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I have to admit, I wasn’t planning to finish The Next Prince, let alone give it a second chance. When it first premiered, I dropped it after just two episodes because it felt dull, a little irritating, and not worth my time. It was incredibly frustrating because I’d been following the project long before it aired; the teasers and pilot promised an ambitious, massive-scale royal fantasy blending political intrigue, high-stakes action, and a slow-burn romance with a sharper edge. However, given the long production delays and multiple recastings, I deeply worried the show would just lean entirely on Zee and NuNew's chemistry and intimate scenes rather than telling a strong story. I probably never would have gone back if clips of Net and JJ hadn't kept hijacking my feed; their scenes looked interesting enough to make me wonder if I'd judged the series too quickly. Sadly, my initial skepticism was spot on, and this 14-episode journey turned out to be one of the longest, most dragging dramas I've ever sat through.

To be fair, the series deserves massive credit for its absolute heap of ambition. Domundi clearly spared no expense, putting the cast through intensive training in fencing, archery, horseback riding, piano, and royal etiquette. The production value is top-tier: the sets are lavish, the cinematography is gorgeous, the costumes are elaborate, the soundtrack is excellent, and the Kingdom of Emmaly feels fully realised. Even NuNew and JJ’s musical numbers showcase the massive effort poured into making this feel like a prestige production. Unfortunately, all that polished gold foil merely covers up a script that has zero clue what it wants to be. The pacing takes a massive downward turn into a slow, repetitive crawl from episodes three through seven, completely forgetting the stakes of its own central succession competition. When the plot finally remembers to pick up around episode eight, the tonal whiplash is incredibly jarring. One moment we're dealing with serious mining protests and social oppression, and the very next, Khanin is bursting into a highly theatrical Broadway-style musical number that completely drains the moment of any real seriousness.

The core issue lies in the fundamental writing of the main characters and their relationship. Khanin starts as a brilliant, independent, and witty lead who is passionate about fencing and overwhelmed by his heritage. Then, almost overnight, that personality vanishes. He loses his edge, his curiosity about his biological father, and his rebellious streak, transforming into an immature, overly needy damsel in distress who seems far more interested in wearing silly outfits, ordering people around, and batting eyes at Charan. The romance itself feels incredibly rushed and artificial, lacking the organic development needed to actually root for them. Charan isn't given much depth either; Zee certainly looks the part of a stoic bodyguard, but his character is frustratingly thin, with no real traits outside of his loyalty and a childhood trauma involving rain. Worse yet, heavy beauty filters often smooth out every trace of expression, distracting from the performance.

Ironically, the secondary couples are given far more emotionally raw and compelling storylines, yet they face a severe screen time problem. While most BL fans complain about side couples getting too much attention, here it's the exact opposite; Charan and Khanin dominate the screen while fascinating dynamics like Prince Ramil and Paytai's trauma-bonding are systematically starved for time, alongside underwritten characters like Ava, Calvin, and Jay. The veteran cast and the moving performances of Net and JJ genuinely salvage the scenes they are in, and NuNew delivers some touching moments of grief, but they are constantly fighting an unnatural script where emotional beats are unearned. The activism feels entirely performative and surface-level, serving up ubiquitous social justice quotes as if they are profound truths. Ultimately, everything feels overly staged and artificial, from the clubbing to the market scenes. This isn't a jab at the hard-working cast, and Zee-NuNew fans will likely still find plenty to enjoy, but for me, The Next Prince stands as one of the biggest missed opportunities in Thai BL history. I sadly cannot recommend it.