LayarHijau – The time-spanning romance drama Twelve Letters (十二封信), directed by Sha Weiqi and starring Zhou Yiran, Wang Yinglu, Zheng Hehuizi, Ren Youlun, and others, has officially concluded. Unexpectedly, the series with its fantasy concept of “cross-time and space communication” received a Douban score of 7.7, making it the highest-rated Chinese-produced romance drama on the platform in 2025.
Twelve Letters tells the story of Tang Yixun (Zhou Yiran) and Ye Haitang (Wang Yinglu), two young people struggling to survive in a small southern town in 1991. Meanwhile, in 2026, Yu Nian (Zheng Hehuizi) and Shen Cheng (Ren Youlun) are in search of the truth about their fathers. Their fates are bound together through twelve letters, weaving a moving tale that bridges two generations.
According to The Yangtze Evening News (via World Journal), the series goes beyond being a pure love story. By using fragmented letters as a narrative device, it integrates reflections on family trauma, intergenerational bonds, and the courage to confront life’s difficulties. In doing so, it not only fulfills audiences’ emotional longing for “healing and redemption” but also conveys meaningful values.
With its concise 12-episode format, Twelve Letters breaks away from the traditional framework of romance dramas. Its dual timeline structure, combined with the suspense surrounding the letters, delivers both emotional resonance and dramatic tension. Each letter propels the plot forward, creating a steady and tightly woven narrative rhythm.
Many viewers expressed how deeply moved they were by the drama’s sincerity and unique storytelling style. Social media was filled with reactions such as:
“It was so tearful, I cried from the very first episode until the finale.”
“There’s no artificial sweetness, just two teenagers holding each other’s hands in the dark.”
“Every episode left me in tears.”
“The aftermath was so intense I couldn’t calm down for a long time.”
Lead actor Zhou Yiran also drew praise for breaking away from his image as a campus idol. He lost 10 kilograms to portray a rough-edged youth, delivering a powerful prison monologue with the line, “My life, you live for me.” His gaze in the old-age scenes was described as proof of his great potential as an actor. Meanwhile, Wang Yinglu’s performance as a victim of domestic violence was hailed as “scar-like acting” for its raw intensity.
However, the series suffered from weak promotion. Before its premiere, Twelve Letters registered only a little over 1,000 searches on Baidu, meaning many potential viewers had no idea the drama even existed until it started generating positive buzz.
