The Princess Royal (2024)

Watching for the Main Couple

For me, it was like at first episode. The plot is intruiging with both leads being reborn in their youth, something that was different from the usual rebirth stories. I feel like this added a lot to the plot armor of the story. It felt fuller and richer because both leads were aware that they had both reincarnated.

The main couple really delivered acting out an old married couple yet young in the sense of discovering each other again once the misunderstanding was cleared up. Although its a drama in which the FL is more dominant than the ML, the ML has his own mind, plans, wits and makes sure to align everything to achieve the FL's goals. I love, love, love the pettiness the ML shows during his jealous fits with the FL and SML. I also love that the FL grows to trust in her relationship with the ML as secrets continue to be uncovered about all that had happened in their past life. Overall, I liked the development of the main couple especially as they pushed the theme of open communication and weathering the battles together instead of making a decision for each other.

The second male lead's reincarnation was a nice plot twist, though I feel one can already guesse it within the first couple of episodes. I kept hoping that even the crown prince had been reincarnated, but oh well, we can't get everything we want. Otherwise, it was interesting to see how the different characters made their choices given a second chance to alter the course of their lives.

Aside from the love line, the politics of the palace were interesting to watch. I honestly thought I would skip over those scenes but I actually sat through them, remembering who did/said what. For me, that was really impressive since I don't usually stick around for palace dramas. I especially enjoyed the tango between the ML and the SML as they dealt with the court affairs. In this part, I felt the supporting characters were well developed to move the story forward. The music was great, just that sometimes it felt ill-timed.

On to critisism: I agree with most of my fellow reviewers, at some point, the SML's role was redundant and having more screen time, even as a villain made it worse. After the FL came to terms about her relationship with the ML and also about her feelings for him, it was confusing and frustrating to see her expecting something out of her entanglements with the SML as if it would change her mind/heart. The long farewell with the SML in the final episode was honestly tiring to sit through. Even in his final moments I couldn't sympathise with him. I really wanted the final episode to be about the main couple. I was left wondering if the Princess Royal finally gave birth to her baby. I also wanted to see the big wedding. Sadly, the final episode didn't really deliver.

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Watching mainly for interaction between Leads

i find ZHAO JIN MAI acting is unique.

Most people will say some acted well when they shout and scream like double lead actress does. She is different beast. But ZJM has unique style of acting in that you dont feel she acts but LIVES in it.

Oh i am watching her first time. First episode was bad . But i got hooked in 2nd episode and when she throw ML into water and they chit chat around after. That is when i noticed her acting. She acted with face , eye and overall mannerism.

I do not think any one can act that good except one. Zhang Tian Ai ( great actress). She never get many chance because she outshine male actors.

ZJM dont do not because she acts different. We can see ZJM is 4 level above ML when it come to acting.

Anyways i plan to watch her other dramas now.

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A captivating Story with a Psychotic villain

First things first, this c-drama was great, it had a captivating story line, a villain like most dramas do but that doesn't change my opinion as some villains can be like annoying to the point where if affects your opinion on the whole drama itself but I don't really care, cause the story line was unique for me it kept me going whilst watching this ongoing(1-32) the cast was amazing in terms of acting and sticking to their characters aside from the concubine(Li Rong's step-mother) It was like well for me, her acting was too forced but it was funny at the same time? the music was like another additional thing that was enjoyable for me it was special and complemented the scene that was shown. You may see that idk some reviews that are a lot different to mine but this is an honest opinion from myself and MY OPINION so please don't start anything. Just some advice, don't read the negative reviews, I read them myself some are not genuine and are hating on the fact of how the villains character was in general not the one who played it. If you think they're genuine carry on, I can't control what you do lol. But just remember that If you decide not to get into this drama you will be MISSING OUT for sure as it was definitely worth a watch I might even watch this for its first year anniversary (just my fave eps?)
Anyone reading this take care, and choose wisely as to whether you WANT to watch this or not.

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Like kids playing house

The drama came on Netflix recently so I thought I should give it a try since I don't mind the visuals of both leads. However, from the outset it was apparent that this was not a serious production, because there were obvious flaws with both the mannerisms and dialogues to the point that it was jarring to watch. I don't have high expectations on this front; the drama simply doesn't meet the passing mark.

On to the story, it's actually a widely used trope in web novels, where a couple on the verge of a relationship breakdown go back in time, realise that there were too many misunderstandings on the way, and fall in love all over again (or realise they never actually fell out of love). It's not a creative plotline, but it can definitely be sufficiently entertaining, or it wouldn't be that popular in the first place. The problem is that the execution just sucked. It's like having a very patronising tour guide, who brings you from attractions to attractions, but never delving into the history and culture of the place. Once pictures are taken and there is proof that the location is visited, he ushers you to the next attraction, without checking if your expression is fine, if the lighting is alright and if the landmarks are all captured. You're basically just checking in to the different places soullessly without enjoyment. Yeah, that's the feeling I get after finishing the drama. To add on to that, the court intrigue was very frivolously designed, and the conclusion was very hasty as well.

Now, the actors. They look way too young for their roles, and I cannot take them seriously. The princess royale has zero authority and presence, and it doesn't help that she actually looks like a kid. Cutesy-looking actresses have this going against them - they are not convincing in roles which require more gravity. I think this is just a miscast. Zhao Jinmai needs several more years to pull off this kind of roles because she's naturally disadvantaged. This is something meant for a young Ning Jing, young Fan Bingbing, or young Dilraba. You get it. Zhang Linghe is underwhelming as expected, but he doesn't need to be impressive since this drama focuses on Zhao's role (and also because his rival has no charm so competition is non-existent). The second male lead is about as interesting as a twig, so there's that. He also has either a terrible dubber, or terrible vocal colour. Frankly speaking, the entire cast's inexperience shows and the acting is just painful to watch. There is chemistry between the lead actors though, but not enough.

All in all, it's a disappointing show. Even if you really like the two leads and you buy the romance between them, you'd be surviving on scraps. I cannot think of any reason to recommend this drama.

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The male lead became an accessory while the female lead became the back story

I was conflicted and confused about this drama. The title is misleading. The emphasis throughout was on Su Rong Qing, who was supposed to be the 2nd ML by the way. It was all about SRQ’s endless dramatic antics, forever sob story and sociopathic and villainous behavior. I thought they should have called this drama The Psycho Royal. Only ZLH made me tune in till the end. But really, I wasn’t even sure ZLH was the ML when his character was reduced to an accessory of the FL. I felt cheated. The last episode totally ruined this for me especially with that long irritating monologue from the psycho. Only saving grace of this drama is the flawless acting of ZLH and ZJM.

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très bonne intrigue

Ce que j'ai aimé :
- L'intrigue ! Extrêmement bien construite, elle se déroule naturellement au fil des épisodes. Les explications/détails de la première vie sont en masse !
- Les acteurs ! Brilliants, ils sont tous convaincant dans leurs rôles
-Le personnage de Su Rong Qing ! Le MVP de la série, il a été castré dans sa vie précédente, il a vu toute sa famille mourir, il est en PTSD dans la vie suivante, dommage j'aurais vraiment aimé qu'il termine avec la FL !
- La production : très bien, on voit de beaux costumes et bijoux, c'est filmé évidemment aux Hengdian World Studio donc les décors sont somptueux.
- L'histoire d'amour entre la FL et le SML dans leur première vie ! 17 ans ensemble avec beaucoup de tendresse, c'est pour moi la seule vraie histoire d'amour de la série

Ce que j'ai moins aimé :
- Le personnage féminin principal est froide, arriviste, autoritaire et vraiment pas sympathique. Jusqu'à l'épisode 25 elle n'est jamais sympa avec le ML ! De plus, alors qu'elle vient de passer 17 ans avec Su Rong Qing, quand elle revient dans le passé, il passe directement à la case connaissance ....
- Le personnage masculin principal est soumis, et je ne comprends pas comment il peut être amoureux de la FL !
- L'histoire d'amour entre le ML et FL : incompréhensible, il y a zéro alchimie entre eux, c'est toujours du rapport de force, c'est incroyable.

En résumé, série à voir car bien faite et bien construite avec une bonne intrigue, mais pas pour la romance

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A second chance historical drama that has it's flaws but is still very enjoyable

Whilst the premise of the drama is not new, I think it's fairly well-executed. I think Zhang Ling He and Zhao Jin Mai had good chemistry in the drama, and I found the quipping between their characters entertaining. However, I do think there could have been less arguing about the same issues later on. I also enjoyed watching Li Rong and Li Chuan's relationship - lots of poignant scenes. I think the pacing for the drama is pretty good, for most of it, with little wasted time. I flew through most of the drama. I think the ending could have been a little longer.
The reason why I've given a low rewatch value but high scoring for the drama overall is that it just isn't the sort of drama that I want to rewatch, since the unknown outcomes of all the plotting is what makes it exciting.
I've written a more detailed review of this drama with spoilers on my blog:
https://onthisiponder.wordpress.com/2024/09/09/chinese-drama-the-princess-royal-《度华年》review/

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Heavy on the palace intrigue. Lighter on the romance.

I will watch anything Zhang Ling He is in because he is devastatingly handsome and a wonderful actor to boot! In this he did not disappoint. The premise of this drama seemed interesting--having a second chance at correcting life's failures. But when the plot slowed and gave more air time to secondary characters and not enough on the main leads, I felt disappointed. The acting was very good in this. Jiao Jin Mai (Amidst a Snowstorm of Love) plays the imperious, self-absorbed princess to a Tee and the best part was watching her character grow and becoming adept at balancing personal life with palace intrigue.

The same can be said for the ML. He wanted to be a better version of himself and sought to win his lady's hand. Unfortunately, he isn't given a whole lot to do, so the relationship, at times, feels unbalanced. Watching these two fight and make up, push each other away and finally find a way to make their relationship work, while dealing with people wanting to destroy them, was a job. The rushed ending and loose ends left unexplained was disappointing.

The costumes, acting, and sets were beautiful and I loved the OST. Those were the strongest parts of the drama, but the writing was weak and I felt the performers deserved better.

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Angel Zhao & Zhang Ling He. Of course here I come…

Story about Li Rong (LR) and Pei Wen Xuan (WX). Li Rong, an eldest princess, married Pei Wen Xuan, low class minister, to avoid disaster. Why? Because at that time, the kingdom was ‘ruled’ by the royal families. Royal families had money & power to take over the kingdom, at that time they're not really doing much to threaten the kingdom, however the emperor was still afraid of their influence on the kingdom.

So, the understanding LR chose WX to make peace with her father, the emperor. And WX himself, took the opportunity of him being the princess consort to gain advantage in politics.

That's the introduction to the married life of LR & WX that we know at the beginning. Later we'll find out that really everything is not like what it seems at first.

MDL stated that: “Later on, LR lost herself in the midst of wine, song and dance. As for WX, he had a home yet did not bother coming home because he already had someone in his heart…” That's when all the summary in MDL in my opinion is wrong…

We never get a glimpse of LR losing herself in the midst of wine, song and dance. But rather we start this drama with LR already in power at the edge of her life. But yeah LR & WX didn't have slightest affection for each other. Instead they are enemies with opposite sides in politics.

So yeah, in the end LR & WX indeed died under each other’s schemes. And when they woke up, they had actually returned to the year when they were 18 years old, returning to the most difficult time in their lives. Where they need to start all over once again…

So, how will the story progress…? What will LR & WX choose…? Will LR & WX still choose the same choice with their previous life…?

That’s pretty much the story without giving too much spoiler. Now what I like and don’t.

What I like:
+ Angel Zhao is amazing… She grew a lot with her acting & her choice of drama. Yeah much like JulesL wrote, I also feel she’s lacking something. LR as a young princess is played beautifully by Angel Zhao, but when she needs to be shown LR as a proud, powerful & cold woman… that’s when I feel she lacks. I don’t know how to describe it better…
+ We have no ordinary FL, much like JulesL wrote: “Li Rong was no Mary Sue; she was not your usual FL who was perfect and good, and her only fault was trusting and loving the wrong people. LR also was unlike the stereotypical strong female lead. She had plenty of flaws but also had her own strengths.” And that’s just perfect to summarize our FL.
+ The relationship between LR & WX. This is also when MDL’s summary is wrong: “So Pei Wen Xuan went to look for Li Rong. To be married again but with divorce in mind.” I don’t know about the book, but what I get from the drama itself, the one that had divorce in mind is LR not WX. And I really like how LR & WX manage the relationship, from untrusting each other till slowly trusting each other.
+ We have multiple people who come back from the future after their death. We have FL, ML & the most interesting one, the villain himself...
+ We have no ordinary villain, first this is the first time any villain also comes back from the future. Second, you can’t say he’s evil, but that doesn’t mean he’s a good man either. Unlike LR & WX who take the chance to change the future for a better one, he just does everything to prevent it, even by making himself an evil one. Unfortunately, I can’t really tell you what without giving too much spoiler. Just watch it so you know yourself.
+ We get the best illustration of what will come when they are pushed till the edge of despair. Like what happened with the original future of Li Chuan. That’s just such a pity what happened to him at that time…

What I don’t like:
- A little confused about the original future conflict. That’s the one that I don’t really give a f*ck.
- Much like JulesL wrote, I also somewhat feel all the characters lack something. Like Su Rong Qing (RQ) or LR. But unlike JulesL, I feel even a more veteran actor played RQ, I still feel a little to no care about RQ feelings…. It’s really hard to describe what I mean. But this is one of the reasons I lowered the score for this drama.

Overall: this is quite entertaining, enough to make me watch it nonstop

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A sweet romance that should've been not-so-sweet

What I liked:

- Zhang Ling He's performance is a lot better here than in the Story of Kunning Palace, and I think they made the right choice to dub him because I wasn't keen for a repeat of his robotic performance.
- The leads had good chemistry
- The story explored the complexity of people and relationships very well, acknowledging that there's no black and white decisions in life, and that people are not entirely evil or good.
- Knowing what we know of what really happened to Shangguan Ya and Su Ronghua in their past lives, I'm really glad for their second chance.
- It's a hoot to see so many Joy of Life folks here!

What I didn't like

- The background music was bland
- I'm very impressed with the actress playing Shangguan Ya - she balances her playful and ruthless sides very deftly.
- The rebellion towards the end looked very small and not very convincing.
- The last arc was chaotic.
- Su Rong Qing's arc overstayed its welcome, nuff said.
- Pei Wenxian, towards the end, became a side character in his own story and wasn't as complex or layered a character as a result.
- The special episode was chaotic even if it was sweet. It just felt very off tone with the rest of the drama.

All in all, The Princess Royal was actually an entertaining enough drama, and its strength lay in the exploration of complex characters and their motivations.

However, I can understand why novel readers are upset.

For one, the romance never rose beyond "sweet romance" when the novel was very much not a sweet, teenage romance but a mature one with our characters doing adult things.

Sure, Chinese dramas will never go that far to show full-blown steamy scenes, but Legend of Shen Li managed to show that level of depth without it becoming soft porn.

In the end, the drama was still "good enough" but one can't help but wonder if it could've been better if they tried to be grittier.

As usual, this is a shorter version of my review on my blog: https://dramatea88.wordpress.com/2024/08/22/the-princess-royal-review/

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Mixed feelings

Just finished this. Initially, I was so pumped up to start watching this after seeing an excerpt from IG. Started off intriguing , however it mellows down and gets less and less point towards the end i feel. I think it is interesting idea for 2 people to start anew and fell in love again the second time rightfully however, towards the middle, i find that LiRong’s character is somehow like weeds in the wind, just blindly flying wherever the so called truth revelation goes. The chemistry between LiRong and Pei Wenxuan is also on and off to me, sometimes Li Rong is too aloof and PWX appears to be in love by himself. But my biggest pet peeve is with SRQ’s character. Firstly his voice character is totally off to me, it doesnt sound charismatic enough to my ears, playing the role of an aristocrat. The acting also has so much room for improvement, especially being the ultimate villain/second lead. It makes the villain so weak tbh. The plot sometimes also annoyed me. It keeps on going on and on about the noble families vs commoners, but in the end, nothing was resolved. The emperor is off gallivanting somewhere with his sweetheart, and now we have a female regent with her husband. And they dont even show their much awaited first child! Li Chuan also seems too young for the role. It doesnt give enough conviction to viewers. I love Jinmai from her previous role, but I guess, this role is too ‘adult’ for her as well *shrugs


One thing I like though, the costumes are plenty and beautiful. The cinematography is also nice. Not much to say regarding the ost. They were not used enough in the drama to make an impact to me. All in all, it was an ok watch for me, but very likely not to be rewatched again

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