Editorials 
This review may contain spoilers
The Chemistry Was There. The Screen Time Was Not. The Romance Took 17 Episodes to Arrive.
I've seen quite a few disappointed reactions to the second part, with viewers feeling that it didn't live up to the first season. And honestly, I can understand why. The first season had such a strong sense of momentum because we watched Mu Dan fight her way back into life, build her business, form meaningful friendships, and survive one obstacle after another. In the Name of Blossom embarks different kind of journey after she has finally found her footing. It isn't about climbing from the bottom anymore, but maintaining what she has worked so hard to build, which comes with its own set of challenges. I
The first season revolved heavily around friendship and the people who shaped Mu Dan's journey. I still remember crying over Yu Lu's death and the bitter betrayal involving Sheng Yi's loyalty. This season, however, shifts its focus more toward Mu Dan's life with Jiang Chang Yang and the political conflicts surrounding them. And mind you, we left the first season with a fake marriage, a complicated love rival situation, and the arrival of a new spy concubine.
The story in the second chapter shifts heavily into palace politics. Jiang Chang Yang and the Emperor are basically playing the longest game of deception imaginable while trying to expose corrupt officials, and Mu Dan's mother's death also becomes connected to the corruption storyline. I usually enjoy palace intrigue, but even I have to admit that this storyline could get pretty draggy and ended up overshadowing the romance. Because somewhere along the way, I started thinking: WHAT ARE THEY WAITING FOR? We had a fake marriage. So naturally, I expected the fake marriage to give them plenty of opportunities to get closer. Instead, Jiang Chang Yang spends half the drama wrestling with his trauma surrounding his parents' marriage and his father's abandonment of his mother.
Sir, respectfully, YOU ALREADY BROKE YOUR OWN “I WILL NEVER MARRY” VOW FOR THIS WOMAN. So why are we suddenly acting like falling in love is the most terrifying concept known to mankind? Spoiler alert, the romance basically waits until episode 17 to properly move. YES. 17!! The frustrating part is that the chemistry is obviously there. This pairing already proved what they could do together in Go Go Squid!, and that chemistry is still there. We just weren't given enough moments to enjoy it.
Still, I appreciate that the drama remained faithful to what Flourished Peony established. Mu Dan is still the centre of her own story. Mu Dan's story never becomes dependent on her relationship with Jiang Chang Yang. The drama shows us that Mu Dan can live without Jiang Chang Yang. When he is gone, she doesn't stop being Mu Dan. She continues living, working, helping others, and thriving. That made the resurrection from death storyline particularly frustrating. I would have preferred the drama to give us a bittersweet ending much more than Prince Ning suddenly deciding to save his rival and somehow allowing Jiang Chang Yang to return just in time to resolve everything. It felt too convenient and unreal.
So despite my complaints, I think In the Name of Blossom stayed true to the heart of the story. Because at its heart, Mu Dan remained Mu Dan until the very end. Mu Dan's happily-ever-after isn't about having children or simply becoming someone's wife. She leaves behind a community that can stand on its own, while she and Jiang Chang Yang travel together and let everyone, even the Emperor, handle their own lives. Falling in love simply became one part of the life she chose to build.
Big appreciation to Miles Wei for taking one of the biggest jerks in C-drama land and somehow turning him into the performance of his career.
The first season revolved heavily around friendship and the people who shaped Mu Dan's journey. I still remember crying over Yu Lu's death and the bitter betrayal involving Sheng Yi's loyalty. This season, however, shifts its focus more toward Mu Dan's life with Jiang Chang Yang and the political conflicts surrounding them. And mind you, we left the first season with a fake marriage, a complicated love rival situation, and the arrival of a new spy concubine.
The story in the second chapter shifts heavily into palace politics. Jiang Chang Yang and the Emperor are basically playing the longest game of deception imaginable while trying to expose corrupt officials, and Mu Dan's mother's death also becomes connected to the corruption storyline. I usually enjoy palace intrigue, but even I have to admit that this storyline could get pretty draggy and ended up overshadowing the romance. Because somewhere along the way, I started thinking: WHAT ARE THEY WAITING FOR? We had a fake marriage. So naturally, I expected the fake marriage to give them plenty of opportunities to get closer. Instead, Jiang Chang Yang spends half the drama wrestling with his trauma surrounding his parents' marriage and his father's abandonment of his mother.
Sir, respectfully, YOU ALREADY BROKE YOUR OWN “I WILL NEVER MARRY” VOW FOR THIS WOMAN. So why are we suddenly acting like falling in love is the most terrifying concept known to mankind? Spoiler alert, the romance basically waits until episode 17 to properly move. YES. 17!! The frustrating part is that the chemistry is obviously there. This pairing already proved what they could do together in Go Go Squid!, and that chemistry is still there. We just weren't given enough moments to enjoy it.
Still, I appreciate that the drama remained faithful to what Flourished Peony established. Mu Dan is still the centre of her own story. Mu Dan's story never becomes dependent on her relationship with Jiang Chang Yang. The drama shows us that Mu Dan can live without Jiang Chang Yang. When he is gone, she doesn't stop being Mu Dan. She continues living, working, helping others, and thriving. That made the resurrection from death storyline particularly frustrating. I would have preferred the drama to give us a bittersweet ending much more than Prince Ning suddenly deciding to save his rival and somehow allowing Jiang Chang Yang to return just in time to resolve everything. It felt too convenient and unreal.
So despite my complaints, I think In the Name of Blossom stayed true to the heart of the story. Because at its heart, Mu Dan remained Mu Dan until the very end. Mu Dan's happily-ever-after isn't about having children or simply becoming someone's wife. She leaves behind a community that can stand on its own, while she and Jiang Chang Yang travel together and let everyone, even the Emperor, handle their own lives. Falling in love simply became one part of the life she chose to build.
Big appreciation to Miles Wei for taking one of the biggest jerks in C-drama land and somehow turning him into the performance of his career.
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