November wasn't the easiest of months this year, finding Princess Royal was kind of a blessing. Drama was relatively long but worth any minute of it 💛 I might have said it many times but will say it again, maybe Chinese producers will hear me - there isn't many Chinese dramas that have a captivating plot from first to last episode. Most of the time they have too many threads and hardly ever they are all cohesive and bring something to main story. Princess Royal is the exception proving the rule!
Plot isn't easy but amazingly contructed!
Princess Li Rong and official Pei Wen Xuan got married at the age of 18. They used each other to achieve private goals - she needed him to avoid siding with strong nobles and he needed her to gain power in the society and court. Despite marrying for political reasons they shared some affection. Through a tragic turn of events, that petty feeling died and was replaced by suspicion, politics and other people. For 20 years all they strived for was power, when the blackest of days arrived and they died, faith gave them second chance.
RongRong and Wen Xuan are waking up in their 18 year old bodies soon before marrying each other once again. This time with divorce in mind after fixing what they destroyed last time.... and that means their feelings too.
Princess Royal unexpectedly took over my days, mind and heart. After finishing The Sword and the Brocade, I didn't expect to find such a good Chinese historical drama. Let alone the cast! Princess Royal hired some really great actors who created fantastic characters. This review won't be long because it's hard to find any flaws in this drama!😅
The chemistry between the main characters was exceptional 😍 They are the definition of an old married couple - they argue and know how to get under each other's skin because they know each other inside out. Although they love each other, they do it in secret. They are comfortable with each other but there are secrets that prevent them from trusting each other 100%. Their way of showing affection is so similar to my husband and I that it was funny to watch them as a third person.
Princess Royal is full of romance and palace intrigue. It's a story about second chances in life, acceptance and forgiveness, trust and love. The question of who to trust and who really thinks like you is a recurring theme. I was surprised that the emperor hesitated to eat the cookies brought to him by his daughter. I was outraged by his behavior, HOW CAN YOU NOT TRUST YOUR OWN CHILD 😡 But then I thought about it and came to the conclusion that adding poison by someone else was very easy and quick in those days 😟 This realization could have really hurt him 😥 too bad it also hurt their relationship.... No wonder everyone in this palace has trust issues! Loved how leads changed in this subject - in their first life, they were the first to stop trusting each other while in their second life they trusted each other completely.
SPOILER ALERT!
I guess like many, I wasn't a fan of the last 2 episodes. The Second Male Lead, Su Rong Qing, became more visible in the second half of the drama and I knew even then that he wasn't a positive character. His passive participation in the Princess's murder was heartbreaking 😭 I thought he truly loved her, that even though their story was twisted, his feelings were real and he was protecting her. But it turned out he was playing a double game and was just hiding his frustrations behind mediocre feelings. The character of Rong Qing was fantastically played and I applaud the actor for creating such a multi-layered character. Nevertheless, he was annoying and frustrating to watch 😬
I'm starting to get carried away in praising the drama so I'll stop here and just say that the plot and characters are great and the whole thing is fantastic. Princess Royal jumps into my top 10. This is a drama closely comparable not only to The Sword and The Brocade but also to Alchemy of Souls and Reborn Rich. It's a brilliant combination of love, intrigue, tragedy, finding happiness and accepting reality. I wouldn't change a single minute or character 💛
I'm currently on episode 5 of another Chinese drama - Kill Me Love Me, which I already know will be at merely half as good as for this one 😬
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