Romance Of A Twin Flower Review

I didn’t plan to watch Romance Of A Twin Flower (春闺梦里人) as 38 episodes seem a little long for me. But I hesitantly went ahead as the cast makes the drama looks promising. However, the start didn’t impress me at all and I actually thought of quitting after the first few episodes. I soldiered on though as I still find it hard to drop a drama after starting. It will take a lot for me to quit and so far, I think I have only dropped 3 out of all the titles I have reviewed on this blog. So, did it get better as the story moves along? Follow my Romance Of A Twin Flower review below to find out.

My rating: 7.5/10
Episodes: 38
Type: Historical Romance
Aired: March 2023
Images Credit: WeTV Official Facebook

The Cast Of Romance Of A Twin Flower

• Ryan Ding Yu Xi as Ning Yu Xuan
• Peng Xiao Ran as Nie Sang Yu / Ji Man
• He Chang Xi as Gui Bai
• Ma Ke as Ling Jian Xing
• Yi Da Qian as Yuan Lang
• Jia Nai as Wen Wan
• Wang Zi Rui as Tao Si Wei
• Aliya as Qian Lian Xue
• Cheng Jin Ming as Mu Xu
• Fu Jia as Qin Yi Xian
• Huang Hai Bing as Emperor
• Yu Yan Kai as Nie Xiang Yuan
• Guo Zhen as Ji Ming
• Jiang Kai as Lord Tan
• Wang Yi Miao as Sang Shen
• Luo Qiu Yun as Shui Niang Zi / Ms. Shui

Main Characters

Ning Yu Xuan

Yu Xuan is the Marquis of Moyu and Left Consul. He is a cold and distant man with a reputation for ruthlessness when it comes to bandits. Yu Xuan is afraid of fire due to childhood trauma. His parents died when he was young. He is married to Nie Sang Yu and also has a new concubine, Wen Wan.

Nie Sang Yu / Ji Man

Sang Yu is Yu Xuan’s legal wife. She used to be a vicious woman whom everyone fears and had a poor relationship with Yu Xuan. But she becomes a totally different person after losing her memory. Sang Yu turns kind and generous as well as business-minded. She also has medical knowledge and knows how to make beauty creams.

Supporting Characters

Gui Bai

Gui Bai is Yu Xuan’s righthand man. He is a serious and reserved person.

Ling Jian Xing

Ling Jian Xing is the Right Consul and Yu Xuan’s rival for promotion. They were classmates but are now serving different masters. Ling Jian Xing is ruthless and will do anything to achieve his aim.

Yuan Lang

Yuan Lang leads a small group of Tea Gang members who are deemed as bandits. He is a good man who is determined to avenge his gang members’ deaths. His father was the 2nd Chief of Tea Gang.

Wen Wan

Wen Wan is Yu Xuan’s new concubine. But he has no interest in her as the marriage is merely an agreement he has with her father that is not meant to last. Wen Wan is a jealous and spiteful woman.

Tao Si Wei / General Tao

General Tao is an imperial guard and Yu Xuan’s friend. He is also Sang Yu’s ex-classmate and has a soft spot for her.

Qian Lian Xue

Lian Xue is Yu Xuan’s cousin sister. She is a little timid but loves Sang Yu’s ideas on making money.

Mu Xu

Mu Xu is Sang Yu’s personal maid who wants to see Sang Yu and Yu Xuan become a real married couple.

Qin Yi Xian

Qin Yi Xian is Yu Xun’s friend together with General Tao. He is an easy-going guy but is always bickering with Lian Xue.

Emperor

The Emperor is a smart man but continuously faces threat from his uncle. He trusts Yu Xuan the most among all his officials.

Nie Xiang Yuan / General Nie

General Nie is Sang Yu’s father. He has 2 daughters with the younger one being Nie Qing Yun.

Ji Ming

Ji Ming is a sea merchant and influential businessman in Haifang. He is also known as the Guihai Warrior. He and General Nie were good friends in the past.

Lord Tan

Lord Tan is the Emperor’s uncle. He is a dangerous man with his own agenda behind the scenes. Ling Jian Xing is his underling.

Sang Shen

Sang Shen is Ji Man’s personal maid. They grew up together and Sang Shen is loyal to Ji Man.

Shui Niang Zi / Ms. Shui

Ms. Shui is a beautiful and popular entertainer. She doesn’t appear as warm and friendly on first impression but actually has a kind heart.

Synopsis

Sang Yu is a fierce and vicious woman who had an unhappy marriage with a marquis named Yu Xuan. When she was accused of trying to kill his new concubine, she ran off and fell off a cliff into the waters below. She was pulled out of the water and survived but lost her memory. After the incident, Sang Yu’s personality changed drastically and she became a totally different person.

Sang Yu’s aim was to open her own cosmetic business and divorce Yu Xuan whom she thought is a horrible man. But they reached a deal to stay together temporarily when Sang Yu’s status as Yu Xuan’s wife will make it easier for her to get her business off the ground. As their interactions increased and several incidents later, they begin to like each other.

However, Yu Xuan suspected that Sang Yu may not be who she is. At the same time, Yu Xuan’s investigation into a gang of bandits is making the man behind the scenes feeling threatened.

Romance Of A Twin Flower Ending & Recap (Spoilers Alert!)

Romance Of A Twin Flower has a happy ending. Ji Man disappeared after falling off a cliff into the waters below with General Tao who has taken her hostage in Episode 37. She survived the fall but chose to secretly leave Yu Xuan and the rest of her friends. Due to her deception for impersonating Sang Yu which has been exposed, she didn’t want to hold back Yu Xuan’s career and give trouble to anyone. Hence, she left Haifang to develop her career elsewhere in Episode 38.

One year later, Haifang faced a natural disaster. Yu Xuan returned to the port city to oversee relief efforts. Ji Man also returned on a humanitarian mission. She is now a businesswoman with a company that supplies grains and food. The couple met each other again. They successfully resolved the food shortage issue which pleased the Emperor. Hence, the Emperor ordained Ji Man as Lady Dehui. He did it quietly and then decreed Yu Xuan to marry Lady Dehui.

Yu Xuan was unhappy at first as he didn’t know who Lady Dehui is. He didn’t want to marry but got a nice surprise when Lady Dehui turns out to be Ji Man to give viewers a happy conclusion.

When Did Yu Xuan Know Sang Yu’s Identity?

Viewers already knew who Sang Yu is through General Nie’s recollection in Episode 7. General Nie’s good friend, Ji Ming, had 2 twin girls with him. Ji Ming gave one to him when he couldn’t care for 2 babies given his dangerous circumstances then. General Nie then raised Sang Yu as his own.

Yu Xuan noticed that Sang Yu’s birthmark on her shoulder was missing when her clothes was torn in Episode 10. In Episode 14, he found Sang Yu’s beauty cream formula and writings onboard a ship. That is when he learned her real identity is Ji Man. Yu Xuan summoned up his courage to tell her the truth about her background and confessed to her at the same time but the effort failed. This is because he was talking to her outside her room and thought the person inside was Ji Man but it turned out to be her maid instead.

Hence, Ji Man only found out that she wasn’t Sang Yu in Episode 16 when Yu Xuan couldn’t bear to see her suffering after she was accused of being a devil for abusing a servant in the past. He informed her of her real identity then.

When Did Ji Man Regain Her Memory?

Ji Man regained her memory in Episode 22 after she fell into the sea while trying to stop a villain from blowing up the ship they were on. She had a flashback while in a coma. She saw Yu Xuan 4 years ago when he was at a ribbon-cutting ceremony and fell in love with him at first sight. Ji Man finally gathered up her courage to go to the capital to look for him 6 months ago. It so happened that it was also the day of Wen Wan and Yu Xuan’s wedding. Hence, Ji Man was outside Yu Xuan’s residence to witness the occasion.

When Sang Yu ran out of the residence after Wen Wan’s stabbing, Ji Man was shocked to see someone that looked exactly like her. She tried to follow Sang Yu but took a different path while in the woods. When Sang Yu fell into the waters from a cliff, Ji Man was right below it. Ji Man dived in to try to save Sang Yu but unsuccessful. So, when Yu Xuan’s men pulled a woman out of the waters, it was Ji Man and not Sang Yu. Yu Xuan knew Sang Yu had died after he ordered an investigation to be done. He told Ji Man about Sang Yu’s death in Episode 19.

Ji Man & Sang Yu’s Background

Ji Ming told General Xie the truth about Ji Man and Sang Yu’s background in Episode 24. The 2 women are not his biological twin daughters. They were the daughters of the late chief of Tea Gang, Cai Wen Zheng. Ji Ming was the 3rd Chief of Tea Gang then. As the Tea Gang was being eliminated by the imperial forces, Cai Wen Zheng was killed. Before he died, he entrusted his twin daughters to Ji Ming.

When Did The Couple Get Together?

Yu Xuan and Ji Man got together in Episode 21. He confessed his feelings to her and she reciprocated after all the things Yu Xuan had done for her. Yu Xuan was secretly arranging for a wedding ceremony for them in Episode 26 and had planned to propose to her in Episode 27. But Ji Man’s father was against their relationship. Ji Man knew about Yu Xuan’s plan and told him so in Episode 28. He proposed on the spot then and she said yes. But their wedding didn’t manage to go through at the last minute when Ji Man found out about her past from Yuan Lang.

Yu Xuan asked Ji Man again to marry him in Episode 35 after their reconciliation and she agreed. They made a simple oath to be together but had to separate again in Episode 37. The Emperor finally decreed for them to marry in Episode 38 after a year of separation.

Is There Any Breakup?

Ji Man left Yu Xuan in Episode 29 just before their wedding. She learned that she was Cai Wen Zheng’s daughter and that her biological father killed Yu Xuan’s father. Yuan Lang told her the news to stop her from marrying Yu Xuan. They reconciled in Episode 34 as Ji Man couldn’t bear leaving Yu Xuan. Her father had wanted to take her away from Haifang for safety reasons when her impersonation of Sang Yu was at risk of being exposed.

Ji Man chose to break up with Yu Xuan in Episode 37 after her identity was exposed by their enemies in Episode 36. Yu Xuan’s capability had earned him a promotion to become Prime Minister and being with him would just mar his reputation given her sensitive identity. She also promised the Emperor to leave Yu Xuan so that Yu Xuan can continue to serve him without being troubled by her case. The couple reunited one year later in Episode 38.

Is There Any Love Triangle?

No, there is no love triangle although Yu Xuan also had a concubine, Wen Wan. Their families were old friends. Wen Wan’s father sought Yu Xuan’s help when she suddenly went missing one day. Wen Wan had ran away from home after a quarrel with his father. She then claimed that she was captured by bandits and got raped. Yu Xuan took pity on her and married her to give her shelter while waiting for the gossips to die down.

However, Wen Wan was jealous of Ji Man and had wanted to be the one beside Yu Xuan. Hence, she kept sabotaging Ji Man and harming her. She was finally arrested in Episode 26 after trying to poison Ji Man’s stock of beauty creams. Yu Xuan told Ji Man Wen Wan’s story then. He also found out that the rape claim was hatched by her to become his concubine.

Wen Wan was thrown into prison at the capital but was saved by Ling Jian Xing to be used as a weapon against Yu Xuan. She reappeared as Lord Tan’s niece, Princess Ru Yue, in Episode 30. She was merely a pawn to be sacrificed. When Ling Jian Xing and Wen Wan exposed Ji Man’s impersonation of Sang Yu in front of the Emperor in Episode 36, Ji Man fought back by accusing Wen Wan of being a fake princess. Hence, Wen Wan was ordered to be arrested and flogged to death.

Who Killed Yu Xuan’s Father?

The initial story is that Ji Man’s biological father, Cai Wen Zheng killed Yu Xuan’s father, Ning Zhong Tian. However, in Episode 33, Ling Jian Xing told Yuan Lang that it was Yuan Lang’s father who impersonated Cai Wen Zheng to kill Ning Zhong Tian. This is because Yuan Lang’s father disagreed with Cai Wen Zheng to make peace with the imperial forces. Ning Zhong Tian was killed when he was supposed to meet Cai Wen Zheng. Ling Jian Xing threatened Yuan Lang with this information to force him to cooperate to bring down Yu Xuan. Otherwise, he will release the truth about his father’s crime.

However, Yuan Lang decided to tell Yu Xuan and Ji Man what happened in the past in Episode 34. He wanted to do the right thing. But certain events did not make sense to Yu Xuan and he asked Yuan Lang to check them out. Hence, they managed to find the evidence that it was Lord Tan who sabotaged the peace deal between the Tea Gang and the late Emperor. Lord Tan instigated and deceived Yuan Lang’s father to kill Ning Zhong Tian and had communicated with him via letters which became the proof of Lord Tan’s crime. He also set fire at the murder scene which resulted in the death of many Tea Gang members.

Lord Tan killed Ning Zhong Tian because the latter was a threat to his power. If the Tea Gang also supported the late Emperor, his position will be further weakened. So, Lord Tan wanted both parties out of the way. With Ning Zhong Tian being killed by the Tea Gang, the latter automatically became the government’s target and hunted down. Lord Tan was arrested in Episode 36.

What Happened To Ling Jian Xing?

Ling Jian Xing was sacrificed by Lord Tan in Episode 36 when Ji Man exposed Wen Wan for being a fake princess. Lord Tan claimed that Ling Jian Xing and Wen Wan deceived him although it was a plan that they had hatched together to get Wen Wan to take on Princess Ru Yue’s identity.

Hence, Ling Jian Xing was arrested. Lord Tan tried to silence him to prevent him from spilling the beans during interrogation. Yu Xuan sent Gui Bai to save him. As a result, Ling Jian Xing revealed all of Lord Tan’s crimes in retaliation. He also made peace with Yu Xuan in Episode 37 and would reflect on his wrongdoings in prison.

Side Couples

The first side couple is Gui Bai and Ms. Shui. Gui Bai tried to close off his feelings for Ms. Shui initially. She confessed her feelings to him in Episode 26 but he rejected her which left her disappointed. Gui Bai was uncomfortable as he felt that his life is always at risk and hence, he wouldn’t be able to provide Ms. Shui with a sense of security and stability. He only saw the light after witnessing Yu Xuan and Ji Man’s happiness after their reconciliation. Guii Bai then expressed his love to Ms. Sui and they got together in Episode 35.

The second side couple is Lian Xue and Qin Yi Xuan. They were always bickering but actually have feelings for each other. They became a couple in Episode 25 after Qin Yi Xuan helped Lian Xue to solve her brother’s gambling addiction. He proposed to her in Episode 29 and she said yes. Lian Xue is shown as pregnant in Episode 38.

The third side couple is Qing Yun and General Tao. Qing Yun is deeply in love with General Tao but he only saw her as a younger sister. Instead, General Tao has a deep love for Sang Yu. He only agreed to marry Qing Yun because Sang Yu, who is actually Ji Man, wanted him to. He didn’t know Sang Yu was dead until Episode 34 when he overheard Yu Xuan and General Nie’s conversation. That is when he snapped and quietly worked against Yu Xuan by leaking Ji Man’s identity to Ling Jian Xing.

Qing Yun found out that General Tao is obsessed with her late sister in Episode 37 after Ji Man’s identity is exposed. She left him then. General Tao died after taking Ji Man hostage and falling off the cliff together in the same episode.

Romance Of A Twin Flower Review – A Bickering Start

I think what puts me off Romance Of A Twin Flower initially is the noisy start. There is a lot of bickering between the protagonists. Hence, the characters don’t really make me root for them because of their personalities. The female lead is expressive and talkative. The male lead is cold and can be ruthless. The couple doesn’t trust each other and the guy has grounded the woman in an abandoned part of his villa. Hence, it is not a very appealing start to me with all these quarrels including a punishment scene although to be fair, the guy is not to be blamed.

The bickering gradually tapers off after about 7 to 8 episodes and the story picks up quickly from there until it reaches the halfway mark before some parts begin to get dragged out. However, the plot has a few anticipations that could potentially hook viewers although not all would like the tropes that are stuffed into the drama. You will have a switched identity, amnesia, falling off a cliff, and jealous concubine among them. In that sense, there is actually a lot of things going on in the story which follows a sequence of events. It is unlike Royal Rumors which has a much more simplified storyline and fewer episodes.

Good Plot But Long Set-Ups

Romance Of A Twin Flower has a solid plot to me after getting over the initial bumps. As the story progresses, you would be wondering who the female protagonist is, when she would regain her memory, what happened in the past, and when her identity will be exposed. It is a very easy to follow drama despite the schemings by the villains. This is because the schemes are not anything elaborate like what you would see in Nirvana In Fire. Therefore, if you are looking for intrigues and in-depth plotting, this drama may just be disappointing on that score.

In addition, this is not a thriller either and all the villains are known to the viewers from the start. If you want mystery like A League Of Nobleman and The Blood Of Youth whereby some villains are hidden until late in the drama, this is not it. Hence, you can forget about any form of suspense.

Instead, the story is more like a rom-com with heavy focus on the protagonists’ romance and enemies who are trying to bring them down along the way. There are plot twists here and there which is great but the overall story requires patience on the part of the viewer. The set-ups are long with the female lead’s amnesia being a harbinger of things to come. I like it because the story is logical and coherent. But on the downside, it also feels draggy after 20 episodes or so because of the long forerun before it reaches the core of the story that relates to the female lead’s identity and the real killer of the male lead’s father.

A Rom-Com Feel

Romance Of A Twin Flower has a rom-com vibe. There is little angst although the drama could have been more serious given the plot. The female protagonist is independent, business-minded, and expressive which creates room for bickering with the cold male protagonist. This sets the stage for the enemies-to-lovers trope. So, if you like this theme, the drama could well be an enjoyable one.

The romance itself isn’t a heart-wrenching one although there are times in the story when it should have made viewers reach for a tissue. The rom-com nature of the drama has diluted the melodramatic moments and sentimentality. There is an adequate amount of sweetness but nothing passionate. There are a few kisses that are littered throughout the drama but don’t expect anything steamy.

Personally, I would think the drama would do better without the comedy which isn’t that funny to begin with. Yes, it makes the whole drama more lighthearted but there is also a serious part of the story which doesn’t lend itself well to comedy. To see the male lead switching between funny and serious is a testament to his acting skills but at the same time, it also feels exaggerated to me at times.

Acting And Chemistry

I think most people would have enjoyed watching Ryan Ding in The Romance Of Tiger And Rose. He is still the same cute and boyish-looking guy in Romance Of A Twin Flower. He plays Yu Xuan which is a cold and unfeeling character due to a childhood trauma. But when he falls for the female lead, he becomes a softie and lovestruck marquis in front of her. Thus, you will see him showing an impassive face one minute before changing into a totally different person the next in some scenes. It is cute to watch in a way but at the same time, the aura of a domineering marquis is also eroded as a result.

The last Peng Xiao Ran drama that I had watched is Jun Jiu Ling. She portrays Sang Yu and Ji Man in Romance Of A Twin Flower and I think she did put up a creditable performance. She is bubbly and expressive as Ji Man which suits the character. Although her styling is a little plain in the drama, it doesn’t take away her beauty at all.

Both the leads have average chemistry as an onscreen couple to me. They don’t light the screen on fire in their scenes together but merely generate enough of the sparks to make a compatible pair of lovers for viewers.

My Verdict – Hit Or Miss

I suspect Romance Of A Twin Flower would be a hit or miss for viewers. It has a longish story build up which will create a feeling of anticipation for some but boredom for others. Hence, you really need to watch it to decide for yourself if it is for you. It is also full of tropes which are used to string together a story such as amnesia, separated twins, and enemies-to-lovers. Again, some viewers will have no issue with it but others might find it stale. Personally, I’m okay with the tropes because they have been combined in such a way that gives us a coherent story.

The one weakness that stood out for me is the ending. It is another cliche that is understandable but makes the ending ordinary rather than memorable. It is also anti-climatic with the way the top villain is taken down. The plot holes are there as the story inches towards the conclusion but I guess they just had to wrap things up quickly.

For this Romance Of A Twin Flower review, I would give it a score of 7.5/10 after considering both the good and bad. It is not a riveting drama that will leave you sadden when it comes to an end. It is simply enjoyable while it lasts until boredom kicks in for some due to the plot execution which entails a long foreshadow. Then, the fast forward button will become handy. On the other hand, if you have the patience for the build up with its sequence of events, then the overall story will feel logical and complete. And one last thing… you will get a nice Emperor for a change in this drama compared to the typical self-centered ones.

==> Romance Of A Twin Flower is available on Amazon Prime (affiliate link)