2
1
1
Comedy, fantasy and romance rolled into one.
Blossoms of Power is quite a parade of handsome actors and beautiful actresses. Even Fan Shuai Qi, masquerading as a man (Bu Shu Lin), looks remarkably convincing — at first glance, I genuinely thought she was male. Meng Zi Yi, of course, is stunning with her pouty lips and large, expressive eyes. I would easily rank her among the top five most beautiful actresses in China.
Shen Xi He is bestowed the title of Commandery Princess. She is the daughter of the powerful General Shen Yue Shan, sworn brother of the Emperor, and arrives in the capital with great pomp, supposedly for a marriage alliance with the royal family.
Beautiful, intelligent and from a highly esteemed family, she immediately captures the attention of the unmarried princes. Soon, she has five handsome princes at her heels. Five handsome Adonises competing for you — would that not be many women's dream?
Among them is the Crown Prince, frail and sickly after being poisoned as a child. The culprit was never found. Secretly helping Xi He from behind the scenes, he makes sure things go remarkably smoothly for her. But would Xi He choose him for his prestigious position, knowing that he may not have long to live?
Then there is the obsessive Prince Xin, who is convinced that Xi He is the reincarnation of his late wife. Jeremy Xu plays the role extremely well — at times, he looks positively sociopathic. Prince Xin is essentially a good man who has, unfortunately, been driven insane by grief and obsession.
Comedy, Fantasy and Romance
I would actually classify Blossoms of Power partly as a comedy. Much of the humour comes from the Crown Prince's attempts to woo the woman of his dreams while constantly pretending to be a poor, helpless, sickly young man.
The feud between Xi He's father and maternal grandfather is also amusing. Then there is Bu Shu Lin, who keeps dragging Cui Jin Bai along to discourage princesses hoping for a marriage arrangement with her. The situation becomes even funnier when the roles reverse: Cui discovers that Bu is actually a woman — and promptly starts courting her.
There is also a definite fantasy element. It appears that the spirit of Prince Xin's late wife merges with Xi He after Xi He falls into a river on her journey from the Northwest to the capital. She subsequently retains memories from both lives.
And, of course, the courtship between Xi He and the man she eventually chooses is undeniably romantic and heart-warming.
Xi He's previous life as Prince Xin's wife must have left her deeply disappointed, particularly because he failed to protect her Gu family. That experience also explains why she scrutinises her new suitor so critically. He has to work hard to win her trust and, eventually, her heart — making this very much a slow-burn romance.
Meanwhile, the identity of the person who poisoned the Crown Prince remains a mystery throughout much of the story. And what is a good drama without a twist? Blossoms of Power delivers one, although by the later episodes I managed to guess the culprit after the drama dropped a telling hint.
My Nitpicking
One thing I cannot quite agree with is Xi He's concern that the Crown Prince is too intelligent and cunning for her. Why should having a clever husband be a problem? Did she want a man she could control?
And how does someone who has died and is already lying in a coffin suddenly resurrect? We are told that a cure was found — but he was already dead! It seems happy endings have become fashionable these days, even when they are not particularly well orchestrated. Quite a contrast to the endless tragedies of Chinese dramas from the previous decade.
Lessons to Take Away
When someone is too strong-headed or stubborn, it can lead either to constant conflict or to the other person resorting to deception simply to avoid that conflict.
And perhaps the more serious lesson: one of the greatest threats to any country is internal conflict — particularly when people who understand their own country's systems and weaknesses cooperate with an external enemy.
Overall, Blossoms of Power gets an excellent rating from me. It has beauty, humour, mystery, fantasy, political intrigue and a satisfying slow-burn romance — enough ingredients to keep me entertained right to the end.
Shen Xi He is bestowed the title of Commandery Princess. She is the daughter of the powerful General Shen Yue Shan, sworn brother of the Emperor, and arrives in the capital with great pomp, supposedly for a marriage alliance with the royal family.
Beautiful, intelligent and from a highly esteemed family, she immediately captures the attention of the unmarried princes. Soon, she has five handsome princes at her heels. Five handsome Adonises competing for you — would that not be many women's dream?
Among them is the Crown Prince, frail and sickly after being poisoned as a child. The culprit was never found. Secretly helping Xi He from behind the scenes, he makes sure things go remarkably smoothly for her. But would Xi He choose him for his prestigious position, knowing that he may not have long to live?
Then there is the obsessive Prince Xin, who is convinced that Xi He is the reincarnation of his late wife. Jeremy Xu plays the role extremely well — at times, he looks positively sociopathic. Prince Xin is essentially a good man who has, unfortunately, been driven insane by grief and obsession.
Comedy, Fantasy and Romance
I would actually classify Blossoms of Power partly as a comedy. Much of the humour comes from the Crown Prince's attempts to woo the woman of his dreams while constantly pretending to be a poor, helpless, sickly young man.
The feud between Xi He's father and maternal grandfather is also amusing. Then there is Bu Shu Lin, who keeps dragging Cui Jin Bai along to discourage princesses hoping for a marriage arrangement with her. The situation becomes even funnier when the roles reverse: Cui discovers that Bu is actually a woman — and promptly starts courting her.
There is also a definite fantasy element. It appears that the spirit of Prince Xin's late wife merges with Xi He after Xi He falls into a river on her journey from the Northwest to the capital. She subsequently retains memories from both lives.
And, of course, the courtship between Xi He and the man she eventually chooses is undeniably romantic and heart-warming.
Xi He's previous life as Prince Xin's wife must have left her deeply disappointed, particularly because he failed to protect her Gu family. That experience also explains why she scrutinises her new suitor so critically. He has to work hard to win her trust and, eventually, her heart — making this very much a slow-burn romance.
Meanwhile, the identity of the person who poisoned the Crown Prince remains a mystery throughout much of the story. And what is a good drama without a twist? Blossoms of Power delivers one, although by the later episodes I managed to guess the culprit after the drama dropped a telling hint.
My Nitpicking
One thing I cannot quite agree with is Xi He's concern that the Crown Prince is too intelligent and cunning for her. Why should having a clever husband be a problem? Did she want a man she could control?
And how does someone who has died and is already lying in a coffin suddenly resurrect? We are told that a cure was found — but he was already dead! It seems happy endings have become fashionable these days, even when they are not particularly well orchestrated. Quite a contrast to the endless tragedies of Chinese dramas from the previous decade.
Lessons to Take Away
When someone is too strong-headed or stubborn, it can lead either to constant conflict or to the other person resorting to deception simply to avoid that conflict.
And perhaps the more serious lesson: one of the greatest threats to any country is internal conflict — particularly when people who understand their own country's systems and weaknesses cooperate with an external enemy.
Overall, Blossoms of Power gets an excellent rating from me. It has beauty, humour, mystery, fantasy, political intrigue and a satisfying slow-burn romance — enough ingredients to keep me entertained right to the end.
Was this review helpful to you?
