Falling Into Your Smile (2021)

I'm guessing the novel was better?

Let's get the positives in first. Genuinely supportive team mates, friends, family and even rivals. Cute flirting scenes. Mild humour. Gorgeous felines. Attractive looking cast.

Some attempts to tackle big subjects such as toxic fandoms and being female gamer in male dominated industry although everything felt a bit too easily resolved.

Ok, now my biggest gripes.

1) Too much assumed knowledge. I'm into games but unfamiliar with Onmyoji Arena. A quick explanation would have sufficed.

"Hey, here's a map, its features, this is the objective and some of the main characters"

They had a beautiful model of the map in the meeting room table, I don't recall them ever drawing attention to it. I couldn't enjoy the nuances of when they ban/chose the players at the beginning of each match, why was that choice shocking? I ended up looking stuff up but I don't think I should have to do that.

2) I wondered if I fell asleep in the first few episodes and missed the explanation, but the fact that my attention was not captured in the beginning shows I wasn't that into the characters personal lives either. I almost dropped the series but fortunately Lu Yue appeared and injected a bit of much needed life into the team.

3) The animated parts were visually beautiful but on occasion, especially group battles, they were wasted because of poor clarity or pacing. I can understand why some viewers skipped them.

Overall, my personal opinion is it was entertaining enough, I didn't hate it but it has unfulfilled potential. Maybe tried to do too much.

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My first 10 star rating of this year! Amazing drama!

pros:
- plot isn’t anything groundbreaking but it was well written and well paced and well rounded. i barely skipped any parts which is rare for when i watch cdramas!
- the romance and friendship in this everythinggggg!!!! it’s what made this drama so special imo the cast all had such good chemistry with one another :D
- i play MOBAs for fun and i enjoyed the game play and competition aspects of it. the animation of the fights were so inaccurate BUT i loved the more interactive touch it provided for the audience. and it was such a bonus that the FL was also playing and not just an onlooker :)
- acting was rly great!!! really aced their roles (excluding CX lol)
- kisses were fireeeeeeee <3
- all the characters were such well written. loved every one of them! i like how this drama lacked an ‘enemy’ character (the enemy were the obsessive crazy hateful fans lol)
- great cinematography, could tell the budget was pretty high in this and it paid off for sure :)
- xu kai is so good looking in modern drama!!!!!!!

cons:
- said it before but CX can’t act lol i get that her character is meant to be stoic and whatnot but like... i don’t even think she pulled it off that well. one thing she did pull of well was being shocked bc she looked like that for every scene
. not a deal breaker but was a bit jarring. she’s gorgeous though!
- FL character was also a bit irking at times. very much negative ‘i’m not like other girls’ vibes at times. and also came off as quite cold and unsympathetic to the rest of the characters. idk if it’s just the script writing, but there would b parts where it’s meant to be a heart to heart and she would just dismiss it or stand there looking shocked and provide no empathetic qualities. i think her character was the most flawed when it came to character writing.
- minor but could they not have changed up her hair as well? lol
- don’t take the esports part seriously. i wouldn’t personally consider it as hot flaw though.
- on the contrary to others, i found the second couple boring. skipped most of their scenes. it wasn’t bad though, just not interesting to me lol
- ending was rushed. it did tie things up but would have loved to see a bit more post competition team banter.
- the cats deserved more screen time!!!!! they were so cute i love cats lol

overall, i am teetering between a 9.5 or a 10. considering my enjoyment, i’ll give it a 10. a well rounded drama, gave me butterflies and literally had me on the edge of my seat during the competitions. do i recommend? yes, for sure! well-exceeded my expectations.
i don’t think the drama deserves the hate at all! a 3/10 on douban is completely inaccurate.

I really don’t understand why chinese fans are so petty. I understand there are plagiarism allegations towards the AUTHOR so it’s not fair to bring down the cast and drama THIS much. the comments on the official weibo page are so sad and the rating on douban is truly a result of people wanting to be malicious/hopping onto the hate train kind of thing. it’s ironic because this drama criticises those kind of fans and the damage they do. this drama has one of the best written characters of this year. some esports details are distorted however, this is a drama, not a documentary. people need to treat it as a piece of fiction work. and the fact that this has most likely dashed any possibility of a second season (due to high chances itll be boycotted) is so heartbreaking. I hope the cast and crew know how popular this is internationally and how many fans the cast have gained across the world as well.

best of luck to all the cast and crew for future projects and i hope theyre proud of this one :)
hopefully 明年见? ;))

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Simple and enjoyable.

Keeps you engaged, with sweet moments and an interesting mix of gameplay/tactics and personal relationship aspects.

A gaming plot is nothing new but I think they executed it very well and managed to add in some fresh aspects. Refreshing to see a gaming drama where they can work towards the same dream together. It was nice that they attempted to bring to light the issues with sexism and cyberbullying/problematic fan behaviour in the industry. The gaming terms may be a little confusing at first if you’re not familiar with them but over time you get used to them. The gameplay sections are well-balanced so you can fully enjoy the drama even if you don’t enjoy the tactics. The intermittent CGI gameplay was a nice touch so you can even enjoy the scenes even if you don’t understand the game.

What was fresh and enjoyable was that the FL was offered some opportunities for her to grow/solve problems on her own merits. Yes, she received emotional support and advice or even team support, but that makes it real. The FL is a little bit physically fragile and has a few white-knight protection moments but it’s a C-drama so it’s unsurprising. It strikes a good balance.

The romance is pure and believable and the witty personalities are a bonus. There wasn't really any unnecessary angst or dragged out/prolonged issues, so you can enjoy the show with a light and easy feeling.

A few side characters were lacking a little depth but for the most part, they seemed well-rounded and added another dimension to the story.

To sum up, it was a well-balanced drama that I think has a nice flow/pacing with lots of simple, enjoyable scenes. There wasn't anything earth-shattering about it but it was good and very easy to breeze through with well-acted, believable characters.

As to what I didn't like: The subtle anti-Korean sentiments and the obvious and awkward Korean dubbing dulled my enjoyment somewhat and it didn’t seem necessary. I thought the same rivalry effect could have been achieved while keeping it domestic. However, as someone who is English and not part of the gaming scene, there may be more subtle intricacies, or political strife, that I’m unaware of that make this necessary or valid? I would also have liked for them to explore the sexism angle a little deeper. While the issue was touched upon and started out strong at the beginning, it wasn't really a central plot issue and some of the meaning seemed to get lost along the way.

A potential for S2 if they really wanted to. Perfect as a stand-alone series as well though - a well-rounded, pleasing ending.

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CUTE AND LIGHT

I was never a fan of dramas with games as the theme. This was in my watchlist for a couple of months and after a hellish exam week, I decided to watch this because I heard this was good and light. I was surprisingly intrigued with the game. I thought that Chinese dramas like these have huge budget to develop very high quality effects. I really like Cheng-ge. He's very charming whatever his expression is. I kind of don't like the main girl's acting. Idk but I was just looking for more. Surprisingly, I found Pope the most appealing out of everyone. He has this presence that's a scene stealer. The way he smirks like omg. I learned that he's the only Chinese artist of YG Entertainment and that speaks A LOT.

Anyway, the drama is very light towards the end. It's very enjoyable and just a feel-good drama after a stressful day.

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Watch it if you have an appreciation for gaming

I started watching this show just cus, but then I saw the game and I thought it was League of Legends and I was like - YO fr? turns out it was onmyoji arena which is very similar to LOL.
If you don't like gaming/this game then I don't think you'd appreciate this show as much as someone who does. I loved this show cus of the gaming and the tournaments. The entire drama revolves around the game, so if you don't like gaming/you don't understand ppl who like it then I don't think this show is for you.
The main goal of the main leads? It's not romance, it's to win the championship, if you are watching this show, watching them play and win/lose the match and you don't like gaming you can't appreciate it. As someone who loves League and seeing a similar game play to it, the championship matches were very fun to watch.

I'm repeating the same thing, sorry, you get my point. Don't like gaming = won't appreciate this show

On the romance aspect of it:
The main characters fit really well together, not ONCE did I find any characters annoying...oh wait, other than 1 girl who liked the main guy - yk the girl who we know will never get accepted by main guy but she tries to get him, they are always annoying to me.
The guys who liked main girl however...I loved them all, especially her ex, many times I wished they would get back together even tho I was happy with the mainleads ship. I rlly liked him ngl, also the other guys who liked her/she knew were just really nice and funny and I just really liked their characters in general.

The side couple:
I'm not rlly sure what I think Jin Yang, the gf, I mean, don't get me wrong, I like her, however some things she said made me go like....uhh-okay. This girl doesn't like e-sports(fair enough) and her bf is a pro e-sport player, she's at his championship match and she's staring at her phone altho she says she's there to support her bf....Like i get that she doesn't like e-sports, but she didn't even clap when her bf won the match...I feel she was too extreme on her 'not liking e-sports' stance. If I don't like and have no clue what or how a game works, but my friend is playing in a big tournament, IF HE WINS I'LL BLOODY BE HAPPY.
So on her...other than that part I was good with her.
Her bf on the other hand....I loved him, he was so nice and fun. Loved his character.

Characters in general:
The support role characters were all rlly good, I loved every single one of them. MC's teammates? All cool. MC's gaming-rivals/friends?(like Ai Fai - the bf in the side couple. And the guys who liked her as well) they were all cool and fun and funny and YEH!

Music:
Well I love the arena music, always have always will. Just like the Leage of legends tournaments, i love the music there. VIBEEE

Lastly; the last episode was amazing. I've never been so nervous, excited, anticipated and happy at the same time before. I was one of the crowd in the show on the last episode. Cheering and screaming...it was like a real match...which ig in a way it was cus normally we watch these live matches online...

Sooo yeh, 100% watch it if you like games, if you don't like games then you can try watching it, but it won't be as interesting/fun to watch...you'll probs just skip past the matches which is just sucky to the show and yeh.

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I ALSO WANNA COLLECT STAMPS ? TOO CUTE!

Have known Cheng Xiao from WJSN and didnt know she acts! I loved all the character setups in this drama. Yaoyao is definitely candid and really straightforward. She does have emotional side at times when i feel that is super cute and helpful because she's always with a group of guys.

I would say LXC is has his cute sides as well. although he did seem a little cold at first. He has his jealous and somehow a little "pervert" sides which got me squealing cause its a little too cheesy hahah! The teamwork between ZGDX is really cute and i envy that alot! Everyone from different background coming together and work towards the championships!

This is not the only drama on gaming competitions, but it is the one you have to watch!

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Education through Love

The drama could have been better but It was a very addictive watch ❤️
K (skincare and danse discoverd by Yao's parents), Lao Mao( can't figure out nothing), Chubby(I've been your support for two years why don't you buy me stuff ?), Ming, the manager, Tong Yao's parents, her best friend, even her ex-boy friend I felt sorry for him, he seemed very sincere in getting her back, all these side characters made me laugh, made me sad, I wanted them to win, to talk, to get over their hardships.
As for the main couple, Cheng wasn't that cold, he was just bossy but cared his own way of his teammates, he was protective and responsible. Tang Yao has been through much stress and that's what ruined a little bit the mood but they were facing reel problems that stars especially in Asia face, this idolisation of people and the deception of the fans can reach extreme when the singers actors or celebrities are very known, and the drama dealt with it in what I felt a realistic way.
One of my best scenes will remain the one with the talk behind closed door between Cheng and Yao, his realisation that he needs them to be with him and face problems together. And the talk between the ZGDX team that followed, it was touching, sincere, funny, well acted.
PS: as a kdrama lover, I loved hearing Korean in this drama even if it wasn't always that fluent but loved it anyway ❤️

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Not the best or the worst E-Sports drama

7/30/2021

After watching "Love O2O", "Gank Your Heart", "Cross Fire" and "Go Go Squid 1", this is my 5th e-sports drama. "Cross Fire" is my favorite out of the 5 shows. I have "The King's Avatar" and "Go Go Squid 2" on my Watchlist. I would rank this drama in the middle of the group. This drama has a stronger focus in the romance department than actual competitive gaming. It also spends a lot of time on the e-sports fan base/social media/online forums.

Many commented on the romance between the leads. And it is true that Xu Kai (ML) is just as handsome as everyone says. I am a fan of him after watching him in "Arsenal Military Academy" and am looking forward to watching him in "Ancient Love Poetry". He plays a very different role here, and he did a great job. I know this is an adaptation of the book and I read that his "horny" character was toned down in this show. However, I still felt that it is a little out-of-character for this cool, calm and rational Captain to suddenly become this lovable, clingy and somewhat cheesy boyfriend. I just find his Jekyll/Hyde personality a little uncharacteristic. But if the novel is like this, I guess it's really no fault of the drama and scriptwriter. This is my first time watching our female lead. I think she did an OK job, as I do find some of her facial expressions a little wooden. I don't find the chemistry to be especially strong between our leads, except for ML's loving gazes. Chemistry is OK, but not amazing. I enjoyed watching their slow-burn romance before they got together, than when they are together (it got somewhat cringey). Luckily, their kiss scenes (surprisingly there are quite a few) are believable and nice, and not the fish-kissing in "Love O2O". The secondary romance seems a little more realistic, we don't really see their romance much, compared to secondary romances in other rom-coms.

A common theme in e-sports dramas is the amazing friendship and camaraderie between team members and rivals. It's not an exception here. You will grow to love all the team members, even those from rival teams. They provide comic relief and for the most part, things didn't get too negative or dramatic. The friendship between FL and2FL is also great to see. I still don't understand why 2FL is so rich. We have somewhat supportive family members for most members and there isn't anyone too annoying in the show.

Gaming graphics are amazing in this show. I am not sure if these are original animation from the actual League of Legends games, or specially created for the show. But it's not doubt that the graphics and the music are amazing. It's different from the actual actor being in the games such as "Cross Fire" or the coding in "Go Go Squid". For a non-gamer, I do find it a little difficult to follow the gaming scenes.

I do have a minor criticism and wished the scriptwriter has added. Since FL is the first female pro gamer, I wish they would have followed her journey to encourage other fellow female gamers. I would love for her to be a role model. Unfortunately, for most of the drama, the show focuses a lot of gender bias, putting her down through online comments and social media. I know that's an important part of her journey as well, but I wish the show has cut down on some of the social media stuff, but empower her to do more for the industry.

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Light-hearted drama that brings smile on your face.

Who doesn't want to watch a light hearted drama after working on assignments for whole day. Yes this is the one your looking for if you are stressed or need something to improve your mood.
Things I want to address
1. Female lead is mature and smart. Solves her problem without being a crybaby.
2. Male lead looks cold in beginning but actually is a warm hearted person.
3. Chemistry between the leads is appreciable. No unnecessary scenes.
4. Second lead couple are both capable and their story is harmonious.
5. Their whole team ( cat, k, fatty, manager, Cheng's brother and former member) along with main leads have beautiful bond in the story.
6. No antagonist who plot against main leads, so no stress.
7. Gaming scenes are shown very well in a way you don't get bored.

Conclusion: There are many e-sports dramas that try to include romance and comedy in their genre. But I think Falling into your smile did justice for e-sports rom-com.

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A must watch c-drama this 2021!

I've really fallen in love with the smile of Lu SiCheng (Xu Kai) in this drama ? I always wait for each episode to be updated and ever since at the very beginning it never failed to satisfy me, especially to the characters that they're playing and also to the actors and actresses. At first my intention is to watch it because I am a fan of both Xu Kai and Cheng Xiao but I got really obsessed and keep on watching it like 3x in a row now! I hope there will be a season 2 of this drama or they will collab again in another drama. Please! Please! Please! Don't waste the chemistry of this two! ❤️?❤️

Tong Yao ❤️ Lu SiCheng x Smiling ❤️ Chessman!

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