Fireworks of My Heart unironically reminds me of the Israelites’ journey to the Promised Land. It took way longer than necessary, with many events distracting from the primary goal.
Where do I begin? It should have been a warning sign that this series was forty episodes long (is it ever that serious?), but I told myself that if it turned out to be a great show, forty episodes would be rewarding.
Fireworks of My Heart revolved around high school sweethearts Song Yan and Xu Xin, who were forced to break up due to their vastly differing family backgrounds.
Ten years later, fate brought them back together. Will they reignite the spark that they had in the past? Or allow it to fizzle out?
I won’t lie, the premise did NOT seem that fascinating the first time I read it, but I still watched the show, because I was curious about how the plot would be executed. The rich girl, poor boy trope is a trope that has almost been used to death. I can list more than a hundred dramas with this trope.
But if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, I guess?
Before I get into the things I do like about Fireworks of My Heart, let’s begin with what I didn’t like. Firstly, the show started with a bunch of flashbacks, a way to give us a rundown of the main character’s history, but sadly, it was a bit boring.
After the flashbacks, we all got episodes of them at their jobs. We get it, she’s a doctor and he’s a fireman, but we don’t need so many surgery scenes or fire rescue scenes. Maybe this is a curse for all the times I complained about romance characters falling in love and forgetting about their careers, family and friends. But there needs to be a balance.
At some point, I had to ask myself if I was watching a documentary because I learnt more about being a firefighter rather than some romance to make me melt (there goes my opportunity to live vicariously through the characters). Still, we do get a few scenes of them together, her trying to bond just like old times, and him not so willing.
Secondly, I don’t know if I’m the only one who finds it difficult to believe that they never dated anyone else for the ten years they were separated. Especially given that they’re both very attractive, but I digress. Fireworks of My Heart could easily be ten episodes long and achieve the same results.
Also, can we talk about the chemistry between the two leads? It was almost non-existent. Yes, they were very cute together, but they rarely ever kissed!! I was on the verge of praying and fasting for them to kiss. Yes, many Chinese shows keep things extra PG, but this was on another level.
Now that we’ve gotten what I did not like about the show, let’s get into what I did like.
Firstly, I really liked the bromance between Song Yan and his comrades; it was so cute to watch. I thought I was watching a bl during some scenes (I’m joking). I also liked that the show had a heartwarming feel.
The male lead. He had a personality, but he spent most of the show with a frown. Not to worry, his handsome face and perfectly carved brows made up for it. But he’s the type of male to only exist in fiction, helplessly devoted to the person he loves.
There’s one thing I don’t understand, though. If he had been waiting for her for ten years, why wasn’t he more enthusiastic upon her return?
Xu Xin was initially very aloof, and as annoying as that can be, I could strangely relate to her character. But she experienced some character growth that made her more outgoing and brave, which was great to see.
One thing that did annoy me was that she kept making advances towards him, but wasn’t ready to take a stand for their relationship. Huh?
I will never understand why Chinese dramas toy with incest; it’s not cute. And yes, it is still incest if it’s your foster sibling. His being in love with his sister added absolutely nothing to the plot.
She was so annoying, but every show needs a villain, right?
Final verdict: 4/10.
