Princess Agents
Feb. 15th, 2021 02:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
satalasersHm, I guess? I guess I liked it? It was really long though.
- I feel like one of the reasons I'm kind of reticent to try c-dramas, (and telenovelas) tbh, is that there's a chance that they're really long. So after a while, things just dragged.
- I liked Ah Chu! I thought it was very cool to see a character with principles, and intelligence, and utilize her surroundings effectively. She starts off as a slave, then gets employed as an assassin, then becomes a general. I liked how she turned against Yue Wen Yue for lying to her, and also Yan Xun for betraying what they believed in. I really wish her quest to regain her memories/know her past was more effectively utilized, because it was really sparingly and underused TBQH.
- I hated her relationship with YWY. In all honestly, I didn't like his character that much, and the character development that he did get wasn't that great? I'm not that fond of master-servant relationships, and after Chu Qiao turns against him -- doesn't want to be called 'Xing'er' anymore, but he insists on calling her that because 'she's always Xing'er in his heart'. That's not romantic, it's just annoying. And it was cool to see Chu Qiao get fed up with him. TBH, I didn't feel like they had any chemistry, and I didn't believe that they fell in love with each other.
- Yan Xun, on the other hand? I super loved him. He starts out as this perky and bubbly prince, who slowly gets broken, after witnessing his mothers death, and also his family's massacre (which happens offscreen, but still, he knows it happened), and then becomes cruel and consumed with revenge and power. I mean, his actor was wonderful all the way through, and convinced me very much of his journey's descent. I just wish that I continued to like the character, I felt like they vilified Yan Xun way too much by the end. So his character journey is fascinating, and even though he makes bad choices, it makes a lot of sense because of the events that happen to him, and it's easy to pity what happened to him.
- Also, just. Yan Xun and Ah Chu were delightful? I loved how Chu Qiao initially dislikes him, because she thinks he's making a mockery out of her, but over time, gradually comes to trust and believe in him, to the point that they go to prison together, and spend the next three years in house prison, and then after Yan Xun's wedding with Chun'er... happens, there's so much time spent apart, that I got frustrated at the lack of communcation, and turning against each other, and it just upsets me, because they had a really good relationship. They were each other's support system during their inprisonment, who relied on each other, and Yan Xun asks Chu Qiao what a good name for her would be, and she (I think?) decides on Ah Chu, she tells him her name, and tells him that his home is her home, and her loyalty and plight to him is so bone-deep, that even when she grows disappointed in him, she is still on his side.
- I think Ah Chu was in love with Yan Xun TBH? I'm glad she says that she doesn't know if it's love, (because she's so survival focused), but the fact is, she deeply cared for him, she stood by him when no one else did, they suffered together, and struggled together, and made the decision not to lie to each other, because they were equals in that hell... which makes it all the more heartbreaking (and frustrating) when they do get pushed away from each other, and Yan Xun doesn't let her in on the whole truth at the wedding. And just, ugh, I wish they found a way back to each other, because I can't believe that the only thing she felt for him was comradeship, and I just want them to have a happily ever after, and for Yan Xun to be happy with her once again.
- It's just annoying because I do think the Ah Chu and Yan Xun relationship was underwritten, and even more focus and depth and heartbreak could have been given to them coming together and falling apart, and they shafted it for the YWY/Chu Qiao relationship, and yet, despite that, Ah Chu/Yan Xun still feels like a stronger, more plausible relationship to believe in. Like, for sure, YWU/Xing'er was underwritten too, but I just. Disliked their moments together.
- I really liked Ah Chu's friendship with General He Xiao and Prince Xiao Ce. The former because it was great how she inspired him, and made him believe in his army, which had been considered traitors, and after Ah Chu realizes that Yan Xun had abandoned the Xiuli army to die, considering them traitors still, Ah Chu single-handedly rescues them. (And kills off Yuwen Huai, which felt a little anti-climatic, TBH). The latter, I liked because even if Xiao Ce was openly in love with Ah Chu, and he annoyed her, he did look forward to seeing her, and helping her any way he could, and so a very charming friendship ensued, where she tolerated more with a smile, and a grudging bit of affection.
- Also, General He Xiao and his army had fantastic red armour. One thing I will say about armour in Chinese drama (although I guess I only have The Great Wall to compare it to), is that I adore the fact that armour isn't silver. Red armour, black armour, it's so gorgeous and intricate.
- I hated Chun'er. In some ways, it was nice that she was willing to consider that if Yan Xun wanted Ah Chu to be his concubine after their wedding, she was fine with it. But on the other hand, it was very tiresome that she didn't get a clue that Yan Xun was never interested in her, and he didn't really want to get married to her either. I mean, she loses some of that naivety, so I did pity her a bit, but for a lot of it, I found it very overbearing.
- I did like her brother though. Who was silly and foolish, but he was in love with Ah Chu, up until the wedding, and getting his arm chopped off. I'm kind of glad he gets exiled, kinda, and lives a much more peaceful life, away from all that nonsense. Actually, I liked him getting disillusioned by Ah Chu, even though she never meant to harm him, but getting hurt was inevitable, TBH, after everything that happened. He tries to be the neutral party, also bearing her no ill will, but clearly, will not think of her so warmly either.
- The emperor was awful. Too paranoid, too gullible. I didn't like him at all.
- I did enjoy Yuwen Huai plotting his schemes, but I'm sad he died so soon.
- It served no purpose except comedic, but I did like the scholar Ah Chu encounters, and then repeatedly has to save, just because he was a bit of a bumpkin.
- I hated the general who hated General He Xiao and spent plenty of episodes trying to get his army killed, and causing dissent between Ah Chu and Yan Xun. I'm glad he died.
- I do like the final battle. It's ridiculously dramatic to fight on an icy lake, with the ice eventually shattering, but it is very cool. It's just a shame that at that point, Ah Chu finally regains both her memory and powers, and the show is over.
- There were too many characters and many of them felt unimportant, which is a shame. Like, there's a couple of characters that just don't add anything to the plot, and either s2 maybe could have explored that more, or really, just amount to nothing, and that's annoying.
7.5/10. It had it's moments, but oh, I wish it was tighter and better written.
- I feel like one of the reasons I'm kind of reticent to try c-dramas, (and telenovelas) tbh, is that there's a chance that they're really long. So after a while, things just dragged.
- I liked Ah Chu! I thought it was very cool to see a character with principles, and intelligence, and utilize her surroundings effectively. She starts off as a slave, then gets employed as an assassin, then becomes a general. I liked how she turned against Yue Wen Yue for lying to her, and also Yan Xun for betraying what they believed in. I really wish her quest to regain her memories/know her past was more effectively utilized, because it was really sparingly and underused TBQH.
- I hated her relationship with YWY. In all honestly, I didn't like his character that much, and the character development that he did get wasn't that great? I'm not that fond of master-servant relationships, and after Chu Qiao turns against him -- doesn't want to be called 'Xing'er' anymore, but he insists on calling her that because 'she's always Xing'er in his heart'. That's not romantic, it's just annoying. And it was cool to see Chu Qiao get fed up with him. TBH, I didn't feel like they had any chemistry, and I didn't believe that they fell in love with each other.
- Yan Xun, on the other hand? I super loved him. He starts out as this perky and bubbly prince, who slowly gets broken, after witnessing his mothers death, and also his family's massacre (which happens offscreen, but still, he knows it happened), and then becomes cruel and consumed with revenge and power. I mean, his actor was wonderful all the way through, and convinced me very much of his journey's descent. I just wish that I continued to like the character, I felt like they vilified Yan Xun way too much by the end. So his character journey is fascinating, and even though he makes bad choices, it makes a lot of sense because of the events that happen to him, and it's easy to pity what happened to him.
- Also, just. Yan Xun and Ah Chu were delightful? I loved how Chu Qiao initially dislikes him, because she thinks he's making a mockery out of her, but over time, gradually comes to trust and believe in him, to the point that they go to prison together, and spend the next three years in house prison, and then after Yan Xun's wedding with Chun'er... happens, there's so much time spent apart, that I got frustrated at the lack of communcation, and turning against each other, and it just upsets me, because they had a really good relationship. They were each other's support system during their inprisonment, who relied on each other, and Yan Xun asks Chu Qiao what a good name for her would be, and she (I think?) decides on Ah Chu, she tells him her name, and tells him that his home is her home, and her loyalty and plight to him is so bone-deep, that even when she grows disappointed in him, she is still on his side.
- I think Ah Chu was in love with Yan Xun TBH? I'm glad she says that she doesn't know if it's love, (because she's so survival focused), but the fact is, she deeply cared for him, she stood by him when no one else did, they suffered together, and struggled together, and made the decision not to lie to each other, because they were equals in that hell... which makes it all the more heartbreaking (and frustrating) when they do get pushed away from each other, and Yan Xun doesn't let her in on the whole truth at the wedding. And just, ugh, I wish they found a way back to each other, because I can't believe that the only thing she felt for him was comradeship, and I just want them to have a happily ever after, and for Yan Xun to be happy with her once again.
- It's just annoying because I do think the Ah Chu and Yan Xun relationship was underwritten, and even more focus and depth and heartbreak could have been given to them coming together and falling apart, and they shafted it for the YWY/Chu Qiao relationship, and yet, despite that, Ah Chu/Yan Xun still feels like a stronger, more plausible relationship to believe in. Like, for sure, YWU/Xing'er was underwritten too, but I just. Disliked their moments together.
- I really liked Ah Chu's friendship with General He Xiao and Prince Xiao Ce. The former because it was great how she inspired him, and made him believe in his army, which had been considered traitors, and after Ah Chu realizes that Yan Xun had abandoned the Xiuli army to die, considering them traitors still, Ah Chu single-handedly rescues them. (And kills off Yuwen Huai, which felt a little anti-climatic, TBH). The latter, I liked because even if Xiao Ce was openly in love with Ah Chu, and he annoyed her, he did look forward to seeing her, and helping her any way he could, and so a very charming friendship ensued, where she tolerated more with a smile, and a grudging bit of affection.
- Also, General He Xiao and his army had fantastic red armour. One thing I will say about armour in Chinese drama (although I guess I only have The Great Wall to compare it to), is that I adore the fact that armour isn't silver. Red armour, black armour, it's so gorgeous and intricate.
- I hated Chun'er. In some ways, it was nice that she was willing to consider that if Yan Xun wanted Ah Chu to be his concubine after their wedding, she was fine with it. But on the other hand, it was very tiresome that she didn't get a clue that Yan Xun was never interested in her, and he didn't really want to get married to her either. I mean, she loses some of that naivety, so I did pity her a bit, but for a lot of it, I found it very overbearing.
- I did like her brother though. Who was silly and foolish, but he was in love with Ah Chu, up until the wedding, and getting his arm chopped off. I'm kind of glad he gets exiled, kinda, and lives a much more peaceful life, away from all that nonsense. Actually, I liked him getting disillusioned by Ah Chu, even though she never meant to harm him, but getting hurt was inevitable, TBH, after everything that happened. He tries to be the neutral party, also bearing her no ill will, but clearly, will not think of her so warmly either.
- The emperor was awful. Too paranoid, too gullible. I didn't like him at all.
- I did enjoy Yuwen Huai plotting his schemes, but I'm sad he died so soon.
- It served no purpose except comedic, but I did like the scholar Ah Chu encounters, and then repeatedly has to save, just because he was a bit of a bumpkin.
- I hated the general who hated General He Xiao and spent plenty of episodes trying to get his army killed, and causing dissent between Ah Chu and Yan Xun. I'm glad he died.
- I do like the final battle. It's ridiculously dramatic to fight on an icy lake, with the ice eventually shattering, but it is very cool. It's just a shame that at that point, Ah Chu finally regains both her memory and powers, and the show is over.
- There were too many characters and many of them felt unimportant, which is a shame. Like, there's a couple of characters that just don't add anything to the plot, and either s2 maybe could have explored that more, or really, just amount to nothing, and that's annoying.
7.5/10. It had it's moments, but oh, I wish it was tighter and better written.
