From the moment I watched the trailer of Winter Begonia, I had the feeling that this drama was going to be amazing... and I'm so glad I wasn't wrong.

The plot is kind of simple: Mainly the story of Shang Xirui, a very carefree but passionate Peking Opera performer, and Cheng Fengtai, a charismatic and rich businessman, who are brought together by Peking Opera. Both main characters are so layered and well-written that despite their flaws, it is almost impossible not to care about them. Also, almost every single secondary character is three-dimensional, so they don't feel like fillers, but actual real people. Their character developments also add more to their complexity and uniqueness. The acting is fantastic; every actor and actress was born to play their characters. Yin Zheng (Shang Xirui) and Huang Xiao Ming (Cheng Fengtai) truly shined in this drama.

Since this drama was based on a BL novel, they had to tone down the relationship between the main characters because of China's censorship laws. Despite that, the chemistry between Shang Xirui and Cheng Fengtai is off the charts, so it's almost impossible not to feel how much they care about and love each other. Their relationship is so genuine, pure, and strong that the only word that can describe them is "soulmates." Plus, there are many scenes and dialogues that, in my opinion, have no heterosexual explanation, so I often found myself wondering how this drama passed censorship. I still hope that one day they are able to release all the deleted scenes and extended versions of some scenes that they couldn't include because of censorship.

The parts related to Peking Opera are so well done that despite never being interested in this form of art before, it made me become excited every time they showed a new performance. All operas are carefully chosen so that they are related to the plot, enriching the beauty of not only the main story of the drama, but also, the story of the characters that are performing them. However, I have to admit it took me a couple of episodes to get used to this singing style since it is very high-pitched. So I understand if some people don't like this aspect of the drama.

The opening and ending songs are so beautiful that I want to cry every time I listen to them; and the lyrics represents perfectly Cheng Fengtai and Shang Xirui's relationship. The cinematography is out of this world. You can literally take screenshots of every episode and use them as wallpapers. Furthermore, the costumes are gorgeous and full of details; every time they showed Shang Xirui wearing makeup and a new outfit for his performances, I lost my breath. The amount of detail that was put into this drama in every aspect makes it worth watching.

This drama has a lot of symbolism, parallels, and background story about Peking Opera, that make the story (between the main characters) even more beautiful. The sad and happy scenes are very well-balanced and the pacing is not too slow nor too fast, so it made the viewing experience more enjoyable. The ending is not sad nor happy; it is ambiguous. You can interpret it however you want. For me, it was a hopeful ending. If you decide to re-watch this drama, you will notice a lot of foreshadowing, and the character development will not only be more obvious, it will also help you interpret the ending in a different way.

Winter Begonia truly is, in my opinion, a masterpiece that deserves more recognition. It exceeded all the (high) expectations I had for it and has become my favorite drama of 2020 and my favorite drama of all time (for now).