This review may contain spoilers
A love story about growing up, letting go, and getting a second chance
šø Story & pacing
What I loved most about Early Spring is that, unlike so many dramas where an entire relationship somehow happens within three months š, this story unfolds over several years. We actually get to see Luke and Flora grow together, change, make mistakes and give each other multiple chances.
Ironically, the synopsis made me expect the break-up much earlier. It says they have been together for six years before separating, yet we only reach that point around episode 21/24. And with āSecond Chanceā as one of the tags, I initially wondered what was taking so long!
But by the end, I think āSecond Chanceā makes much more sense. This isnāt really a story about one second chance. Itās about all the little second chances Luke and Flora have throughout their relationship, the problems they repeatedly fail to resolve, and finally the major second chance that comes after they truly break apart.
ā¤ļø Luke & Flora
Their relationship is complicated, and thatās exactly what made it interesting.
Luke can be possessive, jealous and incredibly sharp when heās angry. He sometimes knows exactly where to hurt Flora with his words. Yet he also respects her boundaries, supports her, and his love language is basically hugs, forehead kisses and being there for her. When they are happy together, they are genuinely adorable.
A line near the end sums up their dynamic surprisingly well: āHe was arrogant and she was insecure.ā Those two traits explain so much of what went wrong between them.
Their biggest problem is communication. Flora tends to keep her problems to herself, while Luke often makes decisions without explaining everything. Even after years together, they donāt always trust each other enough to share the difficult things.
The harassment storyline and, later, the tragedy involving Floraās roommate really highlight this. Flora doesnāt tell Luke about some incredibly traumatic events, even though he is her partner. I understood why she was afraid of his reaction, but it also showed just how unhealthy their communication could become.
š©āš¼ Floraās growth
Floraās professional journey was one of my favourite parts.
At the beginning, Luke repeatedly tells her that she isnāt suited to the job and should resign. She is insecure about her abilities, especially compared with him, but she refuses to give up.
Over the years, she becomes confident, capable and independent. Other managers even try to recruit her when they leave the company, showing just how far she has come.
The actress also sells this beautifully. Her clothes, make-up, hairstyle and overall presence gradually change as her confidence grows.
And I loved seeing her eventually build her own company after leaving her old life behind. She proves that she can succeed without Luke.
š± Lukeās growth
Luke also has a proper character arc.
He eventually realises that some of his behaviour is turning him into the person he doesnāt want to become: his father. That forces him to reflect and change.
The most satisfying part comes after the break-up. He doesnāt immediately get Flora back. He suffers, takes time to reflect, and eventually disappears from her life for around a year or two.
When he returns, Flora has boundaries.
And this time, he respects them.
He initially tries a little too hard to get back into her life, even meeting her parents, but he eventually understands that he canāt simply expect Flora to take him back. His excuse for seeing her again is hilariously simple: he wants to see the dog. š
But underneath that excuse, we can see that he genuinely wants to rebuild their relationship properly.
š The found family
The roommates were another lovely part of the drama.
The four of them gradually become a little found family in Beijing, each coming from a different background and dealing with their own struggles.
I especially liked Floraās friendship with Lumi, her female mentor and superior. Lumi brings a really refreshing energy to the story and supports Flora both professionally and personally.
The roommatesā storylines also give the drama emotional depth, particularly the devastating revelation about the roommateās depression and suicide. It completely changes the atmosphere and makes Floraās decision to keep everything from Luke even more painful.
š The break-up
And then came episode 21.
After years of smaller conflicts and missed opportunities, everything finally explodes.
The break-up is messy, painful and absolutely heartbreaking. They say things specifically designed to hurt each other:
āI hate this ugly, disgusting, filthy relationship. Iām ending it.ā
āI am just a tool for your career.ā
āWe never loved each other. We donāt trust each other. I wasted six years by your side.ā
Ouch. š
Flora finally reaches her limit. She breaks up with Luke, resigns, moves back to her parents and even changes her phone number.
For once, she chooses herself.
š The ending
The final three episodes were honestly my favourite part.
Luke finally has to confront what he has lost. We see how much he suffers and, more importantly, that he genuinely changes rather than simply promising to change.
Meanwhile, Flora builds a successful life of her own.
When Luke eventually returns, their second chance feels earned because they arenāt simply going back to the relationship they had before. They have both grown, and Flora makes sure that Luke understands her boundaries.
And then they get married, completing something that was part of Floraās bucket list. š„¹
š¬ Final thoughts
Early Spring isnāt a story about a perfect relationship. Itās about two imperfect people who genuinely love each other but have to learn how to communicate, grow and become better versions of themselves.
There were moments when I genuinely wondered whether Luke was a green flag or a red flag, and honestly, I think the answer is both. š
The long timeline is one of the dramaās biggest strengths. Watching Luke and Flora evolve over several years makes their relationship feel much more believable than the usual whirlwind romances.
Beautiful romance, strong character development, career growth, found family, emotional drama and a genuinely satisfying second chance.
And yes, making me wait until episode 21 for the break-up advertised in the synopsis was criminal.
ā Definitely one Iāll remember.
What I loved most about Early Spring is that, unlike so many dramas where an entire relationship somehow happens within three months š, this story unfolds over several years. We actually get to see Luke and Flora grow together, change, make mistakes and give each other multiple chances.
Ironically, the synopsis made me expect the break-up much earlier. It says they have been together for six years before separating, yet we only reach that point around episode 21/24. And with āSecond Chanceā as one of the tags, I initially wondered what was taking so long!
But by the end, I think āSecond Chanceā makes much more sense. This isnāt really a story about one second chance. Itās about all the little second chances Luke and Flora have throughout their relationship, the problems they repeatedly fail to resolve, and finally the major second chance that comes after they truly break apart.
ā¤ļø Luke & Flora
Their relationship is complicated, and thatās exactly what made it interesting.
Luke can be possessive, jealous and incredibly sharp when heās angry. He sometimes knows exactly where to hurt Flora with his words. Yet he also respects her boundaries, supports her, and his love language is basically hugs, forehead kisses and being there for her. When they are happy together, they are genuinely adorable.
A line near the end sums up their dynamic surprisingly well: āHe was arrogant and she was insecure.ā Those two traits explain so much of what went wrong between them.
Their biggest problem is communication. Flora tends to keep her problems to herself, while Luke often makes decisions without explaining everything. Even after years together, they donāt always trust each other enough to share the difficult things.
The harassment storyline and, later, the tragedy involving Floraās roommate really highlight this. Flora doesnāt tell Luke about some incredibly traumatic events, even though he is her partner. I understood why she was afraid of his reaction, but it also showed just how unhealthy their communication could become.
š©āš¼ Floraās growth
Floraās professional journey was one of my favourite parts.
At the beginning, Luke repeatedly tells her that she isnāt suited to the job and should resign. She is insecure about her abilities, especially compared with him, but she refuses to give up.
Over the years, she becomes confident, capable and independent. Other managers even try to recruit her when they leave the company, showing just how far she has come.
The actress also sells this beautifully. Her clothes, make-up, hairstyle and overall presence gradually change as her confidence grows.
And I loved seeing her eventually build her own company after leaving her old life behind. She proves that she can succeed without Luke.
š± Lukeās growth
Luke also has a proper character arc.
He eventually realises that some of his behaviour is turning him into the person he doesnāt want to become: his father. That forces him to reflect and change.
The most satisfying part comes after the break-up. He doesnāt immediately get Flora back. He suffers, takes time to reflect, and eventually disappears from her life for around a year or two.
When he returns, Flora has boundaries.
And this time, he respects them.
He initially tries a little too hard to get back into her life, even meeting her parents, but he eventually understands that he canāt simply expect Flora to take him back. His excuse for seeing her again is hilariously simple: he wants to see the dog. š
But underneath that excuse, we can see that he genuinely wants to rebuild their relationship properly.
š The found family
The roommates were another lovely part of the drama.
The four of them gradually become a little found family in Beijing, each coming from a different background and dealing with their own struggles.
I especially liked Floraās friendship with Lumi, her female mentor and superior. Lumi brings a really refreshing energy to the story and supports Flora both professionally and personally.
The roommatesā storylines also give the drama emotional depth, particularly the devastating revelation about the roommateās depression and suicide. It completely changes the atmosphere and makes Floraās decision to keep everything from Luke even more painful.
š The break-up
And then came episode 21.
After years of smaller conflicts and missed opportunities, everything finally explodes.
The break-up is messy, painful and absolutely heartbreaking. They say things specifically designed to hurt each other:
āI hate this ugly, disgusting, filthy relationship. Iām ending it.ā
āI am just a tool for your career.ā
āWe never loved each other. We donāt trust each other. I wasted six years by your side.ā
Ouch. š
Flora finally reaches her limit. She breaks up with Luke, resigns, moves back to her parents and even changes her phone number.
For once, she chooses herself.
š The ending
The final three episodes were honestly my favourite part.
Luke finally has to confront what he has lost. We see how much he suffers and, more importantly, that he genuinely changes rather than simply promising to change.
Meanwhile, Flora builds a successful life of her own.
When Luke eventually returns, their second chance feels earned because they arenāt simply going back to the relationship they had before. They have both grown, and Flora makes sure that Luke understands her boundaries.
And then they get married, completing something that was part of Floraās bucket list. š„¹
š¬ Final thoughts
Early Spring isnāt a story about a perfect relationship. Itās about two imperfect people who genuinely love each other but have to learn how to communicate, grow and become better versions of themselves.
There were moments when I genuinely wondered whether Luke was a green flag or a red flag, and honestly, I think the answer is both. š
The long timeline is one of the dramaās biggest strengths. Watching Luke and Flora evolve over several years makes their relationship feel much more believable than the usual whirlwind romances.
Beautiful romance, strong character development, career growth, found family, emotional drama and a genuinely satisfying second chance.
And yes, making me wait until episode 21 for the break-up advertised in the synopsis was criminal.
ā Definitely one Iāll remember.
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