The First Frost, The Best Thing and Filter are 3 idol dramas that were broadcasted about the same time. All 3 of them attracted a lot of attention and have high popularity among the audience. In fact, The First Frost broke records on Netflix for Chinese dramas and it is also the most popular drama on Youku (as of March 2025) since 2024.
The First Frost has Bai Jing Ting and Zhang Ruo Nan as the leads and it is a little different from a typical romance drama with a melancholic and vulnerable female protagonist. Viewers are drawn to her and can feel her pain. At the same time, the male character is depicted as caring and protective which is a perfect match to the broken female character. Therefore, it is not surprising that the drama resonates well with the viewers and attracts a large audience.
The Best Thing stars Zhang Ling He and Xu Ruo Han. This is not a profound drama but lighthearted and easy. It is appealing in its simplicity with its healing and gentle love. This drama has topped iQIYI’s international network in 12 countries and exceeded a heat index of over 8,000 8 days after its debut.
Lastly, we have Filter with Tan Jian Ci and and Landi Li as the leads. This drama can be said to be the least likely to achieve a breakthrough on first impression. After all, who would have guessed that a story about a heroine who can transform into different appearances could attract a large following?
And The Winner Is…
Filter wins with a Douban score of 7.3. The Best Thing is in 2nd place at 6.5 while The First Frost comes in last at 5.4. All these scores are registered as of 15 March 2025. While Filter may seem like a surprise hit, it is novel and funny which keep viewers hooked. It doesn’t rely on cliche romantic storylines but originality and creativity to win over viewers. There is love and beauty in imperfections which viewers can relate to.
Of course, the acting and chemistry also help to propel the drama to a higher level. Tan Jian Ci’s popularity has been rising significantly after Lost You Forever S1 and S2 while Landi Li also has some great dramas on her resume. Their performance in Filter have attracted positive reviews in general and the drama also topped the Maoyan online drama popularity chart on 7 March 2025.
Do you agree with the Douban ratings? Which drama is your favorite?
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