Love Song in Winter (2024)

Love Song In Winter Indeed..

"If you want rainbow.. You have to deal with the rain.."
- Augustus

This quote came to mind as I finished the drama.. The ML and FL are each other's rainbow.. And Wen Peng is undoubtedly the rain they must endure.. The first 10 episodes were top notch.. We even got the first kiss in ep 2.. Unlike many dramas this one avoided the usual angst and misunderstandings we often have to endure in the first half.. And the ML?? He crushed the SML every chance he got.. Firmly put him in his place with such nonchalance that it made it even more satisfying.. Little did I know though that this was nothing compared to what was about to unfold.. Compared to the first 10 episodes the next 10 were just good and nothing great.. Once the killings and investigations kicked in the plot began to lag.. The investigation plot initially was poorly crafted.. And the cops they were made to look completely ineffective.. They were literally overpowered by a girl half their size and not just once..

We got a proper villain in LSIW.. WTC was truly outstanding in his role.. I dont know if the villain was overpowered and too smart or if the others were just naive.. He outsmarted them at every turn.. He was a psychopath, A maniac, A madman, Callous and Machiavellian.. I liked how they revealed that the SML could be the villain.. He was initially portrayed as this perfect guy with a troubled childhood but slowly his dangerous side was revealed.. By the end of episode 21 it was clear he was the antagonist.. There were hints from the beginning like the butterfly and other subtle hints..

The FL treated the ML coldly after her friend's death?? Well.. Yes she did.. I felt sorry for him but I dont blame her.. Her behavior might seem immature but it was as mature as it could be.. Both in the past and in the present.. Even the ML realizes this and tells her "Now I understand why you had to do that 8 years ago".. And I honestly think the FLs from both Cdramas and Kdramas could learn a lot from the FL here on how to draw a clear line with the SML.. There are very few characters like her..
That devil of an SML made the FLs life miserable.. He killed two of her friends.. She had to break up with her love.. He tried to kill her mother and soon her boyfriend also almost got killed.. Even amidst all that she stood strong.. Her mental resilience is truly commendable..

Wen Pang’s mother’s identity was a real surprise.. I wasnt expecting that.. Or did I miss the hints?? I liked the mother's character in the first half but by the end she became someone I really disliked..

There is a scene in ep 32 where the ML breaks down.. It felt like a genuine emotional breakdown.. Natural not overdramatic and it fit perfectly within the sequence of events..

" Jiang Chengyi.. Don't get hurt again.. I can't live without you.. "

Everything about the couple felt special..

Read a few comments asking why the villain didnt propose to her in those 8 years.. I think the answer is simple.. He knew she would never love anyone else and that she was waiting for the ML to come back because she believed he would.. Or perhaps because she never truly let him go.. So he had to make her come to him on her own..

The last 6 episodes were good but they were way too slow... Though I didnt mind.. By the end Wen Peng had completely lost touch with reality.. Consumed by his own delusions and obsessions.. He literally killed and hurt everyone close to her and still had the audacity to say "No one will ever love you the way I do"

The interaction between the ML and the antagonist in the last episode didnt make sense.. Was that really necessary after everything he did?? He is being treated as a human being?? And then the ML asks him to meet their mother?? How could he even think about letting her see a psychotic psychopath who manipulates and gaslights people so easily?? As for the mother’s character.. I dont even know what to say.. It felt completely illogical.. Yes she loved her son.. But her psychopath son tried to kill her stepson and Kidnapped his girlfriend.. Killed two of their friends, murdered several others.. And tried to kill at least three cops.. And she keeps saying its her fault?? While her love for her son is clear her willingness to overlook his crimes makes her actions seem more baffling than emotional.. This choice by the writers underplays the cruelties of the SML.. I really wish they hadnt included that scene.. It felt totally unnecessary and probably hurt the show’s ratings..

While the final episode had some unnecessary scenes, it was really good overall.. I mean an entire episode of them being happy after overcoming all their problems?? Kdrama writers, take notes..

Overall.. Despite some slow moments and unnecessary lengthy scenes the drama really pulled me in.. The performances were solid and the chemistry between the leads was undeniable.. The FL was such a standout character and the villain?? He was terrifying.. The ending had its flaws.. Sure but it still gave them the happy ending they deserved.. Is the drama perfect?? No.. Flaws?? Plenty.. But its definitely worth the time and its one i will not easily forget.. Be sure to watch the bts scenes as well.. They were fun..

P.S.. The subtitles are never getting better are they??

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Nice mix of romance and mystery

I really enjoyed this drama, even though this drama has some angst, I think the romance was really well done, and the mix of mystery added an extra layer that kept me engaged. Watch out for some spoilers.

Romance: It's not a really angsty romance, even though there was a breakup or technically a break as they weren't official yet midway though, thus there was some angst, you always knew they would eventually make up. You know from the beginning no one else has a chance. And once they are together from 20 onwards, they are as solid as a rock. Some might say their romance is boring, but I enjoy romances that are peaceful and supportive, and that's exactly what they had. I really enjoyed their romance and think it was maturely done, with lots of support and cute/hot moments when they became official. Some say the FL has communication problems at the beginning, and yes I do agree, but I also understand why it was hard for her. Her experiences were definitely traumatic and hard for her to communicate with the ML. But once they were together, there communicated well and never kept secrets. If you enjoy supportive and mature romance I think this is the one for you, just wait till they are together, its a great relationship.

Mystery: The mystery added an extra element that keeps you guessing almost the whole way through. I think this balanced the peaceful romance from ep 20 onwards, as the focuses shifted more to the mystery. Some reviews said they did not see a lot of police work done at the beginning. That is true, but it takes maybe around 8-10 episodes for the mystery to really begin and that's when the police work starts coming into focus. In the end the "bad guy" was a predictable but the many layers of the mystery did keep it engaging. Finding out who's involved, what really happened and the motives, is what keeps this mystery engaging. But it does take time to really kick in so give it some time.

Overall, I really liked this drama and think it was a good blend of romance and mystery. It may not be for everyone and the start can be a bit slow, but if you stick with it I think it's quite engaging and the romance is endearing. It's not action packed or hot and sexy (although there are some hot scenes, one in particular) but if you're looking for a nice mix of romance and mystery, this is an enjoyable watch.

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It was such a drag.

The story had too many twists and it just dragged on for too long that it made the ML along with the whole police force look incompetent. There were too many useless characters and scenes that could have been excluded. There were also too many unnecessary flashbacks. There were some funny scenes but it became too painful to watch as it became dull and repetitive. The only character developed here was the main antagonist who did a good job btw in his role. I wanted to drop this drama but opted to watch it on maximum speed just to finish it. I like Johnny Huang but he keeps on playing the same roles that it's making it difficult to watch his performance. The female lead's messy hair all throughout the show also bothered me. I mean, why would a doctor have unkempt hair?

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Waste of time

wen peng screwed thats useless captain whole family and even kidnaps his lady from hospital and in this whole season the useless captain running like mouse here and there from cat, and that useless mouse even not able to protect his girl

i never seen such crying useless hero in a season . like his girl mom was in icu and he starts complaining oh i am useless like girls. go boy sit in your mama lap hahahaha

i wana write an essay on this useless season, a single guy made whole city police on the dance and the whole city police not able to captured a mad pig with such hifi advanced technology

in the last few episodes wen peng made useless hero 1000 times fool , i guess by birth that useless captain is fool
useless season

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An unconvincing Winter tale

I decided to write my review about this Drama after my several efforts to convince myself to keep watching.

"Love Song in Winter" promised to be a thrilling mix of romance, mystery, and suspense, starring Johnny Huang(ML) and Sun Qian(FL). However, the drama falls flat in several areas, leaving viewers with more of a winter of discontent than the warm, engaging story it aimed for.

Plot and Pacing:

. The series starts with an intriguing premise; with a detective and an anesthesiologist reuniting after 8 years of breakup, they were entangled in a serial murder investigation and a past love story.
. However, the plot quickly becomes its own worst enemy.

.The pacing is off-kilter, with too much time spent on the rekindling romance which feels clichéd and lacks spark.
.The mystery aspect, which should have been a compelling backbone, is introduced with potential but then resolved in a manner that feels rushed and underwhelming.
.The narrative often meanders, losing focus on the central investigation, which leads to a disjointed viewing experience .

Character Development:

.The characters are perhaps the most disappointing element.
.Jiang Chengyi (ML) is supposed to embody the archetype of a dedicated detective, yet his portrayal is very incompetent and often lacks depth, with his professional life overshadowed by his pursuit and simp of Lu Yan(FL) who wants to be left alone.

.Lu Yan (FL), on the other hand, is an intriguing character with the best emotions, but the series fails to delve into her psychological or emotional journey caused by her dead friend.
. The supporting cast, including characters like Deng Man, are thinly written, serving more as plot devices than as individuals with their own narratives or growth arcs.

Romantic Elements:

. The central romance, meant to be the heart of "Love Song in Winter," is where the drama particularly stumbles.
. The chemistry between the leads feels forced, with their interactions often falling into predictable patterns.

. The drama falls in the trap of this tired "tropes" such as; constant coincidental meetings and misunderstandings, which do little to advance character relationships or emotional depth.
. The ML's incessant shadowing of the female lead who constantly disrespect and trashed him, comes off as implausible and detracts from the story's authenticity.

Production Quality:

. While visually "Love Song in Winter" has moments of beauty, capturing the essence of winter, the overall execution lacks the intensity needed for both the romantic and suspenseful elements.
. The direction sometimes fails to build suspense, and the background score or "love song" of the drama is forgettable, not enhancing the emotional or dramatic moments as it should.

Conclusion:

"Love Song in Winter" is a missed opportunity. It could have been a gripping tale of love, loss, and redemption against the backdrop of a chilling mystery. Instead, it's bogged down by predictable storytelling and lackluster character development with annoying ML who keep stalking and invading the privacy of the heroine who have rejected him multiple times.

For those seeking a nuanced drama where love and mystery intertwine effectively, this series might leave you feeling as cold as its titular season, and believe me, you will be pissed off with the incompetent and lover-boy ML.

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I need to talk to Johnny Huang's manager

I never dreamt that one day I will write a comment before watching all 30 episodes of a drama but ever since the poster came out and the list of leads was published I knew it will not make it to 8.0 ratings..

I love Johnny,He was my first cdrama actor and he will always top my list but ever since "Love designer" the casting directors have let him down with FLs except maybe "Bright eyes in the dark"

Johnny is one of those actors who have a niche that he does well and in recent years he has really done amazing projects around, military,police and fire fighters.. Someone made a funny comment that Huang Jingyu is few episodes away from being registered into the Chinese National Police 😂
He is at the point whereby without adding Romance tag he can hold his head and lead a story.
The problem of this drama lies entirely on trying to mix tropes that will be a piece of gabbage if they are together..
Let's assume this would work,at least pick a good female lead who is not one dimensional,who does have one facial expression and a messy hairdo..
I know aesthetic might be a minor issue here but it still plays a big role in the psychology of the viewer..

Unfortunately or fortunately Johnny has build his physic and aura that call for him to play strong characters mainly in uniform or some type of law enforcement and I hope he can stick to that..

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Um otimo dorama pra quem gosta de enredo de misterio.

O dorama é interessante, o destaque é o enredo de mistério, nada é o que parece, é ótimo pra criar teorias. Porém, da pra perceber quem é depois de algumas dicas, e como isso acontece faltando uns 10 ou mais episódios pra acabar, o enredo se torna um pouco cansativo. O casal de amigos é bem legal, mereciam mais cenas. O casal tem cenas legais, mas não é um romance que encanta ou se destaque, e a personalidade dos personagens em alguns momentos é estressante. O destaque é o enredo do vilão, ele é todo errado, fez coisas horríveis que não tinha como ter redenção, mas chega um momento em que é possível torcer pra que ele não fosse o culpado, o passado dele não justifica e nem muda as coisas que ele fez, mas mostra o quanto erraram com ele e como a falta de amor influenciou o comportamento dele. O melhor final seria ele não ser o culpado, mostrar ele se afastando dos amigos, indo fazer terapia, e mostrar que ele não queria se aproximar dos protagonistas, mas que perdoa a mãe. É como ele mesmo diz, todos tinham seus motivos, mas ele nisso tudo? A mãe fez certo em fugir, mas errou da forma que fez, e quando ele foi procurar ela, viu ela feliz, com a nova familia, na mente dele, ele foi abandonado, ficou sofrendo enquanto ela era feliz com a nova familia. Os protagonistas tem culpa? Não. Mas, mostra que em alguns momentos, mesmo sem querer, e mesmo não tendo culpa, eles foram vilões na vida de outra pessoa. É um enredo complicado e bem interessante. Não gostei muito da policial e do ator como casal e a personagem também não me encantou muito. É um drama incrível, pra quem se encantar com o casal, o enredo se torna ainda mais interessante.

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A Love song of Mediocrity

I dropped this drama at ep. 28 for the following reasons:
1. Nothing was done right in this drama. The love story was bland, forced and awkward the murder mystery and its investigation was very sloppy. The thriller aspect was zero
2. ML and FL were were very strangely written characters. I question whether they should really be together. The FL has definitely psychological issues. She is like.a zombie. The ML comes across s being ambivalent towards the relationship. So there is no epic love story or strong bond here
3. The murder mystery is nothing bu mediocre. The cops investigating it do a half assed job. Somehow they can take their GFs to these investigative missions. And the GF aka FL can do things illegally like stalking and threatening people. There are other characters who can get away with anything and the cops are clueless
5. The FL has this ‘privilege’ wherein she does not need to explain any of her actions to anyone no matter what she does and oh yes god forbid if people get pissed off with her for that. Her character is just very self serving and she has this wall around herself that no one can penetrate. And she has her head in the sand- she does not know who is who around her, does not know anything about her so called best friends or who her real friends are. She never questions why the SML is trying to get close to her or what his motive is. Her character does not make any sense. And I don’t know how the ML could like her- no wonder he always had this puzzled, bewildered look on his face.
6. The ML was wrong when he moved next to her in the name of protection but the FL definitely encouraged a lot of his behavior. Why did she run all the way to the airport and make up with him just to dump him at the next given chance? He was quite respectful given everything I should say. It was almost like he was walking on eggshells around her . It is not very easy to live like that. The FL was the worst coward on earth as far as facing their relationship. She did not deserve that chance to get together with him before everything got sorted out. In real life this relationship would never sustain because there is a wall between them.
4. I have never watched such a mediocre show which is an insult to the romantic thriller genre
I blame the writers for giving us this half baked BS and wasting our time

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Its broke my stereotype about chinese drama

Listen, iam usually watch chinese drama for the fluffy and soft plot, i never watched the hardcore one because sometimes the story doesnt make sense. BUT THIS this drama broke my stereotype, at first i thought this would be fluffy warm drama, but then going to up 15 eps i guess the plot started interesting, soooo many plot twist this drama get me and it doesnt fail at all. The acting range of each actor are incredible, oh nah i would give standing applause for the one who play wen pen bcs he did a very good job acting as villain and sometimes give me a goosebumps.
And yeah as per first i judge chinese drama, some scene are just off, its my first time seeing police captain useless haha idk maybe the writer want to add yu professor so bad so they makes the police captain look useless

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