Kaydeee888

I didn't expect Never-Ending Summer to become a 10/10 for me.

I usually gravitate toward easygoing, comforting C-dramas, so at first I wasn't sure what to make of this one. It had plenty of melodrama, complicated families, misunderstandings, and "villians" that gave me plenty to complain about. But somewhere along the way, I stopped caring about the messiness and realized how deeply invested I had become in Lu Xixiao and Zhou Wan.

And that's what made this drama work for me.

I believed them.

I believed their attraction, their banter, their stubbornness, and ultimately their love. Zhou Wan was cute and feminine but also strong, smart, straightforward, and able to hold her own against LXX. I loved that she could tease him, challenge him, and pursue him without losing her softness.

And LXX... I really loved this character. He had that bad-boy quality that made it easy to understand why ZW had a crush on him, but what got me was the tenderness underneath it. Especially the way his voice softened when he spoke to Zhou Wan. You could hear how much he loved her.

Then came the breakup episode.

The “As long as you say you love me, I'll forgive you for everything” scene and the fireworks scene absolutely broke my heart. LXX dancing while imagining ZW with the fireworks in the background was one of those scenes that stays with you. He was physically alone, but emotionally she was still right there with him. And the OST made it even more painful. Sunburn playing in my Spotify CDrama playlist brings me back to that heartbreaking scene.

But what ultimately pushed this from a 9 to a 10/10 was the ending.

The finale was so satisfying.

ZW's proposal was exactly what LXX deserved. After everything he had gone through, I needed to hear her finally say those things—to hear her acknowledge her feelings and choose him openly. It felt like the emotional reassurance he had been waiting for all along.

And then LXX's proposal was equally sweet.

And then the interview ending.

That was the icing on the cake. The final revelation that ZW had actually liked LXX since 2013 also made me understand her much better. Her feelings weren't something that suddenly appeared in 2016. There had been a genuine crush underneath everything else, and that made so much of her behavior click into place for me.

I actually rewatched the last episode on the same day because I loved it so much. I didn't want to immediately move on to another drama. I wanted to sit with this one for a while and appreciate it.

Finally, I'd like to acknowledge Daniel Zhou and Bao Shang En for their excellent portrayal of Lu Xi Xiao and Zhou Wan. Their acting, chemistry, and understanding of their characters made their relationship feel believable and genuine. They really brought these two characters to life, and I can't imagine this story working as well without them.

That's ultimately why it's a 10/10.

Not because it was perfect. It wasn't. I complained about plenty of things. But I felt this drama. I cared about these characters. I understood them even when I disagreed with them. I hurt when they hurt, and I was genuinely happy when they finally found their way back to each other.

Was it messy? Absolutely.
Did I complain? Constantly.
Did it emotionally damage me? Yes.
Did I enjoy watching it? Also yes.

And after all of that, it gave me an ending that actually made me happy.

A very satisfying, very heartfelt 10/10. ❤️