Twelve Letters

Slow-Burn Storytelling with a Deep Emotional Payoff

I really liked this. It’s an emotionally charged story that transcends time and generations, and it captured me from the very beginning. While there were moments when the pacing felt a little slow, it seemed stylistically intentional—this isn’t a superficial or fluffy drama. It’s the kind of story that invites you to sit down and truly feel what the characters are experiencing. The narrative quickly draws you back in with the beauty of its storytelling. It’s layered and mysterious, with a fantastical twist that never diminishes its emotional depth—drawing on themes of connected fate and second chances. It’s the kind of drama that makes your heart race—and then sigh—as you reach the end and reflect on the characters and all they’ve endured.

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Episode 8 broke my heart.

I would have given this a 10 if they didn't rush the last 2 episodes.
This was a very emotional fantasy drama to watch. The struggles they both went through growing up.
I loved the visuals of this - I think its like cinematic vibes if that is the right term but you will see what I mean.
All the actors ate their role!!!!
The storyline developed so well and I was intrigued to see what comes next.
Who wrote this???? 😭
Episode 8 broke my heart. I’ve been crying throughout the whole episode.

Fast forward to end, I would have enjoyed this more if they didnt rush the last 2 episodes. I am sure the viewers would have loved to see more in depth about the son and what happened after everything.

If you watch the credits, they showed photos of their years together but still nothing too in depth so that kinda sucked for me.

Overall, it was a great drama.

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One of the masterpiece, must watch , break from long cheesy c dramas ,this is perfect

Wow, its one of the best masterpiece of cdramas. usually c dramas long but this one just 12 eps but in the end i wish this was more long. every character, plot, story, twist, time travel fantasy, it was so amazing, it was so different from usual c dramas. Both male lead and female leads hats off them , their acting, chemistry without being clingy or cheese. I really love the main lead Zho yi ran , he is so fine men, love him, his character always top notch. and even their son and daughter in future , the untold chemistry between them was so loud. Wish they will reunite for future projects. All over its just best, never expected this much good, each ep hooked me. Must watch . True love 💕

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The reason why I watched it was because of Yiran's denial, and secondly, the idea of the whole series, it sounded mega interesting, but I admit that because it only had 12 episodes, I got lost about 50 times and had to watch that episode one more time. But maybe it was mostly due to the fact that I watched it once or twice a week and then I couldn't remember exactly where we were, whether in the past or the future, or if something happened or not. Anyway, I think it was a great story idea, the cast was great too, and I cried (how else) at the end. For lovers of romance with some action, this is the real deal

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Magical realism letter time-travel drama that is worth your time

Our offspring our strangers to us in the future and our parents are strangers to us in the past.

This little gem of a chinese drama series is well worth the small investment of time (only 12 episodes). I have been trying to figure out why it is unusual. And I think I've settled on this as the main reason - that it shows very clearly the truism of the fact that our offspring our strangers to us in the future and our parents are strangers to us in the past. If you could change your parent's past, would you?

I think it is also unusual because in a sea of polarising genres of either shamelessly shallow idol dramas or full on police crime dramas, this thoughtful and deep drama explores the harshness and brutality of certain parts of rural China (in the 90s and quite possible even now) without being a police crime drama. Trigger warning- there is exploration of familial abuse, triad gang war and small town thinking. The closest TV series I can think of that does a similar thing is Nobody Knows, but that drama had significant police-crime plot line. There is no doubt where the emphasis is in this drama - on the young coming of age couple in the early 90s living in a small town.

It is also unusual also because of its beautiful cinematography and the treatment each side character gets to tell the fully-orbed story. I thoroughly enjoyed the breadth and depth of each character and only wish a longer series could have been written - perhaps exploring more of the thoughts and feelings of the offspring as they discover more of their parent's past. Another follow-up series wouldn't be out of place when the series is this good!

As it is, I felt like a lot of Chinese series, the ending left rather a lot to be desired. It is a source of mystery to me that Chinese dramaland simply cannot deliver a Chinese series without some sort of deflation-of-souffle- ending. Seriously, why not? If only...

The acting on the other hand is stellar. I think most people will be blown away by the two young actors and I have come across many who have said this is Zhou Yiran's best work yet. I quite agree. I believed every moment. It helps when the character is written so well!

This drama was a real gift for christmas 2025.

P.s. On that note, couldn't they have released it 2026 to make it fit the timing in the drama?

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Needed a Long Epilogue

SO DEEPLY SPECIAL TO ME! There are a lot of things I think were underdeveloped, but the two leads kept me hooked the entire time. They were so cute and I cherished the happy moments they had together, but I wish we had gotten more of them. I also wish that the magical elements had more time. I would have loved for more correspondence between the past and present. Liked all of the characters, but also wish characters outside the main leads had more room for change and growth. I will remember the main leads for a long time, but the side characters probably won't stick around for me. I need someone to cast the main leads again in a happier story so we can get the full romance story from them.

Basically every scene the main leads have together is my favorite, but my absolute favorite scene between them was the fl sacrificing her house, despite how hard she fought for it, despite what it meant to her -- simply telling the ml, "You matter more." So simple and so effective. In that gesture, she is finding a new home for herself and starting over, while he experiences what it feels like for someone to value him and his safety. I could rant all day about how perfect they were together.

Overall, the drama was just a little too short for a lot of the story elements and characters. I loved the themes of sacrifice, love, and regret. The main leads were outstanding, and I'm glad they got their happy ending, even if we don't get to see it.

(Also, I know they rewrote time to save their parents, but wouldn't any parent be horrified to lose their child? I guess if they never met their children they would care less, but they seemed very casual about it at the end lol)

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Didn't understand the ending?

Can someone please tell me what really happened in the end? What became of Shen Cheng? And who was the guy that received the last letter? I’m honestly losing my mind over this. Deep down, I keep wondering—was it Shen Cheng?

This drama was absolutely unforgettable. I don’t even know how many times I cried watching each episode. Their suffering felt so real, and it broke my heart every single time. All they wanted was such a simple thing—a good life, a peaceful life. But the adults around them never allowed them even that small piece of happiness. It’s just so unfair, and I can’t stop thinking about it.

"Every Ye Hai Tang out there need someone like Tang Yi Xun"

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The Show That Sabotaged Itself

12 Letters can be split into two halves: episodes 1 to 5 are a brilliant romantic sci-fi; episodes 6 to 12 are a disaster.

It starts with a mysterious mailbox connecting 1991 and 2026, a fresh premise that immediately recalls Frequency (2000). In Frequency, a father and son spoke across time with a clear, consistent dilemma. 12 Letters had the same potential, but it quickly lost its way.

From episode 6 onward, everything falls apart: the mailbox is forgotten, cartoonish gangsters show up, school melodrama takes over, and Shen Cheng—once a key character—is reduced to an idiot by bad writing. Episodes 8 and 9 are pure filler, endless flashbacks explaining what we already knew.

The ending is even worse: a last-minute warning letter that magically fixes everything, Shen erased from existence, Yu Nian waking up in a luxurious bed with a different life, and a sad soundtrack to force emotions. What began as a tense sci-fi puzzle ends with a rushed “happily ever after.”

12 Letters could have been the Chinese Frequency. Instead, it’s a collage of clichés and cheap melodrama—a show that sabotaged itself.

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