Princess Silver (2019)

An emotional rollercoaster

Nobody in this drama is what he or she appears to be. Although it is rather lengthy (some bits feel a bit drawn out) the mystery kept me going.
The romance part starts of nicely, but then falls into the usual cliches of misunderstandings, keeping things from the other "for their protection", etc. The chemistry between the main leads was a bit lukewarm, some of their actions seemed incoherent. The end could have done with a bit more explanation: if they love each other that much, why waste precious time staying apart?
I intensely disliked the 2nd ML (Fu Chou) with his stalker-type "you-must-love-me-because-I'm-so-good" stance, only to feel sorry for him in the end. That was quite a surprise!
The feeling was similar for Rong Qi - his actions appeared contradictory and confusing at times, but in the end it all made sense. I really didn't know what to make of this character until his tragic story was revealed towards the end. Again, Luo Yunxi quite impressive in a heart-wrenching role!
I liked the fact that the drame has some strong female roles. The action scenes were overall done quite nicely and costumes were good as well.
The music was very emotional and suited the drama perfectly. I must say that I preferred Aarif Rahman's singing to his acting...

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Complex plot, great ending.

This is one of the best ancient cdrama I have watched. The plot is complex with a lot of twists and Im glad that all the mysteries are solved in the end. The last 10 episodes are really good. No loose ends or silly characters in this drama.
The scenary and makeup are beautiful.
Amazing music! so many beautiful OST to listen and sung by the main leads. great singers!
The female lead is cute, smart and strong. Even her teeth are not perfect but that's what make her smile so charming.
The male lead is a great actor and singer. He looks very skillful and strong at his fighting scenes.
My only disappointment is that there's no kissing scenes and the romantic moments are too short.

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This is a very long story with many convoluted plots and many stories being told. I have to admit I did fast forward a lot of the politics and evil plotting bits as they are quite tried and tested plots used before but man, the ending was very unexpected for me, especially with Leo’s character and acting, it was worth seeing this drama to the end just to find out what happen’s to Leo’s character. I felt the true and main love story was actually revealed in the last few episodes and it would be a shame to miss if you gave up on the story halfway. I fell in love with both Leo’s character and Fu Chou. The only irksome thing being the FL’s continued coldness towards a Fu Chou who evidently loved her so much and did so much for her. She is supposed to be a loving caring selfless person and yet she was incapable of showing an ounce of kindness towards a man who does so much for her? That was very odd, although she is a black and white character who does not forgive.

The characters are very sincere and easily likeable, I grew to like all of them. I don’t agree that the FL and ML were weaker in comparison to the support characters. I found the FL played a very clever and strong character quite well, just someone who is never allowed to live for herself. The ML isn’t weaker in terms of acting or strength, I just felt his character overall was more inexperienced, more spoilt and also had less burdens and responsibilities in his life, so his character portrayal is accurate as he would not have been the jaded experienced, mature person the other support males are. The others grew up with revenge and great burdens in mind, Wu You has grown up a prince who shirked responsibility and has had to grow up quickly, in this i feel Arif does a good job in acting out.

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Great Story, Draggy Plot

This story started out so promising, VERY promising, if I may add. And that promise continued into the first 23 episodes or thereabout, then the original plot line declined from there and the story went downhill. Fortunately, toward the later episodes, it did pick up, even made me quite emotional.

On the characters, I must confess that even though Kahn is a very handsome man, he seemed OFF to me, as the romantic ML. His acting felt bland and off and he seemed to lack genuine chemistry with the FL Rong Le which failed to make their acting towards each other very convincing. I tried to see the chemistry but couldn't.

The guy that played Fu Chou did EXCELLENTLY well in his interpretation as a cold, tortured, calculating, and also utterly devoted man to his woman. It was much easier to fall into his role emotions-wise than with the ML.

Lastly, Leo Luo is gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous! But unfortunately he got too little screen time through the 58 episodes of this drama. However, he did come off as highly capable in his role interpretation. Well done, man! Well done!

Furthermore, I must note that the ML and FL weren't so easy to like or connect to emotionally. The ML came off as supremely arrogant when tact could have worked better and bratty & immature when he seemed not to have his way. The FL came off strong as first, but of course became cliche within the story. She's good at martial arts but seems incapable of defending herself, etc. A lot made it difficult to really like her person in spite of the huge burden on her.

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This is a Chinese wuxia and fantasy drama that could have been so much better if the main leads would have developed a good chemistry, but they failed to deliver the feeling of a great love story. The drama has enough twists and turns to keep the viewers watching but it got repetitive and boring towards the middle. The drama’s plot is really interesting but the acting lacked sincere show of emotions. The female lead did the best out of all the main characters, emotion wise, but she had a much better chemistry and warmth with the Emperor Rong Qi. Leo Luo (Rong Qi) was possibly the second best main actor on this drama. Even though his character was supposed to be cold and manipulative, his eyes displayed all his beautiful and steadfast love for Ron Le. This drama had a lot of potential but it is full of missed opportunities to make the story and the feelings believable. The ending feels rushed and uneventful.

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Great first 15 episodes!

Summary: if I have one word to describe the first 15 episodes, I’d say it’s Fast-paced. I’ve watched many historical shows . Usually the first 20 episodes have the best parts then the fillers for other supporting actors are added for them to have their own screen time. Other reviews are right. Watch this for the first 15 episodes and enjoy a fast paced thrilling entertainment. Most parts are originally done , bordering in preposterousness.
Then just fast-ward and look up for main actors scenes. Some words are recycled and repetítive to prolong the scenes. The last 15 episodes are the core of intrigue. It’s the revelation of revenge.

Pro:
-Acting is good. The main actress’ face is usually shot on the side for a reason. She reminds me of the Song of Glory actress, Li Que. this new actress lacks intensity but it’s good to see new faces. The main actor here reminds me a cross between Mark Chao ( the famous Eternal Love (7 mile peach) main actor and the Princess Agents main actor. Great choice!!!! Watching super pastry white effeminate men can be too much. This actor is good though lacks passion.
-original for the first 15 episodes then it takes you to regular palace and war intrigues.
-costumes and designs are good. Of course, the Story of Yanxi Palace with Wu Jin Yan has the best glamorous costume in my head.
Cons:
- missing link. Writers should have included the main lead’s past on screen. Merely telling her story is a bummer.
- lacks depth on the love between the main lead’s first love. It would have added more sizzle. It was rushed and looked like it was filmed in one day.
- chemistry is all acting. You can feel it.
- not much variation in location. If not for the 15 episodes, id be like what is this location. It’s the same old thing.

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Lungo e noioso, noioso e lungo.

Sentimenti molto contrastanti sono il risultato di questa visione. Agli splendidi costumi e ambientazioni e ad un commento musicale tutto sommato godibile, si contrappone una sceneggiatura noiosa e ripetitiva, dove spesso l’effetto “cringe” – ma cosa diavolo sto guardando? – mi ha lasciato spaesata. Alcune belle e commoventi scene sparse qua e là sono purtroppo nascoste sotto una valanga di nonsense. Le reazioni dei personaggi, spesso illogiche e forzate fino allo spasimo, lasciano a volte basiti.

L’amara verità è che questa serie è troppo, troppo lunga: 58 episodi, quando 28 sarebbero forse bastati. Siamo generosi: 40 episodi sarebbero stati il formato perfetto. Invece, così, l’infinita serie di situazioni ripetitive, storie secondarie e di mero contorno, circostanze palesemente costruite per allungare un brodo che fa già acqua da tutte le parti, han fatto sì che giungessi agli ultimi 10/15 episodi già completamente stanca, annoiata, irritata. Gli ultimi 5 li ho guardati per forza d’inerzia, solo per sapere come andasse a finire. E che liberazione, arrivare ala fine!

Intendiamoci: non è tutto da buttare: si tratta di una storia complessa, in cui non mancano effettivamente dei bei colpi di scena, anche se, stiracchiando così la trama, molti sono abbondantemente telefonati. Alcuni attori hanno fatto un ottimo lavoro: la protagonista Zhang Xue Ying ha lavorato molto bene, così come l’interprete del principe erede al trono: la sua macchietta era ottima.

Menzione d’onore per Jing Chao, vero protagonista e mattatore dell’opera: il suo ritratto del Generale è stato magnifico. Il suo viso è sempre stato espressivo il giusto, il suo linguaggio del corpo sempre all’altezza della scena. Avrebbe meritato di essere ML.

Invece, tale ruolo è andato ad un certo Aarif Rahman, che sarà pure famoso, non dico di no, ma la cosa migliore che si possa dire di lui è che sia granitico, e non solo per l’importante mascella, quanto per il fatto che muovergli i muscoli facciali in modo coerente è un’impresa titanica. No, Aarif, non mi sei piaciuto.

E’ andata meglio a Luo Yun Xi, anche se non l’ho trovato poi così speciale come indicavano i commenti agli episodi, e se mettesse su qualche chilo forse gli farebbe bene alla salute e all'aspetto. Sorvoliamo pietosamente sulla performance terribilmente sopra le righe della malvagia regina. Colpa sua o del regista?

No, non mi è piaciuto molto questo drama. La protagonista principale è stata resa molto antipatica, specie alla fine, quando non si capisce bene cosa voglia fare della sua famiglia. Il protagonista è fin troppo gentile con lei, tanto da essere poco credibile. L’unico vero personaggio di spicco, che svetta su tutti gli altri, è proprio quello del Generale: il suo sviluppo è stato magistrale. Un’ottima sceneggiatura per un ottimo interprete. Fortunatamente gli hanno dedicato molto tempo.

Insomma, poche luci e tante ombre. L’ho guardato finire perché ormai ci avevo investito molto tempo, ma l’ultimo quarto è stato davvero difficile da buttare giù. Si risolleva nel finale, ma prima bisogna arrivarci.

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Frumos, Emoțional, Captivant

Mi-a plăcut filmul, merită toate aprecierile pentru efortul și munca depusă de actori, Cerul să își reverse toate binecuvântările asupra lor, iar Succesul să îi însoțitească pretutindeni, întotdeauna, Cu drag și respect pentru Luo Yunxi.
İubesc cultura și istoria acestui popor, știu cum să își facă cunoscut acest lucru în toată lumea, au apărat drepturile și libertățile lor, au reușit să supraviețuiască, cinste lor.
Nu doresc să fac politică, doar îmi exprim aprecierea pentru ei ca nație, ca și popor în lume, Mulțumesc ❤️ ❤️❤️

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I wish the drama would have been better !

The drama starts with a beautiful night scenery, martial art fight and music. The strong female lead character enters and the plot starts to fall down with intrigues that keep you hooked.... until episode 15-17.
Then there are a lot of holes in the plot, maybe due to the too many twists in the story, but lot of scenes unfold without making lot of sense and you can fast forward the drama and still understand everything.
Now, Leo Luo actes brilliantly as always .... his character is my favorite. Jing Chao was a bit disappointing though as I found his expression was the same whatever emotion he tried to demonstrate.

⚠️ ATTENTION HUGE SPOILERS !!! ⚠️

- It is so frustrating that Rong Le is not intrigued by her pay and flash backs. She never looked for her true identity (but 2/3 lines in the scenario) until Xiang takes initiative to find the truth after only one sentence she heard (“-“)
- Episode 15 - Long yue dies to allow the princess to escape, yet she doesn’t and so she died for absolutely nothing. Prince Li was literally 2min away on his horse yet ..... he never arrived while Rong Le is stopped by her brother, she is screaming, crying ...
- That scene when Xiang and Rong Le cry and fall asleep together and never talk about it ... is so weird. We know from that their relationship as viewers. But that scene isn’t well captured in the scenario.
- Rong Le knows martial arts and don’t hesitate to fight against dozens of men but don’t stand against 1 man when majesty’s life is threaten, nor to get rid of one of the main male leads
- Episode 40 - She knows how unhappy she was when she was forced to marry someone she doesn’t love ... yet she offers Ya Li to marry General Luo. Then Ya Li turns into a vilain that is completely out of character because she feels alone. She loves 1 then another one ... so weird.
- There are some politics intrigues but from a scene to another, wars are settled
- After the adultery episode, she comes suddenly comes back from Chen with Wi You and the warhorses and the matter is also settled just like that.
Episode 52 - princess comes back to southern land freed of all doubt of adultère because they came back with horses from Chen ! Just like that ...
- Episodes 56-57 are so frustrating. My heart aches for Emperor Qi. He is The real hero/victim is actually Emperor Qi! He never had anything, his mother never gave him love, and he lost the only person he ever loved ... while she hated him all along, he actually saved her multiple times and did everything in his power for her to be happy with the man she loves ! Yet, she doesn’t understand his actions while she can understand General Chou and Wu You ??‍♀️
And when did Ke arrive ? The only episode that actually made me cry is the last one .... for emperor Qi and love that Rong Le should have had for him all along ?

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The Verdict

I would say that Princess Silver is not too bad that it is worth spending the time to go through the entire 58 episodes. Maybe you can skip some episodes to make it worth your while, especially if you prefer to watch Rong Le with a specific male lead rather than all 3. The plot twists kept me interested to the end. The constant curiosity over Rong Le’s identity also made me plow on despite some parts getting a little long-winded such as the power play in the southern states ruled by Wu You.

So, I would say watch it for the plot. The various relationships among the different characters and what they might be up to could be a little complicated though. Hence, it’s preferable to watch it with subtitles if you don’t understand Mandarin. The plot starts to thicken after 12 episodes or so which means you must be patient enough to sit through the beginning to understand the later parts of the drama. I was able to do that without much complaint unlike Legend Of The Phoenix which I have to drop after the first 3 episodes.

What Might Put You Off
While Princess Silver is a drama that has a strong female character in Rong Le, the storyline might be a tad incredulous for some. Like the Heaven Sword And Dragon Sabre whereby the male lead has 4 female admirers, Princess Silver has 3 men who are willing to sacrifice everything for her. To add to that, all the 3 are royalty.

The acting too is nothing to shout about. The chemistry between Rong Le and Wu You is lacking to me which I think is partly why there are many viewers who also rooting for her with Fu Chou and even Rong Qi. Different people will have different opinions as to who suits Rong Le best.

I know Wu You is supposedly stoic and shrewd. But Aarif Rahman’s portrayal seems a little too stiff which fails to give the character more depth. On the other hand, Jing Chao manages to give Fu Chou different dimensions to this character as he is supposed to be neither all good nor bad. There are more subtleties to his expressions and body language which makes Fu Chou more interesting to watch.

Thus, if you do not like Wu You, Princess Silver will be a pain to watch. After all, Wu You’s character dominates the screen time in the first quarter of the drama before Fu Chou comes in. Even then, Wu You continues to show up in his battle with Fu Chou and meetings with Rong Le. Furthermore, Sophie Zhang’s Rong Le overshadows Wu You to some extent. That is why I find the chemistry lacking between these 2 leads that I don’t feel so invested in their relationship to be able to really feel the ups and downs of their romance.

Conclusion
In conclusion to this Princess Silver review as to whether it is worth watching, I’d say give it a go. It is a very intriguing story adapted from a novel that reveals how much a man would sacrifice for the woman he loves, how much one can hate for the wrongs done to them, and how painful it is to have regrets. Just look beyond the acting and you might just enjoy the drama with its twists and turns.

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When I read the synopsis, I thought this was just a romantic love drama, more like Ten Miles of Peach Blossom. But after watch some of early episodes, this drama was more similar to Good Bye My Princess, with the palace politics intrigue and conflicts between kingdoms.

Story: Though the story has some similar point with GBMP, but for me the pace is too slow to grow intense. Basically I only need about 5 days to finish 50-60 episodes drama, and I finished this drama in about 9-10 days. The romance is too cheesy for me, even though I like the princess as the main character.

Acting: Although the chemistry of all characters are not bad, but the emotion they show are just average. Some scene are emotionally great, like the act of Emperor of Western Qi (Leo Luo as the Emperor). I like him a lot, specially in the last episodes. Make me hard to move on.

Music: the soundtracks are easy listening and have beautiful lyrics. I even save them before I watched this drama.

Rewatch value: I only will rewatch the last episode, the sadness emotion which this episode brought is so beautiful that makes me can't stop tearing.

Overall: Not a bad drama, actually the story is pretty good despite of the slow pace. Not really fond of Zhang Xue Ying and Aarif Rahman acts, don't know it's the character or their act, just feel awkward in some scenes. However, I think Leo Luo save this drama in the last episode. The one and only deep impression from this drama.

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This is the first review I am writing here and I must say that this story was so good it made me want to talk about it more and more.
Straight to the point: work quality was really good. The sets, shooting, props, costume were all good, although some looked fake, it wasn't to a point that it distracts you from the scene. The plot is well wrapt and everything is connected in a very good way.
The FL is stunning and the character is intelligent and charismatic. The ML is handsome as the OC from the novel, and it's well portrayed as well. The real jewel here is the second and third male. They are totally the best characters and performances from this show. I was so amazed by their acting that I started to search for other work from them.
The downside of this is the lack of chemistry between the main couple. FL actress is really young and lacks some skills, after I watched some behind the scenes footage I could understand that she and the ML made so many jokes and laugh so much on set I think they couldn't focus properly on the scene. There is no chemistry at all. Their faces are there, they look at each other trying a lot, but they don't get there. The best FL performance is with her brother, the firsts episodes she was good. All the side stories are good. Anyway, this drama has the bests lasts episodes i've seen. I rarely rewatch dramas but i keep rewatching 54 to 58 episodes, it's really good. Remember this is a tragic drama, although the happy ending (for some watching, not for me), you will fell pain a lot watching it!

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