Reviews

Endless Leaps of Faith

Fresh out of university, Shang Zhi Tao steps into the cutthroat world of advertising and immediately finds herself under the watchful eye of Luan Nian, a boss whose favorite way of motivating her seems to be telling her to quit. What begins as an antagonistic workplace dynamic slowly turns into attraction, then a relationship, then a cycle of love, hurt, separation, and reconciliation. Years later, fate brings them together again, with Zhi Tao living a quieter life back home and Luan Nian still carrying the unfinished business of their past.

On paper, The Early Spring has all the ingredients for an addictive romance. Two capable but emotionally complicated adults, an unequal workplace dynamic, undeniable sexual tension, old wounds, misunderstandings, and a second chance at love. In practice, however, there are plenty of layers on screen, but the story rarely takes the time to examine what is actually between them.

The attraction between Zhi Tao and Luan Nian is obvious from the beginning. In fact, perhaps too obvious. They are burning for each other, and once they cross that line, it becomes almost impossible for them to stay away from each other. The physical chemistry is probably the most convincing part of their relationship. For a Chinese drama constrained by censorship, the intimacy scenes are surprisingly effective at creating heat without actually crossing the line. Fans understandably had plenty to scream about. The problem is that the emotional chemistry never quite catches up.

Zhi Tao's attraction is easy enough to understand. She is drawn to Luan Nian's looks almost immediately, and after their first night together, it is clear that the physical attraction has a very strong hold on her. Luan Nian is more difficult to read. The drama tells us that his curiosity and interest in her gradually grow, but it does not show enough of the journey. One moment he is this rude, intimidating boss, and the next he is deliberately waiting to drive this new employee home. Later, we learn that he worried when she got lost in the mountains, was touched when she saved him, and gradually became emotionally invested in her. Those pieces are there, but the connective tissue is missing. It makes their romance feel less like falling in love and more like falling into bed, then figuring out the feelings afterward.

This is especially unfortunate because Luan Nian is potentially the more interesting character. He is arrogant, condescending, rude, capable, well connected, and seemingly experienced with women. Yet underneath that intimidating exterior is someone who apparently does not actually date around and is surprisingly inexperienced when it comes to real emotional intimacy. He can be the knight in shining armor one moment, helping with investments, finances, career problems, and all sorts of practical matters, then turn around and say something so cruel that I wanted to reach through the screen and confiscate his mouth. And yes, Jing Bo Ran is a huge part of why any of this works.

Jing Bo Ran does not simply play Luan Nian. He becomes Luan Nian. The arrogance, the condescension, the quiet jealousy, the intimidating boss energy, and especially that ridiculous amount of masculine charisma are all there. He somehow manages to make a man who says the worst possible thing at the worst possible moment look devastatingly attractive while doing it. That is a dangerous skill.

His wardrobe was another visual treat. Considering Jing Bo Ran's reputation as a fashionista, it was hardly surprising that many of Luan Nian's clothes, accessories, and shoes came from his own wardrobe. Most of the looks worked beautifully for the character, although there were a few details I would have happily edited out. His presence alone explains a significant portion of my willingness to keep watching. Unfortunately, even Jing Bo Ran's face could not completely redeem Luan Nian for me.

There is a difference between a flawed character and a character who repeatedly crosses the line into being unpleasant. Luan Nian's mouth gets him into trouble far too often, and some of the things he says to Zhi Tao are genuinely degrading. The worst comes when he lashes out and essentially reduces her to being cheap, obedient, young, inexperienced, docile, and whatever else he can throw at her in anger. Those words are especially cruel because they hit directly at insecurities she already carries. He is her talented, powerful boss while she is the inexperienced newcomer trying to prove herself. His words reinforce every fear she already has about how he sees her and the imbalance between them. What frustrated me even more was how quickly Zhi Tao forgave him.

Their relationship becomes a strange loop of intimacy, conflict, breakup, reconciliation, intimacy, conflict, and another reconciliation. At first, the push and pull is entertaining. Eventually, it becomes exhausting. The drama seemed to be rage-baiting me into asking the same question over and over again: why are these two still together?

Zhi Tao is not innocent in this dynamic either. She is actually a surprisingly complicated and sometimes hypocritical character. From the beginning, she is presented as career driven and determined to put her work first. Yet she quickly gives in to Luan Nian despite knowing the company has rules against office relationships and despite the obvious power imbalance between them. She knows she is playing with fire, and Luan Nian is standing there enthusiastically adding gasoline.

She is not a completely passive woman. She knows Luan Nian cannot get enough of her, and she knows exactly how to push his jealousy buttons. She can handle him better than most people can. But when it comes to him, she repeatedly sacrifices the boundaries she seems to value everywhere else. That contradiction could have made her character fascinating if the drama had explored it more deeply. Instead, it often feels like Zhi Tao simply cannot resist the Luke allure.

Every reconciliation seems to follow a familiar choreography. He gets close, touches her, stares closely at her face, the tension rises, and suddenly we are back to physical intimacy. At some point, I started wondering whether their relationship had any other language. The drama tells me they love each other, but it rarely gives me enough emotional evidence to actually feel it.

Their relationship is also oddly ambiguous. They move back and forth between situationship and relationship for so long that I sometimes felt the drama itself was unsure what exactly they were. Given the nature of their relationship in the novel and the restrictions of Chinese drama censorship, I cannot help wondering whether this was simply a messy adaptation. If the writers intentionally wanted to preserve that ambiguity, I wish they had used it to explore the emotional confusion rather than mainly turning it into another source of sexual tension.

Sun Qian's performance as Zhi Tao was a mixed bag for me. I have enjoyed her in other roles, and she does well with Zhi Tao's happier, innocent, hardworking, and more passive moments. However, the heavier emotional scenes did not always land. Her crying scenes in particular often amounted to a few tears and a hand partially covering her face. Her fights and breakups with Luan Nian were serviceable, but rarely devastating. The biggest disappointment was Sun Yuan Zhu's death.

Yuan Zhu is presented as someone who has a significant place in Zhi Tao's life, so I expected his death to leave a substantial emotional scar. Instead, the grief felt strangely brief. I understand that people grieve differently, but I simply could not feel the weight of the loss from Zhi Tao. The following episode immediately moving into her promotion made the whole thing feel even more bizarre.

I also found Yuan Zhu's death unnecessary. Liu Xiao Bei did a wonderful job portraying him, especially the character's hidden struggles, quiet affection, longing for family, and depression. I genuinely felt sorry for him and understood the pain underneath his calm exterior. That made his ending feel even more frustrating because the drama did not seem interested in giving his death the emotional space it deserved.

Afterward, the grief mostly disappeared, with Sun Yu being the one person whose pain I could really feel. Even Luan Nian suddenly going from being jealous of Yuan Zhu to talking about how he was a wonderful person and how he should thank him felt almost comical. If the purpose was to give Yuan Zhu closure or follow the novel, then the drama needed to build toward that ending properly. Otherwise, simply allowing him to move on from Zhi Tao and acknowledge that he could not have her would have been more meaningful.

The drama's symbolism, however, is something I appreciated. There is clearly more thought behind the visual language than the actual storytelling sometimes suggests. Jing Bo Ran mentioned that Luan Nian's early outfits were more buttoned up, often closed with a scarf or tie, representing how guarded he was. As he becomes closer to Zhi Tao, the clothes gradually open up. There are also recurring symbols involving the typewriter, fish tank, and other elements associated with control and barriers. These details give the drama an additional layer that I wish the writing had matched.

Visually, The Early Spring is generally beautiful. The medium contrast, soft color palette, slight grain, camera angles, and settings create a polished and easy-on-the-eyes aesthetic. When the story stays in China, the drama looks particularly good. Then comes Phuket.

The Phuket arc was where both the visual quality and editing started to fall apart for me. The studio shooting was painfully obvious, and the editing became increasingly choppy. For such a short storyline involving Alex's resignation, employee scouting, and its consequences, the company trip to Phuket felt unnecessary. The same plot could have happened in Beijing or somewhere else in China without losing anything important. If the production really wanted Phuket, then they needed to either commit to the location properly or smooth the editing. As presented, it sometimes felt less like a meaningful story setting and more like an excuse to manufacture another intimate scene. There are several other scenes like this where I found myself wondering, "Why are we here?"

The scene with Zhi Tao and Kitty reporting their work in Donny's hotel room simply ends without proper continuation. There are also various continuity issues and abrupt transitions that made me wonder whether scenes had been cut or rearranged. If episode cuts were responsible, the remaining scenes needed to be chosen more carefully. If they were not, then the writing and editing have some explaining to do. Either way, the result is the same: the narrative often feels jumpy when it should feel seamless.

And then we arrive at the grand ultimate breakup, the arc that fans had been waiting for. Unfortunately, this was another letdown.

I expected the breakup to feel like the culmination of everything that had been building between them. Instead, the reason felt like yet another misunderstanding, enough for a major sulk but not quite enough to convince me that this was truly the end. Zhi Tao never really felt like she exploded after years of accumulated hurt. Given how often she had already swallowed Luan Nian's behavior, the breakup almost felt like the drama simply pressed the reset button.

Luan Nian's devastation afterward was also underwhelming. He calls Zhi Tao's inactive number, apologizes, begs her to come back, and generally behaves like someone who has just discovered that actions have consequences. Yet when people tell him to say those things to her face, he refuses because she has cut him off.

When they reunite, Zhi Tao staying cold toward him makes perfect sense. What does not make sense to me is how Luan Nian chooses to pursue her. He goes to her parents and repeatedly forces his way into her home. I know many viewers will find this romantic, but I found it intrusive. There is no meaningful evolution in his approach. He does not seem to learn how to communicate better, respect boundaries, or rebuild trust. Instead, he simply resumes the same old routine and hopes proximity will do the emotional work for him. It feels less like pursuing her and more like playing house until she remembers she still loves him. And she does.

That is perhaps my biggest frustration with the ending. Zhi Tao's character does not seem to have grown much either. She tries to be cold, but the moment Luan Nian gets close enough, the attraction takes over again. Sun Qian herself mentioned in an interview that Zhi Tao was initially drawn to Luan Nian because of his looks and their physical intimacy, and honestly, the drama reflects that very clearly. Perhaps too clearly.

The ending then tries to patch everything up by finally giving us Luan Nian's perspective. We learn more about his first impression of Zhi Tao, when he fell for her, and why he gave her certain things. These explanations provide some useful context, but I wish we had gotten them earlier. Keeping Luan Nian mysterious can work, but mystery needs enough breadcrumbs for the audience to understand the character. Otherwise, he spends most of the drama looking like a walking red flag, only for the finale to say, "Actually, he was just bad at dating." That is not quite the same thing as character development.

The L necklace was another moment that completely missed me. I understand why viewers might find it romantic, especially with the symbolism of the L representing love and tying back to the beginning of their relationship. But after watching the entire drama, my brain could not stop interpreting it as Luan Nian putting a collar on Zhi Tao. It felt restrictive rather than romantic, which is probably not the reaction the scene was aiming for.

Ultimately, the ending feels more like a leap of faith than genuine growth or closure. The drama does not convincingly show that Luan Nian has overcome his arrogance and inability to communicate, nor that Zhi Tao has learned to establish boundaries, communicate openly, or compromise. They simply choose each other again.

Oddly enough, I still appreciate that The Early Spring does not completely sugarcoat them. Luan Nian and Zhi Tao are messy, contradictory, insecure people, and people like them absolutely exist in real life. Their relationship is toxic in ways that feel recognizably human. My problem is not that they are flawed. My problem is that the drama introduces all these flaws and then rarely digs deep enough into them.

The Early Spring started with the kind of fluttery excitement that makes you understand why people become obsessed with a couple. It had the looks, the chemistry, the fashion, the tension, and Jing Bo Ran being Jing Bo Ran. But somewhere along the way, the story became a loop of sexual intimacy, fights, breakups, makeups, and another round of the same emotional problems. What was initially addictive eventually became exhausting.

Still, one thing refuses to leave me even after the credits roll: the OST. Liu Yuning and Li Changgeng's songs are beautiful, memorable, and probably more emotionally consistent than the relationship itself. I especially enjoyed how certain songs became almost like emotional signposts. The moment a particular OST started playing, I already knew what kind of scene was coming. Sometimes the music understood the characters better than the script did.

In the end, what lingers is Jing Bo Ran's face, a handful of beautiful visual details, some genuinely memorable intimate moments, an OST that refuses to leave my head, and, unfortunately, my rage.

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Good enough I'm watching it a third time

I did not read the manhwa for this and stumbled upon it originally on a vigloo ad, then moved over to watch it on iQIYI.

This was far better than I expected. The characters and storyline are solid. The lowborn ML is perfectly cast and delivers the angst and longing you would expect. The ML playing the Young Master is superb.

It's bogged down by the typical short/vertical drama limited time frame, and could use a little more exposition but for what constraints they were given, this is up at the top of my listings for short dramas now. I hope someone out there recognizes it for what it's worth and gives it a longer form drama outlet in the near future.

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doesent leave you bored at any point

one thing i hate about most asian dramas is that they tend to be really boring at points but then having a climactic boom with the story coming together all at once. with this kdrama though there is never a dull moment in my opinion.there still is that boom affect where everything comes together, but leading up to there it has an interesting and intriguing storyline, making you want to just watch more!!i also think that the storyline is very unique,blending soft fuzzy romance with emotional, possibly horror-like themes.this show has a non rushed ending which leaves you content and not angry in my opinion.it’s definitely not your average love story and i believe that this is one of the first “overhyped” kdramas that doesn’t make you feel like you are forced to finish them.

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What adult relationships look like

What I loved about this drama is that it showed what mature relationships look like. How corporate work works, how actions and their consequences work, and how work romances can be both good and bad.

The only thing I didn't like was Luke being Flora's direct boss at some point. I think in reality, there is almost no chance of someone ending up with their boss without it somehow ending up in favour of one party or people assuming that the relationship was solely for climbing the corporate ladder. That was why Flora was always so keen on not exposing their relationship. No matter what, those kinds of relationships don't really give off a good outlook to onlookers.

I loved how each of their personalities grew throughout the years. It was also very realistic how it took them literally almost ten years to figure everything out and restart. They started off being very toxic but ended up respecting each other's boundaries and loving each other.

I loved the ending too. Truly enjoyed watching this drama.

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I’m on the edge of my seat everytime

I was reluctant to start the series as I wasn’t really interested in the cast nor was I a big fan of the second chance troupe, I was then proven wrong when I decided to click on the first episode out of pure boredom. Some people might disagree but I liked how they showed the relationship for the majority of the show before the turning point which was the major break-up, the build-up, tension and how they started getting in each other’s paths got me so hooked, although at times, the pacing was a bit confusing, it wasn’t to a point where I couldn’t comprehend anymore.

The chemistry was insane, I was thrilled when they got together, and that doesn’t happen often as I find that in most shows, when the couples get together, it becomes quite boring quickly, but the tension still maintains, it was honestly a beautiful show. I liked both characters and their journey to a beautiful relationship, learning and setting their flaws aside because of how much they loved eachother, the supporting cast was amazing as well, they were supportive and had a certain amount of depth to them, never just surrounding the main cast, I wish we saw more of the relationship between Will and Lumi, I believe that if we had the full 32 episodes, this would’ve happened. Luan Nian’s outfits delivered every single time, he looked fantastic in all of them, the acting was amazing, the scenes felt real, never exaggerated or emotionless.

In conclusion, this show was such a ride for me, it had me stressing, tearing up and smiling to myself one second after another, a must-watch if you ask me!!

p.s the soundtrack was also fantastic, I loved all the songs and I felt like they were played at the right moments which made the scenes more emotional !!

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The show that surprised the socks off me!

Okay, I need to preface this review with a small, all-be-it-shocking confession – and please don’t throw internet stones at my face!
But Bai Lu is not on my list of favorite actors.
I’ve watched several of her shows now, and there is something in her acting that doesn’t appeal to me, she has several quirks that irk me. So, unless a favorite actor is acting alongside her, I tend to just not watch her shows.

(Hang in there with me! I’m really getting to some wonderful compliments!)

Anyway, that means I haven’t seen the prequel to this drama, One and Only.
Not only because of the actor, but I read it had a tragic ending, and being a snowflake at heart, I need my shows to have the best happy ending.

However, (here come the compliments, guys!) this drama was highly recommended to me after I’d watched and looooved Love me Love my Voice and it had the same dubbing plotline.

Okay, let me give it a go, I said, not expecting much.
But let me gobble all my humble words because Forever and Ever has sneaked into my best shows list!
Right from episode one, I was hooked!

Bai Lu was brilliant.
I loved her character, Shi Yi so much. What an absolute delight to watch. I loved her demeanor, how she handled and wooed Sheng Chen in the gentlest, quietest loving way. her gorgeous clothes and her unwavering determination to stand by Shen Chen's side through some tough times.
Of course, I loved Sheng Chen, he was a lovable oddball, so sweet, quiet and supportive and never swayed from his love, not even with his odious mother and all the plotlines that went on around this couple.

Though I don’t enjoy tragic stories, I think I can go back and watch the first show now that I know this lovely couple find their way back to each other and a real happy ending this time.
The actors had a great dynamic and on-screen chemistry that made every episode go by so fast.

Don’t be like me and put off shows because you haven’t enjoyed an actor in something else, because you could just be missing out on a true, heart-filled treasure.
I will be thinking about this show (and re-watching it) for a long time.

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I’ve read too much dark romance because I was team baddie!

Okay, not completely, but for a lot of the episodes, I hoped that Wen Peng would get his own side plot romantic storyline.
Alas, it was not meant to be, because he was an absolute calculating madman, and ohhhhh, I was here for it. The actor did brilliantly in his role. Though we went through several baddies, he was the ultimate one pulling all the strings and I loved how it wasn’t revealed for the longest time, but as a viewer, with his portrayal of unrequited love for Lu Yan, you could just feel something was off with his reactions, so I wasn’t altogether pearl clutching surprised when he was revealed.

I couldn’t help but feel for his backstory, his utter motivation for how he turned out. But what I still can’t fathom, my dark romance dude was a total head case, he orchestrated the most heinous things, but yet, still let his dad bully him, even as a full grown, powerful adult. My guy! Throw that bastard into a volcano or something! Be done with him for good.

As you can see from how my review started, Wen Peng was my favorite character from this drama. Every time he was on screen, my eyes were drawn to his performance.

I enjoyed the main leads, mostly. But Lu Yan had a massive case of the martyrs. Girl, sacrificing your own happiness, breaking up with the guy you love, not once but twice and in the same damn way, oooff, that got my back right up. Mostly because Lu Yan was not problematic in the general sense. She is actually my favorite type of female lead because she wasn’t chaotic or a shrieking shrew. I loved her quiet demeanor, but for decision-making in matters of the heart, this smart doctor had the same amount of brain cells as a squishy orange!

And that brings me to Jiang.
The man with the wealth of patience.
I certainly wouldn’t have chased Lu Yang again, not when she didn’t tell him why she’d broken up with him the way she did. Or when she did it a second time! Silly girl, you don’t break up with simps!
With all the leading men, I am usually in love within 4 eps, but I got no wow factor this time. For me, Wen Peng had the better acted scenes.

Jiang was a nice guy, but the actor didn’t quite sell me on him being a cop.
I don’t know what it was, but for me, he didn’t act, talk or even walk like a cop😂
If you love simps, then this is the simp for you!

While I always focus on romantic-centric dramas, the romance aspect of this was definitely a subplot, the crime being the center, and I actually enjoyed it. I read a long-running futuristic cop drama by JD Robb, it’s well into book 60s now. It’s about a female murder cop and the ex-con she falls for, and then he helps her with her cases. This show somehow reminded me of that book series, so I was super into the mystery aspect, even when it went off in all directions.
Though I will admit, I wanted more of the couple’s side, not just sprinkled here and there, and the show could have been tighter with fewer episodes.

Overall, a good watch.
Poor demented Wen Peng.
Think about it for a second: if he’d been given the lead role, still within his bad guy skin, how devoted he would have been! 😂😂😂

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Queer Village

The film has impressive production value. It’s obvious that the people who worked on it paid attention to every detail, especially inserting the rainbow symbol — the emblem of the LGBT+ movement — into as many shots as possible. But precisely because of so many inserted details, the film felt staged to me rather than authentic. The acting, though solid, is at times caricatured for comic effect, but to me it came across as overacted. I admit that in one absurd scene, when the shouting between the characters resembled a rap battle, I felt a moment of entertainment, but the rest of the film didn’t feel like a comedy.

The film has a mission to promote understanding of queer differences in a small village, but I’m not particularly satisfied with how things were resolved in the end. Those who believe pride parades can sensitize conservatives and skeptics of queer ideology will probably be satisfied. In general, sympathizers will likely enjoy this film, but it wasn’t particularly convincing to me. If i had understood the motivation of the main character Man-ok better, maybe i would have enjoyed the film a little bit more.

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Girl Power Rules, Male Redemption Sells

The Early Spring is a show about a man who says rude and nonsensical things whenever he feels intimidated, and a woman who enters into a relationship with her boss expecting a completely advantageous arrangement. She uses her sexuality to navigate her way out of sticky situations and consistently withholds important information from her boyfriend—both when it happens and even afterward, despite being asked. Forget friends with benefits; this is employee with benefits. The show seems to teach that a woman never needs to apologize, reflect, or reconsider her own behavior. Redemption is a man’s job. Even something as simple as calling a dog by BF's name is apparently not something she needs to reconsider —or even recognize as problematic. The man, naturally, is the one expected to reflect, change, and redeem himself.

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I Knew It Was Too Good to Be True

There are dramas that take a few episodes to win you over, and then there are dramas like The Early Spring that grab you by the collar from the very beginning and make you think: “Oh, this is going to be GOOD.”
Unfortunately, this is also one of those dramas that makes you wonder halfway through: “Wait… where did all that momentum go?”

Let's start with the good stuff, because there is a lot of it.
The opening episodes are fantastic. The story immediately creates an interesting dynamic between Shang Zhitao and Luan Nian, and instead of spending forever waiting for something to happen, the drama gives us tension, attraction, awkwardness and conflict almost immediately.
And then there are Jing Boran and Sun Qian.
These two have chemistry. Not the kind of chemistry where the script tells you, “Look! They like each other!” and you are supposed to believe it. I'm talking about the kind where they can simply stand in the same room and you can feel that something is happening.
A look.
A pause.
A change in tone.
The distance between them.
Sometimes they don't even need dialogue.

Jing Boran is particularly good at playing Luan Nian's complicated personality. He can be arrogant, difficult, controlling and occasionally incredibly frustrating, but he never makes the character boring. There is always something underneath the surface, and Jing Boran knows exactly how much to show and how much to leave unsaid.
Sun Qian is equally important to this chemistry.
I've seen quite a few discussions where most of the praise goes to Jing Boran, and I actually think that's unfair to Sun Qian. She is an essential part of why this pairing works. Shang Zhitao may sometimes come across as passive or uncertain, but Sun Qian gives her enough warmth and sincerity to make the attraction believable.

Another thing I appreciated is that The Early Spring doesn't feel like a typical fluffy office romance.
These are adults with careers, ambitions, insecurities and responsibilities.
Shang Zhitao isn't simply introduced as “the girl who will eventually get the handsome boss.” She has her own professional journey, and watching her find her place in a competitive environment is an important part of the story.
I also liked the contrast between her and Luan Nian.
She is more straightforward and tends to take things literally, while he is much more complicated and often communicates through implications, half-truths and carefully controlled emotions.
The workplace setting also works surprisingly well. The office isn't simply there so the leads can bump into each other every five minutes. Their careers and professional choices actually influence their relationship, which gives the romance a more mature atmosphere.

Unfortunately, somewhere before the halfway point, I started feeling the drama losing itself.
Not all at once.
That's what makes it worse. Instead, you start noticing that the story isn't really moving anymore.
The romance becomes repetitive.
At first, the push-and-pull between Luan Nian and Shang Zhitao is exciting. You want to know whether they're going to take that next step.
Then they get closer.
Something happens.
They pull away.
You think: Okay, NOW they're finally going to talk about it.
Nope.
They go backwards again.
Then the story gives you another moment that makes you think they're finally going somewhere.
And once again… back to square one.
At some point I started feeling like I was watching the same emotional conversation in different outfits.
And this is where the drama lost me a little.
Meanwhile, the final episodes suddenly have to carry all the emotional development that the middle section could have been building gradually. Things that deserved time to breathe are suddenly happening one after another.

I also think the drama could have done more with its characters.
Luan Nian is fascinating because he is flawed. I actually prefer complicated male leads to perfectly polished green flags, so his personality didn't bother me as much as it might bother other viewers. What bothered me more was seeing how often the same emotional patterns repeated.
He has his issues.
She has her insecurities.
They clearly care about each other.
They clearly understand that something is happening between them.
And yet they keep making things unnecessarily complicated.
Sometimes it works because that's who they are.
Sometimes it just feels like the plot needs them to misunderstand each other for another episode.
I don't dislike Shang Zhitao, and I actually like that she has her own professional aspirations. But I wish the drama had given her more consistent development instead of allowing so much of her emotional journey to revolve around Luan Nian.

I wish the writers had trusted the relationship enough to let it develop naturally instead of repeatedly resetting it. I wish some of the middle episodes had been used to actually deepen the characters rather than prolonging the same conflict. And most of all, I wish the final developments hadn't been squeezed into the last couple of episodes.
Still, I can't deny the appeal.
Because whenever Luan Nian and Shang Zhitao are actually together, talking, looking at each other, fighting, teasing each other or simply existing in the same space… the drama comes alive again. And that chemistry is impossible to ignore.
So my final feeling is basically: Amazing beginning. Incredible chemistry. Beautiful atmosphere. Frustrating middle. Rushed ending. The Early Spring gave me a taste of how good it could be, and unfortunately, it never quite managed to live up to that first impression.

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A Warm Hug of a Drama About Love, Family & Healing

The lakorn that will keep your heart warm.To the Moon and Back is, at its heart, a gentle love story about healing, but what makes it so special to me is that the romance is only one part of a much bigger story about family, parenting, acceptance, and the ways the people around us shape who we become. Regardless of the main couple, the story constantly returns to different families and the impact those families have on each character. It beautifully shows that an imperfect family can sometimes be the most loving and complete one, while a family that looks perfect from the outside can be filled with pressure, trauma, emotional wounds, and unhealthy expectations. What I appreciated most was that almost no one here is one-dimensional. The characters are given enough background, usually through well-placed flashbacks, that it becomes difficult to simply hate them. The more you learn about each person's past, the more you understand why they became who they are, and even when I disagreed with their actions, I often found myself sympathising with them.

And then there is Mata.

It has been a while since I have come across a female lead who was this effortlessly lovable. Mata is basically sunshine in human form. She is cheerful, talkative, free-spirited, kind and sometimes wonderfully chaotic, but there is nothing artificial about her kindness. She doesn't go around giving dramatic speeches about being a good person. She simply treats people with warmth and compassion, and somehow that kindness changes everyone around her. Watching her slowly break through Purim's grandfather's gruff exterior, win over people who initially judged her, and even earn the trust of those who were determined not to like her was incredibly satisfying. She doesn't try to change herself to fit other people's expectations either. She remains completely herself, and that turns out to be her greatest strength.

I also loved the fact that Mata's personality has a reason behind it. She was raised in a family where love, acceptance and emotional support were abundant, and that upbringing shaped the way she sees the world. Her family may not fit society's traditional idea of what a "normal" family should look like, but they are incredibly loving and supportive. Meanwhile, Purim grows up in a household where achievement and obedience matter more than emotional well-being. He becomes a successful cardiothoracic surgeon, but underneath all that competence is someone who has spent most of his life trying to be the perfect son for his father. His life is essentially pre-programmed for him, and the emotional pressure has left him unsure of how to understand and express what he actually wants.

That contrast between them is one of the best things about the romance.

The main couple is genuinely adorable, and I honestly did not expect to love them this much. They are such a good example of opposites attracting. Mata is bright, expressive and endlessly energetic, while Purim is quiet, reserved and emotionally repressed. Yet they fit together beautifully because neither of them tries to turn the other into someone else. They complement each other. Purim gives Mata patience and stability, while Mata teaches Purim how to recognise, express and trust his own emotions.

What I especially loved was that they became friends first. Their relationship develops naturally through spending time together, understanding each other's quirks and gradually becoming important to one another. Even before they officially become a couple, there are so many little moments between them that make it obvious why they are falling in love. Their flirting is honestly on another level. There were so many moments where I was sitting there thinking, "Wow, that was smooth... wait, you're supposed to be friends!" Their chemistry feels effortless, and their interactions are sweet without becoming unbearably sugary.

I could honestly compare the cuteness of their love story to When I Fly Towards You. The dynamics are completely different, but they gave me that same warm, addictive feeling of watching two people who genuinely enjoy each other's presence slowly fall in love. I kept smiling whenever they were together.

What made the romance even more meaningful was the way Mata became a safe place for Purim. She gives him reassurance, patience, emotional space and, most importantly, permission to make his own choices. She doesn't "save" him in some unrealistic way. Instead, she helps him find the confidence to save himself. There is a beautiful progression in the way he gradually learns that he is allowed to live for himself rather than constantly trying to satisfy his father.

Purim's emotional journey was probably the part that moved me most. I just wanted to hug him sometimes and tell him that he had done enough and that he deserved to live the life he wanted. His father's pressure shaped so much of his insecurity despite how intelligent, capable and accomplished he is. What I liked was that the drama never makes him suddenly rebellious overnight. His change is gradual, and Mata is simply one of the people who helps him realise that he has choices. The scene where he finally allows himself to break down after trying so hard to remain strong for everyone around him was especially effective. I could feel the weight he had been carrying for years.

His relationship with his father was also far more complicated than simply "strict father versus good son." There is clearly love between them, even when that love becomes controlling and damaging. That complexity made their conflict much more believable. The actor playing his father did an excellent job because you could genuinely feel both the father's love and the harm caused by his expectations.

I also really appreciated Purim's circle of doctor friends. They may tease him constantly, but underneath the jokes they genuinely care about him and want him to be happy. Their advice is often surprisingly thoughtful, and I loved seeing Purim surrounded by people who could support him without controlling him. It made the contrast with his father even stronger.

The family aspect is where the drama really shines for me. The story explores so many different kinds of families and parenting styles without reducing them to simple good and bad categories. It shows how parents can love their children while still hurting them, how children can carry wounds for years because of the way they were raised, and how sometimes the family you create or choose for yourself can be more healing than the family you were born into.

Trai and Paeng's story is another example of this. Their situations were painful to watch because you could see how deeply their upbringing affected them. Even when they made questionable choices, it was difficult for me to completely dismiss them because the drama lets you understand where their behaviour comes from. I found myself hoping that they would eventually find the strength to stand on their own rather than simply continuing the cycle they were raised in.

And that is something I really loved about this drama: the supporting cast is not treated as filler.

The supporting characters are basically the MSG of the whole drama. The dramatic aunties, Purim's nosy colleagues, the neighbours, the family members and all the people who enter the story each bring something to it. They make the world feel alive. Everyone has their own personality, history and relationships, and the drama takes the time to show those connections. Even characters who initially seemed annoying eventually received enough context for me to understand them better.

Grace was another character I particularly appreciated because she represents the kind of kindness and compassion that the drama keeps returning to. Her approach to difficult situations is rarely about anger or judgment. Instead, she encourages people to understand one another and respond with empathy. That message could easily have become preachy, but here it was woven naturally into the characters and their relationships.

I also thought the representation of Mata's unconventional family was handled beautifully. The characters are simply part of the family and part of the story. Their education, personalities, struggles and relationships are explored naturally, rather than making their identities the entire point of their existence. For me, that made the portrayal feel much more genuine and respectful.

Another unexpected highlight for me was the dogs. Olive and the other furry little stars genuinely added something to the drama. I loved seeing Olive slowly accept Mata, and somehow the dogs became these little character detectors. The people they trusted were usually the ones with good hearts, which made their presence even more charming.

There is also a lovely sense of community throughout the drama. The nosy neighbour who initially seemed hostile eventually becomes one of Mata's supporters simply because she keeps responding to negativity with kindness. That transformation was one of the smaller but more satisfying examples of how the drama shows kindness changing people. The party scene where Mata is humiliated was particularly painful, but it also becomes an important turning point for Purim's mother and forces her to confront how much damage has been done within the family.

I should also mention how well the drama balances its tone. This is very much a family drama, but it never becomes relentlessly heavy. There is humour, friendship, romance, warmth, tears and plenty of genuinely funny moments. You can watch one scene laughing at the aunties and then find yourself tearing up over a completely different storyline. That balance is one of the reasons the drama feels so comforting despite dealing with some difficult subjects.

The central message about kindness could easily have felt simplistic, but I think the drama earns it by showing the consequences of kindness over and over again. Mata doesn't magically solve people's lives. What she does is create an environment where people begin to feel safe enough to change. That distinction matters. She doesn't force Purim to become someone else. She gives him the courage to become himself.

There were definitely some heavier family dynamics that were difficult to watch, particularly the controlling and sometimes abusive behaviour from certain parents and the way marriage and family expectations are portrayed. Some of those relationships felt intentionally uncomfortable, and I appreciated that the drama did not present unhealthy behaviour as something admirable. At times, though, those storylines were emotionally heavy.

The final episodes also became a little more melodramatic than the earlier parts, but by that point I was already so invested in the characters that I didn't mind too much. The foundation had been built so well during the earlier episodes that the emotional payoff still worked for me.

What I ultimately loved most about To the Moon and Back is that it doesn't just ask, "Who do you love?" It asks what kind of family you want, what kind of person you want to become, what happens when love becomes control, and how much a person's life can change when they are finally surrounded by people who allow them to be themselves.

And of course, the romance delivers. Mata and Purim are one of the cutest adult couples I've watched in a while. Their love story is warm, playful and genuinely affectionate, but more importantly, they make each other better without losing themselves in the process. Purim learns to choose himself, and Mata gets to love someone who truly understands and appreciates her.

This drama made me laugh, smile, cry and occasionally want to hug half the cast. It is not perfect, but it has so much heart that those imperfections hardly mattered to me.

A beautiful story about love, family, healing and the simple power of kindness. The romance is adorable, the supporting cast is unforgettable, and Mata is basically a human dose of serotonin.

A wholehearted 10/10 for me.

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