The Next Prince

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 🤍

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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!

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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...

Read More

Sparkly package but the contents were lacking

The reason I wanted to start watching Thai BL dramas was because I saw a video about this series so I was really looking forward to it. Overall, not a good story for sure by any stretch of the imagination. But damn, she really do be pretty as hell.

Set/Cinematography/Costume:
It would be wild to not comment on the attention to detail and consistently stunning visuals of every piece of this show. It’s a pretty important part of a story about royalty and they nailed the hell out of it. So gorgeous. And the staircases in this show… damn babe, yes please.

Acting:
Not bad, but not outstanding. No one really shone, and no one was unbearable to watch. I do think that Zee did a good job with his expressions as his character grew throughout the show. Coming from Boom’s performance in Top Form to this was tough, especially when there were scenes where a character was having a breakdown. Like, someone get my man Boom over here to teach these boys how it’s done.

Characters:

Chakri, my day 1 fudanshi king 10/10. For a London-raised 20-something-year-old guy, Khanin was not at all defiant. Like sure, he had some brat and sass to him at times, but like I’ve met wealthy 23-year-old guys from London, and Khanin was not giving the right energy here. Charan… I would like to see a list of all the things that he was in charge of. Like how are you gonna be the head of the royal guard, lead investigator for the crown, fencing/archery coach, tutor, art professor, and I’m probably missing a few more duties. Like what are we talking about… Bodyguard who do good art is believable, and anything more is dumb.

Writing/inconsistencies:

Oof. For all that this show is beautiful, it is also dumb as hell. So many things were just so poorly planned and written. Screenwriting is partially to blame, but the main issue is the storyline itself. I genuinely could not believe that they wanted me as the viewer to give a flying fuck about that wrinkly ballsack of an old man on his deathbed. Like, did we not just finally establish a couple scenes ago that this mf is the main villain???? We’re gonna forgive him and give him a long and tender scene with Khanin, who has absolutely no reason whatsoever to care about him..??? Wild. After revealing sharkboy as the “big bad guy” you could have either had our protagonists join him or deal with his punishment and then go after the real big bad guy, which is obviously the crusty bitch king. But no.. we’re just gonna act like everything is fine. There is so much more wrong with this story I could sit here for hours analyzing it but I’ll just leave it at that.

Chemistry/Romance/Kissing:

Wouldn’t say the chemistry was entirely captivating but it was present. As a romance it was alright, I just wish they focused in on one or two specific dynamics. Like to me, there’s the bratty guy x the stoic yet kind guy. And at the same time there is the prince x his protector. But they didn’t play into those dynamics so it was a bit all over the place and lacked the depth of flavor I enjoy in these types of romance. The kissing was alright for the most part. I think it is undeniable that episode 14 took the cake.

Side Couples:

Oookay so at first the second couple was defnitely giving that couple who unironically growl at eachother in the local hot topic, ya know? Like girl.. you did not just put on a collar with a leash in the front seat of the car on a college campus… WILD. But I gotta give it to them, I liked their story and how it translated to their NC scenes especially because it was more than a representation of intimacy, it was a telling of their struggles with abuse, the grappling with the desire for sadism and masochism birthed from trauma, and the bond that all that has created for the two characters. Loved all that but definitely was a bit odd to see as a second couple in this story. The third couple had potential to be cute but like we saw them for 5 minutes so idk why it was necessary to have them in there at all.

NC Scenes:

At least there was mood building ig? That being said, I’m not gonna sit here and lie.. Zee’s little moan in episode 14 was a pleasant little gift as I was not expecting that, good work out there my guy. I just wish we had more of that “say please” energy throughout the series in their dynamic bc that had a kick to it.

Music/SFX:

Songs with lyrics in them need to be toned down for the love of god. You’re killing me with the emotional scenes where the absence of words holds power, and then you go and add a song with these corny ass basic lyrics about “I will protect care and love for you kiss kiss under the moon” bullshit. And I get having my guy Nunew sing like sure, whatever I’ll allow it. But damn… That protest musical scene was ummmm.. a choice.. SFX were pretty good for the most part. However, in a show where most of the buildings have marble flooring, I need more crisp shoe click clacks, ya feel me?

Definitely did not blow me away, but I wouldn’t say it was even among the worst things I’ve ever seen/read. Like Idk how I see people giving this a lower rating than they gave My Stubborn.. That’s actually insane behavior. Disappointed and confused, but I can’t deny it was sparkly through and through.

Read More

Everything was great except the plot...

I love ZeeNunew, so I was genuinely excited for this drama, but unfortunately, it fell short. While the costumes, cinematography, and soundtrack were stunning, the plot was messy and unfocused. The show couldn’t decide if it wanted to be a royal romance, political thriller, musical, or BL wattpad fanfic and in trying to be everything, it didn’t fully succeed at anything.

That said, I can’t deny the visuals were stunning, costume design, cinematography, and the original soundtrack were top-tier. In fact, those elements were probably the reason the rating went up for me.

The tone was inconsistent. One moment you’re watching serious political protests, and the next, Khanin is singing with piano music in the background. It felt out of place and took away from the emotional weight of key scenes. As for the main couple, their relationship lacked development. Khanin quickly became a lovesick character who forgot that his lofe was taken away from him in London, while Charan remained stoic and emotionally distant. Even their big romantic scenes felt like it was fan service and chucked in there for the sake of it.

The second couple, Ramil and Paytai, actually had a compelling dynamic, but barely got screen time. Ava had potential too, but her arc was constantly undercut by the plot. The side characters were more interesting than the leads, which says a lot.

Despite the high production value, it felt hollow and empty. Product placements were also distracting and constantly there so got a bit repetitive. All the relationships lacked development. I could tell all the actors had great chemistry but it came off robotic and flat, most likely due to the poor scriptwriting and a plot that didn’t give their characters the depth or space to grow.

I wouldn’t recommend this for someone looking for a deep, well-developed plot. But if you’re in it for the stunning visuals, cinematography, costumes, and aesthetics, it might still be worth your time. I don’t agree with the very low or very high reviews out there as the show has clear strengths, but also major weaknesses that can’t be ignored.

Read More