New Chinese Drama Beats Records & Should Be at the Top of Every Fantasy Fan's Watchlist

Chinese dramas have a special charm – sophisticated characters, unconventional stories, beautiful special effects. Not surprisingly, it is the series filmed in the fantasy genre that are most popular with viewers.

The Chinese drama The Princess Royal is the biggest fantasy project of this summer, breaking records in terms of viewership. On the Youku platform, the heat index, which measures engagement and popularity, skyrocketed on the day of the show's premiere, making The Princess Royal the most popular show in 2024.

What is The Princess Royal About?

Princess Li Rong and Senior Minister Pei Wen Xuan have been married for thirty years. They married for political reasons, promising to always support each other. But in the maelstrom of palace intrigue, they found themselves on opposite sides of the barricades: Li Rong had a favorite, and Wen Xuan, though married, continued to look after his former lover.

As the power struggle in the palace escalated, Li Rong fell ill. It turned out that she had been poisoned, and all the evidence pointed to Wen Xuan. Li Rong gave the favorite an order: if anything happened to her, Wen Xuan was to be killed.

As she was dying, Li Rong regretted that she had tied her life to the wrong person. And given the chance, she would have done things differently. The heavens heard her – the princess awoke in the body of her eighteen-year-old self.

But Wen Xuan, who was killed on her orders, was also transported back in time. Fate gave them a second chance to make things right.

The Princess Royal Is Often Compared to Story of Kunning Palace

The Princess Royal is a historical drama with a dash of fantasy in the form of reincarnation. After its release, viewers began to compare it to another Chinese project, Story of Kunning Palace.

The plot of both dramas is indeed similar: both stories revolve around a second chance at life. The main characters are played by the same actor – Zhang Ling He. But that's where the similarities end.

The atmosphere of the two dramas, the personalities of the characters and the development of the romantic lines are completely different. Story of Kunning Palace tells about a woman who has fought for power all her life, and is given the opportunity to rethink her path.

The Princess Royal is a story about spouses who, through omission, pride, and prejudice, betrayed each other's trust. But by coming together, they can save themselves from death and the reigning emperor from becoming a tyrant. In fact, they do just that, having been given a second chance.