Yanxi Palace: Princess Adventures

Very very stupid plot. Don't waste time to watch. Trying to hard to recreate a sequel.

" Yanxi Palace : Princess Adventures " was not as good as the parent story, but it was entertaining.

The start was a bit slow, but after a while, you get back into the Yanxi Palace atmosphere. The love story was actually good, and the ending twist was original and was actually fit for a woman of the Yanxi palace. However, the ghost story part was not well explained, confusing and it needed more time to be well developed and the length of the drama didn't help at all. The performances were really good though and the leading lady was a delight.

So, seven out of ten.

I started watching this series without any expectation because I haven't seen the original one and don't even know what the main story of that original series was about. It turned out be so much fun and engrossing story that I could almost binge watch it.

The characters are very distinct and display very clearly their desire , personality, background, strength and weaknesses. The clashing of these characters develop a story that always has something that keep my interest in every scene. The cast perform well, although not that outstanding, but we can see how they are very different people that has agonizing past in their own lives. The complexity of the story, the conflicts of interest between characters, its gaslighting and stabbing one in the back, its moment of romance blossoming and withering, the twist at the ending, as well as the setting being the Forbidden Palace of the old time when traditions is highly respected and value, give us such a beautiful and colorful movie that there was no boring moment and you just keep wanting to know more about what will happen next. Smart script, great directing, story moving at just the right pace. In the end, everyone has something we can sympathize for. BUT....this movie is not a melodrama or romantic comeday...it is a drama and that means they don't try to please the audience. Sometimes you have to admit that daughter can really take after her mother and some women can be strong when she decides to be. ( I hope I didn't give anything away).

I also want to say that the film shows fantastic costume design, beautiful cinematography, and great production overall. If you haven't watched the original, don't hesitate to watch this small spinoff. It is a great entertainment in its own right. The story is easy to understand. I would have binged watch it if I had had the time.

I binge-watched this series in a day, and I really think it's worth the watch!!

Honestly, at first, I was sceptical about this spin-off because it looked like it was solely about the love-life of Yingluo's daughter. BUT, it's so much more! At first, the characters weren't as likeable, but of course, not everything is what it seems;)

The series was only 6 episodes, so it compromised many things (i.e. character development, relationship-building etc). However, I'm super impressed that they used old cast members and expanded on some events from the previous season! EPISODE 5 is a must watch! Considering the time limit, there were enough twists and turns, so it was a good effort!

YANXI PALACE: Princess Adventures (2019) was a pretty good Netflix spinoff series, though not nearly as good as the original Chinese drama from which it was inspired, but it was entertaining all same. I am a huge fan of the original Story of Yanxi Palace. This series was very short, only a few 6 episodes compared to the 70 episodes of the original. I do think, given more time, it could have evolved into a great show too.

It probably would have been much better if it was as long as the first. In my opinion, the length of these shows allows for so much character growth and time for the viewers to develop meaningful attachments to the characters, thus viewers become really invested in the story. However, this series was pretty well made and kept the overall vibe of the original. There was an interesting premise, cast, music, visuals etc. It was certainly worth the watch.