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A simple Childhood Friends-to-Lovers story for those who want a light watch
Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75
Not sure what prompted me to watch this ‘older’ Korean BL in 2025. This is a simple story about childhood friends to lovers. There are certain aspects of this show that many viewers might like, in addition to the friends-to-lovers trope, such as, huge height difference, unrequited love, pining, green flag who dotes on their loved one. The drama also tries to add some not-so-angsty angst to make it more than just a fluffy drama. For a drama adapted from a webtoon in 2022, this is a pleasant and easy watch. But KBLs have gone through a lot of transformation in the last few years and have given us some really good darker and more mature shows. Therefore, watching this in 2025 does not satisfy me.
The acting is OK. I liked Kang Hui more than Ok Jin Uk, but he also has more acting experience. I am usually not a fan of the naive, shy and pushover kind of main character. Additionally, I also don’t find Ok Jin Uk to be particularly cute or good-looking for me to fall in love with his character. Having said that, the romance is not based on love-at-first-sight, but a growing love and companionship. Therefore, their romance is believable. The last couple episodes and scenes of life after high school/college are rushed. I am not sure if we need that and the drama should probably focused on better writing of the high school years.
“Cherry Blossoms after Winter” is a low budget production, so aside from a few scenes at home, coffee shops and school, there’s no fancy cinematography or lavish costumes. I do appreciate that the drama does not look cheap and I really like the songs in the OST.
Completed: 9/19/2025 Review #626
Not sure what prompted me to watch this ‘older’ Korean BL in 2025. This is a simple story about childhood friends to lovers. There are certain aspects of this show that many viewers might like, in addition to the friends-to-lovers trope, such as, huge height difference, unrequited love, pining, green flag who dotes on their loved one. The drama also tries to add some not-so-angsty angst to make it more than just a fluffy drama. For a drama adapted from a webtoon in 2022, this is a pleasant and easy watch. But KBLs have gone through a lot of transformation in the last few years and have given us some really good darker and more mature shows. Therefore, watching this in 2025 does not satisfy me.
The acting is OK. I liked Kang Hui more than Ok Jin Uk, but he also has more acting experience. I am usually not a fan of the naive, shy and pushover kind of main character. Additionally, I also don’t find Ok Jin Uk to be particularly cute or good-looking for me to fall in love with his character. Having said that, the romance is not based on love-at-first-sight, but a growing love and companionship. Therefore, their romance is believable. The last couple episodes and scenes of life after high school/college are rushed. I am not sure if we need that and the drama should probably focused on better writing of the high school years.
“Cherry Blossoms after Winter” is a low budget production, so aside from a few scenes at home, coffee shops and school, there’s no fancy cinematography or lavish costumes. I do appreciate that the drama does not look cheap and I really like the songs in the OST.
Completed: 9/19/2025 Review #626
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