Cherry Blossoms After Winter (2022)

Great casual BL to binge watch!!

I put off watching this one because I didn't have many positive expectations (mostly because I read the manhwa a while ago and I didn't remember enjoying it too much) but I'm glad I finally got around to it because it was actually pretty worth it!! So here's my breakdown on my thought on this series :)

Story & Production -
(Basing my rating off of the overall plot of the drama not how the manhwa nor how well it follows the manhwa) Pretty simple friends to lovers kind of story but because of the characters' circumstances and prior relationships with one another it still made for an interesting love story. The overall plot of learning to accept one another and trying to gain acceptance from those around them was a good way of keeping the drama going. Granted, they only had 8 episodes, 25 mins each to work with, so I'd say with those time constraints the story was well told.

Acting/Cast & Romance -
Not gonna lie, probably one of the reasons I rated this so high was because of the romance scenes. Very very adorable!!!! I gotta hand it to the main leads, they really convinced me of their characters' chemistry! And all the support roles, the mom, the friends, did an amazing job, it all looked so natural, I really enjoyed it.

Music -
The opening OST was nice but nothing too extraordinary. The bgm however was well placed and absolutely helped whatever scene it was being put with!

Rewatch Value -
I'd say it's pretty rewatchable simply because of the cute romance scenes hehe...

TL;DR
If you go into this series expecting too much, you'll be disappointed. But if you're looking for a quick BL with an easy to follow/relate to story and cute couple scenes, then this is a great option.

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Cliché yet Captivating.

I know it's a fast paced drama but I love it. It definitely one of the common love story falling for you childhood friend and guilty for the parent that took care of you and what not; but it is a nice story in my opinion for it get straight to the point.

25-30mins of drama isn't enough, yes! but the quality given by the production wasn't as great as one hopes, hence the fast-paced timeline is good. There's so many questions I wanted to know though; then again it's back to the production.

The actors do have an amazing chemistry with one another and they are so adorable ! Their acting was on point but they did not get to portray as much; which was disappointing. Overall I like the fluffiness of the story.

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I'm glad I watched

I didn't know what to expect from Cherry Blossoms After Winter but I liked it more than I expected. The story is quite unique in that it portrays different phases of their lives. From childhood to high school to college to marriage. This is fresh because most BLs focus on one scenario with maybe a little part at the end that shows their life a year later. With this you have the idea that they really are meant to spend their whole lives together. The actors are expressive and have good chemistry, and it was easy to watch. I did skip the bullying part in the beginning but that didn't last for long at all.

While the drama is enjoyable, I would have liked for it to have been a little longer to better portray their closeness. Nevertheless, there was just enough time to understand their closeness. The pair is very affectionate and they are both honest with their feelings all throughout so it is not as frustrating to watch as other BLs.

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Watch this immediately omg

I am absolutely in love with this drama!!! The actors???? The music???? The story???? Literally out of this world. I am so glad I have it a chance.

I may be a bit biased about the music because blitzers made the ost and I love them…. But it’s a great song so idc. Whatever music played throughout the episodes were honestly amazing and definitely fit the scenes.

I may or may not have fallen in love with the entire cast… they were all so charming!! Especially the girlie pops 🤤

The story is honestly what hooked me the most. After reading the synopsis I was a little put off but I decided to give it a chance anyways and I am so glad I did. Nothing really felt rushed, and nothing felt slow either. It was just the right timing for everything. The last two episodes, however, did get me a little scared because of how mama bear was reacting. I honestly thought that she had been supporting them since the beginning?? So that was a shocker for me. I’m glad things got cleared up in the end and everything went well for the couple.

It was a cute show that I will definitely be watching again!!!

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THE MOST LOVEABLE PAIR??

I was up-to-date with this BL and i felt obliged to come every week to watch this BL! I even watched it when I was in a totally different country or in the airport and the reason why? I found these two main characters too loveable and I really wanted to see how their relationship progressed.

This BL may seem unusual at first because, as you may have figured out, it's a bit like a relationship between a brother and his step-brother? But , I want you to not think like that anymore! Because once you watch it, you will realise that its not really like that.

Hae Bom and Taesung seem like an unlikely pair? The first few episodes seem to show that. I felt like i would drop CBAW after the first 2? episodes because it felt like the story wasn't progressing. However, I suddenly became more invested when the feelings between the two main characters became obvious!

I, now, have a few favourite scenes from this BL! Sometimes it could feel frustrating like why doesn't he notice his love?? But, the skinship and incredible acting make up for it! Some of my favourite scenes are even sad/heart breaking ones. Heart-breaking and tugging at your heart strings: these words sum it up! The OST enhances those scenes? (However, i don't really focus on music.)

Anyway, loads of my fellow BL fans have watched this too and have said how beautiful it is too! It's considered one of the best Korean BLs that have been released this year (2022). So, definitely worth a watch or even a rewatch!!

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Solid 8/10 if I pretend that there’s nothing weird about their relationship at all

It’s easy to see why CBAW is so popular. No time is wasted on dumb bullsh*t like messy sideplots. This is all about Haebom and Taesung, and man, I have to say, they have a really cute relationship (and height difference).

The characters have really good chemistry (which makes the show worth watching), but while their insanely cute romance develops, a tiny voice in my head can’t help but yell: But wait! They’re still adopted brothers!!

The vibe of Haebom and Taesung is closer to childhood-friends-turned-lovers rather than siblings, even though they grew up in the same household. Haebom even addresses Taesung’s mother as “ma’am” rather than “mum”.

But something about their relationship still unsettles me. Haebom and Taesung’s love story, in all its warm, sappy, goodness, would make for an even more delightful watch if not for this uncomfortable detail.

If anything, this show makes me interrogate my beliefs on relationships that I can or cannot accept. Blood relations are out of the question. Adopted siblings or stepsiblings? Hmm, probably weird if they grew up together (exactly what happened in CBAW). How about discovering a long-lost half-sibling during adulthood? It gets iffier man, I don’t know.

My full review: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2022/04/27/cherry-blossoms-after-winter-2022-review-adopted-brother-bl-plot-makes-it-weird/

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I mean I guess you could watch it....

This show gave me nothing. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Did I eagerly wait for a new episode to be released each week? Also Yes. Did I day dream about the couple? You know I did....but still....I'm tempted to ask for a refund.

The couple is super cute. The story is pretty far fetched although I guess in the realms of BL it's actually kind of believable lol. For me I don't think the chemistry was really there. I feel bad giving it a low score but when it's all said and done...I don't really have anything good to say about it. It's cute, no brain required type of watch which is often at time exactly what you need so go ahead and enjoy it...but tempter your expectations.

The potential for greatness is absolutely there. I would say the potential of the show is its redeeming factor....like you could create a better BL in your head (and I did [devil emoji] ) using the characters and plot from the series.

The final.....that really just added insult to injury in my opinion....

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Beautiful

a really beautiful show with a rating too low tbh. it's a really good one for Korea, casting was fab, no MAJOR drama but I quite liked that. it was a good one for a sad and lazy afternoon.
please don't be turned off by some of these really extreme reviews I don't think some of them are justified at all. we all have our own taste but some are just missing the point

*slight spoiler*

I especially liked the characters of the friend and mother and how they were explored. I think the friend was just so lovely and shows the more accepting modern Korea slowly arising whereas the mother showed rhe fear and conflict the older generations fear for their children

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Overall, this is one of the better K-BL dramas. It is focused on telling a tight story, where every scene is meaningful, and all characters have their part in the plot.

It's a slow and gentle story -- both the school bullying and short violence in the beginning and the initial coldness of Tae Seong's make the thawing of feelings and the beginning warmth between the couple clearer.

I really like the progression of the story, the pacing is right, the camera work is solid. I like that the young men change their hair style and their clothing when starting university. I also think both their body language changes with their changing feeling, though that point is more subtle.

There's one thing I wish would have been different. I feel that the sets and the colour palette of this series are very cool, too white, sometimes even a bit sterile. While this makes sense in the beginning (Hae Bom's room looks more like a guest room than a teenager's room -- but then again, he feels like a guest in this house), I would have like a shift to warmer colours in later episodes -- spring colours to go with the plot. Unfortunately, Tae Seong and Hae Bom's flat still looks impersonal and cold -- personal effects, a bit of untidyness could have helped. The strings of lighting, I'm sorry to say, only feel artificial to me. Still, this is something that I only can put in words now, after having watched this series several times, so it's really only a minor thing.

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