The First Frost

Not a soft lighthearted drama (not my type)

So this is a hard one to rate. I first like to say I have never liked this girl in dramas, both dramas I have seen her in I have either dropped or stopped watching thinking I would go back but never did. She is not that bad of an actress, she knows how to cry on demand and is cute in some dramas so not bad but it's the kissing scenes in every drama of hers and I know it is hard for actors to maybe do those scenes but I like to see the love and there actors who choose the profession. I understand it might be hard for her and I could never do it but I am not an actress.

Aside from that this drama already 5 episodes in is not a soft light hearted drama, I use dramas to escape from my life and find justice and happiness. But in this drama there is a lot of talk about SA and hard things people go through so it might just be me but I like fluff (like in admist a snow storm of love - that kind of love or hidden love even lighter and princess) but this drama goes to much about SA not just once with the female lead but also at her work to it is like no matter where she goes SA or the talk of it maybe starting to happen. I have a feeling they will mention it agian and that's why she left school and stopped talking to him because something happened to her. So that's a total of what 3 times. Its just too much. I just think it's to sad in the begining that making me not want to keep watching it. I like the male lead but I still feel there is no connection between the leads.

Idk this drama got a lot of hype and it might be for some people but for me it is hard to rate it is also so early so I don't want to judge to much but it is too much at the begining and I like fluff, good vibes. We all know things happen in real like but I don't want to watch about it as I said I like to escape reality. But I understand it might be for some people as well.

UPDATE:

I updated my rating. If you can make it though the first couple episode past episode 5 or 6 I would say then it is cute. I don't like how the guy is like kind of going about things like him saying to get close to her or to have her like him "how can you take advantage of me when you sleep walk in to my bed" making a big deal when he liked it. You know when she already went though a lot and I feel just need comfort not to feel bad. But maybe it just how it was written or acted but I don't think it was okay or a way to get a girl. Don't get me wrong I love this troupe where a guy just wants to spend time with the girl he likes and he likes her first so he says ridiculous things and makes the girl spent time with her and then the girl realized she likes him. But in this situation when there is a lot of depth and a lot of past trauma idk if this is the way but that might just be me. I think the connection got better but I seem better dramas with way better connection between the leads. I think they some parts are cute and I like the female lead is not shy anymore like most couples after they get together where the girl is shy. I LOVED that, she would do things for him to not just him doing things for her. That is something I wish was in more dramas and it was cute mutual love. I think for me I don't like the depth of the character I think it is a lot and not bad but just to much. Like I said like happy fluffy and all the tropes in the book. Give them to me. Give me non hard topics.

Since it got better I changed my rating to a 6.5 because it is a drama I will finish and be happy about it. But it is not a drama I will watch agian. So my 6-7 is normally like okay but will not watch agian. My 4-5 are dropped and I never really rate anything lower then 4 unless it is Thai dramas because those are a hot freaking mess and make no sense and should never even be a show. Don't find to many dramas shitty but Thai and Japan dramas which I haver never will watch anymore. My personal opinion.

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Drama Review: First Frost (2025)

This drama completely stole my heart! 💕 The main leads had absolutely amazing chemistry—their acting was so impressive that I could truly feel their emotions in every scene. Their connection felt natural and deeply moving, making their love story all the more compelling.

While the side couple was okay, they didn’t capture my interest as much as the main pair did. The storyline involving the grandpa also didn’t really hold my attention, but that didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the drama.

The male lead? Total green flag! 🏳️💚 He was always there for the female lead, making her feel safe, loved, and cherished. His character was a dream, and I loved how their relationship developed so beautifully.

From start to finish, I was completely hooked! I honestly hope to see these two actors together again in another drama because their on-screen dynamic was just that good.

If you enjoyed Hidden Love, this drama is definitely for you! It’s easily one of my favorite dramas, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a heartfelt and beautifully executed romance. 💖✨

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A storytelling masterpiece about romantic and self love wrapped in a bow of excellent production

It’s been a few days since I finished the show and while I can’t remember every single detail, there are certain plot choices I want to highlight because of how good they were:

- **Flashback set up:** I normally don’t love jumping between timelines, but the way this show does it is phenomenal. It not only builds up their romance, but also helps unravel who they are as individuals and who they have grown into.
- Usually when we flashback, the actors are so obviously adults it’s disturbing but Bai Jing Ting & Zhang Ruo Nan have faces that really allowed them to seamlessly play high school and adult characters. So the casting for these two was 10/10.
- **The “set up” for assault:** I hate sad stories only because the real world is full of them. 1 in 4 women experience sexual assault including attempted sa. ~ 78% of rape cases involve someone the victim knows so to have this story really set the stage for this creepy uncle with concerning easy access to a young vulnerable girl was important to me in terms of properly representing that it’s not just strangers that hurt women.
- **When she talks to her past self (Ep. 29):** This scene almost broke me. It was such a great visual representation of healing and moving on from the scars that can haunt you.
- **Her mother’s apology (Ep. 30):** We can see that Yifan’s mom does not deserve her daughter, but Yifan for much of the show is still trying to meet her mom half way, so you aren’t really sure as a viewer how she will finally make peace with her mom. I love that she chose to let her mother completely go.
- **Secondary romance:** I usually enjoy the secondary couples in these romance shows, but Zhong Si Qiao and Su Hao An were such an excellent story. They felt like a different show (in a good way). Their plot didn’t overshadow Sang Yan & Wen Yi Fan but it also wasn’t so basic as to feel underwhelming/unneeded. It’s usually that the secondary couple(s) are “assigned” a basic trope and their story is squished in the few extra minutes the show has where its not a bad romance but there isn’t enough substance to really care or root for them. But I truly feel like we got to see Zhong Si Qiao and Su Hao An grow as individuals as well as a couple. I would LOVE a show that follows their kind of romance of oopies to old classmates to friends to lovers.

And OF COURSE the main romance. This is it’s own essay that it can’t be a bullet point. I have a lot I want to say about this relationship.

- It’s practically impossible for fated mates trope to be used for a contemporary romance, and yet, this show truly made me double think that. These two were truly made for each other and are fated.
- Sang Yan: He is stubborn, narcissistic, and brooding – but so very hot and perfect. Even with his “negative” traits at the forefront, we know his heart absolutely belongs to Wen Yi Fan. It real life, there is a bit of a creepy, stalker aspect to how in love he is with her even after she breaks his heart, but some how in this story it just works. Probably because Wen Yi Fan has been abandoned by her family and is alone in this world, but Sang Yan keeps his high school promise that she will never really be alone because she has him.
- Wen Yi Fan: She is traumatized and insists on running rather than facing trouble onwards BUT we can understand very well why. Her actual personality is witty and kind with a sprinkle of cutie-patootie. I love that she has always adored Sang Yan but that life and haters held her back from really indulging her feelings. Watching her grow into herself to gain confidence and defend herself was really beautiful. Seeing her find strength within herself but then learn how to depend on those that love her was the cherry on top.

All in all, this is not a light and fluffy romance, but it is a storytelling masterpiece with a happy ending.

### Original Thoughts & Ideas

- I wish parents had more counseling and guidance about how to really care for their child. Yifan was not wrong when she said the worst betrayal was not her aunt and uncle, but from her very own mother. This woman birthed and raised her for ~15 years, but just completely abandons her when hard times hit.
- Parents are not *owed* forgiveness when their actions play a direct role in your deepest hurts. While some children can make space to try and repair their relationship, sometimes the damage and hurt is too deep to ignore and that is okay.

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Overhyped, hollow performances, plot in service of visuals

I know I'm in the minority here, but aside from a fantastic OST, this drama was an empty, paint-by-the-numbers affair, very one-dimensional. It honestly felt like a bunch of fan serviced slapped together with some trauma in between to glue everything together. The entire thing felt formulaic, like they took all the pieces that people fangirl about on tiktok - a gorgeous lead couple, a cute second lead couple, a FL with a tragic backstory, a ML who is a 100% green flag coded - and tossed it into a pot and said "ta da!".

And the chemistry, or lack thereof: I know everyone thinks the chemistry was insane between the main leads but to me it all fell really flat. The FL is adorable. the ML is cute. There are lots of scenes that should have been chemistrying, but the screenwriters didn't do the work to build the ML up as a person beyond his long-time crush on the FL, so none of the yearning, the self-sacrifice, and the sweet scenes feel earned. And what's more, the way the scenes were constructed was so obvious and clumsily executed that there was no charm. No "movie magic". Just two very pretty people going through the paces.

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For a sequel to hidden love it was a lot harder. Watch.

I liked it, but I didn’t love it and I really wanted to.

The cast is fantastic. The story is amazing as it’s essentially a sequel to my favourite hidden Love.. would’ve been nice if it was the same cast however I understand the reasons for the change.

Though it was good, it was excruciatingly slow moving.

At times I was frustrated by her lack of communication, even though I knew the reasons why it was like pulling teeth watching her squirm and not say anything.

I didn’t like her reasons for leaving and breaking the man she loves heart.

The FL mother was a total disgrace and I’m glad they didn’t try and do some weird redemption arc for her after she abandoned her when she was nearly raped by her sister-in-law‘s son. She would have to live with the guilt for the rest of her life and I felt a sense of satisfaction with that.

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Mixed feelings

I normally don't leave reviews, but this drama is worth doing it.
Im a big sucker for the childhood trope evolving into a serious relationship later. But Sang Yan was so awkward. I think I even preferred the Sang Yan from HL.
Wen Yifan had a gorgeous character development: she went from being miserable and lonely into being kind and resilient. But I cringed really hard with the ballet scenes - I am a ballerina and it was very hard to watch.
I loved the second couple, it was easy to understand why they fell in love with each other. The grandpa arc made me think about my grandfather, and made me smile multiple times.
In the end, it was an interesting drama, especially because of the FL story. But feeling like the ML was boring and awkward really didn't help.

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LOVE-SWEET-WONDERFUL

I only watched this series because of the ML (watched Mobius which he was in and liked him from that series). This is the 2nd Chinese series I’ve seen. (I watch K-dramas)! I so loved this series, although a little long for me, I prefer shorter series.
I loved both the ML & FL, they were awesome I thought (as well as all the supporting actors). It had a lot of sad moments and issues, but this series I think is truly about true love and to see how much he truly loved her was amazing, just melted my heart.
And of all the K-dramas I’ve watched, I have to say this had the best ending (yeah it made me cry) but a happy cry. The ending was just amazing, so sweet, so full of love, so everything. I LOVED IT! MADE THE WHOLE SERIES!

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This is my 15th C-Drama and it's the first time I give a 10 in a review...

(Spoilers are at the end with a warning.)

I'm not sure what to say other than you have to watch it to form your own opinion; it may or may not resonate with you. But from the outstanding worldwide ranking this drama received, it speaks for itself.

As I was watching it for the first time, I was completely drawn in by the story and the people within it. I caught myself smiling the whole way through, falling in love with the characters as the story unfolded, and wishing I had met this special someone in my life. It made me discover new actors, and Bai JingTing is now part of my Top 3 favorite actors.

Rarely does an OST feel like a heartbeat running through a story. This one does.
It's the first time I love all the songs of an OST except one. I usually enjoy 1 to 3 songs at the most and discard the rest. This OST has now become part of my regular favorite songs playlist.





--------------- Spoiler: Do Not Read if you haven't watched the Drama --------------

I'll point out 2 things I found questionable in the story. It's minor, but since I gave a 10 and there is no such thing as perfection, I need to rant a little bit!

1- In the real world, when someone stalks someone else, it usually never ends well.
Sang Yan's behavior was a little obsessive in the wrong way during the years Wen Yifan was in Yihe. I do get that he was deeply hurt while suspecting something was off, so in a way, he was "investigating". But going there once a month over the 2 years she was working after graduation is not a healthy behavior.


2- In episode 31, we finally see the complete “Day 1” scene—their very first meeting.
It’s the first day of school, and both are running late. Sang Yan spots Wen Yifan, and in a sudden impulse, he dashes up the stairs to position himself, pretending to play basketball, hoping she’ll notice him.

It’s meant to be a cute moment, but it just doesn’t land: why would someone fall for a girl he’s seen for less than 30 seconds? Why go out of his way to get her attention, especially when he has no idea where she’s headed? The campus is vast, with several paths, and her actual destination turns out to be nowhere near those stairs. She might as well never have gone up there at all.

It would have been more plausible if he had just been goofing around, and she bumped into him by sheer chance.

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