ROMANCE OF A TWIN FLOWER

Another Ding Yuxi top billed for you to binge watch. He is much like Han Shou here but more intense, more invested in his portrayal as Ning Yuxuan. ROMANCE OF A TWIN FLOWER is entertaining, amusing and heartening to watch him navigate life, love and politics in an era when everything is attached to your rank and name. His charm can carry the silliness of a young, inexperienced man and the grandeur of a self-made, high ranking official.

His female lead, Peng Xiaoran, portrays both twins Ning Sangyu and Ji Man. Truth be told, this beauty can actually act and I found myself respecting her craft as actress of caliber. She is a beauty in any angle and that's certainly rare.

So this story is set in a bygone era when pirates and gangs abound. The costumes are colorful, the characters even more so. The supporting roles do not lack in beauty and personality that they sometimes compete with the lead couple in attention. The storyline is also interesting but also tragic for me- that twin sisters could be separated and never meet again in this lifetime. And loving the same person is somehow a bit sad to contemplate.

There is of course a third party that brings in a lot of troubles for our hero and heroine. I think she's effective in the role because I cringe whenever she talks and I certainly could not appreciate her beauty even when in reality, she is also exceptionally good looking. Maybe the same is true in real life. No matter how beautiful or handsome you are, your true colors will dim your light.

I enjoyed the play on pal gals in this series. Friendship among women is truly one of the best support systems there is. They will always be there for you and will believe the best of you always. Men do also have this dynamic but in the case of this story, it is sad that one supposedly strong friendship turned out to be a farce because one actually has a warp way of thinking.

Other values are prevalent in this story such as filial piety and fatherly love- in this case, two fathers both truly love and care for their adopted daughters like their own and it's so touching to behold. Innovation and persistence in the face of life's challenges are also pervasive in this series. Loyalty is also in place and of course there's the usual case of a royal family member greedy for power and riches.

There are twists on the latter part of Romance of a Twin Flower that are really interesting but also sad to think about. Man's obsessions in this world are sometimes truly destructive but inevitable that you can only blame them on fate. Of course personally I could say that they will come down to our own choices. We are always presented with situations and challenges in life and it is how we choose to respond that will shape the rest of our existence. Let us remember though that each step also presents opportunities for change and we can certainly do so if we want it badly enough.

Overall, I can say this is one series worth watching until the end. So do take time and enjoy!