Scent of Time

The Scent of a Wonderful Drama

I very much enjoyed this drama, especially the character of Hua Qian and the actress portraying her, Zhou Ye. Who hasn’t had regrets or wished they could do something all over again or wanted to just escape reality for just a moment? I resonated with Hua Qian’s and the other characters’ plights. I can understand the motivations of all of the characters (not the just leads) and how any decision can be easily influenced by emotions or selfishness or family or duty. These struggles are real and it was portrayed realistically in the drama. I was so invested in the characters (some more than others) that I was hurt to hear Qian Zhi was beaten to death by soldiers… sob

Hua Qian/Zhou Ye: I like how she changed from someone whose actions were driven by her obsession of a man to someone whose actions are driven by doing the right thing which unwittingly gains her the admiration and respect of multiple men as a result. Her love for her family and in trying to keep them alive, initially makes her do the right things for “karma’s” sake, but it slowly evolves into her moral code. It becomes clear that her years in exile has transformed her into who she is now, a strong and independent woman who no longer needs anyone to take care of her and instead she takes care of others. Zhou Ye played this role beautifully. I keenly felt her trepidation, happiness, sadness, and pain.

Zhong Xi Wu/Wang Xing Yue: In the dream, Hua Qian sees him as choosing duty over her, i.e., he has her expose her father’s crime when Mu Yao/Ye Lan have gotten past it. Also, despite his high position, he could never protect her from the all the scheming, e.g., the mastermind of her brother’s death goes unpunished even when Xi Wu knows who it is. Wang Xing Yue does a wonderful job conveying his inner struggles…the joy he feels when he sees her and the pain he feels when she doesn’t reciprocate his affections. In reality, unbeknownst to Hua Qian, he’s so in love with her that he has sacrificed his duty, has gone against his mother, and has burned through precious resources to help revive her from her coma. He would do anything to keep her safe after having lost her once, to Ye Lan.

Hua Rong Zhou/Zhang Yi Jie: In Hua Qian’s mind there was no one who has ever stood by her, loved her with all of her imperfections and mistakes, and protected her. Rong Zhou was this person in her dream and it was his presence that kept her wanting to stay there, until she realized Xi Wu was that person for her in reality.

Despite what many reviewers have said, for me personally, this was very romantic. I think for me, it pulls at my heart strings more when love has to be suppressed for realistic reasons, e.g., the ML struggling between his love for the FL and his duty to the people, the FL struggling between her love for the ML and her desire to live a free, peaceful life knowing that loving the ML would bring danger to her and her family, the 2nd ML struggling between his childhood love with 2nd FL and his growing respect and admiration for FL, etc. I would have liked a kiss to be shared between the FL and ML, but I think given their circumstances, it made sense why they didn’t and I’m fine with that. I also liked the innocent romance between Qian Zhi and Nan Feng. Did I say it nearly killed me when Mu Yao revealed what happened to Qian Zhi in reality…sob…

I also liked the ending. It was abrupt for some reviewers, but for me it was the right ending. The story revolved around Hua Qian, so the dream was clear and detailed because it was a rehash of her past mixed in with what she would do differently as a reformed person. Her future in her dream is just to have someone by her side forever, so I think not showing her future reality is ok for me. It doesn’t matter because the one thing that is certain is that despite learning to be strong and independent, she doesn’t need to face reality and the future alone. She now has Rong Zhou, in the form of Xi Wu, who will forever be by her side.

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Update:

I re-watched this on HBO after seeing Wang Xing Yue in The Double. I really enjoyed re-watching this drama and hope Wang Xing Yue and Zhou Ye are cast together as leads in a future drama. They both did a wonderful job conveying the struggles their characters endured. Wang Xing Yue’s character here is so much more different than Duke Su in The Double. I’m glad I re-watched this to see the difference in his acting abilities.

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A dream within a Dream and Reality, Hua Qian and Zhong Xiwu ultimate couple , Happy ending

====SPOILER ALERT , THE ENDING IS WRITTEN====



In the anticipated conclusion of the 2023 Chinese drama "Scent of Time," a surprising twist awaits the audience. Hua Qian, after going through the ups and downs of her journey, arrives at a heartfelt revelation.

As the story unfolds, Hua Qian wakes up in a small village after a staged fire incident meant to deceive Lord Hua. In this idyllic village, she finds solace and forms close bonds with the local residents, living the life she's always desired. Meanwhile, Hua Rongzhou continues his relentless quest to locate her, promising to never give up.

Ultimately, Hua Rongzhou succeeds in finding Hua Qian, fulfilling his mission. He declares, "I finally lived up to my expectations and found Hua Qian," and then inexplicably vanishes before her eyes.

Initially believing that she had altered her destiny, Hua Qian awakens from a dream within a dream, realizing her parents are still alive, and she has returned to her past. The plot thickens as a secret fragrance emerges, signaling the beginning of the final act.

In this new reality, Hua Qian discovers that, in fact, she is already married to Zhong Xiwu, and not the supposed Yelan. Despite her initial resistance, she begins to acknowledge her deep affection for Zhong Xiwu, and he reciprocates those feelings. However, Lord Hua's interference leads to Hua Qian's escape from her wedding day, resulting in a serious injury and a coma.

With his profound love for Hua Qian, Zhong Xiwu utilizes the unique Jiayin Menggui Pill to save her life. Hua Qian enters yet another dream, where she reevaluates her feelings and recognizes the sincerity of Zhong Xiwu's love. Their bond grows stronger as they both learn from past misunderstandings and the dreams that have shaped them.

This dream journey becomes a means of salvation for the two of them. It helps them to understand each other better and let go of their past mistakes. Hua Qian comes to realize that love should not be imposed upon someone; it should grow naturally. The dream world has brought clarity to their feelings.

Finally, Hua Qian awakens from her coma, having been cared for by Zhong Xiwu for over two years. She courageously reaches for his hand, and Zhong Xiwu confesses his feelings, saying, "I like you, and it happened earlier than when you fell in love with senior brother. No matter what, I won't give up."

The drama concludes with a heartwarming note, highlighting the blossoming love story between Hua Qian and Zhong Xiwu. It underscores that love, patience, and understanding can overcome even the most formidable obstacles. As they hold hands and anticipate their shared future, viewers are left with a sense of fulfillment and hope, realizing that the most beautiful love stories often feature unexpected twists and dreams within dreams.

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My first Cdrama that I watched until the very end.

First of all, Yes yes yes
I've watched over 50 Chinese dramas and I completed none of them, I just skimmed through the episodes. But with this one, I enjoyed every single minute-second moment.
The story was mind-blowing and made me pull all-nighters to finish it 😭
The ending could be better if they just showed a little tiny hug or hand-holding moment but nvm I loved it.
The chemistry was fire. Lord xiwu made me giggle everytime he smiled and yup he was so downnn for Hua Qian.
Zhou ye did an amazing job along with xingyue
Both of their characters were written beautifully.
I would recommend this drama hundreds of time no thousands of time🥹✨🫶

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Wow!

I did not expect this drama to be so good. It was interesting from the get go.

The female lead pretty much carried the whole show, it was focused on her story and suffering.

It also included her relationships with:
It began with her ill-fated one-sided relationship with Zhong Ye Lan, who she tricked into marrying her.
They she ended up tangled with Zhong Xi Wu, who just controlled her life and decided to make major decisions that included life and death. (Spoiler alert: The real him did seem a bit different than the dream control freak)
She also met Hua Rong Zhou, who was greenest flag, her confidante, savior, and a person who loved her without asking for anything other than her company.

I didn't expect the ending. It was a bit abrupt and I want to see more of FL's journey once she wakes up. Hopefully, there will be a season 2.

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A dream from start to finish

It was a good series. I watched it with pleasure. Of course, even if there were minor mistakes or things that were far from reality, they were forgivable. It didn't stand out. To me, it was Zhou Ye's performance show. It was really successful. It was as if he wasn't playing, he was living. Such realistic fluency. Acting that never reveals anything. It suits me too. It suits the role too. It's nice too. Everything was perfect. He's now one of my favorite players. Wang Xing Yue is a very young actor. The role was a heavy one for him. In other words, it was a personality role that had to look heavy, that appeared above everyone else. He looked older than he really was. I felt it. Is this kid 19 years old? made me say. In my opinion, they were a bit inexperienced. Or the players he played with were dominant. You would definitely be crushed in the face of a perfectionist like Zhou Ye. I felt so. Because he is a rookie lead among so many valuable actors. It's too much for this player. My opinion. But there is no grin in the overall game. As I said, he is older than he is, and the director handled the situation well. I also liked Zhang Yi Jie. Well done. He was also very good in the activation scenes. I also watched Ai Mi in many dramas. I don't know if it's a coincidence, but they're always in maid roles. Let her know that being a servant will stick to her. A very good leading role can be achieved with slightly different roles. He is very young. The child comes from acting. He is considered experienced. Her face is very beautiful and clear. Clean. I found it suitable for the lead role. Cevval can play characters. Can be tried in dominant character roles. It is announced to the directors and screenwriters. The veteran players were very, very good. Princesshood suits Xu Fan very well. We also witnessed the beauty and good acting of our famous leading actors who were included in the last episodes, albeit for a short time. It was a good show. Our series was just a dream. When we came to the end, we understood. At first I experienced confusion in my mind. Then, I was as surprised as our dreaming daughter by what was said. Finally I faced the truth. I understand It seemed interesting. So are the explanations. What a scent does. However, I didn't like the ending. It looked like there would be a sequel. Or it surprised us. It was said, "Imagine what happens next." Such an ending. The truth is very sad. His parents and siblings were all executed. Their servants were beaten to death. He created a non-existent character that he can only trust, and he messed around with him, even if it was a dream, and ultimately he accepts the truth. He is together with his savior who saved him. I guess this is the ending I understand.

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Mixed feeling with this drama

I love this drama enough to write a review for it.
Perfect score for the acting. Story pacing was also great, OST was also amazing too. I dont hate secondary couple, for me they are not annoying, acting is superb for everyone, especially for ZY and WXY.
And I can say it's a happy ending. Just not a very satisfying one. If the director and storyboard can change so much from the novel, they might as well change how the story was told.
This is why I have mixed feeling with this drama. I don't want to spoil the ending for those who read my review.
TBH, I don't know if I like it or not. IT IS the ending that I wanted.
If there is one drama that you should go in watching it knowing the ending, it's this one. So you won't be so disappointed.

As much as I love ZY and WXY, this drama has zero rewatch value for me, not even any sweet scene clips because this drama has almost none. And because of that, I downrate this drama to a 7.

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A Bittersweet Do-over

The bland looking poster made me think this was going to be a sweet romcom, but instead it's a sentimental character growth story of a young girl desperate to fix past mistakes. It’s not really a novel concept, but what makes it fresh and engaging is the rather unsympathetic and selfish heroine, Hua Qian, whom you can’t help but root for anyway, largely thanks to Zhou Ye’s compelling acting. Even though romance takes the backseat to HQ’s journey, I have to say Zhou Ye and Wang Xingyue had good chemistry and both looked incredibly beautiful in this drama, bringing all the charm and eye candy I could wish for^^

Initially, HQ’s motivation did not stem from wanting to redress past wrongdoing but rather avoid the steep price she had been made to pay for it. It took time for her to actually change her way of thinking and start to genuinely repent. Unfortunately, she’s one of just a handful of interesting characters in this drama. Out of the three MLs only Wang Xingyue tried to infuse his character with some depth and charisma. Both Peng Chuyue’s and Zhan Yijie’s performances were flat and uninspiring, and the SFL’s (Zhao Qing) acting was telenovela level bad. I believe that with different casting choices the story could've had much more emotional gravity.

I seem to be in the minority here, but I actually liked the ending, especially the realism of it. I thought it was well-scripted and true to the themes of personal growth, self-forgiveness and atonement. It also firmly kept the heroine in the center of the story avoiding any fairytale cliches.
Of course, I wouldn’t say no to an epilogue giving us a glimpse into their lives in the future, but I’m just as happy imagining it for myself …or maybe my expectations for c-drama endings are so low, this one seemed good in comparison;))

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You cannot change the future

All 30 episodes are said to be a dream of the FL while she was in a coma for 2 years. The FL chooses to wake up from her coma or dream and confront the past in reality rather than stay in the ideal dream happily.

The ending made me furious. I did not watch 30 episodes of 3 days just see that everything was just a dream. The ending pretty much says that you cannot change the future, there is no second chance and the only thing you can do is face the future and try to make up for past regrets even if you cannot.

The ending also is quite open with the prince who love the FL taking care of the FL for two whole years and hoping she wakes up. He loved her both in the dream and in reality. In my view they pretty much end up together due to the influence from the dreams influence on the FL and since the ML always did love her.

You can only live out your life in this cursed reality and change nothing.

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What just happened. The story and acting were compelling but the ending just wiped out everything. Okay, I'll admit that the ending was more logical and realistic than the whole "one more chance to do over" storyline but...what? (sputters to oneself.)

Because the ending wiped out most of what happened before (ironic since the initial premise was to wipe out one's past mistakes and start over), it felt as if all of the emotions developed over the course of the story became empty. But I don't hate this drama because it completely fooled me and I have a grudging admiration for that. Plus the ride was fun while it lasted.

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DREAM, REALITY, REDEMPTION

The story is well filmed and directed. The only problem is that the dream takes too long ... more should be devoted to the ending, which is rushed. More should be shown between the dream and the real world. What the ML said and how the FL responds in the the dream world.

Well, there's enough evidence that it can be a HE ... the script writer has put everything there that shows that they can be together if she accepts and loves him. This is a BIG IF though ... but in the dream she loves him so maybe it will carry through. In her dream she already worked out that she shouldn't hang on to the first love, ZYL, and the imaginary defender, HRZ.

She already knows that she shouldn't hang to HRZ as a self-protector because she knows she is strong enough with ZXW's love.

She went to the coma with the assumption that NO ONE cares and loves her. She wakes up because ZXW shared that he has always loved her for the goodness in her. He gave her motivation that she can do good like sharing the incense with everyone.

So it's a good ending because there's no need to explicitly say everything. BUT it's rushed!
I gave this drama an 8 because I feel the ending is rushed. There are 2 ways to deal with this: either show more interaction between the dream and real life (ie. he talks to her IRL) ... show those interactions or develop the ending more. The ending is rushed so we are left with a few cartoonish abrupt transitions. I think they should show how the ML talks to her during her dream and how she reacts (this is only done at the end).

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Lost in the aromatic dream | A wake up call that what doesn't kill you make you stronger.

"Don't be afraid. I'm alright. I'll protect you." - Hua Qian

"Don't Worry. Don't be afraid. You have me by your side." - Hua Wen Ang

The above are two (2) of the most heartwarming yet heartbreaking moments and I can still remember how heavy these scenes are for me. The mere thought of my sibling/s catching a sword stab for me and my father taking the blame to cover my shits will be the trigger for me to lose my screws, go mad and never recover ever again; and to think that Hua Qian experienced it twice (2x) just made me realized how gravely injured, badly traumatized and maimed she was all those times yet still managed to pull herself together to redo her life to hopefully rectify the past mistakes she's done during her 'first' attempt of it.

First and foremost, I wanna tell people to just watch it and don't even give a damn about all the negative reviews you may find on MDL. Don't be dissuade by those subjective opinions and never allow them as well to take this opportunity from you to watch such an excellent drama.

This story is like a manual handbook that will teach you how to lookback on your previous actions—what you've done wrong, what are the things you could've dealt with better and actions/mistakes you should never do again. It's a narrative that will make you remember that life is only good for a lifetime, that there's no 2nd life at all. So you must seize the moment, face all your fears, own up to your past mistakes, make ammends by correcting them and live your life better with satisfaction and contentment.

This drama gave me so much life lessons, inspirations and warmth that for some reason I feel like I can handle the situations ahead of me much better now. This show reminded me that "Kindness will never go unnotice and will certainly be rewarded in the most satisfying and unexpected way possible" and I know it may sound exaggerated however this story is truly one of those dramas that will make you look back at your life while thinking to youself...Have I been nice enough?, Have I been appreciative of what I currently have?, Have I ever hurt someone without any valid reason? and so on. This is also one of the major reason why I want people to watch this drama; because I want them to take some moment to ponder on how are they living their lives so far... was it satisfying? is it worth it? and is it something that you can be proud of when you think about all of it decades from now? I hope people can find peace, realization and healing from this wonderful anecdote.

I originally want to talk about the 3 male leads—their difference, what I like about them and which approach I like better; but then, how can I do that when there's 2 different dimensions and one of them which happened to be the main focus of the entire story turned out to be a dream? I myself got flustered after finding out; because I tend to take notes of the scenes I find interesting and want to talk about so that I can use it as a go to guide to write my reviews but how can I use that now knowing that the 98% of the show is actually a dream? I know it sounds dramatic but it really is complicated...since the things I initally observed turned out to be a creation of Hua Qian's dream/imagination only.

Anyways, I just want to say that out of all the 3 ML, I love Hua Rong Zhou the best! It would have been a thrilling moment to see him settle down and live happily ever after with Hua Qian but dang! the plot twist killed that idea for me. I'm sad but not even a bit disappointed about it because I understand that some people, specially those who are going through traumatic experiences may/tend to create an imaginary friend for them to feel secured, protected and loved. I understand that it's Hua Qian's defense mechanism working. Because she needs someone who will be there unconditionally for her. Someone who will always choose her whenever and whatever happens.

Regarding Zhong Xi Wu, I was conflicted of him at first specially on how he acted on Hua Qian's dream. However, when his true intention and feeling were revealed at the final episode, I was like, "Damn! I was wrong all this time. This man is even more devoted and crazy in love more than I thought he originally was." This guy is the sole reason why Hua Qian is even still alive and able to "re-live" her life through her dream. He basically gave her another chance to life, a new direction and a redemption path to take. It was all thanks to him that she was able to deal with her obsession, devious desires, regrets, and her overall inner demons. He made her feel better and in good health (physically) as much as he can and thanks to all that, she stayed breathing and eventually woke up; and although the 1st 'wake up' attempt was a failure because she's still unable to distinguish between the reality and fiction (dream), the 2nd attempt finally turned out to be a successful one. As it served as a conclusion and agreement to herself that she can no longer live in that way—under the spell of her illusions and imaginations; and that sooner or later she'll have to face everything because after all she still has a whole world infront of her to face and conquer—which is the reality she's been escaping all this time, as she was unconcious, greatly harmed and traumatized of what had happened.

More so, I wanna say that this story is all about facing her own fears and mistakes. Owning up, dealing with them and correcting all of them (as much as she can). Not because she needs and is obliged to, but because she has to, as a healing and coping process of all the bruises, pain and sufferings she had inflicted to innocent people as well as to herself. It's a redemption for all the mistakes of her childish and immature self and also a stand that she's ready to move forward, ahead and infront of the excruciating experiences she went through. Which is an indication of growth and maturity.

In terms of overall costume, production set up and editing, I wanna say that it's either this drama received a good amount of budget/funding or the people workong behind the scenes are just truly talented, flexible and resourceful to make it seem like it. Costumes are beautifully chosen and well coordinated and although the households look relatively small and cramped, I was still able to see how nice, huge and grand it actually looks like inside. So I really want to commend the production team/staffs for their hardwork and dedication to make this production look pleasing and convincing.

Lastly, I'm still in awe on how flawlessly they pulled off the story to become just an imagination/dream when all this times I was convinced it's a time travel plot. I felt stupid for believing what they made me believe it was and it's also the reason why the distaste still lingers in my mouth till now. It's like I was played by both the director and writer...and up until this moment I still feel bad because my ship (Hua Qian X Hua Rong Zhou) can never happen.

P.S. Hua Rongzhou picking up slacks the very moment Hua Qian got divorced still amazes and fascinates me. This is probably my top most favorite part of the story + him fighting Zhong Xi Wu's guards perpetually for 26 months to obtain the information regarding Hua Qian's whereabouts. His growth from being a weak boy into a vigorous man deserves so much praise and admiration.

Story - 10, I love everything about this drama. The story itself was nicely written and although the dialogues aren't as complex, poetic and deep in comparison to the typical historical costume dramas, it was able to keep its own uniqueness and identity for being simple yet clear.

Acting/Cast - 10, I want to praise Zhou Ye for her outstanding execution of Hua Qian. She went all out and I can now consider her as one of the actress who can really act whatever role you give to her. Aside from that I'm also satisfied with the whole cast and I just want to mention how I admired Zhang Zheng Yang's acting here. He's unreadable to me and I love that he made me feel that way.

Music - 10, I love the full list of songs used. I feel like they fits the dramas mood/vibe so much and it is simply calming. Listening to the songs put me at ease. Kudos to Music Team.

Rewatch Value - 10, No words can make me turn my back on this masterpiece. Although the plot twist shocked and disarranged me quite a lot I still love this drama so so much!

Overall - 10, Isn't obvious? lol This show is one of those 1 in a million dramas that actually puts value on the story composition itself rather than having it just beautiful and attractive. It is well crafted and delivers a logical and meaningful message that's crucial and timeless for everyone regardless of age and status.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

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If you wanna know about the 3 male leads, here's an honest review focused on that

I finished watching the 30 episodes and overall it's actually a very good drama. Despite there were no kissing scene the affection and attachment of all the characters are delivered on point. Do not be discouraged by other viewers who didn't like the ending, honestly the ending got me sort of conflicted on what to feel. As I was watching this cdrama i'm rooting for all 3 male leads. First let's talk about Hua Qian's first love interest whom she resorted to all means just to marry him, "Master Yelan" although it was clear that the one he truly loved was "Mu Yao" when Hua Qian went back to the past (or shall I say in her dreams when she was in coma for 26months) even Mu Yao acknowledged that indeed Yelan had grew feelings for his first wife in spite of all the wicked things her past self had done he had some love for her... she had space in his heart, it is clearly shown when Hua Qian proposed for divorce several times to make amends to all the bad things she'd done to the Mu Family, Yelan profusely refused because he knew to himself if he divorced Hua Qian (just like in the reality) Hua Qian would be out of his protection and would be implicated by the time the Hua family will be sent to exile, in his heart he would deal with divorcing her but before that he must protect her first. And now, about Hua Rongzhou it's difficult to process that he's just a result of the Jiayin Pill or our female lead's wishful thinking he had so much potential and chemistry and all throughout the time he was unconditional to her, as a viewer I felt for him I liked that he always protected her and followed after her, heed about the smallest details of things she liked and disliked and in the scene when he fought with Zhong Xiwu's personal guards in order to inquire information about Hua qian's death he never stopped to look for her even by means of death he wasn't fazed at all he had never given up on her, no wonder Hua Qian uttered in ep 30, "You're that someone who will never leave me, no matter what I did" and it hurts that although he's just a character in her dreams, he sensed that it's time for the one he loved to wake up into the reality he's not in. As for Zhong Xiwu, I mentioned that I felt conflicted and it's between him and Hua Rongzhou, I was conflicted of... I felt bad for him too in episodes before 30 because no matter how much he took the initiative...disclosing his feelings to Hua Qian (something the Lord wasn't able to do in real life) but Hua Qian although feels mutual for Xiwu she can't because of the situation she's in and as per her Highness' plea (Xiwu's mother) when Xiwu told his deployed spy on Hua qian to go back because Hua Rongzhou already knows her whereabouts he said, "someone else will take care of her now, she no longer.. needs my protection" it cuts deep through my soul how he paved the way for them, when he looked at their simple life, something he could never give... and A'Qian sighting him from a distance in the woods where he saw him watching them doing the laundry happily like a married couple seeing him choose Hua qian's happiness over his unbeknownst to him that all along before the incident Hua qian used to carry a medicine bottle just like him indicating they loved each other. And just like one of Xiwu's personal guard(a Eunuch, or somewhat a personal counselor) came to hear about Qian's personal maid that her owner used to carry a bottle of medicine just like the lord he mentioned not to talk about this with the lord 'cause it will only hurt him even more as he was never aware with Qian's feelings towards him. Hence, it ended with Qian uttering "Zhong Xiwu..." which is once and for all, a happy ending.

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