The animation intro is beautiful too.
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Amazing if you aren't coming from the novel
This is one of those drama I watched simply because too many people were hating on it :^). I didn't understand the overly critical reviews after finishing the drama so this review is just a self rant.•Firstly, let's focus on the matter of concern for a huge chunk of reviews I came across: " Su Rongqing" 😭. As someone who haven't read the novel, the presence, absence or importance of Su Rongqing wasn't uncomfortable to me. So I assum people who read the novel generally found the limelight on him overbearing. The actor acted really well in my opinion . Many people questioned his acting in respect of arousing sympathy for his charecter as in novel ( not sure) well i didn't expect such things so there was no sympathy I felt for him and neither the sympathy felt necessary to me.
• The drama was in my opinion really clean with straight schemes and resolutions. After every issue the Grand Princess and Chancellor duo rejuvenated their relationship. As if they are loving each other a little more. I didn't find any part of the drama frustrating or unspoken. The expression, the script, the timing, the acting of the main leads and supporting all were on point.
•The best part of the drama that makes it stand out from other scheming and descheming dramas is the complexity of the characters. Especially the dillema, the miscommunication, the multiple shades in the main characters were really alluring. I found the relationship blooming and never really felt that their love wasn't shown enough to convey how much they yearned for each other— these added layers to the simple conspiracy - counter conspiracy screenwriting kind of quenched my thirst .
• The production was clean , the script was okay, can't stress enough how good they were in their respective role. The unity among its women all were beautiful to see. Maybe some episodes could have been more compact but I was satisfied over all.
So if you are coming from the novel, this drama might disappoint you that I am not aware of why but if you are watching this afresh, i don't think it gonna disappoint that way. A extremely strong woman character with a ideal partner being the assistant/ mess cleaner/ doing the dirty works , this formula can never fail come on!!
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Watch for Zhang Linghe ?
One of the best Chinese Period Dramas of 2024. I am putting it shoulder to shoulder to The Double.Although The Double was far better in terms of overall acting, direction etc but personally I favour this one. ♥️
First of all, Zhang Linghe who should have been just in the shadows of the the heroine & the anti hero, outshines all others. I think this is one of his acting masterpieces. He is a fine actor but he has poured his heart out in Pei Wenxuan. His eyes speak out his pain, his frustration when he is not speaking or cannot speak, his knowing smirk can embarrass you and his sweet words can manage to convince you to see things his way.
Many viewers have complained how can the ML be in love with the FL even after seeing her sharing close ties with the anti hero for 17years?
Because Pei Wenxuan is a pure heart as Li Rong says. In the world of fiction, a man can remain true to his heart & love even after 2 decades. That's the beauty of fictional world. A real man can aspire but it's ridiculous to compare reality with fiction. So I didn't find anything wrong with Pei Wenxuan's everlasting love for the Princess.
Zhao Jin Mai, even though she is young,was convincing enough in her portrayal of the proud, opinionated Princess.
But the major letdown of this drama is Chen He Yi.
This drama could have sealed his future as a successful actor but he wasted this role.
This man cannot act..I mean even after rewatching the whole series twice and more, I am still shaking his head at his flat expressions . Also his character is confusing.
Did he really love the Princess? Did he really want to save his family? Seemed to me, he just wanted great power for himself as the Grand Prime Minister second time around, to be the actual master of the Empire.
Another character which had loose end was the Consort Rou. Her expressions and acting were very weird.
The ending where the ML and FL are talking about their happiness after their re-wedding, I think that should have been edited before the "happily ever after voiceover"..it would have made this drama perfect.
Other than this, the set, the costumes are awesome. The background score is so romantic.
I will definitely be rewatching again to see a great power struggle and also the utterly dashing Pei Wenxuan winning his lady love's heart. 🤩🤩🥰
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Omg its really good.
When I first started this show I was a little wary because of the low rating. A 9.3 on Viki usually means a lack of quality, but this show really surpassed my low expectations.This story is a historical costume drama that has a sci-fi based time travel gimmick, and it SLAPS. It's really entertaining.
I watched this right after finishing The Double and a lot of the smarter writing I was craving in The Double was present here. This was a show about politics before anything else. Everyone has a faction and it fighting to get a leg up over every other faction. The constant conflicts and mental battles always make this drama feel fresh. If you liked Cheng Shaoshang's big brain in LLTG then you'll love Li Rong. Zhao Jinmai does an exceptional job (as always) communicating that she's a jaded and cold woman who is just trying to survive and do what she thinks will make everything better.
I also love the ML Pei Wenxuan. Dude has got the sauce. Zhang Linghe has been in the corner on the shelf since I first saw him in Maiden Holmes… but my guy made himself a true heartthrob with this show. His understanding of the FL and being able to anticipate her plans made for some of the most satisfying scenes.
Love all the side characters! The regular villains can be a little hard to take seriously, but the main villian was a total boss who actually felt like a true threat.
My ONLY valid complaint is the fact that this show looks AWFUL. The costumes aren't too bad but the cinematography lacks substance and personality. In rare and heavy moments some scenes are filmed intentionally but that just makes the rest of the drama look even worse. It looks like a cheap morning drama sometimes it's so bland.
It's a complicated story where there isn't an easy path or answer. Great story, acting and music. Will definitely watch again.
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THE DUMB PRINCESS PINGYUE
I love the story especially the way it started and the whole dynamic and chemistry between ML and FL. The whole story surrounding Princess Pingyue/ Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan in the first 20 episodes is really engaging and the actors acting their roles are the best too! Its only towards the end from Ep 30 onwards that due the whole political angle the plot kinda loses its engagement. Especially the story surrounding Li Rong and Su Rongqing...SPOILERS AHEAD -
My biggest beef is with the role or character of Li Rong why the hell is she so dumb...Especially with regards to Su Rongqing...Like girl he let you die in your previous life and conspired against your family, why do you still trust him more than your own husband Pei Wenxuan who tried everything in his previous and current lives to save you and do everything for you...She really does have princess syndrome...She thinks Su Rongqing is her knight in shining armor...Pei Wenxuan is a safe bet...And her brother is just a pawn for power to her...Like Ep 34-35 was utter nonsense when Su Rongqing tells her about what happened in the past and that it was the noble families who made her come across this alchemist whom she then later placed alongside her brother aka the King in the previous life...And the alchemist tried to kill the King and naturally the king thought that his own sister is trying to kill him so he poisoned her and killed her and the other noble families let it happen...And first instinct as a sister was to not to believe her brother's intensions but SU RONGQING...Like GURL WHAT??? ARE YOU FOR REAL??? She conveniently left out the part that it was the noble families manipulation that caused a misunderstanding and that's why it led to the sad outcome...And after Pei Wenxuan comes to rescue her you'd think after being in love and now being pregnant with his child her instinct would be to share and communicate everything with her beloved husband...NO...NO...She is hiding it all from him...And again trying to meet WHO? Yes you guessed that right...SU RONGQING?!?! At this point I was confused if the ML was Su Rongqing or Pei Wenxuan...Like Girly believes, and cares and trusts him more than anyone else even her own family...I've never seen such a dumb and irritating female lead ever since START UP...Like in this whole plot the real villain was actually LI RONG/ PRINCESS PINGYUE...
Like later thanks to Pei Wenxuan her misunderstanding gets cleared and she gets to know about her brothers side of the story and all the hardships he had faced and the reason for his cruelty which is honestly heartbreaking like the two characters he wanted to protect his mom and his sister were the very two ones who both directly and indirectly caused him all the misery and pain in the previous life and caused the death of his beloved wife Qin ZhenZhen...
Funny thing is even after Pei Wenxuan explains her everything after that too she is scared to meet her brother and still doesn't trust him like gurl when in the first few episodes you thought your husband aka Pei Wenxuan killed you...You were ready to kill him or take revenge on him and not marry him again...Same with your brother you lost trust in him...But when you though SU RONGQING killed you...Girlies reaction "Ohh I don't blame him, he suffered a lot, that was just the past him because of his family dying he did that, I would have done the same if i were in his shoes, the current him doesnt want me dead, i can help the current him not go down the same path...
LIKE GURL WHAT?!?!
The story should have been name "LI RONG X SU RONGQING AND THE OTHERS" cause that's exactly how the FL character behaved...
If not for her dumb character I would have loved this story a whole lot more...I watched this story mainly for Zhang Linghe...But my guy was sidelined but by this dumb female character...Honestly I have no issues with the actress she did a great job with her acting...Zhao Jin Mai is a great actress and her chemistry with Zhang Linghe is great...I have watched their work in OUR GENERATION...And they were great together...Its just whoever wrote and directed this story made the female lead so dumb that it just frustrated the shit out of me...
It's only in the last few episodes she seems to have some clarity and decides to protect her brother, mother and father...And all her other friends and supporters...But again her idea was to again fight alone and sacrifice herself i swear had it not been for Pei Wenxuan she actually would have died...He literally is the reason all the good characters are alive...Like my guy is actually super smart but doesn't boast about it...He's literally playing 8D Chess here...Like all the plans have worked out thanks to his wisdom otherwise had they followed the FL's ways the 2nd life would have ended up the same way as the first if not worse...
Thank god Zhang Linghe worked in Persuit of Jade that drama really let him shine in the best ways!!!
Other than the dumb female character and the plot holes she caused rest everything was honestly not that bad!
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This show is not for the people who like fluffy romance or romantic stuff.
I started watching this show because this is one of the dramas where FL was more powerful than ML. This show has a very political base and less romance and the romance is integrated so well with the plot that you get the sense of genuine love from both ML and FL. I thought the time travel plot was overrated but how they realized the past mistakes and worked for it. The consistency of Pei Wenxuan is remarkable though Li Rong's character was a bit stupid as she will move her opinion to whoever is in front of her. And the SML character is so stupid like he was given a second chance to turn around and make things better but what did he do go and make it worse in this life. Watching Su Rongqing make his life and people around his life more and more miserable was frustrating to watch. but I liked how things turned around and the emperor got the result of his trust and Li Chuan's way of protecting his love and family. The acting of all the actors is fabulous.Was this review helpful to you?
Some Palace Dramas Are More Compelling Than Others
For some time now, I’ve become a fan of Zhang Ling He. I think it was his Second Male Lead role in Love Between a Fairy and a Devil that sealed the deal for me. In The Princess Royale, he does not disappoint and neither does Zhao Jin Mai (Angel Zhao).Story:
While I am not a big palace drama fan, The Princess Royale starts out with a bang. Both main characters die. Any Chinese show where the main characters, who are married, die in the first episode is typically a good one. They die and are reborn to before they met.
Li Rong (Played by Angel Zhao) is the daughter of the emperor who decides her former life was so bleak that she does not want to marry her husband again…. She believes he killed her. Pei Wen Xuan (played by Zhang Ling He) is in the same boat. Through various hijinks, they both realize they were “reborn” and their deaths were more ambiguous than first imagined.
Here in lies the story. Who caused their deaths? Who is the bad guy?
That said, there’s a secondary arc weaved throughout the forty episodes that had me engaged as soon it popped up in about episode 10. This story was more important to me than the romance of the main couple or any other couple for that matter. The group of seemingly powerless females begin to band together to change their predestined futures.
One reason I hate palace dramas is females have little to no real power, so they scheme and manipulate from behind the scenes. While The Princess Royale is no different, these women do not do it from a “harem” but use their brains and brawn to control their outcomes and the outcomes of the kingdom from a place of power.
I loved it. By far, women working together productively to gain power is a storyline I can get behind.
Characters:
A shout out to the women who ruled the world: Shangguan Ya (played by Cheng Guo), Qin Zhen Zhen (played by He Qiu) and Li Rong. All kicked butt as captivating characters who did not fall victim to their circumstances.
The men also intrigued me. Pei Wen Xuan, Su Rong Qing (played by Chen He Yi), and Li Chuan (played by Liu Xu Wei) really had me confused the entire 40 episodes with who was the bad guy and who wasn’t. Truthfully, it was the bitter end before I figured it out.
No spoiler: There is no easy answer to who is the good guy and who is not for this ENTIRE show. The Princess Royale did a fantastic job showing moral ambiguity brought about by everyone’s selfish motivations.
Music:
The music was lovely but nothing I would download and replay over and over and over. It was well-done just the same.
Overall:
If you like palace dramas, The Princess Royale is perfect for you. If you like great female characters, this is the show to watch. If you want fluff, you might want to try something that requires a little less brain power.
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Zhao Jinmai & Zhang Linghe - 20 Years of Marriage Vibes! (in a cute way LOL)
Late to the party but here's my take on this DramaOkay, so i actually finished watching this last year but never got around to reviewing it. Better late than never, right?
First off, i really enjoyed this one. It’s got that perfect mix of heavy political scheming and young adult romance vibes. Yeah, i know—sounds like an odd combo, but hear me out. The main couple might technically have the souls of 40-year-olds (thanks to the whole rebirth thing), but since they’re physically back to being teenagers (Li Rong’s 18, and I think Pei Wenxuan is around the same age?), their love story still feels fresh and youthful. So even with all the court politics, it never gets too heavy for younger viewers.
Visually, the drama’s a treat, and the cinematography was Solid. Great camera work, nice lighting—though i’ve gotta say, the editing could’ve been smoother. Some of those scene transitions were kinda jarring, and the episode endings way too abrupt. But let’s talk about the real MVP here: the costumes, makeup, and hairstyling—chef’s kiss. Zhao Jinmai looks absolutely radiant—like, how does her makeup stay so flawless in every scene? and Zhang Linghe’s wig is a 10/10. Dude’s never looked better.
Plot-wise, like i said, it's definitely geared toward a younger audience. The political schemes are engaging, with problems stacking up and getting resolved one after another. But man, Li Rong's decision-making sometimes had me frustrated. Girl, why are you trusting the second male lead over your own husband half the time? It got old real quick.
All in all, despite its flaws, this drama's a fun watch. Zhao Jinmai and Zhang Linghe's chemistry was off the charts. and side note: i wasn't totally sold on Zhang Linghe's acting before, but he really stepped up his game here. You can tell he put in the work, and it shows.
So yeah, worth checking out—just don’t expect perfection◝(ᵔᗜᵔ)◜
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It's worth the commitment.
This is the epitome of a slow-burn plot. While it's no "Nirvana in Fire," it does the job, and the narrative holds together quite well from beginning to end.Zhao Jin Mai did a fantastic job as Li Rong, to the extent that I was puzzled why "The Princess Royal" was my first introduction to her in the role of a female lead. Zhang Ling He did a good job as her partner and romantic counterpart, Pei Wen Xuan. This is the fifth series I've watched that featured him as the main male lead, and his performance has been consistent throughout them all (though it seems to improve dramatically whenever he's paired with a strong, versatile female lead).
I absolutely loved Chen He Yi's performance as Su Rong Qing. In fact, after observing He Yi's acting rather closely (including his facial expressions, mannerisms, and overall aura) I can't help but see Luo Yun Xi. I digress to have even joked to myself that they could do a switcheroo with no quality lost whatsoever. He Yi could have easily played the part of Tantai Jin in "Till the End of the Moon" or Run Yu (night deity) in "Ashes of Love" and had the same impact.
Back to "The Princess Royal," I honestly can sympathize with all the people who were put off by the slow plot progression. I am an avid c-drama watcher, and it took me the span of two months to fully complete the series (I had to take breaks because it felt like more of a commitment). I don't expect there to be many people who would binge-watch "The Princess Royal" over the weekend.
Despite that, it really is a good watch. I loved how Pei Wen Xuan didn't mince words when it came to Li Rong. He was 100% devoted and even hilariously possessive at times. Li Rong seemed to demonstrate the most character development (hence the title of the show), and we get to see her soften from being overly cynical and guarded to feeling a genuine connection with others, specifically her love interest.
Would I rewatch "The Princess Royal" again someday for old times' sake? I doubt it. But that doesn't mean it isn't worth your time. One thing to note, though, is that the ending (while giving closure) is a bit cliché. Still, it gets an 8/10 in my book.
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WORTH WATCHING
THOUGH IT IS A FANTASY, STORY IS GOOD, LOVES WATCHING ZHANG LING HE ACTING. WILL TRY TO WATCH ALL HIS DRAMAS. ALL THE OTHER ACTORS IS JUST A PROP FOR THE MAIN LEADS STORY.TOO BAD SU RONG QIN PREFER TO WALK THE WRONG PATH EVEN WHEN HE IS GIVEN A 2ND LIFE. THE CONCUBINE SMILE IS SO EVIL. ALL ABOUT SEEKING FOR POWER IN THE PALACE. THOUGH IT IS JUST A FICTION.
WONDER HOW AFTER BEING STAB HE STILL CAN PLAY THE QIN. STORY OF 2 MEN FALLING FOR A PRINCESS.
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Well done drama with a fresh take on palace politics
unlike most time travel/rebirth dramas this one explores more morally grey questions about destiny & fate along with the cause and effect or more the butterfly effect of how one's action can vary a timeline.Really suprised by the intense negative comments here. I honestly went in with very low expectations but maybe,hence came out enjoying this a lot more.
Other than the plot, A++ For the casting-they all performed excellent in their roles.I Enjoyed ZLH a lot here (almost comparable to how much I enjoyed him in POJ- But atleast I got more screen time of him here.)
Fight choreography, background score and costume deserves praises as well.
Downsides
- The poor '1st life' script - seemed a little tooo crazy to believe for me.
-Chen he yi 's acting- I found him really difficult to relate to even with all his excessive screen time in the last 5 episodes where they tried to humanize the hell out of him.
-OST- Other than 1 or two main tracks the rest are forgetable.
Overall an enjoyable watch, rewatch value may differ though person to person.- 9/10
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