Go Princess Go (2015)

I'm on a roll as far as Go Princess Go 太子妃升职记 is concerned, warranting my third post on the topic in the same day. It is a little web series that is miles apart from all the big budgeted wuxia dramas nowadays but unique in a way that leaves you wanting..

It is based on a novel written by Xian Cheng 鲜橙 that tells a gender bender exploring time travel, body-swap and comedy set in ancient China. Due to lack of funds, sets were used repeatedly and the most extravagant expenditures were costumes sewn from curtain linens.

The fact that it's so short is a plus factor making it a fun and quick past time, though I wonder why the version I'm watching on LeTV seems to be missing a lot of scenes (edited: it's because of censorship).

The cast is was relatively unknown but the drama has grown a cult following since its broadcast resulting in the stars receiving much love. Its popularity is in large part due to a controversial storyline that can be a little out there for conservative China. 

Nonetheless, bad publicity is good publicity because the public embraced the hilarity and ridiculousness with open arms. If you are watching, be sure to check out the alternate endings.

Zhang Tian Ai 张天爱 headlines as Zhang Peng Peng, a modern man who finds himself waking up in the body of a crown princess. I wonder where they found this gorgeous lady because not only is she pretty but her portrayal of Zhang Peng Peng is charming, witty, funny and easily the best thing in the show.

Sheng Yi Lun 盛一伦 is the Crown Prince Qi Sheng who is outwardly cold and arrogant so I have yet to reach the episode where he warms up as a character. He come around though, still keeping the same straight face but he is a man of action rather than words. 

Alan Yu Meng Long 于朦胧 stars as 9th Prince, the second lead in the drama and the final leg to the love triangle. 

Jiang Qi Lin as Zhao Wang, the a weak-willed prince whose wife is the object of the Crown Prince's affections but later events reveal that he is a man of wisdom. 

Guo Jun Chen as Yang Yan, the son of General Yang. He is a mischievous and playful young man full of ridiculous ideas who easily becomes Peng Peng's friend. He is skilled in martial arts and is loyal in helping the 9th Prince with his quest for power and romance. 

Source: 1234567g, Baidu

Go Princess Go and Monster Killer in hot water

Pardon my far-from-perfect Chinese skills, but if my interpretation is correct, the highly-talked-about drama Go Princess Go has been taken down from video-hosting sites due to a breach of moral values. I have seen a couple of episodes of Go Princess Go and I can see that its quirky humor may not sit well with China's censorship agency known as SAPPRFT.

Go Princess Go would have been your average drama if not for its outrageous over-the-top storyline that you will either love or hate. If you are the former, you probably cannot stop watching. Fortunately, the drama is only blacklisted for the time being as its broadcasting company LeTV announced that scenes are being re-edited to accommodate SARFT's citations.

A second drama called Monster Killer, which I absolutely love, is also temporarily banned in China maybe for violence (again sorry for my weak translation skills). It's not all bad for Monster Killer because it just had a pretty good run in Hong Kong with its final episode ending at an all-time high. While Monster Killer still can't compare to mainstream dramas, it has amassed enough attention to boost the popularity of rising star Elvis Han (Chinese Paladin 5). Seriously, he is a good-looking guy with a six-pack. Who can resist?

Source: cankaoxiaoxi, People

First Episode Recap: Go Princess Go

I hate spoilers but aren't synopses kind of like spoilers depending on what major plot points are given away? Go Princess Go 太子妃升职记 is a Chinese historical drama that I knew nothing about until today and if you are also in the dark as I was, then let's keep the suspense because it's so much more fun that way. 

Episode 1 begins with three women on a high speed chase in modern day China and oddly enough, one of them was galloping on horseback along the highway. The trio finally arrive at a posh club where they have come to exact revenge on their ex-boyfriend / cheater Zhang Peng. Frankly, all the leather clad women and flashing strobe lights look like a scene straight out of a cheap knock-off movie.

The girls don't have an invitation but one of them nonchalantly seals the deal with a kiss and the bouncer happily let's them in. At the same time, we get a glimpse of Zhang Peng at the top of his game parading around women after women and scoping out his next target.

Things hit the fan the moment Zhang Peng notices the three and in a state of panic, he accidentally shoves a random girl into the pool. He dives in after her and what ensues is an out-of-body experience where he faints into oblivion beside a woman in ancient garb, which is basically cue for 'we just travelled back in time'.

First impressions: Now that I see where this is going, I feel like anything that was ridiculous or cheesy was intentional and the drama's direction becomes even more evident after the lead gets transported to ancient China.

The main guy is sporting an earring, the girls are wearing sleeveless dresses and I could have sworn the palace doctor donned a Chanel hat. I have seen so many time travel dramas and just blogged about one more recently but seriously, the twist at episode 1 was unexpectedly hilarious and I can honestly declare that I have never seen a drama like this. To sum it up, it's outrageously silly, yet could be quite entertaining if you like slapstick comedy. Check out my episode recaps.

Click here for the 2016 best c-drama recommendations (to be updated regularly).