The Early Spring

Such a toxic but charming relationship

I honestly loved this series. Their chemistry is out of this world and they were both so well casted. Jing Boran is just so charming like he has a mature CEO face but also such a seductive gaze. Sun Qian gives off independant woman but she still pulls off the acting cute very well. Together they're just such an attractive couple.

I saw online that in the books their relationship was purely physical which made Flora's reaction valid however in the show I felt her reactions made her look like the more toxic one in the relationship. Like I was genuinelly confused as to why she acted certain ways at times.

Overall I would watch this again. I especially loved the first half of the series.

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Luke is not the only toxic one in this story; Tao is just as toxic in her own way

I want to take exception to the reviewers who want to make Luke the toxic one. He is problematic in the way many men are, especially if they have grown up in an already emotionally shut down family.

Yes, Luke is frozen in one way: he cannot express the depth of his true feelings for Tao, but neither can she express her feelings for him or even tell him the basics he would need to know in order to keep going forward with him. And as another reviewer has mentioned: she doesn't let him in on any of the appropriate details of her life. He doesn't ask to keep their relationship secret, she does. Now, I am sure had she not asked for that secrecy, he would have if only to protect both of them. But she doesn't find any way to foster their relationship at all besides seeing him for sex which is pretty unclear as Chinese drama doesn't want to portray females as desiring sex. Imagine if a man told a woman that the sex they had just had was an accident, he would be pilloried on sight.

She is silent when she should definitely share or worse, lies outright so many times it is impossible to keep track. After they are in a relationship, and a bit before, he begins helping her in all sorts of ways that allow her to shine. She remains impervious to realizing this!

As an elder who has been a strong feminist since the early 70s at least, Tao made me far more frustrated than him. She never responds to the many ways he show his feelings for her, and always misinterprets his gestures. The expensive bags issue is just one example. Where I come from, a man giving you expensive gifts can mean he is trying to buy you, but nothing surrounding Luke's gifts ever suggests that. She never even opens these gifts!! Where I come from that is just rude. If she didn't want him giving her expensive gifts, she should have just told him. I would have, especially if they were over the top.

Basically, Tao is passive, and the level of her passivity drives me nuts. She, unlike him, had a loving mother and father who got along, who made her strong and let her go out into the world to succeed. Boy, I wish I had had one tenth of what they gave her.

In some ways, she acts more like a messed up male than he does -- hiding all sorts of things and lying again and again.

This script is excellent. I could see all these subtleties, why couldn't more of the reviewers here see them?

This is a toxic relationship which ultimately gets fixed; however, what Luke has to do to win her back is way, way over the top. If your lover cries in your arms over how much he misses you, you should show so much more than a steely, stoic face. I would have broken down in response or, if he was faking it in any way, told him to stop acting.

Both of them were shut down in complementary ways, but six+ whole years of this is really stretching credibility. That would be one criticism of the script; another would be its lack of illumination regarding WHY Tao is this frozen.

This is coming from a senior woman who was quite frozen as a young adult because of her family upbringing, but even I could not tolerate Tao's rigidity.

If this is Chinese feminism's stance, it needs deep rethinking. Feminism is not making women into men: it involves pushing men to be more like women.

Most people are messed up in some way. Except for extreme cases, we should all remain open to understanding the complexities of romantic relationships in light of this fact.

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No Perfection Required

The Early Spring grabs you.

It tells the story of two flawed people. The ML, Luke, is brilliant and confident. The FL, Flora, is hard-working with a positive view of the world, but she has insecurities. Luke and Flora begin a secret relationship while working together. Their relationship begins with an imbalance of power, but changes as they come to understand each other's flaws.

What makes this drama interesting is how it handles these flaws. Instead of requiring the characters to magically fix themselves before finding happiness, the narrative shows that you do not need to be perfect to be worthy of love. The romance develops as they learn to accept, forgive, and to create a safe space for each other's vulnerabilities. It is a refreshing, deeply comforting reminder that true connection isn't about finding a perfect person, but about loving an imperfect person perfectly.

The OST was beautiful and enhanced the intimacy in the drama.
My only complaint is that the time jumps in the later episodes were sometimes confusing to follow, but this did not take away from my enjoyment of The Early Spring. I loved it!

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Sexy Underground Romance. Great Chemistry.

When I saw the extraordinary 8.7 rating for The Early Spring (at least when I first started watching it), I wondered: what kind of modern office romance, with the usual CEO-and-young-intern trope, could possibly deserve a rating that high? So I gave it a try. Four episodes in, I was already on the verge of dropping it. However, as I plodded along, the great acting persuaded me to stay.

It turns out the boss is basically a two-faced creep. In public, he's serious, always wearing a stern expression, and rude to the extreme. But in private, he's a sexy, aspiring singer—and, well, pretty horny. Despite all that, he's upstanding and devoted. And the female lead? She's timid, awkward, and naive—the perfect prey for a hungry wolf. And yes, she falls for him.

I was actually surprised that I haven't seen more criticism from the "Me Too" viewers about the male lead taking advantage of his subordinate. Yes, their sexual encounters are consensual, but she was still under 18 (according to her employment record which I feel could be a mistake because she has just graduated college, so she must be in her early 20s unless she's a prodigy) when they first slept together. Add the boss-subordinate power imbalance to the mix, and it's hard not to feel uncomfortable with the setup.

That said, I think the biggest appeal of this drama is exactly that: the secret, intimate, forbidden office romance. Despite the tropey and predictable plot, I was mesmerized by the cities—Beijing and Harbin, which helped me continue, especially in the beginning.

On the funny side, I was surprised to discover that quite a few of the high ratings seem to come from middle-aged women. They are completely mesmerized by Jin Bo Ran's sexiness and happily compare him with their own husbands and bosses, whom they say "make them puke." Apparently, Jin Bo Ran is giving a lot of viewers something their real-life men aren't!

Despite my rocky start with the drama, I have to admit that I eventually came to enjoy the drama—and a big reason is the acting.

Jin Bo Ran and Sun Qian are both excellent.

Jin Bo Ran naturally has a stern-looking face, so playing Luan Nian is almost a perfect fit for him. His serious, restrained, and unwavering demeanor feels very natural. But what really impressed me was watching Luan Nian completely break down and cry. Those scenes were genuinely heartbreaking, and Jin Bo Ran absolutely nailed them. His performance made the character much more complicated and vulnerable than he first appeared.

Sun Qian is equally convincing as Shang Zhi Tao, the timid and naive young intern who gradually grows into a confident professional. Her transformation feels believable and unforced. And honestly, I can understand why Shang Zhi Tao is attracted to Luan Nian from the moment she sees him. Young women can certainly be drawn to mature, powerful, successful, and good-looking men—and Sun Qian does a great job making that attraction feel natural and believable.

And then there's the chemistry between Sun Qian and Jin Bo Ran.

It's amazing.

Their on-screen chemistry is intense, sensual, and probably the biggest reason romance fans will keep watching. There are substantial intimacy scenes throughout almost the entire drama, so if you're looking for a romance with plenty of physical chemistry, this drama definitely delivers.

So, would I recommend The Early Spring?

Yes—but with a big caveat.

If you can get past the uncomfortable premise of a boss seducing his very young intern, and you're willing to stick with it beyond the tropey beginning, there's actually a lot to enjoy here: beautiful city scenery, strong performances, emotional moments, and some seriously impressive chemistry between the leads.

For romance buffs, especially those who enjoy a secret office romance with lots of intimacy, this may be one worth watching.

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The worst modern cdrama I’ve ever seen!

Most watchers are saying it's realistic but personally all I saw was romanticising toxic relationships. This drama was simultaneously mega boring and rage bait frustrating me, with the only redeeming quality being Jing Boran’s face card and Liu Yuning singing the opening. I don't even know why I made it to the end.

The male lead is the epitome of the reason why the korean 4B movement was created. Since the start, he showed misogynistic behaviour, undervaluing her, literally insulting her every time he was insecure and jealous. But it’s ok we should root for him because hE LoVes hER, because he hasn’t been loved, doesn’t know how to love etc. And after 6 years, 21 episodes, she leaves him and he FINALLY realises all his mistakes and magically will fix his behaviour. Sure buddy. That’s definitely how it works in real life.

The female lead is equally unlikable. Accepting and forgiving every insult and mistreatment from the male lead because sHe LoVes hIm. After 6 years, 21 episodes realises all of her problems would have been fixed if she simply left the damn job or OPENED her mouth and explained her pain.

The biggest issue for me was not even the never ending 20 episode cycle of toxicity, misunderstanding and miscommunication. But the fact that I couldn’t root for them because I never believed in their “love”. How did they fall in love exactly?? Their whole relationship was built on physical attraction and sex. These people had barely any personality, no hobbies, or deep conversations. It was just work - sex - work etc.

The only conclusion of this drama that would have worked for me was if the leads never got together in the end. Then it would have been a good message especially to the younger audience. People might complain about unrealistic green flags in modern cdramas but at least in these we are shown a healthy relationship built on kindness, respect and true love. This drama didn’t even feel chinese, none of the chinese magic was there for me.

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Through the veil of Early Spring:A tale of growth & grace with the deadly dance of ambition of heart

"The Early Spring" is that kind of drama which I didn't have any idea about and never planned to start as I got sick of romance dramas because they got monotonous. To end my months long slump I decided to give it a go because I had a soft spot for Jing Boran. But I was utterly surprised to find it super addicting.

This series was a beautifully crafted modern romance workplace drama that delicately captured the raw emotions of youth, ambition, and the bittersweet journey of self-discovery. This series invited viewers into the world of Shang Zhitao and Luan Nian, two souls whose lives intertwined amidst the bustling corridors of a top global advertising agency, Lime (not lime but li-me lol)

>Characters:
•From the very first episode, Shang Zhitao’s character resonated with me deeply. As a fresh graduate stepping into the intimidating world of corporate life, Zhitao embodied the vulnerability and fierce determination of anyone chasing their dreams against all odds. Her journey was not just about professional growth but also about finding her own voice in a world that often demanded conformity. The struggles she faced from the harsh words of her boss to the internal battles of self-doubt were portrayed with such authenticity that it’s impossible not to root for her.

•Luan Nian, aka Luke, Zhitao’s boss, was a complex figure as he was blunt, demanding, yet quietly protective. His initial coldness masked a deep care and a personal history that slowly unfolded, revealing layers of pain and resilience. The chemistry between Jing Boran’s Luan Nian and Sun Qian’s Shang Zhitao was electric yet tender, capturing the nuanced dance of respect, frustration, and growing affection. Their interactions were filled with unspoken emotions, subtle glances, immense chemistry and moments of vulnerability that spoke louder than words.

•The supporting cast added depth and warmth, each character contributing to the rich tapestry of the story. Lumi, Sun Yuanzhu and Sun Yu were the best thing that happened to Shang Zhitao. Their friendship was everything! In the cold, competitive, ruthless corporate jungle, she found the gems we couldn't. Their own storylines were sensitive and evocative which allowed the emotions to breathe and the story to unfold naturally.

>Acting:
I can't explain enough how much they made me all giddy and excited one moment, and on the other day, I was crying my heart out as if I were Shang Zhitao, Luan Nian, Sun Yuanzhu, and Sun Yu exchanging each other's deep emotions and feelings. Their acting was very natural and organic, as if they were real people with real flaws, problems and boring mundane lives. The success of this drama doesn't depend on the characters or their storylines, it purely succeeds by the actor's way of understanding and then portraying according to the situation and, hell yeah, they aced it!

>Cinematography and artistry:
The cinematography captured the freshness of spring with soft, luminous visuals that mirror the characters’ inner transformations. To be honest, this series was the peak visual experience of feeling warmth and comfort through the lens of the director. Like they wanted the audience to live the drama as if it was a vivid dream; the type of dream which often occurs right before waking up, when you realise you are dreaming while the dream is still ongoing, and you don't want to wake up from that beautiful dream and just keep reliving it over and over again. It was that kind of drama.

•I loved the silently obvious metaphors of this drama.

>Luan Nian functioned as the "thawing ice". He was pragmatic, emotionally aloof, and hyper-critical. His emotional defrosting was slow, painful, and messy, mimicking the uneven transition of seasons.

>Shang Zhitao was introduced as a raw "Beijing drifter." Her English name, Flora, directly correlates to a flower or tulip bulb that has endured a dormant, freezing winter but slowly broken through the frozen topsoil through sheer endurance. Her trajectory was not a sudden fairy-tale bloom, but a grueling, gradual growth under intense corporate pressure. Also when Luan Nian said she's like a "foxtail flower" which primarily symbolizes endurance, strength, aspiration, and resilience in the language of flowers.

>The typewriter "L" correlates "Luke" to "Love" with the quote "You don't have to be perfect to be worthy of love."

>That broken window in Sun Yuanzhu's bedroom silently said a lot about his life and himself.

>And last but not the least, that fish tank. We saw the lonely white koi mirroring Luke's cold, closed-off personality before Shang Zhitao entered his life and introduced a more colourful mate.

>Music:
I think I found my OST of the year; it's "Her" by Li Yuning and "You should know" by Li Changgeng. Especially the voice of Li Yuning, the lyrics and the pain he conveyed was breathtakingly beautiful to experience. I don't know how many times I have listened to it and don't know how many more times I will keep playing it in a loop. I'm in love~

What made this drama truly special was its ability to weave professions and personalities seamlessly. The workplace was not just the backdrop but a living, breathing entity that shaped and challenged the characters, especially Shang Zhitao. Everyone's character improved by the end of this drama but it was Luan Nian who had 360° character development. After meeting Shang Zhitao, even though sometimes it was late but he took every initiative to unlearn everything because of her. Both of them helped to become a better person in life. The drama explored themes of ambition, sacrifice, and the courage to stand firm in one’s beliefs. It also beautifully portrayed the early spring of life— that fragile, hopeful time when everything feels possible yet uncertain if you look deeper. Personally, this drama was an unexpected cdrama experience for me. I never imagined that a drama could engulf me like this. I surely saw its flaws, criticised the characters, rolled my eyes at their dumb decisions— still, I came back to it every day without any fail. It was like a forbidden drug to me. I knew it was bad and still couldn't stop loving it. This drama was an unworldly experience for me.

In the end, "The Early Spring" was more than just a romance or workplace drama. It felt like a heartfelt ode to resilience, growth, and the quiet strength found in embracing one’s true self. Watching Shang Zhitao and Luan Nian navigating their fears, hopes, and desires was a moving experience that lingers long after the final scene. For anyone who had ever faced the daunting leap into adulthood, the pain of unspoken feelings, or the challenges of chasing a dream, this drama offered a poignant reminder: just like early spring, life’s most beautiful moments often come after the coldest winters.

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Being Called China's 50 Shades of Grey Is Not a Compliment

This is going to ruffle feathers, but 50 Shades idealizes toxic, controlling relationships. The Early Spring being called China's version of it is in no way a compliment.

Don't get me wrong. Jing Bo Ran is a hottie and was fantastic at his role. Sun Qian and the rest of the cast also were great, but I just have a hard time with the script. Workplace romances always run the risk of being shady especially when it's between a boss and subordinate. The power dynamic makes it hard for both to be consenting adults (even if they were initially willing) because it's always in the background. We actually see this becoming a plot point and the impetus for why they broke up the second time. Obviously, the issue is far deeper than just fearing others' misunderstanding and having your achievements being downplayed because you're in a relationship with your boss. If FL wanted to end the relationship or refuses to sleep with her boss, it would have been difficult to refuse out of fear of retaliation or losing her job. We see bits of that play out when FL breaks up with him during the time that he was away because she knew he wouldn't have signed her resignation request had he been present. It's even worse when you think about how young and impressionable FL is. In the first episode, we learn that she's a new grad interviewing for her first job after college. At max, she's 21-23 years old when she first starts working for ML who has already established himself in the field. If you stop superimposing JBR and SQ's faces onto the FL and ML, this story is basically fresh-new-grad-in-her-twenties x midlevel-manager-in-his-thirties. From the start, the premise was already raising plenty of red flags.

When we get into the nitty gritty of the characters and the character development of FL and ML, there's still not much redemption. ML is callous, curt, and honestly intolerable even outside of work. His arrogance stems from his abilities but it's made him rather detestable as a person. During the relationship, he crosses FL's boundaries multiple times, calls her a variation of stupid or timid, and is just so condescending. Even when they're having sex, he's condescending with her. When his feelings towards her changes and he wants her to take him seriously, he doesn't tell her outright that he loves her and instead is passive aggressive and controls who she meets. In every sense, this is a toxic relationship. ML does have his arc where he's tormented and has to chase after FL, but it's not done very well. It was rather short of a redemption arc (3-5 episodes max after 15+ episodes of mistreating her) and his way of winning her back is stalkerish and crosses boundary after boundary. In real life, this is when you call the police and file a restraining order. ML also never really gets off his high horse when he's trying to win her back. In the last episode, he says something along the lines of "If it wasn't because I wanted to prove that I wanted to be with you forever, I'd already made you pay for it today" after pulling away and not forcing a kiss like he would have. While I understand that it was supposed to be a sign of growth or something for us to swoon over, it didn't hit the mark for me especially since he's already crossed so many lines. A strategic retreat is common for domestic abusers and him saying this makes it sound like he's threatening (sexual) violence.

FL is the complete opposite of ML. She's young, impressionable, timid, and really has no ability (which is normal because this is her first job and she's supposed to be entry-level). She is initially drawn to ML because of his looks and ability, but she's not without common sense. She's made it clear that she needs to draw a boundary and that she's not allowed to date ML (which of course ML crosses the line and the first time they slept together is debatable consent). I do give her flowers for acknowledging this which makes it harder to accept ML crossing the line to be with her anyways. He knows better than anyone how detrimental it could be for her and she's refused, but he continues to chase after her until he gets what he wants. Again, returning to the power dynamic of a boss-subordinate relationship. My only gripe with FL (because she honestly did the best that she could in that situation and relationship) was that in the end, she wasn't able to prove herself without ML. She still ends up needing to rely on ML in the end which I think means that there's still a sense of inequality to their relationship. Because one of the reasons they broke up was because FL feels that ML doesn't view her as an equal or as capable and ML also has a habit of interfering with things then lording it over her, I feel that getting back together and then getting engaged soon afterwards is a mistake.

TDLR: If Jing Boran didn't look the way that he did, none of you would be ok with this situation. It's a glorified, toxic relationship between a boss and subordinate. Even though it's easy to get lost with all the kiss scenes, that's all their relationship ended up being (FWB) and they had little in common.

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Abusive

The MMC is so abusive to the FMC that it's ridiculous. Who the hell thought this was a romance? It just pisses me off. He's always calling her stupid with no backbone and doesn't like her making any decisions that don't directly benefit him.

It's akin to a verbal abuse version of Boys Over Flowers, except set in the workplace over several years, and not executed as well. Severely disappointed with these actors participating in something like this.

Don't believe the short clips and TikToks from this show like I did. It's not love. It's abuse. And extremely triggering for those who have survived it.

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I really enjoyed the show, but the way it handled the time jumps was rough. The jumps happen without any clear indication of how much time has passed, and we only get scattered throwaway lines to piece things together. If the confusion was intentional and meant to make us feel the gap in the characters’ lives it didn’t quite work for me. Their interactions often felt like they were missing important emotional context, and it weakened some of the impact.

The pacing up until the breakup was excellent, but the final episodes felt noticeably rushed. It honestly seems like the original plan included more episodes, and the reduced count forced the story to speed through setups that never paid off. A good example is the buildup to her meeting his parents: they teased it multiple times, set the stage for it, and then it just never happened.

Overall, it’s a great show with strong moments, but with clearer time jumps and a less compressed ending, it could’ve been significantly better.

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The Angsty Romance That Almost Was

so let me just put it out there. my two cents.

The good?
- The Acting. So good. Talk about a stellar cast. The FL, ML, Side Characters... everyone was AMAZING in their roles.
- The Room Mates. Seriously. If this drama had been all about them and their relationships and character growth and never involved Luke (ML)... it might have been a better watch!
-The Dog. Why was he soooo fluffy!?!?! I loved him.
-The FL's professional (workplace) character growth. It was fun to watch her go from shy/reserved/unsure of herself into a powerhouse.
- What 90% of lovers of this drama thought made it all worth it... the chemistry. And, yes, it was truly SIZZLING!

The bad?
-The ML's use of verbal/emotional abuse. The FL was already extremely insecure in their relationship/dynamic and every time he opened his mouth, he belittled her, shamed her, and hurt her in the worst way possible which was poking at her insecurities of how unworthy she was in general.
-The pacing. They fit a LOT of time skips into this drama and several times I found myself confused on how much time had passed and it made the drama a little harder to watch because things didn't seem to make sense unless you were aware of the time skips. This drama had a LOT of them and most were not "announced" you just had to figure them out.
-The ending. I didnt like it. Two people who all the way to the end still didn't know how to communicate with one another just end up with a HEA. Really? The angsty relationship and break up and make up routine is all fine and dandy if we can see actual growth in said relationship, but, I'm sorry... I didn't feel or see that by the end. I just saw the ML throw around the word "love" and forcefully insert himself back into the FL's life and she just eventually.... gives in. MEH.

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The Early Spring surpassed my expectations because of the acting, romance and styling

I had been waiting for this drama ever since I found out Jing Bo Ran was cast as male lead. I liked his acting in Road Home. I discovered Sun Qian 2 years ago on Fresh Drama's YouTube account. There was a scene in Islands where Sun Qian's character felt belittled by Chen Jing Ke's character. It was a short clip but her acting moved me to tears. I had expectations coming into The Early Spring even though I had not read the novel. I must say I was pleasantly surprised by how The Early Spring turned out for a Chinese drama with modern romance setting. I watched my favourite scenes on repeat while waiting for new episodes and I think I could watch this series repeatedly in the future.

Edit: Forgot to mention that I kept playing Taemin's song "Want" when I wasn't watching The Early Spring because the song perfectly captures the essence of Jing Bo Ran's Luan Nian.

What I liked:
1. Acting - Chemistry is a subset of acting and wow, the chemistry between Jing Bo Ran and Sun Qian was electric. They seemed attuned to each other. Jing Bo Ran and Sun Qian also excelled in their individual roles. Both showcased excellent micro-expressions (Jing Bo Ran's eyes and Sun Qian's natural delivery). I cried when Luan Nian broke down in Norway. Praises have to be given to supporting cast too, in particular Liu Xiao Bei, Qi Tian Qing and Zhang Ye Zi. Liu Xiao Bei brought this quiet energy that left lasting impression to viewers. Qi Tian Qing and Zhang Ye Zi gave sublime performances as women who support other women.
2. Romance - Romance is the core theme of this drama. Some have described their relationship as sex buddy but I didn't see it that way. They were already some feelings between them after the rescue. Anyway hiring an intimacy coordinator definitely helped boost the feels. Both sides expressed desire (I hate it when FL played coy) and the kisses were toe-curling passionate. I also enjoyed watching their tender moments from the cuddles to sulky moments - these scenes were repeat watches while I waited for the next episode to be released. Luan Nian's love language is definitely act of service from osmanthus milk to caring of Lukke. I also loved this drama for not forcing a secondary romance like other modern romance dramas.
3. Styling - Kudos to Jing Bo Ran and the styling team. I know most CEO dramas feature stylish wardrobe (yes I remember the brands advertising in Only for Love) but none made a huge impression on me than this drama here. Jing Bo Ran's handsomeness was elevated because of the sophisticated outfits. Oh, he was even hot wearing a white tank top. Outfits for the female cast were stunning too - I particularly like Shang Zi Tao's dress when she was staying at hotel and Tracy's pale pink business suit. Lumi wore the best swimsuit.
4. Luan Nian's characterisation - Yes, I liked his arc because there was growth. He was a fair boss who set high standards for himself and his team. He seemed perfect at his job but he was flawed. He often brought over his bossiness to his romantic relationship making him a lousy boyfriend. Case in point, when Shang Zi Tao didn't get the promotion. Instead of consoling her like a boyfriend would do, he berated her like a boss defending his actions as the right thing to do.
5. Shang Zi Tao's characterisation - Yes, I liked her arc too. She started off as a naive intern eager to learn the business and please her bosses. I liked her timidness because not every ambitious new joiners have outgoing personality. She enjoyed the guidance given by Lumi, Luan Nian and Tracy. She was flawed too as she never really confided in Luan Nian about her insecurities.
6. Supporting characters - My favourites were Sun Yu, Tan Mian and Lumi. Sun Yu and Tan Mian were great pillars of strength to Shang Zi Tao and Luan Nian respectively. I enjoyed watching scenes of Luan Nian and his close friends - that Norway scene showed mature male friendship. I was shocked with Sun Yuan Zhu's arc - I didn't expect it to turn dark. Oh, I also loved Lukke for being so adorable on and off screen. I found it reasonable for Shang Zi Tao to be naming him after her boss/lover. Last but not least, Tracy proved to be a significant character too. I particularly enjoyed her speech about the workplace being a safe place for female employees.
7. Friendship - I loved the portrayal of friendship in this drama. From Shang Zi Tao's housemates-turn-Beijing family to Lumi's mentorship and Luan Nian's male buddies. There was also good scenes of female friendship when Dony was around Lime Advertising.
8. Music - The opening theme is fabulous. Liu Yu Ning's yearning voice suits the lyrics of Her. Another memorable song is You Should Know. Well when you hear the guitar strum, you should know!

What I disliked:
1. Narrative - This drama started with a voice over by Sun Qian so I expected The Early Spring to be driven by her p.o.v. I was disappointed that Shang Zi Tao's career arc was only given a glimpse. I would have liked it if the viewers could see her grow professionally away from Luan Nian, in particular the Northeast project and her Harbin startup. Luan Nian did provide leads in Harbin but I would have liked to see a scene or two of Shang Zi Tao's convincing big prospects of her pitches.
2. Reconciliation - It was too short. I know they both loved each other but Luan Nian needed to grovel more after both break ups. There should be 4 more episodes for us to see them working on their communications as a couple. I would also love to see Luan Nian as assistant.

Favourite scene
Norway - I cried every time I watched that scene.

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