The First Frost

No tea, no shade, but this show wasn't that good and was severely overhyped.

I started watching this when it first aired, but I put it on hold until all the episodes were released. I picked it back up, then dropped it again because it was way too draggy, and the constant push-and-pull just didn't make sense. A few months later, I picked it up again because I hate leaving dramas unfinished, and new issues arose.

After a few more episodes, around the middle of the drama, I started feeling like the relationship and romance were way too one-sided. Yes, it was pretty obvious that they both loved each other very much. However, she learned about and even witnessed the many things he did for her and the countless ways he showed how much he cared, and she's just... I can't even put into words what I think of her character during that specific period. The words I want to use to describe her would make me sound mean. Anyway, I got past that since I guess they wanted to write San Yan as someone who deeply yearned for her.

Then I directed my attention to the second couple... Oh brother. I genuinely was not feeling their acting. I don't think it's a matter of whether they can or cannot act; I personally just didn't like their performances.

Another thing I DID NOT like was the styling in this show for any of the female characters; neither the female lead nor the second female lead. The second male lead was dressed sloppily as well. I honestly think the entire styling budget went to Jing Ting because he was the only person who consistently had well-fitted clothes.

They also did a poor job handling the female lead's trauma and mental health overall. That girl didn't only suffer from sleepwalking. Come on now, you're simply playing in my face. Furthermore, the rapist, the rape apologist, the classist stepsister, and the spineless mother were handled even worse. We saw that these characters were absolute monsters. We witnessed everything they did to the female lead and all the scars they left behind. Yet when it came time for them to face consequences, everything was wrapped up far too easily, especially for the aunt, the mother, and the stepsister.

I also wish they had put more effort into the storytelling surrounding the characters' careers. The way it was written, their jobs felt like nothing more than plot devices to create scenes, give the male and female leads an excuse to meet outside of town, wrap up another character's storyline, or introduce a new character. I'm mainly referring to the female lead's job as a journalist. Here's the thing: most of the time she was in the office instead of out in the field. The stories and exclusive interviews seemed to come directly to them rather than them actively seeking them out.

Anyways, outside of the romantic segments and the friendship scenes between the male lead and his friends, as well as the female lead and the second female lead, I found most of the writing to be boring.

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Definitely worth your time!

I decided to watch First Frost because of Zhang Miaoyi, even though she’s only the second lead. I’ve always liked her, so I gave the drama a chance — and I’m really glad I did.

To be honest, I had no idea what the story was about. I just knew it had some connection to Hidden Love, which I haven’t seen. That made me hesitate at first, thinking I might not understand what was going on. But it turns out, you don’t need to watch Hidden Love to enjoy First Frost. This story stands on its own.

At first, it looks like a light and sweet romance. But as it goes on, you realize it has a serious and emotional side. It touches on pain, trauma, and healing — not just love. That’s what surprised me the most.

The one who really stood out for me was Zhang Ruonan. I had never seen her in any drama before, but after this, I became a fan. Her character, Wen Yifan, goes through a lot. She was abandoned by her mother, almost assaulted by people she should’ve been able to trust — her uncle, neighbor, and even her boss.

Yes, she’s pretty, and people around her notice it. But it’s more than that. She’s hurt, lonely, and doesn’t have anyone to protect her. That’s why she ends up being a target. Watching her struggle broke my heart.

On the other hand, Sang Yan comes from a good and loving family. He has everything Yifan doesn’t. But that’s what makes their connection so meaningful. He becomes the one who helps her feel safe, little by little.

I also don’t understand the hate towards Wen Yifan’s character. People with PTSD don’t always talk about their pain or cry in front of others. Many of them become quiet, distant, or try to act like nothing happened. That doesn’t mean they don’t feel anything — they’re just trying to survive. I’m glad the drama showed that side of her. It felt real.

Zhang Ruonan’s acting was amazing. She showed all the pain, sadness, and emptiness of her character in a quiet but powerful way. You could really feel everything she was going through.

Even though I started watching for Zhang Miaoyi, I stayed because of Zhang Ruonan. She truly carried the story.

The music was also lovely — soft and romantic, perfect for the mood of the drama.

First Frost is not your usual light drama. It has romance, yes, but it also talks about hard things in life. It’s not always happy, but it’s real. If you’re open to watching something emotional and meaningful, this is worth your time.

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A healing love story.. ML is literally a green flag

I watched it with the expectation that it will be similar to Hidden Love, but I was so wrong. This drama is so much darker, mature and realistic. There were a few disturbing scenes that happened to the FL, and I feel like the ML is the only light in this drama that makes everything bearable. Not just for the FL, but for us the audience too!! The new actor that plays Sang Yan definitely suits the role better.

I wouldn't really rewatch it because it can get quite dark and intense (not in a good way). I love the casting and when the 2 leads get together because finally a healthy relationship can be seen for the FL.

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Well done but depressing

I'll be honest, I could not binge watch this drama because I found it depressing or a downer. FL went around looking morose and ML went around looking emotionally tortured. Thank goodness for the 2nd couple that gave us some relief. Unfortunately - for once - the writer/director did not over focus on the 2nd couple. Figures! The moment you actually want to see more of the 2nd couple, and you don't get it. Sorry of life, eh?

I understand that FL has trauma from her crappy family and every loser man she runs into wants to sexually assault her. She's pretty, yes, but I don't understand how this girl has an invisible magnet connected to her, which draws every loser within a 10 mile radius. I mean what are the odds that you get assaulted this many times in your life? It just seems farfetched to me. But she clearly needs to see a psychiatrist to heal from this trauma...or at least open up to ML - the only person in your life that's treated you well since your dad died - or her best friend. Rather she deliberately hurts ML to drive him away, and she continues hurting him over and over again when he's been nothing but caring and supportive. Instead she spends nearly the entire drama looking morose and depressed, showing signs of mental stress via sleepwalking, etc. and does nothing to heal herself via professional help or if that's too expensive, confiding in her friends who are willing to help. And just an aside to this actress, please cut your hair or wear it down your back. She tends to wear is down her front, which makes her look like a cocker spaniel. At least, they added bangs to her current self, which helps.

ML is unbelievable. Where do you find men like this is real life? He's been sold out to her since they met, never wavering, never dating another girl. Yet she treats him like crap, hurting him over and over again and refusing to confide in him when he's proven his loyalty and dedication over and over again. As a result, he spends the drama looking tortured. Don't get me wrong, the actor does a fantastic job with the role, but I feel so sorry for him. He DOES deserve a girl that will love him passionately, and I don't know that FL is ever convincing enough to make me believe that she loves him as much as he loves her. Poor guy.

Honestly, I liked SFL better because she had spunk and she didn't go around looking like a Bassett Hound. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know FL has trauma, but GET HELP, girl! I also liked SML and SFL's relationship and wish we'd seen more of it. The first time I've EVER wanted more of the 2nd couple and darned if I didn't get it. So frustrating.

Overall, I gave this a 9 because it was well done and well acted, but it was such a depressant. I would have liked to see FL realizing she needs help and actually reaching out to those around her to get it instead of pushing them away. It's not healthy to internalize everything. Yes, ultimately, you're the one that has to claw your way into a healthy mental health, but there's people around you that can help shoulder some of the burden.

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Not Bad But I Miss The Original Actors

Unnecessarily long. We get it. They're in love but went though a lot of tough things before they could finally be together. We didn't need half of these episodes....

That said, it wasn't bad. It was a sweet love story with a very dedicated and extremely romantic ML and an emotionally unavailable FL. Good character arcs. nice characters. But I REALLY miss the actors from Hidden Love (which this is a spin off of). I had to pretend that this was a completely different, unrelated story to even remotely enjoy it because the actors' interpretations of those characters are so different. Not bad, but very different. (Although it would have been so much better to see the original Sang Yan from Hidden Love because his acting was so unique).

I also really enjoyed the side characters' story and romance. I was a bit confused by the friendship of the three because it was shown as adults but not much in the flashbacks.

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A green forest

Sangyan is not just a green flag, or a green tree, he is an entire green forest. Love is patient, kind and it waits and he is the #1 example to prove it.

I have been meaning to watch this for awhile now since Hidden Love is on my all-time fav drama list.. I kind of knew going into it based upon clips and trailers that it had a bit of a different mood than Hidden Love, meaning, it already looked to be a bit less lighthearted. And indeed it was.

The trauma and difficulties are very pronounced and present. So while Hidden Love gives you butterflies and makes you smile to ourself, this one pulls your heart strings and will make you tear up.

PROS: As I mentioned just Sangyan, a true gentleman with a loyal heart, who holds your hand and is willing to give everything he's got to protect you. He has a heart of gold and his character is what carried this drama for me. Super sweet eye candy, First and second couples are super cute.

CONS: For starters, I do think this drama could have been done in less episodes. There are a lot of flashbacks, which isn't necessarily bad but just take note. My main con is actually connecting this to Hidden Love. I was very intrigued when I heard we were getting ZhiZhi's gege's love story but let's be honest, First Love Sangyan had the complete opposite personality of Hidden Love Sangyan (even ZhiZhi, Jizxu, etc characters have completely different vibes). Both Sangyans are wonderful but the stark difference is quite shocking. I actually struggled the first several episodes because the contrast was so great, I had to actually disassociate and it got better for me. I did receive a suggestion to view it as Hidden Love is ZhiZhi's POV and First Frost is Sangyan's which is helpful to some extent too.

Ultimately, it isn't high on my rewatch but it was very sweet, I am going through some things right now so the FL having someone who was always there for her in spite of everything felt very comforting.

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The importance of being earnest.

I admit I had high expectations for this drama. For starters, I really love Zhu Yi, the author of the original source material. She has a way of writing really beautiful stories about love and growing pains, that touch on subjects such as loneliness, self-love, friendship and overcoming society's prejudices in contemporary China, without making the characters' realities too harsh and cold. In her stories there's always room for hope and change.

Adding to this, I already knew Director and screenwriter Chu Yu Ning thanks to his impeccable work in the classic romcom It Started with a Kiss (and its sequel). So, I knew not only he would do an outstanding work but the team that he would bring to for this adaptation would be up to the highest standards. Finally, when it was announced Bai Jingting and Zhang Ruonan would be starring as Sang Yan and Wen Yifan, I knew this would be probably one of the best dramas of the year. I was right.

The First Frost is a beautifully shot story about two people loving each other unconditionally because they share a deep understanding of whom the other person is, and accept them with flaws and all. Sang Yan and Wen Yifan were never friends, they were always meant to be more, and their relationship is certainly based in a partnership of equals that respect each other. And because of this, they are able to navigate natural feelings in life such as heartbreak and fear of abandonment, and other more harsh situations such as overcoming childhood trauma and parents' neglect.

Every character in this drama was casted perfectly and all the actors brought their A+ game. Even when I fundamentally disagreed with some characters, such as Yifan's mother, the character and story building made me understand she was product of society and her environment, but I give props to The First Frost for delivering one of the most satisfying resolutions to this particular storyline. For too long we have been characters narratively forced to forgive neglecting or downright abusive parents, Wen Yifan said we are doing things differently from on.

There's a lot of value and importance in what The First Frost has to say about women's experiences through life, and how much we need positive people (of all genders) around us. Sang Yan is not perfect but he certainly is an ideal that we should aspire to, particularly the men. Yifan's journey was to learn that you don't need to be healed in order to receive love from others. Or, perhaps even more importantly, to love yourself.

Absolutely recommend watching this drama that delivers a powerful message through great character building, a compelling narrative, superlative soundtrack and writing.

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It reminded me of one of my favorite Austen novels, Persuasion…except I ended up liking it even more than Austen’s book when it was over. It also has some similarities with the Taiwanese drama, Mars, which I haven’t seen yet. This show isn’t for everyone as it explores darker themes such as healing, coping with trauma, the power of love and support, etc. The atmosphere in a lot of its scenes were laced with both sentimentality and sadness. This isn’t a lighthearted, feel good series, but in the end, the characters got the happy ending they deserved and I was truly happy for them.

The chemistry between the male lead (Sang Yan) and the female lead (Yifan) is one of the best I’ve seen and the young actor and actress did an exceptional job playing their roles. The main couple really loved each other…but in the case of the male lead…well, what can I say? He really, really, REALLY loved the female lead.

I’ve watched many asian dramas in the romance genre that I’ve liked, but I can only think of a few male leads that display the same depth of love, yearning and devotion towards the female lead that Sang Yan had for Yifan. Maybe Yehua from TMOP or the male lead from Marry My Husband...I can’t think of many, so I think the writer of this novel did a very good job in creating Sang Yan. Of course, appreciating this type of character or couple dynamic is subjective- if one prefers a male lead who is rougher around the edges, or a different trope (ex: hate to love, more of a best-friend dynamic or one that is less emotional), then naturally, this may not be for them and that’s fine. To each his own.

This is based on a novel and for the most part is an accurate adaptation. The novel actually throws you in for a loop, because it starts out like a funny lighthearted rom com with the theme of reunion after separation and co-habitation (ex: Full House) but then it suddenly gets darker when it shows (somewhere around the middle) the exact reason why the female lead was sleepwalking. The book actually tackled her thoughts of suicide and depression every time she recalled how her uncle almost succeeded in raping her and how her family, instead of protecting her, took his side and abandoned her.

The show does a better job of preparing the viewer for this, because it shows flashbacks of Yifan’s past earlier on, so they can decide if they want to continue watching this or settle for something less disturbing or with less mature themes. The scene where the uncle almost succeeds is also different. In the show, there is a struggle where they fall out of the window and the female lead is injured. Novel version was worse because he almost succeeded if it weren't for the family coming home right on time.

Sang Yan’s reaction when he finds out about this, the way he dealt with said uncle and the way he helps Yifan heal was very satisfying and touching. Yifan also deeply regretted the cruel way she rejected Sang Yan in their youth and when she found out about how he (the only person good to her) suffered because of this…well the things they do and say to each other (especially on his part) make for very good, sweet and emotional moments.

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ABSOLUTELY STUNNING.

When I first noticed the drama I was sure that I would not like it, but, oh boy, I truly loved it that I savored it in two days.

It was absolutely stunning.

It's not a common thing to find a Chinese drama that has such a strong plotline — the themes that the show presented are deep and happens every day to a lot of girls. Sexual harrasing at work, at home, by family and friends and, yet, only a few times justice found its target. Luckily, that show did not disappoint.

The ML was such a green flag that I could not help but feel giddy throughout the show and the chemistry between these two was unbelievable. Hands up to the actress presenting the FL for showing the despair and the agony of her past.

It is absolutely worth watching, yet, I would not re-watch it a second time. That kind of drama is best when watching for the first time.

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