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Emotionally devastating in the best way—10 is for the ache it left behind..
I didn’t plan to watch this, but after reading the reviews, I gave it a try. And it completely wrecked me.I know this drama isn’t directly connected to Hidden Love, but still, at the end of 2023, I fell in love with that show. I didn’t think anyone could live up to Victor Ma’s Sang Yan, and I loved the original cast so much that I questioned why they’d even bother changing something that already worked.
Then Bai Jing Ting showed up in episode one… and destroyed every single one of those doubts.
HE is Sang Yan.
He didn’t just play the role—he embodied it. His expressions, emotional control, subtle mannerisms… he gave so much depth that I found myself wondering, “Where do I go to hire a Sang Yan?” I wasn’t a fan before this, but he completely earned my respect.
Zhang Ruo Nan was just as fantastic. Her emotional delivery of Yi Fan, her presence, and the growth as the show progresses were all very believable. She made every difficult decision feel understandable. I rooted for her even when I didn’t fully agree, because she was able to show she made the best decision "for her" at the time. Her performance was also outstanding throughout.
Now, I still gave this a 10—but I did have one gripe.
I couldn’t connect to the second couple much. Their dynamic didn’t feel as grounded or compelling. But more importantly, Yi Fan’s friend Qiao Qiao frustrated me, especially in the second half. Her friend's stance was so narrow-minded.
At first, I tried to understand her skepticism. When Yi Fan and Qiao Qiao first met Sang Yan after six years, she didn't know him, and she only had rumors to go on. From that perspective, he did seem cold and distant.
But after they found Yi Fan in Hong Kong? Her attitude was baffling.
This was the same man who’d never stopped searching. The man who tried to understand Yi Fan’s pain, even when she left without warning. The man who carried his heartbreak across cities. Qiao Qiao saw that up close. She spent six months with him.
And still she said things like (to Hao An):
“Don’t tell Sang Yan we found her.”
“She left him, and we don’t know what happened, so we should stay out of it.”
“She can find someone better.”
I was genuinely angry on Sang Yan’s behalf. He wasn’t selfish. He didn’t chase her out of ego. He chased her because he loved her deeply and unconditionally. And yet her friend acted like his pain didn’t matter. It's almost like her friend (actually, both of her friends acted that way) kept holding him responsible for her decision to leave when they admitted that she tended to bottle things up.
I don’t mean to turn this into a rant. But truly… give the guy a break.
Oh, and also her mom has to be one of the worst moms in Cdrama history for me. It's one thing to mistreat your child or pressure them (with good intentions). It's a completely different ballpark to slowly push them aside, ignore their cries for help, and pretend all is still well. By the end, her mom was just as culpable as Che Xing De in my eyes (if not more), and the gall of her to look for sympathy. Glad Yi Fan was strong enough to cut her off.
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First Frost
First Frost is a visually stunning drama that captures the heart with its timeless love story. The chemistry between the male and female leads is nothing short of magical—they act so well together that every glance and word feels deeply genuine. Their bond feels eternal, like a love that transcends time and fate.Beyond the romance, the cinematography is breathtaking. The scenery is so beautifully shot that it adds an almost dreamlike quality to the story, enhancing both the mood and the emotional depth.
If you're a fan of soul-deep connections and unforgettable visuals, First Frost is a must-watch.
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So beautifull!
As a huge fan of Hidden love, i was a bit afraid that this would be somewhat dissapointing, man i was so wrong!!Though this spinn-off is a bit darker than Hidden love, is is just as beauifull. They really did justice in giving it the same feels when watching it. Also very good to see there were several moments from Hidden love in it, so it really felt like the two drama's belonged together.
Sang Yan and Wen Yifan reminded me so much of Sang Zhi and Duan Jia Xu. Though it was a darker drama, it still had enough funny and sweet moments. Sang Yan and Wen Yifan had amazing chemistry.
I also adored the second couple, they also had very good chemistry.
The visuals and music were also very beautifull. Really no flaws to find in this drama.
I won't rewatch it as much as Hidden love, but i will definatly watch it again!
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Best Chinese drama ever made.
I rewatched this drama again today and obviously loved it again.so I created another MDL account with my twitter account and rated it 10/10 ratings.This drama is really good,This was my first Chinese drama. This drama was broadcasted on February and I am still on this drama.I am not a fan of Chinese dramas ,I believed that every Chinese dramas are lookalike with a same setup, costumes,old buildings and every story with prince or emperor.This drama was totally different,it felt like a Korean level drama,Infact I can easily place it on top 3 best drama on combined list of best Chinese and Korean drama.Both lead actors have a great chemistry with each other.Was this review helpful to you?
Unexpectedly Beautiful ❤️
I've always been a go to k-drama watcher, for me they produce always the best dramas out there, but sometimes i also watch c-drama when it's over hyped or the actors and actresses are so popular.It's my first time trying to watch a drama without any expectations or any knowledge about the plot and the cast, and oh boy it surprised me, i never thought that c-drama could produce a show like this, and i can say it is on par with those popular k-dramas out there, and for me i can say that it even exceeded those.
Life is a journey with full of challenges, it can be everyday, or sometimes. But the lesson you will get on this drama is, even though it is really dark and you feel like there is no hope, there will always be a light that will come after the darkness, it may be in a form of someone, or something but believe in it it will come.
I love this drama so much it is truly worth the watch, a slow burn for the ages indeed,
Bai Jing Ting and Zhang Ruonan, truly delivered with the acting, im a new fan 🫶. Bye bye Wen Yifan and Sang Yan, i will miss TFF so much. 🍃❄️
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good story❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️✨✨✨✨✨
Every person has their own problem with their solutions, so don’t blame yourself❤️ This story is always good in my heart. Nothing can replace this good story❤️❤️❤️This is the story I rated the highest in the movie 2025. It's really good. I love this story the most!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎🤧❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🥰🥰🥰❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
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♡
sang yan!!!! he sets the bar SO HIGH!! 🥹 no one can top him i fear.... he is the literal definition of walking green forest 🥹 i love how he waits yifan. waits for her to be ready to be loved again. he never make her feel uncomfortable, not rushing anything. just taking it slowly and always respecting her boundaries. they deserve each other so much and I REALLY LOVE the ending of this series. it shows sangyan's pov how sangyan did the first move. all this time, he is the one who noticed yifan first. he fell first and fell harder. the yearning... the heavy angst is top tier for me ♡Was this review helpful to you?
Best chinese drama of all time
Everything is perfect in this drama. This drama deserves rating of over 9. I guess peoples(fans of other series or actors) are envy of its success.The First Frost is an emotional masterpiece that took me by surprise. With its heartwarming story, deep character development, and breathtaking cinematography, this drama effortlessly pulls you in and doesn’t let go.
What sets it apart is the chemistry between Bai Jingting and Zhang Ruonan, so natural and heartfelt, it feels like you’re witnessing a real love story unfold. The slow-burn romance is beautifully written, with just the right mix of nostalgia, healing, and emotional tension.
Every frame of this series is a visual treat, supported by a soulful soundtrack that perfectly captures each mood. It’s not just a romance, it's a story about growth, reconnection, and finding peace with your past.
If you’re looking for a drama that delivers both heart and quality, The First Frost is a must-watch. You’ll laugh, cry, and reflect then wish you could watch it all over again. One of the best Chinese dramas in recent years
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Absolutely amazing
How do I even begin to describe how much I loved this drama. Everything was perfection. I can’t think of a single thing I would change. It had just the right amount of everything you need for a perfect show.The actor’s chemistry was 🔥🔥🔥. The secondary cast was 😍! The story was beautiful. The music was very good! The production was beautiful & flawless.
I never write reviews and I couldn’t watch this show and not leave some kind of admiration for it.
My husband who doesn’t really care for my dramas watched some of it. I know y’all don’t know my husband or me, but that’s saying a lot 😂😂 I wish I could watch it again for the first time. It’s that good.
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And then… somehow… I stayed.
This drama is slow. Very slow. But the slowness is not empty — it is intentional. Every pause, every silence between Sang Yan (Bai Jing Ting)and Wen Yifan(Zhang Ruo Nan) carries emotional meaning. This is not a romance that feeds you constant excitement. It makes you sit, think, process, and feel.
Sang Yan starts off frustrating — acting cool, teasing with arrogance, flirting without fully reading Wen Yifan’s emotional boundaries. And Wen Yifan’s distance is not coldness — it’s fear. Fear of offending him, fear of making him uncomfortable, fear shaped by personal issues and past experiences. What makes this drama good is that both reactions make sense. Their misunderstandings feel human, not forced.
As the story progresses, Sang Yan evolves into one of the greenest green flags ever written. Patient, emotionally aware, gentle, and deeply respectful. Not the heart-pounding type like Duan Jiaxu (Hidden Love), but the kind of man that makes you feel safe. Almost unrealistically safe — the kind that raises expectations to dangerous levels.
One of the strongest points of this drama is its friendship and side storylines.
The storyline between Zhong Siqiao and Su Hao An is surprisingly good. Their emotional timing, separation, and progression feel logical and earned. It’s not filler romance — it adds depth and warmth to the story. Even He Chen (the doctor friend) is so likable that I genuinely wished he had his own storyline.
Visually, this drama is beautiful. Bright, clean, soft, and emotionally supportive. Zhang Ruo Nan looks absolutely stunning here — vulnerable, lost, and radiant in a way I’ve never felt in her other dramas. Bai Jing Ting’s tall presence, deep voice, and restrained emotional delivery justify every heartthrob label given to him.
The Hidden Love references — familiar characters and music — feel like a warm blessing rather than fan service. Even if the faces are different, the emotional continuity works, and I accepted it naturally.
This drama won’t make your heart race.
It makes you feel, soften, and quietly heal.
If there is a wedding scene, this is an instant 10/10.
Until then, it’s a solid 9.5/10 — slow, gentle, emotionally intelligent, and deeply immersiv
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Don’t miss watching this gem!
From beginning to end, this is a great drama! It’s a dramatically told love story than spans several years of love found, then lost and later rekindled. After watching literally hundreds of dramas over the years, I put this drama in the league with the 10 best I have ever seen. the acting is stellar, the love they have for each other is palpable and you feel it. The male lead is outstanding and sincerely expresses his love and devotion to this girl he loves so deeply. The female lead shows raw emotion in her deeply troubled unfortunate life and her low self esteem and feelings of inadequacy, leading her to feel she doesn’t deserve such heartfelt love. It really is a superb drama, so don’t miss it.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Expectations Verse Reality
First let me preface this review by saying that I liked and enjoyed this drama. There were many things that I love(d) about watching this adaptation. Frist and foremost, the performances by Bai Jing Ting and Shang Ruo Nan as Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan(Wen Shuang Jiang) respectively were amazing and should be praised. Not only did their physical appearance, wardrobe, and over all styling match the characters, but the emotions that they conveyed matched that of Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan. The only time it didn't match were when the writer-director deviated from the source material for in my opinion, fan service. More on this later in my review.I liked the balance that was kept throughout the show of both mains' perspectives being shown. There were certain aspects to Sang Yan's character that were sprinkled in early on that would pay off much later in the drama, just like it did in the novel. There were even a few things that they held off on revealing until a bit later in the drama than in the original source material which I feel worked better.
Shang Ruo Nan really understood Wen Yi Fan's shyness, curiosity, hesitance…and her innocence down. A thing that a lot of people seem to forget is that Yi Fan had to grow up very fast, very suddenly. But with that speed run to adulthood she skipped over a lot of other milestones someone in their late teens and early twenties would experience. She only ever got to experience unconditional love from two people, and both left her early. The one left remaining who was supposed to love her unconditionally then made her feel unlovable/unworthy of unconditional love and care. So the slower pace of the drama lent to the slow progression of Yi Fan coming out of her shell.
Only critique I have is that they didn't hire someone who knows ballet to get Shang Ruo Nan's posture down. So imo it doesn't so much fall on the actress, but production. They could have easily used a foot double for close ups and done medium shots with Shang Ruo Nan...which there were many, but she never held her chest or arms correctly for someone trained in en pointe ballet. A real missed opportunity, imo, for showing Wen Yi Fan's inner world would have been showing her breaking in her pointe shoes, showing her mending the last few pairs she was able to get before her mother cut her off. An example of this filming technique can be found in the movie 'Center Stage' if you are a dancer, chances are you know exactly which scene I'm referring to. I don't think you realized how many and and how expensive pointe ballet shoes are. They come in many sizes and variations and it is extremely important to have pairs that fit you. A professional dancer can go through a pair within less than a week. Also one does not simple jump back into en pointe after 6 years of zero dancing...good way to never walk again. her shoes should have looked more worn and shown her personal touch. They felt sterile and like they just came out of a box.
The director is good at filming the darker in mood scenes. So most of the sleepwalking and trauma related flashbacks. The use of light within the apartment was well done. Using softer practical lights to show warmth and a sense of comfort. He also excels at young love/innocent crush type of casual scenes. Their high school flashback scenes were some of the best shot of the entire series. The color grading was ever so slightly different and I preferred his use of water/reflections during these scenes.
Okay…now to the things that I had some issues with. Leave now if you either already watched the show and don't want anything to pop that bliss bubble, or if you haven't watched the show and have never read the source material/seen Hidden Love. Go watch the drama and form your own opinion. If you start feeling a certain kind of way, by all means revisit this review. I don't want to yuck someone's yum, but a review/critique can sometimes feel like an attack if you aren't ready to hear a different POV.
My expectations were too high for this one, and I was left feeling somewhat disappointed in production(the team that adapts the material aka the bts people). I have a deep love for this story and these characters, and have an eye for production quality that will affect my overall viewing of a drama. I have a background in photography and my special interest is film & television. I'm harsher on this project because it was an extremely sought after IP with a pretty high budget behind it, as well as a great cast.
The story changes made throughout the drama were sometimes strange and other times outright nonsensical. To their credit, some of the changes were well executed and performed, leaving a lasting impression on the viewer.
But, to choose to add more depressing/traumatic things was a strange choice. The side stories they chose to include in a drama that already had a very heavy subject matter at its core tipped what was once a well-balanced melo-romance too far into the melo side of things.
If they wanted to expand the runtime they could have shown more of Sang Yan's inner world outside of Wen Yi Fan. Instead what we got were their friends dealing with a dementia grandpa and a dead dog. We didn't need parallels drawn for us with characters that didn't exist in the source material, that only slowed down the story. Sang Yan and Yi Fan's story was enough for the drama. We did not need a rich orphan with a dead dog and grandparents losing their mind and their love for each other to cut into character development happening with the lead couple/characters. Any other show I would have eaten it up and said thank you, but not in The First Frost.
I don't think this director really understands romantic romance, which is odd, considering he directed the Taiwanese version of It Started With a Kiss/They Kiss Again. He can do suspense and melodrama, but the tension and lightness that comes with love/attraction was lacking in the camera language used. He could do the sadness, but the happiness felt...surface level. (Other than that amazing scene where they used in camera practical projection of images on Wen Yi Fan in her bedroom.)
There were a lot of missed opportunities when it came to filming/editing detail shots. If you've ever watched a slow burn before it's all in the small hand movements, breath, slight dilation of the eyes/nose, getting an intentional medium to close shot of those moments ad weight to a scene that gives anticipation/tension. When those shots did exists some of them were cut short. Messing with the frame rate could have helped as well.
Some of the better moments were them in high school....which would make since with the whole It Started With a Kiss background. When Wen Yi Fan is pursuing Sang Yan very little of her fumbling attempts at flirting were shown. It's a good chunk of the novel and was glazed over in favor of dementia grandpa troubles.
Once they are together in the novel Yi Fan is a very physically affectionate person. She doesn't like it when he carries everything for her because it means he doesn't have a free hand for her to hold onto. THIS was a side of Yi Fan that was missing from this director's screenplay. We only see her like this when she's drunk after the wedding. She will get a look of frustration when she isn't able to express her affection well that Sang Yan finds adorable. We see a little of this in the drama, but they didn't lean into it as I feel they could have.
Major changes to source material that changes the characterizations of Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan as people….
I mentioned this in the comment section when it happened the first time, but it needs to be said again. I don’t know why they chose to do this, and have only come to the conclusion that they wanted to give fan service to Hidden Love fans, which is weird because it's different actors so no one would honestly care if they do or do not show up on screen. But to include Duan Jia Xu into present day Sang Yan's life prior to the summer Sang Yan visits his sister is…wild for multiple reasons the glaringly obvious one is having him be half naked in Wen Yi Fan's apartment without permission.
Sang Yan was the one to make the house rules so that Wen Yi Fan could feel safe and comfortable. There is no way on god's green earth that Sang Yan, protector of Wen Yi Fan would let a MAN into their shared apartment WITHOUT HER KNOWLEDGE. All production had to do to rectify this is to show that Sang Yan texted her that his friend was coming over, she could have been busy at work and forgot that she had agreed and THEN run into Duan Jai Xu outside the bathroom. Wen Yi Fan did not need to be surprised multiple times by a strange half-dressed wet man in her private space. She also never would have allowed the intern into her apartment. And the flasher when she met the intern never existed…why are we adding more unwanted interactions with strange men? It became gratuitous.
Another issue with the changes were that of Che Xing De. Instead of him being a drunk brother of her aunt that moved in with them because he couldn't hold down a job, in the drama the apartment became HIS. Instead of being the drunk driver that she reports on late one night, he's just a passenger in the car and then later becomes the security guard for her TV station's building....I'm sorry...what was the reason? It was like the director needed him to be more than just a deadbeat man. The whole point was that even a deadbeat drunk had more power than a helpless teenage girl whose mother abandoned her. They gave the villain more power at the expense of taking agency from the female lead. Instead of being a drunk, loitering outside her office building extort money and then robbing her, he became employed by her company with access to the building she works in late at night....do yall see why this logic does not work?....He had access to the building that she works in, alone, and never acted on it.....she had knowledge of is past behavior and is a reporter and said NOTHING to her co-workers or bosses about the predator "protecting" the building. Wen Yi Fan would NEVER. She might have been a private person, but if he wasn't just a bum harassing her 100% would have told someone else.
And for the largest change to the source material, we come to episode 24-27. In the novel Sang Yan and Yi Fan get into an argument, a small one, right before he leaves for the airport to visit Zhi Zhi in Yihe, leaving his luggage in the car and leaving the car behind for Yi Fan to use. Two days later...a whole 48 hours...Yi Fan has taken 3 days of leave from work and shows up at the airport in Yihe. Sang Yan runs into her at the airport after getting worried when she doesn't answer his call and having decided to fly back early to check on her. SHE GOES TO HIM IN LESS THAN 48 HOURS. She doesn't respond to his texts for a few hours and he gets worried enough to head home from across the country. They NEVER stop communicating once they are together.
So tell me, dear reader, why oh, why did the director decide to change this to Wen Yi Fan ghosting not only Sang Yan, but her friends, colleagues, and CAT, to go off to Hong Kong for 6 MONTHs? And the ONLY reason it wasn't MORE than 6 months was because she gets spotted by her childhood friend and then gets hunted down by her best friend's rich boyfriend....again...WTF?
They made Wen Yi Fan way more passive than she is in the source material to uplift other male characters…it was a strange choice for a show centered on a woman's struggles and journey to self-love and being able to accept other's love.
I just feel like the director was trying to do a lot of things filming technique wise, but didn't really execute them well. Certain filming techniques were like watching a first year film student test out their camera equipment for the first time and over doing it. I know that sounds very harsh, but to film so many scenes in the exact same manner i.e. through a pane of glass, a mirror, having a lens flare or object out of focus in the foreground while focusing on the background repeatedly when trying to portray different moods was imo a bad use of film language. (please look at Film 'Making Basics: Everything you need to know in 8 minutes' by Alfie Vaughan) It will give you the basics of what I've been looking at when watching shows and may help you understand why I am the way I am. It's not very in depth but yeah.
Anyway, to finish off this very long review. I did have an overall positive viewing experience, but it just didn't meet my expectations for an adaptation of a slow burn romance with it's budget behind it.
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