This review may contain spoilers
The title should be: The corrupt royal family featuring the FL
From all the promotion to the first episode everything seen to said that the FL (female Lead) was going to be some badass that fighted the rich to save the poor or she was going to be this revengeful warrior but no I am half though the series the only purpose of the FL is to be a love interest for the other MC (main characters) nothing more, she so un relevant the she could literally be removed from the series and the plot will have the same progress, to add to the unimportance of the FL her screentime is the same as any othe support character and the only times you actually see her she is either having some "romantic" interaction with the ML or having kung fu flashbacks while training but dont know for what bc everytime she get into a fight she is always saved by someone else and the other times that you expect her to fight or do something of relevance she does nothing. Well she actually do something important but is is 20 episode in the series when the typical FL have already met the emperor or something.The only reason a I watched was for Zhao Liying which I think was awesome just like the other actors
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This review may contain spoilers
Messy plot line and romance
I wish I could give it a higher rating, but I just can't. It started off promising, but then the story turned into a complete mess of bad story arc choices and pacing, with irrelevant side characters given way too much screen time at the expense of main characters. I could not stomach finishing this drama. I love the actors especially zanilla, I have seen her in other dramas and she never disappoints.The romance was... messy which was my biggest issue and the story just became ridiculous with introduction of characters that had no bearing for the story basically fillers which is probably why the show is 67 episodes. I never felt the romance between Prince of Yan and Xinger. I know he loved her but their romance was just not streamlined and no real evidence of Xinger liking him beyond being comrades. I think this show had great potential if it had been developed well. I lost the plot and just dropped it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Overall i have to watch this series with the English Subtitles so there is some parts of the story i probably didn't get. I am learning Chinese but some things have gone over my head. Over all this Show was one of the best ones I have seen. The cast has one of my favorite actresses in it (Zhao Liying). She is the female lead that plays Achu/Xiang/Jing6.
It starts with Chu Qiao fighting an enemy and falling off a cliff, because she fell into the water she gets a head injury that causes her to lose her memory having no real clue who she is.
She is found and becomes a human target being chased in the middle of a dessert, she is the only slave that survives this hunt.
She is saved by two of the most handsomest men on earth. One is Yan Xun (Shawn Dao) and the other is Yuwen Yue (Kenny Lin). Unbeknownst to her she is made an iron slave in Yuwen Yue's Manor,(his family is actually a enemy of Chu Xiao's family).
There are quite a turn of evens as Jing 6 meets up with her lost siblings (still doesn't really know them or recoginize them. Just in fragments of memories) . She tries her best to stay out of trouble but unfortunately no matter where this girl goes trouble seems to find her.
I do like Yan Xun and the relationship he has with Jing6 (Xiang) when she becomes Yuwen Yue's Silver Bell's Slave. But the relationship between Yuwen Yue and Xiang is my favorite. Yuwen Yue is nicked name Ice, because his demeanor is icy cold. But you can tell he truly loves Xiang and does everything in his power to protect her. Why she stayed with Yan Xun is beyond me. He becomes very dark and brutal (well after what the emperor does to his family who wouldn't be)
I was reading about the end, and it does leave alot of open questions.
It is sad that the end of the show Yuwen Yue is shot in the heart with one of Yan Xun's arrows. He falls into the water and AChu jumps in after him. I assume he dies, and you would think that Achu dies as well but actually the Wintry force that her mother had given her becomes activated and you see her tattooed flower come to life.
She opens her eyes just before the rolling credits, probably making half the world's population think there might be a sequel. To my understanding there is no sequel.
But if you haven't watched this yet, watch it. Even though there is quite alot of violence i love the story line behind it. I actually had a soft spot for Yuwen Yue. If you watch it let me know what you think.
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama is rather lurid and violent. The violence includes not only far too many people turned into pincushions but also sexual assaults, which are only alluded to, not depicted, but, I think, is handled poorly, particularly the aftermath. I also found the various storylines to be confusing and inconsistent. Sometimes one side complains about the lack of troops but the next minute they have enough to attack. Other times one side has a CGI army of thousands, only to withdraw for flimsy reasons, followed by scenes of only a few dozen fighting on each side or galloping all over the place (distances seemed to magically expand and contract, too). People sneak in and out of each other’s territories or houses or super-secret sect tunnels too easily or fail to notice somebody hiding in plain sight. The politics seem to consist mostly of everybody screaming revenge. As for the heroine, although she kicks butt, she's a little too sanctimonious for me. The hero is supposed to be the strong, silent type but he seems wooden, blank and awkward instead. I winced more from the shots of all of the horses falling down on their heads (does anybody know whether horses are trained to do that for movies?) than the hero getting attacked. I kept hoping that the heroine would ditch him and go for his bodyguard, who had much more presence. Or the second lead, who had a lot more charisma, especially after he discovered eyeliner and went bad.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Overall, this drama was amazing and long. The story between the leads was great. There is a lot of sadness towards the female lead in this drama, besides this it was nice. It did at one point to start stretching the scenes, which got boring, but it didn't last for long. What I most loved about this drama how the female lead protect and believed in herself and others, she was a warrior. Even after many terrible things happened to her she still came to war to battle even against her own friends. She did what she believed in. Every part was nice except for the ending. You cant tell weather the leads lived and remained together. Which was disappointing, it should of had a better ending because leading up to the end, it was wonderful. Even thought this drama has some flaws, it should still be watched and even re watched. Was this review helpful to you?
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although im done watching all the episodes its still on my mind everyday ..i cant get over it..i love tha main cast..
ive been looking the sites where i can find the prodution staff or anyone who can read and accomodate us..to grant our request..just to ask for the 2nd season .please..make it possible..lots of fans were waiting for it..same main cast????????we will wait for the season 2..and please makw another film or drama with kenny lin at zhao
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This review may contain spoilers
Almost perfect
Non-spoiler portion of the review:GREAT SHOW. starts off with a bit of imperial harem-like schemes and fights between the women which then moved on to a weak maid turning into a really strong female warrior with a sense of justice. ZLY’s character never faltered from her principles no matter what instructions were given to her. You watch her rise up the ranks, gain the loyalty of the people around her and see a lot of emotions throughout because there’s death, there’s betrayal and there’s a lot of pain.
I really like the 2 main characters and their chemistry in this show. One is so headstrong, firm and chivalrous and the other is exactly the same but in a very cool and silent manner. It was a delight watching them.
The action scenes, the somewhat romantic scenes, the dialogues were all to swoon for. CG was bad unfortunately, like all Chinese dramas.
This is my first Zhao Liying show and boy am I blown away by her performance.
Opening theme is amazing. The theme really reflects on the main character and Zhang Bichen has such a powerful voice.
-SPOILER PORTION OF THE REVIEW:
Ok, I’m less angry with the ending because I came across spoilers by accident so i had it coming. My only gripe with the show is that they use Yan Xun’s story to steal Chu Qiao’s limelight. The chinese title of the show literally translate to Legend of Chu Qiao but it is essentially Yan Xun’s revenge journey from episode 20 onwards.
The last few episodes were rushed. They threw in Liang princess’s sudden romance with YWY and dissolved it within half an episode. It was unnecessary and a waste of time. YWY recognising Xing’er’s handwriting was also abit lame. And the few episodes of Xing’er fighting YWY’s military strategies were pretty frustrating too. She nearly killed Meng Feng how could she. This felt nothing like the sweet battles between the main couple in General and I. And the most frustrating of all is CQ going back to Yan Xun every single time.
My heart broke for Yuwen Yue. It broke in so many parts right up to the end. Thankfully, the ending showed where Xing’er ‘s heart really lies with even though she was loyal to YX. At least that gave me some closure. Whatever happens after the lake scene is up to our imagination for us who didn’t read the book. But at least I can go to sleep knowing that she indeed loved YWY even though it was unclear to me in the previous episodes (him kissing her, YX asking if she ever loved him).
I just wanna say that ZLY had some really great and memorable dialogues in this series. The confrontation with YX at the end, and the one with Zhong Yu when YX tried to abandon Yan Bei. The lake scene of course was THE BEST scene she did. It was so in the feels.
I really like Lin Gengxin and Shawn Dou’s performances too. YWY’s stoic and silent (yet sometimes cheeky) demeanour makes him so “handsome”. Shawn Dou’s performance in the episode where they showed him his dead family was THE bomb.
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Top 5 Chinese Dramas I ever watched
I have been watching Thai, Chinese, Taiwanese, and Singaporean dramas dubbed in Khmer for over 30 years. Princess Agents have made it to my top 5 of all time. I don't really care for the real life drama behind the plagiarism scandal; the series is intense, romantic, sorrowful and never boring. I couldn't wait to see what happened next. I am actually a huge fan of Yin Xie as a character and for the actor portraying him. I think him and the lead girl are the two hardest characters to accurately portray due to the complexities of their storylines and emotional character changes. I utterly enjoyed Princess Agents and am thankful it was made.Was this review helpful to you?
I'm enjoyed watching "Princess Agents"!
It's indeed a drama with many layers and complexities, from the intricate plot twists to the deep character development. The slow-burn romance, the well-executed fight scenes, and the portrayal of each character's pursuit of justice all contribute to the unique charm of the series. The main antagonist's power-hungry nature provides a stark contrast to the other characters, adding another layer of tension and intrigue.As for the novel version of "Princess Agents", you can find it on WebNovel. Here's the link to the novel: [Princess Agents on WebNovel](https://www.webnovel.com/book/princess-agents_10176031205004305)
The possibility of a second season, it's indeed a common concern among fans given the time that has passed since the first season. The age of the actors relative to their characters could pose a challenge if the series were to continue with the same cast. But let's keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best!
Remember, the beauty of stories lies in their ability to live on in our imaginations. So, even if there isn't a second season, the characters and their stories can continue to unfold in our minds. And the novel can provide additional material for that imaginative journey! 📚💫
Source: [WebNovel](https://www.webnovel.com/book/princess-agents_10176031205004305)
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The acting is surperb by all cast members their is no weak link and the cinematography is beautiful.
It is hard hitting but well worth the watch, highly recommend.
People either love or hate the ending , im probably in the minority and i really liked how the series ended, would love a secind series but can't see zhao liying, shawn dou or Lin Gengxin coming back as they are too well known now.
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My basic rating...first off, the story was good. I did like it. I am usually not a huge fan of these major internal relationship struggles type shows but the story was good enough that I didn't think it was bothersome. Apparently, it is based on a novel series so if I ever find the audiobooks I might give it a try but the audio language may be too hard for me to understand, sadly. Secondly, the cast was great. I have watched some other dramas that some of these actors have main roles in so I knew they were good, just didn't know whether their chemistry in their acting would mesh with their roles. Sadly, I saw an article that a second season was announced to finish off the rest of the series, but the original cast might not be in it or at least the MCs will change actors. Changing actors half way is such an annoying thing, especially when the actors received so much positive feedback for their roles. But, you never know the situation might change...crossing my fingers, I find some announcement that disproves what news I've seen so far about the second season. Third, music...besides from the OP, I loved the in-show soundtrack and GEM's ED. I love GEM so when I heard the ED, I immediately fell in love with the song. Lastly, rewatch value...I would love to rewatch it, to find any quirks after I listen to the audiobooks if I find them. There are always different presentation quirks between medias. Personally, I rarely rewatch long seasons, anything over 30ish is too long for me to stay focus while rewatching.
I would definitely recommend this drama. But, I do have my complaints. I feel like the romance wasn't developed really well through the script. It is either my Chinese language skills that hindered my understanding or they just didn't really move the romance. The CPs had their moments but...It feels like you caught a fish but you can't reel it in and you're tugging back and forth. Then again, this season was apparently only one and half books in the series so it might just be that we're not there yet which is why they presented it this way. Secondly, the story didn't get good until the latter end of the drama in my opinion. It was good but still boring enough where I would want to fast forward in episodes in the middle so...there's that. Lastly, the ending is crap. They literally made the ending to foreshadow the second season which to me is advertising to keep the audience. But, then again, by the end of this season, everything is pretty much wrapped up, but the ending just leaves me feeling empty. I don't know. You'll have to watch it to understand what I mean. I'm kinda picky when it comes to endings.
Overall, I recommend this drama. It is the typical relationship struggles for power in politics, family, and love in a historical setting in palace politics and martial arts but the story is good enough to make you feel for each of the characters in the drama. You will feel for the protagonists and want to help kill the antagonists. WATCH IT ; )
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