Bite-Sized Wuxia: What I'm currently watching

Lately, my watch list has seen a surge in C-dramas, as many of the 2025 K-dramas haven't quite hit the mark for me. It's been a while since I last delved into a Wuxia drama, but after watching some YouTube reviews, "The Double" and "The Prisoner of Beauty" caught my eye. I enjoyed "The Prisoner of Beauty" more, and I've been actively seeking similar dramas ever since. Here are my quick takes and first impressions on what's currently on my screen:

The Princess Royal

ep. 22/40
A palace drama with a reincarnation twist, where married couple, Princess Li Rong and her husband, Pei Wen Xuan, are in a loveless broken marriage and get a second chance by being "reborn" in to the younger versions of themselves in essentially the same life. I enoying the story development for this so far, a well-paced story as we watch the main characters steadily work closer together to navigate the palace power dynamics and change some wrongs from their past. I really like how the show opens to find the couple's relationship already broken down, and by following their story we get some more info and watch their love blossoms again. I also liked how it handles expositions with flashbacks, not usually a method I enjoy but it's done well here, exploring their past troubled relationship and comparing it to their present life situation. The recent new plot twist revealed at the end of episode 22 surprised me and I'm looking forward to finishing this drama.

Legend of the Female General

ep. 29/36
After suspending my disbelief that Zhou Yi's character could be mistaken as a military trained man, this started off as a fairly enjoyable drama. I loved the premise of how she became to be a stand-in for her brother and even enjoyed the villainous trope of her brother's jealous antics but it has most definitely fallen short around episode 10. The actors generally have good chemistry but the script really lets them down with loose plot points, and unnecessary romantic scenes. There are issues with pacing, which made me feel the development of their love story unjustified and didn't make sense how Lei Cheng's character became such a love fool for He Yan. Personally, I would liked to have seen a more gradual change in Lei Cheng's attitude to He Yan, and in particular, more of the female general being a skillful formidable badass as a whole; there is some exposition and a couple of plot points where we see this happen, when she proves herself to her would-be subordinates, and when the their barracks are invaded; unfortunately not enough for my tastes which undermined her credibility as General Feihong in my eyes. The gratuitous romance scenes and lingering looks from the male lead (of which there are many) felt unnecessary. A drama that started with potential but not enough substance, it will be difficult to see this through to the end.

A Dream within a Dream

ep. 12/40
It took me awhile to get started with this one; after eight episodes it was largely set aside in favour of catching up on the former two dramas here. As a fan of "another world" stories, I found myself waiting for the plot and character chemistry to click. While Song Yi Meng's free-spirited and cheeky personality is entertaining to watch, her comedic acting sometimes feels a little too exaggerated and the connection with male lead, Nan Heng is currently lacking but it is still early in the story. This is clearly intended as a light-hearted show, and I'm hopeful that it will deliver more substantial plot and romantic entertainment as it continues.