Time to Fall in Love (2022)

Formulaic and Fun Fluff

In decades of television watching, I haven't met a contract relationship drama that I find completely unbearable. (A Business Proposal did test my resolve) Despite the fact that the C drama production line churns them out as if entire livelihoods depend on them, I always manage to find one to suit the mood I'm in. It's no different in this case.

I'm a sucker for contract marriage tropes in the same way people hanker for Korean fried chicken. It's moreish, a guilty pleasure and we know exactly what's on offer. No more, no less. In other words, it's unabashedly a tropefest... with a vengeance. Too much can undoubtedly lead to indigestion. Hence things play out very much by the numbers: sign the contract, cohabitate, misunderstandings, feelings develop, obstacles from within and without, last-minute separation and then the happily-ever-after.

Right out of the romance playbook is the grumpy but ridiculously good-looking CEO who is being pestered by his doting grandmother who uses her ailing health to force him into finding a bride ASAP. Being the good grandson that he is, (and he's probably sick of the nagging too) he complies and settles on He Jinxi who forces her twin sister Su Yanxi to take her place to fulfil the contract. In predictable fashion, the nicer younger sister enters the Gu household and very quickly the tsundere CEO, Gu Xicheng falls for her winsome ways affecting an indifference he doesn't feel. Soon he's pleading for her to stay and indeed who can resist those puppy dog eyes? She succumbs to the wooing but suffers pangs of guilt from time to time for the deception, dreading the day that he will have to be told about her real name. Meanwhile he romances her like there's no tomorrow proving that there's a beating heart 'neath the harsh exterior. Moreover, like all tsunderes that have come beforehand, he is a man living with trauma and abandonment issues.

It's everything we've seen before but of course this is a 24 episode C drama and obstacles to happiness must come into it sooner or later. Rivals enter and wreak havoc. One being Nangong Liuli, who has the oddest idea that Gu Xicheng used to be in love her ie. the clingy type who is an utter disgrace to womanhood with her antics. In no time she turns into an emotional basket case when she can't take "no" for an answer. Then there's Fu Boye, a childhood friend of Su Yanxi. He too may or may not have special feelings for Su Yanxi aka He Jinxi. His fixation with Xixi comes across as rude but it can't be disputed that it keeps Gu Xicheng on his toes.

The show makes no claim to originality but gets plenty of mileage (as one might expect) from having attractive actors at the helm. Luo Zheng certainly looks the part and easily slips into the one-woman-only man role with ease. I liked his chemistry with Lin Xiyi who plays the woman he falls for. He doesn't have to extraordinarily good here (and he's not) but he does enough to convince me that he's in love with Xixi. Besides I watch these things mostly to see the male lead fall for his fated love and I wasn't disappointed. Lin Xiyi is the good-hearted Xixi whose good naturedness is calculated to thaw the CEO faster than the speed of sound. When she's not romancing him, she's doing cosmetics livestreaming with her bestie Lu Anan (Li Xinran) who doubles up as love interest for Xicheng's PA and brother-in-arms, Situ Shuo (Wang Xudong).

There's a nice bit of fan servicing or should I say lip servicing from Episode 16 onwards. Or episodes 16-20 more precisely. That's before the axe falls and the evil twin returns to the plot with her menacing best. It does get nasty and predictably all skeletons come tumbling out of the cupboard one at a time at the writer's whim. It is around this period that Xixi becomes a constant source of frustration and sets up a very unnecessary last minute separation. It's her opportunity to take control of the narrative but no, she doesn't even follow her own advice. It's tiring to watch because Xicheng (who is no fool) is practically begging her to tell him why she's moody and moping when the evil twin tries to drive a wedge between the leads.

In the end, this is harmless fluff. No thinking is required and none is recommended. Just sit back, relax, count the tropes and enjoy the nuttiness.

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Loved it~

I was looking for a quick-watch drama when I stumbled across this title. It didn't take much convincing since I love Luo Zheng and I remembered the female lead from another drama. The show is definitely trope-filled, but I knew what I was getting into (plus I secretly love cliches). The main cp had beautiful chemistry and the second leads started out annoying but I loved them by the end. Though some parts were predictable, there were a few surprises in there that I wasn't expecting. I laughed a lot and cried more than I thought I would. It was short and sweet and gave me all the feels I was looking for. Also, Luo Zheng's face is just....I mean....need I say more?

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tropes-galore, only good for that classic fluffy rom-com feel

Ok, I’m going to write my first ever review with spoilers.
This drama’s storyline is all the tropes wrapped up into a coherent drama. There is nothing novel here, no major plot twists, you could see what was going to happen for the most part, from the start. But you’ll have lots of laughs, second hand embarrassment, and an at least decent OST.
For everyone who wants to know all the tropes in this drama, I’ve tried to take note of them (hopefully I at least got most HAHA)
- The ones you could tell from the summary: twin switching identities, contract marriage to fulfill grandparent’s wishes (on FL side, for money), two love triangles, ML CEO & poor FL
- ML & FL first meeting is misunderstanding (FL thinks ML is rude)
- Accidental kiss within 1st ep
- Childhood backstory (ML & FL AND SML & FL)
- FL’s mom is in the hospital and she needs to pay the bills
- Ex-“good friend” of ML (I’ll just call her SFL) Comes back after “improving her social status” to match ML and tries to win ML over (and sabotages FL in the workplace and in FL’s relationship with ML)
- SML tries to convince SFL to not act crazy/manipulative (there are two different ways love triangles pan out)
- ML best friend/secretary paired with FL best friend
- ML falls for FL first while in the contract relationship (and has fits of jealousy…FL also gets jealous too later on)
- ML talks to FL under the guise of anonymous online friend
- FL get kidnaped, ML saves her
- ML finds out about FL’s secret on his own; and it causes split
- Princess carries, ML saving FL from drunk person, ML gets hurt saving FL and FL puts on medicine, kissing in the rain, cheesy romantic lines
There area a *few* non-tropes though…but I won’t write it all out.

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Typical and bitchy ;)

This has CLICHE written all over it!! ;) Overbearing CEO✔️ Contract Marriage✔️ Accidental fall and kiss✔️ Annoying best friends who will eventually fall in love ✔️? Love rival✔️ ML cooking for FL ✔️ Princess Carry✔️ Save the damsel in distress✔️ Sister jealousy and trying to destroy your life✔️And the list goes on... ;););)

It’s typical but I am quite enjoying it lol (only from Ep 1-9) The later episodes are full of bitchiness from the girl/ boy love rivals and towards the end from the jealous sister. I really couldn’t take all the lying and back-stabbing so I ff quite a bit. And of course-lack of communication from our main couple. The side couple which are their best friends is annoying, yeesh.

The romance development was not great, but there are quite a few of tender and pda scenes. Chemistry was quite good. Let’s be honest, I only finished it to watch Luo Zheng ;) Don’t expect too much, just watch this in between some serious ones and you’ll be fine;)

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Easy to watch modern romance when you have nothing else to watch....

I watched this drama because I like ML. He was in Oh My Lord (costume drama). He is very handsome and good actor. So I had a high hope for this drama.

This drama is a typical contract marriage, fall in love later, secret behind the contract marriage, mean female co-worker/ex-GF, quarrel between CP, second CP story that is bit boring, misunderstanding, reconcile, then quarrel again, then reconcile.... it was just going on and on and on. I think this type of contract marriage story may be getting old. So it was bit boring to me, but since I liked ML, I was able to complete the drama. I also felt chemistry between ML and FL weren't there, maybe because I wasn't really impressed with FL's acting or her character. And ML had too much lipsticks or gross on. His lips were always red and wet looking. I understand even male actors need make up, but it was bit too much.

If you like this type of romance, I definitely recommend "Hello Mr. Gu" . Very similar story about young CEO and young female romance with contract marriage. FL is very cute and ML is very handsome too. The story is lot better than this one.

I also noticed quite a few editing problems. I would say more like illogical skipping of the scenes and stories. However, if you want to watch something easy and no need to pay attention to the story, then this drama will do.

Oh, I loved the Granma character, she was super cute!

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The drama Time to Fall in Love is a nice watch while waiting for a great one to come. Although the drama is full of clichés, it is the lack of good acting and a female lead that, even when the male lead is sincere toward her, shows no trust in his feelings and desire to protect her. The storyline of the secret that can’t be reveal is insubstantial since it is the switched sister that was liked since the beginning. What saves this drama from been considered a complete flunk is the male lead and the romantic scenes. Overall, push the forward button for those unnecessary filler scenes, and you will find that the drama is not great but it is entertaining enough to watch.

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Poorly done ? parody? Up to you...

One day, I imagined a “build your own drama” dice game, with the most recurring clichés, twists, etc. in dramas, on the different sides of the dice. I think the screenwriter must have used it to decide which shots were going to come out in the next episode of this series.
Indeed, ALL the clichés are here :The swapping of the twins, the girls who twist their ankle twice per episode, the grandmother who pushes for marriage, the comeback of the ex-students in love who return after several years, the cold CEO but super attentive, the night of drinking that leads to misunderstanding, lost childhood friends, accidental kisses, ... I certainely forget some, there are too many. And all this, in 24 episodes of 35 minutes!
Oops... Here, amnesia and the "white truck of doom" are still missing.

PLOT: A cold CEO, very lonely and with OCD & trauma, makes a "fake girlfriend" contract with a blogger to please his grandmother. But the blogger (irresponsible and selfish) goes abroad with her sick mother, and is replaced by her twin sister (FL), a streamer.

PROS:
+ Very good actors, who do everything they can to save the series.
+ a lot of passionate kisses
+ Nice and well-suited OSTs,
+ a slightly worn out plot but which could be well exploited.

BUT :
- the storyline is FULL of worn out and reused clichés.
- the characters, supposed to have studied in Germany, speak German in a RIDICULOUS way (they don't even know how to say "yes" in German...). Seriously ?
- the love rival of the FL, obsessive, is so excessive that in Europe we would send her straight to the psychologist! And her lover makes a good match! Ripe for the psychiatric hospital...
- the city is as big as a pocket handkerchief, because the characters keep meeting each other by chance...
- the last episodes are full of useless chatter: "we have to find my mother, we have to find my mother..." without the protagonists doing anything useful or intelligent. Just the art of prolonging problems.
- Not to mention the ultra melodramatic scenes in the finale (ಠ益ಠ)

- AND ABOVE ALL, throughout the drama, the events are poorly managed, everything is extremely clumsy, artificial. We can even wonder if the director did not want to make a parody like this ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

=> A too long a list of complaints for this drama to be good. What a shame !
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J'avais un jour, imaginé un jeu de dés "construisez votre drama", avec sur les différentes faces des dés à lancer, les clichés, les twists, ... les plus récurrents dans les dramas . Je pense que le screenwriter a dû l'utiliser pour décider quels clichés allaient sortir dans le prochain épisode de cette série.
En effet, TOUS les clichés sont là !! L'inversion des jumelles, les filles qui se tordent la cheville 2 fois par épisode, la grand-mère qui pousse au mariage, le comeback des ex-étudiants amoureux qui reviennent après plusieurs années, le cold CEO mais super attentionné, la nuit de beuverie qui prête à malentendu, les amis d'enfance perdus de vue, les baisers accidentels, ... J'en oublie, il y en a trop. Et tout ça, en 24 épisodes de 35 minutes !
Oups... Ici, il manque quand même l'amnésie et le "withe truck of doom".

PLOT : Un cold CEO, très solitaire et avec TOC & trauma, conclut un contrat de "fake girlfriend" avec une blogueuse pour faire plaisir à sa grand-mère. Mais la blogueuse (irresponsable et égoïste) part à l'étranger avec la mère malade, et se fait remplacer par sa jumelle (la FL), streameuse.

+ De très bons acteurs, qui font tout ce qu'ils peuvent pour sauver la série.
+ a lot of passionnate kisses
+ des OST sympas et bien adaptés,
+ un plot un peu usé mais qui pourrait être bien exploité.

MAIS :
- la storyline est BOURRÉE de clichés usés et réutilisés.
- les personnages, censés avoir fait leurs études en Allemagne, parlent allemand d'une façon RIDICULE (ils ne savent même pas dire "oui" en allemand...). Sérieux ?
- la love rival de la FL, obsessionnelle, est tellement excessive qu'en Europe on l'enverrait direct chez le psy ! Et son amoureux fait bien la paire ! Mûrs pour l’hôpital psychiatrique...
- la ville est grande comme un mouchoir de poche, car les personnages ne cessent de se rencontrer par hasard...
- les derniers épisodes sont plein de blabla inutiles : "il faut trouver ma mère, il faut trouver ma mère..." sans que les protagonistes ne fassent rien d'utile ou d'intelligent. Juste tout l'art de faire durer les problèmes. Sans compter les scènes ultra mélodramatiques du final (ಠ益ಠ)
- ET SURTOUT,durant tout le drama, les évènements sont mal amenés, tout est extrêmement maladroit, artificiel. On peut même se demander si le réalisateur n'a pas voulu faire une parodie du genre ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

=> Une trop longue liste de complaintes pour que le drama soit bon. Dommage !

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Twins again...this poor guy seems to be stuck in the twin genre!

We're all adults who've seen more than one c-drama in this genre so we should be going into this knowing it's going to be what it sets out to be, a trope filled, fluff romance with a predictable but enjoyable plotline. I don't know what everyone is expecting but this is a middle of the road rom-com that is exactly what it sounds like it's going to be. Don't expect some artistic masterpiece, this is an enjoyable 24 episode worth of mindless entertainment and nothing more.
Luo Zheng has to have done at least 3 or 4 dramas about twins who swap identities in the last few years, I hope they let him break free soon but I got to say he's great at creating believable chemistry with every FL I've seen him paired with. He gives good skinship and looks either tender or passionate enough to make my heart skip a beat!

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Same Old, Same Old

This is a typical drama about a contract wife was no different then any other story about a contract relationship. At first they hate each other then they fall in love then a secret is revile and they separate and at the last 10 minutes of the last episode they get back together. In between you have an evil sister (Twin Of Course) an obsess old girlfriend and boyfriend, secrets and lies and a second couple that are friends of the leads that are ridiculous. There some over acting, but the romance was a little more then usual. Nothing was disappointing because it was so expected that I could have told the story without watching. The actors performance was good but the writer needs to update his story line and stop using what every other drama has been using.

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The Right Twin Sister

"No matter what happened before, and for whatever reason you came to me, my feelings have never changed a bit. Please trust me too. I love you."

"From now on, I'll love her, spoil her, respect her and care for her. Whatever difficulties and challenges we may encounter in the future, I will always cherish her and see her as my life." ?

Likes
1. This drama has all the fun and not so fun tropes. Contract relationship and falling in love for real switched identities and bad sibling exposing the secret, annoying SLs who can't move on, and cool best friends of the leads falling in love and helping the couple. The second leads and the sister are super crazy so fast forward them if you like.
2. Super love Gu Xicheng and Sun Yanxi. They are so cute together!! They were supportive of each other. And we later find out they had a childhood encounter too.
3. The romance of the two best friends were also funny!
4. The mischievous grandma is sweet unlike the usual dramas.

Dislikes
1. The SML and SFL were so clingy and annoying!! I thought Nangong was an ex gf but turns out it was one sided! Never seen SLs as psychotic and deluded as them. I couldn't even care what happened to them esp to Boya.
2. The real and new face He Jinxi was ugly. Inside and outside. I like what Gu Xicheng said that she could never be Yanzi because they are not the same people. Yanzi is nice, sweet and hard working that's why everyone loves her while Jinxi is so horrible. But i can understand how sad and unloved she must have felt all these years.

Rating: 8.5/10

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Absurd plot, rage-inducing characters, and toxic masculinity under the guise of romance

At first when i saw the bad review I thought it was an overreaction, but turns out it hits the nail on the head. The script is written by a hormonal teenager to fulfil her absurd fantasy that would never happen irl. Aside from the draggy, cliched, and far-fetched plot, their chemistry is super forced, flimsy, unconvincing, and poorly developed. The misunderstanding makes zero sense and can be easily avoided with communication. I don't understand FL's need to keep her identity a secret from ML when all she needed to do is to sit down and explain her situation. Gosh the decisions those characters made are just mind-boggling to me.

What's more vexing is how rage-inducing and one-dimensional the characters were written, especially the males, who are the epitome of toxic masculinity and noble idiocy. ML is shallow, immature, jealous in a very unreasonable and possessive fashion, and quick to jump to conclusion. His character is also inconsistent. One moment he's perceptive and overly fussy about her needs, and would take her side and trust her unconditionally; the next he's cluelessly insensitive and doesn't recognize why she's angry, then he refused to listen to her reason nor have any shred of trust in her and thus neglected her. The amount of ignorance and inconsistency is just too much. Apart from that, both 2FL and 2ML are revolting scums who rationalize their toxicity under the guise of love; but nothing compared to FL's despicable twin, who's driven by self-entitlement, pure greed, unjustifiable malice, and mindless jealousy. Most infuriatingly, all those evil deeds would be absolved with a mere apology and no redemption.

Both leads give me so much secondhand embarrassment *cringe*. I was willing to overlook the forced chemistry and wait until it becomes natural, but after ep18 it still feels forced af. I came here for the steamy kiss but realized it's just not worth it. Save yourself the emotional distress and take a hard pass on this.

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