This review may contain spoilers
Fluorescent Green Flag
I’ve never written a review before, so this will be a learning process for me. It’s also a testament to how much I love the series, as I’ve thought about writing reviews for other shows, but never have.
Disclaimer: I started the First Frost purely for BJT, and had little expectations for this drama. It is one of the last dramas with him that I’ve seen, and I held off on watching this series because the synopsis made me avoid it for the longest time due to the misunderstandings between the ML/FL. I thought it would have a really frustrating, angsty beginning phase, but from the start it was surprisingly calm and mellow. It was really a very healing story. I suppose a parallel drama would be The Best Thing with Zhang Linghe, in that they both are love stories with a healing, comforting vibe and over-the-top, fluorescent-green flag MLs. And BJT is the ultimate green flag. No other drama has a guy ever been that devoted to someone else ever. He sleepwalk-proofed the house, was extraordinarily patient in everything Wen Yifan did, was the most understanding and undemanding friend/boyfriend ever, totally forgave her for leaving him twice, and was a bit of a stalker in the best way possible (he must have spent a fortune on plane tickets).
While I really love this series, I will voice a few critiques scattered throughout this review. I really liked the FL (Zhang Ruonan/Wen Yifan), but I was frustrated by some of her life choices. I understood the logic behind them, but thought she could have made the same choices differently without hurting Sang Yan as much. For example, she could have just told him the truth and explained why she was going to Yihe instead of Nanwu for school, and asked if he wanted to follow her. Or she could have broken up with him in a less traumatic way. The redeeming thing is that later her character realized this, too.
Story: I knew going into the series that the FL would leave for HK, so I happily wasn’t surprised. As with other reviews I’ve read, I found it bizarre that she decided to go to HK after saying she would go to the police right before making that choice. Her determination in her statements, followed by just leaving without a word, was perplexing. Even knowing it was going to happen, I was bewildered, thinking “what just happened!? She just said she’d go to the cops if they messed with her and her friends…” And why do people go to HK when they want to vanish? They did the exact same thing in Our Generation too…I wonder if there’s something about HK in cdrama’s that says “let’s go here to disappear” 😊
I loved the flashbacks and the “the story is not over yet” parts. They wonderfully fleshed out the story in the best way, like extra snippets and visual postscripts. I also liked how the show didn’t dwell on the flashback where Wen Yifan explicitly told Sang Yan he was a backup. They showed other scenes of their initial separation many times throughout the series but didn’t replay that particular scene more than once or twice. And they also showed it at the very beginning of the series, which was refreshing.
The cinematography is beautiful. It’s a bit abstract in its lighting, and I liked how, in the emotional parts of the show that prelude something ominous, the camera is often handheld, conveying a sense of shakiness.
Acting: I can see why some people would say the FL’s acting was a bit wooden, though I felt the FL/ML had a charming dynamic in their interactions and dialogue. BJT’s acting was extraordinary, and ZRN was almost as good. The more I watch of her, the more I like her. She has this shy/confidence that is hard to describe until you see it. The second leads were okay. That is why I gave the show a 9.5/10 for acting. The second couple was sweet, but I think they could have had a better getting-together story than troubleshooting the grandparents' relationship. I have no idea why the grandparents got so much airtime. Rewatching it now, I always skip past them.
BJT's demeanor is super awesome too 😊 He may be a fluorescent green flag, but one with a lot of confidence and attitude. And ZRN complements him well with a more subtle demeanor.
Music: Awesome. The more I listen to the soundtrack, the more I like it. I have a few of the songs on my playlists now 😊
Rewatch value: I definitely think this show is worth rewatching multiple times. For me, when I finish shows I really like, I slowly move on by rewatching them, and I am still doing that with this drama.
This drama really hit me in the most wonderful way. I recommend that anyone who is on the fence about watching this show give it a try 😊
Disclaimer: I started the First Frost purely for BJT, and had little expectations for this drama. It is one of the last dramas with him that I’ve seen, and I held off on watching this series because the synopsis made me avoid it for the longest time due to the misunderstandings between the ML/FL. I thought it would have a really frustrating, angsty beginning phase, but from the start it was surprisingly calm and mellow. It was really a very healing story. I suppose a parallel drama would be The Best Thing with Zhang Linghe, in that they both are love stories with a healing, comforting vibe and over-the-top, fluorescent-green flag MLs. And BJT is the ultimate green flag. No other drama has a guy ever been that devoted to someone else ever. He sleepwalk-proofed the house, was extraordinarily patient in everything Wen Yifan did, was the most understanding and undemanding friend/boyfriend ever, totally forgave her for leaving him twice, and was a bit of a stalker in the best way possible (he must have spent a fortune on plane tickets).
While I really love this series, I will voice a few critiques scattered throughout this review. I really liked the FL (Zhang Ruonan/Wen Yifan), but I was frustrated by some of her life choices. I understood the logic behind them, but thought she could have made the same choices differently without hurting Sang Yan as much. For example, she could have just told him the truth and explained why she was going to Yihe instead of Nanwu for school, and asked if he wanted to follow her. Or she could have broken up with him in a less traumatic way. The redeeming thing is that later her character realized this, too.
Story: I knew going into the series that the FL would leave for HK, so I happily wasn’t surprised. As with other reviews I’ve read, I found it bizarre that she decided to go to HK after saying she would go to the police right before making that choice. Her determination in her statements, followed by just leaving without a word, was perplexing. Even knowing it was going to happen, I was bewildered, thinking “what just happened!? She just said she’d go to the cops if they messed with her and her friends…” And why do people go to HK when they want to vanish? They did the exact same thing in Our Generation too…I wonder if there’s something about HK in cdrama’s that says “let’s go here to disappear” 😊
I loved the flashbacks and the “the story is not over yet” parts. They wonderfully fleshed out the story in the best way, like extra snippets and visual postscripts. I also liked how the show didn’t dwell on the flashback where Wen Yifan explicitly told Sang Yan he was a backup. They showed other scenes of their initial separation many times throughout the series but didn’t replay that particular scene more than once or twice. And they also showed it at the very beginning of the series, which was refreshing.
The cinematography is beautiful. It’s a bit abstract in its lighting, and I liked how, in the emotional parts of the show that prelude something ominous, the camera is often handheld, conveying a sense of shakiness.
Acting: I can see why some people would say the FL’s acting was a bit wooden, though I felt the FL/ML had a charming dynamic in their interactions and dialogue. BJT’s acting was extraordinary, and ZRN was almost as good. The more I watch of her, the more I like her. She has this shy/confidence that is hard to describe until you see it. The second leads were okay. That is why I gave the show a 9.5/10 for acting. The second couple was sweet, but I think they could have had a better getting-together story than troubleshooting the grandparents' relationship. I have no idea why the grandparents got so much airtime. Rewatching it now, I always skip past them.
BJT's demeanor is super awesome too 😊 He may be a fluorescent green flag, but one with a lot of confidence and attitude. And ZRN complements him well with a more subtle demeanor.
Music: Awesome. The more I listen to the soundtrack, the more I like it. I have a few of the songs on my playlists now 😊
Rewatch value: I definitely think this show is worth rewatching multiple times. For me, when I finish shows I really like, I slowly move on by rewatching them, and I am still doing that with this drama.
This drama really hit me in the most wonderful way. I recommend that anyone who is on the fence about watching this show give it a try 😊
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