Princess Pearl II (1999)

I love love love this series and all the characters. This drama was one of the first Chinese dramas I have ever watched. I was probably 3/4 years of age when I watched this series for the first time. I definitely prefer this season over season one.

Likes
- There were more plot arcs in this season featuring cool characters and lots of growth and development
- I think the mean characters (aka the empress) really stepped up her game and brought a lot of drama to this season.
- I also really liked the grandma and her sidekick (who was really nice! and I just wanted her to have a happy ending of her own)
- As always the sound track is amazing and I will forever listen to the songs.
- Our main character is so inspiring. She doesn't let anyone or anything hold her back from what she is trying to achieve. She's also hilarious and many of the laugh points come from Vicki's great acting chops!

Dislikes:
- Honestly, none!

Highly recommend this one if you want a palace drama with amazing costumes and hilarious story. It's definitely very old though, so I wouldn't watch it if you're used to modern palace dramas.

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Watching the second series was so good when I've just finished the first one. I remembered when this first came out I had to wait for ages to be able to see the second series. It was a different feeling when I could watch this right after the first series. I loved how the story took off where it finished in the first series just like no time had passed. With the second series, I've found that the acting has improved but they still stayed true to the characters. I felt that it had only made the characters better the longer that they had played them. But it also showed that the characters had grown through time and life lessons.  

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They say lighting never strikes the same place twice. That is true here, with a sequel so disappointing that even a diehard fan like me couldn’t pretend to love. This was overindulgent mess that undid almost everything that was good about the original.

In the first series Xiao Yan Zi was a wily, street smart girl capable of taking care of herself and others. In this series she turned into a village idiot who always needed to be saved from her own stupidity. This was not Vicki Zhao’s finest hour, as her acting was so over the top that it hurts to watch. The lowest point was when Xiao Yan Zi carelessly abandoned Zi Wei in the market. What happened to their everlasting bond of sisterhood?

Zi Wei in part II changed from a level-headed girl to a love-obsessed woman (that kissing scene between her and Er Kang was one of most awkward things ever filmed). Her betrayal of her own father was completely out of character. I find it laughable that she and Xiao Yan Zi were hailed by commoners as “The People’s Princesses.” Unlike Princess Diana, they’ve done squat to support the lives of poor people.

Emperor Qian Long, who was so regal in the original series, was reduced to a leering old man here. Wu A Ge went from being a voice of reason to an insecure, angry guy. Er Kang was given more love scenes but not much else to do besides being Zi Wei’s constant rescuer. He was supposed to be the emperor’s bodyguard, but you hardly ever see him at work.

In this sequel, author Qiong Yao gave us more princesses, more costume changes, more lovey dovey scenes, and more Xiao Yan Zi antics. There was more of everything, except a credible story. Sometimes being a good writer is knowing when to stop.

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