Reviews

hank You, Screenwriter – Right to the Last Word

From beginning to end, the drama maintains a great flow – I never felt bored. The plot is thoughtful and well worth watching. There are no shallow subplots or simplistic resolutions. As the episodes kept delivering, I grew more and more anxious about how it would all end. Dear screenwriter – thank you. You did an excellent job, right up to the last word and sound. The final episode is sentimental, yet wise. It ties up most of the storylines in a marvellous and deeply moving way. I can't say I didn't cry – because I did. I was truly touched by some of the lines I heard. I highly recommend this drama to more mature viewers, those with greater life experience.

I didn't write anything about the actors, but the cast speaks for itself - gorgeous.

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Never Ending Misunderstandings

I started Never Ending Summer excitedly bcuz the leads are good looking and the height difference between them is so cutee . Zhou Keyu and Bao Shangen have great chemistry and the first few episodes hooked me with sweet moments and the kind of slow-burn that promises big feelings. There are scenes that really land especially one with Lu Xixiao (ML) dancing alone, hallucinating he’s dancing with Zhou Wan (FL) . He was not drunk; he was just broken and lost in memory, and watching him like that made my chest tighten in a way few shows do. That moment was raw and heartbreaking!

But as the series goes on, the drama slipped into a loop of the same misunderstanding cycle. Every time I hoped for a proper reset or honest conversation, the plot pulled back adding another layer of confusion instead of clearing things up. It felt like the director decided to extend the push-and-pull until the very end, not because it deepened the characters but because the show relied on dragging things out for tension. That slowdown dulled the emotional payoff. The leads argue, misread each other, and then retreat again and again which made some middle episodes hard to binge through.

The series wants to be deep and melancholic, and it gets there at times when it focuses on interior pain - like the dance hallucination, it’s affecting. But those high points are unevenly spaced.

It’s well-acted, beautifully shot, and occasionally devastating. But the show’s reliance on drawn-out misunderstandings makes parts of it feel padded, preventing it from reaching the emotional heights it seems to aim for.

......

Overall, this isn’t a binge-every-night kind of drama for me, but it’s not something I’d drop either. It sits comfortably in the “watch when you’re in the mood” category. Still the show isn’t a miss, the leads are convincing and have moments of real tenderness. The cinematography and music suit the mood, and there are other smaller beats and side characters that add flavor. It’s not soulless filler; it’s just that the pacing keeps you from fully investing in every twist.

If you love lingering, introspective romances that trade on sadness and slow reveals, you’ll likely appreciate Never Ending Summer. But if you prefer forward momentum or clear emotional arc progression, you might find yourself frustrated by the repeated setbacks.

As for if i would recommend it or not, i suggest to watch starting few episodes to see if this drama is your cup of tea or not and then decide whether or not to continue .

Thanks for reading! :))

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When lonely finds someone even lonelier

I want to start by saying I'm a pretty harsh critic. I'm the type where if something doesn't make sense in the drama, I'll check if it has a book and read that afterwards in order to gauge whether the story/interpretation of the story was wrong to begin with OR was this a production related issue (erroneous script writing, amount of funding, time constraints, new laws placed on drama length or subject matter like in TTEOTM, etc).

Basically, to summarize, this is a great drama if you prioritize story > dramatizations of love and relationships. It's a very adult type of love between two people who have experienced unthinkable hardships despite their age.

If I were very young again, I would likely prefer a drama that puts visuals and attraction between the leads as the main focus with less care on whether the story was all that great or well thought out. Just enough to get the two leads together would suffice with lots of heart pounding touches and looks. And to be fair, if you sign up for a romance drama then it's only right that you feel there was 'enough' romance AND drama to keep you interested. Many of these reviews cite "not enough romance" or "chemistry" as the shows weakness for this reason.

I personally felt that though they 'could' have added more blatant sexual chemistry/tension to the show, I do think it would feel less appropriate for the characters. For one, they have an 8 year age gap....and she's been quoted to say he's a man in his 'twenties' and he is crippled for the majority of the show. That does imply she's VERY young to be overly sexualized and lusted over on television for our enjoyment as well as making him feel a little like some horny disabled dude who meets a child he saved 8 years later and is lusting over her (he still vividly remembers what she was like as a child after all and recognizes her as soon as he meets her as well).

Due to this, I had the feeling the writers were careful to build the right pacing and create atmospheric events that would genuinely bring these two leads closer together emotionally before any true emphasis on physical attraction for one another. You can really tell when the male lead begins to understand the female lead from his internal monologues and the questions he asks her. The moments we do get of their love are very sweet and shows how they give each other strength as well making them appear more real. If anything, I wish they made her love for him more compelling besides "love at first sight" as a child. Especially because as an adult, you learn that attraction is never enough to sustain a relationship because you start to understand how incompatible people can be with you through experience and how that affects you emotionally over time. Nobody is perfect. But there's reasons why we can't just marry any good looking person we meet. I felt I wanted to see her learn about him the way he tried to learn about her and watch her realize that he's more than just a good looking dude with great martial arts and a stunning family background. Things like his hobbies, his dreams, his surprising talents or deficiencies beyond "he's immature when he's jealous" which I do NOT count (though we ALL love a cute jealous ML doing dumb adorable stuff while in love). Though this is me being picky because this show was REALLY done SO well already and I don't want to just glaze it all day in my review.

My only real gripe is that the two break up points felt too rushed and premature thus feeling uncharacteristically dramatic for these two. Mainly the male lead as the female lead has lived in seclusion for so long, she would understandably not know how to deal with conflict and would be scared to be alone again. But I believe these moments were shoe horned in to arbitrarily create conflict which is beneficial to create emotional impact at the risk of being overly dramatic.

If I had to point it it's strong points, I would say:
1) The cast are incredibly likable and relatable. No one feels like a true villain or saint and they flesh out each character in a way we can actually be satisfied with versus leaving them as loose ends.
2) No unnecessary deaths or drivel on the motivations of the villains as well as making them look STUPID to make our characters look smarter. Also, not making them just GREEDY for power. The queen was ambitious and smart. She made choices that were cruel but not unheard of. It's society that paints a woman doing it as so terrible but reasonable if a male ruler were to do so. She's not right. But can we really say she should have given up and let them kill her and her child? Atleast her reforms helped people in the long run. Sometimes, we can't really compromise if we want to make real change in our lifetimes and that's the point. There is no real moral high ground. Locking yourself on a mountain and taking 47 other perfectly young and amazing talents with you to the afterlife does NOTHING to fix the society you are protesting against. It only creates victims like our female lead. Even guard Qin wasn't just doing illegal stuff just to get more power. He wanted to be loved by his birth father. He longed to belong and be accepted. He heard exactly what he needed and stayed loyal to him for that reason. Even when he was betrayed and chose to rat on him--it was for survival and NOT to get even. He wasn't full of anger and vengefulness when he saw his father for the last time. Just shared the sincere words he held for a long time in his heart.
3) Romance pacing and character development were en pointe. You learn about the female character at a good pace that makes putting all the puzzle pieces together satisfying VERSUS predictable which makes them feel more one dimensional and simple. People aren't that easy. Secrets exist in us in layers that need time to be peeled back from those around us and we were on the same page as the ML due to this. I was devasted the way he was devastated and I was remorseful when he felt shame too.
4) Due to the above, another great point is that this is a VERY rewatchable show. I personally feel like the second watch through, you actually feel differently than the first time. That's because the first time you watch, you are seeing things from the male leads perspective in terms of understanding the female lead. We only see action but can't really make sense of what motivates her besides the typical "for peace and justice!" mind set they give to EVERY male and female lead or just pure "revenge!". The second time around, I felt way more emotional earlier on because I started to notice things I didn't understand before in a different light. So basically, I'm not seeing things from the perspective pf the male lead anymore but as someone who understands the female lead already.

Overall, everything was great. Music, set, costumes, casting, script and filming. I would watch this again and recommend it for anyone who wants to appreciate how two lonely and traumatized leads meet--and wrap themselves around the others wounds with their love and support for one another. A great drama with an amazing team of cast and production!

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Summertime Sadness... in a good way :)

This got a lot of traction early on because of how "sad" it was. Yes, the setting is a bit sad in the beginning, but brightens up pretty quickly, and easily has become one of those nostalgic-vibe dramas. Especially because of the time skip from high school to adult. And all rainbows and unicorns is BORING imo. Never Ending Summer had a good balance of many emotions🔥

I loved the story. The hardship the female faces was a lot more than usual, and although the male also has his problems, it's nothing compared to hers. The gradual development of their relationship from classmates to ILL DIE FOR YOU lovers was the highlight of the drama, with good side plot as well. The unromantic part of the story was not very appealing, and the way they sort of handle it until the last few episodes was a bit lacking, almost in a way where they meant to highlight the romance more. And their ups and downs of the relationship itself was also quite a rollercoaster so even that alone was enough of a story.

I. LOVE. ANGST. So we know already based on the synopsis, no spoiler, that they separate after that one summer. I was looking forward to the time slip the most, and it did NOT disappoint. I loved it. They did that part so👏🏻 so👏🏻 well. And then after that ended, it was sort of boring. But still, the breakup and reunion makes up for it. The ending also felt quite rushed. So for my preference story wise: reunion>high school>after they get together again at the end. I don't think it's the type of drama I'll constantly rewatch, but I'll remember it for a while.

Casting was perfect. They honestly look so good together, especially that HEIGHT DIFFERENCE. Their chemistry was off the charts, and it's just thanks to both of them equally, always looking so great with whomever they act with. This was actually the first drama of both actors I really liked. Hope to see them again soon!

Always sad when a good happy ending drama ends 😭 bye bye

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Bai Lu and Cheng Lei in a story that doesn't leave audiences indifferent

The drama was much discussed from inception to final airing. Although it is based on a novel ("Sheng Shi Di Fei" 盛世嫡妃 by writer Feng Qing 凤轻), the drama version differs too much to be labeled as other than "inspired by" original story. Scriptwriter Zhao Na completely rewrote the script while an earlier version was discarded, causing its writer to later raise a ruckus on social media after the drama started airing, furthermore targeting the lead actress as if that other scriptwriter had become a leader of her haters! Since this person had no copyright to the story anyway, she only appeared to shoot herself in the foot, and is kindly best forgotten, but her since quelled controversy (she ended up apologizing), caused a lot of unwelcome attacks (causing production and Bai Lu to sue).

Still, the new script is not flawless; some characters which played important parts in the novel, ended up as having disappointing roles in The First Jasmine: this was notably the case for Han Mingxi (played by much anticipated Lin Muran appearing on screen again after the breakthrough success he achieved in "Pursuit of Jade", as antagonist) .

The initial meaning of the Chinese title Mò Lí, coined from the names of the protagonists Mò Xiūyáo and Yè Lí, with can be summed up as "Never Part" got distorted in the translation into English, although defenders of the choice threw in that the flower was almost rhyming in the quote "送君茉莉，愿君莫离" [Sòng jūn mòlì, yuàn jūn mò lí] : “I give you jasmine, wishing we will never be apart.” But since the story differs so much in the drama version from the novel one, the heavily perfumed title (a trend in recent dramas with "blooms" and "blooming" occurring almost as much now as "love") does fit the romance transformation of an initially more battle heavy story featuring a strong female warrior deriving her power from transmigration (totally absent in the drama, which modified the story from fantasy to an equally difficult to believe female Tarzan like upbringing, despite bringing in ghosts and apparently demonic creatures). Many incongruities were remarked upon such as the true end of Ye Li's mother. The initial sprawling novel of over 458 chapters became a spiky romance, where overcoming hurdles hid in mazes made the plot grow puzzling.

Nevertheless, the drama carried an addictive mystery aura which made many try and guess what would come next, what were the explanations for Ye Li (played by Bai Lu) apparently seeing ghosts while otherwise appearing to function normally, or for the sometimes crazy like outburst of Mo Xiuyao (played by Cheng Lei) who seemed to take a lot of time to accept his wife's ministrations and sincere feelings for him.

Another reason for the rewrite may have been the poor state of health of Bai Lu who experienced very worrying health troubles and exhaustion bouts during the long shoot which lasted from May 31 to October 11, 2025 at Xiangshan Film and Television City (Xiangshan Film City) in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province. All the palace and princely mansion, mountain academy, scenes were filmed there. But it must be noted that the summer of 2025 was particularly torrid. A heat wave lasting from June to August with relentless humid temperatures above 45°C was later acknowledged : it was the worst heatwave since the 2022 record one. In China, in the past decade, the excessively hot temperatures have been played down on weather forecasts (like in many other countries now, which find "reasons" to explain why they can't deliver a usable forecast, and blame it on El Nino, or on sudden unpredictable "heat domes") because in the PRC, the legal framework of the Administrative Measures for Heatstroke Prevention and Cooling sets limits based on outdoor and indoor working conditions where workers should not be exposed to heat over 40°C outdoors, over 33°C indoors: industries are supposed to pause then... So even with air conditioning and portable fans, the conditions were particularly difficult. Bai Lu fell ill around July 18 with searu=ing pain from her neck to her back and headaches. She was treated with modern and traditional medicine but still lost 5kg from her already slight weight, and was often exhausted. She laughed it off as usually (never lingering on self pity) on her post-wrap meeting of October, saying the directors praised her "unhappy look" which fit with the early scenes, and her recovered look about a month later, when she played more active scenes. The BTS videos where she can be seen resting her head in the lap of Cheng Lei were not just for CP ads, and it is fortunate that Cheng Lei proved to be an attentive colleague during the shooting.

This was a drama that made me dig a bit, since I have visited the real Lishan near Xi'an, with the Guifei baths, and remember enough from this place to feel that it had no connection whatsoever with the story in the drama. On the contrary, although I at first thought of Huashan in the Qinling mountains south of Xi'an, I think the closest model was Songshan near Luoyang, There was a Confucean academy on Songshan, called Songyuan, which could be the model for the drama imaginary Lishan academy, which showed teachers who seemed to believe in a different form of creed from the Daoism that is often referred to in many scenes during the drama.

The story seemed to mix together some bits of Song dynasty, such as the rise of Confucean academies like the Songyuan one. and the earlier Tang dynasty power struggle a century earlier of empress Wu Zetian (690–705 CE). But the status of Buddhism as an almost state religion such as that reign brought is totally absent from the drama.

The story of Dowager Guo Jin ( played by Dong Jie) and the treatment of her memory after she handed power over to her son was nevertheless clearly modeled on the historical Wu Zetian , who also started her career as an out of favor concubine, although her son Li Xian , known as emperor Zhongzong, was not a youth when Wu Zetian handed power over to him. Unlike Mo Yanqi, (played by Xu Wailuo as a rather indecisive adolescent in the drama),

The Da Chu name of the imaginary country Mo Yanqi and Guo Jin jointly reigned over was just decoration to get a feel of "otherness" and "ancient History", but could not in any way be connected to Tang History. -- Contrary to the Cangbei tribes shown as enemies or potential allies in the drama, who probably got modeled on the real Xiangbei - but those were already not a threat any longer at the time of Wu Zetian, so if they are enemies in the drama, there is a small discrepancy when thinking of the name of one minister character in the drama: Murong Shen, whose name is distinctively of Xiangbei origin (Murong Shen, played by Wang Shuo, appears as the Chief Imperial Secretary who openly showed support for Mo Xiuyao, who was aligned with his cousin, emperor Mo Yanqi).

The main antagonist in the drama derives his power from his position: Zhou Jing/marquis Muyang (played by Yu Jinwei) is the Court of Judicial Review Minister, also known as Dàlǐ sì (大理寺) which has nothing to do do with a mysterious 寺 Buddhist temple in Dali 大理 town.... As such he commands what appears as a gang of corrupt and wicked ministers and inquisitors. Foremost among those was the ruthless and ugly Lu Chang Fu [General of Imperial Guard]( played by Li Hongquan), who meets a spectacular end in the drama.

Of course, the drama story is fictional, but like most "historical" fictional dramas, it does draw on some History, real or legendary, and impressions of those times' customs, dresses, and technology. The use of white phosphorus to set silk on fire, in the drama, is a creative idea; although silk can indeed catch fire from the phosphorus which reacts with atmospheric oxygen.  In other scenes in the drama, oil was mentioned as an incendiary agent, and that does more conform with documented Chinese History which used 猛火油 (měng huǒ yóu) petrol bombs at least since the Eastern Han Dynasty.

I was also looking into the connection with ghost stories and the monkeys or apparently supernatural elements in the drama, and into the flower symbolism beyond the jasmine one which was not depicted in the series :
* Ye Li's rock flowers,
* the golden flowers grown in pots by for princess Lingyun, played shortly but memorably by Li Muyun (probably "Golden queen" aka Jinlian hua 金杯花, which originate in Mongolia and look like double buttercup flowers),
* the beloved potted flowers of the empress,
* the deep pink blooms of the curcuma potted plant which Ye Li stares at, in episode 39,
* the Red Pearl fruits of the plant Mo Xiuyao sends her an astringent wine from the border in ep.38,
* the bouquet of purple flowers that Ye Ying (played by Yang shuyi) brings to her last meeting with Mo Jingli. These look like aconitum aka monkshood which are "extremely toxic in all parts to humans and animals"!!
* finally, the white flowered twigs which Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao used to spar in martial arts in last episode were, I think, plum tree twigs. Plum flowers have quite a powerful symbolism in China among which Resilience and Strength, since the "méi huā"梅花 , blooming in harsh cold symbolizes the ability to endure adversity and maintain integrity (like in the famous beloved 1983 mandopop song 一剪梅 sung by singer Fei Yuching - this song is not featured in The First Jasmine of course, but the OST has many nice songs.)....

Ye Li had from start of the drama a mission, symbolized by the straw dolls which she weaved and took down from Li Shan mountain/prison. She went about showing superior craftiness and outstanding skills in unexpected fields of knowledge from a girl barely out of adolescence who had survived without relying on helpers, before she was released to get married in the capital, on her coming of age (usually around 15-16 years old in Tang dynasty times). No money had been provided: her family or other did not bring any help for that journey. She still managed to reach the city, to find that her intended had been swapped; having her own reasons, she did not complain. She had already matured beyond her years. But she had a troubled mind.... Her husband, and her brother in law Mo Jingli (played by Cai Zhengjie) also had their own demons in mind to fight, as they had been forced to hide their strengths and intentions. Mo Jingli, nephew of Mo Xiuyao and illegitimate son of the late emperor in the story, is also a somewhat tragic character whose reasons for rebellion are understandable although not really excusable. The palace politics are ruthless, despite the polished appearance of the Dowager and the Consort Qin Zheng (played by Zhang Yue) who withheld but finally released a crucial piece of evidence.

I differ about the notion of "happy ending" since the last picture show the married couple facing each other but not touching, with a gap between them: what positive developments will come next for them or for their friend Li Feibai (played by Zhang Shulun) is only implied. The moral justification in the end, expounded in the young emperor's edict, feels very preachy and spin, cant. Whatever relevance it could have with modern morals is not very clear. The opening Douban rating of 6.3 on June 30 feels too low, although we know how Douban seldom rates much higher especially for historical dramas "One and only" still sits at 7.3 in the high rating of historical dramas category); it still feels disappointing and perhaps a results of hater actions that this drama got rated below "Story of Kunning Palace", another ambitious historical drama, which garnered 6.8 on Douban.

But this TV series was still gripping enough to make me consider re-watching parts or whole. It has comedic moments and political struggle, and many other angles, some scenes with nice cinematography, such as the misty scenes on Lishan, the views in the palaces, details that can be pondered. It is very different from Bai Lu's other tragic masterpiece drama "One And Only", set in an earlier dynasty, and the story is less painful. Because of the way it kept my attention and the way the leads managed to portray their characters bridging the hurdles, I have given it top score and would recommend it to those who like historical romance dramas and prefer mature themes.

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Great premise but misses the mark

The premise of this show was promising - our main leads start as a casual hookup that progresses into something real. The problem is the lack of chemistry between the two of them. The actor playing Kaji looked so bored during their NC scenes I was waiting for him to start snoring. Yet we’re supposed to believe this is the best hookup of his life.. These dramas really need to start doing chemistry tests as part of casting.

Also the episodes were so short it didn’t lead to much character development.

Some of the good things:

-I liked the actor playing Fukami, he was super cute .
-Fukami’s sister was wonderful and supportive
-Kaji does grow into a better person (still don’t like his character)
-Both character had vulnerable moments, it wasn’t just one character doing all the chasing.

It wasn’t all bad, there were definitely cute moments, but the dead kisses and lack of tension are why I rated it as low as I did.

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A summer I know will never end

June 30, 2026

Never Ending Summer has been my favourite Chinese Drama of the year for sure. I kept looking forward to watching when new episodes would drop everynight. It is so amazing as to how their love story has unfolded and along with the overall plot prognosis. I genuinely am so happy with Luo Xi Xiao and Zhou Wan, I think they are definitely one of those second chance romance plot that just makes sense. It reminds me of Lighter vs Princess, it is where they were just too young to go against the odds. Moreover, having that break up really helped them grow better and be more mature. In a sense a stronger built for their independence and future, I also applaud our female lead Zhou Wan for being smart and not necessary a damsel-in-distress type of lead.

It is such a breather watching this show and I just love how they have their TV show of the casts interacting as well to support the drama. It truly just sets warmth through the audience.

I hope everyone gives them the love that they deserve, I truly am so sad that this drama has ended, and I look forward to rewatching this again in the near future.

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aku bukan pecinta korean BL tapi setelah menemukan drama ini, aku sangat menyukainya. Mengisahkan hubungan yang sangat rumit antar tokohnya, dan jujur saja alurnya membuatku ikut stress, padahal jika lebih digali romancenya tentu akan sangat indah. Lebih dari apapun aku sangat menyukai akting dan chemistry antar tokohnya, mereka terasa sangat nyata. Dan poin yang paling kusukai adalah visual junseo. Ini debut aktingnya dia, tapi sepanjang film aku merasa matanya selalu berbicara dengan dipadukan visual nya yang sangat cantik. Aku benar-benar benar merasa hampir gila

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Worth the watch but never again!

Knowing these episodes are all inspired by real events in South Korea makes this series honestly DISTURBING. It did an incredible job of making my blood pressure spike with every single episode.
The toxic pressure from Korean netizens and their systemic flaws are completely broken, and it really highlights why South Korea faces one of the highest suicide rates in the world.
I've watched so many Korean crime and school bullying dramas and films, and what frustrates me most is how often the same patterns of abuse, silence, and institutional failure appear, IT'S SICKENING!! While these stories don't represent everyone's experience, it's painful to see how many are inspired by real cases. More than anything, I hope every victim receives the justice and support they deserve.

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MÉDICO FRIO E ENFERMEIRA FOFA

Não tem jeito, o romance entre um homem frio e reservado e uma menina fofa e calorosa sempre será uma obra de arte para mim.

Aqui temos um romance de hospital que começou com uma menina sendo completamente apaixonada pelo protagonista masculino desde que ele a deu um futuro. Ele é um médico que um dia presenteou uma adolescente com o sonho de ser enfermeira.

Dentro da história temos casos médicos, momentos emocionantes, amizade de equipe e a construção do romance que é bem feita. Mas também temos alguns pontos que considero negativos como o otimismo ingênuo e exagerado da protagonista feminina, sua falta de jeito que em alguns momentos soava artificial e a escassez de momentos realmente marcantes entre os protagonistas (apesar de serem bons).

O episódio final pareceu apesar tapar buraco criando um novo conflito aos 45 do segundo tempo e para mim as escolhas feitas não funcionaram, mas fora isso essa é uma boa série e vale super a pena.

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It was an Okay drama

I watched this when i am binged to watch Chen Si drama. I think this is decent drama, it has a strong "overly wild" feel. Chen Si and Liu Xiyu have great chemistry which make me okay watching this. The sweetness is on point not to over powered. After all, who can resist a sweet and gentle FL.

The setting is in the Republican era, which is more reasonable than the modern version, naturally avoiding some plot inconsistencies. The overall story framework and main characters remain the same, but reasonable modifications have been made to fit the Republican era: 3FL's company is changed to a reading club, FL's initiative to seek cooperation with the ML on the aircraft business is changed to saving the students of the reading club, and the addition of a Russian roulette scene at the banquet makes the contrast between the ML and the SML's characters more obvious. ML an d FLinteract more, getting together early on, with numerous intimate scenes full of tension. ML is more proactive, while the FL is neither conflicted nor insecure. Their secret relationship is portrayed as natural and open. FL also realizes her feelings for the male lead early on and not being dragged until end of the drama. Overall, it's very sweet and worth watching.

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