Falling Into Your Smile Review

Falling Into Your Smile (你微笑时很美) has such a high rating among the international audience that I can’t help but to watch it out of curiosity. After all, I’m not really into e-gaming. But I don’t mind watching Xu Kai and that helps to overcome my apprehension towards another e-gaming drama. I know he has many fans after Story Of Yanxi Palace and I’m sure he will gain more with this drama as well as Ancient Love Poetry which is being aired at about the same time as this one. Let us now see if the high rating is justified with my Falling Into Your Smile review below.

My rating: 7.5/10
Episodes: 31
Type: Workplace Romance, Gaming
Aired: June 2021
Images Credit: Youku

The Cast Of Falling Into Your Smile

• Cheng Xiao as Tong Yao / Smiling
• Xu Kai as Lu Si Cheng / Chessman
• Rachel Wang Ruo Shan as Chen Jin Yang
• Zhou Yi Ran as Ai Jia
• Zhai Xiao Wen as Jian Yang
• Yao Chi as Lu Yue
• Sun Kai as Xiao Pang / Fatty
• Gao Han as Lao K
• Kelvin Xiao Kai Zhong as Lao Mao
• Yalkun Merxat as Yu Ming / Ming God
• Cui Shao Yang as Xiao Rui
• Hou Chang Rong as Tong Yao’s father
• Yang Ming Na as Tong Yao’s mother
• Wang Yi Jun as Lee Jun Hyuk / Hierophant
• Judy Qi Yan Di as Su Luo
• Che Yong Li as Director Wang Lan
• DiDi Li Ying Chao as Lee Hang Suk

Main Characters

Tong Yao / Smiling

Tong Yao is a fresh graduate and a highly skilled amateur gamer before being invited to join the ZGDX team. She is a determined gal who dares to pursue her dreams once she has made up her mind. Tong Yao has a supportive father but her mother opposes her decision to be a pro gamer. Smiling is Tong Yao’s gaming username.

Lu Si Cheng / Chessman

Si Cheng is the team captain of ZGDX. He is a confident and cocky man who believes in his ability. He is a top player in the field and commands much respect from his teammates. Si Cheng is protective of his teammates and tends to keep things to himself. He also comes from a wealthy family who owns a substantial share in ZGDX Gaming Club. His gaming username is Chessman.

Supporting Characters

Cheng Jin Yang

Jin Yang is Tong Yao’s best friend. She is from a rich family. She spends her time shopping and traveling while working occasionally as a part-time host. Jin Yang has an on-off relationship with Ai Jia.

Ai Jia

Ai Jia is a pro gamer with the YQCB team. He is in love with Jin Yang and always seeking her attention but their relationship is far from stable. His teammates include Liang Sheng who is the team captain and Hierophant.

Jian Yang

Jian Yang is the top player for the CK team. He is also Tong Yao’s ex-boyfriend and wants a reconciliation with her.

Lu Yue

Lu Yue is Si Cheng’s younger brother. He is also part of the ZGDX team but has been suspended for a year. He is a talkative person and likes to bicker with Tong Yao.

Xiao Pang / Fatty

Fatty is Si Cheng’s teammate. He is a friendly and amiable guy who likes to eat.

Lao K

Lao K is also part of the ZGDX team. He is relatively quiet and moody. He gets along well with Lao Mao and is into beauty and skincare.

Lao Mao

Lao Mao also plays for ZGDX. He is a blur guy when it comes to romance. He is also a fitness buff.

Yu Ming / Ming God

Yu Ming is a player in the ZGDX team before being forced to retire due to a hand injury. He then becomes the team coach. Yu Ming is a farsighted guy who can recognize talent. He is also a rational and understanding person.

Xiao Rui

Xiao Rui is ZGDX’s team manager. He is a cheerful man whose job include defusing tensions and making light of awkward situations among the team members when there is a need.

Tong Yao’s Parents

Tong Yao’s father is an open-minded man who is always supportive of his daughter’s career choice. His wife is a teacher and is not happy with Tong Yao’s decision to become a pro gamer.

Lee Jun Hyuk / Hierophant

Hierophant is Lee Jun Hyuk’s gaming username and a new member of the YQCB team. He is a Korean player and Si Cheng’s ex-teammate. They are equals in the game and have great respect for one another.

Su Luo

Su Luo is Si Cheng’s blind date set up by his mother. Both their parents are business associates. Su Luo is interested in Si Cheng although she knows nothing about gaming.

Director Wang Lan

Director Wang is Si Cheng and Lu Yue’s mother. She is a director of the Lu Group and also oversees the ZGDX Gaming Club. She is a domineering woman who is always pushing Si Cheng to get a girlfriend due to his lack of interest in dating and relationships with the opposite sex.

Lee Hang Suk

Hang Suk is a Korean pro gamer and team member of FNC. He is also Hierophant’s younger brother. Hang Suk is a friendly guy who has a crush on Tong Yao and pursues her openly.

Synopsis

Tong Yao is a highly skilled amateur gamer who is scouted to join the ZGDX team to replace Yu Ming who has to retire. She decides to give it a go and becomes the first female pro gamer in the national championship. However, her entrance into the team causes rumors and negative publicity which she has to learn to navigate. Tong Yao also needs to prove herself to be worthy of her place in the team.

Her relationship with the team captain, Si Cheng, gets off on a bad start with his arrogance and less than friendly attitude. But they gradually develop feelings for each other which they hide from the public due to potential problems and gossips. As Tong Yao and Si Cheng strive to win the championship, they also have to overcome setbacks and attacks by rivals and crazy fans.

Falling Into Your Smile Ending (Spoilers Alert!)

Falling Into Your Smile has a happy ending. The last scene shows Jin Yang and Ai Jia’s wedding. When Jin Yang throws her bouquet of flowers, it lands on Tong Yao. Si Cheng then appears and rumors start to circulate that they are engaged.

Prior to that, Si Cheng and Tong Yao have won the national championship with their ZDGX team. They defeated Ai Jia’s YQCB team in the finals. Now, the DZGX team will be preparing for the world championship next.

When Did Si Cheng And Tong Yao Become A Couple?

Si Cheng confesses his feelings to Tong Yao at the end of Episode 20. They become a couple in Episode 21 with Si Cheng giving Tong Yao a kiss on the cheek.

Fatty finds out about their relationship in Episode 23 when he catches them kissing. Si Cheng publicly kisses Tong Yao to confirm rumors of their relationship in Episode 24. They slept together in Episode 27 after Si Cheng reassures Tong Yao that they will never break up.

Is There Any Break Up?

No, the main couple did not break up at any point after getting together. They do encounter problems due to the pressure from the publicity and crazy fans as doubts creep in. Tong Yao feels she could be harming Si Cheng’s reputation while he is angry at himself for being unable to protect her. But they resolve their problems through communication which further strengthen their relationship.

There is also no toxic third parties that could break them up. While Si Cheng and Tong Yao are jealous of each other’s potential suitors, they are very clear of their feelings. Hence, the love triangle aspect doesn’t really take root in this drama. There is also no parental disapproval of their relationship.

Tong Yao’s Relationship With Her Mother

Tong Yao’s mother was against her decision to be a pro gamer initially. But she eventually accepts it as Tong Yao begins to enter competitions and wins her matches. Tong Yao’s mother ends up as a bigger gaming fan than her husband by the end of the drama.

Falling Into Your Smile Review – More Romance Than Gaming

Falling Into Your Smile is not a drama that you would watch for the gaming aspect. Yes, it is featured quite heavily throughout the 31 episodes but I see it as merely a conduit to the romance. So, the romance is the driver while the gaming helps to create the stage for the love to bloom. There are quite a lot of computer graphics of the game being played during the competition. It is different from Love Scenery whereby the leads also take on the game characters. In this drama, the game is all graphics with the leads controlling the characters that they play as they try to pump up the excitement of a close match.

I have to say that those graphics are quite well done and the quality is there. However, it gets repetitive to me and I ended up skipping some of these scenes. Perhaps it might be exciting if you are into gaming. But I can hardly distinguish the different game characters and who is playing what during these battle scenes. The good thing is it doesn’t mar the story in any way if you skip them. After all, those gaming competitions are merely fillers most of the time. The actual story takes place outside of those matches at the team’s base camp.

Not A Plot-Driven Drama

Falling Into Your Smile is not a drama that is plot-heavy. The story isn’t anything new. In essence, it is about a girl joining a male-dominated field. She slowly gains acceptance and also falls in love while having to deal with rumors and fans. A big chunk of the drama is taken up by the female lead’s interactions with the male lead and relationship among the team members.

There is no one big villain which needed to be gotten rid of. Instead, the drama is taken up by little events that mainly affect the female lead ranging from a provocative anchor to a crazy fan. Of course, the male lead will get dragged into them as well due to his feelings for her and position as captain of the team. All these help to make up the overall story.

It is not boring but neither does it have a captivating and more refreshing plot unlike dramas such as The Day Of Becoming You. Basically, you will end up just enjoying the main couple’s bantering and sweet moments plus some team camaraderie. That’s about it for me. So, if you don’t mind the lack of an interesting plot and just want to watch the romance, this might be your cup of tea. Otherwise, it is just like any other light romance dramas out there rather than a serious gaming drama.

Acting And Chemistry

Cheng Xiao’s inexperience shows when playing her role as Tong Yao. She doesn’t have a broad range of expressions especially the micro ones to give the character more life. I think it could be better so that Tong Yao will come across as more spunky rather than bland and stiff. But her performance is still passable for a new actress to me. At least, she didn’t annoy me to the point that I need to quit watching.

Furthermore, Cheng Xiao did well to generate the right chemistry with the more experienced Xu Kai. I think without this chemistry, many would have dropped it halfway. It is hard to watch a romance drama when there is little chemistry between the leads like what happened in Please Feel At Ease Mr. Ling. In Falling Into Your Smile, the leads got the sparks going and that carried the drama all the way through for me.

Well-Written Supporting Characters

If there is one other reason to watch Falling Into Your Smile, it has to be the supporting characters. All the ZGDX team members have different personalities. Although they don’t dominate the screen time individually, they are interesting to watch as a group. Their unique personalities create a different kind of chemistry and provide the comedic scenes as well as the team spirit required for a gaming drama.

There is really no hateful character that stands out in Falling Into Your Smile. All the main and supporting characters are likable which is why this drama is kind of light and stress-free to watch. They are also realistically portrayed as people with flaws unlike the idealistic Love 020.

My Verdict – Interesting But Nothing Compelling

I think Falling Into Your Smile will not resonate with viewers looking for a really good gaming or e-sports drama. Personally, I find it to be more suitable for romance drama fans. It has little time spent on the team compared to Go Go Squid! which at least tries to give viewers a more in-depth look at past friendships and their team spirit. The focus on the romance in Falling Into Your Smile is akin to Go Go Squid 2: DT Appledog’s Time although the latter has a more mature feel to the main couple’s relationship compared to the former.

This drama is saved by the leads’ chemistry and supporting cast because the plot is nothing great. It is the interactions among the different characters that give life to this story rather than a strong plot to drive it. All the various issues that crop up from parental conflicts to ex-boyfriend matters are never explored in-depth. They are glossed over to give screen time to the main couple’s bickering and relationship development instead.

I would give this Falling Into Your Smile review a score of 7.5/10. It is alright for a simple storyline but don’t expect anything compelling. Watch it for the romance which is cute and sweet in its unique way. There are quite a few kisses but they are not as intense as those found in Love Is Sweet or Love Designer. You will like it if you are into a confident and domineering man turning into a softie when he falls in love. Of course, you also can’t miss this if you are a Xu Kai fan. But if you are looking for something more serious and mature whether in terms of the plot or even the romance, I think this will fall short.

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