The First Frost

I was disappointed

I might be too attached to Hidden Love, so I was very disappointed with this drama. Though I will say that I liked the story idea, I just found the show very slow and boring. Sure, there were parts where it got exciting, but I found the FL annoying because she kept refusing to open up to the ML, even after everything he did for her. I felt like the ML deserved better.

I was especially frustrated because it felt like the FL wasn't developing as a character at all and was actually getting worse as the story went on. I kept waiting for the FL to grow from her experiences, but each time it seemed like she was about to open up, she pulled away again.

I also found the side characters boring and lacking personality. I'm not saying they were terrible—there were some really funny and cute moments between them. I just found their storylines confusing and boring, and they felt too slow for me. I really love shows with strong side characters, but this drama just wasn't doing it for me.

Of course, this is only my opinion, but I found this drama boring, lacking in character development, and ultimately disappointing. I can understand why some people enjoy this drama, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

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Wasted potential with the highlight being a complex FL

The best part of this series is the complex FL. We watch her deal with trauma and the repercussions of her trauma with PTSD, touch aversion, sleepwalking, and very low self-esteem. We get to watch as she deals with the horrors of a terrible family and how she remains strong and unafraid to stand up for herself, but still face the long-term effects of her past. Her trauma isn't just a empty plot that the writers put in without consideration of how terrible it can truly be. The FL is the highlight and honestly, I would've loved to see more time spent on her working through her personal issues. She is a complex, multi-dimensional character that we get to watch grow and learn to love herself. I enjoyed her character more than the romance of the whole show.

The romance was perfect, warm, but empty and quite lackluster. The ML is a really flat character who's only character trait is being in love with the FL. In the Hidden Love his character was full of life, humor, warmth, and love for everyone around him. In First Frost he has a best friend who is super friendly and caring and many other friends as well, but yet he constantly ignores them, is rude to them, and doesn't show his care for them at all. His best friend even begs him at one point saying that he really needed to talk to him, but he shoved him off because he wanted to be with his girlfriend. This ML was just empty outside of the romance.

The romance was the main genre, so of course, it's one of the most important relationships in the show. But..what about the FL's best friend? She is always there for her, forgives her when she leaves her/dumps her and is always there for her even when the FL doesn't have the emotional/mental energy to be there for her. Yet the FL mentions multiple times that the ML is the only one that loves her and that he's the only family she has.

The secondary couple was cute, but they didn't fit the tone of the series at all. I would've watched them if they had their own show because they had more natural chemistry than the leads, but I skipped during First Frost.

So all in all, the FL was the best part. The romance was warm, but empty.

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A Beautiful Yet Bittersweet Love Story

The drama starts with a sweet high school love-at-first-sight between Sang Yan and Wen Yifan, who meet on their first day of high school. Every day is filled with heart-fluttering moments—until reality hits. Wen Yifan’s once bright world turns into trauma and sorrow, making her became an avoidant & withdrawn person who chooses to run away from people she knows.

Sang Yan’s character is loved by many viewers, and I totally get why. He’s loyal, devoted, and never giving up on the girl he has loved from the very beginning. On the other hand, Wen Yifan’s character can be frustrating to some viewers, she seems indecisive & almost like playing with Sang Yan’s feelings. But, as someone who understands what trauma can do to a person, I deeply related to Yifan. Facing the harsh world alone, carrying emotional burdens without asking for help. I just wanted to be her friend and give her a hug:(

While I really enjoyed the drama, there were times when it felt a bit on and off. Some episodes pulled me in completely, while others felt like they lost momentum.

What I Loved:
- The acting was top-notch, especially Wen Yifan’s emotional scenes. Her teary eyes and gloomy expressions truly brought her hidden trauma to life.
- The chemistry between the leads was undeniable—they made every scene together feel genuine.
- The OST was easy-listening and fit the mood of the drama perfectly!!

What Felt Off:
- Side character screen time, I loved the 2nd couple, but why were their scenes so minimal? Instead, we got TOO MUCH focus on Su Haoan’s grandparents. There was even an episode where they had more screen time than the main leads.
- Sang Yan’s repeated flights to Yihe just to secretly watch Yifan from afar. While some might find this super romantic, I personally found it a bit weird & unsettling(?) If I knew someone was watching me from a distance, even if it was someone I liked, I’d be creeped out rather than touched.
- The main leads officially became a couple before resolving the misunderstandings from six years ago. I admire Sang Yan’s patience and his respect for Yifan’s feelings, but getting into a relationship with unresolved questions? That’s not realistic and as expected, it backfired when Yifan ran away again for the same reasons.

Despite these flaws, I still think this drama is worth to watch, It delivers a deeply emotional love story. If you enjoy romance with angst, this one’s suit you well!

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Ten out of Ten

The First Frost is a beautifully crafted drama that stands out with its compelling storytelling, emotional depth, and unforgettable characters. Even from the start, the series delivers a perfect balance of romance, humor, and heartfelt moments, making it one of the most memorable love dramas of recent years.

Bai Jingting shines as Sang Yan, effortlessly bringing charm, wit, and emotional nuance to the character. Unlike the typical cold male lead, Sang Yan is warm, humorous, and deeply loyal, making him my instant favorite. His character development is outstanding—showcasing his journey from a mischievous older brother to a mature deeply caring partner. Bai Jingting’s natural acting style makes every scene feel authentic, and his chemistry with the zhang rounan is electric.

The cinematography is breathtaking, with stunning visuals that enhance the emotions of each scene.

Overall, The First Frost is a must-watch, especially for those who appreciate well-written characters and a romance that feels both real and deeply touching. Bai Jingting’s portrayal of Sang Yan is one of the drama’s biggest highlights, solidifying his status as one of the best actors in the industry today.

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Innocent first love

(+) Overall a sweet and wholesome but realistic portrayal of first love
(+) Main leads play their characters convincingly with decent chemistry
(+) Good closure with a heartwarming ending that ties up loose ends

(-) Heavy on flashback scenes, which get repetitive and often feel a bit disruptive to the flow of the story, especially in the later episodes which are filled with what feels like extended cuts of the childhood flashbacks in the earlier episodes
(-) Because of the heavy use of flashbacks, the main story progresses more slowly
(-) Side characters felt like a bit of a distraction, with limited character development

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I didn’t exepect to like this show a lot

It starts off interesting we see Wen yifan reject Sang yan. “Wen Yifan was I really just your back up” from just the start I thought “ oh wow did she break his heart, did she cheat on him, what exactly happened” just this scene alone made me keep watching. I just think the second couple deserved more screen time than giving up their screen time for the second lead’s grand parents .After a few episodes it gets revealed slowly why the show started off the way it did. We get to know why she left for Yihe University instead of Nanwu University with Sang yan like they promised each other. I felt so bad for Sang yan because he was really there for her. But then again I can see why Wen yifan rejected Sang yan at first going through all she did there was really no time for her to date. She had to mature early because her mother, uncle, and aunt weren’t being an adult figure for her after her father passed. We don’t get to see many scenes between Wen yifan and her father but her father explains Wen yifan’s birthday, she was born on a day where the weather is the coldest which is why It is called “The First Frost”. At first I wondered why she was so distant with her mom but after the flashbacks it’s reasonable because I hate hate I mean loathe her mother but mainly her aunt because she knew what her cousin was capable of and kept covering for him. It’s the fact her mom knew her Wen yifan’s Uncle Che was weird and still sent her daughter to live with her uncle and aunt. I didn’t expect a plot twist in this show. Wen yifan’s Uncle Che ended not only being a sexual assault offender but also a murder??? I’m glad he was locked up in the end but the justice was far too late in my opinion. I really really hate her mom that’s how good the acting is though I won’t forgive her if I was Wen yifan. Back then she called her mom many times crying that she wanted to go home. Her mom just told her to stop crying and she’ll talk with her Uncle Wen and her aunt ??? Then by episode 24 her mom comes crawling back to her saying her new family that she left Wen yifan for left her lmao the irony. Wen yifan finally got her closure but I felt so scared that she would now think it’s the time to have her mom back in her life and forgive her. Wen yifan thankfully didn’t because her mom honestly failed as a mom and a person too. I’m really upset that her dreams as a ballerina ended because of her creep Uncle Che kept trying to sexually assault her. He continues to even when Sang yan protects Wen yifan. Uncle Che is very disgusting props to the actor he acted so got it made my blood boil. I honestly thought Sang yan was gonna kill Uncle Che when they fought the 2nd time. Overall, thankfully Uncle Che is jailed and We get to see Wen yifan dance again and see Wen yifan and Sang yan reconcile after she leaves for Hong Kong because of Uncle Che. Seeing her dance again made me so happy like I just watched their jounery together.

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Wen Yi Fan's story : Freeing herself from her past and embracing her light.

After leaving for more than 6 years, Wen Yi Fan decides to go back to Nanwu. After some events, she becomes roommates with her first love Sang Yan. This new proximity brings back painful memories, regrets and a loved buried for years…


What I like
- WYF and her growth. This story is about her freeing herself from past trauma. The journey to feel worthy of love again is not easy and WYF learned it. As a viewer, we saw all this growth and can only be proud about it. Big up to Zhang Ruo Nan who did such a good job interpreting WYF!

- Friendship of WYF and ZSQ. Loved their friendship.

- Main leads romance : Chemistry wise, they were cute but also so hot. This second chance romance was well done. Flashbacks and present scenes complements well. So, we can see the difference between the past and present slowly. Learning from their past mistakes and becoming each other's light again. Also loved WYF's declaration to SY about pursuing him. She was so cute!

- The mother and daughter relationship. Sharing the same blood isn't enough to build a family. WYF and her mother is the perfect example. They shared the same blood but it didn't stop WYF's mother to choose a new family without her. And at the end of the drama, it won't stop WYF to choose her new family. I also want to add that it's quite refreshing to see they didn't patch up at the end of the drama. Their relationship has reached the point of no return and it was just not believable for them to reconcile.

- The villains. I loved the actors' performance because I hated their character so much.

- Really good OST.

- Actors' styling. I have to say it their best styling till now.


What I didn't like
- The number of sexual harassment she went through was a bit too much. I saw somewhere she went through two sexual harassments in the novel which is quite a lot already. It didn't need more to make us understand her trauma.

- The lack of characterization for SY. He is WYF's light and the person she loves the most. And vice-versa, WYF is his whole world. All his thoughts, his life is centered on WYF and her happiness. While as a lover, he is the best match for WYF. However as a character, he is uninteresting. Except for his devoted love, the character is blank. He has no life, no hobbies, no dreams and it so unrealistic! This lack of characterization can be seen in his interactions with his friends for example. There isn't a lot but when they are hanging out together, it's awkward and you can see they have nothing to talk about.

- Some irrelevant characters. The intern and Xiang Lang. Their scenes wasn't necessary and didn't bring much for the plot. They could cut out his scenes and everything would still be the same.

- The grandpa story as catalysis for the second leads story. The whole grandpa story was quite cute at first but they dragged it out too long. This plot could have been a good idea to make the second lead closer and see the good in each other. However, it wasn't done right so it impacted the second leads' love line. And when the grandpa story was over I wasn't invested in them anymore. It's quite unfortunate because the start was so promising.


Overall
This drama is a good watch. WYF's story and her growth is really touching. Unfortunately, it didn't need 32 eps. You can see the production team wanted to fill 32 worth of eps by extending some irrelevant stories.

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