The Forbidden Flower

This is going to be a long review with parts that can be considered spoiler-ish.

The novel was written in Rococo style. What does that mean?
'...perhaps the most rebellious of design styles. It was exceptionally ornamental and theatrical – a style without rules. Compared to the refinement and seriousness of Classical style, Rococo was seen as superficial, degenerate and illogical..'

As the novel's synopsis states, '...In that year, she was beautiful and he was not old; after that year, she was eternally beautiful and he finally got old...' there's no more explanation of how this drama goes. At least the director/producer decided to at least take out/change the secondary EVIL male. The drama still ends up starting off nutso though.

From the first episodes, I wrote that this drama felt art nouveau due to the flowery sensual vibe of the scenery and cinematography. Towards the end, knowing this is based on a novel, I wanted a clearer understanding of what's happening that this drama isn't conveying well to me due to so many blank/black screen and poor choices in editing. I was utterly confused by any timeline or fullness of any particular scene. Majority of the time it felt like a scene left something missing. The fact that art nouveau was influenced by Rococo is not lost on me. I think this is why I find this drama to be a mess in many ways. Rococo is all about fantasy and illusions which this drama has in boatloads...topping it off with a grown ass alcoholic prancing her fantasies in front of a mirror rather than living in reality.

"The Rococo writing style is like lyrical poetry in which erotic, elegant and frivolous aspects are reinforced and exposed with dyes towards sensuality." The themes are based in more mischievous and festive aspects of daily life, using sensual pleasures that lack any seriousness or any particular etiquette or moralizations. To this style, the drama fit the novel to a "T". Jerry Yan, with the looks so many women seem to love, playing this main character along with a young actress who does fun-loving and flower sprite fairy so well doesn't surprise me that this drama got higher ratings than I'm willing to give. I have to admit, I am not one that has ever been in the Jerry Yan fan boat, however, I don't dislike his acting etc where appropriate. As Rococo style exemplifies, there wasn't much depth to Jerry's Xiao Han so I'm actually impressed how much more feeling he put into that character than I think was actually written on paper. High ratings go for the thousands of intimate scenes, touches, caresses, kisses, etc that all looked and felt REAL which is unusual in C-Drama territory. The OTP didn't shy away from being in each others arms very intimately. I also think this tickled a lot of girl's fantasies and bolstered the ratings.

I thought about giving this drama a higher rating than this because I watched it all the way through without FFWD any part of it. However, this drama actually did not illicit any emotions from me whatsoever. I felt more like I was watching a train wreck so I detached myself from being invested in pretty much anything the characters were doing.

I didn't understand why the family let that fool Han Yu go on and on obsessively like he did, almost encouraging it. Between her mother and Han Yu, 'family' relationships were so suffocating.

It took the drama too long to provide a background to why this family is so utterly broken. We get pieces here and there... Even worse Xiao Han doesn't even get all the pieces the viewer had gotten slowly until the very, VERY end. Xiao Han was too kind and good for the world this drama created. He Ran was too selfish to the very end. The only saving grace was her mom's psycho attitude got vindicated. We got to fully understand why she's such a broken person, but like her daughter's attitude to Xiao Han, even at the end I felt like she's the type to never believe anything happy should happen to her. That kind of depression is taxing on a human emotionally who is there trying to prove to them otherwise. I'd rather a boy live a fresh, clean life, with his lively, loving family and someone who properly fits into that happy world. He doesn't deserve the Rococo style of pure eroticism and superficial pleasure from a human who cannot ever give him anything more than that emotionally.

I stuck with the ending from the source material. If the way it was written was worthy of a drama, then let it be. I didn't get any emotional healing from it. I didn't see anyone grow emotionally. The choices were selfish. Having to make choices between happiness or suffering, being together to go through life's events, or crawl in a hole and everyone doing their own individual thing struggling on their own. The choices made weren't healing. They were torture and emotional abuse to everyone involved. There was absolutely NO peace in it whatsoever. She can go all the way to the highest altitude with him but he can't go with her on her journey? Made no sense. He is an esteemed horticulturalist despite his reasons for being a recluse. Are we saying he can't get a job internationally or something like that??? It's just archaic crazy talk. This is 2023 ffs.

The openness of the ending was to compensate for the fact that the story is a bitter train wreck where no one comes out of it truly okay. It was for those who watched not knowing the source material, like myself, to make up for having stuck it out watching this expecting to see a Silver Lining somewhere in it all...only to find none. I guess the best part was that the music 100% fit everything the drama took us through.

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A RARE GEM DRAMA!!

I only watched it since it looks interesting, at first I thought it would be a spicy romance without looking at the plot but this leaves me a emotional wreck lit the amount of tears I shed on the last episode 😭 what made me more emotional was the fact her things was still in place and Xiao han keeps growing flowers and everytime it blooms it reminds him of her and the place where he proposed scene. I'm not really into shows that has a sad ending but I already knew the ending would be sad. It's such a fresh and rare type of drama that I would rewatched it over and over again.

Their love is beautifully crafted and the scenery that they showed in the drama is so aesthetically pleasing. But such love only had a limited time.☹️
Some may argue that the ending was an open ending but I don't think so the girl really did die and leukemia patients usually have 5 or more yrs to lived.
In my heart this drama is a 10/10 but the mother romance side was so unplaceda and not needed in this type of show. So I just skipped their parts and it took up a lot of screen time 😔.

Overall PERFECT CASTING, OST and CHEMISTRY !! 😍 Tbh I did not even noticed the wide age gap of the cast like Jerry Yan looks so young 😭.
This drama deserves more attention!!

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One of the best C-dramas that falls just short of propelling their dramas to K-drama levels.

I’m just going to keep this short as I can. This is one of my top 3 C-dramas ever. My absolute favorite is lighter and princess. But I have to admit that China is still a long way from making its dramas on the same level as K-dramas. From the production, the storytelling, and even the acting itself. There are key differences, and most of them are in South Korea's favor. But once in a while, something like Forbidden Flower comes along. This is my second favorite ever, and a good indicator that C-dramas are approaching their own comfortable dominance in a saturated market.

The story is a little taboo, and I honestly thought it was going to be a problem. Sure, China and South Korea look at age differences in couples differently. Even grooming. But none of that is ever touched in a negative way here. The reason is because the FL pursues the ML based on her faith and judgment. There’s a natural progression that is explained as you watch. Time is different for her. She has an illness that will shorten her life. The moment she sees the ML, she knows what she wants. And how a couple pursues one another is incredibly important in any drama. This one is so amazing because of how natural it is. There is no grooming here, no taking advantage of. He does everything he can to lose her interest in him. He moves from his temporary home, closes/changes his business hours, and even walks in the opposite direction whenever he sees her. But still, she persists. Once he finally SEES her, he gives in. And he finds out that she’s been serious from the very start. It’s hard to explain in a review, but once you watch the progression, it’s so natural and believable that you appreciate the FL’s acting immensely.

But like I said, I’m going to keep it short. The beginning and the middle parts are simply incredible. As stated before, the female lead's acting chops are just on another level. Hell, even the ML can’t keep up in many aspects. But then it happens, the things that naturally drag down all K and C dramas start toward the end. Actors/characters that appeared in the beginning suddenly disappear. The ML’s mother appears for one episode but doesn’t appear at the wedding. His youngest niece doesn’t either. And then there’s an introduction of a character who seemingly looks like she’s going to have a big impact, but instead, she is just a plot device that doesn’t have a clear ending. The ML was married before and his former sister in law visits, determined to get out of debt. Even after both the ML and FL give her all the money they have, she still decides to steal an expensive painting. Thankfully, that doesn’t happen when the FL’s uncle intervenes. But then she just… vanishes. It makes you wonder why they introduced the character to begin with. And this is just one instance. Other characters and plots pop up, but then they have no bearing on the overall story. Such as the FL being able to buy an apartment while staying in a dorm, or the fact that she skips school for months, but then moves right back into the dorm with her same roommates as if nothing happened. These are just a few examples where things just start to make so little sense. Luckily, their relationship remains coherent, even despite their breakup and trivial subplots.

So yes, the dreaded confusion of K and C dramas shines here, but at least it all happens in the end. But then again, the ML doesn’t even find out about the FL’s illness until the second-to-last episode. Yep, I kid you not. That actually happens. It feels as if half the actors dropped the project, or the producers didn’t think they had a complete story to finish. It sucks, because there are many interactions we missed out on. The painful scene we could have seen of the FL’s mother reacting to her death. Her mother visiting the ML and witness just how much this man truly LOVES her daughter. Some of the most heartbreaking scenes happen over the phone and not in person. It’s incredible how much they fumbled in the last stretch. And for the love of god, why does he have Boys Over Flowers hair???

But I’ll stop being negative and finally give my highest rating so far to a C-drama that truly deserves it. But, in all honesty, it’s the FL lead you want to watch. Her acting is the reason this show stands on its own two feet. She is going to make an even bigger impact on the industry, trust me. So I hope you give this drama a chance, even if you’re against age differences in couples or you hate the confusion that all K-dramas suffer from. You won’t regret it.

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Age doesn't MATTER because when your heart beats it

First of all, I just wanna write how I badly needed a 2nd season. This drama has left me bruised and empty for weeks and can't even watch any other drama without thinking of both He Ran and Xiao Han. I think I'm in love with the story, plot, casting and everything that makes up this drama.

To anyone wondering if it's worth watching, well, I'll d*mn say, its iffin worth your time! This made me more appreciative of how versatile Jerry Yan acts. I've finished watching 'Meteor Garden' and 'Count Your Lucky Stars' but Xu Ruo Han and Jerry Yan's chemistry is on another level. Especially when He Ran said 'I love you' and Xiao Han cried. You can see the love in his eyes and for that part, it felt like he wasn't acting but instead, genuinely confessing his feelings for Cici. It amazed me how Jerry Yan expressed so much love that even I as an audience could feel it.

This drama left a deep impression on my heart. I'll definitely rewatch again but maybe I need months to calm down and get back to it. Have fun and savor every moment of 'The Forbidden Flower'!!!

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<3

Despite the basic cdrama tropes still being present slightly, the overall major storyline is very nice and I enjoyed it a lot. It made me cry, it made me smile.... I loved the OSTs too.

The only thing I would've said is, the male lead doesn't really speak much (I don't think he's fully Chinese/raised in China? I could be wrong) so it loses a lot of its effect. Some people were commenting about how nice the male lead's voice was, but it personally wasn't for me. The female lead was a perfect actress though - from her emotions to her body language. I loved her so much.

The rewatch value is slightly lower though. The first few episodes were slow to get into, and I only started watching this because I watched a YouTube edit of this cdrama.

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Don’t waste your time. Bad pairing for main CP. Jerry Yan is so bad in this drama

I think Jerry Yan is too old to match with xử Rou Hàn in this drama. I understand it is a forbidden love between middle aged man and a younger, but their onscreen chemistry was horrible.

The story is so slow and draggy. I watched 6 episodes and I can no longer continue with it.

I wish Jerry Yan acts in better role that fit his age, something with mature relationship. Perhaps play a divorcée or widow dad, instead of RomCom where he is teaming up with actresses half his age.

Don’t waste your time with this drama in my opinion, and the supporting cast is also horrible, especially the mom.

Too bad, I really like the FL in Perfect and Casual with Miles Wei, a better pairing. I am dropping it and give it a 3.0 rating.

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Why is the rating so high?

I was super excited about another Jerry Yan series. I haven't watched anything recent of his so I was excited when this show was airing. Sadly, my excitement died down and I could not digest what I was watching. It's slow...like super slow. A story about a young girl falling in love with a mysterious man. I'm in 6 episodes and I'm sick of the long scenes of Jerry Yan looking hot. In my head, I'm playing behind the scenes of him crackling up as they film these.

I read an article that the directors were fans of his since Meteor Garden. I felt this was just a fan girl directing a fan service show. I had the impression that this was meant for them to reminisce about him during those years, especially his headband...he wore a lot of headbands during MG. And those slow supposedly sexy scenes of him... I was laughing the entire time. I think they were trying to make him look good but I couldn't help but shake my head.

The FL was very disappointing. For someone young and daring and wanting to fall in love I didn't sense that. Instead, I felt she was like a little girl just curious about a mysterious man. Another thing I was hard to endure, I tried hard not to keep rolling my eyes - the foreshadowing of her having cancer or some sickness and was going to die soon. It is SLOW and BORING. I wouldn't recommend it even if you like Jerry. Dropping this series.

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