Never-Ending Summer

—March 25, 2025 [Sunny] Happy Birthday to You.

I was all hyped about this drama even before it started airing because of two reasons, one being their height difference and second being a post on twitter saying how the ML begs for the FL to come back. I thought, "oh! a cute rom-com." Boy, was i wrong.

ZHOU WAN : I love this girl immensely. She's the embodiment of someone who suffers silently with a smile on their face. One thing that became very apparent to me by the time i finished watching episode three, is that she's very hard to read. As for me as an audience i couldn't really anticipate or figure out what she was going to do. And, it became even more evident in that one episode where Zhou Wan lost to Lu Xixiao and he told her to beg him if she wants to make it to the team. And, i'm sitting there thinking what she's going to do? Is she really gonna beg him? And, then BOOM that power move master card she pulled made me instantly fall for her. And, i'm really emphasizing on her being very hard to read because during the first episode we see her shyly smiling when Lu Xixiao is running around, naturally i thought that she liked him but the next moment she treats him so coldly and rejects him so quickly that i started questioning myself if i was wrong about her. Still, i kept a firm albeit fleeting belief that she liked him first though that belief grew precarious with each episode. But, then the last episode hits my screen as hard as it hits my heart. And, that's when i further cement my view that Zhou Wan was truly an unreadable protagonist. I couldn't figure her out even though i'm watching everything from her point of view.

I've seen a lot of people misunderstand her character and it truly pains me. This is just an eighteen year old girl, A CHILD that is bearing the burden all alone on her tiny shoulders. She saw her father getting trampled and beaten, the factory being destroyed and eventually saw him passing away at such an tender age. She didn't even properly come to terms with his death, when her mother abandons her. She takes this abandonment to heart blaming herself, that she might've done something to make her mother leave. Then, just at fifteen she gets to know that the only person who loved and care for her might die. How can you expect her to make mature decisions when she has no one to turn to or guide her through the big shambles of her life. One might question, that she shouldn't have used Lu Xixiao like that—she wouldn't have if she didn't see her mother repeatedly ignore her calls after she swallowed her pride to contact her after years. What choice did she have? And, even then, she repeatedly asks others if she's a bad person or that she has become a bad person because inside the guilt was gnawing her.

I look at her character and see a woman who had to sacrifice her childhood in order to grow up quickly to take care of the person who mattered to her the most. That particular scene after grandma dies, she's facing the ocean and then she turns back with a smile was very powerful because in that moment Zhou Wan reveals what kind of person she is—someone who'd repeatedly assure others that she is fine with a smile on her face so as to not burden them with her worries. And, it saddened me to see how an eighteen year old girl has gone through so much that she has internalised this firm belife system that being vulnerable or being honest with one's feeling is wrong. Which is why, i was so glad to see her having a mental breakdown at the hospital because she needed that.
"I'm only eighteen." Yes, inject that poisonous pain in my veins again.

Realistically, she has been through a lot. I don't want to repeat everything again but with her father and grandmother dying, her mother abandoning her, getting hit by the truth that her father could've lived for few more months, having to go against her morals to use and hurt the boy she loved the most and then watching that said boy nearly die because of you!! I have no idea how she remained sane for so many years which is where my theory comes that if it weren't for the revenge she was planning and the sheer will of destroying everything that Lu Xixiao's father had built for himself, Zhou Wan would’ve truly gone maniacal. That one montage where she was casually aura farming under the rain while glaring at him is etched it my memory forever. Zhou Wan's mother was cunning and a very shrewd lady albeit being one of the most gorgeous woman on earth and truly they'd made an undefeated pair if her mother's head were in the right place. Instead, Zhou Wan was clever, manipulative, observant with a hint of cunning nature. 2016 Zhou Wan was cute but 2026 Zhou Wan was so cool and so, so, gorgeous. I get why Lu Xixiao couldn't move on even after 10 years because i wouldn't too.

LU XIXIAO: My boy only wanted love and that was his tragedy. Lu Xixiao is introduced to us as a carefree guy with an air of arrogance around him. He portrays himself as a nonchalant bad boy but in reality he can't stay one second without being chalant. He's has big heart inside his chest that thumps and bleeds rapidly for people he considers dear to him. It grieves me that no one actually cares for him in his family expect for his aunt and his nanny. His father is a piece of absolute shit who locks him up in his room and controls his phone stopping any form of communication time to time whenever he needs him to behave. His grandfather never truly cared for him but only wanted him because of the LU name, like you're telling me your grandson ran away and the only person visited him was his aunt. Then, there was Zhou Wan's mother who feigned that she cared for him but only wanted him to get away from the family so she could peacefully marry his fatger without any protest.

When his phobia of heights was intriduced, i thought it was comical and kind of quirky because you're telling me a guy who's close to 190 cm is actually scared of heights. But, as we progressed and the answer slowly revealed itself that's when it hit me how much of trauma this boy must've been carrying after seeing his mother jump right infront of him and not being able to do anything about it. He must've beaten himself up for it. Her suicide to him felt like an abandonment. The only person whom he thought loved him and was truly by his side was suddenly jumping off right infront of him with a tear streaked eyes. He must've resented her for it especially since he was a child and couldn't really formulate what led to that fateful moment and yet, he loved her in his own way. Although, he felt his mother left him, he couldn't bring himself to leave her which is why he grasped at every little thing his mother left behind starting from the big house to the paintings. He picked up the paint brush and stroked the canvas with colours in the same way his mother had trying to get a closure, trying to find her remnants.

So, it was especially endearing to see this boy risking it all to save a random girl who was trying to kill herself like his mother. Even though he was so, so, scared he couldn't just stand by and watch and i think it was one of those moments when Lu Xixiao shone bright as a character, so contrary to the notion of him being introduced as a typical bad boy trouble maker. He was much more than that, far more beyond than what is present at the surface level. He was trembling yet he still reached out without knowing if she'd ever grasp it or not.

Lu Xixiao as a character wears his heart on his sleeves. He is just so honest and that it actually hurts seeing him go through whatever he went through in the show because at the end of the day he was also a child. The confusion he must've been going through after witnessing Zhou Wan's hot and cold behavior. He suffered so much and was truly being used as a pawn by everyone around him. When Zhou Wan came to his life, he thought he finally found someone who understood him and was willing to stay by his side only to get betrayed. Many people disliked him for going on a few dates with Li Na but i actually liked it that they added it to his character. He was boy who was going through the worst period in his life. He took a knife for the girl he loved without hesitation and she left him behind. He made that choice of dating her out of pure anger. As a woman, i hated how he used Li Na who had genuine feelings for him but as a audience i understanding why he did it. 2016 Lu Xixiao was reckless and would pick a fight but 2026 Lu Xixiao was rational and this character development was noticeable during that one scene when Zhou Wan recounted her near sexual assault. Like any other typical ML i expected him to be angry and bang on something then go beat up the guy but he was extremely calm and logically dealt with the matter, first by telling her to take the day off and then exposing that said person. I liked this development a lot.

CHEMISTRY: i believe that there are three kind of chemistry—𝘰𝘯𝘦>when there is no chemistry between the actors but they're forcing it on us to think that they have, 𝘵𝘸𝘰> when there is a lot of chemistry between the characters and the actors but you could feel that they're acting at certain junctions, 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦>when the chemistry is so good that you feel like an invisible omnipresent entity watching two people fall in love. The chemistry between Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao or Baobao and Zhou Keyu falls into the third category. It was effortless and natural that it didn't even feel like they're acting.

2016 WanXioa were new to the feeling, hesitantly trespassing each other's emotional threshold yet they're so strong and understood each other so well that it didn't feel like they've known each other only over the summer. Lu Xixiao jumped from the terrace despite his fear if heights only for her and Zhou Wan after waking up in the hospital, the first thing she assured him is that she didn't try to kill herself knowing how much his mother's death has cost. They're so sweet together even though there was always a hint of bittersweetness around their relationship. The parallel image of them blowing the dandelion and him removing his hair from her palm that was very profound in my opinion.

Lu Xixiao knew that Zhou Wan loved him even though she left him, afterall which girlfriend would hide a keep safe where she wrote prayers for him to have a peaceful and happy life that was the last thing given to her by her late grandmother—which is why he was so adamant in making her say that she loved and when she didn't, in that moment he resented her.

2026 Lu Xixiao is such a loser in love because what do you mean "Zhou Wan, don't let me see your face again or else i'll make you beg and cry for me." he says and then begs and cries for her two days later. Literally, falling down from the sofa while clinging and begging her not to leave. And, the way i laughed when he nonchalantly slinged his jacket over his shoulder and strided to HER HOUSE to repeat the exact same words like a messenger pigeon during a war. Brother that's her house, you'd definitely see her there. And, what makes this scene even more comical is that he completely ignores Jiang Yan out of pure jealousy but the first thing he says, "Is that not a lot of food. Are you sure you can finish it?" Were you expecting to get invited for dinner A'xiao. Not a single rigid nonchalant bone in his body stand stalls the moment Zhou Wan appears, he becomes like child in need of her constant attention and coaxing.

Jokes apart, but the damage episode 20 did to my psyche is unrepairable. I love my girl Zhou Wan. I'm ready to take a bullet for her but girl you're supposed to only traumatise your husband not us innocent bystanders. Someone said people usually plays hide and seek for a while but Lu Xixiao has been playing it for years, 10 YEARS. And, then that schizophrenic episode of him hallucinating her and dancing with actually no one completely broke me. I heart was hearting so bad that i had to stop and take a long break before i could continue watching it. 2016 WanXioa had chemistry but 2026 WanXiao was full of sexual tension. That one episode where he wanted to paint her had so much heat that it was practically radiating off my screen. I felt like i shouldn't watch because the scenes were so intimate. And, just when i thought that they couldn't get any hotter BOOM episode 26 dropped. The confession, the slow reasoning and the intimate kisses were top notch. I've never felt so my butterflies explode in my stomach before. The way this scene was so viral that you couldn't escape it even if you tried to. And, whoever decided to put Baobao in that backless dress needs their hands to kissed because it made the scene even more hotter.

Lu Xixiao was such a freak. He never let my girl rest like on the bed, on the sofa, on the table, while showering and then ON THE CHAIRS?? Brother, consider the size difference between the two. I just wish that the last interview was shot on a Saturday because after knowing that girl he loved and yearned for ten years had secretly loved him for thirteen years, i don't think Lu Xixiao is letting her slip out of the bed.

This is once in a lifetime chemistry and shouldn't be wasted on single project, give me fifteen more of them right now.

I love, love, love Never Ending Summer. I've never felt so empty after watching a show. I couldn't move past them for more than a month. Everything about them was holding me down from their cinematography to the music.

Sunburn by Brian Cheng, you deserve a grammy.

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Great Chemistry with The Pacing Hiccup

Never-Ending Summer has all the ingredients to be the next mega-hit like Hidden Love or The First Frost. It’s a gorgeous, well-made youth-to-adult reunion romance that absolutely nails the vibe. The cinematography is stunning, the production value is chef’s kiss, and it completely ditches the tired, annoying clichés we usually see in contemporary rom-coms. But… this drama utilizes my most hated structural choice from the writers of the second chance romance— the uneven distribution of the youth and adult story arcs. And that really affected a lot of things that were the end of the show. I will talk about this in detail later on. That’s the reason why I didn’t give it a 10 out of 10.

The Vibe & The Plot

The first half (or rather 2/3) of the story captures the emotional atmosphere of a post-graduation youth romance between a rebellious young man from a rich family and a resilient young woman from a broken home fighting her fate against all odds. In the first part of the drama, the characters navigate personal hardships over a single, life-changing summer while slowly falling for each other. Unfortunately, they can’t be together for a number of reasons. The narrative then jumps ten years into the future, moving to a professional corporate backdrop where the characters must investigate a long-forgotten factory accident and face each other and their own feelings for each other.

The Stars of the Show

The chemistry between the leads is totally seamless, natural, and served without any annoying fuss.

Daniel Zhou as Lu Xixiao—Wow. Just wow. This is my first time seeing him(I haven't watched Sniper Butterfly yet), and he is a phenomenal young talent! I was quite surprised by the quality of his acting, considering he doesn’t have many titles under his belt. His character, Lu Xixiao, comes off like a reckless bad boy at the beginning, but a few episodes in we can already tell he is truly, truly lonely. As we get to know more about him and his story, it is heartbreaking. Lu Xixiao is a deeply multi-layered character; on the outside, he carries that defensive, wealthy-heir armor, but underneath, he is just a starved-for-affection soul who anchors his entire world around Zhou Wan. His father sees him as a pawn on a chessboard, and the only relative who actually truly cares for what Lu Xixiao wants is his aunt but she’s just too busy to give him time and attention. Even his grandfather doesn’t quite understand him. Daniel Zhou's character development here is easily one of the best, most well-rounded, and most consistent I've seen for a contemporary male lead in a very long time. He is never ever over the top and just seems extremely comfortable in this role. Additionally, I truly appreciate him speaking English quite a lot in this drama. His fluent in it so this was a treat.

I wasn't sure how Bao Shang'en as Zhou Wan would turn out. She started off a bit stiff, which reminded me her previous roles, and I was hoping that she was going to give us a little bit more energy, but as we take this journey with her further into the drama, she completely locked in. I think that stiffness at the beginning was partially what the role dictated. I liked her in this role the most out of all the roles I’ve seen her in before! I would say that she’s improved as an actress a lot.

Zhou Wan is a quiet and hardworking top student who is desperate to fund her critically ill grandmother's surgery. And I appreciate the fact that her character is morally gray because she will do whatever she has to do to ensure her grandmother gets the help she needs. Which includes her using Lu Xixiao to get the money from her biological mother. But we obviously know how that turned out. Girl couldn’t withstand his brooding charm.

The romance is so deep because they are two people from completely different social classes who just cannot get over each other. Plus, the show doesn't waste time on annoying extra characters or filler plots! Everything feels compact, and the emotional scenes are masterfully done. Some of the standout episodes: Zhou Wan getting assaulted and not telling anyone (absolutely heartbreaking to watch her keeping quiet), when Lu Xixiao gets stabbed, her grandma passing away, and many more. The soundtrack also hits you straight in the feels.

The Pacing Quirks (Let's Talk Spoilers)

Okay, here is my main grievance: the writers made the choice to give the youth/high school arc 20 out of the 30 total episodes. Why do C-dramas keep doing this?! Leaving only 10 or fewer episodes for the adult/reunion arc made the pacing a bit uneven. By episode 18, I felt like we were wasting precious time that could have been spent on their grown-up lives.

Because the adult arc was so compressed, the second half felt a bit superficial. We missed out on exploring Lu Xixiao's intense family dynamics, and the reintroduction of Zhou Wan into his adult life deserved way more room to breathe. Instead, the narrative got a bit choked up:

* The Grandfather Cop-Out: The grandfather was the literal catalyst who forced Zhou Wan to leave the man she loved. Yet, due to the lack of episodes, his entire opposition is resolved in one single scene where he just goes, “Okay fine, you can be together." Excuse me?!” This is definitely an opportunity on the missed family dynamics.

* The Cohabitation Excuse: Because they ran out of time, Lu Xixiao gets Zhou Wan to move into his house by basically telling her she "owes him." It made zero sense. And she just accepted? He tells her that they have to sleep in one bed after 10 years apart and this girl doesn’t even batt an eyelash. There should have been a lot more push and pull between the two. Give us 5 more episodes, and this reunion could have been so much smoother and more interesting!

So yeah. I wasn’t a big fan of how the writers messed up on the reunion arc.

The Final Verdict

Despite the writers hitting the fast-forward button on the adult arc, this is still a high-quality romance drama with superb acting, unmatched chemistry, and heavy emotional payoff. You will feel all the feelings. Definitely give it a watch!

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frickin goated show i love it sm

def one of the best modern cdramas i've watched! perhaps one of my top 10 dramas of all time. the romance is just sooooo good and the angst?!?! ugh i frickin love bao shangen and zhou keyu mannnn they're both so fine and ugh i want both of them fr

zhou wan and lu xixiao's chemistry is through the roof! its so insane. the tension?!?! ugh too good. the acting was just phenomenal

there's def some plot holes and ?? moments, and the ending like you don't really see much of characters from previously but they wrapped it up pretty well. i wish there were more episodes with zw and lxx!!

i think the storyline was well written. the story hate is mainly because of like why zhou wan did certain things but you gotta keep in mind that this girl went through so many traumatic events all before the age of 18. like she never got to experience being a kid because she had to grow up so fast. and ofc there will be times where she does something and you're like ?? but keep in mind this girl is 18. like come onnnnn give her a break TT

also the ost is just perfection *chefs kiss* not a single flop they're all bangers

yea not a single bad thing to say... its just that good

p.s. zhou wan's outfits throughout the whole show?!?! she looked sooo good. her stylist needs a big fat kiss fr

note: 2nd (10 years later / adult) arc starts ep 20

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Brooo this drama is so good I need them again on other drama again they have good chemistry and it's not boring and it's like uhmm speed and love?(I think) Bao shengen and Daniel Zhou have nice chemistry tbh beside I hope it's happy ending cause many people said on black app said it's not happy but I hope its happy ending hehehe and beside the acting was so good especially Daniel Zhou and bao shengen...when I first watch ep1 i scream because like I said have good chemistry and acting...I will be ready my self just in case if this drama will be sad ending cause many people saying on black app that this will be sad ending I think? Well I m not sure if it's true and I hope they will have new drama together again💯💯💯💯
(sorry if my English is bad ://)

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Perfect Casting and Chemistry but Uneven Timeline Distribution

The casting in this was perfect. Both the actors gave off the vibe they needed for these characters. Bao Shangen did so well like her crying scenes genuinely had me feeling so bad for her.

Honestly the yearning in this drama was next level like it had me hooked from the beginning. I also love the character dynamics. I like the side characters and I like how they didn't take up too much of the drama and how most of it was focused on our main characters.

They also did a lot of tropey things like him backing her into a wall and if done wrong it would be very cringey and hard to watch but since they have such a natural chemistry they pulled it off really well.

My main complaint was the timing of the drama. For a 29 episode drama why did we spend like over half the time in the past. I feel like it should've been half and half not like 20-9. At some points in the past the drama felt like it was dragging abit. I think we should've spent more time unpacking Lu Xixiao's pain and what not in the present. I also think the transition back into their relationship in the future could've been smoother. It felt a bit too all of a sudden to me and didn't make much sense. I wish I saw Lu Xixiao get more mad or something because it would've been valid.

Anyways this was a very good show that I would definitely rewatch one day.

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The plot had so much potential but it ended up feeling very rushed.

When I first picked this show up, I noticed that the plot was very rushed as if it was just trying to move from one thing to the next. If they added more episodes and actually fleshed out the plot, the drama would of felt more satisfying to watch and enhanced there chemistry especially because I left like they became close too quickly.

The characters themselves also had way more potential more the script writers dialled them down so much. In the novel, the characters more more intense, darker and more morally grey. Zhou Wan hated her mother in the novel and purely approached Lu Xixiao for the intent of revenge against her mother and Lu Xixiao was more destructive and unruly. Even the breakup was more emotionally intense in the novel as Zhou Wan broke up with Lu Xixiao to complete a deal she had with his father (Zhou Wan made a deal with his father promising that if she broke up with Lu Xixiao, he would split up with her mother). Whilst in the drama, the grandpa just 'begged' her to break up with him so he can have a better future. Honestly, if the drama was more faithful to the novel, it would of been a better watch and filled with way more tension.

The acting from the cast was great. Bao Shangen and Zhou Keyu had amazing chemistry and played both roles amazingly with what they were given. The soundtrack was pretty good - my favourite song was Sunburn by Brian Cheng. It is quite a sad song but it definitely helped set the mood for the sad and emotional scenes in the drama.

Overall, I would have to sad the drama was mid. I enjoyed watching it but the quality of the plot could of been way better and less rushed.

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really good drama for patient people

really good drama..
first 12 episode is very fun and entertaining but miscom and problems started to get very irritating and i lost my interest to continue and watch it.

a fan of zhou keyu since chuang but yeah..
i waited for a long time for this and kind of dissappointed but okay

after 12 episode im still curious about the ending i tried to watch to ep 15 with 1.5x speed. but i just cant... instead i am more interested to another ongoing drama in iqiyi aswell.

the female character is really irritating for me as she kept approaching the male character ins

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beauty.

amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing. amazing.

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Nine Episodes In and I'm Already Not Ready for What's Coming

After 9 episodes, Never Ending Summer has completely won me over. What started as a slow-burn youth romance has become a deeply emotional story about loneliness, family wounds, and finding comfort in the right person at the wrong time. Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao's relationship continues to be the drama's biggest strength—every interaction feels earned, from their quiet conversations to the countless moments where they instinctively look out for each other. I especially love how Lu Xixiao keeps acting indifferent while constantly showing up whenever Zhou Wan needs help, while Zhou Wan gradually allows herself to lean on someone, even though not fully, but she is really carrying herself very well, even though she has always learnt to carry everything alone.

The drama also does an excellent job balancing romance with the heavier themes surrounding Zhou Wan's grandmother, her mother's abandonment, and the complicated connection between the two families. Rather than relying on dramatic twists, the story builds its emotional impact through small moments, lingering glances, and unspoken feelings. Knowing that this is ultimately a story about love, separation, and reunion makes every happy scene feel bittersweet.

Nine episodes in, the chemistry between Bao Shang En and Zhou Keyu is carrying every scene, and the emotional tension keeps getting stronger. If the drama continues at this pace, I'm not ready for the heartbreak that everyone knows is coming.
dreading the inevitable separation storyline.

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worth it to watch if you want a drama to watch when bored

I absolutely loved this drama, it was executed perfectly and with the right approach. Its just that it felt so wrong that the grandpa told wanwan that she had to break up with him. i felt that was so rude considering what happened before that she had lost her dad her grandma and her mom didn't love her. But i understand the grandpas worries, and i'm so thankful that wanwan ignored him later on still dated the male lead. The cast was really good as to where even if he went close to her i had butterflies in my stomach. Also i loved the aunt and how supportive she was she literally said chase after her if you want i'm not stopping you. i also loved how well they portrayed the characters feelings through the screen. knowing everything that was happening made it so much easier to connect with both characters and feel what they feel, and i haven't seen like that in a drama in a while. but the story was good overall its just that i feel that it was rushed like the directors were trying to finish the drama as fast as they could and the love felt rushed. also i couldn't understand when they were together or not. back when they were 18 he was chasing her but i couldn't understand if they were dating or not because they seemed so close to not be dating. I feel that if they cleared that up it would've been a 10 for me. but that all i really loved this drama overall and would for sure watch it again.

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