Reviews

Blossoms in Adversity is not a love story but is a magnificent story about love, endurance, and above all, human resilience and growth within continuous adversity. The drama has a strong, intelligent, and quick-witted main couple that exudes a soulful and loving chemistry, even when they are not together. In this drama, even when the leading couple is the axle that holds the other characters together, each supporting character is vital to the flow of the story and, since the drama is female centric, one must say that the female cast did a great job bringing their characters to life. With that been said, all male characters, especially the patriarch of the Hua family, Hua Yi Zheng, played by seasoned actor Eddy Ko, had an important role in the drama that, whether there was a positive or negative influence, led this fantastic group of woman to blossom in adversity. The leading male, Gu Yan Xi, brilliantly played by Hu Yi Tian, is a constant source of trouble and support to the remarkable leading lady Hua Zhi, masterfully played by Zhang Jing Yi. There are extensive reviews about this drama and yes, there are some scenes that might have seemed unnecessary but they pass quickly with the fast pace of the drama. What makes this drama a 9.5 instead of a perfect 10 is the unnecessary breakup for the leading couple that could have used their wits to fool the Emperor and save their friends anyway and the nice but bland ending for the leading couple. That would have been the icing on the cake. Two characters that are worthy of been mentioned are the precious, peculiar, and lovable Shao Yao exceptionally played by Lu Yu Xiao and the tyrannical and selfish emperor that one loves to hate excellently played by Hai Yi Tian. All in all, this drama is a must watch and an excellent example of how “divided we fall united we stand”. Enjoy it!

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So far it's been very interesting. Seeing some reviews, I am a bit confused as everyone's comparing it to the Japanese show, which I expected but in my opinion does not really work. After all, this is the adaptation of the manga not the show! Their own interpretation will show and that's what makes the beauty of it. So far I can see the Thai touch in this adaptation and the actors have been doing great. I am looking forward to the rest and can't wait to see all the volumes get adapted, this is definitely going to be a good ride. Don't even need to talk about their chemistry bc it is out of charts. I am already attached to the characters can't wait to see more of it.

The songs are amazing by the way, I am happy they are letting both Gemini's and Fourth's vocals shine.

The only thing that could be fixed is the sound in some parts but I can look over it because of how nice the story is unfolding so far!

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Somewhere between suffering and healing

Planning to watch this is like signing up for 10 Eps of misery, sadness and depression willingly ?

This was a heavy watch. It constantly revolved around thoughts of death, sickness and sufferings. Each character was miserable in their own life, it was gut wrenching to watch at times.

I felt so many emotions like grief, pain, forgiveness, unrequited love, hopelessness and healing.

✅ I really like the acting of all the characters, especially Zhang Zhe Kai, I really felt that man was sick, the tiredness and pain in his eyes conveyed his suffering so well.

✅ I personally was invested in all the stories, the main and side. It shattered my heart to bits each time.

❌ The story LIKE it was sad but I didn't get the whole point of the MAIN storyline, the writer kept introducing surprising twists but when you step back and look at the big picture its pretty dumb and unnecessary. It's like writer is trying to throw all possible complications to make the story more miserable forcefully ?

This was a major drawback, which absolutely, made no sense to me at least;)

Anyways, the side stories were engaging as well, so I didn't mind, the music was sad (just like the drama)

By the end of the show, I had an extremely uneasy and anxious feeling and felt low for two whole days, no joke. The colour grading of the drama is very gloomy and on the darker side which makes it even more depressing.

So, overall if you wanna make yourself CRY, go watch it☺️

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It could have been better

There are many things wrong with this drama, from the miraculous face swap (it is a lazy alternative to transmigration; they can invent something better) to her learning all sorts of abilities in a few months just because the plot says she can. I wish it were that easy to become a martial artist. It didn’t help that the first actress had more acting skills and was more able to express emotions. I really did feel bad for her until she became the other person, and then my care disappeared as the actress was too wooden. The male lead was okay despite the famous wig problem everyone noticed, or at least he was in the first half of the show. Later, they tried some kind of comedy with him, and it just felt cringeworthy. His acting didn’t keep up later on, but considering how the story developed, it wasn’t surprising. It is a kind of story we have already seen before but seemed interesting. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to its premise. After maybe a third of the episodes, it started feeling weird, like a Frankenstein production of different ideas patched together. Everything was underwhelming, and it was difficult to finish. Don’t get me started on the weird love triangle with her brother, a completely unnecessary part. If she was only his sister’s lookalike, but she literally wore her face! So, to summarise, the beginning was quite interesting. They could have invented something else instead of the face swap. I believe if they had swapped the actresses, it would have been a bit better. For a 24-episode show, it could have been even shorter by taking away all the ridiculous and unnecessary things they filled in the second part. The ost was nice.

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Promising start, boring second half

✅Impressive start, the premise was promising, like a demon in contract marriage + losses his powers. I was intrigued how they'll develop the story, and had me hooked till Ep8.

✅ Song Kang being a hot oppa and showing his abs and couple having beautiful visuals.

❌ My boy is a demon, who has lived on this planet for hundreds of years, but he still has no clue about anything and acts like a pathetic lover boy ;/

❌The plot is lackluster with no interesting developments or engaging storyline in the second half of the show. It's extremely predictable.

❌Too much talk, not enough action. For a fantasy drama, I wanted more magic, but it was disappointing that they didn’t use it to its full potential. Unsatisfactory feeling.

❌ There was way too much focus on side stories. They weren't bad, but they were clearly just filler to stretch the show to 16 episodes. It could've easily been wrapped up in 12.

❌I wish the old lady was more involved in the story, her character was interesting and I thought she'll play out a huge part in the story but she didn't ? hmmmmm

And don't even get me started on the FL, girly your husband is a demon, what do you expect him to be???? A angel??? ??

Overall, I felt this was a mix version of SWDBS and The globin lmaooo with lazyy writing, it had so much potential but route was too cliche and ended up becoming too predictable for my taste?

5.2/10

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went from bad to worse to the local garbage dump

What do you want me to say!!
RUN!! RUN I SAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN
IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND DON'T CLICK THE WATCH
BUTTON. YOU WILL REGRET IT!
This show went from one bad writer to one that was so bad they must
have gotten the job because of nepotism. The story went no where and kept going in circles 5 days
a week. In the end the only one punished was the younger of the sisters. The older went on with no punishment when she had a part in a lot of what happened. If she hadn't done some of the things she did some of the people that died wouldn't have. The tried to throw a bone by giving her nightmares supposedly scared her sister was gonna come for her at the end but even that fell flat. She went on to live a happy life.

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Messy, muddled plot

I really wanted to like this drama, but it was 40 episodes of case after case with little emphasis on the relationships between the main leads. I always like older woman, younger man dramas as long as the writing is engaging. This drama, however was too muddled with the minutiae of cases rather than develop a natural path between the main leads and their supporting characters. I should have dropped this early on, but I wanted to see it through because I respect the main leads and their talents. Unfortunately, the writing did not do them justice.

Qin Shi (Yang Mi) is an ambitious young lawyer gunning for a promotion to partner in a competitive law firm. She is tough, smart and capable and has the respect of all her colleagues. The one thing she doesn't have to make it to the next level is a husband. She decides to foolishly make one up and steals a picture from the internet from a dating site. When she is required to attend an important work event with the spouse, she is forced to "hire" one for the role.

Yang Hua (Xu Kai) is the young man in question--a hermit with a past. He decides to accept Qin Shi's business proposition to get his overbearing mother off his back. Both parties feel this is a great solution to their mutual problems, but neither count on the possibility of falling in love with each other. Add an ex-fiance that never got closure, and his jealous new girlfriend, and we have an interesting plot for a good drama or rom-com. Alas, the opportunity was wasted in favor of in-depth cases that took the attention away from the romance building of the leads.

One would think that the plot would find a funny and romantic way to focus on these two individuals and their slow gravitation towards one another, and to an extent we do. However, it's boringly written and one has a difficult time believing in the plausibility of this odd couple's relationship. You wonder what such an overachieving young woman would see in such a hermit of a kid six years her junior. There are some sweet moments, but the kissing scenes are so poorly rehearsed, that it makes you uncomfortable.

I enjoyed the relationship between Qin Shi and her professional work rival, Li Dai, more than any other in this entire drama. They had really good chemistry and they brought out the best in each other professionally. I even liked Qin Shi's ex because he wasn't a jerk, but a victim of his own unwillingness to stand up to the women in his life. I imagined different ways his story could have gone, but again, the writers missed a great opportunity. He definitely didn't deserve the ending he got. I think the last episode was used to quickly wrap up the storylines they had abandoned earlier on. Characters central to the drama in the beginning tended to disappear by the end and some supporting cast were just nuisances.

The acting was good among the lead and seasoned cast. I liked Xu Kai's performance as the hermetic, oddball nerd and Yang Mi as the high-powered lawyer. The one dynamic that really worked among them was the house-husband/working woman roles. The themes of inequality and harassment are also taken on here.

To wrap up, I think this drama falls into the trap of not being able to decide what it is wants to be. I think one should first decide what kind of a story is central and write along those lines rather than have so many side plots and characters that don't do anything to further the drama's main theme. Otherwise a drama with a messy, muddled plot is the result.

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Crazy, Sexy, Cool drama with a good plot.

I was first attracted by the plot about this emotional counselor who helps wives with their cheating husband.
But the minute a set foot in this drama I was caught.
The first scene is very very sexy. And the Female Lead and the Male Lead are so seductive.
As a result the chemistry is just top notch to say the least. To be honest, it almost made me fall off my seat several times. And I am not kidding.
The story takes several turns that made me forget that this is a 10 minutes drama. Actually, so much happened that I found myself passionate about this drama. So if you like a good short drama with twist and turns and a touch of sexiness This is for you.

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A Masterpiece of Emotional Depth and Human Connection

"My Ajusshi" is a drama that stands out for its profound exploration of human relationships, the burden of past traumas, and the potential for redemption through empathy and understanding. Park Dong-hoon is a middle-aged engineer living a life filled with silent suffering, while Lee Ji-an is a young woman burdened by debt and a traumatic past. Their unlikely bond becomes the catalyst for mutual healing and growth.

Character Analysis:

Park Dong-hoon is a character who epitomizes quiet suffering. Despite his outwardly stable life—a steady job, a family, and a home—he is internally tormented by a sense of inadequacy and disillusionment. Lee Sun-kyun masterfully portrays Dong-hoon’s stoic demeanor, which masks a deep well of pain and regret. Dong-hoon’s journey is one of self-discovery and emotional awakening. His interactions with Ji-an force him to confront his own unhappiness and to reconsider what truly matters in life. Dong-hoon’s development from a man resigned to his fate to someone who actively seeks happiness and fulfillment is deeply moving. His quiet strength and inherent goodness make him a profoundly relatable and admirable character.

Lee Ji-an is a stark contrast to Dong-hoon’s. Where Dong-hoon is silently suffering, Ji-an’s life is a constant battle for survival. IU’s portrayal of Ji-an is nothing short of extraordinary. She captures the essence of a young woman hardened by life’s cruelties yet yearning for kindness and acceptance. Ji-an’s transformation throughout the series is significant. She evolves from a distrustful, guarded individual into someone who learns to trust and find solace in others. Her relationship with Dong-hoon is the cornerstone of this transformation. It is through his unwavering support and understanding that Ji-an begins to believe in the possibility of a better life.

Yoon-hee, Dong-hoon’s wife, is initially portrayed as a character driven by her own desires, resulting in her infidelity. However, as the series progresses, her character is explored with greater depth. She is not just a villain but a deeply flawed human being struggling with her own guilt and seeking redemption. Yoon-hee’s journey is one of self-awareness and repentance. Her interactions with Ji-an and her attempts to make amends with Dong-hoon add layers to her character, making her a more empathetic figure.

Dong-hoon’s brothers add a layer of warmth and complexity to the narrative. Sang-hoon, the eldest, is a man grappling with his own failures and insecurities, yet he remains a source of comic relief and emotional support. Ki-hoon, the youngest, is a dreamer whose career in filmmaking is a source of both pride and pain. Their sibling dynamics highlight the importance of family, and their personal struggles reflect the different ways individuals cope with their own shortcomings.

Themes:

Redemption and Forgiveness: One of the most compelling themes of "My Ajusshi" is the possibility of redemption and forgiveness. Each character, in their own way, is seeking forgiveness—whether from others or from themselves. Dong-hoon’s journey is about forgiving himself for perceived failures and finding a way to move forward. Ji-an’s path is about seeking redemption from a life of hardship and finding a way to trust and be trusted. Yoon-hee’s story is one of seeking forgiveness for her betrayal and striving to become a better person. The series beautifully portrays that forgiveness is not about erasing the past but about accepting it and finding a way to live with it.

Empathy and Human Connection: "My Ajusshi" is a profound exploration of empathy and the human connection. The bond between Dong-hoon and Ji-an is the heart of the series, illustrating how two seemingly different people can profoundly impact each other’s lives. Their relationship is not based on romantic love but on a deep, empathetic understanding of each other’s pain. This connection becomes a source of healing and strength for both. The series emphasizes that true empathy involves seeing the world through another’s eyes and being present for them in their time of need.

The Burden of Past Traumas: The series delves deep into how past traumas shape the present. Dong-hoon’s quiet suffering is rooted in his past experiences and the unspoken expectations placed upon him. Ji-an’s guarded nature is a direct result of her traumatic past and the constant struggle for survival. "My Ajusshi" portrays how these traumas can become burdens that weigh heavily on individuals, but it also shows that confronting these pasts is essential for healing and growth.

Societal Expectations and Personal Fulfillment: The series also tackles the theme of societal expectations versus personal fulfillment. Dong-hoon is a man who has lived his life according to societal expectations, prioritizing stability and responsibility over personal happiness. Ji-an, on the other hand, has been forced to forego her own dreams in the face of overwhelming challenges. "My Ajusshi" explores how these expectations can suffocate personal desires and the courage it takes to break free from them in pursuit of true fulfillment.

Visual Storytelling:

The cinematography of "My Ajusshi" is a masterclass in visual storytelling. The use of lighting and color is particularly noteworthy. Early episodes are often shrouded in darkness and muted tones, reflecting the emotional states of the characters. As Dong-hoon and Ji-an begin to heal and find hope, the scenes gradually become brighter and more vibrant. This visual transformation mirrors their emotional journeys, adding a layer of depth to the narrative.

The series also excels in its use of silence and unspoken moments. Some of the most powerful scenes are those where nothing is said, but everything is conveyed through expressions, body language, and the spaces between words. This understated approach allows the viewer to feel the characters’ emotions more deeply and connect with their experiences on a visceral level.

Impact and Legacy:

"My Ajusshi" is more than just a drama; it is a profound meditation on the human condition. It reminds us that what truly matters in life are the relationships we build and the empathy we show towards others. The series has left an indelible mark on its viewers, encouraging them to reflect on their own lives and relationships.

Lee Sun-kyun’s portrayal of Park Dong-hoon is a performance of a lifetime. His ability to convey deep emotions with subtlety and authenticity is a testament to his extraordinary talent. His passing is a great loss to the world of entertainment, but his legacy will live on through his remarkable body of work. IU’s performance as Ji-an is equally commendable. The entire cast, from main characters to supporting roles, delivered performances that brought the story to life in the most compelling way.

Conclusion:

"My Ajusshi" is a drama that stands out for its exceptional storytelling, complex characters, and deep emotional resonance. It is a series that invites viewers to look beyond the surface and appreciate the beauty of human connections and the strength of the human spirit. This is a must watch for anyone seeking a drama that not only entertains but also enriches the soul. It is a poignant reminder of the power of empathy, the importance of personal growth, and the transformative nature of unconditional support.

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I have mixed feeling for this. I love gemfourth so much, but I dont have high expectation for this remake actually. When I saw the first two ep today, Ive been thinking which thai actor fit the main lead position. But no one suit them. Japan ver set very high standard for me, the charisma, acting and so on. Gemfourth still did great tho. Maybe bcs I saw their relation outside acting very clingy and playful to eo so I barely take it serious. For thai bl, actually just watch it for fun. Since this is remake actually I know this series has great plot and story, so its still worth watching.

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I did not expect anything from this drama to be honest. But loved it in the end

First of all, this drama made me cry so much because the main characters had to go through something they should have never have to go through. I hated Yae's mom so much because she made the decision for her daughter. I understand she wanted what's best for her but her decision was so selfish she did not even consider what it would make her feel what she denied of her daughter once she's able to regain her memory. But the future her mom wanted for her caused her the most pain and suffering than the suffering she could have experienced if she were to gain her memories. But then again, from what I understand, Yae also did not make an effort to regain her memory. For me, she just shoved it in the closet and never to be reminded of whatever memory she has lost. It's one of the best melodramas I've watched to date. I did not go through what they went through but the pain I felt while watching this was heart wrenching. Especially the end of EP 6. I gasped and then I cried. lmao. The past and present story was just very confusing because they interchanged it very often like its the next scene lol.

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