A Flor Proibida (2023)

The story may be iffy at times but the execution is gorgeous

This was just so pretty, from the scenery to the colours, lighting... And OST making me ad an extra or maybe even two star just for being a pleasure fore the ear and eye.

The story itself has some issues, I am not going to lie not so much for the age gap as the main leads are indeed consenting adults, and not in a type of power relation where one part is dependent on the other.

The female lead, young as she may be is smart, forward, and is going in to this with her eyes wide open. It is easy to see that she and the male lead connect on several levels. She does of course have some issues but they are more about other stuff than age. However the way they style her most of the time does make her look a bit to innocent and child like, something that did bother me.

The male lead has an awful headband most of the time reminding me of 80s rock,I personally love 80's rock but the look was just bad. that sad, aside from the head band the guy did indeed show some great aesthetics and was indeed shot in slow motion from a bunch of very flattering angles. His character was kind, pretty passive, and seamed to try to hold back most of the dram a. And as long as he holds back we the viewers are offered a lot of build up, gazes, slow mo stuff... And fluff, colourful lighting and stem or fluff making the frame look all dreamy... steamy...

The second male lead is probably one of the most oblivious characters in all of dramaland, I honestly think they made him stupid and childlike to show us that the female lead was a better match to the old guy than the guy her own age. Other than that he was just in the way and slightly annoying.

The female leads mom shows us yet again that controlling your grown up child is a bad idea, she is in desperate need of therapy and did not really add anything good to the plot at all , not even good drama and flavour, just flavourless spice that burns your mouth but gives you nothing.

The rest of the characters range from ok I see you are there to wtf, just don't.

There is a really cute cat, a bunch of fish some of dramalands most amazing umbrella scenes with not only black and yellow umbrellas but also leaf umbrella and painted umbrella. Besides naming the drama "The Forbidden flower" the drama incorporates a whole range of interesting flowers, both on canvas and out in fields. Making both animals , umbrellas and flowers an in-separate good part of the plot, more interesting than most of the supporting characters.

All in all a good watch with plenty of steam, but it is definitely not for everyone, and while there are a few boring episodes some odd editing choices (censorship?) here and there it is overall highly binge able and a decent drama to watch if not for the plot than for the beauty of cinematography and OST,

P.s there are quite a few flashbacks and montages that look a bit like an 80s romance intro/power-balad video.

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Jerry Yan fits the character, sexy as hell

The movie was a bit slow is my only negitive review. I love older men, My husband was almost 17 years older than me. Age has nothing to do with love. As this story, my real life was love at first sight. My husband, like Jerry Yan was sexy as hell. I lost him in death 2 years ago. This movie brought back sweet but sad memories. The ending left me hanging and wondering....did she come back after treatments? Was he fantasizing her return but she really died? I prefer a clean cut ending. Over-all this movie had true love and saddness, which is real life. It was sensual.
I don't understand complaints about older age vs younger. When it comes to love, the heart leads you where it desires, it doesn't see age.

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A drama I will NEVER forget...

I usually don't bother with reviews but I had to write one for this drama. I started watching it on impulse after finding out about Jerry Yan starring in it. However, both the actor AND the actress stole the show. I admit the story wasn't the best, a little cliché, but charming nonetheless.

Jerry Yan is like fine wine and the Xu Ruo Han is also very pretty. Both had undeniable chemistry and did their characters Xiao Zhan and He Ran justice. Their intimate scenes gave me so many butterflies T-T

Now...my favorite part...the OSTs! Honestly, I loved all the soundtracks SO SO much, and they matched the context of every scene perfectly! It also featured "Lucid Dream " (English Ver.) from the drama While You Were Sleeping!!

If you're thinking about whether to watch it or not, I'd say please give it a try! There was just something about this drama...I don't think I'll ever forget it.

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Sensuality meets spiritual intimacy in Forbidden Flower

A serendipitous encounter in a hair salon, a young woman hears a voice that draws her. A mature man hears a voice that draws him. They don't know each other's faces, but their hearts recognize each other at the first instant.

Youth is determined to seek its happiness, maturity resists in its fear that its soul may be swept away. Eventually this love bursts out strong, with her co-experiencing every precious moment together 'til the moment she leaves him because she is ill and doesn't want to drag him with her. But when fate is determined to bring two people together, it won't stop before bringing them together again. And it all starts again, he forgets that she left him and soaks in every second with her, she forgets that she decided to leave, unable to stop her desire to be with him. And once again her illness separates them. She leaves him abruptly, without warning, and leaves behind the memory of her frail figure, her gentle face, her fragrance, and her voice that speaks his name with awe - Xiao Han. Another half year of separation pain, a torment that is on the verge of being unbearable for both of them. And meeting again, and starting all over again. And the two's decision to stay together until the end, and the hope that she'll beat cancer a second time.

Fate also has a fingers in another story. A forty-something woman who lost her husband to leukemia lives only for her daughter, forgetting that she is a woman. Until a young man stops his gaze on her and challenges her. And here, as in the previous story, youth recognizes no boundaries and adulthood is afraid to dive into its feelings. And here separation, even before their love happens, and here longing.

The whole series is heavily saturated with a sense of subtle eroticism, longing, love, the search for the other, the struggle with the self and an intoxicating sadness. Incredibly well chosen music that immerses you in a gentle sadness, very well shot shots that convey the intimacy of each moment.

Lots of eroticism, lots of intimacy, no vulgarity.
I warn you not to expect too much from the end though. The ending will write itself.

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The most beautiful love story ever

I've watched so may c dramas and this is the best drama Ive ever watched. I also don't write reviews but I love this drama so much that I have to write a review. Everything's perfect. There's no uneccessary misunderstanding and multiple breakups. The love story begins as early as the first 3 episodes. The plot is simple and only centres on the main leads which makes you more invested and doesn't waste time on other things.

The cinematography is so well put together and the music is also good. I Love the location and the scenery.

More importantly, the main leads especially the ML is so handsome and tends to speak more with his actions than words. The FL is also a strong character and also visually appealing.

I wish I could rewatch it for the first time.

In short, please don't hesitate and watch it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Beautifully painful

I randomly started this drama and from the very first moment I was HOOKED. The cinematography this enhanced the storyline and made me want to just be there. The leads personality were beautifully written and I couldn’t dislike any of them no matter their actions. Their love story was just so poignant and you could just tell how much they loved each other just by the way they looked at one another (the actors definitely knew what to do).

However, the relationship between the leads was slightly toxic and I felt that the whole storyline with the mother was so unnecessary.
Overall, I definitely recommend people to watch it if they need a breath of fresh air and a well written story line.

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Um Grande Amor

Esse drama esta uma delícia, mostra o Amor puro e verdadeiro entre He Ran (Xu Ruo Han) e Xiao Han ( Jerry Yan), eu amo como Ruo Han vem se destacando-se no dramas que aceita fazer, ela é uma das poucas atrizes que não evita contato físico, se tem que fazer, ela vai lá e faz, sortuda, pois seus co-protagonistas são espetaculares, Jerry Yan, meu filho, o tempo não passa pra ti, lindo, gostoso etc etc, Deus sou eu de novo, me nota...
O drama nos mostra o arco dos anos finais da juventude de He Ran ao mundo adulto, ela anseia por viver um grande amor e encontra essa chance com Xiao Han, mais velho, experiente, introspectivo e quebrado emocionalmente pelo passado, mas He Ran trás luz a sua vida e assim começa a sua linda história juntos. A química está linda, aa cenaa perfeitas, a OST maravilhosa, até o presente momento super indico esse drama, vale a pena ver.

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Not easy review

It is never easy to do a review on one of your favorite actors' dramas, in this case Kido Ma without biases but I will do my best.... I will be unpopular for some, however i like to think I am a minority, so my opinion is mine only and carries little overall weight.... Ok, I still gave it a high score based that I finished the drama, these days trust me, I dropped just as many as I finish so if I finish the drama deserves a higher score.

What worked in this drama? I think the second lead pairing of the mother and the younger guy worked perfectly. I think the acting by the entire cast worked well..... i think the settings being simple helped!

What lost minimal marks - I think the overall engagement the leads had with the viewers i felt lost marks. This is a just a blue lagoon type romance, but to some degree i felt it watching those movies. I didn't feel it with these leads. Usually, a drama leaves me wanting to see more from actors/actresses, wasn't feeling it.... I have seen plenty of Jerry Yan anyway....

Kido Ma, tough one. Obviously, he didn't win the girl. Did it matter for me as I am a fan of his? Not really....
Was she the girl worth fighting for? My answer is for Jerry Yan 'YES', for Kido Ma 'NO'..... Many people don't know this however these dramas are designed to have no conclusion, to open up the door for more dramas, this drama is perfect example of an incomplete ending which I find 90% of dramas fall into....

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I will start with the ending.... because what was that 😭🤣 I really would have preferred something a little more clear, though I think that it was a sequence. Like he imagined her, she died but she never left his side metaphorically...? I don't know.

Anyway, I watched "Count Your Lucky Stars" and really wasn't a big Jerry Yan fan, but I have to admit that he was really good in this show. He looked super handsome, the long hair suits him well (minus the extra volume though....), and his styling was much better in this show. I thought it was almost comical how he almost doesn't really talk but overall I enjoyed his calm demeanor.

He Ran was a cute girl, but she could be a meanie when she was jealous lmao. I also think that her pursuing Xiao Han was quite.... intense and intolerable at times, she seemed super obsessive and almost stalkerish at times. But the actress did a really great job playing the character. She is youthful and absolutely stunning, conveyed emotions very well and had great chemistry with Jerry Yan! Loved that a lot.

Another thing that was STUNNING was the music as well as the beautiful cinematography. Just for that, the drama is already worth watching. Just stunning to watch in general. The wedding scene in the last episode was also just mesmerizing and beautiful, wow. The actress looked soso pretty in the traditonal costume and the whole ceremony was just filmed so nicely.

I skipped all of the mom's story and love-plot because I didn't care, I also HEAVILY disliked Han Yu. He was so delusional, I don't know why he bothered He Ran all the time. If someone showed disinterest THAT obviously to me, I would just call it a day. He just never read the room....

Overall, this was a surprisingly SPICY (??? omg) show, the acting was great from the leads, but the ending was only so-so for me. Highlights were the female lead's acting, the OST, and the cinematography.

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Sweet. Romantic. Steamy.

Given the steamy trailers, this drama is surprisingly sweet and full of warmth and charm. The gorgeous coastal scenery and the laidback beach vibe are like a vacation getaway for us the audience. The OSTs are great—some slow and sultry, others fun and upbeat. The actors are all knocking it out of the park. The visuals are top-tier. It’s a pretty drama to watch with its stunning cinematography, stunning native costumes, and stunning people. Jerry Yan’s undeniable sex appeal has us swooning, but his character Xiao Han’s calm demeanor, sincerity and gentleness are what moves our heart. Actress Xu Ruohan’s unwavering confidence in the face of such a seasoned, handsome man and her mastery of the playful character, He Ran, are truly admirable. She’s young, but she’s holding her own well. She unabashedly pursues that gorgeous man. And, the sensible, responsible ML tries to push her away, but he finds himself smiling constantly, involuntarily, at her antics as if he just can’t help succumbing to her charms. We, the audience, can’t either! Their chemistry is both adorable and smoking hot. Really enjoying this! Just disappointed the drama’s final edit deleted some of the hottest and best scenes (ep 9 for example). You can find them if you search hard though.

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THE MUSIC SCORE IS PERFECT!

Jerry and Ruohan does NOT have any chemistry. they're awkward to the point that I find it cringy. If I can post screenshots here, I would to prove it. Ruohan can't handle this daring role, then she shouldn't have been hired for the role. Its an age of youth and an age of passion. I just can't see from her character that she wants to fight to live. It could have been Ruohan's chance to prove how good of an actress she is but its an ultimate fail. She played it TOO SAFE. Does she know how to be a 20yr old who has everything except for maybe a long life? Has she ever chased what she can't have? I WANT TO LIVE AND I'LL MAKE THE MOST OF IT WHILE IT LASTS. Ruohan does not understand the role of Ran. Dare to be bold when given the chance to be paired with a more experienced actor.
Jerry plainly awkward. Why??? When I've seen him play other roles so well.

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