Reviews

Disappointment

I had high hopes for this long-awaited BoatOat project, but it fell through on many levels. BoatOat were their usual sexy/cute selves, but the story, the script, the subs, some of the actors, the continuity were dreadful....
The NC moments were the only things keeping this show together for the Fujos.
Rul, who played Nakhun's mother, was very good, but the other older actors were quite shallow.
Whoever was 'dressing' the cast did a brilliant job of making everyone glamourous.
Such a pity it was so bad - I played a lot of it at 1:25 playback, and even skipped or went to 1:5 at times.
I hope BoatOat get a better project next time around, as they make a great couple.

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Understanding the Depth of Who You Are

First let me start off with a few words regarding the cast:
#Oat Pasakorn Sanrattana; outstanding performance 10/10 star actor
Watching him from beginning to end brought me to see this young actor in whole different light.
#Boat Yongyut Termtuo; perfect casting for the ALPHA & leading the pack & his gentleness when it comes to Phatsa.

Let's see, where do I begin. I'm sure there are going to be plenty of critics out there that will not agree with my rating... nor what I'm going to say. I've read all the negative comments here on MDL & other places as well. It just help me understand that this story line was 1 of two things for those who watched it. #1 the depth of the story was to deep for them to connect with. #2 They were looking for something else, and decided not worth it, so just give a bad review or comment to deter others from watching. Whatever their case may be... I pray that neither Oat OR Boat come across such negativity... nor the staff that worked so hard bts.
Anyway... I digress

KNOT: I’m not sure if it’s because, in my 71 years of life, I’ve watched, listened, and tried to connect with the main character that’s meant to be the focus, but here I connected deeply with #Phatsa and the world he was thrown into (this was just the first episode). After #Phatsa was bitten, he went home, refusing to stay somewhere safe.
What he goes through in his own place… smh. I once commented about how I used to watch documentaries, and one on addiction showed how painful and anxious people get searching for their fix. Oat (who played Phatsa) was OUTSTANDING portraying that intense craving—wanting, needing, feeling helpless, and not understanding what was happening to him.

As the story progresses, Phatsa starts to learn about himself and who he truly is—or should we even label him #What he is? No, he’s simply Phatsa. He hears bits and pieces until his dear friend suggests he get tested to be certain. When the results come in, he doesn’t know what to feel. Who is he? Why didn’t he know? What are #Alpha, #Omega, and #Beta? Despite his friend’s warning, it’s already too late.

Thankfully, Phatsa had strong support to help him through this uneasy new part of his identity—especially Khamphirada Nakhun’s mother, who became a bridge to safety alongside Nakhun. The reason I didn’t give this a 10/10 is because the middle section with Phatsa’s father entering and the subplot with Sangnuea and his brother felt overly unnecessary and could have been toned down. I get the revenge angle, but by episode 9, some of the context was lost. Still, even though the drama stayed serious for most of its run, I loved that a touch of comedic cuteness slipped into the final episode, bringing welcome relief after all that tension.

Bottom line: In my personal old lady opinion (lol) This drama was about a young man (Phatsa) who took a forced journey to understand the *Depth of who he truly is. While each path he took, there was more for him to focus on when it came to his inner feelings. Especially feeling trapped or even being accepted for a person he himself is still learning about. Fear of the unknown can be overwhelming, when what you thought was normal was not... etc. Remember, every child when growing up ... start to find their own identity. Some or many become confused and rebellious. It's a time when that fear of the unknown becomes overwhelming & needing a strong connection to help them feel safe & secure with each unknown step they take. Phatsa found his footing at the end & his emotional and mental strength became calm. At the end of the day... Phatsa realized & accepted the person he was.

#OAT & #BOAT in my personal opinion... made this drama SHINE. They deserve more Main Leading Dramas

also, to the Behind-the-Scenes Staff ... GREAT JOB for all their hard work!!!

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"When it comes to the underworld, it's easier to get in than out."

In 1986, Tsui Hark and John Woo had the crazy idea of making a gangster film when comedy was all the rage. The film would star Ti Lung and Leslie Cheung and box office “poison”-Chow Yun Fat. A Better Tomorrow was expected to bomb but instead ruled the box office, influenced fashion, started a new film trend, and propelled Chow into action hero mode. After forty years, it showed its age for sure, but it was still a compelling story of brotherhood, sacrifice, and loyalty surrounded by a whole lot of bullets.

Sung Tse Ho is a triad member but also devoted to his younger brother Kit who is in the police academy. At his dying father’s behest he decides to give up the life of crime after his final mission in Taiwan. After being set up, he and underling Shing escape but are tracked down by the police. He surrenders so that Shing can escape. Ho’s blood brother Mark, makes sure the Taiwanese gangsters who betrayed Ho pay dearly. Unfortunately, so does Mark. After Ho’s release from prison, Kit refuses to reconcile, despite Ho desperately trying to go straight.

This was definitely a buddy bonding movie. There were male tears, hugs, heartfelt declarations, and sacrifice for each other amongst the blood, bullets, and beatings. I loved the cast. Ti Lung is one of my favorites from kung fu’s golden era. He gave a moving performance as a devoted brother and friend who just wanted to take a new path but kept getting dragged back in to the life he'd left behind. Leslie Cheung had the thankless job of being the naïve, obstinate, childlike brother hell bent on bringing Shing down. Chow Yun Fat who was hired because he didn’t look like a gangster, gave an iconic performance in his shades with a matchstick in his mouth. Mark went from overconfident “veteran” gangster to lackey to vengeful destroyer. Waise Lee was adequate as the slimy turncoat determined to bring everyone under his heel. I didn’t find him particularly menacing.

The shootouts were early gangster choreography. A few of the extras tried to push the bullets out of their guns which was humorous. But it was an evolving craft of bullet ballet that Woo would further refine through the years. A brutal beatdown had me turning away as it was too intense and personal to watch. I’m not a huge fan of these almost constant fire fights, at least this film didn’t have a high civilian body count. It was mostly gangster on gangster action.

I can see why A Better Tomorrow is considered a classic even with its flaws. Aside from the three stars I enjoyed spotting many players from the old martial arts flicks I’ve watched including Wang Hsieh and Tien Feng. If you are a John Woo fan and have not seen this film, it is definitely one to try. Because it’s pre-1990, I did give it a ratings bump.

15 September 2026

Trigger warnings: Bloody shootouts and beatings. Smoking. An impossibly stupid and klutzy female character.

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Decent and doesn't deserve the hate its getting.

Everyone keeps comparing this to other series with a similar plot, and while I get it--I don't think that Love Destiny deserves the amount of hate it's getting.

Tbh I was stoked to see Leng back on the screen in a main role after the shit he went through, and August is so fkn handsome, I think they had great chemistry. I will admit the script was a bit weak. I think, given a better story, these two could make something great.

All in all I enjoyed the series, but I think after Love Upon A Time people had higher expectations. Which is totally valid, but we can critique a series and compare it to others without absolutely dogging on it.

The NC scene was really nice, I loved the atmosphere, and I wasn't expecting it. The ending, however, felt rushed, and I would have liked to see a better reunion between the two. The way they left things felt unfinished.
That being said I would love to see these two in more in the future.

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Worse Kinnporsche?

I only watched this show because my girlfriend wanted to watch a live action abo drama and.....it sure was something. Going into this, I had fairly limited knowledge of abo content, and while the show did a good job of explaining everything, I do think that maybe abo plots don't lend themselves great to live action media. The CGI "scent" was kind of hilarious, and overall I just felt like you miss a lot of details that would be apparent in a written work but not in a live action. The pacing of the show was pretty bad too, to a point where I genuinely had to look up how many episodes this show had after ep 11 because I thought it was over. Some of the more powerful ideas that they could have pursued were totally ignored, including my personal favorite of Phatsa feeling like the idea of a soulmate was forced upon him, which seemed to be discarded fairly quickly. I found myself constantly comparing this show to Kinnporsche because of the similar themes and plot points, and I don't even think Kinnporsche is a great show, but it was better than whatever happened in this one.

Phatsa (Oat) has grown up unaware of the world of alphas, betas, and omegas. When he presents as a pure omega, he doesn't quite know what this means. He quickly learns of the struggles omegas face when he is bitten by Nakhun (Boat), forcing them into a bond. Phatsa is forced to live with Nakhun and enters his world as the heir to a huge, mafia-like family business.

I think one of the worst parts of this show was Phatsa going from this badass, protective, ,standing-with-justice guy to a nearly helpless partner in front of Nakhun. I think a big draw of abo is that it can address the ideas of misogyny and class divides in a fantasy setting and nearly all male cast, pointing out these inequalities in different ways. I was really hoping to see Phatsa become this very strong, resilient omega that "proves" these structural inequalities lack any merit. Instead, Phatsa barely did ANYTHING besides be stuck at home as Nakhun's mate. They could have done so many interesting things and they just didn't! It felt like they'd rather have another NC-scene filled BoatOat show than try to develop any real deeper messaging. If all you want is a live action abo drama, I guess this one will do....if you're in it for literally any other reason, there are better shows to watch!

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Absolute masterpiece - hilarious, deep, tragic, profound HEALING - true kmovie/kdrama

OMG MOVIE!!!!!! wow. True mastery of Korean video. WOW!!!! It is hilariously funny, it is rowdy fun and daily life yet deep profound topics and amazing friendships.... And it is a lot more than that.... It is absolutely masterfully told and filmed HEALING.
MDL description for this movie is cheesy inadequate and very deceptive :) The movie is a psychological thriller that uses lots of comedy .... and more... .... . But I cannot spoil anything for you. You have to watch it from beginning to the end, ALL THE WAY TO THE END, even past the credits and super hilarious cut scenes.

WOW. THe movie blew my mind
Amazing comedy
Really heartbreaking tragedy
and AMAZING HEALING

t is HEARTWARMING AND HEARTBREAKING AT THE SAME TIME
but leaves the healing aftertaste
and it shows HEALING on many levels

The movie is hilariously funny and also tragic, and overall it documents a HEALING PROCESS.
Seemingly so simple but it catches you and thugs on your brain and your heart and changes your life. Extremely PROFOUND DEEP.
WOW MOVIE!!!!! Heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. Leaves you fully aware of life's tragedies and appreciation for the healing process and overcoming and transforming.

I wasnt aware that my fav kactor was in this movie, so I am watching it 1 yr late, but omg am I glad I watched it!!!!! OMG MOVIE!!!!!

The cast is all super great experienced actors on fire, they were really having fun horsing around, but also... showing some very deep complex scenes, super highly emotional scenes

I AM SO GLAD I WATCHED THIS MOVIE!!! i would have never watched it based on MDL description. The only reason why I watched is Kim Young Kwang, and he delivered as usual, all his artworks are high quality. He has now officialy become my fav kactor. He picks only very interesting projects.

This is a masterpiece movie with everything that we love kdramas/kmovies for - it is warm, fun, humorous, twisty, deep yet light, shows personal and community growth, shows deep complex tragic things with compassion and in a way that makes you think and change your life. It is sophisticated, it is humane and mundane and totally profound and HEALING. WOW.

WOW S KOREA!!!!! what is in the air and the water there - and in all those skin creams and good food - that makes S Koreans so creative and so wickedly funny in a very deep compassionate warm and POSITIVE HEALING way. We need to learn from them.

ACTORS:
=========

I would have NEVER watched this movie bc the description is totally not of interest to me... but I watched it bc I wanted to see Kim Young-Kwang's work. After watching Pinnochio as my first kdrama in 2019 bc I found it on Internet by chance and at that time I had no idea what kdramas were .... but I remember his role... bc he ha presence and acts well... then I wathed by chance On Her Wedding Day - and did not recognize the guy from Pinnociop lol but that movie stood in my mind, it is excellent... then Haunted Palace Imugi was so memorable... then Walking on Thin Ice... so complex and profound... creative .... and by then... I realized that I need to check the other movies / dramas this actor made bc they are all extraordinary, creative, profound art pieces with very complex and profound messages. I watched a few more movies from his MDL list - Mssion Possible and Year End Medley ... ... and learned that Kim Young-kwang is my fav kactor and one of my fav actors overall. Every role he is in is complex and thoughtful and life changing learning experience - so I watched this movie.
And I will surely watch all on his list.

Another perk from this movie is that Tastefully Yours ML is here too, and he too is a fantastic comedian
and the dude from Agent Kim got a good role in here too, it fits him soooo well to be Korean ambassador lmao who is pissed off lmao

There is only one female character and the actress is great but the character is also ... a ditz... unfortunately :) and there is a female villain. The sexism is still there. That's my only criticism of this movie.

It seems absurd at times but it really is not. Real life does look like that.

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This was a cute and fun watch, but it didn’t completely steal my heart. 🥹🤍 I enjoyed watching Maxky and Bas together, and their chemistry definitely had some lovely moments. 🎮💕
There were parts I really liked, but I also found myself wishing for a little more. Still, an enjoyable BL and definitely worth the watch! 🌸✨
7/10 from me! ⭐💖


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Check my homepage for my account~ (｡♥‿♥｡) 🌷

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Not my usual fare but EXCELLENT

Watched this quite early in my kdrama journey because I didn't have access to many dramas with Lee Joon Gi and I was rather taken with his looks.
This is a Psychological Thriller with tons of mystery and a fairly substantial love story. Usually I steer clear by hundreds of miles away from this genre but I didn't know what it was about going in.
This grabs you by the scruff of the neck immediately and holds you like that all the way to the end.
The subject matter was dangerous and yet I couldn't let go. It felt like every reality came with more questions than answers. And it was Lee Joon Gi that did most of the work. And as a viewer I have NEVER felt so confused about a character. Was he trustworthy? Just how evil was he really?

This drama gave a real appreciation for why many ppl are addicted to the Psychological Thriller genre. I don't have the nerves to watch this kind of drama on a regular basis. But I could rewatch this one anytime.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!

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One of the best gls of 2026 so far...

At first, after keeping up with the pilots of their shows, Khom Klang confused me the most because the actresses looked very familiar to Anda and Lookkaew so I was guessing who they were. The pilot left a lot of excitement and mystery, the trailer didnt hold back with all the fun little spoilers but the series outdid itself in every way possible.

Since the thai gl industry is only starting out and most companies are too shy to turn away from the traditional 'gap the series format' of cutesy and cliche gls, seeing a semi-horror gl was a shocker for sure.

Runaway did really well with the horror concept though it was rough around the edges with editing and such, Khom Klang isnt perfect in this concept either, but these little details dont ruin the overall enjoyment of the show.

I have to give it to Peem's actress. Her performance in ep2 left me in goosebumps and I was genuinely trying to let the scene end as fast as possible. Thats how you know an actress absolutely nailed it and perfectly captured the feelings and emotions their character was supposed to portray.

For a second, I truly felt lost, confused, and a bit nervous when seeing Peem get possessed. The same way the cop was also lost the second she was possessed.

Master Bulan's actress also does a perfect job at portraying her emotions clearly. To me, I love it when an actor shows their emotions with their eyes and she set my standards even higher for acting.

In ep2, the kiss scene definetly shook me, it felt so sudden.. but at the same time it made sense. Its as if the serious woman who is always composed and is said to have no flaws finally cracks and acts upon her feelings or impulses whenever shes near her karmic soul mate.
Most people may find it icky, but I didnt, because to me, I feel like Bulan acted on her feelings the same way we would act with our crushes, we would just leave it in our thoughts or fantasies, but she acted upon it.

All this yapping aside, I hope this series doesnt disappoint me in later episodes and I hope it continues with the same ammount of power and intensity as in the first two episodes.

If youre still considering if its worth the watch... trust me, it will blow your mind :)

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Wasted potential.

It's really such a shame that this series started off so strong and then got diverted into half a dozen subplots and left the main couple in limbo for most of the series.

I really enjoy slowburn romances and shounen-ai series so I wasn't upset by the lack of intimacy between Great and Dech. I honestly felt like the pacing of their relationship made sense considering how their relationship is at the beginning of the series. Watching it develop from enemies to lovers over such a long period made their love seem more organic and natural which is something I really liked. Leng is such an endearing actor and he played Great so well it really was impossible not to grow fond of him and August did such a great job portraying Dech as stern, but never overbearing or antagonistic. I think both actors did such a great job. I also really enjoyed the initial episode layout, spending the bulk of the episode in the past, but then taking 10-15 minutes at the end to dedicate to the present timeline. I really liked seeing how the present drama was unfolding while Great was stuck in the past, but unfortunately the writers chose to switch the format and we got too see less and less of the present storyline and the writers sidelined nearly all of the character in favor of showing more and more of Sri.

People like to throw around the word queerbaiting a lot on this website (usually targeted at shounen-ai series) but if you ask me this is what queerbaiting is. We were promised a time travel BL but instead we got a historical drama about a guy hung up on married women. Sri is an interesting character, but I didn't come here to watch a series about him. I came here to watch cute boys making out. The writers spent so much time on this one character who had nothing to do with the main plot that the show really suffered for it. All of the other side couple relationships were incredibly rushed, the subplot with Falcon was never even finished, and the ending was by far the most haphazardly put together ending I've ever seen, barely anything was explained.

For me this series could have easily been an 9 or even 9.5, but the obsessive focus on Sri bogged down the whole series. If you happen to like historical dramas and slowburn romances like I do than you'll probably like it about as much as I did or if you're a fan of the original hetero Love Destiny series and are interested in seeing the story include Sri than you might find this series worth the watch. But if you're here for yaoi and smut and couldn't care less about the historical figures being depicted here than you're not going to like this show. (Also just fair warning the ost for this series is hella overplayed, it's not that great of a song and it was on repeat for every single episode which was really annoying.)

General info for anyone wanting to know:
• Is the series spicy/nsfw? Yes, there are a few spicy scenes with the side couples and one them was really well done (you'll know it when you see it).
• Is there a love triangle? Randomly enough there is. Why it's there I have no clue, it had no bearing on the plot.
• Is there violence/noncon? Yes, there are fighting scenes with swords and guns, some of which lead to bloodshed, and there are also scenes depicting animal cruelty.
• Is the original Love Destiny series and/or book worth watching/reading? Wouldn't know, haven't read or watched either of them. I know they're not BLs so if that's what you're after than the answer would be no.

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Loved it

Change2561 is famous for their very mature BLs like PitBabe. So when they launched this HS-set-up BL series on their lineup, I was pretty confused and surprised. When it aired, I was hooked from the 1st ep.

Honestly, I’ll say that the depth of the storyline is pretty typical for an HS setup: coming out, enemies to lovers, friends, crushes, school, and dreams. However, it was nice to see HS characters being played by actors who are actually in HS in real life. At least, you can really feel their innocence in everything, especially when it comes to life and, of course, love. It’s the age where they start to learn a lot of things.

The visuals of these kids are really to die for. I know they can really make a name for themselves in showbiz as long as they have good management. And the acting? It’s not awkward or cringe. The style is cute, fluffy, and innocent romance, and I think it’s well-balanced for their age.

The OST is good too. I haven’t searched yet if it’s Leeith who actually sang it. If it is him, then that’s plus one for me. 😂

One thing I love about this series is that there are a lot of girl characters involved. You know, sometimes in a BL series, girls’ scenes can feel like they’re dragging. But here, no. Again, it was well-balanced. Their characters might just be side characters, but they are all relevant.

Both the main leads and the side couples have good chemistry. Maybe except for the cheating part of Tae, and you can’t just say “they’re kids.” I really like the friendship that they were able to build. From being an introverted kid who couldn’t socialize to becoming the leader of the pack.

And again, the girls are relevant. They are not just there for decoration, to the point that Proud even joined Leeith’s band. And you know how Putter seeks advice from the girls and even hangs out with them.

And going back to the conflicts of chasing your dreams and coming out to your parents. I know it’s typical, but then again, we are talking about real high school here.

Again, I used to think I was done with HS series. Turns out, I still love them. I just need something that does it well.

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A Mature Exploration of Love, Ambition, and Personal Growth

Many Chinese dramas feature workplace romances; many stories follow a cold executive who falls for a bright, determined young employee. On paper, The Early Spring seems to fit that mold, but in reality, it is much, much richer. What makes The Early Spring unique isn't simply the romance between Jin Bo Ran and Sun Qian, nor is it solely their remarkable chemistry. The drama succeeds because it understands that a meaningful life is built upon multiple relationships. Romance matters, but so do friendship, mentorship, loyalty, and the people who choose to stand beside us through life's challenges. By the end of the series, what stayed with me wasn't simply an intensely chemistry-filled love story. It was the entire network of relationships that shaped Shang Zhitao's journey.

The story follows Shang Zhitao (Sun Qian), a recent graduate who joins one of Beijing's most prestigious advertising agencies. Ambitious and hardworking but lacking confidence, she enters an environment where performance is everything, and mistakes are rarely tolerated. There she meets Luan Nian (Jing Bo Ran), a brilliant creative director known for his demanding standards, sharp intellect, and emotional distance. Their professional relationship begins with friction. Luan Nian sees her as inexperienced and unprepared, while Shang Zhitao refuses to be intimidated. Over time, admiration develops into respect, respect becomes affection, and affection grows into love. Yet The Early Spring cares far less about the destination than the journey itself. The drama unfolds across several years, allowing viewers to watch careers develop, friendships evolve, and individuals mature. Characters are given room to fail, learn, change, and discover who they truly are. Unlike many romances where love solves every problem, The Early Spring argues that personal growth must come first.

What I particularly appreciated was how the drama continuously evolved. It begins as a workplace drama about a young woman trying to establish herself in a demanding professional environment, gradually becomes a romance, and eventually transforms into something much deeper. As Luan Nian and Shang Zhitao's relationship develops, the story becomes less concerned with the excitement of falling in love and more with the realities of maintaining that love. It asks difficult questions about communication, timing, sacrifice, emotional maturity, and whether two people can truly build a future together while they are still learning who they are as individuals. That evolution gives the drama a depth that many workplace romances never achieve.

Shang Zhitao is one of the strongest female leads to emerge from a modern Chinese workplace drama, as far as I am concerned. She enters the story as someone seeking validation. She wants to succeed. She wants to belong. She wants to prove herself. However, as the story progresses, she learns that her value cannot be determined by her boss, her career, or even the man she loves. What makes Shang Zhitao so compelling is her independence. Even during the height of her romance with Luan Nian, the story never reduces her to somebody's girlfriend. She remains ambitious, driven, loyal, and determined to build a life on her own terms. She experiences heartbreak, disappointment, frustration, and self-doubt, yet she continually moves forward. Her growth is the emotional backbone of the entire series. By the end of the story, she has matured not only professionally but emotionally, becoming a woman who understands her worth and refuses to compromise it.

Sun Qian delivers a career-defining performance. She captures every stage of Shang Zhitao's evolution with remarkable authenticity. The Shang Zhitao we meet in the first episode feels very different from the woman we encounter at the end of the story, yet the transformation never feels forced. Sun Qian brings warmth, intelligence, vulnerability, and resilience to every scene. More importantly, she makes the audience root for Shang Zhitao not because she is perfect but because she is real.

Few recent male leads have divided audiences quite like Luan Nian. At the beginning of the story, he is difficult to like. He is blunt, emotionally unavailable, perfectionistic, and frequently incapable of expressing his feelings in healthy ways. Yet that is precisely what makes him interesting. Unlike many romantic heroes who exist merely as fantasy figures, Luan Nian feels deeply human. He is intelligent but emotionally immature. Successful but isolated. Confident professionally yet insecure personally. His greatest challenge is not learning to love Shang Zhitao. It is learning how to be vulnerable enough to let someone love him. What makes his character arc so powerful is that change does not happen overnight. He stumbles repeatedly. He makes mistakes. He hurts people he cares about. His growth is gradual, frustrating, and ultimately believable. In many ways, the latter portion of the series becomes just as much Luan Nian's journey toward emotional maturity as it does Shang Zhitao's journey toward self-discovery.

Jing Bo Ran delivers one of the drama's strongest performances. Much of Luan Nian's emotional journey happens internally, requiring the actor to communicate feelings through silence, subtle expressions, and body language. Jing Bo Ran never overplays the role. Instead, he trusts viewers to recognize the conflict beneath Luan Nian's carefully controlled exterior. By the end of the series, audiences often find themselves sympathizing deeply with a character they initially struggled to understand.

The relationship between Luan Nian and Shang Zhitao is undoubtedly one of the drama's greatest strengths. Their chemistry feels effortless. But what makes the romance memorable isn't just attraction. It's how the relationship evolves. They challenge one another. They frustrate one another. They inspire one another. Both become better people because of the relationship, but neither is "fixed" by the other. Their conflicts feel authentic because they stem from real issues: communication, vulnerability, timing, ambition, and emotional maturity. When the relationship struggles, you understand why. When they separate, it hurts because it feels inevitable and necessary, and it becomes one of the drama's strongest and most emotionally impactful moments. And when they find their way back to each other, it feels earned rather than manufactured.

If I had to identify the single factor that elevates The Early Spring above other workplace romances, it would be the friendships. The series understands something many romance dramas overlook: love matters, but friendship often helps us survive. Shang Zhitao's world feels rich because it is filled with meaningful relationships outside her romance with Luan Nian. Her friends, Sun Yuan Zhu, Lu Mi, and even Tracy celebrate her victories, comfort her failures, challenge her assumptions, and help her heal as she does them. These relationships create a sense of community that makes the drama feel authentic. The apartment these friends share becomes more than a living space. It becomes a home. Some of the drama's most emotionally powerful moments have nothing to do with romance. They are moments of friendship, loyalty, support, heartbreak, resilience, and the comfort of knowing people will always show up when life gets difficult. That sense of chosen family is one of the drama's greatest achievements.

A deep dive into the friends: if Shang Zhitao is the heart of the drama and Luan Nian is its emotional challenge, then Sun Yuan Zhu (Liu Xiao Bei), Lu Mi (Zhang Ye Zi), and Liang Xin "Tracy" (Peng Yang) are its soul.

For me, these three are the most important supporting characters in the entire series. They are not simply roommates, friends, or mentors. They become the family Shang Zhitao creates for herself in Beijing. Throughout the drama, they provide support, loyalty, honesty, friendship, and emotional stability. When life becomes overwhelming, Sun Yuan Zhu and Lu Mi are often the first people Shang Zhitao can rely upon. To start with Sun Yuan Zhu, I think what makes him so effective is that he never feels like a plot device. He has his own journey, struggles, and growth. The audience becomes invested in his life because the drama takes the time to make him feel like a complete human being, not simply the male friend supporting the female lead. As the story progresses, his role grows more significant, and developments involving his character carry genuine emotional weight. Some of the most emotional moments in the latter part of the series involve his storyline, and his journey serves as one of the strongest examples of why The Early Spring is about far more than romance. Liu Xiao Bei delivers such an understated but deeply effective performance. Rather than demanding attention, he earns it naturally. His portrayal feels authentic, warm, and emotionally honest. The performance's strength lies in its sincerity. By the end of the series, Sun Yuan Zhu feels less like a fictional character and more like someone I genuinely know.

Lu Mi, on the other hand, is one of Shang Zhitao's closest friends and one of the series' most lovable characters. What makes her so memorable is that she never exists solely to support the protagonist. She has her own ambitions, frustrations, opinions, and emotional experiences. Her friendship with Shang Zhitao feels authentic because it is reciprocal. They support, challenge, and celebrate each other. Their bond never feels performative or idealized. Instead, it feels like a genuine long-term friendship between two women navigating adulthood together. Zhang Ye Zi brings tremendous warmth and charm to the role. She balances humor and emotional depth effortlessly, making Lu Mi one of the drama's most relatable characters. Many of the series' most comforting moments come from her scenes.

If Sun Yuan Zhu and Lu Mi represent friendship, then Tracy represents mentorship. She is arguably the most important workplace relationship in Shang Zhitao's life. I loved how Tracy evolves into far more than a manager or senior colleague. Over time, she becomes a mentor, advisor, advocate, and trusted confidante. One of the most rewarding aspects of the drama is watching this relationship develop. Tracy never simply solves Shang Zhitao's problems. Instead, she teaches her how to solve them herself. She guides without controlling. She supports without creating dependence. She offers wisdom without judgment. The relationship reminds us that success often depends on people who take the time to invest in others. Peng Yang is excellent in the role. She brings intelligence, confidence, warmth, loyalty, and credibility to every scene. Tracy feels like the kind of mentor many people wish they had at some point in their careers. I know I do.

So much worked so well for this drama. It had outstanding character development, with each major character growing in meaningful ways. It had exceptional chemistry. Jing Bo Ran and Sun Qian create one of the strongest romantic pairings in recent Chinese dramas. It had some of the most realistic friendships I have seen in the genre. The relationships felt genuine, lived-in, and emotionally significant. Tracy and Shang Zhitao's relationship added tremendous depth to the workplace narrative. Most importantly, the drama never relied solely on its leads. The supporting characters enriched the world and contributed meaningfully to the story.

What didn't work, particularly in the latter half of the drama, was the uneven pacing. Certain sections moved slower than necessary, and at times secondary storylines felt underdeveloped despite the time invested in them. At times, I wanted the drama to spend more time exploring certain characters and relationships rather than lingering on others. Even with those issues, however, the emotional investment never disappeared because the characters remained so compelling.

The Early Spring is marketed as a workplace romance, but that description barely scratches the surface. At its heart, it is a story about growth, friendship, mentorship, family, and the difficult process of becoming the person you want to be. The romance between Luan Nian and Shang Zhitao is exceptional. But the friendships between Shang Zhitao, Sun Yuan Zhu, Lu Mi, Tracy, and the people who support her throughout her journey are what make the drama unforgettable. Its greatest achievement is that long after the romance ends, you still remember the people who stood beside each other through it all.

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Okay… this one really got me. 🥹🤍 From the very beginning, I was completely hooked. The chemistry between Tee and Heng was EVERYTHING, and their relationship gave me all the feelings. 😭💕
There were moments that made me laugh, moments that made my heart melt, and definitely moments where I was sitting there like… “DON’T MAKE ME CRY!” 😂🥹
I absolutely loved this one. 💖✨
10/10 from me! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


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