Promise in the Summer

Simple cute drama

I watched this drama as a full compilation of all episodes in one evening. It is simple, entertaining and perfect if you need to relax and just watch something nice with no need of too much brain.
What I like:
The relationship between people. The parents (specially mom of the ML) love their children and want them to be happy. The relationship of ML and his mom has Europian vibe to me.
The story has no true villains and the drama shows real friendship.
The ML is more airhead than mean and the FL gets him.
The acting of the main couple is pleasant, the girl looks like little bunny.
What I dislike:
The story is super cliché and there is almost nothing new.
The setting of the story is unclear. There should be 20 but they still wear a uniform at school? But the story itself doesn't have a big loopholes only timeframe seems to be messy.

Conclusion
This drama is simple, straightforward and very cute. I can recommend to watch it if you want to relax. Translation is ok and it has effect of good soup - you feel better when you finish. I think it can be watch again just to enjoy the relationship between characters. There are not many kissing and romance, but I didn't mind it at all.

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Terrible Overall, Easy to Watch

You are on the highway and see ambulances and police cars, possibly even a fire truck. You know there's a car crash and that you should look away. After all, you will only have yourself to blame if you see something terrible, maybe even gory. But you just can't make yourself look away from it. That is exactly how I felt about this drama while I was watching it.

Despite terrible acting, terrible kisses, being full of cliches, it's a super easy watch with some moments I found cute sprinkled here and there. This is my personal opinion and it's not meant to dissuade others from watching the show. If the show is something you think you will enjoy, try it.

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A short format drama that's actually adorable

I watched this series in the all episodes meshed in one video format which made it a little over 3 hours viewing time. With a break for a snack and to stretch, I was able to watch it like a long movie and all in one morning. It makes a difference in the viewing experience in my opinion so please do search for it in that format to make it easier than endlessly clicking on next video next video, ect.

The height difference between the leads is a LOT so if you find that adorable, this one is for you!

The acting was actually not too horrible considering that this isn't a normal length drama and that the FL was not a seasoned actress, she actually ended up doing a pretty bang up job. The ML actor has been acting for a few years now but could still use a little bit more help, though it might be his character rather than his acting as I haven't seen any of his other work so I can't comment too much on that.

Now for review of the actual story part:

The SFL actually ends up being a pretty nice person later on in the show, which is rather unusual in these dramas as the writers tend to make them annoying and unbearable for waaaay too long, this writer managed to have her do her bad girl part in the early portion and then redeem and change for the better in the second half.

There is no love rival/triangle for the FL, though the ML thinks there is.

There is a childhood link between the leads but they fall for each other way before that's revealed.

The mother of the ML is an absolute GEM of a mom! The dad is so/so after his introduction...then makes a HUGE mis-step that made me hate him for a bit, before coming around in the final stretch and closes out the drama on a high note.

There's a third female love interest for the ML that is not ever even on his radar, he doesn't even recognise her on the first time seeing her after she is introduced to the audience. Don't worry, she doesn't have much of an impact or screentime before she's gone!

There is a lot to love about this series, it's not the most insanely great show I've ever seen...but it's actually a pretty good one for the genre of short format webseries. The story is sweet, short, and funny. Absolutely worth the three hours viewing time if you're interested in these types.

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Sweet, Wealthy Mother of ML Breaks the Mold

The drama was short and sweet. It touched on childhood trauma, medical illness, and evil capitalists, but it stayed light and concentrated on the relationship of the stoic ML and the bubbly FL. Due to its mini-status, it didn't have time to do in-depth stories or be innovative. Having said that, the ML's mother was a breath of fresh air. She was supportive of the FL to the point of pushing their relationship. No fat envelopes of money or water dashed in the face! This mother removed the extra sleeping bag on a camping trip and brought out photos of the FL cavorting with the ML to show to his fiancée. That's worth an extra half star from me.

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Eight minute episodes? I'm in!

I've hit a wall trying to find a good romance that isn't long and drawn out, with so much filler that all I do is fast forward through most of it. I found this on Prime. 24 episodes of about 8-15 minutes each. I figured I could commit to this, and if it was terrible, not too much of my life was wasted.

I was pleasantly surprised. It's a cute storyline (but uniforms in college, is that a thing?).

Aside from the problems I had with it:
-It contained not one, but two girls that were willing to do anything to get the guy.
-an overbearing father.
-an arranged engagement.
-acting by most of the adults was bad. The way they talked, the way they moved, just not good.
-the male lead, Ma Hao Dong, had one expression, and when he talked, he talked like he had lockjaw.
-a couple of very poorly executed kisses
-typical tropes like only one hotel room, one mattress when they go camping, you know the drill.

There were things that I really liked:
-Liu Nian as Chu Xia (FL) is adorable, I mean seriously! I loved watching her.
-the main couple together was so cute. She's outgoing, he's stoic. He keeps asking his friend and his housekeeper for advice.
-I love when there's a height disparity between the leads. She was so tiny.
-I loved his mother. Rather than what we normally see, here we have a mom wanting what her son wants. She was very sweet and was so caring of both her son and Chu Xia.
-one of the irritating girls that wants the ML redeems herself
-I was able to put my remote down and give the fast forward button a rest
-I found myself smiling, a lot, while watching this

So, if you have a few hours to spare, want to just enjoy yourself and turn off your brain for a while, you might enjoy this.

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Feel-Good Romance Wrapped in Summer Warmth

Promise in the Summer is the kind of drama that wraps you in a cozy blanket and hands you a cup of warm tea. It’s soft, simple, sweet, and exactly the kind of palate-cleanser you watch when you need something fluffy after heavier dramas. The episodes are short and easy to binge and before you know it, you’ve watched the whole thing in one night.

The chemistry between the leads is the highlight. They communicate softly, avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, and treat each other with kindness. Their dynamic feels natural, warm, and quietly romantic. The female lead is absolutely lovable expressive, cute, and easy to root for while the male lead balances her perfectly with his steady, gentle personality. Even the little bits of jealousy are wholesome rather than stressful.

Is it cringey sometimes? Yes.
Is it adorable anyway? Also yes.
Does it make your heart soft? Absolutely.

The drama also adds a refreshing touch by returning to character growth after the backstory is resolved, instead of dragging the twist or switching tones completely. And the ML’s mom deserves her own award chaotic, hilarious, and delightfully meddlesome, especially with that photo album scene.

If you want a drama that feels like cotton candy sweet, light, and gone too soon this mini-series is a perfect choice.

💗 Who Should Watch It

✔ Fans of soft romance & gentle communication
✔ Anyone wanting a stress-free, feel-good binge
✔ Viewers who love fluffy mini-dramas with short episodes
✔ People who enjoy sweet jealousy without real love triangle angst
✔ Anyone needing a light palate cleanser between heavy dramas

🚫 Who Should Avoid It

✘ Viewers wanting complex plots or heavy angst
✘ Those who dislike cute/cringey moments in mini-dramas
✘ Anyone expecting deep character arcs or intense storytelling
✘ People who prefer long, detailed dramas with worldbuilding

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I just finished watching the 3 hour version on YouTube. It wasn't a full length drama that was edited to 3 hours. It was the full compilation of 8 minute episodes. As such, a lot of development that you would have gotten in 18-20 40 minute episodes was understandably missing. Even with overused plot devices that we have seen in other dramas, it was still enjoyable. The female lead was cute, the male lead wasn't too much of a jerk, and there weren't any over-the-top evil characters that make you say enough is enough and drop the show (as happens to me with many Chinese shows).

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Sweet, Cute, and Funny Show

I started watching this show on YouTube on April 4th-April 8th! The episodes are 5-12 minutes while they are 7-13 long episodes. A few episodes are funny in episode 8 where Chuxia looks at Qilu, in episode 13 where Qilu tells Chuxia he has her diary and tells her if he has read it or not, in episode 14, when Chuxia is getting the back and sits in the front of the car, and episode 15, when Chuxia promise Qilu that she won't cross the line to disturb him while he is sleeping. It was sweet that Qilu tutored Chuxia, Qilu taught Chuxia to dance, and Qilu applied ointment on Chuxia's hand where she burned from the coffee. They were cute doing the 1-minute touch task in episode 8, doing physical touch with their phones in their hand in episode 10, Chuxia steep on Qilu's feet to dance, and Chuxia went under the blanket and cuddle with Qilu in episode 14. I really enjoy the show!

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