Flourished Peony (2025)

Fortune favors the bold.

Flourished Peony 国色芳华 is the first part of a sweeping two part story about a woman's quest to restore her mother's legacy and control her own destiny. It is set during China's cultural golden age when peonies were sought after as the "Queen of Flowers", a symbol of beauty and prosperity. He Weifang or Mudan (Peony) is a merchant's daughter with a rare talent for cultivating exquisite peonies. She is exploited by her grasping in-laws who have designs on her dowry and disdained by her husband Liu Chang, who pines for a county princess. She intrigues corrupt Flower Envoy Jiang Changyang when he overhears her wickedly praying her husband be plagued with piles, baldness, unfaithful concubines and bomb out in the imperial exams. Amused and empathetic, he helps her end her loveless marriage and finances her business ventures. Cheering her on from the sidelines, he lends the rare helping hand when she is in over her head. She gets him out of a tight spot and an unspoken trust, friendship and romance flowers between them.

Mudan’s journey—from a submissive daughter-in-law to an independent businesswoman—unfolds amidst feudal Tang society, where class divisions, filial piety, and arranged marriages were societal constraints on both men and women. While the narrative highlights the systematic nature of women's subjugation and their lack of legal rights and agency, it is framed in the context of a feudal society where no one truly has free will. Thus, a promising scholar from an official family cannot hope to marry a county princess, a county princess can no more choose her husband than a merchant's daughter, and even an insouciant Flower Envoy must entertain a union not of his choosing. I really appreciate this kind of social commentary that is sharp, yet balanced and contextual.

Mudan has fantastic business instincts and is a confident, persuasive, and a savvy risk-taker that dares to seize the moment.She is ahead of her time and champions modern values in terms of women's rights and roles. While the obstacles women faced are realistically depicted, fortune favors the bold and Mudan overcomes them confidently and resourcefully. This kind of too capable, superwoman character would be suffocating and alienating if Mudan's resourcefulness and confidence were not also flaws that drive the plot. Anyone else would keep a low profile upon learning that Liu Chang and his dreadful parents are in Chang'an. Not Mudan!. With a misplaced sense of invincibility, she glories in her success and growing reputation, inevitably bringing herself to the vengful Lius and the jealous Youzhen's attention. Fear not, her plot armor is so thick that some poor patsy inevitably pops up just in time run into the white truck of doom for her! Thus she never truly suffers the consequences of her miscalculations and over-confidence.

Even though Sheng Yi's arc could have been tighter, her story is moving, realistic and compellingly portrayed. She is the most miserable and oppressed character in this story as a result of both her low status, her gender and her upbringing. Even though her actions are controversial and frustrating, I empathised with and rooted for her the whole way. Unlike Mudan, Sheng Yi is a product of her times; it is natural for her goals to be aligned with prevailing social norms. Whereas Mudan's modern values and opinions don't quite fit with the ancient Tang society. Sheng Yi makes a passionate case that not every woman wants or needs to be Mudan. Sadly, Mudan cannot fathom how given a chance to be free, a woman would choose to cling to traditional roles. Her tone deaf conversation with Sheng Yi where they both talk past each other highlights how two people can care deeply for each other without understanding one another. This is one of Mudan's blind spots as learning nothing from Sheng Yi, she blithely steamrollers Lv Gengchun into turning her medical practice into a for profit business.

This storyline unfolds at a slow pace that is barely noticeable as the atmospheric set and costumes, the rich dialogue and the tension between the deep and complex characters is immersive. Even though many plot arcs are quite cliche, the characters are captivatingly written, with flaws that can lead to significant setbacks and/or their downfalls. Both Liu Chang and Youzhen are insufferably arrogant characters who go to extreme lengths to get what they want only to learn they don't want what they get. Wei Zheming is persuasive as Liu Chang, an erudite but weak character who genuinely believes himself to be a better man than her really is. While the antagonists are smart or powerful enough to pose a credible threat, they spiral downhill into cliched obsessive archetypes for the convenience of the plot or to elevate Mudan or Changyang. But their stories are not over and there could be a reversal in the second part of the story that delivers a more nuanced and complex antagonist than what we have seen so far.

As someone who is no fan of romance, I find the delightful slow-burn connection between Mudan and Changyang to be the highlight of the drama. Unlike too many other stories that rush into love, this relationship develops organically and leisurely. The chemistry between Yang Zi and Li Xian is palpable and their bond feels deep, mature and authentic. They are both consummate actors that skilfully convey how their characters are savoring that delicious, giddy moment where they know they will be lovers but they are in no hurry to take that next step. Instead they are just basking in the strong foundation of their mutual trust and friendship while anticipating the passion that lies ahead. I love how Yang Zi has disappeared into this role and is not just Yang Zi being Yang Zi. And it has been too long since I have seen Li Xian's crooked smile and how he effortlessly conveys that there a lot more to Jiang Changyang than what meets the eye with just a few subtle expressions. I can't wait for the second part, which should reveal more of our enigmatic Flower Envoys and take his relationship with Mudan from confidantes to lovers.

The first part of the story ends somewhat anti-climatically with Mudan almost too effortlessly accomplishing what she sets out to do and with many sub-plots left open. The profound social insight, engaging storytelling and fantastic acting papers over some of the more predictable sub-plots. Unlike most empowerment dramas, it avoids separating the male and female lead but still indulges in some contrived plot points just to prove that women can make it with minimal help from men. Even though Mudan and Changyang's story is unfinished, I like it well enough so far to rate it an 8.5/10.0. If everything ties up well, my final rating for this story can be a 9.0 or even better.

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