Des Fleurs dans L'adversité (2024)

Great ensemble cast and female characters

Blossoms in Adversity is a historical drama with a strong Girl Power feel. The main story seems to revolve around the way the women in the extended family come together and find their voices. The female lead, Hua Zhi, is everything one would want in a female main character--smart, brave, morally upright, and hard working. Yanxi, the male lead, has similar qualities, but also killer martial arts skills, beautiful hands, and a cute, bouncing ponytail. Together they make an ideal couple, who actually talk things out with each other. (Maybe this is less of a historical drama and more of a fairy tale.)

I do have some quibbles. There are a number of unrealistic elements, such as the way that Hua Zhi gets away with mouthing off at people in power, the speed with which the Hua family claws its way out from ruin, and the repeated use of poor but virtuous and grateful commoners as plot points. Thank goodness for the emperor, who adds some much needed ambiguity and malevolence to the story.

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Life is unpredictable!

Blossoms in Adversity main focus isn't really about the love story, the focus is moreso on the family and their growth through difficulties.

Due to a petty king, Hua Family was exiled and reduce to commoners from their high wealth status.
Their oldest granddaughter, Hua Zhi, eventually becomes the head of the family to take control of their lifestyle. Zhang Jingyi played Hua Zhi quite well and very convincing. I've seen several of her dramas, and honestly she's not phenomenal but she has improved from her early day until now. Hua Zhi is a very strong-willed, independent main female character. She knows what she wants, she holds her family together through difficulties and hardships. She is quite smart and I love that she doesn't care about what the public thopught of her and her family. At the end of the day, what motivates her are is her family and bringing home the exiled family members. I have watched a few of Zhang Jingyi's dramas over the years, I think she's a natural actress, everything she has acted in was quite natural and conforms nicely to the character she plays.

The love interest of Hua Zhi is Gu Yan Xi acted by Hu Yi Tian. Gu Yan Xi lives a double life in this drama, or tries to. Although one would think he's evil to the core but from the get-go you can see that he's someone who stands up for what is right. Unfortuantely, he also has to protect someone because he has no autonomy otherwise he would be slaughtered like most of his family. His love for Hua Zhi was seen from the beginning, you would see it in his actions where he would always be her shining knight in armor.
Hu Yi TIan's acting was quite a disappointment but not a surprise. I've seen him in other dramas, he has not changed from his early years to this drama. Hu does not use his facial muscles like other actors who also plays stoic characters. You would think there's some eye acting, but not really. His face is just.. .BLANK majority of the time. He has three distiguishable faces: pokeface aka blank face, smile happy face, and finally the shooketh face which literally looks like this every time he's shocked O_O. Sometimes when there's something that is shocking, his face doesn't even do anything. It was really HORRENDOUS to watch him. He was the reason why I did not want to watch this drama when it first came out because I would be very annoyed with the way he "acts." At this rate, he's more of a eye candy actor, not an actual actor. Fortunately, the martial choreography was quite nice and the storyline isn't really focused on his character compare to the females'.

A character that stood out to me is Shao Yao (Lu Yu Xiao) because she not only went through something traumatic, it seems she was also on the spectrum. It reminded me of how Park Eun Bi acted as an autistic character. Lu Yu Xiao nailed her role quite well. This is the second drama I've watched of hers, and we all know how amazing she was in MJTY and in this drama as well. I really hope she is one of the rare actresses who is willing to try out different roles, because so far it definitely showcased a lot of her acting abilities. I digress, Shao Yao is such an adorable character, she's also self aware of how her brother, Gu Yan Xi, and Hua family treats her: like a porcelein doll. However, she managed to find a very nice friend, Shen Huan (Biang Cheng), who didn't treat as such, and treated her like a normal human being, a friend. It was very heartwarming to see Shao Yao light up whenever Shen Huan shows up because their relationship was so innocent and adorable. I was rooting for the happy ending more than the main leads. lol

There were several veterans in this drama, most notably Myolie Wu. I honestly thought her character was going to be so annoying throughout the drama. lol The king in this drama was very annoying, he's very paranoid and petty so I will jsut leave at that.
I think the moral of this drama has taught me resilience is the best form of survival through difficult times. There will always be a solution even if you've fallen from the top. Which is exactly what Hua Zhi did to get her family back on their feet.

I would like to highlight how much i LOVE the OSTs in this drama, I haven't been hearing good music from cdramas for the past couple of months and this drama definitely have one of the bests OSTs out there, imo.

Blossoms of Adversity is definitely a must watch if you love 2010s cdramas of focusing on a female character's life through hardships to get to the top of the pyramid. It's a female centered drama where all the men are exiled, and the women needs to fend for themselves lest death of starvation.

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Snailing Its Way to Victory

This is a painfully slow drama at first. I was so bored that I skipped to the 7th or 8th episode, waiting for something to happen. I obviously didn't miss much, as I was easily able to follow the story from there. The characters do a lot of exposè in their dialogue, so you can't really miss what has already occured.

Once the drama finally picked up, it was very enjoyable to watch. The female lead was a good girl, but she wasn't saccharine. She was smart and stubborn, and a truth teller. She could have maybe done well to have an actual character flaw, not like an "I'm so quirky, I trip over myself", type of thing. Just like something to make her a bit less perfect than she is. The actress that plays her is stunning. The ML is a stone-faced, icy, archetypal hero. No real character at all. That just meant that the secondary characters shone through. The older actors stole the show, really. I loved that they featured heavily in it, as they deserved.

The story structure itself was quite good. Yes, way too slow in the beginning, but it speeded up and got more exciting as it went along. Overall, I did find this to be a satisfying watch. The story of a girl that finds her place as the head of the family. The opening scene of her climbing the mast of the ship as a child, being the perfect metaphor for guiding her family back to safety and health.

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Not bad, but could be better

The drama definitely would've done a lot better with some plot and episode trimming. There were too many side characters with minor story arcs that were irrelevant fillers. I couldn't care less about every auntie's personal problems. That didn't add anything and only deviated from the story and dragged the plot.

In the last ten episodes, it became apparent that the writers completely ran out of ideas and just wrote whatever to finish the 40 episodes. The spy/envoy arc had nothing to do with the main plot. It felt like a filler and was completely uninteresting. The main story was about the FL saving her family from poverty and bringing the male relatives back and ML dealing with the royal family drama. The envoy arc had nothing to do with either.

FL also felt a little too perfect. There was no character development to show achievement through trial and error. At the beginning, she was a teenager from a privileged family who never had to struggle with anything and didn't have good relations with any of her family members. After the exile, she magically got her act together and had all the answers without having to overcome or learn anything. Even the mishaps were not due to her mistakes but mistakes of her aunties. Everything that she achieved was completely undeserved because she never had to struggle. She went from zero to hero overnight.

The acting was mostly ok. Hu Yitian's had his usual frozen face that took away from his chemistry with FL. But, he got better later on and started showing a little bit of emotion. Zhang Jing Yi was ok, but unconvincing as a historical character. It felt like a modern woman playing dress-up.

The chemistry was ok, but FL's Mary Sue personality made secondary couples a lot more interesting. Shen Huan and Shaoyao were a lot more fun because there was actual character growth and the couple looked like they really couldn't wait to be together while ML and FL just hanged out without taking any steps to move their relationship forward.

Overall, I enjoyed the show. Hu Yitian's is definitely an eye candy and the fighting scenes were entertaining.

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Good leads, mature vibes - The bare minimum that is so often lacking

OVERALL
This is an oasis in the severe C-drama drought of early 2024. While not perfect, it ticks so many boxes! Watch it if 1) you like capable FL and nice (instead of the usual cold) ML, 2) you like family dramas, 3) you're looking for cute romance based on mutual support and understanding. If you 1) are looking for steamy romance, 2) get bored by business drama, 3) can't stand occasional writing flaws, reconsider.

THE STORY
In one sentence: Rich girl becomes poor and finds her way back to wealth through business ventures. Basically, Dream of Splendour, rewritten. It put me off a bit because I was disappointed by Dream of Splendour (I personally think it's a bit overrated), but still gave it a try. In some ways (though not in everything), I enjoyed this one more.

Things I liked:
- ML is nice and supportive. I can't say it enough, I'm sick and tired of the rude and entitled drama lead. Can they stop making them?
- FL is smart and capable. Some people complained that she's a Mary Sue, but honestly, she's not doing anything a ML wouldn't do in a C-drama, so if you are fine with guys having multiple talents and saving the day, you should be alright with the girl doing it too. And no worries, ML does save her from danger a couple of times too!
- The relationship between FL and ML is healthy and not toxic (yes, I'm looking at you, Kunning Palace!). It is refreshing to see characters not only support and listen to one another but give each other space and respect each other's decisions.
- There's enough danger and adventure to make up for all the business and family drama.
- The family drama was not annoying. I'm not a huge fan and often skip scenes in dramas that spend too much time on family, but I actually found a few of stories quite interesting because of how different they were (eg. sister of ML or mean girl from FL's family) or because of character development (eg. some of the aunties in FL's family).
- Almost no distasteful CGI. The visual effects (and overall cinematography) are decent and not distracting

In comparison, there are few things I disliked, but they are not insignificant:
- The romance is super promising until around eps 25-28, then gets boring. It's the typical case of a well-written "falling in love" stage and an under-developped "in love" stage we see so often in C-dramas. As if there is no plot, no growth, nothing interesting that can happen after the leads confess their feelings. The last 4-5 eps bring some drama to spice things up, but the love story never delivers what it promised, to be honest.
- The palace politics is kind of poorly written. I quite liked the character of the emperor (he is actually a complex character), but I find that most things that didn't quite make sense to me had to do with the palace politics. For one thing, it feels like there is a lack of coherence. Who is the villain of this story? It's like you had different storylines with different antagonists. It's kind of all over the place.
- Some parts of the plot are weirdly illogical (eg. towards the end, FL does something that has negative consequences but somehow blames ML for it)

I would still recommend this drama, but these are definitely points to consider!

THE ACTING
Good enough for me. I saw FL before in a drama best forgotten (haha), but for some weird reason I really wanted to see her again. I don't think she's an amazing actress but she does it for me. ML I saw for the first time but is exactly the same. They had good enough chemistry too (such a shame it's underused!). And some secondary leads were quite good (young and old). This one boy that's in every drama is truly a gem! Might become the new Wu Lei!

THE MUSIC
Not my style, to be honest. But I've seen worse.

REWATCH VALUE
I think I might watch it again, but I'm not dying to like I have been at the end of other dramas. It's better than a filler, but not a "wow, amazing" drama for me.

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A Tale of Promise Tamed by Perfection

A Dazzling Beginning:
Blossoms in Adversity opens with an arresting visual: the young female lead braving the storm to scale a ship's mast, her courage and intelligence illuminated by flashes of lightning. This moment, while pushing the boundaries of believability, sets a tone of resilience and brilliance that promises a tale steeped in struggle and triumph. It hints at a protagonist whose determination could anchor a profound exploration of personal and societal challenges, inviting viewers to root for her against an unforgiving world.

The narrative gains momentum with the sudden unjust downfall of a prestigious scholarly family, orchestrated by a paranoid emperor whose cruelty spares no one. This theme—a stark depiction of the fragility of life under unchecked power—provides a powerful foundation. Alongside this turmoil emerges the male lead, an experienced and commanding figure whose strength and brilliance sharply contrasts the vulnerability of those crushed under tyranny. The drama’s setup brims with potential: a stage set for examining societal injustice, resilience, and the tenacity of women confronting systemic oppression.

A Faltering Depth:
As the series unfolds, however, its initial ambition succumbs to a preference for lighter, more idealized storytelling. The weighty themes of patriarchal oppression, abuse, forced labor, and complex family dynamics are sidelined in favor of feel-good emotional resolutions that often skim the surface of these complex issues. The treatment of domestic abuse, for example, simplifies the narrative into a moral dichotomy between the “good” sister, Hua Xian, and the “evil” sister, Hua Jing, failing to grapple with the nuanced realities of such trauma.

While these surface-level lighter moments may offer comfort and entertainment, they often diminish the gravity of the injustices the story seeks to portray. For viewers hoping for a thoughtful examination of systemic struggles, this approach may feel unsatisfying. That said, the series does occasionally return to its darker realistic roots, particularly in the tragic arc of Hua Rong and her unborn child, which serves as a haunting reminder of human fragility in the face of relentless oppression.

The Cost of Perfection: A Heroine Without Shadows
Zhi, the central figure of dazzling capability, is positioned as a beacon of female empowerment, yet her portrayal veers into idealization. While her intelligence, ingenuity, virtue and bravery are admirable, they are often depicted with an infallibility that robs her character of vulnerability and limits her capacity for growth. Dubbed the "Goddess of Wealth," she can accumulate wealth and business quickly, argues like a seasoned lawyer, deduces like a master physician, and fights like a warrior born. She saves the male lead with Mulan-like flair, navigates ships with unparalleled skill, and wield her wrist weapon with unerring accuracy, eyes closed. These accomplishments read more like a checklist of superhuman feats than the journey of a complex, evolving character.

In striving to present Zhi as a flawless heroine, the narrative sidesteps the raw, messy imperfections that make stories of resilience truly resonate. Her struggles lack personal consequences, and even her moments of hardship are reframed as the fault of others. This absence of vulnerability and growth renders her distant, a symbol of empowerment that feels more aspirational than authentic.

Moreover, Zhi’s oppressive upbringing, a storyline ripe for exploring themes of resentment, healing, and self-discovery, is only superficially addressed. This missed opportunity underscores the series’ reluctance to delve into the profound emotional and psychological layers of its protagonist, opting instead for a polished portrayal that ultimately feels hollow to me.

Secondary Characters Shine:
The drama finds its heart not in Zhi’s perfection, but in the flawed, relatable arcs of its supporting cast. Characters like Shaoyao, whose journey is imbued with genuine growth and raw humanity, stands out as an emotional core of the narrative. Lu Yuxiao's impressive portrayal of Shaoyao carries an emotional weight that grounds the series in authenticity. I loved her character.

Similarly, the dynamic between Shen Huan and Shaoyao provides a refreshing counterpoint to the idealized main romance. Their relationship, marked by conflict, reconciliation, and mutual respect, feels natural and earned—a testament to the power of nuanced storytelling. Their love story, vibrant and authentic, shines with emotional depth and relatability.

A Male Lead Diminished by the Spotlight on Perfection
Gu Yanxi, portrayed by Hu Yitian, offers glimpses of a compelling character, particularly in his role as a commander navigating palace intrigue and personal loyalties. Yanxi is introduced with promise: a sharp, strategic mind navigating intrigues, familial dysfunction, and a manipulative, obsessive emperor. His fight scenes are a visceral highlight, showcasing raw physicality and intensity. His potential for depth is evident in his conflicted relationships with those around him. Yet, in the middle of the plot, Yanxi’s potential is often overshadowed by the narrative’s insistence on Zhi’s unerring competence and brilliance.

While his interactions with the emperor hint at deeper inner conflicts—loyalty, affection, and moral ambiguity—these threads remain underexplored. Yanxi’s character is too often relegated to a supporting role in Zhi’s orbit, his agency diminished and his arc stunted. His role becomes largely reactive, his strategic acumen sidelined to elevate hers. The romantic chemistry between the leads suffers as a result, with their interactions lacking the tension and emotional complexity necessary for a compelling connection. Their relationship, framed as a fairytale of perfect communication and trust, feels idealized to the point of detachment. When conflicts arise, they are resolved with little emotional fallout, leaving their dynamic static and unrelatable. Zhi makes all the relationship decisions, whether to end it or get back together. No deep relatable angst, which will delight the fans who prefer light-hearted Hallmark type romance. A fairytale romance from start to finish.

However, in my view, their interactions, while visually sweet and cute, lack the tension and emotional complexity necessary to sustain a meaningful connection. Lingering gazes and long embraces often feel staged rather than organic, with awkward gaps in physicality detracting from the authenticity of their relationship.

Narrative Crutches and Missed Opportunities:
The use of voiceover narration of the leads inner thoughts, mostly during the first half of the series, further weakens the drama’s impact. Instead of trusting the actors to convey internal struggles and revelations through performance or allowing the audience to infer meaning from nuanced dialogue, the series resorts to spoon-feeding thoughts and emotions. This choice undermines character complexity and reduces my engagement, turning potentially profound moments into shallow expositions. I don't enjoy an overuse of first person pov narratives in the middle of the plot.

The Tale That Could Have Been:
Despite its flaws, Blossoms in Adversity is not without merit. The supporting cast breathes life into the story, and the soundtrack enhances its emotional resonance. Yet, the drama's insistence on idealization—particularly of its lead—hampers its ability to delve into the raw, messy realities that transforms good stories into great ones.

Zhi's brilliance and her triumphs were entertaining in its moments, even if her perfection becomes her greatest flaw, a barrier to relatability and growth. Yanxi’s potential for nuance was stunted in her shadow, but eventually shone brighter in the last episodes.

For viewers seeking light-hearted escapism where triumphs come swiftly, the series delivers an enjoyable experience - a warm breeze of comfort and predictability. But for those yearning for a story that lingers, one that mirrors the raw edges of life and resonates in its aching moments of growth, it serves as a reminder of the power of imperfection in storytelling. Flaws, vulnerabilities, and struggles are not weaknesses—they are the roots from which the most memorable stories blossom.

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Protagonista feminina incrível

Acho que nunca vi uma protagonista tão generosa, bondosa e determinada. Simplesmente carregou o drama nas costas, me fez ficar ansiosa para que ela alcança-se seus objetivos todas as vezes que traçava um plano. Espetacular, simplesmente sem defeitos, eu a amei do início ao fim. Muito resiliente , e uma jovem de bom coração, sempre disposta a a ajudar a quem precisa. Para além disso, uma líder nata. Incrível como ela assumiu sua família tão jovem e foi capaz de tirá-las da miséria em que foram largadas.

O protagonista, para além de lindo, me irritou um pouco; se não fosse seu rostinho bonito, eu com certeza iria o detestar. Em alguns momentos eu o odiei, pois ele era um fantoche do imperador, o que foi um fator crucialmente conflitante para que ele e a protagonista ficassem juntos. Sei que não havia muito o que ele fazer, mas em diversos momentos onde o imperador deveria ter sido morto ele atrapalhou os planos. A Zhi também se intrometeu algumas vezes, mas eu relevo para ela.

Os papéis secundários foram maravilhosos, as servas (e depois não servas) da Zhi eram incríveis, me apaixonei por cada uma delas. Passei raiva com algumas tias, e com a mãe de Zhi, mas durante o desenrolar elas se mostraram uma família incrível e acolhedora. Me entristeci muito na morte da avó de Zhi, chorei muito quando a Imperatriz Viúva compareceu ao seu funeral. Foi de cortar o coração. Me cortou também o coração a morte da Rong, apenas uma jovem cheia de vida, esperando um neném, e encontrou um destino trágico. Eu culpo o marido dela por ter a levado para longe da família e a inserido em sua família suja, mesmo que ele soubesse de tudo que acontecia e de como seu pai era um crápula.

Não sei se o casal principal teve muito química, embora achasse os momentos deles fofos, acho que o drama tinha como foco principal a Zhi e sua crise familiar, o que eu amei, nada melhor do que ver mulheres se apoiando e ganhando suas vidas sozinhas. Foi realmente incrível. O assistente do nosso protagonista também me deixou com uma leve quedinha por ele, o achei fofo. Achei muitas pessoas fofas hahaha o Sr Sheng também, gostei muito dele e com certeza irei atrás de trabalhos do ator. No mais, para mim, é um 10. A ost é INCRÍVEL, que abertura linda, músicas maravilhosas. Daqui uns anos, espero rever. Assisti com a minha mamãe, e ambas amamos muito o drama. Daqui uns anos, quando reassistir, lembrarei dela.

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It is blooming good! Serious

The title of this show basically summed up the drama. It is all about one girl and her family's rise above terrible adversity and the many challenges they faced. It starts simple enough. All the main characters are introduced and the world building begins. Once the show hits its stride, calamity hits. The FL's family literally went from a position of power and influence to object poverty overnight.

Rather than just accepting her fate, the FL comes to the fore and takes charge of the situation and changed her family's fortune. Along the way, she found love and changed the lives of many people she touched.

The series is full of positive messages, and they are delivered quite effectively by an engaging storyline. Yes, the plots are tropey but the way they unfolded is well scripted and its pacing is good. You won’t feel bored nor confused.

It is a good drama overall and quite enjoyable. A large part is attributed to the solid FL character. She faces every challenge head on and uses her initiative and intelligence to overcome them. Of course, the ML is there to do the heavy lifting and lend a sharp sword. In that sense, the show is a bumpy ride, but the trajectory is always upwards. We are never left in utter despair. This is a double-edged sword as we are almost conditioned to see a silver lining around every storm cloud. The show does go dark from time to time, with death and suffering just around the corner. It is just our leads who are mostly Teflon coated.

There is a good deal of fan service in the second half of the last EP before the HEA ending arrives on cue. All the main threads are tied up with pink bows and most characters have their arc concluded satisfactory.

I am pleasantly surprised by the acting abilities of the large support cast. It would not be an exaggeration to use terms like cast of a thousand. There are so many actors with speaking parts! It ranges from highly regarded veterans to young green actors. There are the odd hit and miss but, overall, they lifted the series and provide able support to the leads when the going gets tough. The production value is good but not quite S rank. They didn't cheap out on the sets and costumes.

I believe this is the FL’s first historical drama. I have seen her in contemporary dramas. I not a real fan before this show. I find her other performances to be a bit stilted. However, she is good in this drama. The style suits her and the low-key makeup as well.

While the ML is handsome and the fight scenes are decent, his performance did feels oddly detached at times. To be honest, a bit wooden. All the actors are dubbed but his dialogue just feels too measured and flat. It is as if the lines are recorded in a vacuum. It is odd when almost every other aspect of the series is solid.

I started with low expectations but I was pleasantly surprised. It is tropey and a bit cheesy. A guilty pleasure for me. That’s entertainment!

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Enjoyable historical slice of life chinese drama

GOOD:
- Lead couple: great chemistry, nice romance with smooth development. They are a cute pair of lovers supporting each other in adversity. Break up not too angsty and happy ending for them.
- Slice of life: it is about the life of the members of the Hua family and what happens to their household members while facing the hardships they meet and rebuilding themselves relentlessly
- Many likeable characters with good developments
- Good comedy with some hilarious moments.
- Some WTF twists that are very sad and emotional.
- Schemes are not too outrageous
- Good action when it happens with good swordplay and bloody brutal killings at times.

LESS GOOD:
- The drama is centered around female characters who sometime have useless chit-chats that bring nothing to the plot.
- Investigation plot goes from one villain to another villain then another villain with no real sense of danger for the lead couple and for ML as the leader of the Bureau of Security.
- The emperor has seen too much to be outsmarted but he is also a bully, manipulative and annoying at times.
- Ending final boss is kind of a joke.

OVERALL: I enjoyed it. Recommended

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Flowers that bloom in adversity

One doesn’t meet a girl like Hua Zhi in an ancient society. Thou one does meet a girl like Hua Zin in an ancient idol romance story.

And I meant it well. Hua Zhi is the kind of female lead that we ladies root for and want to be in our heart. After a long day’s work, it’s healing watching a smart, independent, courageous female lead successfully starting a business and leading her group of supportive family and friends out of poverty after the guys in the family are forced to exile.

Other than this strong female lead story done right, it has all other lovely elements such as romance, friendship and kinship.

Yan Xi is the god sent male lead for Hua Zhi in an idol romance. Strong, understanding and respectful. Their love story is one of the healthier ones that dismisses most troupes. Though Hu Yi Tian and Zhang Jing Yi chemistry is a little lacking, it’s healing watching Yan Xi and Jing Yi’s steady progression, heathy communication and supportive teamwork.

There are many other couples in the story too, which make up for a good time. From the happy bickering couple (Bao Xia x Chen Qing), to innocent playmates couple (Shao Yao x Shen Er), to supportive married couple (4th uncle and aunt), I quite like all the love story lines. Even granny’s first love story with grandpa got a shoutout.

Moving on the next point - the friendship and kinship. Blossom in adversity is not only about Story of Hua Zhi. It’s also about story of each Hua Lady. Every one of them is a unique flower that blooms prettily on her own right. I like how every of them have a memorable trait / character despite the big cast.

First, there are Hua Zhi’s grandmother, mother and aunts. Not many stories highlight the friendship of grannies in their 60’s and beyond. I love the backstory that Blossom in Adversity gives to Zhu Mu. We got to see a glimpse of who she was when she was a teenager, how she talked about her first love and what her considerations were as the head of a large family.

Myolie Wu plays the prideful 3rd aunt who has a soft heart. There can be many things you will feel frustrated about being family with her - at the end of the day, she does care and is reliable when times call for it. Her words to Hua Zhi, “Family is not a place to talk reason” may sound like she’s pulling rank. But indeed, sometimes reason is not the solution.

Second, Hua Zhi has 4 maids who become reliable business partners. They are interestingly named after the 4 seasons, adding color to the flowers with their own storyline - Ying ‘Chun’, Bao ‘Xia’, Nian ‘Qiu’, Fu ‘Dong’.

Third, Hua Zhi’s sisters also got mini spotlight in this 40 episode story. The one who stood out to me is Hua Qin. One might not respect Hua Qin on her schemes and only thought of using marriage as a way out. However, I thought it was a good contrast to Hua Zhi, without vilifying Hua Qin’s method.

All in all, Blossom in Adversity is a little tad perfect with Hua Zhi and Hua Family’s lovely ladies successfully building their business in the ancient society together. The guys somewhat become the Hua Ping (vase) in the story. But it kinda of hit the right tune when one wants to relax and feel a win after coming home from our real life’s adversity.

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FROZEN FACES

Since the men of Hua family are forced into exile, all glories and properties are taken away, leaving behind the women & children in predicament living in dire strait and nothing. All women whose use to live in luxury and privileges, now suddenly has to face the hardship of survival in a moment notice. Basic needs can't have them, about 10 women and few children know nothing how to do simple chores, depends on maids - who stay just for their slave transaction documents with head-madam. Hua Zhi, the oldest Daughter of the family, no longer stays low-key and steps up. She braves hardship and leads the women of her household to manage to avoid starvation and danger. She transforms family to successful in businesses and becomes the head of family. Female center of drama, can't say I like it, too much washy-wooshy. All those pitiful begging, whiny, crying, jealousy, virtue signaling, toddler-likeness voice from supporting female actors...so cringe.

To me Hu Yi Tian has frozen face, like too much of Botox, can't really express anything. He's so much better when he has the mask on, only his acting we can judge. Zhang Jing Yi has also frozen face, plus her smile is a (rictus) stoical grimace, her acting so so - nothing special. Because they both have frozen face, they seems to have a dispassionate love story.

What I like is Hua Zhi doesn't need Gu Yan Xi to help her all the time. Behind the mask, Gu Yan Xi is another character. I don't know if Hua's men all finally come back home from their exile because I don't finish the drama. What finally happen with Gu Yan Xi's future? I might have to fast forward to final episode....

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"Blossom in Adversity" isn't just a title; it's a promise of resilience and triumph in the face of adversity. As the men of the Hua family face exile, the burden of survival falls upon the women and young boys left behind. At the heart of the tale is Hua Zhi, with her skills, courage, and bravery she steps up and brings the family out from the countryside back to the city life with her business propositions and tricks that wow the city. She makes enough money to get her family out of starvation and they bond over time learning to lean and love each other.

What I love about this series:
What sets this series apart is its authentic portrayal of human interaction. The chemistry between the leads feels refreshingly natural. Rather than being a constant savior, the male lead subtly supports Hua Zhi. Moments like their journey from the jailhouse back to the countryside lingers in my thoughts after it ends. I also loved every conversation they had. He told her enough not to reveal his identity but he never lied to her. And with FL, her intelligence and kindness she extends to strangers not only touched ML heart, it also touched mine.

The OST is also another favorite, I truly think they make or break the drama. I love Curly’s voice and was super excited to see her sing the opening. But the song that won my heart is Night and Day by Baby.j and Liu ZhiJia. I have to say Baby.j has been singing a lot of OST I love so I look forward to them each time. This particular song when it played each time it was usually when they were overcoming a situation, brave and strong. Just like the lyric “I don’t admit defeat or quit; I just run towards the first light” it just tears me up!

While the spotlight shines on the main characters, all the side characters shine just as brightly. I grew to love each one of them even though I couldn’t stand some of them to begin with. Personally love Shao Yao nuanced portrayal of autism and how her character grows as she later becomes a part of the Hua family. Chen Qing and Fu Dong mini love line is also another favorite! I’m rooting for them and hoping to see to grow.

What I didn’t like:
I’m going to get hate for this, but personally, I've seen some of the actors and actresses in other series and I had a hard time watching some of them in here because there was something different about them. And because of that, I felt some of their facial gesture just looked a bit stiff, so knocking off a star because I couldn’t thoroughly enjoy it.

Anticipating:
As the series hurtles towards its conclusion, anticipation hangs heavy in the air, especially for me. I truly hope the ending is not a disappointment.

In the meantime, the allure of the series proves irresistible, beckoning a rewatch as the countdown to the finale begins.

Update: finally finished the series and it did not disappoint. I highly recommend this series to those who want a casual and entertaining series. I love the storyline, the pace, and the characters. The first series in 2024 that I truly enjoyed!

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