The Next Prince

Bridgerton & Young Royals, but extra queer and campy - pretty and predictable but I devoured it!

Maybe it’s because I wasn’t expecting much in terms of plot going into this, but I actually really enjoyed watching it. I was a bit shocked to see that not a lot of people felt the same - and this is coming from an older viewer.

It felt like a mix of Bridgerton and Young Royals, but extra queer and campy - and I devoured it!

I watched the whole thing in less than 48 hours before the final episode dropped. Waiting to binge the entire thing was so worth it - I loved every single second.

Honestly, I think the actors were perfect for their roles. I couldn’t imagine anyone else pulling it off the way they did.

I highly recommend watching it just for the vibes. The plot could’ve been better, sure, but it wasn’t bad - and the cinematography was honestly drool-worthy. Everything was just so pretty. I can definitely see myself rewatching it, and that’s pretty rare for me.

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I waited almost two years for this.

When the plot first came out, I said, "This is the show for me." Because royal themed series, novels and webtoons immediately draw me in. I love it. When this series was first announced, I immediately went and read the novel. It blew me away. And now I have it in my hands. The first two episodes are out now, but I'm sure ZeeNunew will carry this series. So I'm not worried about it getting worse. I'm sure it's going to be one of the best series in the industry. And it's a first in the industry. I watched both episodes as soon as they came out and I really felt it. The acting and the casting is fantastic.

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Pomp and Circumstance + Wasted Potential

This drama was ambitious. Grand in scale with elaborate costumes, set designs, beautiful locations, and the actors spent time not only learning choreographed fight scenes but also fencing and archery as well. All this to make the background of Emmaly rich and small details stand out.

The leads didn't take long to find their footing with the plot, and the side characters were built up for great things, too. Only they failed to follow up or utilize what they had at their disposal. Princess Ava, in particular, felt wasted as a character. The only Princess set to compete, facing gender discrimination among countless men, and I can count the number of scenes I recall with her with just two hands (her lightly teased romance also was never elaborated on, and she barely appeared in the finale). And Prince Ramil, with his lightning relationship with Paytai and compelling struggle with his abusive father, while surpassing the level of intrigue of the leads many times, felt only half-explored.

Some episodes felt well-rounded, with time split fairly evenly among the cast, allowing them to have their highlighted moments and developments. However, other episodes seemed to forget some characters existed, as Khanin and Charan danced around each other, and the plot stalled.

Even the rage of the protesters and those wronged by the actions/inaction of those in charge felt muffled by the tie-it-up-with-a-bow conclusion.

By the end of it all, I felt placated by sparks of something grand and the breadcrumbs that led to nowhere.

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Pretty disappointing...

I feel like this drama was way overhyped. When I first heard about it I was pretty exited, but as I watched it progress I got less and less exited.

Don't get me wrong, I love ZeeNu, but in this drama the acting was not the best. Ofc, they are not bad actors, it's a bad script. I often felt like the actors didn't get to express themselves and were just reading their lines instead of acting. (Again, due to the poor writing)

Many of the scenes were just the main couple going around to protests, practicing, getting hurt, or sitting in the study room/library talking. Which was pretty boring.
And do not get me started about the screentime. In most Thai-Bl series or romance dramas in general, there are side couples. They are not main characters so obviously they are not going to be on screen all the time but they will still get their own storyline (Hopefully). But in this drama, the other couples basically got pushed all the way to the sidelines to a point where there were scenes after scene of the main couple doing, again, really boring stuff like I said earlier.
It was pretty nice to get a drama where the main couple don't go through a divorce era or there is miscommunication and/or toxicity in their relationship. Yes, this doesn't really apply to the side couples, especially Ramil and Paytai. Their relationship started off looking pretty toxic with how Ramil treated Paytai, even though he loved him. In the end we did get to see them reconcile which did make me happy, because if im being honest rn, they are kind of the only reason why I finished the drama. Which leads to another point.
The ending that the side couples got was... not really an ending. Like yeah we saw both couples reconcile, yay. But I honestly wanted to see more. The main couple got their happy ending with Kannin and Charan moving to the UK and getting engaged. But what about the side couples?!?!?!??! Like don't tell me they spend around 10 min (of at least it felt like it) on a forced looking NC scene while we could of gotten even small bits of what happened to the other couples.

Overall, i was pretty disappointed with this drama and I feel like it is a miss and waste of potential for the actors. This is the first time I have seen a royal type themed BL, and the writing was very poor and honestly did the actors very dirty was that boring a$$ script. I found my self either distracted or skipping through many parts while watching some scenes which again, leads to the writing. I do appreciate the cinematography and the effort they tried to put into the sets . And I can kinda see what they visualised and thought about this drama but let's say, it probably didn't come out as they expected. BeCausE Of ThE ScRIPt! (Istg i'm gonna crashout)

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The Next Prince: A Kingdom of Snooze... A Royal Disappointment.

I had high expectations for this series, especially since it took almost two years to release. But what a disaster it turned out to be. It was boring, bland, and a complete waste of time. The main characters, Khanin and Charan, were dull. Seriously, Charan needs to work on his acting; it was stiff and lifeless. The romantic moments between them were underwhelming and just didn’t feel genuine. As for the other couples, Ramil and Paytai had potential, but their storyline barely got any screen time, which was frustrating. Jay and Calvin? Were they even necessary? They had zero presence in the series, and it felt like a huge missed opportunity. Ava and Mira didn’t fare much better. Mandee annoyingly prefers to focus solely on the main couple, and it's a shame they completely ignore the side couples. Also, the NC scenes were just too cringeworthy. Beyond the couples, the only character that brought any life to the show was Chakri, though even he got annoying at times with his constant fangirling.

One of the biggest disappointments was the lack of focus on Khanin’s biological father. Why didn’t they explore their relationship more? It just felt odd that Khanin seemed completely uninterested in bonding with his father. That subplot felt underdeveloped and completely pointless. The "Battle of the 4 Kingdoms" to determine who would become the new king of Emmaly also fell flat, especially in the first 9 episodes, where nothing really happened. There was hardly any progression, and the competition felt stagnant. They barely explored the other heirs, leaving their storylines weak and underdeveloped. Khanin’s grandfather, who plays a major role in the power struggle for the throne, came across less as a formidable figure and more as an annoying, irritating presence. Even Charan’s police friend, who was investigating the death of Khanin’s adopted father, felt like a completely unnecessary subplot. It was underdeveloped and added nothing meaningful to the story. The soundtrack was just not great. It felt whimsical at times, but it was too bland and didn’t fit certain scenes. The overall acting in this series definitely needs improvement. The younger actors were below average, especially when compared to the more experienced older actors.

I get that they invested a lot in this series, especially with the costumes and locations, but they really should have put more effort into the script. It just didn’t live up to the production quality.

All the characters were flat and uninteresting. The storyline was pointless and lackluster, making the whole series feel like a drag. Honestly, don’t bother watching this series. It’s a complete snooze fest. Even making a cup of tea would be more entertaining than this. I didn’t even finish the series; I dropped it after episode 9.

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Wow, the most overhyped show of 2025 BY FAR.

DMD must have spent all their money set aside for Next Prince on just the costuming and set decoration, because I know for sure they hired ZERO competent script writers for this one. This show is proof that good looking actors in beautiful costumes are not enough to save the show.

This show was confused from episode 1 about what it wanted to be. Were we watching a political thriller? A royal romcom? A modern day prince story but BL version? Shows cannot be jacks of all trades, masters of none, and this one was tonally off from the beginning.

Khanin, considering he is the crown prince and the central figure of the story, has basically no personality. He is cheeky for the first 2-3 episodes, and then his only personality trait is that he is obsessed with Charan. I also find Nunew to be a very mediocre actor who cannot cry convincingly, so he is very weak in emotional scenes. All he does is wear pretty costumes, sings songs randomly and loves Charan. He is actually the fish-out-of-water character so there was so much scope to make him a richer, more complex character. Alas, the non-existent writers did not bother. He is not charming or charismatic in any way as the crown prince, and the people of Emmaly basically "love" him only because the story needs that to happen.

Zee, who is usually the stronger actor within this OTP, was also lackluster in this show. Throughout the series, outside of very few scenes, he is stiff and stoic. Does he look the part of nobility? Yes, but nobility does not mean robotic characters with no emotional depth or resonance. Who was Charan? What was his personality? Why was he the way he was? We never got to see what drives this character. So he is as bland in their relationship as he is outside of it.

Their relationship was boring, and developed too fast— even the NC scene was weirdly filmed and felt like a drug high rather than an intimate, sensuous scene. DMD has gone WAY OVER THE TOP with the white filter they put on their shows because it made the one-note characters of ZNN in this one even worse. They literally look like plastic. Here's my message to DMD: please let your actors look like human beings. They are not ceramic dolls and so trying to cover up every line, every wrinkle on everybody's face makes the already stiff acting WAY worse.

The "second couple" who got maybe like 20 mins of screentime over the 14 episodes had the actually interesting dynamic. They were trauma bonded, and Ramil had such a difficult home life— he would have made a way more interesting main character. I wished we got to see more of Ramil and Paytai's relationship and how it grew from their childhoods.

If The Next Prince was just 8 episodes long, perhaps the paper thin plot would have been enough to keep it going. However, the showmakers got greedy and wanted ALL of the product placement and stretched this dismally written show to a whopping 14 episode length, and it greatly suffers because of it.

The huge cast of characters are irrelevant, interesting characters like Ava, Ramil and Paytai hardly get enough screentime and Calvin is a non-entity basically. This show felt like a spoiled apple wrapped in gold foil tbh. Its all shiny and sparkly on the surface, but the acting is mid, the directing is mid, the editing is mid and the story is nowhere to be seen.

Honestly, its a disappointment because I know how hard it is for BL productions in Thailand to get a decent budget. This show had it and it still falls flat on its face. All the social media hype, and hashtags trending is solely because of overly zealous ZNN fans who will lap up anything they put out. The only reason I did not drop this was because of Ramil x Paytai storyline. They were great, their acting performances were way stronger, and their relationship was actually compelling instead of the bland snoozefest that was the leads.

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Do not listen to the negative reviews!!

Okay I admit, there were many parts to this series that were a bit underdeveloped (the side characters as well) but people have to understand this is a story about khanin and Charan, not the other way around. It was hard for such a complex plot to be simplified into 14 episodes so of course there would be watered down parts but I think the main issue is peoples expectations. They had very high (myself included) expectations and when there were scenes they did not agree with they just deemed this show unwatchable. Even if some parts were imperfect, this was still an incredible show and completely well done by the entire cast! In my opinion I believe the ending really left a space for a special episode or even maybe a season 2 just like cutie pie (zeenunews other series) had, and if it doesn't that's perfectly okay. This series is way above your average BL and despite some imperfections, everyone should watch it for themselves.

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High Budget, Talented actors, Poor story

This drama has two of the most popular actors in BL and a very high budget. It is addictive and easy to watch but it unfortunately falls to poor storytelling and potholes. I still recommend to watch for the actors and fun royal theming. There are some very well acted moments such as the crying scene where khanin is told his father is dead and the romance scenes are believable and full of chemistry being well crafted and performed.

It seems like all the budget and focus is on visuals and chemistry, the story is back seating which is a shame but it is still watchable.

Good points:

- High budget locations and costumes.
-Great chemistry/ beautifully shot NC scenes.
- Well cast drama/ great acting.
-The tournament is a pretty good plot point to keep us rooting for khanin.
- Butler Chakri is great and funny.

Problems:

- The fencing tournament is supposed to be a sacred tradition to choose an heir to the throne, however by episode 5 they changed the rules twice already by allowing a female heir to compete which was previously banned and then to add archery. This is bad writing and makes you feel it was never such a tradition to begin with as rules are changing all over the place.

- The two main characters interactions are written for convenience and it is hard to believe that the king would allow charan to be so close to Khanin after first saying his job was done as his protector and then somehow just letting Khanin have his way just because he asked once to bring him back as his trainer/bodyguard. They could have made it more of a forbidden love story where khanin sneaks out to see charan constantly as its his only opportunity or something.

I know at this point (ep 6) that we don't know too much about charans backstory and why the king is now trusting charan with more responsibilities but it seems to be a whole lot of convenient plot points especially his fear of the rain. I dunno but it was sweet to see charan display some deep emotions, however it seemed a bit too out of character and could have a better build up except just the one plane scene in the beginning where he stairs out at the rain and then later suddenly he cant function in it after defeating two bad guys. I am holding out and hoping they will give us a deeper explanation for this, i do enjoy seeing charans emotional side but i don't think its been written and added well here so far.

- Prince Khanin came across as very needy and entitled in episode 5 which was nearly painful to watch, again this was the script and not the actors fault.

ep reviews:

- ep 7 was much better but the lead up to the replacement coach and poisoner reveal were not as exciting as it could have been. The scene where Khanin was poisoned was well acted by Nunew and the love scene following later on was beautifully done, It was very tasteful with a lovely soundtrack and some intense moments towards the end.

-ep 8 some BDSM scenes from the second couple here, I like the way they cut this, showing us little snippets of the collar scene and then some build up and then the actual scene. The rest of this episode was Khanin longing for Charin at every moment and ending up being disappointed he couldn't get the chance to sleep with him again. Not a bad episode but lacking in plot and progression. Butler Chakri was once again the star of the episode.

- ep 10 - the plot is starting to really drag now not much has happened over 9 and 10 except the king being angry at Khanin over the mining conditions which feels so much like a randomly added plot point without much planning. The acting is still holding up this series especially in the emotional scenes with Nunew and the love scenes which are beautifully done.

I will continue to watch this because of the actors and good points, i hope the writing improves and the company behind it didn't just rely on the high budget to carry it through. We shall see.

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? My Review of "The Next Prince"

First of all, I have to say — I never expected this would be a drama about royalty. I went in with zero expectations, and wow… I was blown away. From the plot, the outfits, the royal etiquette, the aesthetics — everything was so well-crafted and filled with quality. I truly respect that about this series. It was way beyond the usual.


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👑 Prince Khanin Assavadevathin & Charan Phithakthewa

Their relationship? One of the best things about this drama for me. Watching them slowly get to know each other, the bond building over time… it was so heartwarming. Charan's dedication to Prince Khanin? Top tier. The way they understand each other and how they move together — it’s powerful.

Honestly, I think Charan might be older than Khanin? Either way, their dynamic gave me beast and prey vibes — intense but beautiful. I would 100% rewatch this just for them.


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🩸 Second Couple: Prince Ramil Phuchongphisut & Paytai Ronawi

Now DON’T get me started on these two. OH. MY. GOD.

They gave me major yandere energy. Master and servant with obsession levels through the roof — and I loved every second of it. Their loyalty to each other, the way they would do anything for one another… it was dangerously romantic.

I really wish the director gave them more screentime. I’m begging to see them as the main couple in another drama. Movie, special episode, anything — just bring them back. The chemistry is too insane to ignore.


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✨ Third Duo: Calvin & Jay

Okay, I’m not even sure if they were officially a couple — but the energy between them? Wild. We didn’t get many scenes, but from what I saw, they have so much potential. If these two ever get a drama of their own, I’d be front row with popcorn.

Please give them more screen time or their own project. The chemistry is there. Don’t sleep on it.


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📝 Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a drama that’s not too slow, not too rushed — and mixes royalty, politics, romance, loyalty, and emotional depth — The Next Prince is the one. It’s not just about claiming a throne; it’s about earning your place, building trust, and navigating real issues in a royal world.

I’m telling you… this drama is special. And if you're into complicated relationships, strong bonds, and rich storytelling — just press play already.

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All the glitz, none of the substance...

This drama had everything: royal aesthetics 👑, sparkling costumes ✨, and hype-worthy couples… but the writing and directing destroyed it all. 😩

The main couple — We all know they can act, but here their chemistry and performances felt off. Zee showed *minimal to no* facial expressions—please, give us something 😭! A smile, a tear, anger, joy… anything. NuNew was okay, but his character became irritating fast. He started as a prince with potential, then turned into a randomly singing, love-sick puppy. It completely ruined what could’ve been a strong arc.

The second couple — So much potential, barely any screen time. They had the story and the acting to save the weak plot, but were given nothing. Honestly, their storyline was more interesting than the main couple’s. And their ending? It didn’t even feel like an ending—just a hug, a “sorry,” and pushed aside 😑.

The third couple — The worst handled. If you have no story for them, don’t add them. Net & JJ deserved better. No beginning, no ending, no moments at all. Why were they even included? 🤦‍♀️

The NC scenes that were hyped were completely bland—no spice, nothing. The action scenes were laughable. And the ending… wow. Just a ring, a two-minute kiss, and suddenly that’s the conclusion? No answers, no closure, nothing.

The king’s death also felt random, like “we don’t need you anymore” and—boom—dead. Ava’s POV had potential, too, but the writing kept toning her down for no reason. So many storylines, zero payoff.

Verdict: So much potential, utterly ruined. A royal mess. 👑💥

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