The First Frost kicks off awards run: Why the bittersweet Chinese drama continues to take the world by storm

The award sweep has begun for The First Frost, just as fans predicted earlier this year. Starring Bai Jingting and Zhang Ruonan, the show became an international sensation for its slow-burn romance layered with heavy, complex themes—trauma, letting go, and emotional repression.

Recently, Bai Jingting won the Popularity Award at the Asian Contents Awards 2025, prompting a wave of online celebration. Fans flooded social media with official posters highlighting the power and intensity of the two leads, declaring there was “no doubt” the series deserved to collect every award in sight.

One tweet also noted: “#BaiJingting & #ZhangRuonan’s drama #TheFirstFrost, nominated for Best OTT Original, will have a special screening of episodes 2–10 (91 minutes) on August 22–23 at the Big Screen – Busan Cinema Center.”

If you’ve somehow missed the First Frost fever, here’s your catch-up: Set in the Hidden Love universe, this chapter shifts the focus to Sang Yan—the older brother—and his romance with the quiet Wen Yifan, the girl who once broke his heart. As the story unfolds, Sang Yan finally learns the truth about their past and discovers what it means to truly be there for someone.

The acting and storytelling is what every die-hard romantic desires: From sleepwalking, to heartbreaking confessions, separations and bittersweet reconciliations. The story is indeed a lot heavier than its sister drama, Hidden Love, which focused on Zhao Lusi's Sang-zhi falling in love with her brother's friend, Duan Jiaxu.