Intense and Heartbreaking - A Short Chinese Drama That Truly Delivers
Overall Impression [+]
I cried so much while watching this series. It completely pulled me in with just 12 episodes. This short length is rare for a Chinese drama, but the storytelling was spot on. Super strong start. Nothing felt dragged out and it didn't feel cut short either. The pacing was just right. The story kept moving forward and I could hardly stop after I started. (I finished it in just two sittings.)
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Acting [+]
The leads did a great job, but I have to especially praise the FL. Just last week I finished watching her in When Destiny Brings Demon and honestly despised her acting. She was the weakest link in that series, so pretentious and unconvincing. But here... My gosh… is this the same actress? I have nothing to criticize at all. She might not be suited for naive, acting-cute roles like in WDBD, but when it comes to serious drama, she absolutely delivers. She intensified the scenes she was in. It was stressful and heartbreaking to watch her in Twelve Letters. The ML did well too, but it was really the FL who pushed everything over the top and carried most of the weight of the series. (The weakest link in this series is the FL's son.)
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Music [+]
Normally I just give an average score in this area since I don’t consider myself an expert, but the soundtrack here really stood out, especially the ending songs. Some episodes ended with songs that wrenched my heart even more, making me cry harder. The music elevated the emotions perfectly.
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Logic [~]
((spoiler))
As with any time-travel series, the logic is the trickiest part. This one isn’t perfect either. I still have questions about both the beginning and ending, like why and where Yu Zhiyong disappeared to from the post box? Why did Yu Nian still have memories about Shen Cheng? Why did Ye Haitang and Tang Yixun mention Yu Nian as family? How did they know that? These questions were never explained clearly. Still, there weren’t too many logical gaps, and while watching, I was so immersed in the emotional damage from bingeing the series that I was ready to overlook them.
*By the way, I saw some explanation about 4 timelines according to the numbers on the post boxes. That's amazing!
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Production [-]
What I have to criticize, and also the reason I lowered my score, is the unprofessionalism of the production team. In the early episodes, you’ll see the FL took some really dangerous falls. One time she landed on her back against the cement floor, another time her head/temple slammed into a stone step while she was holding a heavy jar, unable to use her arms to soften the impact. These falls looked terrifyingly real, so I searched on Baidu to find out that they were real accidents during filming. Knowing that made me even more uneasy. These kinds of mishaps can cause long-term harm, and the lack of proper safety measures shows how unprofessional the production team was. Any team that puts actors at such risk doesn’t deserve 100% of the actors' effort.
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Twelve Letters left me emotionally drained (= compliment.) It’s rare to find a drama that can deliver such intensity in such a short span and despite its flaws, it’s absolutely worth watching for the emotional impact and the incredible performance. I just don’t think it’s the kind of series that would score high on rewatch value, though, if the audience isn't masochistic enough.
I cried so much while watching this series. It completely pulled me in with just 12 episodes. This short length is rare for a Chinese drama, but the storytelling was spot on. Super strong start. Nothing felt dragged out and it didn't feel cut short either. The pacing was just right. The story kept moving forward and I could hardly stop after I started. (I finished it in just two sittings.)
------------------------------
Acting [+]
The leads did a great job, but I have to especially praise the FL. Just last week I finished watching her in When Destiny Brings Demon and honestly despised her acting. She was the weakest link in that series, so pretentious and unconvincing. But here... My gosh… is this the same actress? I have nothing to criticize at all. She might not be suited for naive, acting-cute roles like in WDBD, but when it comes to serious drama, she absolutely delivers. She intensified the scenes she was in. It was stressful and heartbreaking to watch her in Twelve Letters. The ML did well too, but it was really the FL who pushed everything over the top and carried most of the weight of the series. (The weakest link in this series is the FL's son.)
------------------------------
Music [+]
Normally I just give an average score in this area since I don’t consider myself an expert, but the soundtrack here really stood out, especially the ending songs. Some episodes ended with songs that wrenched my heart even more, making me cry harder. The music elevated the emotions perfectly.
------------------------------
Logic [~]
((spoiler))
As with any time-travel series, the logic is the trickiest part. This one isn’t perfect either. I still have questions about both the beginning and ending, like why and where Yu Zhiyong disappeared to from the post box? Why did Yu Nian still have memories about Shen Cheng? Why did Ye Haitang and Tang Yixun mention Yu Nian as family? How did they know that? These questions were never explained clearly. Still, there weren’t too many logical gaps, and while watching, I was so immersed in the emotional damage from bingeing the series that I was ready to overlook them.
*By the way, I saw some explanation about 4 timelines according to the numbers on the post boxes. That's amazing!
------------------------------
Production [-]
What I have to criticize, and also the reason I lowered my score, is the unprofessionalism of the production team. In the early episodes, you’ll see the FL took some really dangerous falls. One time she landed on her back against the cement floor, another time her head/temple slammed into a stone step while she was holding a heavy jar, unable to use her arms to soften the impact. These falls looked terrifyingly real, so I searched on Baidu to find out that they were real accidents during filming. Knowing that made me even more uneasy. These kinds of mishaps can cause long-term harm, and the lack of proper safety measures shows how unprofessional the production team was. Any team that puts actors at such risk doesn’t deserve 100% of the actors' effort.
------------------------------
Twelve Letters left me emotionally drained (= compliment.) It’s rare to find a drama that can deliver such intensity in such a short span and despite its flaws, it’s absolutely worth watching for the emotional impact and the incredible performance. I just don’t think it’s the kind of series that would score high on rewatch value, though, if the audience isn't masochistic enough.
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