nian2023

First season: "Flourished Peony" Second season: "In the Name of Blossom"

This is beauty and quality, with a good storyline and talented actors. The aesthetics are high with the most beautiful scenes and costumes. The drawings in the intro and outro are gorgeous. Everything is planned to build and carry out a solid drama.

The story is set in the Tang dynasty, which roughly correlates with the Viking age. That alone gives some perspectives. It is interesting to get an insight into Chinese history, and it gives me inspiration to learn more.

The drama has a strong female perspective with a brilliant Yang Zi as FL. Li Xian as ML complements her role, and the two together are absolutely wonderful to watch.

This is a drama with a steady pace, a charming slow-burning romance and good character development. There are power struggles, intrigue, violence and abuse, so it is not completely calm.

For me, these are great series, and I have looked forward to every episode. I could have done without some of the intrigue, but overall this is a solid delivery from everyone behind the production.

South Korea are masters at delving into emotions and relationships between people, and when they succeed, as in this series, no one stands next to them.

The series is honest and vulnerable about how we live with trauma, which survival strategies we use and how we protect ourselves.

The main characters are two young adults who fill the entire series with their stormy, charming and tragic lives. Woo Do-hwan and Lee Yoo-mi have a good chemistry, and she rises against his masculine radiance, something not everyone can master, I think.

The balance between them is fine, and intensity and depth come across in a touching way. The film jumps a bit in time, and at the beginning the communication and behavior between the main characters was a bit uncomfortable. This was quickly cleared up because they know each other well from before, and when they meet again they continue roughly where they previously left off. But now life has become even more complicated for both of them.

The series is bittersweet and with humor, hope and action. Love is stronger than death, and there is nice symbolism. Mr. Plankton says that plankton is at the bottom of the food chain - at the lowest level in the ocean, and I thought about how much a human can endure before we burst. Mr. Plankton thinks of the bonds of heaven, and I can feel in my heart the longing and fear that lies behind it.

It is good that obvious clichés are avoided and that 30-year-olds dont behave like innocent teenagers. Certain scenes could have been shorter, but it still gets a 10 because the story and authenticity triumph throughout the series.

Once again: Cheers South Korea, keep making these amazing series that take us on adventures and grip our hearts. Thanks to everyone behind the production.

Never mind the boycott from the Arab world. This is a really good romantic comedy. It is complete, balanced and entertaining from the first to the last episode. The story isn't new, but that doesn't matter because the actors lift and stick to their roles. The filming is beautiful and I especially enjoyed seeing Thailand again.

If you want good entertainment, a few laughs and a few tears, then this is the series for you.

FL and ML have an incredibly good chemistry that carries through all episodes. They appear so natural and unless they know each other from before, this is really good acting.

Thank you South Korea for all the joy you share. Thanks to skilled producers and story writers. Thanks to all the incredibly talented actors who convey all the human emotions and relationships. You are the best!