Fragrance of the First Flower (2021)

Too short to be great, competent enough to be good

If I had to describe The Fragrance Of The First Flower in one sentence I would call it a great show trapped in a good show.
Words cannot describe how excited I was when I discovered this drama, I think that usually, Taiwan tackles LGBT+ subjects in its media in a very tasteful and impactful manner and on every level, from looks to premise, The Fragrance Of The First Flower looked like it was going to fill the GL-shaped void in my life. Needless to say, that I was gutted when I discovered that each of the only 6 episodes was going to be barely 18 minutes long. Still, I decided to give this drama a fair chance, even though I had the sneaking suspicion that that short runtime wouldn’t be enough to tell this story. And I’m afraid I was correct.

The Fragrance Of The First Flower is a beautiful portrayal of right person- wrong time. The show’s strength without a doubt lies in its gorgeous cinematography and especially in the colour grading. Every shot had purpose while still being aesthetically pleasing and I really feel like the colours dictated the mood and feel of each scene. Some people have pointed out that the actresses look way too old to play their teenage selves and I will have to agree but I still appreciated bot of the leads’ acting. I’ve also seen people complain about the lack of chemistry between them, but that is a sentiment I cannot agree with. I was fully immersed in the relationship between the two characters. There was a lot of subtlety in their performances which I feel like can be traced back to the subtlety of the script and plot. It was very fitting, in my opinion, that the thing that killed the relationship of the two protagonists in high school before it even began, the thing that triggered Yi Mins internalized homophobia, was the painful reminder of the inherent sexualization that comes with being a young woman. The scene in which the two leads almost kiss for the first time until they are interrupted by a pervert was the one that left the biggest impression on me in the whole show. I think it was a brilliant and subtle way of addressing how lesbians are viewed under the male gaze and how their sexualization makes it harder for young queer women to find themselves.
I also think the scene in which Yi Min finally confesses to her husband that she has fallen for someone else is a really strong one. She is desperately looking for another reason to break up with him because on a surface level, she should be happy. Her husband is not a bad man and she has everything she wanted in her teenage years, the house, family, and the role of a wife. Yi Min is looking for something wrong in their relationship so she doesn’t have to address what is really keeping her from being content.

Still, as I mentioned before, The Fragrance Of The First Flower ended up not fully living up to its potential and I really do feel like its main fault lies in the infuriatingly short runtime. In no way is this drama flawless but in my honest opinion most of its problems could have been addressed, if the show just had a few more episodes, or at least longer ones. Everything felt just slightly underdeveloped and it’s such a shame because all the ingredients to make this really special were there. But you just really need that time to develop a believable relationship between two people and unfortunately, time is the one thing this drama didn’t have and that might be the reason the ending fell completely flat for me.
Admittedly, I am a little salty. The BL fandom practically gets content shoved down their throat (eventhough most of said content to be fair, is not great) while I have to look for ages to find half-decent WLW representation. I just kinda had held on to the hope that this drama would be the one to kick off the success of the GL genre, and I doubt it will. But then again, I fully realize that what I am asking for is the same fetishization that gay men have to deal with, so maybe I should just be happy with what I get.

In the end, I feel like The Fragrance Of The First Flower did its best with what little it had. I have certainly seen way worse and at least I can confidently say that this was an earnest attempt at believable, well-meant representation. I have no problem recommending this show to other people who are also starved for WLW-content. The short runtime might have been what killed this drama but at least this way it doesn’t feel like a big commitment.
I will do my best to be optimistic about the future of GL and I’m sure that dramas like this one pave the way to better WLW representation.

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Painfully Real

This show is beautifully crafted—sad and painfully real. It’s a harsh reminder of just how much I dislike this world. The moments of raw emotion cut deep, especially the line: “We’re disgusting.” It’s a simple yet painful truth, one that echoes throughout the series. Then there’s another gut-wrenching line: “You know why I hate myself for liking girls?” The pain of those words, the self-loathing tied to something as simple as loving someone differently, is heartbreaking.

The show doesn’t hold back in showing how society makes it nearly impossible for some people to accept who they are. The pressure is relentless, and it forces characters to hide their truth, pretending to fit into a world that refuses to understand them. This constant struggle, this battle with internalized shame, is more than just heartbreak—it’s a war on their sense of self. The consequences of living in a society that judges love so harshly go beyond just a broken heart. It leaves lasting scars, forcing people to question their worth and place in the world.

The emotional depth of this show hits hard. It’s not just about a love that cannot be, but about the damage that years of societal rejection can cause. The way the characters are forced to accept a reality where their love is “disgusting” leaves you reflecting long after you watch. It’s exhausting, painful, and raw in a way that’s hard to fully describe, but it's something everyone should see, especially for those who’ve ever felt the weight of being told their love wasn’t “normal.”

This is not an easy watch, and it’s not meant to be. It’s an emotional ride that doesn’t offer a happy ending but gives you a powerful and real depiction of love, rejection, and the toll society’s standards take on personal identity.

Rating: 8/10
This show is beautifully painful, raw, and real. It’s not for those seeking escapism but will resonate deeply with anyone who’s ever faced the harshness of the world for loving differently.

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