Flourished Peony

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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A Masterclass in Female Resilience and Independent Drive

Flourished Peony is a mature, grounded story about a woman fiercely driving her own destiny, backed by a fantastic supporting cast that keeps the momentum going.

What I Liked:
A Truly Resilient Female Lead: Mu Dan is the ultimate mature, self-reliant character. She possesses an incredibly sharp business sense and a quiet, unbreakable resilience. No matter what obstacles are thrown her way, she simply refuses to give up, making her journey incredibly empowering to watch. The way she takes other women under her wings and gives them the foundation to thrive is admirable as well.

Miles Wei’s Compelling Character Arc: His storyline was one of the most engaging parts of the drama. Watching him transition from being totally against a union with Mu Dan to pining for her so deeply was compelling. He was trapped in a genuinely difficult position with a family planning his entire life for him, which gave his character a layered quality. I couldn't truly hate his character, which was so interesting to me!

The Fantastic Supporting Cast: The characters surrounding the main leads are excellent and add so much flavor to the story. In particular, Shiyi and Zhu Fu stand out, bringing some much-needed brawn, loyalty, and dynamic energy to the plot.

A Mature, Non-Intrusive Romance: I appreciated that the romance didn't overshadow the plot and that the male lead didn't constantly try to "rescue" her. He allows Mu Dan to stand entirely on her own two feet and supports her independence, which fits the mature tone of the show perfectly. I loved their midnight snack and chat times, where they could be at ease with one another.

Sheng Yi’s Heartbreaking Reality: One of the most interesting yet devastating aspects of the show was the storyline of Sheng Yi, who fell back into her old ways with her evil husband and toxic family. Even though Mu Dan tried so hard to give her everything and pave a way out for her, it realistically highlighted the cycle of abuse. Her broken spirit and inability to escape the deeply ingrained societal expectations of the era provided a dark, mature, and deeply impactful contrast to Mu Dan's success.

What Didn't Work As Well
A Bit Too Safe and Boring: While the male lead is supportive, I found him a bit boring. He doesn't seem to do a whole lot on his own and often feels a bit too motivated by money, rather than being a deeply compelling or multi-dimensional character in his own right. I did find his backstory interesting, but I liked his character the most during his 1:1 time with Mu Dan.

Final Thoughts
An excellent choice for those who love watching an intelligent woman build her own empire from the ground up. Come for Mu Dan's brilliant business journey, stay for the wonderful supporting characters who hold down the fort!

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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. He 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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Flourished Peony has issues

I'm writing two separate reviews for both parts and this will be just for the first half Flourished Peony.

Before we get into anything negative, I want to praise this show for many aspects that I wholeheartedly enjoyed. The cinematography was amazing, there was never a single scene in this show that looked ugly. So many shots from both parts that actually gave me goosebumps on multiple occasions. I really liked the production value, hardly ever did the show have cheap, disposable looking sets or props. You could tell a lot of money and effort went into how this show looks and feels, the production team was most certainly on point.
Music was great as well! So many memorable tracks that fit the scenes perfectly.

Another positive call out was for the cast. This is the best I have ever seen from Yang Zi! It's so refreshing to see her break out of the comedic scamp role. She's very mature and arresting in this drama. Our ML is played by Li Xian who prove to you once again that he has range, his character hides a double identity for certain reasons. It's amusing to see him flip that switch over the course of this series. The main leads had excellent chemistry, and were so amazing to watch together.

The first half of this show really sold me on this couple and I really wanted to see them make it work. I also enjoyed the depiction of the women in this show. In a in a patriarchal society, it can be very difficult for a woman to find her way in life, even in modern days… Seeing such varied women with their own problems to overcome was also satisfying. In most dramas women are pitted against each other and barely ever understand how one another might be feeling. This show has a female lead who recognizes the difficulties any women face regardless of class or social status.

My negative takes are pretty simple. This show takes way too damn long to get to an exciting point. Tens of episodes in and our female lead is still dealing with pretty menial issues that seem to repeat over and over. So many scenes of her being wrongfully accused in public or being screwed over again and again. Flourished Peony really had me either frustrated or bored if either leads were not on the screen. I also HATED the 2nd ML, which isn't really criticism, it's just a fact… Overall I liked the first part and would rewatch.

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I’ve watched a "power" drama that is actually a misery marathon of eating bitterness

I’ve survived watching the FL being beaten, humiliated, undocumented and harassed by another "waste of space" ex-husband while the Male Lead stands around like a statue for 32 episodes at approximately 45 minutes each.
Here is the honest truth: This show is a slow-burn slog of pure misery.
The Problem is the writers think "suffering = character depth." They’ve spent 32 episodes proving she can survive, but almost zero time showing her actually winning.
There is literally no payoff as we continually watch her struggling against those who face no consequences. Also like everybody else, I am a fan of the ML and FL from their time together in Gogo squid but we never get to see the Male Lead show any level of basic human empathy for her bruises and suffering and he remains a "cold strategist" for a massive chunk of the entire show.
The "misery porn" is why my fatigue has set in so early for this drama. Most people recommend Flourished Peony as an "empowerment" story, but they fail to mention that the writers use prolonged victimisation as their only way to create drama.
It is straight-up sadistic from a Western storytelling perspective. To me, it’s pretty demented and perverse. A complete waste of time; to the writers, it’s "character building." You are seeing the ugly side of a genre that fetishises the martyr complex..
it feels pretty disgusting that this show prioritises the virtue of suffering over the logic of survival.
The FL spends most of her time at the graveyard, burying her friends who are systematically killed one by one throughout the drama. Her mercy for these evil doers is not a virtue. It’s just plain stupid.

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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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Good Cast and Crew

The casting for 'Flourished Peony' is excellent, though the filming quality can be uneven. The pacing of the narrative occasionally falters, creating moments of disengagement. However, the series boasts truly captivating visuals, particularly the stunning display of flowers throughout the seasons. This visual spectacle, coupled with the exquisite costumes that perfectly complement each character, elevates the production.

A significant strength lies in its portrayal of female empowerment. The female protagonist serves as an inspiring role model, demonstrating the importance of self-reliance and hard work. Her journey emphasizes the necessity for women to break free from dependence and forge their own paths. The title, 'Flourished Peony,' aptly reflects the themes of growth, resilience, and blossoming into one's full potential

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The Peony that will bloom despite the worse conditions

Infuriating exes, in-laws, families that care more about reputation than their own children, and patriarchy. What more can a woman ask for in the historical times in the Tang dynasty? This is an underrated drama and on a whim after starting two other CDramas that didn't really take hold with their storylines I decided to give this a try. I initially thought this would be boring but after three episodes in, you want this FL to kick her husband and in laws to the curb and blow it all up as she leaves.

I'm glad I did because the themes of fighting for how you want to live your life, female kinship, and courage are woven into the confines of what a woman is allowed or expected to do in a strict Confucian patriarchal period. Marriage is typically required for a woman survive and she is seen as a piece of property. She is expected to endure intolerable situations even with exes and families that take domestic abuse to a whole another level.

You have the ex husband of the FL who I will call the "Flip Flopper" and another ex husband of one of the FL's good friends whose nickname shall be a curse word that I won't post here. Watching it will make the steam come of your ears and leave you with some empathy for why the FL doesn't want to remarry. The relationship the FL develops with the ML is one where he doesn't treat her like a damsel and offers a contrast to her "Flip Flopper" ex.

May this Peony thrive despite it all.

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The one thing I ask you not to do!

(If you’re not a romantic you can skip on by this review)

This is a drama with really well written characters and a talented cast. The leads are adorable with a great friendship. The villain origin story of the ex husband was perfectly constructed. I was loving it, but towards the end I discovered that the writers are actually my biggest haters! They wrote a plot that I fear every time I watch a historical drama: the dreaded multi-wives. The leads(while not both in love yet) had a sweet, touching tiny wedding. The significance of a small wedding is purposefully shown. Then, just *3* days after the leads’ wedding ML is “forced”(didn’t try at all did ya, buddy?) to take another wife, in the lavish way that was previously avoided. I won’t go into detail about how it seemed out of character for him but, I mean, they couldn’t have at least made it a month later?! It totally diminished the leads’ own wedding. Whatever, ML doesn’t care about wife #2 but I sure do. As far as I can tell that plot isn’t very important to the story, so it must just exist to upset me? Call me petty but I’m taking away 3 whole stars for this, because I can

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