This review may contain spoilers
Affair for nerds (lol jk)
Fragrance of the First Flower is fantastic: beautifully written, directed, acted, and shot. (The first shot of the first episode alone is jaw-dropping.) It feels closer in spirit to an art film than it does to most series under the GL umbrella. It’s about the length of a film, less than two hours altogether, and the tone is understated and bittersweet. As a work of art, I recommend it wholeheartedly.
But isn’t it sad? Haven’t we had enough tragic lesbians? Well, if you’re looking for cute escapism, luckily we live in a golden age and there’s a greater variety of sapphic content than ever out there. I’m personally happy that, along with high-sugar series like 23.5 (which I adore), we also have series like FotFF, because life sucks in all kinds of ways and we need art that is honest about that. If you don’t mind a drama that offers no simple rom-com solutions, this one is for you. Or, if you liked Affair, but want to experience that story with the soap opera goggles off, FotFF has got you covered. (I’m kidding but it’s actually kind of weird how similar the plots are.)
I don’t want to overemphasize the doom and gloom, though, because I actually found FotFF more uplifting than any big happy wedding scene. The moments of tenderness between the characters are more powerful imo because of how real they are. Even a gesture as simple as a touch on the wrist carries emotional weight. You feel how deeply Yi-ming is yearning for a lifeline, how surprised and charmed and scared she is by Ting-Ting’s affection, how she clings to those little bits of warmth, in spite of all the risks—and then you realize, in a stunning gut-punch, that the stakes have been just as high for Ting-Ting from the beginning. Their connection feels intimate in a way that fluffier series can’t match, even when they run eight times as long.
Of course there are limits to what can be accomplished in six fifteen-minute episodes, which is why the second season is one of my most anticipated releases this year. The first season is already near the top of my list, but with more time to devote to the characters and story, this could easily become my all-time favorite GL drama.
But isn’t it sad? Haven’t we had enough tragic lesbians? Well, if you’re looking for cute escapism, luckily we live in a golden age and there’s a greater variety of sapphic content than ever out there. I’m personally happy that, along with high-sugar series like 23.5 (which I adore), we also have series like FotFF, because life sucks in all kinds of ways and we need art that is honest about that. If you don’t mind a drama that offers no simple rom-com solutions, this one is for you. Or, if you liked Affair, but want to experience that story with the soap opera goggles off, FotFF has got you covered. (I’m kidding but it’s actually kind of weird how similar the plots are.)
I don’t want to overemphasize the doom and gloom, though, because I actually found FotFF more uplifting than any big happy wedding scene. The moments of tenderness between the characters are more powerful imo because of how real they are. Even a gesture as simple as a touch on the wrist carries emotional weight. You feel how deeply Yi-ming is yearning for a lifeline, how surprised and charmed and scared she is by Ting-Ting’s affection, how she clings to those little bits of warmth, in spite of all the risks—and then you realize, in a stunning gut-punch, that the stakes have been just as high for Ting-Ting from the beginning. Their connection feels intimate in a way that fluffier series can’t match, even when they run eight times as long.
Of course there are limits to what can be accomplished in six fifteen-minute episodes, which is why the second season is one of my most anticipated releases this year. The first season is already near the top of my list, but with more time to devote to the characters and story, this could easily become my all-time favorite GL drama.
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