This review may contain spoilers
The Rebel Princess
Xiao Chi has a wonderful character and the author should be congratulated for creating such a characterIt is true that we see many of these brave commanders who care about their people and share their food with them, but Xiaochi is better than any commander I have ever seen! Not only because he eats the food of his soldiers and takes care of the families of the soldiers who died in the war, but also because he is willing to retreat to save the lives of his soldiers! When told that our army has never retreated, he says well this is the first time. If other commanders say that dying in war is an honor! It is true that it is an honor, but until now we thought that maybe a family does not need to be proud and the only thing it needs is a father, husband or son
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This review may contain spoilers
Plot holes galore
This started off well and then just took a nosedive. This story could have been told in 20 episodes but it had to be dragged to 68, making the second half a snooze fest for everyone. Please save yourself the headache and irritation and just watch something else. Good actors caught in a tiresome ridiculous storyline.Was this review helpful to you?
Don't forget to watch The Rebel Princess
Nice drama I like all casts and songsThis is the best
Best couple Best song ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️At first I think this drama will bore but when I watch episode 1 attract me to watch next episode I loveXiao Qi because he love his wife No alcohol he has good mind so I like Xiao Qi role I thank all The Rebel Princess Team I am very pleased because I have a chance to watch The Rebel Princess I hope all the casts will be happy in their life I can't express the best of this dram this drama is the best for me
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This review may contain spoilers
Loved This
This was the second drama I watched, and I am saving it to watch again and again. I pretty much liked the story line, but the ML made the movie for me. The chemistry between him and the FL was delightful. However, admittedly, I just loved watching this guy. He smoldered in every scene and I am mesmerized! I am going to watch it again just to look at him.That being said, it was a passable story, but I didn't care for the indiscriminate killing off of so many of the characters (especially the good ones that I liked). The costumes were fantastic. The cinematography was great. Realistic. All in all I really liked this piece.
And I'll say it once again - Zhou Yi Wei : hot!
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Wang Xuan was really a rebel who was not wise towards his own family
Many of these drama stories are not very realistic, I agree more with Wang Lin (The Prime Minister), because the ruling emperor is not as qualified at all, like: Ma Zilong even cannot make wise decisions, Ma Zidan has no intention of taking care of the country ..... even though Wang Lin is ambitious but the reason makes sense when he is in power might make people's lives more prosperous .... while wang xuan is very unreasonable, can sacrifice his family for the sake of an unclear government and make the people miserable as he saw when he returned to the capital.... it is very unwise and cruel to his own family. ... the very good story in this film is only when the story is about the rebellion of the 2nd prince, the tactics and common sense should be that way .... don't be like wang xuan which in my opinion is actually a rebellious according to the title ... sacrificing family to defend an obscure kingdomWas this review helpful to you?
Wait, it's still not over?
I don't want to make it seems as though I didn't love things about this series, because I did. The headstrong, no-nonsense, strong female character was fantastic. The true devotion of a warlord was swoon worthy, but the series itself was just sooooo looooong. Sixty Eight Episodes? It was really hard to get through it all in one go, so I took several breaks to watch other dramas and then came back to it.Was this review helpful to you?
When the recipe works ....!
A super production with a complicated plot, with Game of Thrones costumes, Lord of the Rings background music, set in an unspecified Ancient Chinese Kingdom... What could have gone wrong??Strangely not that much. The recipe worked for one more time.
The badass but cool prince fights and saves his beautiful wife (that she is not a rebel and she is not a princess either) and the whole Kingdom countless times, with surgical accuracy and perfect timing while the rest of the characters are able to do all about everything in their fight for the Kingdom's throne.
Unfortunately the princess herself is the weakest link. Not because she is not pretty, not because she is not elegant but because she is expressionless, and very aware about her looks.
It is a pity that such a renown and experienced actress as Zhang Zi Yi is, fell in the trap of looking eternally pretty instead of spoiling a bit her looks and as a consequence her chance to give the acting performance of her life, in her own -actually- drama.
Putting aside this, this drama has some great performances from the rest of the cast, with Zhou Yi Wei - that I've never heard of him before- stealing the show with his performance. This guy is acting so expressively that I didn't need to read the subtitles in order to understand what he was saying. (And no... I don't speak Chinese. I have no clue of Chinese). His acting reminds me that of Toshiro Mifune whose face expressions changed so fast and so accurately that saying his lines was actually optional. Zhou Yi Wei
acting is of this class.
So in order to conclude. The Rebel Princess is an almost perfect production based on a well tested recipe, with beautiful cinematography and photography, some great performances from the majority of the cast, huge filming sets, luxurious costumes, and an interesting but dragging for way too many episodes plot.
If you don't mind the literally decorative presence of Zhang Zi Yi , I would recommend to watch it.
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Best Chinese Historical Drama of The Year
Before watching:1) Who is the actor playing the Male Lead character, Xiao Qi/Yuzhang Wang?
I did compared him with Ye Hua (Mark Chao) and Dong Hua (Vengo Gao) from The Eternal Love & Eternal Love of Dream at first. But I guess I was so wrong this time and seeing is believing indeed. Although I wasn't convinced watching an unknown Male Lead in the beginning, but from the very first episode I must say Zhou Yiwei really swept me off my feet. Totally, completely & absolutely perfect for the role and no other actor can play the character of Xiao Qi better than Zhou Yiwei, in my most honest opinion.
P/S: Zhou Yiwei deserves an Oscar for his performance throughout the whole drama! If not Oscar, well Best Male Actor of 2021 also will do... ;-)
2) Based on the novel, Wang Xuan/A'wu/Princess Shangyang was supposed to be around 15-16 years old at the beginning of the show, but played by 38 years old Zhang Zi Yi at the time of filming. Will there be any issue?
Totally not, from my humble opinion. Zhang Zi Yi look much younger than her actual age with her slim and slender figure, youthful & gorgeous complexion and her energy level that was as good as always. Although of course, she won't be able to look just like a 15 year old lady but she really did aged beautifully and certainly "a pleasant to the eye" kind of heroine still. Her portrayal as A'wu was undeniably good and her chemistry with the male lead, Zhou Yiwei who played Xiao Qi was SPLENDID! From this couple, we can learn a lot about what an ideal marriage would look like and how gentleman gestures can impress a lady much more than we thought.
P/S: Xiao Qi character was so well developed and played, a very rare encounter for Male Lead role in a drama and is second to none by far while Zhang Zi Yi performance perfectly balanced the role as his Princess Consort. :-)
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Un magnifique drama
j’ai été attiré par les magnifiques costumes ! À tel point que j’en ai pris beaucoup en photo pour pouvoir les repeindre. c’est vraiment super Inspirant. Les couleurs sont très bien choisies, Ça donne un univers très harmonieux. ensuite, les acteurs jouent très bien, J’adore l’actrice principale, et même les second personnages masculins sont très charismatique, c’est agréable de voir des acteurs bien joué. le seul petit bémol était sur la fin que je ne trouve pas travaillé, J’aurais voulu en savoir plus, mais je ne regrette pas du tout de l’avoir vu.Was this review helpful to you?
So indeed this Mary Sue is a rebel one — but not in a good way. Shameless might be the right word.
The ML's gaze alone could carry a drama — tender, composed, completely smitten from the moment he sees her, while still giving her space and respect. Xiao Qi is genuinely one of the best written MLs in C-drama — not cold, not irritable, not the typical idol type. Just a man who isn't afraid to love.But that gaze is also about all the romance has. It moves fast, stays shallow, and never quite feels real — no real depth added, no evolution across 68 episodes. It's not a slow burn. It's just... stagnant.
And then there's the FL. She's capable, beautiful, beloved by literally every man around her — her childhood sweetheart, the crown prince, the villain, even Xiao Qi's most loyal general. The Mary Sue type rarely bothers me if the character earns it — but here she peaks around the halfway point and then slowly becomes exactly what the drama claims she isn't: aloof, self-righteous, and oddly warm to everyone except the man who deserves it most.
The production is stunning — costumes, cinematography, battle scenes. Just a shame it's wrapped around a story that kept frustrating me.
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A Mature and Powerful Story Led by Strong Performances
This is a grand and serious historical drama led by Zhang Ziyi and Zhou Yiwei. From the first episode, the drama stands out because of its high production quality. The costumes are elegant and detailed, the palace sets and landscapes look rich and realistic, and the cinematography gives the drama an epic and cinematic feeling. The story takes its time and does not rush important moments. War scenes are intense and well-choreographed, while the political parts are serious and easy to follow, even if they feel slow at times. This drama feels more focused on life choices, duty, and power rather than fast romance or light entertainment.Zhang Ziyi plays Wang Xuan with grace and maturity, showing her growth in a very calm and controlled way. Zhou Yiwei is perfectly cast as General Xiao Qi, bringing strength, warmth, and quiet confidence to the role. Their relationship is built on trust, respect, and understanding instead of constant romantic scenes, which makes it feel more realistic and mature. The romance is subtle but meaningful, and both leads feel like equals.
Some parts of the story can feel repetitive, a bit stretched or emotionally distant, but the overall journey is strong and memorable.
This drama is best for viewers who enjoy serious historical stories with strong characters and rich visuals.
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