Reviews

Really Loving the Storytelling and Casting

Admittedly there are two things that you might find cliche about this show- firstly, it’s title and secondly the base concept!

With so many dramas this year named after “Blossom”, the title doesn’t spell magic or intrigue; it is easy to brush off. Also, the show heavily leans on the premise of transmigration which isn’t new either. The things that work in favor of this show is the strong casting and excellent storytelling. Starring Meng Zi Yi, Li Yun Rui in lead roles, the storyline encompasses a “marriage of convenience” between the main characters; again, nothing new there, but the actors are doing a phenomenal job embracing their characters and their chemistry is lit. It is an absolute joy watching the main leads collude as they fight the antagonistic forces. For Dou Zhou (Meng Zi Yi), it’s her own family- mainly her evil paternal uncle and her stepmother while Song Mo (Li Yun Rui) fights against an influential yet powerful force who maligned his righteous Uncle’s name. They enter into a fake marriage as accomplices and gradually fall in love. The cinematography coupled with the magnificent settings are exemplary, they add to the allure of this show.

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2024/12/10/blossom-first-impressions/#more-1398

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A diamond in the rough

This is truly one of my favorite shows! It is such a complex murder mystery with just a touch of romance. The story was fantastic, so well written and complex. It kept me guessing to the very end with so many twists. This show made me a fan of the writer Sammon. The relationship was handled so well. It just happened naturally and was tastefully done. Which is rare to find in a BL show. This is how relationships should be written. Also there was decent stunt choreography in this. It had a much higher level than the majority of dramas I have seen. The cinematography was outstanding! Northern Thailand has been added to my bucket list because of this show.
The two leads have wonderful chemistry and their characters are so well rounded. Max especially, impressed me. His evil looks are simply spectacular! I loved how the story developed and how the backstory for the main characters impacts the current events in the show. One of the best parts was the character development in the majority of the characters in the show, which is rare to find. The character development for Tan and Bun was particularly good.

There were many supporting characters that I liked and would have loved more time with or backstory. I always forget when starting to re-watch this show the dark the story gets and the second to last episode will always be hard for me to watch. Any story that gets an emotional reaction out of me is telling. But this story covers important topics and is so well done that is a stand out in the genre.

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Okayish

I mean till episode 12ish I kinda enjoyed and was actually engrossed into knowing the underlying truths behind the crimes but the ending was really predictive or rather chaotic. It felt very boring somehow and I found myself mostly skipping every 10 secs for the sake of finishing the series.
Its worth watching till 13 ig but the way they kind of bring a parallel between revenge and show the criminal mindset next to the judicial system is good. It asks great questions on the law and social justice system but kind of fails to completely answer them as well. We are just left to accept what happens in the series and no proper reasons are highlighted which just makes me feel like they just made the show for the sake of action and plot. Somethings are dragged a lot so it kind of drains the essence of the series. Love the action and cyber pull offs in the show as they were very intense.
Some characters like the FL, her colleague, Lee-yun-sung really nailed it. Don't know about the ML he tried his shot but his character was not appealing maybe because thats what his nature is.

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This show is like experiencing all 4 seasons

It started as a little bud that bloomed beautifully. You’ll experience all 4 seasons of emotions throughout the entire show. The coldness, the rain (tears), the spring (the closeness and warmth) and summer (the blooming of affection). Just going to list a bunch of stuff I loved about this show:
- Portraying the depth of each person’s affliction and imperfection.
- The role of boundaries in relationships and things you just can’t cross.
- Self worth in relationships and knowing when to let go of people that don’t deserve you.
- The obsession in relationships and how some ppl just don’t see you the way you see them.
- Mental health awareness and escapism through drugs when in reality you need others to help you and you can’t do it alone.
- relationships that help to heal wounds
- NM serving as a metaphor for modern day marriages and how easily disposable marriages can be with money and paper
- assigning gender roles in women that need to be stay at home moms and wives aren’t for everyone
- many different aspects of marriage and children from multiple views

Overall, it was a very thought out show I really enjoyed the depth of the themes it was like peeling back layers of onions the more I watched. Great acting I actually liked her stone cold character it created a contrast of when she bloomed beautifully at the end you know she healed and is in a much better time in her life.

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Simple plot but with well-written characters that drive the story further.

When I first read the synopsis, it felt so simple that it didn't feel like a drama that I would watch and look out for if it wasn't for Sejeong being casted as FL. And true enough, the plot was as simple as it gets, that after the first 2 episodes I wondered how they're going to stretch this into 12 episodes. But looking back, honestly, isn't it closer to real life than other dramas do? Most of us lead same, simple lives, that the only difference we have is the people surrounding us and how they're bringing color and dimension. This is the same with the characters, they live normally but each have their own story to tell.

Story (9/10)
I love love the depiction of the characters and how their stories unfold, especially Yongju. I'm not sure if it's just me relating to her, but I felt the strongest conviction for her character development. It made this drama from "something that I watch just for Sejeong" to a drama "must watch for characters like Yongju".

Regardless of the characters, I still feel like the drama could use more strengthening in terms of plot development. Because of its simple plot, there were times when I felt like they were just dragging conflict/issues to make it progress. After the characters' development, the excitement sort of just slowly dissipated.

Acting (9/10)
While I love the character Chae Yongju, I have to admit that this is not Sejeong's strongest portrayal. Based on character description, there were a lot of parts about Yongju that overlapped with Sejeong, that sometimes I feel like I'm just watching Sejeong. Her actions, aegyo and mannerisms just scream like her so I kind of found it hard to separate them. I don't want to compare but her portrayal of Shin Hari was so well-done if felt like she was a whole new person on her own. But she definitely improved on the emotional scenes that half of me wishes we'd get more sad and emotional Yongju because she portrays that amazingly.

It's the first time I'm watching Lee Jongwon, but I'm amazed at how well he does. His expressive eyes are definitely something to treasure for. I'll admit I was initially skeptical about his acting the first 2 episodes, but he just transformed after that.

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Near Perfect

Its hard to describe how I feel about this show. It is easily one of my favorite shows ever! This is such a high quality show. It stands out above the rest. This is one of the strongest and most compelling stories I've seen. This story has such substance. This is the definition of a social commentary and is very thought provoking. It is much more than just a love story. Its meaningful. They discuss things like social class, which is so refreshing in a BL. There was a wide range of representation present in the characters and conversations.

The acting from Off and Gun is fantastic. Gun in both of his roles really impressed me. My brain can not compute him. His nonverbal communication is off the charts. These characters are more complex than you seen in most shows. I think this is one of the better twin representations I have seen. Its not depicted as a superpower but rather, love even when the brothers don't know each other. This soundtrack is also so well done and overall is my favorite. The female characters are actually written well and have standards. I love the discussions of class, morality and justice. These topics are not discussed enough in media. The level of dialogue in this show is fantastic! I wish I could watch it again for the first time. This is the kind of media that I want to support in the world. Just stunning!!

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When an 8 episodes drama felt like a 16 episodes drama.

Contract marriage is one of my go-to genres but the way they did it here was not your typical contract marriage.

The plot : The ex-wife (with issues) planned for her ex-husband (also with issues) to marry other woman while she herself marries to another. Thus began their mutual toxic relationship in the drama until the ex-husband met now his new wife (who also had her own share of trauma) which after living together her presence slowly become significant in his life. Then after facing a series of incidents together, began their process of healing.

For an 8 episodes drama you would think just how hard it can be to finish one. But it took me 7 days to complete watching. Even watching in 2x speed still feel too long. Plot got repetitive especially in the first half. Just when I feel like things started to get interesting , we are back to 0 again.

This was me while watching,

Ep 1 : Feel like the longest 1 hour of my life.
Ep 2 : Watching my cat sleeping is better than watching this.
Ep 3 : Still feel like the longest hour ever in my life.
Ep 4 : Why I am still watching ....
Ep 5 : Now things are getting interesting.
Ep 6 : We getting somewhere..
Ep 7 : Urgh. Not this obsessive woman again .
Ep 8 : Okay...

What this drama has :-

🔸️Contract marriage
🔸️Broken main leads
🔸️Toxic unhealthy marriage
🔸️Annoying unhinged ex-wife
🔸️Lot of stalking
🔸️Snailed-paced storyline
🔸️Okay mystery
🔸️Gong Yoo and Seo Hyun Jin who have great chemistry with each other

If you liked these elements in your drama well good news ,this is the drama for you.

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Not only extravagance and impactful visuals

It's been weeks since I've finished the series and it is still in my head. Their story is one about navigating good and evil, forming friendships, overcoming prejudices, and much more. Despite knowing how the story would end, I couldn't help but keep watching—dreading how destiny unfolds but at the same time, hopeful that the strength of the bonds between the characters will prevail. There are so many details embedded throughout the episodes that one would definitely find new treasures when rewatching. Not to mention the excellent lyrics of the OSTs (which is undermined through translation) and their fit for the story and characters. As one of the many dramas I have watched this year, Fangs of Fortune will be one for reminiscing for years to come.

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Story
My favorite and least favorite part of this drama was the story. I loved its moral—how evil people continue to harm others without sacrificing nearly as much as the good people, who endure so much to protect what’s right. It felt unfair at times, but even so, the good people persevered and ultimately found happiness. Justice prevailed, and that made it all worthwhile.

Romance
The main characters’ chemistry was amazing! It wasn’t just about their banter but also how they consciously chose to love each other through countless challenges. The story beautifully emphasized that what truly matters is what’s on the inside, not outward appearances, and that love is ultimately a choice.

Loyalty
I also appreciated how clearly the lines between good and evil were drawn. Watching this gave me a sense of security because I knew the good characters wouldn’t betray one another. The last time I felt this way was while watching Demon Slayer XD. The good characters in Alchemy of Souls were genuinely likable, and I loved the relationships among them.

Especially the Crown Prince—he had so many opportunities to get jealous or join the evil side, but he stayed true to his beliefs and overcame his struggles. By doing so, he was able to build meaningful friendships and surround himself with good people. He truly deserves a happy ending (even beyond what we saw in the drama)!

What Could Have Been Better
Now, onto what I didn’t like—or rather, what I think diminished the drama’s potential—the lack of episodes! The plot could have been developed more thoroughly, allowing us to follow the story at a better pace. Instead, it felt rushed.

Why? I wanted more of Uk and Naksu—UKSU <3. I also wanted to see Uk mourn for Mudeok and uncover Buyeon as Naksu. However, the rushed pacing made it difficult for many viewers to accept Buyeon’s character. It felt like such a missed opportunity.

Final Thoughts
Overall, I loved the drama! Even though it could have been better, I truly appreciated the story’s intention and message. Every actor gave their all, and it was evident in the way they brought their characters to life.

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Refreshing twist on business rivalry and marriage of convenience

I noticed this series when browsing my iQiyi dashboard. I wasn't familiar with any of the cast. However I thought I should watch this series after reading MDL reviews. Glad I did it!

What I liked:
1) The romance - Because Female lead and Male lead had different personality (she was more serious, no-nonsense businesswoman while he was bright but confident architect), I expected a lot of "push" in the development of their relationship. Luckily the "push" factor wasn't too long as Female lead realised what a great man Male lead was. I love how natural and comfortable both were with each other. The hand holding, the affectionate gaze, the kisses, the playful banter...I felt like watching a real couple in love.
2) Ye Cheng Su characterisation - At first I was apprehensive about his character because he appeared childish. However he proved me wrong when he took business matters seriously. I like that he was patient and secure about his capability and his relationship with Gu Ling Se. His character has shown a lot of growth by the end of the series.
3) Supporting characters - Most of the supporting characters were well developed. I enjoyed watching Bei Chen (especially his random utterance of English words), Secretary Jin, Mu Qiu Hui, Uncle Zhao, Piao Piao. Even Gu Huai Heng, Gu Pei Ya and Jiang Han was a delight to watch
4) The plot - I find this series rather engaging as it has nice balance of personal and professional lives of the FL & ML. I also like the arcs of Jiang Han and Pei Ya.
5) Outfits - I love the outfits for Gu Ling Se. The leather jacket and tight pants for motorcycling made her hot while the dresses made her pretty.

What I disliked:
1) Business aspect - I was slightly lost after Gu Huai Heng made his big move. I didn't like how that affected the relationship between FL & ML. I also expected some explanation about Future Corporation's direction after the acquisition but nope, there as none.
2) Ye Cheng Su's hairstyle - I don't like his hairstyle except the one in the ending because that hairstyle made him looked much younger than Gu Ling Se and less serious about work.

Favourite scene
When Gu Ling Se surprised Ye Cheng Su with the lantern festival

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Light, fluffy vertical drama with good looking leads

I love Zhang Chu Xuan's performance in 'Captive love from the mob boss' so I went to look for her work. The synopsis was interesting so I searched and found a full movie version of this series on Youtube. I clicked 'Play', what else?

What I liked:
1) The romance - I like Gu Huai Yan and Duan Qing Yu from the start of this series. That one night stand reminded me of 'Fated to Love You / You are My Destiny'. Sweet and playful romance between them - a lof of physical touch. It's cute to see Gu Huai Yan acknowledges his feelings for her and acted on them.
2) Visuals - Both Zhang Chu Xuan and Lu Shan Dong are very good looking although Zhang Chu Xuan's styling for this series made her look like university student rather than a working adult.
3) Pacing - Easy to digest series because of its fast pacing.
4) Similarity with other dramas - This series reminds me of 'Follow My Dear General' due to the rashes and 'Love Me in Three Days' due to the treatment.

What I disliked:
1) The ending - Quite flat for me. Wish they would talk more about his medical condition, their feelings and future together.
2) Subtitles - Some episodes were missing subtitles, if I am not mistaken. However due to the fast pace nature of this series, I could roughly guess what is happening during those episodes.

Favourite scene
It was raining and Duan Qing Yu taught Gu Huai Yan about dating

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From Chinese BL fiction to the colors of Southeast Asia

The plot begins when An's world is shaken after Jin, his adoptive brother and platonic love, returns to Thailand from the United States, after several years geographically and sentimentally distanced.
In this way, those who, between laughter and games, and without having any blood relationship, had grown up within the same family, meet again. But they are not children anymore. They are two university students. The reunion gives rise to the fact that, while both discover that some powerful and intense feelings unite them beyond being "brothers", An immerses himself in a journey in which he realizes a shocking truth from his past.
We are talking about 'Secret Love', a BL genre miniseries, directed by Content, the Chinese-Thai adaptation of the Asian giant's novel danmei, by J.W. "Secret Planet Series".
Produced by Bebravehud, 'Secret Love' leaves the viewer with a carnival of events, secrets, betrayals, revelations, adoptions, childhood traumas, reconciliations and love affairs.
It is a short miniseries of the BL genre presented by QuStory, with 81 episodes of 2 minutes each.
Among the points to highlight, it is necessary to keep in mind the schedule for which it was conceived in Thailand, its country of origin. 'Secret Love' was not created for primetime requirements, but to be shown on Saturday and Sunday evenings in that Southeast Asian nation.
The fact that it is a short drama does not represent a serious problem for me: I watch the 20 weekly episodes, in a subtitled edition, one following the previous one, and between one and the other I have previews of the next one. The transition is much more enjoyable than the boring and unproductive promotions of Thai products that usually appear after the Next Break in any BL series from that country.
On the other hand, the sum of all the episodes broadcast between Saturday and Sunday add up, in their entirety, to the approximate 40 minutes that the BL series that we frequently enjoy usually have. In total, the 81 episodes would represent four episodes in a series of this format.
That a poor boy is adopted by a rich family after surviving an accident, at age eleven, in which his parents died; That the cause of his orphanhood is the same person who welcomed him into his home, and he ends up in love with his adoptive brother, may seem unlikely; but in the vision of its creators it is nothing more than a functional resource that is inserted into an imaginative and traditionally light dramaturgical conception. This is not the case with the allied and almost fraternized villainy, whose plans to do as much damage as possible to innocent people, often helpless, have sometimes bordered on the absurd in so many similar productions, especially in the final stretch of the series.
Although Gu Hao Wei, the CEO and friend of An's parents, and his wife, have upset more than one, a point in their favor is the overthrow of their negative attitudes by the growing love between the young orphan and Jin, the son of this marriage.
The fact that it is a short drama does not represent a serious problem for me: I watch the 10 weekly episodes, in a subtitled edition, one following the previous one, and between them previews of the next one. The transition is much more enjoyable than the boring and unproductive commercial promotions of Thai products that usually appear in the Next Break in any BL series from that country.
On the other hand, the sum of all the episodes broadcast between Saturday and Sunday add up, in their entirety, to the approximately 40 minutes that the BL series that we frequently enjoy have. In total, the 81 episodes would represent four episodes in a series of this format.
We also have Turbo Chanokchon Boonmanawong among the cast, an actor known for playing Camp in the story 'Friends Forever', from the BL series 'My Universe', and Anda in 'Love Stage!!', who plays in this one. occasion to Lan; and Tee Vitsarut Suwinijjit, popular among genre lovers after starring in 'Restart(ed)', now adding the role of Tong to his resume.
The flashbacks that lead the viewer to understand An's past, the gloomy settings and, at times, the soundtrack of 'Secret Love', underline the dark elements of the story.
Despite some timorous performances (to be developed in the immediate future by the two protagonists), and the lack of depth in the story, the latter being a typical feature of short plots and low-budget productions, both in music and in dialogues, the viewer will also find a beautiful story of love and reconciliation, especially with oneself for hiding an atrocious family secret for years. All of these elements immerse us in engaging entertainment, and debuting stars Tle Matimun Sreeboonrueang, as Jin, and FirstOne Wannakorn Reungrat, as An, are especially charming.
Casting directors take note: Tle and FirstOne, in their respective first roles in their young careers, are two actors to be reckoned with, capable of conveying subtle shades of inner turmoil, of discomfort at finding themselves in love with someone of the same gender, then of his time on the 'TV Show DMD Friendship the Reality', Domundi's artist training program.
They both need a little more acting skills, confidence in front of the cameras. I have no doubt they will win in this regard.
The protagonists of 'Secret Love' had already participated in the 'TV Show SosatSeoulsay', precisely in episode 237, a television program that follows the protagonists and actors of Thai dramas.
In the script, which adapts the Chinese BL novel of the same name, the ingenuity of Wang Tinglian and Ding Wuen must be highlighted, by taking the original work and transferring its setting to Thailand, where the centers move between lavish mansions, companies and the university, with its pertinent allusions to studies, to obtaining the family company as an inheritance and to the search for success at any price, no matter if through crime.
And, if we talk about society, the series explores in a sensible way (and with high doses of sensitivity) certain topics such as male homosexuality, the emancipation of children from their parents, the breaking of taboos, self-acceptance and friendship.
The miniseries, with Chinese narrative inspiration and a warm mix of Thai essences, manages to satisfy the public thanks to the combination of melodramatic elements in an agile, light and attractive story.

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Here for the romance & chemistry

Its a random watch for me. I saw ML from a fireman drama and I thought, hmm he has potential - lets see how he does here. And well, he does not disappoint :D

I honestly skipped many scenes as I am not into this field of work/business. However, i am so impressed with the romance part; the couple story line, the progress and development, all the peak scenes - they are very well executed! Huge applaud for the leads and the director.

A must for viewers who are into leads' chemistry and realistic + emotional kiss scenes. They have so many kiss scenes i felt like they should get married irl at one point haha

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Surprisingly Amazing

I actually hesitate to watch this at first, since i wasn't familiar with the actors. But then i saw some fan made videos on youtube and amazed by the chemistry from both main leads. So i decided to binge-watch it, and WOW it didn't disappoint!. From the story wise, acting, chemistry, and everything is soooo good!

Kiss and love scenes on this series have got to be one of the best out of Thai BLs (or even all dramas). We're convinced that they are in love. And what i like about it is every kiss has different urges. We can fee whether it was frustration kiss, passionate kiss, sad kiss, playful kiss, etc. The actors really did excellent job here.

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Thank you very much ❤️🌸🌹💐
All the players, all the character names, the stories, are engraved and remembered in my heart. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

This drama is very exciting, Very very very very very good, interesting and touching, it raises the spirit to watch it and enjoy every moment of it.⭐✨❤️
The storyline is interesting.
The actors are very good at playing their roles. Handsome and beautiful are an added value that doesn't make you bored watching it. The actors are very very suitable, good and great in playing their roles. Good job 🍀❤️⭐✨
It's so much fun and heart touching to watch, it makes me excited to wait for each episode.❤️⭐❤️✨⭐

I hope there is a next episode. I hope my day can be accompanied by every episode. I always wait and wait in every day as if I were following an adventure in it.

All the feelings are mixed and very very happy for me, to be able to watch it and be this cool is very very exciting. At least in life you need something like this❤️🍀 like it too much, love storyline, ost, Especially I love the actors who plays his role❤️✨⭐


My Favorite Character
Tang San ❤️⭐✨ Xiao Wu ❤️⭐✨
Ma Hong Jun ❤️⭐✨ Bai Chenxiang ❤️⭐✨
Da Mu Bai ❤️⭐✨ Zhu Zhu Qing ❤️⭐✨
Oscar ❤️⭐✨ Ning Rong Rong ❤️⭐✨

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