A great rebirth drama
Lacking time to write a full length review, I will just simply say that this one is worth watching for any fans of Chinese period dramas. It’s an idol drama to be sure, but it maintains all the beats and elements that have made any excellent C period drama of yore stand out in the sea of period dramas from any country.Rebirth dramas have been popular lately, and I think this one balances that fantasy aspect with realism quite well. It’s grounded in Ming dynasty aesthetics and politics, which helps that side of the story work much better than say that of The Story of Kunning Palace. The romance side is done quite organically, with the tremendous help from a director with solid vision to tell that story with palpable tension and believability. My only small gripe is that the character of Song Han just didn’t work for me - he seemed to me an unnecessary villain in a story already complex enough with various antagonists.
Ultimately, gripe aside, of all the Chinese romance period dramas to pick from this year, this one reigns supreme for me.
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Les fleurs sauvages n'ont pas besoin de la main de l'Homme pour s'épanouir
Au départ, les grandes lignes de Blossom m'ont fait penser à The Double. Une femme malmenée et trahie qui se voit offrir une seconde chance. Il y a quelques similarités, mais à choisir entre les deux, je regarderai avec plaisir Blossom une nouvelle fois. Dès son premier épisode, l'histoire m'a accroché jusqu'à son final sans traîner inutilement.L'intrigue n'est pas nouvelle. Dou Zhao est une femme trahie qui se voit offrir une seconde chance. Elle conserve ses souvenirs et va modifier les événements afin d'évoluer sereinement et vivre une vie de paix. Dou Zhao est intelligente et patiente, ce qui fait d'elle une adversaire redoutable. Alors qu'elle profite de sa nouvelle vie, elle (re)croise le chemin de Song Mo. Un général motivé par la justice. C'est un homme intelligent et mesuré, ainsi qu'un excellent combattant aux côtés de son armée. Leur relation se développe sur le temps de façon entraînante et lente. Ils tombent doucement amoureux, alors qu'ils tentent parfois de se mettre des bâtons dans les roues.
La romance est mature, confiante et délicate, mais je m'attendais à plus. On sentait l'amour tout comme la confiance qu'ils avaient l'un pour l'autre. C'était aussi plaisant de voir quelques scènes de vie (notamment celle où FL coiffe ML). Ils étaient beaux, heureux et amoureux, mais ils n'étaient pas passionnés, malgré l'alchimie partagée. C'est ce qui m'a manqué, personnellement. Cette pointe de passion brûlante, bien que j'ai adoré voir ce couple évoluer au fil des épisodes.
Il y a plusieurs intrigues dans ce drama et toutes se sont terminées. J'ai eu beaucoup de peine pour Dou Ming. Et j'ai détesté la façon dont les scénaristes ont fait preuve de fainéantise au sujet de la mère de Dou Ming en la rendant seulement folle. Elle méritait de payer, car tout était de sa faute (ou c'est uniquement mon esprit revanchard qui le demande). Le sort de Wu Shan est aussi bancal. Cependant, ce sont deux acteurs que j'espère revoir prochainement. Et bien sûr, j'ai eu beaucoup d'affection pour la grand-mère de Dou Zhao. En fait, l'ensemble de la distribution est exceptionnel.
En revanche, il y avait un déséquilibre dans les antagonistes. En soit, ce n'est pas gênant, seulement mal équilibré avec des rancœurs qui surviennent sans prévenir. Au lieu d'avoir un effet de surprise, ça donne plus l'impression qu'il fallait en rajouter un peu plus.
Au-delà des manigances politiques, c'est aussi un drama historique qui remet en question la place de la femme. Cette année, j'ai l'impression d'en avoir vu beaucoup, mais ils sont plaisants à regarder, car chacun apporte sa pierre à l'édifice. Dou Zhao est une femme, mais comme un homme, elle est parfaitement capable de gérer des boutiques et de parier sur des parties de chasse. C'est une femme inspirante qui veut son indépendance. Elle refuse d'être "seulement l'épouse" de quelqu'un. Song Mo le comprend et ne tente jamais de l'enchaîner ou de l'empêcher d'évoluer en tant que personne.
J'apprécie aussi la scène post-générique avec le vieil homme et son histoire déclinée sous plusieurs fins. Cela rappelle aussi que nous sommes les héros de notre propre histoire, libre à nous d'en décider la fin.
En bref, Blossom est sans aucun doute l'un de mes dramas préférés de cette année. L'histoire tient la route. Les acteurs sont bons avec une belle mise en scène et un couple mature et honnête jusqu'au bout.
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This drama made me happy. The OTP was one of the best I’ve seen in a Chinese (or Korean) drama. After a brief rocky start (why do too many Male Leads in Chinese dramas start out wanting to kill the Female Leads?), the OTP quickly come to treat each other as true equals. The chemistry between the two lead actors is incredible and they radiate intelligence and competence--it’s no wonder everyone wants those two on their side. The music, especially the opening sequence, really grew on me. The pacing seemed nearly perfect. I was less impressed with the development of the royal intrigues, especially people's sometimes illogical motivations for doing the things that they did. I enjoy watching historical dramas for their political machinations and maneuvering so that was a little disappointing. Hint: Be sure to watch past the closing credits for the last episode. It explained something that I’d assumed had been dropped and made the whole drama make a lot more sense.
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may this kind of love and intelligence find me
All review title jokes aside. I wasn't expecting Blossom to work so well but it just... works. Captivating visual storytelling, an intelligent, strong FL I would die for, and an adorable romance.First of all, this was one of the best first episodes of a drama I've ever seen. The visuals?? Actually to die for. Please please just watch the first episode—even if you don't continue the drama (but you should), the opening scene alone is a treat. Also, Song Mo's long hair... it's a crime that it never makes a comeback.
I honestly really have to applaud the director and writer. I have to say the actors, while they did a commendable job, did not do the heavy lifting in the success of this drama—the director and the writer did. From the choice of scenes and editing to the overall plot, I truly believe they did a wonderful job of crafting an entertaining story that seeps into the watcher's heart, even if it wasn't necessarily unique or fresh. (There's this one scene where a maid reenacts an event in her memory to give the leads a clue that was so beautifully shot and edited.)
This drama's strongest suit? Its female lead. Dou Zhao is a force to be reckoned with: independent, strong-willed, stunningly clever, with a dose of cynicism in the first half that I personally enjoyed. I wasn't completely sold on her in the beginning, but her level of scheming and the poise she carries herself with while she does it is hard not to love. I love that she is more intelligent than the ML, and I love even more that he's proud of her for it. It's rare, at least in my experience, to see an FL save an already very strong and smart ML this many times. And Meng Ziyi's dagger eyes?? Standing ovation.
Dou Zhao's counterpart is Song Mo, a general bent on justice and revenge. I was surprised at the amount of charisma Li Yunrui had while playing the male lead. Song Mo is by no means the coolest character ever, but I have to say he had a pretty strong presence. And with just a tinge of ruthlessness, you know I'm going to like him.
The romance? Guys. This is slow burn done as well as it ever has been. Would I have appreciated more buildup to the confession? Yes. But they still did a great job of distrust to appreciation to allies to lovers. The tension before the confession was pretty darn good (they made great use of the distrust between them. good job). And their married life is adorable. One of the first times I've actually liked a romance past the chasing stage xD. True to cdrama fashion, it's less tension-filled and more wholesome, with so many sweet moments that just made me sigh at my singleness. My favorite part about the romance is honestly how well-matched their intelligence is. Song Mo calls Dou Zhao his female Zhuge (as in the strategist Zhuge Liang), which is just. This is what romance is meant to be.
On the topic of characters, Ji Yong was also a joy to watch. An enigma that might be smarter than both leads combined, he was such a compelling character in his ambitions and the blunt way he viewed the world. The twist on his character was not one I appreciated, if only in that it took away some of the more interesting parts of his story, but it made him no less likable (perhaps more likable, if less interesting).
I'm by no means the smartest watcher. I don't search for plot holes. So with that in mind, I had a lot of fun with the plot. Schemes, schemes, schemes everywhere. Family schemes among the women, and later, political schemes. With such smart main leads, watching the twists and turns in their plans was a treat. There were some subplots and schemes that didn't really get fully utilized, but overall, the scheming really made me fall in love with historicals all over again.
So is Blossom a masterpiece? No. The acting is by no means flawless; sometimes, it's slightly too formal and staged. The plot is by no means unique and the writing by no means one of a genius. But it's captivating and gives watchers exactly what they want. And somehow, it latches onto you until you wish the end didn't come so soon.
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Excellent screenwriting, strong direction, solid casting.... a super satisfying watch.
It's odd because the plot isn't exactly original, the chemistry between ML and FL isn't much more than passable, the romance is really a side-dish to the story, the direction and costumes and backdrops were very good but not top-tier.... and yet it's on my short-short list of best things I've seen all year.It's the screenwriting. It's just excellent. And then all the other parts come together to support that script in a weird undefinable synergy that creates the most amazing final product. It's so addictive.
And then the ending is exactly what the viewer would have wanted. IMO, it needed more romance and fire, so I knocked one full point off for non-stellar ML/FL chemistry. But honestly, I'd rather watch 7/10 chemistry relationships that have a really good HE, than watch a 10/10 chemistry pair that has a horrible SE.
Standing ovation to everyone involved in this, it was absolutely amazing.
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A second chance in life.
A second chance in life seems to be the recent popular theme in dramas, be it a rebirth, reincarnate or time reversal. This was the fourth drama I watched over the last 12 months that features a second chance in life. The others were Story of Kunning Palace, Reborn Rich (Korean), The Princess Royal, Marry my Husband - they were all very good.This drama was very good and had all the hygiene factors: most importantly an interesting storyline with a mystery to uncover. This was supported by a good cast, excellent chemistry between the leads, fast-pace, lovely costumes and excellent backdrop.
Dou Zhao was married to Marquis Wei Ting Yu in an arrangement marriage. She discovered to her horror that he was having an affair with her sister, Dou Ming, and was hoping that she would die soon as she was in poor health. Leaving the Marquis residence in disgust, she ran into General Song Mo who was infamous for his cruelty and ruthlessness. Song Mo wanted to avenge the death of his uncle, General Jiang, a loyal capable close friend of the emperor, and to track down the person behind the conspiracy.
Setup by Prince Qing who succeeded in rising a rebellion and Marquis Wei, they were both accused of adultery and killed by the same single arrow. Prior to this, the monk Yuan Tong handled Dou Zhao a Book of Truth and told her that her fate was intertwined with Song Mo.
Both Dou Zhao and Song Mo woke up to their childhood years. Song Mo could only vaguely remember segments of his previous life and thought it was a dream. Dou Zhao on the other hand was fully aware that she had re-tracked to her past and had the chance to change her fate, and assumed the maturity of an adult.
In the new life, Dou Zhao witnessed the suicide of her mother and was concerned that she might be unable to change the future. Much worse, she was forced to honour her engagement to Marquis Wei again and failed to free herself from the arranged marriage. On the day of her marriage, something happened.
I was glad to see Meng Zi Yi in a lead role of a successful drama. Since her appearance in the outstanding drama, The Untamed, she seemed to have not landed any significant roles and had not benefited from the success of this drama like Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo had. She is one of the best looking female Chinese actresses, aside from her good performance.
However, the death of General Jiang was not so much of a mystery to us, the audience. We knew from the first episode that Prince Qing who had made use of Song Mo in rising the rebellion was very likely behind this. Song Mo had no memory of how his previous life ended and was therefore clueless. But as the audience, we could pretty much guessed. It was just a matter of finding out how it all happened.
It was very trying to watch this drama as the bad guys seemed always to be ahead of Song Mo and Dou Zhao with their sabotage. In this new life, the personality of some people and their lives turned out quite differently due to Dou Zhao's interference. It was also sad to see how the evil ones who now turned out good died due to the evil deeds of others. And the good ones turned bad. As always, people were not what they appeared to be.
For me who had watched a lot of Chinese dramas, the theme of a fight over the throne was a bit stale.
For 34 episodes, this drama was not as long as many Chinese dramas. There were obvious cuts as some scenes were quite abrupt and some parts were a little disconnected.
The English titles of Chinese dramas need a lot of working on. This drama's title could be more interesting and closer to the Chinese title like 'Purple Blossom', than a plain 'Blossom'.
These days were a major departure from a few years ago when every other Chinese dramas had a tragic ending. In recent Chinese dramas, it is the fashion to have loving couples giving birth to offsprings as a show of happy ending. Almost like an echo of the government who now wants the people to have more kids.
Overall, I highly recommend this drama. Its rating of 8.9 on mydramalist, which is a very high rating, is well deserved.
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A Must-Watch Costume Drama of the Year
Blossom (Jiu Chong Zi) exceeded all expectations. From its captivating storyline to breathtaking cinematography, this drama hooks you from the start. The soft color grading, elegant storytelling, creative camera angles, and perfect music make every scene mesmerizing.Brilliant Leads
The female lead, Dou Zhou, is a standout—smart, strong, and capable of protecting herself and others. Li Yun Rui’s male lead is equally compelling, with expressions that make him both endearing and dependable. Their chemistry feels genuine, and their slow-burn romance is beautifully done.
Top-Tier Direction
The director’s first full-length project is a masterpiece. The plot intensifies with each episode, and every character’s development is handled thoughtfully. Even supporting roles shine, adding depth to the story.
Minor Flaws
The translated title feels off, and the male lead’s hairstyle could’ve been better. Some villains are clichéd, and early interactions between the leads felt limited. But these don’t overshadow the brilliance of the drama.
Final Thoughts
Easily the BEST COSTUME DRAMA OF 2024, this show delivers top-notch direction, storytelling, visuals, and performances. Li Yun Rui and Meng Zi Yi finally get the spotlight they deserve. I’ll rewatch this anytime I need a quality drama. Love it!
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when you root for them individually and together... it's magic
ohmygoodness this put me through it (and i love it). don't you just love it when the main leads are both hot, smart, skilled and can be funny too? then it even gets better because they have so much chemistry! that's song mo and dou zhao. i've never rooted for a couple's happiness and triumph so hard. i admire their resilience and how they actually made each other better. every wins our leads get, it was so satisfying. that's also thanks to how good the antagonists in this story and man, we got multiple villains here and when i tell you my blood was boiling everytime omg lol i don't know how i'll rank them but wang ying xue that bitch (she's so freaking good). so yeah from the acting to the story to the romance, this delivered for me. at first, i was overwhelmed with the politics and the names but once i got the hang of it, i was good. this brought out the emotions in me. i cried, i laughed, i got mad and i cheered.meng zi yi and li yun rui are officially on my favorites list now. they did so good. but even the supporting actors are amazing. again, the villains! especially the women! also shout out to ming (again wang ying xue you stupid bitch lmao) and ansu (i, too, was heartbroken when i saw how song han started changing. their ending! sad but incredible).
ps: it's actually the king and duke of ding's love story if you think about it lol
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solid and engaging first half with a muddled second half
This drama starts off very strong. The first episode was very well done and gives the two main characters a dramatic beginning that sucks you in to both their worlds leaving you wanting to see more. This costume drama delivers in so many ways with the production value, set and costume design, character growth, and plot movement. It gives you that small sprinkle of a fantasy element where the female lead has lived or dreamt of a life but then is able to change it by going back in time. While some circumstances can not be changed she finds that she herself can be. So she becomes strong, witty, and independent. Determined not to have to rely on a man and live a life where she has no choices of her own.The first half of this drama is very engaging with excellent pacing and movement of the plot. Character motivations make sense and interactions are enjoyable. Then comes the second half of the story. And this is when it begins to unravel. Too much screen time is given to side characters just for those characters to end up not impacting the plot much or at all. Several of those characters could have been completely removed from the drama and it would not have changed the movement of the story at all so giving so much screen time to them, and for those scenes to be boring on top of it, really was a miss. Everything also slowed down quite a bit. While the first half gave us quick wit and strong presence from the main pair the second half sidelines them to focus too much on side stories that do not hold the viewers interest.
By the last ten episodes I felt like I was forcing myself to just get through as I was increasingly less interested in how the drama ended. While the pieces of the plot do fit together for a coherent story, there are so many unrealistic choices made as well that detract. The OST was also unmemorable.
All in all I would say it is an okay watch but would probably recommend something better with similar storylines or aspects instead of recommending this particular drama.
Warning for slight spoilers below.
It was nice to see the change in the sister from the first life to the second and her still ending up with the same person due to fate pieces the two lives together nicely. However, once the story paid more attention to Dou Ming and Wei Ting Yu the pair become less relevant to the plot and the interactions wholly uninteresting. Such wasted screen time on these characters for them to do absolutely nothing and essentially mean absolutely nothing. Then you have Song Han and Miao Ansu where they have no chemistry and their relationship again really meant nothing to the plot. So all their screen time was wasted and just ends up exhausting the viewer. It was also very unrealistic to see the changes in Song Han whom they made go from a quiet, frightened, and easily manipulated boy to a ruthless and reckless villain. His entire involvement really could have been given to any other character and it would have had the same effect on the plot as they just needed another person aiming for the main couple for no real reason.
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One of few best cdrama of 2024
I really like this show and mainly because of lead chemistry the story is refreshing and it's progressing naturally and slowly and I really like the plot when male tried to kill FL in start it's not like that falling in love frist time which I like both fall for each other slowly and her evil stepmother ending is so satisfying though I feel sad for her sister and and one of the thing I like most is that leads get married after half of show it's not like that they married few episodes before ending and they wrap up show quite nicely one thing that I didn't enjoy is song mo brother song han arc but it's important to show it because if they don't show it we didn't know that why song mo killed his brother in last life I like his ending from miao ansu hands now final thing I watch li yunrui in last immortal in which he is fine the reason I watch this show is that I watch frist trailer months ago in which his looks in white hairs really attracts me and atmosphere but li yunrui and meng ziyi really attracts me and I'm going to watch their upcoming historical dramas.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Underrated
This one flew under a lot of people's radars which is such a shame because it's honestly such a GOOD drama, whether it be the acting, plot, or production.FL and ML stand on equal ground and they have a very sweet and loving relationship with little to no misunderstandings. They get together fairly early on so the later half of the drama is more plot/political drama focused. The side characters all had their own unique characters and personalities, and I loved watching their personal growth throughout the series (and special shoutout to the FL's dad who made me tear up several times even though I was cursing him out in the beginning).
Would definitely recommend watching, and especially a good starter historical drama for those who are new to it.
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Amazing
I want to articulate how great this was but the words are almost impossible to find. I'll say this... there was not a single wasted episode. The story was excellent and for the director's debut of a long drama, this set an extremely high bar.The drama's strength is its characters. SM and DZ are absolutely feral for each other. I love it. Both their entrances in the original timeline was so epic. I mean, the beginning scene was an amazing hook and a great way to introduce the characters. I was honestly sold on the drama before the end of the first episode, but everything after was nailed to perfection.
SM is absolutely a villain by a normal standard. I mean at one point he was ready to slaughter an entire household to keep his presence and that of a baby secret. He waterboarded his brother. I love him. I wanted him to go apesh*t on the entire royal line for how corrupt and stupid they are.
DZ was the most competent female lead I've seen in a minute. Even when things are out of her control she is always trying to manipulate through the sh*t that she's surrounded by. I love how crafty and strategic she is. And how it's her mind that SM is drawn to.
Two amazing characters with great story lines who are consistent and full of depth.
The story is gripping. I honestly want to compare this with Love Like the Galaxy for how much I enjoyed the court intrigues and the characters. Although LLTG spoiled me with a great emperor and that is definitely not the case here. I was honestly disappointed we didn't have a more deserving death for the emperor for how he betrayed his people/those loyal to him. But... I digress.
Absolutely perfect. The best costume cdrama this year!
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