The First Frost

It had its positives and negatives

I was never more surprised to see so many 10s, so I wanted to add a counteropinion. There were good parts to this show; however, I wouldn’t have kept going if it wasn’t for my love of Hidden Love. It just didn’t start out well. The acting was stiff and San Yang (my favoritest of brothers) was an a**hole.

I was disappointed in their characterization of San Yang. They made him an emotionally immature, manipulative, lying man at the beginning. And I'm sure they made the excuse that “he was that way because of her.” But that is victim-blaming. It doesn't make him an appealing male lead or a green flag male lead when he acted that way towards her, no matter how devoted and sweet he was in the flashbacks. Yes, he was a beautiful, understanding, supportive boyfriend - a green-flag male lead throughout their relationship, but that doesn't excuse his behavior beforehand. He even had to make false excuses just to be nice to her. Prideful. That’s a good word. He hid when he helped her and he lied about what she did when she slept walked – and made her feel really bad about it too. I was hoping we were transitioning away from the mean, low EQ male leads, so I was really disappointed by this.

Also, their acting was bad in the beginning (or they were just playing wooden characters). I honestly only kept up with it because I loved Hidden Love so much. I did feel like their acting improved, their chemistry improved, and their characterizations overall improved. But I still can't get over his original toxic character and my original impression of their bad acting.

HOWEVER, I will say that they handled the abuse and harassment storyline very well, never victimizing her, with San Yang

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Romantic & Aesthetic but ML lacks depth

I’m sad cause I really wanted to like this. I’m a big of the writer’s previous projects and I loved the casting for main and second couple.

But what kept me from loving this show was how little the show let us get to know the ML. The FL dealing with trauma she experienced and breaking societal norms about family ties was beautifully well written. She seemed docile and gentle during a majority of the show but really showed her back bone during scenes that mattered. Highlighting that she was not going be your typical “victim”

However because this was a romance, I found it off putting that we knew next to nothing about the ML. What was his family situation like that made him seem so distant and cold? what was his dynamics with his parents and his sister before and after they went to college? what about the FL healed him enough for him to wait all thos years and become so dedicated to her? what was the internal dialogue of his feeling towards her?

We never really see what type of person the ML is besides being a lover and protector of the FL. Because of that the sweet scenes seemed bland and the heavier scenes left you wanting more of what the ML was thinking.

Still worth the watch if you have the time for 32 episodes but definately a bit dissapointing.

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Not Bad, But Could Have Been Better

I’d rate this drama a 5/10 because, despite some strong moments, the flaws stood out more than the positives.

The second couple’s storyline, especially the grandparent plot, felt dull and unnecessary. The emotional payoff for Su Hao An’s character didn’t land, making those scenes feel empty. Sang Yan’s character lacked depth beyond his love for Wen Yi Fan, which came across as obsessive rather than romantic. The Hong Kong arc was another major issue it erased previous character growth and made Sang Yan look weak.

I also wish Duan Jiaxu and Sang Zhi had a bigger presence, as their interactions could have helped develop Sang Yan’s character further.

But this drama isn’t completely bad there were some scenes I genuinely liked. Maybe if I rewatch it in the future, I’ll end up appreciating it more.

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First love, separation, trauma and undying devotion

Let me just start by saying that this drama absolutely bingeworthy but It doesn'thave much rewatch value for me. I liked A LOT better than hidden love which seemed like it was made for teens. This one is more mature than that. Is it funny and light? Yes! Its mostly light depsite heavy themes.

Plot - The plot is about two individuals and their journey from school to being working professionals. Its also about class differences, social deprivation, orphaned children and frienship but most importantly, its about the OLD SCHOOL ROMANCE and EVERLASTING LOVE

My only complaint is, the ML is a fantasy. His objectives aren't convincing enough realistically. However, he is perfectly enjoyable if you see it as a fairytale.

Romantic chemistry- I can see BJT doing heavylifting for the first 14 episodes at least. So, its Slowburn but still very watchable because of the angst. The ML is like the sun 🌞 in a dark and cold forest for her...

Direction and editing - the Style of direction is the highlight of this drama. The colors used gives you a feeling of a cozy blanket on a cold night. The darkness in dingy rooms is used well to describe the horrors and darkness in the character's life. Still, the overall vibe is deliberately kept warm and light. There are certain scenes where violence is not explicitly shown but the director has cleverly used blood and aftermath for impact.
The placement of the past SCHOOL memories is also excellent.

Acting- BJT is good as usual. However, I have seen him performing better in other dramas. The ML is slightly one dimensional for him to fully shine. Will you fall in love with him all over again? Absolutely! He made his character VERY DIFFERENT FROM SANG YAN FROM HIDDEN LOVE but still close to the novel lead. After 16 eps, I can't imagine any other actor doing it. The Female lead is pretty but needs improvement in the acting department. She is perfectly watchable but her character had IMMENSE scope for a good actor. There's so much she could have done. The co actors are all decent but the ones that particularly shine in the acting department are the mom of the FL and the little sister of ML. The LITTLE GIRL has done a fantastic job.

The second lead couple is also cute and enough time has been given for their story to grow properly. I liked that.

Interestingly, i end up dropping many dramas that are slow paced or have 32 episodes, but I KEEP COMING BACK TO THIS ONE. It has that x factor

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Imagination is indeed better than reality- Third time is not always the charm.

I remember eagerly awaiting this drama, checking and rechecking when it will be released week after week. Back then, this drama was perfect in my mind. Back then, I was better off.

The drama can eb easily divided in 2 parts-:
Part 1. Before The HK arc
-> A few flaws but I will ignore/forgive them, close to perfection

Part 2. HK arc and after
-> Absolute shitshow, all those bearable flaws are now glaring issues I can't look past

While I have a *lot* to say about all that happened, all that went wrong and all that should've been shown all I will say here is this- I am happy this came out last so I watched HL and WIFTY with all the love in my heart and I will go back to that perfect world where this didn't exist yet <3

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Long frost

A beautiful story… but with the wrong ingredients that’s how I would sum up what I think of The First Frost.
I started watching it with high hopes. I was expecting a slow progression, a soft and comforting vibe. But the storyline eventually kept moving in the same direction, over and over again.
The male lead seems to exist solely for the female lead. As for her, she feels trapped in an emotional ice tower, barely capable of feeling and expressing anything at all. Her portrayal was so detached that even when she stood up for herself, there was no real range or depth in her performance. It felt flat.
The flashbacks at the beginning were cute and provided meaningful context for the two leads’ story. But after the fifth flashback, watching the male lead repeatedly prove his devotion started to feel exhausting.
By episode ten, seeing him continuously pit himself out there for her with a falsely nonchalant attitude was no longer heartwarming or heart melting. Instead, it became disheartening.

I eventually stopped watching because the show felt heavy to sit through, despite its beautiful soundtrack and truly stunning cinematography.

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Borderline Stalker Ml

Honestly not to be that guy but I have a different perspective on this drama . Sang yan got away with a lot of behavior because he’s good looking .

Now I understand that the drama is mainly focused on the fl and how the ml is/has always been there for her but it gets to a point …
The fact that even after she rejected him , he still flew to her school city every month to catch glimpses of her and buy newspapers that she contributed to was weird in my opinion.

I feel him attending her graduation should’ve been enough . I let it go when he constantly followed her around during their high school days but in college too and after college ? That’s too much .

It would’ve been way better if the story was written that after the graduation he continued with his life then they met again and his feelings rekindled . Something along those lines would’ve been way better .

People are only letting it go because he’s good looking and she liked him . But if it was real life , that would be very scary and almost look like obsession . So good thing it’s a fictional story .

I hated how much the second leads story was so deeply intertwined with the grandparents. I honestly ended up skipping through all their scenes and didn’t even care about whatever they were discussing.

Asides these points I’ve listed out , I think it’s a lovely story and it’s nice to see a story that focuses on the fl and her life struggles .
The main couple had great chemistry .

Overall I think 24 episodes would’ve been enough if they had cut out all the unnecessary scenes from other characters.

It’s a memorable drama but I don’t think it’s something I’d like to rewatch but maybe if a cut version that shows only the main couple is released, I’d rewatch it .

Bye guys and thank you for reading to the end .
I’m glad I watched it while it aired as I got to connect with others online and see new edits with new episodes ❤️

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Pure garbage and nothing compared to Hidden love

I’m not sure where to begin, but the headline says it all. I can’t understand how people are even comparing this mess to Hidden Love. Sang Yan’s character takes a complete 180—he turns into a borderline stalker, lies about his parents not caring about him, and his entire personality revolves around the FL. The sleepwalking kisses, repeated flashbacks, and awkward acting, paired with subpar music, made it impossible for me to sit through more than a few episodes. The story dragged on endlessly. Honestly, the only redeeming part might be the second ML and FL’s storyline and acting.

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Promising Start, Disappointing Execution

The First Frost is a beautifully crafted drama with strong emotions and a heartfelt portrayal of Sang Yan, who was a well-written and devoted character. His love for FL was touching, though at times, her emotional detachment made it hard to connect with her. Her sudden decision to leave for Hong Kong, which wasn’t in the novel, felt unnecessary and frustrating. Another aspect that didn’t work for me was the focus on the grandpa, SL, and the second male lead. Their storylines felt unnecessary and took away valuable screen time that could have been used to further develop ML and FL’s relationship. The drama excelled in exploring family struggles, and the leads had great chemistry, but a stronger focus on their journey instead of secondary plots would have made it even more impactful.

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Highly Recommended, Worth it Drama of 2025

I was, at first doubtful about this adaptation since I watched HL, and they change SY(I love Victor) but since my Baobei's Rounan and Miaoyi was part of the cast, I gave this a chance and boy, that was the best decision I ever made. It exceeded all the expectations that I had.

The actors, the chemistry, the depth of the story, the cinematography, the OST's, the posters, I love everything about it❄️?❤️. It easily became my top 1 cdrama, next to 2.L&P, 3. WIFTY, 4. HL 5. ELM. It made me sign up on XHS and recover my account on Weibo just so I can get updates and watch clips, it even made me signed up for MDL and IMDB, just so I can rate and leave a review, and that's coming from a lazy 4ss person?, that is how good this drama is. Since this is an ongoing drama, the waiting game for every ep is so painful but it was worth it.

As a manhwa and a novel reader, Zhang Rounan and Bai Jingting did justice to the characters??. They really embodied the characters and the acting was natural and top notch. The chemistry and the visual was overflowing, my eyes was so blessed. Everytime I watched their moments, my mouth hurts from smiling and they just made me melt into a puddle. Adding my baby Diandian(?)was the cherry on top.

I was initially disappointed about the plot change, which became a heated discussion on every platforms, which also made people criticize the FL, but I eventually came to understand why the director had to change it, the drama is not just about rainbows and butterflies, it also tackles and portrayed how some people deal with their trauma, that some people needs some time to heal and have different ways to cope, it is not the typical drama cliche where love heals the trauma, everything is okay again and happy ending. It shows how the FL deals with her trauma, how it affected her life and how she overcomes it. I even came to like the drama version more than the novel (sorry Zhuyi) after reading some reviews and get better understanding about the FL. Some people may still not like it but I think it added a nice touch to the plot, which made it much better than the novel.

Sangyan? is also whole green forest for never giving up on Shuangjiang❄️, he never blames my girl for her decisions but instead, chose to understand her, that is pure love right there. My girl is also a very brave person for overcoming what she had gone through and even after everything that happened to her, she is still a pure and loving person, that's a girl worth waiting and never giving up for. I truly understand why Sangyan is such a loser for her❤️. They both deserve the best which is why they definitely deserve each other. These 2 losers are the epitome of first loves.

The only flaw of the drama was the side stories. I just wished that there was less screentime for the side characters and more focus on our leads, I honestly skipped all of the parts where Yifan or Sangyan is not part of(sorry Miaoyi). Wish they had use those time instead for more moments of our leads. But overall, it was an amazing watch.

I'm so sad to let this drama and my SangYifan go tomorrow but on the bright side, I can finally rewatch the completed episodes a million more times. I hope to see ZNR and BJT on another drama again❤️❤️我喜欢你❤️❤️

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Unfortunately, very flat...

DISCLAIMER: I have read Zhu Yi's original novel in Mandarin and understand many of the story's flaws are directly copied from there.

With that being said, I think this drama is pretty overhyped. It's not bad by any means, but I'd compare it to a less "gritty" and "real" Lighter & Princess (which comparatively, I prefer), where the male and female roles are flipped (and the trauma comes from something besides SA).

Some good things about it:
1. Acting was pretty good. For what the script offers, Bai Jingting portrays a nuanced Sang Yan, and Zhang Ruonan absolutely fits the mold of how I imagined Wen Yifan. Zhang Miaoyi is always wonderful, as is Edward Chen.
2. A LOT of different OSTs. I enjoyed many of them a lot.
3. Sang Yan's deadpans are always comedic relief. I have never seen somebody actually existing with that level of confidence.
4. Explores a lot of themes that tend to go ignored in Chinese society. I appreciate the attempt at depth which really isn't that present in Zhu Yi's other novel to drama adaptations.

Anyhow, I did find myself (someone who typically isn't too bothered by plot holes) seeing a lot of problems with this drama.
1. I don't think the characters themselves and their interactions had a lot of depth. I understand that Sang Yan is written in the novel as the character he is here, but there's no real explanation (besides the fact that she's beautiful) for why Sang Yan has such unrequited love for Wen Yifan for so long. The "angelic" BGM for whenever he sees Wen Yifan is pretty overused and corny too, in a way. Additionally— for two supposedly incredibly intelligent characters— Sang Yan and Wen Yifan do not have very many intelligent/interesting interactions that aren't corny or sweet (I actually think that Hidden Love had more reasonable development, in this respect. I understood how Duan Jiaxu started liking Sang Zhi a little better, and the characters just felt more consistent).
2. The pacing felt a little messy to me. I think a lot of scenes could be cut short, especially since so many are just focused on Sang Yan obsessing over Wen Yifan. Additionally, the Su Hao'an and Zhong Siqiao side couple seemed to divert focus from the main leads... I think the amount of ideas that the directing/producing team tried to put into this were great though not incredibly well-executed.
3. The script felt awkward. I think a lot of it is immediately adapted from Zhu Yi's novel, though. I didn't have this problem with "When I Fly Towards You" (which I think is still the best Zhu Yi novel to drama adaptation to date).
4. Some of the plots just don't make enough sense for me to believe them. When Wen Yifan escapes for 1.5 years in Hong Kong just to avoid hurting the people she loves, the way she gets back together with her friends and Sang Yan one miraculous day (after ~400 more with NO change of mind) felt rushed. There was no arc or development to the story here, which made the character feel shallow and "unalive."
4. I love Zhang Ruonan's acting... But, I think they could've gotten a dancer to do the dancing scenes (which were a little awkward, especially for a professional ballerina). This really broke some of the immersion and believability in the storytelling.

I know many people really appreciated this drama, so if you're into this sort of thing, I'd give it a try. But considering how long I waited for this (after Hidden Love and WIFTY I was expecting something exceptional), I felt a little underwhelmed : _ )

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