twinty
This review may contain spoilers
PeiRong- Loveable Bickering Married Couple
The Princess Royal is on my list of favorite dramas of 2024!
You will find TPR enjoyable if you can get by the SML without him annoying you too much. To me, he was there for the plot and did not take away from my enjoyment of this drama. Focus on the main couple and you will enjoy it.
*Except for a few specific chapters, I did not read the novel.
*The review is based on the drama.
*I went in with no expectations other than great acting and chemistry, but I understand the novel readers' frustration with any adaptations.
What I love most about The Princess Royal is the main couple. Both Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan died on the same day thinking one killed the other. They are taken back in time to when LR was 18 and PWX was 20. Both were married in their previous lifetime but lived apart due to a misunderstanding. The first 2 episodes are tough to watch due to the way LR bullies PWX because she thinks he killed her. Thank goodness that was cleared up quickly. The misunderstanding that caused their separation was cleared up by episode 11 and from there, the couple starts to grow closer as they try to discover who was behind LR's death. By the time you get to episode 12, you will have a better understanding about LR and PWX's viewpoint on their relationship. I wish I could say it was all settled by then but it will take time for LR to admit her love fully. Be patient. The ride is entertaining. There are comical moments, frustrations, and sweet moments.
The chemistry between LR and PWX is unique. They are like old married couples. They bicker, but they understand each other. In one sense, they are comfortable with each other, but LR is not ready to trust her heart to anyone yet. However, it was clear to me by the little things she did that she cared deeply for her husband. On the other hand, PWX has no qualms about showing his affection. But he is also capable of petty jealousy that you will be sure to find entertaining. Nobody does petty jealousy like Zhang Ling He! I loved watching this couple especially when it became clear they loved each other.
This is one of the best cp I have seen. Jin Mai and ZLH were outstanding with their depiction of a couple who was on the one hand familiar with each other and acted like old married couples sleeping next to each other and knowing what each other needs and wants, but on the other hand getting to know each other as they came to realize the misunderstanding that caused their separation.
The FL, Li Rong, is a complex character due to who she is. She is THE Princess Royal raised to view marriage and love in a way that makes her more restrained and unwilling to trust. And yet her character possesses kindness and empathy for others. There are some viewers who do not like LR. They believe she is a stupid FL. I DISAGREE! She is not perfect, but I like her. She doesn't always make the right decisions, but she is in no way an evil person. She is caring and strives to improve the lives of the common people. She is proud. She grew up in a royal family where everyone had an ulterior motive. And even though she seems to reject getting closer to PWX, she constantly seeks reassurance that he will always be by her side. Her actions are not because she is stupid. She is the way she is because her trust issues are from a deep and complex place. Lucky LR that she has her Prince Consort..her love, Pei Wen Xuan! She appreciates him and in a rare moment told him, "....let me tell you, you do not need to compare yourself to anyone, let alone Su Rong Qing."
The ML, Pei Wen Xuan, is the Prince Consort. Zhang Ling He played his role in such a way I was able to see him as an intelligent man who is a strategist with a high IQ and EQ as well as a patient and understanding man. He is the perfect match for Li Rong. She comes to lean on him when at times she needs support. PWX is my favorite character in this drama. As a husband if only a nominal one at first, he wants LR's happiness and will do anything he can to help her. But he will also point out her mistakes quite vehemently at times and patiently at other times. And he also has another side. While he appears soft when he is around LR, he is also commanding, confident, and fearless especially when he must defend his princess. He has the greatest lines. Many times I found myself going back to listen to his words:
"Either I die with you, or take you home."
" As a husband, no one can touch you unless someone steps over my dead body. As your ally, I'll stand in front of you even if you're cut in pieces. So whether we are husband and wife or allies, our fate has long been tied together."
The Princess Royal is filled with romance and palace intrigue. It is a story of a second chance in life, acceptance and forgiveness, trust and love. The question of who to trust is a recurring theme. It was surprising to me to see the emperor hesitate to eat pastries brought to him by his daughter, LR. It is no wonder LR has trust issues. By the end of the drama the only person she could trust was her husband, PWX. And even when trust is betrayed, it is possible to forgive when given the chance to change your life.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Some viewers feel that the SML is actually the ML. I disagree. Pei Wen Xuan is very much present and the ML! The SML became more visible in the second half of the drama when the plot picked up concerning the details of who killed LR and the truth about the SML and his part in her death. How else is the drama supposed to head into resolution without addressing the SML's part? Perhaps it is because I was fully invested in this couple and was totally convinced of their love for each other that I did not feel frustrated with the presence of the SML. He became annoying and frustrating to watch, but this did not take away from my enjoyment of the main leads. I enjoyed The Princess Royal because I watched it for LR and PWX.
SPOILER BELOW ON EPISODE 40!
However, I also understand the disappointment of viewers with the final episode. The screenwriter chose to use the final episode as Su Rong Qing's grand farewell. Understandably, SRQ must explain his actions. And perhaps the producer wanted to emphasize all that he has lost with flashbacks to his previous life with LR. And perhaps pity was the emotional reaction this producer sought. While I can see the focus and understand the motives, I felt it went too far and showed too much. Some of it was cringy. But while many dropped ratings due to this, I did not because there were so many more beautiful scenes and outstanding performances to make The Royal Princess a drama I will rewatch. Would I have liked to have seen less of the SML in the final episode and more of LR and PWX? Absolutely! But I was happy with the outcome and the happy ending. Even better, there is a bonus episode!
You will find TPR enjoyable if you can get by the SML without him annoying you too much. To me, he was there for the plot and did not take away from my enjoyment of this drama. Focus on the main couple and you will enjoy it.
*Except for a few specific chapters, I did not read the novel.
*The review is based on the drama.
*I went in with no expectations other than great acting and chemistry, but I understand the novel readers' frustration with any adaptations.
What I love most about The Princess Royal is the main couple. Both Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan died on the same day thinking one killed the other. They are taken back in time to when LR was 18 and PWX was 20. Both were married in their previous lifetime but lived apart due to a misunderstanding. The first 2 episodes are tough to watch due to the way LR bullies PWX because she thinks he killed her. Thank goodness that was cleared up quickly. The misunderstanding that caused their separation was cleared up by episode 11 and from there, the couple starts to grow closer as they try to discover who was behind LR's death. By the time you get to episode 12, you will have a better understanding about LR and PWX's viewpoint on their relationship. I wish I could say it was all settled by then but it will take time for LR to admit her love fully. Be patient. The ride is entertaining. There are comical moments, frustrations, and sweet moments.
The chemistry between LR and PWX is unique. They are like old married couples. They bicker, but they understand each other. In one sense, they are comfortable with each other, but LR is not ready to trust her heart to anyone yet. However, it was clear to me by the little things she did that she cared deeply for her husband. On the other hand, PWX has no qualms about showing his affection. But he is also capable of petty jealousy that you will be sure to find entertaining. Nobody does petty jealousy like Zhang Ling He! I loved watching this couple especially when it became clear they loved each other.
This is one of the best cp I have seen. Jin Mai and ZLH were outstanding with their depiction of a couple who was on the one hand familiar with each other and acted like old married couples sleeping next to each other and knowing what each other needs and wants, but on the other hand getting to know each other as they came to realize the misunderstanding that caused their separation.
The FL, Li Rong, is a complex character due to who she is. She is THE Princess Royal raised to view marriage and love in a way that makes her more restrained and unwilling to trust. And yet her character possesses kindness and empathy for others. There are some viewers who do not like LR. They believe she is a stupid FL. I DISAGREE! She is not perfect, but I like her. She doesn't always make the right decisions, but she is in no way an evil person. She is caring and strives to improve the lives of the common people. She is proud. She grew up in a royal family where everyone had an ulterior motive. And even though she seems to reject getting closer to PWX, she constantly seeks reassurance that he will always be by her side. Her actions are not because she is stupid. She is the way she is because her trust issues are from a deep and complex place. Lucky LR that she has her Prince Consort..her love, Pei Wen Xuan! She appreciates him and in a rare moment told him, "....let me tell you, you do not need to compare yourself to anyone, let alone Su Rong Qing."
The ML, Pei Wen Xuan, is the Prince Consort. Zhang Ling He played his role in such a way I was able to see him as an intelligent man who is a strategist with a high IQ and EQ as well as a patient and understanding man. He is the perfect match for Li Rong. She comes to lean on him when at times she needs support. PWX is my favorite character in this drama. As a husband if only a nominal one at first, he wants LR's happiness and will do anything he can to help her. But he will also point out her mistakes quite vehemently at times and patiently at other times. And he also has another side. While he appears soft when he is around LR, he is also commanding, confident, and fearless especially when he must defend his princess. He has the greatest lines. Many times I found myself going back to listen to his words:
"Either I die with you, or take you home."
" As a husband, no one can touch you unless someone steps over my dead body. As your ally, I'll stand in front of you even if you're cut in pieces. So whether we are husband and wife or allies, our fate has long been tied together."
The Princess Royal is filled with romance and palace intrigue. It is a story of a second chance in life, acceptance and forgiveness, trust and love. The question of who to trust is a recurring theme. It was surprising to me to see the emperor hesitate to eat pastries brought to him by his daughter, LR. It is no wonder LR has trust issues. By the end of the drama the only person she could trust was her husband, PWX. And even when trust is betrayed, it is possible to forgive when given the chance to change your life.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Some viewers feel that the SML is actually the ML. I disagree. Pei Wen Xuan is very much present and the ML! The SML became more visible in the second half of the drama when the plot picked up concerning the details of who killed LR and the truth about the SML and his part in her death. How else is the drama supposed to head into resolution without addressing the SML's part? Perhaps it is because I was fully invested in this couple and was totally convinced of their love for each other that I did not feel frustrated with the presence of the SML. He became annoying and frustrating to watch, but this did not take away from my enjoyment of the main leads. I enjoyed The Princess Royal because I watched it for LR and PWX.
SPOILER BELOW ON EPISODE 40!
However, I also understand the disappointment of viewers with the final episode. The screenwriter chose to use the final episode as Su Rong Qing's grand farewell. Understandably, SRQ must explain his actions. And perhaps the producer wanted to emphasize all that he has lost with flashbacks to his previous life with LR. And perhaps pity was the emotional reaction this producer sought. While I can see the focus and understand the motives, I felt it went too far and showed too much. Some of it was cringy. But while many dropped ratings due to this, I did not because there were so many more beautiful scenes and outstanding performances to make The Royal Princess a drama I will rewatch. Would I have liked to have seen less of the SML in the final episode and more of LR and PWX? Absolutely! But I was happy with the outcome and the happy ending. Even better, there is a bonus episode!
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