5 episodes in RP.

The flip side of that, is that there’s time to develop the characters into truly multidimentional personalities and serve the viewer an absolute masterpiece of planting and pay-off when it comes to character development. And not just when it comes to the main characters. It’s the secondary characters who benefit the most from the slower pacing, because they get an ample time to develop from the stock tropes of power-hungry Prime Minister, incompetent Crown Prince, schemming Empress, sisterly maid, etc. into people with complex and believeable motivation who you almost can’t help but pity when they ineviteably stumble due to their very human flaws and wants.

All in all, if you like dramas heavy on court intrigue and the romance that’s quality over quantity, this is drama for you. If you’re looking for a story that is first and foremost a romance and external plot second, this may feel like a drag.

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The Rebel Princess is a magnificent star-studded production that delivers great entertainment. From the storyline to the cinematography, cast, costumes, OST, and finally, the fantastic chemistry among the leading couple, this drama is a great watch. Although the story is about A’Wu (Wang Xuan -portrayed by Zhang Zi Yi), a princess from the Wang clan that was wise, intelligent, determined (rebellious?), forthright, and quite savvy on matters of strategizing and conflict resolutions, the best part of the drama is the relationship between her and her husband General Xiao Qi (portrayed by Zhou Yi Wei). They grow to love, trust, respect, and protect each other against the entire series of antagonists without compromising their integrity. The main characters have a beautiful relationship that flows very naturally and, after each and every ordeal that they encounter, their relationship grows deeper and stronger. A’Wu is not a damsel in distress but she always welcomed her husband’s protection who, not only adored her, but was also mesmerized by her wisdom, endurance, and steadfastness in loving and trusting him. Overall, this is a very entertaining drama!

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