Reborn (2025) 焕羽
Directed by Liu Ziwei, starring Zhang Jingyi as Qiao Qingyu, Zhou Yiran as Ming Sheng and Liu Dan as Li Fanghao.
Watched 21 June - 24 July 2025 — 23 episodes (VIKI PASS)
*Finished this C-drama (for which I had high hopes) almost a week ago. Love the male lead Zhou Yiran after having seen him in When I Fly Towards You, and though I'd never seen Zhang Jingyi before, she appealed to me too. (Still have Lighter and Princess on my watchlist in which she plays the lead, because my elder sister loves this show.) I was here for the romance but the amount of screen time the OTP shares is limited. I also thought it was going to be a solid mystery drama, in which the leads were going to find out the truth about the death of Qiao Qingyu's sister. This sounded really promising and exciting. Well, there ís a mystery plot with family secrets being unraveled but there's not a lot of sleuthing involved, and the leads are no Sherlock and Watson either. So the mystery romance drama was, in fact, a family healing drama.
*It took a long time to get into the show, the pace is really slow and it's kind of boring in the beginning and I wasn't particularly taken by the lead characters. I especially found Qiao Qingyu a bit lackluster. I almost gave up in the first half but I was wondering what would happen and I did like the leads together (they have nice chemistry) and Zhou Yiran looks really handsome at times. I like how Ming Sheng was there when Qiao Qingyu needed him, always showing up at the right moment. It's a shame he disappears from the screen for long stretches of time. The focus is on Zhang Jingyi's character Qingyu and the Qiao family, how they come to terms with the loss of the daughter/sister and how they heal.
*Liu Dan as Li Fanghao, the mother, gives a great performance. Fanghao is overbearing and insufferable for most part of the series and it's understandable Qingyu wants to get away from her family. But later on Qingyu understands better where her mother is coming from and how she's hurting and suffering from depression after her daughter's death. Fanghao is strict with Qingyu because she doesn't want to lose another daughter.
*The drama with the Qiao family starts to get interesting when the mother wants justice for her dead daughter. Love it when the mother and Qingyu are on the same side against the Qiao family, Fanghao's narrow-minded in-laws from the Nanqiao village. The in-laws are prejudiced, calling the dead daughter a jinx, and they want to remove her from the ancestral grave. I was glad mum lost it and attacked the horrible aunt. I also like how Qingyu looks on with dismay while the in-law family is taking advantage of her mother during their visit after grandpa's passing.
*Fanghao has suffered a lot and says: "People live to suffer." She believes that once you're dead, you're free. (ep. 20)
*Qiao Qingyu realises: "Our parents, through their own ways, both clumsy and stubborn, have always protected us no matter what happens. Their love is silent but profound. Sometimes it feels overwhelming, yet it's the same love that gives us the strength to overcome the challenges of growing up." Now she no longer wishes to escape her family.
*I like the friendship between the two girls: Qiao Qingyu and Wang Mumu (played by Wang Yidi). I really like Mumu, also her friendship with Ming Sheng.
*Ming Sheng comes to terms with his parents' divorce and I like how he wishes his dad well and how he plays cupid for his father and the friendly nurse. I was glad the relationship between father and son improved. I also like Sheng's mature relationship with his pianist mother who lives in France.
*The romance clearly takes a backseat. It ís a happy ending, so I was content, yet the reunion scene in the final episode is awfully rushed. Well, there's a kiss, so can't complain there.
*The ex-boyfriend of Qiao Qingyu's sister, the thug, is so annoying!
*Some of the instrumental music is not really nice, horrible cheesy at times, but there are two pleasant songs that are repeated throughout the show.
*All in all, an enjoyable series but I had the wrong expectations. Maybe I wouldn't have stuck around if it wasn't for Zhou Yiran. But still, when the family drama aspect took center stage, the second part of the show became much more interesting and compelling. I like how the show tackled heavy topics like HIV, misogyny due to deep-rooted family traditions, bullying, mental health and suicide.