The First Frost (2025)

It is a romantic Chinese TV drama. Also known as ‘Hard to Please’, ;Difficult to Coax”. Directed by Chu Yu Ning. Starring Bai Jingting, Zhang Ruonan.

The plot is adapted from Chinese novel of the same name by Zhu Yi. It tells the story of two high school classmates’ reunion, after long separation, when they accidently rent the same house. It delves into the complexities of love, trauma & healing.

One of the most anticipated shows, it did well on the OTT platforms. It ranked ‘Top 3 Television show’ in Netflix & ranked first in ‘Most Searched Romantic Show’ within a week.

All of 32 episodes, 19 episodes have been streamed. From 7.7 % it went to 20.5% by the 11th episode.

It also has a Manhua adaptation named ‘Eternal Love’.

Gulf News praises it ‘It is a more mature, emotionally intense journey. Bai brings a quiet intensity that makes Sang Yan’s pain all the more palpable. Zhang Ruonan delivers a powerful performance as Wen Yifan, whose guarded nature hides layers of emotional turmoil.

Indiatimes states that ‘The nonlinear storytelling, seamlessly transitioning from their high school desk to their now shared apartment, never confuses you. The visual aesthetic perfectly compliments the theme of drama. The thoughtful, slow pace allows for an exploration of subtle expressions like stolen glances & unsaid words, portraying their untangled yet impactful history’.

Mashable rated 4 out of 5 stating that ‘it hits all the emotional & heart fluttering beats, a bingeable C-drama. It is refreshing & deeply nice take on romance drama with new sensibilities that raise awareness on sensitive issues.

Bai Jingting features regularly in Forbes China Celebrity 100 list & yet looks so fresh. He has a delicate face & he has a guarded expression here. Being an owner he refuses to know her , realizing that she will be awkward.

Zhang Ruonan has a lot to do. Her role has many layers. It is yet to be revealed why she refused him. But of course, she remembers him. But he plans to not know. Fine by me. She is facing a lot.

I have seen only the first episode of ‘First Frost’ & found it very enigmatic. The pair is cute, intriguing & very mature.

After ‘The Snowstorm…’ here, comes the ‘First Frost”! C-dramas are becoming more & more entertaining.

Looking forward to how they end up under one roof. This premise has been explored earlier yet everyone has a way of doing things!