Amidst a Snowstorm of Love (2024)

its worth the watch. its a real, and easy romance w no drama.

first i want to say, this show is DEFINITELY worth the watch.

to address concerns ppl have made, heres my take on them:

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lin yiyangs comeback to billiards, why didnt he struggle?
i think thats mainly due to a couple things. 1, he is a supposed genius. learning from a very young age, and competing and winning at a young age. 2. even tho he retired, he still kept up w the sport bc he loves it. he trained daily, owned a billiard room, and if yall forgot, he knew who yin guo was bc he was probably watching games. (in the beginning he had a pic of her playing from a game)
so if he is still knowledgeable, and trained, he wouldnt struggle. billiards is more so like chess, its based on moves from the table. so as long as he can get the results he needs to get points, he wouldnt struggle.

their kinship, ie, the FL shying away from his kinship.
some comments were like shes annoying, its been three years. 1. i think yall forget the age difference. 2. yiyang had no problem in showing PDA, but its obvious yin guo did. 3. in the beginning wouldnt yall be like her? they have been dating for years, but cmon now, theyre not together every single day, i would be shy too. i mean in the end even in her moments, she said she felt shy seeing him bc they were apart for so long. once theyre together when he comes back, i can see how yall would want her to accept more kisses and stuff, but like i said shes not into PDA. after all, her relationship was a secret from her family, she felt odd being physical around their team bc its their team, and hes already ranking, becoming the caption and leader of the club... while shes a rookie. i think she was supposed to genuinely feel shy abt their standings and their age difference. and in the scenes where they were alone, i think its bc shes shy abt where it would lead, bc ngl i got the feeling yiyang wanted to ... whenever he could lol. and it adds some spice to their lives. accepting every single kiss isnt mandatory, and whenever she rejected it, his face gave (to me) "omg i want to kiss her even more" like it couldve been just me but thats the face i saw on him. kinda like a "really? rejecting me? i want to kiss you so bad..."

comparing it to hidden love... weird.
if im being totally honest, these shows are the same. they focus on the main leads romance and relationship over any real problems. and any problems are solved fast, or are due to a misunderstanding thst ends up resolved w no real hesitation. the leads dont have major struggles and for the most part have no toxicity in their relationship. as a long time c drama watcher, these shows are very similar. so its weird that some are comparing it to hidden love and saying its worse than hidden love.

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yin guo and yiyang are an unproblematic couple. they both knew they were the one. amd were willing to go through anything together. they supported each other until the end, and gave the other everything they could. whether its just company and support, rankings, advice, love... just whatever they could offer.
this isnt a dramatic love story, not everyone has one. i think yall forget that. not everyone has an opposing family that does whatever they can to stop the relationship, or an ex that wants one back. some relationships are relaxing, simple and easy going like this one. it was real. thats why i liked it. bc if i think abt if this were me, my relationship would probably be like this. no real drama, no opposition, just going through life together. not everyone needs to be separated 10x, going through hell and back to realize they found the one. romance isnt like that. romance can be hard, but romance can be simple. and yiyang said it himself, he would adapt to yin guo. and he did, bc he loved her and he knew she would be his wife one day.

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Fluttery sweetness all the way

I'm the author fan and I had to read the book before watching the drama. The book is so sweet and the drama made it even 200% sweeter. It's a fresh new topic, a new kind of hero. I really like Mo Bao Fei Bao's male lead characters. In case of Lin Yi Yang, though he seems to be poor and trapped in the past, his heroic charisma still shines through his actions. And Leo has perfectly portrayed the complex emotions of the character. Though Lin Yi Yang is a fool in love but what makes the story so sweet is how Yin Guo so bravely love him too. It's how they love each other that makes me read the book over and over again, and watch the drama over and over again too.
It's awesome that the production quality is really high, unlike many other romcom C-drama. I was surprised to see that they actually filmed it in another country. I was so curious starting to read because the setting in the book is in New York. The production team is so brilliant in finding the locations and sets that match most of the original story (probably thanks to the investors). Plus I was impressed with people actually speaking some decent English, and foreign actors actually speak English (except for Berry, and in other dramas even foreigners speak like perfect Chinese). I highly appreciate this fact for the production team and the cast.
One last note but all of the male cast are so handsome hahaha, especially An Mei (idk why Yi Yang call him "mei"?) and Wu Wei whom I've never seen before.

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So unrealistic in many aspects. Bad acting from ML.

1. Unrealistic:

Let's get straight to the unacceptable points.

(1.1) The way the ML stares at the FL as if he has a lot on his mind but doesn't say anything—he literally stares all the time since they first met, before the FL got interested in him—is super creepy in real life. I don't think any girl in their right mind gonna fall for a guy who look psycho like that. Actually, I've met a guy who did just that before and it creeped me out. I couldn't reject him in the normal way. I had to think five folds to be sure he wouldn't feel offended and seek revenge instead. To be honest, he might not be that psycho, I didn't really know him since we only met one time, but I didn't want to know him more to make sure either. Staring at someone you're interested in like that doesn't make people want to be your friend. It scares them!

(1.2) During a championship match in Finland, the MCs start to talk about the athlete's love life right before her match. My gosh! How rude and inconsiderate! They don't consider at all how their public announcement on this personal matter of the athlete would affect the athlete psychologically during the game. And this is an international arena in Finland, where people don't have the culture to put their nose in other people's business, nor are they extroverts who like gossip—this is in no way expected to happen in Finland at all.

(1.3) The ML was kicked out of the club and eventually retired from the career when he was 16 years old... They cast a 12-year-old boy to play that role... -_- It's unconvincing. Later on, they also cast a 6 year-old to play a 2 year old boy... It's not believable!

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2. Bad acting of the main character:

The worst performance goes to the ML... I'm quite disappointed that he didn't do well. I watched him since he played Nirvana in Fire and always cheer for him. But after Nirvana in Fire, he gained significant public interest and transitioned to main lead roles super fast—which was too fast and too soon for him. He had to play many roles older than himself and he couldn't portray them properly. It's very obvious in this role. I see there're 2 main points of misinterpretation of the ML character by the actor, which are:

(2.1) Being mature means being stiff.
The actor was about 21-22 years old when he played this 27-29 year-old character, but this isn't a free-spirited 27-29 years old. The ML character is an orphan and was kicked out by his teacher in his teenage years. He lives on his own, reflects a lot on life and it shapes him to be a very determined person. The actor portrays this character just by being stiff—throughout the series, he maintains a stiff expression while not talking. It's as if he thinks being stiff equals being mature and cool. Additionally, many of his gestures, such as the way he points his fingers, uses his hands to make signs or tries to communicate with his eyes, are not natural at all. It's obvious he's not used to making those gestures and just pretends to look cool.

Watching him is like watching a teenager who wants to be an adult, so he straightforwardly imitates what an adult does to appear cool. Most of his gestures look forced. It's truly like a kid overexerting himself in trying to be cool. Watching him, I feel he's comical rather than cool, and I feel pity for him rather than enchanted.

Actually, there's another guy who acts quite the same as the ML thinking being stiff equals being mature and cool, but he has much less proportion of air time, so he's not as much annoying as the ML. That guy is the FL's brother.

(2.2) Being in love means being in heat.
Really, the ML acts like he's in heat all the time. It's as if he's prepared to have sex with the FL at the first blink each time they meet. His character is quiet, determined and self-controlled. So when he's on the verge of not being able to stop himself from getting the FL to the bed, it's like he's in heat and can't help it. He acts like a young boy affected by his hormones, driven by his sexual desire.

Actually, I hesitated a bit about whether to put this point under the topic of character design or acting, but I feel how these scenes become more sexual than romantic is more due to the actor's interpretation of the role. So, let's just put it here.

(Note about FL):
On the contrary, the actress who plays FL has done a very good job. Her nuance in acting is great. Her presence in the series is smooth and natural even in some of the over-cringey scenes.

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3. Shallow character design:

Both main leads have one-dimensional characters. There's nothing complicated about them. They're programmed to love each other without doubt, so they are very accepting of what the other does, even though it could be a red flag for normal people. For example, the ML like to control the FL. He orders food for FL without asking her preference and place it in front of her while she's having something else. He also buys train ticket, forcing her to travel to where she just came from (although with him) without asking her opinion as well. He even arranges his friend to be her tour guide without checking if she has her own plans. It's a troubling dynamic that lacks depth and realism, leaving much to be desired in terms of character development and relationship dynamics.

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4. Nothing in the story:

Finish watching it and I feel so empty. After 30 episodes and there's nothing to the point that I doubt if it's about promoting Finland tourism. I even wonder if the Finland Tourism Organization sponsored this series since they set it in Finland, one of the most expensive countries to live in in spite of having nothing much for sightseeing, as the location for more than half of the series (the first full 15 episodes take place in Finland and they still come back in the latter episodes). The only thing I get from this series is to see the very intimate kissing/hugging/flirting scenes of young actors/actresses who are the main leads as well as how the ML acts like he's in heat and wants sex with the FL all the time. So, if you're their fans, welcome. If you're not, it can get irritating.

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5. Messed-up timeline:

They're already confused and messing up the timeline for a few time.

For example, they say after the male lead's first comeback game for a year and a half, he moves back to China. That's supposed to be about 2 years after ML and FL first met. Two months after that, ML and FL go to Finland for FL's competition, but they say FL has competed in the arena before which was last year (=the same time when they first met.)

Another time toward the end, when the FL finds out she isn't pregnant, she asks why the ML looks happy. The ML says something along the line of when he was 22 years old, he knew so little, so if his life had stopped there, he wouldn't have become as successful as he is today. But they first met when the FL was 22. As of now should be more than 2 years after that. She can't be younger than 24 years old...

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6. Mundane music:

Their background music sounds mundane and lacks originality, esp. those used during all the competition scenes. They resemble free midi music found on the internet. It's like they simply use whatever they can find to fill the silence during those long scenes where people can't be talking. (And yes, those competition scenes are too long for each time. They use them to drag the length of the whole series.)

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Most romantic and unique C-drama

The ML is not famous and crowded by women or fans like other dramas and FL is also not childish,both have done a very beautiful mature acting.The drama is completely soothing and melodramatic.It was too sweet to ignore I could say.

I really can't believe i didn't watch this earlier.It is so so good.Its the most unique Chinese drama I have ever seen ,I mostly watch Korean but have seen a bit of Chinese but find them just too childish n lengthy,but this drama is completely different

The acting of both leads is so mature and beautiful,the chemistry is top spot and the foreign shooting,the soothing storyline is beautiful.


it's a must watch!!!

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Hitting the Brakes on the Hype Train: This Rom-Com Needs a Spark

So, I just had to spill the tea on this drama. Buckle up, because my journey through this drama was like riding a rollercoaster during a snowstorm – full of twists, turns, and plenty of icy surprises!

Alright, so picture this: I'm all excited, hearing all these rave reviews about this drama. People are going on and on about how amazing it is, so naturally, I dive right in, ready for a wild ride. But oh boy, was I in for a surprise!

At first, things seemed promising. The setting in Finland was breathtaking, like stepping into a winter wonderland. And the main leads? Cute as buttons! But as the episodes rolled on, I started feeling like I was stuck in slow-mo mode. I'm telling you, it felt like time itself was taking a leisurely stroll while I was stuck in slow-motion mode, desperately waiting for something, anything, to break the ice and inject some excitement into the storyline.

Despite my best efforts to stay awake, I found myself nodding off more times than I care to admit. It was like watching paint dry, except less exciting. It was as if the plot got lost in the snowdrifts, leaving me wandering aimlessly through a never-ending winter wonderland of romantic clichés and repetitive scenes. I kept waiting for that big moment, you know, the one that makes you sit up and go, "Whoa!" But alas, it never came.

Overall, "Amidst the Snowstorm" was like that awkward first date that you really wanted to go well but ended up being a snooze fest. Sure, there were some cute moments and picturesque views, but it just didn't hit the mark for me. Maybe I missed something that others saw, but hey, that's the beauty of diverse opinions, right?

So, if you're up for a slow-paced journey through a winter wonderland with a side of snooker, then go ahead and give it a shot. But if you're looking for a drama with a bit more oomph, you might want to snowplow past this one and find something with a little more spark.

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An unexpectedly good watch!!!

This is my first review so amma give a detailed one, the next ones... well let's see!!!

I’m not a fan of romance dramas. They usually bore me with their predictable plots, clichéd characters, and repetitive. I was so shocked to find that, despite the plot's seeming a regularity, it has such a distinctive execution. It doesn't contain tropes like the annoying ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend, lead separations, irritating supporting characters, or family pressure.

Things that I liked:
- The relationship: Although I wish they added more rivalry between the teams it was nice seeing the brotherhood but it would've been nice if they gradually built that. I loved how there were no weird jealous side characters, no exes, and the healthy relationship b/w the leads.
- The Cinematography/Locations: The drama is further enhanced by the director's ability to capture the beauty of the countryside. In contrast to typical modern Chinese dramas, the foreign locales offer a distinct ambiance that gives each character a distinct visual appeal and a cinematic vibe. The locations have a certain allure that distinguishes it from other Chinese dramas. The cinematography was sophisticated and impressive, featuring various shots to highlight the nuances, and the snowy vistas further enhanced the already beautiful visuals. And OML THE OSTs were chefs kiss.

Things that put me off:
- The plot: It was disappointing that Meng Xiao Dong and Lin Lin 's love story wasn't concluded until the very end.  I also did not like how Meng Xiao Dong was not present at the proposal when his relationship with the leads was so important. Additionally, I wish the drama had given viewers an explanation of the basic concepts of snooker, 8-ball, and 9-ball, because I had to literally google everything.
- Characters:  The FL was alright, I wish the FL acted maturely, she pouted way too much for a 23 and/or 27??? year old. No offense... Especially, during that fight scene, I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the way she acted and then expected him to call when he hadn't done anything wrong. Like gurl... please act your age...
- Lack of communication regarding serious topics b/w the leads. They haven't communicated much or had any deep serious conversations about anything. As soon as am like finally they talking... nah they start kissing and this went on until the end of the drama, which gave their relationship no depth. During the first few eps the ml is constantly trying to touch her ... which okay they seem into each other but consent ... and she keeps running away.
 - I cannot get those hosts out of my mind, like, while attempting to present a genuine competition on an international scale, transforming an international tournament into a dating show was cringe, unnecessary, and inappropriate.

Last but not least, despite its imperfections, Amid a Snowstorm of Love is the ideal blend of romance, friendship, and healthy relationships all around. The chemistry and casting were excellent. Idk what else to while ending... Thanks 4 reading!!!!

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My favorite in 2024!

I'm only about 10 dramas in this 2024, and this has already made it into my top 10 all time favorites. Been waiting for this to come out for a while because of Wu Lei and the anticipation was worth it! I prefer the pacing of stories like these, although it might not be for everyone. The OST is just *chef's kiss. And both the acting and chemistry between the characters is excellent. Butterflies all throughout the drama! Definitely recommend if your favorite C-dramas include "Road Home," "Love Me, Love My Voice," "The Oath of Love," "You are My Hero," "Hidden Love," or "You Are My Glory."

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Swooning, healing, overall a very memorable drama

Snow, Storm and the coldness are somehow give these two people warmth as well as love. The chemistry between the leads is obviously the highlight of this drama. I think the actors are portraying both inexperienced people being in love so well. Not just the leads, but the supporting roles don't feel like a filler, instead they have depths and not just merely so the leads can be together. I love every aspect in this drama. Either it's the romance, the friendship, forgiving and make a peace with the past, ML bond with his master and so many more. This drama is making me swoon on another level. Their love is pure, healing and heartwarming.

As the novel reader, I think I like the drama abit more. Sure it " lacks " of physical intimacy ( which is not true at all) but affection can convey in so many other ways than just skinship. I value understanding, companionship, and quality time more than hot kisses. i think their sparkling chemistry enough to make it hot. This drama wrapped almost everything the novel can't. As far as I remember the novel didn't really dive into the friendship between ML and his friends, especially his master. In this drama, we can see more of them, we can understand more. If the novel mostly just focusing about the main leads, the drama has everything init. The sports, the friendship and ofc the romance. Although maybe this is your typical cheesy romance drama, but this is so beautifully and realistically written. It makes you feel like you can relate to them.

I'll remember this drama as long as it lets me. I'll miss them sm when this over. Lin YiYang and His compass, Yin Guo. I hope we can see them again in future projects, movie maybe?

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