Kathniel (Kathryn Bernardo & Daniel Padilla): Princess and I

Episode 1IApril 16, 2012

In the kingdom of Yangdon, Prince Anand falls in love with Isabel, a doctor from the Philippines, who is on a medical mission in their country.

Prince Anand’s father dies of an illness and passes on the throne to his son. Now a king, Anand asks Drukpah, the royal council to allow him to marry Isabel. Although some object because she is a foreigner, Dasho Kencho head of the Drukpah says there is no rule in their constitution stating this is forbidden. Anand marries Isabel and soon they have a daughter, whom they name Ariya. However, Ashi Behati, wife of Dasho Kencho, has plans of taking over the throne as she has promised to her father, who is from the opposing clan of Anand’s family. With Anand marrying a foreigner and his liberal ways of ruling Yangdon, Ashi Behati tries to persuade members of the council that the king’s ideas are bad for the kingdom. A plot to harm the royal family is put into place and during a visit to one of the communities, Isabel’s vehicle gets compromised in a landslide. Isabel holds on to her daughter as their car goes over a ravine.

When “Princess and I” started telecasting last month, it made a good first impression with its exotic vistas (it’s shot in Bhutan) and “modern fairy tale” about a half-Filipino Himalayan princess who visits the land of her birth and, quite without intending to, discovers her royal roots there. It’s all escapist fluff, of course, but the show’s captivating premise made us want to keep viewing it.

These days, however, we watch the series more out of a sense of duty, as its inconsistencies and distractions intrude and obtrude into our enjoyment. Now that the “secret princess” is a teen being played by Kathryn Bernardo, her performance has become such a caution.

Rules

She’s perfectly cast in her bright, lively ingenue role, but she’s made to work too hard at being peppy and chirpy, and comes off as irritating and even ornery.

Imagine, she’s a visitor in the Himalayan kingdom, and yet she breaks many of its rules and caveats, drives her VIP guide (Enrique Gil) to distraction, and isn’t thrown out as a turista non grata?

The production’s excuse for this is that the king’s late wife was a Filipina, so he warms up to Kathryn’s character—but there are limits!

Yes, we know that Kathryn and Enrique are being made to get on each other’s nerves for the requisite “kilig” factor that will delight the show’s teen and tween viewers. But, the irritation level achieved is simply too high for it to be entertaining.

Other distractions include Enrique’s portrayal of the young prince assigned by the king to show Kathryn around. As in “Budoy,” Enrique is too consistently dour and surly here. Does he plan to make this his signature performing shtick? If so, he’s best advised this early that it’s a really bad and unproductive direction to go.

On the brighter side, Enrique should be complimented for coming up with a believable characterization of the Himalayan royal he’s playing in “Princess and I.” He bothers to acquire an interesting “foreign” accent, and his demeanor and physicality are similarly different from his usual projection.

Love Quadrangle: KathLil, KathNiel or KathQuen?

Princess and I Main Cast (L-R):
Khalil Ramos, Gino Padilla, Kathleen Bernardo, and Enrique Gil
Image (cropped): ABS-CBN

We're just a few days away from the primetime premiere of Princess and I. As promo plugs and TV guestings are heavily shown this week, we're slowly being introduced to Princess Mikay (Kathleen Bernardo) and the boys who will play major roles in her fairytale life. Among the three, whose happy ending would you want to see? Kiko's (Khalil Ramos)? Gino's (Daniel Padilla)? Or Prince Jao's (Enrique Gil)?

Kathleen + Enrique = KathQuen, Kathleen + Khalil = KathLil, Kathleen + Daniel = KathNiel?
Image: ABS-CBN (Princess and I's Facebook fanpage)

With each pair having a huge following, we're really excited to know how things will go. Read on and acquaint yourself with the princess and the boys. Please share your thoughts in the comment box!