Princess Huai Yu


Reviewed by: Daisy_rev

April 15, 2008

Rating: five

Eric Suen- Kang Xi
(Ai Xin Jue Luo Xuan Ye)
Carol Zheng- Fu Huai Yu
Wang Hao- Wu Ying Xiong
Jian Ning- Zhang Feng Shu
Cheng Yun- Yang Bao Wei
Empress Dowager- Chen Sha Li
Grand Empress Dowager- Liu Xue Hua
Tu De Hai- Shi Yu

Spoilers:

The series begins when Fu Zhen and the Qing army attack the Imperial Palace. He lost in a duel with a Ming general, but the general killed himself and asked him to raise Huai Yu, who is actually the Ming Princess. Eighteen years later, Huai Yu and the Emperor Kang Xi meet on the street while disguising their true identities. (Huai Yu does not know her true identity). They also meet Wu San Gui's son, Wu Ying Xiong, and the three of them became sworn-brothers. Kang Xi and Ying Xiong both fell in love with Huai Yu, and Huai Yu loved Kang Xi. The empress dowager is also pressing Kang Xi to make her niece, the conniving Cheng Yun, empress. The story revolves around how Huai Yu and Kang Xi face the troubles that keep them from living happily ever after, such as the empress dowager and her niece, Huai Yu's birth identity, and etc.

I didn't go into much detail since you can find that stuff elsewhere and this is a review.

The Series:

It was really good. I laughed a lot, and I also felt like crying sometimes. Plus, Kang Xi is so sweet to Huai Yu that that it melts the heart. This has been compared to Huan Zhu Ge Ge, and there's no doubt that this Qing dynasty trend started from that. But, it doesn't mean it's a copy. Sure, there are the battles within the palace, but that has been there before. It's just that in Huan Zhu Ge Ge, the empress was THE VILLAIN. So it stood out. Huai Yu is not as naive as Xiao Yan Zi, except for the fact that she wasn't sure of her feelings at first, and she definitely matures as the series progresses. It's just that the time period for this series had to be Qing to be more effective. I have recently watched a series that is very similar to Princess Huai Yu, but they changed the time period. So that made the difference. Overall, everyone in this series had great chemistry together, and the acting was superb. It had a lot of drama and suspense.

The Couples:

Kang Xi and Huai Yu- Wow. They are so compatible. Very great couple. Every time they are together (even when fighting) is very sweet. I know they love each other very much, but sometimes during the series I got the feeling that Kang Xi did more? Maybe that's not how you should measure it, but I personally think that he showed his love more. He sacrificed a lot and was willing to sacrifice more. To me, it seemed that Kang Xi was always considerate of Huai Yu, but Huai Yu always thought about herself. But, nonetheless, she loved him a lot too.

Fu Rong and Cheng Ying (Lin Jian Hua + Yu Jia Hui)- Huai Yu's brother and sister-in-law. Cheng Ying is Cheng Yun's younger sister, but she is very kind and gentle. I guess they are perfect for each other too. Not as interesting, but a good pair. They really deserved to be together.

Jian Ning Gong Zhu and Wu Ying Xiong- They made a good couple, but only because Jian Ning was trying so hard.

Well, not a couple but Kang Xi and his eunuch Tu De Hai were also a great pair And the way Kang Xi and Jian Ning acted was also adorable, like real siblings.

Individuals:

Eric Suen as Kang Xi - This was his acting debut, but he did really well. Every expression was real. He portrayed the weak emperor well, but when he's mad, I mean he's mad! The look in his eyes whenever he was with Huai Yu and how much he cared about definitely showed effectively. Eric Suen successfully showed everyone that the emperor was not perfect.

Carol Zheng as Huai Yu - She was good too. There's something about the way she stressed some of her words that made the delivery of her lines awkward to me. She can look adorable and sad too. There's room for improvement, but she sufficed.

Wang Hao as Wu Ying Xiong - Well, his role was supposed to be wooden, and he did that well. One thing I have against this character is how he didn't seem to get that Huai Yu loved Kang Xi. He said he understood that later, but somehow he still contradicted himself. And the way he blamed the emperor at the end for how he ended up with Jian Ning? I'm pretty sure that was the choice he himself made. Wang Hao did a good portrayal of this son of a villain, though.

Zhang Feng Shu as Jian Ning - At first, the princess was a brat, but we see that she is not unreasonable. She does her best to help her brother, Huai Yu and Ying Xiong. She did a lot for Ying Xiong. Zhang Feng Shu did well as the lively princess and also as the agonized one.

Yang Bao Wei as Cheng Yun - A very malicious character who would do anything to become empress. She claims that Huai Yu took away her prestige and blamed her for acting this way, but even before Huai Yu came into the picture, Kang Xi definitely did not like her. Yang Bao Wei did so well that I hated her sometimes. But when things didn't go well for her, I laughed.

Chen Sha Li as Empress Dowager - She's always trying to dominate Kang Xi, but she's not really evil. But she is really blinded and favors her niece too much. She did well as the dominating, stern Tai Hou.

Liu Xue Hua as Grand Empress Dowager - She is so funny and loveable! She's very fair and amusing. She's playful and childish, but she will not hesitate to exercise her power in serious matters.

Shi Yu as Tu De Hai - He is a very loyal and funny servant. Sometimes he is just so out of it, but when the matter is important, he gets his act together.

The Music:

The music was great. Every time I listen to the soundtrack, I have an urge to rewatch the series. Everyone thinks "Are You My Lover or Enemy" is perfect for the series, but the lyrics aren't exactly Romeo and Juliet stuff. And Kang Xi never considered Huai Yu his enemy. Not ever. But, I have to agree, it's a very nice song indeed. I think that the main theme, "Time of Prestige," was also excellent. Eric Suen is really a great singer, and this song can be applied to him and Huai Yu.


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