Drama Review: The First Frost

Synopsis and Information

• Chinese title: 难哄 / Nan Hong
• Genre: Romance
• Episodes: 32
• Episodes Length: 45 minutes
• Where to watch: Youku (en), Netflix
• Adaptation of novel: Nan Hong (难哄) by Zhu Yi (竹已)

Synopsis: Wen Yi Fan and her former high school classmate, Sang Yan, who end up living together by chance. Though they’ve kept their distance, their lives intersect after Wen learns from Sang that she’s a sleepwalker. (Source: Youku)

Character Breakdown

Zhang Ruo Nan 章若楠 as Wen Yi Fan	Bai Jing Ting 白敬亭 as Sang Yan
Wen Yi Fan met Sang Yan in high school and they eventually parted ways—until they crossed paths again at Overtime, Sang Yan’s bar. This encounter sets off a series of events that lead them to share an apartment, where Sang Yan discovers Wen Yi Fan’s sleepwalking and the trauma that drove her away years ago.	Despite not caring for much, Sang Yan has always fought for Wen Yi Fan and to stay by her side. Despite their promises, she left him one day. Now, as roommates, he seizes every opportunity to get close to her again. Through this, he reveals his unwavering love while helping her heal from her past trauma.

Drama Review

★★☆☆☆ Rating: 2/5

Plot Overview

The First Frost is adapted from Zhu Yi’s novel Hard to Deceive. The urban romance screenplay is directed by Taiwanese director and screenwriter, Chu Yu Ning. The series stars Bai Jing Ting, known for his roles in Destined, New Life Begins, Reset, and You Are My Hero. Zhang Ruo Nan is known for her roles in A Date with the Future and My Boss. The First Frost is best known as the spin-off to Hidden Love as Sang Yan is Sang Zhi’s little sister. So the two shares the same world story with appearances of both Sang Zhi and Duan Jia Xu.

The First Frost follows the love story of Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan, which begins after Wen Yi Fan has a chance encounter with her childhood crush, complicated feelings surface when the two wind up living together.

A Love Story That Fails to Leave an Impact

I don’t like how Sang Yan was written as someone who silently loved Wen Yi Fan for years without her knowing. If someone loved me like that, I’d be touched, yes, but the payoff probably wouldn’t make a difference in my life. As we grow older, we need a love that is known—one that helps us, supports us, and benefits us in some way. While Sang Yan’s devotion was appreciated, it didn’t necessarily help Wen Yi Fan over the years, which is why she struggled so much and why it took them so long to get together.

Wen Yi Fan: A Protagonist Who Struggles to Grow

I also found it odd that Wen Yi Fan was a reporter, a field I’d expect more extroverted individuals to pursue. She may be pretty enough to host as an anchor, but I couldn’t see her running around and conducting interviews professionally since she seems so timid. On the other hand, Zhang Ruo Nan did a better job portraying a reporter in A Date with the Future. Although we can argue as to why she became a reporter, that tiny arc didn’t do much to what I had to sit through.

I didn’t like how weak and timid she remained throughout the entire show, as if that was her only defining trait. I didn’t even know what I was rooting for anymore—for her to finally grow a backbone? To actually cut off her mom like she claimed she wanted to? To stop hiding and giving in to a man who likely made threats despite her insistence that she wasn’t scared? Each time she regressed, it was painful to watch.

I’m not downplaying her assault, trauma, or experiences, but I wanted to see more than just her constantly putting herself down and hurting those around her. She was fighting for herself, but not in a way that truly benefited her.

Beyond their love story, their personal growth arcs were frustrating to watch because there was no personal growth—except for Wen Yi Fan, who took the entire show to finally grow a backbone.

Sang Yan: Self-Sacrificing Man

I also wish there had been more depth to Sang Yan. If felt like a wasted role for Bai Jing Ting—he could have been so much more than just a man who self-sacrifices with unwavering love for her. Because I have seen him in other works, I know he could do more, so I know this is an issue of the writing. I think I only gave this a two-star rating because I liked the idea of the story and its potential, and I liked the two leads enough. But I wouldn’t say these were their best performances. As a love story, it wasn’t the most memorable, and it certainly wasn’t my favorite type of romance to watch.

However, if you enjoy silent acts of devotion, you might swoon over the ever-loyal Sang Yan, who continues to love her from afar despite the lack of acknowledgment.

The Secondary Couple: A Story That Never Flew

If the main couple’s slow burn felt frustrating, the secondary couple’s arc was even more disappointing. I had such high hopes for this to be a cute story between Edward Chen and Zhang Miao Yi, but instead, they focused on his grandparent’s story, which didn’t feel necessary at all. It bored me so much to watch, and I would have preferred to see more of just the two of them.

Conclusion: Overhyped and Underwhelming

This one was hard to love as much as it is hyped. I think it starts off okay in setting things up. I was fine seeing all the forms of harassment, but it eventually became too much, to the point that it didn’t make sense to her story or his. By the third-way mark, I could instantly tell I would not be enjoying this drama.

I finished the show by just letting it play in the background and watching it passively. I wished I didn’t have to do that just to finish, but the slow progression of everything made it difficult for me to root for the sweet things Sang Yan would do for Wen Yi Fan. It was a struggle to stay engaged, and ultimately, it wasn’t worth the time.

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