The Princess And The Werewolf Review

I watched The Princess And The Werewolf (郎君不如意) on a whim after completing the more serious Mysterious Lotus Casebook. It did spring a surprise for me initially as I had expected it to be another typical rom-com production. Instead, it has its own unique story which is pretty entertaining at the start. Unfortunately, the good start is wasted when the drama begins to drag and the weaknesses become obvious. But all in all, it is still watchable for a low budget rom-com. You can check out The Princess And The Werewolf review of mine below.

My rating: 7/10
Episodes: 30
Type: Fantasy Romance
Aired: July 2023
Images Credit: Douban Movie

The Cast Of The Princess And The Werewolf

• Betty Wu Xuan Yi as Princess Qi Pa
• Chen Zhe Yuan as Kui Mu Lang / Li Xiong
• Wang Lu Qing as Hong Xiu
• Shi Zi Xun as Liu Jun
• Yang Chuan Bei as Bai Ke
• He Wen Jie as Hu Die
• Xi Er Li as Jing Mu An
• Li Yu as Chun Er
• Dong Bo Liang as Ma Ying Xiong
• Yin Jing Wen as Su Da Qiang
• Li Qian Yi as Xi Niang
• Lin Ai Jia as Hai Tang

Main Characters

Princess Qi Pa

Qi Pa is the Princess of Da Xia Kingdom. She is a playful and liberal-minded princess who is reluctant to marry. She is also wily and always full of ideas. Qi Pa grew up surrounded by love. Her parents are the previous Emperor and Empress who have left the kingdom to travel. Qi Pa’s uncle, Prince Zhao, is now the Emperor of Da Xia.

Kui Mu Lang / Li Xiong

Kui Mu Lang is the King of the Beast Clan and has a wolf bloodline. He is a responsible ruler who cares for his people although he looks scary and cold. He hides behind a cloak and mask as per the clan’s custom. Li Xiong is his human identity whom he uses to present himself as Qi Pa’s personal bodyguard.

Supporting Characters

Hong Xiu

Hong Xiu is from the Beast Clan and has a cat bloodline. She is a fast runner and has a gentle and caring personality. Hong Xiu can be naive and trusting. She is Qi Pa’s personal maid in the Beast Clan. She also has feelings for Liu Jun.

Liu Jun

Liu Jun is Kui Mu Lang’s personal aide and a loyal subordinate. He has a snake bloodline which makes him naturally toxic and has issues with intimacy.

Bai Ke

Bai Ke is the Commander of the Imperial Guards of the Beast Clan. He has a hedgehog bloodline and an upright and straightforward personality.

Hu Die

Hu Die is the Bai Ke’s deputy. She has a weasel bloodline with a very competitive attitude. She also has a tendency to fart with a strong foul smell. Hu Die has feelings for Kui Mu Lang but knows he is not within her reach.

Jing Mu An

Jing Mu An is Kui Mu Lang’s younger half-brother. He was a rebel who has been imprisoned for his crime. Jing Mu An is an ambitious man who wants the throne. He has a slimy character who is greedy and resentful. He has a moose bloodline.

Chun Er

Chun Er is from the Beast Clan and works in the palace kitchen. She is a good cook. She has a modest and friendly character.

Ma Ying Xiong / General Ma

Ma Ying Xiong is a general of the Da Xia Kingdom. He is a simple-minded person but righteous and courageous. He is in love with Chun Er.

Su Da Qiang

Su Da Qiang has a scorpion bloodline and is a poison master. He is ruthless and evil-minded. He also has a daughter, Su He.

Xi Niang & Hai Tang

Xi Niang and Hai Tang are Su Da Qiang’s subordinates. The former is seductively charming while the latter is a disguise master with their fox and chameleon bloodline respectively.

Synopsis

5 years ago, an injured Kui Mu Lang who is the King of the Beast Clan was running away from his enemies when Princess Qi Pa of Da Xia fell on top of him. His holy pearl escaped from his body and accidentally swallowed by Qi Pa without realizing what happened. Thus, she was unaware that she has his pearl inside her body.

Without the pearl, Kui Mu Lang’s powers are getting weaker and weaker. He needs the pearl back to protect his people. Hence, Kui Mu Lang kidnaps Qi Pa and brings her back to the Beast Clan whose territory and access have been hidden from view with a spell. In order to retrieve the pearl, Kui Mu Lang and Qi Pa need to have mutual feelings for each other. While Kui Mu Lang falls for Qi Pa, she has no interest to remain in the Beast Clan and is always thinking of a way to escape.

To earn Qi Pa’s trust, Kui Mu Lang takes on the identity of Li Xiong and presents himself as her bodyguard from Da Xia. At the same time, Kui Mu Lang’s enemies are planning to kill Qi Pa to prevent him from regaining the pearl.

The Princess And The Werewolf Ending & recap (Spoilers Alert!)

The Princess And The Werewolf has a happy ending. After being captured by the villains, Kui Mu Lang temporarily regains his powers when Qi Pa merges her blood with his. She bets that if her blood could calm him when he turns into a werewolf, it should also be able to stimulate him when he isn’t one. Hence, Kui Mu Lang’s overwhelming power immediately defeats all the bad guys. He also kills Su He and regains the holy pearl. Su Da Qiang and Xi Niang are executed.

Jing Mu An asks his brother to spare Hai Tang’s life before he tries to kill himself for his evil deeds. He is stopped by Kui Mu Lang. He finally realizes that being the King is a burden and their father had actually protected him by choosing his brother instead. Both Jing Mu An and Hai Tang regret what they have done. He decides to accompany Hai Tang to serve time in prison to repent and be a good prince.

With the holy pearl, Kui Mu Lang regains his appearance and is able to purify the clan’s water source. He and Qi Pa are happily together. Liu Jun finally reciprocates Hong Xiu’s feelings for him when she confesses. Bai Ke asks Hu Die to stop being vague with him and decide once and for all if they are going to be together. She kisses him as an answer.

One year later, Jing Mu An is left to handle the clan’s affairs as all the couples have gone on honeymoon. This leaves him to complain that he too wants a honeymoon with Hai Tang. Qi Pa and Kui Mu Lang leave their babies with her uncle and aunt in Da Xia as they embark on their honeymoon to the West to join her parents.

When Did The Leads Get Together?

Kui Mu Lang proposes to Qi Pa in Episode 10 to make her happy in preparation for their wedding which is forced upon her. Qi Pa pretends to agree as she plans to use the wedding as a means to escape from Beast Clan together with General Ma. But the plan fails and General Ma’s life is at stake.

Due to the circumstances, Qi Pa makes a deal with Kui Mu Lang. She will marry him on the condition that General Ma is sent back to Da Xia and she will give him 3 months to win her heart. In the mean time, they will have a fake marriage. If he fails to woo her within 3 months, he will have to set her free. With that agreement, the couple got married in Episode 13.

Kui Mu Lang confesses to Qi Pa as Li Xiong in Episode 17 after he got injured following an attack by an enemy. They become a couple but Qi Pa still has no idea that Kui Mu Lang and Li Xiong is the same person. When Qi Pa suffers from temporary blindness due to an injury, Kui Mu Lang takes care of her. She begins to feel something towards Kui Mu Lang in Episode 23 but reminds herself that she is in love with Li Xiong. After a brief breakup because of Kui Mu Lang’s lies, they find that they miss each other. He asks her to give him another chance in Episode 28 to which she agrees.

Qi Pa renews her marriage vows with Kui Mu Lang again in Episode 29 when they are in danger of being captured and killed by his enemies. They consummated their marriage in Episode 30.

Is There Any Breakup?

Qi Pa breaks up with Kui Mu Lang/Li Xiong in Episode 24 after she finds out that they are the same person. She feels deceived and made used of after Kui Mu Lang admits that he initially wanted her because of the holy pearl. Hence, Qi Pa demands to go back to Da Xia. Kui Mu Lang agrees to her request as he feels guilty for hurting and lying to her.

However, when Qi Pa learns that Kui Mu Lang will die without the holy pearl, she tries to kiss him to return the pearl to him. But he rejects her action as he doesn’t want her pity. He sends her back to Da Xia in Episode 25. However, both of them become miserable with the breakup and miss each other terribly. Kui Mu Lang secretly visits Da Xia to have a look at Qi Pa in Episode 26. When she finds out that he is around, she decides to follow him back to the Beast Clan.

When Did Li Xiong’s Identity Get Exposed?

Qi Pa learns from General Ma that her personal bodyguard has never left Da Xia in Episode 11. Hence, Li Xiong has lied to her about his identity. She confronts him in Episode 12 and surmises that Li Xiong must be Kui Mu Lang’s informer. In her mind, Li Xiong is planted beside her to earn her trust so that he could report on her activities to Kui Mu Lang.

Jing Mu An and Hai Tang are suspicious of Li Xiong and set him up in Episode 22 to test him out. They discover that Li Xiong is indeed Kui Mu Lang. Jing Mu An then tells Qi Pa about it in Episode 24. She personally verifies the claim by pretending that she has yet to regain her sight due to her temporary blindness. She then sees Kui Mu Lang turning into Li Xiong when the sun rises.

Side Couples

Hong Xiu has been interested in Liu Jun all along which is why she chooses to work in the Beast Palace. Liu Jun denies having someone else in his heart in Episode 16 after Hong Xiu finds that he doesn’t seem to be able to sense her feelings for him. With that answer, Hong Xiu continues to have hope. In actual fact, Liu Jun is just conscious of his natural toxicity due to his snake bloodline since he could destroy things he touches without his gloves. They become a couple in Episode 30 when Liu Jun finally admits that he has liked Hong Xiu for a long time after she expresses her feelings and hope.

Hu Die has eyes on Kui Mu Lang but knows she has no chance after he married Qi Pa. Bai Ke likes Hu Die though and confesses to her after drinking in Episode 18. She is shocked and rejects him. However, Hu Die begins to get jealous of Bai Ke’s blind dates and other women in Episode 20 and 21. They keep bickering in their ambiguous relationship. They officially get together in Episode 30 after Bai Ke demands that Hu Die makes it clear about their relationship.

General Ma falls in love with Chun Er when he is taken to Beast Clan. He defends her from being punished in Episode 12 which moves her. But General Ma has to return to Da Xia in Episode 15 and agrees on a long-distance relationship. They reunite in Episode 26 when he follows Qi Pa back to the Beast Clan. He proposes to Chun Er in Episode 27 and she agrees. General Ma kills himself in Episode 29 when Su He uses Chun Er’s life to threaten him into revealing Kui Mu Lang’s whereabouts.

The Princess And The Werewolf Review – Good Start But Boring Middle

The Princess And The Werewolf is actually a sequel to Go Princess, Go! which has been aired back in 2016. Although I didn’t watch the earlier drama, I can still fully understand the story in the sequel. It has little relation to Go Princess, Go! except for a touch of modernity displayed in an ancient setting. Apparently, the female lead’s mother is a time-traveler from the future in the prequel. Hence, you will find the female lead having modern century vocabulary and ideas at times from cosplay to the statue of Michelangelo’s David. I guess some will find it amusing while others weird because these things just don’t belong in that ancient Chinese setting.

However, this is also what sets the tone of the drama right off the bat. The rom-com vibe is strong when the story begins. So, the first third is actually funny and entertaining. The female lead is kidnapped and brought to a different realm. Just don’t expect the plot to follow reality because this is largely a fantasy-based drama. For instance, the different realm is populated by humans with the characteristics of all kinds of animals from wolf to hedgehog to earthworm.

So, it is interesting and amusing when everything still feels fresh and new at the start. Once the newness wears off, this is when boredom will set in. To me, the plot has something to do with it which is a waste after an entertaining first 8 to 10 episodes.

Dragged Out Plot

The Princess And The Werewolf is the type of drama that you can watch while fiddling with your phone. The story is very easy to follow with its simplicity. It is not like Divine Destiny and Legend Of Anle whereby there is better depth to the plot. Basically, a substantial part of the 30 episodes is devoted to the female lead trying to escape from the male lead. Therefore, you will be watching her coming up with various schemes to get away. This part feels stretched out to me. The plot becomes stale as you sit through one scheme after another. But if you find her actions still funny after a dozen episodes or so, then perhaps the drama might be more enjoyable for you.

Apart from the schemes to escape, the male lead’s continued deception is also another annoying point for me. By the time the girl finds out about his dual personas, you would have reached the last quarter of the drama. There is not much time left to develop a better story for the villains as a result. In actual fact, very little is revealed about the main villain’s background except that he is an evil guy. So, his part of the story is pretty shallow. While his and his subordinate’s ending is expected, there is also no satisfaction of seeing them being punished. You will only learn of their fate through a short dialogue.

Perhaps the scriptwriter wants to keep a more lighthearted feel throughout since this is a rom-com. So, our hero can remain a nice guy without putting too much emphasis on revenge with all the gory details. After all, the highlight of the drama should be the romance.

Love Triangle Of 2 People

Basically, the romance involves deception as the guy is both the King of the Beast Clan as well as a pretend bodyguard. He uses his bodyguard persona to get close to the girl and they fall in love with each other. But the girl has no idea that he is also the King whom she has been wanting to escape from. She thinks that they are 2 different people.

On one hand, this makes the romance more interesting as the anticipation builds for the eventual exposure of the lie. But on the other, this is where the annoyance comes in as mentioned above. The exposure happens pretty late in the drama. Therefore, the girl would be spending most of the time with the pretend persona while spurning the guy’s real self. This takes away some of the satisfaction of the romance to me. By the time everything is revealed, you would wish there are more sweet and fluffy scenes for the couple to get to know each other again without the guy having to play pretend. Unfortunately, we are nearing the end of the drama by then with villains to deal with.

Acting & Chemistry

This is only my second time watching Wu Xuan Yi as the main lead in a Chinese drama. The first is Sweet Teeth. In The Princess And The Werewolf, she has that cheerful and sweet look to portray the role of an unconventional princess. While her character may not be that endearing, I can appreciate the way she injects lightness and humor into the scenes with her acting to fit the overall tone of the drama.

As for her co-star, Chen Zhe Yuan should be the more popular one in this production after the success of Hidden Love. He has to play 2 characters with one being constantly hidden under a mask and cloak. Even when those are removed, he will have heavy makeup on to depict his wolf characteristic. However, his mannerisms are pretty mild for a King of the Beast Clan and a wolf. So, I can’t say I’m impressed with his portrayal as the king. The aura seems to be missing although he does seem cool which some might like.

The chemistry of these 2 leads are not that great to me as I have seen them doing better with other partners in their previous dramas. It is not all bad but acceptable to give the romance conviction. But it is just not at that level that I would describe as sizzling and deserves an encore.

My Verdict – Just Okay

The Princess And The Werewolf is okay for relaxation and escapism. It is not a drama to be taken too seriously. It is meant to be goofy and frivolous and has to be seen as such. If you can enjoy the silliness, then you will be more likely to see this through to the end. Otherwise, you won’t be able to find it entertaining. The hiccup that may occur would lie in the female protagonist who is always wanting to escape from the male lead. Some would find that hard to swallow especially when the schemes seem to be endless and could play into the hands of enemies at times.

Personally, I watched this without paying my full attention to it. It is a little boring to me after 10 episodes have flown by. I enjoyed some of the amusing scenes but the interest wasn’t sustainable. I think this is the major weakness as the drama was hampered by an average script that spends too much time on the escape schemes but not enough on building a sweeter romance which should be the selling point of a rom-com. The jealous love rival at the end is such a cliche and the shallow character doesn’t help to add enjoyment to the drama.

For the review of The Princess And The Werewolf, I would think a score of 7/10 would be reasonable. This is not a mega bucks production. Thus, be prepared for simple CGIs and limited location settings. The male lead’s makeup as a wolf looks cool but the plasticky ears are also obvious. It is a simple story that is not going to win any awards but good enough for some stress-free time provided that the female lead doesn’t annoy you.