Go Princess Go (2015)

Go Princess Go

Go Princess Go is a web show produce by LeTV based on the novel "The Promotion Record of a Crown Princess" by Xian Xheng (HE).  A contemporary playboy named Zhang Peng is transported into the past into the body of Princess Zhang Peng Peng, whose is having marital problems with her husband crown prince Qi Sheng, after he  is hit in the head when he falls in a pool at a party.

Zhang Tian Ai as Zhang Peng Peng

Go Princess Go in many aspects is a low budget show but despite this in terms of visuals, story, and themes I think it succeeded and the low budget seems to add some charm and having the show not take itself too seriously.  I thought the scenery, the customs, the actors and the music were beautiful.  Even though the show comedic it also dealt with some serious ideas and in a way I have not seen in Asian dramas. It dealt with palace intrigue, jealousy, power, and identity.  

Sheng Yi Lu as Qi Sheng

I thought that the crisis Peng Peng had with her identity was done rather well, though I thought there were things that could level the show into another level of sophistication.  While Peng peng voice of that of a woman there were times when we had Zhang Peng's male voice over which allowed us to get a closer look into how the male mind was working in that situation.  I liked Peng Peng slow growth through out the show with the relationships she had.  She first just lusts after Lu li who becomes a good friend, her  friendship with Jiu Wang and Yang Yan and finally actually with herself where she grew to actually care, respect and take herself seriously as she did others. 

Alan Yu as Jiu Wang 

Many people did not seem to like Peng Peng and Qi Sheng as couple as much as the other relationships. They usually point out that Qi Sheng tried to assassinate Peng Peng.  While Qi Sheng was not initially in love with Peng Peng and was cheating on her from what I saw in the show, I don't believe Qi Sheng was the one that sent the escort to kill Peng Peng. I thought this especially during the guy's interrogation and then what Jiu Wang reported later.  To me it just did not fit or make sense especially when we actually learn more about everyone's character.  

Peng Peng internal conflict falling for Qi Sheng was quite interesting. It begs the questions is love and sexual preference dictated by the mind or the body? How do the mind and body effect each other? Peng Peng for example did not really care about having her child but then grew to love and want to protect it at all cause.  So how much did the different chemical levels effect Zhang Peng being in Peng Peng's body?  

All the characters were interesting to some level each with their weaknesses and shortcomings. 

What I also loved about the show were the songs.  

The part of the show I was disappointed most with was the ending.  There three endings and for me the ending where Zhang Peng wakes up and is searching for Qi Sheng and runs into the Yi Sheng who looked like Qi Sheng and seems to be him because of the flashback made the most sense to me and allowed room for a continuation.  I read that there was a lot of controversy in China because of the theme and the allusion to maybe a same sex relationship. If this ending was tweaked a little there would have been an interesting ending.  If there had made Zhang Peng in the beginning be the actor Sheng Yi Lu and then have the doctor at the end be Zhang Tian Ai, it would have brought the whole thing in a full circle.

The ending I disliked the most was the last one where they had it that the cast were actors and the who story was fiction (though in reality it is) but that was a complete slap in the face.  For me it took away all the meaning and growth that the characters went through.  Though it was technically a happy ending, I disliked it.