Falling Into Your Smile

Welcome back to *Hallyu Reviews!* I hope you enjoyed Sabrina’s review of **"Nevertheless"** last week. If you missed it, be sure to go back and have a read!

This week we are doing something new. A few of you have asked if we at *Hallyu Reviews* ever watch and review any Asian dramas other than Korean dramas. And though K-dramas are where our hearts are happiest, we do delight in watching dramas from other countries. Therefore, we thought it might be fun to through in a review of a non-Korean drama, periodically. So here ya go, our first Chinese drama (or C-drama) review, “Falling Into Your Smile.”
**SPOILERS AHEAD**

Synopsis

“Falling Into Your Smile” (“FIYS”) is about a young woman, Tong Yao (Cheng Xiao), who becomes the first woman to play professionally for the E-sports Onmyioji Arena Professional League (OPL). The captain of her team is Lu Si Cheng (Xu Kai), the god of E-sports, and he and the other members of Team ZGDX are not all welcoming, initially. But after getting to know Tong Yao and seeing her genuine talent, they begin to accept her as one of their teammates and work to change the way women are perceived in E-sports. After missing the National Finals the previous year, ZGDX is posed to return to the championship with the addition of their new midsolo. After working and living together as teammates, Tong Yao and Cheng develop feelings for each other and begin to date. Out of fear of what fans will say, Tong Yao asks that they keep their relationship a secret from everyone, including their teammates. Eventually, however, their relationship is made public and they are forced to deal with the consequences of being a celebrity couple in the public eye. The road is a rough one, but with the support of their family and friends, Tong Yao and Cheng lead ZGDX to win the National Finals, with thoughts of marriage in the near future.

Lead Couple

Just like in K-dramas, the crucial element for me and any C-drama is a strong Lead Couple, and “FIYS” has one of my favorites of any C-drama. Tong Yao, known by her gamertag as Smiling, is the No. 1 Tamamo-no-Mae on the Chinese server. The Mulan of E-sports, she wishes to play E-sports professionally, but has to contend with being the only female in a male-dominated industry, as well as traditional parents who do not view playing E-sports as a legitimate career. Cheng, gamertag Chessman, comes from a “noble family,” and is the team captain for ZGDX. Ranked as one of the top shooters in E-sports, he is skilled and handsome, and drives an Aston Martin. He is indifferent to most people and things, and a bit of a bully to his teammates. His first interactions with Tong Yao are all filled with teasing insults.

The first time Cheng sees Tang Yao in a way that is more than just his teammate is the day of the team photos. Cheng is sent to hurry along Tong Yao who is the last teammate to finish with makeup. When he enters the room however, he finds her in the middle of undressing. This makes an impact on Cheng as he mutters for her to hurry up, and quickly closes the door. He pops a piece of candy in his mouth – a repeated behavior and a dead giveaway for his rattled nerves – and guards the door so that she can continue to get dress undisturbed. This encounter marks Cheng’s first apology, to which Tong Yao, unnerved by Cheng’s sudden change in behavior, teases that in ancient times, he would have had to marry her now. This is the beginning of a running joke between them – one of the many – and comes up several more times during the series.

As the only professional female player in the E-sports industry, Tong Yao is a bit of a novelty. Her skill level and the fact that she is a cute “little girl” with a kind heart attracts a lot of attention from her fellow players. Throughout the series, she is able to connect to and bond with multiple players from other teams, particularly their captains. Cheng teases her relentlessly about this, referring to it as “collecting stamps,” as she slowly “collects” captains, like stamps, adding them one by one to her “collection.” Even though Cheng tells Tong Yao that he is a “stamp” who is not interested in being collected, like most of his teasing, it is rooted in his jealousy and appears multiple times throughout the C-drama. One important “stamp” is Tong Yao’s ex-boyfriend, Jian Yang (Zhai Xiao Wen), known by his gamertag as Sunflower. The captain of one of their biggest rivals, Team CK, Yang introduced Tong Yao to E-sports when they were dating and spends most of the series trying to win her back.

Even before they begin dating, Cheng and Tong Yao take care of one another. Cheng takes Tong Yao to buy toiletries when she first arrives at the ZGDX base, and Tong Yao takes Cheng an umbrella when he walks to the mall to help a friend and gets caught in the rain. One of my favorite pre-dating moments is when he silently takes off his jacket and puts it around Tong Yao’s shoulders so that she will not be cold when walking back to the base in the rain. It’s a small gesture, but very natural. And while their initial moments of caring for one another are orchestrated by their manager, Xiao Rui (Cui Shao Yang), Cheng and Tong Yao quickly begin to take care of one another without prompting. Once they begin dating in secret, Tong Yao makes an effort to hide their relationship from Cheng’s fans because she does not want to give anyone an excuse to use her to condemn him. By this point, however, Cheng is already in love with Tong Yao and he does not care what others say about him because of his relationship with his midsolo. “Everyone has his own weakness,” he tells her. “For me, it’s you.” #SWOON

Moments like these reflect one of my favorite things about a character like Cheng. He starts off the series with a cold attitude and fierce expressions, but the coldness gradually starts to melt away to reveal genuine smiles and a carefree playfulness with Tong Yao. For Cheng, it happens in tiny moments here and there, but the first real sustained smile is the morning after Tong Yao agrees to start a relationship with him in secret. Rui is in the room when Cheng grabs Tong Yao’s hand to hold. Afraid of being discovered by Rui, Tong Yao tries desperately to free her hand from Cheng’s grip, but Cheng, loving the thrill of holding his girl’s hand, simply refuses. The smile of pure joy on his face says it all.

And my absolute favorite scene is the scene in the movie theater when Cheng wants a kiss from Tong Yao. His expression is adorable and his eyes convey so much longing. Cheng in this scene is like a completely different person from the unaffected captain he once was. The change in his behavior – gentle and filled with need – reveals that it is Tong Yao who clearly holds the power in this moment. First, she playfully teases him by pretending to lean in for a kiss, only to pull his hoodie over his face and laugh. Tong Yao continues to tease him with a kiss, but then pulls away sooner than Cheng would like. You cannot help but chuckle at Cheng’s protests and pout of disappointment. But when Tong Yao does acquiesce to kiss Cheng in earnest, the buildup certainly pays off. The actors have a lot of natural chemistry and this bevy of kisses makes this one of the best kissing scenes that I have seen in a C-drama. My only complaint is that the scene is too short!

Second Couple

Tong Yao’s best friend, Chen Jin Yang (Rachel Wang), and fellow midsolo, Ai Jia (Zhou Yi Ran), make up the Second Couple in “FIYS” and they are one of my favorite Second Couples ever in a C-drama. Jin Yang and Ai Jia are sweet and true, and their relationship does a fantastic job of contributing to the Lead Couple’s storyline, as well as the overall message of the story, without slowing down the pace. In many ways, they represent what the members of Team ZGDX call the traditional Chinese virtue of a hen-pecked couple, in which everything a man does is out of his love for his family. Ai Jia seems to be at Jin Yang’s beck and call, but his absolute love for and devotion to Jin Yang is so apparent that it makes my heart flutter.

Jin Yang is the character that represents the world outside of E-sports. She does not like to play games and does not understand, initially, how her boyfriend and best friend – both professional E-sports players – can be so invested in playing games for a living. But Jin Yang has a wonderful character arc as she goes from someone with misconceptions about E-sports, to an owner and manager of a professional team. Jin Yang comes from a wealthy family, and she convinces her father to purchase Ai Jia’s team, making her the new owner and manager of YQCB. Though Jin Yang knows nothing about gaming, she is incredibly smart - having turned down multiple job offers overseas to remain in China with Ai Jia – and recognizes that the world of E-sports has a very promising future. Right away she starts working on the problem of correcting the confusion surrounding the E-sports industry. She organizes a carnival at Tong Yao’s and Ai Jia’s alma mater, Shen Gang University, to showcase “the charm and ecology of E-sports.”

Like many E-sports players, Ai Jia’s path to professional gamer was not an easy one. Due to common misunderstandings about what E-sports are and what it is that a professional gamer does, Ai Jia’s parents do not support his choice of profession, and he ends up leaving home under bad circumstances. At the carnival, we meet his mother, a professor at the university. During the question-and-answer portion of the carnival, Ai Jia delivers one of the most poignant lines of “FIYS” that accurately sums up its main message – “not everything that goes against the norm is wrong.”

When Ai Jia and Jin Yang’s relationship is first discovered by fans, Jin Yang receives a lot of criticism from Ai Jia’s fans and is wrongfully accused of being a gold digger. Ai Jia proudly announces via livestream that it was he who pursued her. When two fans physically and verbally attack Jin Yang as she is spectating one of his games, Ai Jia is livid. He jumps from the stage, chastises the fans, and carries Jin Yang backstage. Jin Yang tries to downplay the situation, but Ai Jia asks why she should have to put up with it? “Gaming is my own business. Being in love is my own business. Winning or losing is my own business. I just can’t stand them blaming you.” To Ai Jia, his girlfriend does not deserve to be bullied by people who know nothing about them and their relationship. And the fact that they did it in the name of defending him upsets him even more. It is a very sweet moment for the couple as Jin Yang appreciates the ferocity with which Ai Jia loves her, and she returns his affections, saying that “as long as I’m with you, no matter if it’s a mountain of fire or an abyss of 10,000 feet ahead of me, I will wade through.” She admits that while she still does not understand the world of E-sports, she will not “play a bitter drama, making you choose between gaming and your girlfriend.” Jin Yang realizes that being in love with a professional E-sports gamer means that she, too, has “to accept the attention and judging,” a sacrifice she is willing to make for Ai Jia. “Our future has nothing to do with them,” she concludes. The kiss that Ai Jia gives her at the end of this scene is filled with so much love, appreciation, and adoration, that it comes as no surprise that the series ends with these two walking down the aisle.

Pressures E-sports Players Face

Throughout the C-drama, we see the struggles that professional E-sports players face. The common misconception is that E-sports players are simply “internet addicts” who spend their days lazily playing games on the internet rather than working a “real job.” When Tong Yao is first recruited by ZGDX, her parents, especially her mother, do not wish for her to go. When she arrives at the team base, she learns that all of the players share a similar story.

As a fan of K-pop, I know that idols dedicate their lives to their careers, training from a young age to hone their skills. They give up any semblance of a personal life in the hope of becoming a success. But the struggle does not end there. If an idol works hard enough and is lucky enough to debut and develop a fanbase, they are then subject to maintaining their public image. The case is the same for E-sports players, who have to cultivate how they present themselves and how they are portrayed. Cheng advises Tong Yao to “watch what you say or do. Anything that happens to a professional player can be put in the spotlight easily or even kill ones career. So don’t make any trouble.” He says that an idol must “adapt to being a public figure first, then adapt to not being manipulated by public opinions.” This is a constant battle with professional media outlets and influencers vying for followers and subscribers. It is especially bothersome in the age of cyberbullying where even common fans and anti-fans can hide behind their computer screens and post hurtful and erroneous comments. Liability laws offer some protection, particularly in a country like China where free speech is not as highly valued and protected as in the United States, but careers can still be ended over rumors and scandals alone.

Like idols who dance, E-sports players must also remain in peak physical condition to do their jobs well. Injuries can have massive - sometimes terminal - effects on their careers. In the first episode, we see that ZGDX’s Golden Midsolo, Yu Ming, known by his gamertag simply as Ming (Merxat), has suffered a career-ending hand injury, which is why Tong Yao is recruited to join Team ZGDX in the first place.

Both of these issues come to a head when Tong Yao contends with an event promoter who goads her into a shoving match. The woman takes liberties with Team ZGDX that puts the players in a difficult position and risks injury. Tong Yao is defending her teammates, but her actions are too rash and the event promoter manipulates the public opinion against Tong Yao. It is a harsh dose of reality for the inexperienced Tong Yao, who is banned from a game and docked 2 month’s salary. While her team acknowledges that Tong Yao has been wronged, it is irrelevant because of the public’s perception. Rui wisely tells her that “not all things can be resolved by being angry.” He is right, of course, though the non-idol in me reels at the injustice of the situation.

Cheng says, “if you want to wear a crown, you have to bear its weight,” but even he has his limits after Tong Yao is injured when an anti-fan sends a package filled with razor blades, cockroaches, and a threatening note to Tong Yao. This package symbolizes the ugliness of celebrityhood. But Tong Yao magnanimously reminds an angry Cheng that, for better or for worse, “fans are inevitable accessories.” For all of the bad, there is also good. Fans can also be amazing sources of support in ways “we don’t necessarily see,” providing idols with courage and strength when they need it.

Korean

There is a lot of Korean – characters (not actors, unfortunately), language, mentions of K-dramas, and even a couple of flashbacks to Korea – in this C-drama. According to Get Hyped Sports, “South Korea, known for its domination in every eSport tournament, is known for its electric crowds and legendary eSports athletes. eSports is not only recommended in South Korea; it’s often a way of life.” Because of this, many Chinese players, like Cheng, spend time in South Korea training with South Korean teams to hone their skills. In addition, many of the Chinese E-sports teams hire South Korean foreign aid players, such as Hierophant of YQCB, Kun of FNC, and Dragon of DQ.Five, to anchor their teams.

Lee Kun Hyeok, known as Hierophant (Wang Yi Jun), is a shooter from the South Korean team Cheng once trained with. Cheng served as Hierophant’s substitute, initially, but came to be his equal before leaving South Korea to play in China. The duo is so evenly matched and similar in gaming style that they are referred to in the E-sports community as Light and Shadow. The two had never gone head-to-head, so when Cheng returns to China, it is not long before Hierophant also comes to the Chinese OPL to anchor an opposing team, YQCB. Hierophant and Cheng share a friendship and comfortableness that comes from a mutual respect and camaraderie born from doing battle together as teammates.

Lee Hang Suk, gamertag Kun (Didi), the South Korean anchor for FNC, is an especially amiable character who is attracted to Tong Yao the moment he sees her. Despite his reputation amongst the male players as being a playboy, Tong Yao thinks he looks like “a good boy” and does not object to his attentions. Kun’s interactions with Tong Yao and Cheng are humorous, but also bring out Cheng’s protectiveness of his team’s midsolo, telling Kun in Korean, “She’s my girl. Leave her alone.” I love the sweet gesture, as Cheng tells Tong Yao he only said those things to protect her from being Kun’s 18th lover, but clearly Cheng is hiding the beginnings of jealousy.

Most of the Koreans depicted in “FIYS” are portrayed in a positive manner, but there is one that is a Class-A jerk, Xu Tai Lun, known by his gamertag as Dragon (Brian Chang), from DQ.Five. Tai Lun’s girlfriend, with Tai Lun’s support, cyberbullies Tong Yao. And then later in the series, when Tong Yao does not lie for Tai Lun after she witnesses him cheating on his girlfriend with a fan, Tai Lun targets Tong Yao personally. Tai Lun not only mercilessly attacks Tong Yao’s shikigami during their game, but also in person, backstage, cornering her outside the women’s restroom. To her credit, Tong Yao proves more than capable of defending herself by biting him when Tai Lun attempts to physically restrain her. And though Tong Yao once again suffers Cheng’s wrath for her display of inappropriate conduct and for not allowing the proper authorities to handle the situation, I do applaud her for standing up for herself to an obvious abuser.

In addition to the South Korean foreign aid players, the Chinese teams often play Korean teams in training sessions to help prepare for their matches. One formidable team that ZGDX faces is the Korean team that Cheng once trained with, TAT. Their captain, Ah Tai (He Peng), is particularly intimidating and hands Tong Yao her first defeat as a professional gamer, which rocks her to her core and makes her question her abilities. It is once Tong Yao faces her fear and plays Tai again – defeating him – that she is fully able to regain her confidence and mature as a professional gamer. This defeat and redemption storyline is also important because it brings Tong Yao closer to her teammates, particularly Cheng.

Feminism

Although many elements of a traditionally male-dominated society exist in this C-drama, it also has moments of Feminism. Tong Yao is a skilled player, a rising star in the industry, and she is able to display her prowess in the C-drama right alongside the men. She works hard practicing her skills and shikigamis, but also watching game videos of their opposing teams, taking notes on the habits of their players, and analyzing the data she collects. She also brings a humbleness to her team, teaching them not to look down on a team simply because it is a new or rising team. Tong Yao is named MVP multiple times, and even clinches the National Championship for Team ZGDX.

And while Tong Yao’s tiny stature is easy to pick on, her personality, while submissive at times, is strong and feisty. When Cheng asks her where she wants to go to eat, Tong Yao enthusiastically shouts, “noodles!” Cheng is shocked by her response, saying that most girls would suggest Japanese or something similar. Tong Yao dismisses gender as a role in food choices, defiantly stating that “if there is someone of a certain gender who loves noodles, I must be of the same gender.”

When ZGDX’s former substitute midsolo, Lu Yue’s (Yao Chi), re-appearance on the team makes Tong Yao’s position as starting midsolo uncertain, Jin Yang tells her, “a girl must have confidence.” And though Jin Yang telling her that “a perfect woman will need to respond to all emergencies with her sexy look” and buying her new undergarments to help her feel confident may not align with Feminist core values, the advice to have confidence – because women are equal to men and Tong Yao’s chances are just as good as Lu Yue’s – does. “Show your captain with your spirit that you’re his best partner,” Jin Yang insists.

In addition, although Tong Yao has moments of vulnerability and fear in “FIYS,” she also has many moments of great strength. At times, with the help of others, and at times, on her own, Tong Yao overcomes many obstacles and setbacks. She has a tremendous story arc that takes her from a humble gamer to a skilled and professional E-sports idol. During an interview, she bravely addresses the prejudices that some people have towards women, and not just in the E-sports industry. Women, she insists, are just as capable of doing whatever men can, if they set their minds to it. She ends the interview by optimistically hoping that all those with stubborn opinions that E-sports are only for men, might change their minds after watching her play.

But my favorite moment of Feminism actually comes when Cheng is scolding her behavior as her captain. He says that others in the industry may treat her differently because of her gender, but insists that he will not. “In my opinion,” he says, “you have an identity that has nothing to do with gender as soon as you put on the team uniform.” In that moment, he insists, she becomes his teammate, equal to the rest of his teammates. Perfect!

Same-sex Relationship

The same-sex relationship between two of the ZGDX teammates, K and Cat, came as a refreshing surprise. I did not imagine that a Chinese television series would be so open-minded, as that has not been my experience before this C-drama. Lao Mao, known by his gamertag as Cat (Xiao Kai Zhong), is ZGDX’s topsolo. He is a traditional “man’s man,” physically fit, and always working out. But while he is warm and open-hearted – as evidenced by the fact that Cat readily accepts Tong Yao onto the team – he is not the quickest to catch on in situations that involve emotions. That being said, it is Cat that is brave enough to speak up when Cheng arrogantly takes on the problems of the team alone. Cat reminds Cheng that they are all teammates and that they love and protect one another; that Cheng does not have to carry the burdens of the team alone. Lao K, known by his gamertag simply as K (Gao Han), by contrast, is the last team member to accept Tong Yao. K is ZGDX’s jungler and is the most metrosexual of the group and the only one worried about their skincare routines. But K is also the most empathic of the group, often the first to grasp the emotions behind a situation and tasked with explaining them to the others, particularly Cat.

Their relationship is subtle, and at times unclear, but it is open and embraced by their teammates. None of the teammates ever mock them – outside of usual friendship banter – which is a really positive step for LGBTQ+ relationships depicted in C-dramas.

Final verdict: MUST WATCH

I really enjoyed this C-drama and have virtually no complaints (outside of the numerous references to poop and diarrhea, which I have learned seems to be more uncomfortable for Americans than Asians). “FIYS” takes a good look at E-sports gamers/idols, their relationships, and the obstacles they face as they try to gain respect from the older generation and navigate the world of every day human needs and desires under the public’s watchful – and often times, critical – eye. This C-drama runs 31 episodes – which is significantly longer than the 16 episodes that K-dramas average – but I actually found it quite refreshing. At no point did I feel as if the tempo slowed or that the series was drawn out. The acting was great for both the Lead Couple and the Second Couple, and because all four characters had relationships with one another, their stories wove together beautifully. The story struck a nice balance between dramatic and humorous moments, making it fun to watch. The wonderful message of accepting ideas that are different from the norm is a message that every culture deserves to hear. And the OST was amazing, too. All-in-all, this was a terrific drama and I look forward to reviewing more C-dramas in the future!

So there it is, our very first C-drama review of “Falling Into Your Smile.” What did you think?! Thank you for joining us on this journey. Have a favorite C-drama you think we should review, comment down below!! We look forward to seeing you back again next week!

Up next, “The King: Eternal Monarch”

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