- Drama Title: Blossom
- Also Known As: 九重紫, Jiu Chong Zi
- Director: Zeng Qing Jie
- Cast: Meng Zi Yi, Li Yun Rui
- Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Historical, Mystery
- Number of Episodes: 34
- Date of Release: December 6, 2024
- Original Network: Tencent Video
- Where to Watch: WeTV, Tencent Videos, iQiyi, Viki
- Adapted from the novel “Jiu Chong Zi” by Zhi Zhi
Hola dear readers… How are you today? It’s the holiday season and we have some situations IRL right now. So forgive me for being lazy. Just now I was so excited to tell you all my thoughts about this new romance drama, Blossom. This Chinese drama released in December 2024 has exceeded my expectations so far. And I would like to show you why this drama is worth your time. So, without further ado. Let’s get started with the review!
Blossom Synopsis
Dou Zhao has lived two lives. In her first life, she lost her mother at a young age and was raised by an evil stepmother and a weak father. She married the Marquis of Jining, Wei Ting Yu, for convenience. For ten years, she loved him with all her heart and took care of the family, only to find out that his husband was having an affair with her younger stepsister.
Dou Zhao decided to leave her husband and go to her hometown to get a divorce. Along the way, she meets Song Mo, a rebellious general with a vendetta of his own. Their intertwined destinies begin when they face death together, betrayed by those they trusted.
In the second life, Dou Zhao awoke as a young girl. Her mother was still alive, and her father had yet to marry her evil stepmother. She tried to save her mother’s life, but some fate was meant to be.
Dou Zhao’s mother committed suicide after learning that her best friend was carrying her husband’s child. To avoid the same fate, Dou Zhao seeks refuge with her grandmother. From her, Dou Zhao learns her talent as a businesswoman.
Dou Zhao is determined to change her fate and that of Song Mo in return for the kindness he showed her in a previous life. However, as a monk said, Dou Zhao and Song Mo’s fates are already intertwined.
This time, by helping Song Mo solve the mystery of his uncle’s death and the downfall of the Ding army, Dou Zhao was also drawn into the turbulent politics of the capital. To form an alliance, Dou Zhao and Song Mo decided to marry. So, they walk side by side, navigating the obstacles of their lives and their nation. And in the midst of their struggle, love blossomed.
Blossom Chinese Drama Review
Dear readers, I was stunned by this drama. At first, I had very low expectations for this drama. Even though I was eagerly waiting for Li Yun Rui’s performance as the lead, I was quite disappointed with his drama Go Back Lover and had to stop watching it halfway through. But Blossom proves the opposite. The first episode had me glued to the screen. I’m watching it solemnly because I don’t want to miss any details.
Top Notch Acting and Strong Chemistry
The first thing that struck me was how Li Yun Rui looked in the first episode. I remember the first time I saw him in Love Like the Galaxy drama. At that time, Li Yun Rui acted as Yuan Shen. A mischievous scholar who loved Cheng Shao Shang but didn’t believe in marriage.
Later, he portrayed the extravagantly dressed Hong Yi, the mischievous, rebellious, love-struck prince of the Fox Clan. In those dramas, Li Yun Rui dressed impeccably and neatly. I never thought that Li Yun Rui could look dashing with disheveled gray hair and a pale, sickly appearance.
Meanwhile, Meng Zi Yi portrayed Dou Zhao’s character to perfection. Her gentle appearance and expressive eyes perfectly matched Dou Zhao’s nature and intelligence level. The last drama of Meng Zi Yi that I saw was Royal Rumours. She did a good job in it. Unfortunately, she didn’t shine as brightly as she did in Blossom.
From the beginning, I saw sparks between Li Yun Rui and Meng Zi Yi. Whenever they were around, my eyes would follow them. Not because they were so beautiful. But it felt like there was some energy between Li Yun Rui and Meng Zi Yi that drew us to them.
The way they stared at each other made my heart skip a beat. Two people, one with round eyes and the other with slanted eyes. Yet they looked perfect for each other. In my opinion, Meng Zi Yi and Li Yun Rui had a very strong chemistry.
This physical attraction was not the only thing that made Blossom a good drama. To be honest, there weren’t many famous names in this drama. Even Li Yun Rui and Meng Zi Yi were not high-profile actors. But surprisingly, everyone delivers their role perfectly.
In the vast sea of Cdramaland, there is no shortage of evil characters. However, the key is how the actors portray them. The evilness of the character depended on the ability of the actors. If they could portray it well, the evilness level would increase by several notches.
On the other hand, if the actors didn’t do their job well, we could only see the characters as antagonists for a period of time during the drama’s broadcast. After that, they would disappear into thin air.
It’s been a long time since I saw completely evil characters in dramas. The last one I remember is Princess Wan Ning in The Double. There were only a few antagonists whose level of evil was unforgettable. For example, I still remember Maggie Huang’s character Su Jin in Eternal Love: Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms drama. She is the first antagonist character that stuck in my mind.
No one could replace her until I found Zhang Meng, who played Wang Xin Yue in that drama. Every time her character appeared on the screen, I had to resist the urge to throw things at her.
The Story that Keeps You Going
The story of Blossom is not just about romance. Dou Zhao and Song Mo have their own difficulties and problems to solve. In my opinion, too much happened in a short time. I think the story needed more than 34 episodes.
In the beginning, Blossom gave us the backstory of the rebirth. There was a fight that led to the deaths of Dou Zhao, Song Mo, and Ji Yong. Dou Zhao and Ji Yong were reborn with the memories of the past. Song Mo was also reborn, but he didn’t remember anything except that he had a long dream.
Dou Zhao woke up with a book in his hand, The Records of the Enlightened Age. The book contained only pictures and riddles, and only Dou Zhao could understand the story. Ji Yong also had memories of the book, but he had no need for it.
Later, the death of Song Mo’s uncle started it all. The mysterious death of the Duke of Ding shook the very foundation of the country. Jiang Mei Sun was an able general. He is righteous and wields immense power. His death was directly related to the political and power struggles among the princes. This becomes the central problem in Blossom. You will get the answer only at the end of this drama.
Jiang Mei Sun is a father figure to Song Mo. When he dies unjustly, Song Mo strives to find the truth behind the murder and the downfall of the Jiang family. Meanwhile, Dou Zhao has been drawn into the fray by her 5th uncle’s evil maneuvers.
Dou Shi Shu is the head of the Dou family. He is an ambitious person who uses his niece’s marriage as a tool to gain more power. He collaborates with Wang Ying Xue to arrange Dou Zhao’s marriage. Dou Shi Ying, Dou Zhao’s father, is a weak person who always listens to his brother. Literally, all the time.
Speaking of characters, Song Mo and Dou Zhao are quite similar. They were charismatic but cunning. Gentle but brave. They support each other and their communication is good. I love their story because there weren’t any stupid and unnecessary misunderstandings. Most importantly, there is no jealous third party. Yes, Dou Zhao has many suitors, but none of them are annoying enough to make me hate them.
The most interesting character for me is Ji Yong. This person is enigmatic. He knew what was going to happen in the future, but he had his own way of dealing with it. No one could understand his thoughts. Not even Dou Zhao, who was the closest person to him.
But no matter how much they argued, Dou Zhao and Ji Yong couldn’t stop supporting each other. Their relationship is platonic (although Ji Yong has some romantic love for her) and they are close like siblings.
The pace of the story is a little too fast. I think I opened my eyes as wide as I could, but I still missed some details. Even though the story was well written, I was disappointed because some things were left to our imagination. For example, the end of the bandit’s rampage was too abrupt.
We didn’t see Song Mo investigating the culprit. The evil eunuch, Wang Ge, needs more screen time. Apart from his terrifying appearance, we didn’t get to see much of his criminal activities. The Jiang family was nowhere to be seen, although they were the main victims of the power struggle. If only the director made this drama into 40 episodes or more, we might see some clues.
There was something that caught my eye in the story. While Dou Zhao was gathering information in the Zhaowen Bookstore, it was interesting that their enemies chose a dental clinic as a place to meet and plan their evildoings. I have never seen such a setting in a period drama. A dental clinic? Well, that is new. I never knew that dental clinics existed in ancient China.
Blossom is based on a novel by Zhi Zhi. I haven’t read the original novel, but I’m really impressed with the character development. Unlike when I watch the Kill Me Love Me drama. The character development there was very disappointing. This time everything is on point.
From the beginning to the end, Dou Zhao showed a strong calculating mind because she didn’t want to make the same mistake as in her first life. Song Mo and the other character also showed consistency and development in the right direction, and I loved seeing Dou Zhao’s father finally see the truth and decide to support his daughter.
Blossom ended with a happy ending. But the road to the end wasn’t easy. The bad guys got their comeuppance, and the good guys also got what they deserved. Unfortunately, some of the bad guys got a quick ending, which made me feel dissatisfied. We also got a little surprise from the Song-Dou couple at the end of the drama.
The Enticing Visual
The director of Blossom, Zeng Qing Jie, successfully visualized the novel and directed the whole drama. Blossom’s enticing visuals provide you with another eye candy in addition to our gorgeous main characters. The costumes and detailed sets really give you satisfaction every time you watch an episode.
I loved seeing the brightly colored dresses on the female actors. The hairpins are exquisitely designed, but no one wore too many hairpins on their heads. The simple hairstyle accentuated the dress. I like to see them, but I also hoped to see more tasseled hairpins.
The director uses many camera angles to portray a scene. This showed how much effort it takes to shoot a scene. The editing department also did a very good job of making everything perfect.
The Characters
Dou Zhao / Shou Gu / Ms. Longevity
Ps: Shou Gu was translated into Ms. Longevity if you watched this drama on WeTV. 😆
Dou Zhou (played by Meng Zi Yi) lived a miserable life in the first life. In the second life, with the help of the mysterious book and her memory of the past, she is determined to lead a good life and help Song Mo through his life’s tribulations. The kindness he showed her just before her death made Dou Zhao realize that he is a good person, but driven by hatred and blinded by revenge.
Dou Zhao lived with her grandmother, a person she never knew in her past life. She gave Dou Zhao a new family who loved her sincerely. Dou Zhao honed her talent in business and later became a wealthy merchant. Grandma Cui and her friends Zhao Zhang Ru and Miao An Su became Dou Zhao’s support system in life.
In her past life, Dou Zhao is an intelligent but gentle person. She believed in her stepmother’s kindness, not knowing that there were knives behind the good facade. In the second life, Dou Zhao learned to be a strong and resilient person. She became courageous, clever at scheming and manipulating. But she did it all for a good reason. That is to protect herself, her loved ones, and to help Song Mo.
Song Mo / Yan Tang
Song Mo (played by Li Yun Rui) was raised in a military camp by his uncle, Jiang Mei Sun. Song Mo’s father, Song Yi Chun, was hard on him. So he took refuge with his uncle. The Duke of Ding is a famous general and a good friend of the Emperor. At first, Jiang Mei Sun didn’t want to take Song Mo in, but when he learned of his determination, he relented. It wasn’t easy for Song Mo either. He started his career at the bottom.
Ever since he was a child, Song Mo has been stubborn and hot-tempered. His uncle works hard to train him as a general. Fortunately, Song Mo was gifted with strength and the sea of knowledge. Although he hasn’t read too many books, his sharp mind works fast.
Song Mo’s loyalty is unbreakable. In the past, he was loyal to his uncle and Prince Qing. At present, Song Mo is the Emperor’s new weapon. He carried on his uncle’s legacy and became the emperor’s loyal subject. Therefore, many people considered him their enemy. Because his presence could thwart their plan.
Song Mo always had a kind heart. His care and love for his mother and uncle prove this. Song Mo always longed for his father’s love. But he knew that Song Yi Chun never loved him, no matter what he did for him. It was only after he met Dou Zhao that Song Mo knew what it felt like to be loved. In exchange for the love he received, Song Mo would do anything to protect her.
Contrary to his strong appearance, Song Mo’s heart was quite fragile. His longing for love was so evident. My heart broke when I saw the scene where he stared at his father, mother, and brother laughing together in the courtyard. Li Yun Rui’s face didn’t flinch a bit. But you could see the pain in his eyes. Li Yun Rui did a good job in this scene.
Ji Yong / Yuan Tong / Ji Jian Ming
Ji Yong is Grandma Cui’s distant relative. In a previous life, he shaved his head and lived as a monk named Yuan Tong. Ji Yong is skilled in medicine and a brilliant strategist. He is gentle but mischievous. His mind didn’t work like everyone else’s, his thinking was out of the box. Grandma Cui brought him to the mansion to match him with Dou Zhao. They were a perfect match, but not as lovers.
As a child, Ji Yong was sent to the temple because his body was weak. He learned the art of medicine and also the Buddhist way. Unfortunately, it didn’t help his apathetic nature. He was born with it, and even his father realized it. Just like Dou Zhao, Ji Yong is also a reborn person who has the memories of his past life. In his past life he was on the side of Song Mo. But in this life, Ji Yong decided to support Prince Qing. This put him on the opposite side of Dou Zhao and Song Mo. But one thing never changed in these two lives, and that was Ji Yong’s strong concern for Dou Zhao.
Wang Ying Xue
Wang Ying Xue (played By Zhang Meng) is the second wife of Dou Shi Ying. She lived comfortably as the matron of the house. Back then, Wang Ying Xue was Zhao Gu Qiu’s best friend. But Wang Ying Xue is a greedy person, and soon she coveted Zhao Gu Qiu’s husband, Dou Shi Ying. When she married into the family, Wang Ying Xue was already one month pregnant.
After her marriage, Wang Ying Xue gave birth to Dou Ming. In the previous life, Wang Ying Xue was taken care of and protected by Dou Shi Ying. Although she showed great care for Dou Zhao, she still secretly planned to kill her.
In this life, because Zhao Gu Qiu committed suicide, Dou Shi Ying’s affection for Wang Ying Xue has disappeared. As a result, she has developed a strong hatred and jealousy towards Dou Zhao. Wang Ying Xue would do anything to make Dou Zhao’s life miserable.
Song Han / Mu Yu
Song Han (played by Yan An) is Song Mo’s younger brother. Unlike Song Mo, Song Han’s relationship with Song Yi Chun is very good. Song Yi Chun loves and cherishes Song Han.
Since he was young, Song Han has been studying martial arts from famous teachers. He has a good foundation in music, painting, poetry, and general knowledge, although he is still behind Song Mo. Song Han is a soft hearted and reserved boy. But who knows what lies at the bottom of his heart?
The Conclusion
Dear readers, put Blossom on your watch list. This drama is perfect for a binge-watching party this holiday season. Not only do you get to see beautiful faces, but also good acting and enticing visuals. Just be prepared for the disappointment after the last episode. You will wish that the drama would continue for a few more episodes. But alas! it was just your imagination,
Blossom is not just a romantic drama. The story was complicated but well written. I’m sure you won’t regret it once you watch it. And if you decide to watch Blossom, don’t be afraid if you end up binge-watching it for the entire holiday. But I am sure you will enjoy it to your heart’s content. Hope you like this Blossom drama review too. Happy watching!
