Reviews

The Fallen Lady Got Up Greatly

The Fallen Lady Returns is such a great short drama. Zhang Xi Yin (played by Teng Ze Wen) was forced to marry into a family by the evil empress. Her husband and in-laws wanted her shops and wealth so badly. The husband killed her and left her for dead. She was reborn and set out on a path of revenge. She worked out a association with the emperor's brother, Prince Duan Jian Li (played by Zhan Yu). He was very apprehensive when it came to dealing with Zang Xi Yin, in the very beginning. When it seemed that their alliance was not going to work, she tried to meet the prince's sister, but the guards turned Xi Yin away. She waited in a building not far from the temple. An assassin wanted to kill the princess by knocking her out and burning her alive in the temple. Xi Yin rushed into the temple and got the princess out, but she herself was trapped until she was rescued by Prince Jian Li. The bond between Zhang Xi Yin, Prince Duan Jian Li and his sister was formed.

Anyways, I will not rehash what others reviewers already reviewed. I would just say that Prince Jian Li was responsible for getting a divorce for Zhang Xi Yin, away from the evil family. She learned to kill and she was very intelligent. She was a great schemer. She saved the emperor from the empresses rebellion and thus saved the country.

Zhang Xi Yin and Prince Duan Jian Li were set on their course of bliss.

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A love letter to Me, You, and Kashgar.

This was truly one of the most beautiful pieces of work I have watched. The portrayal of Kashgar culture was beautiful, while still staying rooted in its realities.
As someone from Pakistan (which borders, and therefore blends with, Kashgar), I thought the way they presented the culture, their norms and customs, was really well researched, and I found myself relating and enraptured by the representation.

The story follows 3 girls, each with their own distinct stories, struggles, ambitions, and growth, as they move through life, make decisions, meet people, face consequences, and learn lessons. These people, along with every other character, make mistakes, fall, get back up, and grow. Their decisions feel realistic and comfort you with their familiarity.
They showed the beauty of the traditions and roots, while also displaying the problems with the society (something which I found the most relatable).

I think the love this drama has is so unique. I can't help but feel the true appreciation the production has for this drama, from the writers to the directors and actors, and even the camerawork.
Even though it was only 8 episodes, this is by far the best pacing I have seen in a drama, ever.
The cinematography was breathtaking, and the music unique in its presence.

I 10000% recommend this; it is worth every second.

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Definitely queer, disguised under the protective shield of "Bromance" label

This review is mainly about the interpersonal emotions and messages of the show, but I will have some opinions on the main plot as well later.

SPOILERS OBVIOUSLY

They are written as an "unspoken" romance, their bond is beyond platonic. They have a soul binding, they think of each other when people ask whether they met someone they feel connected to and want to stay forever with, they exchanged necklace and ring (on the ring finger!!) like spouses, they would die for each other, they get flustered at implications of being a couple, they have scenes framed in an extremely romantic way while they look at each other like lovers do. If one of them were a girl this would be widely accepted mutual yearning situationship without any "sibling/bestie" labeling.
I like platonic soulmate dynamics but this is already in romance territory. The characters don't need to confess or acknowledge it to be considered canon. Other characters acknowledge it and the subtext does too (even the OST!!). In my opinion it doesn't need to be stated out loud to be canon because the characters are just written like that, to be stubborn and prideful and shy, unable to admit their own feelings. Some canon ships never get together just like some people irl also never get together despite being in love with each other, due to societal circumstances or not wanting to leave the comfort and safety of being friends in fear of ruining it, or simply because friendship and love can be hard to define, sometimes impossible to define and it doesn't always matter to the people involved whether they call themselves a "couple" or "friends".
The show doesn't treat the audience like idiots, the romance doesn't need to be explained to us, the ones who see it get it.

It is pretty obvious but of course never said word for word and officially labeled as bromance which is a good protective shield for actors still. SkyNani aren't bound to the BL genre which sadly happens to some actors once they go all out on the "BL actor" title, they cannot explore outside their niche cuz even in the year of our lord 2026 BL is considered a genre and not treated the same as hetero romance or other non romantic media in general. It may also be more profitable and marketable to mainstream audiences and homophobic countries.
But to me and many others it is interpreted as intentionally written like a romance.

In canon they are friends, and friendship does not negate romantic feelings. They are friends, platonic soulmates even, yes. But they are also additionally in love.

My thoughts on the overarching plot itself:
Flawed and sometimes confusing or rushed, some under utilized characters (Fei especially) but all in all great premise.
Very unique and carries a beautiful message. I loved how they made a point about anger and demons being valid, natural to humans and not inherently evil. I love this really refreshing take on rage and using it for good instead of fighting the rage and banishing the so-called "evil". They did that at first but came to the conclusion in the end that demons and heaven are the same, neither is inherently good nor inherently evil which is so beautiful.

The antagonists had real goals and even got some sympathy from me with a believable backstory and nuanced motivations for their actions.

Everyone in this was acting their arse off, amazing performances. Relatively well written supporting cast despite being a little under utilized like I mentioned earlier but sometimes it's ok since they're still just supporting and not main cast. "The Wu" is such a good ensemble and play perfectly into the found family themes.

I gave a 8/10 rewatch value because while it is one of the best shows I've ever watched, it did require some emotional/mental capacity and strength which I may not have all the time to rewatch it often. This story really made me feel a lot. Also it's a bit gory which I personally am not affected by but people who are squeamish might wanna brace themselves before watching.

10/10 would recommend to those who can stomach gore and spiritual stuff etc.

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Overly Dramatized

So far the FL has pursued the ML unabashedly. She acts impetuously and on her own even after she marries and seeks a divorce from the ML. The age difference between the ML and FL is supposed to be only a few years but the FL looks many years older than the ML; makeup looks heavy. Too bad they didn't cast someone more suitable for the FL. Acting skills of FL appears to be forced overly dramatized, not believable. ML is slightly more believable. Narrative began in an interesting way however it became tedious. I fast forwarded thru many episodes and didn't watch to the end.

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What a sweet story!

I have to say I ended up loving this drama. It was difficult for me at the beginning with the mental health issues, but I couldn't help but love both the ML and FL. I loved the story of them trying to save the chocolate shoppe, and the scenes at the beginning of each episode were especially beautifully done, showing the chocolates being made.

This was very funny in places, serious in others, and cozy in other places still. Others knew that they liked each other before they did, and that was sweet. Their chemistry with each other was natural, and I really believed them when they bonded.

There wasn't any of the usual trope-y stuff. No breakup, no evil ex, ML's father was a pill and his assistant was two-faced, but the importance of that was way down on the list of importance. It was so touching when the other workers accepted her and what they did for her to make her feel comfortable.

We got a wedding!

I especially appreciated the fact that they weren't magically cured at the end of the drama, it was more believable. If you want something sweet and easy to watch, give this one a try.

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Hilarious, Romantic, and Overall Pleasant Watch

This was a genuinely intriguing show. I came for the ridiculous gaming breakup/realization scenes and stayed for the plot and chemistry. I'm glad she didnt forgive him right away. He did not deserve it. He ruined what should have been one of her proudest and most memorable days of her life by knowingly leaving his mic on and broadcasting his rejection of her confession to the whole school. That being said, when he found out his gaming crush was the girl whose heart he physically crushed I could not stop laughing. I mean, yeah, I felt bad for him but the scene where he was being shot was hilarious. Also, this series gave me the itch to start playing (or developing?) video games.

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Came for He Yu

I went into Blossom of Power mainly because of He Yu, and honestly, He Yu alone was worth the watch. He was adorable, playful, sincere, and then suddenly dangerous when the situation called for it. His expressions and eyes continue to be one of my favorite things about him, and I loved watching his character fall so completely in love with the Crown Princess. He Yu is easily my 100000/10 for this drama.

The romance took a while to win me over. I found the Crown Princess too cold and couldn't initially understand why so many princes were falling for her, especially the Crown Prince who seemed completely smitten almost immediately. I personally prefer female leads who are brighter, more expressive, charming and playful, so Meng Ziyi's restrained portrayal wasn't immediately my cup of tea.

But as the story progressed, I came to understand that her coldness was actually an important part of the character. When the other characters noticed that the Crown Princess was smiling more, I realized, yes, me too! Her gradual acceptance of the Crown Prince's sincerity and her eventual ability to let her guard down made much more sense to me.

Ironically, the character also made me reflect on myself. I'm not naturally very affectionate either, and watching her made me realize how easily being reserved can be perceived as coldness, even when there is love underneath. So unexpectedly, the drama gave me a little personal wake-up call.

Episode 32 absolutely broke me. I knew from the beginning that this was supposed to have a happy ending, but that didn't make the heartbreak any easier. The dream sequence where she believed the Crown Prince was still alive had me crying. I had to finish the drama that night because there was no way I was going to sleep without knowing that it would end happily. I may or may not have watched Episode 35 at 2x speed because I desperately needed the reunion.

My biggest complaint is the ending. Episode 36 felt rushed, especially the lack of an explanation for how the Crown Prince came back. I appreciated the epilogue, though. Those extra moments were exactly what I needed after all that emotional trauma.

Overall, I enjoyed the drama and especially appreciated the themes of trust, sincerity, resilience, love and learning to open yourself up to someone. The chemistry between the leads worked for me, although it wasn't quite at the level of my favorite C-drama couples. Overall rating 8.8/10

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Rated S for Steamy Siwei

When I saw the cast lineup for this one, I clicked in immediately. And I am glad I did. It's a drug, inheritance/chaebol, love triangle drama that is as steamy as it is thrilling. While I wasn't entirely sure how the ML ended up with the FLs sister (I think part of the beginning was missing) it was a great premise. I wasnt sure who the real bad guy was until her sister commented on the ML. Kids are astute in a way adults are not so I switched (my ever switching) team back to Liang Siwei. Although to be honest I wasn't sure until the last possible moment which brother was the villian. However, if we're being honest neither of them are saints.
Rated S for Steamy Siwei.

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