The princess is to be beheaded. For Pan Yu (FuYa) , it's just a Tuesday. She's always under threat of death for one reason or another.

TGIC is a 2011 release consisting of 44 45-minute episodes. And it can be pretty rough, at times. The show never grabbed me and it gradually got worse and worse. By the time I was halfway through I had lost interest, almost entirely. I let the episodes continue play to keep up with the plotline. but I couldn't bring myself to watch attentively, opting to let it drone on in the background while I was doing other things. The more I kept up with the plot, the more I started to hate the show. For reference point, I love the following titles:

Overlord 8.4,
Under the Power 8.6,
The Rebel Princess 9.1,
The Sword and the Brocade 8.6 (in ancient Chinese opera style),
Ruyi's Royal love in the palace episodes 1 - 49. I abandoned the show at that point because I found out what was coming and I didn't feel like dealing with 30 episodes of steadily encroaching heartbreak. If one stops at episode 49 there's a happy ending and it's sort of perfect.
The Rise of Phoenixes 9,
The Romance of Tiger and Rose 9.8;
The Sleepless Princess 9.1;

Except for the last two entries, which contain fantasy elements, those titles aren't fantasy: I like Chinese fantasy shows even more. I also liked Legend of the two sisters in chaos-7.7, though the ending is bittersweet. While I wasn't able to finish it before it left Netflix, I started Foresighted Liu Bo Wen, which is dated and less sophisticated than what China is putting out
now. I like it. But I loathe this show.

Ruby Lin (The Victims' Game, Three Kingdoms) plays Ma Fu Ya / Pan Yu / Lady Yuan. She's the princess of Chu. Her uncle usurped the throne and murdered her father - in front of her eyes. Yan Yi Kuan (Burning Flames, Ensanguined Youth) Meng Qi You / Crown Prince of Shu. FuYa runs to Shu and becomes embroiled in the court there. Wallace Huo (Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace, Battle of Changsha, Suddenly Seventeen) is Liu Lian Cheng, prince of Han. He falls hard for FuYa when they meet while both on the run - I like him way more than the ML. The 3 Kingdoms are in heightened tensions, and FuYa is right in the thick of it.

Meanwhile, back at the palace, Jennifer Hung (Dear Mom,The On1y One) plays Ma Xiang Yun who can't get a break. She's FuYa's cousin, her dad is the new emperor of Chu, she's pretty and talented, but no man will look at her with FuYa around. They must be able to sense how rotten she is - to the core. My favorite character happens to be FuYa's eunuch. He's fabulous. Miao Hao Jun (Are You the One, Douluo Continent-9.1, Stories of the Tourist Agency) plays Hua Zi Qiao. FuYa just calls him “grandpa”. The director is Lin Feng of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Three Kingdoms, and Sai Shang Feng Yun Ji. The screenwriters are Shao Si Han (Singing All Along, Swords of Legends), and Shao Xiao Yi, who, in addition to collaborating on those two works, also scriptied Noble Aspirations.

The theme is that it's lonely (and thoroughly deadly) at the top. Don't get attached to many characters because not many will survive.

As I started watching TGIC I was wondering if the ratings were too harsh. It gets off to a strong start despite having an aged feel to it. Midshow, I started to get it. The show keeps circling the same drains with too much back and forth revisiting the same old things. It isn't awful (maybe it is, north of episode30), it just never launches off of the ground and soars.

By the time the episode count reached around 30, I was having trouble paying attention. I didn't like FuYa's romantic choices. She was getting on my nerves a little bit. I found the ML unlikable. His nasally voice was getting on my nerves. The overwhelming number b!+che$ snapping at them was getting on my nerves. The show has an over-abundance of mean girls. I got into a cycle of trying to pay attention and then just starting to do other things. This show could not hold my attention, while the other shows I was watching on the same days did - including some pretty brainless romances. A brainless romances can still stir the heart. TGIC only stirs up an overload of bile. I recommend you skip it.


〰🖍 IMHO

📣5 📝4 🎭7 💓3 🦋4 🎨6 🎵/🔊6 🔚4 🤗0 ▪ 🌞4⚡4 😅1 😭7 😱3 😯4.5 🤢3 🤔4 💤5


Age 14+ Violence, mild references to rape and prostitution
Language: d@mn, $h!+, he!! - but not very much.

Re-📺? With the benefit of the foreknowledge I now have, I wouldn't opt to watch it for the first time.


In order of ~lite & trite~ to ~heavy & serious~ you may also like:

💓 -
C🇨🇳:
A Little Thing Called First Love 8.5;
Find Yourself 8.9;
The Romance of Tiger and Rose 9.8;
The Sleepless Princess 9.1;
Wait, My Youth-8.4

Romance junkies only: Accidentally in Love-6.5 ‘18 B-level scripting, acting, and directing, but still fun/strangely relaxing to watch,
Well-Intended Love-7.5 Rom-porn - extra points for the dopamine but many object to an outrageous stunt the ML pulls,
When I Fly Towards You-7.8,
You are my destiny-6.8 cute and sweet and 1/2 padding,
Meteor Garden-7.4 - 70% flowing 30% dragging and BOF is better,
Hidden Love-7.8


🎎 -
K🇰🇷:
My Only Love Song 8.7 excellent comedy;
Mr. Queen 8.5;
My Sassy Girl 8.5;
The King's Affection 8.3;
Mr. Sunshine 9

🔮🐉-
C🇨🇳: Love Between Fairy & Devil 8.9;
Douluo Continent 9.4;
Handsome Siblings 8.7;
The Princes Royal
Ancient Love Poetry 8.6;
Love and Redemption 10

⚡/😱 -
C🇨🇳: Heavenly Sword and Dragon Slaying Saber 9-Kung-fu!;