The First Frost

A poetic ode to love stories that wait: when timeless love knows no end

‘The First Frost’ feels like a miracle love story. Rich in emotion and poetic quality, it follows the lives of Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan; two people who meet after what feels like a lifetime has passed between the abrupt departures that separated them and where they stand now. Such pairings in real life, where one person is open and ready for the next step in a relationship while the other isn’t yet ready to commit because of past trauma and low self-esteem, typically don’t end well. In most cases, the emotionally unaware person fails to heal or open up to others. One can only wonder how this common trope will unfold between the leads. How far will Sang Yan’s love bring them? Will it be reciprocated strongly enough, on her side, for her to rebuild herself and heal? Like a sunflower growing towards the sun, Wen Yi Fan slowly leans into his embrace; a space he crafted with patience, security, understanding, and warmth, ready to support her healing journey and allow her to find safety....and eventually bloom.

First high school sweethearts, then strangers, and finally, roommates. By pure chance, their lives collide with the force of old flames of passion waiting to reawaken their glow. Lit with a tender yet strong vulnerability, their reincounter blazes both of their worlds to their cores. Wen Yi Fan, now working in journalism, finally moves out of her co-living space after experiencing multiple harassment incidents. Sang Yan is owner of ‘Overtime’, a trendy bar where nightlifers go to take refuge from the rush of work and the neon lights of the big city. Graceful like ballet, Wen Yi Fan’s quiet resilience reveals itself through every step she takes, bruises and pain hidden behind a shy smile. The power of her determination that shines like a stubborn light that refuses to give out taunts Sang Yan to further discover her hidden beauty. To hold it, love it, and fuel it with his hands that dare let go of something so passionate. Slowly and quietly, their lives veer off into a journey of rediscovering the paths to each other’s hearts.

Usually, dramas in which the leads meet in a second encounter after having known each other when younger offer a fresh start to a new relationship, one where lost strings are quickly sewn together. Unlike these dramas, ‘The First Frost' handles the theme of reconciliation with a past lover with the fragile touch of melancholy, regret, and longing, showing the true face of separation rather than shying away from its rawness. Sang Yan is an attentive, confident, and thoughtful yet emotionally guarded character. He secretly carries a tender heart, despite his cold appearance. As for Wen Yi Fan, she is someone quiet yet strong, loving yet reserved. Together, they alight heart-fluttering sparks of chemistry. But the more hope that finds home in their hearts, the more something more sorrowful grows from deep within. Between every accidental and intentional brush of skin, the past lives in hiding, waiting to be found somewhere underneath the dark hues of hesitation, regret, and confusion that have tainted their bond. Is it possible to rekindle such a lost connection, one where trauma and years of no contact set them further apart?

When, in every conversation, there is something left untouched, and every silence is met with a lingering gaze, yearning to spill words left unsaid, there is a certain tension that builds, palpable through the screen. This tension is especially felt in a café scene in which they pretend not to recognize each other when first meeting again for the first time after six years. It is also ever-present when both are—seemingly very much against their own liking—forced to a closer proximity through a shared living experience after facing unfortunate fates in past homes. Even before their past is fully revealed, it is evident they share a complicated history. Viewers are left with the impending wonder of what the emotionally-charged energy between them will amount to: whether it'll burst in a second chance or a second departure and a retelling of past goodbyes. The leads attempt to build a completely new relationship, yet traces of past resolve, disappointment, and hope still lie behind faces of faked indifference.

Heavy on societal commentary and the problems faced by women in modern society, the visually appealing show—both cinematographically and in terms of the actors’ visuals—gains substance mostly through the trauma lived by Wen Yi Fan. Throughout the entirety of the series, Yi Fan carries the weight of past trauma and struggles. Left scarred from abandonment and abuse, she develops the habit of guarding her emotions, feeling undeserving of receiving or giving love to others. Her eventually opening her heart goes both ways: the way she ends up accepting Sang Yan’s love and reciprocating it is also her accepting and choosing to love herself. Her self-healing process manifests itself through the story’s central plot of romance, because it runs in parallel to her relationship with Sang Yan. This tactic at reflecting her inner growth to her outside relationship with Sang Yan only adds depth to the romantic component of the show. It showcases how love is a long, complex process and that true love is something that builds on patience, understanding and trust rather than arriving spontaneously.

As the story slowly progresses, the depth of their relationship is revealed in a gradual, non-linear way, breathing life into the series’ message. The mosaic of small moments that make up their past, scattered at the beginning of each episode, eventually becomes a fuller picture, coming together to create the core component of their relationship: true, long-lasting love. Alongside this coming-together of what becomes a legendary romantic tale, comparisons are drawn between their current and past connection, enabling viewers to fully grasp the characters’ choices and complex personalities. Across each timeline, there is no chase, but only a mere constant reminder for Wen Yi Fan that there is someone waiting even in the darkest of nights to catch and save her: Sang Yan. And it is this constant devotion of Sang Yan that pumps the chemistry, fueling their romance with timeless passion and love that transcends all. Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan’s story is one of choosing vulnerability over pride.

‘The First Frost’s ending is especially powerful because it reinforces this lesson and flips our perception of Sang Yan. Throughout the story, he is portrayed as the steady and composed one, while Wen Yifan is painted as more fragile because of her struggles at work, her family situation, and the trauma she carries. But when he confesses being the weaker one in their relationship, it is revealed that his “strength” was a mere façade to protect his pride. Instead of risking being vulnerable, he chose to pretend he was no longer interested after Wen Yi Fan when she started pulling away. For two years, he missed her but chose to love in silence, which mirrors their earlier dynamic when she had been the one waiting for him, scared to confess her feelings out of fear of not being good enough for him. This cycle makes their coming-together even more touching, because it reveals the one thing keeping them apart was the fear of being the first to let their guard down. In the end, by choosing to love her fully, he was finally able to be by her side not as someone who needed protecting but as the one who could protect. His authenticity finally allowed him to become her strength.

The cinematography captures the show’s essence beautifully, giving a poetic undertone to the bustling city life of Chongqing, the Chinese “mountain city” where the leads’ stories unfold. Each scene seems carefully curated down to every detail to build an overall atmosphere that feels intimate and satisfyingly perfect. Its soundtrack only reinforces this feeling. If not with its hefty narrative and deep nature in terms of themes, it is with its standard-meeting portrayal of the male lead that enables ‘The First Frost’ to resemble its sister series; ‘Hidden Love’, the iconic wholesome romance starring hit actress Zhao Lusi, released in 2023. What ‘Hidden Love’ didn’t delve deeper into with its main characters Sang Zhi and Duan Jia Xu, ‘The First Frost’ did through Sang Zhi’s elder brother Sang Yan and his romantic interest. Though much more mature, this series does draw comparisons to the show it spins off, at least with what it is at-heart: a beautiful, inspiring love story.

2025-10-20

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Me ??‍?? Slowburns

I live for romance like this.

It was a slow comforting show even if it depicts serious disturbing problems.

The main couple was great even if in the past Sang Yan gave a bit stalker vibes when he went to her city.

The side couple was cute too and didn't outshine the main.

I love how when Sang Yan started his sentence by " Wen Shuangjiang" you knew he was about to spit the facts to reassure her or support her.

There is just one thing that I could not comprehend: the part where Wen Yifan is gone during 6 months to HongKong and then just changes her mine when Sang Yan pop up? like, what was the use for this? idk unless I missed something...

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This one's a gem

I wasn’t expecting such a smart–and genuinely funny--drama from China in 2025. But FIRST FROST is not for everyone. If you want an action-packed thriller, look elsewhere. It’s a slow-moving character study of two imperfect, vulnerable human beings who are trying to find a way to connect, in spite of a lot of misunderstandings and obstacles.

The writing, editing, and acting in this drama are first rate. But most of the credit goes to Bai Jing Ting, who brilliantly embodies the romantically obsessed, insecure, brutally honest ML, a devilishly handsome bad boy, a little too smug for my taste (he criticizes her kissing!), although he’s basically a good guy. The target of his affection is the disengaged, oblivious FL who, episode after episode, doesn’t seem to notice the efforts he’s making. She’s convincing too. But later in the drama, I stopped having sympathy for her when she abandoned her cat. Not OK.

The two secondary characters were fun and enjoyable to watch. Totally different in personality and style from the main duo, they were both likable. Yes, these two had their hang ups. But they weren’t so self-involved, and they even had time for friends and family.

I’m glad somebody did. The main couple only had eyes for each other.

Unfortunately in the last five or six episodes (rife with product placements) this drama began to drag. If not for that, The FIRST FROST would have gotten one of my rarely bestowed ratings of ten-stars. The many unnecessary flashbacks went over and over and OVER the same events in the past and made me want to scream. And then there was way too much schmaltzy sentimentalizing at the end. Still, by and large, a real winner.

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99% perfect romance

First of all Amazing, but here in this review I focus only on what was missing....
The only downside, not a subtle one in this case, is the lack of, if any, character development for ML.
in the whole 32eps 😑 not even once we heard about ML life outside of his high school crush. work, family, friends, NO! who needs them when you are in love with a girl in another city that broke up with you 8 years ago, but you still follow her around ^-^.(interesting how some reviewer say that he must have lived a peaceful life, its not about being peaceful its about emotional connection)
even his high school romance seemed odd. It was pretty bland to be begin with, a normal youthful romance. Going out, eating, dancing and stuff, and they didn't even talk about their emotions till they Separated. All that just to say it was not a solid reason to hang ML by for that long. I mean he was devasted for years when she left him(as the story suggests in the graduation day) but after 7 years ^_^ he saw her and fell for her again, I mean WTF. After telling us that he felt devested, Some encounters, Shazam ! That not how human mind works . it should have given us the journey through his emotions.
in summary its more like the ML is a plot device for FML's long character dev.

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An unforgettable healing love story

This story is a heartwarming reminder that everyone deserves to be with someone.

After watching 100s of dramas, very few leave a lasting mark after a while. But this one definitely left it's traces in my heart and I'm going to treasure my experience of watching this for the first time.

The many positives I felt in this drama:
1. The main actors- The cast for the main characters were perfect. The subtle way they expressed their emotions and how they yearned for each other, everything felt real. Some people criticise them for their wooden acting, but they are actually supposed to be a little stiff and withdrawn. Both of them are calm people with heavy backstories, of course they aren't going to act cheerfully.
2. The sizzling chemistry- The main leads had great chemistry. Their conversations and actions together didn't feel cringey. It felt real and it was like we were taking a peek into their world.
3. The cinematography- I liked how they played with the cinematography to enhance the emotions in the storyline. The use of a greyish filter showed the somberness and resignation of Yifen's life. But the coloring does get brighter and warmer as she foes through her healing journey.
4. The discussion of mental health and trauma- These kinds of heavy topics are rarely shown in cdramas. Though it wasn't 100% realistic, they showed some rarely discussed nuances when it comes to mental health, trauma and assault victims.
5. Sang Yan's quiet devotion- Some people might mistake his love as loud and obsessive but if you really think about it, he was quite passive and quiet in his approaches. He never burdened her or even showed it directly to Yifen. He just did things to support her behind the shadows and waited for her to come to him when she was ready. His love really touched my heart.

Now, nothing can ever be perfect and thus let's move onto the few negatives:
1. The second couple - I didn't care much about the second couple. They were too chaotic and all over the place. I didn't get much chemistry from them and their scenes burst the bubble of afterglow I felt after watch Sang yan and Yifen together.
2. Recasting of hidden love characters- I understand the decision to recast hidden love characters to not overshaow the story or the current main actors. But I don't know why they had to change even the supporting characters and locations too. It gave me whiplash and I was confused whenever I saw the changes. I esepcially hated the casting choices for Sang Zhi and Jiaxu. This Sang Zhi literally looks like a kid when she's supposed to be in college (which feels more awkward when she's supposedly a couple with Jiaxu) and Jiaxu doesn't look more handsome or charismatic than Sang yan which is one of his distinct qualities described in the book. It felt weird.

Overall, Hidden love is still on top for me because of its rewatchability and overall chemistry but First frost definitely leaves a more lasting emotional impact and memorable watching experience.

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Diehard Young Adult Love

Para ser honesta, llevaba rato teniendo este drama en la mira, y quise darle la oportunidad.

Hasta hace poco no me enganchaba con ninguno porque las historias suelen ser repetitivas, pero no se si sea porque esta es una adaptación de un libro o porque hubo muchísimo background story que me quede impregnada y ya no pude soltarlo desde los primeros capítulos.

Al inicio debo decir que por la forma de la edición y la maquetacion de los episodios dan muchas ganas de seguir y seguir viendo. Sin embargo cuando llegas al que crees es la cima de climax de la historia se torna un poco aburrido y leyendo otros reviews es porque estos "agregados" no son parte de la historia original sino que fueron decisiones del elenco de guionistas, por lo que hace un poco de sentido que estos agregados a la historia me parecieran fuera de base.

Ahora, con respecto alguion en general, siento que tiene un toque de female gaze en el sentido de que para un hombre quizá no sea tan llamativo. Esa sensibilidad y el deje de ternura se siente a lo largo de las frases, las palabras de afirmación y la constante indecisión del ML.

Los personajes me parecieron complejos, para variar ya que la FL parecía frágil pero tenia un pasado difícil y a pesar de todo aquello, conserva un temple digno y moralmente correcto. El ML por su lado es todo lo contrario, se ve desafiante y amenazante pero realmente es juguetón, chistoso y quizás un poco muy meloso. Pero el reflejo del amor que se tienen es palpable, no necesita de palabras sino que es expresado en acciones y en pequeñas fracciones.

Cae muchas veces en lo creepy, observando desde lejos, siguiéndole a escondidas, pero lo hacen ver como una preocupación de parte del ML hacia la actitud nerviosa de la chica. Realmente esperaste todos estos años por ella? Y realmente le perdonaste después de que te abandono no 1 sino 2 veces.

Valoro sin embargo, los pequeños detalles, pero esta bien para una historia de ficción, si yo llegara a tener alguien que me amara así creo que lucharia un poquito más. Muchas cosas se pudieron resolver con una buena sentada y conversar.
Pero, en la vida real no pasan estas historias de amor.

Así que cerrare este episodio y continuaré con mi vida.

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Became a fan of Bai Jing Ting

II finished the drama 1 & half months ago, so I have forgotten the details. This is a healing journey of FL & how much our ML supports & love her. It's not a typical C-Drama with lovey-dovey scenes & lots of misunderstanding kinda love story. It's a mature drama. 

It is that kind of story where acting is important. Firstly, Bai Jing Ting is awesome as Sang Yan. From his acting to his smile to his handsome & sexy figure, everything is on point. He has become my new favorite.  As for Zhang Ruo Nan, I am impressed with her acting. I didn't like her in her previous drama, but here she nailed it. She brings out the essence of Wen Yi Fan. Her struggle, pain, loneliness, she portrayed everything so perfectly.

But I'm disappointed that they didn't show Sang Yan's carefree, loveable side more. I wanted to see Sang Yan & Sang Zhi's interaction more, their silly fights & all. As well as his POV about Sang Zhi and Duan Jia Xu. More importantly, I wanted to see his POV of Wen Yi Fan.

Things I liked:
Loved how they connect present incidents to past events.

Laughed at how Sang Yan had to stand in a queue for Sang Zhi for the toilet.

Loved the way Sang Yan replied to Wen Yi Fan through a TV interview about being happy.

Sang Yan expression when Wen Yi Fan told her to sleep with her was hilarious.

Laughed at how Wen Yi Fan was running fast to avoid Sang Yan & he kept on following to catch her.

Sang Zhi is really Sang Yan sister, helping him to pursue Wen Yi Fan.

In the first meeting, only Sang Yan sister told all of his dirty secrets to Wen Yi Fan.

Loved how Sang Yan arranged a place for Wen Yi Fan to practice dance in high school. The boy was already head over heel, in love with her.
 
Sang Yan didn’t sleep the whole night after Wen Yi Fan hugged him & she had no clue about it. He kept on thinking about what had happened & his expression when she said she would explain if she did it.

Sang Yan was scared of a horror movie if Sang Zhi knew she would have a burst of it.

The way, Sang Yan secretly buys things for Wen Yi Fan which she liked but didn’t buy because the price is so cute.

The way Sang Yan called Wen Yi Fan just to hear the salesgirl say "your wife is beautiful" is cute.

Wen Yi Fan having the wrong idea after seeing Sang Yan & Duan Jia Xu together coming out of his room in a bathrobe was hilarious.

Love how Sang Yan waited outside of Wen Yi Fan hotel to make sure she was safe. That is what true love is.

Laughed at how Sang Yan carried Mu Cheng Yun on his shoulder.

Sang Yan safely guarded the whole apartment so Wen Yi Fan didn’t get hurt while sleepwalking. It is heartwarming to watch.
 
Wen Yi Fan came into Sang Yan room while sleepwalking & after waking up, told him that he was dumb, it was hilarious.

Shirtless Sang Yan no, no Shirtless Bai Jing Ting is yummy. 

Wen Yi Fan is uncomfortable when Mu Cheng Yun or other men touch her, but not with Sang Yan. Sang Yan is her safety net.

Sang Yan was jealous of Duan Jia Xu because Wen Yi Fan said he was handsome. Also, she was jealous of Duan Jia Xu because Sang Yan was close to him in university life. Poor Duan Jia Xu.

It’s cute how Wen Yi Fan said Sang Yan was the most handsome man & how he got shy.

Overall, it's about second-chance love, healing journey, self-love, unconditional love.

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Great drama with strong leads

So it took me a bit to get into this story versus "Hidden Love". I really enjoyed seeing the growth of the main characters. But I also enjoyed the side characters as they supported the main characters and how their story developed. I've seen Hidden Love many times and appreciate all the performances in there. But I can understand why they went with a completely different cast for this story. Victor Ma was perfect as the older brother teasing his sister in "Hidden Love", but also a supportive one. But I can't see him in a romantic role playing the lead. And he alluded to this in an interview that I read online that said he doesn't play these kinds of characters very well. With this said, I don't feel like this story will offer as much rewatch value for me as Hidden love. A big part of this has to do with the subject matter. I have to be honest, I fast forward some of those flashback parts when she was being sexually harassed by her uncle. I can appreciate these stories and how the FL can overcome many obstacles and come out stronger in the end. But seeing her going through trauma is not what I call an enjoyable watch multiple times. It's definitely not a rewatch unlike "Hidden Love" which had an innocence and charm about it. But I do recommend this drama especially if you're interested in learning about the older brother's backstory. Plus this is the third drama I've seen Bai Jing Ting in and he never disappoints. He really is an excellent actors and not just a pretty face. He portrays a wide variety of emotions convincly. And it's the second drama that I've seen Zhang Ruonan in and she did a great job convincing me that she experienced some horrific trauma. Yet she was able to bounce back. Also their chemistry was perfect which helped to sell the story more. I often find if the chemistry is not right, that can break the success of the drama. In this case, this was not an issue. Overall a strong cast and a well told story.

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Genuinely one of the best endings I've seen till date

Hidden love was one of my top picks, which is why I decided to start this.
Won't say it doesn't have its shortcomings; around ep. 16 I did stop watching it, thinking it would be yet another misunderstanding trope. But THANK GOD I gave it another chance.
REALLY hats off to the author; she wrote a masterpiece with One and Hidden Love too. Also, BOTH the actors, the ML and the FL, really did a great job ESPECIALLY the FL; she really portrayed her role well
In the end, I just want to say If you are debating watching it
You SHOULD absolutely give it one chance

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Very Sweet

I’m very late getting to this show, so I am just going to echo what a lot of others have already said. This show is very character-driven with very little plot, so if that’s not what you’re after then you may want to pass on this one. The main couple’s relationship overshadowed everything else, which was both a positive and negative. I had no investment in the second couple or the other side characters due to the main romance stealing the show, and I often zoned out or fast forwarded the scenes that didn’t include the leads. I tried to get into the other stories, but as the main romance developed I found myself getting annoyed when their story was interrupted by the things less interesting.

The chemistry with the leads was delightfully wonderful, from the distant awkwardness in the beginning to the unguarded love and affection for each other at the end. All of their scenes had me in tunnel vision, feeling all of the emotions and pain. It was such a wonderful payoff seeing Sang Yan find so much joy and happiness in the end. To get acknowledgement for all of the quiet caring he did for her behind the scenes. I especially loved how he quietly took care of Yifan without making her feel like a burden. How he maintained distance, respected her space / boundaries, and indirectly took care of her. BJT did a great job walking the line of feeling incredibly hurt and guarded from when she devastated him in the past, while also still remaining constant in his love for her. The tension between those two emotions was palpable in his subtle facial expressions and his eyes. Very, very well done. And he never once punished her for hurting him. I loved how with the intimacy and skinship he kept it light and playful in the beginning, allowing her to move at her own pace. He had this brilliant knack for phrasing his “jokes” about affection / intimacy in such a way as to keep her in the position of power and control. After their romantic relationship became more secure, he took the reins more often. “It’s time to repay that debt.” 🔥❤️‍🔥THAT SCENE. They had a lot of them. It was amazing. 👏🏻 He set the bar for boyfriends pretty damn high.

Yifan was also incredible to watch as well. Her guardedness, social awkwardness and fearfulness was masterfully portrayed. Gosh, it was so hard watching her life her life without connectedness and keeping distance from everyone, even her few friends. She cried beautifully, and depicted the psychological damage of trauma very accurately. It was wonderful seeing her come out of her shell, smile more, take more initiative with skinship and intimacy, and find herself in a place where she was able to receive love from others. The idea that people need to heal from their trauma on their own is nonsense. People heal from trauma by experiencing the opposite messages that they received from the people who hurt them. Just as all trauma happens within the context of relationships, so does the healing. It was all very well done.

I loved the music in this show, and despite the darker elements of abuse and abandonment, I found the show to be relaxing to watch most of the time.

The reason I couldn’t give this one a 10 was because of the lack of investment in the side plots, but also there was one thing that the writers did later on in the show that totally derailed Yifan’s character development. If you have watched it, you’ll know. There were SO MANY ways that the whole situation could have been handled better, but the storytellers settled on extreme character regression with the FL. It was SO disappointing! However, the crap lasted only a few episodes and then it was like it never happened. I wish they allowed Sang Yan to be mad about it, but they did not. If I could have ignored that horrible character regression, this would have been a perfect show. Why, writers, why? 🙄 Regardless, I recommend this one if you like a sloooooooooooowwwwww burn romance, character-driven story, and great chemistry.

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