7
10
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Love is selflessly wanting the other person to be happy....Healing Love, ...Unforgettable!
This is a beautiful masterpiece about two people who loved each other and found their way back because one person never gave up on the other. The First Frost is not melodramatic nor is it dark. While the FL had a traumatic experience in her youth, TFF is fun and entertaining with a deep emotional chemistry that will bring tears as well as laughter. I don't think any drama will beat this. I wish I could give this 1000/10.
The First Frost portrays one of the most selfless and enduring love I have ever seen in any drama. It tells the story of Sang Yan and Yi Fan who fell in love in high school. They promised to go to Nanwu University together but YiFan broke her promise and Sang Yan's heart. While Sang Yan thinks Yi Fan left because she didn't want to be with him, Yi Fan kept the pain of her secret from him. Six years later they meet again and end up sharing an apartment. Each episode begins with a flashback to scenes from the past and ends with a "It's not over yet" scene from Sang Yan's point of view. And in the end, all the surprise details fall into place like puzzle pieces. This is the most incredible production!
I started this drama feeling more connected to Sang Yan and his feelings for YiFan than I was for YiFan. While I empathize with YiFan and the fact that she suffered trauma which is the cause for her locked-up emotions, it took me a while to feel connected with her story. I know novel readers felt more connected with YiFan as they went in knowing the full extent of her trauma.
SANG YAN
Bai Jing Ting took this role and made me love Sang Yan more with each episode. I cannot imagine anyone else as Sang Yan. He was perfect! Sang Yan loved Yi Fan since he met her in high school and it didn't end when she broke his heart. Even with 6 years of unanswered questions, his love for her never faded. What made his character captivating was the way he was just there for her. There were little things such as making sure she ate even if he told her he needed her help as he made too much. He senses something is bothering her but he doesn't ask. He never puts any pressure on her. He simply watches her and provides anything he feels she needs. He wants her to happy. And it makes him happy just to see her. What made his love real for me were YiFan's sleepwalking scenes. He sees her pain and tears and he feels them. And he stands next to her waiting for the times she needed to turn to him. Because as he said to her, "I will always catch you."
Sang Yan's point of view is portrayed in the lyrics of "Willful" which begins each episode:
Just for you, I will be brave and willful
I won't regret ever loving you with all my heart
I want to be the gravel that breaks the shadows for you
Even if I have to lose everything, I'll go against the grain for you...
YI FAN
YiFan's character appears strong at first. She is a journalist who does not hesitate to save someone from a car crash. Yet on the inside she was fragile. She was abandoned by her mother after her father died. Her mother remarried and left her to live with her paternal uncle. She not only had to deal with the loss of her father, but she lived in fear of being sexually assaulted by Che Xing D, her aunt's brother. She has PTSD from the night he broke into her room. It was fortunate that she escaped. YiFan's decision to leave all behind, led her to ending her relationship with Sang Yan 6 years before. I felt Sang Yan's pain, and a part of me disliked YiFan for being so cruel, but I also knew with her emotional state back then, I could not blame her. In fact, I admire her for the strength it took for her to protect herself and break ties with her toxic family.
Yi Fan's point of view is portrayed in the lyrics of "It's You" which ends each episode:
It's you who pulled me with all your strength
...You are warm and bright like the sun, and you give me care...
It's you who strides towards me in the storm
It's you who stands by my side and cheers for me
The road has been bumpy along the way, and raindrops have covered the ground,
But with you as my support, I can overcome the darkness in front of me....
YANFAN'S CHEMISTRY (Through all these years, I never loved anyone but you...)
There is a sense of familiarity and trust.....and a sense of having loved and been loved....
YiFan trusts Sang Yan. Even though she takes charge of her life and her struggles, she neglects the little things for her own comfort. It is Sang Yan who provides the warmth and comfort she needs but never asks. It is Sang Yan who reminds her to eat and makes sure she is not alone. She subconsciously turns to a bewildered Sang Yan during her sleepwalking incidences seeking his warmth and comfort. I love those sleepwalking moments because YiFan moves toward Sang Yan and you can feel that these two share a bond of trust. What moves me even more is that the pain in YiFan's face is reflected in Sang Yan's. There is such emotional depth and a sense of yearning between them. But there also humor and familiarity as Sang Yan loves to tease YiFan. There are times I feel he teases her to distract from her worries. And there are times they simply enjoy being next to each other.
NOVEL DEVIATION SPOILER (EP 24)
The one major deviation concerning YanFan is in ep 24 when Yi Fan left for Hong Kong. In the book she followed him to Yihe, but the drama chose to have her run off to Hong Kong for 6 months. I thought I would be upset also but on watching it, I saw Sang Yan visiting all the places in Yi Fan's life and filling in some of the missing details. The director added flashback scenes for the viewers to see the little details falling into place. I felt the purpose of sending Yi Fan to HK was to build empathy and understanding for Yi Fan through Sang Yan's eyes. It also provided her the time to reconnect with her passion for dancing. Some viewers felt Sang Yan should have shown anger for Yi Fan leaving him again. But I disagree. He would not be Sang Yan had he not felt deep pain for her trauma and felt he somehow failed to protect her. There is no way he would feel anger. He was too much in pain over her suffering, so much so that he wished he was the reason rather than the truth about her traumatic experience.
I dislike that Sang Yan was left again because he suffered enough for 6 years. But I am not going to harp on it as there is so much more to love about TFF. Just put it down to creative license and drama. And the positive side is that the couple reunited and the hotel scene from the book was picked up right after. Enjoy and move on.
OVERALL VIBE
Overall, this drama is one of healing love, comfort, and security.
It is not melodrama. I feel the darkness lies below the surface and acts as part of the conflict. But the overlying vibe is emotionally hopeful, humorous, sweet, and loving.
The OST adds to the mood. "Like a Sunny Day, Like a Rainy Day" by Silence Wang adds the same mood we get from "Just Want to Secretly Love You" by Silence Want and Zhao Lusi in Hidden Love. This delightful vibe links the emotions of both dramas even though TFF has more emotional depth. The lyrics in "Willful" tells the story from Sang Yan's point of view. The lyrics in "It's You" tells the story from Yi Fan's point of view. They hit the core of The First Frost beautifully.
The lighting adds warmth and charm. The soft tones used in conversation between the leads add calm and a sense of peace and comfort. The First Frost will go on my permanent rewatch this. I know I will have a hard time moving on, but I will rewatch when I miss my YanFan couple. Okay! I will admit that my bias is Sang Yan. You will know when you see him.
POSITIVES
* Bai Jing Ting- He made Sang Yan my favorite character. I could read his thoughts just by his expressions.
* Witty conversations
* Beautiful cinematography- this includes Sang Yan dressed in black 💗
* Amazing chemistry💗🔥🤗
* Directing- beautiful heartfelt moments
* Production- an incredible work of art
* Episodes flow smoothly from one to another. I am always surprised when the episode ends. It feels like 10 mins instead of 45.
* Emotional Depth
* Lots of skinship and intimate scenes🤗💋🛏🔥
* An original and emotional proposal scene scene. It was beautiful!💞💍🥰
* Extended ending over several episodes. This is one of the most satisfying ending to a drama I have ever seen.
NEGATIVES
*The second couple is interesting and cute but for some reason, the sml's grandpa hijacked their story. I found myself skipping their story because the grandpa's issues didn't fit in with it all. I got into the second couple's story around ep 26 and liked them so much that on rewatch I will pay closer attention to them. But what about Grandpa? Only someone who watched his scenes can say.
I have never seen a drama with a more satisfying ending. It spanned from ep 29 to 32. Everything fell into place and there were some beautiful surprises. I wish I could forget them so I can experience it all over again. This was the most beautiful journey.
The First Frost portrays one of the most selfless and enduring love I have ever seen in any drama. It tells the story of Sang Yan and Yi Fan who fell in love in high school. They promised to go to Nanwu University together but YiFan broke her promise and Sang Yan's heart. While Sang Yan thinks Yi Fan left because she didn't want to be with him, Yi Fan kept the pain of her secret from him. Six years later they meet again and end up sharing an apartment. Each episode begins with a flashback to scenes from the past and ends with a "It's not over yet" scene from Sang Yan's point of view. And in the end, all the surprise details fall into place like puzzle pieces. This is the most incredible production!
I started this drama feeling more connected to Sang Yan and his feelings for YiFan than I was for YiFan. While I empathize with YiFan and the fact that she suffered trauma which is the cause for her locked-up emotions, it took me a while to feel connected with her story. I know novel readers felt more connected with YiFan as they went in knowing the full extent of her trauma.
SANG YAN
Bai Jing Ting took this role and made me love Sang Yan more with each episode. I cannot imagine anyone else as Sang Yan. He was perfect! Sang Yan loved Yi Fan since he met her in high school and it didn't end when she broke his heart. Even with 6 years of unanswered questions, his love for her never faded. What made his character captivating was the way he was just there for her. There were little things such as making sure she ate even if he told her he needed her help as he made too much. He senses something is bothering her but he doesn't ask. He never puts any pressure on her. He simply watches her and provides anything he feels she needs. He wants her to happy. And it makes him happy just to see her. What made his love real for me were YiFan's sleepwalking scenes. He sees her pain and tears and he feels them. And he stands next to her waiting for the times she needed to turn to him. Because as he said to her, "I will always catch you."
Sang Yan's point of view is portrayed in the lyrics of "Willful" which begins each episode:
Just for you, I will be brave and willful
I won't regret ever loving you with all my heart
I want to be the gravel that breaks the shadows for you
Even if I have to lose everything, I'll go against the grain for you...
YI FAN
YiFan's character appears strong at first. She is a journalist who does not hesitate to save someone from a car crash. Yet on the inside she was fragile. She was abandoned by her mother after her father died. Her mother remarried and left her to live with her paternal uncle. She not only had to deal with the loss of her father, but she lived in fear of being sexually assaulted by Che Xing D, her aunt's brother. She has PTSD from the night he broke into her room. It was fortunate that she escaped. YiFan's decision to leave all behind, led her to ending her relationship with Sang Yan 6 years before. I felt Sang Yan's pain, and a part of me disliked YiFan for being so cruel, but I also knew with her emotional state back then, I could not blame her. In fact, I admire her for the strength it took for her to protect herself and break ties with her toxic family.
Yi Fan's point of view is portrayed in the lyrics of "It's You" which ends each episode:
It's you who pulled me with all your strength
...You are warm and bright like the sun, and you give me care...
It's you who strides towards me in the storm
It's you who stands by my side and cheers for me
The road has been bumpy along the way, and raindrops have covered the ground,
But with you as my support, I can overcome the darkness in front of me....
YANFAN'S CHEMISTRY (Through all these years, I never loved anyone but you...)
There is a sense of familiarity and trust.....and a sense of having loved and been loved....
YiFan trusts Sang Yan. Even though she takes charge of her life and her struggles, she neglects the little things for her own comfort. It is Sang Yan who provides the warmth and comfort she needs but never asks. It is Sang Yan who reminds her to eat and makes sure she is not alone. She subconsciously turns to a bewildered Sang Yan during her sleepwalking incidences seeking his warmth and comfort. I love those sleepwalking moments because YiFan moves toward Sang Yan and you can feel that these two share a bond of trust. What moves me even more is that the pain in YiFan's face is reflected in Sang Yan's. There is such emotional depth and a sense of yearning between them. But there also humor and familiarity as Sang Yan loves to tease YiFan. There are times I feel he teases her to distract from her worries. And there are times they simply enjoy being next to each other.
NOVEL DEVIATION SPOILER (EP 24)
The one major deviation concerning YanFan is in ep 24 when Yi Fan left for Hong Kong. In the book she followed him to Yihe, but the drama chose to have her run off to Hong Kong for 6 months. I thought I would be upset also but on watching it, I saw Sang Yan visiting all the places in Yi Fan's life and filling in some of the missing details. The director added flashback scenes for the viewers to see the little details falling into place. I felt the purpose of sending Yi Fan to HK was to build empathy and understanding for Yi Fan through Sang Yan's eyes. It also provided her the time to reconnect with her passion for dancing. Some viewers felt Sang Yan should have shown anger for Yi Fan leaving him again. But I disagree. He would not be Sang Yan had he not felt deep pain for her trauma and felt he somehow failed to protect her. There is no way he would feel anger. He was too much in pain over her suffering, so much so that he wished he was the reason rather than the truth about her traumatic experience.
I dislike that Sang Yan was left again because he suffered enough for 6 years. But I am not going to harp on it as there is so much more to love about TFF. Just put it down to creative license and drama. And the positive side is that the couple reunited and the hotel scene from the book was picked up right after. Enjoy and move on.
OVERALL VIBE
Overall, this drama is one of healing love, comfort, and security.
It is not melodrama. I feel the darkness lies below the surface and acts as part of the conflict. But the overlying vibe is emotionally hopeful, humorous, sweet, and loving.
The OST adds to the mood. "Like a Sunny Day, Like a Rainy Day" by Silence Wang adds the same mood we get from "Just Want to Secretly Love You" by Silence Want and Zhao Lusi in Hidden Love. This delightful vibe links the emotions of both dramas even though TFF has more emotional depth. The lyrics in "Willful" tells the story from Sang Yan's point of view. The lyrics in "It's You" tells the story from Yi Fan's point of view. They hit the core of The First Frost beautifully.
The lighting adds warmth and charm. The soft tones used in conversation between the leads add calm and a sense of peace and comfort. The First Frost will go on my permanent rewatch this. I know I will have a hard time moving on, but I will rewatch when I miss my YanFan couple. Okay! I will admit that my bias is Sang Yan. You will know when you see him.
POSITIVES
* Bai Jing Ting- He made Sang Yan my favorite character. I could read his thoughts just by his expressions.
* Witty conversations
* Beautiful cinematography- this includes Sang Yan dressed in black 💗
* Amazing chemistry💗🔥🤗
* Directing- beautiful heartfelt moments
* Production- an incredible work of art
* Episodes flow smoothly from one to another. I am always surprised when the episode ends. It feels like 10 mins instead of 45.
* Emotional Depth
* Lots of skinship and intimate scenes🤗💋🛏🔥
* An original and emotional proposal scene scene. It was beautiful!💞💍🥰
* Extended ending over several episodes. This is one of the most satisfying ending to a drama I have ever seen.
NEGATIVES
*The second couple is interesting and cute but for some reason, the sml's grandpa hijacked their story. I found myself skipping their story because the grandpa's issues didn't fit in with it all. I got into the second couple's story around ep 26 and liked them so much that on rewatch I will pay closer attention to them. But what about Grandpa? Only someone who watched his scenes can say.
I have never seen a drama with a more satisfying ending. It spanned from ep 29 to 32. Everything fell into place and there were some beautiful surprises. I wish I could forget them so I can experience it all over again. This was the most beautiful journey.
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