Why only 6 episodes?? TT^TT
When I open netflix this morning after sessions of insomnia, I was shocked to find Yanxi Palace on my screen. I was so happy, I thought the original Yanxi Palace has been available on netflix as I rewatch that series quite often. Looking it closer, eh it has additional title; Princess Adventures.So it's about Imperial Princess Zhaohua! We all know from the original drama, we didn't get to see Wei Yingluo and Emperor's two adorable daughters, so maybe this series was making up for it. I was elated and happy.
The story introduces Zhaohua as a strong-headed character. She's the most favored princess in the kingdom, loved by her aniang, ahma, and taihou. She has coming of age and ready to marry. She already has this fiance, a Mongolian qinwang who has betrothed to her for five years and stayed within the Palace to familiarize with her.
Since the original Yanxi Palace, I was full with the expectations of intrigue, politics, and heavy plot, therefore to start with some engagement story at the beginning was quite upsetting for me. Moreover, Zhaohua's character was very different than the cool-headed and calculating Yingluo. But since I'm curious and just wished to see more of Emperor and Yingluo's interactions, I continue.
The story was simple, with enough twists and strong plot for a short, side story of 6-episodes drama. It's actually quite brilliant and well-managed. The cinematography, costume, make-up, color tone (some people hate the color tone of this drama but I love the aesthetics of it and how it's affected the expression and mood tone of the plot) all are very good production, the same quality as the first.
The acting, especially Zhao Hua's was exceptionally good. Her expressions were amazing, convincing the person she had inside her.
I didn't notice there were only 6 episodes, I thought the rest just hasn't been uploaded, but then I realized they only introduce a handful characters throughout the story except the ones we've had from the original cast.
In the end, all characters didn't disappoint and deliver all the expectations I carried from the original Yanxi Palace. For those of you who haven't watch it, go watch the parent series! They provide you with a lot of satisfying b*tchslapping.
I didn't give them a high score on the music because they use the same one from the original series, so just re-production.
I desperately want more TT^TT I especially like the qinwang.
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Not what I expected...
I was excited to hear about this sequel starring the daughter of Ying Luo and non-biological son of Fu Heng, but now that I've finished, it was rather disappointing.It started off strong, with beautiful costume/production/music and the plot was developing smoothly. They used the same OST and BGM from the parent story, Story of Yanxi Palace, so I liked the nostalgic feel to it. Especially the dramatic BGM that was added at certain moments.
However, as there were only 6 episodes, the pacing was rather fast? I couldn't catch up. Prince Chaoyong didn't have as much screen time as Fu Kang'an, but he started off not liking Zhao Hua and then in episode 2 or 3, he suddenly started loving her? One minute Zhao Hua didn't like Fu Kang'an and later, she did. Then, when he betrayed her and she disappeared, it got even more confusing. I didn't get what was going on. I'm guessing they didn't have the time to explain it so they rushed it at the end when Zhao Hua and Prince Chaoyong got married and the truth was revealed as the plot twist. I suppose it was satisfying to find out Zhao Hua got her revenge on Princess Siwan, Fu Kang'an, and Prince Chaoyong, but I wish they showed the process more instead of just throwing it out there at the end with a few words.
I feel like with the limited 6 episodes, the falling in love and later betrayal of Fu Kang'an wasn't as heartfelt to me as a viewer. Everything happened so fast. There wasn't enough time for me to take in each character and how they slowly grew to have feelings for another. The plot twist revealed at the last minute of the last episode also didn't land well for me. I wish they explained it more?
The plot twist for how Fu Kang'an was not the Emperor's son was greatly executed though! I was shocked and loved how they revealed it through Wei Ying Luo's speculations. :) My favorite scene of the drama. I just love it when Wei Ying Luo has the upper hand and reveals it. Really reminded me of the parent story. I loved seeing the old cast too, it was nice that they didn't replace them and got them all back to act their parts. Wei Ying Luo's scenes were the most satisfying parts to watch- especially when she went to Fuca House after Zhao Hua disappears.
Overall, super fast-paced, historical romance but it was nice to see the old cast if you loved the parent story. Plot was alright, used up all the cliches for the romance and was rushed in my opinion for 6 episodes. Some scenes could have been better explained. Give it a try if you miss Wei Ying Luo and you're curious about her daughter, Zhao Hua, who is more like her mother than others believe.
The actors seem to do a good job overall but the plot got me confused and was the problem for me. Production was top-notch like the original story with its beautiful sets and costumes.
"Everybody says I'm not like my mother. They're wrong."
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It is practically impossible to execute a perfect plot in 6 episodes though. So should they do a second season, proper time and proper plot should be provided.
The actress is impressive though. I have seen her in Legend of Fuyao, Story of Ming Lan ,Longest day in Chang’an, and this series proved me that she deserves more main roles.The other 2 guys are not bad as well.
Seeing Wei Ying Luo and Hong Li again is nice, Wei Ying Luo is still a badass.
This one is not my cup of tea but if you are a fan of Yanxi palace and don’t mind immature plot, you might like it.
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So if you were a fan of the first drama, you will most definitely not get disappointed with this one!
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Immature plot
I’m sorry to say this but the plot idea was so immature and if maybe it was possibly done so on purpose to cater to a younger audience then that would make much more sense as to why the tone was so different from the parent story.One thing I did like was the music since it’s the same one from the parent story. However in my opinion the music is too sophisticated for the plot and doesn’t match at all.
It was also nice to see the King and Ying Lu interact with each other again. She honestly stole the show in the sequel tooo! Impressive acting on Wu Jin Yan’s part.
***********Spoilers below*******
Honestly I’m baffled by the princess idea of revenge and how easily she was willing to forgive and even encourage the person who approached her with sinister motives. Definitely not like her mother at all.
The whole thing just reads teenage high school drama. Could have just put everything into a movie and saved me the anticipation.
There were so many major plot holes which basically confused the whole ending and the progression of the story made no sense.
The male lead who hates someone with her personality fell for her in a matter of 3 days? Or maybe he fell for her because she rejected him? Second ML I don’t understand when he fell for her because the whole time he was taking pleasure in conspiring against her.
Tbh Fu Heng’s not so biological son got off unbelievably easy for someone who put the life and well being of a princess at risk and calling a noble consort by name in front of a lot of servants when in the first season Wei Ying Lou couldn’t even say her sisters real name because part of the name was the same as some consort’s name.
Thoroughly disappointed.
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Good Spinoff
YANXI PALACE: Princess Adventures was a pretty good Netflix spinoff series, though not nearly as good as the original Chinese drama from which it was inspired, but it was entertaining all same. I am a huge fan of the original Story of Yanxi Palace. This series was very short, only a few 6 episodes compared to the 70 episodes of the original. I do think, given more time, it could have evolved into a great show too.It probably would have been much better if it was as long as the first. In my opinion, the length of these shows allows for so much character growth and time for the viewers to develop meaningful attachments to the characters, thus viewers become really invested in the story. However, this series was pretty well made and kept the overall vibe of the original. There was an interesting premise, cast, music, visuals etc. It was certainly worth the watch. Especially for nostalgias sake.
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Is it weird to say this 6episodes drama felt much longer than the 70episode drama??I felt like I was never going to finish... it was pretty bad. It helped to see the familiar clothes and places and listen to the bgm though.
Watch it if you love Yingluo and/or the Emperor. I do and I do not regret watching this bad short drama... it was so nice to see them (and their servants) again ^_^
There are 4 main characters in this short drama: Yingluo's daughter (Zhaohua), Erqing's son (Fu KangAn), a prince and Prince He's daughter (when did he become a father?? if this princess was born around the same time as Zhaohua, her father was already dead??). None of these 4 characters were likeable. There is a lot of screaming, jealousy and falling in/out of love in the space of 2-3 episodes, which didn't make sense at all.
Zhaohua is a very immature and annoying princess and I guess she only resembles her mother in the stubbornness part. Otherwise, no idea why she was her father's favorite **eyerolling**. She falls for the prince in ep2 or 3 and by the next episode, she was in love with the other guy **eyerolling**. The prince doesn't like her in one episode but by the next he is in love **eyerolling**. The "scheming" and revenge plays were like a kid doing them... a spoiled brat doing them. Not brainy like the prequel.
I don't think saying this was short made it impossible to like the new characters since I've watched many short dramas that were very well executed in a short length. It still amazes me that both dramas were written by the same screenwriter O_O
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I absolutely loved the entirety of this special. The costumes and setting was still absolutely stunning. If there's anything that "lessened" from the original production quality then that would probably be the accuracy of the makeup, which is still pretty good in my opinion. And of course they wouldn't spend that amount of time on a 6-episode short.All 6 episodes took me back to the magic of the 70 episode Yanxi Palace. I loved seeing Yingluo again, and compared to the last 1/3 of Yanxi Palace, I could more properly see her as Ling Guifei now. I guess in the original series, it was just a bit weird to see her there having thought of Empress Fucha as the perfect empress and still shipping her with Fucha Fuheng. Here though, there aren't any other characters so I don't feel that conflict anymore.
I think it's impossible to judge the princess without having watched the entirety of the 6 episodes. I quite disagree with the dissatisfied reviews of her character when they've only seen the first few eps of the series. If you've seen until episode 6, you'd know that her rage towards Siwan is because she's literally been trying to drive her crazy since they were children, and no one else could see that. I'm glad she ended up with the Mongolian prince, the same parallel of Yingluo's love, fate, and decision. The Fucha men missed out on great loves, albeit in different ways. Both Yingluo and her daughter gave their Fucha men a chance, but men are idiots so--
Anyway, all in all it was an absolute experience. Might rewatch Yanxi Palace after this. I hope they make more of these sequel-spin-offs despite the reviews from fans. I, for one, will always be glad to meet characters from this universe.
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Quick watch for those who miss the old crew - but not of the same quality
Completed - 1/12/2022When I first saw the title, "Yanxi Palace: Princess Adventures", I thought this drama is a historical rom-com which rides the coattail success of "Story of Yanxi Palace". Well, I was wrong, this is not a rom-com. Although it is also not as serious a drama as its parent story, there are some parallel storylines that remind you of what happened before. All I could say is: Like Father, Like Son.... Like Mother, Like Daughter.
I was very happy to see Wei Ying Luo and Emperor Qian Long again, along with other familiar faces. Ying Luo and Qian Long are just how I remembered them from a few months ago. On the other hand, the introduction of their spoiled daughter was definitely different than when we first met Ying Luo. I've never seen the actress, Rain Wang before, but I think she did a pretty good job. Her character was more than what meets the eye and Rain Wang was able to portray the multi-layered princess well. Wang Yi Zhe as FuCang An was an interesting character. Although Wan Yi Zhe is no Xu Kai and his beautiful, expressive eyes, Wang did a pretty decent job as well. The weakest link out of the leads would have to be Wang Yu Wei, the Mongolian Prince. His facial expressions were a little bland compared to the others. He's one with the least experience and it's probably unfair to compare him with the others.
There is certainly an interesting plot twist towards the end of the drama. And with only 6 episodes, the pacing is fast. One can also say that it's too fast and I wish to have more episodes to develop the romance a little more and make the two romance storylines more believable.
We also get to see the same production value and dedication of beautiful sets, costumes and head accessories. The quality is quite on par with what we've seen in "Story of Yanxi Palace". I am also glad to hear the same OST as well.
Overall, I recommend this to those who miss "Story of Yanxi Palace" and need a quick fix. Just don't expect the same quality in acting and script writing. I don't think you need to watch the 70-episode long prequel to watch this. You just need to pay a little extra attention to the dialogs in Ep 4 or 5 to understand the history of Fu Cang An's family. Other than that, I don't think you will be lost if you only want to watch these 6 episodes.
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I was honestly annoyed by episode one because of the princess behavior. It was supremely spoiled. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it either.
On another note, it was good to see Wei Lou and the emperor.
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The start was a bit slow, but after a while, you get back into the Yanxi Palace atmosphere. The love story was actually good, and the ending twist was original and was actually fit for a woman of the Yanxi palace. However, the ghost story part was not well explained, confusing and it needed more time to be well developed and the length of the drama didn't help at all. The performances were really good though and the leading lady was a delight.
So, seven out of ten.
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A very surprising to
Wow this started as if it's a flash back to part 1 about there daughters and what has happened to them when they grew up. Remember it's only 6 episodes and full of so many twist and turns.. It about Princess zhauhua and princess siwan the adopted daughter and how they always fight to get and keep what they want. Now Zhauhau has been engaged to la Wang xouer for 5years, but he does not like her and so Siwan makes her move on him, but zhauhua gets jeousle. Then with the help of fu Kang an he teachers her how to be good and attract lawang xouer, but at the same time he's helping Siwan to get Zhauhau worked up and go a little crazy so wangxouer will stay away. Fu Kang instead start to fall in love with zhauhau and his plan to destroy her an her mother empree Ling for killing his mom. The fighting goes on, but fukang admits his love for her, but not sure if it's real they go back to Yanxi palace and she tells her mom she in love. As they talk her mom trys to warn her to be careful that it might be a trick and she tell her mom No and let me decide on my life so she reluctantly agreed. The next day. Fukang invited her out and she was taken to an abandoned place and she was locked inside as men where reaching for her as she was screaming his name over n over he finally broke in and scream at them they. were to scare her not touch herand. As he picks her up she slaps him and walks away in a daze as he is appolized and explained he wanted her to feel is pain caused by her mom. That night still in a daze she walk down a road and here's voices and she screams now the next day comes and wonders off wangzouer show up at fukang place and demams to know where the princess is he deny knowing. Then the queen Ling shows up and also questioned him and then bring in his uncle and the truth is revealed about his anger and he is devistated they all leave to look/ find zhauzha in all her hiding places when Simon show up and leads them to the old empress home that was locked by the emporer. As they enter one room they see a flower and blood on the floor and so. The 2 guys start to fight over it and her when siwan yells that they are locked in they soon hear talking outside and then siwan tells the story that when zhauzha was 11 she was kidnapped and for 7days/niteand sort of flipped so they broke out. They start seeing her move really fast as they separate and hear siwon scream so fukang looks for zhauzha and duoer looks for siwon when he finds her and he starts to pass out and the in sent puts him to sleep. We next find fukang going into a room and zhauzha stabs him and starts to argue with herself then ties him up and looks for siwan who is tied to a chair and blindfolded and questions her about her kidnapping and cuts her wrist and tells her she will bleed out in a few day's and to listen as it drops drops dropes. She then goes back to fukang and again tries to stab him and he keep calling out zhauzha and she drops the knife and he tells her he's sorry and that she's not crazy then she picks up the knife again and he stabs himself as he talks about her to live and get rid of what's inside. Next we see the king/queen and siwan is telling them that zhauzha is trying to kill her and that she crazy and needs a doctor as she bleeding out, they try to explain it's only a scratch and so it appears she went crazy and fukang was healing and Wang doer also. Since zhauzha was OK the king stated that wedding is in and so we are at zhauzha room as fukang goes in and tryed to talk her out of it she says if only you told me you loved me then it's to late now.. She and Wang doer say goodbye to the family and upon gher etting into the sedan they both ask each other a question?????? and they leave. Youust watch for all the missing piece it's worth it. A completely different ending. PS THE CAST IS ALSO IN 3 MORE DIFFERENT Drams Love xu kaiWas this review helpful to you?
