#3stars — Public Fediverse posts

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Glory (2026) review

When Magistrate Lu Jianglai is assigned to solve a controversial case, he is targeted; he escapes but ends up falling off a cliff, his life hanging by a thread. Fortunately, he is rescued by Rong Shanbao, the eldest daughter and heir of the powerful matriarchal Rong family. He wakes up with no memory, and Shanbao, who knows his real identity, demotes him to a stable boy.

He becomes entangled in the Rong family’s high-stakes search for a son-in-law. Amid power plays and hidden agendas, he and Shanbao engage in a battle of wits that slowly turns into something deeper.

Characters

The Rong Sisters

The Rong “sisters” are not all biological sisters. Some are cousins. In the Rong family, the women are the ones that inherit the business, and all the women must have matrilocal husbands or be expelled from the family.

• Rong Shanbao (played by Gulnazar): The heiress of the Rong family.
• Rong Yunxi (played by Cheng Xiao): The second young lady of the Rong family; she is elegant on the outside but a ruthless schemer on the inside.
• Rong Yun’e (Third Sister) – A relatively quiet character who often sides with the more ‘powerful’ sister.
• Rong Yunyin (Fourth Sister/Mean Rong) – Spoiled, bratty, biological sister to Shanbao and Yunwan.
• Rong Yunshu (Fifth Sister/Scary Sis/Blind Sister) – Blind and often bullied by the others.
• Rong Yunwan (Sixth Sister/Wan Wan) – Mentally disabled sister of Shanbao and Yunyin.
• Xiangling (Cousin, referred to as “Chatty Cousin”) – Stands up to Grandmama.

The Suitors

• Lu Jianglai (played by Hou Minghao): The newly appointed magistrate of Chun’an County.
• Bai Yingsheng (played by Chen Ruoxuan): A penniless young scholar who catches the eye of one of the Rong sisters.
• Yan Bailou (played by Zhao Yiqin): The Rong family’s scion; though born into a prestigious family, he originally intended to become a monk, but was sent by the family to participate in the selection process.
• He Xingming – Obsessed villain who has an agenda against Shanbao.
• Yang Dingchen – Arrogant, mean suitor who will use dirty tactics to “win” Shanbao.
• Wen Can – Shanbao’s “cousin” who is infatuated with her.

What I Liked

I enjoyed some of the character dynamics and relationships. For example, I thought Shanbao and Jianglai’s inverted power dynamics amusing to watch. Jianglai’s shameless antics were a hoot and I liked that our leads are equally intelligent and cunning.

The reverse-harem drama trope: I liked how the in-fighting between women, so tiresome in so many harem dramas, gets a little twist in this one.

The gender role reversal elements (Jianglai as “concubine”, for example) are a fun way to explore how patriarchy impacts relationship dynamics. For example, seeing how the men fight and scheme to get Shanbao’s favour is hilarious and strangely eye-opening.

The schemes within schemes plot structure – you just don’t know what mad turn the plot will take.

Unexpected arcs for the characters – I won’t say much but I really enjoyed the way some of the characters grew.

What I Didn’t Like

Shanbao can be cold and undemonstrative, which makes me sometimes think that Jianglai is the one with the most emotional investment in the relationship. I totally understand why she is the way she is—but I wish she’d break her habit of emotional restraint with Jianglai.

Due to Shanbao’s undemonstrativeness and distance, sometimes the romance feels one-sided.

Shanbao’s and Jianglai’s plans working too perfectly: Simply put, they’re unrealistic. So many things could go wrong. But never mind, in this universe everything works perfectly – how convenient!

The last arc of the drama felt rushed; there was not much groundwork or setup about Jianglai’s background, which made the plot come out of nowhere.

The jade deus ex machina: Probably the laziest plot device ever – a piece of jade that seemed to solve all problems! It’s far too convenient, and I wish Shanbao relied more on her wits than flashing that “ancestral” jade to solve all her problems.

The villains were shallow, including He Xingming, the Duke, and others.

Conclusion

I generally enjoyed Glory’s interesting commentary on patriarchy and the role of women. Some of the character have interesting arcs too. I also enjoyed how the show subverts expectations while maintaining coherent storytelling, which is so rare these days.

However, I wished there was more emotional depth between Shanbao and Jianglai’s relationship. The actors have chemistry, but I just don’t get the same “tingle”.

A beautiful CDrama, for certain, but the plot contrivances can test your patience. The twists and turns do delight, but they defy logic and is far too convenient.

Ultimately, it is a fluffy, gorgeous, fun drama but forgettable.

Final rating: 3 out of 5

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Blood River (2025)

Dark River is a mysterious assassin organization which we first saw in The Blood of Youth.

In Blood River, when the Patriarch of Dark River is severely poisoned. This presents a golden opportunity for the three Blood River families (Su, Xie, and Mu) to seize the “Dragon Sword” which will give them control over the assassin organization and great power.

Su Muyu escorts the Patriach to Qiantang City to find the famous doctor, Bai Hehuai. However, the Xie and Mu families are also lying in wait, aiming to kill the doctor and end the Patriarch’s life.

Characters

Su Muyu (played by Gong Jun) – The leader of Dark River’s elite Spider Shadow Gang is also known as the “Umbrella Ghost”, known for his unique fighting style of wielding an umbrella as a sword.

Bai Hehuai (played by Yang Yutong) – A divine doctor with superb medical skills.

Su Changhe (played by Chang Huasen) – Su Muyu’s sworn brother who has big plans to “reform” Dark River.

Su Zhe (played by Qiao Zhenyu) – The former number one expert of the Su family.

Mu Yumo (played by Peng Xiaoran) – Born into the Mu family, one of the three major families of the Dark River and adept at poisons.

What I Liked

The in-depth exploration about the complexity of being human, and on the nature of ‘good’ and ‘evil’: This is what The Blood of Youth excelled in, and I really enjoyed the quiet moments where the writers explored the bonds between Su Muyu, Su Changhe and their friends.

The complex relationship between the kingdom and the jianghu: Wuxias often explore the difficult and complex relationships in the jianghu. In The Blood of Youth universe, they also explore the complex interactions between the government, royalty and the members of the jianghu. This is something they do really well, and in Blood River, after the messy start, they truly leaned in on that, which I enjoyed.

Gong Jun did well as Su Muyu: I joked that Gong Jun might do well as the taciturn Su Muyu, because his character didn’t need much expressions. (Yes, sadly Gong Jun is not known for his acting chops.) But after the first few episodes, I had my doubts. I realised that Gong Jun may be more robotic than I liked. It took me a while, but I warmed to his, er, robotic ways and just accepted that Su Muyu is just someone so tightly controlled that he doesn’t let any expression leak through.

Interestingly, Gong Jun’s performance and Su Muyu’s character arc eventually became the only motivation for me to continue watching, and probably the highlight of the drama.

What I Didn’t Like

The slow, repetitiveness of the first 10 episodes nearly made me quit this drama. The first six episodes were a slog to endure: attack, dazzling fight, pursuit, attack, dazzling fight. And me having zero idea who’s who and what’s going on or why I should care.

Information overload: Too many characters were introduced at once, especially at the start. They didn’t give the story or characters time to breathe in the first ten episodes. Before we got to know any of them, they’re hurling swords at each other or dying. And with the deluge of characters coming at me, I think I need an AI-powered knowledge base to figure my way around.

The lack of true fights: This is “new wuxia” where fights seem ripped off from a video game. As a a result, many of them are a blur to me. It’s made worse by the fact that the fights are of the “finger fu” variety where they do a few twirls, wave their hands around and magical things erupt around them. However, episode 23’s sword fight stood out as genuinely wuxia-ish. If only they leaned more on that.

I don’t really care for the characters: I get that it’s the trend to make the story gallop from the first episode, but writers keep forgetting the golden rule: Make us care for the characters first. Tell us why we should bother with them. Instead, the show tossed, literally, six episodes of non-stop battles at us. Imagine how many viewers they’d have lost because of this, especially if they had never seen Blood of Youth or Dashing Youth before.

The acting isn’t great: Alas, many of the younger actors couldn’t convey the complexity of their characters well. The veterans, however, are great, especially Su Zhe (Qiao Zhenyu).

The writers still can’t write romance worth a damn: That was my main complaint with The Blood of Youth, but I didn’t mind as the romance was mostly garnishing. Here, it’s one of the main motivations for Su Muyu and not being able to “relate” or feel his no.1 motivation is difficult. We are just supposed to accept that Su Muyu and Miss Miracle Healer are an an item, but I felt zero chemistry between the two or any solid reasons why they should be an item.

Thoughts About the Ending

The naivete and idealism of youth is a big theme in the Blood of Youth, Dashing Youth and Blood River universe. There’s a certain amount of pathos watching young people have such bright hopes for the future only to have them fail because of the unwillingness of society to change or bend to their dreams.

Of all the spin offs, I feel that this particular pathos is the heaviest in Blood River. Does that mean watching this was futile? No, because at the end, it mirrors the very real journeys all of us face: We all have our hopes and dreams in our youth, but in the end, we can only achieve what we can, and maybe that’s enough.

Conclusion

Overall, I liked the drama, but somehow, the emotional impact was limp. Meaning, I barely felt moved by the drama. Something is just missing from Blood River. I rewatched Blood of Youth twice, something which I rarely do. Every character felt alive and amazing, and I loved the entire story. Here, I did not feel much connection to a lot of the characters and none were particularly memorable, except for Su Muyu and Su Zhe. While many people liked Su Changehe, he wasn’t much of a stand out character for me.

Story: The plot improved significantly after episode 7, with meaningful character moments replacing endless fight sequences.

Acting: Mostly poor to average for the young cast, though the veterans did well.

Camerawork: The action sequences leaned heavily on CGI effects. I suppose if you liked that you’d enjoy it, but I prefer a more grounded approach.

Rewatchability: Unlike Blood of Youth which I rewatched twice, Blood River lacks the same emotional pull for repeat viewing.

On the whole, I really enjoyed how the story centres around the messiness of human nature, the idealism of youth and its eventual squashing, and the complex interactions and relationship between the government/royalty and the jianghu.

However, the show is hobbled by its uneven pacing in the beginning, the info dump of characters and by actors who need more acting lessons.

In the end, while I appreciated the deep story it was trying to tell, and largely enjoyed the depiction of Su Muyu by Gong Jun, I was just left oddly hollow and detached. And I have to say that this is going to be one of those dramas that I quickly forget….

Final Rating: 3 out of 5

I’m just glad that the gritty storytelling of Blood of Youth is back here, even if it doesn’t quite reach the same heights.

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Judge Dee’s Mystery

Judge Dee’s Mystery is inspired by the character Di Renjie (Judge Dee), based on a real-life, celebrated judge during the Tang Dynasty.

The character first appeared in the anonymously authored 18th-century Chinese novel, Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee (狄公案; Dí Gōng Àn).

Around the 1940s, Dutch diplomat Robert Van Gulik came across the book in a second-hand bookstore in Tokyo and translated it into English. He later wrote his own Di Renjie stories.

The character became even more renowned after filmmaker Tsui Hark’s made the acclaimed Detective Dee films.

This drama starts at the very beginning before Di Renjie becomes that renowned detective. We see how he develops into the official revered for his detective skills.

In this adaptation, he is a man haunted by a tragic past. After being implicated for a crime, he volunteers to solve it. Thus, begins his career as a famous detective.

What I liked

• Zhang Yi We’s charismatic presence as Di Renjie. I can’t tear my eyes away from him. He may not play a “traditional” version of Di Ren Jie, but I sure love his wuxia, broody version. One of the pet peeves I have is seeing reviews that state that they avoided the drama because “the male lead wasn’t attractive”. To me, he’s a real man with imperfections. He looked like a man who had seen and been through things. He may not be idol-pretty, but he is real-world manly.
• Unlike many people, I didn’t mind that the writers messed with the traditional depiction of Di Renjie in film. (Most adaptations depict him as sly, witty and sometimes even a bit of a bumbling (pretend) idiot.) I liked that they explored his origin story here. It is tragic, sad and filled with mystery.
• Bonus mention: The actress who played Empress Wu Zetian is appropriately intimidating and regal.
• The romance between Di Ren Jie and Cao An is endearing. Di Ren Jie is so lousy when it comes to romance that it is cute to see his comrades stepping in to intervene for him. If Hong Liang (his mentor and old manservant) hadn’t stepped in at one point of the story, it may very well be that they would never be together.
• The Zhang Ruoyun arc! I must say he really added “life” to the drama. (In case you’re wondering, Zhang Rouyun is the lead actor of the critically-acclaimed Joy of Life, which propelled him to fame.) Rouyun’s character, so mysterious, shady and ultimately, shocking, gave the drama a big shot of electricity that it needed.
• The cinematography, the acting—chef’s kiss.

What I didn’t like

• The female sidekick is very annoying and often causes more trouble for the team than help them.
• The mysteries are rather … unmemorable and bland.
• Despite loving the production quality, acting, the cases … somehow the drama lacked the emotional “oomph” that makes a drama addictive. I’m not exactly sure why this is. My theory is that while the production and acting is technically good, many of the characters felt bland and colourless, even Di Renjie. The writing does not move us to really connect with the characters.
• Certain elements were revealed far to late in the story. This lessened the impact of pivotal arcs, especially the second last arc.
• They never revealed why Di Ren Jie’s father did what he did in episode one. Hopefully they’d give more clues in Part 2 besides Di’s sad memories of the event.

This was supposed to be Youku’s Big Drama of the Year, but for some reason it fell flat. I’m not entirely show why as it’s a well-made drama.

However, if you loved Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty, you will enjoy this. It wasn’t the big blockbuster hit that I’d hoped but it is definitely better than the average fare that came out in January and February this year.

Final rating: 3 out of 5

#3Stars #CDrama #China #ChineseDrama #CostumedDrama #DetectiveDee #DiRenjie #TV

#NowPlaying #TheMetalDogIsNowPlaying
#HedvigMollestadTrio
Shoot!
Gun And The E-Kid

YouTube Search:
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Songwhip:
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Lyrics:
#jazzfusion #3stars

#NowPlaying #TheMetalDogIsNowPlaying
#HedvigMollestadTrio
Shoot!
Gun And The E-Kid

YouTube Search:
https://youtube.com/results?search_query=Hedvig+Mollestad+Trio+Shoot!+Gun+And+The+E-Kid

Songwhip:
https://songwhip.com/Hedvig-Mollestad-Trio/Gun-And-The-E-Kid

Lyrics:
#jazzfusion #3stars

#NowPlaying #TheMetalDogIsNowPlaying
#HedvigMollestadTrio
Shoot!
Gun And The E-Kid

YouTube Search:
https://youtube.com/results?search_query=Hedvig+Mollestad+Trio+Shoot!+Gun+And+The+E-Kid

Songwhip:
https://songwhip.com/Hedvig-Mollestad-Trio/Gun-And-The-E-Kid

Lyrics:
#jazzfusion #3stars

#NowPlaying #TheMetalDogIsNowPlaying
#HedvigMollestadTrio
Shoot!
Gun And The E-Kid

YouTube Search:
https://youtube.com/results?search_query=Hedvig+Mollestad+Trio+Shoot!+Gun+And+The+E-Kid

Songwhip:
https://songwhip.com/Hedvig-Mollestad-Trio/Gun-And-The-E-Kid

Lyrics:
#jazzfusion #3stars

#NowPlaying #TheMetalDogIsNowPlaying
#HedvigMollestadTrio
Shoot!
Gun And The E-Kid

YouTube Search:
https://youtube.com/results?search_query=Hedvig+Mollestad+Trio+Shoot!+Gun+And+The+E-Kid

Songwhip:
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Lyrics:
#jazzfusion #3stars

In Blossom review

It’s been a long time since I live-blogged a drama. This is because dramas in the last few months have not caught my attention in such a way that makes me want to do so.

Admittedly, this drama caught my attention because of Liu Xueyi, an actor who caught my attention in Blood of Youth, Love and Redemption, and Qing Luo. I’ve always known that he was more than just a pretty face, that he was a very talented actor and just inches away from breaking out into the big leagues.

I really think In Blossom could be the drama to do it.

If you have not watched In Blossom, do avoid the spoilerific Watch Log and head straight to the non-spoiler Final Review section instead.

And if you’re following this blog from Mastodon or Tumblr, do bookmark the In Blossom page and revisit it as the Mastodon post doesn’t automatically update.

Table of Contents

1. The story
2. Main characters
3. Watch Log
   1. Episode 1 and 2
   2. Episode 4
   3. Episode 7
   4. Episode 8
   5. Episode 11
   6. Episodes 8 to 16
   7. Episodes 17 and 18
   8. Episode 21
   9. Episode 22
   10. Episode 24
   11. Episode 28
   12. Episode 29
   13. Episode 32
   14. The ending (spoilers)
4. Final review
   1. What’s not great
5. Final rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The story

When the handsome, very eligible Pan Yue married Yang Caiwei, the city of Heyang was astounded. She was the last person anyone would expect to capture Pan Yue’s heart: She is scarred and works as a despised undertaker and apprentice coroner.

But then, tragedy strikes. Yang Caiwei dies on their wedding day mysteriously and Pan Yue becomes the main suspect.

But unbeknownst to everyone, Yang Caiwei has become Shangguan Zhi, the ingenue who traded faces with her so that she could marry Pan Yue instead.

Yang Caiwei believes that Pan Yue killed “her”. Determined to uncover his crime, she worms herself into his world, becoming his assistant.

Meanwhile, Pan Yue, who is now the magistrate of Heyang, suspects that she is responsible for his wife’s untimely death.

As the two try to solve the mysterious death of Pan Yue’s bride, they end up embroiled with the shady world of the Four Major Clans, and possibly a conspiracy involving the royal family.

Main characters

Pan Yue – Young, handsome, eligible, rich and beloved of royalty, Pan Yue is probably the most admired and eligible bachelor in the kingdom. But he only has eyes for Yang Caiwei, a scarred woman who was his dearest childhood friend. He has been searching for her for a decade and he has finally found her.

Yang Caiwei – Formerly from the nobility, Caiwei has fallen onto hard times after her father, a former Justice minister, falls from grace and her parents are murdered. She was working as a coroner and grave digger when Pan Yue finds hers.

Shangguan Zhi – The sister of Pan Yue’s good friend, she’s obsessed about her looks and Pan Yue, and 100% believes that he will marry her.

Bai Xiao Sheng – A street-smart hustler and Yang Caiwei’s best friend.

Zhuo Lan Jiang – A mysterious young vagabond who is Yang Caiwei’s good friend.

Watch Log

Episode 1 and 2

Not gonna lie, I was distracted by the fact that Zheng He Hui Zi, who played Yang Caiwei in episodes 1 and 2, won’t be around after because I love her performance here. I’m going to miss her a lot once Ju Jingyi enters the picture. I liked Zheng a lot as Tao Zi in Wonderland of Love and I hope she gets bigger roles in the future. I think she’s a very natural actress and talented.

Ju Jingyi is definitely very okay as a villain. She needs to do more of these roles!

And what can I say about Liu Xueyi? He’s hard carrying the show. I said to a friend that at this rate, he’s going to collapse from metaphorical exhaustion lol. He has a magnetic presence that I can’t quite define or explain. There was one shot of him appearing in silhouette at the door and I went 🤤

Episode 4

I was pretty surprised that the inevitable confrontation between Pan Yue and Shangguan Zhi aka Caiwei took place so quickly. By the way, I’m liking dak, gothic, moody Pan Yue so much. I want to say, “never change, Pan Yue”, but that won’t be fair, foisting such a miserable state of being to our dashing hero.

I definitely love that he literally wears his grief. The white streaks in his hair – what people assumed was a “vanity move” – was the result of terrible grief. And those gorgeous dark robes! It took me a while to realise that he was wearing the Chinese mourning colours of white, blue and black.

Episode 7

So we find out what happened to Pan Yue right after Yang Caiwei’s “death” and it isn’t pretty. Liu Xueyi is acting the heck out of Pan Yue’s deep grief. Can a person look hot when he’s so grief-stricken? Well, Liu Xueyi can totally pull it off.

Episode 8

I love how this show subverts the typical trope of “accidental kiss happens when they fall on each other”, only instead of the male lead falling onto his lady love it’s the opposite!

Episode 11

I’m now on episode 11. I’m pretty shocked that I’m watching so quickly – that’s usually a good sign that I really like the drama. I hope it doesn’t crash and burn like Yong’an Dream, which I had such high hopes for but eventually gave up midway because of the zero chemistry I sensed between the leads. JJY wasn’t as bad as I thought. I think all those comments made me “ready” for her performance lol. But ngl, I keep thinking, “If only…”

Liu Xueyi is 150% delivering here, and looks like I’m in for some fun times with his character lol.

Episodes 8 to 16

What I love about this drama so far:

• The grieving widower trope – uhm, yeah, just irresistible to us females.
• Liu Xueyi’s performance. Damn, he nails the “broken-hearted widower only lives for revenge” thing. And there’s something about the way he carries himself that is magnetic. The camera adores him in this show. Thanks, director! I’ve always known him as an impeccable actor and was pretty annoyed (for his sake) that he has been in supporting roles for so long. But I stumbled on this Twitter post where he said the supporting roles helped him to play protaganists today. (There’s a reel of the roles he had played since he was 16! I particularly dig the punk biker role with the grey hair. Have a look)
• The emotional connection to the cases – the Lantern Festival serial killing case really hit me in the heart at the end. I couldn’t stop thinking about the story, the tragedy of it all! Now that’s how you write stories. Despite the technical superiority of Judge Dee’s Mystery – better mysteries, camerawork, acting, it didn’t give me the same “oh God I need the next episode” now feeling like In Blossom provokes.
• The big emotional reveal we’re dying for – this keeps us watching episode after episode, wondering, “Will Pan Yue finally find out that his wife, Yang Cai Wei, is still alive and next to him? (Though technically since he didn’t really marry her but Shangguan Zhi, so are they really married?

Episodes 17 and 18

How to look cool in front of your lady love:

Step 1 – Spruce up

Step 2 – Declutter

Step 3 – Pour yourself some tea

Step 4 – Sip slowly

Step 5 – Smile like an idiot when she’s not looking

Results – 😅

Some people may think this is out of character for Pan Yue, but it is precisely because it is so out of character for him that makes this scene adorable. Liu Xueyi’s comedic timing and expressions was on point in this scene!

It is just so lovely to see the forlorn shadow hovering around him finally lifted now that He knows she’s alive and next to him.

Meanwhile, our second lead is busy ruining Pan Yue’s every single attempt to date Caiwei.

Episode 21

Finally, that episode we’ve been waiting for. Yang Caiwei knows that Pan Yue knows she’s not Shangguan Zhi!

That was a fine act by Liu Xueyi when Pan Yue was blind and crying for Yang Caiwei at the hillside. It was uncomfortable watching him so anguished 😢

Also, Yang Changwei finally knows that Pan Yue knows, and that kiss! (And the long lingering camera focuses on Liu Xueyi’s muscles 🤪 when he’s in the bath. Thanks, Mr Director, I truly appreciate it 😆)

Also, Pan Yue’s assistant (Ze) forever being that fly on the wall there to witness their big moments. 😆

There’s also a little sweet moment between Jiang and Bai Xiao Sheng. Kiss her damnit.

I wasn’t surprised by the reveal of who the mastermind in the wheelchair was. But now there’s another big bad in the capital. Hmm!

I know some people seem disappointed that the show is becoming less gothic and lighter in tone, and that Pan Yue is even getting quirkier, but I am loving the change. How about you?

Episode 22

I continue to love the camera work in this show. It is not exactly top-tier, but some scenes are beautifully framed, making the shot look like something straight out of a painting. Love this scene of Pan Yue walking down the corridor.

Not that it should surprise anyone, but Pan Yue, as you know, literally “wears” his grief. His hair turned white from sorrow, and after YCW’s “death”, he wore only blackwhite or occasionally dark blue, always in mourning. If he wore colours, it is always about work (going undercover).

However, his clothes are now brighter and colourful, reflecting his happiness as he is freed from the guilt that was weighing him down.

That emerald robe on him in this episode is a delight. 🤭

Episode 24

One thing I love about this show is how confident and forward the women are. They are not the typical, shy wilting flower types who are reluctant to express their desire for their men. I love the Uno reverse card they did in this scene, where Pan Yue is trying to be the smooth and seductive Cassanova, only to have Caiwei turn the tables on him, pin him to the shelves and and declaring what she thinks about his physical attributes instead 🤭

Episode 28

Me, after viewing this: OMG Pan Yue don’t you die on me

People on social media: OMG he is so pretty when he faints.

Admittedly, Pan Yue is gorgeous even when he faints.

Episode 29

I did it. I submitted to the power of Express episodes. Dang you, Youku, take my money. I have to admit they’re terribly ingenious with the whole thing. First, they charge you for advanced access; you can view an episode six hours ahead of time. And they did not announce the Express package ahead of time lest you decide to skip on the advanced episodes option to get the Express option. I bet you that advanced episode viewers do not get an automatic upgrade and have to pay more to get the express package.

Fortunately, I did not fall for the advanced episodes because it was just useless for me as they land during working hours and I don’t want to be distracted at work. But I did fall for express episodes, yes I did. But I’m really glad I got them because MyDramaList and Twitter was a minefield of spoilers, with an idiot, I mean, someone posting a damn video of a character’s death the moment the express episode was released. If anything, I often buy express packages to spare myself the pain of being spoiled.

But I shall go ahead and talk about this drama.

I think it’s credit to the writers that I’m driven enough to buy express episodes. The only drama I did this with was Mysterious Lotus Casebook. It’s not that the mysteries are especially well-written or compelling, but that I truly, truly care for the characters and want to know how they fare.

Episode 32

All I can say is that I breathed a sigh of relief. CDramas has had this unfortunate trend of going sideways in the last 10 episodes or so that I was holding my breath from episode 28 onwards.

My thoughts about the ending below, hidden in the expanded text.

The ending (spoilers)

I love it. Love, love, love it. Am very satisfied and happy with the ending.

But yes, I feel sad for A-Jiang eventhough I expected it because his tragic end was so heavily foreshadowed. Eventhough I wanted badly for him to live for Xiaosheng’s sakes, I knew somehow, that his tragic end was fiting for the story.

But this tragic though? It’s awful that he literally died a painful death. Writers, you’re too cruel!

Also, I didn’t think he was very smart at the way he went about seeking revenge. For a man who is supposedly clever enough to control a sect and get rid of a rival sect by his own lonesome, I expected more of him. But perhaps his competence was all an illusion because, after all, his dad was still alive and may be pulling strings in the background and mitigating his inexperience.

I wasn’t so sure where they were going with Pan Yue, however. He could meet the tragic end of his real-life counterpart, who was falsely accused of treason and executed along with his family. So, I was genuinely scared that the writers would decide to mirror history and our poor Pan Yue would meet the same end.

But fortunately he did survive, and had a rosy end with his lady love. To bad I didn’t feel a smidgen of chemistry between Liu Xueyi and Jiu Jingyi at this point, so what would’ve been the pinnacle best ending ever felt hollow for me.

About the supposed – “cliffhanger” ending. I’m not sure why people say it’s a cliffhanger. It’s more like a teaser, a possibility etc. It will not ruin the entire series for you nor will it render it “unfinished” in any way. The entire arc is needly wrapped up, so don’t worry, proceed it peace.

Just who is No.1? Well, who knows at this point. Despite its popularity, I highly doubt In Blossom will get a second season, so I have no idea why in the world the writers thought inserting this would be a good idea.

Final review

Sure, In Blossom was not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but Pan Yue (or rather, Liu Xueyi) gave me so much joy. Liu Xueyi’s magnetic presence was the entire drama for me, seriously. Darling, please grace me with your abs and dark, embroidered hanfus once again. The world needs this community service.

With CDramas being the way they are, I really expected it to just go sideways sharply towards the end, but it didn’t! The storytelling, while not perfect and sometimes terribly convenient, held up till the very end. No fillers, no unnecessary side quests. No jealous rivals that bjorked everything up.

I would say this has bumped off Wonderland of Love as my favourite lite, cracktastic drama. Finally, a drama I can happily rewatch! I thought the story, while problematic at some bits were tightly woven throughout.There were no weird, unnecessary side quests, noble idiocy moments or side characters that fill up the space but don’t do anything.

What’s not great

Yes, they be downsides for this drama too.

The awful make-up
Dear god in heaven who did the makeup? Especially for Ju Jing Yi’s? Because those fake eyelashes are killing me inside. I don’t know if it’s the camerawork or the makeup but sometimes the makeup feels too obvious (even on the men) and it takes me out. Also, I swear, I was totally horrified to see tape on one actor’s face at one point. Hello, styling crew, were you asleep when putting on those wigs? Because I kept seeing the glue marks. I don’t usually notice these things, but the eff-ups are so glaring I could not ignore them.

But thumbs up for the wardrobe folks tho. Those robes on Zhuo Lan Jiang and Pan Yue are gorgeous. The women’s seem blander in comparison.

Ju Jingyi’s performance
In Blossom created an unexpected storm in the teacup: Ju Jing Yi’s acting.

Her performance just doesn’t match the skills of the first actress who played Yang Caiwe, Zheng He Hui Zi.

After going through the five stages of grief, knowing that I won’t see her again, I settled in with Jing Yi’s acting, which I eventually decided wasn’t terrible. Not good, but not terrible. A fine distinction. Though, I really, really miss Zheng He Hui Zi’s subtle physical mannerisms. The way she struts around, not caring if the world thinks she’s ugly.

Jing Yi moved around like a delicate flower. I wished she’d adopt Zheng’s more broad movements. I also missed the way Zheng projected this determined yet resigned air about her. Jing Yi’s Caiwei was too bubbly and perky. What I would do for that glimpse of sad determination and resignation of Caiwei’s again.

Again, I don’t think Jing Yi’s performance is terrible. Fun fact – I have a list of bad actors whose shows I refuse to watch because they’re just awful. But Jing Yi is not on that list. Yet.

But admittedly, this is my first drama with her, though I did watch a few episodes of Legend of Yunxi and barely remember her performance there. If it’s true that she is the same in every single drama, my patience would run very thin indeed.

The chemistry between our main couple, alas, is sadly lukewarm
Not at arctic levels like our couple in Yong’an Dream, but far from what I call “hot” or “phew we need to see them kiss more.”

A lot of people abandoned the drama due to the switcheroo, especially since they had a hard time transitioning from Zheng He Hui Zi’s better acting to Ju Jing Yi’s less nuanced one. I asked a friend – why did we continue when others didn’t? And, honestly, it’s down to a few things:

1. Liu Xueyi
2. Pan Yue’s character growth

I’ve noticed Liu Xueyi’s talent for a few years already, most notably in dramas such as Blood of Youth and Qing Luo. Not only is he an Adonis, he can act circles around the main leads of the dramas he’s always a second lead or a supporting actor. In Blossom is finally his chance to shine, and he delivers incredibly well, especially since the styling of his character is absolute perfection with those gorgeous embroidered robes, the white streaks of his hair and more.

Another reason why I continued watching In Blossom is because I’m not the sort to watch dramas nor is romance a primary motivation for me to watch a drama.

Meaning, I’m not the sort to ship anyone or even watch a drama purely for the romance. I’ve always been primarily attracted by character growth. And the more potential there is for that, the more I want to watch a show.

Watching Pan Yue change from confident, romantic hero to being a gothic, mourning, driven-by-vengeance widower was fascinating to watch. And towards the end, when Pan Yue regains the spark he had in the first two episodes, we are delighted for him.

Usually, Pan Yue’s romantic life would have been a wonderful enhancer to this journey, but due to Jing Yi being overshadowed by Zheng’s impactful performance, and due to Zheng and Liu Xueyi having such dynamite chemistry and Ju Jing Yi’s inability to surpass or even match that … well, darling, we have a problem.

So, Pan Yue’s peak happiest moment, when he finally reunites with his lady love, feels hollow.

But is this enough to forsake the entire show? Well, it really depends on your primary motivation or drive to watch the drama. Like I mentioned, I’m not the sort to ship anyone, not even the main couple. In fact, I tend to watch dramas where there’s little emphasis on romance.

So, if you’re the sort of person who’s interested in Pan Yue’s character growth or just want a simple, rip-roaring, wuxia-ish tale, In Blossom will be right for you. However, if you’re looking for a hot romance you can swoon over, you may have to be extremely forgiving of the acting performances or look elsewhere. Like Wonderland of Love, The Sword and the Brocade or of course, the doyen of sizzling chemistry, Dream of Splendor.

Final rating: 3 out of 5 stars

#3Stars #CDrama #CDramas #China #ChineseDrama #CostumedDrama #drama #inBlossom #liuXueyi #romance

The Expanse by James S.A. Corey: Re-reading Books 1 to 4

The Expanse books are a cracking Sci-Fi series. Here are my reviews for the first four books as I reread them in preparation for finally finishing the series!

https://thewallflowerdigest.co.uk/books/book-reviews/the-expanse-by-james-s-a-corey-re-reading-books-1-to-4/

#3Stars #5Stars #BookReviews #BookBlog #BookReview #Books #Fiction #JamesSACorey #ReadIn2023 #ScienceFiction