Another mini review/set of thoughts because I’m really, really liking the currently on air drama Blossoms in Adversity ! Mild spoilers ahead, I’m trying my best to steer clear of any of the major ones.

Things I love about this drama:

– At its heart, it’s a drama about family and womanhood. The FL is the eldest granddaughter in the very large Hua family who are rocked by circumstances that see the sudden exile of all the men in their family. They’re promptly kicked out of their own home and have to scramble to now survive and adapt. Our FL is an explorer and adventurer by nature and has so far lived to the beat of her own drum, against the constraints of the expected traditional gender norms at the time. Now though, she’s found herself in a situation where she has to convince the other ladies in her family to let her be the head of the unit so that they can not only survive but bring back the men of the household. It’s an uphill battle, especially since most of the women in the family are strongly adamant that they’re doomed without men to guide them, and so it’s very satisfying to watch her grow and take charge. She’s undeniably wise beyond her years but she’s used to operating like a lone wolf, so navigating tensions within the family, facing the judgement of society and those outside the family, and reclaiming their reputation and independence is a whole new challenge. She’s also young, so although she’s smart she’s also still learning and growing and going through girlhood if you will.

– The rest of the women in this family have the most satisfying character arcs too. There’s a lot of them and the sudden shift in circumstances is a shock (understatement) to them, especially because they have very staunch ideas of what women can and can’t do. And it’s not on them of course because they’ve all lived in a patriarchal society where the odds are stacked against them, not to mention they’ve been conditioned since birth believe they can only operate within very narrow parameters as women. Watching them slowly come around to the FL’s outlandish – and very progressive – ideas and ways of doing things, and then slowly regaining their own independence and confidence is so beautiful. They’ve got dimensions to them, and there’s a few scenes that brought tears to my eyes, where you’re reminded that before being mothers and grandmonthers, these women were also young and full of spirit and they’ve got a lot of ‘hidden’ talents of their own that they’ve been suppressing through the years.

– Adjacent to the above theme, the bond that these women create to come together in the face of adversity is 😍 The drama isn’t without a few female antagonists, but the women in the Hua family unit, although they begin the story competition with one another in the name of family hierarchy, really grow and come together as a family through the course of the drama. Another scene that made me cry a little was when the youngest daughter in law finds herself bed ridden and delirious and calls out for her mother (who isn’t there of course). Within seconds, all of the women in the family come to her side and hold her and tell her that they’re there for her, specifically that her mother is here. It’s a really beautiful scene that highlights how these women have surpassed the titles of familial bond that they had before, to now be each others mothers, sisters, aunts and best friends all at once.

– The ML and the FL have a really understated but sweet and solid romance. It’s not fireworks and poetry, and the ML is a man of very few words (and expressions, but it works here). He’s also got his own plotline to do with palace scheming which is equally riveting, but the very solid foundation of the friendship turned relationship between the ML and FL is something. They are each other’s comfort spaces and they find that they both can only really be themselves, vulnerable and honest, with each other. What’s even better is that the ML recognises the strength of the FL and respects that, so they very much work as equals and partners in life.

– Tbh the only flaw, in my eyes, of the drama so far is that the 2ML barely gets a plot line (so far anyways) which is a shame because I actually really like his character! All the other minor supporting characters though have their own mini arcs, even the maids of the Hua family, which works to make the tapestry of this drama even richer.

All in all, this is a really beautiful drama and it continues to be so in the home stretch. I’m glad I’m watching but I’m also sad I can’t start it again now for the very first time. I’m at ep 29 now, so not too many eps left and following this trajectory, it looks like we’ll get a safe landing too?? Not to mention, the intro credits artwork and song are chefs kiss 👌