Never-Ending Summer

"Even if the world sees you as a bad person, someone will still love you for who you are."

There are some dramas that are just so good in the most unexpected ways. Never-ending Summer is one of those dramas for me. On paper, it has all the tropes I hate, especially the “almost step-siblings” trope. However, despite having its frustrating moments, this drama has become my ultimate comfort watch, mainly the reason being Lu Xixiao.

Lu Xi Xiao is easily one of my favourite male leads ever. He's an artist, a problem child, a rebellious teen, a clumsy lover, an adult who is not fully an adult, and most importantly, emotionally vulnerable(something romance male leads are scared to be).

He appears confident and nonchalant on the surface, and no one, except Zhou Wan, understood his insecurities, his fears, and loved him despite all his flaws. They become eachother's safe place, as she, too, had to put on a facade of maturity, and he is the only one she could be childish with.

• “I can't pretend anymore. I am only 18”. Lu Xixiao is the only person she can admit this to, and his reply to her confession of being tired of pretending is the reason she gets so scared when he gets harmed later in the show, infront of her, and eventually, leaves him.

• “I've never been really that interested in this world. I never had much hope for the future. Everything just felt kind of boring. But, now that, you’re with me, when I think about the future, I actually find it exciting. I never make promises, or talk about ‘forever’ with anyone, but this time, I really want to say this to you: Zhou Wan, lets spend every summer together from now on”. Despite getting abandoned by both his parents, LXX felt safe enough around ZW to propose something like this, as she healed him, yet she also abandons him, and tells him to forget her, but how could he— when she was the closest thing resembling to a family to him?

I love how ‘Never-ending Summer’ doesn't paint one character as a messiah, and the other as evil incarnate. Both LXX and ZW are flawed characters who hurt eachother, and I wouldn't say their relationship is healthy. It borders on codependency, but what could you expect from two grieving people who have been abandoned? Despite everything they've gone through, their bond is genuinely beautiful. You can tell they both love eachother. Their vacation arc, where they were free from their ‘family’, showed how perfect they're together when the adults in their life don't mess with them.

Talking about the adults in this drama, they're the most infuriating part. None of the adults are responsible, or mature, or rational in the slightest bit. It frustrated me a lot.

Another thing that was frustrating was the second male lead— Jiang Yan. His inferiority complex towards LXX is due to his parents(there are moments where I felt like the reason he still lingers around ZW after getting rejected is cause of he wants to have something LXX has). He resents LXX for getting everything that was supposed to be ‘his’, but that resentment is so misplaced. He crashes out on his mother (understandably so), and LXX, but he works for his father's company. He wants the approval of his father, and he resents the wrong person for not getting it.

Anyways, the casting is perfect. Whoever decided to cast ZKY and BSE in a drama together deserves a raise. Their chemistry is exceptional, and they fit the character so perfectly. ZKY really brought LXX to life. I think it'd be hard for me to watch other ZKY dramas without getting reminded of LXX. I wasn't a fan of BSE’s acting in G2G, but she's great here.

Another thing that I adore about this drama is the OST. Its comforting, and befitting of the show's overall aesthetic. I have them on repeat. Especially ‘When The Milky Way Falls’ by Zhou Ke Yu, and the Sunset Counter one (i am listening to it rn).

Overall, ‘Never-ending Summer’ is a comforting watch. It tackles a lot of heavy topics, like suicide, emotional abuse by family, abandonment issues with care(tho, there's a scene where the ml and fl help a suicidal person, and i hated every bit of it). The main characters with estranged families are relatable, and the romance between the leads feel genuine. The editing might seem a bit weird at times, but the aesthetic of this drama is so beautiful. Its one of those dramas that'd make you fall in love with summer.

^^Bonus(yeah there's more):

• “She actually just stepped out of time. She returned to earth’s most primitive components— atoms, molecules. In the future, she will slowly return to you in another form. When it rains heavily, or the wind blows hard in the future, she can be the big tree that shelters you from the wind and rain. When winter comes, she can also be the sweater that keeps you warm”. Lu Xixiao says this to Zhou Wan after her grandma dies, and its such a beautiful way to view death. Instead of saying something clichéd, he answers in a way that is so him. ZW's mother keeps saying Lu Xixiao is just like his father, but I think he's more like his mother— artistic, sensitive, loving, and obviously, miserable :(

If you decide to watch this drama after reading my long review(tbh this is more of a character analysis), I'd tell you to focus more on the characters, rather than the overall story. Its a very clichéd plot, but the characters make it unique. Also, LXX is adorable<3

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it had potential to be good one but somehow in mid lost its main thing. Cast was good, had watched them before, no problem with the cast but story got messy, made no sense, and eventally chemistry died out.
Had so much expectations, was literally waiting, counting days for this drama but it didnt deliverd what it was supposed to , angst, grovelling, longing, emotionally captivating.
had rushed falling in love no midway, felt like forced. it was going there but suddenly they are in love which was rushed.
transition from school going to adult was rushed didnot have development,
they had like 29 episode drama, so much time to develop properly but....
For me The First Frost is the gold standard in this type of genre/story.... so this NES was lacking in so much...

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quite disappointed

I can FINALLY write a review about this drama.. took me a while.
it unfortunately disappointed me. It started really strong so i was really disappointed how it went further on in the drama.

I said this in another review, the dramas lately feel like a gaming ad. You like the game in the ad and download it, only for it to be completely different and dissapointing.

After the never-ending summer (the downloaded game), was a bummer. They ruined the whole never-ending summer concept that was already so good. If the drama ended on episode 20ish, this would’ve been a complete different review.

The first 20 episodes were really great. The concept was good and it felt really like a never-ending summer. It felt fresh and warm, a great summer breeze with a lot of problems that made us sweat, but somehow the best summer.

By turning the whole concept and making it a stupid work bullshit it got completely destroyed. I don’t want to spoil but the way they ruinited was so weird and off??? I didn’t like the way they ruined the unforgettable summer.

The episodes after 20ish was so hard to watch i needed to motivate myself to finish it. I just don’t know why they feel the need to add another random ass plot in the drama. This is happening to a lot of dramas and i don’t see the benefit?

It disappointed me, yes, but i enjoyed the never-ending summer. So giving it a 7 is the best way out.

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Don’t Let the Comments Ruin This Beautiful Drama

⚠️ spoiler alert ‼️ do not listen to anything you see in this comment sections online with all bad reviews on this drama. I almost didn’t watch I finished it and I have to defend both of them expecially fl. I’ll say just go through it to understand some of the plot.

First of all people blaming the female lead. She’s an 18 year old already living that kind of hard life. All she wants is for her grandma to live and it’s not like she went straight for the easy way out. She worked to make money but where do you think she was supposed to get that much money? Her mom doesn’t want to see her and as much as her situation allowed she helped herself.

Also about deceiving the male lead. Never for once did she want to leave him. And when grandpa asked her to leave it wasn’t a deal. It was a request and it was necessary.

The story is so beautiful trust me. Your mood depends on whether you’ll like a drama. Just know there are some really hurtful scenes but there are also a lot of beautiful moments.

When you watch a drama you’re supposed to see the whole story from both perspectives. From the female lead’s perspective that was honestly the best she could do. From the male lead’s perspective yes it hurts but it’s not her fault.

And I see some comments saying he was too obsessed with her and that he takes her as some kind of cure for his mental health. He did get better after meeting her but the word “cure” was only used once. Some people are just pure haters 😂

So just go into this drama expecting a very beautiful love story. ❤️


if you’ve seen dramas like overdo where the plot is just total nonsense you would understand
she wants him and he wants her that’s all that matters in a relationship as long as both of them wants each other no problem

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Childish story

i am writing this on the 24th episode and I really don't want to finish it bcuz of how the ml is treating the fl. I used to watch things like this when my frontal lobe was not developed.
This is a typical rich ml, poor fl from two different worlds story. there is nothing wrong with that, and there starting youth time was even enjoyable but later on it got so repetitive push and pull. And the pure lack of communication ruined it for me. There was no solid reason for the fl to constantly lie to the ml and leave him. Just a 5 minute Convo could've solved everything. The money for grandma plot was stretched, then they didn't have any reason for fl to leave so they used the classic, "leave my grandson" trope.

And don't make me talk about that ml, i believe he has had a fair share of trauma from his childhood, but he is the spoilt, son of a rich man.
He has big anger issues, and mostly in room dramas u would see the ml atleast trying not to hurt the fl bcuz of his anger issues but in this he purposely hurts her after their reunion.

People were comparing sang yan from first frost to lu xixiao and I really can't understand them.
Sang yan would never force yifen to live with him if she was this uncomfortable.

overall i would not recommend spending your time on this drama. I will complete it bcuz I am already quite ahead.

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Good And Bad Sides

The Plot vs. The Chemistry: When a script is a complete trainwreck full of incomprehensible plot holes, the entire production essentially rests on the shoulders of the main leads. If their physical chemistry—amplified by that top-tier, classic height difference—is off the charts, it creates a powerful distraction. You end up ignoring the nonsensical writing just to watch them share a frame.

The Solitary Sane Character: Having an entire cast of characters who have seemingly lost their minds, except for one lone sane person on the male lead's side, is a hilarious but common trope. That one character usually becomes the audience surrogate, looking around in absolute disbelief at the chaos surrounding them.

Talent Wasted on Chaos: It is both a blessing and a curse when the casting is phenomenal and the main leads deliver powerhouse acting. On one hand, their talent saves the show from being entirely unwatchable; on the other hand, you can't help but wish their incredible acting had been utilized in a masterpiece rather than a chaotic, messy plot.

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MY TOP 2026 C-DRAMA!!!

All the reviews have been talking about the story, the angst, the acting, yes, which all are amazinggg, but can we appreciate the OSTs!?!?!?! THEY HAVE ME HOOOKEED. Also, the cinematography is just fascinating, the scenes are so well put and honestly just beautiful. If I had to point smt out, it would be to see more of grandma's actual personality and not just her being sick, Yes, its important to her character but as someone who has raised her granddaughter alone after all her family's been through, I believe we can see her point of view of the trauma as well. Right now, it just seems she is bringing her granddaughter down. WDYM she left her college entrance exam for you and you did not even say anything to show remorse?
Other than that, LOVEEE THE CAST, THE ACTING, AND HOLLLYYYYYY THE ANGSTTT!

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Teenage angst badly done

I dropped this half way through ep 19, can't take any more of this nonsense.

It's basically a bunch of teenage pretentious posers playing tough guys, the adults not being any more mature than them. The romance is so cliche it's actually cringe.

The plot is almost non-existent, it just repeats the same situations:
His father alternatively decides to keep him in his room, then let him go, then ground him again, his changes of mind being of course left unexplained.
Bad kids kidnap the FL, ML goes to rescue her and gets beaten up. 10 eps later, what happens? Yes, same thing, same gang kidnap her again, ML goes to rescue her again and gets beaten and stabbed again. At no point does it occur to him to call the police before heading off to get beaten up.

The amount of incredibly irritating details is unbearable:
FL just does the compulsory screaming and crying scene before she decides to call an ambulance.
He wakes up in hospital after being stabbed in his chest. First thing he does is asking her to help him remove his respirator, she immediately complies without a second thought to the fact that this should be a doctor's decision. He actually states there is no need to call a doctor, he knows better.
FL is shouting at ML from behind some bushes. He cannot find her by simply following her voice like any other mammal in the planet, instead he runs around in all directions except the right one.

The ML as one facial expression: broody. So does the FL: dreamy.

To top it all, the ML hairdo is so puffed up it looks like a middle aged western woman.

This is teenage angst really badly done. In fact, it only needs a little push to make it into a parody of it.

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Review based on Episodes 1–12 episodes

**Never Ending Summer** starts with a premise that promises far more than it is ultimately willing to explore.

For a brief moment, a confrontation between mother and daughter makes it seem as if the series is about to leave behind its conventional coming-of-age romance and evolve into a revenge thriller built around abandonment, resentment, and emotional manipulation. Unfortunately, that never happens.

Instead, the drama retreats to the safest possible route. The family conflict becomes nothing more than fuel for the romance, while the story repeatedly falls back on misunderstandings, emotional blackmail, repetitive relationship drama, and conflicts that could be solved if the characters simply had an honest conversation.

The biggest disappointment isn't the romance itself. It's the wasted potential. Every time the series finds a genuinely compelling conflict, it immediately steps back and returns to the familiar cycle of "together, apart, together again." As a result, nothing ever feels truly irreversible, and the emotional stakes gradually disappear.

The mother-daughter storyline had the potential to become the heart of the drama, but it ends up functioning as little more than another obstacle for the main couple. That decision makes the entire narrative feel surprisingly predictable despite having all the ingredients for something much more psychologically engaging.

In the end, **Never Ending Summer** feels less like a character-driven drama and more like a classic melodrama dressed up as a modern youth romance. There is certainly an audience for this kind of storytelling, but if you're expecting the series to fully embrace the darker emotional implications of its own premise, you'll probably come away feeling that its greatest strength was also its greatest missed opportunity.

Background entertainment. Perfect to leave on while doing housework.

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I really love this series. The storyline is perfect. The director and cast did a great job portraying their characters, especially the main leads. Every episode is different from the previous one, and you can learn something from it because this series is not just about the love story between Lu Xixiao and Zhou Wan; it's about how the two of them overcome the challenges and struggles at the age of 18.

I love how they grow independently from being teenagers to becoming adults. They don't rely on each other because both of them succeed in their chosen fields.

Spoiler alert: For me, this is just my personal opinion, but I think Zhou Wan leaving Xixiao had a good effect on him because if Wanwan hadn't left him, he wouldn't have grown up on his own.

However, I noticed one problem while watching some episodes because I could definitely see the cut scenes. If you watch closely, you can see the cuts, and it's like they just patched the scenes together . I don't know if it's because they were taken from different angles or what. And also, you can see some scenes that doesn't make sense.

Additionally, I really love the OST, and you know what they say: if the OST is good, then the series is also good.

Overall, the drama is perfect. Highly recommended. I will give it a 10/10.

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Bank

hai hai ggggggg bheja hai meri ID Chali nahi aa raha tha aur ek baar bhi nahi hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai aur ek nahin hai didi ke liye hai didi ke liye hai didi ke baad bhi nahi hai didi ke liye hai didi ke

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