Never-Ending Summer

A Summer They Never Outgrew

A love story wrapped in longing. Never Ending Summer is soft, painful and impossible to forget. Zhou Wan and Lu Xi Xiao’s romance begins in a fragile summer of hope, only to be torn apart by life, misunderstandings and wounds that never fully healed. Years later, when they meet again, every glance feels heavy with what was lost and every silence carries the echo of a love that never truly ended.

It’s the kind of drama that aches quietly, then stays with you long after it’s over. Zhou Wan and Lu Xi Xiao’s chemistry is tender and heartbreaking and the mystery surrounding their past adds even more depth to their emotional journey.

An 8.5/10 for a story about first love, second chances and the kind of feelings time can never completely erase.

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Some summers never really end

What I loved most about this drama is that it never feels like just another second-chance romance. It begins with two young people carrying completely different burdens, and watching them slowly become each other’s safe place during one unforgettable summer was incredibly rewarding. Their relationship grows naturally through shared struggles and quiet support, making it easy to understand why their separation hurts so much. I also appreciated that the story doesn’t rush to bring them back together. Instead, it lets time, misunderstandings, and unresolved pain shape who they become before fate reunites them ten years later. Seeing them navigate old wounds while uncovering the truth behind the past added another layer to the romance, making it feel more mature than a typical reunion story. The chemistry between the leads was wonderful and carried both the lighter and more emotional scenes effortlessly. If I had one complaint, it’s that I wanted even more time with them after they finally found their way back to each other.

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As long as you say you love me~

Never Ending Summer, led by BaoShangAn and Zhou KeYu, is a drama that I never expected I would like. But genuinely, I really enjoyed watching it, even though towards the end, the plot didn't make much sense to me. I guess I enjoyed it so much because I hadn't watched a drama in such a long time. I also really enjoyed their chemistry, and honestly, it was the only thing that kept the entire story together for me.

To be honest, towards the end, it kind of started crashing, and some parts just didn't feel right because I felt like they were rushing the ending. I felt that they could have shown the 2026 era a bit more and cut down the 2016 era instead. Because, to be honest, I liked the 2026 era, or rather the more mature versions of both of them. In fact, I loved the mature versions of all the characters. I really liked how they handled situations and how much more mature they were compared to 10 years ago. So, I felt that they could have shown the older versions a bit more and cut down the younger ones.

For the younger timeline, I think the first 10 episodes were amazing. I really, really enjoyed them. But after that, once they started dating, or once both of them started falling in love, it kind of got boring. On the other hand, I found the 2026 era much more beautiful and meaningful. Even when they were dating again or when they moved in together, those moments were really beautiful. I loved how they were thinking through everything and handling their relationship in a more mature way.

I also loved all the outfits in this drama because I really liked the styling. Especially after the 10-year time skip, when they were older and around 28, the outfits were so good. ZW outfits, especially her off-shoulder tops, were absolutely top-notch.
Last but not least, I think the part where she is trying to solve the case was kind of misplaced. The plot became all over the place. I don't know how the mother got her redemption arc because we barely saw her again. I think we only saw her once after the 10-year time skip, and then suddenly she turned out to be a spy. What kind of plot was that? We didn't even get any hints leading up to it. It was probably the biggest plot twist, but it just didn't feel right. I honestly felt like it was poorly written, or at least poorly executed.

The chemistry between the leads was the only thing saving the drama. Even the side characters were really good. The factory arc, however, felt unnecessary at that point. We only got the 2026 timeline around Episode 19, which meant there were only about 10 episodes left. Most of those episodes focused on their redemption arc and how they had been missing each other. Then the factory arc came in, and I don't think they had enough time to execute it properly. Also special mention for the songs, istg they were so good at most of the times. The song placements were so peak, it just makes you feel the emotion.
Overall, I really enjoyed watching it, and I think it's a pretty good drama, probably rewatch it someday later!

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"Even if the world sees you as a bad person, someone will still love you for who you are."

There are some dramas that are just so good in the most unexpected ways. Never-ending Summer is one of those dramas for me. On paper, it has all the tropes I hate, especially the “almost step-siblings” trope. However, despite having its frustrating moments, this drama has become my ultimate comfort watch, mainly the reason being Lu Xixiao.

Lu Xi Xiao is easily one of my favourite male leads ever. He's an artist, a problem child, a rebellious teen, a clumsy lover, an adult who is not fully an adult, and most importantly, emotionally vulnerable(something romance male leads are scared to be).

He appears confident and nonchalant on the surface, and no one, except Zhou Wan, understood his insecurities, his fears, and loved him despite all his flaws. They become eachother's safe place, as she, too, had to put on a facade of maturity, and he is the only one she could be childish with.

• “I can't pretend anymore. I am only 18”. Lu Xixiao is the only person she can admit this to, and his reply to her confession of being tired of pretending is the reason she gets so scared when he gets harmed later in the show, infront of her, and eventually, leaves him.

• “I've never been really that interested in this world. I never had much hope for the future. Everything just felt kind of boring. But, now that, you’re with me, when I think about the future, I actually find it exciting. I never make promises, or talk about ‘forever’ with anyone, but this time, I really want to say this to you: Zhou Wan, lets spend every summer together from now on”. Despite getting abandoned by both his parents, LXX felt safe enough around ZW to propose something like this, as she healed him, yet she also abandons him, and tells him to forget her, but how could he— when she was the closest thing resembling to a family to him?

I love how ‘Never-ending Summer’ doesn't paint one character as a messiah, and the other as evil incarnate. Both LXX and ZW are flawed characters who hurt eachother, and I wouldn't say their relationship is healthy. It borders on codependency, but what could you expect from two grieving people who have been abandoned? Despite everything they've gone through, their bond is genuinely beautiful. You can tell they both love eachother. Their vacation arc, where they were free from their ‘family’, showed how perfect they're together when the adults in their life don't mess with them.

Talking about the adults in this drama, they're the most infuriating part. None of the adults are responsible, or mature, or rational in the slightest bit. It frustrated me a lot.

Another thing that was frustrating was the second male lead— Jiang Yan. His inferiority complex towards LXX is due to his parents(there are moments where I felt like the reason he still lingers around ZW after getting rejected is cause of he wants to have something LXX has). He resents LXX for getting everything that was supposed to be ‘his’, but that resentment is so misplaced. He crashes out on his mother (understandably so), and LXX, but he works for his father's company. He wants the approval of his father, and he resents the wrong person for not getting it.

Anyways, the casting is perfect. Whoever decided to cast ZKY and BSE in a drama together deserves a raise. Their chemistry is exceptional, and they fit the character so perfectly. ZKY really brought LXX to life. I think it'd be hard for me to watch other ZKY dramas without getting reminded of LXX. I wasn't a fan of BSE’s acting in G2G, but she's great here.

Another thing that I adore about this drama is the OST. Its comforting, and befitting of the show's overall aesthetic. I have them on repeat. Especially ‘When The Milky Way Falls’ by Zhou Ke Yu, and the Sunset Counter one (i am listening to it rn).

Overall, ‘Never-ending Summer’ is a comforting watch. It tackles a lot of heavy topics, like suicide, emotional abuse by family, abandonment issues with care(tho, there's a scene where the ml and fl help a suicidal person, and i hated every bit of it). The main characters with estranged families are relatable, and the romance between the leads feel genuine. The editing might seem a bit weird at times, but the aesthetic of this drama is so beautiful. Its one of those dramas that'd make you fall in love with summer.

^^Bonus(yeah there's more):

• “She actually just stepped out of time. She returned to earth’s most primitive components— atoms, molecules. In the future, she will slowly return to you in another form. When it rains heavily, or the wind blows hard in the future, she can be the big tree that shelters you from the wind and rain. When winter comes, she can also be the sweater that keeps you warm”. Lu Xixiao says this to Zhou Wan after her grandma dies, and its such a beautiful way to view death. Instead of saying something clichéd, he answers in a way that is so him. ZW's mother keeps saying Lu Xixiao is just like his father, but I think he's more like his mother— artistic, sensitive, loving, and obviously, miserable :(

If you decide to watch this drama after reading my long review(tbh this is more of a character analysis), I'd tell you to focus more on the characters, rather than the overall story. Its a very clichéd plot, but the characters make it unique. Also, LXX is adorable<3

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it had potential to be good one but somehow in mid lost its main thing. Cast was good, had watched them before, no problem with the cast but story got messy, made no sense, and eventally chemistry died out.
Had so much expectations, was literally waiting, counting days for this drama but it didnt deliverd what it was supposed to , angst, grovelling, longing, emotionally captivating.
had rushed falling in love no midway, felt like forced. it was going there but suddenly they are in love which was rushed.
transition from school going to adult was rushed didnot have development,
they had like 29 episode drama, so much time to develop properly but....
For me The First Frost is the gold standard in this type of genre/story.... so this NES was lacking in so much...

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quite disappointed

I can FINALLY write a review about this drama.. took me a while.
it unfortunately disappointed me. It started really strong so i was really disappointed how it went further on in the drama.

I said this in another review, the dramas lately feel like a gaming ad. You like the game in the ad and download it, only for it to be completely different and dissapointing.

After the never-ending summer (the downloaded game), was a bummer. They ruined the whole never-ending summer concept that was already so good. If the drama ended on episode 20ish, this would’ve been a complete different review.

The first 20 episodes were really great. The concept was good and it felt really like a never-ending summer. It felt fresh and warm, a great summer breeze with a lot of problems that made us sweat, but somehow the best summer.

By turning the whole concept and making it a stupid work bullshit it got completely destroyed. I don’t want to spoil but the way they ruinited was so weird and off??? I didn’t like the way they ruined the unforgettable summer.

The episodes after 20ish was so hard to watch i needed to motivate myself to finish it. I just don’t know why they feel the need to add another random ass plot in the drama. This is happening to a lot of dramas and i don’t see the benefit?

It disappointed me, yes, but i enjoyed the never-ending summer. So giving it a 7 is the best way out.

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Childish story

i am writing this on the 24th episode and I really don't want to finish it bcuz of how the ml is treating the fl. I used to watch things like this when my frontal lobe was not developed.
This is a typical rich ml, poor fl from two different worlds story. there is nothing wrong with that, and there starting youth time was even enjoyable but later on it got so repetitive push and pull. And the pure lack of communication ruined it for me. There was no solid reason for the fl to constantly lie to the ml and leave him. Just a 5 minute Convo could've solved everything. The money for grandma plot was stretched, then they didn't have any reason for fl to leave so they used the classic, "leave my grandson" trope.

And don't make me talk about that ml, i believe he has had a fair share of trauma from his childhood, but he is the spoilt, son of a rich man.
He has big anger issues, and mostly in room dramas u would see the ml atleast trying not to hurt the fl bcuz of his anger issues but in this he purposely hurts her after their reunion.

People were comparing sang yan from first frost to lu xixiao and I really can't understand them.
Sang yan would never force yifen to live with him if she was this uncomfortable.

overall i would not recommend spending your time on this drama. I will complete it bcuz I am already quite ahead.

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Good And Bad Sides

The Plot vs. The Chemistry: When a script is a complete trainwreck full of incomprehensible plot holes, the entire production essentially rests on the shoulders of the main leads. If their physical chemistry—amplified by that top-tier, classic height difference—is off the charts, it creates a powerful distraction. You end up ignoring the nonsensical writing just to watch them share a frame.

The Solitary Sane Character: Having an entire cast of characters who have seemingly lost their minds, except for one lone sane person on the male lead's side, is a hilarious but common trope. That one character usually becomes the audience surrogate, looking around in absolute disbelief at the chaos surrounding them.

Talent Wasted on Chaos: It is both a blessing and a curse when the casting is phenomenal and the main leads deliver powerhouse acting. On one hand, their talent saves the show from being entirely unwatchable; on the other hand, you can't help but wish their incredible acting had been utilized in a masterpiece rather than a chaotic, messy plot.

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MY TOP 2026 C-DRAMA!!!

All the reviews have been talking about the story, the angst, the acting, yes, which all are amazinggg, but can we appreciate the OSTs!?!?!?! THEY HAVE ME HOOOKEED. Also, the cinematography is just fascinating, the scenes are so well put and honestly just beautiful. If I had to point smt out, it would be to see more of grandma's actual personality and not just her being sick, Yes, its important to her character but as someone who has raised her granddaughter alone after all her family's been through, I believe we can see her point of view of the trauma as well. Right now, it just seems she is bringing her granddaughter down. WDYM she left her college entrance exam for you and you did not even say anything to show remorse?
Other than that, LOVEEE THE CAST, THE ACTING, AND HOLLLYYYYYY THE ANGSTTT!

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Teenage angst badly done

I dropped this half way through ep 19, can't take any more of this nonsense.

It's basically a bunch of teenage pretentious posers playing tough guys, the adults not being any more mature than them. The romance is so cliche it's actually cringe.

The plot is almost non-existent, it just repeats the same situations:
His father alternatively decides to keep him in his room, then let him go, then ground him again, his changes of mind being of course left unexplained.
Bad kids kidnap the FL, ML goes to rescue her and gets beaten up. 10 eps later, what happens? Yes, same thing, same gang kidnap her again, ML goes to rescue her again and gets beaten and stabbed again. At no point does it occur to him to call the police before heading off to get beaten up.

The amount of incredibly irritating details is unbearable:
FL just does the compulsory screaming and crying scene before she decides to call an ambulance.
He wakes up in hospital after being stabbed in his chest. First thing he does is asking her to help him remove his respirator, she immediately complies without a second thought to the fact that this should be a doctor's decision. He actually states there is no need to call a doctor, he knows better.
FL is shouting at ML from behind some bushes. He cannot find her by simply following her voice like any other mammal in the planet, instead he runs around in all directions except the right one.

The ML as one facial expression: broody. So does the FL: dreamy.

To top it all, the ML hairdo is so puffed up it looks like a middle aged western woman.

This is teenage angst really badly done. In fact, it only needs a little push to make it into a parody of it.

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