Was this review helpful to you?
The story had me hooked, counting down the days for each new episode. The entire cast delivered captivating performances, with Jimmy and Ballchon standing out in particular. It’s a top-tier production with stunning sets, gorgeous costumes, and a beautiful soundtrack.
Was this review helpful to you?
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. 👑💥
Was this review helpful to you?
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.
Was this review helpful to you?
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.
Was this review helpful to you?
Overall pretty good
Despite the harsh reviews and low ratings, i actually quite enjoyed it. I personally think they did a pretty good job, the outfits, the story, the acting, and chakri. We all have personal preferences towards what we like, though i think some scenes were a bit cringe 😅 overall loved it. You can clearly see the efforts put into the series, the outfits were great, the sceneries were great and beautiful, the palace and everything. Their way of acting and speaking were just pretty royal-yee to me.Was this review helpful to you?
It’s Pretty
If I were reviewing this on it’s costumes, scenery, sets, direction, cinematography (not to mention its god-tier 10+ minute love scenes), it would be a ten out of ten. However, just because something is pretty, doesn’t mean it’s good. It wasn’t BAD. It just also wasn’t good. If I had been binging it instead of watching week-to-week, I probably would’ve struggled to finish it. I loved the premise. It was fresh and exciting. But in the end it was a lot of wasted potential, wrapped in gorgeous packaging.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
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.
Was this review helpful to you?
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
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
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.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
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.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
“I’m really into this series! The production is amazing, the story is so gripping, and all the actors are seriously talented. But I especially love Princess Marisa 😍 She’s stunning, like a real princess, and even though her role is small, she totally nails the mood. Her expressions, her style, everything is perfect. I can’t get enough of this show, every episode keeps me hooked and I just love how all the characters bring the story to life!”Was this review helpful to you?
