“The Princess Royal“ was meant to be Youku’s big drama. It managed to hit the milestone of reaching 10K popularity points on the platform, fans enjoyed the chemistry between Angel Zhao Jinmai and Zhang Linghe, who play the main couple, but there have been quite a few complaints about the show as well. Ending Spoilers Below.
Zhang Linghe Much-Improved
Zhang Linghe has starred in several hit dramas but hasn’t always received credit aside from his visuals. Many say his acting needs improvement. However, “The Princess Royal” shows a different side with it possibly being his best acting yet. He embodies Pei Wenxuan, an official with the wits and will to navigate the court. He also brings a lot of charm as the romantic lead, who gets a second chance to undo past regrets.
However, there are complaints about his reduced screen time. The black-bellied character from the novel only appeared within the limited scope of what he could do in a story where the male lead is mostly reduced to a love interest. Apparently, some of his highlight moments from the novel were said to have been given to Su Rongqing. Nonetheless, Zhang Linghe’s performance as Pei Wenxuan remains a highlight from his love confession in the rain scene to many cute moments (especially at the start when there wasn’t so much drama), his chemistry with Zhao Jinmai is undeniable.
A Heroine’s Journey
Angel Zhao Jinmai shines as Li Rong, the intelligent crown princess who becomes a regent by the end. Her journey to power is worth rooting for. Additionally, Li Rong’s friendship with Shanguan Ya and Qin Zhenzhen is a breath of fresh air compared to the usual tropes that have the women against each other. All three play the part of sensible, capable women even if the political elements of the show are admittedly its weakest. Li Rong can be frustrating when it comes to her complicated feelings towards the men in her life, but for the most part, she’s the perfect combination of sensible and spunk.
Second Lead Controversy
A major point of contention has been the screen time given to the second male lead, Su Rongqing, played by Chen Heyi. Many fans, especially Zhang Linghe’s, argue that Su Rongqing had more screen time than the male lead in some episodes. His was a tragic character, a victim of circumstances in his past life and wanting to avoid the same fate, he ultimately goes down the wrong path. Chen Heyi’s acting was criticized for not being strong enough to make the character sympathetic, especially when it was revealed that he was the main villain. The abundance of sweet scenes between Su Rongqing and the heroine led some to sarcastically rename the drama “Legend of Rongqing.” Unfortunately, this also resulted in the actor receiving hate comments, with people telling him to stop hogging the screen.
How It Ended for the Three Couples
Given that “The Princess Royal” is a rebirth story where both leads died fighting each other in their previous lives, the second chance at life is bound to lead to a happier ending. Thankfully, Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan had the best conclusion. Trust and communication comes a long way to make a relationship work and after their third marriage, they finally get their happy ending. We get to see their two kids too in the bonus episode.
The other couples also had satisfying conclusions. Crown Prince Li Chuan becomes emperor but leaves the throne to his sister. Thankfully, he keeps his kindness instead of becoming the ruthless ruler in his previous life because this time around, he has Qin Zhenzhen, who didn’t die this time. The two leave everything behind to travel the world together. Shangguan Ya and Su Ronghua, who couldn’t be together in their previous lives, are implied to be getting married, with Li Chuan promising to return for their wedding day.
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