The First Frost

There are a million reviews up and mine really doesn’t matter but I still feel the need the write something maybe for my own closure and sense of good bye. It’s been a minute since I’ve watched a drama that left such a lasting impression and made me feel so sad that drama didn’t have more than 32 episodes! I absolutely loved this drama for how deeply it spoke to me and for its portrayal of hope, perseverance, and love amidst brokenness and pain.

ML and FL’s story was beautiful and at the end of the day a fairytale but I guess that’s why we watch these dramas… to see the ML and FL in their unconditional love for one another. ML and FL were so well cast … even I could tell from my novice eyes that they were masters of their craft. I loved their chemistry and how drama used present and past timelines to tell their story. They let us into their world and I for once skipped nothing and thoroughly enjoyed every glance and unspoken word.

I’m going to miss this one!

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Heartwarming ,healing ,beautiful

Can anything be more beautiful than this
I guess No
While watching last scene ..i have tears in my eyes & iam all emotional
The things yifan goes through are terrible but how Sangyan healed her that process is beautiful
Sangyan isnt angel ..he hold grudges ,he gets angry too ,but there is only a girl in his life & he is devoted to her only ,when she isnt around ,he is like a lump of clay like his sis said
Sangyifan became part of daily life ..their interactions are so special & heartwarming that u cant get enough of it ... We watched them step by step from angry birds that barely talkEd to roommates to caring for eo to confession to become necessaity for eo ... They filled my heart with love for em...... They made me feel for em ..this show bring me back to c dramAs after 8 month ...thankyou youku for giving me such amazing show .. It is added to my most fav dramas ..rewatch value is 1000\10

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drama that will make it hard for me to move on❣️

Honestly, this drama will be hard to move on, be it in terms of storyline, OST, cinematography and also for the casting.

Honestly, at first, for the cast as Sang Yan (Bai Jinting), I personally didn't fit in and for this role I initially hoped for Victor Ma but after I searched, it turned out that Bai Jinting was more than suitable for Sang Yan. And it took almost 2 years for this drama to air. But it's hard to forget the feeling of not being able to be apart from them😭😭😭❣️❣️❣️.

Even though you can't sail in the real world, I hope you two won't become strangers and can be in the same drama project again in the future 🥹🥰☺️.

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greatest love that heals wounds and puts the happiness of the loved one first

Sang yan's love is a love defined by quiet devotion- a love that persists despite rejection, distance and time without expecting anything in return. A love that help him to grow brightly. It's that kind of love where he silently cherishes and supports her,even from afar, never forcing his feelings but always be present. He respects her boundaries, and waits, believing one day, when she is ready, she will find her way to him, open her heart to him. This is a love that stands the test of time- SILENT YET UNWAVERING, DISTANT YET EVER-PRESENT. It's a love that doesn't fade but instead waits in silent hope. She didn't confess before but her untold words, were enough for him to heard and wait. Maybe there are Sang yans out there but all cannot hear those untold words for they leave.
Sang yan is too much fictional even for fictional world.

I’m not obsessed with Bai Jing Ting, but I can’t imagine anyone else playing this role better than him. He made me fall in love with Sang Yan—his arrogance and deep love were just perfect.

Ruonan was really incredible in portraying Yi Fan’s suffering till i'm crying along with her.

Also for Qiao and Hao’an really brought the story to life. Their journey, especially alongside An’s grandparents, was so touching. Their playful, cheerful, yet sharp personalities were such a joy to watch. i guess we should also thank Wang Lin Lin for the rental house and Xiang Lang for mentioned Hong Kong, right?
And of course, Zhi and Sang Yan’s parents, who were full of love. Mu Cheng Yun and A Sen also deserve a mention—some of their words really helped Yi Fan realize her next steps.

Yi Fan is incredibly strong, going through life with a calm exterior. And Sang Yan’s overwhelming love had the biggest impact on her—it gave her strength and made him willing to change so much just to be with her. Even though Sang Yan feels almost too good to be true in this world, I still hope… may this kind of love find me.

The First Frost was my first cdrama in 2025, waited bcs Hidden Love and it was really worth to wait💞

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Good Drama

Very good drama. I liked the ending especially since this drama was 32 episodes, viewers may of forgotten key events and the flashback of it in the end was very nice. Haven't really seen a drama do this in a while.

Romance and execution of it was nice as the plot wasn't smooth sailing the whole time. There were ups and downs along the way, especially FL suffering trauma from family issues. Personally it was a very slow start to the ep so I don't think 32 eps is needed and it would be better if it was shortened. The grandpa plot was quite boring and they shouldn't be focused as much. I didn't mind Si Qiao and Hao An being together and having their own part. Just the grandparents mainly.

I think that episode 24 was when it started to get interesting. Very good as there was some sort of action in the drama when it's 24 episodes in, otherwise it would get very boring if it was constantly just romance. I think that was the moment where I wanted to find out more of what happens in the next ep. Very good acting from Xing De.

What I don't like is the FL fleeing for the second times to Hong Kong. 6 months too. That is a very long time and it doesn't make sense to me why she fled the second time. Did she not learn from the first time? Where was the personal development in this - can't be realistic I know since it is a drama after all so I will let it slide. Also wished they added a scene when FL found out that the ML was the one he was talking to in the game they were playing (his username was cool also as it was 败将 with the second character being Wen ShuangJiang and the overall word meaning to lose/being defeated so the metaphor is 'lost to Wen Shuang Jiang').

At the start was childhood times and then at the end was a more detailed version of a scene that had occured not long ago
Beginning of the episode had a few words with elipsis. Then end of the episode it completes the sentence. This was unique


For the below, don't think you will understand if you aren't Chinese.

What was the odds of FL teaching dance speaking Mandarin in Hong Kong. Majority speak Cantonese but can speak Mandarin but the clubs are usually Cantonese. I have never really seen clubs that speak Mandarin mainly. When FL was working in HKG and the owner of the restaurant scolded her in Cantonese, that was funny because in reality it is the same 'harshness'. Atleast they had an actual Hong Kong person be in charge of the dance (could tell from his accent that he wasn't a native speaker - making it more HK authentic).
In Episode 31, on the blackboard there was a love heart with a bunch of text in it. This was very interesting as it was like a poem with the use of lots of metaphors foreshadowing things that will happen to a human being.
The last line of Episode 32 using the word '哄' is quite nice as the title is translated 'hard to comfort. Don't really know how to explain this to be honest.
Good reference to the Chinese Calendar 'Shuang Jiang' along with the snowflakes - I kinda forgot what date this was when I first got introduced to it in the drama (haven't seen this term in a while).

Overall, in my opinion on the drama, I think that this had funny moments as there were some inside joke that was played that did make me laugh on some of them. Some people didn't like this drama as they said 'the 2 of them don't have chemistry'. In my opinion they do as I rate it based off how playful they are and their personality.

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Fluffy yet angsty

March 19, 2025

WAW. This is probably the first drama that I finished and did not drop for this year.

First Frost is a heavy drama I must say, given the FL background and how she deals with her mental health. This drama for sure is not like Hidden Love although they are part of the same universe.

I understand why this show has gained a traction in popularity with the viewers and I think it is pretty well deserved. The plot was pretty decent, I did think that some subplots for the second leads or other characters could have been slimmed down. There are instances where I feel like they took over a whole episodes and that could have been given to the leads.

I think that the chemistry we have here is through the roof. Sang Yan's is the greenest, a whole forest type of man. FOR SURE HE ONLY EXISTS IN FAIRYTALE FICTIONAL LAND BUT I HOPE HE EXISTS. A MAN CAN DREAM AM I RIGHT

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I can't help but think about it

I was eagerly waiting for this after i discovered we are getting Sang Yan's own story, because i really love him as a character from 'Hidden Love'. Though i am quite disappointed, I still appreciate that he gets to have his own romance as well, not just his sister.

The story, well i would say it's slow, like very slooooowwww, and that's not an exaggeration, nor a critique, because I'm all for slow romance, we're not new in these waters because cdramas are always slow, hence why they would run up to 30-40 episodes, unlike kdramas and jdramas. But yeah, the story is slow, they are really taking their time building up the world and the characters, all the relationships and dynamics between them. Some sideplots might seem like fluff, but it's not filler for the sake of dragging the runtime, because the exploration helped the main plot develop.

It's very dark as well. If you came here thinking it would have the same feel as 'Hidden Love', you'd be disappointed, just like i was at first, because this one has a lot of mature themes and it's very serious since the characters are already adults.

The romance can be toxic depending on how you see it, because there's a lot of teasing, push and pull, make-up and break-up. To me i didn't really find it annoying or frustrating, because seeing what FL went through, you would feel for her. You need to understand she's like that because of her past, so it's hard to hate on her decisions, because they are valid. 

I didn't mind that she fell first, he fell harder type shit, but in the later parts of the drama, they kept showing that it was all ML's ploy, he was in control of the situation that led FL to fall for him, its not bad, but you didn't have to do that because that ruined the natural flow of their romance development for me. Also, it led me to one of my realizations, i know dramas sometimes glorify Handsome men being so in love with the woman, but here it's not even in love, they made it seem like he was really obsessed with FL to the Max.

One thing as well, coming from someone who watched 'Hidden Love' years ago, i can't help but compare the version of Sang Yan here, because it's like they flipped his character with Duan Jiaxu, it was really hard adjusting to their characters when you're used to his mischievous side, and he seemed more distant here with his family. Though as a man i kinda get the switch here because when we fall in love, we get serious for some reason. 

Overall, good and well written, though super slow. By the way, i love the color of this drama, like the way they filtered and edited the show. It is very heartwarming and cozy, in contrast to its title, which is very frosty. I think that complements the cold/dark/sad story.

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Best feel-good drama there is

This is one of those dramas where you press play, sit back and enjoy. Every minute of it.

It might feel slow at times, but the scenery, music and acting are so good that you do not want to miss anything. Chemistry between leads is palpable through the screen, and I especially enjoyed the little banters they had and the teasings.

May be an unpopular opinion but I enjoyed this one far more than Hidden love, and would recommend everyone to watch it, even if you are not a fan of C/Kdrama.

The only downside worth mentioning is the FL coming home every day and NOT saying hello to her cat first!

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Genuine Lead Chemistry Shines in a Slow-Burn Romance, but Repetitive Storytelling Holds It Back

If you enjoy heartfelt performances and a romance that takes its time, this drama might be worth a try for you.

What really stood out to me in “The First Frost” was just how sincere and emotional the lead actors were. Their chemistry felt so real that I actually found myself getting a little interested in their relationship, it was genuinely touching to watch. I also liked that the pacing didn’t rush things. The fact that there were episodes after the main conflict made the ending feel more complete, which I really appreciated.

But I have to be honest, some episodes did feel a bit slow and repetitive, especially with all the flashbacks. There were moments where I wished the story would just move forward instead of circling back to the same memories. I also wanted more from the secondary couple and the side plots as they had potential but just weren’t developed enough for me.

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"First Frost" vs. "Hidden Love" – A Tale of Two Love Stories

Both First Frost and Hidden Love are romantic dramas that explore deep emotions and relationships, but they offer vastly different viewing experiences. While First Frost is a beautifully crafted story about enduring love, Hidden Love stands out as something refreshingly unique. Here’s why:

*Story & Themes"

The First Frost follows a more traditional romance arc—childhood friends, separation, reunion, and emotional struggles. It’s well-executed, with strong acting and heartfelt moments, but it doesn’t deviate much from the classic tropes we’ve seen before......Hidden Love, on the other hand, breaks away from the usual formula. It focuses on a slow-burn, secret crush that evolves into a mature relationship. The storytelling feels more intimate, capturing the nervous excitement of unspoken feelings in a way that’s rare in dramas.

"Chemistry & Characters"

First Frost has solid chemistry between the leads, portraying deep emotional bonds and sacrifices. However, their dynamic follows a somewhat predictable path......Hidden Love thrives on its realistic and tender interactions. The way the male lead gradually realizes the female lead’s feelings—and how she navigates her hidden emotions—makes their relationship incredibly engaging.

"Emotional Impact"

First Frost delivers heavy emotions—longing, heartbreak, and reconciliation—which are moving but somewhat expected in melodramas......Hidden Love tugs at the heart differently. It’s lighter yet deeply affecting because it captures the small, quiet moments of love—the stolen glances, the hesitation before a confession, and the thrill of being seen by someone you adore.

"Final Thoughts"


First Frost is a well-made drama with strong performances, but Hidden Love stands out as something special. It’s not just about love—it’s about the anticipation of love, the fear and excitement of confessing, and the sweetness of mutual pining. If you’ve seen many traditional romances, Hidden Love will feel like a breath of fresh air.
First Frost (Great, but familiar) but Hidden Love (Unique, addictive, and unforgettable)

If you want deep, dramatic love, First Frost is a good pick. But if you crave a love story that feels real, tender, and different, Hidden Love is the one to watch. ❤️......lastly this is what I feel and my POV.

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Good drama, but had the potential to be much better.

What I liked:
I feel like there are very few romance dramas I’ve watched that actually explore the FML’s trauma in great detail, as it’s done here. In Hidden Love and WIFTY, we get a glimpse of the ML’s trauma but the FML’s issues are rarely discussed, if ever at all. It was nice seeing the reverse for the change. As with every ML that Zhu Yi has written, Sang Yan is such a green flag and I really liked how protective and supportive he was of the FML despite how frustrating she was at times. The FML, despite her issues, was a very interesting character and I think the show did a good job of depicting how she didn’t let her childhood trauma affect her ability to become successful in life.

What I disliked:
Given the premise, I expected this story to be darker compared to Hidden Love, with the FML’s trauma serving as a central plot point in moving the narrative forward. While this drama does a good job of illustrating how Yifan’s trauma has shaped her personality and career, it falls short in portraying her character growth, and how she was able to heal and move past her fears despite her past experiences. Throughout the story, we saw some signs of growth, such as her standing up for Sang Yan and going to her mother’s house after her uncle appeared to frame Sang Yan’s restaurant for food poisoning. Also her choosing not to forgive her mother for not taking care of her after her father died. Aside from that though, I feel like it could’ve been executed a lot better. Yifan never opened up to anyone about her issues, which is understandable to an extent given the negative circumstances she was in. Although I was getting increasingly annoyed in the later half of the story when she and Sang Yan were already in a relationship, and not only did she lie to him about what happened but she completely up and left him and her entire life in Nanwu without any warning. I understand that in certain situations, people with PTSD have a tendency to make irrational decisions. But I really wish she had at the very least, told her friends and Sang Yan the reason behind why she left. Their reunion felt extremely underwhelming too. I feel like Sang Yan and Yifan needed to have a more serious conversation about her issues. I was also hoping she’d finally open up to her best friend about her past trauma after they reunited, but that never happened. I feel like this show had more opportunities to delve into her communication issues and family trauma but instead half of its runtime was spent on the 2nd lead couple (which btw, barely contributed anything to the main leads’ story) and grandparent’s relationship, which I did not care for at all. Speaking of which, I thought the 2nd leads’ relationship had a lot of potential in the beginning, but fell short because much of their relationship revolved around Su Hao’an’s grandpa, rather than them actually getting to know each other as people. Another complaint I have about the ML and FML’s romance is the development of their relationship felt a little shallow for my liking. Aside from being conventionally attractive, I’m not entirely sure what it was about the FML that captivated the ML so much. Don’t get me wrong I loved seeing Sang Yan display his unconditional love for Yifan but some of his actions felt a little over exaggerated. For example, him following the FML home without her knowing, flying to Yihe for her graduation, following her around the airport. I also felt like it was obvious that his devotion to the FML was also probably the only reason she even noticed him to begin with. As a result, Sang Yan’s character felt a little bit one dimensional for me and I wish the story could’ve explored his struggles separate from Yifan’s.

Despite the glaring issues I had with this drama, it was still enough of an enjoyable experience for me to recommend watching it. Although if you’re like me, and get frustrated with a lack of communication, slow pacing, and too much screen time spent on the secondary couple, then you might be left somewhat disappointed.

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I didn’t expect The First Frost to hit me the way it did.

What looked like a simple second-chance romance ended up becoming a soul-stirring story about time, regret, and the love that lingers even after everything else moves on.

It’s slow. Purposefully slow. Like healing. Like thawing.

The story isn’t grand or full of dramatic twists—it's intimate. It's two people who used to be everything to each other… and then, nothing. And then, years later, something again. But now with all the weight of what they couldn’t say back then.

The cinematography is poetic—each frame feels like it holds its breath. The silences between characters say more than any dramatic dialogue ever could. And the snow... don’t even get me started. The snow in this drama doesn’t just fall—it feels.

The leads? Understated, but with a chemistry so thick you can feel it under the quiet. The ache in their eyes, the longing, the "what-ifs" that hang in every shared glance—it all made me pause and exhale slowly, like I was there too, carrying my own forgotten feelings.

What touched me most is how it doesn’t rush to fix what’s broken. It just sits with it. Like life does sometimes. It tells you that love isn’t always loud or timed right. Sometimes, love waits through years of frost—quietly, stubbornly, faithfully.

If you’ve ever loved someone in silence…
If you’ve ever wished life gave you one more honest moment to say what you couldn’t before…
Then The First Frost will find you—and stay with you long after the credits roll.

Rating: 9.8/10 and for Deep feelers, second-chance believers, snow-day dreamers, and those who like their dramas slow but soul-deep.

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