Lighter & Princess (2022)

one of the best, top tier, romance dramas ever

first, the male lead. many people don’t like him so i NEED TO SET THIS STRAIGHT. people say he’s too much of an asshole but like, if i went through what he went through, i would be way worse ngl and it’s not even that bad. like sure he’s rude and a little arrogant but (maybe im toxic) its not even that bad. also the CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT (like everyone needs to know this) he has is immaculate, especially because of the fl and he becomes so much sweeter and everything, and the “i hate everything but you” trope is so freaking good!! also just want to add, his perseverance and like ability to keep going towards his goal is so admirable like he works so hard and that’s how he gets places in life lol.

the female lead. bro she’s such a queen and mother like she’s definitely top tier best ever female lead ever!! clearly she’s my favorite but she’s just so sweet and so loyal and so kind but not a pushover (!!) and just such a badass at some moments but also such an angel. im in love and SHE’S SO SMART and just hard working - i just love her so much i can’t even describe it. she deserves everything in the world she’s so mother (I already said this i need to stop).

the chemistry and acting from the two leads is so so so so good! i love them! the chemistry makes me faint like im intruding on something private and their kisses (… ep 35; 13:30) and HUGS! i have never liked hugs in dramas as much as theirs like their HUGS!! and their like sweet dating scenes where they laugh with each other, etc is so asldfjskgls like im squealing (i know. so weird. but i can’t help it)

other things lol:
the supporting characters are some of my favs ever. genuinely love all of them so much and the way they portray the villains like yes, i do hate them. the villain’s acting is so freaking good too. OH and the side relationships are SO CUTE bruh like ren di and her bf slays

the storyline is actually so different from other dramas and executed so well. like the flashbacks, the first episode being reality and then flashing back for some episodes and then getting back to that point. i love how they break up and have angst but its not really because of a misunderstanding: it has my other favorite trope in the world where he acts like he doesn’t love her to protect her but he does. so angsty and amazing. pacing is great too

OSTS ARE SO TOP TIER. literally never skipped the opening ost ever in any episode and the rest match the vibe so well

also it has so many of my favorite tropes:
- CUTE NICKNAME (princess is such a cute one!!)
- the “underdogs-have-to-work-with-a-bunch-of-weird-people but still manages to slay and forms a great friendship” like i love the whole of “flying heart” company so much (ml and fl go there to get their revenge and slay so hard!)
- the ANGST from “i love her so i have to protect her” and “still loves her but have to pretend i don’t”. like the scene where he tapes back together their picture makes me cry
- FRIEND GROUP TROPE - like i thought lixun was a sad loner but he has friends in college with the fl so like i love their friend grou. they work so well
- famous romance trope~ (as a side trope)
- BEST CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT from the two leads!! they were great the first few episodes but the end is asldkgslkgh they became such amazing slays
- THEIR CUTE SCENES like i swear they seem so real. the chemistry!!

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"But our love's not worth playing chicken with"...

Warning, spoiler ahead!!!




The show is split into two timelines, several years apart.
We see our duo in college and then several years later as working adults.

PLOT:
Female lead is the only child of a respected middle-class family. Her parents love her and she's been raised well. The only drawback is how controlling her mom is. Mom is an education official who is very controlling and exacting in directing her daughter, all "for the sake of her daughter's future". But nothing that mom has commanded thus far has been truly against the daughter's wishes. When the show opens we are introduced to a young, sheltered girl entering her first year of college, under her mother's strict control, but not unhappy because nothing in her life has been difficult or against her own wishes so far.

Our male lead has a sad past. Coming from a poor fatherless family, he's used his wits and vast intelligence to earn money however he can in order to pay for his mom's medical expenses. He is extremely smart and knows a lot (a lot!!) about computer programming/hacking.
His mom hits a critical stage in her health, leading him to need a large influx of fast money; at the same time a classmate approaches him with a scheme--take a test in my name and I'll pay you... Of course the plot is discovered. As a result, the male lead is expelled from school and must repeat his senior year of high school.
His mom dies. His only remaining family, an older sister, moves to a different town to earn money. He is left alone. Shattered by loss and injustice, we meet him as he enters his first year of college (a year behind schedule), a man alone, determined to learn as fast as possible in order to earn money (ie power and security) for himself, vowing to stay alone and depend on no one.

The fl and ml, classmates, clash from the start.
She wants him to come to obligatory morning review classes since his absence costs the entire class demerits.
He has no intention of attending said review classes since it's a waste of his time and our boy is determined not to let anything or anyone distract him from his main goal of learning and earning money asap.

So begins a game of cat and mouse and one-upmanship. Who can outsmart whom? Who is smarter? Who is stronger? Who is more stubborn?

Eventually, she falls in love with his wit and sheer genius.
Eventually, he falls in love with her tenacity, charm, and doggone stubbornness.

They start dating...

And, predictably, when things are going good, the sh1t hits the fan.

And now the players take their assigned roles for the rest of the show.
Our boy: devil may care attitude, couldn't care less about anyone's opinion of him, determined to succeed and walk his own path.
Our girl: An obedient daughter, but only up to her line in the sand-aka the boy. Completely devoted to him.
The mom: determined to "save" (control) her child and lead (bully/ force) her into a bright future.
Two antagonists : 1) a fellow student, used to being number one in a pond (his hometown) who is suddenly forever reduced to number two after leaping into the ocean (stacked against our genius male lead). 2) an interloper from a different college who's just plain an asshole, with no morals or principles.

Things happen...people are hurt...and we leave our main duo in a very, very bad way...


Leap forward a few years.
Our boy is changed. Our girl is changed.
We meet them again as pale imitations of who they were.
But one thing stays the same: Our boy is determined to succeed, all on his own. And our girl is determined to help him, despite what he wants, regardless of the cost to herself.


My title for this review is a line from Sia's song 'Broken Glass': "But our love's not worth playing chicken with".
To me, this entire show is a high-intensity emotional game of chicken between several players.
* How far can mom push our girl?
* How far can our girl challenge (defy) her parents?
* How much can our girl sacrifice and endure for our boy?
* How much and how long can our boy hurt our girl?
* How much can our girl, and our boy, endure?
* How much are friendship and pride worth to our jealous friend? And which of the two will win in the end?

The chemistry between the leads is one fire. Combustible, with the heat felt through the screen.
Incredible acting by them both.

As characters, I admire the girl very much. She knows what she wants, is realistic about paying the price for it, and is steadfast in pursuing it.
I really wish she'd loved herself more though. Despite that, what some might see as weakness, allowing herself to suffer again and again in her support of him, I see as her making that choice again and again to take on the pain because she loves him and wants him to succeed-no matter the cost. That's strength to me. She knows herself and is willing to pay that high price.

As for him.... I can understand his reasoning. But I wish he'd have been kinder. Or maybe cut her off completely, and not allowed her to help him at all.

But they are both stubborn as hell, lol, neither of them yielding.
Towards the end when they are both able to be honest with each without any barriers, that makes for a beautiful relationship. In the future that strong bond will be unwavering no matter what comes their way. They are two very strong people who don't back down and will do anything for each other.

The mom....
As an educator, I expected more from her.
A greater understanding, and respect, towards her daughter.
And a greater open-mindedness, receptiveness, towards our boy.
Ultimately she very much disappointed me. A self-important hypocritical tyrant. Zero redeeming qualities.
As for the dad, he came through in the end. He always was the gentler parent. I'm okay with him. Decent guy.

The jealous friend/ antagonist #1....
Not being number one is a reality in life. Very very few people can claim that title. As children, we can strive for it. As adults, we must simply strive to be the best possible version of ourselves. That's a lesson he never learned. And he was willing to hurt innocent people deeply because of a childish vendetta instead of accepting reality and growing the hell up.
I don't like his ending, but it is what it is.

MUSIC:
Wonderful. My favorite song of the ost is "Falling You".

REWATCH VALUE:
10/10

HEA:
yes :)

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Almost a perfect one.

Hmm so before I start I need to say this. Lighter and Princess is the only Drama this whole year that I've binged. It took me 11 months to find this one and I can't be more thankful.
With that being said let's get into the review.❤️
From the very first episode I was deeply hooked. It just makes you wanna know their story. The first few episodes which were mainly about ML and FL banter was suprisingly not clingy. It was just DONE RIGHT!!!!
The progress of the main characters along with the supporting characters was done so beautifully. There were many heart fluttering interactions between the leads that just brings a smile to your face.
By the time I got to 15th episode I was totally in for the story, acting, leads and cinematography as well. It was all just SOOO GOOOD
When I was at around 22-24 episode I thought this was totally a banger that is gonna go straight into top of my cdrama favourite list. It definitely is in top 5 but something in the later episodes just changed my judjement.

here comes little spoilers so skip it
( I just don't get why Li Xun has to go physical to avenge his sister. He is a sensible character and what he has done is little dissapointing. From that moment everything goes wrong. Zhu Yun suffering mentally, Li Xun behaviour changes, Gao jinghong being a total freak is just too much for me to handle.)

Apart from the ones I've mentioned earlier I think Their efforts for revenge, their relation build up in the 26-36 episode could've have been stronger, effective.

The acting was top notch. Loved the ost.
memory lane : fireworks scene, proposal scene, all uni interactions <3<3. This was a great one.

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"He fell first but she fell harder"

From the first episode you are hooked, since for my taste I am a fan of that kind of flashbacks that are presented from the beginning without understanding what is happening, but not confusing, since you see the lead male leaving the prison you want to know the reason, they make you know the characters and as the chapters progress you are more intrigued why things happened this way.

It is a classic love story, but with a very particular touch, since everyone would think that Zhu Yun is the one who always pursues Li Xun, but no, there are actions and moments where he lets you notice his interest and affection for her in his own way; the second prospect is the one that hurt me the most because he is a faithful and stable friend, however, the touch of magic that makes the two protagonists fall in love is incurable, she sees the tender side that Li Xun has, so he always makes her come back. The story is good, the characters too, there are no filler parts that reach the boring or couples even with its short time on the screen you manage to understand, in the last episodes I did not stop crying and is that it leaves you with a good message that is to value the beautiful memories and people who created a story by your side, no one is perfect and we make mistakes that can be fixed, maybe no longer as friends, but we move forward without hate that exhausts our life.

The soundtrack makes this drama more perfect, it is just the right ost needed to set each scene, the shots and production are beautiful, the acting is very good, with the right cast. I would watch it again if I needed to relive a sweet college love story or if it were to be released on another platform, I would do it without hesitation. I highly recommend it if you want to relive the feelings of your youth.

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Not a perfect drama but nearly there.

I am not someone who normally leaves reviews but I love this drama so much that I wanted to. Honestly, I am a fan of the novel and I have been really anticipating the drama since it was first announced. However, I was scared because most novel adaptations don't live up to the novel itself. I am happy to say that this is not the case here. In fact, I would dare to say that the drama was actually better than the novel in some aspects.

Plot:
Lighter & Princess is a story about life journey of two individuals from opposite backgrounds who fall in love and face some very challenging situations. Neither Li Xun nor Zhu Yun are perfect people. They both have flaws but together, they fit perfectly. Li Xun is someone who has a lot of confidence in his abilities and is determined to walk on his own path but he lacks love and trust in his life. Zhu Yun fulfills that. She gives him her unconditional love and support, eventually making him open up and fall deeply in love with her while she takes courage from Li Xun and learns to stand up for herself, especially against her mother. Without giving too much away, this is a story about love and courage, about making choices and living with their consequence, and about not being defined by your one mistake or your poor circumstances..

The drama was very faithful to the novel but some things that it did better than the novel was fill in some gaps and develop the supporting characters well. One of the changes I particularly liked in the drama was that Li Xun learned about Zhu Yun's struggles and actually apologized to her. There's no doubt in the novel that Li Xun loves Zhu Yun and is regretful of how he acted in the past but he never actually apologizes for his action in words...I think by making him do so in drama, it showed a level of growth that the novel was not able to bring to the character.

They also made Gao Jianhong's betrayal more believable by showing a steady build up of resentment in him. In the novel, the betrayal did feel a bit jarring. I wasn't too fond of Li Xun's attitude towards Gao Jianhong (and this is one of the changes from the novel I disliked) but I understand the need for it.

Another change I absolutely loved is that they made Zhu Yun's gift of lighter more meaningful. In the novel, the lighter holds no importance really; he carries it because he is a smoker and she gifts him a lighter in exchange for her dress. But in the drama, the lighter carries a lot of importance for him and Zhu Yun fixing it and returning it to him made the whole exchange much more meaningful and heartwarming. Overall, it's clever changes like these that improved the novel plot in my opinion.

Acting:
The leads of this drama, Chen Feiyu and Zhang Jingyi, were simply phenomenal. Their chemistry felt so natural and they didn't hold back while showing intimacy...the kisses, the hugs, the cuddles were just perfect. They are now my standard for drama couples. Not to say there isn't room for improvement. There definitely is but honestly, I don't care. They are exactly like how I imagined Li Xun and Zhu Yun to be and they made me fall in love with them all over again.

The supporting cast did well too. I did find Zhao Zhi Wei (Gao Jianhong) and Cui Yu Xin (Fang Zhijing) a bit lacking during more spirited scenes. Hence why, I rated the acting as 8/10. Minus 1 for each of the actors....but really, it didn't affect my drama enjoyment too much.

Apart from that, I don't have many complaints.

Soundtrack:
BEAUTIFUL! The soundtrack for this drama has been on repeat for me. Falling You and Firework even made it into my YouTube Music Top 5 for 2022. And given how this was released just last month, I can't even say how many times I would have replayed it to make it to the list.

However, more than just good songs, the music is used very well in the drama. An example of this is the famous snow scene before the separation. It's a romantic setting and the words are sweet but the music is so melancholy that the viewers get a very bittersweet feeling watching the scene. Very well done!

Direction:
Finally, I need to drop a word of praise for the director. I have watched a fair amount of contemporary Chinese dramas and I can honestly say, I have never seen a drama that paid so much attention to details. There are a lot of subtle details that speak to a character's state of mind or stage of life. It's impossible to list them all. Here is an example of the level of detail this director included: https://twitter.com/afterrnoont/status/1598215644666699776?s=20&t=iAMC3_gR80pYJnnHGfMVAA

Also, several parallels like this one: https://twitter.com/blueasbutterfly/status/1598197957727514626?s=20&t=iAMC3_gR80pYJnnHGfMVAA

Artistic scenes like this one: https://twitter.com/wreckerofmyjoy/status/1592534190356303872?s=20&t=iAMC3_gR80pYJnnHGfMVAA

Amazing, amazing work!

Final review:
If it wasn't clear enough, I LOVED THIS DRAMA!! SO SO MUCH!!! I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good romance drama to watch.

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A mix of fluff and angst drama

The first few episodes reveal the present and hence you'll get curious on what made the characters at that state. At first, I thought it was just some typical programming geek romance drama, but this drama beg to differ. It's really an eye opener on how others look down and abuse people that has no power. I assure you you'll fall in love with Li Xun and Zhu Yun's characters which might be annoying at first , but their growth warms your heart. Their determination is what drives them to do better and as young as they are, they are making the impossible, possible. Kudos to the production team and the casts as they made the year end with a bang! Please watch it, as it's still on-going and I promise you won't regret it! Let's watch how Li Xun and Zhu Yun resolve their problem in the present time. 

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Good production trying to re-spin a tired trope of glamourising toxic relationships

I give this an 8 out of 10 which is highly generous considering the subject matter - being made into some unique love story. This is mainly for the overall production quality. But overall, a very problematic drama which in essence glamourizes toxic behaviour and puts narcissistic behaviour firmly on the map. For watchers like myself, it's not an issue, as it's just a drama, but for younger impressionable audiences, quite damaging to see and think normal and even made acceptable.

Yet again, we are treated to "band-aid" relationships, where usually the woman is lowering herself to accommodate the man under the guise of being gallant and changing him for the good. Reality is, these types of relationships usually end in disaster and this story tries to paint over that fact. Even to the very end, the ML "buys" a property (a big life decision) without even consulting her. These are classic controlling narcissistic behaviours, with very little in way of seeing him change in in the final episode. The only change is the fact, he finally accepts the FL and end up in a relationship, again...scary stuff.

The acting is good, although I feel CFY is more or less acting like his real life character and not a far stretch to play a part like this, so it suits him down to the ground. JJY is the work-horse of the drama. Even how annoying she is to still hang in such a toxic relationship, she told the story well through countless scenes of humiliation and curiosity.

There were parts that dragged on. To get to the point, some episodes really did not need to be. The so-called baddie character played by ZZW was a bit weak, especially towards the latter stages when he was going off the rails were some of the most awful gurning and over-the-top nodding going on. You know something is wrong when you're giggling instead of concentrating on the actor's emotions.

Nonetheless, it's a decent drama, but the subject is not new and re-hashes that same old "only I can change this man's behaviour" trope to make female audiences feel more personal and special. I think that's more imaginary rather than reality.

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If you want romance in the air

Usually I cant complete C romantic dramas without losing patience, but this is one of those few exception. Yes it has its flaws but overall I feel its a decent melo drama. I would recommend if you are ok with such kind of genre. The outline of the show is pretty basic like any other melodramas however the execution is different. The dialogues felt rich, acting by the main leads was lively and romance was flirty. The first half the show [1-14] was good and engaging. Infact during the first few episodes I used to feel like an hour had passed by though in reality only 15-20 mins would have gone. The conversations between the leads made me wanna listen to them. Middle section [15-22 ep] of the drama was a total makjang and looked like forcefully added in the storyline to create drama. The latter section was draggy with unnecessary arcs and a mild revenge story, only saving grace being the romance section of the leads. I fast forwarded a lot here. I legit had no interest on the side characters romance and their so called life and friendship element which was added for filler purpose.

I want to add my two cents for some of the hyped points of this drama:

1. Male Lead- He has been hyped as a bad bad guy who hardly care. What I felt was completely the opposite. Yes he was not one of the goody caring angelic of a person but seemed a real person to me. He advocated education and importance of practical experience. With his background. instead of bullying or indulging in bad habits like alcoholism, he worked his ass off to start his own company to the extent his health got weak. He never once emotionally blackmailed the FL and on many occasions expressed he will support and respect whatever decision she takes. Not being talkative is not a toxic trait in my opinion. He was closed and had trust issues yes but that's normal. In the middle though his arc deviated and they added the "breakup because obviously we need drama" trope leaving him bad and toxic. But in general I liked his character.

2. Female Lead- See I don't need all my FL to be sassy, bold and loud. I am open to understand different natures though I despise damsel in distress characters. Here I liked the FL, she was hard working, obedient, naïve, loyal and her best quality being straightforward in her communication. She always spoke her mind and went to clear out things without creating unnecessary drama. However on few occasions I wished she would have sorted out the matter herself instead of relying on the ML's intelligence . Her dependency on the ML was alarming though. He was like the center of her universe to the point that she could not handle the breakup. Something I disagree to.

3. Romance- Logically speaking this kind of romance in real life is not recommended at all. From the perspective of the drama alone, it was enjoyable for me. No shame about admitting that LOL. Good kiss scenes and nobody felt asleep on top of lips (hehe)

The acting felt fresh to me. Usually with such kind of ML persona (giga genius and low EQ and social skills etc etc you know what I mean) we get a block of ice with no expressions as such on the screen. Arthur Chen had added his charm to the character with his smirky smile and hand mannerisms which oddly made me believe that I am seeing a real life human than an on screen character. I don't know how to explain exactly.
The antagonists were caricature-ish and dumb. The friends were immaterial with Rendi and FL best friend (i forgot his name) being the only exception. That Old Zao was whiny and always crying on how LX was better than him and never bowed to him. He was the most annoying for me tbh. And the girls were ready to die for LX without even having a proper conversation with him like girl at least talk to the guy before you do love gaga on him.
FL's parents were so toxic. Initially I understood their dislike for LX and concerns for their daughter as normal but boy how they treated her. I legit wanted to slam them hard. They locked her up when she was clearly in depression, slapped her and emotionally berated her for any decision she takes. Totally horrible. I wished there was some kind of consequence in the drama for them instead of just a small verbal dispute towards the end.

I can go on and on this drama but I'll stop now.. Until next review bye!

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Don't read this review if you hate spoilers and are easily excited!

The hero is successful in his studies and soon in the business world. As a result, he arouses the envy of friends who soon turn against him.
At some point, the revenge chapter begins, settling accounts with enemies.The revenge later changes from settling accounts to forgiveness.
Pity prevails with whining and crying, the ML finally allows mercy to prevail.

Obviously we should learn to forgive and to forgive instead of punishing.

But one should then also keep the extent of torment and brutal meanness to the extent that forgiveness is still possible and does not seem absurd.

His girlfriend, "Princess", the FL, abandons him, later they get back together. Her share of forgiveness for the criminal is particularly large. Shame, one thinks, she should actually be by the side of her long-tortured friend.

Many critics gripe about the toxic ML, saying he's cold as ice. Put yourself through what he has to suffer serially.

The FL is criticized as well, even for not getting her parents' culturally customary consent for the relationship. These parents beat their daughter, hold her captive and do all sorts of other monstrous things - consent from these parents? Only so much, they should go to hell.

Although, especially at the beginning, the story is quite interesting, I'm reluctant to recommend the series, because as soon as it starts, it goes full throttle through mess and misery.
Save yourself the many incomprehensible character jumps, don't get angry, make love instead or go to the pub. Maybe she is sitting there! Or him!

Post Scriptum: I hope I didn't spoil too much, according to the rules of etiquette in the forum.

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This is so frustrating

The show is both enjoyable and terrible at the same time. I liked the fl at the start but she really does become pathetic as the show continues. She blindly follows and defends the ml even though he is a horrible person. He walks all over everyone else and has a massive superiority complex, I keep wishing for his downfall. He treats his friends and the fl so badly and they all for some reason accept it. It finally seems like his best friend has had enough and wants revenge but he's being made out to be the bad guy even though he's completely justified. I wish the ml would fail but it seems unlikely at this point so I think I'm going to have to drop the show.

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Thats how you do it

This one of the best c-dramas I have ever seen. The acting is just perfect for what they are portraying. The story is written in a way that if you watch it, you have that feeling of it's not too slow nor too fast. For a whopping 36 EPs it felt surprisingly short as I've fallen really in love with the characters. So all in all I can only say that it's all about the people in this drama and how they're played, written and shot (the camera work). Props to everyone in this drama, but the FL and ML stood out because of their chemistry.
Thus far, I've not watched many c-dramas, but most of the time I encounter one problem: How they're acting and how the story is written. Most of the time, the dramas tend to be very plain. But this one (at least for me) has shown that if you give the right people a budget, get a good written script and to get people who show their chemistry believably you can get this drama.

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