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I'm not gonna lie, I was really looking forward to his drama. I'm a huge fan of Ju Jingyi, and when I saw the trailer that she was going to play as some bad, evil character I got so excited. Little did I know that she plays that bad character for like 5 minutes in the first episode. Ju Jingyi's acting skills literally haven't improved. When Ju Jingyi plays as Yang Caiwei, it's very obvious that she plays the role differently. Like it just doesn't feel like. As the original girl who played Yang Caiwei, she did a way much better job. If Ju jingle had stuck to her original Shuanguan Zhi, maybe I would have liked it a little better.
The drama started off pretty interesting, and as I continue to watch, the show starts to get really boring. They add to many characters and bring up lots of past stories of side characters that aren't relevant. Ju Jingyi's acting is just unbearable and it's really not worth your time. Your better off watching Novoland Castle in the Sky, Ju Jingyi's acting skills were way better other there.
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Not interesting
I liked the concept of face swapping. But the way that showed was too unrealistic. In a matter of four hours they easily swapped the face. Secondly the evil was concious and the good one was unconscious and even though she came into sense still she was in the state of dizziness. But the evil was so energetic. I thought it was fine not to use mind, just watch it for the entertainment.I decided to watch it only because of first male lead but his story was not so interesting with respect to second leads
. I feel captivated more by their love story. But the way the story ended their story , spoil my mood to watch it further. But it was the fact of one more episode to go. So I bared to watch till end.
Personally recommend don't watch it. If you also ship second leads like me then it would waste of time .
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Face swap success!
Face swapping, changed identity, murder mystery, and a take on child abuse. This drama was interesting from the trailer. The actors were on point and intriguing. I thought the casing was very good and each one fit their part. Although I must admit the initial Yang Cai Wei (woman with the scar) was so good that I did not think the FL Shangguan Zhi would fit the role. I was wrong, she took over immediately and owned the FL role.This drama had a lot of depth to it in that some of the focus seemed to be on abandonment and child abuse. It becomes sad at times. The detective cases were handled quickly so it was not boring.
I like the production the costumes were great, especially ML who wore something different every time you see him, and it looked good. FL's wardrobe was so, so. In all of the movies I have seen the FL she seems a little anorexic (IMO) so her clothes do not look great.
The soundtrack was good, nothing I remember.
The ending was a little underwhelming but still satisfying as it was a happy one. They left room for a 2nd season but not a watch for me.
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A mixed feeling of "ahh!" and "huh?" and "oh.."
This drama gave me a mixed feeling of "ahhh!" and "huh?" and "oh...". While going through the first few episodes, I felt this drama had potential... But as the drama rolled on, I actually took a break from it and came back because I wanted to know what happened to our second lead couple. The drama follows Yang Caiwei (played by Zhang He Hui Zi in the beginning 2 episodes and then Jujin Yi later as the main role), who became a coroner after the downfall of her family. Life was quiet, until Pan Yue ( Liu Xue Yi) popped back into her life to fulfill the engagement promise during their childhood years. Caiwei finally gave into her heart and said yes to Pan Yue, but fate had other plans in store for them. Zealous Shangguan Zhi decided to kidnap Yang Caiwei on the day of her wedding and swapped their faces to marry Pan Yue, but was murdered shortly after. This murder case will eventually pull our main leads together as they find more clues towards a bigger conspiracy.The storyline was acceptable, but not enough to awe me. I didn't care much about the cases they were solving because it was there mainly to keep the storyline moving for the next clue.
Yang Caiwei's character was a bit confusing for me to accept after the third episode. I believe it would've flow much better if they just use the same actress from the beginning to the end for our female lead. It was a little hard for me to accept Jujin Yi as Yang Caiwei throughout the drama after the first actor because Zhang He Hui Zi was great as Yang Caiwei in the first two episodes and left an strong image of Yang Caiwei's character. When Jujin Yi jumped in to fill the role, she felt like a different Yang Caiwei.
One thing the writers did correctly was Pan Yue. He's character was consistent with the flow of the story and his feelings and actions made sense. One of the many reasons I kept watching was to see Pan Yue's battle with himself trying to understand why he's suddenly falling in love with a woman whom he loathe in the beginning. His arch made me realize that we fall in love with the soul and not the flesh.
Our second lead couple was cute to watch despite the limited screen time they have. One reason I came back to finish the drama. Their love was like a seed that sprouted but didn't end satisfactory.
Overall, this drama is "eh". Will I rewatch it? Nope, once is enough (Not unless they add a new side story of Bai Xiao Shang and Zhuo Lan Jiang .^_^.)
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Great start!
I love love loved this plot! I was hooked by episode 3. FL has swapped bodies with a woman the ML can’t stand. It was very interesting, because we know he’ll want nothing to do with her- which leaves lots of room for development in their relationship. I liked most of the characters too, both leading and supporting.While watching I did notice a large amount of comments regarding the FL’s acting and how “horrible” it was. I must say, I don’t understand this at all. She was perfectly fine to me. I’d say she was on par with the ML if not better at times. Perhaps she’s had a poor performance in a past series that gave people the bias to criticize her now, but from her portrayal here I did not see anything wrong with her. She is also GORGEOUS, her hairstyles and outfits here are all so pretty.
My main flaw would be it’s runtime. I think it should have been condensed down to 24 episodes. With the 32 we got it feels very long and drawn out sometimes, especially during their investigations. I didn’t mind the romance being a slow burn, but the rest of the story did not need so much space. By the final 10 episodes I began to feel numb to all that was going on, it was very hard for me to stay focused. But the first 2/3rds of it were fairly good. I initially had it at an 8 while watching, but as it lost it’s footing a bit I’ve decided to drop it down to a 7.
It’s good enough!
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Great romantic chemistry
This is a romance drama with some gothic fantasy elements. The production and acting was great and the story was very entertaining.Caiwei was a young woman with a troubled past . She was a serious character who lived quietly as a coroner and inadvertently found herself mixed up in murder mystery. After the face swap, this characterization was completely gone. It's not that Ju Jing Yi (JJY) is a bad actress. She is typecast to play a specific character. So, herein lies the problem with characterization by JJY where she portrayed a variation of Fu Rong and Yunxi, instead of a solemn girl introduced by Zheng He Hui Zi. Curiously enough, her characterization of the original Shangguan Zhi was on point. The showrunners should've done a better job at coaching her about the role because she obviously can act outside her usual stereotype.
The romance was nicely written. Pen Yue's original obsession with Caiwei was a bit off-putting. But as he rediscovered the "new" and "improved" Shangguan Zhi (SZ), he slowly started falling in love with her. The writers did a good job showing the personality change, that SZ was no longer a mean-spirited woman, but a very nice person. I loved Pen Yue's and SZ's interactions and situations they were thrown in where Pen Yue gradually started seeing the differences between the old SZ and the new SZ drawing similarities between the new SZ and Caiwei. I also liked that Pen Yue went through internal struggle feeling guilt over the fact that he started developing feelings for SZ while still mourning his dead wife. Not to mention, the chemistry between the actors was amazing. This is one of the fewer romance dramas where adults act like actual adults, instead of awkward teenagers.
I did not love the ending. Some good characters were wasted just to draw an emotional reaction from the audience. And, instead of tying up all the loose ends, it ended on a giant cliff hanger not revealing who the actual mastermind was. Will this lead to a sequel or are we just supposed to wonder? Who knows.
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CSI Meets Crime Solving in 16th Century China
A disfigured woman is shunned by society due to her “ugly” looks and knack for reading the dead becomes a lead investigator in unraveling a myriad of conspiracies in the town of Heyang. The cases and her investigative methods (along with the help of her love interest, the ML) were interesting as were the layers surrounding the crimes that revealed a bigger conspiracy.Even better was the big conspiracy was simple, yet intriguing. However, in the last 10 episodes the story started to lose steam. The episodes begin to drag and spent too much time on story threads that were boring or made the main story thread more complicated than it needed to be.
Though the leads were passible as a couple, they looked good together. I actually preferred the ML with the original actress who played the FL when she was scarred and “ugly.” They had good chemistry and I liked the idea of the FL not being this raving beauty. When the storyline called for the FL’s face to change it took several episodes for me to warm up to the new actress in the role. Moreover, when I did warm up to her, I begin to find interest in her interactions with the SML. I liked the potential that was their relationship. It was too bad that there was no chance for them to explore a romance considering their natural chemistry, which wasn’t quite there with the ML.
The acting was good from everyone. Both FLs were the strongest actresses out of the younger cast. The actor who played the ML struggled, at times, when he had to get emotional. The “love” story was anemic at best. I think the leads worked best when they were in that mode of distance and “sexual” (though there wasn’t much sexiness going on. lol) tension rather than when they became a couple. Some of their “romantic” interactions were awkward. I think because their chemistry was mediocre at best.
Thankfully the series didn’t spend much time on their “love” as the focus was on solving the conspiracies at hand. The show started off really good but meandered towards the end on unnecessary storylines. The story could’ve been tightened and completed in 18-20 episodes, rather than 32. That said, this was worth watching. Is it worth a rewatch? Maybe.
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Why "In Blossom"
Blossom, in the context of love symbolizes RENEWAL, growth, beauty, and flourishing of emotions. It represents the DEVELOPMENT and expansion of love over time.I am just sharing my thought and feelings while watching this drama (writing this after I watched episodes 1-15). The genre tag as fake identity, suspense, and investigation must be taken into consideration before watching it.
I said that I prefer reincarnation or going back from the past than body/soul/face swapping because I feel more connected to the main leads.I'm one of those people who wanted evil Shagguan Zhi must only be evil Shagguan Zhi and same goes to Yang Cai Wei. But I did not conclude too much since the plot is just in its beginning and this is my first time finishing this kind of drama
After the swapping, I admit that it feels weird, and I hate that. I still kept thinking of ZHHZ (only means that she is a good actress) is more likely the lead than JJY especially during the interaction of good SGZ (YCW) and Pan Yue. Of course, I have my sentiments towards JJY because I am a fan. I was sorry because I cannot like the real Yang Cai Wei in Shangguan’s face 😅. Though swapping seems already a norm to them, I was touched to see how BXS and ZLJ accept SGZ (YCW) for whoever she is.
In the proceeding episodes, I started to like the character of the real Yang Cai Wei, and just today I realized that my love for her had already bloomed. I’m deeply engage in the drama to the point that my feelings resonate with theirs. Like Pan Yue right now, he begins to recognize his feelings towards Shangguan Zhi (YCW). I can’t find a proper way to say this that HIS LOVE IS IN BLOSSOM.
He undoubtedly began to fall in love with her and develop feelings for her, not only because she was his childhood sweetheart. It is better in that way (same as one user said here). The problems that they will face together are necessary for their deep connection. Just like a flower that starts as a seed and gradually grows, love begins with a spark and evolves into something beautiful and profound. 🌸
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No character consistency
This drama had potential, with a decent plot and the mystery elements but fell short in character consistency.The Good
The drama started off strong with the 2 leading characters Pan Yue, played by Liu Xueyi, and Yang Cai Wei, played by Zheng He Huizi. The story was intriguing with the crime solving elements and decent chemistry amongst the characters. The acting was strong and made it an interesting watch. We also had Shangguan Zhi, played by Ju Jingyi, introduced as the obsessed 3 wheel who brought a twist to the story. The costumes and visuals were really nice and the OSTs were also good. That’s as about a good as it got and then it went downhill…
The Bad
The main issue was the lack of character consistency after the face swap. Besides her appearance, her character arc/personality completely changed from being either of the 2 characters. On the one hand, we understand that she is pretending to be someone else but at the core she should have pretended to be Shangguan Zhi. Yang Cai Wai was reserved, calm, independent, with her guard up. Shangguan Zhi was possessive, cold, calculating and mean. Introducing Ju Jingyi as the main leads, she was neither of these things. Once the two girls switched, there was a clear difference in the characters and it was hard to connect Ju Jingyi as either Yang Cai Wei or Shangguan Zhi. This further made things unconvincing to know that she was actually the original woman. I’ve seen Ju Jingyi in lots of dramas and have enjoyed some but can’t help but think that her character is a little type cast, in which she is a copy paste version of the same character in every show she is in. I don’t see clear differences in her acting style from one project to the next. The directors should have also known better to make sure that there was consistency with the characters because old habits die hard. No matter if their appearance changed, the underlying essence/nature of that person would not.
Some people or fans of the leads may enjoy this. I myself am a fan of Liu Xueyi as he is an amazing actor but I had to drop this one because even his acting could not keep me interested. Make your own decision on whether to watch. It was a no for me.
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Right mixture between drama and relationships.
It was a while since I last watched a historical drama, and I was unsure of the quality of this one. Before diving in, I read a few reviews that gave me a bit of hope, and damn, it started off really well. Usually, any series that manages to hook me does so with an intriguing introduction, typically in episodes 1–2, and this drama absolutely nailed that.Unfortunately, I didn’t fully read the synopsis beforehand, so I got really confused when the characters suddenly switched identities. I had already grown attached to the original actress playing the female protagonist in the first few episodes, which made me hesitant, I actually protested a bit internally, thinking I’d much prefer the old actress over the new one.
But as I continued watching, I slowly became attached to Zhi. Her dynamics with the male lead gave me a lot of mixed feelings. I’m honestly such a sucker for K-dramas where the female lead is a supposed villainess — hated by the male lead at first, only for him to fall deeply for her. I was kind of wishing for that angle here. I guess it was just the face-swapping twist and my own expectations talking. Don’t get me wrong, I really did love Yang Caiwei with Pan Yue, and the whole identity switch was at the heart of the drama. That contrast— between appearance and soul— was truly the beauty of it all.
I initially watched this for Liu Xueyi because I adored him in Kill Me, Love Me, and who knew I’d end up staying for Ju Jingyi? Her character development was great, shifting from a seemingly wicked woman to someone genuinely sincere. I also liked the second couple a lot. I was really rooting for them to end up together, and while they sort of did, that ending still stings (I hated how it wrapped up for them!).
The story had just the right blend of emotion and intensity. While the actors still have room for growth, they carried the story well and gave heartfelt performances.
Season two or not, I truly hope this drama gets the recognition it deserves. It was a captivating ride with twists, growth, and a lot of heart, and I’m glad I gave it a chance.
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This review may contain spoilers
So, I was watching this when it was airing and I left off at episode 28, waiting for the last few episodes to drop. This is a bad habit of mine once all the episodes are finally out, I usually lose interest or just forget about the show. I think in this case, it was both.I decided to watch the last 4 episodes just to finally be able to say I finished it. Since I don't remember almost anything, don't take my review too seriously. But because of that, I have a few remarks to make.
First, a problem I had that I remember clearly: the FL actress looks so ethereal in the first few episodes. Like a goddess! That red costume was just wow. And then she gets swapped with the original FL body or whatever, and she turns into the typical cute girl. I feel like this actress would be great playing a villain instead of this forced cute type.
Second, there was no explanation for how the body swap was even possible? They just... did it.
Third, I have beef with the writers here. Why did they have to kill off the 2ML? Like, man, he finally found love and then... poof... dead. I feel so bad for Bai Xiao Sheng. Honestly, I think I was more interested in the second couple's story than the main one. Justice for both of them!
Anyway, that's it. I don't have anything else to say. I wouldn't watch this again. Also, it ended without a complete ending, but even if there's a season 2, I wouldn't watch it. If I forgot it, it means it wasn't that memorable.
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I nearly missed out on this drama because of you-know-who
I was here for ML after Blood of Youth and Destined, but I hesitated because of You-know-who, but was assured in the comment section that she's "improved'.She has indeed improved, but I'm not sure whether is for good or worst.
What I'm trying to say is, this drama is a good one, give it a chance. ML and the rest of the cast really shouldered the show properly.
I wish the original actress was kept instead of.... because that face swap thing doesn't make sense at all, what with body figure (one was obsessed with being thin), voice, height even but we get the reason behind the switch. Hmmm.
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