Liked it :}
Really enjoyed this one because I am not the biggest fan of romance as the main focus, but I like a little cheeky glance here and there. This drama was about Mudan (FMC) fighting for her freedom from all these losers and people that are OBSESSED with her. She is a business woman that has a sharp mind and does not crumble under pressure. I cried at several points because the acting was so good from all actors. (when you start feeling angry and getting invested into the story is when the great acting is coming through). You do get frustrated at how much Mudan lives in these peoples (ie. characters in the story) mind rent free. Like O MY GOD! I promise you Mudan does not care a lick about yall! Loved it, so far best drama I've watched in 2025. :]]I am not a music expert, so don't take my rating for it serious.
Would recommend to all!
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Sigh...It's Over Already
I have enjoyed watching this drama. FL started off pretty lame, but became stronger. There is good chemistry between the leads and can't wait for Season 2 to see more. They could have taken this to 40 episodes with all the open ends left to see the outcomes that will definitely cause more problems before it gets better.Was this review helpful to you?
Beutiful series
Beautiful music, costumes and actors , good story,, well played, cant wait for series 2. Yang Zi is getting better and better with age as well as more beautiful, The ML is cute and they make a good couple.The music is superb, I write music for films and this is excellent. I like the exaggerated make up which shows how weird it is. typical c drama with a few deaths and drama but not from major characters so far, hope stays like that in series 2. funny sweet, bitter sweet all you d expect with excellent acting from all actors, Well chosen for their roles .
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A Flourishing, Funny and Fantastic Story.
Flourished Peony takes you on a captivating journey through the Tang Dynasty with its intelligent and charismatic leads, He Weifang and Jiang Changyang. The chemistry between the two is undeniable, and their budding romance keeps you eagerly anticipating every episode.The series shines not only because of its well-paced storyline that never leaves you bored, but also due to its portrayal of strong and supportive women. These capable women excel in business and problem-solving, despite the challenges of the era. Their solidarity and competence add depth and strength to the narrative, making it a truly empowering watch.
As the story unfolds, you can't help but look forward to the next chapter, where He Weifang and Jiang Chang Yang's relationship promises to blossom even further.
On a side note: I feel like a Peony expert now.
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A strong FL who empowers
He found her interesting and she found him mysterious.They admired each other work ethics
He tried not to meddle to much in her life but you can see he cares and don’t want to see her hurt
From friends to business partners, their relationship blossomed into something a little more.
The only thing that kept bothering me is that he was keeping his true feelings for her to himself and she was doubting how he actually feels about her and that bothered her a lot.
But I don’t think it would have hurt if Mu Dan said she likes him first after all she is very outspoken.
So don't expect any romance or kissing between them.
On the positive side, the series shows a strong FL who cares and empowers.
I won't even start with the other characters, you will just have to watch for yourself.
The ending??? Ummmm, I wasn't pleased but I read that there will be a season 2 so, I will wait and I hope we can see where they tied up some loose ends and GIVE US SOMETHING between the leads.
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The leads, Yang Zi and Li Xian (also paired in the 2019 contemporary drama “Go Go Squid!”) play, respectively: a resilient and resourceful merchant’s daughter who’s a talented florist and savvy businesswoman in her own right; and a mysterious but respected government official — titled the “Floral Envoy” — with a playful side and what seems like questionable integrity.
They bond over their disregard for convention and love for flowers, and it’s nice to see a couple who are equally matched in intelligence and confidence progress from allies to friends to the beginnings of something more.
We also get to see Wei Zhe Ming in a surprisingly unlikeable second-lead type of role. It’s interesting to see him play against his usual nice-guy type as a conflicted man who always wants what he can’t have.
All are versatile actors and make this story of overcoming adversity a compelling watch. There are also themes of the value of friendship, women supporting women, and not letting your past or family define you.
The romance aspect is slow in developing, but fits with the progression of the story. The drama as a whole is well-paced, with nothing I wanted to skip. As a plus, the production values are high, the costumes and sets/locations look nice, and the music is better than most. Overall, one of the better historical dramas I’ve seen.
If the story seems a bit incomplete at the end, that’s because it continues in a second season, titled “In the Name of Blossom.”
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It's like a hot cup of hot chocolate on a cold day
The best way I would describe it is warm and fuzzy. I really enjoyed this show, the acting was top tier everyone played their part well. The show has many themes in it, but they are done so well that they don't overwhelm the viewer.There's a smart and strong but not hardened FL, she face so much strife, hardships, abuse, rejection and just plain old unfairness but it doesn't hardened her or lessen her resolve to better herself.
There's a sisterhood that I loved (I'm a sucker for a good sisterhood). There's the friendship between the ML and FL, the development of their relationship is done exceptionally well, I was almost ok with them just remaining friends. The ML's character is written and performed so well, I hope he got an award for this role.
Then there's the palace intrigue, terrible inlaws, an indecisive ex husband (side note, Miles Wei, another amazing actor), it's really a story of resilience, friendship in my opinion.
It's a good show. Watch!!!
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Watch this for Yang Zi and Peonies
The biggest reason to watch this drama is Yang Zi. There are more than enough twists and turns in the plot to keep going to the next episode. There's also much confusion as to the relationship between Prince Ning, the Emperor and San Lang. The other members of the cast are good at best with the more outstanding character being Zhu Fu.Overall the storyline is simplistic, incredulous but entertaining nonetheless. There's enough to ensure that one continues watching Season 2, In the Name of Blossom.
Other than Yang Zi, the peonies are incredibly beautiful.
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This review may contain spoilers
One of the best depictions for women
Finally a series with some substance that makes me want to go back and downgrade the scores on other recently viewed series.Foremost, huge kudos for bringing one of the best depictions of an emotionally independent woman I've come across so far. This is a huge gripe of mine as many other series try to convince you of what defines an independent woman, but they send her an abundance of unappreciated support and/or has her continually being rescued by a man. It was refreshing to see representation of a woman who isn't expecting to be saved by others even in dire situations and a man who isn't constantly trying to save her. Although she still had the fortune of him having her back, it was realistically something that was necessary in order for her to reach certain levels of success. I tend to avoid romance-heavy dramas but this was one that instigated forgotten longings. They chose the perfect cast for their respective roles and the chemistry with the lead couple is just great.
I also appreciate how they delved into the mentality of women who has had cultural norms beaten so hard into them that even when fortune smiles upon them, it doesn't heal the deep damage of feeling unworthy. This is also when the female lead develops character growth from realizing that choices which seem obvious to her, caused her to fail to notice that not all women had the same type of mentality or desire.
The plot has too much going on for me to touch on everything in this review but it highlights the many issues one comes across through the different stages of starting a business, maintaining it, and growing it (especially as a woman). The male lead is a very interesting character, particularly with his role in the political scenery. There is a good enough balance of events occurring that the 32 episodes just flew by despite minimal action scenes or over-dramatization.
The score was kicked down a notch because there was just a sprinkle of drag in certain scenes, minor hiccups in plot transitions, and the last few episodes felt rushed. But highly recommended for those who enjoy good dialogue over flashiness. I laughed, I cried, I smiled, and I self-reflected. Crossing fingers on the follow-through with the sequel.
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This review may contain spoilers
What I Didn't Know: Unfinished Love Story. Part 2 is Planned.
This drama ends with a note from the producers essentially saying Look Forward to Part 2. So now I see why they dragged out the love story, which is the only reason why I watched. It had better come soon, as they set up some new actors and launched some new vendettas in the last few episodes. So fair warning, if you are looking for even a kiss in Part 1, keep dreaming.The main reason to see this, beyond the women's suffrage message, is the incredible acting of the three leads, which is great across the board. Even among three people, Wei Zhe Ming stands out; primarily because the script gave his character so many places to go. He has really demonstrated his acting chops here, including some blubbering crying at his lowest point. He has definitely "gone for broke," as they say. Li Xian just beams at Yang Zi throughout the show. I have rarely seen an actor do such a great job at glowing with manly love while also exuding a suave playboy character trait. So pretty to watch. I am as straight as they come, but on behalf of this ML, even I want to reach out and give the pretty FL a good squeeze--the yearning is so palpable. Speaking of pretty, the only small downside in Yang Zi's performance is that, even when she is at her lowest, she still is looking so beautiful and calm. (I have watched a lot of her shows and have never, ever, seen her looking so good, way beyond the "beauty skin filter" effect.). With dirt and blood all over her, it is still hard for her to twist her face into something that looks gritty and desperate. Still, as always, her acting is great.
An irony here, which perhaps with be touched on in Part 2, is that the FL states that she can live well without a man. That might be true for many women, but the FL has faced so many near death experiences (a lot for a 32 episode series!) and importantly has been rescued or helped by the ML just as many times as she has helped herself. So frankly, while she can help herself, she wouldn't be alive to do so without the ML having helped her.
Also, if you don't like people who focus on accumulating wealth, skip this, because, in Part 1 at least, the ML and FL are all about the money and calculating every nickel (yen) owed. It can get tiring, as it is, IMHO, not an American value. Fingers crossed that the focus on money is also one of the issues they will address in Part 2. Since I didn't read the book, I have no clue as to what lies ahead. I hope they release Part 2 before I cease to care.
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This review may contain spoilers
Great story - can’t wait for the sequel
From the get go I was invested in this drama and pleased to see that Yang Zi and Li Xian work just as well together as they did in Go Go Squid.FL & ML are so good together and the chemistry is excellent even though this is not a typical romance story in the beginning. He quietly watches from a distance and readies himself to step in even as she solves her problems on her own, each success she achieves makes him more and more proud of her as well as fiercely protective. In the beginning she sees him as an irrelevant playboy wastrel but by halfway through the series she begins to realise all is not as it seems and becomes intrigued as to what he is up to. Theirs is a slow build romance that develops naturally as they realise that they are stronger together than apart and start to notice each others strong points rather than perceived flaws.
Miles Wei is brilliant as Lui Chang, the pathetic, down trodden ex husband of the FL who is bulldozed into marrying the spoilt princess Yu Zhen. Yu Zhen spends most of her time trying to sabotage FL rather than work on the sham of a marriage she has forced upon a man who suddenly realises he should have stuck with bride #1 which leads to several of the problems FL faces. By the end ML, who has a real problem with Yu Zhen’s father, realises he has to deal with the whole family not just the patriarch which makes his mission even more complicated.
Can’t wait for the sequel and would happily watch this again.
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I love women!
What a show … finally finished a Yang Zi drama, and I am glad it’s this one. Wonderful show about female resilience and innovation; I loved the flower business as well as Mu Dan’s endless ideas to expand her business! The cinematography was to die for, and so was the styling. The acting was amazing; I was especially very happy to see Wei Zhe Ming play a more complex character as I am used to his green-flag good guy characters. Yang Zi… when she cries, I cry with her, what an actress. And Li Xian’s eye-acting is just unparalleled to be honest. He brings so much warmth to a single glance, it’s amazing.Here’s a link to my small Sheng Yi character “analysis” : https://www.reddit.com/r/cdramasfans/comments/1m76otq/flourished_peony_sheng_yi/
Now moving on to S2!💖
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