Lighter & Princess (2022)

L&P DESERVES AN AWARD! MUST WATCH CDRAMA OF 2022!!!

I am not exaggerating, this drama is phenomenal, I highly recommend it if this is your first time watching cdramas!

The storyline begins in the present time which is actually a good attention grabber. It will make you wonder what happened, why and how did it come to this point. The drama will then take us back to the past where it all began, freshmen year of college. The concept of this drama is computer programming, and you really see them mostly focused on typing codes, and make programs, etc. Albeit, I'm not sure if the coding itself is real but I have not seen this kind of drama elsewhere which is quite unique.

What really makes this drama come to life and why its so popular is the acting, the chemistry, character development and the storyline.

Zhu Yun (Zhang Jing Yi) : Zhu Yun as a character is a book smart, follow the leader kind of gal in the beginning but eventually she will find her voice. She can get a little bossy, and sometimes I think she lets her emotions make the decision instead of thinking from a practical point of view. She's very passionate when she wants to prove she can do something, as well as very caring and understanding of her friends espeically towards Li Xun. Zhang Jing Yi played her part very well, nothing to outstanding and her acting is quite natural - like she truly is the character itself who's in love and willing to do anything for the love of her life. I have only seen one drama of hers so its difficult to judge if she improved or not - seems like the same to me.

Li Xun (Chen Fei Yu) : Li Xun is your typical rude, selfish, arrogant male lead who believes everyone sucks at computer programming compare to him. However, he's very misunderstood, he's more of a practical guy - he has more experience in the field thus he knows what is sellable or not. Many viewers, espeically if they don't understand mandarin, would think that he's always rude but most of his replies esp to Zhu Yun are quite funny or sarcastic - its unfortunate its not translated well into english. :( Li Xun may be your nerdy, introverted quiet kind of guy but towards Zhu Yun - he cares in a subtle way, and tend to keep a lot of things to himself which is a double edge sword. His character develops pretty nicely, he's not always like he was in the first few episodes. He learned to be apologetic and show remorse for what he has done. However, he still keep things to himself, and sometimes he believes its better to work alone than to bring people in to help him. Yeah, he definitely needs therapy to deal with the losses and feelings. Chen Fei Yu did an amazing job as Li Xun because his eyes does a lot of the acting when he doesn't talk, and it really sucks you in. I also only seen one other drama of his, but despite of that, there's a huge improvement in his acting!

There is a couple time skips and unfortunately we do not see much of the beginning relationship between the leads, but regardless, their relationship was very cute, fluffy, and natural - its like they're a real couple honestly. Amazing acting from both of them!
There's many other great actors in this drama but I have to highlight is Gao Jian Hong played by Zhao Zhi Wei. Without spoiling too much, his character is very competitive, and insecure in his computer programming skills. I did not like his character from the get-go, he seemed fake - a two-faced character. Other than that, you would have to watch and see why his acting was amazing.

Ren Di played by Jenny Zheng: From the beginning of the drama, the way Jenny acted as Ren Di seem so incredibly natural as if she played herself. I just wanted to point that out, the outfits, and her personality fits the actress so well - its very natural and I hope she gets a main role. She honestly compliments well with Chen Fei Yu - the tall couple. hahaa Okay but in reailty, the characters have no romantic interest to one another.

In terms of love triangle, there is one, however it will not make you pull your hairs out so its not a big deal.
Music is amazing, the settings are amazing esp when the main leads got together - the background, the cinematography was beautiful.

Definitely highly recommend this drama if you enjoy watching dramas in a college setting, slow burn but realistic and natural romance, computer programming, games, the dreaded angst, friendship, and betrayals.

Leggi di Più

romanticizing toxic relationship for 36 episodes!!

I was rooting for this drama to be good, namely because Arthur Chen is in it. His other projects aren’t watchable for me as I’m waiting for Immortality… but for now I will watch this drama and take my crumbs here and there.

At first the drama was good, then good enough, and now it’s getting hard to watch. Simply because it is too long of a show for the narrative it has. And it’s a shame, because with the story it had potential.

One of the main things that really sends it home is that the main characters aren’t like able. Li Xun, played by Arthur Chen, has a lot of problems and acts rashly and behaves horribly to others around him without any conveniences. And the whole reason why? Well .. there is no explanation. You get half an episode (20 minutes) on his background to explain why he is closed off.. meanwhile you get full few episodes for plot points that don’t advance the story along at all. As for the story it’s hard to tell what it is, but it should’ve been wrapped up sooner.

The whole thing with their coding is hard to watch and boring because I know how coding works. I code, and they language they use may not be the same I do, but the story around the coding isn’t working. Arthur Chen is just good at is, there was no build up or reason why, and Zhu Yun is even worse. He keeps her by her side and she never has a chance to show her being good, she just picks up where he left off etc.

The show is pretty at times, but other than face value it isn’t great. The tonal shifts are so jarring, I don’t know why C-Dramas do this thing where the dynamic between the leads is so toxic but they play it off as charming. Li Xun is not charming, realistically no one would respect him with the way he is acting even if he is good at coding.. he’s got pretty privileged.

Now the kicker for me is the part I’m at where they just now introduce a childhood friend of Zhu Yin’s that took her own life.. and it’s tone deaf. It’s weird to me because they have a character that clearly has things to explain about his upbringing, but Zhu Yun- who has never had any moments building up or any recalling of this friend .. suddenly remembers? She is triggered for the sake of more episodes and I’d be fine with it if they didn’t have Li Xun’s character where they could have time to develop him. And at this point the drama is offensive when she tells another new character that he killed the girl, meanwhile mental issues like that shouldn’t be solely put on one person to blame, she is immature for that and I don’t like her for that. That behavior is so wrong and should’nt be portrayed as righteous. The guy who she pins it on wasn’t perfect, but you never blame someone for anyone’s death unless it’s murder. Mental issues are horribly misunderstood and it’s shameful.

I don’t hate the drama though. I just have issues with it because I’m sick of waiting for Arthur Chen’s Immortality to release because he put a lot of work into that also. This drama for him is on, he gets time to shine and recognition. Other than watching it for him I don’t recommend. Maybe for the hater to lover trope.. honestly watch something else for that. This is taking too long for these two and it can be over shorter and written better overall.


… update… they really are not having any redemption for this drama here. I am really at odds with all the amazing 10/10 reviews.

Leggi di Più

World is a battle field , few just haven't given up yet.

If you're here to connect with few characters deeply to their present, past and future, this drama is for you. If you are one of those who doesn't want to hope because of broken friendships or relationships, This drama is just right for you.
You live through the rash youth, the one where you have hope, You will live through the adulthood where you have to push yourself to hope and maybe , maybe if you have atleast one person in your life who would stand for you when the world stands tall against you, this is where it is. Overall watch this to see dreams , to just love even when you have nothing and when you are just surviving, it is alright , This is your fight.
Loved few characters , hated few but overall lived through it all.

Leggi di Più

really good drama, eng subs don't do it justice :(

Prior to this drama's release, I had heard about the cast and filming of it. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the drama, the cast's chemistry, the storyline, and the soundtrack. The writers did an amazing job adapting the novel to the screen, maintaining many key moments from the novel and the two main characters' relationship, while making minor changes to plot and character backgrounds for better story flow and progression. The drama covers the story of romantic, familial, and friend relationships.

I think the story portrays a very realistic relationship between the two main characters. The male lead, Li Xun, and the female lead, Zhu Yun come from very different family backgrounds and experiences, Li Xun a more tragic and Zhu Yun from a loving, well-off family. The story starts as more of a friends-to-lovers trope, but it's very clear how quickly they fall for each other. Zhu Yun, having always been an obedient daughter sees a side that she desires to be in Li Xun, and by being with him, she can rebel and be her "true self." The leads are not actually together for much of the drama, however, the team did a great job illustrating the push-pull of feelings prior to the actual relationship.Both characters have flaws--Li Xun is too closed off, a bit arrogant, and impulsive, but both love each other immensely, shown through LX pushing away ZY to protect her, and ZY still trusting him all throughout. Aside from the obstacles in their relationship, The college segment of the drama was so charming; all characters were lovable and the interactions and work they did remind me much of my own college experiences.

The distinction between the college romance and workplace romance is something I really enjoyed; there was a very obvious character development and while things seem different, they still are the same. LX and ZY still love and trust each other, continuing off from before, LX is still pushing away ZY to protect her, but ZY comes back stronger and determined to help him win his life and dreams back. I really love ZY's character in the way that she is strong and does everything in her power to protect LX because she loves him. I also think that the other coworkers at Feiyang are so funny a highlight of these emotional first few episodes of part 2.

Both lead actors portrayed the characters so well, I truly believe that they were meant to play them. Through behind the scenes clips, you can tell how hard they worked on bringing Li Xun and Zhu Yun to life. Chen Feiyu and Zhang Jingyi had amazing chemistry--there were so many moments in the episodes where they improvised and their interactions felt so natural.

I watched this drama completely in Chinese and had read the novel prior, and the Youtube English subtitles don't do the lines justice, often translated too simply or cliche/cheesy. Many of the lines hold deeper references to the novel and directly relates the personality and character progression, which is lost in these translations. Lighter & Princess is so much more than your standard idol drama; there's a long time span, imperfections in characters and relationships, and growth. While I feel like the ending few episodes of Lighter & Princess were a bit rushed, I'm still amazed by the closing scene, quoted exactly from the novel, with the carousel turning back time through their relationship, the coded heart stops beating, Li Xun's breathing, up to where they first met in college--this time from Li Xun's perspective. Though it's a happy ending, I can't help but feel a little sad every time I see that last clip. I will definitely be rewatching.

Leggi di Più

He is a true king and she is his princess knight

There was not a single moment in this drama where characters were OOC.
Amazing chemistry between leads and the heartwarming story line was something I can never forget. They were so true to themselves and their love.
From the start to the end of drama it was not a let down. Not a moment felt draggy and pointless.
LX and ZY were amazingly played by chen fei yu and zhang jing yi. You could see the emotions in their eyes. Their love and guilt and regret.... it was so heartwreching and beautiful to watch these two together.
The story line was meaningful and had a lot of lessons in it.
Almost all the characters had depth in their personality. There was no complete black and white -except for FZJ that was a true trash- and I cried when I finished the drama just because it was truly beautiful.
I'm glad the drama ended on a high note and didn't disappoint at the final episode.
The song tracks were so so beautiful that I couldn't resist playing them over and over.

I will rewatch it again because I can't get enough of this truly wonderful couple!

Leggi di Più

The drama itself I found to be decent and enjoyable at times. Plotwise, it is pretty standard. It's got your classic college to working life story arc. The only difference is that the ML disappears for a couple of years due to some incident and then the story starts back up again after he returns. However, what happens to the ML is a pretty common trope in melodrama plots, so this is not anything new. Speaking of the ML, he is a cocky asshole just because he's a genius programmer. There was no reason for him to be so stubborn and rude. He's unlikable except for that pretty face of his. The writers try to justify his attitude by giving him a "tragic" backstory. I still don't think his past justifies his behavior. Part of his story arc is learning how to make friends. I think they did a good job with this. He still, however, has that cocky attitude until the end of the drama.

The way the writers set up the story in the second half makes it seem like it's going to be a revenge story after the male lead returns. They also set it up to be a business drama about a start up company. The start up related stuff is fun to watch. The revenge story fell flat for me. There was all this buildup making it seem like they were going to get the perfect revenge. What actually happened to the bad guys was not worthy of all that buildup. I really wanted to see one of the antagonists go down in flames. Yet all I got was 5 seconds of him going down for his own unrelated wrongdoing.

Now for the romance, this couple was cute at times (there were a lot of tickle attacks). However, someone mentioned their relationship was toxic and I have to say I kind of agree. In the beginning, a lot of it involved ML leaning in, invading her personal space, trying to make her blush, and ordering her to do things. He would get away with being bossy and rude because of his pretty face and the fact that he is a "genius" programmer. FL's obsession with ML was a bit alarming. They manage to slip in a shirtless scene toward the end for the thirsty folks...so I guess that's a plus. Like I said, they were cute together, but there were a lot of red flags that should not be ignored either.

One thing I liked was FL's growth story. She becomes a better programmer and gains more confidence in herself. I wish she gained the ability to stand up to her parents. I think she actually did toward the end, but I don't think it actually resolved anything.

Overall, I think it's a decent watch. It's not amazing or mind-blowing as some people are making it out to be. The romance is okay (though it has some red flags). The songs are pretty awesome. I think if you lower your expectations, there's a good chance you will enjoy it.

Leggi di Più

good drama, terrible message

Let's be clear. I watched the drama and liked it, but I'm pretty freaked out by the amount of people giving it 10.
As a drama watcher I could give it a high score, but not as a woman.

The moral to take away from this as a woman is that we better meet a brilliant man and be his shadow. No matter how brilliant you are, be content to sacrifice yourself for him and everything will be fine.

There is a particular moment, where they are given an award for a project where the FL has been the leader, but he is the one who gives the speech and gets the credit. Because what's going to make you happier than seeing your man succeed!

The same goes for Xu Li Na. The egg scene is extremely disturbing. Her husband is clearly an abuser, but she still stays with him, because it's our responsibility as women to make men better through our love.

No, thanks. I've had enough of this. The better the drama is, the more it pisses me off that it has such a toxic message.

Leggi di Più

best youth drama..i love it!!

i was never a fan of chines dramas until i watched L&P. once you watch its first ep you become crazy to know what caused all of them to this stage and then you go for it! it has amazing storylines ,some dialogues are worthy to be written down on your dairy . FL and ML made the drama fantastic . i just cant help myself not to be obsessed with it .truly love love love it!!! briefly it is an excellent combo of romance, comedy, seriousness and the things which we youth are facing these days . it deals with reality that you just cant say it does not Happen in real life , i suggest you must watch it .I BET YOU WONT REGRET IT :)

Leggi di Più

Best drama of 2022!

First of all I’m not one to cry at all during a drama but for the first time in my life I’ve actually cried for a damn couple they really do have an extraordinary acting skills for the characters I want to say i’ve seen zhang jingyi in fall in love and i have to say she’s a real talent and for the case of chen feiyu this is my first time ever seeing him in a drama and i gotta say he’s a really versatile actor I really am lucky to have ever watched that drama the details the storyline and from the support character is extremely incredible I really do recommend this extremely well played out drama

Leggi di Più

Be ready to stuck by lightening

Where to start… its amazing story. From start to end a journey full of emotions, love and compatibility. The chemistry was on fire n I am not exaggerating if i say that they didn’t even need to kiss to create fire 🔥. Don’t worry you will get plenty of 😘. My favourite character was Li Xi although he seemed to be a stubborn guy (exactly opposite to a gentleman, sometimes acted like a jerk yes an extremely proud guy .. or Atleast he pretended to be) but deep down he was a softy. He took his time to understand his surroundings and value friendships but he tried after many events (considering his background we can digest it). All in all I congratulate Arther Chen for being my new offical crush (damn cute). The FL was good. The thing i like most about her that she was not hesitant to express herself. She didn’t care about the so called ‘I am girl’ image n confessed her feelings from time to time . She trusted him in every stage. She was not blinded by jealousy even he purposely tried to mislead her yet she knew him so well and trusted him till the very end!
Other characters played their parts well. Guo showed most versatility in his character. He made me like him, hate him and felt sorry for him. I wished he could stop himself but … it was too late when he realised! The friendship was stained…!! ( Still happy that he ended up with Xu Luna at the end (an ending different from novel)). Ran Di was cool… Fung Xiamo was also unique in her own way( I wished she could ended up with that guy from uni days (who had a crush on her) but the director didn’t put attention on her storyline as she was already additionally acted from novel). I like the changes they made in drama version but i also liked the novel (except the last part where the writer dragged it). All in all it was one of the best dramas with a good rewatch value.

Leggi di Più

Created a MDL account just for this drama

I’ve been watching c-dramas my entire life, and my taste and standards for them have grown exponentially over the years. I had a phase where I strictly only watched k-dramas because c-drama actors and plot are usually slightly lacking and cringey. But as I began to gravitate back to c-dramas, I spend hours browsing new releases just to pick out the few that are worth watching and actually memorable.

I’ve been using MyDramaList for years now, and I contemplated writing reviews for all the top dramas I’ve seen but I always felt too lazy to make an account. Before watching this drama, my top c-drama was without a doubt “Where The Lost Ones Go”. I’ve rewatched it about three times now and the chokehold it had on me still didn’t push me to create an account and write a review, but this drama did. The plot and timeline is very similar for both dramas, so I’d highly recommend you give that drama a watch if you liked this one. Definitely less lighthearted, but the unconditional love really goes a long way.

I think partly why I love this drama so much is because I relate to ZhuYun when it comes to love and relationships. She acts in a way that I would or would hope to, having both pride yet also ambition, and her love for LiXun is unquestionable. The chemistry of the two young actors on and off screen is probably what ultimately pushes this drama to #1 in my c-drama list.

Leggi di Più