Jiu Chong Zi (2024)

what’s not to love

I am biased but finally confirming there are 2 sets of twins on the show have really cemented this show for me. I’d love to see a spinoff of adventures with Song Mo and then Lu twins and see adventures of Dou Zhao and the Su twins with Mr. Chen as well lol. even though this drama had many episodes cut it is not as noticeable as some. I also read online the WebNovel and as confusing as the translation was, I’m glad it is somewhat different in many areas. in terms of star power, again biased, I already had high hopes for Li Yunrui it’s Jian Yong that surprised me and made me want to look into j]him as an actor more. I loved seeing familiar faces and discovering new faces. can we all agree that Ming and Ansu are absolutely stunning. I have 2 more eps to go but can say for sure this is on my rewatch list. and maybe if we’re lucky like they have with some before, they’ll release the full series as a special. if you’re in the fence, don’t be. the story is great, cast, great, scenes, lighting, ost awesome. did I mention the leads are also singing here. A+ hands down.

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Enthralled From Beginning Until the End!

From the very first episode until the end, "Blossom" kept my eyes glued to the screen. Every single second, and scene was captivating. Every single character in this drama played their part well, and was very important to get this drama skyrocketing to it's current popularity.

Meng Zi Yi has been working really hard as a supporting actress for many years, and I've seen her in a plethora of dramas. I'm very happy to see her main role in "Blossom" do so incredibly well! It has been a long time coming for her, I'm really happy that she got the breakthrough she has so long worked for. Meng portroyed Dou Zhao very naturally and I love the power she gives to the character. Dou Zhao was given a second chance of life, and she did not waste a single drop of knowledge in her second life. She fought hard and well to protect Song Mo and the people she loves and cares for. Despite many enemies wanting her dead, she was able to weave her way out even without Song Mo. She's not your average mistress in distress FL, she's a heroine in this drama. She's, as Song Mo stated, the strategist and reinforcement of his life. She would do anything to protect Song Mo, and vice versa!

Moving on to Li Yun Rui. I've only seen him in "Love Like The Galaxy," and boy was he annoying in that drama for me. However, he redeemed himself in "Blossom" and has become an actor that I won't skip on his next project, that's only if the synopsis is good. lol I digress. Li Yun Rui embodied Song Mo very well. He showcased what Song Mo is all about - justice and love. He will always fight for justice, and is not afraid to tell the emperor how disappointed he is when justice is not served. And also put two princes in their place. LOL Of course, he would protect Dou Zhao as much as he can. Li Yun Rui's ability to act with micro expression can be quite comedic in a good way. There are definitely moments where he needs to work on his acting just a tad bit. But overall, everything he did was very natural and I didn't notice anything off at the very least. Song Mo's life is quite depressing because he was hated by his father for secret reasons. I like that the drama makes you question the stupidity of the elders and everyone involved but then when the truth comes out - it all makes sense. I almost dropped this drama because I thought the father was being ridculous for absolute no reason. LMAO But all is well, you just have to keep watching to know and understand everything!

"Blossom" feels like it follows the life of both Dou Zhao and Song Mo from their 2nd life meeting, courtship, marriage, kids, and life onwards. I really enjoyed watching every moment of this drama, except for maybe some political parts but I digress. There was barely any angst between the main leads, which indiciates that not every drama needs ANGST! *cough* Even without angst, it still kept the audience engaged. There are many dramas I've watched this year that fell short mid way or even towards the end. However, "Blossom" was the opposite. Even the last 4 episodes kept me on my toes, I was screaming, engaged, did not blink, oh my god, the battle was phenomennal and intense!

I like that the drama included a gun and a clock. Both of which you don't see often in Ming Dynasty dramas, it was a nice touch that I couldn't help but notice. :]

"Blossom" was about Dou Zhao and Song Mo's fight to protect the righteousness of the throne. People either want them dead or want them on their side.

I would definitely recommend this drama if you like a wholesome marriage between leads, smart heroine, and strong yet resilient hero, amazing plot, and great screenwriting and directory.

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PERFEITO, SALVOU MEU ANO

Depois de ano onde eu quase todos os dramas chineses que eu vi terminam PÉSSIMOS, esse querido salvou meu ano com NOTA 10, entendo e até concordo em partes com as críticas mais aprofundadas sobre ele que estão por aqui, mas acho que na experiência geral de satisfação ao assitir, ele entregou tudo e mais um pouco, foi divertido, bonito, romântico e emocionante ao máximo, eu amei todos os personagens, até os que eu odiei, tirando a madastra dela, claro, essa parte sempre entediante.
Recomendo demais e assistirei de novo qualquer dia pq vale a pena MUITOOOO. Feliz ano e que mais dramas assim venham por aí!!

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A really good, addictive all rounder, that meanders a bit towards the end

This drama launches with two addictive plots running 1) will our main characters be able to find love despite all the political turmoil ? 2) will our main characters be able to secure justice, righteous revenge and yet still have a happy ever after?

As the main romance plot starts resolving, a LOT of screen time is wasted on uninspiring terrible characters takes their place. This was so aggravating for me I almost DNF.

BUT, I really wanted to know if it all works out in the end. Unlike most other Chinese historical political dramas I've seen, this drama really hid the ending well. I wasn't quite sure how it would resolve until it did.

The acting is great, the music and production values are very good, and the pacing for the first 2/3rds and last 3 episodes was really good. If you like this genre, this drama is a must watch.

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Very satisfying to watch

I decided to watch it as I've heard some good reviews about the first few episodes, and it definitely blows my expectation. I can't really tell that this was a lower budget production at first as it got great cinematography and overall good story & acting.

Pros
- Zhaomo
They are hands down my favorite couple in dramaland now. They are the standard and I just love their relationship so much. The romance development is amazing, the pace is just right and I really could believe in every stages of their relationship. I really love their married life as well, it's so much more intimate than what is shown in other dramas imo.

- Great cinematography
Director is the biggest asset in this drama, he have clear direction and is a good storyteller. While I love the main characters, I also love to see side characters have their own memorable shot, so I really like this director's style. I am definitely looking forward to see his future works.

- Solid script
Script is solid overall. Characters are well written and have their own highlight, story have a clear direction, plenty of good dialogues throughout, and I like the resolution as well. There are some plot holes here and there, but it's quite minimal and still within acceptable level to me.

- Good acting
The acting here is overall pretty good and nothing bothers me, everyone fits their role quite well.

- Good ending
Honestly I was so worried it's gonna end so badly since I don't like the major plot development after their marriage (especially for episode 27-32), but I'm glad it ends on good note and overall still makes sense to me. Some of the storyline could be better though (Songhan x Ansu, Jiyong, Empress x Emperor)... but it's a pretty good ending considering other dramas that I have watched in recent years, so I'm very satisfied overall.

Cons
- Uneven quality for both directing and script
The directing -- some episodes in latter half was not as good as the beginning, the dip in quality is more noticeable since the beginning was really good imo. Thankfully it got redeemed on the last few episodes.

The script also suffer from this as some characters or arc are not that well written, in particular Songhan x Ansu, Jiyong, and Empress x Emperor storyline could be better. I'm not sure if it's because they run out of budget or the censorship cuts few episodes, but I really wish Blossom have few more episodes to develop the latter half better as the plot was too jam packed towards the end.

- Action scenes feel lacking in last episode
Action scenes in the beginning was really good and it's what caught my attention the most... but unfortunately the last battle leaves more to be desired. Again I'm not sure if it's because of budget or time constraint, but I wish the last battle is grander.

Overall I'm very satisfied with the series. I wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for something perfect because it's not... but if you're looking for something fun with amazing leads, good cinematography, compelling characters, and good ending, then please try to watch it.
Please note that my rating is slightly higher as I really enjoyed watching it and the ending makes me feels like it's worth the express fee that I paid.

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Don’t believe the hype - this is barely a concept of a storyline…

Very disappointing, I chose to watch this drama as I have been a fan of Li Yun Rui since Love like the Galaxy and I was pleased to see him in a ML role for a change; but this drama and his performance in it has turned out to be a pretty average vehicle for his leap into stardom.

The only positive thing I could say is that I do like Dou Zhao‘s adversarial relationship with her wicked stepmother, that at least made the storyline interesting. However, once the step mother was out of the picture, the series totally jumped the shark into the dark depths of - utter boredom.

I had been binge watching this series up to episode 18 when I started to lose interest, even though the marriage between Song Mo and Dou Zhao should have been exciting but just felt like a flat device amongst all the other unsatisfactory plotlines going on especially the one about Song Mo’s uncle’s unsolved murder.

I spent most of episodes 27 & 28 wondering just WTH was going on (?!) what with Song Han’s odd progression from hero worshiping younger brother to evil arch nemesis complete with expert level martial arts skills; which even Song Mo was surprised about. The rushed wedding between Song Han and Miao Ansu, who somehow progressed from humble merchant to princess. And I nearly forgot about, Ji Yong being revealed to be the evil mastermind behind Prince Ying with his target being Mantis Song.

And what’s the point of the dumbass Emperor?

A 6 yo could write a better script for a c-drama than this!

There is no way that this series deserves to be labelled as the best of 2024, or even the best of a bad bunch; unless of course you are so desperate that your standards have dropped; in which case do watch The story of Pearl Girl to sort your head out.

Overall, Blossom is so poor I can’t even be bothered to see what the final outcome will be; stopped watching at episode 28.

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Oozing chemistry, great plot ,definitely a 10/10

This is my 2nd time adding a review strangely dramas that have blossom in it attract me (blossom in adversity)
Will keep it short,simple everyone has to give this drama a try 1st ep all about past well e
real fun starts from ep 3 but enjoyed all episodes till now watching ep 11 and this drama has the potential to make me stick to it till the end
I find all actors giving their best and the CHEMISTRY yeah that's what is just amazing it couldn't be described in words you have to watch it
These and some of the things like the visuals ,the setup ,cgi not used that much but how it is used is superb yeah one of the most important thing storyline pace it is perfect for 34 episodes well i am waiting for their fake marriage 😚🤭🤭ohhh and the princess treatment 😩😩😩😩🔥🔥🔥
That was alk thanks for reading

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The Dark Horse of The Year

"Blossom" shows that a great story and solid execution can outshine big budgets and famous actors. This drama, though simple on the surface, stands out as one of the best of the year.

It's such a heartfelt story, pulling you into its world with raw emotions and thoughtful storytelling. The casts, while not A-lister, delivers powerful performances that feel genuine and natural. Their chemistry brings the characters to life in a way that’s truly captivating.

What makes "Blossom" special is its direction and script. Every scene feels purposeful, and the pacing keeps you hooked from start to finish.

"Blossom" proves you don’t need flashy effects or big names to make something unforgettable. It’s a hidden gem that deserves all the praise, truly the dark horse of the year.

Note: I will update my review after I've finished watching

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Dou Zhao

First of all, it was a good series. I watched it with pleasure. However, as always, there were a lot of errors, in other words, logical errors. It is very difficult to connect a topic. I felt this in this series. However, the series is good, especially the costumes were well chosen, the make-up was successful, the image is beautiful, the direction is very good, the action was also like that. I liked it. However, the CAST was not. No one should take offense. If we start with the leading roles, I would ask where they found these two. I did not find them suitable. I did not find them compatible. Although they acted well and did not make it clear, the visual did not please me. Meng Zi Yi showed his experience and took the lead in acting. He crushed the person opposite him. I appreciate Meng Zi Yi as an actor. But he is not my star actor. If I were to make a series, I would put this actor opposite a star actor. He is an actor of such roles. He suits him very well. But he is not my leading role. Li Yun Rui is a very beautiful child. His face is clean. He is tall. Thin. He looks frail. But he seems to have more or less pulled off being a general. But he grinned a lot in some games. He stayed low. He seems to have some problems. But is it in his speech? In his image? In his stance? In his mouth structure? I couldn't figure it out. But there is something. The actor who played the emperor suited his role. I liked it. He didn't become an empress, I didn't like it. He didn't become an old princess, I didn't like it. I didn't like the young actor who played the role of Song Han at all. He needs to earn some more bread. He wasn't suitable for the role either. Alina Zhang suited her role but she played all the parts with a grin. A different type. It didn't work. The role of Wei Ting Yu didn't work. I didn't like it. There is zero harmony with the partner that suited her. It didn't work. In other words, the person who did the CAST was terrible. Song Han and An Su didn't work either. There is zero harmony. Chen Jia and Zhang Ru didn't work. They were like opposite types. There is zero harmony. I liked the actor who played the character Ji Yong. He suited his role. The ones who played the characters Dou Shi Shu and Dou sHİ Yung were suitable. Grandma is like that. Princes don't say I'm a prince either. They were like couch grass. I didn't like it at all. Let me give you an example so that you can see what I didn't like; Song Han, for example, was a snot-nosed child, meaning he was a satellite of his father who didn't understand anything. His father was trying to steal things. He's such a passive character. Suddenly he turned into someone who knew kung fu, hit what he threw, made strategies, and led soldiers. You could say something like this. He hid himself. His father and older brother taught him. When? When he was little. You didn't see it. He learned it at some point. He didn't reveal it. If that was the case, why can't the audience see it? Suddenly, the man becomes the first in literature and the first in martial arts. He kills people. He uses a sword. Super, too. He challenges his brother. He shoots arrows and hits the bull's eye. I mean, I was surprised. Then he fooled our naive girl. He even made her fall in love with him. He was a coward who didn't understand anything and was in his own way. His older brother and sister-in-law, who knew this, supported him. They waited until they rebelled. It didn't happen once and for all. Such things can be forgiven, they are not things that can be eaten, swallowed, or waited for. Can we say let's wait and see for rebellion? I watched such nonsense in some parts of the beautiful series. I didn't like the cast. But I liked the series in general and especially its costumes.

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Extremely unsatisfactory romance. Dragged for no reason.

This could have become the best cdrama of 2024 but it missed the mark...BY A LOT
1) the pacing is bad. The double had similar vibes but great pacing compared to this one. Cdramas are forcing people to drop stop watching by making it more than 20 episodes 15 would be perfect for a thriller and "Reset" is a good example of that.

2) Do the male leads have a good chemistry? Guess I will never know because they haven't explored that properly. This is definitely not for romance lovers. It seemed like an unfulfilled fantasy.

3) There's too many side characters. I have watched 60 eps cdramas as well and when I say there are too many side characters and side stories, it means its very messy.

Overall, it disappointed me and I am dropping it

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The first time i wrote a review bc im impressed this drama and leads' acting

I should admit that the title is confusing bc there were some previous drama with similar title

What I like the most of the acting is the LYR's gaze, body language. Finally, i get chances to pay attention of LYR's acting properly through this drama, i should thank the director for giving him chance to be a ML. His grey hair, candy eyes, and strong gaze matches pretty well, I even rewatched some scenes to see it. He totally nailed it.

There are too many characters in this drama (maybe it also happened in mostly historical drama), so you need more memory storage in your head hehehe.

The storyline is give me cliffhanger whenever i have to wait for another episode. Although there are some dramas with similar story (past life, current life), but I'm always excited to watch this drama.

The chemistry between leads' are amazing. The height gap between leads look so romantic.

Although LYR looks thin, but he actually a muscular body, so it matches his character as a hero.

I think their marriage and romance life starts sooner than mostly romance dramas, so anyone who loves romance would definitely love it.

MZY's acting is also good, i think it's much better than WJY's , this is the first time i watch her acting, i usually saw her clumsiness in Hello Saturday hahaha

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