In Blossom (2024)

A very good suspense drama

I started In Blossom with a little hesitation - Ju Jingyi's (JJY) last few shows have been quite underwhelming with all the dangling hair bits. I absolutely enjoyed her performance in Yunxi (and even in In a Class of Her Own) but everything else has been quite lacklustre. Nonetheless, beneath all the focus on beauty, I do think Ju Jingyi has potential, and I have been waiting for her to pull another Yunxi. Is her performance in In Blossom as good as Yunxi? I would say it's much better than everything else she has done recently - I can see the effort she has put in, and I hope that she would pick better projects that allow her to go beyond her comfort zone

That being said, I wish to state this- focusing on JJY alone (with the criticism of her makeup and all) takes away from a very solid original story. Yes, In Blossom starts with another actress and then JJY takes over- the other actress was very good but JJY was by no means bad. I found her chemistry with Liu Xueyi to be very good, and one of the things that I really loved was the love story - the love and respect that the two characters had for each other, particularly Pan Yue's devotion towards Yang Caiwei. This was a slow burn love story - Pan Yue's childhood love and his early marriage to Yang Caiwei (well, to Shangguan Zhi in reality) was borne out of his commitment towards her. However, as we watch the interactions of the two, a true love story emerges - out of a deep understanding and mutual respect. It was a joy to watch these two develop their feelings for each other.

While I enjoyed the love story, the greatest pull was the plot - an original story, very well crafted (although by no means perfect) with some really enjoyable and unpredictable cases which our leads work on. I even shed a tear or two over these cases, with great performances by several guest actors. These cases made the show very engaging - individual cases interwoven into a larger one. The characters were very well-written and acted, and while some actions may not have had much sense I can see why they headed in that direction. Yang Caiwei/Shangguan Zhi is an intelligent woman, although she is no martial artist, and it's enjoyable to watch her crack these cases, together with Pan Yue.

That brings me to Pan Yue, acted perfectly by Liu Xueyi. I was delighted to see Liu Xueyi play this character, as the male lead, so different from the ones he has done in the past (he was brilliant as Wuxin in The Blood of Youth too, and in every role he has played including all the antagonists). Liu Xueyi's performance was nuanced (and I couldn't help saying aww many times he was on screen).

It would have been great to solve the face swapping issue - the show doesn't exactly explain how that happened. Nonetheless I have to say that this was one of the better shows this year - I highly recommend it, particularly for its cases. I greatly enjoyed the story and the beautiful cinematography, the acting and the OST. I happily rate it 8.6/10.

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Good vs evil in Heyang

Within this story is a potentially really great one if the drama had dared to push the boundaries of its storytelling a bit more. Set against the "evil" city of Heyang, where bad deeds go unpunished, our righteous male lead Pan Yue seeks to find his long-lost beloved Yang Caiwei and to right the wrongs of the past. Along the way, we meet a multitude of characters including the charismatic if headstrong Zhuo Lanjiang and Caiwei's plucky friend Bai Xiaosheng -- and solve some murder mysteries.

It turns out that with each case solved, we are closer to solving the ultimate mystery -- who is the mastermind behind the deaths of Caiwei's parents and the dark deeds in Heyang? That, unfortunately, is never fully fleshed out. Our villains' motivations are presented only in broad strokes, making the ultimate confrontation a bit of a letdown both thematically and dramatically.

Which is not to say the drama is terrible -- far from it. Some of the stories within the main tale are quite moving such as the case of the Gu family and that of the twins and the academy. They show quite effectively the potential darkness within people and the struggle to overcome it without resorting to too much exposition, which is unfortunately present in other cases and parts of the show. If the drama had explored this theme than just at the surface level - the complexities of humankind and our capacity to do both great good and evil - it would have made for a very compelling drama.

As it is, this drama is worth the watch for the interesting cases (which actually are nicely interwoven with the overarching plot and our characters' arcs), a well-paced romance story, and some great performances from both main and guest/supporting cast alike. Liu Xueyi as Pan Yue and Li Geyang as Zhuo Lanjiang were standouts to me.

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story takes center stage

I don't quite have time or mindset for a detailed review, but I'll just say this drama was a pleasant surprise. In Blossom is a show that lets the story take center stage. It's a complex murder mystery intertwined with an almost equally complex romantic tale of two friends from noble families, betrothed by royal assent since childhood, working together to uncover a deep political conspiracy involving the imperial court. The writing was very good & the show kept me guessing right until the very last episode with a cliffhanger ending highly suggestive of a sequel. There's comedy as well as tragedy. Highly enjoyable.

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Worth a watch but don’t fall in love with second lead or you’ll be heartbroken

Spoiler alert!!!!!!!




I’ve just got one thing to say….

WHY WOULD YOU KILL OFF JIANG?!??!!!! His death could have easily been avoided if they just never found the ledger on him. Baisheng and Jiang would have had their happy ending too 😭😭😭

Story was pretty good. Liked all the plot twists, it kept it interesting and made you wanna keep watching to see who the mastermind was. Again, ending could have been better if Jiang didn’t die.

Cast was amazing, loved everyone’s acting.

Music was beautiful! Loved the osts.

I wouldn’t rewatch it again because can’t help but be mad that they killed off Jiang. I love him 😭 he deserves a happy ending too!

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Face-swap Premise

The series has a great premise idea of face-swapping but because in this series the two main female characters are swapped, the audience is impressed to see a full-body swap, yeah I think the story idea of the author is just face-swapping but because in this series the two main female characters are swapped, the audience can automatically see a full-body swap as well. The series can also be said to be a detective genre as well, because it features many scenes of investigating and solving criminal cases but each case solved is part of the main case of the series. The storyline is fun to watch and follow, we will be invited to be curious to watch the next episode and the series features two main characters (ML and FL) smart but in my opinion if the chemistry between FL and ML is still lacking but not said to be bad either. And if you're a fan of wuxia series, don't have high expectations for the martial arts fight choreography scenes because every fight scene looks less good but this is understandable because this series is not a wuxia series. The series also ends with an epic ending, but there is potential for a season 2 and the director is smart to create scenes that indicate that there will be a season 2 but not to irritate viewers. The series is worth recommending to your friends to watch.

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Did not Connect

I always go into dramas with an opening mind. I did not know what to expect with this one and thought it got off to a strong start with the refreshing introduction of a character with an interesting scar and job. In addition I liked how it looked dark which was different.

I did not like the shift to a different actress and while I generally admire the beautiful actresses in these dramas (hey that level of beauty usually takes a lot of effort from the actors) it seemed a bit tone deaf IMO and unnecessary. But I also know from what I have read about mainland Chinese audiences is that they are very demanding that their leads fit a certain standard of beauty while the US is more comfortable with different types of female lead looks. So I don’t know if it is fair to criticize the drama for this.

My score is based almost entirely on the story and acting. It injects light hearted comedy that does not seem to fit with its plot of shadowy manipulators and murders. It feels awkward and forced. The chemistry between the leads is lackluster. I have seen dramas where people want to marry someone for the reasons stated in this show and liked it but in this drama it was not executed very well because we had little time to see a foundation established for the relationship.

In addition I did not like that the main character was an expert in things that were not consistent with her before the face switch: why is she so skilled at make up, flirting, ect things that do not seem consistent with her personality. Why is she so comfortable jumping into danger without fully considering the consequences? And why is she so comfortable being near the male lead who she initially suspects is trying to kill her?

I don’t usually like comedy in Cdramas perhaps because it seems very childish and cringey maybe this is a cultural difference?

I fast forwarded through most of the show in the second half because I was that bored with the plot and pace.

However many people liked this drama so take my review with a grain of salt and remember you won’t know until you try to watch if it is for you.

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Soulless and Dull

This drama has great plot potential but I really hate the writing which is stiff, soulless and dull.

This is actually a mystery drama, but because of the poor presentation and writing, it just feels like watching a cheap soap opera. All the patterns are shown clearly, so the audience doesn't have to bother guessing them.

Every scene is written like just reading a school history book. There is no soul in it. The author just wants to complete the content of the story.

Ah, I need 3 weeks to finish this drama.

Luckily ML and SML were able to act well. Even though FL's acting isn't as good as ML's but yeah they still have a little chemistry

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It could have been much better…

I have a moral aversion to face-swapping plot lines, but I thought I’d give In Blossom a try. For the first few episodes, I enjoyed it enough to keep going, but after a while.. it became tiresome.

There was a lot the writer did not decide to explore. For example, how the parents traumatized all the main characters, how the characters built themselves up from the trauma, and also making sure the characters could stand on their own without attachment to romance.

Pan Yue is obsessed with Yang Caiwei, and it ends up being that this is all we know of his character. It’s a shame, because we get small glimpses into his tough childhood, with his father suspecting Pan Yue of not being his. But alas, the romantic plot is the focus. We lose out on watching Pan Yue become loving and kind after healing from his past.

Yang Caiwei is the only character that develops. She is strong, but very insecure about Pan Yue’s love towards her at the beginning, and at the end. She becomes more self-assured once she realizes that he does care for her. However, Yang Caiwei already had a lot of agency before she met Pan Yue. He simply enhanced this.

Additionally, the SFL and SML relationship was icky to me. I could not romanticize the SFL being second choice for him. It was obvious she was a rebound, and ready to be one, which I think also comes from her parental trauma. She was ready to be used, and I feel really bad for her. Especially because the SML dies.

Overall, I think the characters were not explored as well as they could have been, an it lays in leaning too much into the romantic aspects, when these characters clearly have more depth, that we are given glimpses of.

I do also agree that the FL in the first 2 episodes would be been a better choice, but I still enjoyed JJY performance regardless.

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A Phenomenal Journey Throughout

A Youku original (albeit not an adaptation), this historical is definitely one of the best written scripts in a long time. Featuring Liu Xue Yi & Ju Jing Yi in lead roles, the storyline focuses on the resurrection of the female lead (who escapes death twice, miraculously). Once in childhood when her entire family is massacred and next on her wedding night, when the female antagonist does a face swap. As I have already mentioned in the “First Impressions”, face swap doesn’t make much sense; I’m still calling it “Soul Swapping”. The newly resurrected female protagonist Yang Cai Wei makes use of her beautiful face, and rich lifestyle to seek revenge. Easy concept right? Nope, it is easier said than done. The 32 episodes romantic saga takes us on a revenge journey where our odd couple counter each other, become allies, fall in love again and conquer the evil villain. This was a phenomenal joyride and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2024/04/03/in-blossom-series-review/#more-706

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It kinda fell off...

Watching the first half was good, it was interesting. The acting of JJY wasn't as bad this time. However, I don't why, but after the main leads got together finally, it kinda fell flat. The chemistry that they were teasing/building between the main leads in the beginning just wasn't there as you would hope to kind of explode. Plus, is it just me or Pan Yue is not capable of a character, I mean the character is mid, ability wise like in terms of investigating, martial arts, etc. Also, the dynamic between the supporting characters and main leads is not as intriguing, like the friendship is not well maintained nor is deep (I mean it is supposed to be but it is just not well written.)

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