Blossoms Shanghai Reviews

The fragmented plot, rapid changes in timelines, each year rushed and incomplete. The Shanghai dialect is quite lively, but incorporating real historical events makes it feel disjointed. Because of the extravagant and intoxicating atmosphere, if you don't explicitly mention the 1990s, you might mistake it for the 1930s.
The beauties each have their own merits, and Tang Yan doesn't disappoint. Mr. You controls the scene on his own, which is amazing. I thought I was watching the extraordinary Mr. Bao, but later on, it started resembling Ye Shu and his tumultuous facade.
At times, certain plot elements made me wonder if Hu Ge was trying to tell an autobiographical story through the blooming flowers.

The visuals and audio of this drama are like a typical music video or web series. The setting is fictional, the editing is bizarre, the dubbing is mismatched, and the dialogue feels clearly influenced by external factors. On a side note, even for the same mainland Chinese series, watching it on Netflix gives it more of a "cinematic feel," while watching it on iQiyi gives it an inexplicable sense of being low-quality and cheesy.
One reason for this is that Netflix doesn't arrogantly place a colorful "Netflix Exclusive" logo watermark in the top right corner of the screen.

Jin Yucheng tells Xu Zidong, "It's unwatchable." / Hu Ge in the trailer looks like he's shooting an Armani ad from 2018. And why did they pair "Wu Di Zi Rong" with Shanghai Story? That song is too Beijing... The trailer even needs the director's interpretation of "I like it." Will Wong Kar-wai upload his reaction every day after it airs?
The neon lights of the sleepless city are authentic, but Shanghai has many other aspects, like the lingering haze of the planned economy, which is overshadowed by so-called Wong Kar-wai style. The makeup, hairstyles, and costumes of the ensemble and main characters are a mix of fitting the era and being too contemporary, it's messy.
/ This is the Shanghainese version of the main film. Why does the main film feel like a trailer all the time, with weird pacing, dialogue, soundtrack, and Hu Ge's recitation at a gala? It feels like a promotional video for Estée Lauder's 30th anniversary in mainland China.

Did they cut out a scene in the opening prologue? Wong Kar-wai's style is suited for slow emotional buildup, but rushing through the plot in a TV drama feels out of place. Not to mention the interference from advertisers, completely changing the original vision.
Let's hope for the movie version, folks. A globally unique static TV drama. Wong Kar-wai has gone mad, it's like he wants to sell you an ordinary glass of water in a gold-rimmed enamel cup with a bonus view of the Huangpu River, priced at seven or eight thousand without room for negotiation.
Slow-motion close-ups are overused, the first 30 minutes are just a bunch of people sneaking around, and even the most exquisite delicacies can't make up for eating them every meal. The visuals are gorgeously executed, but they serve no purpose.

It has a familiar taste, indeed the work of the "Sunglasses King" again. After watching one episode, I have no idea what's going on. Everyone is desperately trying to show off, but there isn't a single person speaking normal language.
It's interesting, like watching those pretentious movies from my younger days. After a while, you start thinking you're a pretentious king too.

However, it's exhausting to watch a TV drama with the entire duration filmed like a movie. Wide shots, extreme close-ups, sweeping crane shots, aerial shots—the camera is either looking down or looking up, always shooting from the shoulder or above the head.
It's tiring to watch.

Wong Kar-wai's past obscurity had a traceable path, logical reasoning, and substantial evidence. He elevated the ambiguity of history to the height of truth, to the point where the image of Hong Kong became a solid and compensating entity in relation to his films.
However, the first 10 minutes of this television drama completely fell apart. Wong Kar-wai has read a lot of Zhang Jiajia, which is commendable, but his visual style is becoming more and more like Da Bing's writing style.
The supposed geographical environment of Shanghai gives me a sense of being immersed in Da Bing's Yunnan Bing Shi (bing shop). This world is unexpectedly melancholic, catching one off guard.
Edison Chen is increasingly resembling Zhao Benshan, and Wong Kar-wai's films are becoming more and more like Da Bing's. Perhaps we have all wrongly accused Wong Kar-wai in the past. His youth is not Kotasar, nor Manuel Puig.
His youth is Anni Baobei, Guo Jingming. At the age of 65, he chooses to bid farewell to his disguised past and return to his true youthful self.

This is a highly incompatible production. The visuals and lighting deserve some credit, You Ben Chang's performance deserves some credit, but everything else doesn't fit the setting of a TV drama at all.
You can see the Republic of China in the 1930s, you can see 1950s New York, and you can even see 1980s Hong Kong triads, but it's definitely not Shanghai in 1992.

The plot is scattered and chaotic. The male lead is constantly trapped in the shadow of Ming Lou, unable to break free. Xin Zhi Lei is pretentious, while Ma Yi Li and Tang Yan can be described as average.
The most important thing in a TV drama is the dramatization, but after several episodes, what exactly has been told?

They built up the atmosphere to the point of portraying Baozong as a figure who dominates the underworld, yet in the end, he's someone who can't even enter the upscale mansion.
PS: In the 1990s, my father traded stocks in Shanghai, and with 200,000 yuan, he could have entered an upscale mansion.

Calling 120 minutes of pretentiousness "artistic" and 1200 minutes of pretentiousness "exaggerated and boring." From the opening line of the novel that says "Shanghai people are clever" to the use of Shanghainese and Shanghainese-accented Mandarin in the show, it all unmistakably showcases the Shanghai people's sense of regional superiority, which is truly disgusting.
The affected acting skills of the main actors make them look like characters from a 90s drama with a Republican era gangster vibe. This drama shouldn't be called "Flowers in Bloom," it should be called "Exaggeration." And fans, please stop judging the audience by saying they can only appreciate ancient, puppetry, and martial arts dramas without taste or culture.
One's level of culture cannot be judged in such a way. It's like saying you can enjoy both a grand feast and a fly-infested restaurant. The key is whether the food is delicious, not where it comes from.

I was initially confused. I thought the part with Yinzi was in the past and would be over, but it turns out that every episode feels like a trailer. It's chaotic and noisy. The Mandarin dubbing is really, really terrible, and what's with the BGM that plays at any given moment?
They've made something set in the 1990s feel like the Republican era. What's the point of having a group of handsome guys and beautiful girls? Some are awkward, while others are greasy. I've waited for so long, but what did I get?
Wang Kar-wai is indeed talented, and the visuals are stunning, but this is a TV drama and it should have the look of a TV drama.

I refuse to believe that Wang Kar-wai hasn't seen "Tiny Times" ???????????? After "The Grandmaster," Wang Kar-wai as a creator has already closed the door. Since then, he has mainly operated as a businessman or a boss, leaving only a lingering taste of his technical expertise.
So, based on the level of "The Crossing," the first few episodes lived up to expectations. In my impression, Shanghai in the 90s should look like it did in the movie "Crazy Stocks," but the portrayal of sunglasses is overly exaggerated.
Just because a TV drama has a film-like quality doesn't necessarily make it high-end; in fact, it can backfire and give off a taste of the Republic of China's foreign concessions.
The color scheme is also uncomfortable, and the sense of immersion is strange. The actors' hairstyles look like wigs, except for Xin Zhi Lei and the old master You Ben Chang, others are hard to stand out.
It's hard to imagine if the drama version flops, whether the film version with the same cast and crew will undergo a second round of criticism.

As a comrade, I have a question. Why are you promoting TV dramas that glorify the exploitative and speculative nature of capitalism while making a big fuss about the primitive accumulation of capitalism?
How come you're so concerned about censorship and ideological issues, stabbing three or seven times? Even if you restrict speech and make it only visible to yourself, it's laughable.
Do you think that by censoring, no one will notice? Come on, explain what "comrade" means. If there are any Davalishis among the masses, come forward and snatch the sunglasses from Sunglasses King.
See what kind of decadent class perspective lies behind his sunglasses. Never praise wealth itself; praise labor. That's the attitude that the majority of comrades sitting in front of the TV should have!
The entertainment industry is truly rotten to the core.

The hype was strong, but it turned out to be a main theme tribute drama to the reform and opening up, completely altered and unrecognizable. It is a far cry from the original work's essence. Jin Yucheng's novel is a scroll of urban memories and folk customs unique to old Shanghai, a dream of mandarin ducks and butterflies withering away as the flowers fall, a lament for the beautiful demise under the changes of the world.
Wong Kar-wai's series, on the other hand, is a realistic and positive era drama set in Shanghai, a hymn to the vibrant reform wind, a spirit of surging progress in turbulent times.

The drama version cut out the timelines involving sensitive history, focusing solely on expanding and processing the perspective of A Bao, narrating the legendary tale of heroes created by the times.
It turned into a clichéd inspirational story of a male protagonist navigating the ups and downs of the business world, striving for success, and entangling with multiple women. Perhaps Wong Kar-wai was only responsible for controlling the visual aesthetics, while everything else was at the mercy of capital.
In order to target a broader audience in the mass market, it was natural to abandon the fragmented plots from the book. In order to align with the influence of CCTV, compromises were inevitable, conforming to a certain "correctness." Wanting to be down-to-earth while pretending to be stylish resulted in a failure to portray the desired image.

Wong Kar-wai's creative core is "romance." Whether it's wuxia, kung fu, crime, or urban settings, he has the ability to extract a slice from them and weave it into a poetic masterpiece. However, when it comes to television dramas, they are too grounded in reality, filled with trivialities and daily life.
They simply lack the ability to create romance in the same way as films. The director's creative intentions and the narrative of the story may seem harmonious, but in reality, they clash and both end up losing. It's like sprinkling caviar on a pot of braised chicken; no one can bring out the original flavor as it should be.
In the end, all that's left are overly indulgent slow-motion scenes, the soundtrack, and contrasting color schemes. Who could have imagined that Wong Kar-wai would end up becoming Zack Snyder?

The biggest issue with this drama is that it creates a false reality, much like the "Tiny Times" series. Are Shanghai people really so intoxicated by wealth in the 1990s? Did everyone in the early 1990s only care about money and openly display it on their faces?
Is it just shamelessly glorifying the capitalist lifestyle? Our parents' generation earned only a few hundred yuan as their salary, but you act so nonchalant with millions and tens of millions? The atmosphere portrayed feels more like the Republican-era gangsters rather than the reality of that time.
Mr. Bao, the stock speculator, seems to be the talk of the town for everyone in Shanghai, is that even plausible? Hong Kong is Hong Kong, and this is Shanghai. You can't just transplant the customs and manners of Hong Kong through the character of Sunglasses Wang.
The atmosphere you've created is like Victoria Harbor.

Furthermore, your repetitive and annoying tactics of relying on your own clichés are frustrating. The constant appearance of unpleasant symphonies, Hu Ge's attempt to imitate Tony Leung's profoundness with his stereotypical shrewd Shanghai appearance, but failing to achieve any depth, making him seem more like a thug in a suit.

The plot relies entirely on dialogue for progression, and there's an abundance of dialogue that often revolves around "Baozong." The cinematography and lighting are decent, but they don't contribute much to the plot, and sometimes it's unclear what they're trying to portray.
The set design is a letdown, especially in the second episode where the Chinese New Year scenes resemble Shanghai from a bygone era. As for the actors, after watching for a while, Dong Yong stands out with significant breakthroughs, portraying a character quite different from his previous roles.
If this series were directed by Wong Kar-wai or Zhang Yimou, would you still like it?

Curiosity led me to waste 90 minutes on "Wong Kar-wai's TV drama," and it was simply awful. It failed to captivate in terms of sound, visuals, acting, or storytelling. The attempt to graft the lavish aesthetic of the 1920s and 1930s onto the 1990s felt jarring, and none of the praises lavished on Wong Kar-wai's previous works fit here.
The plot progressed at breakneck speed, resulting in characters who were mere paper cutouts, lacking any moments of tension or breathing space in the narrative. The actors had no room to perform; it felt like they were strutting on a runway in the sky.
There were an excessive number of upward angle shots that became tiresome... Hmm, I can't wait until the opening of the Zen Garden. I bid farewell for now. Not only is Wong Kar-wai undeserving of credit, but even the name of Guo Jingming cannot be associated with this film.
(For those interested in the story itself, it's better to read the original work.)

Wong Kar-wai really used his film techniques to make this TV drama. The composition, editing, and pacing all have his signature style (although one piece of music sounds too similar to "Battle of Inheritance," which cheapens it).
As a TV drama, using fragmented storytelling to depict character relationships and background events does raise the bar for the audience. Combined with the creation of an intoxicating atmosphere and his effective use of close-ups and slow-motion, it's understandable that some viewers find it exaggerated.
However, the storyline is actually quite strong. The interweaving of clues, character relationships, background information, and power struggles form this thrilling business drama. Not to mention the exquisite level of detail in the props.
Where else can you see real neon signs on a street in a drama? This series manages to keep me engaged, and its unique style and production quality are extremely rare in domestic TV dramas. Its existence represents how refined domestic premium TV dramas can be and how distinctive their styles can become.
And make sure to watch the version in Shanghainese dialect.

I binge-watched six episodes in one go, and when it comes to portraying characters, Li Muge is nothing compared to Jing Wang. Ma Yili and Tang Yan have reached new heights of beauty in the drama. Even my mom praises Tang Yan, saying she looks even better than when she was young.
Ma Yili's acting skills are truly amazing; she doesn't seem like she's acting at all. Her dialogues flow so smoothly, as if they were part of her daily life. In the beginning, the interactions with a certain Xiaosi (fourth-year student) were so hilarious that I couldn't help but laugh.
The cross-racial "confrontation" scenes were just too good...

Director Wong Kar-wai's involvement in the drama already suggests that it will be hard to manage expectations. However, after watching the first two episodes, when I saw Wang wearing sunglasses and earnestly narrating the story of that "era of turmoil" in Shanghai, along with the Shanghai actors delivering their lines in full Shanghainese dialect, I felt that we should give more patience to this type of authentic Mandarin drama.
We should immerse ourselves in the story and truly experience it, rather than rushing to make judgments right from the start. P.S.: Be sure to watch the Shanghainese version.

Sidebar: The extraordinary aspect of Shanghai stems from its already lost order. It is essentially a civic society, firm and tolerant, full of hobbies, confident enough to embrace infinite diversity within any framework. Therefore, the significance of TV dramas goes beyond their broadcast itself.
The actors are all great because they portray their characters accurately (Ma Yili and Tang Yan are particularly impressive, so charming and spirited). I especially love the "vibe" of the drama. Perhaps only Director Wang dares to depict Shanghai like this, a bit noisier and more chaotic than reality, and that's right.
Moreover, in the era depicted in "Blooming Flowers," Shanghai didn't have a subway yet. Huge props. All the production staff are remarkable.

Only talking about the first four episodes, it started off a bit messy, but throughout the entire series, I've been searching for Xin Zhi Lei. Wong Kar-wai loves her too much; he made her look so stunning, haha.

Don't give up just because the first two episodes are "chaotic." The third and fourth episodes get better and better. It's really interesting.

Of course, the drama has many issues. Like, what's up with the music?
Wong Kar-wai only realized from the third episode onwards that he's shooting a TV drama and doesn't need to hide behind voice-overs, haha.

You must watch the Shanghainese version. The three female characters are so charmingly portrayed.
Tang Yan is so exasperated that she trembles with anger. It's hilarious. Ma Yi Li and Hu Ge flirt and bicker like little kids. Hu Ge's playful mischief is unprecedented in drama history. As for Xin Zhi Lei, she's not one for many words, but she's stunningly beautiful.
The camera loves her so much. Basically, every regular viewer is eagerly waiting for her appearance in every scene of the entire drama.

As for the male characters, I don't have much feeling for Hu Ge.
He's performing normally, and I guess the highlights are yet to come. You Ben Chang, on the other hand, currently has the best acting skills in the whole series. He's incredibly charismatic and perfectly captures every detail of his character's performance.

Episode 14, as soon as it started, the brilliance of "Flowers in My Heart" overwhelmed me! Tao Tao's family playing cards, smiling on the surface but crying inside, and the desolate figure waving goodbye as they walked out the door.
The scene where A Bao stood on the roadside, watching the ticket vendor after separating from Xue Zhi, with his hair swaying in the night breeze as if it was about to shatter, was brilliantly portrayed by Hu Ge! He perfectly portrayed the innocence of a young boy experiencing his first love in the 1970s, the brokenness caused by Xue Zhi in the 1980s, and the struggles in the business world in the 1990s, where he managed to stay untainted despite being in a sea of temptations.