Great Story Shines through Bad Subbing
The subbing on this is absolutely atrocious. It borderline made it unwatchable. Fortunately, the storyline is simple, the acting superb and the tale so funny and cute that the bad subbing is *almost* forgivable. The eldest prince of the kingdom of Yan, Xiao He and the second prince Xiao Yu have learned a terrible secret - anyone who sits on the dragon throne is cursed to die in their prime. Naturally, they've been doing everything that they can to avoid that fate with Xiao He pretending to be a womanizing delinquent and Xiao Yu pretending to be sickly and weak. Neither is what they seem - He has never even kissed a girl and Yu lifts heavy boulders with his bare hands. The emperor, sick and desperate to get his boys to take responsibility, marries He to Fu Qi,a Dongling princess whose family has been sent to the border for crimes they didn't commit and whom she is desperate to exonerate. She knows once Xiao He takes the throne she will be able to help her brother and father, so she sets about making He crown prince just as He works with equal diligence to avoid that fate. Their battle of wits is hilarious, the two actors have great chemistry and the short, sweet story is a terrific blend of romance, mystery, and comedy.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Silly, Short, and Sweet
The episodes are so short that if you blink, you miss most of it. The story is weak, but the characters are likeable. ML & FL have a fun time and are cute together. No real plot, but some silly, funny moments that had me laughing out loud. Lots of holes in the plot, but it doesn't really matter in the end, because there was little time to develop anything deeper.For a little weekend watching, or just for something so light you can't take it seriously - this is good for a few laughs with a cute cast.
Downside, the sound quality was AWFUL. Dialogue cut out most of the time, and so did the subtitles. Then in the middle of one episode, that awful crappy music started playing over the dialogue. Really cheap production, and it showed.
Was this review helpful to you?
Silly, Funny, and Short
A silly and funny drama. It was cute and a short drama. There are many funny scenes and I like that the brothers all get along. I like that all 3 prince did not want to become an the emperor. The FL(who marries the oldest prince)is funny and cute and very strong minded and wants to help the ML (the 1st prince) become an emperor for her own reasons. As the 1st prince is trying to show his dad the emperor that he would not make a good crown prince, his new wife keeps fixing everything so he does become the crown prince. There are scenes that are predictable and ridicules but it was worth watching. The actor did a good job in their performance.Was this review helpful to you?
Fun and light
It's a cute and funny story, with great characters and a bunch of plots (mostly not too confusing, but the subs don't help). I love the 'pretending to be a playboy' trope and this one is done really well. The brother who is pretending to be sickly is also very funny. And the FL is great - capable and smart, and not letting anyone get in her way.The subs on YouTube are not good, which makes it hard to rate this fairly because it made some of the plots and some of the romance hard to follow. The version I watched also had the dropping out audio track, which made a few key scenes pretty underwhelming. I'm sure I'd rate this higher if I'd fully understood and felt the whole story.
However, it was very funny with good work by the actors. I'd happily rewatch if non-mango subs ever become available.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
In the Beiyuan Kingdom, a dark and tragic curse looms over the royal family: every emperor dies young. Because of this, being named Crown Prince isn’t an honor—it’s a death sentence.And so, the princes do everything they can to avoid the throne.
Xiao He, the eldest prince, plays the role of a lazy, irresponsible playboy—constantly seen partying, flirting, and acting utterly unfit to rule. He’s not really useless—he’s just faking it perfectly.
While Xiao He plays the role of a “messy playboy,” the second prince, Xiao Yu, adopts a more refined version of uselessness. He pretends to be fragile and sickly—coughing on cue, fainting at banquets, always needing rest. By appearing physically "unfit" to rule, he ensures the Emperor will never pick him to be the next successor. But behind closed doors, he’s strong, sharp, and fully capable.
Then there’s Xiao Mo, the third prince—the only one who actually wants the crown. Eager and ambitious, he sees his brothers’ “failings” as proof that he should be chosen. He constantly tries to prove himself the most competent. In his constant attempts to prove his worth, he unknowingly plays right into his brothers’ plans to stay out of power.
What the princes don’t realize is that their father, the Emperor, sees through all of their schemes. After all, he was once a prince himself—terrified of the throne and the curse that comes with it. Unbeknownst to them, the Emperor has his own plan for choosing a successor.
That plan begins with Fu Qi, a spirited and clever princess from Dongling Kingdom, who arrives in Beiyuan for a political marriage alliance. However, her reason for accepting the marriage is far more personal than diplomacy.
Fu Qi’s father, the King of Dongling, has been stripped of his power and is effectively under the control of a corrupt and powerful Prime Minister. To reclaim her kingdom, Fu Qi needs external political influence and military backing—something only a powerful marriage alliance can provide.
To make that happen, Fu Qi becomes the ‘Lucky Princess’ that makes sure her husband becomes Crown Prince. And the "lucky" prince chosen? Xiao He, the eldest prince.
So now, the game shifts.
Fu Qi must turn the kingdom’s biggest slacker into its next heir—no matter how much he resists.
Now the questions:
> Who will succeed in the end?
Will Xiao He successfully avoid the crown at all costs, or will Fu Qi manage to push him onto the throne, whether he likes it or not?
> What about the curse itself?
Is it truly real—or is there something far more sinister behind it?
> And what of Xiao He and Fu Qi’s relationship?
Will their marriage remain a political partnership, or will genuine love grow between them?
> And finally—what will happen to the Dongling Kingdom?
Will Fu Qi succeed in restoring her father to power?
That's pretty much the story without giving anymore spoilers.
Overall for short dramas this is really interesting. A very unique story, usually we get the prince that put the dagger into their brother just for the throne, but this one we get the reverse act. We also get a complete plot with clear beginning, middle & end.
In the end this short drama is really worth your time to watch…
Was this review helpful to you?
