Fall in Love

Watch This if You Love Smart Lead Characters

I love this one even though it still can escape from some ridiculous scenes. Like on ep 1 where the ML kills the spionage woman by slitting her throat, the wound is more likely a non deadly scratch with inappropriate amount of blood to make someone lose their life; plus his decision to hide the body under a bed with a wide gap... some ridiculous keep appearing, but... still forgivable for me

First of all, I love how smart both ML, FL and SML. I'm addicted to how strategic ML. Like when he gives the secretary position to the SFL, makes her pay for the position, but then loads her with responsibilities beyond her ability, just makes me clap. This is the first 2021 drama which not keeping me busy skipping some parts and just sitting to enjoy.

The FL is also a very interesting character. She's just as calm, mature, smart and strategic as the ML. She's my most loveable FL in CDrama. Though I find it weird coz when she's in a situation where she's supposed to express her feelings, she still remains calm. Like when she's under hostage, she's not even crying or in a state of shock, or looking scared.... she's just... tooo calm. Sometimes I think she's kinda a psychopath, lol.

I also love how calm all the characters. Since the SFL is the only "screamer" character, it is still acceptable to my ears. I will give this 10 if it creates a smart SFL, so that I can enjoy balanced competition.

Overall, this is my best Chinese Drama in 2021. I'm highly recommended this for you who tired of ML with claimed to be smart genius or wealthy CEO with all of "comic typical handsome boy" (calm, arrogant, stiff, rarely smile); and  FL who acted cute, immature, innocent (but more likely stupid), playful, tacky with childlike kind of acting. 

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You really will "Fall in Love"

I am not into C-Drama but this really got me interested and I even LOVED the story flow. This drama is not your average drama because of the suspense and thriller scenes. I always loved historical dramas so this is a must rewatch for me. For those curious about this drama, I recommend this drama guys! I could even bet my life with this. ❤️❤️❤️ This drama will really make you "Fall in Love" with history again.

As for the characters, they really did a good acting. Especially in the action scenes, it made me feel the thrill. For the drama scenes, it made me tear up. And for the romantic scenes, it REALLY will make your heart flutter.

For the production team, kudos! Their costumes really captured the 1930s-1940s fashion but in some scenes, their clothes are repeated.

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Avrei voluto una puntata in più

Finale un pochino affrettato. ultima puntata avrebbe avuto bisogno un seguito. o qualcosina in più comunque. sono rimasta un pochino con quella sensazione di...incompletezza...5 minuti risicati di Finale non mi sono bastati. però rispetto alle altre serie questa ha una storia molto ben sviluppata. il protagonista maschile fantastico. mi è venuta voglia di vedere altro. e delle donne finalmente ben scritte e non le solite ragazzine scemotte. Una serie dove muoiono anche i protagonisti... certo un pochino di propaganda per la rivoluzione comunista però abbiamo tutti una storia e la Cina ha la sua 🤷‍♀️

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Republic Era Drama that set the bar very high

My first dip into the intriguing, often unstable waters of Republic Era dramas happened last year. As I was going through my long list today, I realize I missed the boat on sharing my grand adventure! I probably didn't even know these historical gems had a name, but "lack of knowledge" isn't something that can stop me when it comes to a good story. So, I bravely set sail into the unknown, a world full of uniformed men and I mean lots of them , commanders, generals, subordinates, intricate families, a persistent thorn-in-the-side enemy, contested territories, and a glorious mixture of everything in between.

"Fall in Love" begins, as many good stories do, with our two leads having a rather "coincidental" encounter on a ship bound for Shangai. Our ML, Tan Xuanlin, is a soldier on the run after doing what Tan Xualin does best, creating chaos and this time, trying to overthrow greedy warlord, an attempt that didn't go as planned. He is headed to Shangai on an even bigger mission. Mu Wanqing, the FL, is a beautiful aristocrat retuning home with her mother's ashes and a plan. Their meeting? Purely a delightful error of numbers that throws them together. From the get-go, it's clear they're not exactly eachother's favourite. What's a frustrated pair to do? Toss each other overboard mid-ocean? Tempting, perhaps, but not terribly practical. So, they're forced to endure each other's presence, their shared goal simply to make it home in one piece. But for Tan Xuanlin, it seems to be love at first sight. Mu Wanqing, on the other hand, might have needed a moment (or several episodes). From that point on, Tan Xuanlin makes it his personal mission to pursue her, keep her close, and protect her, no matter the cost.

Their story is genuinely beautiful, particularly given the hurdles that lay ahead of them. And when I say "hurdles," I'm not talking about your average disapproving in-laws or social climbers, or our perfect on paper SML Xu Guangyao, the son of a powerful commander and a childhood friend of Ms FL, Am talking of emotional barriers, intricate political schemes, complex family ties , learning to trust one another, all under the shadow of an inevitable war. Tan Xualin is also not from a noble background, which makes him socially isolated and under constant threat. He is an extremely intelligent, bright and outrageous man, who rises from the ashes of a military mutiny to become one of the strongest commander of his time. He is a leader, and his men would do anything to fight with him. So love, in this equation seems like pure luxury.

But our lovebirds don't just survive; they truly thrive through everything, displaying incredible strength and courage. Our FL is a force of nature, unwavering in the face of every challenge. She doesn't just blink or burst into tears or flee; she stands firm. She effectively becomes his "second in command," the much-needed oil that keeps Tan Xuanlin's often-strained engine running smoothly. He's a man burdened with immense responsibilities, a man determined to usher in change and root out the old guard, even if it costs him his life. Mu Wanqing is precisely the woman he needs by his side.They are emotionally drive by love and duty.

The supporting characters, especially Tan Xuanlin's fellow commanders, showcase a level of camaraderie that's truly heartwarming. They're brothers, plain and simple. Their fathers might be scheming to eliminate each other, but the sons are dancing to a different tune, united in their desire to protect the people.

As I often say, tackling real-life history in a review is tough, but for a drama of this scope, packed with interconnected stories and characters that weave into the historical tapestry, it's even harder. One thing I can tell any future viewer: this isn't a drama you rush through. It's more like a classroom experience, but in the best possible way. You settle in, watch slowly, and gradually, you become immersed. The characters grow on you, their world becomes yours, and you share in their pain, their losses, and their triumphs.

Chen Xingxu, who portrays Tan Xuanlin, is absolutely the centerpiece. He brings such wonderful comic relief to an otherwise serious environment. One moment, he's locked in a clever game of cat and mouse with greedy generals, and the next, he's awkwardly swooning over the leading lady, trying desperately to catch her attention. He truly gives the role a brilliant, multi-dimensional look; you can't help but admire him.

Just a heads-up: this is a 36-episode drama, and it's not exactly a light watch, so it's best enjoyed when you're in the right frame of mind. But by the time the credits rolled on Episode 36, I was genuinely asking for more! In fact, writing this review has convinced me to rewatch it all over again.

In my book, "Fall in Love" is simply:
Best Male Lead (Chen Xingxu absolutely worked wonders!)
Best Female Lead (Zhang Jingyi is the talent we'll need for years to come!)
Best Supporting Leads
Best Story
Best Writers
Best Directors
Best Cinematography
Best Wardrobe
BEST everything needed to make a truly great Drama!
100/10 RECOMMENDED!

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Hidden Gem - LOVED this series!

This series didn't seem to gain popularity, and in my opinion it is underrated. I really enjoyed it, overall a well-rounded series with romance, comedy, historical relevance, action, mystery and intrigue.

PROS:
- Lead couple had strong chemistry; mutual affection, respect, strength, devotion and comedy. It was refreshing to see a FL that isn't weak, helpless or gullible.
- Pacing was good, was not draggy. I found myself skipping because of the suspense, I was eager to find out what happens next.
- The ending was so good - perfect ending to the build up throughout the series. And they ended it appropriately without trying to drag it out for several more episodes
- No unnecessary characters or subplots to fill up screen time

CONS:
- There was definitely an underlying theme of communist propaganda

Characters/Acting:
- ML - he is one of my favorite actors, and he nailed this role as well. He was believable with the different dimensions that his character entailed: bravery, honor, loyalty, tenderness, coldness, heartache, poker face, etc.
- FL - this is the first time I've seen this actress in a series. She's adorable, and definitely looked the part. While her acting wasn't bad, she lacked the depth to invoke utter sadness and heart ache. At certain gut wrenching scenes - the male actors had more tears and facial expressions than she did.
- The 2nd ML who played Xu Guang Yao was actually very likable. Usually those characters are made out to be the antagonist that gets in the way of the lead couple. But you really empathize with his character and I found him endearing and so respectable. The only thing that bugged me was his hairstyle - the weird bangs being held back by a stiff strand of hair.
- All the support characters did an amazing job, their acting was on par with the main characters. Except the ML's little sister. She was kind of annoying and her wig was terrible.

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Exciting, Intriguing and then, Hmm.

The first 1/3 of this drama was exciting. Plenty of things were happening and there was great excitement as to what would happen next! I thoroughly enjoyed the first 1/3 of this drama.

The second 1/3 of this drama was intriguing. There was plenty of suspense and I kept guessing as to what would happen next. I am pleased to say that I truly enjoyed the second 1/3 of this drama.

The third and last 1/3 of this drama was ‘meh’ and ‘huh’ and ‘hmm’ for me. After the exciting ride at the start, the last part of this drama was quite a letdown. Despite the ‘happy-ish’ ending, the final part and very last episode felt rushed and abrupt.

What I liked:
- plenty of excitement and intrigue at the start and middle
- good-looking actors (though still young and not the most able but good enough)
- many lovely characters like Gu Yue Shuang
- the female lead was intelligent, shrewd and resourceful - I like that she wasn’t a pushover and that she had a good, strong backbone

What I didn’t like:
- plenty of bloodshed but I understand it’s a war drama so …
- patriarchal attitude from the oldies
- Pei Shao Jun and Tan Sang Yu were insufferably annoying - every time they appeared on my screen, I felt great angst

Verdict: Can watch. Much better than other dramas out there but, viewer may wish to fast forward the third and last 1/3 of this drama.

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I Felt in Love !!

I rarely write long reviews, in fact, I barely write reviews cuz I'm a lazy type of person!

But as Fall in Love was my first watched Republican Era drama (I tried to watch Arsenal Military Academy, but I dropped. maybe I'll try again cuz I'm a huge fan of Bai Lu) and I enjoyed soooo much, I felt like writing!!

Why I enjoyed so much?!  Well...

1- The costumes catch my eyes and I have a soft spot for it (I'm a fashion photographer)

2 - The soundtrack is really cool.  The intro and outro songs got stuck in my ears and I found myself watching the end credits in almost every episode just to sing along (this never happened!)

3 -  A strong, intelligent and - often - ahead of her time FL, which is a rarity in chinese dramas and surprised me even more for being a period drama.  Okay, sometimes she was saved by ML, but that doesn't take away the merit.  I was very impressed with the actress, who is practically a newcomer and managed to deliver all the emotions of the role!!!  Hope to see her more often in other roles!!

4- The rhythm of the series caught me from the first episode!!  Each episode had a plot and ML always managed to anticipate it, even with several plot holes and also with some predictable ones the story developed very well and caught my attention from beginning to end

5 - The lead's chemistry is impressive...the fun and intelligent dialogues and the way they trust each other and grow together throughout the story.

What I didn't like was that the leads are always deviating from the schemes and they don't have a happy time together...the last two episodes could have been written in a way to let them spend more couple time together (a time skip, maybe , already with children...) I missed it!

Another thing: when the production crew are going to learn how to make fake blood???  Guys, with gelatine and food coloring you make fake blood that looks real!!!!  It's the easiest thing in the world!!!  I can't stand pink blood in a series that has war and a lot of scenes that involve blood, right?!  Also the war and fight scenes were pretty weak...

Overall I really liked it, it surprised me, I recommend it and, for sure, I will review it at some point!

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Great plot twist, to the point that will make you eyebrow furrowed

This is one of my favourite chinese drama. The plot twist in every episode is engaging.

Pros:
- Girl powerrr!
Though this movie surrounding military situation, but the women are equally scheming! Both right & bitchy way.
- Not corny at all. The comedy parts are really laughable.
- The casts deliver great acting, hard to miss anyone even the supporting roles are impressive.
- The sad scenes are really tears jerking. That's back to point 3:impressive acting skill.

But to be honest, the Cons:
- some of the twists are lack of logics.
- a lot of scenes weren't smoothly edited into the background like the fireworks, strolling view from within moving car, and some fighting scenes.
- if you know a bit of military perspective, a lot of scene are poorly excecuted to the extent that makes your jaw drop and shake your head in dibelief!

The soundtrack are easy listening but not so catchy. You get the vintage feel, but...not really worthy as playlist.
I dont speak mandarin, maybe that could be one of the things that makes me tilting my head when it comes to military decision & explanation.
I gotta try reorganizing my mind into thinking that these what happened in China (Shanghai) military situation long time ago. But still...
An officer would be fired hundred of times for taking impossible dramatical unlogical acts like ones in Fall In Love. >.<*

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Unexpected twists, and a lot of love

My first drama of this genre, and despite being the first I see of Chinese Republican Era, I could understand and enjoy the drama a lot, I must admit that I started it because of Zhang Jingyi and I ended up getting attached to all the actors of the cast, even the second lead syndrome was present because of the great chemistry they transmitted on the screen with Chen Xing Xu and Yan Jun, maybe at the beginning the side stories were not so much to my liking because I'm honest I just wanted to know more about the main couple, however, I did like them, the unexpected twists during the story were more interesting, the ending was good and painful, although I would have liked a little more of what happened next. The main character is not the typical girl, she always proved to be very intelligent, independent and self-confident, and the male protagonist was quite a case from the beginning, his humor and appearance were somewhat deceiving, but inside he knew what he was doing and pretended not to know anything when he knew everything, the story of the two of them very peculiar and beautiful, they gave me all the love I was expecting, 10/10.

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