The Lighter and the Princess' Gown (2022)

L&P DESERVES AN AWARD! MUST WATCH CDRAMA OF 2022!!!

I am not exaggerating, this drama is phenomenal, I highly recommend it if this is your first time watching cdramas!

The storyline begins in the present time which is actually a good attention grabber. It will make you wonder what happened, why and how did it come to this point. The drama will then take us back to the past where it all began, freshmen year of college. The concept of this drama is computer programming, and you really see them mostly focused on typing codes, and make programs, etc. Albeit, I'm not sure if the coding itself is real but I have not seen this kind of drama elsewhere which is quite unique.

What really makes this drama come to life and why its so popular is the acting, the chemistry, character development and the storyline.

Zhu Yun (Zhang Jing Yi) : Zhu Yun as a character is a book smart, follow the leader kind of gal in the beginning but eventually she will find her voice. She can get a little bossy, and sometimes I think she lets her emotions make the decision instead of thinking from a practical point of view. She's very passionate when she wants to prove she can do something, as well as very caring and understanding of her friends espeically towards Li Xun. Zhang Jing Yi played her part very well, nothing to outstanding and her acting is quite natural - like she truly is the character itself who's in love and willing to do anything for the love of her life. I have only seen one drama of hers so its difficult to judge if she improved or not - seems like the same to me.

Li Xun (Chen Fei Yu) : Li Xun is your typical rude, selfish, arrogant male lead who believes everyone sucks at computer programming compare to him. However, he's very misunderstood, he's more of a practical guy - he has more experience in the field thus he knows what is sellable or not. Many viewers, espeically if they don't understand mandarin, would think that he's always rude but most of his replies esp to Zhu Yun are quite funny or sarcastic - its unfortunate its not translated well into english. :( Li Xun may be your nerdy, introverted quiet kind of guy but towards Zhu Yun - he cares in a subtle way, and tend to keep a lot of things to himself which is a double edge sword. His character develops pretty nicely, he's not always like he was in the first few episodes. He learned to be apologetic and show remorse for what he has done. However, he still keep things to himself, and sometimes he believes its better to work alone than to bring people in to help him. Yeah, he definitely needs therapy to deal with the losses and feelings. Chen Fei Yu did an amazing job as Li Xun because his eyes does a lot of the acting when he doesn't talk, and it really sucks you in. I also only seen one other drama of his, but despite of that, there's a huge improvement in his acting!

There is a couple time skips and unfortunately we do not see much of the beginning relationship between the leads, but regardless, their relationship was very cute, fluffy, and natural - its like they're a real couple honestly. Amazing acting from both of them!
There's many other great actors in this drama but I have to highlight is Gao Jian Hong played by Zhao Zhi Wei. Without spoiling too much, his character is very competitive, and insecure in his computer programming skills. I did not like his character from the get-go, he seemed fake - a two-faced character. Other than that, you would have to watch and see why his acting was amazing.

Ren Di played by Jenny Zheng: From the beginning of the drama, the way Jenny acted as Ren Di seem so incredibly natural as if she played herself. I just wanted to point that out, the outfits, and her personality fits the actress so well - its very natural and I hope she gets a main role. She honestly compliments well with Chen Fei Yu - the tall couple. hahaa Okay but in reailty, the characters have no romantic interest to one another.

In terms of love triangle, there is one, however it will not make you pull your hairs out so its not a big deal.
Music is amazing, the settings are amazing esp when the main leads got together - the background, the cinematography was beautiful.

Definitely highly recommend this drama if you enjoy watching dramas in a college setting, slow burn but realistic and natural romance, computer programming, games, the dreaded angst, friendship, and betrayals.

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The drama itself I found to be decent and enjoyable at times. Plotwise, it is pretty standard. It's got your classic college to working life story arc. The only difference is that the ML disappears for a couple of years due to some incident and then the story starts back up again after he returns. However, what happens to the ML is a pretty common trope in melodrama plots, so this is not anything new. Speaking of the ML, he is a cocky asshole just because he's a genius programmer. There was no reason for him to be so stubborn and rude. He's unlikable except for that pretty face of his. The writers try to justify his attitude by giving him a "tragic" backstory. I still don't think his past justifies his behavior. Part of his story arc is learning how to make friends. I think they did a good job with this. He still, however, has that cocky attitude until the end of the drama.

The way the writers set up the story in the second half makes it seem like it's going to be a revenge story after the male lead returns. They also set it up to be a business drama about a start up company. The start up related stuff is fun to watch. The revenge story fell flat for me. There was all this buildup making it seem like they were going to get the perfect revenge. What actually happened to the bad guys was not worthy of all that buildup. I really wanted to see one of the antagonists go down in flames. Yet all I got was 5 seconds of him going down for his own unrelated wrongdoing.

Now for the romance, this couple was cute at times (there were a lot of tickle attacks). However, someone mentioned their relationship was toxic and I have to say I kind of agree. In the beginning, a lot of it involved ML leaning in, invading her personal space, trying to make her blush, and ordering her to do things. He would get away with being bossy and rude because of his pretty face and the fact that he is a "genius" programmer. FL's obsession with ML was a bit alarming. They manage to slip in a shirtless scene toward the end for the thirsty folks...so I guess that's a plus. Like I said, they were cute together, but there were a lot of red flags that should not be ignored either.

One thing I liked was FL's growth story. She becomes a better programmer and gains more confidence in herself. I wish she gained the ability to stand up to her parents. I think she actually did toward the end, but I don't think it actually resolved anything.

Overall, I think it's a decent watch. It's not amazing or mind-blowing as some people are making it out to be. The romance is okay (though it has some red flags). The songs are pretty awesome. I think if you lower your expectations, there's a good chance you will enjoy it.

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World is a battle field , few just haven't given up yet.

If you're here to connect with few characters deeply to their present, past and future, this drama is for you. If you are one of those who doesn't want to hope because of broken friendships or relationships, This drama is just right for you.
You live through the rash youth, the one where you have hope, You will live through the adulthood where you have to push yourself to hope and maybe , maybe if you have atleast one person in your life who would stand for you when the world stands tall against you, this is where it is. Overall watch this to see dreams , to just love even when you have nothing and when you are just surviving, it is alright , This is your fight.
Loved few characters , hated few but overall lived through it all.

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really good drama, eng subs don't do it justice :(

Prior to this drama's release, I had heard about the cast and filming of it. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the drama, the cast's chemistry, the storyline, and the soundtrack. The writers did an amazing job adapting the novel to the screen, maintaining many key moments from the novel and the two main characters' relationship, while making minor changes to plot and character backgrounds for better story flow and progression. The drama covers the story of romantic, familial, and friend relationships.

I think the story portrays a very realistic relationship between the two main characters. The male lead, Li Xun, and the female lead, Zhu Yun come from very different family backgrounds and experiences, Li Xun a more tragic and Zhu Yun from a loving, well-off family. The story starts as more of a friends-to-lovers trope, but it's very clear how quickly they fall for each other. Zhu Yun, having always been an obedient daughter sees a side that she desires to be in Li Xun, and by being with him, she can rebel and be her "true self." The leads are not actually together for much of the drama, however, the team did a great job illustrating the push-pull of feelings prior to the actual relationship.Both characters have flaws--Li Xun is too closed off, a bit arrogant, and impulsive, but both love each other immensely, shown through LX pushing away ZY to protect her, and ZY still trusting him all throughout. Aside from the obstacles in their relationship, The college segment of the drama was so charming; all characters were lovable and the interactions and work they did remind me much of my own college experiences.

The distinction between the college romance and workplace romance is something I really enjoyed; there was a very obvious character development and while things seem different, they still are the same. LX and ZY still love and trust each other, continuing off from before, LX is still pushing away ZY to protect her, but ZY comes back stronger and determined to help him win his life and dreams back. I really love ZY's character in the way that she is strong and does everything in her power to protect LX because she loves him. I also think that the other coworkers at Feiyang are so funny a highlight of these emotional first few episodes of part 2.

Both lead actors portrayed the characters so well, I truly believe that they were meant to play them. Through behind the scenes clips, you can tell how hard they worked on bringing Li Xun and Zhu Yun to life. Chen Feiyu and Zhang Jingyi had amazing chemistry--there were so many moments in the episodes where they improvised and their interactions felt so natural.

I watched this drama completely in Chinese and had read the novel prior, and the Youtube English subtitles don't do the lines justice, often translated too simply or cliche/cheesy. Many of the lines hold deeper references to the novel and directly relates the personality and character progression, which is lost in these translations. Lighter & Princess is so much more than your standard idol drama; there's a long time span, imperfections in characters and relationships, and growth. While I feel like the ending few episodes of Lighter & Princess were a bit rushed, I'm still amazed by the closing scene, quoted exactly from the novel, with the carousel turning back time through their relationship, the coded heart stops beating, Li Xun's breathing, up to where they first met in college--this time from Li Xun's perspective. Though it's a happy ending, I can't help but feel a little sad every time I see that last clip. I will definitely be rewatching.

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He is a true king and she is his princess knight

There was not a single moment in this drama where characters were OOC.
Amazing chemistry between leads and the heartwarming story line was something I can never forget. They were so true to themselves and their love.
From the start to the end of drama it was not a let down. Not a moment felt draggy and pointless.
LX and ZY were amazingly played by chen fei yu and zhang jing yi. You could see the emotions in their eyes. Their love and guilt and regret.... it was so heartwreching and beautiful to watch these two together.
The story line was meaningful and had a lot of lessons in it.
Almost all the characters had depth in their personality. There was no complete black and white -except for FZJ that was a true trash- and I cried when I finished the drama just because it was truly beautiful.
I'm glad the drama ended on a high note and didn't disappoint at the final episode.
The song tracks were so so beautiful that I couldn't resist playing them over and over.

I will rewatch it again because I can't get enough of this truly wonderful couple!

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best youth drama..i love it!!

i was never a fan of chines dramas until i watched L&P. once you watch its first ep you become crazy to know what caused all of them to this stage and then you go for it! it has amazing storylines ,some dialogues are worthy to be written down on your dairy . FL and ML made the drama fantastic . i just cant help myself not to be obsessed with it .truly love love love it!!! briefly it is an excellent combo of romance, comedy, seriousness and the things which we youth are facing these days . it deals with reality that you just cant say it does not Happen in real life , i suggest you must watch it .I BET YOU WONT REGRET IT :)

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Holyyyyyy mother of god this was such a boring watch.

I would’ve had a much better time with this drama if it was at least 12 episodes shorter. So many things were needlessly dragged out and it completely sucked the enjoyment out of a story that could’ve been so much more entertaining than it ended up being. While pacing is my #1 issue with the drama, I don’t think I will ever be able to forgive this drama for the route that it took in breaking up the characters. After watching this I’m 100% certain that my absolute least favorite trope in the history of drama tropes is the stupid fucking “pushing people away to protect them by lying to them” trope. Sometimes it’s done well if the person is pushed away without any deceit, however when lies become involved is when I absolutely tune out. There is absolutely no reason… none. I will never be okay with LX’s actions in this drama no matter how many times they are explained and justified. Not only did he lie and push ZY away (and can we talk about the 3 years of clinical depression the poor girlie went through?), he continued to do so even after coming out of prison. He made her cry so many times and betrayed her trust over and over, and we’re just supposed to be okay with this because ZY is an idiot who loves a very very toxic man? Absolutely not. Overall, my unpopular opinion is that this drama is really really not worth the glowing ratings that it gets. The only redeeming points are the chemistry between the leads and the great OST. I’d skip this one if you’re considering watching.

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Best drama of 2022!

First of all I’m not one to cry at all during a drama but for the first time in my life I’ve actually cried for a damn couple they really do have an extraordinary acting skills for the characters I want to say i’ve seen zhang jingyi in fall in love and i have to say she’s a real talent and for the case of chen feiyu this is my first time ever seeing him in a drama and i gotta say he’s a really versatile actor I really am lucky to have ever watched that drama the details the storyline and from the support character is extremely incredible I really do recommend this extremely well played out drama

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Be ready to stuck by lightening

Where to start… its amazing story. From start to end a journey full of emotions, love and compatibility. The chemistry was on fire n I am not exaggerating if i say that they didn’t even need to kiss to create fire ?. Don’t worry you will get plenty of ?. My favourite character was Li Xi although he seemed to be a stubborn guy (exactly opposite to a gentleman, sometimes acted like a jerk yes an extremely proud guy .. or Atleast he pretended to be) but deep down he was a softy. He took his time to understand his surroundings and value friendships but he tried after many events (considering his background we can digest it). All in all I congratulate Arther Chen for being my new offical crush (damn cute). The FL was good. The thing i like most about her that she was not hesitant to express herself. She didn’t care about the so called ‘I am girl’ image n confessed her feelings from time to time . She trusted him in every stage. She was not blinded by jealousy even he purposely tried to mislead her yet she knew him so well and trusted him till the very end!
Other characters played their parts well. Guo showed most versatility in his character. He made me like him, hate him and felt sorry for him. I wished he could stop himself but … it was too late when he realised! The friendship was stained…!! ( Still happy that he ended up with Xu Luna at the end (an ending different from novel)). Ran Di was cool… Fung Xiamo was also unique in her own way( I wished she could ended up with that guy from uni days (who had a crush on her) but the director didn’t put attention on her storyline as she was already additionally acted from novel). I like the changes they made in drama version but i also liked the novel (except the last part where the writer dragged it). All in all it was one of the best dramas with a good rewatch value.

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HYX tomorrow plz

I wanted to like this drama. I came in with a very open mind. There is potential in this story, but it is missed. The script ruins the show. It is not horrible, it is just getting very boring and irritating.

Story: The story is focused on a girl, Zhu Yun, and a guy, Li Xun, who clearly have a rough history and both are computer programmers. It shows them and their past, and then how their relationship is in the future.

Characters: Li Xun, played by Chen Feiyu, is a stuck-up, very arrogant, programmer. Zhu Yun, played by Zhang Jingye, is also an aspiring programmer, she is headstrong and not afraid to stand up to Li Xun.

- and gosh is Li Xun so arrogant? Even in one of the later episodes (episode 18 I think), his cousin explains that he has been arrogant ever since he was a kid, which totally diminishes his whole backstory with his mom. And I hate how they try to justify Li Xun's awful attitude. The show slaps like 2 minutes of his backstory into an episode and calls it good. It is so cheap, just a cheap way to get us to sympathize with the guy. It is a shame because his character is so interesting. It would've made sense to go into his backstory more and give Li Xun more scenes of him being alone reminiscing about his past and thinking about his current actions, but there is none of that. Now that I think about it, none of the characters ever really have screen time alone to contemplate their life. These sorts of scenes are essential in getting the audience more engaged and empathetic towards the characters, but there is none of that. You just see the characters interact and get confused as to why they are acting the way they are acting. Seriously who in their right mind would be friends or even date Li Xun. His actions are irredeemable and not justifiable in the slightest. I love Chen Feiyu, but Li Xun is just the worst guy I have seen in a show in a while.

Chemistry: The chemistry between the FL and ML is okay. Some moments are cute. They clearly are comfortable around each other and it does not seem like they are being forced to act like they are in a relationship. At the beginning of the story when they hate each other it is believable.

When Li Xun and Zhu Yun get together there is a time jump right afterward which makes no sense. I mean, there is 36 episodes, they could have dedicated at least one to show their relationship right after they get together, but they chose to skip 5 years and show us them starting a company together which also makes no sense and you will find yourself not caring in the slightest because there is no payoff. There is no payoff for anything that happens in this drama. You never see the characters work hard towards their goal or struggle to get what they want. For example, Li Xun is amazing at programming, but you never see why, they just tell you why. Zhu Yun and Li Xun just get together without really any build-up. You could say that the build-up is what happens before their relationship, but honestly, she just started liking him one episode, kind of out of the blue. He didn't really do much or have any kind gesture for her to like him.

It is a mystery as to why Zhu Yun fell for Li Xun She saw him publicly humiliate her friend and colleagues on more than one occasion. He does not do much for her, only if it is for his own good. His teasing towards her is straight-up bullying. They share one cute moment at New Year and then the rest of it is just hard to watch honestly. His actions towards her are not cute. He barely talks to her when she asks him for help. He treats everyone around him like they are under him. Li Xun is seriously so narcissistic and then he has the audacity to call Zhu Yun narcissistic. This man is seriously so unaware it hurts. Zhu Yun is treated like Li Xun's little pet, what he does for her only benefits himself. He has not done one thing for her own good yet. And spoiler alert, there is no confession scene, because as you know, Li Xun will not talk, he hates talking, he just kisses her and then they skip like 5 years. You always hear Zhu Yun saying "oh I would do anything for Li Xun, I would die for him, blahblahblah" but you never hear Li Xun do or say anything like that.

"Lighter and Princess" really just misses the mark with the whole bad boy trope. This trope is done better in other shows. If you want to watch a show that shows a cold, arrogant, bad guy, but there is actual development, and the development is not cheap and you actually get to understand why the character acts the way they do then I suggest you go watch "Love Between Fairy and Devil", "Touch Your Heart", etc. In those shows, you actually get to see the "bad boys" develop and turn into nicer, more caring individuals due to love. You also get to see why they act the way they do in more than just 1/4 of an episode backstory, and their backstory actually ties in with the story and who they are, unlike in this show where you could honestly throw out Li Xun's backstory because it is handled so poorly and he was a jerk to begin with as a child anyways.

Script/Writing: The faults in this drama all go down to a cheap script. The pacing is off, and there seems to be a merry-go-round effect on the plot. Li Xun is treating everyone like sh*t, and Zhu Yun toys to get him to be a team player. He teases her. He does something "cute" and "nice" for her. and repeats it. There are many plot points that could be skipped, especially with the side characters. This drama really does not need to be 36 episodes. They could get the story done in probably about 12 if they were to focus on what is really important to the characters and the plot, but there seems to be a bunch of filler at this point. Much of what happens in the show does not make any sense if you really were to think about it. There is clearly potential with the source material and this show just fumbled the ball. It really shows you what not to do when you are handling a complex character like Li Xun. You should give your complex characters: a proper backstory, proper build-up to them changing as a character, proper character development, proper display of their relationships, likable qualities, more dialogue and screen time alone, plot lines that relate to the character, etc.

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