The Next Prince

Disappointing and Disastrous

For context, I've been waiting for this drama with high anticipation ever since it was first announced. When it was confirmed to be releasing this year, I was even more excited. I haven't watched any of ZN's previous dramas (except that one horror movie they did), but I was genuinely on my way to becoming a fan purely from the hype of The Next Prince. I was so sure this would be one of my top BLs of all time.
But unfortunately… this turned out to be such a disastrous and disappointing experience for me.

PROS
1. Gorgeous visuals - It was easy to tell this was a high-budget production with all the sets, costumes, and props. It was visually extremely appealing,

2. Unique trope with a royal-political story setup.

3. Interesting characterization and storyline for the second couple. Honestly, they were the only interesting part of this show and I wish we had gotten more background info about them.

CONS
1. Weak script with shallow writing - The writing just feels really undercooked, like they can't decide what they want the genre to be. The story seemed more focused on looking good than saying anything meaningful. There were so many gorgeous shots and dramatic moments that could’ve hit harder if the script actually had any real emotional weight behind it. But nope, we got nothing,

2. Emotionless Charan aka the stoic Seme - Charan is the definition of emotionless robot. He was literally just a cardboard cutout with a handsome face and 3 other expressions. I kept waiting to see emotions from that face, but all we got was the stoic seme look with an occasional half-smile. It’s really hard to invest in a relationship when one half of the couple acts like he’s allergic to human emotions.

3. Khanin - Khanin started off so promising! He was bold, sassy, grumpy, and confident. But then suddenly, out of nowhere, he turned into this desperate, lovesick puppy, hopelessly chasing after Charan with no self-respect. Like??? What happened to the London boy had a strong personality?? Once he fell for Charan, it’s like he forgot his whole life, including his adopted father, and just zeroed in on this emotionless guard as his entire personality.

4. Fast Romance, Lazy Plot - This is probably one of the biggest problems I had with this drama. The romance between Khanin and Charan moved way too fast. I just genuinely couldn't understand why or how they were even falling for each other. Meanwhile, the main storyline about the whole royal succession thing and all the palace politics was crawling at a snail’s pace. It was such a weird imbalance. I kept thinking, “Wait… we’re already here in the romance?? But still here in the plot??”

5. Styling Choices and the message it sends - This is also one that really rubbed me the wrong way. After Khanin moved into the palace and started romantically pursuing Charan, his wardrobe suddenly did a complete 180. He went from comfy, practical clothes to ultra-feminine, hyper-stylized outfits that none of the other princes were wearing. Don't get me wrong, I’m all for gender non-conforming fashion, and I know the actor enjoys that style IRL, which is great. But I’m talking about Khanin the character, not NN. The problem is that there was no reason for the change. It felt like they were trying to visually code him as the “pretty boy uke” now that he was paired with the stoic, manly seme. It felt tropey and lazy. It felt like the costume team went, “Oh, he’s in love now, better throw some pearls and ruffles on him.” If he had always dressed that way from the start, I wouldn’t have had a problem. But this sudden shift just made his character make less sense.

6. Chemistry - Before this drama started airing, I have watched ZNN in lots of different programs and interviews. That was how I became convinced that this show would have fantastic chemistry; however, this drama had none of it. I honestly couldn’t feel the love. I wanted to. I tried. But it just wasn’t there. There was no emotional depth between Khanin and Charan. They had a few intense eye contacts, some savior moments, some dramatic palace run-ins, and fell in love, but no real development. Their storyline felt hollow, and the romance felt unearned. I didn't even want to watch their NC scenes. I had to fast-forward them because those did nothing for me. I felt nothing other than the fact that the company added spicy scenes to get more views/watchers. I didn't feel their love or feelings. It just felt like a random soft-core porno.

7. Extremely underdeveloped 3rd couple - Oof, where do I even start? I don't understand why this drama even had a third couple. They barely had a storyline together. Like, we don't know when the started liking each other, why they started liking each other..We just see them having a few moments together in the drama, and then they suddenly confess. That's it. Honestly, I would've been okay just seeing these two characters separately than seeing them as a couple. That would have made more sense.

Overall, I went into The Next Prince ready to fall in love. The budget, the visuals, the setting.. Everything about this drama screamed potential. But what we got was a half-baked story with beautiful aesthetics and no emotional depth. The characters were inconsistent, the romance was rushed, the plot was dragging, and everything felt like a checklist of BL tropes without any real feelings. Disappointing and sad is all I have to say. I initially wanted to rate this lower, but the second couple were interesting enough that I gave it a higher score than what I had initially planned.

SIDE NOTE: This is just my perspective and opinion. If you're interested in watching this, then please go ahead and do so. Don't let my review bother you :) My score also has a lot to do with the high expectations I had for this drama, so the disappointment just hit me really hard.

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A Beautiful Mess of Magic, Music, and Missed Moments

Honestly, I’m not sure how to start this. After waiting 2-3 years, was it worth it? Maybe. The series starts off slow and didn’t really hook me at first. Khanin’s character was kind of annoying in the beginning (probably because of his age lol), but he definitely grew on me later. His bold side really stood out.

As a Zonzon fan, of course I binged this and Cutie Pie in two days—and to be honest, I still prefer Cutie Pie. The couple screen time felt more balanced there, while this one focused mostly on the main pair. I really wish we got to see more of Ramil & Paytai.

The part that finally caught my attention was around Ep 9 when the competition started. I was super hyped… until the archery scene. As a Hunger Games fan, I couldn’t help but notice the resemblance. And yes, there were Harry Potter vibes too—but I did enjoy the unique cultures and places of each clan.

What I’ll miss most? The OST. The classical performance and that iconic intro music were chef’s kiss.

Was it worth the wait? That’s up to you.

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Almost A Complete Disappointment Except For...

It is one of the biggest BL disappointments for this year. What literally saves this series is only the way it is displayed. It is a cinematographic triumph. The costumes, the settings, the fantasy theme all come together so breathtakingly impressively. There has not been a portraiture this flawless in a long time. But its cosmetics are simply not enough to save or salvage the story itself. Quite honestly, it did not make any sense; at all. It is convoluted. Contrived. With much of it displaying grandiosity and concentrated wealth to the privileged few, while people are protesting issues of poor working conditions and dying under those condition at the same time, there is also a deep-seated acceptance and tolerance for gender inequality. In the meantime, people are forced to bow and bend-the-knee as a form of subjugation with intense injustices going on within the various subkingdoms. All of this is in plain sight but accepted as inevitable and in fact, romanticized as ‘good’ for the people. I found no depth between these two and could not believe in any type of connection except one that was rehearsed for them. I am sorry but this is not expressions of love. Both actors showed up for work, but the commitment seemed rather scattered and at times insincere. It just did not work for me whereas others obviously poured their heart and soul into their roles.
Overall, I did not like this series. It is ‘pretty’ and presents well, but the story is unfocused, disjointed, and little depth to it. Watch this series for the supporting cast, in particular the connection between Jimmy Karn as Prince Ramil and Ohm Thanakrit as Paitai. They are the REAL stars of this series along with all the supporting characters. You can read my full review of this disappointment at BLBliss.com.

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I was watching this because of my FOMO

I'm not a ZeeNunew fan. I wasn't there for it, and I also am not a big fan of romance so I tend to be very critical about it.

At first I thought the series was really not my cup of tea and everyone in comments said that "if you don't like a series don't watch it", "don't leave it a bad review" or anything like that. Even tho there had people who haven't seen the series and gave it a 10 star review at the first episode.

So by that context I'll explain my opinion on this series.

I did enjoy the subplot involving the environmental problems but it was bad constructed and got too superficial. At the end things didn't have a resolution. Also, the series made me feel like they didn't know what side they wanted to pick as "good", are you really telling me the king just asked for forgiveness to his sins after neglecting the population and that was it?!? The guy who died (wasin), he was fighting for a real thing and it felt like we were supposed to be mad at him. I was actually mad at the king that did nothing to change.

For those who were only for the nc, I understand. But it didn't made me feel a lot of emotions. For the budget and time of production I expected good storyline, consistent script and being able to comprehend what it wanted me to feel like.

Also... Ava will be the winner at my heart, I wanted much more of her but this is the only thing this series has taught me, woman are never treated fairly (Charan and Kanin mothers died, the wife of meenanagarin prince, the woman of meenanagarin kingdom being only house wifes.) I don't even remember if any of the other princesses were shown. I know it's a BL but it still very sad over how this shows keep being so exclusive male centered... I think I went too far, ignore that.

Points for Khanin's glitter suit at king/grandpa's funeral. Who ever did this, I love you lol.

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Not up-to the Hype, but probably Worth a Watch

The next prince didn't stand up to it's hype as stated by many other people as well. It is stated to be a big project with a lot of investment in the set and decor, which can be seen in the series, and it does add a charm to it. But the disappointing part of the drama is the STORY. The story starts out strong, but after 4-5 episodes, it becomes slow and less serious.

Positive sides -
- The palace setting and costumes add up to the eye candy
- cute main couple
-Kanin doesn't show as much character development as expected, but there is a bit of progress towards it in the last few episodes
- Realistic portrayal of some real-life issues

Negative sides -
- The story doesn't have enough depth
-Even the portrayal of the peak twist is not that exciting
-None of characters is shown to be really smart

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Predictable but not bad

Why are people hating on this show?

Let me start of my saying that I am not a ZeeNew fan. I can appreciate them, and they do get really good series, but as actors I don't really care much for them.

Jimmy was my favorite thing from WRU, and while I was sad for his hiatus and I hope he is in a better place, I am glad he is back. While I loved the JJ Pairing (I mean... that height difference 🥵🥵🥵). I am not someone who cares who the actor I adore is paired with because they will be fantastic regardless. And I actually really liked Ohm, too. He has this one expression that makes him look a little evil, but its also cute. Also... Jimmy cannot cry to save his life 🤣🤣🤣 I was ROFLing all thorough that beach scene where he was crying... and I was really sad for his whole storyline - the amount of guilt Ramil is made to carry is crazy, I loved the character though, and I wish they spent time to show him healing and maybe Khanin-Ramil-Ava building a friendship from genuineness and a hope to build a better Emmaly..

Overall, this series was hella predictable. There was a lot of build up to a lot of nothing. The VFX and sets and everything were beautiful. It was a little hunger games-esque. But, everyone knew the outcome before the show even presented the premise. I love that the new generation were machines for change. Ava bringing gender inequalities, Ramil bringing DV and the safety of women and children, Khanin with the environmental issues. Also what is with BLs and GLs making every single character have a same-sex pairing (apart from all the parents)? I don't mind it, but it is also not rooted in reality. That being said, I did enjoy the show. Do I think it was overhyped? A little bit. Does that mean it shouldn't be watched? Not at all. It was a good show! It kept me engaged the entire time, even when I could tell what was going to happen. I didn't find it boring at all... the NC scenes were a little ott, but they were pretty.

But I adored the Father-son dynamic Khanin had with both the father who raised him and his bio-dad. I love that they both just wanted him to be happy. Its such a contrast to Ramil and his dad and how their relationship was basically a slave-master relationship with no love.

Also why did they introduce Calvin and Jay? I mean I get Jay - he was a key figure in the environmental protests, but Calvin was such an underutilized character. I didn't see the point of his inclusion - he added nothing to the story. I guess it was supposed to be a soft launch to the new pairing for Net.

Chakri was probably my favourite character. He was so funny and adorable and loyal.

The product placements though were so freaking annoying and obvious. This is one thing I HATE in thai BLs and this show took it to a whole different extreme.

The ring at the end was so freaking ugly though. ewww.

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Pretty to Look At, Hard to Sit Through

Pretty boring. After the first few episodes, I completely lost interest in the main couple. I’m not someone who needs constant relationship drama to stay engaged, but they simply didn’t give me anything compelling overall.

I ended up staying for the other two couples, and the amount of screentime they received was honestly laughable.

I appreciate the attempt at social commentary, but the way it was executed felt almost cartoonish at times.

It’s definitely not the worst thing I’ve seen, and visually it was beautiful, but it lacked the most important element: a captivating story. I had to force myself to watch the last two episodes. Even the final conflict wasn’t interesting, since the outcome was so obvious.

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THE NEXT PRINCE - 14 Episode Final Review

THE NEXT PRINCE - 14 Episode Final Review

SPOILER WARNING! --- SPOILER WARNING! ---- SPOILER WARNING!

Okay, this was a REALLY long run. Is that good or bad? I am somewhat uncertain, it depends on my current mood, the series itself, but I usually like balanced length, and this - similar like REVENGED LOVE before was really on the "too much" and I just gave it a very good rating because it was really excellent. Still it is as much as I would wish to see, tbh, given on average we have one hour per Episode and a lot of characters.

ACTING:
On the acting I think this was a very good show, beautiful, distinct characters, the good, the gray and the evil characters alike. Still I felt it was not on par with the superb acting of other series, some emotions remained very good but not top. Especially the two MC's who were supposed to carry the show, seemed a bit too much "characters" and too less "persons". Just a tad so ACTING 8/10

VISUALS:
Whee, this highly depends on your taste. It was in a fairy tale like Kingdom, some sort of modern with still a highly fantasy tough. Personally, I am not a fan of prince costume fests, but I found nothing objectively to criticize in this. There were many different places, tons of gorgeous costumes, almost perfect camera and lighting, so within the given aim of Fantasy Kingdom I find nothing lacking in terms of the lush visuals: 10/10

STORY:
Also a hard one for me to judge. See I REALLY passionately dislike Feudalism or Oligarchy in any age or form. With duties and serfs and absolutist feudal lords, even in the best sense, I just dislike that. Still, the story had many interesting plot-lines, unexpected twists, good character development arcs, thought as in other long shows, the non BL tended to overshadow the BL, which as ever you prefer may be good or bad. I usually LIKE that, for when a story is basically only about the BL, the characters tend to remain a bit two-dimensional, so for me that was a bonus, as we come to understand the MC love and the two also interesting side-couples. I had wished in the end we would have seen the two side-couples with a hint into their futures though. If I push aside with much effort my Feudalism dislike, the story itself is a good 9/10.

OVERALL:
It was a story and show worthy to watch, even though the MC, especially the older "knight", I didn't really get the vibe why to root for him as a lover so much to be honest. I understand his position in a feudal society made him act stern, but I did subtract a bit from his potential charm. On the other side the Prince made it up all the way, as a charming, lovable character. Again, I had wished to see more hints of the future of the Kingdom and side couples, but I guess that is standard in BLs. I don't think it left that much of an impression to me that I will "forever remember", but in itself it invested MUCH into displaying an entire realm with MANY places and setups, and I grow tired of BLs having basically only 3-4 places, which boosts this one a lot in my book. Weighing all the aspects, and trying not to give my preferences missed (Feudalism) too much space, I am willing to give it a solid

9/10
Recommended

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a whole mess

I was so excited, the pilot was amazing, I read the novel so I had big expectations about it (my first mistake)

The first episodes were amazing I definitely did like it, even when they changed part of the original storyline.
Then I started to see how they completely changed not just the storyline but also the characters. Why is khanin just acting like a brat and obsessed with charan??? yes, the character in the novel is a brat but he has discipline and does take the competition seriously, he's a leader and it shows you that he's definitely a good choice to be the next prince. in the series he's always complaining about learning the story of the *excuse me* NATION THAT HE'S GOING TO LEAD, LIKE HELLO????

Ramil characters was my favorite in the novel, here I hate him. he's annoying, a coward and pathetic, they completely fucked ramilpaytai storyline when they were such a good and complex couple. That made me angry and I lost interest in the series. don't want to say more bc I'll write a whole essay about it.

Jay and Calvin were there...

And the one that freaking bothers me the most is Ava, why the fuck they made her just withdrawal when she was fighting for her right to participate in the competition in all the episodes. again, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
Since they didn't make the groups for the competition I knew it would be weird but I didn't expect all this mess to happen.

The good things are the visuals, beautiful scenery, the orchestra is beautiful, the outfits were stunning and congrats for the improvement of zee and nunew's acting, they were great as main actors and chakri, he's the only enjoyable character.

I'm really sorry for all the fans that were waiting so long, the actors and actresses that worked so hard. it's not their fault to have a such a bad script, please don't leave aof near of the scripts anymore 😭 the original one was really good, what's the reason of asking a WRITER for a novel if you're going to change almost everything????

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