Pass or Play: Wuxia Watches

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:

Legend of the Female General

Watched ep 29/36
❌ PASS

After suspending my disbelief that Zhou Yi's character could be mistaken as a military trained young man, this became a lot more enjoyable to watch. The "manly disguise" trope is quite funny in this case, though I liked the backstory of how she became to be a stand-in for her brother and even enjoyed the villainous antics of her brother's jealousy. The lead actors have good chemistry but the script really lets them down with loose plot points throughout the drama, the first 10 episodes are solid but it slowly starts to degrade from there. There are huge issues with pacing, which made me feel the development of their love story was too fast and it didn't make sense how Lei Cheng's character became such a sudden love fool for He Yan. Personally, I would've liked to have see more of a build up in Lei Cheng's changing attitude towards He Yan.

One major criticism I have, is the lack of fighting scenes with our female general being a skillful formidable badass which undermined her credibility as the infamous General Feihong that we keep hearing about throughout the drama. I found the romance scenes over the top and a bit cringe-worthy; the lingering looks from the male lead (of which there are many) felt unnecessary and a bit silly towards the latter half. A drama that started with potential but not enough substance.

The Princess Royal

Watched ep 22/40
▶️ PLAY

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'm enjoying the story so far, as the Princess schemes and plans out her course of action in order to navigate the palace power dynamics and change some wrongs from the past life. I really like how the show opens with a already broken relationship between the leads, and by following their individual memories and past stories we can see things from their perspective. 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.

A Dream within a Dream

Watched ep 12/40
▶️ PLAY

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.