The First Frost

the fairy and her most handsome man, the love that kept the ghosts away.

Love was never something to give expecting something in return.. that’s what their love was like, sublime, pure, selfless, unrealistically real.. their love was greater than anything, so they’re to me..

Perfectly opening, perfectly reaching the climax, then perfectly writing the last line..
While it sounds ridiculous to some, this is the greatest modern romance drama that came out from China, not meaning that anything else is mid, but for me, everything else is below The First Frost.

The slow burn burned me, in a good way..
The heartbreaks also broke me, in a perfect way..
I never felt so connected and related to a character story like I felt with Wen Yifan, we didn’t have the same struggles, but it was so relatable and natural that I cried for her like I was watching myself going through all of that.. and while accepting her ‘only’ bad decision would be hard for somebody, not understanding her is possible, let alone blaming her.. it doesn’t take you an experience to empathise with a survivor..
At the same time, loving Sang Yan was only natural, such a lively man, confident and kind, gives without expecting, and waits for you like a fool—
How can a lady's heart not swoon for him? not even fairy Wen Yifan resisted his charms.. even in her sleep she walked to his embrace..
while watching them yearn for each other, and suffer alone, how bad I wanted to give her a hug, how bad I wanted to heal their scars, to unalive whoever made them unhappy.. how bad I wanted to rewrite their story so it would be less painful for them..

What I loved the most about this story is the angst and complexity of the characters, especialy Wen Yifan, you don’t see this often in modern romance dramas, that’s what makes The First Frost undeniably special.

“It seems like Beiyu rain soaked my bones, no matter where I go, I can’t run away from that rainy night” Wen Yifan - Is the line that broke me the most .. no matter how hard you try, how far you run.. you can’t escape from that prison, that memory will keep haunting you until you collapse, and you’re no longer you..

But don't let anyone deceive you and tell you that Sang Yan is one-dimensional just because he sees Wen Yifan as his life, being madly in love won’t make him a poor-written character.. he’s not you typical cold/bad childhood/vendetta/bad behaved male lead.. rather, he was raised with love, wealthy, energetic, determined, picky, talented, intelligent, lazy, emotionally sensible, responsible, understanding, cocky.. and much more! He’s the perfect blend of a bad guy and a bubbly girl..
And please, Wen Yifan is the only one who deserves Sang Yan, no one will make him happier than she did, she's the only one who sees the real him, the bright, humble and confident him behind the arrogance appearence and sarcastic tone.. despite being broken and stuck in her pitch-dark nightmares, she stayed gentle and kind, elegant and proud.. not even the worst turns of life kept her from living on.. she's literally the strongest and the most brave one in this drama..

The acting? Never seen characters alive as I've seen here..
Cinematography? Can't get enough!
Chemistry? Watching them from my screen isn't enough I want to be a chair in their room.
Music? Yeah baby, already memorised it
Storyline? I don't think I can describe how hooking it is..
My only issue with this one (besides the grandpa filler story) is that it ended too soon !! I wanted to see a lot.. much more than this !! Not even my daydreaming will help fulfill my needs !
Other than this, it’s subjectively 10/10, objectively 9.2/10… it feeds the passion of a writer (me) now all I want is to write fanfictions about them.

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The First Frost changed the trajectory of my life and will forever be etched in my heart.

The First Frost is not for the faint-hearted. It tackles themes of suffering, sexual harassment, and heartbreak, but beyond that, it delivers an important message: the pursuit of justice is essential, especially for those who, like Yifan, have endured unimaginable pain. Above all, it tells the beautiful love story of Sang Yan and Wen Yifan, who faced countless trials before finally getting their happily ever after.

Bai Jingting perfectly embodied Sang Yan’s blend of shamelessness and arrogance, while also capturing his deep yearning, empathy, and unconditional love for Wen Yifan. His portrayal feels raw and genuine, as if he’s living Yifan’s pain. Zhang Ruonan’s portrayal of the gloomy Wen Yifan is equally powerful — her performance will move you to tears.

What I love most is how involved the actors were in creating certain scenes, including contributing their own ideas. This collaboration made these moments feel incredibly authentic — especially the proposal scene.

Finally, the soundtrack. Every OST was so thoughtfully chosen, perfectly complementing each scene and deepening the emotional experience.

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Slowburn or boring?

I watched this after all the hype I saw online, I also really enjoyed Hidden Love so I was excited to get this spinoff focusing on the brother. The acting was good and I enjoyed how the characters were portrayed. I was surprised by Sang Yang and how different he is in this compared to the character in Hidden Love. The music was good and visually the entirety of the show was nice to watch.
The plot is where I find the show to be the most lacking, I enjoyed how the writers tried to go for a more taboo and serious storyline but the execution was questionable. I found myself getting annoyed at how most of the men in the show were 1 dimensional and wanted to get with Wen Yi Fan or force themselves on her. It was just one after the other, it made the plot feel a lot less serious than it actually was. Also, I thought it was weird how Yi Fan would confront her uncle but also run away from him 2 minutes later, It felt out of character.
The pacing has to be this shows worst enemy, it was so slow and for no reason. Nothing happened for many episodes and I was bored out of my mind, I ended up watching it at a 1.75x speed and skipping a lot of scenes.
Overall I feel like this show had a strong premise but it was poorly executed. The acting and visuals were the only strong thing about it. It felt like a big downgrade from Hidden Love. I don’t think I could ever put myself through rewatching this show or the leads romantic scenes, not that they were cringe or lacked chemistry, I just got to a point where I didn’t care at all.
Cdrama are always a hit or miss for me and this one was a big miss.

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HOW DO I MOVE ON FROM THIS!!!

OMG...It has been a while since I've watched a drama that was this PERFECT!!!
To say it was worth the wait is an understatement!
So how do I move on from this???!!!
An amazing series that had me addicted from Episode 1!
The Soundtrack will make you swoon...
The casting ABSOLUTELY PERFECT...
The storylines amazing...
THIS IS ONE FOR THE AGES.
Everything about this drama is perfect, the music, the casting, the storylines, the production itself...just amazing!
Watching it, I was truly drawn into this beautiful complex story.
I thought the acting of Zhang Ruo Nan as Wen Yi Fan was superb in this complex role. Portraying a character innocent yet flawed and damaged was quite a feat! She was so very believable! A young woman with a past of crippling encounters with males, tentatively opening up and trusting her lover was so beautifully handled by her!
Bai Jing Ting as Sang Yan was the perfect combination of bravado and fragility together in his portrayal of Wen Yi Fan's first love/protector. Both of them, as innocent truly ""first time" lovers was, I can't think of a better word, then precious.
The secondary couple, Edward Chen as Su Hao An (my first encounter with him and I think he is fantastic!) . And the wonderful Zhang Miao Yi as Zhong Si Qiao (who I watched in my very first Asian drama: "When I Fly Towards You "...so she holds a special place in my heart) were really wonderful and I found myself almost as invested in their storyline as in the Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan story!
Where many dramas rush the end/resolution of their story, I LOVE LOVE LOVE that The First Frost took the time to give us two beautiful episodes after the "conflict" was resolved to just develop the end to their story...creating such a satisfying feeling of closure to this drama ....perfect!!
Kudos to the director, writers and cinematographer for gifting us with this amazing series...it is one I will savor for a long time, probably rewatch many times in the future and for sure buy the DVD when it is available!
A MASTERPIECE!!!!
Do NOT miss this!!

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More Than Just a Love Story

Unlike many romance dramas, The First Frost doesn’t treat love as the answer to everything. Instead, it follows two people carrying the weight of their pasts, showing how difficult it is to move forward when old wounds don’t just fade away.

The female lead’s pain is central to the story, and the adaptation deepens it even further. It never rushes her healing, making every step feel real. The male lead’s role isn’t to change her but to be there, steady and patient. What makes him stand out is how well written his character is his kindness isn’t exaggerated, and his presence never feels forceful. Instead, his understanding and quiet strength make every moment between them feel natural and deeply felt.

The storytelling is subtle, with long pauses and cold cinematography emphasizing the distance between them. As they begin to change, the atmosphere does too slowly, just like them. The drama is well-written, with attention to detail in both the characters' growth and the way their relationship unfolds. Alongside this, the leads’ chemistry is undeniable, making every interaction layered and meaningful. Their performances bring so much depth to their characters, capturing both their vulnerabilities and resilience. It’s not a drama that relies on big twists, but for those who appreciate character driven stories, it leaves an impact.

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The leads ruined it for me

Things I loved

1 That it was related to Hidden Love that I adored and I thought I knew the character of the ML since I had adored him as well in Hidden Love. So I was excited to watch this.

Things I liked

1 That she was a journalist. My favorite job in the world. Unfortunately she never convinced me that she was a good one.

2 The parallel between present and past. When it's well done it's great and I've seen other dramas where I adored that. Here there were some good scenes in the past and the resent but all in all nothing to make me care.

Things I disliked

1 The second couple. It's funny that both actresses, the FL and the 2FL are in the list of those I won't watch any drama with her anymore. I think they're no great and every time I try to watch them they come out as too childish or too flat.

2 The ML. I won't say I hated him, but honestly after watching his role in Hidden Love played by another actor and loved him, here he felt lifeless. I can't comment of how he was written in the novel, but it would be surprising if the novelist created two so much different versions of him. in Hidden Love he was one of my favorite characters other than the leads. Here he tried too hard to play the brooding hero but in the and he wasn't convincing. To be honest I don't think I'd watch the actor in anything else since he doesn't appeal to me and seems like an adolescent and I can't see him in any thing adult. Unfortunately I don't find him a great actor either.

3 The FL. This was my last attempt to watch something with her. She isn't a good actress, it's now established. She is flat and bland and doesn't steer any emotion when she recites her lines. Is she pretty? Probably for many people. I don't like her acting so i don't find her attractive either. It happens when you dislike the acting of an actor to find them unappealing and the opposite is also true. I don't find some actors handsome but when they act I suddenly find them gorgeous. To make things short, the casting was wrong if you ask me. This is nowhere near the masterpiece that is Hidden Love. Humor, emotions, romance are on the highest level. Here there's nothing to keep. Maybe a scene here and there, but that's all.

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amazing drama, worth the wait <3

"The First Frost" is my favorite novel out of all Zhu Yi's work. I was so happy when they announced there would be a drama adaptation, I went from anticipating this drama the most to watching it with my very own eyes. Although it wasn't complete and exact copy of how the novel is like, I am still very pleased with this drama adaptation, there might have been changes but this changes still brought positive outcomes. From being a favorite novel to now a favorite drama. This drama will remain special for me for the years to come.

Bai Jing Ting potrayal of Sang Yan is immaculate. He nailed his character and didn't disappoint, his acting performance is outstanding. Zhang Ruo Nan did justice to her character as Wen Yi Fan, this woman is so talented. The chemistry between both of them what is there more to say when their chemistry is overflowing. I would love to see them working on another project together.

Thank you the first frost team for bringing us this amazing drama, the long wait is worth it.

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Greenest Flag of 2025

Can his flag can any greener??! Cuz daaaaamn
He’s one cheeky green flag.
One of the sweetest, charming, loving drama I've watched for 2025.
I know they are just acting, but their chemistry was through the roof.
Though it included a bit of "thriller", it was worth it.
A lot of messages are in this series.
When I say this man knows what love is and knows how to love, believe me!!!
Their love grew soooooo deep for each other.
I am glad the FL let go of all the negative persons in her life.
I just had to add, episode 21- bro was to eating her face up lol
Ummm, I just have to say it and its just me - the FL wardrobe, they could have done a better job.
A little scene in the last episode gave me WIFTY vibes and got me teary because this man will give up the world just to make her happy.
WRITER, THANK YOU FOR THIS AMAZING DRAMA!!!

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