The Princess's Gambit

Please stop hiring unpaid interns for script writing

Genuinely think the script writers are insulting the audience's intelligence. The story never lines up, the logic falls apart time after times.

This drama is what we call 脑残恋爱剧. that's exactly what it is, you need to leave your brain at home in order for this drama to make sense. You need to watch this for the purpose of "watching two attractive people fall in love" because that's the only thing it (questionably) delivers.

At ep 34 I finally realize they tried to copy the plot of nirvana in fire and my goodness, it'd be an insult to even call this a dollar store NiF.

Pros:
Good casting, if not for these phenomenal actors I absolutely could not have finished this

Cons:
I don't know why nobody mentions this, but the ML's sister is what we call "a cast with funding". Because if she did not sponsor the production there's no way she would've been in this drama.

All throughout I've never seen any character more annoying. Purpose? None. Character development? Please don't piss me off. Is involved or is critical to any part of the story line whatsoever? Absolutely not. This character genuinely could've been replaced by a passerby and the story would've moved on just fine.

With regards to the script writing, long story short, they introduce conflict for the sake of conflict, ignoring if it makes sense of not. I started noting some down after some episodes because just wanted to see how ridiculous this gets:

- EP 10, fight in the forest about to break out, let's bring the FL who cannot fight at all, we will see this later.
- EP 10, grandma of course needs to go back and fetch things while enemies approaching.
- EP 11, FL as expected cannot help with anything, the reason why she was here the first place is just so she can be "saved" by ML.
- EP 11, village got raided, people died, what the kids do? Play football.
- EP 11, ML FL cannot go back home because being chased by the crowned Prince, after seeing some mountains, they magically could now.
- EP 11, ML remembers to check FL's background after married for ages now.
- EP 15, poisoning a foreign princess is apparently 罪不致死 (no biggie bc attempting murder on a royal is just a prank I guess) , make that makes sense.
- EP 18, 4th Prince just got saved and woke up from poison, very sought after and is in great danger, so of course he immediately leaves protection in literally undergarments with ZERO guards with him.
- EP 19, bad guy holding FL hostage, ML prepares bow and arrow to shoot, bad guy of course stands still waiting to be shot because using the FL as a body shield would make too much sense.
- EP 19, falls off a cliff, survives, wakes up in full face makeup looking pretty
- EP 20 FL's brother was like 9 or 10 years old in EP 1. It's not been that long as every pill is one month. It's not been years, but somehow this boy is a grown man now.
- EP 21, Prince of the country is in love with the Empress of the enemy country because mommy issues. I'm trying not to roll my eyes.
- EP 23, FL got captured, they knocked her out, but of course they wait for her to wake up first, before attempting her life because otherwise it'd make too much sense.
- EP 23, drowning cured her amnesia and I'm supposed to accept that.
- EP 26, at 22 min you see the most random jumps. So they also didn't pay for post production and edition I guess.
- EP 27, a massively important witness. Which means Meng is allowed to just walk into the prison and murders him because in this world, we don't have prison guards.
- EP 29, FL finally meets up with her brother, bad guys approaches, what do we do? Run in opposite direction of course. We use the table as a shield for arrows, fair enough, but don't forget to use an umbrella as well as that is somehow a stronger shield than a table.
- EP 30, the ML FL and her brother are now together, as a villain you see 3 of your worst enemies what do you do? Send assassins after them? Send your thousands of soldiers after them? Get some archers and snipe them? No, you explode the city, because the script writers said so.
- EP 30, as the evil empress is now leaving the city, wide in the open with 20 guards around her. You, as the good guys, hiding in background and somewhat of a high ground, what do you do? Shoot her down with swift arrows? No, you go melee attack into her 20 guards because the script writers said so.
- EP 32, as a crown prince, the best way to get yourself lined up to be next in throne is to of course hook your dad up to crack because then he's depended on you dealing him drugs.
- EP 33, 3rd prince is now revealed in court as the bad guy, stabbing officials one by one. You, as an official in court what do you do? Run? No. Jump the guy because there are 30 of y'all and there's only 1 of him? No. You stand still and wait for your turn to be stabbed because again, the script writers said so.
- EP 34, the most useless father in the world finally appears. I think there's supposed to be sympathy for him but help, I must've lost it somewhere.
- EP 35, using a homeless person as hostage for some morality test is dumb. Morality testing not the guy that's gonna be on the throne, but his sister instead, is another level of dumb.
- EP 35, instead of having the FL who is already poisoned to test the cure, we of course feed the poison to the ML so he can test instead, because again, the script writers said so. I guess it is to set up conflict for the sake of conflict for...
- EP 36, yep, the conflict is here, he is weak to fight because poison, he only saved enough flower to cure one person. This is making sense, because otherwise, how else are we gonna play gardening simulator to save him after? We need conflicts for... I don't know, for the sake of conflicts

Overall, I'm just upset that I wasted my life on this.

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Novel Reader may be slightly disappointed

In the novella, Tao Hua is abducted by the Chancellor and meant to be killed – but she saves herself by forcing him to marry her. At first, their connection is purely physical, but over time, real love develops between them.

The Chancellor is a reserved, layered character. Many key elements are missing in the film – such as his humorous best friend who secretly sleeps with the concubines while the Chancellor is only intimate with Tao Hua. Tao Hua’s brother, who is poisoned but briefly becomes king, is also still alive in this drama.

A major difference: In the book, Tao Hua is poisoned but survives through pregnancy and is healed by childbirth. This symbolic arc is completely absent in the film, where the Chancellor ends up poisoning himself – a much weaker twist in comparison.

The Empress was well portrayed for most of the series, but in the final episode she suddenly acts out of character – exaggerated and irrational, breaking the consistency of her role.

Visually, the film is polished, and the leads have chemistry. But much of the emotional depth and symbolism from the book is lost. Even the music felt distracting at times.

Conclusion: Visually appealing and watchable – but as a book adaptation, it falls disappointingly short.

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LIu Xue Yi deserved better!

This was not my favorite drama. It wasn't my favorite story or plot. Honestly, it felt like someone took the FL's "Blossom" and the ML "Kill Me Love Me", put them in a blender, and this is what came out. That having been said, I cannot dispute that the two main leads did an outstanding job.

Liu Xue Yi is always amazing. I will give every one of his dramas a chance every time because he is a fantastic actor and a tremendous gift to the Chinese drama industry. Even in the stories I don't like, I will skip through to watch some of his scenes. I hope he never retires and continues to give us wonderful shows to watch. He is consistent in showing deep emotion and insight into complex and difficult characters. Simply put, this drama wasn't worthy of him. Liu Xue Yi deserves better. MUCH better.

Meng Zi Yi did a good job as well. I have only seen her in Blossom before this, but she has very expressive eyes and comes across well. I felt her character was treated unjustly for most of the story and when she finally fell for the ML, I believed her. She is a good actress and I hope to see her in more in the future.

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Something got wrong in the end...

After 6 episodes I wonder that this action speed will keep up until the end of drama. For now the series is brilliant. But the last episodes, especially 35th and 36th, disappointed me. Maybe because I am a woman, I was longing for a sweet happy ending. You know - main couple surrounded by kids, smiling and happy. Ok, too much, just kidding.

The end was no as despiring as in "Kill me love me" drama or the story from "Lost you forever" between Xiao Yao and Xiang Liu, but still runs of sth. After so many episodes of pain, tears and misery, seeing the main couple happy, would be very satisfied. Instead of this, ending is sour and leaves my heart uneasy. Something's missing.

Imho this great drama was killed in the last 2 episodes. It was probably the most fatuous ending I've seen as far.

All in all the drama it's worth watching.
But only once.

;)

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Unfortunately a failed gambit

Having not read the original novel that the drama is based on, I can judge based only on what I saw in watching this - and boy, was it a frustrating watch. There are elements of the story that could have been developed to become a truly trilling story, but the script decides to jump from plot to plot without respecting the characters, especially in the second half of the story. The best story line was between male lead Shen Zaiye, with a secret backstory and identity, and Mu Wuxia, the noble and upright 4th prince. If Mu Wuyin and Empress Lv's story were fleshed out more and the structure moved around a little, it probably would made for a more thrilling and compelling climax. But as it is presented, I feel nothing for Empress Lv, and Mu Wuyin is reduced to a strange, psychotic small-minded man.

The cast is certainly capable of better, and Liu Xueyi certainly does his best to make Shen Zaiye a living, breathing character. Unfortunately, there is not much to work with, and Meng Ziyi probably suffers more because the characterization of Jiang Taohua is very poorly done. The direction is also somewhat uninspired - lackluster action pieces and discordant music make this an overall unpalatable watch for those wanting a truly exciting political and romantic period piece. Still, the first half makes for a fun light watch, so if you are a fan of the any of the cast, it may still have something worth checking out.

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Easily the worst drama i have ever seen.

I would rate it as a 5-6, which is really low according to my parameters, but then i started to think "what did i like here?" and the answer is: barely nothing.

the casting is really good, but even their quality didnt make a tiny difference in the whole thing. actually, i guess i like meng ziyi and liu xueyi a little less now. the ost is fine. not good, not excelent. fine. and its the best thing in this drama.

the plot, the intrigues, the couple, the politics, the side histories and characters, everything is shallow, poor, old and terrible executed at a suffering pace.

there are better palace intrigue dramas. there are better political/historical dramas. there are better MZY and LXY dramas. There are better costume dramas. There are better enemies to lovers dramas. There are better novel adaptions dramas.

Nothing makes sense in this mess. I wasted my time so you dont have to waste yours.

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Nine for OTP ship

Sometimes the episode kick off with this addictive promising excitement. It feels like that for the first 18 episode. And the it lost everything. The intensity sort of vaporized. The wit dialogue just went south hill. It gets more awkward and insensible. Since I’ve managed 25 episode. I must say, 19 to 25 is just sour candy.

So okay, male lead is gorgeous as always with his handsome aura. I mean his cheekbone alone plays a character 😊. I find him best at the first 10 episode when he has plenty lines. The best moment probably the scene they got secludedly hidden in the mountains. Everything was perfect 10. And then the scene where SZ lets go all his three wives with a very smart situation indeed. Nonchalantly keeping his fourth wive by his side.
The female lead is kind of fun and cool in the beginning also. And now she’s just like everyone punching bag. So many mind-heart contra yet nothing is affectionately spoken. To think you’ve bedded someone and just blip. I found her expressionless or was it really necessary to create her character that way. From all her gambits in gambling house and now just another high and dry scenes one after another.
The dragging of the story after episode 18 is just boring. Nothing is revealing or exposing enough. Perhaps this was setting like those drama in early 2000 where it takes 10 episodes to explain one event 🙁.
The villains is not as meany as the first 10 episode. Crown Prince was so much fun to fun being the evil devil himself. Very creep with lots of unpredicted moved.
In conclusion, nope this is not fast paced. It seemed that way but it is not. Almost like running in circle pointless now. They bring put new character like a commercial break, just split moments with weak storyline.
Hopefully next episode 26, to the last one improved.
The wardrobe is okay. They have the better masked era setting. The cinematography, again the first 10 episode got it good. The music is lovely really.
Really looking forward for the story to patch up thrilling again. Let’s hope.

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Goodlooking actors can’t save a botched script

Well, this started of great and somewhere between episode 15-36 it lost its marbles like literally. there was no coherent plot. A lot of things didn’t make sense.

The amnesia plot was just the icing on a shitty cake I mean plot. The villains all seems quite cartoonish and under developed.


The acting was so so, I never felt like the FL and ML really loved each other. The side characters were okay. If you like political drama with romance this is not it. Thier first love scene was quite aggressive and came from nowhere! like there was no build up that led us there.

I really struggled to finish this! The Wu brothers were so handsome and so was the chancellor but other than that there was not much else in this.

Watch at your own peril or at x1.5 to cut down on the wasted time.

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Quite A Disappointment, Despite the Brilliant Cast!

A good start, unfortunately a very bad ending!

This show is a fine example of the fact that even good actors can’t save an abysmal script; it is like a sinking ship which is ill-advised. The show is surely a gambit and stays true to its title. The storyline isn’t any exclusive or unique. We have an exhausted Princess who is traded to the neighboring country as a peace offer. The only twist, she has been poisoned by her conniving stepmother who has snatched the throne from husband. She exiles her with a threat- act as a spy or else you will die & your younger brother will be killed. The poor princess arrives in the foreign country and is promptly entangled with the ruthless Left Chancellor. The rest of the drama is both of them playing mind games until they conclude that they have a common enemy and it’s better to work together. The script is oddly paced and at times most scenes lose connection with the prior ones, so there is no clear context as to what transpired in the background.

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2025/07/15/the-princesss-gambit-series-review/#more-1973

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