This review may contain spoilers
An Enjoyable Show That Lost Itself in the End
I guess I preferred the illusion of the rainbow to the reality of the storm.I liked this show for what it was. Nothing groundbreaking, no big political shenanigans. Rootable, compelling secondary characters. I was enjoying the ride. I thought the chemistry with the leads was decent. Not earth scorching, but pleasant. I fell in love with several of the supporting characters. I liked the second couple. I liked the plot of the FL trying to prove her worth as a scholar. I liked that the ML was supportive of her without folding into a paper towel like so many modern ML tend to do these days. I enjoyed all of this.
But apparently, I was only looking at the rainbow.
The show in its last run of episodes proceeds to tell me that everything that happened before it was just a lie. All of a sudden political machinations are the name of the game. But they are rushed and not given any of the nuance they deserve. I didn't like how unbothered FL was by her own people. I know she lost her memories, but it felt kind of sad seeing these people willing to die to honor her and she just shrugs and says whatever. I'm glad Yin Qing redeemed himself kind of in the end. But if he was just going to die by her hand and tell her to go back, why not just let her kill you in the hall the first time and spare all of the other unecessary nonesense? Why did she return with her people if she never even cared about their plight? Why did Nian have to die? Seemed needlessly grim. The whole ending left a bad taste in my mouth.
But I still enjoyed looking at the rainbow, even if the result was that I was left standing cold in the rain. I liked this show. It didn't stick the landing. That's where I'll leave it.
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Watchable - predictable story
I only watch this drama because of the FL. However, the story has been boring since the beginning. I skipped/fast forwarded A LOT. The middle part is okish. However, lots of things just don't make sense: ie. she doesn't know any martial art and yet insisted on going to tackle the bad guys who can easily beat her.And then the whole story of the teacher Gu. Boring.
The ending is also predictable and draggy!
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Weak storyline, not much chemistry
I m giving this 7 bc thr ML is fantastic. FM had the most annoying character, at 1st she was impulsive, entitled,judgemental she couldn't see past her hate. Second half she became a weak damsel, prancing around and taking any "bullet" for him. The chemistry was abismal bc there were almost none quality scenes between them. The somber background and the obsessive killing of b characters destroyed any respect I had left for this series. I got into Chinese historical shows thanks to Fated Hearts which was fantastic, this is an incredible letdown.Was this review helpful to you?
Good show, but that's it...
Nice watch, but I will solely put it on the cast made of great actors. The story is nice but feels repetitive at some point. When it comes to the romance line of the leads, this too was saved by the good actors. There is not much chemistry between them and I'll say it's because we don't see them spend much quality time together in all the years they've spent together. Which is sad because we quickly can tell they are into each other but to us it feels like they mainly see one another when there is danger, it's always life and death matters. So the confession scene and even the proposal one kinda fell flat to me. It was still nice moments but not memorable ones. I'm not fond of the ending either, it lowkey felt rushed.Kudos to the supporting cast, I enjoyed their stories vey much, especially the female lead's bestie. She was such a nice character, very refreshing among all the chaos they go through in the drama. ^^
Overall, I liked watching it but it's not a must-see for me and it's because the script wasn't all that...
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1Oookkk… I Have Thoughts. (royal betrothal? where?)
This is probably the first drama that has made me want to write a review, and I’m not entirely sure that’s a good thing.ROYAL BETROTHAL was actually a drama I randomly came across through an MDL post. I hadn’t seen any promotions or even a trailer for it, so it almost felt like it came out of nowhere. Somehow, that made me more curious to watch it, apart from the fact that it already had so many elements I like in a C-drama.
The drama was more or less a hit or miss for me personally. It had so many elements that I genuinely enjoy in a C-drama — palace intrigue, a strong FL and ML, a hate-to-love relationship, romance, and all the usual court politics — but somehow, the drama felt more like watching bits and pieces of these elements rather than seeing them come together as a complete production.
The FL is strong, prideful and smart, which I really liked about her character. However, she somehow keeps getting herself into trouble, while the emperor, the ML, is an ambitious ruler who supposedly has his own plans and goals, yet somehow spends most of his time cleaning up after her and dealing with the aftermath of whatever mess she has gotten herself into. 😭 He also somehow has all the time in the world to meet her every day, and considering his position, I genuinely don't think that would be possible. At some point, I started wondering when this man actually had time to be an emperor.
I think my biggest issue with the drama was the pacing. Everything happened so quickly that I couldn't really emotionally connect to much of it. Enemy arcs ended faster than I could even process what was happening, and just when I thought something was going to develop into a proper conflict, it was already over. The suspense also wasn't really doing much for me because most things felt predictable. There was very little time to sit with the characters or the situations before the story moved on to the next thing.
The romance was another mixed bag. Interestingly, I actually enjoyed the lack of romance in the beginning because I love yearning and slow-burn relationships. I liked having that distance between the leads and watching their relationship gradually develop. But even that somehow became rushed in the middle. The drama had the ingredients for a romance I would probably have loved, but it never quite gave those moments enough time to breathe.
And, as usual, we get the childhood connection. At this point, I feel like C-dramas are legally required to have one. 😭 It wasn't necessarily a problem on its own, but with everything else happening so quickly, it felt like yet another plot element that was introduced without enough room for me to really become invested in it.
The cinematography also reminded me quite a bit of one of my personal favourites, THE DOUBLE, starring the same actress, Wu Jin Yan. She shined so brightly in that drama with her character, and I couldn't help comparing the two while watching Royal Betrothal. I think this comparison also made me more aware of how much I wanted her character here to have that same impact.
The ending, unfortunately, was something I wasn't particularly happy with either. By that point, I had already spent most of the drama feeling like I was trying to catch up with the story, and the ending didn't really give me the satisfaction I was hoping for.
Overall, ROYAL BETROTHAL was one of those dramas that made me say "oookkk" after almost every episode. 😭 It had all the elements of a drama I should have loved, but the execution never quite brought them together for me. The pacing was too quick, the suspense was predictable, the romance didn't get enough room to breathe, and I never really got the chance to emotionally connect with the story.
That being said, removing every other factor, as a fan of both Wu Jin Yan and Chen Zhe Yuan, I genuinely enjoyed seeing them on screen together and that was the one thing that me watch till the end.
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A silent bomb
Comparing shows which had so much advertising, this show was randomly dropped but it’s so much better than a lot of other shows. The story line is new, I haven’t often seen the main lead as an Emperor, and it’s great actually.Personally I don’t really like shows where the background is deserts and not snow/forests but this was so well done, I forgot the story is set in a desert.
Acting is phenomenal, the plot is great considering I like plots with actual twists instead of just romance.
After thoughts:
No. It went wrong at the end. The ending did not make sense it was like a sprial ending which was so disappointing. No clear explanation, it felt like they were ending it abruptly which is insane considering they could have made 2 more episodes.
The plot is nothing special, I think it’s quite common but that’s ok, what I didn’t like is how easy it was to guess the traitors. I mean by ep 10 everyone knew who’s a traitors.
A thing I noticed in later episodes— The makeup was horrible. The FLS cakey foundation was so obvious. I mean she’s no doubt beautiful but what’s with the white foundation?
I loved the build up though but the chemistry was off at some points and I don’t think I picture them together for some reason.
MangoTV, I’m disappointed because this isn’t the first show with good startings and horrible HE.
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Good actors can’t save a trainwreck
I almost dropped this drama early on—the editing was rough and the costumes looked low-budget, but the intriguing storyline and strong lead actors kept me watching. It actually improved quite a bit in the middle, and the main cast did a good job with what they were given.Unfortunately, it completely fell apart towards the end. The plot became practically nonsensical, culminating in a forced happy ending that felt ridiculous and unearned. It ruined the entire experience for me. Honestly, save yourself the frustration and skip this one.
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This review may contain spoilers
They Had a Story… Until They Forgot What It Was
I’m Still Trying to Figure Out What HappenedThe beginning had me hooked. It felt like there was a real story behind it, a clear direction, interesting characters, and you could feel that the writers had a plan. I remember thinking, “Okay, this could be really good.”
And then… somewhere along the way, they lost it.
I honestly don't know when it happened, but it felt like the writers slowly forgot what story they were telling. Every few episodes there was another secret, another identity, another problem, another plot twist. And instead of making the original story stronger, everything just became more and more messy.
It felt like they started with a concept they were genuinely excited about and then got bored halfway through.
It's like I can hear the production team say:
"This was supposed to be the story."
"Yeah, well... let's add this."
"And this?"
"Sure."
"Does it make sense?"
"Who cares, we need to finish." 😂😂😂
And the romance really didn't help.
I'm sorry, but the female lead and male lead had almost zero chemistry for me. She was so cold and expressionless most of the time that I kept wondering whether she was actually in love with him or simply following instructions.
She gave me serious “Step 1: stand here. Step 2: say this line. Step 3: look at him for three seconds. Step 4: leave.” energy.
I kept waiting for some real emotional connection between them.
Nothing.
I wanted to believe in their relationship, but I just couldn't feel it.
And then we got to the final episode.
Those last 11 minutes...
I'm sorry, but WHAT WAS THAT?
😂
They spent the whole drama building all these storylines and conflicts and then apparently remembered at the very last minute that they had to actually end the drama.
Eleven minutes.
They tried to resolve EVERYTHING in eleven minutes.
Everything suddenly happened so fast that I wasn't even emotionally involved anymore. I was just watching and thinking, “Are we seriously doing this?”
It was rushed, unbelievable and honestly a little insulting to the audience.
At that point I started wondering if the actors' managers and agencies actually read the whole script before agreeing to the drama.
Do they read the ending?
Do they know what happens?
Or do they just say, “The first few episodes look good, the cast is good, let's go!”?
Because I cannot imagine reading that final episode and thinking, “Yes, this is a satisfying conclusion.”
The sad thing is, I don't think this drama was hopeless.
That's what makes it frustrating.
There was something here.
The beginning proved it.
But somewhere along the way, it feels like they completely lost their original idea. They started with a concept, then wandered away from it, got lost somewhere in the middle, and eventually just wanted to get home.
By the end, I didn't even feel angry.
I was just disappointed.
That particular kind of disappointment where you sit through the final scene thinking:
“Oh… that’s it? Just two images of horseback riding in the desert and an open question from the ML: ‘Will you walk with me again?’ Seriously? That’s the ending???”
And then the credits roll and you're sitting there wondering why you invested all those hours.
I don't hate Royal Betrothal.
I just wish it had been the drama it seemed like it was going to be.
The beginning made me excited.
The middle made me confused.
The romance made me question my eyesight.
The last 11 minutes made me question reality.
I came for the story.
I stayed because I wanted to see how it would all come together.
Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, the story itself got lost.
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Caveat Emptor!!! buyer beware.
Caveat emptor. When something looks too good to be true, perhaps we should be wary.Was I sold a bag of rotten eggs? And can I only blame myself because I was attracted to the beautiful packaging? I have been watching Royal Betrothal slowly unravel since the second half began, and I kept telling myself, perhaps it will get better. That is usually the danger with these dramas, you invest so much time and emotion that you keep hoping the writers will somehow find their way back.
Unfortunately, by episode 30, I finally gave up. Their version of a Game of Thrones “Red Wedding” was the moment I couldn’t even finish the episode. Everything about it felt wrong. The bait-and-switch, only to be baited and switched again, became exhausting. At some point I had to ask myself: How creative were the writers when they ran out of ideas? The excessive slow-motion sequences became almost comical, the fight scenes defied any sense of realism, and the drama seemed to substitute spectacle for storytelling. With only two episodes left, I finally succumbed to my inner desire to drop the series. Life is simply too short to finish a drama I no longer enjoy.
And that is particularly disappointing because this drama had so much going for it. The production looked beautiful, the cast was attractive, and there were moments early on when I genuinely thought we were getting something special. Wu Jin Yan and Chen Zhe Yuan are both talented actors, and they certainly have the ability to carry a good story. But as a viewer, I also have to hold them accountable not for the writing or directing, but for the choices they make about the projects they take on. As top actors, they have some say in the stories they attach themselves to. After this one, unfortunately, they have lost a little of the goodwill I had as a fan.
I know Chinese dramas are becoming increasingly mainstream and are reaching audiences far beyond China. That is wonderful. But please, don’t mistake international audiences for ignorant fools who will accept anything simply because the costumes are beautiful, the actors are gorgeous and the production looks expensive. We are watching. We are paying attention. If anything, expanding into the international market means the writing has to step up, more credible characters, more intelligent plotting, and storytelling that doesn’t insult the audience’s intelligence. The Chinese drama industry absolutely has the talent and resources to do this. I’ve seen it. And unfortunately, Royal Betrothal is no Pursuit of Jade.
If this becomes a continuing trend, audiences outside China may eventually shift their attention back to Korean dramas and other Asian productions. There is plenty of competition out there, and beautiful packaging can only take you so far.
Having said all that, I realize this is a rather long rant. But sometimes you simply have to get it out of your system. I really don’t like being sold a beautiful bag only to discover that someone forgot to check what was inside.
So, with two episodes remaining, I’m moving on. There are plenty of other dramas waiting for me and perhaps after this disappointment, it’s time for some completely senseless high-school BL nonsense. Sometimes that’s exactly what the doctor ordered.
And next time, please don’t call it Royal Betrothal.
Just call it what it really is:
“Chop Suey: The Movie… Part Deux.”
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Great potential, disappointing execution, and an ending that simply wasn’t worth the journey.
Royal Betrothal — Final ThoughtsRoyal Betrothal was honestly a huge disappointment for me. I stayed until the end because I was invested in the story and especially the side characters, whom I often liked more than the main leads.
Unfortunately, I felt Chen Zheyuan and Wu Jinyan had little to no chemistry, and their pairing didn’t work for me. The main couple kept going in circles, and whenever the story became interesting, the drama would slow down with unnecessary scenes between them—only for the ending to feel extremely underwhelming.
There were also too many plot holes and unresolved storylines. My favourite side couple, Zhili and Di Nian, didn’t get the happy ending they deserved, while Nian’s death was heartbreaking. I also thought Zhishi and Fuzhi had better chemistry than the main couple, but their story became frustrating as they fought over Meng Tinghui.
Overall, the drama had potential, but the execution and ending left me feeling like I wasted my time. I stayed because of the side characters, not the main romance.
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It's okay, i guess...
So, i just finished this drama and well i enjoyed it even if its not a revolution.Since The Double i'm watching every drama where Wu Jin Yan is in, because she is an fantastic actress and just for that you should watch this one too! This drama is not a revolution, it's a very classic writing with a classic story and we can understand everything very quickly but the production and casting is nice.
I'havent feel a particular nice chemistry between actors/actress and the kisses scenes are probably some worst i'have seen in a drama, it's sound beyond fake. The characters of Meng Ting Hui and Ying Gua could be much more than that. I'have the feeling they wanted to write something with a big story in their mind but they left the job half-done.
It’s still a good drama; it’s just that the writing and the plotlines aren’t developed enough. You very quickly end up watching it mainly for the lead actress. The whole storyline about the ancient lost empire ultimately boils down to just a few episodes, which isn’t enough. Likewise, I don’t really understand where they were trying to go with the gang from the first few episodes.
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Whether it's bad or not depends on your expectations going in
Reminds me of Xena: Warrior Princess. The production values, the acting, the story, the makeup... is good for what it is. But it ain't no GoT. The romances are very cursory, plotline not that believable, settings and makeup require a certain suspension of disbelief to get an immersion going, characters a bit cartoony and overdone.But it does have some finer points, namely:
*CZY was practically holding the show up by himself with that acting performance, and it was awesome.
*CZY aside from incredible acting, was total eye candy here, he looks so gorgeous in them robes, wewww my goodness.
*Surprisingly, ost/bgm really elevated this grilled cheese sandwich into something approaching gourmet. Great job there.
It was worth the one time watch, if youre looking for a "between shows" show.... if for no other reason than to check out CZY's performance as sexy emperor.
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