First of all, I'm genuinely surprised this review got so much attention. I wasn't expecting that at all. I often write reviews here simply to express my opinion because, to me, that's what reviews are for. I'm not a professional TV or film critic, nor do I claim to be. I was simply sharing my personal experience with this drama.
That said, many people pointed out that I was being unfair because I had only watched three episodes when I originally posted this review. That's true. However, after posting it, a lot of friends and people on social media kept telling me that the drama gets much better later on. Because of that, I continued watching until episode 9. After doing so, I still decided to drop it, and I still stand by the original points I made in this review.
To everyone who enjoyed this drama, I'm genuinely happy for you. It's always nice to have another show to appreciate and spend your time on. But entertainment is subjective. Liking or disliking a drama, an actor, or an actress is ultimately a matter of personal taste.
Some people also said my expectations were too high. Honestly... yes, they were. And that's exactly why I ended up disappointed. There's nothing wrong with acknowledging that. I actually love going into a drama with no expectations and being pleasantly surprised, but that wasn't the case here. My expectations were built by the promotional material, the trailers, the posters, and the amount of hype surrounding this production before it aired.
I also want to clarify my comments about Zhang Linghe. I like the female lead very much—I think she's beautiful and a very talented actress. As for Zhang Linghe, I'm fairly neutral toward him.
Many comments focused on the fact that he "wasn't even the standout in Pursuit of Jade." Whether that's true or not really isn't the point I was making. I only mentioned Pursuit of Jade because it was his previous major role and the project that, in my experience, put him all over my social media feeds. I wasn't comparing him to his co-stars because they aren't relevant to this review or to this drama.
You can absolutely argue that he wasn't the strongest performer in Pursuit of Jade. I might even agree with you. My point was simply that there was a lot of anticipation surrounding his next project. TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms were full of edits of his character, promotional photos, and discussions about what he would do next. Whether that hype was deserved or not is a separate discussion, but the hype undeniably existed, and it naturally influenced the expectations many viewers—including mine—had going into this drama.
In the end, agree or disagree with me—that's completely fine. I'm not here to argue with anyone or convince people to dislike a drama they enjoyed. I won't be rewriting my original review just because I watched more episodes afterward. I did, however, lower my score after reaching episode 9, because my overall opinion became even less favorable.
At the end of the day, it's just an opinion. It isn't a personal attack on anyone who loves this drama, and I hope people can disagree without taking it personally.
it is not him imagining her personality but a writing choice to make the scene comical. he is overreacting or better yet, overthinking and imagining the "worst", that being her actually flirty with someone else. he is a jealous, introvert teenager. its his imagination running wild, not his actual view of her.
ML doesnt have any relationship with FL. She has one sided relationship with ML ..she thinks he is a friend. but…
this is not true at all. he sees her as a competitor? yes, because he also wants to achieve great things like she does. he explains he admires her, not envies her, and sees her as a model. he also constantly protects her and is caring towards her.
it is ok to want to be as good as your friend when you both have the same goals. he was also very honest to her about it.
update: the male lead is actually really nice and the actor is doing a good job for an introvert that is genuinely nice to people. i am enjoying it sm more after episode 8, it's so adorable.
Sorry but is the FL supposed to be clever? All i see is her sniffing out some insense from miles away like a dog.…
She is also clever in the way she interacts with the court intrigues. She never loses het cool, openly takes in information and then uses it to her advantage. Also not afraid to use her position, power and violence to make a point. Yes the incense is a big part of this story, but then again it is called Blossoms of Power and she has a whole past life connection to them.
finished never ending summer and it was a cool experience. i see why everyone loved it and i really liked it too though it wasn't my favorite of the year. still a solid watch with great chemistry and amazing acting. 8,5/10.
this is filmed so beautifully. i can almost smell the incense, the flowers and the greens. everything is athmospheric in the best way, and with the acting and the way things are written, it is quickly becoming a classic in my book.
I'm afraid you will be disappointed on the "fast paced" part. I'm on ep 18 and it has been a drag. FL's…
i've heard some things about it starting to be draggy after episode 10 😠still, will give it a shot for 4 eps and if i dislike it then i won't continue.
That said, many people pointed out that I was being unfair because I had only watched three episodes when I originally posted this review. That's true. However, after posting it, a lot of friends and people on social media kept telling me that the drama gets much better later on. Because of that, I continued watching until episode 9. After doing so, I still decided to drop it, and I still stand by the original points I made in this review.
To everyone who enjoyed this drama, I'm genuinely happy for you. It's always nice to have another show to appreciate and spend your time on. But entertainment is subjective. Liking or disliking a drama, an actor, or an actress is ultimately a matter of personal taste.
Some people also said my expectations were too high. Honestly... yes, they were. And that's exactly why I ended up disappointed. There's nothing wrong with acknowledging that. I actually love going into a drama with no expectations and being pleasantly surprised, but that wasn't the case here. My expectations were built by the promotional material, the trailers, the posters, and the amount of hype surrounding this production before it aired.
I also want to clarify my comments about Zhang Linghe. I like the female lead very much—I think she's beautiful and a very talented actress. As for Zhang Linghe, I'm fairly neutral toward him.
Many comments focused on the fact that he "wasn't even the standout in Pursuit of Jade." Whether that's true or not really isn't the point I was making. I only mentioned Pursuit of Jade because it was his previous major role and the project that, in my experience, put him all over my social media feeds. I wasn't comparing him to his co-stars because they aren't relevant to this review or to this drama.
You can absolutely argue that he wasn't the strongest performer in Pursuit of Jade. I might even agree with you. My point was simply that there was a lot of anticipation surrounding his next project. TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms were full of edits of his character, promotional photos, and discussions about what he would do next. Whether that hype was deserved or not is a separate discussion, but the hype undeniably existed, and it naturally influenced the expectations many viewers—including mine—had going into this drama.
In the end, agree or disagree with me—that's completely fine. I'm not here to argue with anyone or convince people to dislike a drama they enjoyed. I won't be rewriting my original review just because I watched more episodes afterward. I did, however, lower my score after reaching episode 9, because my overall opinion became even less favorable.
At the end of the day, it's just an opinion. It isn't a personal attack on anyone who loves this drama, and I hope people can disagree without taking it personally.
it is ok to want to be as good as your friend when you both have the same goals. he was also very honest to her about it.