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Fragrance of the First Flower

Country: Taiwan, Language: Mandarin, 103 mins

  • Director: Angel Han Teng

CGiii Comment

As many of you may know...we are not the greatest fans of the web series genre. There have been [and will be] a few exceptions...alas, this is not one of them!

But, since it has been presented at BFI: Flare - of course, we had to watch...the 1st episode showed promise, the 2nd episode killed it stone dead - at least, for us.

Dire dialogue, an obvious man-hating agenda...followed by, a coincidence that even Nostradamus couldn't dream up. The pace is slow, the production values are pretty high for a web series...it tries, and quite possibly succeeds, in having that day-time soap aesthetic [minus the camp]...with performances and script to match.

If daytime soaps are your thing...then, this will - most definitely - be your thing...minus the camp!


Trailer...

The(ir) Blurb...

Yi Ming’s life might not be the one she dreamed of in high school, but she’s happy enough. However, a chance encounter with Ting Ting, the girl she might once have loved if she had given herself permission to, throws Yi Ming’s world into turmoil. With this change comes the realisation that there are different paths to happiness. But will Yi Ming break free from her oppressive marriage, embracing her desires and the love that Ting Ting has been offering since they were high-school friends? Seamlessly shifting between past and present, detailing the friendship and missed opportunities between the two women, it’s impossible not to be swept up in the romance, heartache and euphoria of their early burgeoning love and the drama of where the relationship will eventually lead.

Emma Smart

Cast & Characters

Lyan Cheng (as Ting Ting)
Zaizai Lin (as Yi Ming)
Lee Yi