Obsessions, Realistic Details, and a "Violet" Hero
There are many moments and details that make this story worth the time spent, despite some plot holes, clichés, and sagging pacing in the second half.
I liked the drama, so I don't want to dwell on minor flaws (honestly, I stretched out the viewing for subjective reasons, so I barely remember them). I am ready to forgive almost anything for realistic details like the long line for the ladies' restroom at the festival. Also, I appreciate that if a hero gets hit hard, he falls. If he gets stabbed, he faints instead of fighting epicly for another half an hour. Speaking of fights: the choreography here isn't a graceful dance. It's blunt murder or attempted murder. Swords swinging with lethal outcomes for a crowd of dumb assassins. Realistic.
What I didn't like:
The Dialogue: Too many lines start with "by the way" after an awkward pause.
The Second Half: It felt slightly less engaging. Maybe it's the genre shift — it started as a mystery/detective story and ended with palace intrigue and espionage. The tension didn't necessarily drop, but the viewing experience changed, perhaps because I'm not a fan of palace politics.
The Plot
We start with Pan Yue, a handsome official from the capital, arriving in a provincial town to work as a magistrate (basically a sheriff). Locals think he's the Princess's fiancé, and rumor has it he might have killed his bride on their wedding day. The town is run by four mafia clans. Pan Yue's predecessor was corrupt, but the new guy is righteous and starts a war on crime. This part is dynamic, interesting, and sometimes epic. Right next to him is Shangguan Zhi — his childhood friend's sister, obsessed with him and her own beauty. No spoilers, but their relationship is dynamic. The romance that follows is quite sweet. The investigation leads the main couple to the Imperial Court, where intrigues and conspiracies begin. The mysteries remain, but the pacing slows down.
The Cast & Characters
Liu Xue Yi fits perfectly as the smart, handsome official. It's a typical role for him, but Pan Yue stands out due to his emotional range and vulnerability. He goes from mocking self-confidence to confusion, fear, and panic. It feels like in the main couple, the guy is the "violet" (damsel in distress), while the girl handles everything. This is plot-justified: he's an aristocrat, while she (after the body swap twist) lived at rock bottom working with corpses.
Ju Jing Yi looks right in place as both Shangguan Zhi and Yang Caiwei. Comments said she looks too doll-like, but that fits the plot: the character was obsessed with beauty.
Li Ge Yang looks excellent in both mafia lord robes and rags. A contradictory character whose story raises the most questions for the writers, but he embodies the moral they tried to convey.
Wu Jia Yi (the FL's friend) evoked mixed feelings. She's a scammer from the black market, so her questionable actions are actually well-written for her character.
Fan Jin Lun as Guard Liu is hilarious! Usually, such minor characters go unnoticed, but he had a great arc, changed a lot, and even voiced one of the drama's morals.
The Vibe & Details
In one episode, Pan Yue dresses as an escort for an undercover mission. They didn't develop the theme (it was funny rather than sexy), which is a shame. Liu Xue Yi isn't known for overt sexuality, but we do get a blindfolded kiss (hello, power play tropes).
We finally see the ML shirtless! A rare treat with LXY. However, I wanted more jokes about his reputation as the "Capital's Most Handsome Man." His talent for painting was shown once and forgotten.
Despite the serious tone, there are funny scenes. Liu Xue Yi turns every comedic moment into something cute. The archive scene in episode 23 is gold! He plays drama and comedy equally well.
I want to note Pan Yue's relationship with his father. The "Father of the Year" who treats his son terribly is a drama classic. I expected nothing else, but was pleasantly surprised. Their final exchange even touched me. Just a few words, but so much meaning!
The Finale
The final episode is dynamic. I didn't like the moral being preached straight to the camera with pathos music (too contrasting with the rest of the show). But everything else was great. All threads came together unexpectedly. Tension was high, and knowing the writers' love for angst, I expected a trap in every scene. The cherry on top was the very last scene — either a setup for season 2 or a hint at an open ending. After that scene, you realize a peaceful life isn't in the cards for the Pan family yet. Usually, open endings annoy me, but I liked the hint of future trouble here.
Just a funny detail — the male characters change outfits way more often than the females. It's plot-justified, but still funny. The guys are such fashionistas!
While writing this, I realized the main theme hidden among intrigues is simple: Obsession is bad. Pan Yue was obsessed with finding his bride. Shangguan Zhi was obsessed with beauty and Pan Yue. Zhuo Lanjiang was obsessed with revenge. The villain was obsessed with power. None of it led to anything good.
Verdict
Tastes differ, but I liked the drama. Some moments caused irritation, but upon reflection, the characters couldn't have acted differently. Their "cockroaches" (inner demons/quirks) differ from our expectations, which makes "In Blossom" unusual and worth watching.
P.S. In ancient China, there really was a poet and official named Pan Yue. Talented and handsome. But he got involved in palace intrigues and was executed. So viewers who googled the name watched "In Blossom" with much more tension than the average Western viewer, expecting a tragic end.
I liked the drama, so I don't want to dwell on minor flaws (honestly, I stretched out the viewing for subjective reasons, so I barely remember them). I am ready to forgive almost anything for realistic details like the long line for the ladies' restroom at the festival. Also, I appreciate that if a hero gets hit hard, he falls. If he gets stabbed, he faints instead of fighting epicly for another half an hour. Speaking of fights: the choreography here isn't a graceful dance. It's blunt murder or attempted murder. Swords swinging with lethal outcomes for a crowd of dumb assassins. Realistic.
What I didn't like:
The Dialogue: Too many lines start with "by the way" after an awkward pause.
The Second Half: It felt slightly less engaging. Maybe it's the genre shift — it started as a mystery/detective story and ended with palace intrigue and espionage. The tension didn't necessarily drop, but the viewing experience changed, perhaps because I'm not a fan of palace politics.
The Plot
We start with Pan Yue, a handsome official from the capital, arriving in a provincial town to work as a magistrate (basically a sheriff). Locals think he's the Princess's fiancé, and rumor has it he might have killed his bride on their wedding day. The town is run by four mafia clans. Pan Yue's predecessor was corrupt, but the new guy is righteous and starts a war on crime. This part is dynamic, interesting, and sometimes epic. Right next to him is Shangguan Zhi — his childhood friend's sister, obsessed with him and her own beauty. No spoilers, but their relationship is dynamic. The romance that follows is quite sweet. The investigation leads the main couple to the Imperial Court, where intrigues and conspiracies begin. The mysteries remain, but the pacing slows down.
The Cast & Characters
Liu Xue Yi fits perfectly as the smart, handsome official. It's a typical role for him, but Pan Yue stands out due to his emotional range and vulnerability. He goes from mocking self-confidence to confusion, fear, and panic. It feels like in the main couple, the guy is the "violet" (damsel in distress), while the girl handles everything. This is plot-justified: he's an aristocrat, while she (after the body swap twist) lived at rock bottom working with corpses.
Ju Jing Yi looks right in place as both Shangguan Zhi and Yang Caiwei. Comments said she looks too doll-like, but that fits the plot: the character was obsessed with beauty.
Li Ge Yang looks excellent in both mafia lord robes and rags. A contradictory character whose story raises the most questions for the writers, but he embodies the moral they tried to convey.
Wu Jia Yi (the FL's friend) evoked mixed feelings. She's a scammer from the black market, so her questionable actions are actually well-written for her character.
Fan Jin Lun as Guard Liu is hilarious! Usually, such minor characters go unnoticed, but he had a great arc, changed a lot, and even voiced one of the drama's morals.
The Vibe & Details
In one episode, Pan Yue dresses as an escort for an undercover mission. They didn't develop the theme (it was funny rather than sexy), which is a shame. Liu Xue Yi isn't known for overt sexuality, but we do get a blindfolded kiss (hello, power play tropes).
We finally see the ML shirtless! A rare treat with LXY. However, I wanted more jokes about his reputation as the "Capital's Most Handsome Man." His talent for painting was shown once and forgotten.
Despite the serious tone, there are funny scenes. Liu Xue Yi turns every comedic moment into something cute. The archive scene in episode 23 is gold! He plays drama and comedy equally well.
I want to note Pan Yue's relationship with his father. The "Father of the Year" who treats his son terribly is a drama classic. I expected nothing else, but was pleasantly surprised. Their final exchange even touched me. Just a few words, but so much meaning!
The Finale
The final episode is dynamic. I didn't like the moral being preached straight to the camera with pathos music (too contrasting with the rest of the show). But everything else was great. All threads came together unexpectedly. Tension was high, and knowing the writers' love for angst, I expected a trap in every scene. The cherry on top was the very last scene — either a setup for season 2 or a hint at an open ending. After that scene, you realize a peaceful life isn't in the cards for the Pan family yet. Usually, open endings annoy me, but I liked the hint of future trouble here.
Just a funny detail — the male characters change outfits way more often than the females. It's plot-justified, but still funny. The guys are such fashionistas!
While writing this, I realized the main theme hidden among intrigues is simple: Obsession is bad. Pan Yue was obsessed with finding his bride. Shangguan Zhi was obsessed with beauty and Pan Yue. Zhuo Lanjiang was obsessed with revenge. The villain was obsessed with power. None of it led to anything good.
Verdict
Tastes differ, but I liked the drama. Some moments caused irritation, but upon reflection, the characters couldn't have acted differently. Their "cockroaches" (inner demons/quirks) differ from our expectations, which makes "In Blossom" unusual and worth watching.
P.S. In ancient China, there really was a poet and official named Pan Yue. Talented and handsome. But he got involved in palace intrigues and was executed. So viewers who googled the name watched "In Blossom" with much more tension than the average Western viewer, expecting a tragic end.
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