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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Strong plot, mediocre everything else
First things first, the plot was well thought out. Things made sense and especially when dramas are in the mystery/problem-solving category, that is the most important part. I also really liked that the character dynamics between the four main characters made sense and was nicely done. So from a purely mystery-writing perspective, they nailed it.Now to the criticism. It's mostly related to the main couple's actors. Both were okay but what especially FL lacked was "something more". I can't really describe it. Her acting was fine but I was not interested in her whatsoever. She was very lukewarm. The problem of ML's actor was that he really only had two emotions, which were him serious/investigating or slightly amused. He wasn't bad, but it just made his character very one-dimensional. I think what mostly bothered me is that there was no character development for either character which made both characters meh.
The second couple on the other hand had that. They had character development and chemistry. SML's acting was not amazing but I still liked him a lot. He was very handsome and he had "something more" that FL lacked for example. I did not really like SFL that much, she was okay, but I really liked their romance. I can't believe that she wasn't pregnant by the end though. That would be the typical plot reveal.
One final point is that the last scene really bothered me. The story is finished for me and there's no need for a second season. Also because I really liked SML and he'll be gone. No need to watch another season with one-dimensional characters.
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A Near Hit But A Miss All The Same
In Blossom is a murder mystery historical fantasy drama in the same vein as Mysterious Lotus Casebook, so it grabbed my attention from the start. As it is a dark fantasy, it features witchcraft and body-swapping, although it doesn't dwell too much on it, much to my disappointment. It focuses rather on the theme of inner beauty and a love that transcends physical appearance. The female lead is a coroner and the male lead is the town's magistrate, and together they solve crime mysteries and bring criminals to justice. It's basically an episodic type of series with an overarching plot just like Mysterious Lotus Casebook. I loved that drama, so I thought this would really hit the spot.It has spectacular gothic cinematography that I found edgy and enthralling. The sets and costumes do not look cheap, so I assume that this is not a low budget series. I especially love the look of the male leads in their intricately embroidered garments of dark blues and blacks, highlighting their tall and slim figures and making them look regal and statuesque. Great choice of costumes indeed! The soundtrack and musical scores are also pretty impressive, especially the theme used for Zhuo Lanjiang and the Silver Rain Terrace.
Liu Xueyi as Pan Yue is the epitome of a romantic hero, devastatingly handsome, loyal, honest, kind, valiant, and wise. Xueyi is one of the most versatile Chinese actors I've seen thus far, transitioning from protagonist to antagonist and vice versa with ease. Pan Yue is definitely his best role yet as he was able to showcase his dramatic abilities as well as his physicality in the fight scenes.
The second male lead played by Li Ge Yang is also impressive. I never thought that this idol could possess some serious acting chops. I greatly enjoyed his interactions with Xueyi that I started to ship them. His character's relationship with the second female lead also helped draw me in because it started out as an unrequited love and I'm such a sucker for that. I watched the drama for Xueyi, but stayed for him. This kid will go places if he continues to get good roles that will allow him to show his skills.
Unfortunately, this is not a perfect drama and I do have some gripes. First off, the casting of the female lead was definitely not inspired. Ju Jingyi is quite possibly the worst Chinese actress I've seen. I first saw her in The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion and the girl has the acting range of a potato. I thought that her then co-star, Zhang Zhehan, completely overshadowed her in dramatic scenes and Zhehan is not even on the same level as Liu Xueyi in terms of acting skills. So her being paired with Xueyi in this drama is an absolute travesty. She looks stiff as a board next to Xueyi in their intense and dramatic scenes. The disparity between their acting skills is glaringly obvious. Then her long spider-like eyelashes, glittery eyeshadow, and glossy lipstick just take me out of the drama. Girl, those things didn't exist in ancient China!
Another major beef I have with this drama is the pacing and editing. The first part is pretty solid imho, but with 10 episodes left, it lost me. They could've ended this drama with just 25 episodes. I am convinced that C-dramas have difficulty sticking the landing. Most C-dramas I've seen have questionable endings. This is probably because they always want to have an open ending for the possibility of a season 2. But it kinda sucks when you watched 50 episodes only to find out that the series ends with no resolution. I think this is the C-drama curse that they just can't seem to shake. As far as I can remember, I've only seen a couple of C-dramas that gave me satisfactory endings.
The fight choreography in this is only passable. But I suppose it's understandable considering it is not a wuxia drama unlike Mysterious Lotus Casebook and Word of Honor. But I do wish they invested more in the action scenes because Li Ge Yang and Liu Xueyi can definitely pass for martial artists. This was a wasted opportunity imho.
Overall, In Blossom is an entertaining drama full of suspense and intrigue. But it lost its steam right at the end and the less than desirable acting of its female lead left a sour taste in my mouth. This could've been so much better had they opted for a different actress and shortened the series. I would rate this a generous 6.5 out of 10.
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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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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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Things doesn't seem to be what most of the watchers think.
At first I also feel flustered when I saw yang cei Wei was played by other actress instead of JJY(in ep1 and 2).But the think at that time pan yue doesn't have proper feelings for yang cei Wei because they haven't met since 10 years and even if he loves her the most he didn't know how she looks like after 10 years when he saw characteristics of her and token then after he concluded that she is her childhood friend yang cei Wei. After body swapping he really fell in love with yang cei Wei in JJY body(at first he only wants to marry her because she was her best childhood friend and also a marriage contract was also there) so at first he didn't care about looks and wants to marry her(not because of love) but as they spend more time with each other(when JJY plays the role) he really fell for her.
This review is for those who dropped this drama because of body swapping and all.
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The bone structure thing bugged me LOL
Rated= 6~ 25/50 ~ 5RPG Scene // Fairy leading me off a cliff on the Mountain Pass. I think the Battle Axe is a flower
This started off not bad and I was genuinely enjoying it (and the accidental asmr in episode 2) but once the two characters got together, I kind of lost interest. There was also a disturbing scene that happens in a school that actually shocked me, that the chinese censorships let this through. I think that was my breaking point. I had decided to give it a rest for a while but after some time, I've just genuinely lost interest in the show.
Plot - The face swap thing kind of seemed a bit silly to me. A soul swap would have made more sense. We have a guy who can train bugs and the face swapping seems to have been done by witch doctors/dark arts practitioners anyway, so why not? Just peeling off someone's face isn't going to change bone structure or the body. If it was just her face, she would still have her body but the FL talks as though she is in another body entirely. (Or maybe it was just my subtitles.) So my brain kind of winced at that logic but I went with it. I did however, really love the slight chase between the FL and the ML because that is a perfectly understandable drama there. He thinks the FL, with her new face, killed the love of his life and the FL thinks the ML wanted to kill her.
Once we get through that trial, it becomes more of a build up romance with the leads that you would expect.
I felt like the characters kind of accepted this face swap like they had ran out of milk. It seemed more like an inconvenience than holy snowballs, I have a completely new face and body and along with that a completely new identity and lifestyle. That would really traumatise me and feel like maybe that should have been showcased a little more, esp for the FL. She goes from being a very bullied and hated woman because of her job and scarred face, to being someone who is supposed to be the most beautiful woman around, also from a wealthy family. That's quite a jump that's not really explored fully. For the most part, the FL just mentions that she's stolen the other girls identity and she must be mad for being murdered in her place. Umm, honey, she stole your identity LOL
The side couple was just sad to watch. The side ML was clearly devoted to the FL and suddenly, and the most randomly I've seen so far, the side FL is in love with the side ML and acts jealous. It just comes out of nowhere. It has 'rebound' all over it.
I have read spoilers to the end of the series and if I continued watching, I don't think I would feel sad for the couple. I would feel sadness from a friend perspective.
Acting - The ML is really at good crying. I felt that.
There are complaints about the FL's acting not matching the portrayal of the first actress. I kind of agree to an extent. It does kind of feel like a slight dissonance between them. They tried to use the flower petal plucking as a habit but I feel like they should have used some sort of personal expression to bridge the visual crossover for the audience. Like each girl having a set of habits and expressions that the audience could pick up on, other than good girl and bitch, so when the switch is made, it feels more natural for the viewer to see the character just change faces. Instead, it does feel like there's a personality change as well. The FL as the second actress, although still very intelligent and kind, does seem a lot more outgoing. If this is the character's natural personality, it's not shown very well in the first two episodes.
Music- I remember liking the background tracks to this one, although nothing to add to my playlist.
Rewatch - Since I've decided to drop this, I won't be rewatching.
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A Tale of Love, Identity, and Intrigue
The story follows a unique premise centered around the female lead, who has a scar on her face. On her wedding day, a beautiful but obsessive woman swaps faces with her in an attempt to marry the male lead, the female lead's husband. However, the imposter meets her demise on the same day. Now with a new face and body, the female lead embarks on a mission to uncover the mystery behind her own "death" in a morally corrupt city. She works alongside her husband, who remains unaware of her true identity.One notable aspect of the drama is its unconventional structure. The first two episodes focus entirely on the guest actress playing the original version of the female lead (the scar-faced character). This approach is a clever way to establish the emotional connection and backstory between the main leads, giving depth to their love story. However, this choice also has its drawbacks. When the main actress takes over in episode three, it feels slightly jarring, and it takes some time for viewers to adjust to the new portrayal of the character.
The standout element for me is the exceptional writing of the male lead. He genuinely makes us believe in his deep connection with the female lead, showing that his love is rooted in her personality rather than her physical appearance. His unwavering devotion is beautifully portrayed, and their romance unfolds in a steady, realistic manner. It’s more of a mature, well-developed bond than a rushed love story, which adds authenticity to their relationship.
Another highlight of the drama is its captivating murder investigation subplots. These cases are intricately designed, raw, and compelling, with just the right amount of suspense and unexpected twists to keep viewers hooked. Importantly, they never feel like filler content; instead, they tie seamlessly into the central storyline. As someone who rarely watches investigation dramas, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed these elements. They added depth to the narrative without overshadowing the main conflict.
Favorite Character:
My favourite character is Yang Cai Wei/Shangguan Zhi (the female lead) is portrayed as a strong, intelligent, and brave woman with a unique talent for forensic investigation. Ju Jing Yi, the main actress, delivers a fantastic performance. Her ability to convincingly portray the face swap was truly impressive, and her performance added depth to the character's journey.
Overall, this drama was an exceptional watch for me, and I would rate it a solid 10/10.
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