Could have been shorter... such a shame.

I'm the kinda gal that won't stay with a drama just for the sake of finishing what I started. If I'm no longer emotionally invested( or even just invested) in the story or characters anymore, I drop it with no regrets. Sunshine of my life got boring for me, so I dropped it 2 episodes away from the end. I just didn't have the energy to stay with it anymore. I hope that one day I will want to finish it because I did enjoy the first 35 or so episodes but I think it just started feeling like it was going on for too long for me. I feel like the drama was 10 episodes too long (I literally dropped it mid-episode 43 as the ML was about to do something major, I was THAT over it.)

I DID have a few things I absolutely adored about it. I LOVED how they explored traditional Chinese elements and how patriotic and passionate about their culture the leads are (unlike many, I have absolutely no problem with dramas that actively promote their country, ideals, and culture, I never understand why people find this to be problematic.) I learned so much about an art form that I've become so interested in since (Suzhou embroidery), and I did ship the ML and FL super hard (their chemistry is off the charts!). It's a shame it went on so long, it would have been better if it had been shorter, leaving us wishing for more, than for it to be so long, leaving me wishing it could have been a 32 episode drama and dropping it pretty much right at the end. The points of conflict could have been resolved a lot quicker, the loose ends could have been tied up nicely and we could have had a satisfying ending a lot sooner. But alas, things don't always go the way we want them to.

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The only regret I have is that I can't erase my memory so I can experience this drama anew :'(.

I solemnly swear that I will try my absolute best not to wax lyrical on Xu Kai's visuals (amongst the SEA of handsome men that seem to have taken up residence within this drama.)

Before watching this drama, I had seen many high reviews of it, but put off watching it because I was still hung up on You are my Hero. I spent about a week trying to find a new drama chock full of romance and kissing scenes (because as much as I loved YAMH, I felt deprived of the kisses that could have been but ne'er were between our ML and FL!), meanwhile, this amazing drama was just sitting there, waiting for me to realize that I'd skipped over a gem! Not only did Falling into Your Smile deliver on the romance, but it also heaped the kissing scenes high up and left me feeling satisfied and content.

This is a gaming romance drama like Love o2o, Go-Go Squid and The King's Avatar (which of course is sans the romance), but dare I say it was better? Before the Yang Yang fans come at me (I'm also one btw), I'll explain why I felt that it was better. The male lead, Lu Si Cheng ( Xu Kai), had the same cold and aloof demeanour Love o2o's Xiao Nai seemed to have, but I felt that he was a lot more relatable and realistic compared to the perfect and unattainable Xiao Nai. The FL, Tong Yao (WJSN's Cheng Xiao), was also a lot more substance, and a lot less fawning and meek. She was a strong character who didn't take BS from her crush just because he was stunningly gorgeous and highly popular. I loved that she gave the male lead as much as he dished out, which was severely lacking in Lo2o and GGS (too much hero worship is never a good thing ladies!) There were many cute moments between the ML and FL and he showed a lot more emotion and was a lot more playful than XN. I also found myself a lot more invested in the characters and story of FIYS. The camaraderie between the team was so beautiful to watch and there was never a time where I felt that the team viewed Cheng as this perfect god who never made any mistakes and was always right (which is the vibe I got in Lo2o). Cheng's team shouted at him when he was wrong, and he apologised and acknowledged his faults when he had messed up. I really appreciated that and it made me fall in love with Cheng a lot more.

I HIGHLY recommend this drama, I see myself rewatching it several times in the future when I need a break from a heavy and intense drama (or just when I want a drama that gives me mushy cute feels). A bonus factor is you will get a heaping truckload of visuals from sooo many guys! As generous as the casting was when it came to visuals, I'm still in awe of the visuals king that is Xu Kai. The good Lord did NOT hold back when he was creating our Xu Kai. As much as we must admit that he's not had the best time when it comes to the headlines he's made in real life, we must definitely give him props for delivering much more than us fans could ever ask for in this drama.

I'm brand spanking new to the Xu Kai fandom, but I look forward to seeing his other dramas and hope they're just as good as this one was <3.

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It made me want to live in this small town.

I want to start off by saying that I surprised myself when it comes to this drama. I usually love a fast-paced romance where the OTP are in love by episode 5 and planning their wedding by episode 8 lol. This drama was as opposite from that as it could get... but I absolutely LOVED it. I loved the slow pace, the long quiet moments, the sad moments, the sloooow burn pace of the romance and absolutely loved almost every single character in this drama.

The best way I can describe it is that it's an absolutely beautiful story and healing to the soul. It's just SUCH a beautiful drama. I felt like I was reading a book. I found myself wishing I could move to this small town that had a warm and cosy book shop, an amazingly supportive book club and imperfect people who were all going through something but still cared for each other and carried each other's burdens. It's honestly one of my most favourite dramas. I gave it a nine overall because the helpless romantic in me wished for all the loose ends to be tied up and presented to us with a pretty big bow on top, but it really is beautiful.

PLEASE GIVE IT A TRY! It's different from many dramas I've watched and I think that is what set it apart. I really hope there can be another drama where Park Min Young and Seo Kang Joon are the FL and ML because their chemistry is stunning.

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