Twelve Letters

This drama is, quite simply, a rare gem.

Starting a drama review is always a challenge, and this one is no exception. It is a production that, despite not having reached a wide audience, leaves a deep impression on everyone who has watched it.

Reading through fellow reviewers’ impressions, I felt much of what I wanted to express had already been voiced. Still, this drama touched me in such a personal way that I must share at least a glimpse of how profoundly it resonated with me.

At its core, this is a drama of mystery and suspense, fractured blood ties, found families, and an unforgettable story of love, sacrifice, and resilience.

The narrative unfolds across four distinct timelines, cleverly interwoven:

Timeline 1 (Mailbox No. 1): Though never shown directly, it represents the permanent home of two enigmatic figures—a scrap collector and a yellow cat. The latter becomes a whimsical yet pivotal messenger, carrying letters across timelines through different mailboxes. (A quirky detail: the director revealed that six different cats were used for this role—seamlessly so, I never noticed the switch.)

Timeline 2 (Mailbox No. 2): Set in 1991, where we meet our young protagonists.

Timeline 3 (Mailbox No. 3): Set in 2026, where the next generation seeks to alter the fate of the past.

Timeline 4 (Mailbox No. 4): Revealed only at the end—a twist best left for viewers to discover.

In 1991, Ye Hai Tang (played by the versatile Wang Yinglu) lives under the shadow of relentless abuse by her father, Yi Yibo. Her home is broken, her father mentally unstable and consumed by gambling, stripping her of dignity and survival alike. The scenes of physical and emotional torment are painfully raw, often demanding a pause just to breathe. Her only solace lies in her passion for learning and her dream of university, a way out of her suffocating existence in Meiwan.

It is at school that she encounters Tang Yi Xun, an unlikely savior. A troubled orphan raised in an institution, Yi Xun has carved a harsh life alongside two friends, Li Cha Dong and Zhang Hao (“Rat”), surviving through illegal debt collection. Violence, betrayal, and despair haunt him, yet with the support of a caring teacher, he longs to return to his studies. When fate brings him to Hai Tang through one of her father’s debts, an improbable yet tender connection begins to grow.

Their bond is one of the most beautiful aspects of the drama: two broken souls finding comfort in one another, becoming each other’s chosen family. Yet fate proves merciless, and their fragile happiness is constantly tested.

Fast forward to 2026, and Hai Tang has mysteriously disappeared. Her son, Shen Cheng ( Ren You Lun ), returns from England in a desperate search for her. Along the way, he meets Yu Nian ( Zheng He Hui Zi ), who is also searching for her missing father, Yu Zhi Hong—a man in his fifties with Alzheimer’s. Yu Zhi Hong’s vanishing seems intertwined with Hai Tang’s, and in his final days he was seen lingering near a mailbox in a shipyard, waiting to send a letter under the quiet watch of a sympathetic security guard.

What unfolds is a puzzle that viewers themselves must piece together, as the timelines converge and unravel with both suspense and poignancy. To say more would diminish the impact; the surprises, mysteries, and emotional weight deserve to be experienced firsthand.

This drama is, quite simply, a rare gem: intense, immersive, and meticulous in every detail. The direction is masterful, the performances nuanced and compelling, the writing sharp and layered, and the cinematography stunningly evocative.

It is a story that lingers long after the final scene. For those willing to immerse themselves in its intricacies, it is absolutely worth the journey.
Rating: 10/10.

P.S: To better understand the division of the four timelines, I am following the perfect reasoning of one of my fellow reviewers on kisskh. I won’t mention their name out of respect for their review, but I am truly grateful for their explanation. It helped me a lot in understanding the whole plot. Thank you!

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Twelve Letters has been on my watchlist since it first came out. I’d seen so many spoilers floating around that I already knew it was a drama I had to watch. Now that I’ve finally finished it, I can’t believe I waited this long. Just a bit of a warning, I was writing this review while still watching the last few episodes, so forgive me if my thoughts feel a little scattered—SO MUCH happens in this series!

The story revolves around Ye Hai Tang (A’Tang), Tang Yi Xun (A’Xun), and a mysterious time-traveling mailbox. A’Tang, living in 1991, begins receiving letters from the future—specifically from 2026. Although the two leads start off on the wrong foot and clash constantly, their backgrounds explain so much of their tension. Both grew up in poverty, faced difficult family situations, and carried wounds from abusive homes or abandonment. Their struggles put them on opposite sides at first, but slowly, through shared experiences, they develop mutual respect and quiet affection for each other.

I honestly wish their romance had been explored more directly. The love line is subtle—present, but never fully voiced. I would’ve loved a real confession instead of the implied promise to “grow together as a family.”

Early in the drama, each episode blends past and future seamlessly, giving us glimpses of two timelines side by side. Later, the focus shifts, and episodes begin to center either on the parents’ story or the children’s future. Even so, the story remains engaging and emotionally heavy.

Prepare to cry, because Twelve Letters does not hold back. As someone who has a soft spot for orphan stories, certain scenes were especially difficult to watch. The ending took me completely by surprise—I cried so much watching everything unfold. While I’m relieved A’Xun and A’Tang get their happy ending, it broke my heart that Shen Cheng and Yu Nian may never get to see them again. This drama leaves you with a heavy heart in the best way; it’s one I know I’ll be thinking about for days.

I also loved how the story gradually unfolded—from the familiar trope of an abusive, gambling parent to the two leads becoming classmates, all tied together by the magical time-traveling mailbox. Watching how both generations interacted with this mystery and eventually solved it was one of the most fascinating parts of the series. As the story progressed, I realized how little we truly know about our own parents’ lives. The more the characters dug into the past, the more they uncovered secrets that had never been spoken. It really drives home the idea that we often don’t know our parents as deeply as we think. These revelations made the story even more compelling, and honestly, that’s what kept me binge-watching the entire series in one day. And with its short length, it’s incredibly easy to get through.

One thing I wish had been explained better was the beginning of Episode 8. A murder occurs, A’Xun suddenly takes the blame, and it all happens so fast that it left my head spinning. At first I was frustrated, but looking back, that confusion kept me hooked because I needed to understand how everything connected.

On a lighter note, Zhou Yi Ran really impressed me. I’ve seen a bit of his work before and thought he was just another pretty face, but he proved me wrong here—his acting range truly surprised me. Zheng He Hui Zi was wonderful as well; I loved her in In Blossom, and I’m excited to see her take on more roles.

Overall, Twelve Letters is emotional, unique, and absolutely worth watching. It’s a heartfelt blend of mystery, family, and time travel that stays with you long after the final episode. I highly recommend it.

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A Masterpiece is what this drama should be titled

Wow, wow, wow, i just finished watching this masterpiece and I'm filled with all sort of emotions that i can't even explain, There must have been some crazy back scene effort put into this drama even to little details. The writers should be given an award for this cus what is this, he cooked good, and why isn't this on 9.0? 8.8 i pretty low for this masterpiece, all praise aside, what makes this a masterpiece?

there's a number of things that i can even begin listing makes it a master piece.

To avoid giving spoilers all i must say is you should watch it. you won't regret it trust me.

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Splendid and exceptional!!!!

Usually,I would like to write a review in detail regarding a drama, but, Twelve letters, in my honest opinion, is a very brilliant, excellent MASTERPIECE💯👌👍
Everything about this drama makes it a MUST WATCH drama. The plot is intriguing adding a slice of suspense, through a cat and a mailbox.
As the story unfolds, it take us on an emotional rollercoaster ride. This drama made me cry, feel sad, disturbed and frustrated over the character of Ye Yibo, feel anxious, angst , mad and finally brought me a bit of relief and smile for the last episode.
Seriously, I cried bitterly in few situations of the drama.
I liked each and every character in this drama,Tang Yi Xun, Ye Hai Tang, Yu Nian, Shen Cheng, Zhang Quan, Cha, Rat, Zhen Zhu, Miao Miao, Tan Xin,Shen Xiao Jun,and the bookstore owner, except Bao and his gang and the sinisterous father, Ye Yibo.
All the actors did an outstanding and excellent job in portraying their roles.
The whole drama is fabulous and mind blowing😊👌
Any one, who are thinking over watching this drama, I would suggest, please WATCH THIS DRAMA, you will nit regret watching it, else you will definitely miss an EMOTIONAL MASTERPIECE OF LOVE!!
A TRUE LOVE STORY ,between two timelines connected by a cat and a red mailbox at midnight, only to face many hurdles and challenges , and finally unite as one, with help from the people from future and avoid disasters and alter their future, hatsoff to Tang Yi Xun, Ye Hai Tang,for staying strong and supporting each other and Yu Nian, Shen Cheng, Zhang Quan and Miao Miao, in helping Xun and Tang alter their fate.
Highly highly recommended drama!! 🤗

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practically perfect in every way

There is nothing I didn’t like about this drama. As someone who grew up in that era, yet not in China, the feels it gave of its era were spot on and totally nostalgic for me, which only added to the excellent writing, directing and all acting performances. The making of this felt as loved as the story itself and those actors gave everything to their roles.
Unlike others in the comments I don’t need to know anymore from the story, otherwise I think it would take away from the story. 12 episodes was just perfect, the writers did such a good job with what was a heavy story with heavy subjects, yet left you feeling heart warmed.
This drama is beautiful.

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Epic. just wow! Please watch this RN!

Wow.!!
Mindblowing.

I was just browsing Yt, and saw a clip from the drama...
And i really like Yi Ran's works, so, once i confirmed the cast, i started watching at around 11 . 30pm.
And i was done by 9 am in the morning. Cant believe i pulled an all nighter to watch this(well, totally believable, because the plot is just awesome) ....
(I had to sacrifice my surgery & Obgyn lectures) ;)
Guilty yes!
But, no regrets . At all.

This drama is EPIC.
Its been more than a year since I've watched a drama like this... Like a madwoman.
The acting was phenomenal. Loved the side characters. The plot was immersive.
(The ending could have been slightly better, but fine.)
It was brilliant.
Loved it.

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Can you imagine?

Wow this story was so good. It had good comprehension and wonderful elements. I loved every romance of each couple because their storyline were all different (aprox). I really love fantasy/magical dramas because you can really get creative with anything. Any rule and any incomprehension can make sense because it is a fictional world. When we dived into the letters part it was so clever yet so simple. Such a good and short drama.

Moving on, the acting of Wang Yinglu was extremely surprising. I didn't know she could act that good and im so glad she takes on very different roles in her dramas. Zhou Yiran is young and so talented. His facial expressions are my fav bc he is not only hot he is just so so talented.

I didn't pay attention to the music so don't ask me anything lmao. Maybe it didn't impact me a lot.

A good watch, would rewatch it again just for the fun of it because it's a short drama. I normally hate rewatching dramas bc I don't feel the same shock and emotion as the first time.

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