those layers of purple that captured me
Remind me to get back to this review. I started a few episodes and just have to give credit where credit is due. This drama pulls you in quickly, and it isn't doing so in a flashy or repetitive way either. What this drama has is a solid script, and paired with earnest performances from the cast, this drama therefor is a good watch.What makes this drama so special is I see it as a dark horse. The budget isn't as big as an S++, and it uses a lot of organic sets with direction choices that make this dramas appeal to seem a lot more expensive than it really is. This is an example of a director doing a really good job, where some directions can ruin the budge given to them, this does the opposite.
The writing for the characters is natural, and so are the relationships. Keeping it brief, the main pairing is just a really mature couple. They communicate with eachother, and there wasn't any moments of drawn out miscommunication to fill up episodes. Each episode connects to the next, and nothing was filler. I was surprised as I watch each episode and for me they end pretty quickly, I never check the time to see if I am done with an episode.
Blossom was never an over the top drama, its simplicity is where it shines. The pacing isn't coming across as slow, and overall it is just a sincere effort from everyone involved. I'm happy it has gotten a lot of recognition, and especially for the leads. I love dramas the break through barriers when it comes to the money put into them.
What I liked here is that everything came full circle, and no part of the story had a gap to it. Sincere efforts reap good rewards after all.
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Healthy CP, characters are not what they seem
What a pleasant surprise for 2024, a year when a lot of cdramas that came out were meh or otherwise failed to hold my attention. What I enjoyed the most was the main couple's healthy relationship (and we actually get to see them together for half the series, not just at the end). After that, the other thing I enjoyed was just how many characters lead you to believe they are one way but in fact are not what they appear. Even ones I was sure we knew their character and motivations, ended up surprising me. A lot of twists and turns. I imagine on the rewatch, I would pick up more clues hinting to it all along; plus, these reveals of true character or motivations do not feel like a betrayal of how they were previously written/like sloppy writing, but in fact do feel true to the essence of the characters.The first arc is fast-paced, and while I didn't find any part of the drama boring or slow, others might have. I'll admit, it is reaaaaaaaaally tempting to give up part-way in with how frustrating some characters are like the evil stepmother. Don't give up! Like I remember someone right at a really frustrating part around ep 11 or 12 wanting to give up, but by ep 16 there is a major breakthrough with a character providing pivotal support to help turn things around.
Hooray for Li Yunrui and Meng Ziyi, who previously always only had support roles, finally getting a big break. I was not expecting Li Yunrui, who did so well as a weak scholar in Love Like the Galaxy, to pull off playing an intimidating general.
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Bad Story Ruins Good Premise and Production Values
A terrible script made this drama a giant bore. This story is the braindead webnovel to end all braindead webnovels. The main character has about five golden fingers, between remembering her past life, a secret manual with cryptic predictions, a secret advisor, and sudden second life genius medical skill and second life genius business skill (okay, for the last one she used the manual and her memories to beat the market, call that 4.5 golden fingers?). Do you enjoy watching a Mary Sue pull the strings on all the major players in history with no stakes whatsoever? Then maybe you will enjoy this as a fluff drama. Personally, I got more and more frustrated and bored, started skipping through scenes and missing nothing whatsoever. You can skip from about 10 to the last 2 episodes and have barely missed a thing.I feel like the scriptwriters actually attempted to give this story a brain, but kept getting pulled back by the stupidity in the original. That's assuming this is based on a webnovel; but it's very hard to believe the drama writers invented this extremely webnovel trope heavy and super inconsistent narrative on their own. One glaring problem is that this drama betrays its own premise. Supposedly, the FL was the wife of a noble household for a decade before going back in time to her childhood, yet retaining her old memories. The only clue that this is a mature person in the body of a child is the MC making what become rather annoying counsels to all the main male characters, which of course always miraculously change their life. The author's conceit must be that men are very dumb. Strangely, this experienced head of a household has no way to deal with the female head of her father's household and can't even seem to understand her thinking. So one minute she is a national preceptor and the next minute she's acting like a totally naive and spoiled girl who thinks she can just run away from her stepmom and she'll just forget about her and forget about marrying her off to improve her biological daughter's marriage prospects.
In a different drama, being smart about politics and stupid about your personal life would work. But here it just reads as terrible writing. There were actually two dramas recently which had a female lead that lived half a lifetime before traveling back in time to their teen years. They were "Princess Royal" and "Kunning Palace". Both of them convincingly portrayed a middle aged, experienced woman getting a do-over. There's a saying "youth is wasted on the young". What if you could have do over with the benefit of experience and wisdom? "Blossom" has never heard of this idea. The author never once uses the life experiences from the FL's first life to guide her decisions in the second life, except to avoid her ex husband in the previous life because he cheated on her. Which means there is no point to her having lived twice--one of her golden fingers could have told her that he was a bad'un. The narrative ends up reading exactly like a modern time transmigrator wakes up in the FL's body rather than a person reliving their own life. Running off to live with grandmother and become a business mogul is exactly what a modern soul transmigrator in a transmigration novel would do.
I wasn't particularly convinced by the romance. It has its moments, but it uses the prior life as a sort of relationship cheat while also not properly leveraging the prior life. Things move along at exactly the speed the script requires without earning it.
Another pet peeve I had while watching this drama were the darn anachronisms. This drama appears to be set in the Ming Dynasty. That's also the latest it could possibly be set. Yet, in the first two episodes, the ML and FL fall through a plate glass mirror which shatters around them. Plate glass did not even exist anywhere in the world until the 19th century (Qing Dynasty). Window glass of some sort was available in Europe in some form during the Ming period. It came in tiny pieces and had lots of flaws and inclusions. That's why people used water and polished metal as mirrors. It's not just this one mistake. In another scene, our business genius MC is promoting cultivation of potatoes. I don't think potatoes were even known in China in the Ming Dynasty, but even when they became available, they were only cultivated as animal feed. Until the end of the 20th century at best Chinese people were reluctant to eat potatoes. So what would be the point of cultivating them? (The same thing happened in Europe. Governments in the 18-19th century used tricks to get common people to accept them.) It just betrays the same bad webnovel author arrogance where she doesn't even realize how ignorant she is.
I think it's a shame this much money and effort was put into such a not-worth-it drama. I also have a bone to pick with people who recommend it. "Strong female lead" -- no, she's the opposite, she's a Mary Sue with golden fingers because the author was too arrogant, too ignorant, and also too insecure to give us a human lead who doesn't have weird advantages but can still convincingly prevail over her circumstances. "Slow burn romance" -- it's fated romance where they meet in the next life after dying together, combined with constructed misunderstandings to draw out the inevitable longer. "Power couple" -- I guess? "Intelligent" -- Wrong. There are so many better dramas--within the same year there was "Are You The One?" and "Prisoner of Beauty" with great lead actors and actually good, intelligent stories. "Are You The One?" has a premise that sounds very stupid and braindead, but, surprise! It's actually a really good story. Go watch that instead.
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This review may contain spoilers
when you root for them individually and together... it's magic
ohmygoodness this put me through it (and i love it). don't you just love it when the main leads are both hot, smart, skilled and can be funny too? then it even gets better because they have so much chemistry! that's song mo and dou zhao. i've never rooted for a couple's happiness and triumph so hard. i admire their resilience and how they actually made each other better. every wins our leads get, it was so satisfying. that's also thanks to how good the antagonists in this story and man, we got multiple villains here and when i tell you my blood was boiling everytime omg lol i don't know how i'll rank them but wang ying xue that bitch (she's so freaking good). so yeah from the acting to the story to the romance, this delivered for me. at first, i was overwhelmed with the politics and the names but once i got the hang of it, i was good. this brought out the emotions in me. i cried, i laughed, i got mad and i cheered.meng zi yi and li yun rui are officially on my favorites list now. they did so good. but even the supporting actors are amazing. again, the villains! especially the women! also shout out to ming (again wang ying xue you stupid bitch lmao) and ansu (i, too, was heartbroken when i saw how song han started changing. their ending! sad but incredible).
ps: it's actually the king and duke of ding's love story if you think about it lol
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really solid drama, the best of the recent wave of feminist revenge dramas!
jiu chong zi/blossom is a genuinely solid show, and i'm so thankful. pacing is generally great, filmmaking is great, both main characters are well written and the plot is considered and cared for. the greatest weaknesses are in its villains and secondary characters, so the entire world of the story is not as rich as it could be, but this show has most of its bases covered.first of all. their storytelling ability is like, actually at the basic minimum of what i would like from a show, but most idol cdramas cannot meet it. from shooting, pacing, composition, and lighting, it does a very good job of delivering the tension and emotional beats that a story needs. sometimes the editing is Weird tho, like important scenes feel like they're missing or chopped up, or dont get the time they need. however, there are scenes that stay in my mind rent free just because they're well shot and the story is well told. namely the dream sequences, the time travel parts- i was genuinely emotional seeing the scene where dou zhao and song mo find each other and change their fate. sometimes it just hits! the plot and themes are mostly fine. plot is nothing we haven't seen before, typical family drama + revenge, political machinations and scheming eventually culminating in an attempted coup. it was fine because it was at least all set up from the beginning. themes could be articulated more clearly but are a general confucian patriarchal family system bad!! you can change your fate if you work hard enough!! and that's good and fine.
i really like both main characters and i think both are well written. dou zhao is of course, a bit of a superwoman mary sue as it goes in these sorts of feminist revenge dramas. the function is that she has to Keep Winning so the audience can live vicariously through her, and in order to do that, she needs to be superhumanly strong, capable, smart, ambitious, and a step ahead of the enemy at every turn. in something like the double it was extremely grating because she had no substance otherwise. however, dou zhao does have more substance and feels real and believable. her superhuman-ness can be explained by her already being 30 years old by the time she restarts her life, and working and training based off of knowledge she already has of the future. the degree to how hard she worked is also clearly due to not only learning from her mistakes of her past life, but her traumas from that past life. she knows not only from the death of her mother, but from her own lived experience what it's like to suffer by the confucian patriarchal role assigned to her as a woman. it makes it a lot easier to accept how easily she stays ahead of the game. i also really liked her real fear of love and marriage, inability to accept help from others, and how unromantic she is- stemming from her traumas! of course she eventually is able to fully enjoy her relationship with song mo, but these sorts of weaknesses are what makes her feel more believable.
usually in these types of feminist revenge dramas, the female lead with a mission is well written (or just passable) and her male counterpart has nothing to offer other than in being the trophy she wins at the end. not song mo! song mo's storyline, his Great Chinese Complex and struggle with filial piety, his flaws and his growth are all really compelling. usually they give the ml some Cool, Hard, Revenge backstory or mission and it feels super flat because it's obviously not the story they want to tell. however, song mo is obviously cared for, and his genuine struggle between filial piety towards an evil and abusive father, loyalty to an unjust and corrupt system is well done. his eventual choice is wonderful as well, and i wish more cdramas allowed our male leads to choose to leave, give up the system and live for themselves. another point!!!! a lot of times i see this male character type of male lead as having the aesthetic of being brutal, violent, impulsive and cruel however, they can never follow through by actually making them do anything bad or truly uncomfortable on screen. they never actually suffer, just throw their power around with no consequences and are ultimately still a sea of green flags from beginning to end. however, we see song mo be ACTUALLY violent first of all, and be almost foolishly impulsive at times. i like that he literally tries to kill his dad and doesnt give a shit when he dies. dad has absolutely no redeeming qualities LFGG i'm sick to death of nezha style rewrites where actually our parents are sympathetic and loved us all along!!! sometimes you just have an evil dad you have to kill!!!! we also see song mo truly suffer the consequences of his actions, and it's dou zhao, his great strategist and partner, who teaches him patience and how to play a long game, rather than run into situations head first and end up playing into the enemy's hands. in turn he teaches dou zhao that she can be stronger with support, and that it's okay to rely on others. it's really basic, but you would not believe how many romantic cdramas can't write a relationship where the characters actually inspire one another in a positive way, building a strong relationship!!!
ultimately the greatest flaws in this show are the villains and some of their logic. wang yingxue is extremely flat, just an archetypal evil stepmother who's been plotting and scheming since day one. inept father who is mostly blind to stepmother's evildoing is also overdone and uninteresting here. dad does get better and learns from his mistakes, but like honestly, who cares. uncle also has some small bits of writing that are interesting so i think he's fine considering his small role. song han is also.... i dont even know. i actually think he has some potential and there's things about him that are interesting, but i still feel like the character was flubbed and shoehorned, could've been a very compelling character if they wrote him better from beginning to end. also... qing wang and his mom!!!!! what a flop!!!!!! i actually thought the empress was an interesting villain and had sooo much potential. in fact considering why she got jokerfied, i was lowkey rooting for her. but no, the ending message was still...old and evil patriarchal system must still be maintained??/ tho empress would have also maintained a corrupt system? i dont know the writing was unclear for all of this, but i'm glad song mo and dou zhao got to leave it.
other side characters that get the short end of the stick... ming'er :( i was actually so sad that she just died, and it seemed to be her death's only purpose was to punish her mother and wei tingyu. i thought she also had potential to grow... i wish she got to divorce and find her own path!! it was enough that she had the miscarriage and suffered the abuse she did!! she already learned her lesson but they had to just kill her off? ji yong is also just soooooo blah and nothing. i dont even really understand what he's here for other than plot reasons and to help out when he's needed. and oh my god, miao ansu......... what a waste of space. literally nothing going on with her. watching her and song han's scenes were EXCRUCIATING. both of them were just so empty, had nothing to give, acting was mid, literally just went on 2x speed through all their scenes. i really dont know why they wasted so much of our time with their relationship when they could've either just cut it all out or actually wrote them better.
ok that's it. the good things about this drama still make up for all of its shortcomings!! i genuinely highly recommend this show to all if you want a fun revenge drama with a bit of substance!
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I watch this for high-quality romance, storytelling, production, and HAPPY ENDING.
No drama works without tropes. Most use at least one or two familiar templates, such as revenge, slow-burn romance, rebellion, or palace intrigue. This drama is no exception. However, it excels through its high-quality production and compelling storytelling for romance and palace politics. I especially love how it leans toward realism and sociological storytelling, and also allows us to process the emotions it evokes in a less dramatic yet still touching and moving way.I love every aspect of this drama.
Music: The opening theme is my favorite. Its gentle, warm melody touches my heart — melancholic yet intense — evoking both a romantic sense and the struggle to protect loved ones. I never skip the opening.
Production: The production quality is undeniably top-notch. The portrayal of natural, societal, and cultural elements feels poetic and harmonious, enhanced by thoughtful color tones and lighting.
Setting: It seems they filmed in various new locations, as I didn’t notice many of the “overused and familiar buildings” often seen in C-drama productions. This choice adds freshness and richness to the setting.
Costumes, Accessories, and Decor: The attention to cultural details is remarkable. Every character, from commoners and merchants to military figures, nobles, and royalty, reflects the era’s social hierarchy through meticulously designed outfits and accessories.
Storytelling Technique: I appreciate how effectively they use non-linear narratives. The transitions between past and present events are smooth and meaningful, with no unnecessary fillers. Flashbacks provide crucial clues and fresh perspectives, enriching the story. Additionally, the inclusion of “what-if” scenarios and the known alternative endings create a sense of hope for a happy conclusion. This hope makes the comedic and lighthearted moments more enjoyable and emotionally rewarding, as I know they won't be useless in the end.
Characterization: The FL and ML steal my heart because I like them instantly from the beginning. Shou Gu/ Dou Zhou is a tough, smart, pragmatic, adaptive, sociable, and efficient woman. She is also knowledgeable and resourceful. Her career as a businesswoman and a house manager makes sense. We know clearly how she climbs the ladder of success. Song Mo is a strong and loyal military man with firm integrity. He is the hero, the leader, and the backbone of the dynasty. He is ruthless sometimes, but he is also calm. He is not the type of man who would turn weak and stupid because of love. I love how they are already soulmates from the beginning, and their wedding and life as husband and wife are a big part of the story. It makes the romance more beautiful and affectionate. They also cooperate and communicate well, showing us how a healthy relationship should be.
Conflict: While not the strongest aspect of this drama, I still find it highly enjoyable. The internal conflicts might be limited, but the external ones are quite compelling. Revenge is a common theme in C-dramas, but what sets this drama apart is how the FL and ML resist the urge to seek vengeance. Instead, they choose patience and navigate their struggles with integrity. They live righteously while protecting themselves and standing against their enemies. I appreciate how the story shows that fate can be reshaped gradually by making the right decisions, even in seemingly small aspects of life and self. Additionally, I love how this drama takes a more sociological approach to explain the nature of the conflict among parties, families, and individuals. Everyone is under the control of social norms, and it affects how they make decisions and solve problems. The hypocrisy regarding women is interesting: Women are not equal to men and their life is controlled by men/ family, yet men are so dependent on them. Independent woman is frowned upon, yet interesting for greedy men.
This drama has a good message for us. Whether you watch it for the romance or else, you get a high-quality story that won't disappoint you. It doesn't only entertain us, but also gives us a chance to celebrate something in the end.
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This drama launches with two addictive plots running 1) will our main characters be able to find love despite all the political turmoil ? 2) will our main characters be able to secure justice, righteous revenge and yet still have a happy ever after?
As the main romance plot starts resolving, a LOT of screen time is wasted on uninspiring terrible characters takes their place. This was so aggravating for me I almost DNF.
BUT, I really wanted to know if it all works out in the end. Unlike most other Chinese historical political dramas I've seen, this drama really hid the ending well. I wasn't quite sure how it would resolve until it did.
The acting is great, the music and production values are very good, and the pacing for the first 2/3rds and last 3 episodes was really good. If you like this genre, this drama is a must watch.
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not sure why it got an 8.9...feels like it ends at episode 19
to be honest the drama is neat and filmed well, but the plot is not super interesting. Maybe i've seen too many cdrama. They get married in 19 then the plot kinda fizzles out. The only thing left would be for him to find out what his evil dad did, but i don't even care lol. Also, the crown princes aren't super important in these 19 episodes.The biggest fault of the drama is not creating a major enemy in the beginning (besides ML's dad vaguely).
Got annoyed by FL playing hard to get halfway in the drama. Reiterating, you feel like there's no pressing hooks to the plot to keep you wanting to watch.
I'll give it a 6.5 even though i dropped it, maybe other people would like it. But it's the same plot of minister wanting power, king not trusting his subjects.. By IMDB standards this drama is no way worth a 7.
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I guess this is the future of Cdramas…?
This drama follows the recent (and probably permanent) trend of the advent of the western “girl boss.” Gone seem to be the days where you could see a stoic and somehow always capable manly ml who always beats the overwhelming odds while sacrificing his body to defend the fl and her honor. Now, we have the sort-of-semi-capable ml who is always dependent on the fl’s consistently superior brain (and many times brawn…?🤦🏻♀️). She will always be there to rescue him and tell him how he’s wrong and what to do next, which is nice, since he will make it clear many times throughout that he would be nothing without her there to give him her guidance and protection. Sigh. This drama does not disappoint in this aspect, for sure.That said, the casting was well done, though I did think that the ml didn’t quite carry off when he was supposed to have “ice in his eyes,” and brutal hatred in his gaze, etc. He just looks too nice for that, in general. That was minor, though, and I thought the casting was good.
The music was….ok….not terrible, also nothing I’d listen to separately for enjoyment.
The storyline was not too bad, though a few really major holes were left in the plot. Example: ml’s brother had a bit of a twisted childhood that he didn’t even know was twisted until he was almost an adult. What happened to make him such a sadistic and evil person? He had a good mother figure, and a happy enough childhood….that was never explained. Other than a few things like that, though, the story kept my attention.
The ending. Hmmm. Well, I will say I’m a fan of a happy ending. I’m so glad this had one. It was like a drama full of heartbreak, betrayal and angst, then the very last episode, with very little fanfare or emotion, things just….worked out. Everything slipped gently into its own little slot, and then it was over. It was kind of weird to me. But I’ll take that over a depressing ending any day.
All in all, it was a good watch. Personally for me it was really a wasted opportunity for a great series because of the “female empowerment” garbage, but I guess I’m in the minority since they still continue to make them like this as of late. As someone from the US, I stopped watching our entertainment in disgust and boredom years ago. I switched to Asian dramas precisely because they still made theirs free of this woke garbage that has ruined our entertainment industry. I wish they would see how much of the US can’t stand its own entertainment and take a cue from that to save them from the western pitfalls, but, now I’m opining on a different topic than a simple show review. Either way, give this one a try, you’ll probably like it!
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How do we get Li Yun Rui in more ML romance roles?!?!!?!!!!
==Breakdown==Background plot - 60%
Romance - 35%
Misc comedy - 5%
Background plot - Pretty good
Romantic chemistry - Outstanding
Misc comedy - fine
Production value - Good
Wow. Li Yun Rui should only be allowed to be the ML in romance dramas from now on. HE WAS AMAZING!!!
I also have to give credit to Meng Zi Yi for her layered portrayal of the FL. The story mainly revolves around her character and she carried the show beautifully.
My only gripe is that I wish they had more scenes together, but this is because I watch CDramas for the romance... so that's a "me problem."
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1Revenge is a Dish Best Served by Two Attractive, Intelligent People
It's blissful to view a drama with two intelligent, loving leads. It took them awhile to get to that point, but that was understandable considering they seemed to be on opposing sides in the beginning. And they did have a rather violent introduction to one another. Their slow journey toward each another was rewarding to watch. Great chemistry between the leads.During their romance, there was revenge and political court intrigue all about them, which gave many opportunities for individual stories of love and betrayal. Dou Ming's story arc gutted me; Miao An Su's surprised me; and Wang Ge's infuriated, then pleased me.
Fun fact: both leads had twin guards. ML had two males; the actors are twin brothers in real life. FL had two females; the actresses are twin sisters in real life.
Thanks to no 1 dou zhao defender for the recommendation! I truly enjoyed this.
An extra half star is awarded for bright characters, a refreshing change from the insipid FLs I've endured lately.
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Beautiful women and great scenes.
For this couple Lin Yun Rui (Song Mo) was Yuan Shen in Love Like the Galaxy (my favorite drama! He was 2ML) and Meng Ziyi is super pretty. I was excited because this drama had good potential.The good
- beautiful actors/actresses (omg I cant beileve how pretty some of the girls were!)
- cinematography
- slow mo scenes & long stares w/ main couple
- some great lines/nuances
- costume design/outfits
The bad
- storyline & pacing
Overall, I thought the cinematography was very beautiful and creative. The fight scenes had good details and interesting styles. Most of the women in the series were incredibly believable and captured their respective characters. I liked how shy Dou Zhao was, her role is a bit more subtle and I appreciate it. Song Mo did have a piercing gaze and some longing scenes too although I admit I wasnt as touched. The storyline wasnt for me. Some of it didnt make sense. Like over complicate things, because! I did like the 2nd ML and I wish there was more of him. This drama does make me appreciate changes and perspective. Like watching the changes with Dou Zhao and her sister, but also Dou Zhao and her father's relationship was incredibly touching.
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