This Chinese drama is definitely a keeper.
Rating: 4/5
(Disclaimer: Please note the review is based on only the first six episodes of this newly released C-drama)
A couple of weeks ago, before the release of Bai Jingting and Zhang Ruonan starrer ‘The First Frost’, I rewatched ‘Hidden Love’ — the C-drama set in the same universe — on instinct. It felt good to return to an old favourite, to slip along the slick grooves of warm emotions, to retrace the lines of a familiar ride, even if I now find it utterly cheesy and the story cringingly earnest.
So, what do I think about the spin-off show? I would not classify ‘The First Frost’ as one of the greatest C-dramas ever but god bless its flawed story which introduced me to an adult romance that screams – Hang on, it’s a bumpy ride of feelings but you’ll end up appreciating it. The show isn’t just a tear-jerker, it is also one of the funniest, sweetest, and a bingeable Chinese dramas you’ll ever encounter. Only six episodes have been released so far, and more will drop on Netflix in the coming days, but let me just say it straight – you need to watch this.
“Wen Yifen (Zhang Ruonan), am I just your backup option,” asks Sang Yan (Bai Jingting) in the very first scene. Oh! What a way to start. The breakup was the beginning of a chaotic ride, where the leads lose each other and reunite again, all in just a span of a few episodes, which seems perfectly unreasonable, and admittedly a little crazy. But isn’t that what a C-drama is all about? For all it flaws, ‘The First Frost’ aims at the part of the human brain that longs for a sweeping romance. Sure it appears unbelievable but the capable leads shouldering the show with all the charisma, elevates this Netflix offering to a whole new level.
Bai Jingting’s Sang Yan is incomparably compelling, a handsome, dignified, modest, and heartbroken romantic hero who does everything for his distant love. Be it saving Wen Yifen from goons, checking on her safety, and making sure she’s well-fed, their bond is quite riveting. Whoever chooses to watch their love bloom will move to tears because of their cathartic bond.
Zhang Ruonan’s Wei Yifen is a brave woman, who learns how to solve her problems alone since childhood. Her life is nothing less than a tragedy, she lost her father and is accused of having an affair with her former superior. Even when the gossip travels to her new workplace, she remains unfazed. "Whether I clarify the rumours or not, people will believe what they want to believe. Rumors are like wounds, if you don’t pay attention to them, they stop hurting after a while,” she says in a brave moment.
What I love the most about ‘The First Frost’ is that it isn’t your usual romcom, when you look closer, the show has multiple layers as it tackles sensitive issues including workplace harassment, assault, victim-shaming, and the vulnerable of society becoming easy targets.
Sang Yan and Yifen’s chemistry is palpable and hungry with a sharp, heady sting. Both brain-meltingly hot, they look at the world with eyes but feel it with their hearts, and with such humanity that boy it makes you ache.
With its melodramatic parts and the searing will-they-won’t-they detail, the premise is elegant. The C-drama traces their love story through its pivotal moments, which aren’t the milestone decision or cataclysmic quarrels, but the encounters that deepen chemistry with small gestures and careful observations.
‘The First Frost’ understands the visual appeal of romance in the true sense: it’s not just the pillow talk or passionate declaration of love, it’s also about the moments, even if it’s something as simple as Sang Yan wishing Wen Yifen ‘Happy New Year.’
Elevating the plot in the far-fetched convoluted circumstances of the lead characters could otherwise be difficult and overbearing. But ‘The First Frost’ is mercifully streamlined despite its addition of a jealous male lead adversary and consequential parental and childhood trauma subplots. Although the focus from the lead is never shaken, credit also has to be given to Zhang Miaoyi and Edward Chen Haosen, who play Zhong Siqiao and Su Haoan respectively, the second romance leads. They add the much-needed comic relief while maneuvering their one-night stand which will probably turn into a zesty romance in the upcoming episodes.
Final thoughts:
All the characters in this C-drama work their feelings out in ways that are not messy and confusing, never missing any emotional beats or leaving behind resentment. What keeps ‘The First Frost’ on track in heavy moments, is its central panel of accomplished young actors, for whom this project will surely become a substantive and well-deserved uptick in their careers.
The most important thing: ‘The First Frost’ isn’t the exact replica of ‘Hidden Love’, it has its own element, and the way the story progresses has a unique rhythm. It’s a refreshing and deeply nice take on the romcom drama that we’ve watched before with new sensibilities that raise awareness on sensitive issues.
The meaning behind the title of the C-drama is explained in an episode, where Wen Yifen’s late father says, “Frost’s descent is the day when the sun is farther from the Earth. It’s the day with the largest temperature difference between day and night, making the night particularly cold.” Well, on such cold nights, this C-drama is sure to bring you the warmth needed for survival.
‘The First Frost’ hits all the emotional and heart-fluttering beats and there are genuine problems to deal with and obstacles to happiness with no obvious answers yet. But I shall be with them to what I know will not be a bitter end.
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