With the premise, Amidst a Snowstorm of Love seemed to be a sports-related romance, albeit taking place in a snowy location. It’s a familiar story, with a discouraged athlete finding inspiration for their craft again through romance, and it’s a story that works. But in the first few episodes, Amidst a Snowstorm of Love feels more focused on the snowstorm romance rather than the character’s personal journeys with regards to their sport. To their credit, this is a great excuse for some of the most cozy looking outfits on screen (is this a clothing ad?), and Leo Wu and Zhao Jin Mai are so, so beautiful in their puffy coats, but it feels like the billiards are irrelevant to the story, as they make no mention of it until the second episode. Maybe they should have gone for a more relevant winter sport, so that we can see them in even more cozy coats?

We can appreciate a good slow burn, but there’s something about Tencent’s pacing that puts me off their shows, and this drama has the same issues. Even if they get together pretty early on in the season, somehow each episode feels stretched out and lingers a tad too long over the cast’s faces. Those familiar with the genre could easily appreciate this style, but it can be totally disarming for people wanting to explore C-drama.