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Prisoner of beauty is surprisingly GOOD!!

So, the drama that’s had me obsessing for weeks has finally ended, and I wanted to let out all my thoughts for a peace of mind.

First impressions: Unlike those who waited two years, I stumbled upon this drama by chance and was instantly drawn in by its phenomenal poster, which gave off major The King's Woman (2017) vibes. Song Zu Er’s visual presence in historical costume is simply beautiful. Her thick, flowing hair, warm brown eyeshadow, and occasional red lipstick enhanced her already striking visual. I would say the costume and makeup team really knew how to highlight her beauty on screen. As for Liu Yu Ning while his visual seems to have sparked mixed reactions, I honestly don’t understand the hate. His overall physique, like tall stature and broad shoulders, made him a convincing general. He may not have the typical flower boy visuals that are often the standard in modern idol dramas, but in the context of this idol historical drama, he actually looks striking and charismatic.

Genre shift: Like I said, from the poster and the plot summary, I expected a dark romance with a morally grey male lead. Since it’s based on a political marriage, I thought most of the story (maybe 60%) would focus on politics and power struggles. The "knife-to-the-throat" trope lasted only for the first few episodes, and then the drama soon shifted into something softer, more like a rom-com and a family drama. If they had focused more on the enemies-to-lovers trope, it probably could’ve been even more interesting. But honestly, I don’t think the shift was that bad. It’s just that many of us were expecting something different, so the change in tone came off as a surprise. In the end, the main focus was actually on healing and reconciliation between the two clans and once you accept that, the story makes more sense.

Character logic: The final four episodes were an emotional rollercoaster. Uncle Qiao’s betrayal felt a bit abrupt and forced. Okay, he is foolish and insecure, we get that. But siding with an enemy state that just massacred his people is just hard to justify. If both Qiao brothers were shown to be equally insecure, power-hungry or distrustful, the betrayal might have been more believable? Just my idea, but what if Uncle Qiao had secretly been close to the psycho Liu Yan all along, since Liu Yan lived with the Qiao family for five years? And then when both Wei and Liangya asked Yanzhou for help during the war, a major conflict between the two Qiao brothers breaks out or sth. Maybe that kind of backstory would’ve made his betrayal more believable?

Zheng Su, the useless villain: The drama could’ve focused more on war/strategy epic instead of jealous-women palace-ish drama. Personally, I found Zheng Shu’s character unnecessary. We already had Lady Yu Lou playing the jealous antagonist. That screen time might’ve been better used for intelligent military strategy (someone please take inspiration Red Cliff) to give more substance to Wei Shao’s general role.

Full-package romance: The romance was honestly well-executed. Unlike many dramas that barely give us five seconds of a wedding scene, if at all, this one gave us everything: a full married life, pregnancy, childbirth, and a happy ending that actually felt like proper closure . No complaints there. And there’s really no need to explain how good the chemistry between the FL and ML was: they set a whole new standard for intimate scenes. So yeah, full marks for the romance.

It's better to have a smart FL than a frustrating one: I’ve seen a lot of comments saying the drama made every other character, especially the male lead and the side characters, look foolish just to highlight the female lead’s intelligence. But honestly, I have no complaints. I’d much rather have that than one who constantly makes frustrating decisions and makes you want to scream at the screen. If that means she ends up outshining the rest, then so be it. And honestly, Manman is such a well-written character. It would’ve been great to explore more of her background like how her childhood shaped who she is, but even without that, she still felt complete. She made logical choices, stayed kind without being passive, and always stood up for herself and the people she cared about.

For me, The Prisoner of Beauty didn’t give me severe drama withdrawal, but definitely a moderate one. It’s not the best historical drama, but it’s also far from being “mid.” I’d place it above average. And I really hope and pray to Chinese drama gods (if they even exist) we get more historical dramas like this, with strong general male leads and smart, competent female leads.

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