Available on Netflix and Youku
Aired: February 18, 2025 to March 10, 2025
🌸 Chinese Drama Review
The First Frost Drama Review
The drama skillfully presents flashbacks to their high school and college years in the first part of the episode, gradually revealing why they parted ways. Unlike lighter romantic series like Hidden Love, The First Frost delves into darker themes, including family betrayal, trauma, and emotional abandonment. The opening episode is especially heavy, featuring an attempted rape scene and introducing the female lead’s complicated relationship with her mother, who abandoned her in favor of her new family. The looming presence of a family member who attempted to assault her during high school adds another layer of tension and grief throughout the series.
The First Frost offers a compelling slow-burn romance with emotional tension, dark twists, and gradual healing. It’s a journey where character development and relationships are the real highlights. Definitely worth a watch if you love second-chance romances with depth and complexity.
Rating: 🌸🌸🌸🌸 (4/5 Blossoms)
🚨 Spoilers Ahead! 🚨
I started The First Frost because the male lead resembles Chen Zheyuan from Hidden Love. Ironically, this drama is a spin-off of Hidden Love, where Victor Ma originally played Sang Yan. While Victor Ma’s portrayal worked for the overprotective but slightly annoying brother role, he didn’t feel suited for a romantic lead. At first, the recasting bothered me, but Bai Jingting feels much better suited for the emotional depth required in The First Frost.
As a huge fan of Chen Zheyuan from Hidden Love (the drama that kick-started my obsession), I couldn’t help but feel salty about the replacements for Duan Jiaxu and Sang Zhi. But, let’s be real—Zhao Lusi and Chen Zheyuan are probably busy with other projects and would’ve completely stolen the spotlight anyway!
🌸 What I Loved 🌸
What drew me was how the show begins with the leads already separated and full of tension. I love that dynamic, and it’s refreshing not having to wait 10 episodes to get to the juicy conflict. The male lead’s pain is palpable, and the tension is real, even before the backstory is fully revealed.
I enjoyed the non-linear storytelling. Rather than following a straightforward timeline from high school to adulthood, the drama skillfully uses flashbacks to reveal the characters’ shared history piece by piece. It feels like solving a puzzle, with each reveal adding depth and complexity to the story.
The character development is cleverly reflected through the male lead’s wardrobe. During their separation, he mostly wears dark, muted colors, symbolizing his loneliness and unresolved feelings. But as their relationship progresses, his outfits gradually lighten—subtly mirroring his emotional growth and renewed hope.
The sleepwalking scenes are hilarious and endearing. She gets handsy while asleep, clearly more affectionate than she’d ever be while awake. The male lead’s yearning is palpable—he’s been waiting for her for over eight years, and yet she brushes it off the next day as if nothing happened. This results in his playful frustration as he tries to figure out whether her actions are genuine.
What makes Sang Yan stand out is how he approaches her. Unlike other guys who try too hard to flirt or push their intentions, he knows how to handle Wen Yifan. His teasing, patient approach feels authentic and natural, building their chemistry gradually. His devotion is undeniable—even in high school when their relationship was innocent and largely unspoken. It’s almost unbelievable how deeply he cares for her despite her reserved nature, but it highlights cultural nuances of love, patience, and dedication.
The gradual build-up of physical affection between them is so well-paced. Every moment feels earned, adding intensity to the slow-burn romance. By episode 14, fans get a shirtless scene, and by episode 20, the long-awaited kiss finally happens. The payoff is absolutely worth the wait.
The ring he gives her at the end is such a sweet gesture, symbolizing that they are each other’s gift. At first, it seems like she’s the one more invested, but as the story unfolds, it’s clear he’s the one doing most of the chasing.
🌸 What Frustrated Me 🌸
The family dynamics in The First Frost are infuriating. After Wen Yifan’s father dies, her mother leaves her with her grandmother, and when the grandmother passes, she’s sent to live with her aunt. Even after Wen Yifan calls her mother in tears, terrified and begging to come home, her mother dismisses her. Following the attempted rape at her aunt’s house, her mother still leaves her there, calling it a “misunderstanding.” It’s no wonder Wen Yifan is so emotionally closed off, especially since she never shares her trauma—not even with her best friend.
The random car chase scene in the beginning felt unnecessary. It seemed more like a ploy to grab viewers’ attention than something that genuinely advanced the plot. Maybe it was meant to highlight the dangers of being a journalist and to showcase the female lead’s selfless nature—even when it’s undeserved. She’s forgiving but knows when to walk away.
Although the drama had a captivating storyline, I was a bit bored during the scenes involving Su Hao An’s (the second male lead) grandparents and their marital issues. While some moments were amusing, like when Su Hao An (played by Edward Chen) convinces Zhong Si Qiao (played by Zhang Miao Yi) to pretend to be his gold-digging ex-girlfriend—I couldn’t help but feel like I’d rather be watching Sang Yan and Wen Yifan’s flirtatious interactions. Their chemistry was the highlight for me, and the other subplots sometimes felt like distractions from what I really wanted to see.
🌸 Cultural Tidbits 🌸
Nanwu and Yihe may be fictional cities, but the cultural details are real—like the use of “520” as a coded way to say “I love you” because its pronunciation (wǔ èr líng) sounds like wǒ ài nǐ. In one scene, she accidentally sends him 520 yen, only to realize the unintended implication. Flustered and embarrassed, she quickly tries to downplay it, knowing it sounded like a love confession.
The drama is called The First Frost because Wen Yifan’s father nicknamed her “Shuangjiang” (霜降), meaning “Frost’s Descent,” since she was born on the first day of the solar term with the same name. Later, her childhood crush, Sang Yan, also started calling her by this nickname.
🌸 Final Thoughts 🌸
I was so invested in the drama that I couldn’t wait any longer for new episodes. I even searched online to find the next episodes because the show keeps you hooked with the gradual physical encounters between the leads. Her sleepwalking scenes, in particular, had me desperate for more. The anticipation was real!
I really enjoyed The First Frost, but the constant wait for new episodes on Netflix eventually wore me out. The romantic tension between the leads was captivating, and the storytelling kept me invested. However, the frequent high school flashbacks started feeling repetitive, and, let’s be real—high school relationships are often so idealized and unrealistic. Maybe that’s because, honestly, most high school guys just aren’t that great! 😂
Despite that, I would still recommend this drama to newcomers. The directing is impressive, with a gripping storyline that keeps you hooked, and the actors deliver solid performances that bring the characters to life.
Let me know what you think!
Thank you for this thorough review! I appreciate how thorough it is and I like that we share similar viewpoints!
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