Completed
Mikhail Ayani
1 people found this review helpful
Aug 29, 2023
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

A Casual Flicker in the Drama Galaxy! ??

Alright, fellow drama enthusiasts, let's talk about "Fireworks of My Heart" – a show that's cruising along with a storyline that's just okay, neither setting the skies ablaze nor fizzling out. ??

Our protagonist, Li Wei, takes us through her journey of dreams and ambitions, but it's like watching a firework that's missing a little sparkle. Her trials and tribulations don't exactly launch us into an emotional rollercoaster, but rather provide a leisurely stroll through her life's landscape.

When it comes to romance, Zhang Hao, the charming love interest, is more like a gentle glow than an explosive burst. Their interactions are cozy, like watching a campfire on a calm evening. It's not exactly a love story that sets the heart racing, but it emits a warm and steady glow.

The supporting characters, including Li Wei's spirited best friend Chen Jia and Zhang Hao's wise mentor Zhou Yi, add a touch of color to the drama canvas. Chen Jia's comedic interjections are like little sparks of humor, while Zhou Yi's advice is like a compass guiding us through familiar terrain.

Plot-wise, "Fireworks of My Heart" doesn't stray too far from the well-trodden path of drama storytelling. It's like watching a classic firework routine – you can anticipate the bursts, but they don't catch you off guard. The twists might not be hairpin turns, but they do manage to keep the narrative chugging along.

Production quality is a bit like watching a firework show on a comfortable summer night – you're not awestruck, but you're content with the view. The scenic backgrounds and costume designs don't steal the show, but they play their part in creating a pleasant visual experience.

Emotionally, the drama doesn't soar to great heights, but there are sporadic sparks of sentiment. Li Wei's moments of self-discovery might not elicit tears, but they do leave a pleasant impression. It's not the kind of drama that leaves your heart pounding, but it does offer a gentle tap now and then.

In the grand scheme of things, "Fireworks of My Heart" might not be the dazzling explosion we hoped for, but it's also not a damp squib. It's a drama that fits snugly in the category of "good" So, if you're in the mood for a casual watch that won't overwhelm your senses, give it a shot. It might not light up the entire night sky, but it's a comfortable twinkle in the drama galaxy. ???

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Sharanya
1 people found this review helpful
Sep 17, 2023
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

Shows Respect to all Rescue Workers with Romance as Sub-plot.

...................................................

The thing I loved the most about this drama is that it shows hardwork of the Rescue Workers. Many people in society don't have any respect for the rescue workers, army, doctors and more, they think that this is just their job to protect people in the emergency. The actual thing they don't know is that it takes dedication, sense of responsibility, willingness to take risks of their own life and bravery to protect people when they also have their own families waiting for them at home. This drama shows it all in a very beautiful way.

...................................................
Acting and Characters:
...................................................

Song Yan: Yang Yang played his part very well when it comes to as a rescue officer, as a friend, as a leader and as a lover. He knows how to train and motivate his team and keep their moral up. He was obsessed to become number one but never forget to take care of his team members. He is not an unreasonable person and have valid and solid reasons for his actions and decisions. He was badly hurt in his first relationship and showed that dissatisfaction and disappointed to his lover when she wants to come back in his life, also give her chance to be brave and decide and respects her decision whether she wanted to be with him or not.
................................

Xu Qin: Xu Qin was an orphan and adopted by a rich family who loves her very much but wants to have a full control over her decisions whether it's her career choice, studies, behaviour and even her love life. She have gratitude and love towards her family to brought her up and give her love but also feels dissatisfaction with their control over her. Her mother forced her to break up with her love and threatened her with destroying her and Song Yan's career. She broke up with Song Yan but never forgotten about him. She became a very professional doctor to become independent and live her life with Song Yan despite her mother's objection. When Song Yan gave her chance to be in his life again, at first she couldn't decide 'cause she neither wants to hurt her family and nor Song Yan but finally she choose to pursue her love after so many interaction and incidents happen and they both go through life and death situation together. Loved her character 'cause it's not easy for a girl to decide what to choose between her family and love. Totally understandable. Wang Chu Ran totally nailed her character.

...................................................

Acting by whole cast was pretty good and I hate her mother literally, for destroying Song Yan's career. Her mother was very cruel to Song Yan but when it comes to her own son she was even ready to kneel before Song Yan and wanted him to forgive her. Xu Qin's brother was a good person although he also didn't like Song Yan but he always wants his sister to be happy and be free from the cage of their family. I loved many characters in this drama.

...................................................

Finally I wanna say that it's a good mix friendship and romance. Worth to watch.

...................................................

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Breizh_o_veva
1 people found this review helpful
Aug 7, 2023
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

A pleasant series with a very cute CL despite the worn plot

Yes, the plot is used somewhere with a duo fireman (Yang Yang, the ML) / surgeon (Wang Chu Ran, the FL) in Romeo and Juliet mode. They were high school sweethearts, were separated by FL's mother (adoptive and abusive-toxic), strongly opposed to their relationship. They reunite 10 years later because of their profession and try to face the obstacles.

BUT :
+ It's very well acted (Yang Yang, anyway ;) but also Vim Zhang and other very good actors)
+ action scenes and medical scenes are realistic,
+ we find the classic solidarity / friendship within the team (endearing)
+ the OSTs are very good,

CONS :
- the narration is slow! Long shots of emotional moments, useless scenes, it's boring.
- the (very) toxic mother, I don't mind, but the brother "unwell in his head / more & less twisted" (almost in love with his sister even they were raised together since they were 8-10 years old), it goes less well... As a dysfunctional family, there is no better.
- bullshit psychology: announcement of death in the family on a mission time, to say 2 days later that the mother and aunt are alive, ABSOLUTELY idiotic treatment of TPSD, etc.
- manifest errors of the management: episode 20, in the flashback, the FL has her current hairstyle and not her high school hairstyle!
- the (too) many nationalist or very moralizing speeches on the general interest and the service of the public.

Remark: the both leads are only together in episode 25!!

That said, even if the plot is a little worn, with the very cute CL, it's still a very pleasant series.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Plot assez classique du duo pompier (Yang Yang, le ML) /chirurgienne (Wang Chu Ran, la FL) en mode Roméo et Juliette. Ils étaient amoureux au lycée, ont été séparés par la mère de la FL (adoptive et abusive-toxique), fortement opposée à leur relation. Ils se retrouvent 10 ans plus tard en raison de leur métier et essaient de faire face aux obstacles.

+ C'est très bien joué (Yang Yang, quand même ;) mais aussi Vim Zhang et d'autres très bons acteurs)
+ les scènes d'action et les scènes médicales sont réalistes,
+ on retrouve la classique solidarité / amitié au sein de l'équipe (attachants)
+ les OST sont très bons,

MAIS :
- la narration est lente ! Les longs plans sur les instants émotionnels, les scènes inutiles, c'est lassant.
- la mère (très) toxique, je veux bien, mais le frère "mal dans sa peau +/- tordu" (quasiment amoureux de sa sœur alors qu'ils ont été élevés ensemble depuis leurs 8-10 ans), ça passe moins bien... Comme famille dysfonctionnelle, il n'y a pas mieux.
- psychologie à la con : annonce du décès dans la famille en pleine mission pour dire 2 jours plus tard que la mère et la tante sont vivantes, traitement des TPSD ABSOLUMENT idiot, etc.
- des erreurs manifestes de la régie : épisode 20, dans le flashback, la FL a sa coiffure actuelle et pas sa coiffure lycée !
- les (trop) nombreux discours nationalistes ou très moralisateurs sur l'intérêt général et le service du public.

RQ : le CL, ils ne sont ensemble que dans l'épisode 25 !!

Ceci dit, même si le plot est un peu usé, avec le CL très cute, cela reste une série très agréable.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
sunny4ever
1 people found this review helpful
Jul 28, 2023
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 10

Fireworks of My Heart is my Chinese Drama obsession for 2023, with action + romance.

Fireworks of My Heart is the best performance by Yang Yang by far for me. There is a great storyline and powerful story arcs concerning rescues by Firemen and Doctors. This gives way to plenty of opportunities for action. There is insane chemistry between the leads and the romance is off the charts. Fireworks of My Heart is a story with story arcs that are totally believable. The whole cast is stellar, from the Firemen to the different family members, it is a stellar cast, great OST, and beautiful and artful cinematography.

Adapted from the Novel “A City, Waiting For You” by Jiuyuexi, a very popular Chinese female writer.

While Fireworks of My Heart is a dramatization, I have a more healthy respect for Firemen after watching this series. Firemen are speed devils in getting dressed and getting to the fire/disaster scene not just to beat the clock, but to cheat death by saving lives. The rescue efforts in this series are thrilling and comparable to the Chinese drama ‘You Are My Hero’. The love relationship is comparable to the Korean drama ‘Call It Love’. She has to learn to be a human and he has to learn to let go of his emotions and trust again.

There is a great Soundtrack of voice and instrumental music in the background.

ACTORS CORNER

Yang Yang (The King’s Avatar), Wang Chu Ran (Royal Feast) and Wei Daxun (The Ordinary Glory)

The male lead, Yang Yang, is one of the prettiest Pretty Boys in Chinese Drama and sometimes he can make you forget that he is suppose to be acting. He has never floored me as an actor, that is until Yang Yang’s great performance as the heartbroken, life toughened Captain of the Firemen’s team in Fireworks of My Heart. Yang Yang had tons of different emotions which he had to display for this role, as he played a wayward teenager and adult Firefighter ready to give up his life for his men and those in need. This is by far his best performance for me from him.

Wang Chu Ran is the female lead and she is gorgeous, but she no acting slouch. Wang Chu Ran’s role had a wide range of emotions as well, which were all met by Chu Ran. She had to play a wall flower teenager trying to survive under the complete domination of her adoptive mother and she plays an adult Medical Doctor scared by life’s battle wounds.

Singer/Actor Wei Daxun was a standout for me as the Brother/Second Lead. I loved his interpretation of his character. His performance was so realistic, as the rich brother who is totally crushing on his adoptive sister, to the point of envy and exhaustion.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Dorothy W Wong
1 people found this review helpful
Jul 27, 2023
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

Well worth it -- a drama that portraits the emergency teams (Firefighting, ER, Command Center, etc)

They portrait the firefighters' life/work very well -- as well as the other emergency crew, teams, hospitals, etc. I was able to connect with each of the firefighters in the story too along with the staff at the hospital, etc. I think some of the biggest disasters in the drama - is the toughest to probably film/do -- typhoon & earthquake part of the drama. Lots of heartwrenching moments. I also cried a lot when Da Peng passed away due to the explosion in the new building being built, as well as the other scenes too when Song Yang was in military to the scene where he got trapped in the collapse building to when was exposed to dangerous chemicals - both times where he was close to "near death" situation -- as well as Suo Jun when he got seriously injured on duty too and had to resign from the firefighting life of his. I think each of their stories/lives were very touching & heartbreaking at times. Lots of life lessons to be learnt from it too. Thank you everyone for your hardwork! Well done!

Side note though (my 2-cents worth -- opinion - take it with a grain of salt)
I felt slightyy cheated at the end -- I watched the last 2 episodes -- they talked so much about the wedding, etc - but there was no show for it at all. *heartbroken*. It would've been really nice to actually see them married in the drama -- since they talked about it through the last 2 episodes...why oh why did they not have it?!? I mean, I really love the drama overall! It was worth it to watch -- but not having the actual wedding scene -- with all the talk about it -- just doesn't do the ending justice!! I wished they had even just an extended episode of it would've been nice -- at the firehall - bringing everyone together including Suo Jun would've been nice. Sigh...oh well -- everyone did well. Well done Yang Yang! Well done all cast members and film crew + director of this drama!! Good job!! I will miss this drama a lot. Thank you all for your hardwork!!

Nonetheless, I still gave them full ratings of 10/10 because even though some parts may seems slow or relationship seems sticky between the 2 main leads -- in general -- I think this drama deserves a watch -- cause the emotions they (the characters) take you through will be one heck of a rollercoaster. But gives life and insight of what each emergency crew members do - whether it be a firefighter, ER staff member, command center, and also the day to day life of people who gets trapped in an emergency situation - etc. The bonding between the firefighter staff members at Silitai Fire & Rescue Station is very realistic and cool. I like how each member bond and connect with each other despite the difficulties they may face in life or during an rescue operation. So well done! Round of appalause!

Therefore, if you haven't watch it yet -- what are you waiting for -- give it a watch and decide if what I mentioned here is worth your time to watch this drama or not! Happy watching!

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Dropped 17/40
sloanefix
5 people found this review helpful
Jul 30, 2023
17 of 40 episodes seen
Dropped 5
Overall 6.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 3.0

great obstacles don't make a relationship great

I saw the high MDL score and decided to watch it. you guys have no taste

Main issue: they don't have one scene where main couple enjoys each other's company. they are either childhood memories (which is NOT enough to base your whole life on) or they're arguing for no reason in the present. WHY DO THEY WANT TO BE TOGETHER??

The mere volume of obstacles doesn't mean they have to face them and be with each other. there was no sustance in their story, so i had to drop it at ep17.

Individual arcs: Her arc as a doctor trying to extricate herself from her family's clutches was really interesting. It ties beautifully with her attitude towards her career, she wants to be the best to finally be able to make decisions about her life. Her mom is a worthy antagonist, I was floored when she reminded of her immense priviledge and added another layer to their dynamic. other than that fl is nothing to write home about, even though i love seeing career women in dramas

male lead: great motivation for his work ethic: he wants to be the best to be allowed to date fl, who is from a high class. But he's so mean and immature with her, at least up to ep17 that I can't root for them. He rejects her and then cries about how much he loves her. Boohoo bitch, grow up.

bromance: favourite part by far, such a shame it only lasted 10 eps. the captain and instructor's frienship made them both sympathetic heroes, they complimented each other's approaches and were excellent superiors. plus my man was constantly reminding the boys of mental health besides the physical. we stan an emotionally aware king. you left too soon, baby

acting: i don't agree with people online bullying one of the cast for their acting skills. still, the acting was agressively average. it wasn't so bad but i will not be following the main actors' careers any time soon

military propaganda: at every freaking scene. you're not fooling us, china. and you could add female firefighters for starters.

TL;DR: Don't trust MDL scores, it's always the most boring shows who have the highest. this is watchable but not unmissable

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
trinhreviews
0 people found this review helpful
Jul 28, 2023
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

Worthwhile watch, however with substantial flaws

This show is divisive. It's got avid fans or serious detractors. I enjoyed this show, but acknowledge it had major flaws.

Firstly, I have not read the novel, but am aware of deviations from the original book. If a true drama adaptation is what you're looking for, you'll be disappointed.

The plot premise is young lovers torn apart due to class differences, with the FL's family (in particular her mother), disapproving of the ML. 10 years later after many trials and tribulations, the couple reunites, as adults. It's a journey of them uncovering their passion for their work (particularly the FL as a doctor), rediscovering their love, and garnering the bravery to stand up for their beliefs and find their way back to each other. The ML is a noteworthy and honourable firefighter, and the FL, a cold, yet talented doctor.

Flow/ Love line.
The Song Yan (SY) and Xu Qin (XQ) love line is drawn out and they don't get back together until after ep 25. XQ is highly weak, indecisive, and bounces back and forth between wanting to get back with SY. Her personality is a result of decades of being suppressed by perfectionist, disapproving parents, leaving her as a seemingly lifeless pushover. The plot didn't pick up until the earthquake story from ep 23-24 onwards. You get 5-6 episodes of sweet, overcompensating skinship, passion, and chemistry, and then the plot resumes to XQ uncovering her family's sabotage of SY in the last decade.

I also am with fans who agree that the mother did not get the karma/justice/poetic justice she deserved.

While 40 eps is not extremely long for a Chinese drama, a lot of the first half were filler, and besides the firefighting scenes, there was no real substance or progress with the love line. Acknowledging that even for some of my favourite shows such as Love Like The Galaxy, I found the plot (eg first 14-20 eps of that show), didn't have much progress with the love line either. Leads usually get together in the second half.

Acting
Yang Yang is another divisive actor. People either love him or hate him. I am a fan of him, but acknowledge that he isn't the most expressive actor.
If anything, the weakness in this show for me was Wang Chu Ran. She's pretty and has an elegance about her, playing a 29-30+ year old when she's actually 23-24 (whereas other actresses her age such as Zhao Lu Si are playing youthful, high school students for example), I did find her performance lacking. XQ is a cold, scared character, but I felt WCR's inexperience caused XQ to be further flat, and one dimensional, therefore limiting what YY could also bring with his character. They both appeared rather lacking in certain scenes, and for me, her blank look, or crying actually made YY look like the strong performance here.
I for one don't find YY to be the worst actor, but do agree with comments that his performance can also be better/worse depending on the FL's abilities too.

Themes
This show is rife with propaganda. From the music, to the signs, to the glorification of noble careers such as firefighting and medicine, there are subliminal, and obvious messages about communism throughout the show. I'm aware they left out some key themes from the book such as government corruption etc. which did not sit well with a lot of people.

The one theme/lesson I did really enjoy is SY's ability to let bygones be bygones and not live his life consumed by hatred and revenge. Despite XQ's mother sabotaging him twice in his life - from failing his initial military admission to later setting him up so that he couldn't get a promotion, I respect his ability to live life free from anger. The scene where he's trying to get his cousin Zhai Miao to hand in the footage of Ye Zi, he says "I didn't forgive or forget what the Meng family did to me, I chose not to live my life with hatred". He let it go for himself, not for them.

Music
The music was tried to the propaganda and was all about "respect the party, be disciplined, work hard". While I am not against any of these messages (lesser favourtism towards 'being loyal to the party') it did feel strange to be the backdrop of a show whose main storyline was romance. For me, the music leaned more towards a show regarding their careers.

Ending
I was neutral about the ending. The mother never thanked/apologised to SY which was a big flaw for me, even after he saved her. I was disappointed they didn't show the wedding between SY and XQ and that she went back to her family, unlike the book - I suppose to align with the value of filial piety. Her parents got off scot free.
The secondary characters, such as Jiang Yi and Li Meng, albeit brief, did get some ending. I wished Yanchen/Ye Zi and some of the other characters had more written about them, and what happened next.

Overall, a show with some great positives, but a lot of flaws. Ep 23 onwards is worth rewatching, but it is a show you can skip a lot of. Good if you're a YY fan.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Genom
0 people found this review helpful
Aug 8, 2023
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 8.5

likeable couple with unlikeable angsty family

Fireworks of My Heart -8,5/10 -cdrama

angsty action romance drama with firefighters and hospital theme.

By angsty I mean FLs family is very unlikeable and demanding and controlling.
Practically without FLs family problems which was dragging this drama tempo down. This drama could have just 20+- eps rather than 40eps it got now + it wouldnt be as angsty and could be nicer romcom.

plot - ML and FL were close friends in their younger years, but FLs family disapproved of their relationship and forced them apart. Over the past decade, they have both pursued their dreams, with ML becoming a dedicated fire chief and FL becoming an emergency doctor. Fate brings them back together as they work in their respective fields, but they are not entirely happy about the reunion.

As they collaborate, they notice how much they have grown since their separation, but there are unresolved issues between them. The question arises whether they can overcome the obstacles and develop their newfound relationship into something more meaningful or if it will remain as fleeting as their past friendship.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
eden
0 people found this review helpful
Jul 28, 2023
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 7.0

Call an Ambulance! Call an Ambulance! And Yes, for Me ;)

Before I begin, I want to express my surprise and delight that this is the first cdrama I've watched where the main intro doesn't spoil much of the plot (yes, the ending, but it's a romance, what else are we going to expect?).

Spoiler free ✧・゚:*
After reading the synopsis, I decided to give Fireworks of My Heart a go for old nostalgia’s sake. The first Chinese drama I fell absolutely in love with was “You Are My Hero,” and this one did not disappoint in giving me a similar tale.

FOMH tells the story of ER surgeon, Xu Qin, and her high school sweetheart and now firefighter, Song Yan. After being torn apart and split up years ago, the two finally reconnect thanks to their respective careers. However, though Xu Qin still loves Song Yan, their love story cannot rekindle so easily. From emergency cases, heartbreak, family disagreements, miscommunication, hidden secrets, and love so deep it can blind them like a fire’s flame, we get to watch them on their healing journey and their "like a moth to a flame" habits.

Borderline spoilers *:・゚
Song Yan is indeed my new crush <3 He is so kind to his loved ones, but he also stays true to his boundaries. He follows his heart but leads with his head. He is protective, brave, understanding, solemn and mature. With the hardships that came with being intertwined with Xu Qin, he handled many situations extremely well, showcasing a great temperament and habit of compassion. There was not one scene where I did not see him as rational or anything other than ideal.

Xu Qin was adopted by the Meng family at a young age due to her parents passing in a fire. This is something I wish the plot touched on as we were only given this information thanks to a dream she had late in the drama. However, I also understand that she was fairly young, so the impact primarily came from living with the controlling and manipulative Meng family (in particular, the mother). Xu Qin has a strong temper when it comes to Song Yan or her work, but in the presence of his family, she is extremely docile. Due to the controlling trauma she endured at a young age, she has grown to never step out of line, even if it means giving up on her love (*wink* *wink*). Though, gradually, she learns that her successes should be defined and controlled by herself, making a complex yet sad relationship dynamic with her family counterpart.

Jiang Yu, a firefighter alongside Song Yan, is my man!! Love, love, love. Not to mention that all of the firefighters were an absolute joy to watch. I loved their personalities and their own personal dilemmas we got the occasional glimpse of.

Meng Yan Chen, Xu Qin’s “brother,” was an interesting character. His development was interesting, but the heavily implied liking to his sister was not my favorite aspect to the plot. Nevertheless, he furthered examples of the burden living in the Meng family feels like.

Conclusion ⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚
There were some aspects I found boring (like some of the family discussions) and others I found so fun to watch (Jiang Yu and his later love interest ;)). The action scenes were done very well, and my heart did indeed race at times. The acting from our main characters was extremely well done and they both had captivating performances (ex. when Xu Qin got drunk). Overall, I would recommend this to others if you are looking for a second chance romance with lots of action outside of their burning hearts.

Pinterest plug: https://www.pinterest.com/ed3nelle/drama-fireworks-of-my-heart/

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Suzie Queue
0 people found this review helpful
Aug 13, 2023
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
This review may contain spoilers

Enduring Love Wins - And a Smoking-Hot Hero Helps!

Right off the bat, I chose this drama for Yang Yang. Despite some of the nasty remarks and reviews I read; I think he did a very good job with this character. The hesitation to trust, holding himself back, his sincerity. I loved Song Yan more than any other character. Yes, the camera has a love affair with Yang Yang, but he is talented in his own right - and we are the recipients of his good looks and his talents.

The ensemble was great. There was such chemistry between the firefighters - there was such chemistry between the family members - even the dysfunctional ones. Xu Qin's parents and her brother gave compelling performances. I don't think there was one character who wasn't convincing, and I loved the side couples a lot too.

The story itself was ok - the writers and the director scored pretty much on their telling of the bravery and commitment of these first responders and gave them all very human sides. Even the bystanders and general public were both as heroic and sometimes as disgusting as people can be in real life. I think there could have been a tad less action and more interaction between the individuals to develop their connections - but I appreciated the moments of sentiment and emotion. The most touching part for me was Dapeng's parents reading his letter. There was not a dry eye in the house (or mine either) - the raw emotion of every firefighter in that room was real and raw.

Wang Chu Ran scored as Xu Qin. Her character, in my opinion, was the most flawed of all. She managed to bring all of that dysfunction and insecurity to life. Xu Qin was an indulged, insecure, protected woman who understandably was so impacted by her upbringing and her own personality. She finally managed to stand on her own two feet and appreciate the love she had in Song Yan. It sure took her long enough! Best scene for me? When Zhai Miao dropped the bomb on what Xu Qin's mother had done to ruin Song Yan's career efforts and reality bit. Hard!

Some reviews said there wasn't any chemistry between the ML & FL. I don't agree. Although Xu Qin's feelings for Song Yan were a little conditional at first, Song Yan's love for Xu Qin was always obvious in his touch, tenderness and the way he looked at her. As their relationship grew and Xu Qin began to realize the true wealth of his love, her own feelings blossomed. It was an understated but intense love portrayed so well by these two actors. (On a purely superficial note, I do hope they are a couple in real life).

I didn't need a wedding to wrap the ending up - but we didn't need a crisis either. It would have been more satisfying to spend the time to wrap up the side-couples' stories a little better.

Rewatch? I'd gladly sit through 40 episodes again for Yang Yang.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
dramafanaticpp
0 people found this review helpful
Aug 13, 2023
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

Old school trope, pretty good execution

Watch if you:

1. Enjoy firefighting/medical dramas like 9-1-1, Grey’s Anatomy, Station 19. Some portions seemed very much like these American series which were good, not a bad thing!


2. Don’t mind the old school trope about parental disapproval with an EXTREMELY toxic mother

Yang Yang and Wang Chu Ran were great together. The relationship was also felt more realistic than most dramas, with the speed and ‘closeness’, the sweetness. There wasn’t much of the ‘just-got-together-shyness’ which can be quite annoying or frustrating so this was refreshing!

The friendships in the station, at the hospital and outside were all super heartwarming to watch, I skipped some of the toxic mother parts but definitely did not skip any moments in the station!

FL was super annoying in the beginning with her weakness towards her toxic mom and even her job but her growth was so well executed, watching how she learnt to stand up for herself and also learning to love her job beyond it being just a career.

I did not appreciate the extend which they made the mom toxic and how dragged out that trope was but it was ok - skip 10s button available ? everything else made up for it so I would recommend a watch!

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Kiunzi889
0 people found this review helpful
Aug 18, 2023
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 9.0

Explosive Cdrama




The two leads do have chemistry. It's not as deeply rooted as one would like it to be, but there is some chemistry between the two leads. There is one scene where Xu Qin seems to be pouring her heart out and she was very much in character. However, SY has a very one-dimensional look that showed little emotion besides a frown here and there. If it were not from XQ I could not truly believe they had a deep connection in the past or present. Butttt there is room for character development with his emotions and connecting.

I am not a fan of either lead but I have seen their work.
Yang Yang - is great at frowning and looking serious and also confused. Yet he has a great smile when he decides to. However, it does not really add the emotion needed for some scenes with her. This is probably because his character has been hurt and does have a career that could possibly end his life as well as others at any given moment.
Wang Churan- is great at looking like she has not one emotion which is again, what her character calls for in the beginning.
She received little love growing up. She was probably traumatized. (You will later learn why she’s so obedient as an adult even when her best interests are at stake.) She does however show emotions when faced with the ml. That would make sense since she has only experience happiness while with him. Her character also calls for an empty shell of a person trying to reconnect with what made her smile so many years ago. I must say she has bodied that type of character and I’m sure it’s what the producers had in mind when they casted her for the role. She may need characters that take her away from her comfort zone.
So, my only concern would be their chemistry and not how they look with coworkers. I mean who smiles while trying to save a life. That would be awkward, I think.

It’s cute, funny, loving, calming, refreshing and enjoyable. It can make a great go to after a very intense series when you need something more calm and relaxing in the storytelling approach. Their love seems to be very meaningful to them both and that's always an interesting outlook.

?

Ongoing 40/40tanuplm
47 people found this review helpful
Other reviews by this user 10
Overall10
Story10
Acting/Cast10
Music10
Rewatch Value9.0
yang yang is very famous in India

I'm in medical field....so I like the concept of doctors and firefighters..and also the concept of cooperation between medical and firefighters....and their dedication for serving the people.....although nobody here is interested in Chinese drama except yang yang...I love this drama❤️and his previous work specially glory of forces..his acting was so good... soldiers go through various hell like torture..they portrayed very well...glory of forces and who rules the world is damm famous here.....



Ughhhh.... This is the 2nd time this year that I just feel so d*mn tired after watching drama. If not for my Yang Yang, I already drop this after a few ep in.... The 5⭐️ score really just grace because of my Yang Yang, if not I don't know how much I gonna give this drama score.

This is also the 2nd time this year that I so d*mn tired with the characteristic of the FL. How much I wanna slap & shaking Xu Qin (XQ) for making such stupid decision. Yeah yeah I know that's how she raised by her evil mom her whole life. But I also wanna shake & punch Song Yan (SY) for let himself be degraded over and over by XQ mom. And SY did all







I am really shocked to see low-scoring reviews for this drama. It has everything you want. It has bromance, romance, and action. The acting is great. Both lead and support actors/actresses are nailing their parts. The pace of the drama is realistic. It is a modern drama, and as a result, nothing magically happens. It takes time for emotions to be developed and mature.
If you follow the pace of the drama, you will cherish every little development between the leads. I believe people who drop this drama or don't find it satisfying are the ones who are skipping along the episodes and missing important hints.
My advice is to take your time watching this drama, experience the lead's ups and downs with them, and you will have a magical time riding their emotional waves. This is a masterpiece.Read More


Love at first sight, reconcile 10 years later between two Individuals of Noble Profession.

It’s love at first sight for ML in their teenage years, both 19. FL reciprocate the love but wasn’t brave and strong enough to defy her family. She left him but her heart never love again. ML tried but FL’s family is powerful, influential and did some unscrupulous act to harm ML, leaving him broken. But he also never gave up on his love for her and he choose to never love again. Till they reconciled by accident 10 years later, she is a medical doctor and he is a firefighter. Fate and time and time they were brought together and their love for each other continues to grow. FL wants to pursue ML but she still struggles with lack of bravery and courage to break her family ties thinking she is indebted to them. She is an adoptive child and was grateful of her adoptive parents providing for her, hence she struggles with intense guilt, till she discovered what her adoptive mom has done to harm ML and their love for her is conditioned and not genuine. ML is also an adopted child by his uncle’s family. His own father was an alcoholic who died in accident and his mom abandoned him, however his adoptive family provides secure and healthy love allowing ML to grow up with a lot more courage and resilience, hence he understands FL struggles and wanted to be her strengths. The catalyst of their relationship happened from ep 25 onwards, due to a major earthquake, both learnt they can’t live without each other and reconciled finally. After that, the rest of the series, there will be a few more incidents involving change in FL’s adoptive brother and parents. I love that at least this drama didn’t make an ultimate villain out of FL’s adoptive family. It gave the audience a chance to learn how they can also change and reconciliation is possible. Both leads’ love strengthen over time and their passion in their profession continue to flourish.
Although the romance is the core, it’s not the only emphasis here, be prepared for the slow burn, but worth the wait as their romance from ep., 25 onwards is steaming hot!

Verdict:
A well written story of growth, finding your own voice and believing in love. Of all the other drama with firefighter as profession, I would say this is the best! With brotherly love, family values and love, relationship and character growth, as well as believable rescue mission. Of course strong message on the pride represented in the profession too.

Some thoughts:
Faithful love is hard to come by. It does feel that the story stemmed from showing the FL’s perspectives as victim and flaws in her character resulting in her needing ML more. ML is just purely one track mind and obsessed with her. That’s the only part I find unrealistic, ML’s obsession for FL, he can easily find another woman, but he didn’t as script requires. He just have eyes for her, and it does feel that his existence is a blessing for FL as he truly rescue her from her dysfunctional family and help her grow. As a viewer I can see that FL has strengths but was uncovered because of ML. As mentioned in the drama, at an earlier ep. 11, FL feels and said she doesn’t deserve him, and she will harm him as she is not brave enough, which is very insightful and true in some perspectives.
However as the story progresses, it shows her growth in character and strength, learning to attune to her own needs and learning to love, as well as learning to be an independent adult through various events and experiences of her profession. ML to me, written here was flawless, I may be bias as because he is Yang Yang. Lol! Although ML was slightly rebellious in young age, he grew to take responsibility for self, family and the profession he hold prideful of.
Both Yang Yang and Wang Chu Ran are a beautiful pair. Chemistry is great.

The drama does have a lot more emphasis on
The script is nothing new & dialogue is boring. The ONLY reason to watch this is for YY fans. If you are average YY fan then "You are my Hero" is similar to this but with way better characters & dialogue.

Nothing against the actors but you can only do so much with a boring script.
FL has no reasons to be so timid in front of the mom
FL has zero personality based on the script
Creepy bro has no reason to be so possessive of FL
ML is overly cold towards FL
FL's adoptive mom is a must skip
Only positive is the actual rescue parts. Very patriotic and something to be wished for actual rescue workers.


The comedy was also good and the FL finding out the truth was much needed. I'm happy I got spoilers from the novel readers on when the series would deviate or not, but though not the same issues as in the novel, SY did suffer extremely at the hands of the wicked witch and her connections and I'm proud of FL for growing a backbone and standing up to that crazy old bat! I do wish ZM made her kneel all the way though. Sorry not sorry.

The rescues for the most part were very realistic though I wish they used stunt doubles for many of those scenes instead of doing it themselves. I remember seeing the explosion balcony scene when it was leaked online last year after filming and it was nuts. Both natural disasters were alright, though I wish they used more expensive CGI for them. OSTs, costumes, sets and locations were all on point.

Cons: Though the wicked witch was a great antagonist, giving her a redemption arc unlike the novel was garbage. I felt it was just bad and the drama took a hit for that; because there was no way anyone who's done that much damage to other people should just be forgiven without any jail time that we saw. So in my head, I pictured after the last episode, she'll be found guilty and sent to prison.

The ridiculous propaganda and where they put it was really bad. Like who carries their brigade's flag to the scene of an earthquake? This ain't the Olympics. You're there to rescue people not parade around. And considering how often the speechifying occurred in the middle of really random conversations, you'd think they'd be a bit more knowledgeable in first aid like CPR. How is it that in a fire and rescue house, there're no paramedics or EMT's? Yet the fire department is responsible for crowd control which is the police's job. It was all very confusing. You have two different numbers for police and for the fire department. But when you need all three, then what happens?

Also very obvious that the aftershocks many times were done by the actual actors shaking themselves and the surgical equipment plus table. The typhoon seemed to just be like a bad flood instead of what really happens inside a typhoon/hurricane. It was like they could just drive when they wanted and the wind and rain would stop periodically. Like I mentioned above, CGI needs to be better. So that also bumped the score down.










Acting: Yang Yang never disappoints me so I may be biased there, whereas the FL at times does seem to fall flat with her emotions and how she portrays this, maybe its to generate the audience to sympathise with her more, etc however to me most of the time her facial expressions are very repetitive. Having said this she is not doing this poorly. Side characters so far plays really well especially the FL's mother whom legit plays the villain persona so well I hate seeing her on screen but that is because she plays that role so well.

.

FOMH has everything I want in a drama. Lively characters, strong character backgrounds, and chemistry. Plot wise it might now be new, but the casts are all very good in making the story alive and exciting, the dynamics between the firefighters and the families are all so refreshing and enjoyable to see. I just love how everything comes to life in this drama, and how no one in this seems awkward.

Character wise SY is a bit similar to YY's character in YAMG but here he's a bit more brash and clueless(?). Also if you are sensitive to evil mother in law trope, this has some of it, so maybe be prepared.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Fireworks of My Heart (2023) poster

Details

Statistics

  • Score: 8.2 (scored by 12,475 users)
  • Ranked: #1461
  • Popularity: #530
  • Watchers: 29,579

Top Contributors

185 edits
160 edits
65 edits
49 edits

Popular Lists

Related lists from users
All Time Favorite Dramas
719 titles 1817 loves 35
No stupid BREAK UP *SPOILER*
156 titles 420 loves 461
Who is Your Favourite Cdrama Couple? ❣
322 titles 4443 voters 322 loves 74

Recently Watched By