Never-Ending Summer

Never Ending Misunderstandings

I started Never Ending Summer excitedly bcuz the leads are good looking and the height difference between them is so cutee . Zhou Keyu and Bao Shangen have great chemistry and the first few episodes hooked me with sweet moments and the kind of slow-burn that promises big feelings. There are scenes that really land especially one with Lu Xixiao (ML) dancing alone, hallucinating he’s dancing with Zhou Wan (FL) . He was not drunk; he was just broken and lost in memory, and watching him like that made my chest tighten in a way few shows do. That moment was raw and heartbreaking!

But as the series goes on, the drama slipped into a loop of the same misunderstanding cycle. Every time I hoped for a proper reset or honest conversation, the plot pulled back adding another layer of confusion instead of clearing things up. It felt like the director decided to extend the push-and-pull until the very end, not because it deepened the characters but because the show relied on dragging things out for tension. That slowdown dulled the emotional payoff. The leads argue, misread each other, and then retreat again and again which made some middle episodes hard to binge through.

The series wants to be deep and melancholic, and it gets there at times when it focuses on interior pain - like the dance hallucination, it’s affecting. But those high points are unevenly spaced.

It’s well-acted, beautifully shot, and occasionally devastating. But the show’s reliance on drawn-out misunderstandings makes parts of it feel padded, preventing it from reaching the emotional heights it seems to aim for.

......

Overall, this isn’t a binge-every-night kind of drama for me, but it’s not something I’d drop either. It sits comfortably in the “watch when you’re in the mood” category. Still the show isn’t a miss, the leads are convincing and have moments of real tenderness. The cinematography and music suit the mood, and there are other smaller beats and side characters that add flavor. It’s not soulless filler; it’s just that the pacing keeps you from fully investing in every twist.

If you love lingering, introspective romances that trade on sadness and slow reveals, you’ll likely appreciate Never Ending Summer. But if you prefer forward momentum or clear emotional arc progression, you might find yourself frustrated by the repeated setbacks.

As for if i would recommend it or not, i suggest to watch starting few episodes to see if this drama is your cup of tea or not and then decide whether or not to continue .

Thanks for reading! :))

Read More

Flawed, but I Fell in Love Anyway

I fell in love with this show so unexpectedly. I went into it thinking it would be just another rom-com, but it ended up being so much more than that. There are deeper and sadder things going on underneath all the romance and fluff, and I genuinely enjoyed it so much. It’s definitely a drama I can see myself revisiting because it isn’t just a typical lovey-dovey rom-com. It’s fluff, angst, sadness, yearning, and eventually a happy ending—and I loved it.

The show is definitely not without its flaws. The editing can feel quite choppy at times, and there were moments where I genuinely felt like something was missing. Certain parts could have been written or directed better, and some things weren’t wrapped up as nicely as I would have liked. I heard the drama was originally supposed to be 32 episodes but was cut down to 29, so maybe that explains some of it. I’ll give it that. Despite all of these issues, though, the drama is still so beautiful—and the chemistry carries it so well that I can overlook almost all of its flaws.

Now, the star of this show for me: Lu Xiaxiao. THAT MAN YEARNS. He reminded me of Sang Yan in the best way possible.

His character genuinely surprised me because I fully expected him to become a red flag. After everything that happened, especially after ten years apart, I expected a revenge arc. I expected him to hate her, punish her, or make her suffer. But he never did. He was the biggest green flag. He loved her through everything. He gave her chance after chance. He stood by her no matter what she did. Even when he said he would make her cry and make her regret leaving him, he could never actually bring himself to hurt her.

Even after ten years, he couldn’t hate her. He always loved her. He always forgave her. He always stood by her side. He did exactly what he had always said he would do: if she was willing to come back to him, he would forgive her.

I LOVED that.

He was never stubborn for the sake of creating unnecessary conflict. He was always there for her. But at the same time, my heart broke for that man SO badly, and a huge part of that is because of Daniel Zhou’s acting. I’ve watched him before, but never as the main lead, and honestly—give that man ALL the roles.

He moved so naturally between being a loving man, a yearning man, a successful and mature man, and then suddenly this childish, funny, playful character. At the same time, he was able to portray someone deeply depressed and broken. He had so many amazing scenes, but one of my absolute favorite scenes of the entire year has to be when he was dancing under the fireworks while hallucinating that he was dancing with her. That scene had SO much depth. The acting, the emotions, the visuals—everything was amazing. I loved it so much.

His pain also made complete sense to me. He had already been abandoned as a child, and that was a scar that never truly healed. Then the person he loved most chose to leave him too. It wasn’t exactly the same as what his mother did, but to him, it felt like being abandoned all over again. It completely broke him, and Daniel Zhou portrayed that brokenness so beautifully.

The phone call scene absolutely destroyed me. When he told her, “If you say you love me, I’ll forgive you,” and then later said he would make her regret it… Oh my God. His acting was incredible.

Also, his styling in this drama? Beautiful. I genuinely enjoyed seeing him on my screen so much.

As for Bao Zhuowang, I loved her character too. I know a lot of people blamed her, but I always understood where she was coming from. I kept trying to put myself in her shoes, and because of that, I could never hate her for the choices she made.

One line basically explains her entire character and everything that happened: “I’m only 18. I can’t do this anymore.”

She was SO young.

After the stabbing, everyone came at her—the grandfather, the mother, the father—and everyone told her that they shouldn’t be together. She blamed herself for him getting hurt, and she was left completely alone. In her mind, the best way to protect him was to move away from him. She had no one supporting her, and she was already so broken that I understood why she made that choice, even if it was painful and even if it wasn’t necessarily the right one.

I actually loved that, in this relationship, she was the red flag and he was the green flag. It was such an interesting dynamic, and somehow it worked so well.

Her acting was also very good, especially during her more emotional scenes. The scene where she got hurt was amazing. There were a few moments where I wanted a little more from her, but whenever she had a truly heavy scene, she delivered. Her funny scenes were also great, and she is just SO cute and beautiful.

And THE CHEMISTRY.

Oh my God.

The chemistry is genuinely what carries this show. I don’t necessarily think the drama itself is a perfect 10 because I do have issues with it, but the chemistry carries it SO well that I can overlook those issues and still give it a 10. They were electric together.

I absolutely DEVOURED the first part of the drama when they were young and still in school. I loved the high school arc so much. It was fun, sweet, emotional, and so enjoyable. More than anything, it really made me feel like I was watching these two people grow up together.

One of my favorite lines from him when he comforted her when her grandma died, he was telling her it’s OK. I will grow up with you instead.

That line perfectly captures their entire relationship. This really feels like a love story spanning more than ten years because we actually watched them grow up together. We saw their youth, their love, their separation, and then who they became as adults. Although I do think ten years apart was a little too long for the story—maybe five years would have worked better—I still loved their journey.

My biggest complaint is that I simply didn’t get enough of them. I wanted SO much more. I wish we had more scenes of them together because I genuinely could have watched another ten episodes of them just being happy and lovey-dovey. Their chemistry was that good. Also talk about a well made ending. Very beautifully done… especially when they addressed the audience directly. 

I also wish we had seen a little more of his “hate” era. Since the show teased the idea that he would make her regret leaving him, I think that part could have lasted a little longer if the drama had more episodes. But at the same time, I also love that he could never truly hate her. That was completely true to his character.

The side characters, unfortunately, weren’t that interesting to me. I didn’t really care about most of them, and some of the parents were genuinely annoying. I also didn’t love the brother’s character, although I do want to see more from the actor. I don’t think his acting is amazing yet, but I definitely think he has potential.

Some storylines also weren’t wrapped up properly or were resolved too quickly. There were moments where the drama seemed to just fast-forward through things, and I wish those parts had been handled better. Still, the show did such a good job of making me feel like I had genuinely witnessed their entire journey—from youth to adulthood—that I became incredibly attached to them.

There are also SO many beautiful scenes in this drama. The cinematography was gorgeous in certain moments, and some scenes had a surprising amount of emotional depth.

And the OST? OH MY GOD.

There are at least three songs that I absolutely love. The music made the emotional scenes hit so much harder and added so much to the atmosphere of the drama. I genuinely loved the OST.

I also really liked the costumes. I noticed that some outfits were repeated, which actually made the drama feel more natural and realistic. People repeat clothes in real life! It gave the characters a more believable, lived-in feeling.

The story itself is honestly nothing especially new or groundbreaking, but I would still absolutely recommend giving this drama a chance. It gave me one of my favorite couples of the year, so many memorable scenes, beautiful cinematography, an amazing OST, and a romance with genuine emotional depth.

You can also tell how natural the chemistry between the cast is. After watching some of the behind-the-scenes content and their variety show appearances, I genuinely get the feeling that they had so much fun filming this drama together, and I think that natural connection came through on screen.

This show has flaws. There are things I would change, things I wish had been explored more, and things I wish had been wrapped up better. But I loved it anyway.

The chemistry was electric. The yearning was everything. Lu Xiaxiao completely stole my heart. Their journey made me feel like I had grown up with them, and I already know I’m going to miss them.

Definitely one of my favorite couples of the year—and a drama I would absolutely recommend.

Read More

It's full of yearning!

Just finished watching the drama, and I will certainly take a week at least to get over this. The music is still playing in my mind, the actors' voices are all I am hearing, and the warmth is still lingering...

This drama captivated me at the very first episode, that the very next day I started the novel it's based upon. They have changed the story a lot, some I liked some I didn't. But overall, I don't have any complaint. I saw many novel fans are disappointed with the changes, but they seemed okay to me. Though some ridiculous details are there, but the vibe, aesthetic, music, acting, didn't let me focus on those. And I only find myself every morning before the laptop waiting for the episodes to release.

The drama provides the peak angsty, yearning, losers characters. I mean why the ml says he will make the fl beg for him, and the next moment, begging is what he's doing. He's such a loser in love. He doesn't care being used as long as fl stays by his side.

I really love Keyu as Lu XiXiao and Bao Shangen as Zhou Wan, their chemistry is really what I was not expecting, they are so comfortable with each other, many scenes felt like they were not scripted. Perhaps being the same age added a charm, their acting really was natural to me in all their duo scenes. I saw Keyu first in Always Home, I know he is a brilliant actor. In this drama too, one can really feel his yearning, frustration, helplessness, his eyes are so expressive. This is my first time seeing Bao Shang en, I will say she really done a good job as Zhou Wan. I remember in the novel, it was mentioned, Zhou wan was innocent looking but wasn't exactly, also she is so independent that whenever someone is kind to her, she feels burdened and wants to repay it tenfold. And she asked lu xixiao to not be kind/good to her. Though in drama I guess they did not exactly include this, but you can really understand the moral conflicts she faced. She is a complex character, not the pure, innocent, cheerful one. I will say the actress done really well to showcase that, however I would really love if they could include more scenes explaining her thoughts.

About the story plot, I loved a lot of changes they have done, but one really put me off. Making the fl call ml brother once. It was really ridiculous to me. Also making them live together at ml father's house. It don't think it was really required. One more thing, they really need to understand forced kisses are not exactly romantic.

At last, I enjoyed the drama a lot, the chemistry is what one must really look forward to. And the fl and ml suffers a lot, so be ready to bawl your eyes.

Read More

most romantic and beautiful drama

note: they are not sibilings nor half sibilings nor step sibilings (their parents are not related at all nor they are married)

started for their visual and height difference but ended up liking everything about this drama
if u are looking for a drama where leads have best chemistry then this is it.
it has very good start and a very very very heartwarming, most romantic and beautifull ending (u have never seen a ending so beautiful like this)
zhou keuy as luxixiao was very handsome and played his role really well same goes to bao as zhou wen
love everything about this drama
this drama deserve its fame and everyone must try this out atleast for the ending
last 4 episode was literally amazing
one of the best 2026 drama .

Read More

Flawless Masterpiece – A Must-Watch 10/10

This drama is perfect from start to finish. If you are looking for a show with great acting, a beautiful story, and amazing music, you need to watch this right now.
What I Loved:
The Story: It is beautifully written. It has the perfect mix of happy, sweet moments and deep emotional scenes. It never feels boring, and the ending is completely satisfying.
The Acting: The main actors have incredible chemistry. They don't even need to speak to show how they feel—their expressions say it all. You will truly care about every single character.
The Music & Visuals: The show looks like a movie. Every scene is shot beautifully with great lighting. On top of that, the soundtrack is amazing and makes every emotional moment feel twice as powerful.
Final Thoughts:
I honestly have no complaints. It is a heartwarming, unforgettable journey that I will definitely watch again

Read More

Story saved by the Amazing Chemistry of our two leads.

I binged-watched this drama for three days. Lol. I agree with some reviews I read that the story, especially the ending, felt rushed. It looks like cutting the total episodes contributed a lot to it. There are times when I feel too confused about what was happening, or an issue has suddenly been resolved without fully showing how it was solved. The editing was also a bit off, since there were scenes that were suddenly cut and then changed to another scenario.

The winning formula for this drama, definitely, is the chemistry between the two leads. I have watched tons of Cdramas, and I can tell, this pairing is rare. Not all characters can make you feel the sincerity that Bao Bao and Daniel Zhou did for this one. Story aside, they really make you believe that they are in love. The kiss scenes really feel like they are together, and not just for show. Their expressions, when both proposed to each other, the way he goes to her every time. This is the main thing that made the drama linger, even after the credits rolled.

I used to wonder why Lu XiXao clung to Zhou Wan, even after 10 years. From the outside, a 10-year hyper-fixation can sometimes feel like a stretch in dramas, but when you view it through the lens of profound grief and isolation, it makes total sense. Zhou Wan wasn't just a romance; she was his lifeline and the only person who could break through his deep-seated loneliness after his mother passed away. When someone brings you back to life like that, time and distance don't change the baseline connection, no matter how hurt he is.

I pray the gods hear us and pair them up again soon—ideally with a production team that gives them the full, uncut episode count they deserve next time!

Read More

AAAANGGGGSTTTTTT

Dearly beloved readers, my drama slump has been unreal and only recently rescued from the brink of starvation and revitalized with the recent kdrama, doctor on the edge, and, you guessed it, NEVER. ENDING. SUMMER. Zhou Keyu, what a stud. Bao Shangen, what a beauty. Chemistry, exploding, obviously.

Only 4 episodes are out and I am SO HOOKED. So this story follows high school students Zhou Wan and Lu Xi Xiao. Zhou Wan is a strong academic student who’s proper and obedient, definition of a good girl who has never gotten in trouble. But as you continue to learn about her, she hides a lot of burden and is left with a huge responsibility of taking care of her sickly grandma. She’s kind to those close to her, and those who aren’t may find her a bit cold, and that’s exactly the side you don’t want to mess with because she can be scheming and manipulative when she needs to. Lu Xi Xiao on the other hand is very early on classified as the school bad boy. He rides a motorcycle, skips classes, doesn’t study, and simply doesn’t care about school. Growing up with neglect from his parental figures, hes essentially given up on caring because no one else would care anyways! Both struggle with their own family issues, and due to an unexpected twist of Zhou Wan’s mom (who abandoned her as a child btw) being Lu Xi Xiao’s supposed stepmom, she decides to get closer to him to get closer to her mom (what she’s plotting, I guess we’ll find out!). She ends up tutoring him as he’s getting ready to study abroad and they have almost daily meetups at their secret study spot (inside a dome of wooden tables and desks in an abandoned swimming pool, super romantic I know). The issue doesn’t become how she can fool Lu Xi Xiao, but how she can continue bringing herself to fool him, because this guy is not who she imagined at all. Well, who knew what a romantic he is. They’re so cutesy, he’s super falling in love, and she’s super denying her feelings because she only sees their interactions as her using him.

Within these first 4 episodes, we already see that there’s a period of separation 10 years from their high school days. 10 years later, they’ve got some bad blood between them, although it’s mostly one sided from Lu Xi Xiao. Not sure how many episodes it will take for the transition to the adult half of their story, but they’ve done so well so far with the pacing and the storytelling that I have high hopes. I know it might not feel angsty right now, but the build up to their fall out is killing ne and I know it’ll hurt bad, but I can’t stress how excited I am for this angst. He’s mad at her and she feels super guilty towards him, will they or won’t they??? Let’s not forget he’s gonna be a loser in love and with how he’s acting now, he definitely can’t forget his feelings for her. And to those of you crying wolf on the incest, literally what incest? This woman is probably his dad’s girlfriend, his actual mom’s dead, and they never grew up as siblings (jab at speed and love, sue me), legit no blood relations so rest assured friends.. anyways, love em already, give this a chance!

music chefs kiss btw

Read More

A Slow Burn That Pays Off

I wasn't planning to start Never Ending Summer while it was still airing, but after seeing countless edits on Instagram and YouTube Shorts, I finally gave in—and I'm glad I did.

The story begins with Zhou Wan, a talented and hardworking girl who is struggling with life's challenges. During her school years, she meets Lu Xi Xiao, a free-spirited boy who loves breaking the rules. I personally loved his character from the very beginning.

At first, Zhou Wan only wants to befriend Lu Xi Xiao for her own benefit. She hopes that getting closer to him will help her receive financial support from his stepmother—who is also her mother—to pay for her grandmother's hospital bills. But Lu Xi Xiao falls for her completely. He doesn't mind being used and is always there for her. As they spend more time together, they become close friends, create unforgettable memories, and eventually fall in love.

Their relationship takes a heartbreaking turn after they become involved in an incident with Luo He. Lu Xi Xiao's grandfather forces Zhou Wan to leave him, leading to the classic C-drama breakup.

Ten years later, they meet again. Lu Xi Xiao has become a famous painter, while Zhou Wan is working as a director at a company. Fate brings them back together when he becomes her boss and asks her to be his special assistant. He confidently says he'll make her beg and cry, but in reality, he's the one who ends up suffering. He's completely in love with her, constantly jealous, throwing little tantrums, and trying to win her back.

I also really enjoyed the second couple, Gu Meng and Jiang Fan. Even though they didn't have a lot of screen time, their chemistry was fantastic, and I found myself looking forward to every scene they shared.

My only complaint is that the drama spent too long in the school timeline. I wish the story had moved to the present-day reunion around episodes 14 or 15 instead of waiting until much later. Since I watched it while it was airing, getting only one episode a day made that part feel even slower. I think I would have enjoyed it even more if I had binge-watched it after it finished.

Overall, Never Ending Summer is a good romance with strong chemistry between the leads, emotional moments, lovable characters, and a satisfying happy ending—they even get married. If you've been waiting for it to finish before starting, now is the perfect time to watch it.

Read More

Its all about the way the male lead looks at the female lead the rest is kind of meeh

This drama is a bit hard to rate, it start off sweet fun with great leads nice cinematography biut also a promise that this will end keeping the suspense alive for a just a little bit to long as the whole break up (we know from the start is going to happen) kind of feels off. and disproportionate to all that came before it...

That said the way the male looks at the female lead is a solid 10, his playfulness, his obsession, everything about him is a lot of fun to watch. Not healthy or goals in any way but dude looks at the female lead like Homer Simpson looks a a donut. And it is adorable.

Ha also has some pretty decent and honest lines here and there.

Chemistry is good, kisses phenomenal there are decent side characters main plot is kind of meeh seen this before and brings nothing new to the table.

Read More

Good Chemistry followed by a generic storyline but screwed by pacing.

First and foremost this drama isn't some new or out of the box story but a mix of same old generic tropes, unidimensional characters and cliche storylines we have seen many times. The same old high school lovers separated by misunderstandings only to find each other again after years. The only strong point is the chemistry between leads and acting done by the actors.

Bao Shang En and Zhou Ke Yu as the leads are just perfect casting with both showing off the emotions the characters go through beautifully, the slowly budding romance that acts as a medicine to the wounds they had as kids, the pain of separation, longing and love hidden underneath all the resentment after years was shown beautifully. The supporting cast too were spot on with their roles especially the antagonists, be it FL's scheming mother or ML's rotten father they all made us feel hatred towards them so kudos to that too.

The thing were the drama screwed up was the pacing with the whole teen age arc given plenty of time as a matter of fact I would say too much time was spent on it but the grown up arc being wrapped up in less than 10 eps. They wrapped up so many major things and issues quite fast, this is something a drama like "The First Frost" pulled of beautifully. This is the biggest drawback of this drama.

Read More