Never Give Up and Never Give In (In Sports and In Love)
There have been other good Noona romances in recent dramas, but Falling Into You tops the rewatch list for me.The theme centered around track and field athletes and their passions, dreams, and doubts. However, it was the love story that was candy for me. Those looking for good romance will not be disappointed by the great mix of sweet yet flirtatious, innocent yet sexy, complex yet enduring love between an aspiring coach and her idealistic student.
This show was already off to an awesome start when it featured two gorgeous actors as the main CP, who also had fantastic chemistry with each other. Nothing could get in the way of sparks between these two, especially when the romance began to heat up. I love that the actors were not shy about the kiss and intimate scenes, and I have to say they did remarkably well in this aspect.
Perhaps part of the credit should go to the director, Yi Zheng, who also directed "Love Between a Fairy and Devil", in which he was able to draw out excellent emoting from the leads.
Fun fact: Gina Jin is 8 years older than Wang An Yu, the same age gap as the main characters that they portrayed. Despite the age difference, they did an excellent job as a couple whose journey of love was so organic and wholesome. It was so enjoyable to watch our CP grow from the natural conflict of their budding relationship and going through the challenges of other people's prejudices to becoming a couple that inspired relationship goals. Once committed, they were unwavering in their support of each other and their faith in one another.
I was not surprised by Gina Jin's wonderful performance as Luo Na, the older woman who resisted at first but eventually fell for the charms of her persistent student. She is definitely a talent and simply stunning, even in plain athletic gear. She has played a similar role in "Why Women Love" and I hope she will not be typecasted.
Our perfectly handsome male lead was no doubt an eye candy. Perfect face, flawless skin, great physique. However, Wang An Yu wasn't all looks. This pretty face can cry! I am impressed with his emotional scenes, and there were many of them. After all, our adorable Duan Yu Cheng was still a 20-year-old boy on a path of self-discovery and smitten with Luo Na while trying to achieve his dream of being a top high jumper. I also liked Duan Yu Cheng's sportswear and casual outfits. This guy looks good in everything.
Some other characters fell flat or were unnecessary, but the cast did well overall. Watching the interactions between team members and coaches was fun; there were many hilarious and heartwarming moments. The show could have done away with some filler episodes and given us less of a rushed feeling toward the end. Still, it was a satisfying ending.
The OST was memorable, and I particularly liked the various songs played throughout the episodes. The two leads also sang a song each, and for posterity, I have listed all the songs I could track down at the end of this review.
All in all, Falling Into You was refreshing, entertaining, and binge-able. I could not recommend it more!
OST list:
* Love Blinds (Kéren)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dneyEcIm0Hg
https://open.spotify.com/track/7iwGlPC4KxQ96CjYFD2YvU?si=bb90e03c45be43b4
* The Biggest Part of Me (The Home of Happy and Dane Etteridge)
https://open.spotify.com/track/29CBEod7xU7sVqpb7XaK5d?si=bbff9b8140134d2d
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YStkj_2m2Ko
* Everybody On Your Feet (Amphibious Zoo Music)
https://open.spotify.com/track/00vS1coaTZjwiA4MKQbCnR?si=53314df83ca84768
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87LdNYETuGI
* Standing in the Moonlight (Soul Mechanic)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad91jxkTuak
https://open.spotify.com/track/0GVYSKXYMn4NzQC6DMnXNs?si=a4e5938621624d52
Call it What you Want (Antisocialites)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zRCUXKCkJM
https://open.spotify.com/track/0u60YRwLtd4HnaxkB7hmg9?si=2b820d94f7c04beb
* Girls Like You (Corban Shane Calhoun & Gabriel Canadian & Joshua Joseph Wilcutts)
No link
Brighter Days (Hanna Lynn Miller)
https://open.spotify.com/track/7ecwUJoCpwrfeN9tb5Vxgj?si=4857cadc31a14015
Uncorrupted (Julia Church)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5t_9ydDJm8
https://open.spotify.com/track/7tOu3piRvStm3BCk5CH7Q2?si=960e749f8cd94f8b
* 阳光 海浪 我和你 (Sunshine, waves, me and you) - 刘宇宁 (Liu Yu Ning)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk1o2AnIO_k
* 阴天转晴 (Cloudy and sunny) - 王安宇 (Wang Anyu)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLLr3K7aQDA
https://open.spotify.com/track/6OPvc0ghjjsXwG1Dh4xYzA?si=4b1a8b99e2234e29
* 度过此刻 (Spend This Moment) - 夏日入侵企画 (Summer Invasion Project)
https://open.spotify.com/track/5DmlNe79sX7LUHJrPZ9gSj?si=02df7f3e1e404ada
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jnj8v43ktdA
* 怦然心动 (Heartbroken) - 汪睿 (Wang Rui)
https://open.spotify.com/track/6UosPIGzBTMm3psQapq6ps?si=f0f989ec59994978
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y4MlP4H8jU
* 要不要留下来 (Do you want to stay) - 金晨 (Jin Chen)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjAE5v2pyQM
https://open.spotify.com/track/4jilfKy9z2tYwUN4jV57Pn?si=df0fc232693a4526
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High Jumping Comedic Romance
What drew me to this series was the sportiness with a side of romance and drama. Wanted something fun and easy while watching heavier stuff. Only know Gina Jin from a previous show this year which was also an older woman/younger man thing but this one actually had a plot and good acting.Pros: I really liked the underdog kid ML who was always critiqued for being too short to do the high jump but nothing slowed him down. There was only an 8 year age difference between the leads and the ML was 20 when they got together. So to those who feel skeaved out by these kinds of scenarios; don't worry, everyone was an adult in this one. The chemistry between the leads was palpable from the get go. But it was the sportiness, comedy, and the ML's iron clad determination to continue to do what he loved that kept me watching. The FL was a great beginners coach and was very credible in her role.
The beginning and ending credits and OSTs were beautiful and all perfectly placed. I liked the pace of the story as it never dragged nor felt cliché. As a fan of track and field in the Olympics this peaked my interest and I was even more impressed that they cast an actual high jumper athlete to both help/encourage the lead in his role but also as one of the supporting characters; just made it feel more authentic. Was it 100% perfect in all of the sport parameters? No, but this was a drama, not a documentary, so it wasn't expected.
For a c-drama, this had very mature romance which was a nice added touch. There were no lips pressed together and wide eyed looks of confusion from whichever lead. Each kiss after the first and romantic first night together were very convincingly done.
Cons: This would have gotten a rare 10 from me had it not sent this great and light-hearted for the most part drama off the rails in the last 3 episodes with the crazy reporter and her unnecessary garbage plus all that other junk that then had to quickly spin a plot of ML going overseas to train with FL's dad. If this thing was to be included, it had to start way earlier. But honestly, it really was unnecessary because they could have had him enter into some competition and show him winning or something and build up to the last 3 minute proposal that was then quickly turned into a wedding in the last episode. It was very haphazardly thrown together and if not for that last out of left field portion, could have had a very satisfactory and strong ending. I also wish they spent more time on the sports then the romance; had it more 50-50 especially towards the end. Sadly, editing went out the window via a javelin throw and that portion missed the mark.
Would I recommend it? I absolutely would. Despite the last 3 episodes being just essentially fillers, it was a very funny, easy on the brain, natural, and great show to watch which I enjoyed very much and will totally rewatch my favorite parts.
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Wow, what a lovely drama!!! I liked from the beginning to the ending, probably the most natural couple I've seen in a cdrama. They talk to each other about their feelings, they kiss, they have sex.
I didn't see much problem at the last 3 episodes, maybe felt a little rushed, but I prefer this than a dragged drama. The proposal was beautiful.
No villain, no evil parents, no love triangles, no silly misunderstandings, no break ups and what I think I liked the most: no secundary couples! For me in the majority of cdramas the secundary couples are very much unnecessary and sometimes annoying and I tend to skip their scenes. In this drama I didn't skip nothing. Simply adorable and enjoyable.
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A solid winsome rom-com that doesn't need to cheat
This is an angst light sport focused drama with a strong, swoon worthy noona romance running in parallel.The college aged ML falls in love with the FL at first sight. He was smitten and pursuits the FL with boundless energy. He picked a particular university just so that he can be coached by the FL. The FL is several years older than the ML so there is the usual push-pulls and denials. However, once she accepted his love, they are rock solid. It was so gratifying to see a relationship build upon trust and pure love. In fact, the FL should be applauded for her bravery and strength in pushing back against societal stereotypes and naysayers. Bravo!
I am thankful that there is no last minute breakups nor silly misunderstandings. The OTP are truly reading from the same page.
Of course there are tropes and cliché moments, this is a Chinese drama after all. Thankfully, they are under a tight rein and doesn't feel too contrived. Plots are mostly allowed to progress naturally.
Acting is fine all around. The ML has been in a number of school/college dramas so he is perfectly casted and is in his element. His training and competition scenes are well done and fairly believable. The FL played the noona role to perfection. She spent nearly the whole show in tracksuits or simple garb which is a refreshing change from the glam style of her other projects. She looks lean, fit and belongs on the sporting fields as a coach.
Most of the other actors are college age but they did fine. Lots of testosterone on display and their coming together to form their own band of brothers was gratifying to watch.
There is also a nice amount of skinship and no shortage of passionate kisses. An above average bedroom scene is a surprise bonus.
Not everything is wonderful though. There are some issues with the use of filters in post production whereby some scenes look like they are shot in fog and the actors looked washed out and glowed with a strange aura. This caused some online remarks and the director acknowledged the issue and dial back the effect in later scenes. The ending also feels rushed. The HEA ending is never in doubt but it feels underdone. Could have added more fan service.
It is not going to win any awards but it is a straightforward and satisfying watch. It is not artificially sweetened and the sports theme provided the necessary trials and tribulations without having to cheat by adding manufactured angst.
I enjoyed this show very much and would recommend it without reservations. OST is fun and breezy. Rewatch will not be a chore.
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The grand gesture olympics...
This drama has so much going for it, the leads are great, there are no overly annoying characters, the intimate scenes are fluffier than fluffy, and the male lead takes off his shirt a lot... Add to it that it is a genre I generally enjoy, so how come I could not rate this higher than a 7,5?It could be my high expectations of the cast and theme or it could just be that this drama had a lot of potential as well as a lot of good to it, The characters where not bad, but they were not very relatable and very little about the situation and twist were properly explored or made any sense for that matter. It felt like they put all their effort in to making fluffy scenes with grand gestures and beautiful scenery that they forgot about adding a plot, depth... Etc. I just did not figure out when the female lead fell in love, there was very little hint of balance between the two, as most of the drama he just seems like a love sick puppy with a crush on his coach. So though the chemistry in the intimate scenes was there... it was more of a light switch deal on with the steam off with the steam... back to treating the guy like a kid,,, Add to it that Wang An Yu who normally has this amazing smile is seen making an ugly grin half of the time instead of making use of his beautiful smile making him seem more childlike and not the mature man he is supposed ot come off as...
The friendships are pretty decent but there is very little in this drama that will have you feel, well any kind of feeling as you wind up feeling ok, this was pretty, or that was a pity but move a long...
So was it bad, no not really, was it good no not really either... it is basically an easy watch that will shower you with gestures and beautiful scenes + scenery so if you are in the mood for fluff it is an ok place to find it, but I have seen better.
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40% sports, 60% romance
The Good⌲ The top tier noona romance
⌲ The nice romantic plot in general
⌲ The chemistry between the leads
⌲ The lack of breakups
⌲ The high jumps were filmed very well, they looked very authentic to my eyes.
⌲ Jumping was more interesting than I thought it would be.
⌲ There is a lot off fluff.
⌲ The realistic progress of their relationship
⌲ ML is acting immature even for his age, but it's refreshing that Lou Na just likes younger clingy guys, it's not the usual 30 year old noona with the personality of a high school junior formula..
The Average
⌲ The love triangle (it's not bad, but the sML had a few rather annoying scenes)
⌲ Chinese sports dramas tend to be borderline unwatchable for me, this one may be better than usual, but the sports aspect is at best average. (training and coaching are rather strange..)
⌲ The supporting cast is rather numerous, but most of them faded into the background.
⌲ ML's mom (She is bad, but has so little screen time that I found her character tolerable)
⌲ Shi Yin (token -pointless- love interest for ML that just gave up without wasting too much screen time)
⌲ This may be a romantic comedy, but the comedy is not exactly fantastic.
The Bad
⌲ The party with the childhood photos
⌲ Li Ge (the drama could've been 4 episodes shorter & I would've rated it at 9 without this character existing)
⌲ The discipline switching, twice
⌲ Stealing a kiss from a sleeping woman..
⌲ Episode 24 is horribly bad. (rushed scandal BS to chase away the talented athlete, I'm surprised this passed the censors tbh)
⌲ The ending is less than whelming. (rushed happy ending following a senseless long distance thing)
⌲ The cinematography is fine, but the editing is horrid. (brightness, contrast, color grading)
⌲ Some things about sports & athleticism were extremely poorly researched, or just forcefully adjusted to fit the frame of the story.
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Great Sports/ Romantic Drama storyline
First of all I want to thank the Writers and Producers, for not making the typical Bad Boy or Rich pouting, demeaning to women, gets everything at the end of Storyline man. You also didn't make a mumbling, weak minded, you can jerk me around and I will not fight back FL. This Storyline has so much in it, if you don't pay attention you'll miss out.The way you see Duan Yu Cheng go from a sort of rich, cocky boy to a respectable young man. You can see how he was so sure of himself, to be unsure of a lot of things. You can see the struggle within himself. Luo Na playing his coach knows how talented he is and that he was to cocky. She knows at one time he must hit a wall. When he hits that wall it is a wake up call for him. He realized that there is someone out there better than him. The coach doesn't give up on him.
I just finished the Storyline. It is one of the best Chinese Romantic Dramas. Finally the right people got what they deserved. The scenery was fantastic. The chemistry among Cast members was fantastic. It was an easy Storyline to follow. Politic was bad all over the world. What happened to Duan Yu Cheng was totally a sham. Luo Na played a strong positive for female role. You can see those two go together and how devoted they were to each other.
I will watch it again. I recommend it.
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This is more of a fluffy and cute romance drama than it is about sports!
When I started the drama, I thought its primary focus would be sports, but boy was I wrong! Sports are more of a medium for the fluffy romance between Luo Na and Duan Yu Cheng to ignite/take place; I mean, come on, it was evident from the very first episode when he made it his goal to enroll in the university she coaches in. He had an unparalleled passion for high jumping, sure, but let's not forget he also had the fattest crush on her from day 1.Putting all that aside, what I liked most about this drama was how smoothly the plot went. There were no breakups, no unnecessary quarrels, and no miscommunications. Furthermore, despite there being situations where the ML could've lashed out, he kept his zen instead, and whenever he was pushed down to the ground by others, he didn't hold a grudge on anything of that sort. He simply helped himself up and stepped aside, maintaining his peace and the peace of others. As for the FL, I loved how she didn't make it awkward to retain the friendship she had with Wu Ze even though he pulled the I-am-grieving-and-I-will-kiss-you stunt on her (that was kind of annoying and cowardly -- Trying to kiss the person you like because they're sympathizing with you in your mourning process). What I also liked about her is how serious, firm, and unwavering she is. Once she had her mind set on a belief, she protected it, and I guess that's where her personality intersects with the ML's. Other than that, I liked how the ML was only clingy around her. He never showed that side of himself to others, which I found kind of cute.
Moving on to the things I didn't quite enjoy: kissing without consent threw me off BIG TIME! I don't know who still thinks that's romantic. It ultimately isn't. Moreover, there is the fact that the ML was switching track fields around. At a certain point, because of his height, he was told that high jumping ain't for him, so he became a sprinter, but then again, a trainee in high jumping, what??? Besides, the way he left the national team after all the sweat and tears he put into training was silly and dumb. He could've stayed. Gosh, that was frustrating.
To put the last nail in the coffin, what happened to Shi Yin's one-sided love?? Out of nowhere, the girl vanished. She didn't even profess her love to Yu Cheng. I still don't find meaning in casting an actress whose character is pointless and does nothing to the course of events.
The plot and characters aside, the drama was shot beautifully, but there were some scenes where I really thought, Is this being shot by the same person? There was a particular scene where I couldn't look straight at the screen because the camera was rolling on and on and on until I felt dizzy. I am not even going to talk about the editing. Some scenes were so saturated, especially in the ML's hometown, I hardly enjoyed them. The music, however, was top-tier.
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Feel good, mature drama- unexpected from C-Dramas
Starting with a compliment- It didn't feel like a Cdrama.There was no simpering , overly cute, dolled up female character or a rich cold male character. The realism in the characters felt more like a Taiwanese or even a Korean drama. Loved the sports theme which was developed very well, all the characters looked like lean mean sports machines. Loved the way the characters remain in their sports garb, sweatshirts, with very little make up, just how you would expect serious sportspersons to behave.
The acting was to the point and chef's kiss to the leads. They literally carried the story on their shoulders. I am so amazed by Wang An Yu, he is evolving into one of the most competent actors in Cdramas-- note: his Forever Love remains one of my top rated dramas. He brings a rare believability into all the characters he plays. Wishing him all the success.
Same goes for Gina Jin, the FL. However I hope she doesnt do any more noona romances, because her character kept blurring into her last very very similar project, Why women love. Do yourself a favor, Gina, dont get typecast.
The weak point of the drama, is the story... After the confession, the story felt a bit like a documentary.. the narrative was a tad boring and flat. But the first 18 episodes were really good
The biggest issue I was uncomfortable with was the romance between a coach and her student. No it was not a deal breaker, but it made me think deeply about how most of us in the West, Korea, Japan and even global south would not be comfortable with a romance between a teacher and student. I think we are all very sensitized to asymmetry of power in the post me-too era . I know for sure that a romance between a teacher and student would not get produced by any Hollywood studio. I think maybe China still hasn't received the dispatch on this .
I esp appreciate the attempt to use pop numbers with English lyrics. This nod to the growing English speaking audience is worth applause. Not that the lyrics are of high quality, no indeed, some are poorly constructed, but the thought counts!!
Overall a very good satisfying watch
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Mature Noona Romance without undermining Passion. This drama has the best story and execution. Childish and at the same time mature couple "falling into" love with each other. The transition from the Master-pupil relationship to a Skinship cute love relationship is smooth and enjoyable. The only thing one may find difficult to accept in this drama is the age gap but if you are reading this review means you are not old school and you are quite pragmatic. So, that should not be a concern.
Pros:
+ Great Cinematography.
+ Acting of both ML and FL is top-notch. I knew FL will do great acting since I have watched her other dramas. But ML just nailed it. When he was crying I felt so real.
+ Amazing Chemistry starting from the First episode.
+ No Break-Up and No long misunderstandings.
+ Happy Ending.
+ Inspiration and motivation to not give up was something I didn't expect to get out of this drama before watching.
Cons:
- None
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Burning ♡♡(*´ω｀*)/♡Noona Romance
Great Drama. Chemistry between the main leads were so great it felt as if they were dating in real life. Maybe?ML and FL were really passionate in their intimate scenes! Too much skinship!
I highly suspect, if these leads were really a couple behind the camera! It's possible, many movie stars get into relationship, shortly after performing a passionate romance in their movies.
The way ML kissed, on FL's neck, down the neck, touching her lips while maintaining a close eye contact... FL garbing ML's chest, grazing his chest, his collar, touching his lips while speaking.... every thing she does is, she subconsciously giving into her wildest desires! Too many physical contacts, kisses, hugs, touches... When in close ups, FL's eyes are always at ML's lips..... She is crazy for him!
I am 100% sure that both the leads were couple at least during this drama shoot.
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