In Blossom

In Blossom

I decided to wrote my personal views about this drama after reading some comments and views about this drama. I started to watch and already finisheed waching this drama because I saw my Favorite actor. And, I have concluded that no matters what other's point of view or opinion this drama is great and worth watching. Both leading actors has a great acting skills though the female lead received criticisms but I don't care at all. She just performed her role to make the show great. She did her best to this show.

Liu Xueyi's Acting skills is gatting batter and better !!!!

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Mysterious Lotus Case Book but Romance Version

I watched this because both main leads are popular and it looked interesting when people were telling me about it. It was good, but not the best and was boring at times. If you like something like Mysterious Lotus Case Book but with romance, this is the show for you! There are spoilers in this review so if you don't want to look at the spoiler, I suggest you do not read this.

STORY
The story was okay but there were lots of mini-cases that ended within 1 episode, which you can imagine how many there are when there are 32 episodes. I get that it was for the build-up to find who the real villain is but it would've been much better if they had dived deeper into the episodes because the cases were kind of generic. Also, after a few episodes, you'll realize that you will know what will happen in every case because it's always the same outcome, death. They should have made it a little different because seeing everyone dying for every single case made it look repetitive.

This is also a drama with the typical "know-it-all" female lead who apparently can solve everything while the male lead just stands there staring at her. Also, I understand that Shangguan Zhi (SSZ) switched body with Yang Cai Wei (YCW) but YCW in SSZ's body seems like a whole new character. In the beginning, you can see that YCW was a little timid with others as well as a little mysterious, which was what drove me to watch this drama but when YCW was in SSZ's body, she became so jolly like where even did this character come from?

The romance between SSZ and PY as well as Bai Xiao Sheng (BXS) and Zhuo Lan Jiang (ZLJ) felt kind of rushed. Especially for BXS and ZLJ, I don't think that the romance was there even though there were romance scenes, which was kind of disappointing. It felt like ZLJ went for a second option because YCW was with PY instead of him getting to know and liking BXS but it's probably because there are only 32 episodes so there wasn't enough time to build it up. SSZ and PY's romance was okay, but the connection wasn't that good either like it's good but not the best.

Therefore, I think that the cases were a little boring, the build-up wasn't that good either as it was predictable but all-in-all it was an okay drama, not even on the same level as Mysterious Lotus Case Book but this is good for something with romance and cases. I wish they would have gone in an alternative route than doing all these mini cases with all of them dying because it does get a little boring.

ACTING/CAST
The acting was okay, Xue Yi's and Jing Yi's acting was a little awkward at times but it was fine. I feel like for both, there has to be more depth, especially the female lead to bring out YCW's character. It doesn't seem like YCW in SSZ's body, it felt like someone else in SSZ's body, which doesn't align. Unfortunately, halfway through the show, I don't know what happened with the makeup but you can see the wig hairline, which wasn't the actor's fault but it was kind of funny to see that.

MUSIC
The music was good, there weren't any memorable songs but I might have to relisten all of those OSTs to give better feedback on them.

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My true overall rating is 2 stars for the only 2 episodes worth watching

Cdramaland has been pretty lacking lately, but this drama was my tipping point. It just slapped me in the face with how cdramaland consistently sacrifices actors who can actually act for actors who suck at acting but have money and/or connections. In Kdramaland and elsewhere, actors are expected to be able to actually act - at a minimum. Shocker, I know.

The first two episodes gave me hope like there was never before. A director who knows what they're doing, a promising and interesting storyline, and two leads (ZHHZ and LXY) who have the best genuine chemistry that I've seen in a long time from dramaland. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. This is chemistry that no amount of money or back door connections can buy. Also, both ZHHZ and LXY are legit great actors.

Then, comes JJY. With her makeup that doesn't change across any drama or character or situation that she plays. With her acting that doesn't change across any drama or character that she plays. With those two wispy hairs on either side of her face that are completely inappropriate for the period and antithetical to the character she's playing but that doesn't change across any drama or character that she plays. I mean, talk about vanity and playing (at least at the beginning of this drama) a villainess who is obsessed with her looks. On the nose much?

Yet what took the cake for me and made it unbearable to watch any further is JJY's uncanny valley face. Felt like I was watching a period drama then, every so often, a Chinese makeup influencer with a permanent face filter would pop up, seemingly time-traveled from the modern age to talk with these ancient people.

If there are any astute producers out there, I'd be booking ZHHZ and LXY right now for a future drama. I mourn the drama that this could've been. And I mourn the state of cdramaland.

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"In Blossom... Of nonsense"

This drama was a full-time assault on logic. I tried giving it a chance. I really did. I reached episode 7 hoping it would redeem itself, but instead it kept digging a grave—fitting, since the FL seems obsessed with them.

We start off with a handsome magistrate and a coroner whose face has disfigured due to an accident . They were engaged once upon a time but got separated due to some tragic backstory no one asked for. Now, after ten years, they reunite—and boom, wedding bells.

Enter: the side chic. She’s got a thing for the ML and decides that the most reasonable way to win his love is to—wait for it—swap souls with the FL. And the writers were like, “Yes. Genius. Let’s roll.”

She actually ends up marrying the ML (in the FL’s body), but karma clocks in fast—she gets murdered on the wedding night.
Now half the characters think it’s suicide, others whisper murder. The FL (now in the dead side chic’s body) suspects ML. So what does she do?

Takes her suspicions straight to him and makes him her partner in crime-solving. Like who watson??? I will pick the prime suspect.. okay !! Let that sink in. She thinks this man might’ve murdered her… and she’s like, “Wanna solve your own case with me?”

She throws every clue his way like she’s auditioning for a role in Scooby-Doo. She stumbles around crime scenes like a budget Sherlock Holmes with a head injury and leaves around her trails everywhere just the ML to catch her in her actions without even pitt ng any efforts.

now let's talk about the ML? The show stopper of Zero concern. This fan girl around him who used to obsess over makeup and manners, whose life was entirely about grace and appearance, suddenly starts unearthing corpses and talking decomposition—and he just goes like totally chill and unbothered. I mean if this is intelligence than I might be a cucumber in the physics lab.
Not once does he raise an eyebrow. Not once does he question the creepy new hobbies or the personality change that screams demonic possession or body snatching at minimum.

It’s like the entire cast is allergic to logic.

I already know if I watch till the end, I’ll find more gaping plot holes than a block of Swiss cheese. But why torture myself when there are other dramas that don’t insult your IQ?

This one was a mystery, a romance, and a horror—all rolled into one... horror for anyone expecting sense.

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This review might be me fangirling to Liu Xueyi a little too much

I'm late with a review but what's new lol
This drama has Liu Xueyi as a illegitimate son of an influential family, despised by his father, wanting to marry his love of his life and in order to do that, he has to jump quite many hurdles and solve various crime cases as the magistrate of a county. Absolutely LOVE, I love Liu Xueyi so much, I think he's a great actor, he looks amazing even without hair (Blood of Youth anyone?) and he's even more dashing as the young lord. Did I mention that he is so so so very handsome and I love him? And the character Pan Yue in this drama, the hero when you need a hero.
Then we have Ju Jingyi as the FL. Personally, I don't particularly like her as an actress. Probably because the dramas I watched with her had her casted in a tomboyish oblivious to her admirers, strongminded female lead (Legend of Yunxi, Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion) and I don't really like characters like that. But, here she is at first as a bad B I T C H who wants to marry Pan Yue at all costs and I think that type of character suits her so much. She slayed in this role. Then her character switches bodies with Pan Yue's childhood love, who is a gentle, humble, smart coroner and undertaker and the mystery begins.
We have a love triangle here as well and as much as I dislike love triangles, it doesn't bother me too much here because the crime cases and the mysteries are prevalent in this drama.
I'd say that the plot is a basic "we have to solve many mysteries which seemingly don't have anything in common with the main mystery, but they slowly add up and lead us to the main mystery" with a romance on top. I like such story line a lot and this drama has is very well balanced and written. The episodes keep you hung onto the story.
What I'm missing so far is, that we had some witch healer in the first episodes and this aspect of the drama was pretty much nowhere to be seen (aside from the bug summoning character in ep 20). I still have some episodes to go, so maybe this will be resolved.
Other than that, I think this drama is really good, Pan Yue is gorgeous, Zhuo Lanjiang is as gorgeous and if you like this genre, you should watch.

Edit to add after finishing the title: endings are endings, I was quite satisfied but I could do without the very last scene. I missed only one thing and that was Yang Caiwei should have said something to Shangguan Lan at the end, because the silence was deafening lol. Someone like Caiwei would definitely tell him to come visit if he ever misses his sister and also because he and Pan Yue are friends.

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Not the best drama but still worth to watch

The story is very interesting in the beginning and it'll make you want to keep watch this. I've enjoyed all the part when Pan Yue is a judge and Yang Caiwei/Shangguan Zhi is a forensics. But when it comes to capital city it makes me boring honestly. PY love for YCW is a long lasting love no matter how YCW looks.
JJY character's here is the same with her previously drama, I hope she'll get drama with different characters soon. LXY characters here is good but not that good for me bcs I already fall in love with his characters in TBOY and ALP.
The costume is not that beautiful but it still good. Honestly I don't like JJY hairstyle in this drama bcs it looks too thick and make her body looks very thin.
Like the others, the weird part in this drama is the face swap. I've watched another drama with the same plot but I can still tolerance it but this one I think they should looking another actress with the same body like JJY? If we talk about face swap, it's little strange bcs their body shape is different too.
YCW characters portrayed by the original actress have a big different with JJY. I know YCW with SZ face is trying to looks like SZ so no one will be suspicious. But SZ original characters is possessive, stubborn, mean and obsessed with PY (oh and also don't forget her smirk) and there's no similarity with YCW by JJY. But it also doesn't look like YCW original characters bcs YCW is rarely smile and talk, while YCW by JJY is smiling all time and good at talking.

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Interesting but ...

I started it as a filler drama as I was waiting for another drama. I was in for a surprise as it was good quality drama which kept me hooked to the point it stopped being filler and I started anticipating its episodes.

I liked the quality storytelling, and the twists and turns. The action scenes were good But....

Sadly, these types of dramas have the main mystery to be solved by solving sub-quests, I mean, sub mysteries were simply not my thing. The bit-by-bit unravelling to the main mystery was not as rewarding as the wait nor was I interested in some student's death or side character's conflict with parent. All I wanted I was the mystery to be solved unfortunately I lost my patience.

I regret dropping it but never mind.

PS. How quick would be to accept the fact that the person you love is now in the guise of the person you hate.

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Review until Ep 4 - Will update later

It's the director's fault for the bad transition between the two actresses actually, cz they could've fixed it as soon as they initially saw it, before proceeding to carelessly air this like a low-quality drama which it is NOT... Cz the plot is absolutely lovely. Any sane person can clearly see that the way in which the 1st actress carried herself, her demeanor, intelligence, calmness and elegance, is completely absent in the 2nd actress, whether that be under the push of the director and script or JJY's inability to fulfil the character that the 1st one has already established. Like I saw in another comment, JJY also seems like she's trying to milk from cutesy acting like ZLS and Esther Yu, but unlike in their cases where the cute acting suits the character, JJY is doing it here, like in her other dramas, while it's absolutely opposite of her character (a previously ugly coroner). Her too skinny and pale appearance is a necessary attribute for this though, commendable that they casted JJY thinking of that probably, cz that's who the original villain was. But that off-putting drastic change of personality in a drama whose entire plot revolves around "a person's personality doesn't change although the body does" is what's bad about the drama for me so far, not knowing who to blame it for. However I won't drop it cz I'm already invested in the awesome plot and actor, and would continue watching while pretending that the fall down the mountain made Caiwei's awesome personality to become like this

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Can't get over the First Actress

I've tried to watch this drama a few times because I think the story is really good. It's about true love regardless of the facial appearance.
After the first 2 episodes, I realized that I love the chemistry and acting of Zheng He Hui Zi and Liu Xue Yi. They just look like they belong together regardless of the scar on her face. She embodies wholesomeness and goodness. She looks natural and like a healthy woman. She interprets the role convincingly.

I have enjoyed Ju Jing Yi's dramas before. However, I feel she doesn't belong in this drama. The hair, her thinness, and acting just don't match up with LXY. They don't seem to have chemistry. This role belongs to the first actress, whom I have NEVER seen before this drama. She just matches up with the acting of LXY better.

Ju Jing Yi fits a less serious drama. She always acts the same too.

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