The Legend of Su-Ling is an animated movie made by Golden Films.
Long ago in ancient China lives a kind and charming young prince named Chen. His relationship with his father, the Emperor, has suffered a great strain since his mother passed away. The Emperor has been taking away the peasants' most valuable possessions while simultaneously trying to plan for Chen's wedding. Fed up with his life, Chen leaves the palace and meets a beautiful peasant girl who owns an equally beautiful nightingale.
The Legend of Su-Ling provides examples of:
- Heel Realization: The Emperor starts having one after Chen says he now realizes what his father must feel like after losing the woman he loves. While officiating the wedding - "As Emperor, I order, uh, demand, uh, wish ...?" - his stammering over the fact he's forcing them to marry gives the couple a moment to recognize each other.
- Jerkass: The Emperor. He has his Dragon, Wang, take his subject's most valuable possessions and keeps them for himself. Once he discovers Su-Ling's nightingale and takes possession of it, he grows frustrated when it won't sing for him anymore. He sends out his men to look for its owner and unintentionally lures Su-Ling to the palace. He decides to make her Chen's bride under the threat of banning anything beautiful if they refuse to marry each other.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: What he kinda turns into. He does love his son and he is in mourning over his wife's death. The reason why he takes the possessions is to try filling the hole left in his heart. He does also decide to return everything he had taken from the peasants once he realizes that Chen has found the woman he loved. It still doesn't excuse his behavior.
- Kindhearted Cat Lover: Chen owns an albino tiger cub who is also his Animal Companion.
- Mood Whiplash: The scene with the nightingale. It shows the bird tweeting sadly before the Emperor demands that Wang make the bird sing again. Cue the wacky music and the Emperor throwing vases at Wang.
- Perfectly Arranged Marriage: Neither Su-Ling nor Chen realize that they're being forced to marry each other.
- Raised by Grandparents: Su-Ling's guardian is her grandfather who often provides wisdom for her and Chen.
- Rich Bitch: The princess that was meant to be Chen's fiancée is rich, but behaves like a spoiled brat.
- Spoiled Brat: What Su-Ling thinks the Emperor's son is. Little does she know that she had fallen in love with that son and he's a lot less spoiled than she thought.
- Uptown Girl: Gender-inverted. The movie centers around a prince and a peasant falling in love and eventually marrying each other.
