The Next Prince

BL Princess diaries

I have just finished the last episode, so this review might be a bit biased because of the emotional high I am riding on right now… but I really enjoyed this drama. Yes, it might not have the best script, some scenes are rather staged than evolving naturally, but all in all this drama is really worth watching.
Starting of with a prince who doesn’t want to be a prince and is somehow in danger… (this is also a rather weak point I have to admit, I think until the end I haven’t really understood why there were assassins sometimes and then they were gone…) and here come the most handsome bodyguard you’ve ever seen. He is also a professor for arts, what a great combination of talent ;)
Watching how their relationships develops, including the most beautifully conducted nc scenes, and also how the story and the intrigues at court unfold is amazing. I am a fan of NuNew and Zee, so again, I might be a bit biased, but I loved NuNew’s performance, especially in the last episode.
However, the main reason for me to watch this series was Net. Unfortunately his screen time was a bit cut short, but nevertheless I liked his character and of course his performance. This brings me to the other side characters who also did a marvelous job. Especially Jimmy and Ohm in the last episode, omg it was so emotional! I literally cried buckets, and I am not someone who cries that easily while watching BL dramas.

The last episode was my favourite, but I really enjoyed the whole drama. I highly recommend watching it, I will definitely watch it again!

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The DMD saga continues

(╭☞•́⍛•̀)╭☞ Disclaimer:
This review is not meant to change your opinion nor discourage/encourage you from watching, you're not obligated to agree/disagree with it.

First of, let me preface this by saying I genuinely have nothing against the actors in this series and I truly wish them all the best, but goddamn DMD makes it really hard for me to support any of their works.
Now, I won't be reviewing this series per se, but to quote myself on one of my previous comments:

"Someone once commented something similar somewhere else but I feel like it very much applies here too. This series feels like an extremely beautiful art piece you stumble upon while scrolling, but then you find out its AI generated and it loses all the sentimental value it might have had, worse yet, you start seeing the inconsistencies and the oddly fitting details and you no longer find it as appealing. One issue I have with Thai BLs is that the actors aren't just actors, they're essentially a product deal for a pairing manufactured by an entertainment company and advertised to hell and back. All these series as of late have become nothing more than fanservice and eye-candy packaged in a barely plausible plot to appeal to the masses, Thai shows are no longer about the enjoyment of the plot, the acting, the setting, it's all about the commercialisation of a pairing that really works in theory and is very liked by fans, irregardless of how well this pairing actually works in practice, a prime example of this is Zee and Nunew. I personally have always found them very very jarring, especially with the age gap considering they were put together when Nunew was around 18 and Zee was almost 30, and while the age thing is arguable, the difference in mental states and life experiences is quite gapping. Nunew has this tendency to overexaggerate his acting to a point it no longer feels realistic but rather like a child playing pretend and throwing a tantrum, don't get me wrong this guy is insanely talented, just not in the acting department, which brings me to my next point, Zee has genuinely regressed since his days in Why r u, and no, this isn't about him pairing up better with either saint or nunew, it genuinely feels like he's no longer trying to put in effort, I honestly can't tell why but it's very unfortunate, his acting as of late feels very wooden."
From my previously written paragraph, you can probably gather that I haven't been getting into many Thai BLs as of late, and I can say with certainty that I haven't truly enjoyed any BLs in general since the release of moonlight chicken, and that's not to say that there weren't any good or enjoyable releases after it, but the Thai industry has essentially ruined my interest in the genre and most of the BLs on my plan-to-watch list have been sitting there collecting dust, how long will they sit there I honestly cannot tell, but I had decided to give Thai BLs one last chance with the TNP before deciding and as you can see here, I've been thoroughly let down, so in conclusion, I'm stepping away from BLs - especially Thai ones - for the time being and focusing on other genres.

Now this might seem like a pointless rant to anyone reading this and I'm sure some will give this "review" two glances at best before skipping over to the next one (to which I say, more power to them, they're not obligated to read my lengthy rant) but I wanted to get this off my chest before filing this series away into my might-never-see-it-again land, hopefully the rest of the viewers can enjoy watching it where I couldn't.
And with that I rest my case, have a good day/afternoon/evening peeps and I hope your further endeavours in this genre continue to be enjoyable.

P.s: I might come back to write my actual thoughts on the series itself later on when I have the time, but for now I'm making do with this long ass rant, I really hope it doesn't provoke any negative feelings or offend anyone, have a good watch everyone 🤍

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The Next Prince — A Royal Story Carried More by Popularity Than by the Characters

I went into The Next Prince with pretty high expectations. A royal setting, political tension, bodyguards, power struggles… on paper it had everything needed to become a great BL with a bit of action and drama. Unfortunately, while the production looks polished and the concept is interesting, the execution doesn’t fully live up to what the story promises.

The main issue for me is the casting choice. NuNew has a very specific acting style, and it simply doesn’t fit the type of character he is supposed to play here. His portrayal feels too delicate for someone who should show strength, authority, or inner toughness. Instead of seeing a prince growing into power, I often felt like I was watching the same personality he brings to most of his roles. It never truly feels like a transformation into a character. Zee Pruk faces a similar problem. As a bodyguard, the role requires a strong physical and emotional presence, especially in scenes that suggest danger or action. But his natural softness makes it hard to believe that dynamic. Their pairing clearly exists because they are a very popular on-screen couple, and that popularity definitely helped sell the series. However, popularity alone cannot replace believable characterization. Ironically, some of the supporting actors ended up being much more interesting to watch. Net, JJ, Jimmy, and Ohm may not have as much screen time, but they bring a stronger presence whenever they appear. Their performances feel more grounded and more suited to the tone of the story. Even Kris Charintip manages to stand out with a charisma that adds weight to the scenes he’s in.

The production itself is actually quite good. Visually the series looks nice, and the music works well with the royal atmosphere and dramatic tone. Some moments feel almost cinematic, which shows that the production team clearly invested in the project. But good visuals and music cannot completely compensate for characters that feel miscast. For me, this highlights an important difference in acting styles. Some actors choose roles that fit their natural strengths and adapt themselves to the character. Others seem to play variations of their own personality every time. That difference becomes obvious when you compare performances from actors who truly transform into their roles. When the acting doesn’t evolve with the character, the drama loses some of its emotional weight.

Final Thought

The Next Prince isn’t a bad series. It has a strong concept, good production value, and a story that could have been very compelling. But the casting choices make it difficult to fully believe in the characters. In the end, it feels like a drama built around popular actors rather than around the roles themselves. It’s still watchable, but it never quite becomes the powerful royal drama it had the potential to be.

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More royal politics than romance

As someone that had been waiting for The Next Prince for nearly 3 years, I was super excited to watch it when it started airing. I thought that the sets and costuming were fantastic, and I loved the overall plot. I do think many people went into this thinking it would be a lot more romance-focused than it was, but I thought it was a great balance. While the romantic conflict was fairly predictable and repetitive, I thought that the way the romance was incorporated into the larger plot was lovely. Plus, the side characters were super fun to watch too!

Khanin (Nunew) is a fencer living in London with his father, when suddenly everything he knows is turned upside down with the arrival of Charan (Zee). Khanin learns of his royal heritage, and is told he must return to the kingdom of Emmaly to compete for the crown. With Charan as his bodyguard, Khanin makes the journey to Emmaly (with assassins pursuing him) in order to train for the royal competition. As Charan helps him train, feelings begin to develop between them, and even though a relationship between a royal and his bodyguard is seemingly impossible, Khanin is determined to make it work.

This show is definitely more focused on the royal competition, family/political issues, and Khanin's journey into royalty than it is about the relationship between Charan and Khanin. Personally, I was totally fine with this. I understand the expectations people had going in to a ZeeNunew show, but I thought that the balance was great. I especially loved that this meant there were fewer relationship issues between them, allowing us to have more happy moments with them as a couple and explore the relationships of the other characters a bit more. I was left waiting for the lesbians to get any screen time (they didn't really), but I loved Ramil and Paytai's (JimmyOhm) storyline. The third couple did feel a bit thrown in unnecessarily, but they were still entertaining. I think a lot of the hate for this show is due to slow pacing and lack of romantic conflict, but I thought it was still quite enjoyable, especially if you're aware of what this show is truly about. Watch this one for the political tension between royal families and the competition for the crown.

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What A Mess

Ok, Many of you will not agree with this review, I dont care don't read it. But I read others' reviews before I watched this and thought, how can Zee, NuNew and Jimmy get such bad reviews. So I dismissed the reviews and began watching. I almost dropped this after the 2nd episode. The more I watched the worst it got. The writers created a story, without knowing where they want to take it. So, this turned out like vegetable fried rice with a lot of good veges but still is sooo bad for you. I couldn't feel any chemistry between Zee and Nu, and the are the best shipped couple. But in this one the ship has sunk.

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Tasty

I came for Zee and Nu and they did not disappoint. From the start of their journey to the end they had my attention. I like how various societal issues were interwoven into the storyline. The other couples were like dessert but the main course was the prince and his body guard. Loved how much attention was given to the scenic views and the opulence of royalty. The music was also a high point and I loved the marriage proposal. It really felt like the real thing. The storyline is plausible with the obvious rivalries but it manages to maintain the essence of the plot without being campy.

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Could have been great

Let me start off by saying that this is a beautiful show, the budget was certainly there, and I appreciate them going all out. But my praise stops soon after that. The plot is fully nonsensical, the show seems to be having an identity crisis not knowing what it wants to be. The characters were paperthin, Charan especially, he was just so bland. NuNew and Zee have plenty of chemistry but nothing to do with it. The side couple has such an interesting dynamic but they have too little screen time to explore it. It is hard to explain how a show that has so much happening is still so boring.

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Some good elements and worth a watch

This drama actually ended up being better than I expected. I was turned off by the initial trailer and the caricature of European fancy that the drama seemed to be using. It ended up working a bit. It was over the top on design, but still really stunning to watch. The concept was also a decent set up with some compelling storylines, but most of them got nerfed in favor of bed scenes. Don't get me wrong, the bed scenes are very well done, but they definitely sacrifice any plot buildup to get them.

For me, Khanin's character didn't make a lot of sense in his decision making. He started off compelling and then seemed to throw away any drive to find his attackers in favor acting spoiled and putting his guard in a really bad ethical position. BLs are no stranger to icky power dynamics, but this one was really bad. He puts Charan in a horrible position ethically and professionally and doesn't seem to really care. It gives off Young Adult novel chosen one vibes. They introduce some compelling political elements, but it all just gets caked over so the tension cuts out after 5 minutes. Plus, the ending didn't make much sense. Why would he need to go back to university in the UK when everyone he cares about is in Emmaly? They don't have solid universities there? Also, the fact that his father is totally fine with waving goodbye to the son he was just reunited with? It really doesn't work at all.

I do give huge credit to Zee here. He looks like he worked insanely hard to get into peak condition and actually looked decent in the fight scenes. I think he's a solid actor and I hope to see him in more before he leaves the industry.

We even got a bit more depth to Nunew in this one, but they seem to only want to write him the same kind of characters; soft, spoiled and kind of bratty. I really hope he gets the chance to try some different writing. I'd love to see what else he can do and have him flex creatively in other types of characters. Overall, it's still a decent watch and a good showing. If you're a fan of the genre, give it a chance!

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Overated

The show and the reviews are too overated. I waited until the end of the show to watch the whole series. While the series was airing, I kept seeing revies and cuts from TIKTOK and YOUTUBE. It looks interesting and really has a great vibes. However, after watching the show, I couldn’t be happy with the storyline and ending. How could they be talking about empowering women when Princess Ava withdrew from the competition at the last second because its not safe. If we its not safe for Princess Ava, it wouldn’t be a safe competition for the others too. What about the protecting the environement and fighting to change the empire? In the end, Charan left for love? Why couldn’t he have done both? The storytelling and immersion in the story is great and all however, not the storyline itself.

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Great concepts, could've been a great show

The Next Prince has all the ingredients for a gripping royal drama. I love the modern royal setting, and there’s a great cast of characters with the potential for real depth. While the series shines in visuals and moments of strong storytelling, the writing doesn’t quite deliver on its promise.

What stands out most is the cinematography. The show looks absolutely gorgeous, with stunning sets, locations, costumes, and props. The pilot introduced Khanin’s character well and set up some great stakes. Most of the acting is solid, too. Story-wise, one of the strongest moments for me was the reveal of Wasin’s betrayal and his reasoning behind it. It was a little predictable, but it made sense and added layers to why every region was complicit in the events, making his actions more understandable. I also enjoyed the political side of the series, which gave Emmaly more realism and complexity.

The most powerful scene for me came during Ramil and Paitay’s NC moment, where Ramil, whip in hand, is about to strike but stops as he remembers his father’s abuse. That hesitation spoke volumes about his character without a single line of dialogue. That was proof for me that the series is capable of incredible storytelling.

Unfortunately, much of the writing doesn’t give its characters or conflicts the weight they deserve. For a story that’s supposed to follow Khanin, we get surprisingly little of his personal journey. After the pilot—where he meets Charan, learns the man who raised him isn’t his biological father, survives an assassination attempt, and watches his father “die”—a few episodes later, he’s dancing like none of it happened. We rarely see how these events affect him or how he struggles to adapt to his life in the palace.

Instead, the series leans heavily on Charan and Khanin’s relationship. While that focus makes sense given the popularity of the pairing, it could have been balanced with Khanin’s inner journey. Once he’s in the palace, the stakes all but vanish. He’s not fighting for his own title, but for his biological father’s. Even if he fails, nothing will really happen to him. Ironically, Ramil has more at stake than the main character.

Performance-wise, Nunew stood out as Khanin, and Zee did well with the material he was given, though I wish Charan had a bigger personal storyline. Jimmy and Ohm delivered solid performances, and I enjoyed Net and JJ despite their underdeveloped characters.

Many storylines feel rushed, underdeveloped, or abandoned entirely, but despite these flaws, I still enjoyed the series. For its production value, strong performances, and flashes of excellent storytelling, I’m giving The Next Prince a 6/10. I understand why it didn’t work for some viewers, but if you’re curious, it’s worth a try. Just don’t expect all the potential to be fulfilled.

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Such an interesting storyline, only to be ruined by bad writing

I feel like the series started off with such an interesting plotline. The story was compelling and interesting, and honestly, at the starting episodes, I was so captivated. I could not wait for the episodes, like the upcoming episodes, where we would get to see the palace, and basically the royalty and emerald itself. But I don't know when it really started, but it started to just get boring at a point, where like, I wasn't even that interested in watching it anymore. Like, when it was airing, I would quite literally sometimes skip it. When the ending did become interesting again, where I was like, hyped, and actually interested to see it, I was majorly disappointed. I have a few nitpicks. I won't go full into detail about what I love and hate, honestly, because I do not have the time to really write so much about it. I want to really watch other dramas where I wouldn't be this disappointed. But there's a few stuff that I really want to nitpick that really, really rub me the wrong way.
Don't even get me started on the screen timing, the episode would be an hour long, and we would only get 10 minutes, or maybe 15 of the other characters, while the rest of the whole episode would be about Khanin and Charan. It was so infuriating, especially since I thought we would get to see more of the side couples, but no. I get it that they were the main couple and the main characters, but come on. The side characters felt like guest characters in their own series, that's how bad it was. We got to see Chakri a lot, but that's all. And even he was only there for Khanin and Charan's scenes, not even there himself.

The other characters had such compelling storylines and personality, but they were all overshadowed by the main couple. This is one of the big reasons why a lot of people don't want to watch BLs, is the amount of fanservice. I love shows that have a lot of fanservice, but this was too much that the main story just got, like, hid in a way. I'm not talking about the Asadevatin pollution story, I'm talking about the story of the other characters.

I feel like we got a story from an uninteresting perspective, and I really wish that we got the story from another person's perspective, like, I don't know, Ramil, like, dealing with his trauma from his dad and stuff, or Paytai's perspective, or even Charan's perspective. I feel like Khanin's perspective has been done so many times. I mean, what was Princess Diaries even made for? Yes, it was interesting that we got, like, a BL version of it, but really, it's still pretty boring and lacks feelings, really. Again, I wish it was done from Ava's perspective. Any other character than Khanin and I would have been happy, because we would have gotten a new perspective and a new story, not something that has been done over and over again.

One good thing about the series was that at the very end, I was kind of rooting for all three of the heirs, not just Khanin, because we got to see somewhat of the backstory of the characters. At least that was one thing that they got right, but it was barely anything. We barely got to see that. Ava was like a very non-existent character. She was such an amazing character, in my opinion, but they really ruined her, and they didn't give her justice. Same goes for Ramil and Paytai. Amazing characters. They didn't get their justice. Even Kanin at times felt so obnoxious and annoying, and Charan just felt very stiff and like a rock. Even at the time where they were showing his quote-unquote emotional self, soft side, I could not really feel it because of how the character had been portrayed. Obviously, it's not Zee's fault. It's the writer's fault for giving him such a terrible character. I know that he can definitely act better, but for that, he needs to have better characters. He can't improvise the whole character, now can he? Same goes for Nunew. I said, he can do acting well, but he needs better character for that.

This felt like a ZeeNunew Royal Fever Dream with a side of other characters that we saw here and there.

Another thing that really bothered me was the Ava and Mira situation. I generally thought that they would become a couple or something, but no, we didn't get that at all. And at the very end, I found like Ava dancing with a guy and that really, really rubbed me the wrong way because from what I heard, I don't remember the trailer really, but from what I heard, Ava and Mira were supposed to be a couple and Ava was supposed to be a lesbian. I mean, the whole fandom thought that, but nope. I was so annoyed seeing that scene. I was like, oh, come on. Why?

Anyways, the series promised a lot but wasn't really able to deliver. I most of the time wanted to skip the scenes and just go to like Ramil and Paytai scenes. I really wish they put more effort into the storyline, the writing, and everything instead of the whole visual appeal of it. I thought, oh, it's visually very interesting and looks expensive so I'm sure if they're putting so much money into its budget, into the costume, the wigs, the sets, and everything, the story would be compelling and good and actually well-written. I was wrong.


The only reason I gave it the 3.5 for rewatch value was cause of Ramil and Paytai scenes...

also sorry for the amount of "like" I used... I didn't write it I actually just talked and used chatgpt to turn them into words, so apologies if the characters names are wrong... and the use of words multiple times I was literally getting mad talking bout this...

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