Wild Bloom Review. I’ve seen the modern tribute retro Chinese drama a few times, but this one has a completely different premise. So I wanted to see how the actors would handle the more difficult plots and one of them was Zhao Li Ying. See my Wild Bloom review below
Drama Details
Title: Wild Bloom ( 风吹半夏 )
Episodes: 36
Release Date: November 27, 2022
Genres: Business, Romance, Drama
Country: China
Original Network: iQiyi, JSTV, ZJTV
Available On: iQIYI
Synopsis and Plot Summary
It is set in 1991, which tells the story of Ban Xia and Xiao Chen, a scrap metal dealer with a small junkyard. The two meet by chance there and form a deep friendship after a risky but successful scrap metal collection.
Xiao Qi herself really needs money to treat her mother’s illness. But she was jailed for 5 years, for helping Ban Xia, in an argument with her cheating husband.
Intermittent in 1997, Xiao Qi was released from prison and Ban Xia has been working tirelessly to build up their scrap metal business.
Ban Xia also managed to approach the leaders of the steel industry in the city with an extensive network. The aim is to get an agreement with this manufacturer to import scarp metal from Russia.
But as Ban Xia tries to build his business bigger, he encounters many obstacles along the way. Together with Xiao Qi and other friends, they still dream of having their own steel factory.
They face scams to threats of bankruptcy to even the ups and downs of their personal lives, but have nothing to lose to achieve their dreams.
Wild Bloom Review
This is one of the best Zhao Li Ying dramas of 2022. This drama tells a story that is very interesting and makes sense. The story is very China-centric, but I found it hard to appeal to an international audience.
The Chinese feel of the 90s is also reflected in details such as cellphone models, clothing styles, and city views. Even the songs in the drama became hits from that era in China.
This is also not a romantic drama but a serious business drama and romance is just a compliment. There is also nothing dramatic about the love story of the protagonists here either.
Apart from that, it also has relationships between the characters that feel natural and believable, unlike other dramas which sometimes feel artificial.
As for the quality of her acting, all of her acting performances were really top-class – Zhao Li Ying’s performance was really in a class of its own – it felt like she was really Xu Ban Xia’s character.
He also had chemistry with Ou Hao and couldn’t imagine anyone else playing this character. Although only as a supporting role, their acting is of a high standard.
And many of them are veteran actors, so it’s easy for them to get deep into their characters and showcase their unique personalities.
Wild Bloom Chinese Drama Cast
Main Role
Zhao Li Ying as Xu Ban Xia
Ou Hao as Tong Xiao Qi
Huang Cheng Cheng as Chen Yu Zhou
Li Guang Jie as Zhao Lei
Support Role
Liu Wei as Wu Jian She
Ke Lan as Gao Yue Jin
Ren Zhong as Feng Yu
Feng Jia Yi as Qiu Bi Zheng
Sun Qian as Gao Xin Yi / Ye Mao
Wang Jin Song as Xu You Ren
Liu Wei Wei as Liu Mei Lan
Shi An as Old Su
Song Han Huan as Guo Qi Dong
Wang Xi as Zhou Qian
Una You as Xie Jin Bao
Hao Ping as Boss Wang
Huai Wen as Jia Chang An
Yan Shi Kui as Mr. Jia
Xue Shu Jie as Grandma Sun
Liu Shuo as Qin Fang Ping
My Verdict
Wild Bloom is a drama worth watching for a mature audience who can appreciate life’s struggles and trade-offs in the quest to find success.
But you should be patient for the first few episodes because it’s a bit slow. Initially, it can also give you a retro vibe that you might find too old-fashioned and thus boring.
Apart from that, this is also a drama worthy of your light watch. It will make you reflect on capitalism and greed. My rating for the Wild Bloom review is 7,9/10.
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