Blossom

Amazing Drama of 2024

Hey why havent I heard of this show before? I thought it was just one of those low budget show with mediocre production, especially when my impression upon finishing the novel that it was very forgettable. It turned out to be an amazing drama, one of the best ones I’ve seen so far with fast paced, engaging plot and stellar performance by the actors.

First off, i like that they used child actors to portray the main leads in real timeline instead of mere flashbacks. Im tired of those adaptations that conveniently skips the childhood part of the main characters and start the story straight away as late teenagers just because they wanted to use the main actors from the very beginning, despite them not looking all that young even. Seeing zhang ziyi as a 15yo when she was 35 in The Rebel Princess was utterly hilarious. Glad this show hadnt suffered from this as well. Although they skipped Dou Zhao’s baby and toddlerhood, at least they hired a real child actor to start her character young.

I love it that the show is a thousand times better than the novel, which i felt too slow paced with winding and unnecessary plot. My only drive for finishing the novel is I wanted to see the showdown of the rebelling prince. Compared to other novels that ive read, it seemed too mediocre and super draggy, I even mentioned in my novel review that i hoped they make the adaptation with better plot or else it would take forever to finish, and yes, im glad that my wish came true! The show’s opening of how Dou Zhao’s and Song Mo’s fate was entertwined before their rebirths was brilliant, picqueing the audience’s interest and engagement, compared to the super draggy novel’s plot of Dou Zhao never encountering Song Mo until 13years after her rebirth (Song Mo only appeared after 100 chapters 😭imagine that!). The adaptation is super engaging with no draggy episode at all, my FF button practically took a back seat this time.

I also love that the show made the story more beautiful with amazing love story instead of the awfully dysfunctional relationships throughout the novel. In the novel, other than Dou Zhou and her people, the rest of the couples hated each other and plotted against each other. Whereas the show made the couples to be loving (although some came to tragic endings especially with the villains) which adds positive vibe to the already gloomy and sad plot. The show was able to make me cry buckets despite the novel never able to leave much of an impression, let alone stir my emotions after 523 chapters, but the adaptation did. It’s truly amazing because before this, I’ve always prefer novels than adaptation as i feel with novels it is much easier to convey more back story, emotion and inner thoughts of characters which adaptations usually fail to. But when it comes to Blossom, the production team definitely did a stellar job of turning a rather boring and mediocre novel into a fast paced drama filled with engaging plots. Kudos to the team.

I had to commend the actor for ML, Li YunRui. I’ve only seen him in Love Like the Galaxy looking handsome and demure as Ling Buyi’s love rival, so I had not expected him to wield the sword and fight like a real warrior in Blossom, his moves looked even better than Ling Buyi’s in Love Like the Galaxy 😂. The action choreograph had been impressive, and ML (and his double) executed it immaculately perfect. I felt that the character Song Mo was created for Li Yun Rui as he successfully embodied the novel’s Song Mo as an astounding beauty that rivals even young ladies and yet manage to exude terrifying aura of a fearless warrior with top tier skill on military strategy and martial prowess. Despite known throughout the show as a fierce warrior, he looked super cute when he was sulking at Dou Zhao cuz he thought the Crown Prince was admiring his wife. Now i can’t wait to see Rebirth especially the novel had been my all time favourite and that Zhuge Yue and Xing er is my most fav couple ever. I truly hope they hired good writers for that one and not botch the adaptation like Princess Agent did. Li Yun Rui deserves to play more main leads, his acting is amazing!

Meng Ziyi carried herself exceptionally well as Dou Zhao, a weak woman with no martial ability at all, estranged from her family, but able to protect and sustain herself by strategically employing useful people around her. I have only seen her as Hua Liu Li in Royal Rumours and one of the masked hero in Love in Pavilion, and both characters didnt leave much of an impression. But this time, she truly proved her worth. And her chemistry with Li Yun Rui had been spectacular. I honestly think they looked good with each other, and the characters are made for them. The only downside that I see on this show is how fragile they made Dou Zhao to be after she got pregnant. In the novel Dou Zhao almost never got sick or injured despite all the ordeal they went through, let alone fainting due to intense emotional distress. In the show, they made Dou Zhao’s health so fragile she keeps on fainting one scene after another, and lastly bedridden. Gosh I just can’t get over that cuz I just can’t stand physically weak characters.

Other than that, yes yes yes this show is super amazing. Those who are like me, who love action filled story with a tinge of love story, go ahead and watch, you won’t regret it.

And no, dont waste your time reading the 523 chapters. I regretted that i wasted my time reading it. The novel is nowhere near even a breadth of the adaptation’s spectacular performance. And the redemption of Duke of Ding and retributions of the villains in the adaptation is much more satisfying than the novel. Although I must say if I hadnt picked the novel up with belief that it only has 100 chapters (it turned out the page where I was reading from had an incomplete translated chapters, found another with complete chapters and my jaw practically dropped to see the number of chapters), I wouldnt have watched this show. I thought since I’ve wasted enough days reading the novel, I might as well watch the adaptation with hope that they did better than the novel. And they did! Hurrah to the production! Thank you for your hard work! Please do more beautiful work like this and lets stop botching good novels.

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The story is literally a masterpiece, and it’s my favorite period drama ever! The story is balanced—the plots, characters, bgm, settings, and more. It’s literally what I’m looking for when it comes to period dramas that have political intrigue with a hint of romance—no misunderstandings between the fl and ml because they’re both mature and open-minded when it comes to handling situations that might hinder their relationship and family. I like the fact that both main characters are strong and wise. Fl is independent, and she relies on her skills and knowledge in order to survive. She’s a very smart strategist when it comes to handling business, domestic, and political affairs. Her character is literally a perfect example of what a woman is capable of—like things that are often viewed as what only men can do. While on the other hand, ml is very reliable when it comes to combat and solving problems and issues. He is perceptive and understanding, and also good at reading people’s minds. He is also very knowledgeable and wise, just like the fl. I love the fact that he respects her so much and he shares the same views and values with the fl. They both use their knowledge and experience in order to help each other and their community. Their relationship is very cute and sweet—I love how they portrayed it! They’re literally a perfect match, and the chemistry is overflowing. They’re literally willing to go against those rules and traditions that separate both men and women—making them unequal when it comes to having rights and freedom of speech or expression. It’s a well-written story involving the corruptions of greedy people who seek nothing but power by overthrowing the system and going against the law—how they’re willing to go against their own morals just to seek vengeance by forcibly taking the throne. The protagonists are really good at making my blood boil. Overall, this drama is so far the best period drama that I’ve watched. There wasn’t a single boring episode for me—everything was perfect and well-written, and I also love the cinematography and casting!

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“Blossom” is the BEST DRAMA OF 2024 ?

How do I even begin to tell you how good “Blossom” is? From the writing, cinematography, acting, storytelling, visuals, dialogue and chemistry between the leads. Absolute perfection.

From the very first episode, you knew this show was going to be special. By the time we get to the finale, all the issues were resolved and the story came full circle even for side characters.

All the characters had very clear development as well as stayed true to their essence. That’s really hard to do when there’s so much happening and you can’t give each character screen time for the audience to build familiarity with. The ambiguous characters flowed between good and bad, the villains were villains for a reason and the good guys were all for the greater good.

The main characters, Song Mo and Dou Zhao, were dragged into a royal mess and just chess pieces to the royal family. I’m so glad they had each other to navigate and come out of the ordeal unscathed and get their happy ending.

Li Yunrui as Song Mo was the standout performer in this series! He embodied the character and the morality of the character exquisitely. I know his popularity blew up once the show premiered so I’m excited to see him more in lead roles. SM is a top male lead character in this genre moving forward. He is truly a green flag — caring and loving DZ, but never dominating or exerting power over her. He’s so gently when it comes to her whereas he’s fierce as a general.

Meng Ziyi was absolutely fantastic as Dou Zhao and the writing was one of the best written female roles I’ve seen on CDrama. The character itself never strayed from her values and beliefs. DZ was progressive, but also understood traditions. She was strong, but showed vulnerability. She loved deeply and never doubted it. This woman was determined to never let SM stray from his goodness. ✨

SM and DZ were perfect together and I don’t know if another couple can top them for me in CDrama. They demonstrated a relationship that was healthy and equal. They didn’t hide things from each other nor did they assumed what the other person needed — they actually communicated, shared opinions and strategized together. They made promises to each other and kept to them. They didn’t let their own egos overshadow their relationship nor did they let other characters make them doubt each other. All of this is so rare in CDramaland!

I hope Meng Ziyi and Li Yunrui team up again because their chemistry felt so natural and real. You can’t help but root for them.

Some of my favorite scenes were the wedding in ep19 and the reveal of SM’s mother’s death in ep31. Those scenes were so visually beauty and great storytelling. The wedding was particularly wonderful because it felt so grounded by showing the audience details and traditions that you feel as though you’re witnessing a real wedding.

For the last few episodes, I think people are going to want a big battle at the end. However, this show has never been about big action scenes, but rather the characters and their cleverness and strategies. I think how the fighting happened and concluded made the most sense to the story. The show is solid and consistent in its writing.

“Blossom” is a must watch drama and SM and DZ are characters that will be forever iconic in CDramaland.

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NO0 CONCUBINES !!!

As a person who has watched every modern drama out there and finally decided to give a true historical drama a chance after the pure fucker of the sword and the brocade,and dream back to the Qing dynasty, I thought historical dramas weren't for me. But this, oh this. Beautiful show called Blossom. It deserves my first review. It's so interesting, there's no stupid magic, stupid politics that overpowers the romance. WE HAVE A STRONGGGG FLLLL. We have a man who understands heck he can read her mind. Just wonderful. I hate the scheming step-mum trope so much but the way this show did it was wonderful. i failed to complete fall in love due to how the fl was being trampled on by the step mum and step sis. Here her sis is better her mum's awful but she is so strong and it doesn't overpower anything. i must say this show has no cheap drama its so good. the cinematics, everything. if u have been put of historical dramas due to the men collecting wives like Pokémons this drama is for u. perfect chemistry, perfect aesthetics oh and I'm talking perfect speed, the ending is so good aswell.NO BREAKUPS.

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A domestic, genuine romance with intelligent and independent leads amidst complex palace dynamics

I fully understand why this drama was so popular (especially within China). If you are a fan of palace shows, you’d love this one. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of palace dynamics and plots involving 宫斗 (which translates to power struggles in the palace), so I didn’t care much for the plot and ended up fast-forwarding through most of the plot stuff, so I’m really in no position to judge the plot accurately. But I will say that from what I did watch, that the plot was done pretty well. I don’t think there were many unnecessary plot points and everything was developed quite nicely. It’s definitely not a bullshit plotline, which I highly appreciated! There are elements of fantasy especially in the beginning of the show but it’s not touched on much at all - the show starts off with a time travel plotline but it’s not circled back to much so you might even at times forget about the "past life" plot that only occurs in like ep1-2. This show is very well executed though, and delivered one of my favourite romances in cdrama history, which is saying a LOT because the quality of romance is my #1 priority when watching shows. It’s definitely worth the watch and one of the best historical shows in recent years (historical, not xianxia or wuxia).

The little things like music, costumes and styling, and cinematography are done very well. Nothing incredibly special, and definitely not in a league of its own, but they are done well and add a lot to the viewing experience. They manage to meld together to create a lovely atmosphere that’s highly fitting with the rest of the show's themes, making the show even more enjoyable. Personally, I really appreciated these elements.

Plot-wise, I won’t comment on much because I’m not qualified to, seeing as I only watched bits and pieces here and there. It does get a little messy towards the end but it isn’t anything crazy, and I think loose ends were all tied up and addressed well. As far as palace plots go, I think this show managed to offer something refreshing and new while still rooting itself in the cliches of power struggles and corruption. [MILD SPOILER] It was honestly SO refreshing not to have the emperor be the ultimate bad guy LOL I’m pretty sick of this type of plot so that was really nice for a change! I also liked how the plot started off pretty strong from the first ep, it wasn’t dry or boring in the beginning at all, it was captivating from the start as we are thrown straight into the original "ending" of the fl's "past life" (or more accurately, her life before she went on a fix-it via time travel). I also appreciated how nothing was really dragged out beyond what was necessary, 34eps felt perfect and everything was tied up very well in the end and [MILD SPOILER] our leads got the happy ending they deserved, it felt very heartwarming and full-circle and not forced at all!

Before I get to the best part of the show (which would be the main couple), I do have to address what I felt was lacking in this show - the side pairings (both the 2nd and 3rd couple) fell SO incredibly flat, I did not care for them at ALL. The romance between the fl's cousin and the ml's brother was so insanely forced and they have 0 chemistry and everything was just so poorly executed. Yeah I was not amused nor entertained by the side pairings at all. The other side couple was cute, but again I didn’t care much for them, I had 0 emotional attachment to them but they have some cute moments I suppose - I skipped most of them because I didn’t gaf though LOL.

Now, the main couple... LORD. They carried this show!!! They have some of the best, most natural and comforting chemistry I’ve ever seen in cdrama history. The chemistry they have is a very domestic and genuinely affectionate love - it’s pure, soft, gentle, and so achingly tender my heart actually hurt. Like, they’re so married I actually want to cry a little bit. They’re perfect for each other and their scenes together are so good, they fit so so so well and they’re one of my favourite cdrama couples ever - which says a LOT because I have insanely high standards for romances. I can’t describe it but their love makes you feel safe and it’s so heartwarming to witness. [MILD SPOILER] I also LOVE how there’s no unnecessary break-ups or misunderstandings or love triangles, just purely the two of them in love and supporting each other to the very end. Both their characters are very likeable too, they have human motivations but they’re lovable and we as viewers can really empathise with them. Of course, they were both also serving visuals - I absolutely detest the bun styling in historical shows, but somehow Li Yunrui (ml) pulled it off so well I was actually in love with him the whole time. And I’m slightly biased bc ever since I watched The Legend of the Condor Heroes 2017 when I was in fifth grade I have been in love with Meng Ziyi (fl)’s visuals, but she did not disappoint me. I love how this drama let them both shine and gave them the recognition they deserve! I don’t think this show gave them much opportunity to showcase phenomenal acting skills, purely because the situation didn’t really call for it, but their acting did not let me down. It wasn’t extraordinarily good, but it was certainly solid and a job well done. Meng Ziyi is very graceful and suits this type of intelligent fl role so well because she really gave her the aura and gentleness the fl was supposed to possess; the way she carried herself was so admirable and it’s so satisfying to have an intelligent yet not reckless fl who actually knows what she’s doing. Her characterisation was just so likeable! I’d have to say the same for the ml too, Li Yunrui definitely had the aura needed to pull this off, and his soft side towards the fl melts your heart. Seeing them together working things out for the plot and having intellectual discussions is just so satisfying. They’re actually just perfect for each other. I also love how there aren’t any exaggerated scenes of ml saving the fl or whatever (though this is a historical show, not a xianxia or wuxia, so I guess that trope isn’t really a cliche here typically anyway) - don’t get me wrong, there are scenes like this in this show, but they’re done very tastefully and nothing is over-the-top (though I am a HUGE fan of this trope anyway LOLL). TLDR: The chemistry is so beautiful in a domestic married committed and dedicated way. Their devotion to each other and decision to support each other through every hurdle and willingness to respect each other’s choices even if they themselves don’t agree with it or feel hurt by it is so rare in cdramas nowadays (the "I’m-doing-it-for-your-own-good" or "it’s-for-the-better" trope is SO overused and frankly so tasteless), it was truly a breath of fresh air.

If not for anything else, please watch this show for their romance together. The show isn’t exactly romance-focused, and I’d argue that it’s actually slightly more plot-based, but their sweet moments together make you feel so relaxed, the main couple has never caused me stress and I love how there’s never a wedge between them, hardships happen but they take them on together as a team! It’s just so refreshing from what’s usually on the cdrama market LOL. They have beautiful chemistry, trust me. Overall, I really enjoyed this show and I’m definitely on the lookout for their new works because I’m a converted fan of Li Yunrui now (and SO happy Meng Ziyi is getting more recognition, I’ve had a crush on her since The Legend of the Condor Heroes 2017, she did so well there too but she was pretty underrated in that show. Objectively, her acting skills have definitely skyrocketed since then, she was so much better in this show!).

This show is definitely in a league of its own when it comes to historical shows! I 100% understand why it’s so well-loved, particularly in China itself - which is often a much better testament to a show's quality than international popularity.

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Reincarnation? More Like Recycled Nonsense

Some writers genuinely enjoy creating weak characters in the most illogical settings. Case in point: The Double, In Blossom, and now this gem of a drama. All three proudly sit on the same dusty shelf of period dramas where the writers go wild with the “women were weak back then” trope. Historically accurate? Sure. But when you toss reincarnation into the mix—a literal plot anomaly—and still insist on dragging the female lead through every cliché in the daily soap playbook… it turns into a comedy. And not the good kind.

Let’s get this straight: if your character is reincarnated and knows everything that's going to happen—has an actual guidebook written in cryptic poem form, no less—how is she somehow more helpless than the characters without a clue? It’s almost magical how she manages to be less useful with more information.

I was fuming. On one hand, the writers treat women like they’re fragile beings barely surviving the era. They turn the female leads into the saddest, mopiest characters alive—even with their second chance at life. And yet, somehow, the vamps and shady concubines are out there playing 4D chess, ruining lives, and running empires. Are they not women too? Or do they just eat a different brand of cereal?

It’s giving: “We didn’t know how to write, so we made her pitiful instead.” Classic move. When creativity runs out, just dump all your plot weight onto one character and hope the “emotionally invested” crowd eats it up. Spoiler: some of us aren’t buying it.

The plot? Oh, the usual. Husband cheats, wife meets soulmate, wife dies unfairly—yawn. Then bam! Reincarnation. She wakes up in her 8-year-old body, clutching a magical book filled with future events written in poems. Sounds like a game-changer, right? Wrong.

Her mother dies—she lets it happen. ML’s uncle dies—not her problem. People around her suffer, get punished, even die... and our girl is just chilling, casually using the book to grow her bank account while ignoring everything else. If you’re gonna give someone a gift that powerful, maybe make sure they have a shred of purpose? Or at least a moral compass?

She was useless in her past life, and she’s still useless now—just richer. Emotional intelligence? Zero. Strategic thinking? Nope. Social power? Don’t make me laugh.

By episode 13, karma finally clocked in and her creepy uncle beat her to a pulp. It was oddly satisfying. Why? Because with great power comes great responsibility... and she treated hers like a shopping list. If she wasn’t going to do anything useful with that magical book, maybe she should’ve handed it over to literally anyone else. Even the tea lady.

Romantic scenes? At this point they Felt like cactus needles to the eyeballs. I couldn’t do it anymore. so I just dropped it.

Would I recommend this show?

HELLO, NO. Go stare at the wall.


PS: In the end I am left with a question
" How this crap got itself such high rating ? "

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Storytelling method is lacking, but awesome chemistry

Many times, especially in the earlier episodes, I felt disconnected from the plot because certain scenes seem too predictable/cliché. This also happens when there is an excessive use of modern ideology in the story which is understandable because it is catering to a modern, young audience, but doesn't suit the setting. Perhaps its due to the filming technique, I also felt there were too many anti-climatic scenes. There also isn't any memorable OST, I don't even recall much music from watching. But, these technicalities aside, you can't help but awe at the chemistry the main leads have and the outstanding, overall performance from the entire cast.

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Beautiful but Unnecessary

These three words basically sum up how I felt throughout the entire watch.

📍Main Leads:

Nice to look at, but too surface-level. You feel absolutely nothing for them emotionally. They had great chemistry, though.

📍Side Characters:

The side characters got more screen time than the leads, which really annoyed me. I still can't believe we spent more time with the sister and her husband than with the main couple. And after them, Ansu and Song Mo’s brother took over. Like, why?

📍Angst / Tension:

There was none.

📍Concept / Idea:

It started off great, but they completely lost me after the time skip. Where was the red string that was supposed to guide us through the story? It had no impact at all. The fact that Dou Zhao and Song Mo got reincarnated didn't change the story one bit. They could've skipped that part entirely, and nothing would have been different. That was a big mistake, and part of why the leads left no real impact.

📍Character Development:

Yes, the characters changed and overcame their fears, but it didn’t matter because you didn’t care about them.

📍Pacing / Structure:

The structure was okay, but the pacing was way too slow. Almost nothing happened throughout the entire series, making the drama pretty boring.

📍Script / Dialogue:

Some interesting dialogue, but a lot of missing pieces. It felt like trying to finish a puzzle without all the pieces, no satisfying conclusion.

📍Ending:

It was okay, but again confusing, especially the part with the daughter finding out about multiple versions of "Blossom".

📍OSTs & BGMs:

Nothing memorable here.

📍Cinematography:

Visually stunning, but often wasted on unnecessary scenes.

📍Casting:

Good, but underutilized.

✨️Final Words:

All in all, this could have been something great, but they messed it up. A beautiful yet unnecessary drama, and ultimately a waste of time.

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