Twelve Letters

What would you do for those that you love?

What would you do for those that you love? Would you give up your happiness? Would you give up your life?

These are the questions at the heart of Twelve Letters, a fantasy and mystery drama about love, found family, sacrifices, hope, and the power of choice. The story is set across two timelines — Meiwan Town in 1991 and Beixing City in 2026 — and it revolves around our two protagonists, Ye Hai Tang and Tang Yi Xun. The world was not kind to them in 1991; their lives were filled with pain, suffering, and darkness. The only glimmer of light was them meeting each other due to unfortunate circumstances. For reasons initially unknown to the audience, one moment changed the course of their lives forever, resulting in a heartbreaking separation and a lifetime of longing and regrets. That is, until one day when a letter from 1991 arrives via an abandoned and mysterious mailbox in the year 2026, opening a connection between the past and the future. Will fate intervene, alter the timeline, and rewrite this tragic love story?

Right off the bat, the first thing I notice about Twelve Letters is its gorgeous cinematography. It is intentional and artistic — flawlessly capturing the beauty of Meiwan Town in 1991, with its natural rivers and mountainous backdrop in every frame, along with the run-down buildings of its residents that even the breathtaking sceneries cannot hide. There is a greenish tint to the color grading, giving the feel of a different era, teleporting us back in time. The Cantonese music, VHS tapes of old HK movies, landline phones, fashion — everything adds to the 90s aesthetic, making this a believable and nostalgic period piece. With the hauntingly beautiful osts cleverly used throughout the drama, I can't help but praise the love and thought that was poured into this drama. However, the stunning visuals do more than just set the scene; they are a reflection of our protagonists' shattered inner worlds.

Ye Hai Tang and Tang Yi Xun are two broken souls who find solace in each other. At first glance, they seem like polar opposites — a bright student and a troubled delinquent — but they are actually two sides of the same coin. They are pitiful, weary, and yet still so loving, selfless, and kind. They make me want to wrap them both in my arms and protect them from the cruelty of this world. The way they care for each other, only wishing for the other's safety and happiness, is so pure. Their relationship proves that chosen family can be stronger than blood. Like beautiful mosaic art, these two broken souls feel whole together. The raw and powerful performances from Wang Ying Lu and Zhou Yi Ran truly stand out.

And it isn't just the main couple who embodies this spirit of unconditional love and sacrifice — the supporting characters are wonderful as well. I love Cha, Rat, Xin, Nian, Cheng, Manyu, Guan, and Miao Miao. Each has their own distinct personality; all of them are flawed but endearing. There is an overarching theme in this story about how ordinary people have the ability to ease the suffering of others even if they feel like they are insignificant. These characters are prime examples of that value. The sacrifices they make on the behalf of Ye Hai Tang and Tang Yi Xun are selfless and heart-wrenching.

This was not the type of drama I normally watch and it emotionally devastated me. It was dark, brutal, and at times painfully realistic, and I took a considerably long time to complete it despite its short 12-episode run because I had to keep taking breaks in between episodes to catch my breath due to its heavy themes. This drama did not shy away from showcasing domestic violence and toxic family dynamics, putting the ugly reality of growing up in broken homes on display for the world to see. There were many times when I felt sick to my stomach and I cried my eyes out until my shirts were drenched in my own tears. Twelve Letters is one of those stories that will touch your soul and make you feel a dozen emotions all at once, and it is not for the faint of heart. And yet, the story drew me in unlike any other.

Despite how dearly I loved this drama, I couldn't give it a perfect score for one main reason: the dual-timeline structure was tricky to follow at times. The 2026 timeline had a linear flow, meanwhile the 1991 timeline jumped a few months forward only to jump a few months back inconsistently. This created disjointed moments in the narrative, and I had to pause the drama a few times in order to understand the chronology of the events. Even with this issue though, it did not detract from the genuine impact this story had on me.

After a rollercoaster of emotions, and many days of dragging my feet, I can finally say that Twelve Letters is worth all the tears that were shed. This story will stay with me for a very long time. It is not a drama for everyone. It is triggering for those who are sensitive to topics such as domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, gambling addiction, and violence connected to poverty. But for those who love character-driven mysteries and are brave enough to watch and make it to the finish line, you will uncover a heartfelt and unforgettable journey of selfless sacrifices, persistent love, and hope shining through the darkness.

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A dozen tears, a dozen hope, a dozen letters and reasons to piece yourself back together!

Twelve letters and I are definitely in a toxic relationship. It made me feel sad, mad, happy, and then mad again with ugly crying and somehow left me immensely happy at the end.

If I dissect the premise, it reads like those retro-time travel fanfiction. It all starts with Ye Hiatang from 1991, finding a mailbox and somehow connecting with Tang Yixun of 2026 (Thanks to the orange cat delivery system). Letters were exchanged and so was hope, exhaustion and pain! Somehow it was both cheesy and haunting.

It was more about vibes and feels rather than major plot twists because once you figure out the time travel /fantasy aspect of it, it becomes fairly predictable. But it didn't take anything away from the story because somehow I was able to predict actions but not the consequences.

This is the story of Haitang, who somehow makes her way till the very end despite all the harsh realities surrounding her. From the first frame, I never mistook her for being fragile. She was resilient but tired. Imagine living with an abusive father like that. She is a victim of adults failing her, but she isn't the one to give up. You will feel sorry for her at times, but then you will wipe your tears seeing her get up everytime and bounce back.

Tang Yixun isn't your "knight in shining armour" either. Our debt collector is messy, chaotic and has demons of his own to deal with. But I didn't like him because he was trying to fix things for Haitang, but he was just being there and treating her like she mattered.

I did feel it was very convenient for him to be there whenever Haitang was in trouble, and their connection initially felt fast-paced, but then their love wasn't built on grand gestures or cute things. It grew out of shared pain and trauma. Maybe it really is easier to open up about what breaks you when the company is right and they get it. They were just right for each other. Not perfect, but just right, and they need to be bubble wrapped and protected at all costs.
All they wanted was a family, and they did get one.

Coming to antagonists, forget scary monsters when you have a father like Ye Yibo. Cruel, controlling and violent. At one point, he felt like a cage that Haitang can't escape. But he was let go too easily and too many times. I know 1991 wasn't a progressive time but being free of assault charges that easily was kind of annoying.
We have another set of villains too, making life difficult for the Billiards gang. They went a little overboard with their involvement but I wasn't bored.

But not everyone around them was shady and selfish. The little found family that Yixun has with Li Cha Dong and Zhang Hao was adorable. It was the rainbow hiding in the storm's aftermath. Both their love stories were also tiny escape from the darkness. Both for them and us. I wouldn't mind a spin off for them specially Cha and Tan Xin.

What got me the most was how when the moment finally came, nobody even flinched. No second guessing... just pure instinct to step up and shield the ones they cared about. There was no big speeches or flashy heroics, it was the certainty that said "your life matters more than mine". And they didn't do it out of obligation but for love. Watching them stand there like a wall was both devastating and beautiful. Yixun and Haitang were lucky to have them as their found family!

The adults (children) in 2026 were also key players here. Both Yu Nian and Sheng Cheng
brought different things to the table. They both were in search of their parents and to find answers as to what happened but I feel both of them went a little too overboard with emotions at times. But again, the position they were in, the panic and frustration is understandable.
I think they grew on gradually. Somehow even with all the bickering and disagreements , they were there for each other.

Acting-wise, the leads Zhou Yiran and Wang Yinglu nailed their roles. Zhou Yiran was spot on with his "protective but never overbearing" portrayal of Yixun. I cried when he cried and I smiled when he did! Wan Yinglu, as Hiatang, also did a great job. What made her exceptional was the whole hollowed-out-of-life vibe in emotional scenes.
The supporting cast also did a great job because I hate some of the characters to the T, and like they say, if you hate a character, the actor did a good job.

Cinematography was the real MVP. It was just so Pinterest-y. The whole '90s vibe was spot on with those strong colour grading and nostalgia vibe. The clear contrast between the past and present kept everything visually distinct and easy to follow.

Lastly, the flaws… If I am being real, my eyes were way too glossy to list them all out, but here we go. The pacing in the last four episodes did feel a bit rushed. The coherence slipped here and there and at times it was hard to piece everything together. That said, it picked up almost immediately after. Maybe a couple more episodes would have helped the story breathe better but then again, the title is Twelve Letters, so twelve episodes it is.

Also, they did ended it pretty neatly but did leave with some questions. But it was more like an invitation to imagine.

Overall, I did love it from start to finish. It was like a heartbreak wrapped in hope. More than romance, it’s a reminder that love is not just about two people, it’s about the way it ripples outward and affects around, shaping families, friendships...even futures.

Will I recommend it? OF COURSE. But don't go in expecting the fantasy element to woo you or expecting this to be fluffy romance because it is everything but that. It will wreck you most beautifully. I also strongly recommend a box of tissues with it. (You will need it. Trust me)

♡ Favourite Quote ♡

I want to give you a sunny day but I only have an umbrella woven from storm clouds!

Thank you for reading my review! I know it feels more like an emotional blabber but this is exactly how I felt throughout. I hope you enjoy and suffer (lol) this drama as much as I did :))

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