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The First Frost

难哄 ‧ Drama ‧ 2025
Completed
Xhinenye
3 people found this review helpful
Mar 10, 2025
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Slow burn

I’m really impressed about how the movie teaches a lot and explains how love can be so patient and understanding all at once. I just wish the movie didn’t have to end and probably end where the married and grew old together. I love the movie and would want to watch something again from this director 🥺❤️ thank you
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Completed
ronnie091
3 people found this review helpful
Feb 21, 2025
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

Not Hidden Love but BETTER

I'd like to start off by saying that for all you Hidden Love fans who've been waiting for this (spin-off? prequel?? not sure...anyway) the only similarities you will get are some of the character names, locations and one song from Hidden Love played at OverTime, Sang Yan's bar. This drama has a completely different vibe, tone and cast. I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of melodramas because they can be dark, dreary and draggy but this one had me hooked!

The story: As I said before, you're not going to get the light-hearted sugary fluff here like we got with Hidden Love. (WARNING: This story centers around the FL's past trauma of abandonment, loss and s*xual abuse. So if any of those topics are triggering for you I do not suggest you watch this show. Nothing is shown to the full extent and the romance is still plentiful/ beautiful but her trauma is a big part of the story.) The OST and cinematography are drastically different as well. This drama is way more adult and lays on the real-life issues thick. For a melodrama with a dark setting, I was expecting a slow/boring start. But there is A LOT going on within the first 2 episodes in terms of action and plot building incidents. Right out of the gate our FL is put through so much. It's almost hard to focus on the love story with how traumatizing her life is. But seeing how strong and genuine of a person she is, you can't help rooting for her happy ending. The slow burn is intense and has a very organic feeling so it's not frustrating at all.

Main Characters: Wen Yi Fan is a very sad character and not your typical FL. She's timid, soft spoken and has these innocent doe eyes. Her sweet disposition will melt your heart instantly. She doesn't act babyish or use a whiny voice at all like some FLs but her mannerisms and microexpressions are naturally cute. She is also kind of ditzy and bad at math, which she manages to make endearing somehow. And in every decision she makes you can tell that despite all she's been through she still has a good heart full of compassion and resilience. At first, it's strange to see a character like her choose to be a journalist because she isn't naturally aggressive or assertive like most journalists are. As the show progresses she explains why she loves her field so much and it's because she can help people like her through telling their stories. This is all probably why she has such a chokehold on our poor Sang Yan. Zhang Ruonan was perfectly cast for this role. Her beauty was on full display and her acting just got better and better. All of her emotional scenes had me ugly crying with her and it takes a lot for me to cry during a drama.
Bai Jing Ting's SY is different than Victor Ma's but appropriately so. He needed to be more serious for this story but also even more charming. What was consistent were SY's style, pride and arrogance. BJT did a great job of keeping those characteristics while putting his own spin on the role. We see a completely different side of SY here which is his bleeding heart that is glued to WYF. Even though it's clear that she hurt him in the past, it's like he is programmed to automatically give to her and help her. It's both sad and endearing actually because in the beginning, although he cares for her, he doesn't trust her enough yet to tell her the real reason he does the things he does for her. Yet, he still never really punishes her for rejecting him in the past. And that's a testament to how deep his love is for her and how pure his heart is. He stalked her a lot back then but once you learn he made a promise to always be with her, it becomes obvious that it was out of concern. He's always sensed that something was wrong back then and although he didn't have the confidence to confess to her all those years they were apart, he still took it upon himself to be her guardian angel. My heart was so full once they finally got together because their obsessions with each other only grew. Sang Yan really is the perfect boyfriend. He's always just what WYF needs and he helps her to heal and grow with confidence. Although she's beautiful, he loves and accepts all of her- her flaws, her baggage, her ditzy side. It seemed like where most people who run from someone who had all these problems, he loved her even more because of them. I thought BJT killed this role. It also helps that BJT has the eternal face of a high school boy with the voice of matured man. This made the flashbacks more realistic. ZR also has a versatile face and acting style. The two of them together were flawless.

Side characters: Siqiao is easily one of my favorite 2FLs of all time. She is smart, hardworking, and a great friend to WYF. When Xiang Lang rejects her, the thought of being bitter towards WYF doesn't even cross her mind. She's WYF's cheerleader and support in every situation and doesn't give her bad advice like drama bffs usually do. I also love that within her own life, she takes care of everyone around her but when it comes time to seize her own happiness, she doesn't get desperate and jump right into something with Su Haoan. She knows he's been jumping from one bad relationship to another so she tells him to court her and fall for her slowly, so that he can learn how to be in a healthy relationship. I found this really impressive and mature of her.
Su Haoan was funny and good friend to SY but other than that I didn't feel much for him. Xiang Lang is very handsome but has the personality of a block of ice so I found his character to be a useless filler.
Sadly Duan Jiaxu and Sang Zhi are only side characters here and honestly added nothing to the story accept familiarity. But their unimportance really doesn't affect anything for me. This drama stands on it's own.
Finally...the family from hell. I don't think I've ever been more disgusted with a drama mother. This woman has no soul and my heart broke for WYF this whole drama because of how she was discarded time after time. Although her aunt and "uncle" hurt her tremendously, I still hate her mother the most. Because if her mother had cared for her properly, none of the horrible things would've happened to her.

OST & Cinematography: I liked the OST from Hidden Love. This one isn't better per say, but the songs are still catchy, and fitting for the drama. The one song from Silence Wang is my favorite. I couldn't help but laugh while it played when SY was walking up to the noodle shop in Beiyu in the rain. It looked just like a music video.
The cinematography is brilliant. I don't know how to describe it but along with the solid directing/writing, the whole production was gold. The transitions, camera angles, layers of color and lighting really draw you into the emotions in every scene. Especially when there is no dialogue the scenes speak for themselves. For example, when WYF is living in her first place the setting and production really gives you the feeling for how sad her life is. The trains go by her windows in her tiny room all day long, casting non stop flashes of light off the walls and off of her face putting on full display how depressing her life is. Also the scene when SY beats up those guys who threatened her, all lot was said with no words in this scene and not having dialogue here was way more powerful and effective. Even the lighting in their apartment looks romantic and dreamy when they're together. But when she's not there the rooms look grey and somber. The attention to detail was impressive and the production team really created the perfect setting to fall in love. *chef's kiss*

The ending: Perfection...I don't think I've rated a drama a 10/10 since LBFAD. This drama was a masterpiece from beginning to end. The writing, the acting, the chemistry, the pacing, the cinematography, the overall story...all perfect. I don't even know what drama to start next because the bar is so high now!

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

-Dian kitty is so adorable. I want one just like him.
-EP 4: WYF being bad a math is kind of adorable and we can tell SY acts annoyed but thinks so too.
-EP 8: SY is WYF's sun in her dreams and in real life. He brings her warmth and light in her dark life. The romance and poetry in that just gives me the feels... Then it's the morning after our first stolen hug and WYF wakes up like she just had the best sleep of her life, meanwhile our poor boy SY is still sitting wide awake in bed all disheveled and frazzled. Oh the power of one hug from WYF XD
EP 9: More math struggles for WYF lol That umbrella check SY gives the intern (I refuse to use his name) was great. I sympathize with SY during the movie. I'm also scared with him bc the movie clips they showed were actually terrifying. But WYF trying not to laugh at him is too funny/cute. "Jobs are looking for me" LOL typical SY comment.
-EP 11: The misunderstanding with both Sang Yan and Jiaxu in their robes at the breakfast table. Siqiao's laugh is everything. For someone who is so prideful and arrogant, SY never ever truly punishes WYF for hurting him in the past. I think because he's always had a gut feeling that something else was going on based on what he silently observed when they were in school.
-SY babyproofing the house.
EP 12: WYF must have never seen someone drunk before because SY's act was not good. Hilarious. But not good...However, SY man handling the intern and throwing him over his shoulder like a ragdoll...very good. He emasculated that boy for life. The next morning...I've never seen someone get into an elevator in a sexy way but leave it to SY ;)
EP 14: There's not much else to say in this episode other than YAY. Also SY's bed does look more inviting and comfortable. Where did he get that set of sheets from?...And he definitely came out of that shower shirtless on purpose. His hand gestures are so funny as he follows her around the table complaining that she always handles everything the same way. I would assume he was faking drunk again if he hadn't ended their conversation with that vulnerable request she stop spending time with other guys and then coming home and feeling him up LMAO
-EP 15: WYF having enough emotional intelligence to not believe that SY is being nice for revenge when people suggest that. WYF's self control because if BJT dared me to violate him I would have to take that dare
EP 16: If this phone can't contact WYF anymore SY doesn't want it anymore. Time for a new one.
-EP 17: WYF is slowly gaining confidence and opening up to the women around her. She's finally having girl talk with her friend at work and bff and it's great to see her finally caring about herself and her feelings. Hopefully she will open up to SY soon because it's definitely living with him that's giving her her self worth back! And Siqiao is actually a great friend. She's hardworking, there for WYF whenever she needs her and doesn't give terrible advice or act annoying. She's very down to earth and cute.
- EP 18: SY SHOWING UP at the noodle shop in Beiyu. SWOON. And then their sweet confession outside in the rain. And then the flashback to remind us how she broke his heart under an umbrella last time, but they are now reconciling under similar circumstances in the same town. Ahhh, it's been a while since a romance had me smiling and giggling like a school girl. In the epilogue when they show him from the back walking with the umbrella up to the noodle shop with the song playing, it reminds me of the most romantic music video I've ever seen XD
-EP 19: SY doesn't even know about her s*xual abuse and yet can sense how skittish she is so he only teases verbally, never pushes the limit physically. Also these two are equally obsessed with each other which is making for the cutest honeymoon phase ever.
-EP 20: Okay, I'm a puddle on the floor. Someone come mop me up! The first official kiss on the ferris wheel was perfect. I love how SY starts wearing khaki colors now because WYF likes it. Their first dinner together and I'm crying too. WYF is just so sweet, earnest and beautiful. If I was a man she would have me wrapped around her finger too with how sweetly she's opening up and showing her vulnerable side. Also SY saying "Just like your choice in partner, you deserve the best of everything." lol another typical SY one liner.
EP 21: I'm happy that Siqiao doesn't want to be a rebound or liked just because she helped Haoan and now he has hero syndrome. She's really smart and strong for saying that to his face. She's also weary to trust him because she knows he's a hopeless romantic and she's seen the type of girl he previously dated. She also tells him to fall for her slowly because she knows how quickly he's jumped into things in the past. I really like and respect her. She's quickly becoming one of my favorite 2FLs...I'm still rooting for them because he seems to have woken up and realized what type of woman deserves his devotion and special treatment. They are both givers and it's time they both received.
EP 22: I appreciate the attention to detail. WYF's dorm in Yihe is identical to Sang Zhi's in Hidden Love. The intern's confession is silly. He thinks he's more important in WYF's life than he is. She never cared what he had to say lol Moving on...this couple walks in a room and turns heads. That whole wedding was admiring how good they look together. Drunk WYF is too funny. She's definitely me when anyone tries to wake me up. SY is a GOOD BOY. Really shows how much he loves and respects her, all the restraint he shows. She really makes it hard too because she is velcro when she's drunk. Couldn't help but laugh watching him pull her fake eyelashes off.

Dislikes:
-They dress WYF like a school teacher sometimes. But I realize she doesn't like to draw attention to herself or believes that she deserves to buy pretty things to wear.
-How much she gets obsessed over and sexually harassed. There's no denying that WYF is beautiful but it's a little dramatic to think that every male she crosses paths with is a deranged pervert. The incident with her uncle is traumatic enough but then adding in her first roommate, her old boss, her new colleague etc...It's just a bit much. We could still get the point with less of this.
-SY getting a "real job" just bc WYF asked if he had one besides the bar? Since when is owning a bar/restaurant not a respectable business? Idk, thought that was weird and unnecessary but maybe I'm missing something.
-Creepy college kid with a crush on her. He's an aggressive little weasel and makes my skin crawl.
-WYF's weird drunk kitty/SY hallucination. Was this supposed to be funny? I hope so...
-How low her self worth/esteem is because she was discarded when she was young. She doesn't believe SY has evil intentions towards her but she doesn't believe he could still care about her or that she deserves him. It's so sad :*(
-They're pushing the Pizza Hut product placement hard in this drama. Which is more funny than annoying I guess but as someone watching from the states where we don't have a lot of good Chinese food, seeing Pizza Hut is triggering lol
-Introducing the gaming pen pals trope late in the game just seemed pointless and like lazy writing.

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Completed
Sam
3 people found this review helpful
Mar 14, 2025
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

A Good Mix of Romance and Drama

I would not keep this review long. Imagine Sang Yan going to Yihe frequently just to see her. That's the true meaning of "If he wants to, he would". His love did not end after they ended their communication. I also love how Sang Yan waited for her all these years even though he was hurt that she left. He yearned for her for so many years, and when she finally said the reason for her departure, I love how Sang Yan tried to console her and fight for her to give her justice. Overall, this is such a good series to watch and I can definitely see myself watching it over again.

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Completed
AfterCredits_reviewer
3 people found this review helpful
Feb 25, 2025
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.5

A Sloooow-Burn Romance.. but...Keeps You Hanging On... and it is WORTH THE WAIT

The First Frost is a slow-burn romance, which isn’t usually my preference, but I find myself invested in the story. The two main leads have strong on-screen chemistry, and with their solid acting skills, I knew they would deliver compelling performances.

The non-linear storytelling, smoothly transitioning between past and present, is well-executed. However, some interactions felt drawn out, and I did find myself skipping certain moments that didn’t hold my interest. The subplot involving the second leads didn’t resonate with me and felt unnecessary to the overall story.

That said, The First Frost is an emotionally rich drama that delves into themes of love, trauma, and personal growth. While its slow pacing and character-driven narrative may not appeal to everyone, viewers who enjoy deep, introspective storytelling will likely find it a worthwhile watch.

Update EP 25
One of the most heart-wrenching moments in the series is when YiFan leaves Sang Yan yet again, without a word of explanation or goodbye. YiFan's decision to leave Sang Yan is undeniably heartbreaking. After years of separation, she walks away once more, leaving him in a state of confusion and despair. Sang Yan, who has consistently been a pillar of support and unwavering love for YiFan, is left to pick up the pieces of his shattered heart. His confusion and pain are palpable, and it’s impossible not to feel for him as he struggles to understand why the person he loves would leave him again.

From a viewer's perspective, YiFan's actions may come across as selfish. While her reasons for leaving might stem from feelings of unworthiness or the belief that she is protecting Sang Yan from her struggles, it’s hard not to see her departure as a denial of his love and support. Love is about being there for each other through thick and thin, and by leaving, YiFan denies Sang Yan the chance to stand by her side. It raises the question: is it truly selfless to leave someone you love, or is it a form of self-sabotage that hurts both parties?

YiFan’s actions, while frustrating, are a reflection of her internal struggles and insecurities. The drama doesn’t shy away from showing the darker sides of love—how fear, guilt, and self-doubt can drive people to make decisions that hurt those they care about the most. It’s a reminder that love isn’t always straightforward, and sometimes, the people we love the most are the ones we hurt the deepest.

Update 10 Mar after watching EP 32
The acting in First Frost was nothing short of superb. Both the male lead (ML) and female lead (FL) delivered performances that resonated deeply, showcasing a profound emotional connection to their characters. The nuances of their emotions—hurt, pain, relief, anger, sadness, and regret—were portrayed with such depth and authenticity that it was impossible not to be drawn into their world. The actors skillfully guided the audience to empathize with their struggles, making you feel every emotion alongside them. Their ability to convey such a wide range of feelings was truly remarkable and stands as one of the show's greatest strengths.

While the slow-burn pacing of the series was not entirely to my liking, the payoff towards the end made it worthwhile. There was a sense of catharsis and quiet happiness for the characters, leaving viewers with a satisfying conclusion to their journey. Despite its deliberate pace, First Frost ultimately delivers a poignant and emotionally resonant experience, thanks in large part to the outstanding performances of its leads.

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Completed
bhavana
3 people found this review helpful
Jul 12, 2025
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0

A Quiet, Poetic Romance About Healing, Regret, and New Beginnings.

The First Frost isn't your typical lighthearted romantic drama-it's melancholy, layered, and emotionally intense. It follows Wen Yifan (Zhang Ruonan), who returns home, and reconnects with Sang Yan (Bai Jingting), her high-school classmate and former crush. The two pretend not to know each other but end up living together, stirring up past regrets, trauma, and unsaid feelings. The atmosphere, from cinematography to soundtrack, is wistful and haunting, perfectly mirroring their emotional distance and longing.

What stood out to me is how Sang Yan expresses love-not with words but through unwavering presence. His quiet care, subtle gestures, and emotional patience felt profoundly real. Bai Jingting's micro-expressions and Zhang Ruonan's sensitive portrayal of Wen Yifan's trauma brought a raw authenticity to their bond. It's a character-driven romance that rewards patience.

"The First Frost" teaches that the deepest love often hides in quiet understanding, shared scars, and unspoken devotion-sometimes words aren't needed when your presence says it all.

If you love emotionally rich, slow-burning second-chance stories with nuanced characters and a cinematic vibe, The First Frost is unforgettable. Just be ready to sit with the ache-it's not a casual watch, but many find it deeply rewarding.

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Completed
yabalabahiya
3 people found this review helpful
Mar 10, 2025
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

A beautiful love story

The story itself for me are different than any kind of cdrama i've watched. It is really break stereotype, its a fresh idea. I mean the sleepwalking plot? I never see drama use this kind of plot, and too much suffering for female lead bcs usually the suffering one is came from the male lead. Zhang ruonan really deliver wen yifan soooo damn good until i realise that she is actually an E girl. I cried whenever she cried. For sangyan i kinda agree why the writer said that he is like and accesories so whoever suffering like wen yifan hope that they will find their own sangyan. I mean bro?? Bro is sucessful, handsome and rich. And yet he still wait for his first sight love who hurt him so much. But i wont blame yifan for this. Bcs no one ask sangyan to wait for her, while yifan suffering too much :( my poor babygirl

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Completed
Rainn
3 people found this review helpful
Mar 13, 2025
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Will stay with me for a long time

For me everything is perfect, from the cast, the story, the music, directing, the vibe of the drama, really everything clicks for me.
Brings so much nostalgia and feelings in every single episode. This is a drama to savor and I did not lie when I said I cried at every episode, not because it is super sad or depressing each episode, not at all. but because it is very touching and personal for me. I really love how ZRN and BJT portrays sangyifan. They are the perfect actors for this.
Definitely one of my few lifetime drama, I really like that it is a bit of a slow burn, a reunion too, and when they finally get together it is perfect. Love love love the acting from both the main leads once again I can not stress how perfect they are.
Will be rewatching this often like how I reread some of my fav novels just because.

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Completed
YIMINLOVE
3 people found this review helpful
Mar 20, 2025
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.0

Loving you, from the first day to forever ❤️

I never thought I would get glued to a Chinese drama like this. The plot is a simple one - Loving you, from the first day to forever ❤️ If I don't get another comfort series , I'm going to yap about #TheFirstFrost and Sang Yan for another year. Sang Yan is not just a green flag but a whole greenish Amazon forest. He has become one of my fav fictional characters right now.

Both Male and Female lead acting and chemistry were exceptionally good. Male lead will make you seated in spite of the slow paced story and screenplay in the beginning Give it a try , you won't be disappointed.

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newberry
3 people found this review helpful
Mar 10, 2025
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

A Promise To Always Be By Your Side

"Did my dad send you to take care of me? No I volunteered."

The First Frost is based off of a novel of the same name by Zhu Yi who has given us a number of great dramas with beautiful portrayals of youth, love and friendship but this one takes the cake for its lovely showcase of healthy relationships, trauma and healing.
The female lead Wen Yifan had been hurt over and over again, abandoned by those she considered family and had a lot of trauma, but for her all her flaws and inhibitions she had someone who loved her irrespective and vowed to be by her side no matter what. Sang Yan, was a proud and aloof teenager who seemed to have no real interest in the world or people until he met Yifan and she changed his world forever. He gained dreams, motivation, purpose and most of all he learnt what it means to love someone. Their issues tore them apart but the tightly wound red string of fate brought them together once more to fall in love and understand both each other and themselves.

Story: Since it was based off a novel I hold very close to my heart, I had huge expectations for the drama adaptation of the story, and for the most part they did a great job. While a good number of changes were made, most controversially changing the most pivotal plot scene, the team did what they could to display their love story in its most raw visual form. Naturally, the expression between written and visual material is bound to be different and this drama covered a lot of those points very well. The heartfelt conversation between the leads and the slow progression of their dynamic was a pleasure to see. The drama team also made an inclusion with the story of the second couple, which I personally found a little draggy but the concept of love as a healing agent was still very much present.

Acting: This was possibly the best thing about this drama and the delicacy and finesse with which all the actors played their roles was lovely to see. Zhang Ruonan's Wen Yifan was exactly how I had pictured her to be, with all the subtle nuances and soft yet tough character who let most things go but could stand up for herself when she needed to. Bai Jingting as Sang Yan was amazing as he showed the yearning and careful approach to let her feel comfortable. His cheekiness and laid back confident aura was also very well portrayed.

Music and Cinematography: The cinematography of this drama really really elevated it and brought out its emotional undertones in an incredible way. The passage of time and seasons, the constancy of their love, the light to their shadows were all very well portrayed and gave it such a pleasant viewing experience. The soundtrack was also amazing and perfectly complemented the scene onscreen and the lyrics spoke their minds.

All in all, this is a drama I will cherish for a long time and will always recommend for the healing experience it gives not just to its characters but to its viewers who are losing faith in themselves and relationships to show that there really is light at the end of the tunnel. There will always be someone who accepts you for who you are and no matter how desperate things may seem, you will always be worth it. This wasn't a story of second chances, it was a story of a love that never stopped and continued to flow despite the changing seasons. It wasn't a story claiming love to be a cure-all but a guiding light on the path to cure. It was a story of promises to always be there for the people who matter the most.

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Completed
Kitai Kitai
3 people found this review helpful
Mar 18, 2025
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

Very good

For starters, I'm a big fan of Hidden Love, so First Frost happening in the same universe has inevitably influenced my experience; more about it below.
The biggest plus of the whole series is certainly the FL, who is a very interesting and very likeable character and probably the best role of Zhang Ruo Nan so far. She alone was worth watching the drama. Compared to her, the ML comes somewhat short. First of all, I couldn't help but compare him with the Hidden Love counterpart, and eventually settled with First Frost happening in an alternate universe instead of a shared one, as I couldn't see him as "that Sang Yan" (goes for most of the other shared characters). It's my personal preference, just a heads-up in case you also watched Hidden Love. "This Sang Yan" also feels a bit flat - his arrogance is slightly overdone, and unlike the FL he lacks any other nuances. As a result, the first half of the drama wasn't completely smooth to watch, however once the romance properly kicked in things improved a lot, since the romance was top notch.

The drama was a bit longer than it should be. I would cut out the second couple and their circumstances completely - while they were alright characters on their own, their relationship added nothing to the overall plot. The Hong Kong part (apparently not in the novel and added only for the drama) was also pointless, somewhat out of place and with literally no consequence despite its "real time" length. On the other side, consequences weren't missing for the "evil" characters, and I truly appreciate them being there instead of going the "we are family so let's forgive ourselves" route.

Overall a recommended watch for fans of romance, complex female characters and "dedicated" male characters.

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Completed
scenophile
3 people found this review helpful
Mar 10, 2025
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Ultimate yearning

It’s official, the main couple in this drama is going up there as one of my all-time favorites. Wen Yifan is a rare FL that’s quiet and reserved but still straightforward and stands up for herself when the situation calls for it. And Sang Yan is just the most amazing ML I’ve seen — he’s supportive and unwavering and funny, and the way BJT plays him is just so heartfelt.

The drama plot hits the sweet spot between angsty and uplifting. The leads give us really adorable moments, but when it comes to Yifan’s backstory and how her family has made her feel unworthy of love, the drama becomes heart-breakingly relatable and both the lead actors play their characters beautifully, and the amazing OST certainly adds a lot to each moment.

I will say that this drama was a little more dramatic than I anticipated — it’s pretty steady most of the time but there are a few fights and backstories that were extremely intense. To add, I’ve always hated the separation trope, and yeah this drama has it. It lasts quite a few episodes and it is frustrating and depressing, but I think this is one of the few cases where I think it really makes sense, and I like how it was resolved not by the ML finding the FL again, but by the FL realizing there were good people around her, being brave, and choosing to call him again. This IS Yifan’s story, and that gave her a lot more agency. It also makes the conversation they had where she finally lays out all her cards on the table feel earned.

The biggest “blah” part of this drama for me is, unfortunately, the side characters. I loved the SFL in WIFTY, and I loved the SML in Your Name Engraved Herein, and they’re both fine when they’re acting either as Sang Yan or Wen Yifan’s friend, but when it comes to their romance, I really could not care less. They have a few arcs — something with a dog, something with a car accident. I’m sorry but I could not tell you a single thing that happened (lol). For this reason I've been bouncing between a 9.5 and a 10, but I think I love the main couple so much I can't bear to give this any less.

Other than that…folks, this is one for the books, and I mean it when I say I think this drama had the best finale I’ve ever seen. It wrapped everything up beautifully, revisiting all the moments between our leads and capturing their growth. I cried my eyes out.

I also just want to take a moment to say that the cinematography in this show is GORGEOUS. You can tell that there is so much thought put into each shot, and it captures the warmth, the angst, whatever the scene calls for — perfectly.

Watch this to understand real yearning.

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Completed
ssaraalynaa
3 people found this review helpful
Mar 10, 2025
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.5

SLOWBURN ROMANCE NOT TYPICAL FLUFFY DRAMA

SPECIAL APPLAUSE TO RUONAN FOR POTRAYING MY FAV CHARACTER WEN YIFAN!!
it is not easy to potray this character but ruonan did it super proud of her! her eyes is crazy like u can feel the sadness deep inside too..eventho lots of ppl said they felt boring i do particularly think this drama is for those who loves slowburn,melancholy and healing.. it heals part of me who always think that i’m undeserving of something that is precious..the last 4 eps are superrrrrrrgoooddddd (pls skip ep 24&25 if u cannot handle a runaway arc haha) may all wen yifan in this world will find her sangyan and eventho if u cant find your own sangyan pls do know everyone is precious especially to ourselves!!! give yourself a good hug after everything u gone thru 🤍🤍🤍 shoutout to bai jin ting,other casts and production team for producing my fav healing cdrama with goood ost and cinematography 🫶🏼!!

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  • Score: 8.8 (scored by 47,358 users)
  • Ranked: #132
  • Popularity: #156
  • Watchers: 92,847

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