Royal Upstart Season 2 (2026)

Smart, Fast, and Funny

If you’re looking for a binge-worthy, "fast-food" style historical drama, Royal Upstart (Season 2 of 贤婿) is a fantastic choice. The best part? You don’t need to have seen the first season to dive right into this one.

The drama follows a classic but addictive trope: a modern man time-travels into the body of an ancient elite. In the first season, he saved a bankrupt family fortune. This season, our protagonist possesses the body of Wei Hao, a supposedly simple-minded and honest man known for beating up anyone he finds unworthy. He starts as a zhuìxù (uxorilocal son-in-law) for the insufferable Su family. I actually breathed a sigh of relief the moment he tore up that marriage contract—the Su family was truly intolerable!

Wei Hao (Pan Yihong) brings a distinct Gen-Z energy to the past. It’s incredibly fun to watch him "disrupt" the ancient economy using modern knowledge. His highlights, among others, include:
- Opening a hot pot restaurant that becomes the talk of the town.
- Establishing a glass factory to create "treasures" out of thin air.
- Teaching the palace how to make salt to fix the state’s empty coffers.
My personal favorite: helping the Ministry of Works create bombs—specifically using them to literally blow up his rivals' houses.

Despite the light-hearted tone, the story feels surprisingly relevant. Wei Hao comes from an elite background himself, but he uses that position to fight "societal parasites" and corrupt officials who control the government and businesses. Watching him take down bullies and fight injustice mirrors the frustrations many people feel about modern-day affairs.

This was my first time seeing Pan Yihong, and he is a revelation. Not only is he amazingly good-looking, but he plays the character with a convincing blend of humor and heart. He makes it very easy to empathize with the lead.

At only 10 minutes per episode, this is the definition of "easy watching." It’s funny, cute, and completely devoid of unnecessary angst. I finished the whole thing in just a few sittings and highly recommend it if you want a high-energy, feel-good story.

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Do Over of Season 1, Just Weirder

First off, Season 2 of Royal Upstart was not as good as Season 1. The male lead was disrespected so much more in this season. He was referred to as Wei the Fool by so many other characters. That got on my nerves, because even though he acted foolishly and brash, he was was brilliant in knowledge. His non-related aunt got on my nerves (and her maid servant), because she seemed to always get in the way and go against him. The aunt physically hit him and hurt him. In Season 1, this same female character was the Prime Minister's wife and she was a stark ally to the male lead. They royal princess softened and more hands on when dealing with the business in Season 2; in Season 1, she had a bad temper and was pretty much hands off when it came to the business affairs. The emperor from Season 1 was more likeable than the one in Season 2. The Empress was cool, whether the one from Season 1 or the one from Season 2.

Instead of Season 2 being a continuation of Season 1, it was another version of Season 1. It was weirder. I am happy that I made it through Season 2. It was as if the two seasons were from different realities or parallel worlds.

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