The Lighter and the Princess' Gown (2022)

I must have been watching a completely different show than everyone else

Please remember, this is just my personal opinion. I'm not telling anyone else what they should think about this show, only putting my thoughts down (mostly because my memory is so bad that I have to have reminders of what I thought of shows, so I don't waste my time on something I've already watched).

1) I thought this show was PAINFULLY draggy. Do they not have editors in China? Are they trying to get an award for the greatest number of episodes with the least amount happening? Do they get paid by how long the show is? It's a mystery to me. Unfortunately, I find this to be true in most of the C-dramas I've watched, even more so than K-dramas. I was keeping track of what episode I was on, and I felt like I was watching paint dry. There was so much time when there was actually nothing going on. Lots of time spent walking from one place to another, sitting at computers, staring at each other while trying not to be seen staring at each other.
2) Too much programming/code talk. I get it, that's what they were doing, but we could understand that without having to watch the process.
3) ML. When you have a tsundere character, you need to be able to see him changing over time. There was some at the end, but even then, there wasn't much expression change. And I think if we hadn't been shown the prison stuff at the beginning, his behavior might have made a little more sense. But I just kept wondering why he was so mad all the time, especially before prison.
4) FL. To me, she was extremely irritating. Why did she keep following him? There was something so "I'm better than you are" about her, I just couldn't like her. She was always just around him. Was that supposed to show that she would support him regardless? Which brings me to...
5) Chemistry. This was a relationship that I just couldn't get behind. He was mean to everyone, and he was the same with her. She didn't like him at all and made no bones about the fact that she didn't like him. This was supposed to be enemies to lovers, apparently, but I never saw a moment that made sense for them to start liking one another. Why would you like someone that treats you so badly? Granted, for my own sanity, I had to fast forward through a lot of it, maybe I missed it. They were somewhat cute at the end, but I still couldn't really feel the chemistry, maybe because I didn't like either character.

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Not a perfect drama but nearly there.

I am not someone who normally leaves reviews but I love this drama so much that I wanted to. Honestly, I am a fan of the novel and I have been really anticipating the drama since it was first announced. However, I was scared because most novel adaptations don't live up to the novel itself. I am happy to say that this is not the case here. In fact, I would dare to say that the drama was actually better than the novel in some aspects.

Plot:
Lighter & Princess is a story about life journey of two individuals from opposite backgrounds who fall in love and face some very challenging situations. Neither Li Xun nor Zhu Yun are perfect people. They both have flaws but together, they fit perfectly. Li Xun is someone who has a lot of confidence in his abilities and is determined to walk on his own path but he lacks love and trust in his life. Zhu Yun fulfills that. She gives him her unconditional love and support, eventually making him open up and fall deeply in love with her while she takes courage from Li Xun and learns to stand up for herself, especially against her mother. Without giving too much away, this is a story about love and courage, about making choices and living with their consequence, and about not being defined by your one mistake or your poor circumstances..

The drama was very faithful to the novel but some things that it did better than the novel was fill in some gaps and develop the supporting characters well. One of the changes I particularly liked in the drama was that Li Xun learned about Zhu Yun's struggles and actually apologized to her. There's no doubt in the novel that Li Xun loves Zhu Yun and is regretful of how he acted in the past but he never actually apologizes for his action in words...I think by making him do so in drama, it showed a level of growth that the novel was not able to bring to the character.

They also made Gao Jianhong's betrayal more believable by showing a steady build up of resentment in him. In the novel, the betrayal did feel a bit jarring. I wasn't too fond of Li Xun's attitude towards Gao Jianhong (and this is one of the changes from the novel I disliked) but I understand the need for it.

Another change I absolutely loved is that they made Zhu Yun's gift of lighter more meaningful. In the novel, the lighter holds no importance really; he carries it because he is a smoker and she gifts him a lighter in exchange for her dress. But in the drama, the lighter carries a lot of importance for him and Zhu Yun fixing it and returning it to him made the whole exchange much more meaningful and heartwarming. Overall, it's clever changes like these that improved the novel plot in my opinion.

Acting:
The leads of this drama, Chen Feiyu and Zhang Jingyi, were simply phenomenal. Their chemistry felt so natural and they didn't hold back while showing intimacy...the kisses, the hugs, the cuddles were just perfect. They are now my standard for drama couples. Not to say there isn't room for improvement. There definitely is but honestly, I don't care. They are exactly like how I imagined Li Xun and Zhu Yun to be and they made me fall in love with them all over again.

The supporting cast did well too. I did find Zhao Zhi Wei (Gao Jianhong) and Cui Yu Xin (Fang Zhijing) a bit lacking during more spirited scenes. Hence why, I rated the acting as 8/10. Minus 1 for each of the actors....but really, it didn't affect my drama enjoyment too much.

Apart from that, I don't have many complaints.

Soundtrack:
BEAUTIFUL! The soundtrack for this drama has been on repeat for me. Falling You and Firework even made it into my YouTube Music Top 5 for 2022. And given how this was released just last month, I can't even say how many times I would have replayed it to make it to the list.

However, more than just good songs, the music is used very well in the drama. An example of this is the famous snow scene before the separation. It's a romantic setting and the words are sweet but the music is so melancholy that the viewers get a very bittersweet feeling watching the scene. Very well done!

Direction:
Finally, I need to drop a word of praise for the director. I have watched a fair amount of contemporary Chinese dramas and I can honestly say, I have never seen a drama that paid so much attention to details. There are a lot of subtle details that speak to a character's state of mind or stage of life. It's impossible to list them all. Here is an example of the level of detail this director included: https://twitter.com/afterrnoont/status/1598215644666699776?s=20&t=iAMC3_gR80pYJnnHGfMVAA

Also, several parallels like this one: https://twitter.com/blueasbutterfly/status/1598197957727514626?s=20&t=iAMC3_gR80pYJnnHGfMVAA

Artistic scenes like this one: https://twitter.com/wreckerofmyjoy/status/1592534190356303872?s=20&t=iAMC3_gR80pYJnnHGfMVAA

Amazing, amazing work!

Final review:
If it wasn't clear enough, I LOVED THIS DRAMA!! SO SO MUCH!!! I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good romance drama to watch.

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A mix of fluff and angst drama

The first few episodes reveal the present and hence you'll get curious on what made the characters at that state. At first, I thought it was just some typical programming geek romance drama, but this drama beg to differ. It's really an eye opener on how others look down and abuse people that has no power. I assure you you'll fall in love with Li Xun and Zhu Yun's characters which might be annoying at first , but their growth warms your heart. Their determination is what drives them to do better and as young as they are, they are making the impossible, possible. Kudos to the production team and the casts as they made the year end with a bang! Please watch it, as it's still on-going and I promise you won't regret it! Let's watch how Li Xun and Zhu Yun resolve their problem in the present time. 

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Good production trying to re-spin a tired trope of glamourising toxic relationships

I give this an 8 out of 10 which is highly generous considering the subject matter - being made into some unique love story. This is mainly for the overall production quality. But overall, a very problematic drama which in essence glamourizes toxic behaviour and puts narcissistic behaviour firmly on the map. For watchers like myself, it's not an issue, as it's just a drama, but for younger impressionable audiences, quite damaging to see and think normal and even made acceptable.

Yet again, we are treated to "band-aid" relationships, where usually the woman is lowering herself to accommodate the man under the guise of being gallant and changing him for the good. Reality is, these types of relationships usually end in disaster and this story tries to paint over that fact. Even to the very end, the ML "buys" a property (a big life decision) without even consulting her. These are classic controlling narcissistic behaviours, with very little in way of seeing him change in in the final episode. The only change is the fact, he finally accepts the FL and end up in a relationship, again...scary stuff.

The acting is good, although I feel CFY is more or less acting like his real life character and not a far stretch to play a part like this, so it suits him down to the ground. JJY is the work-horse of the drama. Even how annoying she is to still hang in such a toxic relationship, she told the story well through countless scenes of humiliation and curiosity.

There were parts that dragged on. To get to the point, some episodes really did not need to be. The so-called baddie character played by ZZW was a bit weak, especially towards the latter stages when he was going off the rails were some of the most awful gurning and over-the-top nodding going on. You know something is wrong when you're giggling instead of concentrating on the actor's emotions.

Nonetheless, it's a decent drama, but the subject is not new and re-hashes that same old "only I can change this man's behaviour" trope to make female audiences feel more personal and special. I think that's more imaginary rather than reality.

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If you want romance in the air

Usually I cant complete C romantic dramas without losing patience, but this is one of those few exception. Yes it has its flaws but overall I feel its a decent melo drama. I would recommend if you are ok with such kind of genre. The outline of the show is pretty basic like any other melodramas however the execution is different. The dialogues felt rich, acting by the main leads was lively and romance was flirty. The first half the show [1-14] was good and engaging. Infact during the first few episodes I used to feel like an hour had passed by though in reality only 15-20 mins would have gone. The conversations between the leads made me wanna listen to them. Middle section [15-22 ep] of the drama was a total makjang and looked like forcefully added in the storyline to create drama. The latter section was draggy with unnecessary arcs and a mild revenge story, only saving grace being the romance section of the leads. I fast forwarded a lot here. I legit had no interest on the side characters romance and their so called life and friendship element which was added for filler purpose.

I want to add my two cents for some of the hyped points of this drama:

1. Male Lead- He has been hyped as a bad bad guy who hardly care. What I felt was completely the opposite. Yes he was not one of the goody caring angelic of a person but seemed a real person to me. He advocated education and importance of practical experience. With his background. instead of bullying or indulging in bad habits like alcoholism, he worked his ass off to start his own company to the extent his health got weak. He never once emotionally blackmailed the FL and on many occasions expressed he will support and respect whatever decision she takes. Not being talkative is not a toxic trait in my opinion. He was closed and had trust issues yes but that's normal. In the middle though his arc deviated and they added the "breakup because obviously we need drama" trope leaving him bad and toxic. But in general I liked his character.

2. Female Lead- See I don't need all my FL to be sassy, bold and loud. I am open to understand different natures though I despise damsel in distress characters. Here I liked the FL, she was hard working, obedient, naïve, loyal and her best quality being straightforward in her communication. She always spoke her mind and went to clear out things without creating unnecessary drama. However on few occasions I wished she would have sorted out the matter herself instead of relying on the ML's intelligence . Her dependency on the ML was alarming though. He was like the center of her universe to the point that she could not handle the breakup. Something I disagree to.

3. Romance- Logically speaking this kind of romance in real life is not recommended at all. From the perspective of the drama alone, it was enjoyable for me. No shame about admitting that LOL. Good kiss scenes and nobody felt asleep on top of lips (hehe)

The acting felt fresh to me. Usually with such kind of ML persona (giga genius and low EQ and social skills etc etc you know what I mean) we get a block of ice with no expressions as such on the screen. Arthur Chen had added his charm to the character with his smirky smile and hand mannerisms which oddly made me believe that I am seeing a real life human than an on screen character. I don't know how to explain exactly.
The antagonists were caricature-ish and dumb. The friends were immaterial with Rendi and FL best friend (i forgot his name) being the only exception. That Old Zao was whiny and always crying on how LX was better than him and never bowed to him. He was the most annoying for me tbh. And the girls were ready to die for LX without even having a proper conversation with him like girl at least talk to the guy before you do love gaga on him.
FL's parents were so toxic. Initially I understood their dislike for LX and concerns for their daughter as normal but boy how they treated her. I legit wanted to slam them hard. They locked her up when she was clearly in depression, slapped her and emotionally berated her for any decision she takes. Totally horrible. I wished there was some kind of consequence in the drama for them instead of just a small verbal dispute towards the end.

I can go on and on this drama but I'll stop now.. Until next review bye!

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Don't read this review if you hate spoilers and are easily excited!

The hero is successful in his studies and soon in the business world. As a result, he arouses the envy of friends who soon turn against him.
At some point, the revenge chapter begins, settling accounts with enemies.The revenge later changes from settling accounts to forgiveness.
Pity prevails with whining and crying, the ML finally allows mercy to prevail.

Obviously we should learn to forgive and to forgive instead of punishing.

But one should then also keep the extent of torment and brutal meanness to the extent that forgiveness is still possible and does not seem absurd.

His girlfriend, "Princess", the FL, abandons him, later they get back together. Her share of forgiveness for the criminal is particularly large. Shame, one thinks, she should actually be by the side of her long-tortured friend.

Many critics gripe about the toxic ML, saying he's cold as ice. Put yourself through what he has to suffer serially.

The FL is criticized as well, even for not getting her parents' culturally customary consent for the relationship. These parents beat their daughter, hold her captive and do all sorts of other monstrous things - consent from these parents? Only so much, they should go to hell.

Although, especially at the beginning, the story is quite interesting, I'm reluctant to recommend the series, because as soon as it starts, it goes full throttle through mess and misery.
Save yourself the many incomprehensible character jumps, don't get angry, make love instead or go to the pub. Maybe she is sitting there! Or him!

Post Scriptum: I hope I didn't spoil too much, according to the rules of etiquette in the forum.

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This is so frustrating

The show is both enjoyable and terrible at the same time. I liked the fl at the start but she really does become pathetic as the show continues. She blindly follows and defends the ml even though he is a horrible person. He walks all over everyone else and has a massive superiority complex, I keep wishing for his downfall. He treats his friends and the fl so badly and they all for some reason accept it. It finally seems like his best friend has had enough and wants revenge but he's being made out to be the bad guy even though he's completely justified. I wish the ml would fail but it seems unlikely at this point so I think I'm going to have to drop the show.

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Thats how you do it

This one of the best c-dramas I have ever seen. The acting is just perfect for what they are portraying. The story is written in a way that if you watch it, you have that feeling of it's not too slow nor too fast. For a whopping 36 EPs it felt surprisingly short as I've fallen really in love with the characters. So all in all I can only say that it's all about the people in this drama and how they're played, written and shot (the camera work). Props to everyone in this drama, but the FL and ML stood out because of their chemistry.
Thus far, I've not watched many c-dramas, but most of the time I encounter one problem: How they're acting and how the story is written. Most of the time, the dramas tend to be very plain. But this one (at least for me) has shown that if you give the right people a budget, get a good written script and to get people who show their chemistry believably you can get this drama.

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If I want you, true love will take its course

"And in the end we're all just humans, drunk on the idea that love, only love, could heal our brokenness", Fitzgerald.

This was by far the best cdrama I've ever watched. I usually don't do reviews of dramas - I just comment under an episode if I have to say something - but it felt like it was needed here.

Now, it has been some time since I've finished it, so pardon me if I forget something.

I'm a huge fan of these youth dramas, set in high school and college days and whatever, so of course I couldn't miss this one. First impression? Too cool. We finally have a female lead who isn't stupid and weak, I immediately fell in love.

The first episode was a prolepsis (flashforward) until half of the second one, where we return to the present - seven years before. At first I didn't understand anything, I remember I was so confused that I tried to read some comments but most of them were even more confusing, so I just gave up. Until the second episode, where I officially started the journey with Zhu Yun and Li Xun.

I couldn't loved it any more.

It's the first day of college - I suppose - and they're waiting for their books. It's so casual that made me resent watching it - I mean, it made me want to watch some light romance dramas again.
Zhu Yun and Li Xun don't get along well at first - one is doing her best to please her mother's wants, the other is living life like an arrogant young boy, which he is btw - but they slowly start to feel something for each other. Zhu Yun is attracted by his weird personality, his strong abilities and his intellingence, meanwhile Li Xun is confused and attracted by her stubborness, the way she treats him and the fact that she isn't afraid of getting close to him and dare him.

These college days are the best, but as usual, after the sun comes the storm. Li Xun ruins his life by committing a crime. If only it ended here, Zhu Yun would've stayed by his side no matter what. However, this mf (sorry, I had to, I hated him in these moments) lied to her and broke her heart. This led to her leaving him and changing country - literally.
(Don't tell anyone else, let's keep this a secret, but I skipped these episodes. If you don't wanna cry your heart and eyes out, skip episodes 21 and 22)

They "reconcile" several years later, both knowing what they feel for each other. Li Xun keeps trying to push her away, but Zhu Yun knows he's lying.

And this is the most beautiful thing about this drama: their relationship. There's something Zhu Yun tells Li Xun: "Choose me, I won't betray you". It seems a normal sentence, but if you've watched the drama you know how important and touching this is.

'Cause no matter what happens, they are committed to each other, they believe and understand each other so profoundly that it breaks my heart knowing I won't ever have a relationship like that.

They are powerful, not only because of their abilities and intelligence, but mostly because they're ready to risk it all for their significant other. They're for sure the best cdrama couple I've ever seen.

And I believe I should say someting about Gao Jian Hong. This mf (#2) betrayed his best friends 'cause he couldn't accept that there's always someone better than us. I hated him until the very end, but at the same time I understood him: I know it's frustrating having someone who outshines you in everything you thought you were good at, still you should prove you're mature enough to understand not only your limits, but also the other's and the moral limits. Gao Jian Hong actually represents those who can't accept their own boundaries and push themselves to the limits, until they reach the ultimate stage of their miserable lives.

Unfortunately, Gao Jian Hong didn't stay loyal to his friends and suffered for that. I believe that his end was perfect, even though that illness prevented us to see how well our protagonists would've handled the revenge plan.

Another character that I should mention is Zhu Yun's mother. Just gonna say I hate her. I in general hate parents who want their children to live a life already decided by them. I mean, once a person turns eighteen (or whatever age a person is considered adult in your country) the parents have no right on their child's life: they can only advise them, but not decide for them. So yeah, I hated her mom 'cause she first chose her major and then tried to choose even her boyfriend/future husband.

Actually her presence wasn't that prominent in the last part of the drama, so I didn't feel her efforts to couple Zhu Yun and Tian Xiu Zhu that much, but it was still nerve wracking.

Overall, Lighter&Princess is a 10/10. I feel like I shouldn't rate everything about this drama a 10, but it is what it is. The story with its tropes was amazing, original and touching. The cast was perfect and so was the acting - just a little reminder of Chen Fei Yu's eyes 'cause that man didn't portrayed Li Xun, he IS Li Xun - : most of the cast is new with few years of experience so it was really refreshing seeing these young people acting so good with so hard characters to depict. And let's not talk about the soundtracks 'cause I'm literally obsessed! They complete the drama in a way that is really hard to see nowadays (I'm a musician so I have ears for these things).

And of course, the rewatch value. Useless to say that I'm literally on my way to rewatch it. It's too good to discard after being watched just once.

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ONE OF THE BEST C-DRAMA I HAVE EVER WATCHED.

Everything about this drama is amazing from the casting , the acting , the visuals, the storyline, the background to the ost. And the best part is it just get better and better by each episode. The chemistry between the female lead and male lead and their characters development is on another level.

Everything about this drama is amazing from the casting , the acting , the visuals, the storyline, the background to the ost. And the best part is it just get better and better by each episode. The chemistry between the female lead and male lead and their characters development is on another level.

Everything about this drama is amazing from the casting , the acting , the visuals, the storyline, the background to the ost. And the best part is it just get better and better by each episode. The chemistry between the female lead and male lead and their characters development is on another level.

Everything about this drama is amazing from the casting , the acting , the visuals, the storyline, the background to the ost. And the best part is it just get better and better by each episode. The chemistry between the female lead and male lead and their characters development is on another level.

I highly recommend this drama.

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