Winter Begonia (2020)

This is the first c-drama where I can honestly give 10 points.

This is the first c-drama where I can honestly give 10 points.

A beautiful story about friendship, brotherhood, loyalty, devotion to two very different personalities. Cheng Feng Tai is an apparently mild-mannered businessman, devoted to his family, but cunning and ruthless in business. Shang Xi Rui is a charismatic, himerous, very talented Dan performer in Beijing opera performances. He is also an inept financial manager of an art troupe. Both gentlemen will share their mutual curiosity. Gradually they get to know each other and get to know life, opera, finance and a different view of the world. In the background we have the growing Japanese-Chinese conflict, which, as we know, ultimately took a tragic toll in history. The fates of people intertwine in this drama and interpenetrate each other. Nothing is overdrawn, each thread has a logical connection and termination. But for me personally, it is a completely Chinese drama which is its great advantage. Finally, I do not have the impression that I am watching bits of American movies stuck into Chinese reality. It gives me an insight into the world of Chinese opera so distant and mysterious for a European. The world is a bit inaccessible, incomprehensible, but so intriguing. And that singing, sometimes melorecitation. I was slowly discovering the art of singing in this way. Finally, without pompous words and assurances, paradoxically, despite the sometimes slow pace, a lot is happening. There are no superfluous flashbacks here, so common and unnecessary in Chinese dramas
Chapeau bas for acting. First place for Zheng Yin who breathed so much into the himeric character of SXR. For me it will be an unforgettable acting performance. He plays with his whole self, he is created just for this character.
The other actors, I won't name them all, I will mention Huang Xiao Ming and Charmaine Sheh, were great. These characters are persuasive, they live, they evolve.
Music is as it should be. Accompanied by drama, not annoyingly insistent, but supportive.
I will definitely see it someday, I can still feel the atmosphere.

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A Must Watch

I am definitely a binge-watcher when I watch dramas, but this is not one I can binge. I am continuing to watch, though. So, if you enjoy history and have an interest in learning more about Chinese opera, then this is a show that may capture your attention. I am not screaming, “You MUST watch it!” I am also not discouraging anyone. If you enjoy learning about history and culture, then consider giving this one a try! I am looking for more stories like this.

Because of this drama, I got interested with the Chinese history more and more. ?

The frienship Shang Rui and Cheng was indeed genuine, how they care for each other, how they put trust to each other and how they support each other through ups and down. Im craving for this kind of friendship. :/

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Beautiful and heart-warming drama!

First of all, don't be discouraged by the number of episodes because I promise we don't see time pass.

Story: this was really a first for me. The story is well built, told and the delivery is with no fail. I fell in love with each episode and stayed up watching to not miss anything. Every one of the episodes were coherent and gave me the desire to continue which is hard sometime with historical dramas. For the first time I wasn't skipping the dialogues.

Acting/Cast: First of all Bravo to the production team for giving us such a unique drama. To the actors, just amazing job! Each one of them portrayed his role in a very professional way and they brought to life their characters. The supporting cast was amazing. It is rare to have the whole cast do a perfect job without a flaw.
Now the two main male actors (Zheng Yin and Huang Xiaoming) were of course the reason to why I watched in the first place and the fact that it was Bromance. I loved their interaction, Loyalty, friendship and how they relied on each other. Well, Now I have a reason to read the novel.

Music: All I can say is that I'm obsessed with the opening song (by Lu Hu) now. can't go a day without playing it now. The overall songs included are also good to hear and I enjoyed the Peking opera because it was all new to me but Zheng Yin did an amazing Job.

Recommandation: this is a MASTERPIECE, so of course I recommend. Plus if you' ve watched the Untamed, The Guardian, Love is more than a world etc... then this is totally yours to watch because it's the same universe!

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Best CDrama in 2020

This is a must-watch drama! The story took me away from this horrible year of 2020.

- Acting was superb by all involved, especially the two male leads. Huang Xiao Ming and Andrew Yin. Their brilliant acting was a reason I didn't take away any point of the terrible robotic voices of the Japanese characters.

- The story is well written: the pace, the artistic direction were great.

- Technically flawless and beautiful.

- The human aspect of the story, the dialogues... two thumbs up!

Highly recommended. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show! You will laugh. You will cry. You will fall in love with Huang Xiao Ming and Andrew Yin!

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Best Drama I Watched in a While

SPOILER ABOUT THE END OF THE SHOW:
I was apprehensive to watch this title because I was always watching costume dramas. But I was taken aback by the extreme love and tenderness the leads showed each other. Huang XiaoMing (played Cheng FengTai) and Yin Zheng (played Shang XiRui) are great an acting pair and were able to show the harshness of the incoming war and the love they had for one another. Yin Zheng flourished in every scene he had, and he was constantly stealing the limelight for others. His ability to switch from the reckless, impulsive Shang XiRui to the elegant dan singer on stage was amazing. I was constantly waiting for the next episode, and it was always on my mind. If not for this drama, I would not have found one of my favorite actors (Mi Re) who plays the support role of Fan Lian.
The ending still hurts to this day, not knowing if he got on the train or if he stayed in BeiPing with his troupe. But everyone that he cares for already left his life in some way so I feel he left opera behind the follow Cheng FengTai and FengYi. I can not speak enough about the costumes, actors, stylization, and the set of this show. It was a show that felt so real and raw that it made me forget the place I was in. I was transported to their time, and I sensed their urgency and their love. I wish we had more episodes to tie up the loose ends with everyone's story. Or to give us more time with SXR and CFT, but in the end the smile in the snow will always bring me to tears.
I can not thank Yu Zheng and HuanYu enough for bringing this book to life. While the novel is different in many ways compared to the show the show breathed the overall plot and overwhelming love to life. Characters were changed, some characters were more present, but in the end, it was the same feeling when it ended.
I know a drama is important when the actors in the role love it. The actors in the show have shown their support for thier show, the role they played, and for one another. Love was used creating this masterpiece and I believe that it shows.

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Not what I was hoping for

So, as a bl lover, I was left dissatisfied and disappointed by the story. Even though I understand it had to be more bromance, than romance, I felt like something was missing from the story in the sense of the relationship of the two male mcs and that left me hanging. On the other hand, the character of the wife of one of the mcs is better than I expected her to be, and I would feel guilty if something more developed between the two male mcs, so I guess this was for the better. The whole opera part of the story eluded me due to cultural differences, so I can't say I enjoyed that part. Aside from that, I have to commend the actors who did wonderful job in portaying their characters in very natural and relaxed way, I was very impressed by that. Also, as far production goes, every little scene was perfectly done down to the smallest details, so kudos for that as well. Costumes and props were beautiful and very period appropriate, which made the whole republican era very realistic and vivid. Overall, I can say that drama was very well done, with great quality and great actors, who all done great job, but the story itself left me feeling incomplete and dissatisfied, but it is very personal and subjective thing. Objectively speaking it is a good drama, but I am rating it with my subjective heart, not objective reasons.

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Deceptively plotless

Yu Zheng might be a controversial figure but he most definitely has style. This has to be the most beautifully produced Republican era drama I've seen so far. I was drawn by the realistic sets and the stunning reds, but alas a good plot could not be found.

THE PLOT:
When I read the synopsis I thought surely this cannot be all, but dear reader, it is. Watching this drama was like reading a collection of short stories with the same characters and weak conflicts. There are so many side plots but all they do is increase screen time, they don't enrich the plot (besides what exactly is it?) or come together to build momentum. Events are just too disjointed, so this isn't really bingeworthy. All we have to look out for is Shang Xirui performing or preparing to perform Opera, when this is not happening, nothing else is. The only real conflicts are the ones the characters fight within themselves, but this is represented in such a haphazard way, you can't build on emotions. I enjoy the slice of life genre but even they understand the need for momentum.

Tiny spoiler: This drama started losing me after the lacklustre performance in episode 13 because so much hype was built around that performance.

ACTING/CHARACTERS:
Nothing needs to be said on the acting except that they were all brilliant, especially the actor playing Shang Xirui. I loved the tandem between Shang Xirui and Chen Fengtai, unfortunately it's not enough to keep me through the last 20 episodes. Charmaine Sheh was also delightful, she and Huang Xiaoming had good banter.

But I do have a lot to be said on characterization. Yu Zheng seems to have a love for unconventional, feisty, stubborn, rash and clever MCs'. I like them too, but a touch of reality doesn't hurt. I hate that when their strength of character is tested they are 9 out of 10 times saved by a stroke of luck. There is nothing interesting about these characters if they don't bear responsibilities for their ideals and manoeuvre challenges that come from going against conventions on their own.

MUSIC:
Naturally as the plot is closely connected to Chinese opera, there were a lot of beautiful performances but aside from that the soundtrack for the drama was really nice.

This one was not for me, but I'm still looking forward to "Legacy" hopefully it doesn't disappoint.

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genuinely a solid show

ok first the pros:
truly an enjoyable show for the most part. high praise for its ability to recreate 1930s beiping. it was a lovely experience watching the show mostly for its ability to create a setting and environment that allowed you to hang out in the time and place, with a ragtag group of opera performers, to hear and see and smell and exist in the world. truly a++ for being able to bring the viewer into the setting. i have such deep affection for a majority of the characters, everyone in the opera troupe and all of their daily antics and dramas are so entertaining and engaging. i also LOOVEE the two old gays, esp ning jiulang who acts as shang xirui's mentor and idol, and the disciple that shang xirui takes in... we love intergenerational queer connections. er nai nai is quite well written especially in the beginning, i found it to be unfortunately lacking about half way through, but her character arc finishes in a somewhat satisfying way.

My greatest love goes to, of course, shang xirui, our stubborn, fearless, eccentric, gay artist- yin zheng's acting is PHENOMENAL!!! rarely does one find a portrayal of someone who is meant to be "strange" and not have it be forced, cringe, or just far from reality and is just the idea of 'strange.' yin zheng's shang xirui feels like an absolutely genuinely one of a kind, original human being- who has quirks, who is a genius, who can masterfully embody femininity and masculinity, who feels so deeply and passionately and stubbornly. like i think he is one of my favorite and most beloved characters of all c-drama?? yin zheng creates such a realistic, multifaceted portrayal, i found myself so endeared to him, sometimes exasperated, but so admiring all the same.

i generally quite enjoyed the themes that the series ended on as well. a good chunk of it is about the dying art form of chinese opera, the relationship that an artist has to the art, to their brand and performance, as well as to the audience. i'm a bit more ambivalent about shang xirui and cheng fengtai's relationship, but they actually got me in the end. the care and love they have for each other is so deep, yet shang xirui's decision to stay in beiping, despite whatever dangers he may face, despite separating from the man he loves, because that's where his passion and art are, his family, and his life are- really got my admiration for the series. even the way cheng fengtai and er nainai's way of talking about shang xirui basically just living off them felt so wrong. the story's decision to highlight shang xirui's free spirit and independence, his determination and stubbornness to live by his art, rather than placing love above all else is really great and another rarity in c drama. the last couple scenes with him and cheng fengtai on the phone... when they finally saw each other again......... wow this is the shit that gets me......

ok cons.....
i find cheng fengtai's character to be extremely lacking and quite poorly written, especially in comparison to shang xirui who gets so much incredible development. sad rich boy with a sad backstory and who couldn't pursue artistic things like he wanted but had to be a businessman for his family....... whatever...... like he had a lot of potential to be a genuinely very interesting character. the show couldve actually explored his privilege and his interest in shang xirui as a reflection of the dreams he abandoned as well as the mother who abandoned him. from the beginning it felt clear that he was projecting heavily on shang xirui but the show never explored this as a potential flaw... it was just framed as romantic? like imagine if they gave cheng fengtai real flaws, that his love for shang xirui wasn't pure, that he wasnt a perfect friend/partner to him and in fact had to learn how to be better to him while exploring his own character? imagine if they actually made him address his relationship with his wife!! they make the suggestion that he does not truly love her but performs the role of a husband because it is what is expected of him... ok so write that but a full arc! write about how he has to perform the role of a perfect son, head of the family, and husband and its intersections specifically with CLASS and give him depth rather than just fetishizing it all as self sacrifice. er nainai is barely well written but it's still better than cheng fengtai, she actually has really interesting stuff going on, being a woman who IS strong, capable and can take control and leadership, and yet romanticizes the traditional role of a wife and performs it because of what she has been taught by society. It's really interesting and only at the very very end does she have one line acknowledging it, saying that she and cheng fengtai do not have a romantic love, but that they have simply been performing the roles of husband and wife. one line is not good enough!! why not write an entire relationship arc for them that explores this instead of having it devolve into a literal MISUNDERSTANDING about cheng fengtai cheating on her and her being insecure when they have REAL problems to work through that the show set up already!!! ALSO the relationship between cheng fengtai and his little sister is interesting too and has the set up for some actual good development that just once again devolves into a misunderstanding that cheng fengtai is working w the japanese! truly a disappointment. the show is just hell bent on making cheng fengtai mr. action cool hot rich man who is a bamf ceo who also is GOOD to everyone!!

all the military stuff drags on and on and definitely highlights the military in a way that isn't comfortable (i know it takes place in wartimes but STILL). the plot w cheng fentai's sister and the cao's was so horrible please take it away. gu dali was super hot but i KNO it was just some racist misogynistic shit where her being masculine and in charge is supposed to be funny and strange and unlike a good han woman rather than genuinely admirable... and then they did the horrible plot of her trying to get pregnant and her having to act feminine which was framed as soOOoo funny..... and then they killed her..... truly a grave crime. i also really really did not like the ending w shang xirui almost ruining his voice to save cheng fengtai, i am never a fan of self sacrifice for love, and it felt really gratuitous. i understand that they had to up the stakes for the finale and also show how much shang xirui loved him, but i feel like this was already shown by the way he just stabbed the japanese on pure instinct and the way he stayed by his bedside and refused to leave him.

anyway, all in all, a solid show. there's certainly flaws and missed opportunities for me, but overall its strength in shang xirui's character, its portrayal of the opera world and the experiential immersion in the setting make it a drama that will stick with me for quite some time.

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A dream that took me onto a rollercoaster of emotions...

PLOTLINE --- The story in this drama was absolutely amazing! It had me experiencing feelings that I never knew I could have!
Each episode either left me anxious and excited for the next, or made me have peaceful dreams. The character
development in the FL (FXE) was pure chefs kiss. She started out as a nasty person but soon understood more
and made the bromance seem even more interesting. The bromance between CFT and SXR was something I
could never imagine before in a censored live action drama. Their love for each other could literally be seen
bleeding out from both these guys. The depths they went through for each other, even though
life threatening, was the cherry on top. All of their smiling and sweet moments made me smile like an idiot too
but they also made me cry during the heartbreaking scenes. They risked their lives for each other, protected
each other and cared for each other. As for the Chinese Opera, I admit I wasn't a big fan of it in the starting but,
as I watched episode after episode, the songs, the costumes, the poetry and stories, finally started to win my
heart. I adored it so much that after a while, I stopped feeling annoyed at the high pitched performances and
enjoyed it instead. The side characters also played a big part in the story and in my soul. From the beggar on the
street, to SXR's troupe.


MUSIC --- I somehow never skipped the opening ost even during the times I was desperate to see where the last episodes
cliffhanger had lead me to. The soundtracks along with the ending credits were equally beautiful and don't even
mention the opera performances! THEY. WERE. LEGENDARY!


ACTING --- 10/10! The actors, especially Andrew Yin, managed to let every little ounce of emotion onto their faces and
bodies. Props to the cast and the directors for making this drama a pleasant one!


WHY THIS DRAMA? --- I actually recommend this drama to those who are looking for a historic-ish drama, or for those who
love attention to detail, music, arts, bromance, BL( censored) etc. P.S. When you watch the first few
episodes, you might wonder what you actually are watching. DONT GIVE UP ON THE DRAMA! You
might just be sucked into the beautiful world of winter begonia like the rest of us!


Please do try this drama! No hate if you dont! <3

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One word: MASTERPIECE

SXR : Do you know what a confidant is?
CFT: I do, I've been listening.

This drama caught me off guard. Everything in this drama - the quality, acting and cinematography is PERFECT!
First time in my entire life to have wished that a drama is 100 eps long! I can watch CFT and SXR all day. OMG!!! After watching this drama, I'm not sure if I can find another one like this. Now I understand why the rating is 8.1 in Douban and 9 here in Mydramalist. My life is a mess now, looking at my watch list be like... "What the hell is wrong with me?" lmaoooo!!!! I've been watching a lot of crappy dramas and yeah... I missed this MASTERPIECE! Just because I don't know the 2 male leads, I gave this one a hard pass (I want to slap myselffff!!!). Not sure if Netflix picked this one yet, but this one deserves recognition and not those typical a*hole ML and a toddler trapped in an adult's body FL kind of acting and trashy storylines ( I am guilty of watching too btw), but after watching this one, it's hard for me to look at my list and to continue some of the dramas that I am currently watching.

To be honest, I am not a fan of BL and Republican drama, but this one is a game changer. The subtle love and affection showed by the 2ML's is on a different level. I think I am a little crazy about this drama, I haven't even done watching the entire drama and yet I was already rewatching the episodes that I've just finished. I dreaded the thought of watching the last epsiode, I don't want this beautiful drama to end, but I need to know what's in store for CFT and SXR, our soulmates, so it's a bitter-sweet ending for me.

Now, I am off to reading the novel!! lol. BL novel, here I comeeeeee!!!!!

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