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When Letters Truly Bring Hope
“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light" - for me this quote by Albus Dumbledore/JKR could not be more fitting than here for Twelve Letters and its characters' journeys!
Dear Reader,
I haven’t been able to fully dive into C-dramas or movies, but in the little I have explored, I’ve noticed one pattern—they often tell stories that bend time. That’s exactly why Twelve Letters stayed on my watchlist far too long, like an unopened letter waiting patiently to be read. It only took me half a day to finally marathon it - that's how good it was.
Maybe by the time you read this, you’ve probably already come across several well-written reviews praising it. So let’s make this clear: it is brilliant, and you should watch it to truly experience it. Before starting, my biggest question was whether it had a happy ending. The common answer I found was that it’s “bittersweet.” I’d like to disagree—for me, this was truly a happy ending. Yes, it’s emotional, raw, and explores themes that might upset you, but if you’re someone like me who values happy endings, then yes—this delivers one.
➥ What I Loved:
Of course, the story—you already get the gist from the synopsis. It is a story where fate intervenes to bend time, letters speak, and destiny writes back. Two suffering souls (rightly called weeds in a scene), trying their best under a cruel fate, still finding love, family, peace, and hope.
The cinematography was stunning—bringing the ’90s to life through objects, costumes, and scenery, all under a warm yellowish tint, contrasted beautifully with the sharp, crowded, blue-toned aesthetics of modern times.
The actors portrayed their characters flawlessly. While the main leads were exceptional, I especially appreciate when supporting characters are given depth—and this drama does that wonderfully. By the end, you connect with all of them, and you leave a piece of your heart behind with each one.
The music, direction, and fantasy elements are like cherries on top—elevating something already great into something close to a masterpiece. Oh, and I loved the cat. Cat-kun—or should I say Xiao-Cat/Cat-gege—saved the day (or rather, years) so many times. The true hero of this story ≽^•⩊•^≼
➥ Why I didn’t give it a 10/10:
If you’re still reading, I’d encourage you to check my profile where I’ve elaborated on my rating system. I have deducted half points each for slow-pacing & some unanswered questions. Without them, this drama would have been perfect.
I personally prefer fast-paced storytelling. While this drama carries mystery and urgency, it slows down quite a bit at times (especially after Episodes 5–6) to focus heavily on emotional arcs. I did feel those emotions, but at the same time, I found myself yearning for answers and occasionally fast-forwarding. The remaining 0.5 deduction comes from unanswered questions. While some are implied, I’m not a fan of ambiguity—I would have preferred clearer, explicit explanations. (If you don't mind mild spoilers, then read my P.S. below to know of them)
➥ Overall:
Despite these shortcomings, I recognize they’re very personal preferences. I would still highly recommend this drama. It’s a beautiful tale of hope, friendship, sacrifice, love, and making the best of the hand fate deals you. It will stay with me for a long time—along with the adorable cat and Zhou Yi Ran’s cutest smile and dimples!
Thank you for reading and I hope you'd watch it or already have. For now, my own letter/review ends here.
Yours,
Veronica | @omo-omo-omo
P.S. You can stop reading here—unless you don’t mind some MILD SPOILERS, then scroll down. ^. .^₎⟆
================ MILD SPOILERS / Questions Ahead ================
These are the unanswered lingering questions which made me deduct some points and not rate this drama 10/10 ⚞^. .^⚟
[1] The fate of older Tang—why and how did it happen? (I understand what’s implied, but I wish it had been explicitly shown.)
[2] How did the mailbox arrive in 2026? (No clue.)
[3[ I understand the last letter after the credits, but I wish they had shown it properly instead of presenting it as an animated sequence.
[4] What was the purpose of the end-credit scene? It only raised more questions about Nian and Shen Cheng's fates
[5] Why could they use only that stationery and anchor stamp? (Still a mystery but I can still let go of this one, time travel must have rules else we all will be doing it)
Dear Reader,
I haven’t been able to fully dive into C-dramas or movies, but in the little I have explored, I’ve noticed one pattern—they often tell stories that bend time. That’s exactly why Twelve Letters stayed on my watchlist far too long, like an unopened letter waiting patiently to be read. It only took me half a day to finally marathon it - that's how good it was.
Maybe by the time you read this, you’ve probably already come across several well-written reviews praising it. So let’s make this clear: it is brilliant, and you should watch it to truly experience it. Before starting, my biggest question was whether it had a happy ending. The common answer I found was that it’s “bittersweet.” I’d like to disagree—for me, this was truly a happy ending. Yes, it’s emotional, raw, and explores themes that might upset you, but if you’re someone like me who values happy endings, then yes—this delivers one.
➥ What I Loved:
Of course, the story—you already get the gist from the synopsis. It is a story where fate intervenes to bend time, letters speak, and destiny writes back. Two suffering souls (rightly called weeds in a scene), trying their best under a cruel fate, still finding love, family, peace, and hope.
The cinematography was stunning—bringing the ’90s to life through objects, costumes, and scenery, all under a warm yellowish tint, contrasted beautifully with the sharp, crowded, blue-toned aesthetics of modern times.
The actors portrayed their characters flawlessly. While the main leads were exceptional, I especially appreciate when supporting characters are given depth—and this drama does that wonderfully. By the end, you connect with all of them, and you leave a piece of your heart behind with each one.
The music, direction, and fantasy elements are like cherries on top—elevating something already great into something close to a masterpiece. Oh, and I loved the cat. Cat-kun—or should I say Xiao-Cat/Cat-gege—saved the day (or rather, years) so many times. The true hero of this story ≽^•⩊•^≼
➥ Why I didn’t give it a 10/10:
If you’re still reading, I’d encourage you to check my profile where I’ve elaborated on my rating system. I have deducted half points each for slow-pacing & some unanswered questions. Without them, this drama would have been perfect.
I personally prefer fast-paced storytelling. While this drama carries mystery and urgency, it slows down quite a bit at times (especially after Episodes 5–6) to focus heavily on emotional arcs. I did feel those emotions, but at the same time, I found myself yearning for answers and occasionally fast-forwarding. The remaining 0.5 deduction comes from unanswered questions. While some are implied, I’m not a fan of ambiguity—I would have preferred clearer, explicit explanations. (If you don't mind mild spoilers, then read my P.S. below to know of them)
➥ Overall:
Despite these shortcomings, I recognize they’re very personal preferences. I would still highly recommend this drama. It’s a beautiful tale of hope, friendship, sacrifice, love, and making the best of the hand fate deals you. It will stay with me for a long time—along with the adorable cat and Zhou Yi Ran’s cutest smile and dimples!
Thank you for reading and I hope you'd watch it or already have. For now, my own letter/review ends here.
Yours,
Veronica | @omo-omo-omo
P.S. You can stop reading here—unless you don’t mind some MILD SPOILERS, then scroll down. ^. .^₎⟆
================ MILD SPOILERS / Questions Ahead ================
These are the unanswered lingering questions which made me deduct some points and not rate this drama 10/10 ⚞^. .^⚟
[1] The fate of older Tang—why and how did it happen? (I understand what’s implied, but I wish it had been explicitly shown.)
[2] How did the mailbox arrive in 2026? (No clue.)
[3[ I understand the last letter after the credits, but I wish they had shown it properly instead of presenting it as an animated sequence.
[4] What was the purpose of the end-credit scene? It only raised more questions about Nian and Shen Cheng's fates
[5] Why could they use only that stationery and anchor stamp? (Still a mystery but I can still let go of this one, time travel must have rules else we all will be doing it)
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