Drama hangover
Like many reviews here, if you’re looking for something funny and light hearted. This is it. The plot is not too complicated. The romance between the leads is through the roof. And the actors were simply awesome.Personally, I really like YBY. I’ve watched Listening Snow Tower, Love and Redemption. I can say I’ve seen her improved with each drama. And in My Sassy Princess, she has exceeded my expectations and I’m so proud of her. Every glance, small smile, smirk, raised eyebrow, tear was on point. She captured Liu Ling’s emotions really well.
I’ve not watched many of ZYC’s shows but in this drama he is cute, so cute. The action scenes were really entertaining and smooth. I enjoyed every second of it. And his chemistry with YBY is very sweet. I’m all smiles whenever their scenes come up.
The downside was how some scenes were edited. It felt quite rushed and some parts didn’t make much sense. But this did not take the joy away of watching this drama.
And I just love how this drama can make me cry and laugh at the same time. All in all, a very entertaining piece. Looking forward to the actors future dramas!
Was this review helpful to you?
1Pour some sugar on me.
This is one of those delicious "pour some sugar on me" romance dramas where you just have to go with the flow and not be a prude. It is best watched gasping for breath on the treadmill trying to break a 9-minute mile. With a shortage of air to the brain, you will easily filter out the small stuff like how quickly they fall in love, whether she has hormonal issues, if she is schizophrenic and other logic or character gaps and focus on the only thing worth getting hot and bothered by, which is how hot the two male leads are.Liu Ling is the most improper Princess Changle; a hoyden who does as she pleases without regard to social conventions. When commander of the embroidered guard Shen Yan crosses her path, she takes an instant liking to him and pursues him with reckless abandon. I find the sheer audacity of her shameless overtures to him absolutely uproarious. While this may sound wanton and unseemly, it is a very original and refreshing way to write a female character. More importantly Yuan Bingyan pulls it off so engagingly and inoffensively she deserves high praise for such a controversial characterization. I understand that in the novel (which I did not read), Liu Ling was deeply troubled by her traumatic childhood but a lot of that got cut out of the drama, which unfortunately makes her actions at times seem capricious and maddeningly inconsistent. As it turns out, she becomes a pawn in a high stakes power play between multiple states with links to an old conspiracy that brought down her best friend Xu Shijin's family. Can the Shen brothers, both dashing embroidered guards untangle the web of old lies and win the day?
I was swooning the moment I spied Zheng Yecheng on the cast list; throw in Merxat and it is just like a double upgrade from economy to first class. But I had reservations over Yuan Bingyan, whom I found lacking in Love and Redemption. As it turns out, she has fabulous screen chemistry with Zheng Yecheng and delivers a winsome and hilarious performance as Liu Ling. As for Zheng Yecheng, he must be the ultimate ideal of the romantic hero with his brooding deep stares and overwhelming masculine beauty. This is a not to be missed opportunity to evaluate his reputation of being the best kisser in c-dramaland. Its all, ahem... research on such an important topic to womankind. And let me just say that the kiss scenes were so scorching that evidently a bunch of them had to be cut out. That said, it is quite dismaying to see Zheng Yechen becoming typecast in these sorts of roles. He is a fantastic actor that deserves a shot at more complex roles.
Merxat is another fine actor that just doesn't seem to get enough good roles. He has great rapport with Zheng Yecheng and I had to reduce the speed on my treadmill whenever the Shen brothers shared scenes to properly drool over their combined hotness. I find Shen Yu and Xu Shijin's storyline more interesting probably because it is left largely intact by the censors. Shen Yu and Shijin are both so intelligent and just such a marvelous couple from the way they solve problems together and go all out for their friends and family. I root for them more because their romance faces a giant obstacle that is difficult to overcome without deep consequences. Despite the obvious cuts, there is clearly a well written story with some depth behind it. The over-arching conspiracy and the sub-lots that feed into that are all well written and unfolds at a very nice pace. This is overall a very well produced and high quality drama despite some odd edits and clear impression that some things were left out, notably with Liu LIng's backstory. It would not be fair to rate it that highly for that reason so this is a 7.5 for me but I find is as enjoyable as many dramas I rated 8.0/8.5.
Finally, while Yuan Bingyan is not one of my favorite actresses, she really shines in this drama. How she was essentially cold shouldered for changing agencies is disgraceful and I am so happy that for once, c-drama fandom did the right thing by her by supporting her. Kudos to Zheng Yecheng and the rest of the cast as well. They acted their hearts out and it shows - it is no hardship, indeed it is a pleasure to watch and support this drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
Love it!
I'll say this once and I hope this review clears your mind. This drama is not a serious historical drama and it's pretty much clear why starting from the title. I feel like people see the tag historical and expect a super story plot cdrama with a serious meaning and deep plot and have high expectations. If you actually watch cdramas you would know there is a genre for everything, historical dramas with a deep plot and then their are this historical dramas that have no sense but they are enjoyable because they are for a good time. My sassy princess CLEARLY is not one serious heavy deep plot cdrama. So people that rate this 3 or even less don't get it. If I'm watching who rules the world I have different expectations than watching My sassy princess. If you can't make a difference about what kind of public this drama is searching for then it's not for you. It doesn't mean the drama is bad.Over all this drama is all I can ask, no slow burn, funny female lead, romantic and same level of teasing male lead. Funny story line where you're meant to have a good time. If you take this drama seriously of course you won't like it. But this drama is just for fun.
Was this review helpful to you?
Looking for romance?
This drama is pretty much Princess Ling catching her man lol. Overall it's a cute rom com to watch. The plot is not heavy so if you're looking for hard core palace intrigue and schemes, not this one. Definitely recommend if you're looking for lighthearted, flirty girl chases cold guy drama! Some of their scenes are definitely not period drama appropriate but we like it! I'm sure if the drama had more episodes, we would get a better indepth version of our lead couples as well as the plot. YBY and ZYC is cute. Merxat looks good in here and for once, he's not chasing the female lead. I would rewatch the episodes just to see the two leads shamelessly flirt with other but that's about it.Also, aside from the villains, most supporting characters were likable. All the grandpas or dads (besides one) were supportive and acted cute in their own way. Even some characters who we thought would be the typical villain turned out okay (ML childhood female friend).
Was this review helpful to you?
Lighthearted drama with sizzling scenes
First of all, it is a bit disheartening to see other reviews on this drama. I rarely write any review but i need to give justice to this drama. I know there's some things this drama lacks (choppy editing) but it it suits for people who wants something lighthearted storyline, sizzling chemistry of the actors & great soundtrack.Yuan Bing Yan is cute in this but sometimes loss. This is the first time i see Zheng Ye Cheng drama so i cant compare. But he is sure a good actor!
Give it a go till the last episode and then judge.
Have fun watching.
Was this review helpful to you?
A Light and Fun Fluffy Drama
All I can say is I enjoyed watching this drama. It's a light heart drama. I'm a fan of both of them.I watch both of their drama's. LAR and SP. I also recommend for you guys to watch LOVE AND REDEMPTION and SLEEPLESS PRINCESS. I promise you'll fall inlove with them even more just like me lol.
I didn't expect that their chemistry is high. I mean it's overflowing. They look good with each other.
If your looking for a Fluffy Historical Drama then watch this. It's full of comedy. I promise you will enjoy watching this.
Was this review helpful to you?
Bland & Predictable
I have always loved a badass female lead, but despite the female lead in this drama who is said to be sassy, I can’t stand her. Therefore the first few episodes are very hard to watch for me. As the story unfolds, her character develops and grows, and becomes less annoying towards the end, but she is still not totally lovable as far as I'm concerned. I stick with the drama because it’s a very short one at only 22 episodes and I like Zheng Yecheng.What I like
1). Zheng Yecheng, as Shen Yan, looks gorgeous in this drama in his uniform and informal wear.
2). Though not a fan of Merxat, I like his character here as Shen Yan’s brother, Shen Yu.
3). I like Shen Yan’s relationship with his brother. Despite they always throw sarcasms at each other, they love each other. They work together and help each other out, especially Shen Yu helping his little brother in all his dangerous assignments. I like both brothers being unmatchable great martial arts fighters.
4). Unlike other Chinese dramas, this drama doesn't kill off all the side characters at the end.
5). The official sound tracks (OSTs) are beautiful.
6). It is a very short series at only 22 episodes.
7). I love the beautiful embroidered guard uniform. Both Shen brothers look gorgeous in it.
8). Acceptable acting, props, camera work, script writing and editing.
9). There are no love triangles.
What I don’t like
1). The female lead character played by Yuan Bingyan is supposed to be lively, cheeky, bold, and full of spirit, but instead here, she is perverted, flamboyant, outrageous, cringey, clingy, unreasonable, inconsiderate, unbashful, and when she feels helpless, she cries. Her suggestive and coming-on-hard behavior is really a put off though it is just her facade. To me, this type of character is not really a strong female character because she has no dignity and is not fearless. Fortunately, the character grows and she becomes less blatant, and she knows how to use her status to her advantage and to help others.
2). As much as I like Zheng Yecheng, he lacks the cold, stonehearted look as the Lord of the Netherworld; Zheng Yecheng is too soft looking and his eyes are not piercing enough.
3). The romance in the beginning is rather tiring to watch: the female coming on hard, and the male is irresponsive; but when the male’s heart is melted, the female intentionally hurts him to make him leave “for his own good” – this kind of line is really overused and ineffective in capturing the viewers’ hearts anymore.
3). Rather bland story with no surprises nor twists.
4). Not much humor.
My Verdict
The plot is rather simple. All the antagonists are in the open in plain sight. There’s a conspiracy to usurp the throne. The perverted princess becomes rather useful after she falls in love with the supposed stonehearted commander-in-chief for the Jinlin Guards. There are some conflicts in the relationship and both characters are in turmoil every now and then, with the princess crying a lot that doesn’t capture my heart. The overall writing and editing are acceptable with not too many plot holes nor questionable logic. Overall, this is not a terrible series, but nothing special either. Watch it if you’re a Zheng Yecheng’s or Yuan Binyan’s fan but do not have too high expectations.
Was this review helpful to you?
Takes Time To Warm Up
I think many people can’t resist watching My Sassy Princess (祝卿好) because of Zheng Ye Cheng. He has the required look to portray the role of a general in historical dramas. Of course, looks alone are certainly not enough to promote a drama and make it shoot up the charts. The plot has to be good too to get a high rating from viewers. So, how is the story with this one? Is it worth watching or merely hyped up because of the leads? I have gone through the whole 22 episodes and below is My Sassy Princess review for those who are interested to give this a go.If the first impression counts, My Sassy Princess will probably be unappealing to many viewers. This is because the female protagonist is not an instantly likable character. In the first few episodes, she comes on as irresponsible, immature, and impudent. Therefore, don’t expect a demure and gentle princess but one who is rebellious and intends to get her way with the man she likes.
If you find her to be a real turn-off, in the beginning, it might seem hard to sit through enough episodes for you to slowly warm up to her. You will also have to tolerate her way of seducing the guy which is blatant and direct. It is very different from the typical relationship development in romance dramas whereby the leads are coy about their feelings for each other and they don’t confess until midway through the story. But Liu Ling in My Sassy Princess is already in love with her man at first sight and chasing after him from the very first episode.
I find the change refreshing despite her not-so-likable character. At least, I see a different romance pattern than usual. If you don’t mind an upfront princess who couldn’t care about modesty and conventions, then you might like Liu Ling better. But if you prefer the more traditional guy chases girl scenario, then she will appear as coming on too strongly.
Don’t Take It Too Seriously
Although My Sassy Princess doesn’t have a strong rom-com flavor like Decreed By Fate, it is also not a drama that can be taken too seriously. The plot is simple with only 22 episodes to fit in a romance and investigation into a robbery. If you want detailed political maneuverings and palace intrigues in the mold of Sword Snow Stride or Stand By Me, this is not the drama to binge on.
The focus is more on the romance and with the female lead clearly after the male lead, you will get a flirty feel in their interactions, especially at the beginning of the drama. Don’t be too critical of the princess’ antics and you will be able to enjoy their relationship development. But if you view things seriously, her behavior will become questionable and the romantic vibes will become subdued as a result.
The plot itself is predictable and there is no big mystery as to who are the villains. The cliches are there and you can already foresee them happening in certain scenes such as the couple falling off a cliff and surviving as well as the female lead being forced to marry someone else because of a decree. Thus, the plot is pretty average overall and it is hardly a selling point on its own. What enhances the storytelling and makes the drama more watch-worthy is none other than the chemistry between the leads.
Great Chemistry
I think the chemistry between Yuan Bing Yan and Zheng Ye Cheng practically saves My Sassy Princess from mediocrity. The flirtations would only look romantic if viewers can feel that the leads are into each other which they managed to do convincingly throughout the drama. So, once they got together, the love is obvious and you will be able to feel their sorrows when they face difficulties.
There are quite a few kisses between them and the blazing chemistry means these would be the highlights of the drama. Unfortunately, some have been deleted while others could have been cut short. The unevenness in the scene transitions shows with these poor edits. Perhaps the kisses are too numerous or raunchy for their domestic audience but it is a real pity to have been deleted given their great chemistry.
In addition, Zheng Ye Cheng’s charisma as a cold-faced commander also helped to attract viewers. He seems to have perfected this kind of role with his domineering screen presence and aura. He also played a similar character in The Sleepless Princess which is why Shen Yan shouldn’t be a challenge for him to portray. This is my second time watching Yuan Bing Yan after Love And Redemption. She brought out the essence of the character in My Sassy Princess and I think she did well with what she was given.
My Verdict – Watch For The Chemistry
My Sassy Princess will not satisfy those who want a great plot of a palace power struggle. It will also be disappointing for those who prefer a more traditional boy chases girl romance. On top of that, not everyone will have the patience to tolerate the “sassiness” of the female lead. You need to watch about 6 episodes to find out more about her background to slowly understand her character and behavior. Therefore, I’m not sure if more critical viewers will find this worth sitting through unless they are hooked on the leads’ chemistry right from the start given that the first impression of the drama may not be too flattering.
However, once you get over the initial bump, it gets better as the drama progresses. By then, you should find the female protagonist more acceptable. The leads’ good chemistry certainly helped me to hang on and I believe it contributed much to its marketability. The fighting scenes and Zheng Ye Cheng’s ability to execute those martial art moves beautifully provided another reason for me to stay on longer.
Chemistry And Kisses Sell
I believe this drama is getting a lot of attention in China at the time of this review. I think the leads did a good job overall and they deserve the good results notwithstanding the very ordinary plot. All I can say is romance dramas are very dependent on chemistry to make it work. Kisses sell as well but they have to be well-executed with the couple’s sizzling chemistry being the prerequisite for the scenes to feel romantic to the viewers.
So, the hype surrounding this drama centers mainly on the couple rather than the story to me. Consequently, for this My Sassy Princess review, I would give it a score of 7.5/10 because the plot doesn’t justify a higher rating in my opinion. But it doesn’t mean it is not enjoyable especially if you are a big fan of Zheng Ye Cheng and Yuan Bing Yan.
In conclusion, the romance flavor is strong in this couple. I think the story execution also effectively satisfies every girl’s fantasy of a handsome and domineering lord being conquered by a sassy princess which is typical of historical romance novels. Perhaps this is why it is one of the top dramas of the year to date.
Was this review helpful to you?
Bratty princess who won the male lead's heart from the first episode that's it
The female lead annoyed me and felt she was too assertive with the male lead ,, didn't find her cute nor strong ,, she was just annoyingly sassy hence the namethe male lead was ok but the story didn't give me anything interesting or new ,,, all romantic clichés
I laughed the first few episodes ,, it was okey and enjoyable to some point then it became draggy and boring
no laughs just cliche romance and troubles around them ,, didn't feel any uniqueness to the story
too many kisses and hugs and dovy lovy love that's it
If you like cheesy romantic drama without any deeper feelings that's it
and you need to be a fan of the leads or in the mood for such type of drama to like it
it wasn't my type of drama
I skipped most of it
Was this review helpful to you?
THE BEST LIGHT HEARTED DRAMA for people who looking for it
Its so disappointing to read other review .. such childish to just rate drama by just watching 3 episode where the female lead character not yet developing... but who cares.. because its reach 8000 bilion popularity and this morning result too being top 1 in certain social media platform... if you hate the female lead character to the core and have beef with "her" thats mean crystal yuan have successfully potray her character LOL .. that some of you being emotional like crystal yuan was really PRINCESS LIU LING lol 😂.
What i can said is.. this is LIGHT HEARTED drama if you looking for masterpiece drama go watch LOVE AND REDEMPTION.. ANCIENT LOVE POETRY... MY GENERAL AND I... STAND BY ME... this is not drama where you have to wreck your brain or being deadly serious... its fluffy.. romantic.. but still heart wrenching...
.
What i can said crystal yuan and zheng ye cheng have good chemistry and both of them potray their character very well... congaratulation to them
.
So i HIGHLY RECOMEND you to watch this drama if you looking for light hearted and fluffy drama.. but you need to continue watching it because the female character annoyed at first 5 episode then its slowly develop and you will know why her character made lole that.. and you can see the other side of the female lead...
.
Its enjoyable drama for me... bring all the emotion .. sad.. happy...funny... romantic
Was this review helpful to you?
Sassy Liu Ling meet Serious Shen Yan
I knew the miminute I watch the FL Liu Ling; played by Bin Yan struggle to not get out of bed due to the music playing because its her birthday I knew I was going to like it. She meets Shen Yan; played by Ye Cheng in the least likely place and knew from a poem prose (she recites) that he could wake up the humdrum in her life. Wanting to get away from her father and stepmother she follows Shen Yan to Yichen. From there all things gets good. While Liu Ling is sassy Shen Yan is very serious he is all business and serious at his role but slowly they fall in love. Not giving too much of anything away my favorite moments is the rikety bridge of death where love is compared to the heaven, Liu Ling grandfather, all his scenes, he loves his grandaughter, Shen Yu; Shen Yan brother (i love his wind whisperersand eye brows- he is adorable and witty) and Liu Ling Shen Yan wedding ceremony. I am glad I watched this. It was all the right substance I needed in Cdramaland. I needed a break from the politics and scheming you'd get from a palace drama (dont get me wrong they can be good, when done correctly) Great casting and storyline, this was a refreshingly light drama.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Yuan Bingyan saves the show
I was looking for a series where the female lead has a higher status than the male lead. A lot of websites recommended this one, so I decided to check it out. The female lead is Yuan Bingyan. I previously watched her in Ever Night, where she played Mo Shanshan I really loved her in that role. This is the second series of hers that I’ve watched, and to be honest, she completely carries this show.The early part was really fun. Some people don’t like the part where the female lead keeps chasing and pestering the male lead, but I loved it — it was cute and funny. However, from the middle to the end, I found it quite boring. Especially after the incident with the female lead’s pig being killed, and when the male lead goes on a mission while the female lead is left alone in the capital. The secondary couple’s storyline was boring and uninteresting to me. The pairing between the female lead’s maid and the male lead’s subordinate was actually more interesting and better. The editing felt rushed and jumped around too much, especially toward the end. Yuan Bingyan as Liu Ling is the one who carries this entire series for me. She acted really well — cute, lively, and her chasing scenes with the male lead were hilarious. She also handled the sad scenes well. It’s a pity that we don’t know when she’ll be allowed to return to acting after the ban. Zheng Yecheng was okay — neither particularly good nor bad. The chemistry between her and the male lead felt average to me. The music was nice and pleasant to listen to.
Overall, the first half was very enjoyable, but the middle to the end became boring. Still, Yuan Bingyan is the absolute highlight of this series — she really stood out. If you have nothing else to watch, it’s watchable, but you won’t miss much if you skip it.
Was this review helpful to you?
