The Early Spring

Losing Control to _ove: Finding the Missing Key

🍑🔥❄️"After that day, it feels he has put a spell on me. He unlocked the secret of my desire....And all those years he made me long for more... He drove me crazy in my mind...I spent 6 years in this shameful, hidden relationship."🍑🔥❄️

The drama begins with Shang Zhitao's point of view with the quote above, and then it flashes back to the beginning when she met Luan Nian. I have to admit, I am completely captivated by Luan Nian. He is everything. He is seductive...extremely seductive🔥 He is tough, but he is soft. I don't usually write reviews before I have watched the drama in its entirety, but I must put my thoughts into this partial review for now because under the influence of Luan Nian, I might forget some key points💓 You will know when you watch.



The title, THE EARLY SPRING, brings to mind thawing ice and tulips growing from bulbs that have been dormant during the cold winter months. Think of the male lead, Luan Nian, as the thawing ice and the female lead, Shang Zhitao, as a blooming tulip fresh out of college. Even her English name, Flora, correlates with the theme.It takes time and endurance for love and ambition to reach their full bloom. The early Spring is a time of new beginnings and growth. It is also a time of rebirth and relates to the second chance at love for the leads after a time of separation. Just like the tulips remain dormant only to bloom again in the early Spring, Luan Nian and Shang Zhitao will have their second chance.


Main Characters

🔥🧊🔥 Luan Nian is a highly successful and brilliant marketing director with confidence in his own ability to control and manage those around him, as well as his self-control. He thinks through problems logically and strategically. His character is complex. His actions show he has an emotional attachment to Tao, but he will not admit it to himself. He represents the illusion of emotional control. His logical mind didn't account for the missing key and the concept that love has no rules. But I love his character. He is my favorite in this drama. His words can be harsh, but he shows his affection for Zhitao more easily than she does. He is tough on the outside, appearing detached and stoic, but at times, so tender and caring to Zhitao. I would say he fell first. The problem is that he wants to be in control. When he falls in love with Zhitao, he doesn't want to admit it because he doesn't know how to deal with the vulnerability that comes with emotional love.


NOTE: Even though his character is sophisticated and controlled, it is Luan Nian who makes me laugh out loud at his unexpected and spontaneous actions. He is blunt! He is shocking! He is bold! He is daring! He is petty 😂 And he is addictive!

🌷🍑🌷Shang Zhitao is the female lead who first appeared as a fresh graduate with average academic standards. Luan Nian rejects her as an employee, but due to circumstances, she is nevertheless hired by the company. On her first day at the prestigious firm, her boss, Luan Nian, bluntly tells her she is not suitable and will not survive in the field. Instead of backing down, she works hard with determination to achieve her goals. Shang Zhitao represents women striving for independence and career goals. She is cautious not to jeopardize her career for her relationship with Luan Nian. However, she does not share her problems with Luan Nian and tries to work things out herself. He helps her when he does find out, but it also bothers him that she doesn't call him for help. Zhitao is a character to be admired for her resilience and perseverance. She is brave. She pushes forward even though she feels vulnerable and inadequate. She becomes someone respected and admired in the workplace and even impresses Luan Nian. Shang Zhitao's vulnerability was that she never felt she was good enough.



🌷The Metaphor of the Antique Typewriter🌷

The minute I saw Luan Nian meticulously dusting off his antique typewriter. I knew it was special. Not just to him, but to the theme of this drama. My parents had one of these, and I know the keys of the manual or antique typewriters work differently than the keyboards we use today. The keys need to be pressed with some control. If you press too hard, they stick or will not bounce back smoothly. If you don't press enough, nothing will print. The typewriter represents Luan Nian and his control. He operates his business deals with the same mechanical precision, and he believes in managing with a system of rules. It also mirrors the way he approaches Zhi Tao. He knows not to pressure her too much, and he knows when to back off when she resists him.

In episode 1, Zhi Tao accidentally knocks the typewriter off the pedestal at the end of Luan Nian's desk, and it shatters on the ground. It was shocking! The pieces went everywhere. On the pedestal, it represented his controlled world, but shattered on the floor, it became a visual symbol that he does not have the control he thinks he has. He reassembles the typewriter, minus the broken L key, and puts it back on the edge of his desk, where it sits precariously, waiting to be knocked off again 😱 Zhi Tao notices the L key is missing and finds a replacement key for him. The key is not a perfect fit, and he types. "You don't have to be perfect to be worthy love." I think it's the fact that she helped him that made him accept the key as is. The question is, what does the L represent? It could be "love" as it is missing from their relationship, and it could also be for "Luan" once he accepts that love is a necessary part of a relationship.

In a nutshell, the antique typewriter represents Luan Nian's controlled, ordered life . He prides himself on his control. But his well-ordered life sits precariously on a pedestal just like his typewriter.


💗The Relationship 💗 "Can You Control Your Feelings of Love?"💗

The attraction is undeniable. Luan Nian wants a relationship with Zhi Tao, but he doesn't want the complications of emotional attachment. She wants to be with him. She doesn't want her career affected, as he is her boss. It is important to her to succeed without the stigma of taking shortcuts. But she is also unsure about being in a relationship with him. She resists. He pursues.

He challenges her with the question, "Can you control your feelings of Love?" At first, I thought there was an error and the meaning was lost in translation because why would a man who doesn't want emotional ties use the word love? The translation to the Mandarin word, xi huan, is like. Perhaps he really means "like" in the romantic sense, and maybe that is why it was translated as "love." He feels he has control over his emotions, and he knows she has feelings for him. She tells him she can control her feelings. The irony of it all is that Luan Nian already has feelings for Zhitao. It becomes obvious quite early in the drama even if he doesn't say it.


Luan Nian and Zhitao agree to an exclusive relationship. Can we say "friends with benefits?"

And then there were 3. Around episode 15, the addition of Luke🐾💗 became a symbol of unity and almost immediately softened the barriers between Luan Nian and Zhitao. They became a little family.


🌷Significant Quotes🌷

Tan Mian: You are a typical case of wanting something but being scared.
You didn't want her to cling to you,
yet you are afraid that she doesn't care about you.
Mr. Luan, you lost it.

Luan Nian: You don’t have to be perfect to be worthy of love.

Shang Zhitao: As much as I longed for love, I was still struggling with reality.


💗The Reconciliation💗

I will not go into the events that led to the separation. The journey had challenges but was filled with many beautiful moments and character development. The reconciliation spanned from episode 22 to 24. Luan Nian patiently waits for Zhitao to accept him back into her life. The conversations, the emotions, and the love that shone through their eyes when they looked at each other made this a beautiful part of the drama. I will not go into the details of the proposal, as the surprise will leave you smiling.
As for the typewriter that fascinated me from episode 1, I was thrilled to see a part of it make its appearance at the end. It was all so perfect!

💗🌷💗The Early Spring is a powerful portrayal of love and relationships. It shows how two flawed people can hurt each other, evolve through years of separation, and finally stand as equals, proving that while we will never be perfect, we can always choose to be better.

We don't have to be perfect to be loved.

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They Were Broken, But Their Love Wasn't

A drama that doesn't have one red flag, but two. Despite this, I love their deep love. The last time I felt such chemistry was watching ,,The Forbidden Flower''. For me, this is a good series because:
- I didn't fast-forward while watching
- Beautiful intimate scenes, not too much, not too little (I wouldn't be offended if there were more – I'll go back to the deleted scenes)
- Smooth script
- Great actors
- Wonderful music

What would I improve:
- I got lost in time – there could have been more references; I kept wondering how many years they'd been together at any given time
- I would have give more episodes to the time when Flora left, so I could have watched the longing Luke longer
- Sun's depression was underdeveloped
- The last two episodes were very rushed – I need longer conversations, to talk through all their problems

Ultimately, I'm happy with how their story turned out. Flora had to leave to mature, and Luka had to break down the wall his father built within himself. Finally, I want to point out that the friendships shown were beautiful. The moment Sun Yu realized that Sun loved Flora and didn't make an issue of it showed how important Flora was to her. On the other hand, Luka's friends were there for him and helped him understand that he had to fight for love. Friendship is a wonderful element of this series, yet so underappreciated and overlooked.

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Clashing in Public, Craving in Secret. Record-Breaking Rivals-to-Lovers Sensation

Early Spring is a massive hit workplace romance that follows SZT, a small-town graduate who lands a job at an elite Beijing advertising agency. She clashes with, and eventually falls for, her brilliant but demanding boss, Luan Nian (LN) who otherwise goes by Luke. The drama chronicles their hidden, high-stakes six-year office relationship, her journey to leave the corporate grind to find her own independence, and their ultimate reunion as equals.

It's been a while since I've watched a workplace romance drama that portrays so much realism. The directing, storyline and fabulous acting by both leads and the absolute sizzling chemistry is a must watch. The wardrobe and styling is seriously no joke. The OST is incredible with Liu Yi Ning and Silence Wang absolutes fit each scene so perfectly.

The show stands out from standard romance dramas by exploring complex, real-world dynamics. SZT's own journey to navigate a toxic corporate environment to a climb the ladder in a lopsided relationship while growing into herself to find her independence and self-worth in a cut-throat advertising industry. LN is a very attractive character as he really exudes the toxic-and-addictive corporate persona, he's a no nonsense boss and a workaholic who is feared but respected in Lime.

One aspect of this show that is gripping to the audience is the mature and realistic intimacy which shows the messy, intense, and passionate realities of long-term hidden relationships. Both leads are flawed characters and they bring a lot of angst and a whole world of hurt but deep down they are exclusive to each other. The push and pull of the characters really makes one resonate with their emotional baggage and inner conflicts.

I highly recommend this show because of the amazing acting from Sun Qian and Jing Boran. Their compatibility and natural chemistry clicks whenever they are on screen and the camera zeros on them each time due to their screen presence.

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I love second chance plot

It’s a second chance plot with amazing actors. the chemistry appears in the first episode nd uauuuu! I don't understand people giving low ratings to the first few episodes; I felt that wasn't fair, so I wanted to give it a positive review. I'm really enjoying it, and I think if you like "second chance" stories and romances with chemistry, you should definitely watch it. I'll update my review as I keep watching.♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

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Love was never lost

This is the first Drama I have watched without waiting for it to be finished.
I have been commenting on each episode as there are so many things to talk about.
I know alot of persons can relate to their relationship.
Where one does not really know how to actually love and the other doesnt communicate their feelings.
They clearly were at fault and even though it was an easy fix, the break up helped them to get some space and reflect on what happened and how they can be better should they find their way back.
I understand both sides and though he checked in on her without her knowing, she was living her life and I am happy she was able to do something for herself and that made him prouder of her.
When the 2nd chance came, he apologized but did she? I mean, I think she should have or say, she will start communicating more.
I will miss this drama and though I am sucker for a wedding and kid....that didnt happen but at least the ending didnt seem too too rush if that make sense.

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I love my green flags, but this was Addictive!

After a long time, I have come across a drama that was so addictive that made me want to complete it. This year, most of the time, I would loose interest halfway through.

This and Blossoms through the Cloud have both been interesting to watch.

This is one of the dramas that made me want to read the book and I still re-read parts of it.

What I love:
- All of it, the team behind the drama did such a terrific job, the actors the screenwriter and the directors, it was pleasing to watch.
- This is one of the few dramas that rectified some of thing that are more dislikable in the books and did well. (Could have been better, but this is a good adaptation)
- The sexual tension between the two in the beginning was exactly right! The chemistry was so good. I have enjoyed other works from these two actors and they did so well in this drama.
- The first time I saw Sun Qian on screen was in the drama Islands and she stood out as a character and actor, after that I had the opportunity to see her in Love Song in Winter and I didn't much care for the drama, but she has made me see her in new light in both Love Story in the 1970s and The Early Spring. I can't wait to watch more of her works in the future.
- I remember Jing Bo Ran in the drama Psychologist, Luan Nian is poles apart from him character in Psychologist but both were portrayed so well.
- There were times when I thought Sun Yuan Zhu was such a better choice for Shang Zhi Tao but you can't force people together. They like what they like and sometimes don't even want to get over it. I wish all the Sun Yuan Zhus out there to live better lives, having read the book I thought maybe the drama would change this part, but they kept it. He was such a kind guy. When he first came on screen, I didn't have much of an impression but his quiet support to his friends was heartwarming, so I kept hoping if this is an alternate reality let him heal.

What I dislike:
- The unhealthy relationship dynamic: I want better for all the couples out there, I want them to communicate with each other, I want to them to go through life's ups and downs together not divided, be them fictional or real. I want them to create a safe space for each other.
- As much as I enjoyed watching this, I hope little girls and boys out there will not take their relationship as in inspiration, if they are to inspirated then they should be with Shang Zhitao's strong spirit, the ability to reach so far and the ability to start over. From Luan Nian they could learn to grow as a person, to be kind to the people in their lives.

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You don’t have to be perfect to be worthy of love. But....

Luan Nian, you deserve to be loved. Always.
I’m glad you eventually learned to fight for that love, communicate, and say the things that needed to be said. Some of your words cost you someone precious, but you grew, earned her love again, and found your forever. Novel Luke was hard for me to accept at first, but Drama Luke felt warm and protective from the very beginning. You express love through actions, but sometimes we need words too—we need to hear the reassurance, not just feel it. Thank you for learning that and showing us your growth.

Shang Zhitao, you were young, innocent, and carrying a bag full of dreams. You worked hard for every little thing on your bucket list and built a beautiful life for yourself. Your insecurities made you hold back a part of yourself during those six years, and while I wish the drama had portrayed your feelings with more depth, novel readers understand why you made the choices you did. I only wish the drama had given us a better version of you, the way it did with Luke.

Perhaps that’s why I understood you. Sometimes we don’t hold back because we don’t love enough—we hold back because we’re afraid. Afraid of being vulnerable, losing ourselves, or giving someone that much of our heart. But you grew. You built a life of your own, achieved everything you dreamed of, and eventually chose him again—not blindly, but with certainty and the willingness to communicate, compromise, and make it work.

Sun Yu, you were an amazing friend and an even more lovable person.
You showed us a kind of love without expectations. Your pure love for Yuan zhu and your willingness to travel just to see him broke my heart in the gentlest way. Though we lost him, that angel truly appreciated your love and presence through his most difficult days.

Sun Yuan Zhu, you really were an angel.
I loved you in the novel and desperately wished the drama had changed your story. But you still longed for the clouds. Sometimes giving 99% still isn’t enough, and I’m sorry that the missing 1% cost you everything. You were a wonderful friend, roommate, and person. You were truly loved in this lifetime.

Lumi, you are the coolest person ever.
You never hold back and always give your all to the people around you. You never let anyone suffer alone, and your presence itself feels like a blessing. I only wish we could have seen more of your story.

And Luke—the dog.
My baby who suffered so much because of his stubborn parents. You were my favourite in the novel, and although you had much less screen time in the drama, you were still ridiculously adorable. 🥹

Thank you for adapting this novel. The casting was amazing, and Luke’s character truly shined with the changes made for the drama. My only complaint is that Flora deserved the same thoughtful adaptation and growth.

You don’t have to be perfect to be worthy of love.

But you do have to be willing to grow for the love you want to keep. ❤️

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Another drama with a LAZY ending

Another drama that built up well in the beginning, only for the pacing to completely fall apart toward the end. It became so draggy, then suddenly everything was rushed in the final episodes.

The pacing was a mess. So much potential, so much buildup, and yet we got another rushed ending that didn’t feel nearly as satisfying as it should’ve been. I hate when a drama starts strong enough to make you emotionally invested, only to fumble the execution in the second half.

The adaptation really did Zhitao’s character dirty. One of my biggest frustrations is how much of her complexity, independence, and emotional depth from the novel got lost in the adaptation. She had so much agency as a character—she knew what she wanted, had her own principles, career, friendships, and boundaries. But the drama sometimes reduces her to simply being the person reacting to Luan Nian and their relationship.

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From Bitter Winters to Clear Skies

“Their love had endured the bitter winter to reach their own clear skies in early spring, eventually walking into the scorching summer - the most passionate time of their lives.”

A line straight from the novel that somehow manages to summarise their entire relationship. And yes, I have read the novel, so my opinion might be just a teensy tiny bit biased.

The things I love -

1. Main characters

I am SO tired of watching goody-two-shoes cardboard characters whose only personality trait is being perfect. Both Flora and Luke are flawed, complicated, real characters with their own insecurities, baggage and very questionable decisions. And that's exactly what makes them interesting.

When you look at them, you can see that despite the power imbalance between them, they genuinely care about each other. Their relationship isn't perfect, and honestly, that's the point.

Shang Zhitao aka 'Flora' is our FL. From what I understood of her character, she is independent, hardworking, humble and warm, but also deeply insecure about whether she is enough. She is someone who would rather struggle for a long time than accept favours from others. She is principled, sticks to her guns and isn't easily swayed. I particularly love her eagerness to learn and the way she stands up for herself and what she believes in.

As warm as she is with her close friends and family, she is incredibly reserved with outsiders. But when it comes to the people she loves? She would fiercely defend them even at the cost of herself.

On the surface, her upbringing and life seem relatively normal and happy, but underneath all that is an inferiority complex. A lot of it stems from the treatment and “encouragement” she received early in her career. Luke's 'generous' treatment of her in the beginning hits especially hard because he is someone she deeply admires and whose approval she genuinely wants.

And then we have our ML, Luan Nian aka 'Luke'.

At first glance, Luke is hot, arrogant, rude and straight up unapproachable. He is brutally efficient at his work and the kind of person who would discard someone without a second thought if keeping them around disturbed his peace or productivity.

But underneath all that is someone who would go to the ends of the Earth to protect the person he loves.

Luke's biggest problem is his deep-seated belief that he is unworthy of love. And you can trace a lot of that back to his relationship with his father. Instead of encouragement, Luke grew up hearing constant verbal jabs and degradation, which eventually made him believe that he wasn't deserving of affection.

So when he falls for Flora, he has absolutely no idea what the fuck to do with those feelings.

Instead of expressing them authentically, Luke intellectualises them. He tries to rationalise everything because controlling his emotions gives him a semblance of control over the situation. And ironically, the very behaviour that wounded him is the behaviour he unconsciously repeats with Flora.

When Flora makes a mistake or does something he doesn't agree with, instead of comforting or encouraging her, he resorts to criticism and control - the same pattern he experienced from his father. And this is especially damaging to Flora because she thrives on words of affirmation. Someone whose opinion she values immensely is constantly making her feel like she isn't good enough.

So Flora gradually stops confiding in Luke because she becomes afraid of what he'll say.

And THAT is what makes their character development so satisfying to me.

The plot isn't simply about two people falling in love. It's about Flora gradually learning to trust herself, gain confidence, voice her feelings and recognise her own abilities, while Luke learns to stop intellectualising everything and actually express his emotions honestly.

At first Luke pissed me off, but watching him slowly learn to express himself, let go of his old beliefs, imagine a future and accept his own feelings was SO rewarding.

2. Friendships

THIS IS MY FAVOURITE PART.

We barely get to see friendships like these in dramas. Other than the romance, this drama gives us such beautiful friendships between people who stick with each other through thick and thin without constantly expecting something in return.

This healed something in me.

Sun Yu, Sun Yuanzhu, Lumi and Tan Mian supremacy 🙇‍♀️

I love the setup of not necessarily having childhood friends, but meeting people along the way and slowly developing these deep relationships with them. There is something so comforting about watching people build their own little support system in a huge city.

Imagine being in a big city all alone but at least you've got people you can fall back on.

A hard day? Friends are there.

A bad decision? Friends are there.

Relationship problems? Friends are there.

A shitty time in general? FRIENDS ARE THERE.

I especially loved how Lumi was always ready to fight for Flora, while Sun Yu somehow always had a backup plan ready for her. These relationships feel incredibly lived in and genuine.

And it's especially nice to see the ML actually having heart to hearts with his friends and opening up. Tan Mian must have been EXHAUSTED coaching Luke through his own emotions every day. 😭

Which brings me to the opposite-gender friendships.

I LOVE the fact that there weren't unnecessary second leads whose entire purpose was to create jealousy and misunderstandings. I almost thought Zang Yao would riot and cause problems, and I was equally suspicious of Sun Yuanzhu, but I was SO relieved when they handled their unrequited feelings with maturity.

They liked the leads, realised their feelings weren't reciprocated and eventually accepted it.

No scheming. No unnecessary sabotage. No “I'll destroy their relationship because I can't have them.”

It's so refreshing.

In fact, most of the major problems in the story are caused by Luke and Flora themselves - which brings us back to the fact that THEY are the ones who actually need to grow.

3. Side characters and conflict

ITS SO GOOD TO SEE NO EVIL PEOPLE TRYING TO RUIN EVERYTHING.

I loved that the drama doesn't need some cartoonishly evil third party to manufacture conflict every five minutes. There are minor inconveniences and external obstacles, but they're largely ignorable.

Most of the meaningful conflicts arise organically from the leads themselves - their insecurities, communication issues, misunderstandings and inability to properly express what they're feeling.

And I especially loved Tracy's speech about women making up 55% of Lime. I LOVE WOMEN EMPOWERMENT.

4. OSTs

Whenever 'We Should Know' starts playing, we SHOULD damn well know what is going to happen next. 🫣

(Except when Luke was just serving face and his Louboutins)

Each song fits the drama so perfectly.

There are songs that immediately make me associate them with certain moments in the drama, and I think that's the sign of a good OST.

5. Luke and Flora's character development

From a naive intern to a bosslady, Flora has come SUCH a long way.

She learns to say no, stand up for herself and other women, hold people accountable, deal with harassment and, most importantly, trust herself.

And I loved that her growth isn't simply “Flora becomes more successful.” She becomes more secure in who she is.

Luke's growth is equally satisfying. He slowly lets go of the beliefs he's carried for years, learns to communicate without accusing, learns to speak nicely (hehe), allows himself to imagine a future and finally accepts what he feels instead of trying to rationalise it away.

Watching two people become better versions of themselves while still retaining their flaws is infinitely more satisfying to me than watching two perfect people fall in love.

6. Luke the Dog

GAAAHHHHH I LOVE HIMMMMM.

THAT'S IT. THAT'S THE REVIEW.

7. Cinematography and costumes

So pretty!!

I absolutely loved the cinematography, especially the Tibet photoshoot and all the scenic views. Everything looked so warm and beautiful, and the costumes were equally gorgeous.

There are so many shots that genuinely feel like they belong in a photo album.

What I didn't like -

1. Length of the drama

This is probably my biggest problem.

It's a real bummer to see so much of the story get cut down. Especially after reading the novel, I KNOW how much more material there was to work with.

And unfortunately, the cuts don't just remove little details but also sometimes remove the context needed to properly understand the characters.

2. Pacing

From a 24-episode POV, the early episodes dragged a little too much (not that it was filler but still taking away time), which unfortunately meant that the later parts of the story had to be rushed and certain details were cut.

I really wish the pacing had been distributed more evenly because there were so many little moments from the novel that I would've loved to see on screen.

Nevertheless, I think the ending was beautifully done and managed to wrap things up quite well considering everything that had been cut.

3. Flora's story

This one bothers me the most because the cuts sometimes end up smearing Flora's character.

There are moments where she can come across as cold or even heartless if you haven't read the novel, when the additional context makes her actions much more understandable.

For example, Yuanzhu's death.

In the novel, Flora completely breaks down, and Luke comes over and cooks for her and Sun Yu for a week, basically making sure they're fed while they deal with their grief. There are also various moments that explain much more clearly what ultimately contributed to Flora deciding to leave Beijing.

Without those details, some of her decisions don't have the same emotional weight.

And that's the frustrating part! Not that the drama changed things, but that it sometimes removed the very context that allowed us to understand WHY the characters behaved the way they did.

All in all, the drama is a solid 9.5/10 for me.

It isn't a perfect adaptation, and I desperately wish we'd gotten more episodes, but the characters, friendships, emotional growth and overall warmth of the story made it incredibly special to me.

My biggest complaint is honestly just that I wanted MORE.

More Flora and Luke.

More of their friends.

More little moments.

More of the novel's details.

More Luke the Dog.

But even with the cuts, I still came out of this drama feeling like I'd watched a story about people who genuinely changed each other for the better.

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One of the Best Modern Dramas I Have Ever Watched ?

Believe me when I say this, The Early Spring is one of the best dramas I have watched this year.

I read the novel about a year ago. I don't usually read novels, and this was only the second one I had ever read. The first was Legend of the Female General. I had already watched three dramas starring Sun Qian: Dr. Cutie, Love Song in Winter, and Love Story in the 1970s, with Love Story in the 1970s being my favourite. As for Jing Boran, this was my first drama of his. However, from the moment I saw the cast and read the synopsis, I somehow felt that Jing Boran was perfect for the role of Luan Nian.

When I first started reading the novel, I actually wanted to quit because Luan Nian was such a jerk. 😭 But I continued because I wanted to see Shang Zitao's journey and how her character developed.

After finishing the novel, I came across some BTS clips from the drama. When I saw Jing Boran crying, I felt strangely relieved. I remember thinking that at least he probably wouldn't be exactly the same arrogant and difficult man from the novel. 😂

Then came the long wait for the drama.

The moment The Early Spring was released, I immediately started watching it. And the very first thing I fell in love with was the opening song sung by Liu Yuning. It was so addictive that I couldn't bring myself to skip the opening even once. That's honestly how much I loved it.

As someone who has read the novel, I am genuinely very happy with this adaptation. There were so many misunderstandings, unspoken feelings, and moments of pain between the two leads, but I am really happy that eventually both of them came to understand what the actual problems in their relationship were, even if it took them a long time to realise them.

And Luan Nian... what happened to that proud, stubborn and arrogant man from the novel? 😂 He became a total green flag and an absolute simp. I loved seeing that transformation. At the same time, Shang Zitao gradually became the person she wanted to be, and seeing her journey was one of my favourite parts of the story.

I don't know why, but today I feel genuinely happy after finishing this drama. It has been a while since I felt this happy after watching a C-drama. There is something about this story that just stayed with me.

Of course, the drama did have one noticeable problem: the time jumps. But considering that the drama was reduced from 32 episodes to 24, I think they still managed the adaptation surprisingly well.

What I especially loved about The Early Spring is that the story feels very close to real life. People can genuinely love each other and still have problems in their relationship. Lack of communication, misunderstandings, trust issues, jealousy and unresolved feelings can create distance even when two people deeply care about each other.

But the drama also shows what is necessary for a relationship to survive and grow. Nobody is perfect. Making mistakes doesn't mean that someone is incapable of loving or being loved.

One line from Luan Nian that stayed with me was:

«“You don't have to be perfect to be worthy of love.”»

I really, really love this line. ❤️

I hope everyone who watches The Early Spring can experience the same happiness, along with a little bit of sadness, that I felt while watching it and can understand what the drama is trying to say.

Thank you so much to Sun Qian and Jing Boran for giving us such an amazing drama. ❤️

The Early Spring has officially become my favourite modern romance drama, and I sincerely hope it becomes just as special to everyone else who watches it.

Thank you for this beautiful journey. 🌸

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Watching this drama was so worth it!

The Early Spring had its shortcomings but it was great. They had me on chockhold throughout the drama. Never a dull episode, I was excited everyday for the episode to drop and watch it as the first thing. The only thing that could have been better was that the time skips and timelines were not clear enough, I was confused many times. Nevertheless, this one is the one of the best dramas I've ever seen, and my taotao and nian had the best Chemistry, Jing boran and Sun Qian made me their fan. The best part of this drama was the wholesome friendships. And also the girl gang, the way they were for each other and supported each other. I also love that they changed kitty's character from the novel, that was such a nice development.

I loved every bit of it. These past few days the only thing on my mind were them, i couldn't focus on anything else. Their relationship was far from perfect, it was messy but realistic, which makes it very special from a lot of dramas, which is why this drama sticks out. I definitely recommend this drama. I'm sad that it's goodbye time (TT).

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