Blossom (2024) Cdrama Review - Ongoing

SUMMARY:

The Chinese drama, Blossom (2024), is an excellent reincarnation, historical fiction drama.

The female lead, Dou Zhao, is betrayed by her husband and meets the male lead, Song Mo, who is staging a rebellion. The characters are killed within the first two episodes. Sent back to their childhood, the female lead remembers her previous life and their encounter. In this "second chance", Dou Zhao is determined to change her fate. The main leads meet again through multiple fateful encounters developing an interesting and deep romance.

The drama is currently airing, thus this review will be updated after completion. Based on watching the most recent episodes I would give a rating of 8.6/10

PROS:

The female lead, Dou Zhao, character is well-written and shows the growth and maturity expected after her rebirth. She uses her past knowledge to create a business and accumulate power, all while balancing the political drama of her family life. The actress displays most of the emotions well, but occasionally I feel that some acting range is missing.

The male lead character is also well-developed and matures as he goes through challenges. His background was a little difficult to grasp initially but became clear later on. I always enjoy slightly mischievous characters, and he is beginning to embody that side of his personality more in episodes 14 and 15. The actors have great chemistry and are bringing their acting to new heights as they have both generally had side character roles.

Overall, the aesthetics of this drama are excellent. The drama is not lacking in its production or costumes. The overall plot settings are well crafted and only add to the historical nature of the drama. It is truly a beautiful drama to watch and the experience of the director and crew shines.

CONS:

Unfortunately, I have one small nitpicky thing about this drama that I dislike. The name is "Blossom". Over the last year, we have had so many dramas with that word in the title that it has lost its appeal and I believe it is causing this drama to be overlooked by many. My guess is that the original Chinese name could have been translated differently, but giving this translation will not help garner viewers. It is a great drama but is not gaining much viewership internationally.

Secondly, the villains of the drama are generally a little basic in their personalities. The only one I found mildly interesting was the ML's father, but even his role was minimal. The side characters lack in complexity and their lack of screentime only contributes to the issue. Even the second male lead's character grows but the other couple has little growth in their personalities and development. Hopefully, I see more of that as the drama progresses.

Although the actors have improved in their acting compared to previous dramas, their range of skill is still lacking. The portrayal of anger and sadness by the main actress and actor is lacking in complexity and depth. The "soft" acting reduces the play of the emotions, but I am hopeful that we will see improvements in this through the drama. Since it is one of their first times in the lead roles, I predict we will see them grow and develop greatly.

Lastly, there is a scene of an evening between the characters when they are wearing masks, thus unaware of each other's identities. During this evening, they develop a deep liking for each other and slowly discover their identities. My frustration with this is that their interest in the other lead develops largely due to this evening rather than the trials they faced. It feels a bit forced and almost unnecessary to include this scene as the characters' relationship would have developed nearly the same without it. I believe it's added to give more to the plot and angst between the leads, but I feel that it does not add to the drama.

CONCLUSION AND RECS:

Overall, this is an excellent drama with a great plot, characters, and aesthetics. Its shortcomings due to the title, limited development of the side characters, and slight lack of acting range have not hindered my viewing experience. The highlights of the drama are romance and the growth of the main characters. My rating is currently 8.6/10, but it may change as the drama progresses.

My recommendations:

The Double (2024): Both dramas have similar romance, aesthetics, and good acting. The side characters are incredibly well-developed in this drama and acting by all set new standards. (8.9/10)

Story of Kunning Palace (2023): The dramas begin similarly as the female protagonist remembers her past life and gets a "second chance". The characters are different from most dramas and the actors do a great job portraying the nuances of their characters. (8.7/10)

MORE: Blossoms of Adversity (2023), Are You the One (2024), Story of Ming Lan (2018)