cdrama: Princess Returning Pearl/Huan Zhu Ge Ge, eps 1-6

[meganbmoore]

This is an extremely popular Chinese historical drama from the late 90s that apparently made all the leads superstars. In it, Xi Wei is a well bred young lady who goes to the capital with her servant, Jin Suo, after her mother’s death. Nineteen years earlier, Xi Wei’s mother had an affair with the emperor, and Xi Wei is the result, though the emperor doesn’t know about her. The young women are extremely naïve, and pretty much only survive (they didn’t know it would be so hard to meet the emperor) by meeting Zan Yi, a mischievous con-artist with limited martial arts skills and a propensity for saving helpless young women, though she prefers it when there’s a potential profit for her in it.

Zan Yi and Xi Wei become swornsisters, but when Zan Yi tries to give the emperor the tokens he gave Xi Wei’s mother, she’s accidentally shot by one of the princes, and then mistaken for the Emperor’s daughter. When she wakes up, she learns that everyone thinks she’s a princess, and that impersonating a royal can get you killed, so she decides it’s safer to pretend to be a princess (even if palace rules are awful) than tell the truth. (That, and she thinks being a princess for a few days may be fun. She had no idea.) Xi Wei and Jin Suo, meanwhile, meet Er Kang, a royal bodyguard, who thinks Xi Wei is cute believes Xi Wei is telling the truth about being the real princess and decides to help her.

Various important plotpoints go about like this:

Yong Qi (prince who shot Zan Yi): OMG new sister, I am so sorry about shooting you!
Zan Yi: It’s totally cool! Mistakes Happen! Oh! Wine!
Yong Qi: I do not think I am supposed to have these thoughts about my sister!
Er Kang’s Brother/Yong Qi’s Brother: Dude! I totally have to tell you! She’s an impostor and the real one is staying with us!
Zan Yi: OMG Xi Wei is safe! Yay!
Yong Qi: OMG THANK GOODNESS! NOT MY SISTER!
Zan Yi: Huh?
Yong Qi: Nothing!
Zan Yi: I must write to Xi Wei!

And this:

Er Kang: Oh! Cute girl getting beat up in the street! Must rescue!
Xi Wei: Oh thank you so much! I think my swornsister may have betrayed me and am in agony!
Jin Suo: I am very mad about that!
Er Kang: You are cute and so I shall learn the truth and make you a princess!
Xi Wei: Oh thank you! Please reunite me with Zan Yi!

Or this:

Yong Qi: Is it worse to accidentally shoot your sister, or to accidentally shoot your girlfriend?
Zan Yi: Dude. Totally over it. What girlfriend?
Yong Qi: Nothing!
Xi Wei: Oh noes! Zan Yi got shot trying to help me!
Zan Yi: Hey, it happened, I got better, and then people gave me clothes and shiny things. I mean, the rules and hovering death are a bit of a problem, but I’ll cope!
Yong Qi: Guilt!
Er Kang: I am so happy you accidentally shot her so I could meet the cute girl!*
Yong Qi: Guilt!
Xi Wei: Guilt!
Jin Suo: Don’t think I missed that.

It’s half drama and half comedy, and ridiculously addictive. I have 18 episodes left, and I’m already sad that the second series doesn’t have English subs. (I understand the third season is bad, and doesn’t have the same people anyway.)

*No, seriously, there was a thumbs up involved. Though, in his defense, he’s never met Zan Yi and is saying it knowing she’s fine.