Winter Begonia (2020)

Winter Begonia (2020)

Genre: Chinese Drama / Historical / Peking Opera / Bromance
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (6/10)
Category: Chinese Drama with BL Undertones / Long Format / Not My Type

Let’s just say this — I really went into Winter Begonia for the bromance. I was fully expecting that intense, slow-burn, soul-deep bond between two men, the kind that BL-inspired C-dramas often tease but rarely confirm. And visually? It delivers. The period costumes, the traditional Peking opera aesthetic, the cultural depth — all top-tier.

But… it just wasn’t for me. The drama’s pace is very slow, like glacial, and most of the focus goes into the intricacies of opera, politics, and societal struggles of the time. While that’s rich and valuable in its own right, it’s not what I came for. I was looking for emotional tension, connection, and maybe a few intimate, unspoken moments between the leads — and I barely got that.

And because it's a 49-episode drama, it started to feel like a chore. Some episodes dragged, and the character dynamics didn’t evolve in a way that kept me emotionally invested. Maybe if I had gone in for the cultural storytelling or the artistic journey, I’d have appreciated it more. But as someone who came in purely for the emotional bromance, it didn’t hit the mark.

Final thoughts:
Beautiful, yes. Authentic, yes. But emotionally distant and too slow for me. I appreciate the craft, but I didn’t connect to the characters enough to stay fully engaged. A 6/10, mostly for the production quality and respect for the culture it portrayed.

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