Blossom (2024)

I am not going to lie I loved the beginning but somewhere towards the middle it started getting a bit boring, for me at least.

The plot is good and I generally like - justice is served/ revenge - type of dramas. The directing was amazing in the beginning of the series, though I did feel that as the drama was progressing it lost a bit of that WOW factor which was very prominent in the start. For some chapters (around the middle of the drama) the overall tone changed VERY noticeably into what seemed to me as slice of life + happy go lucky. Afterwards it partially regained some of it, the peak being towards the end. But it was still "contaminated" with the previous genres. I really liked the visuals all the flowers were really pretty and when mentioning visuals it is compulsory to say how gorgeous the Main lead is with that half silver half black hair, I hope he wears it in another drama as well.

Delving a bit more into the story, I was surprised at how the fl absolutely loathed her stepmother, but at the same time found it relatively easy to forgive or at least be okay with her father. And I am saying that because her mother LITERALLY committed suicide bc of the these two's betrayal. This is a topic that (combined with what the fl went through in the og lifetime) made her super distrustful of marriage, love and trust between a couple. That's why to me it seems a bit unrealistic, how she kept wanting to have a relationship with him, after all that and after everything that he kept doing or allowing his brother to do to her (e.g. engaging her to the marquis, her past life's ex- despite him not having a good reputation). I am not saying her father was the worst person in the series, he definitely had some good traits like compassion, BUT he also had a TON of negative one such as being disloyal, cowardly, indecisive, egotistical, dishonest etc. Also I get the stepsister was not bad in this life but are we supposed to just forget the fact that she poisoned the fl in the previous life? I'm not saying the fl should've taken any action towards her, but that the best action would've been to not associate with her at all. And definitely not eat any of the food she sends (or leave my friends eat it).

I LOVED the leads' chemistry in the beginning but as the story progressed the sizzling heat in their eyes seemed to wane a bit. Also the music was good, but looking back after finishing it I can't remember any particular song that stuck with me.

All in all, I liked it but I probably wouldn't rewatch it except for the beginning only.

Read More

Strongly written historical drama…

One of the best historical dramas of 2024 and one that came out of no where. A highly recommended watch!

The Good

The plot is strong and executed very well. It’s one of the most fleshed out stories that lack plot holes and cliches that we see in dramas. Most of the characters were well rounded and motivations were clear. With the two main leads not being traffic stars, they both carried this drama excellently. I also appreciated the slow burn romance displayed in this drama. The pacing and growth was definitely well received and refreshing. A very mature love story as well. Next, the cinematography was amazing. Although this had a lower budget, the money was spent in the right places. Hats off to the director for the well shot scenes and quality production! The OST was beautiful and tailored well to each scene. Lastly, we finally have a proper ending. I personally don’t care if it’s a happy or sad ending but what I want is a complete end that makes the most sense for the story and I’m glad we were able to achieve that through this show.

The Bad

My only complaint is for the 3 characters, Wang Yingxue, Miao Ansu, and Wei Ting Zhen. I would have liked to see their characters fleshed out a little better. These were the only characters that were very black and white, one dimensional with no real motivations for their deeds. Would have liked more of a backstory into their emotions and reasons to understand them better. Otherwise, every other major character made sense.

Read More

Best Cdrama

When I started watching Blossom, I assumed it would just be another typical story, like A Perfect Marriage Revenge or Marrying My Husband. But I was completely wrong—this drama is in a league of its own!

Everything about it is absolutely captivating, from the plot to the characters. What stands out the most is the female lead. She’s so intelligent and resourceful that you can’t help but believe no one can outwit her as long as she’s around. Her presence alone elevates the entire storyline.

I used to underestimate C-dramas, but Blossom has completely changed my perspective.

P.S. If you haven’t started watching this yet, do yourself a favor and dive into it now. You’re missing out on something truly exceptional!

Read More

what’s not to love

I am biased but finally confirming there are 2 sets of twins on the show have really cemented this show for me. I’d love to see a spinoff of adventures with Song Mo and then Lu twins and see adventures of Dou Zhao and the Su twins with Mr. Chen as well lol. even though this drama had many episodes cut it is not as noticeable as some. I also read online the WebNovel and as confusing as the translation was, I’m glad it is somewhat different in many areas. in terms of star power, again biased, I already had high hopes for Li Yunrui it’s Jian Yong that surprised me and made me want to look into j]him as an actor more. I loved seeing familiar faces and discovering new faces. can we all agree that Ming and Ansu are absolutely stunning. I have 2 more eps to go but can say for sure this is on my rewatch list. and maybe if we’re lucky like they have with some before, they’ll release the full series as a special. if you’re in the fence, don’t be. the story is great, cast, great, scenes, lighting, ost awesome. did I mention the leads are also singing here. A+ hands down.

Read More

Enthralled From Beginning Until the End!

From the very first episode until the end, "Blossom" kept my eyes glued to the screen. Every single second, and scene was captivating. Every single character in this drama played their part well, and was very important to get this drama skyrocketing to it's current popularity.

Meng Zi Yi has been working really hard as a supporting actress for many years, and I've seen her in a plethora of dramas. I'm very happy to see her main role in "Blossom" do so incredibly well! It has been a long time coming for her, I'm really happy that she got the breakthrough she has so long worked for. Meng portroyed Dou Zhao very naturally and I love the power she gives to the character. Dou Zhao was given a second chance of life, and she did not waste a single drop of knowledge in her second life. She fought hard and well to protect Song Mo and the people she loves and cares for. Despite many enemies wanting her dead, she was able to weave her way out even without Song Mo. She's not your average mistress in distress FL, she's a heroine in this drama. She's, as Song Mo stated, the strategist and reinforcement of his life. She would do anything to protect Song Mo, and vice versa!

Moving on to Li Yun Rui. I've only seen him in "Love Like The Galaxy," and boy was he annoying in that drama for me. However, he redeemed himself in "Blossom" and has become an actor that I won't skip on his next project, that's only if the synopsis is good. lol I digress. Li Yun Rui embodied Song Mo very well. He showcased what Song Mo is all about - justice and love. He will always fight for justice, and is not afraid to tell the emperor how disappointed he is when justice is not served. And also put two princes in their place. LOL Of course, he would protect Dou Zhao as much as he can. Li Yun Rui's ability to act with micro expression can be quite comedic in a good way. There are definitely moments where he needs to work on his acting just a tad bit. But overall, everything he did was very natural and I didn't notice anything off at the very least. Song Mo's life is quite depressing because he was hated by his father for secret reasons. I like that the drama makes you question the stupidity of the elders and everyone involved but then when the truth comes out - it all makes sense. I almost dropped this drama because I thought the father was being ridculous for absolute no reason. LMAO But all is well, you just have to keep watching to know and understand everything!

"Blossom" feels like it follows the life of both Dou Zhao and Song Mo from their 2nd life meeting, courtship, marriage, kids, and life onwards. I really enjoyed watching every moment of this drama, except for maybe some political parts but I digress. There was barely any angst between the main leads, which indiciates that not every drama needs ANGST! *cough* Even without angst, it still kept the audience engaged. There are many dramas I've watched this year that fell short mid way or even towards the end. However, "Blossom" was the opposite. Even the last 4 episodes kept me on my toes, I was screaming, engaged, did not blink, oh my god, the battle was phenomennal and intense!

I like that the drama included a gun and a clock. Both of which you don't see often in Ming Dynasty dramas, it was a nice touch that I couldn't help but notice. :]

"Blossom" was about Dou Zhao and Song Mo's fight to protect the righteousness of the throne. People either want them dead or want them on their side.

I would definitely recommend this drama if you like a wholesome marriage between leads, smart heroine, and strong yet resilient hero, amazing plot, and great screenwriting and directory.

Read More

Very satisfying to watch

I decided to watch it as I've heard some good reviews about the first few episodes, and it definitely blows my expectation. I can't really tell that this was a lower budget production at first as it got great cinematography and overall good story & acting.

Pros
- Zhaomo
They are hands down my favorite couple in dramaland now. They are the standard and I just love their relationship so much. The romance development is amazing, the pace is just right and I really could believe in every stages of their relationship. I really love their married life as well, it's so much more intimate than what is shown in other dramas imo.

- Great cinematography
Director is the biggest asset in this drama, he have clear direction and is a good storyteller. While I love the main characters, I also love to see side characters have their own memorable shot, so I really like this director's style. I am definitely looking forward to see his future works.

- Solid script
Script is solid overall. Characters are well written and have their own highlight, story have a clear direction, plenty of good dialogues throughout, and I like the resolution as well. There are some plot holes here and there, but it's quite minimal and still within acceptable level to me.

- Good acting
The acting here is overall pretty good and nothing bothers me, everyone fits their role quite well.

- Good ending
Honestly I was so worried it's gonna end so badly since I don't like the major plot development after their marriage (especially for episode 27-32), but I'm glad it ends on good note and overall still makes sense to me. Some of the storyline could be better though (Songhan x Ansu, Jiyong, Empress x Emperor)... but it's a pretty good ending considering other dramas that I have watched in recent years, so I'm very satisfied overall.

Cons
- Uneven quality for both directing and script
The directing -- some episodes in latter half was not as good as the beginning, the dip in quality is more noticeable since the beginning was really good imo. Thankfully it got redeemed on the last few episodes.

The script also suffer from this as some characters or arc are not that well written, in particular Songhan x Ansu, Jiyong, and Empress x Emperor storyline could be better. I'm not sure if it's because they run out of budget or the censorship cuts few episodes, but I really wish Blossom have few more episodes to develop the latter half better as the plot was too jam packed towards the end.

- Action scenes feel lacking in last episode
Action scenes in the beginning was really good and it's what caught my attention the most... but unfortunately the last battle leaves more to be desired. Again I'm not sure if it's because of budget or time constraint, but I wish the last battle is grander.

Overall I'm very satisfied with the series. I wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for something perfect because it's not... but if you're looking for something fun with amazing leads, good cinematography, compelling characters, and good ending, then please try to watch it.
Please note that my rating is slightly higher as I really enjoyed watching it and the ending makes me feels like it's worth the express fee that I paid.

Read More

Don’t believe the hype - this is barely a concept of a storyline…

Very disappointing, I chose to watch this drama as I have been a fan of Li Yun Rui since Love like the Galaxy and I was pleased to see him in a ML role for a change; but this drama and his performance in it has turned out to be a pretty average vehicle for his leap into stardom.

The only positive thing I could say is that I do like Dou Zhao‘s adversarial relationship with her wicked stepmother, that at least made the storyline interesting. However, once the step mother was out of the picture, the series totally jumped the shark into the dark depths of - utter boredom.

I had been binge watching this series up to episode 18 when I started to lose interest, even though the marriage between Song Mo and Dou Zhao should have been exciting but just felt like a flat device amongst all the other unsatisfactory plotlines going on especially the one about Song Mo’s uncle’s unsolved murder.

I spent most of episodes 27 & 28 wondering just WTH was going on (?!) what with Song Han’s odd progression from hero worshiping younger brother to evil arch nemesis complete with expert level martial arts skills; which even Song Mo was surprised about. The rushed wedding between Song Han and Miao Ansu, who somehow progressed from humble merchant to princess. And I nearly forgot about, Ji Yong being revealed to be the evil mastermind behind Prince Ying with his target being Mantis Song.

And what’s the point of the dumbass Emperor?

A 6 yo could write a better script for a c-drama than this!

There is no way that this series deserves to be labelled as the best of 2024, or even the best of a bad bunch; unless of course you are so desperate that your standards have dropped; in which case do watch The story of Pearl Girl to sort your head out.

Overall, Blossom is so poor I can’t even be bothered to see what the final outcome will be; stopped watching at episode 28.

Read More

Oozing chemistry, great plot ,definitely a 10/10

This is my 2nd time adding a review strangely dramas that have blossom in it attract me (blossom in adversity)
Will keep it short,simple everyone has to give this drama a try 1st ep all about past well e
real fun starts from ep 3 but enjoyed all episodes till now watching ep 11 and this drama has the potential to make me stick to it till the end
I find all actors giving their best and the CHEMISTRY yeah that's what is just amazing it couldn't be described in words you have to watch it
These and some of the things like the visuals ,the setup ,cgi not used that much but how it is used is superb yeah one of the most important thing storyline pace it is perfect for 34 episodes well i am waiting for their fake marriage 😚🤭🤭ohhh and the princess treatment 😩😩😩😩🔥🔥🔥
That was alk thanks for reading

Read More

The Dark Horse of The Year

"Blossom" shows that a great story and solid execution can outshine big budgets and famous actors. This drama, though simple on the surface, stands out as one of the best of the year.

It's such a heartfelt story, pulling you into its world with raw emotions and thoughtful storytelling. The casts, while not A-lister, delivers powerful performances that feel genuine and natural. Their chemistry brings the characters to life in a way that’s truly captivating.

What makes "Blossom" special is its direction and script. Every scene feels purposeful, and the pacing keeps you hooked from start to finish.

"Blossom" proves you don’t need flashy effects or big names to make something unforgettable. It’s a hidden gem that deserves all the praise, truly the dark horse of the year.

Note: I will update my review after I've finished watching

Read More

Excellent historical series, with a great CL.

PLOT: The FL, daughter of a minister, married to a moron who cheats on her, unloved by her family, leaves her husband, meets the ML (poisoned general, helping the Qing prince to access the throne and betrayed by him). They are both killed. She wakes up as a teenager and tries to “put things right”: death of her mother, hostility from her stepmother, corruption from her uncle, etc. The ML also has a dysfunctional family and lives with his loving general uncle. Later, they marry and try to survive plots, succession conflicts at Court, etc.

+++ Excellent actors (all). I'm delighted to see Li Yun Rui in his second lead role (he deserves it).
+++ Very beautiful cinematography: sets, costumes, framing, lighting, fight scenes. Everything is perfect.
+++ Excellent OST
+++ Dynamic realization, without downtime. Very catchy start, full of mystery, suspense.

### Some lengths in the 2nd part. A few clichés (poisoned ML, succession struggle, etc.). The “2nd chance” part is not exploited enough.

=> Excellent historical series, with a great CL.
******************************************************
PLOT: La FL, fille d'1 ministre, mariée à un crétin qui la trompe, mal aimée par sa famille, quitte son mari, rencontre le ML (général empoisonné, aidant le prince Qing à accéder au trône et trahi par lui) et ils sont tués ts les 2. Elle se réveille ado et tente de "redresser" les choses : mort de sa mère, hostilité de sa belle-mère, corruption de son oncle, etc. Le ML a également 1 famille dysfonctionnelle et se réfugie près de son oncle général. Plus tard, ils se marient et tentent de survivre aux complots, conflits de succession à la Cour, etc.

+++ Excellents acteurs (tous). Je suis ravie de voir Li Yun Rui dans son 2e main lead rôle (il le mérite bien).
+++ Très belle cinématographie : décors, costumes, cadrages, lumières, scènes de fight. Tout est parfait.
+++ Excellentes OST
+++ Réalis° dynamique, sans temps mort. Début très accrocheur, plein de mystère, de suspense.

### Qq longueurs dans la 2e partie. Qq clichés (ML empoisonné, lutte de succession, etc.). La partie "2e chance" n'est pas assez exploitée.

=> Excellente série historique, avec un great CL.

Read More