So far, episodes 1-7

So far Fall in Love with Me is a cute, funny, and easy show to watch although it’s pretty typical—klutzy girl with guy who comes to her rescue repeatedly. We’re at episode 7 and I’m wondering how the show’s main plot is going to last for at least a full 20 episodes. If it does, I’m going to walk away thinking the staff of OZ Advertising may be lovable, but they’re a bunch of dummies.

So advertising prodigy Lu Tian Xing is running away from his life when he is mistaken as a worker on the commercial set where OZ Advertising is filming. Because of previous bad encounters with Tao Le Si and his attempts not to get caught by his own staff at Tian Ji Advertising, he helps out on the set and pretends to be an ordinary guy named Xiao Lu. As Xiao Lu he starts working for OZ as a paid intern. The staff thinks he looks a lot like Lu Tian Xing, but eventually accepts that he is Xiao Lu. He settles in and seems like a much happier person working with the crew at OZ and fulfilling his mission to help the place that inspired him as a teen to pursue a career in advertising.

The good

Xiao Lu is completely adorable. There’s no not falling in love with Xiao Lu. He’s nice, handsome, smart, accommodating and helpful. I can even overlook him wearing what looks like the remains of his mother’s outrageously floral muumuu on occasion. At least unlike his real persona Lu Tian Xing, his outfits are nice 8 times out of 10. Apparently Tao Le Si can overlook a couple of tacky outfits, too. Because she falls as hard for him as he does for her. And that’s the problem—Xiao Lu and Lu Tian Xing are the same person. And Tao Le Si, nicknamed Tao Zi, HATES Lu Tian Xing.

Tian Xing and Tao Zi’s first encounter is an accident they have on the road that sends both of them to a hotel to shower. A mishap there allows Tao Zi to see Tian Xing fully naked. My first question is does Tao Le Si know about shrinkage? (See Seinfeld. Season 5, episode 20 for details.) Does this color her thoughts on Tian Xing? Maybe she didn’t get to look beyond the hint of chocolate abs he was trying to show. Or maybe she saw the results of shrinkage and decided he was absolutely not the guy for her. But honestly she looked a bit interested to me.

The annoying

Compared to Xiao Lu, Tian Xing really isn’t very likable. His style, his mannerisms, his cocky arrogance are all off-putting to me. He frowns more than he smiles. He fusses more than not. Even showing him having a PSTD-induced panic attack, while empathizing with him, still didn’t make me like him. Nor did it make me want the Tian Xing version of himself to win the affections of Tao Zi. And that’s the problem so far with Fall in Love with Me. How will the writers convince me and more importantly Tao Le Si to fall out of love with Mr. Perfect and fall for Mr. Fussy Pants? Tian Xing has his moments. He’s protective and gives good advice. He’s even romantic, when he’s by himself.

How can Tian Xing seem so genuine as Xiao Lu? Xiao Lu is a lot like the kid that first met the original OZ owner, Tao Le Si’s brother. Is Tian Xing just a performance he puts on to succeed in his industry? Because if so I get how you’d have a work persona and a home persona. Most of us are like that. But that leaves me rooting for Xiao Lu. Our sweet little deer. He seems happy with life and at ease, except for his growing discomfort with the fact that he’s lying to Tao Zi. Right now, I don’t want Tao Zi to fall for Tian Xing. I don’t like him enough. Especially after he tries to steal a kiss from the unwillingly Tao Zi.

The hilarious

This guy?

Or this friendlier version?

I find it hilarious that Tian Xing is jealous of the Xiao Lu version of himself because Tao Zi is already in love with him. His warnings to himself not to let her confess to Xiao Lu or for him not to confess to Tao Zi are funny to watch. It’s a whole new level of competition for a girl. Tao Zi’s other suitor, brother Leo, isn’t really in the running since he can’t even win against the guy who doesn’t actually exist.

The way Lu Tian Xing runs around town undressing in cars, bathrooms and closets to keep his pretense going at first I thought of him as Superman / Clark Kent. But when his totally cool and martial arts phenom butler/personal assistant Fu Bo arrives on the scene it makes him more like Batman/ Bruce Wayne with Fu Bo as Alfred. How the coworkers at OZ haven’t figured out the two guys are never in the same place at the same time I can’t understand. Why didn’t they question him about going missing when he was supposed to do the presentation, but Tian Xing does it instead. And seriously if you look deeply into someone’s eyes that you love, like Tao Zi does repeatedly, don’t you recognize those eyes–even if they are behind fake glasses? And what’s up with her not even asking Tian Xing why he had a panic attack? Maybe I’m too nosy but I sure as heck would have asked.

Despite the little faulty plot devices, it’s still enjoyable to watch. Can’t wait to find out why Tian Xing is an orphan and why he has panic attacks. And how will Tao Le Si react when she realizes he is the cause of her brother’s death and deceiving her about his identity? But most of all can we Fall in Love with him more than we’ve fallen for Xiao Lu?