WORTH YOUR TIME
I'm actually here writing this review after watching this drama in the middle of my very hectic schedule, but who cares really? this Cdrama deserves recognition!!! These past few months, I have been watching too much cdramas with sad or tragic endings that made me not hope too much in this drama BUT GUESS WHAT it has exceeded my expectations and there was no boring part on the timeline, it is also great because the MAIN LEADS try to work things out easily and would always talk to each other to avoid misunderstandings and even the 2nd and 3rd leads have done a great job in communicating-which is what I have loved the most about this Cdrama, not only it will not give you too much stress (other than the enemies) but it also has a very smooth timeline which is what most of the viewers would love, I have yet to watch the special episode and I sincerely hope that this Cdrama would be given a lot of recognition in the future.Was this review helpful to you?
Give it a try
The Princess Royal' was a beautifully scripted drama. Every aspect was written meticulously, and the actors delivered their performances accordingly. The characters skillfully portrayed a range of emotions, from dull and serene to anxious, with great attention to detail. I particularly appreciated the role of the female lead's brother; his loyalty, respect, and love for his sister were truly heartwarming. Although the drama sometimes felt a bit dull due to a lack of relaxed, funny, and romantic elements, it remained captivating throughout. The main leads executed their roles flawlessly, contributing to the overall effectiveness of the drama."Was this review helpful to you?
Loved this drama for Zhang Ling He
Wanted to start doing more reviews even though it makes me nervous. So decided to start with this one with a lot of reviews that differ from mine. I'm not great at this but here goes.I really loved this drama and it definitely will be one of my top ones for Zhang Ling He. His character Pei Wenxuan is so great and loved his lines in this so much. I thought they also did fine with showing how smart his character is even though yes I know they could of did more but Li Rong didn't do everything alone. I really loved the bickering between Pei Wenxuan and Li Rong I found it funny and cute really like an old married couple and I understand some people would find it annoying and childish, but they did learn to communicate better with each other where they could actually talk everything out instead of dragging the misunderstandings out. There were just so many great scenes between these two the confession in the rain, the way Li Rong comes to his rescue against his family, and these are just to name a couple.
Su Rongqing's character I really didn't have a problem with and I thought the guy who played him did a pretty good job, and I didn't think he had more screen time then Pei Weixuan. The one thing that I did find annoying was the last episode where they really dragged out his scene that I just really found it unnecessary. Maybe I am the only one but in that episode it felt like they really tried to force the chemistry but it felt really off to me.
One thing I will say is to just always watch a drama for yourself cause you never know if you will love it or not unless you do.
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This review may contain spoilers
Mixed feelings
I had high expectations for this drama cause of the cast which I LOVED, storyline was so good but became way more frustrating on second half especially during the “rebellion” cause tell me why the FL turned on her brother the second she found out he was involved in her murder in the past life whilst he could casually chat with SRQ who accompanied her for 17 years yet still let her die in vain like that ? Without the ML’s persuasion she would’ve literally went against her brother who isn’t even the same person from her past life where’s the logic here, FL was really confused at times but luckily there’s always the ML knocking some sense into her & she listened so that’s relieving.I also adore the main lead’s relationship, whenever there’s a “conflict” they’d actually talk it out & resolve it like actual adults instead of dragging it which kept my sanity compared to other dramas.
The ML was honestly my favourite character throughout this whole series I’ve realised ZLH actually nailed this role & it fit him so good, he made it look so natural basically this is definitely my favourite role of his, kind of reminds me of his role in maiden holmes or maybe my memory is just bad? Anyhow ML actually had common sense!
Overall I wouldn’t say this is some special masterpiece but it definitely was a good entertaining drama with cute side love stories ( I was so invested in SGY & SRH’s relationship! ?)
so I would definitely recommend this drama in any case if you’re looking for a palace intrigued drama with a healthy main couple!
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I hate Netizens.
Yup I do hate them. Amazing how “fans” are able to modify the narrative, content and casting, when there are pretty much DENIED FREEDOM OF SPEECH.Let’s play pretend so we r all happy.
Boring, tasteless, repetitive, and the most annoying skeletons like actors that appear so fragile they look like they have malaria.
Also, this machine like assemble and production of dramas, whether they are made by awfully coded AI or underpaid humans, at super speed,is resulting in an unshakable APHATY that has ZERO rewatch value.
Take the Double. Nothing new, same hysterical women and one fierce heroine saved by the ice face guy. YET , you cannot stop watching. The casting is beyond good, all actors have the same level of talent and chemistry that transform the usual in unusual.
Now, I think this Zangh Linghe kid has potential, solid performances and personal development. Yet in this drama is surrounded by bad director, bad cast choice, and simply no character to go with. Why ? Ask the Netizen. They make it and break it.
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A GREAT LOVE STORY THAT SURPASS LIVES
This is my first review ever. I'm not good at it but I'll try my best.Let me start by saying that this drama is PERFECT! It quickly became my favourite of 2024, the second favourite of all time. I start it with no pretense whatsoever since I just read the resume on Netflix. I wasn't ready for the please surprise this drama was. Their love is right there for us to see! From the beginning you can notice that Li Rong loves Pei Wen Xuan even though she denies it all the time, meanwhile, he is a huge softie for her but never a pushover.
I’ve already seen other dramas from Zhang Ling He, I didn't notice it was him till he showed up on my screen. I just love him, he did an AMAZING job portraying Pei Wen Xuan who is this very smart, cunning, political man who is always many steps ahead and can read people with ease. However, he never forgets to be a great husband and friend to his wife, super devoted, has a good sense of humour, and when jealous he can do the unexpected.
Although it was my first time seeing a drama with Zhao Jin Mai I already liked her a lot. She is this strong FML which I loved, she is smart just like PWX, and while she can be cold much of it is just an act to protect herself from being hurt again. But if you pay close attention she is, in reality, a very sweet person who cares a lot about others and has this great sense of justice. Although she is not verbal about her feelings or what’s on her mind her actions speak louder than anything she could ever say.
Their chemistry since EP 1 is on point, and if I'm being honest I had a hard time letting go and watching them in other dramas.
Our SML Su Rong Qing, honestly, I couldn’t care less about him and his past with Li Rong and the actor didn't do that well to catch my attention. For me whatever love she might have for him was long gone by episode 4, and the rest of the time it felt forced by him. On the other hand, it was hilarious his rivalry with Pei Wen Xuan. I admit he can be extremely annoying at times but nothing major that would make it unbearable to see. Also, most of my problems with him came from the constant comments about him on the drama page, which made me pay more attention to him and he started to bother me. Most people paid too much attention to him while we see this great love story unfold.
Overall The Princess Royal is a great love story from beginning to end, with a great cast, especially the main leads. It has good enough side characters that make you actually care for most of them. The OST I’ve listened to most of it after and it's really good to make you feel the emotions of the characters, set the scenes and put you right there with them. The production is nice with very good costumes and sets, although it fails a little with the aging of the characters in the flashbacks.
To finish, if you feel like giving it a chance my best advice is to not read the comments and not pay an unnecessary amount of attention to Su Rong Qing, because those can be serious mood killers. Just focus on the main couple and their story, it is very entertaining and you will fall in love with those cuties.
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama is really worth wathching
I finished watching it.l also addicted to it,exept some few episode all cast was really good,The main couple Pei wenxuan and Li rong were cute husband and wife.They played well,especially l didn't think jinmai can do a wondeful powerful character with her young age,she attracted all international fan ,wish you all the best maimai,you acted well and did justice to the characters, I am also linghe fan.he is top 1 in my chinese actor list.In Pei wenxuan character he acted different movement and characters,Sometime he was prime minister,a good caring husband,a friend,a good sword fighter, good loyal officer with highest IQ.some time he got angry as well as he quetish the princess, that incident really touch me,l hope to see your next drama cherry amber, Don't worry about other's telling. You know that you did best .l am from SRI LANKA ??Was this review helpful to you?
"WATCH BEFORE YOU JUDGE"
I choose that as my headline because I almost didn't finish the drama because of this one comment I saw online, saying that the drama plot disappoints her around last 10 episode. Context why I saw that comment is I browse online if it is happy ending or not (your girl doesn't watch sad ending) And the comment I saw was one of the top results I saw. Thankfully, It says online it has a happy ending so I decided to watch it until the end (I'm already in ep 20+ this time with a sprinkle of anxiety with the plot twist).After 4 days (10 episodes each day) I finally finished the drama!
I have a lot to say but in my mind still processing al of it. (Negative and Positive towards the portrayal of the actors/actresses)
Opening scene - 100000/10
> I f you make it to the last episode/special episode. I'll share with you that it hits different when I watched the ep 1 (first 15 mns.) for the very first time vs. I watched ep 1 (first 15 mns.) after ep 40 + special episode. It gives something like a pain and you will. It will gives you a bitter-sweet feeling.
Music(OST)/Sound Effects - 9.8/10
> The soundtrack sounds novel-like. I am now streaming the drama's OST on spotify and when I hear each song. I could always remember the scene like it automatically plays in my head. The missing .2 is to where they didn't put a sound effect to funny scenes for the first set of episodes. It bothers me because It made me feel that something is missing in that specific scene and later I found out it is the comedic sound effect. The deliberation of actor/actress line is perfect except the missing sound effect that could make that scene better. I still deduct .2 because it improves on later episodes.
Pacing - 8.5/10
> Well the top contributor of the missing points are the conversation of Shangguan Ya and Su Ronghua on the later episode. It seems like their lines aren't necessary to be that long. I'm guilty because every time it's their scene I fast forward them. Lastly, Su Rongqing, the last episode doesn't have to be that long. He has a lot of screentime than PWX himself. (I have to fast forward because of cringy lines, sorry)
Plot - 10/10
> The scenes were unpredictable for me. Not a usual "oh my god, it keep repeating. I have to do this, that, etc" I watched a lot of who travel time and in order to avoid something to happen they will mostly like became irrational, became emotional etc. I am racking my brain on how to solve the character's issue. I usually put my feet in the shoes of the characters but they always made me realized (in a good way) I am just a watcher. The characters esp FL and ML makes a decision i didn't think it is possible.
They didn't drag the misunderstanding of the past between the leads. First two episodes and voila "communication" is indeed the key. I also love that it doesn't entirely focus on the love team tho which I love.
Acting - 9.5/10
> This is my opinion on the overall acting of the cast. Sounds unfair to rate their acting as a group but I observed that some actor/actress bring out the best of whom they act with or exchange the lines with.
Characters - 100/10
>The character development is amazing!
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So many questions, so many pasts, so many potentials
"Different reincarnation vibe than Story of Kunning Palace..."That's the first feeling I got from this 6 episodes, maybe I was a little bit disappointed coz the last thing I love from Zhang Ling He is Story of Kunning Palace... I love a dark hero kinda vibe in a story, as I read The Princess Royal's summary makes me imagining back to the previous drama (maybe I haven't move on yet? hahahahaha). But here, the ML shows the usual patriotic hero of a kingdom character (for me personally, less interesting).
Zhang Ling He is a talented newcomer actor who, I must say, earn my praise, his acting in SoKP marked my eyes on him. But in this drama, I saw him in the new light again. Not much that I can say for these beginnings, but the story's definitely intriguing makes us can't stop wanting for more. The potentials are there, so hoping the team creator can execute it well.
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An Entertaining Couple Who Bicker Endlessly
Give me a historical romance with lots of political maneuvering and I’m seated for the drama!Starring Zhao Jin Mai & Zhang Ling He in lead roles, the first thing that catches your attention is the domesticated vibes between the main couple. “The Princess Royal” though a political melodrama is essentially a recurring love story between a couple, who died, were revived in their young selves and still choose to marry each other again; no matter the consequences. Their choices might seem questionable because they spend 20 years outwitting each other; but they are allies first, enemies later. There is comfort in their relationship which stems from spending decades together, even if they were in an antagonistic relationship. Both actors excel in their portrayals, the storyline does seem to drag in some places, but they quickly pull through by inserting a new ploy and chaos ensues. Our married couple are tasked with the job of maintaining peace with minimal damage possible. Let’s get to know them better before we form our opinions!
Read the complete article here-
https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2024/07/16/the-princess-royal-first-impressions/#more-1037
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A confused drama
Yes, confused…not confusing. Because this drama acts like it doesn’t know what it wants to be: a comedy or a tragedy. I was so looking forward to this series based on the beautifully edited trailers that had me chuckling at the witty antics of the FL. I knew there would come a shift in tone as the more serious palace matters took precedent, but those usually come towards the end of these types of plots. What I didn’t expect was that this drama was shot in a way that even the scenes that previously had me laughing in the trailer fell with a thud in the actual drama. What was portrayed as cute pranks turned out to be acts of petty cruelty by a FL who isn’t nearly as intelligent as I had hoped for. I’ll give an example:Minor spoiler here, though it happens in episode 3/4 so not a huge giveaway. Our FL is shocked the man she thought she trusted over everyone would be implicated as the one who poisoned her. We, as the audience, are just slightly surprised UNTIL the backstory is given that his entire family was slaughtered by FL’s father and this man was then made into a eunuch because the FL asked his life be saved and then she shows more “kindness” by offering for him to serve in her palace. Like what?!? And then when it’s revealed he hated her, she’s like “but I saved his life.” How stupid is this character? No, not stupidity - entitlement and completely out-of-touch with normies. This shows up in early episodes with some nasty bullying of the ML. At one point reminding him that he’s just a commoner and that, as a royal, she can take his life whenever she pleases and then this chick turns around and asks the other guy (also a commoner) if he will be her consort after he witnesses and hears her rant. Who would want to marry this and spend their lives catering to - from all he can see - a power tripping harpy?!? And she honestly thinks he’s going to say yes. ? How am I supposed to get on the side of this nasty, bratty character. At this point I’m hoping the ML escapes her claws. But no, he’s mind-bogglingly kind and loyal, which just makes her look even worse.
Who ruined this drama? I honestly put 30% of the blame on the script and the rest on this director. Everything from his direction of acting to the bad editing to the abysmal lack of proper BGM, essential in comedic films. Because the show can be funny. The trailers showed it can be amazing. But the way this director put everything together was just awful. Like imagine the plot of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days but shot with the tone and intensity of Schindler’s List. Ugh!
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One thing I will say that did surprise me was the double leads having a second chance to relive. Most shows I've seen, only one lead is given the chance to go back in time and remake their life decisions but it's really interesting how BOTH leads return with previous knowledge and it's like they've been married for years even though they aren't even married.
No offense to any of the actors or show, but I did find the episodes 4 and so on really boring. I've seen Zhang Linghe's other shows and loved them. Zhao Jinmai is sort of new to me but her acting doesn't really have anything to do that makes me want to drop the show.
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