You've probably seen those clips on TikTok or YouTube. A princess with a hairpiece so massive it looks like she’s balancing a giant mahogany sewing machine on her head. That’s the first thing everyone notices about the untouchable woman chinese drama, officially known as Untouchable Lovers (凤囚凰). It’s one of those shows that people either absolutely adore or want to scrub from their memory with industrial-grade bleach. Honestly, it’s a trip.
The show stars Guan Xiaotong and Song Weilong. When it dropped in 2018, the internet went a bit feral. Not because it was a masterpiece, but because it was so... weird. It basically splits itself into two completely different stories halfway through. One minute you're watching a political assassination plot in the Liu Song Dynasty, and the next, the narrator basically says, "Psych! Let’s try that again from the beginning in a different country."
What the Untouchable Woman Chinese Drama Is Actually About
The plot follows Zhu Que, an assassin who looks exactly like the notoriously "promiscuous" Princess Shanyin, Liu Chuyu. Her mission is simple: replace the princess, get close to the tyrannical Emperor Liu Ziye, and end his reign of terror. But here's the kicker—she realizes she might actually be the princess’s long-lost twin.
Then there’s Rong Zhi. Played by Song Weilong, he’s the "first gentleman" of the princess’s harem. He’s cold. He’s calculating. He’s basically the human equivalent of a chess grandmaster who hasn't slept in three days. He knows Zhu Que isn't the real princess almost immediately, and their "untouchable" dynamic creates this thick, suffocating tension that carries the first 16 episodes.
👉 See also: Brokeback Mountain Gay Scene: What Most People Get Wrong
The Weirdest Mid-Series Reboot in History
Around episode 17, the show does something truly unhinged. A storyteller appears on screen and tells the audience that people didn't like the ending, so he’s going to tell a new version. Suddenly, we’re in the Northern Wei Dynasty. The characters are the same, but they have no memory of the first 16 episodes.
It’s jarring. You spend weeks getting invested in the power struggle of the Liu Song court, only for the writers to hit the factory reset button. Most fans of the untouchable woman chinese drama actually prefer the second half, despite the confusion. Why? Because the supporting cast is basically a "Who's Who" of modern C-drama superstars before they were famous.
The Star-Studded Cast You Forgot Was There
Looking back at this show in 2026 is wild. It’s like looking at a high school yearbook of A-list celebrities.
✨ Don't miss: British TV Show in Department Store: What Most People Get Wrong
- Zhao Lusi: Before she was the queen of rom-coms, she played Ma Xueyun here. She’s a scheming, tragic, and frankly exhausting secondary character who makes everyone’s life miserable.
- Bai Lu: She pulls double duty playing a female general named Huo Xuan and a ruthless concubine named Le Yun. Her performance is arguably better than the leads.
- Xu Kai: He’s barely a blip on the radar as a loyal bodyguard, years before The Legends or Story of Yanxi Palace made him a household name.
- Wu Jinyan: She plays the Empress Dowager, bringing that same "don't mess with me" energy she perfected in Yanxi Palace.
Why People Keep Coming Back to It
Is it a "good" show? That depends on your definition of good. The pacing is a mess. The "sewing machine" hair is a crime against necks. And yet, there’s something addictive about it. The chemistry between Guan Xiaotong and Song Weilong is genuinely interesting because of how restrained it is. Because Song Weilong was actually underage during some of the filming, the romance is more about lingering stares and whispered threats than actual physical contact. It makes them feel truly "untouchable" to one another.
The production value, despite the hair, is actually quite high. The sets are gorgeous, and the costumes in the second half are significantly more refined. If you can get past the initial shock of the story reboot, it’s a fascinating look at how Yu Zheng (the producer) experiments with storytelling.
How to Actually Enjoy Watching It
If you’re going to dive into this untouchable woman chinese drama, don’t try to make sense of the timeline. You’ll just get a headache. Treat the first 16 episodes like a standalone prequel movie. When the story resets, just accept that you're watching a "What If?" scenario.
🔗 Read more: Break It Off PinkPantheress: How a 90-Second Garage Flip Changed Everything
Focus on the side characters. Bai Lu’s arc as General Huo Xuan is genuinely more compelling than the main romance. Also, keep an eye out for the subtle political maneuvering. While it feels like a romance, it’s actually a very cynical show about how power corrupts even the most "untouchable" people.
Actionable Advice for C-Drama Fans
- Watch the "A" Arc first: Episodes 1–16 are distinct. If you hate them, skip to episode 17. You won't miss much because the memories are wiped anyway.
- Ignore the Hair: You’ll get used to the Princess’s hair after three episodes. I promise.
- Check out the Novel: The original book, Feng Qiu Huang, is much more explicit and darker than the drama. If the show feels too "watered down," the novel fills in the gaps.
- Track the Cameos: Part of the fun now is spotting actors like Xu Kai and Zhao Lusi in the background.
Ultimately, Untouchable Lovers is a beautiful disaster. It’s a relic of a specific time in Chinese broadcasting where producers were throwing everything at the wall to see what stuck. It’s messy, it’s confusing, but for a show about an "untouchable" princess, it certainly leaves a mark.
To get the most out of your viewing experience, try watching the first arc on a weekend and then taking a few days' break before starting the second arc. This helps minimize the "narrative whiplash" that ruined the show for many original viewers. If you enjoy high-stakes palace intrigue with a side of "wait, what just happened?", this is your show.