The First Frost (2025)

A Poetically Crafted Story That Deeply Captured The Essence Of An Unconditional Love

"The First Frost" is a modern romance drama adaptation of the novel titled "Nan Hong" which means "Hard To Coax", written by a well-known author, Zhu Yi. It focuses on the romantic tale between Sang Yan and his high school deskmate, Wen Yi Fan. The drama immerses into the nostalgic youthful idea of first love and intertwines it together with the melancholic pining of second chances. While its cinematography visually creates a gloomy and dreamy-like vibe, the OSTs adds a sentimental touch that completely draws you into its romantic tale. However...

The First Frost is no ordinary modern romance drama, it is a poetically crafted story that deeply captured the essence of an unconditional love and engraved it as a lasting imprint. An unconditional love that embodies unwavering commitment and fosters a heartfelt emotional journey which leads to personal growth and self-discovery. It is where love isn't a mere consolation or healer of wounds and scars, instead it is where love is a guiding light that illuminates through the darkness bringing peace and safety. It is also where love is depicted to be more than just an emotion and feeling, but a constant deliberate choice that comes from ones willingness to choose to love every single day without any exceptions - no matter the uncertainty or the storms ahead. This drama meaningfully entails an invaluable love while also beholding an important message about self-love.

STORYLINE₊ ⊹❅
The storytelling follows a nonlinear timeline that instills flashbacks of the main protagonists' high school life into their present adult life exuding a reminiscent nostalgic feel. It generally revolves around the female lead, Wen Yi Fan's point of view but it also glimpses through the point of view of the male lead, Sang Yan by the end of each episode which further adds enrichment to the story. The drama begins with a heartbreaking memory that occurred on one rainy night where Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan separated in tears, then courses straight into more heavier scenes that can be triggering as it tackles a sensitive topic which women in real life faces, these scenes highlighted the life struggles of Wen Yi Fan and serves as a necessary element that allowed viewers to have a clearer grasp of her character. The defining line is drawn here as the drama's trajectory focuses not solely into romance, but also into trauma; its effect on life and love itself.

The first half of the drama creates a somber atmosphere that eventually balances out with warmer tones and a mixture of lighthearted moments as Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan crosses paths once again - they become two strangers living together under one roof with a shared painful past. This showed the contrasting differences in their lives and opened the door to their feelings. What I love during this part of the story is how both yearning and loneliness is set-up so gut-wrenchingly yet soothes it with understated affections through the conscious acts of Sang Yan and the unconscious acts of Wen Yi Fan. I found the sleepwalking scenes of Wen Yi Fan to be made not only as a mere catalyst that shortens the distance between her and Sang Yan, but a significant metaphor that reflects Wen Yi Fan's deep-seated feelings which even her conscious self isn't aware about. How she walked amidst the darkness towards the sun to embrace its warmth speaks about her pains, fears and her desperate call to be found - without knowing the sun she had reached out to was Sang Yan, the only person that ever brought warmth and light to her world - this scene was meaningfully executed and deeply tugged on the heartstrings.

What ultimately shapes the story more coherently lies in the second half as it dives deeper into the main protagonists innermost feelings and their past. This is where an evident romantic progress between Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan is seen, but it is also where the shadow that has long been haunting Wen Yi Fan comes into the picture. I appreciated their sweet and intimate moments which led into a much livelier atmosphere, although it soon transitioned into the angsty and heavy arcs, such transition helped heightened the emotions evoked during these arcs. The separation in Hong Kong wasn't added simply as a mere trope, it showed the comprehensive depth of the story and stayed consistent to Wen Yi Fan's trauma. As much as it is emotionally gripping, it brought out more layers of Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan's characters. This aspect is one of the dramas advantageous feat because of how it had interwoven trauma into the story with an insightful knowledge and at the same time dealt with it respectfully. It did justice in showing how trauma greatly impacts one's life, how coping mechanisms varies greatly for different individuals, and how healing is not linear nor does it heal easily. It gave a realistic portrayal of trauma and wrapped it with a positive message.

As for the romance between Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan, it leans more to slow-burn where their relationship developed intricately, hence, I thought it felt more organic as the characters were made to gradually intensify their feelings. The way their love story was written never felt cringe or cliche, it was mature and brilliantly stood out for how utterly beautiful and unparalleled it was depicted. The drama painted Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan's love story in translucid colors that vividly showed the pure unconditional love they have for each other, to the extent that even the words "I love you" pales away in comparison for how wholeheartedly they conveyed love in more than just three words. The second leads romance wasn't able to fully pique my interest at first as their story felt lackluster however, the latter half of the drama showcased a much more interesting plot for them which eventually made me invested in them as well.

The drama ended on a very satisfying note as all loose ends were neatly tied leaving no room for unresolved matters. The antagonists in the story each faced the consequences of their actions, there was no unnecessary redemption arc as every toxic connection was cut off. Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan's high school memories were remarkably concluded by how they seamlessly weaved all the details together and the addition of Sang Yan's unseen point of view gave light for viewers to see how absolutely profound their relationship actually truly is. As if it couldn't be more perfect, they executed the proposal scene in a way that magnificently captured the raw authentic emotions expressed by Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan during that moment, making it feel so realistic - the evident nervousness, trembling hands and lips, the tears, and heartfelt words. It is the best proposal scene to have ever been created. The ending they had given is beyond just a happy ending, it is an unforgettable and deeply-moving moment that certainly left a lasting impression.

The cinematography artistically enhanced the overall emotional tone of each scene with the constant use of lights, mirrors and reflections that gives off visuals that are a blend of dreamy, melancholic and nostalgic vibes. It was breathtakingly cinematic and definitely elevated the watching experience.

CHARACTERS & ACTING₊ ⊹❅
Bai Jing Ting as Sang Yan
Sang Yan is a character written with so many good qualities in him that it overshadows his flaws and makes him come off as someone too perfect, but actually he is far from perfect. He just happens to have a lot of love in him as he was born surrounded with love which is his greatest privilege. He grew up in a loving home where he is constantly showered with affection and care from his family. He used to be someone spoiled and self-centered as he had never suffered any setbacks in his life, everything had always went well for him and this is what made him flawed. It was through his separation with Wen Yi Fan where he realized that the world doesn't revolve around him. The pain he felt in this heartbreaking experience is one of the important things that helped shaped him into becoming the present Sang Yan. Sang Yan is a character who is the complete embodiment of persistence, regardless of being afraid or the outcome, he just tries and never gives up.

Sang Yan's love for Wen Yi Fan isn't an ever-burning passionate love instead it is a quietly-fierce and unconditional love that is strong and unwavering. Despite how his love is fierce, he had never forced his feelings on Wen Yi Fan. He expresses his love for her through subtle acts of affection, where he notices and cares for even the smallest things about her. What struck me the most about him is how he is able to let down his pride and acknowledge its insignificance compared to the pain and suffering Wen Yi Fan has been through. Sang Yan letting down his pride doesn't necessarily mean he lacks self-respect rather it spoke of his inner strength that emanated from his deep sense of self-worth. Instead of becoming another storm in Wen Yi Fan's life, he became her home, he truly understood and sees through her; not just her heart but her very soul. He is an emotionally intelligent man who loves not because he wants something in return, but because he willingly wants to give love to the person he values - and this speaks about his self-love, he loved himself that loving Wen Yi Fan comes naturally for him.

Bai Jing Ting's acting performance and portrayal of Sang Yan is phenomenal. Every emotion he expressed across the screen was strongly felt. His facial expressions and eye-acting, particularly his micro expressions were so apparent it helped connect with his character in an emotional level easily. His eyes always held so many emotions that his crying scenes are carried out realistically. He is one of the very few actors I know who can really act a crying scene without making it fake. He really gave life to his character.

Zhang Ruo Nan as Wen Yi Fan | Wen Shuangjiang
Wen Yi Fan is a character who suffers from trauma and abandonment issues. She is someone who had lived life wearing a facade to mask away all her pain, but before all the suffering she has been through, she used to be someone bright and filled with love. The biggest turning point in her life was when she lost her father, she didn't only lose the person who cherished and cared for her most, she also lost her home and a part of herself. She is someone who had long stopped believing in love and believing in what she deserves. She had built a wall around herself that even her closest friends aren't able to see through her. She is a damaged person who is afraid to reach out for help because she still carried the betrayal of her mother who left her to suffer alone. Running away has always been her coping mechanism and way of survival. The separation and reconciliation arc in Hong Kong is a major event that helped her character to outgrow her traumas, realize her strength and opened her heart to self-love. Wen Yi Fan is actually a character who is courageous and resilient. Her ability to move forward with life despite everything she has been through and her constant determination to continue to live speaks so much of it.

Wen Yi Fan's love for Sang Yan is absolutely selfless and unconditional. Her way of loving Sang Yan does not come in the form of wanting to own him, instead it is in the form of wanting the best for him. Wen Yi Fan had always believed that Sang Yan is a person who deserves all the good things in the world, she sees him as someone so precious that she wants to preserve his brightness. Although, her decision to runaway without reaching out to him wasn't a completely right choice, it was still an understandable act as she did it to protect him from the shadow that has constantly been haunting her, because the last thing she would want to happen is for Sang Yan to lose his life. Her love for Sang Yan helped her break through the shackles that had long chained her, she healed not for herself alone but so that she could be the best for him. She values Sang Yan a lot that she willingly meets him where he is at just as much as he willingly does for her too. In the past, she might have broken his heart but she was one of the reason that helped shaped him to become stronger.

Zhang Ruo Nan's portrayal of Wen Yi Fan is worthy of recognition and praise. She really understood and connected with her character that she conveyed every emotional scene brilliantly. Most especially her crying scenes, they were so heartfelt. She wasn't only good at emotional scenes but her drunk scene is deserving of appreciation too for how natural she portrayed it. Her acting performance is outstanding.

OSTs₊ ⊹❅
The OSTs helped set the vibe of each specific scene which allowed every emotion depicted in the drama to come across the screen more impactfully. They weren't only captivating to listen to, each of the songs were meaningfully written and gives highlight to Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan's love. It is definitely one of the key elements of the drama that enriches the watching experience. I love all the songs and my most favorite of them all is 'I'm So Into You' by Xiao Bing Chih.

OVERALL IMPRESSION₊ ⊹❅
The First Frost is a masterpiece that rekindled the feeling of what it is like to have a first love, it is a drama that deeply portrayed yearning and reunion through its rich plot. It is also a drama that takes you to experience an unforgettable and meaningful story that will not only move you, but make you feel seen as well.

The First Frost is a beautiful reminder for when we forget to be kinder to ourselves, for when we forget to remember love..."Treat yourself well, and the world will hold more love for you".

Bai Jing Ting and Zhang Ruo Nan's chemistry is impeccable. I will never forget their portrayal of Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan, they did justice to their characters and truly brought the love between these fictional characters so powerfully on screen. All the other actors and crew of The First Frost did an amazing job as well in creating this drama, their efforts and hardwork wasn't in vain. The First Frost is now officially my top favorite modern romance drama.

FAVE SCENES₊ ⊹❅
- Wen Yi Fan's sleepwalking scene
- Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan's confession scene in Beiyu noodle shop
- Sang Yan formally introducing Wen Yi Fan as his girlfriend on Qian Fei's Wedding
- Sang Yan taking care of his drunk girlfriend Wen Yi Fan
- Sang Yan's fight scenes
- Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan's hospital talk scene
- Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan's entire high school memory
- Wen Yi Fan finding out about Sang Yan's momento or keepsake box
- Sang Yan's "I volunteered"
- Wen Yi Fan's talk with her younger self
- All their intimate scenes
- Proposal scene

p.s all of Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan's scenes together are my favorite.

˖ . ݁❅𝜗𝜚❅. ݁₊

"When you're old, gray, and sleepy,
you snuggle wearily by the fireside,
and take a random book for company,
you savor the look in your eyes,
when you were chasing your dreams.
You used to have that look,
and be full of affection.
I loved your great and elegant past,
your mistakes, and your true beauty.
There is only one man who has ever gazed,
into your pious and holy heart,
and fallen inlove,
with your sad and aging face.
In the moonlight,
you bowed your head,
stooped, and murmured dejectedly,
in an attempt to escape from love.
Then you sneaked over the hill,
and hid your face.
Someone who is fierce,
who will love me among the stars, until death,
and know that love is as strong as death,
and be on my side,
forever and ever.
I want someone who is fierce,
and will love me until death,
it's you."
- Sang Yan & Wen Yi Fan (Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson) ❄️🍃

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Love is selflessly wanting the other person to be happy....Healing Love, ...Unforgettable!

This is a beautiful masterpiece about two people who loved each other and found their way back because one person never gave up on the other. The First Frost is not melodramatic nor is it dark. While the FL had a traumatic experience in her youth, TFF is fun and entertaining with a deep emotional chemistry that will bring tears as well as laughter. I don't think any drama will beat this. I wish I could give this 1000/10.

The First Frost portrays one of the most selfless and enduring love I have ever seen in any drama. It tells the story of Sang Yan and Yi Fan who fell in love in high school. They promised to go to Nanwu University together but YiFan broke her promise and Sang Yan's heart. While Sang Yan thinks Yi Fan left because she didn't want to be with him, Yi Fan kept the pain of her secret from him. Six years later they meet again and end up sharing an apartment. Each episode begins with a flashback to scenes from the past and ends with a "It's not over yet" scene from Sang Yan's point of view. And in the end, all the surprise details fall into place like puzzle pieces. This is the most incredible production!

I started this drama feeling more connected to Sang Yan and his feelings for YiFan than I was for YiFan. While I empathize with YiFan and the fact that she suffered trauma which is the cause for her locked-up emotions, it took me a while to feel connected with her story. I know novel readers felt more connected with YiFan as they went in knowing the full extent of her trauma.

SANG YAN

Bai Jing Ting took this role and made me love Sang Yan more with each episode. I cannot imagine anyone else as Sang Yan. He was perfect! Sang Yan loved Yi Fan since he met her in high school and it didn't end when she broke his heart. Even with 6 years of unanswered questions, his love for her never faded. What made his character captivating was the way he was just there for her. There were little things such as making sure she ate even if he told her he needed her help as he made too much. He senses something is bothering her but he doesn't ask. He never puts any pressure on her. He simply watches her and provides anything he feels she needs. He wants her to happy. And it makes him happy just to see her. What made his love real for me were YiFan's sleepwalking scenes. He sees her pain and tears and he feels them. And he stands next to her waiting for the times she needed to turn to him. Because as he said to her, "I will always catch you."

Sang Yan's point of view is portrayed in the lyrics of "Willful" which begins each episode:
Just for you, I will be brave and willful
I won't regret ever loving you with all my heart
I want to be the gravel that breaks the shadows for you
Even if I have to lose everything, I'll go against the grain for you...


YI FAN

YiFan's character appears strong at first. She is a journalist who does not hesitate to save someone from a car crash. Yet on the inside she was fragile. She was abandoned by her mother after her father died. Her mother remarried and left her to live with her paternal uncle. She not only had to deal with the loss of her father, but she lived in fear of being sexually assaulted by Che Xing D, her aunt's brother. She has PTSD from the night he broke into her room. It was fortunate that she escaped. YiFan's decision to leave all behind, led her to ending her relationship with Sang Yan 6 years before. I felt Sang Yan's pain, and a part of me disliked YiFan for being so cruel, but I also knew with her emotional state back then, I could not blame her. In fact, I admire her for the strength it took for her to protect herself and break ties with her toxic family.

Yi Fan's point of view is portrayed in the lyrics of "It's You" which ends each episode:
It's you who pulled me with all your strength
...You are warm and bright like the sun, and you give me care...
It's you who strides towards me in the storm
It's you who stands by my side and cheers for me
The road has been bumpy along the way, and raindrops have covered the ground,
But with you as my support, I can overcome the darkness in front of me....


YANFAN'S CHEMISTRY (Through all these years, I never loved anyone but you...)

There is a sense of familiarity and trust.....and a sense of having loved and been loved....

YiFan trusts Sang Yan. Even though she takes charge of her life and her struggles, she neglects the little things for her own comfort. It is Sang Yan who provides the warmth and comfort she needs but never asks. It is Sang Yan who reminds her to eat and makes sure she is not alone. She subconsciously turns to a bewildered Sang Yan during her sleepwalking incidences seeking his warmth and comfort. I love those sleepwalking moments because YiFan moves toward Sang Yan and you can feel that these two share a bond of trust. What moves me even more is that the pain in YiFan's face is reflected in Sang Yan's. There is such emotional depth and a sense of yearning between them. But there also humor and familiarity as Sang Yan loves to tease YiFan. There are times I feel he teases her to distract from her worries. And there are times they simply enjoy being next to each other.




NOVEL DEVIATION SPOILER (EP 24)

The one major deviation concerning YanFan is in ep 24 when Yi Fan left for Hong Kong. In the book she followed him to Yihe, but the drama chose to have her run off to Hong Kong for 6 months. I thought I would be upset also but on watching it, I saw Sang Yan visiting all the places in Yi Fan's life and filling in some of the missing details. The director added flashback scenes for the viewers to see the little details falling into place. I felt the purpose of sending Yi Fan to HK was to build empathy and understanding for Yi Fan through Sang Yan's eyes. It also provided her the time to reconnect with her passion for dancing. Some viewers felt Sang Yan should have shown anger for Yi Fan leaving him again. But I disagree. He would not be Sang Yan had he not felt deep pain for her trauma and felt he somehow failed to protect her. There is no way he would feel anger. He was too much in pain over her suffering, so much so that he wished he was the reason rather than the truth about her traumatic experience.
I dislike that Sang Yan was left again because he suffered enough for 6 years. But I am not going to harp on it as there is so much more to love about TFF. Just put it down to creative license and drama. And the positive side is that the couple reunited and the hotel scene from the book was picked up right after. Enjoy and move on.


OVERALL VIBE

Overall, this drama is one of healing love, comfort, and security.
It is not melodrama. I feel the darkness lies below the surface and acts as part of the conflict. But the overlying vibe is emotionally hopeful, humorous, sweet, and loving.

The OST adds to the mood. "Like a Sunny Day, Like a Rainy Day" by Silence Wang adds the same mood we get from "Just Want to Secretly Love You" by Silence Want and Zhao Lusi in Hidden Love. This delightful vibe links the emotions of both dramas even though TFF has more emotional depth. The lyrics in "Willful" tells the story from Sang Yan's point of view. The lyrics in "It's You" tells the story from Yi Fan's point of view. They hit the core of The First Frost beautifully.

The lighting adds warmth and charm. The soft tones used in conversation between the leads add calm and a sense of peace and comfort. The First Frost will go on my permanent rewatch this. I know I will have a hard time moving on, but I will rewatch when I miss my YanFan couple. Okay! I will admit that my bias is Sang Yan. You will know when you see him.


POSITIVES

* Bai Jing Ting- He made Sang Yan my favorite character. I could read his thoughts just by his expressions.
* Witty conversations
* Beautiful cinematography- this includes Sang Yan dressed in black 💗
* Amazing chemistry💗🔥🤗
* Directing- beautiful heartfelt moments
* Production- an incredible work of art
* Episodes flow smoothly from one to another. I am always surprised when the episode ends. It feels like 10 mins instead of 45.
* Emotional Depth
* Lots of skinship and intimate scenes🤗💋🛏🔥
* An original and emotional proposal scene scene. It was beautiful!💞💍🥰
* Extended ending over several episodes. This is one of the most satisfying ending to a drama I have ever seen.

NEGATIVES

*The second couple is interesting and cute but for some reason, the sml's grandpa hijacked their story. I found myself skipping their story because the grandpa's issues didn't fit in with it all. I got into the second couple's story around ep 26 and liked them so much that on rewatch I will pay closer attention to them. But what about Grandpa? Only someone who watched his scenes can say.


I have never seen a drama with a more satisfying ending. It spanned from ep 29 to 32. Everything fell into place and there were some beautiful surprises. I wish I could forget them so I can experience it all over again. This was the most beautiful journey.

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