Fireworks Of My Heart Review

Fireworks Of My Heart (我的人间烟火) has the same theme as A Date With The Future and I have completed the latter just about a month ago. Thus, it is hard not to link both of these dramas together and make some sort of comparison. Of course, both have their good and bad points and it may not be fair to compare 2 different productions. But if you are short of time and must pick one out of the two, which one should you watch? You can check out my views with my Fireworks Of My Heart review below.

My rating: 7.5/10
Episodes: 40
Type: Romance
Aired: July 2023
Images Credit: Douban Movie

Cast Of Fireworks Of My Heart

• Yang Yang as Song Yan
• Wang Chu Ran as Xu Qin / Meng Qin
• Wei Da Xun as Meng Yan Chen
• Vin Zhang Bin Bin as Suo Jun
• Wang Yan Lin as Jiang Yu
• Meng A Sai as Yang Chi
• Yang Tong as Jiang Yi
• Zhao Ren Jie as Liu Jun Ping
• Yi Da Qian as Zhan Da Peng
• Zhang Yue as Li Meng
• Wang Guan as Xiao Yi Xiao
• Yang Chao Yue as Zhai Miao
• Hu Ke as Song Yan’s aunt
• Fan Ming as Song Yan’s uncle
• Chen Jin as Fu Wen Ying
• Bai Fan as Meng Huai Jin
• Chen Yi Heng as Department Chief Xu
• Ma Xiao Qian as Yang Si Jia / Dr. Yang
• Liu Chu Xuan as Li Nan
• Li Shu Ting as Xu Xi
• Yang Yu Xi as Yi Ze

Main Characters

Song Yan

Song Yan is a firefighter with the rank of Captain. He leads the Shilitai Fire Station in Yancheng. Song Yan is a strict and rigid leader who often pushes his subordinates to the limit during training. He demands a high standard from them and appears as fierce and cold. But he has a warm heart and cares for the safety of his team members. Song Yan is brought up by his uncle and aunt.

Xu Qin / Meng Qin

Xu Qin is an ER surgeon at Yancheng Hospital. She has just returned from abroad. She is reserved and unsmiling with a straightforward attitude at work which rubs co-workers the wrong way. While Xu Qin appears as strong, she actually has a fragile heart and lacks courage to pursue what she wants in life. Xu Qin is the adopted daughter of a very wealthy and upper class family.

Supporting Characters

Meng Yan Chen

Yan Chen is Xu Qin’s adoptive elder brother and heads an investment company under the family’s Guokun Group. Yan Chen is an unhappy man with personal problems that he couldn’t express. He is the only son of the wealthy Meng family.

Suo Jun

Suo Jun is the Instructor of the Shilitai Fire Station. He is also Song Yan’s comrade and best friend. They work well together to train and lead their team of firefighters. Suo Jun is more approachable and less rigid compared to Song Yan.

Jiang Yu

Jiang Yu is Suo Jun’s replacement at the Shilitai Fire Station. He lacks practical experience but is passionate about his profession. He is a proponent of using technology to help in firefighting missions. Jiang Yu is a friendly and nice guy. He comes from a rich family and is viewed as a potential suitor for Xu Qin.

Yang Chi, Jiang Yi Liu & Jun Ping

The 3 of them are Song Yan’s subordinates and senior firefighters in the team. Yang Chi is the Vice Captain and assisted by Jiang Yi Liu. Jun Ping is a squad leader. All of them have a good working relationship with Song Yan and Suo Jun.

Zhan Da Peng

Da Peng is a rookie firefighter in Song Yan’s team. He is a little hotheaded and rebellious due to the harsh training and high standards imposed by Song Yan.

Li Meng

Li Meng is an officer in the Fire and Rescue Department. Her job includes fire awareness promotion and investigation. Li Meng is interested in Song Yan and she doesn’t hide it. But both of them have a very easy-going friendship.

Xiao Yi Xiao

Yi Xiao is Yan Chen’s and Xu Qin’s friend. They grew up together and he is like an elder brother to Xu Qin. Yi Xiao runs a bar in the city. His ex is Xiao Ran.

Zhai Miao

Zhai Miao is Song Yang’s younger cousin sister. She is a final year university student. Zhai Miao is a direct and expressive girl who will just blurt out what is on her mind at times.

Song Yan’s Aunt & Uncle

Song Yan is brought up by his maternal uncle and wife. They are from a working class family. Both uncle and aunt regard Song Yan as their own. They also have a daughter, Zhai Miao.

Fu Wen Ying & Meng Huai Jin

Both of them are Xu Qin’s and Yan Chen’s adoptive and biological parents respectively. Fu Wen Ying is a very controlling mother who demands obedience from her children. She is a perfectionist who would not tolerate any mistakes and stains from Xu Qin and Yan Chen. She is also someone who puts a lot of weight on social status as the Mengs is a rich upperclass family. Meng Huai Jin is more reasonable but tends to listen to his wife. He runs the family conglomerate, Guokun Group.

Department Chief Xu & Yang Si Jia / Dr. Yang

Chief Xu is Xu Qin’s superior and head of the ER Department. He is a capable and experienced doctor but dislikes those who use connections to get a leg up. Dr. Yang is a fellow ER doctor and Xu Qin’s rival at work. She is the friendlier and more popular doctor among colleagues.

Li Nan & Xu Xi

Li Nan and Xu Xi are part of Xu Qin’s team in the ER Department. They are all friendly people and work well together. Li Nan is a doctor while Xu Xi is a nurse.

Yi Ze

Yi Ze is a final year university student and Zhai Miao’s friend and dorm mate. She is a part-time waitress at Yi Xiao’s bar. She is a hardworking and motivated young lady who wants to quickly pay off her study loan.

Synopsis

Song Yan and Xu Qin were classmates back in high school. Xu Qin was good in her studies and a quiet student. On the other hand, Song Yan was a troublemaker and failed to get into university. However, both of them became good friends and eventually lovers. Unfortunately, Xu Qin’s rich adoptive mother was against their relationship and forced her to break up with Song Yan due to the vast difference in their social standing.

10 years later, Xu Qin returns from abroad. She is now a ER doctor while Song Yan has become a Captain at the city’s fire station. Both of them are still affected by their past relationship and couldn’t let go of the memories. Due to the nature of their work, Xu Qin and Song Yan meet again. As Xu Qin tries to take little steps to get back with Song Yan, she faces the same problem that caused them to break up in the first place which is her family’s objection. Her lack of courage to walk away from her family and controlling mother becomes a stumbling block in her pursuit of freedom and happiness.

At the same time, Song Yan is holding back as he is unsure of what Xu Qin’s decision will be and whether there will be a future for them. Will the couple be able to resolve the seemingly impossible situation confronting them and be together?

Fireworks Of My Heart Ending & Recap (Spoilers Alert!)

Fireworks Of My Heart has a happy ending. Song Yan proposes to Xu Qin in Episode 39 and she says yes. He has also prepared their marital home to surprise her. There is no wedding scene but they do have a wedding photoshoot. Xu Qin’s father also makes an effort to repair the 2 families’ relationship. He turns up at Song Yan’s house to meet his family.

Xu Qin’s mother also softens her heart towards Song Yan after he rescued her from a buried vehicle following a tunnel collapse during a typhoon in Episode 40. Her parents learn not to impose their will anymore and allow Xu Qin to have a small scale wedding as per her wish. Yan Chen and Song Yan also start to get along as they sit together for a meal with Xu Qin and Yi Xiao.

Ye Zi has a chance to turn around from going astray after framing Yan Chen of sexual assault in revenge for being rejected and humiliated in her eyes. Yan Chen drops all charges against her. Ye Zi is forced to leave college as a result of her crime. She becomes a good samaritan to warn drivers of an uncovered manhole on a flooded road during a typhoon. She meets Yan Chen again when he is driving past.

The whole firefighting team is still intact except for Da Peng who dies in a firefighting mission in Episode 33. Yi Xiao and Dr. Yang are now in a relationship while Jiang Yu and Li Meng are developing feelings for each other. The last scene shows Xu Qin and Song Yan sitting together on their rooftop and having a sweet conversation.

When Did The Couple Get Together?

Xu Qin wants a reconciliation with Song Yan but he is cold towards her initially until Episode 10. She goes to see him in a drunken state and expresses all her sufferings and fears. She has worked hard to be a doctor with a plan to be a top surgeon so that her parents would be proud of her. Perhaps then they might indulge her and accept her choice to be with him. She would have financial independence as well and no longer have to rely on them. But in her eyes, Song Yan has done nothing to try to make it work for them. Thus, Xu Qin is afraid that she would get disowned by her family and yet, fails to get back with him.

Song Yan’s heart softens after the incident but he tells Xu Qin that she would have to make a decision whether they should reconcile in Episode 11. Otherwise, it is pointless for them to meet again. However, Xu Qin still doesn’t have the guts to rebel against her mother. She decides to start slow and get to know Song Yan all over again since they have been apart for 10 years. But this leads to a quarrel in Episode 20 due to Song Yan’s bad mood after an unpleasant meeting with her mother and his uncertainty about their relationship when Xu Qin tries to get him to share his past with her after their breakup.

The couple finally get together in Episode 25 after Song Yan nearly died during an earthquake rescue mission in Episode 23. They confess that they still love each other and Xu Qin agrees to Song Yan’s request to reconcile. She also says they should just get married then. They end up spending the night together. There are quarrels but no breakup after the couple started dating again.

Is There Any Love Triangle?

Yan Chen is also in love with Xu Qin but has to suppress his feelings due to objection from his controlling mother. In Episode 13, he quarrels with Xu Qin over Song Yan. Xu Qin stops him from saying that they could be together too and tells him that he will always be a brother to her. During a flashback, Yan Chen remembers his mother catching him and Xu Qin having some fun together while they were teens. She then ensured that they could be nothing more than siblings by making Xu Qin change her surname from Xu to Meng. His mother also threatened to send Xu Qin abroad if he kept having feelings for her.

Thus, Yan Chen has always been hostile towards Song Yan and is against their relationship. But he realizes the truth of Song Yan’s words after they confronted each other in Episode 27. While he keeps saying that Song Yan doesn’t deserve Xu Qin because of his poor background, Song Yan retaliates that no one deserves her better than him because he could give her happiness and laughter. Her family only knows how to suppress her until she is numb and depressed. If Yan Chen doesn’t even have the guts to stand up to his own mother, how could he protect Xu Qin?

In Episode 38, Yan Chen tells Xu Qin that he now understands why she chooses Song Yan. That is because Song Yan is determined and has never given up on her despite all the hardship he had to face.

When Did Xu Qin’s Family Discover Her Relationship?

Yan Chen learns that Xu Qin and Song Yan have got back together in Episode 27 when he went to her place to visit her and bumped into Song Yan. This is when the 2 men have a confrontational talk. Yan Chen ends up feeling miserable when Song Yan’s words carry the truth about his inability to give Xu Qin’s happiness and protect her from their mother.

Xu Qin informs her parents about her relationship with Song Yan in Episode 28. They object to it which prompts her to return the car and apartment which they have bought for her. Xu Qin then moves in with Song Yan. Her mother is confident that Xu Qin will not be able to withstand the poorer lifestyle and return to the family after a short while. But when mother and daughter bump into Song Yan at a mall in Episode 30, Xu Qin chooses her man over her mother. She declares that she loves him and will not let him down this time.

Song Yan’s Background

Song Yan’s background is told via a flashback in Episode 13. His father was working in a construction project that was owned by Xu Qin’s parents’ company. When some colleagues were laid off, Song Yan’s father led the group to request for fair compensation. Xu Qin’s mother and other shareholders refused to entertain the demand. A colleague who was laid off then betrayed Song Yan’s father to get back his job and accused him of accepting bribes instead.

As a result, his father lost his job while his mother ran off with a rich man. His father then became depressed and kept drinking until he died outside the house in freezing weather. Song Yan was then brought up by his uncle and aunt.

After the breakup with Xu Qin, Song Yan joined the army. In a flashback in Episode 21, Song Yan wanted to become a soldier and bring glory to the country. His aim was to achieve something to enable him to stand proudly beside her and her family. He wanted to marry her.

What Did Xu Qin’s Mother Do To Song Yan?

After graduating from high school, Song Yan wanted to join the military college. But Xu Qin’s mother bribed Dr. Liu, who is the current Deputy President of Yancheng Hospital, to fail Song Yan’s physical test. Song Yan’s uncle then went to see Xu Qin’s mother and knelt down to beg her not to ruin a young man’s future. She ignored him.

Song Yan then joined the army as a soldier at the country’s border. He nearly got himself killed during a dangerous mission but achieved merit due to his bravery. He was due for a promotion. But Xu Qin’s mother again paid off Song Yan’s father’s ex-colleague to provoke him. Song Yan ended up hitting the man and the army was tipped off to his conduct. Hence, Song Yan was discharged.

Refusing to give up, Song Yan then joined the firefighting service. He just wanted to prove that he can be Xu Qin’s equal as he wished to be with her. The whole story is revealed in Episode 36. Xu Qin finds this out from Zhai Miao who wants to patch things up between the couple. Xu Qin is angry at Song Yan for not sharing his past with her not knowing that he is actually protecting her from hurt due to her mother’s actions.

After learning the truth, Xu Qin confronts her parents in Episode 37. Her mother admits that she did it but refuses to acknowledge that she did anything wrong. While her father didn’t participate in those deeds, he knew all along but chose to keep quiet. Xu Qin then throws the family portrait on the floor before leaving her parents’ home in anger.

What Happened To Yan Chen?

After overhearing Xu Qin’s confrontation with their parents and leaning what their mother had done to Song Yan, Yan Chen feels more miserable. When he is drinking, Ye Zi tries to approach him but gets rejected. She feels angry and humiliated. Ye Zi then frames Yan Chen for sexual assault in Episode 37. But Yan Chen chooses not to deny the accusation after he got arrested. He feels someone has to take the punishment for all the wrong the family had done.

Fortunately, Zhai Miao has recorded Ye Zi’s actions that night that could prove Yan Chen’s innocence. After listening to Song Yan’s advice, she is willing to furnish the evidence to help the Meng family but on her terms in Episode 38. Zhai Miao wants Xu Qin’s mother to kneel and beg like her father did years ago when he pleaded with her not to harm Song Yan’s future. She also wants her to admit her wrongdoing. Xu Qin’s mother has no choice but to comply in order to save her son although Zhai Miao changes her mind about the kneeling halfway through in consideration of Xu Qin.

With the evidence, Yan Chen is freed but his mother ends up being investigated for bribery and subsequently, released on bail. After resting, he meets up with Xu Qin to give her a wedding gift. She wants him to live for himself for a change and tells him that she feels lucky to have him as her brother in Episode 39. Yan Chen also decides to take over his father’s position at Guokun Group to let his parents rest after all that has happened.

Fireworks Of My Heart Review – Love Broken Up By A Toxic Mother

Fireworks Of My Heart really has nothing new to bring to the table for dramas of this genre. Whether you will get hooked to the story depends a great deal on how you feel about the romance. This is because the other aspects of the plot that revolves around a team of firefighters are pretty much recycled stuff. It can still be enjoyable especially if you are into firefighting scenes. Furthermore, all the firefighters that get the spotlight have very likable characters. You can relate to them and their antics. The men have a very heartwarming relationship and it feels good watching the brotherhood that goes on at the fire station.

However, the romance could be a different story depending on how much you can relate to the female protagonist, Xu Qin. I have to warn you that Xu Qin is a weak character who fears to stand up for what she wants with her mother. There is a good reason for it which is understandable. But if you prefer strong and expressive female leads like the one in Here We Meet Again or Exploration Method Of Love, Xu Qin will fall short. She can’t move away from being controlled by her mother for more than half the drama although she is now an adult and a doctor.

This brings up the corresponding factor of a very toxic mother. Hence, be prepared for a very icy and status-conscious mother who controls her kids’ every move. It can be infuriating watching her and Xu Qin’s lack of courage. Therefore, if you can relate to this power imbalance and toxic relationship, then you will have more sympathy towards Xu Qin. Otherwise, it isn’t very pleasurable to watch her indecisiveness.

Character Growth (Spoilers Alert!)

On the flip side, that lack of courage is precisely what lays the foundation for Xu Qin’s character growth. She is a miserable soul whose feelings have been neglected since young. She has to suppress her emotions, likes and dislikes to conform to the ideal standards set by her mother. This means there is room for character growth whereby she learns to have courage to make her own choice. The only problem is it takes quite a while for her to get there in the drama.

On top of that, there is no satisfaction of seeing Xu Qin cutting ties completely with her toxic parents. She is still a goody-goody type of daughter who is grateful to her parents for adopting and raising her despite what they have done. I guess it is good to emphasize the importance of family ties and putting the past behind them. But don’t expect the villain to have her just desserts or apologize for her actions.

While the ending doesn’t feel forced, the forgiving nature of the characters involved just seem a little superficial to me. Forgive and forget is the message towards the end, never mind all the hurt and hardship faced in the past. It is a feel good ending which I supposed is expected for this kind of story which then brings up the issue of predictability.

Similarity To A Date With The Future

If you have watched A Date With The Future and other similar dramas, many of the issues and subplots involving the firefighters in Fireworks Of My Heart are the same. There is already a sense of predictability when the drama opens. From fighting fires to clearing beehives to training rookies, you would feel that you have watched all these before. The danger, camaraderie, and sense of duty are also nothing new. The difference is just that you have another bunch of characters being showcased.

Therefore, I don’t find much difference between Fireworks Of My Heart and A Date With The Future where the firefighters’ part of the story is concerned. Perhaps the latter has a much more intense final firefighting battle towards the end compared to the former.

So, what would make a big difference between the 2 dramas is the female character and romance. One is a gutsy and tomboyish reporter. The other is a talented but depressed doctor. A Date With The Future has a more lighthearted romance but a blatant girl-chases-boy process at the start. The love story also doesn’t begin on a convincing note given that the couple doesn’t really know each other but the girl is already in love with the guy from 10 years ago.

On the other hand, the couple’s story in Fireworks Of My Heart is more realistic but you will have to contend with a toxic mother who disapproves of the guy. Hence, the romance has more obstacles and heartache due to a forced breakup in the past.

Both of these romances have a different feel to them at the start but share a common trait of sweetness when they start dating. Personally, I don’t have a preference of one over the other. But if I have to choose one to watch, I would pick Fireworks Of My Heart because of the more interesting backstory to the couple’s love journey.

Acting And Chemistry

I kind of like Wang Chu Ran’s performance in this drama. I have also just seen her in The Longest Promise. Wang Chu Ran does have that impassive look which fits the character that she plays in Fireworks Of My Heart since Xu Qin has been suppressing her feelings since young to be an obedient daughter. But that impassive appearance has a subtle desperation and unhappiness to it which is visible through her eyes and body language. It connects with the viewer in a way that makes it obvious that she is hurting inside.

As for Yang Yang, I expected better from him given his experience. That is not to say that he did badly. But some emotional scenes with Wang Chu Ran could have been better as I can’t sense his deep pain when required. Nevertheless, his good looks will still make every minute of watching him worthwhile especially if you are his fan.

The chemistry between Yang Yang and Wang Chu Ran is okay to me. It is not exactly blazing hot but sufficiently warm for the type of romance depicted. Personally, I don’t think their chemistry can top the one Yang Yang has with Dilraba Dilmurat in You Are My Glory. Whatever it is, the onscreen couple in Fireworks Of My Heart is still sweet and highly watchable especially the hugs.

My Verdict – Watch But Don’t Expect Anything New

Fireworks Of My Heart is highly watchable if you like firemen stories. All the needed ingredients are there from the firefighting and rescue missions to friendship and sense of pride in their work. The action scenes are intense although they are not perfect. You can detect the fake fires and burning buildings at times but they still look presentable overall.

However, the predictability is also there. In other words, there is nothing new that this drama can offer for the firefighters part of the story especially if you have just watched A Date With The Future. The likable characters in the team made me stick around though and I did enjoy their interactions. So, if you are new to this theme and everything feels fresh to you, then this should be worth your time to check it out.

If you are watching this for the love story instead, think of it as a second chance romance with a toxic disapproving mother thrown in for the drama. It does sound a bit cliche and old-fashion on the surface. But what you are watching is also the female protagonist’s emotional growth and process to get out of her comfort zone because of her love for the man she is forbidden from pursuing. The couples’ love begins 10 years ago and this is slowly revealed through flashbacks every now and then. These flashbacks tend to be brief and well-timed. They don’t feel intrusive and help to give the romance better depth.

Overall, I would give this Fireworks Of My Heart review a score of 7.5/10. I have taken away marks for lack of originality and the less than satisfying redemption arc for the villain towards the end. It leaves me with the feeling that it is a lazy way to close off her story and this is what sticks in my mind after the drama draws to a close.

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