ismaZ

I have to disagree a bit, because you’re using Yi Fan’s past to justify your perspective on the actions of the men she encountered, yet you also told me that actions should be taken as they are. So I can’t fully agree with your reasoning.

You also ask Sang Yan to be more communicative, but I think that would completely change his personality. Both he and Yi Fan actually share very similar personalities. For example: Sang Yan cooks a huge portion of food and then casually tells Yi Fan to eat the leftoverswhen we clearly know he cooked for her. Later, Yi Fan asks Sang Yan to propose to her one year later. Both of them are refusing to risk getting hurt out of fear.

That’s why I really can’t interpret this as manipulation or mind games. There’s even a Japanese term for this: Tsundere :people who hide their strong feelings behind a different exterior.

@E_Maya So I completely disagree. You say “he is behaving a bit weirdly though. He acts kinda jealous and does backhanded secret things for her”, but your negative interpretation feels very suspicious, because we know from the very beginning that Sang Yan loves Yi Fan. It’s impossible to interpret his actions negatively, since that’s part of his nature and personality.

Yi Fan refuses to explain why she didn’t show up to the meeting on the day of the university admission results, and that prevents Sang Yan from moving on. He’s forced to think there was another reason beyond simply “she didn’t love him anymore.” His way of loving quiet and cunning, like a fox is his discreet way of protecting himself from getting burned.

Meanwhile, Yi Fan’s shyness, lack of confidence, and her past (which is revealed much later) keep her from opening up to the one she truly loves. I think the drama’s writing had to take this direction for this type of relationship and for the length of the series, even though we might have wished for a more creative solution.

No worries! I often switch between genres so I can keep a fresh approach to each series I watch. Right now, I’m watching Trigger, an action thriller K-drama, it's pretty good !

I understand your point of view because I’m also a man, and I watched First Frost with my little sister and brother. The key is to approach it with the mindset of putting yourself in a woman’s shoes while watching, since it’s clearly a drama aimed at a female audience. That said, the director did make the effort to give Wen Yifan both an appealing appearance and personality.

I think the best way to see this drama is as a guide on how to be a really good boyfriend. Watching how Sang Yan takes care of Yifan is the key to appreciating it, because honestly, he's the most devoted MC i have ever seen in all dramas. And being inspired to become a better partner is truly a gift this drama gives, since it shows everything : cooking, cleaning, voice messages, jokes, dreamy and philosophical conversations, little acts of affection toward a loved one the list goes on and on!

I also really enjoyed the cinematography and felt like I traveled to Nanwu and Hong Kong, discovering Chinese traditions I had never seen before. So it might also appeal to you if you’re new to Chinese dramas. I do agree that Yi Fan is a bit tiring, Me and my brother got a bit exhausted by her escapist mindset, but it was all worth it.

I gave this drama a 9.5, because I genuinely think that for women, it’s like a dream, and for us, it’s a charming and very relatable guide.

Nothing, she took her own path

Tomorrow is not that good, the stupid ML makes me wanna break my monitor

that's a good point @edneversleeps

I dropped this drama after episode 8. The older characters weren’t contributing anything to the story, and Ae-sun was just too petty. I don’t know how you guys managed to watch the whole thing without getting bored — did you force yourselves just because of the high ratings?

You account show that you rated this show 10/10 but i'm glad we are on the same page.

I'm not hype by this release, the screenwriter is Han Jung Hoon, he hasn't done anything meaningful (Bad guys was good but was carried by the concept tbh), the actors are talented but having an average screenwriter and producer will produce a flop, and knowing kim soo hyun catalog, he does one good drama then one really bad, QOT was really good but i think it was carried by the screenwriter Park Ji eun if i remember correctly, anyway this one is a hard pass, i'm already wasting my time on Tomorrow (2022)..

No i'm keeping it like that for now. your opinion was interesting.

Well, I’m not here to win a debate or argue—I’m just leaving my review. I watched the drama by taking the title "When Life Gives You Tangerines" literally, meaning fighting through poverty to reach happiness.

Your opinion highlights the bond between Ae Sun and her mother, but the drama doesn’t focus solely on that. I bring this up because I’m pointing out unexplored themes. If this drama was only about that bond, then why put so much emphasis on Yang Gwan? Why highlight the relationship between Yang Gwan and his daughter? Why not just focus on what matters instead of stuffing the story with unnecessary subplots? We still don't know why she love writting poems.

I think we simply watched the drama differently. When I watch a drama, I’m laser-focused—I don’t disconnect for a second. So when unnecessary things happen, I get bored easily.

" hard life when aesun is the one having hard" have you seen his hands ?
Anyway i was expected emotional comments, so i'm not too surprised ^^

I do agree you can read my review, it fall indeed flat..

This drama is good but it lacks a proper fansub team and i think 1 hours 16 ep would have been better, 30 min feels short. ^^