La Fleur Interdite (2023)

This is going to be a long review with parts that can be considered spoiler-ish.

The novel was written in Rococo style. What does that mean?
'...perhaps the most rebellious of design styles. It was exceptionally ornamental and theatrical – a style without rules. Compared to the refinement and seriousness of Classical style, Rococo was seen as superficial, degenerate and illogical..'

As the novel's synopsis states, '...In that year, she was beautiful and he was not old; after that year, she was eternally beautiful and he finally got old...' there's no more explanation of how this drama goes. At least the director/producer decided to at least take out/change the secondary EVIL male. The drama still ends up starting off nutso though.

From the first episodes, I wrote that this drama felt art nouveau due to the flowery sensual vibe of the scenery and cinematography. Towards the end, knowing this is based on a novel, I wanted a clearer understanding of what's happening that this drama isn't conveying well to me due to so many blank/black screen and poor choices in editing. I was utterly confused by any timeline or fullness of any particular scene. Majority of the time it felt like a scene left something missing. The fact that art nouveau was influenced by Rococo is not lost on me. I think this is why I find this drama to be a mess in many ways. Rococo is all about fantasy and illusions which this drama has in boatloads...topping it off with a grown ass alcoholic prancing her fantasies in front of a mirror rather than living in reality.

"The Rococo writing style is like lyrical poetry in which erotic, elegant and frivolous aspects are reinforced and exposed with dyes towards sensuality." The themes are based in more mischievous and festive aspects of daily life, using sensual pleasures that lack any seriousness or any particular etiquette or moralizations. To this style, the drama fit the novel to a "T". Jerry Yan, with the looks so many women seem to love, playing this main character along with a young actress who does fun-loving and flower sprite fairy so well doesn't surprise me that this drama got higher ratings than I'm willing to give. I have to admit, I am not one that has ever been in the Jerry Yan fan boat, however, I don't dislike his acting etc where appropriate. As Rococo style exemplifies, there wasn't much depth to Jerry's Xiao Han so I'm actually impressed how much more feeling he put into that character than I think was actually written on paper. High ratings go for the thousands of intimate scenes, touches, caresses, kisses, etc that all looked and felt REAL which is unusual in C-Drama territory. The OTP didn't shy away from being in each others arms very intimately. I also think this tickled a lot of girl's fantasies and bolstered the ratings.

I thought about giving this drama a higher rating than this because I watched it all the way through without FFWD any part of it. However, this drama actually did not illicit any emotions from me whatsoever. I felt more like I was watching a train wreck so I detached myself from being invested in pretty much anything the characters were doing.

I didn't understand why the family let that fool Han Yu go on and on obsessively like he did, almost encouraging it. Between her mother and Han Yu, 'family' relationships were so suffocating.

It took the drama too long to provide a background to why this family is so utterly broken. We get pieces here and there... Even worse Xiao Han doesn't even get all the pieces the viewer had gotten slowly until the very, VERY end. Xiao Han was too kind and good for the world this drama created. He Ran was too selfish to the very end. The only saving grace was her mom's psycho attitude got vindicated. We got to fully understand why she's such a broken person, but like her daughter's attitude to Xiao Han, even at the end I felt like she's the type to never believe anything happy should happen to her. That kind of depression is taxing on a human emotionally who is there trying to prove to them otherwise. I'd rather a boy live a fresh, clean life, with his lively, loving family and someone who properly fits into that happy world. He doesn't deserve the Rococo style of pure eroticism and superficial pleasure from a human who cannot ever give him anything more than that emotionally.

I stuck with the ending from the source material. If the way it was written was worthy of a drama, then let it be. I didn't get any emotional healing from it. I didn't see anyone grow emotionally. The choices were selfish. Having to make choices between happiness or suffering, being together to go through life's events, or crawl in a hole and everyone doing their own individual thing struggling on their own. The choices made weren't healing. They were torture and emotional abuse to everyone involved. There was absolutely NO peace in it whatsoever. She can go all the way to the highest altitude with him but he can't go with her on her journey? Made no sense. He is an esteemed horticulturalist despite his reasons for being a recluse. Are we saying he can't get a job internationally or something like that??? It's just archaic crazy talk. This is 2023 ffs.

The openness of the ending was to compensate for the fact that the story is a bitter train wreck where no one comes out of it truly okay. It was for those who watched not knowing the source material, like myself, to make up for having stuck it out watching this expecting to see a Silver Lining somewhere in it all...only to find none. I guess the best part was that the music 100% fit everything the drama took us through.

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Bittersweet to the Very End

God knows how much I love this drama and how big a place it holds in my heart. I quite literally spent 2 whole days doing absolutely nothing but watch this drama. I pine after it still and it’s been a month. I don’t think I can ever get over this drama and that’s gotta be something because I’ve never felt this way about ANY drama.

Plot-wise, it’s nothing too extraordinary, dense or complicated. It’s a simple plot yet it’s executed extremely well. Every single scene was made so beautiful that it was a shame to skip anything at all. I’m a big skipper and to say I skipped no scene in this drama, not one! Everything was so aesthetically appealing, Xu Ruohan and Jerry Yan included! Both of together just made me want to cry because I know they made me feel single. The two’s chemistry and acting was so on point that they looked like they were actually in love with each other.

This is a note to the people who were frustrated with Xu Ruohan’s character: keep in mind that she was sheltered, spoiled, knew nothing of the world and was hardly 20. We can’t expect complete maturity from someone who hardly knew what she was thinking either. Her character was portrayed exactly as she needed to be — naive and self-centered but also immature and a young girl so helplessly in love that she’d do anything for the man she loved. Her character is real and perhaps that’s why so many people reject her but it’s also why I love her. She is who she needs to be and was portrayed beautifully. Props to Xu Ruohan for bringing her role to life :)

And OH MY GOD DO NOT GET ME STARTED ON JERRY YAN. That man’s character made me want to cry. He was so unbelievably perfect and was everything, I REPEAT, EVERYTHING he needed to be. A bad-boy older man who has a gentle heart? I could not stop myself from swooning over that man! He also portrayed his character perfectly, it almost felt like he WAS his character. His acting when it came to romance scenes and pining over Xu Ruohan had me kicking my legs in the air. To see him on the screen was so exhilarating.

The actually story tugged on my heartstrings more than once and I honestly don’t think this review can be complete without at least one spoiler. I can’t figure out whether I want this drama to end happily or not so in MY mind, Xu Ruohan got therapy and lived happily with Jerry Yan for however long she lived but the ending was so ambiguous that there was no end. Most people lean towards the fact that she did, in fact, pass on when she and him were in the snow but I know my mind didn’t like that ending (I fell asleep sobbing that day).

I typically don’t finish sad dramas because of their endings, Youth of May and Uncontrollably Fond being some of the ones I just dropped before the end came and left the battle field almost unscathed, but this drama, I watched to the end. It only felt right. It deserves so much more attention because OH MY GOD. This wasn’t a drama, it was an experience.

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<3

Despite the basic cdrama tropes still being present slightly, the overall major storyline is very nice and I enjoyed it a lot. It made me cry, it made me smile.... I loved the OSTs too.

The only thing I would've said is, the male lead doesn't really speak much (I don't think he's fully Chinese/raised in China? I could be wrong) so it loses a lot of its effect. Some people were commenting about how nice the male lead's voice was, but it personally wasn't for me. The female lead was a perfect actress though - from her emotions to her body language. I loved her so much.

The rewatch value is slightly lower though. The first few episodes were slow to get into, and I only started watching this because I watched a YouTube edit of this cdrama.

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Uma verdadeira jóia encontrada!

Sinceramente, esse drama excedeu as minhas expectativas. Quando eu comecei a assistir não tinha ideia de que havia encontrado uma jóia!

Se destaca entre todos os outros dramas, um dos melhores!

- Cinematografia
Desde o início eu percebi que a fotografia, a filmagem e direção não eram só mais do mesmo ou qualquer coisa. Eles acertaram em cheio! Sabiam o que tinham que fazer e o fizeram com excelência. Todo o conceito das cenas é muito bem explorado nos envolvendo na história profundamente e marcando uma identidade própria no drama. Desde a abertura e todo o clima de vila China anos 90, a forma como as cenas são filmadas, a forma como tudo é feito para nos passar o sentimento da cena, nos faz compreender e amar o conceito dessa obra. Envolvente e viciante, é muito talento envolvido.

Esse não é só mais um drama para entreter as massas, é artístico. Parabéns aos diretores e a todos os envolvidos!

- História
Não sei como vou assistir outra coisa agora sem comparar com o quão profundo e tocante foi esse drama. É tudo muito bem colocado e explorado, e não há aqueles momentos que às vezes encontramos em outras obras em que olhamos e pensamos "Nossa que tosco", e eu me senti aliviada por isso. O que me pegou muito desde o primeiro episódio é que tudo é passado de uma forma que entendemos e sentimos muito bem a história que os personagens estão vivendo, parecendo até que estamos passando por isso junto com eles. É incrível como em todos os episódios eu sentia borboletas no estômago e diversas emoções. Ao longo dos episódios felizmente não encontramos clichês toscos sem sentido ou mal construídos, é tudo abordado de forma inteligente, profunda e equilibrada entre a ficção e a realidade. Obviamente não vou falar o que acontece no final, só direi que se você está com receio de assistir por conta dele, não tenha medo! É feliz e lindo apesar de abrir espaço para interpretações sobre o que aconteceu, eu sou uma pessoa que odeia final triste e felizmente não passei por esse problema em The Forbidden Flower. Esse drama vale muito a pena.


- Personagens
Os personagens foram escritos de forma muito bem construída e inteligente. Realmente parecem pessoas reais, tomando atitudes de pessoas reais e que podemos compreender bem. Essa é a primeira vez que eu fico tão satisfeita com uma protagonista feminina, geralmente, em outros dramas elas sempre possuem uma característica ou outra que acho irritante, chata ou cansativa. Mas a protagonista Hu Ran me impressionou pelas sua inteligência, sagacidade, persistência, força, coragem e vontade de viver. Ela sabe o que quer e irá atrás disso. O que me impressionou pois ela é tão jovem e por certas circunstâncias não teve tanto contato com o mundo, e mesmo assim é tão madura nesses aspectos, mais tarde eu entendi que o que ela passou a fez crescer mais forte. Além disso ela fugiu completamente do clichê de protagonista bobinha e ingênua. Ela se tornou minha protagonista feminina favorita!

O protagonista masculino Xiao Han é extremamente interessante e cativante, me capturou por completo desde o início. Desde a sua caracterização, comportamento, sua vida, sua personalidade e o mistério que ele exala. Me tornei obcecada em conhecer cada vez mais sobre ele junto com a Hu Ran. Além disso, o seu coração íntegro e suas virtudes são admiráveis. Ele é uma pessoal fiel e amável, além de ser muito forte e ter muito respeito pelos outros.

Hu Ran e Xiao Han se deram tão bem, mas tão bem como casal que era lindo de ser ver. Além disso a química e a dinâmica entre eles foi simplesmente insana! Muitas "Borboletas no estômago", o amor deles é admirável.


- Atores/Atuação
Fiquei impressionada com o quão boa era a atuação desse elenco, muito satisfatório! Eu espero que os atores me façam acreditar que a história é real, que eles dêem vida aos personagens e me levem para outro mundo. Os atores fizeram um ótimo trabalho ao encarnar os personagens.

Me tornei fã da atriz Ruohan Xu que atuou o papel da protagonista. Foi tão satisfatório e credível a forma que ela encarnou a personagem que me peguei diversas vezes repetindo as cenas para ver novamente sua atuação, ela é realmente talentosa e fez um excelente trabalho em interpretar a personagem.

Jerry Yan foi magnífico ao dar vida ao personagem! Não consigo imaginar qualquer outro ator no lugar dele. Era simplesmente cativante e viciante toda vez que ele aparecia, eu sentia um furacão de emoções junto com a protagonista. A forma com ele atuou o protagonista masculino também foi um dos grandes motivos de eu gostar tanto desse drama. Espero que futuramente Jerry Yan e Ruohan Xu realizem diversos outros trabalhos pois eles foram magníficos. Além disso a atuação como casal deu mais que certo, foi apaixonante e arrebatador.

Também fiquei impressionada com a atuação de Huang Yi no papel da mãe poderosa de Hu Ran. Ela é extremamente talentosa e era perfeita para o papel, uma atuação marcante e fabulosa.


- OST
Eu simplesmente estou obcecada com está OST e escuto todo dia. Eu esperava tudo menos uma OST como essa! Me pegou completamente desprevenida e elevou as cenas a outro nível transcendente. Essas músicas foram perfeitas para seus propósitos, passando muito bem o humor de The Forbidden Flower e me levaram a outro mundo, eu tive sentimentos que nem sabia que era capaz de sentir. Geralmente nos dramas tem cerca de duas ou três músicas que se destacam como as melhores entre as outras, mesmo quando toda a trilha sonora é muito boa. Porém, na OST desse drama várias músicas se destacaram fortemente de tão boas que são, eu simplesmente não consigo escolher uma favorita. Só quero ficar o dia inteiro escutando essas músicas e tenho certeza que não vou enjoar.


Agora não sei como vou assistir qualquer outra coisa sem comparar com The Forbidden Flower. Eu simplesmente quero que todos os diretores, roteiristas, artistas e responsáveis por cada parte da produção desse drama se juntem novamente e façam um drama tão bom com The Forbidden Flower. Por favor, ouçam esse humilde pedido de todos os fãs de The Forbidden Flower!

Lire davantage

recommend this one steamy romance, unusually quite mature cdrama

was long time I seen drama which could arouse mine emotions as much as this one. I would give it even 9,5 if it wasnt melodrama. I dont think I will rewatch this one often since aint masochist.

This drama got young Female lead pursuing older male lead. She is pursuing her first love feverishly and straightforwardly as if there is not going be tomorrow. And maybe there aint one.

Whole drama got alot of artistry and flowers in it

plot - FL is rich young woman 20y which was long time sick and now once she recovered she is being kept captive in house by her mother which for fear of health her daughter locked her in golden cage.
FL manages to flee cage time from time to explore world... and once she visits hair salon to wash her hairs. She fell in love with older man which was her hairstylist [ML]... her next exploring got new target.
TO Find him.

genre -romance,melodrama

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Sizzling passion

It’s been a while since I’ve written a review on here and after watching many dramas I felt compelled to write one. First of all, I would like to say that this drama was several notches above your typical C-drama. Was the plot perfect? Not at all. In fact I found there were plenty of moments I found my self scratching my head. I mean we all have cell phones now a days.
I know a lot of people will feel creeped out by the age gap. But hey my husband and I have an 18 year difference and have been together for 20 years.
Why I loved this drama:
Jerry. His acting, his passion, the way he conveyed his emotions, had me smiling. He’s sexy too lol.
The FL. I know a lot of people think her too childish but if you think about it, she’s the way a 20 yo would be. You could feel her happiness and her pain. Love her or hate her I found her to be an excellent actress in this drama.
The cinematography has to be one of the most beautiful I have ever seen.
They have very good chemistry
The OST is beautiful. Every song is perfect for the part it is played. I am hoping I can get some of the songs on Apple Music.
Your emotions will go on a rollercoster ride. And unless you read up online, you don’t know how things will end until literally the very last second.
As much as I loved this drama, I don’t know if I could handle to watch it again. I haven’t cried over a drama since Fated to Love You.

Very importantly:

On the very last episode. Make sure to keep watching past the end credits.

Lire davantage

The premise of the drama itself was really interesting so I watched it immediately and finished watching within just two days. I usually can't finish long dramas especially when it feels dragged out and boring. But Forbidden Flower is so good, there are many good points, of course there are also some points that I feel it's lacking.

The set designs were especially captivating, there's a certain charm to the male lead's run down and simple house, you would say it's crude but at the same time, it feels like a home. In contrast to the wealthy village where the female lead and other characters live in, which seems so Idk fake? Cinematography is also just chef's kiss. The characters are also very charming, I find He Ran (the female lead) very lovable. Her pursuit of the male lead made me admire her, their chemistry was also off the charts for me. The male lead is a quiet man but I could see how he found her endearing. I wish his character was more fleshed out though. In comparison to the FL, his background story doesn't seem to make much sense for me because I got the impression that he was an alcoholic, super enigmatic and closed off. Maybe it's just not that tragic for me lol, the way they built up the story made me think it was something so sad, but maybe they made it that way to foreshadow because his past plays a part, though minimal. Besides that, I do think their character design (outfits and styling), were appropriate, though I don’t really appreciate the repeat of the exact same outfits, idk what they were trying to do with that. As for the second couple, I don't really think they were necessary lol, they feel like a filler episode for me, maybe it wouldn't give that impression if the guy was introduced earlier on and he wasn't related to so many people. There couldn't be so much coincidence, but then again he was also kinda like a plot device? Idk I feel like with sonmany characters already introduced, they could just do what he's needed for the plot. The ending was just not it for me, I won't elaborate.

All in all, I would still rewatch it, the story and chemistry of the main leads were the selling points for me. Many scenes were really just wow, how could you not fall in love at that point?

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the forbidden flower

Para começar: esse drama nunca que deveria ter 24 episódios!! Na metade do caminho não tem mais história a ser contada e o foco fica nos secundários, dos quais a única que """salva""" é a mãe da protagonista e o romance dela com o bonitinho.
Pela primeira vez na minha vida, eu assisti algo em velocidade aumentada, porque não aguentava mais a enrolação. No final, nem consegui me emocionar. Não me apeguei aos personagens, e ainda passei foi raiva com as atitudes mimadas da He Ran, o Xiao Han é um banana, que só fica "ok" nos últimos episódios. Apesar dele falar que se apaixonou por ela desde o começo, a sensação que dá é que ele foi vencido pelo cansaço.
A questão da diferença de idade também me agoniou um pouco, ainda mais com ele se referindo a ela como "criança" ????? Resumindo: só ladeira abaixo.

Os pontos que gostei foram: a OST perfeita e a construção da história com as estações verão e inverno --> isso foi bem bonito e se todo o resto ajudasse teria sido um drama lindo.

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