A wonderfully written story…
Flourished Peony took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. A truly captivating story. I really enjoyed seeing Mudan defy all the odds of the societal standards set on women during the Tang Dynasty. Part 1 wrapped up nicely and I’m anxious to see how Part 2 will complete her journey.The Good
The production value is one of the best I’ve seen with the costumes, makeup, hairstyles, etc being true to Tang Dynasty. They paid very close attention to detail. The plot was executed nicely. Although some may not enjoy the trauma inflicted on the FL, it’s an accurate depiction of how women especially those who deviate outside of the societal standards will be treated. I also appreciated that the directors didn’t turn Mudan into a damsel in distress. She worked to solve most of her own problems with Jiang Changyang offering support when necessary. The chemistry, connection and bond the two leads share was very natural. I loved the friendship they developed and how their feelings are slowly growing. This will make for a better watch in season 2. I loved each supporting characters story. Those like Shengyi’s and Yulu were truly heartbreaking. I appreciated the real take they gave showing that you can’t save them all. The acting was a strong point. Everyone did such an amazing job and brought life to their characters. I also enjoyed the OST.
The Bad
Of course there were some exaggerations used as plot devices and to make the come up story seem more impactful. TV land always add these sort dramatic scenes to dramatize it even more. Even with that said, it doesn’t take away too much from the overall story.
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Not the best but not the worse
Not too much positive to say about this drama. Pretty basic story, recycled plot, a lot of exaggerated angst created just to create a heightened story but no real depth. This story does not have much story building, it’s just a bunch of random things happening to the FL each episode to draw out the angst of their relationship; no real substance. On the positive end, the acting wasn’t bad but not the greatest. Costumes and sets weren’t the worse but pretty mediocre. OST was decent enough. This is definitely a one a time watch and wouldn’t necessarily recommend but can serve as an in between angsty drama while you’re waiting on your anticipated dramas.Was this review helpful to you?
One not to miss…
Absolutely loved this story. The focus being primarily on women’s rights was amazing and executed beautifully. Also loved the secondary plot as well. This is definitely a mini drama you don’t want to skip over. The plot was very compelling, fast paced and kept me on my toes with all the twists and turns. The cast did an amazing job, especially the leads. Our FL definitely shined throughout and will be checking out more of her works. I appreciated that her character had balance, both strong and vulnerable. Very relatable, very human.Pros
1. Engaging
2. Strong acting
3. Good amount of romance
4. No slow moving parts
5. Women’s rights
6. Good fighting scenes
Cons
1. Had the usual cliches
2. Make up on ML was overdone, became distracting at times.
3. FL was an obvious woman
4. CGI wasn’t great. Especially those fake butterflies.
5. Dubbing. It was off at times.
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Entertaining but with a strong message…
I really enjoyed this drama and think that it got better the more episodes I watched. At first I was skeptical and it almost lost me early on but I’m glad I stuck it out because it turned out to be a good drama and one I’d recommend.What I liked:
The plot was really strong. The idea of the filter and different personas was an interesting, unique concept in CDrama land. The story was executed well with an overarching theme of self acceptance. The acting was also a highlight of this drama. It was very strong from the entire cast with many versatile actors both showing their funny and serious sides. I also really loved the camaraderie between Su ChengCheng, her sister and best friend and Tang Qi and his best friend. Such strong relationships and I’m glad this drama highlighted that. We see so many dramas with awful friends and family. Loved that this one showed us a different side. The last point I’ll make is the comedy. It was natural and very funny.
What I didn’t like:
As mentioned, this drama almost lost me some at the beginning because they dragged on the personas longer than I’d liked but as I kept watching, I realized the necessity of it. I’d still say, they could have wrapped it up just a bit sooner. I also wish they kept some things a little more logical but maybe that was the point. For example, so many times Su ChengCheng wouldn’t just silence her phone, turn it off or block the individual she wanted to avoid. Not sure if this was to show us more about her personality or if these were plot devices to get her caught. Several other instances like this happened. The last thing would be the romance between Su ChengCheng and Tang Qi, although, I did enjoy their relationship at the end, part of me wishes they would have left that bit out because after all they went through, logically it’s hard for me to understand how they can like each other.
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This was a okay solid watch.
I enjoyed this show, not necessarily one of the best watches so far this year but it was pretty decent and one I’d recommend because this has the same director as The Blood of Youth and Love and Redemption (some of my top watches) and it shows with the action sequences.What I liked:
This was very action packed which I appreciate for a Xianxia because they are usually drawn out and angsty. Some moments were very engaging and fast pace and I didn’t find this to be too angsty. Had a good ending. I also enjoyed the acting, it was decent throughout and everyone played their character well. I especially enjoyed the FL since she played two characters and you could gradually see the change in her acting style to fit her separate personas as the story progressed. Next, Elder Tu/Tu Jiuyan stole my heart. I resonated the most with her story with Wei Ju. I rooted for her happiness throughout. I really liked the story progression with Ranran becoming more and more powerful and I enjoyed the plot setup of her trying to prevent her disciple/master/lover from turning into a demon.
What I didn’t like:
Although I enjoyed the overall plot, there were some things in there that I didn’t enjoy. I found there were lots of plot holes in the story such as their ability to heal with the magical pills when convenient but not when it was in relation to other characters that were sick or dying and this is just one example. Not going to lie, I also felt that the FL didn’t care much about her sister. Although both ML and her sister harmed her in the first life, she clung to the ML more and disregarded her sister. I wish they built up a more convincing sisterly bond especially when she regained her memories. Almost felt like they weren’t related. The story also focused on several different aspects such as reincarnation, master-disciple relationships, enemies to lovers, lovers to enemies, amnesia, sacrifice, etc. All the same ingredients found in every other Xianxia. So it wasn’t uniquely written. There were also moments where I felt the story was progressing too slowly which got slightly boring. Finally, one of the main opportunities they had that needed improvement was on character development. There were so many random characters throughout that had no story behind them. The FL’s other senior brothers and sisters had zero story to them. They were just there but I wished they would have delved into their backgrounds and backstories or showed us more of them outside of just being with the FL. They only appeared when she was part of the plot in their scenes. Many other characters like that such as the ML’s two servants, members of the other sects, the Crown Prince’s consort, etc. I’ll also add that I didn’t really care for the main couple’s love story, Mu Ranwu’s love story with the Crown Prince or Mu Qingge’s disciple. I couldn’t connect with them. Elder Tu and Wei Ju’s was much more interesting.
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Another Hidden Gem
This show definitely wasn’t what I expected. It’s definitely a hidden gem and I binged it within a couple of days. It’s not your typical cute fluffy fantasy idol drama and will be for an older mature audience.The Good
The story was well written and I appreciated the lovers to enemies storyline. It reminded me of Romeo and Juliet. Star crossed lovers who were doomed because of their families/identities. In this story, the main theme was about the demon race vs the human race. It had a deeper story than just love. I enjoyed the fact that the FL didn’t blindly love the ML but also hated him as well. The portrayal of love and hate was done well. I liked how it didn’t suffer from most of the major tropes we see in Fantasy dramas like amnesia, childhood friends, I’m doing this for your own good, etc. The two main leads also had really good on screen chemistry that made their love feel natural. I also loved that they were smart of enough to tell this story within 24 episodes and not drag it out to a 40 episode drama. It would have suffered from a lot of filler episodes which wasn’t the case in this drama. The pacing was steady throughout. The acting here was good from everyone. Everyone played their role well for the character type they were assigned. I liked how it did not have constant loud soundtracks or odd sound effects constantly playing in the background as most fantasy dramas do. The music was more subtle and tolerable, even had lots of scenes without music. The OST was also pretty decent.
The Bad
Of course it wasn’t without its issues. For one, this is a lower production. The CGI wasn’t that great but wasn’t the worst either. The makeup was cakey at times. They didn’t do a lot of skin smoothing and over harsh lighting which was a positive but also a negative because we could see the bad makeup jobs. This drama still wasn’t without some tropes but that’s just inevitable with dramas, whether they are CDramas, Kdramas, JDramas, Hollywood Dramas, etc. The tropes play on the predictability factor unfortunately. Next, because this was a shorter drama, there was less character development for some of our villains. This made them fall a little flat and one dimensional.
This type of drama definitely suffers from lower ratings because there are no big name traffic stars or extremely pretty people. I’d say judge the drama for yourself. I found it to be better than most of the Fantasy dramas that aired this year with high ratings.
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Quite Enjoyable
Nice mini series! Definitely one of the more entertaining ones with a complete story and decent ending.The Good
Great chemistry between leads. Lots of romance that was done very well. I appreciated that it was a more mature drama with mature leads. Well placed comedy. Fast paced so the story kept moving along. The plot wasn’t anything new with the transmigration but stood out a little from some of the other ones of the same type. Acting was decent enough but not necessarily the best.
The Bad
Poor lighting which had some scenes too bright. Low production value. Filmed in a couple of locations. Cheap costumes, wigs, etc. as previously stated, acting wasn’t always the best.
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Trash TV
This is what I call trash tv. Very low budget, poor script, poor acting, but it can be a guilty pleasure and you just want to see how terrible it can get. A lot of laughable moments and I don’t mean this in a good way. They put all the bad things that can happen to the characters in a story and wrapped it with a nice bow. Scheming, attempted murder, lies, neglectful parents, sexual assault, stabbings. You name it, this show had it. It was really ridiculous. The only reason I give it some stars is because the actors tried.Was this review helpful to you?
Poorly Written
This story was very poorly written. I completely fault the writers on this one. This story had potential to be better but fell flat.The Good
The one saving grace was it had a little comedy that made me stick through it. The OST was also decent.
The Bad
Predictable plot, basic character setup with cold ML hiding his identity, lovesick ditzy FL, Emperor who is a dunce, jealous 2nd FL, corrupt ministers who get away with everything and Empress Dowager who only cares about power and image at the risk of selling her soul. This show had all the makings of every other basic, predictable setup along with many unlikeable characters, unnecessary misunderstandings and situations that defy logic. There was nothing different and was easy to guess what would happen. There was absolutely no character development in this story. Everyone was just going around in the circle making the same mistakes over and over.
I almost think the rating I’m giving it may be too generous but the actors did their best for what they had to work with. I’ve seen ML and FL in better projects. Hope they will all get something better for their next go round.
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Not Unique but Entertaining
This drama does not necessarily stand out from other modern dramas of the same category. It doesn’t have any unique aspects or issues but it was entertaining.The Good
The characters were easy to connect with. They were your everyday average people whom weren’t over the top. They didn’t have extreme personalities or major childhood traumas that affected their daily life. It was your average run of the mill, guy and girl meet, then fall for each other. This show had pockets of comedy that kept it entertaining and even though the leads were inexperienced in love, neither did anything that compromised their integrity. Also, a strong plus was there weren’t any evil love triangles. The secondary couple was also quite interesting to watch since they were more experienced in relationships and faced a completely different issue than our main couple. I would definitely say this is a more mature/normal take on relationships. Lastly, the acting was decent all around.
The Bad
Number one thing is it doesn’t stand out from other modern dramas. The plot didn’t offer anything new and some may not find it interesting. Although I mentioned that it’s a more mature drama, there were some aspects that were a little immature such as the FL clothing style but it didn’t bother me much.
I’d recommend a watch if you are looking for a light Rom Com but don’t expect anything mind blowing.
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Everyday Relationship
Let me start by saying this was a pretty decent story that depicts an everyday type of relationship. The story wasn’t mind blowing but it wasn’t typical either. My review is based on a fresh take since I’ve never seen the original Korean version of this show.The Good:
Adding on to my original comment about the story not being typical, there wasn’t a lot of CDrama tropes nor was this a fluffy romance tale that didn’t depict the negative sides of a new relationship. If you’re a person that likes more realism in shows, this one may be for you. The acting was okay and I feel that each character was well represented and casted appropriately for this type of story. Lastly, I enjoyed the OST as the songs were very chill and had a sense of mature romance which paired well with the scenes.
The Bad:
Although I enjoyed the story, of course there were still some nuances that frustrates or makes you question the characters/writing. This is a slow burn so if you do not like the draggy bits, this may not be for you. Next I will say again that the story was okay… it’s a good and bad thing because sometimes the characters were a little dull and either expressed odd emotions or not enough emotions for the situations. It led to a little bit of over acting or under acting at times. Lastly, there are parts where it becomes monotonous and nothing new or exciting was happening. Again, it’s a slow drama that depicts everyday life when dealing with relationships so it could be boring at times.
This won’t be for everyone but check it out and make your own decision.
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Very fun indeed!
As others have pointed out, the production is very low budget, random terrible acting, laughable CGI that looks like different webcam backgrounds, arcade game sound effects but none of that even matters. The story was very interesting and held my attention throughout the entire show. No throwaway episodes whatsoever. The one thing I would say that I didn't like was the portrayal of all of the women, besides his mom and Pavillion Master, were insane. Most were overacting but the immediate accusations thrown at him upon meeting him was a little strange. Other than that, the ML was very cool. I would love to see these types of characters in more shows. Glad this drama left out all the xianxia tropes including the hopeless, angsty romance that dooms the ML. Would be nice to have a season 2 for this drama.Was this review helpful to you?
A more mature high school experience!
Very nice story. I loved the progression of the characters along with the story. I also enjoyed the extra scenes at the end of each episode because it gave us additional things that were talked about that we did not see. It was refreshing to see how mature the high schoolers actually were and how little things can make relationships messy.I didn’t like the ML as he didn’t have any redeeming qualities that made me fully understand why the FL loves him so much but hey that’s life.
An easy watch with a great cast.
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Novel meets a game
The novel and transmigration stories aren’t new in CDramas but not many are as good as this one. This was a fun, amazing watch.The Good
The plot had a strong execution and was written well for about 95% of the drama with the exception of a couple of hiccups. Again, transmigration stories are common for CDramas but what made this one stand out was the integration of a novel into a game format and the acting. The drama had a great balance of story telling, romance and joy/fun and sadness. The characters were all interesting with our main 2 leads shining throughout. Their chemistry was just as good as it was in Moonlight. I also appreciated the production quality. The CGI, visual FX, costumes, sounds, and OSTs were all high quality and stands out from lots of 2024 dramas. Out of most CDramas in this genre, this one had a strong ending for me that wrapped up the story nicely.
The Bad
Had some throwaway episodes starting from around episode 18-26. The show took a slight downturn and had a couple of plot holes during these episodes that made it seem like they cut some scenes or just rushed some of the explanations. It made it difficult to watch especially since it was releasing an episode a day. I stuck it out for the leads.
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Nice feel good show!
I quite enjoyed this drama. I went in not knowing what to expect as I didn’t read the synopsis nor watch any trailers. I am a fan of Zhou Ye and Tan Jian Ci and have enjoyed many of their dramas. This one was no exception!What I liked:
This was a great cast. Everyone did well in the role they were given and both leads had a sense of realism that made you believe they were truly in love. Great on screen chemistry. I appreciate the versatility of the two leads. It gives them a chance to really show their acting range so they don’t become typecast in the usual drama types they go for.
I also enjoyed the OST. Many beautiful songs were sang and fit in well with the theme of the story. I especially appreciate the attention it paid to the profession of voice acting alongside of singing as it’s not something that is talked about much. It made me have a new profound appreciation for it.
Lastly, I enjoyed the overall story. It’s nice to see chill dramas that don’t have too much conflict happening. Gives an even balance to the highs and lows we feel with most of these dramas out here and allows us a chance to reset and prepare for the next drama. I loved the portrayal of all the characters and how normal they seemed. No whiny FLs, cold MLs, or strange plots that make you question the writers. This one was really fun and sweet. It was a beautiful love story but shows us that you can truly find love and build lasting friendships in some of the most unconventional ways and continue living a normal life.
What I didn’t like:
Although I loved the overall story, I still rate the story an 8.5 because there were some parts that seemed a little unreal. It was very prevalent with the FL being a little too reserved at times which sometimes made her seem more like a teenager in certain instances than an adult woman. She overall was very mature though. It is just a personal preference I have to see an adult woman act a little more adult-like but that is just my issue. Overall it didn’t take much away from the story because I still give it a 9.
This drama will not be for everyone. The story focuses on the day to day life of the characters. Some may say there is no real plot. If you enjoy the fluff/sweetness and slice of life dramas then give it a watch.
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