Behind the scenes of the series The Early Spring (This New Season Has Only Us) Raises the standard by using an Intimacy Coordinator for love scenes and reveals the director's vision to break teen romance rules toward mature love.
A look behind the success of The Early Spring (This New Season Has Only Us), a working-adult romance series that topped Netflix charts in four countries, showcasing the tender chemistry of Jing Boran and Sun Qian that fans cannot miss.
The Early Spring (This New Season Has Only Us), a Chinese romantic series portraying working life and love from a mature perspective, is widely discussed. Streaming platform data shows it reached number 1 in Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Vietnam, and ranked in the weekly Top 10 in 22 countries worldwide, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, and Qatar, reflecting its popularity far beyond Asia.
This success stems from the natural chemistry between the two lead actors, who realistically depict the complex development of relationships amid urban work pressures.
Jing Boran plays the role of Luan Nian an intelligent and charming advertising director. Producer and screenwriter Gao Xiaoxian noted that Jing Boran prepared meticulously, discussing the character’s emotional development before filming, choosing his own wardrobe, and coordinating with top fashion brands to perfect Luan Nian’s image. He also worked out regularly to fit the role.
Meanwhile, Sun Qian portrays Zhang Zhitao a new employee facing challenges at work and in her relationship with her boss. Sun Qian revealed she feels deeply connected to this character, as she herself moved from Harbin to Beijing to pursue her dreams and has exactly ten years of experience in the entertainment industry, matching Zhang Zhitao’s ten-year timeline in the story.
During filming of intimate scenes, the crew brought in an Intimacy Coordinator to ensure smooth production and actor safety. Sun Qian explained that this system helped ease her nervousness, as she has limited experience with intimate scenes. She recalled the 'charades' scene as one of her most memorable.
Jiang Jizheng the series director, explained that the project aims to present a different take from typical romantic dramas by focusing on love from a mature perspective. It avoids clichés of traditional idol dramas and emphasizes the distinctive emotional rhythms of the two leads. The global audience response was beyond the team’s expectations.
According to Netflix data, The Early Spring began streaming on 26 Aug 2026 GMT+7 with a total of 24 episodes. Currently, the first 14 episodes are available, following Luan Nian and Zhang Zhitao as they face fractures, growth, and learn to heal emotional wounds, exploring whether they can build a new path together as equals.
Read moreBittersweet! Decoding The Early Spring, a trending Chinese series about situationships and workplace love struggles.