Fall In Love (从零到一的爱情)

a lighthearted short drama that’s full of clichés but still easy to watch

Synopsis

Fu Ze Yi, who has a dissociative identity disorder, and his other personality Lin gets triggered after meeting Jing Zhi Xia again. By keeping Jing Zhi Xia close to sustain Lin, Fu Ze Yi soon becomes his own love rival to capture Jing Zhi Xia’s heart.

Watch Fall In Love (从零到一的爱情) if you like:

• short length dramas – if you enjoy having a storyline that’s told in less than 20 episodes and around 30 minutes each, this one is easy to get through
• no “real” love triangle – both male lead’s real and alternate personalities fall in love with female lead – no external individuals involved

Avoid Fall In Love (从零到一的爱情) if you dislike:

• use of medical conditions as a plot device – male lead has DID (dissociative identity disorder) and while it may be an interesting factor, it may or may not be an accurate depiction of the disorder
• newer actors – these two leads are pretty new to acting (1-2 years of experience) and it shows

Final Review: Fall In Love (从零到一的爱情)

Falling in love with the real you

★★★☆☆ 3/5 Good to sip on!

Characters

Cai Zhuo Yi (蔡卓宜), also known as Joey Chua from The Sweetest Secret (2021), portrays Jing Zhi Xia. Jing Zhi Xia’s father passed away from a heart condition and left his hotel, Aizha, in her care with her uncle. Jing Zhi Xia has heart palpitations, and while abroad seeking care, she meets Lin, a pianist whose music calms her heart. Jing Zhi Xia decides to approach Lin, and the two soon fall deeply in love. However, she wakes up one day and finds him missing. Everything she thought she knew about Lin leads her to a dead end when she searches for his whereabouts. Upset at being deceived, Zhi Xia decides to move on but suddenly sees a man who looks exactly like Lin a year later. Upon confronting Lin’s lookalike, Fu Ze Yi, she becomes convinced that he’s trying to pretend that he doesn’t know her.

Though Jing Zhi Xia loves luxury bags and may seem like she doesn’t want to manage the hotel business, she truly cares for her father’s business. Jing Zhi Xia grew up in the hotel alongside all the long-time employees who now hold higher positions. So when faced with business issues involving Aizha, Jing Zhi Xia does her best to solve the problems professionally.

Xiao Kai Zhong (肖凯中) from Be My Cat (2021)

portrays Fu Ze Yi and Lin, a man with dissociative identity disorder. Fu Ze Yi is a cold-hearted CEO of a furniture business. He is accompanied by his trusty assistant and lawyer, Ai Xin. During his first meeting with Jing Zhi Xia, Fu Ze Yi intends to sue Aizha because the hotel purchased furniture that infringed on their products. However, his intentions go beyond seeking a settlement from Aizha. Fu Ze Yi plans to corner Aizha, making it difficult for them to support the hotel financially. This plan gradually unfolds as Jing Zhi Xia and her uncle consider selling some of their shares to pay off Fu Ze Yi. However, Fu Ze Yi doesn’t expect that his interactions with Jing Zhi Xia would force him to keep her close in order to protect himself.

Fu Ze Yi is perceived as unapproachable and cold-hearted due to his upbringing. He carries the burden of the family business and has strained relationships with his father and scheming uncle. As he spends more time with the lively Jing Zhi Xia, he begins to fall in love with her.

Lin is Fu Ze Yi’s alter personality, developed as a result of a traumatic childhood kidnapping incident. Whenever Fu Ze Yi feels overwhelmed, the playful and relaxed Lin takes control of his body. However, Fu Ze Yi struggles to control when Lin emerges and to limit Lin’s actions when he is conscious. To address his dissociative identity disorder (DID), Fu Ze Yi seeks help to eliminate Lin, his alternate personality.

Their relationship raises moral issues. Fu Ze Yi initially keeps Jing Zhi Xia by his side to use her as a means to keep Lin at bay and take control of her hotel. This certainly does not make Fu Ze Yi an ideal male lead in any way. I understand why Jing Zhi Xia disliked him for a considerable period of time, as he initially used her for personal gain and bullied her in the process. However, when Fu Ze Yi finds himself falling for Jing Zhi Xia, he subconsciously allows himself to be in less than ideal situations just to be close to her, even engaging in aggressive fights with his alternate personality for her.

Other Characters

The side couple in Fall In Love consists of Jing Zhi Xia’s cousin, Jian Bu Fan, played by Shen Yang (沈洋), and Fu Ze Yi’s assistant, Ai Xin, played by Peng Gao Chang (彭高唱). Ai Xin is Jian Bu Fan’s senior in school, and Jian Bu Fan has always had a crush on her. On Ai Xin’s graduation day, she jokingly promises Jian Bu Fan that she will consider him when he grows taller than 180 cm. Now that Jian Bu Fan is 185 cm tall, he approaches Ai Xin, only to realize that she doesn’t recognize him and is already engaged.

Yu Kai Ning (余凯宁) portrays the popular idol, Ye Yu Xi, who purposely causes trouble for Jing Zhi Xia due to her mother’s involvement with his brother. This sparks jealousy in Fu Ze Yi, even though Ye Yu Xi doesn’t develop any feelings for Jing Zhi Xia. On the other hand, we have the female antagonist, Hu Bei Er, played by Huang Yun Yun (黄云云 ), who is interested in Fu Ze Yi. She uses her position as the daughter of He Lai Jewelry to get close to Fu Ze Yi and engage in business with him.

Similarly to Ye Yu Xi, Jing Zhi Xia’s uncle, Jing Jian, portrayed by Shi Da Mao (时大髦), plays a comedic role as an uncle and father figure to Jian Bu Fan. Although he may hold the highest authority at Aizha, he is silly and often relies on Jing Zhi Xia to handle much of the business. In contrast to Jing Zhi Xia’s laid-back uncle, Fu Ze Yi’s uncle, Fu Zheng Rong, portrayed by Zhou Xiao Chuan (周小川), harbors a evil intentions against Fu Ze Yi and seeks to bring him down.

Several side characters contribute to the fun and enjoyment of the series. The dynamic between Jian Bu Fan and his father, who may appear too young to play a father/uncle, adds humor as they bicker and appear lost in the company. I genuinely question how Aizha is being run with Jing Jian leading the company, but I appreciate the contrast between his character and Fu Ze Yi’s uncle, who is affectionate and somewhat clumsy. Although Ye Yu Xi has limited screen time, it is entertaining to see him initially act high and mighty, only to eventually become another Jian Bu Fan. Even characters like the recurring police officer add lightheartedness during their bickering moments.

Review

Fall In Love, also known as Cong Ling Dao Yi De Ai Qing or 从零到一的爱情, is an 18-episode romantic Chinese drama that was released in 2022. It is a low-budget production featuring newer actors and actresses in leading roles. Many of the characters’ clothes were recycled, resulting in a less sleek, posh, and fashionable appearance than one would expect from wealthy CEOs and shopaholics. Both Cai Zhou Yi and Xiao Kai Zhong were participants in iQiyi’s Youth With You Season 2 and Tencent’s Produce Camp 2019. Following their participation in the idol competition shows, the two have starred in dramas, giving them approximately two years of acting experience. Initially, in the first few episodes, their performances felt stiff, exaggerated, or lacking in the appropriate emotions. However, as the drama progressed, it became evident that Cai Zhou Yi and Xiao Kai Zhong had found the right way to portray their characters, resulting in a more natural depiction of emotions and traits. Xiao Kai Zhong has several supporting roles in upcoming dramas that are currently in post-production, and I am eagerly anticipating their release.

I have always been drawn to learning more about dissociative personality disorders, multiple personality disorders, or anything related to the psyche. This drama caught my attention because it features a male lead with dissociative identity disorder (DID). However, like many dramas or movies that involve mental or physical disorders, it seems that DID is primarily used as a romantic plot device to create misunderstandings and keep the two leads together. Fu Ze Yi having DID doesn’t necessarily add depth to his character or the plot, even though it helps drive the story forward.

There was one scene in episode 12 that stood out to me the most and made me dislike Jing Zhi Xia’s character, taking me out of the immersion of watching the drama. In that scene, Jing Zhi Xia decides to walk away from Fu Ze Yi after discovering the truth about his disorder. She blames him for lying to her and emphasizes her own feelings over someone struggling with DID, even though Fu Ze Yi himself cannot control it and hadn’t disclosed the truth to her. Many thoughts went through my head at that moment. One of them was how selfish Jing Zhi Xia is to prioritize her broken heart over the well-being of Fu Ze Yi or Lin. If she truly cared for them, she would be more concerned about their mental health. If this were a real-life situation, I would be upset and heartbroken by the actions of someone with the same mindset as Jing Zhi Xia. I also had concerns about the accuracy of the treatment procedure Fu Ze Yi was going to undergo and the approach to treating DID.

If we set aside the disorder, Fall In Love is a fast-paced drama that focuses solely on the love story between Jing Zhi Xia and Fu Ze Yi. However, I wouldn’t categorize it as a sweet romantic drama. It takes us through their misunderstandings, getting to know each other, sorting out their feelings, and only then do they finally get together. This means there weren’t many sugary sweet scenes. Well, sugar may have been sprinkled through the misunderstandings in identity and external drama, but it felt insufficient. I found Jing Zhi Xia’s confession scene to be the cutest in the show, purely because of Fu Ze Yi’s reaction.

The story incorporates cliché tropes such as a family member seeking revenge and a female antagonist who appears two-thirds into the drama to try to steal the male lead away. I found these tropes to be somewhat dated for an original script that is not an adaptation. However, due to the drama’s short length, these elements were only briefly touched upon and didn’t make it feel overly angsty, although they may have seemed somewhat contrived for the plot. Additionally, because of its short length, there wasn’t much room for unique character development or themes, apart from the inclusion of DID. Despite these flaws, Fall In Love was still quite enjoyable to watch. In fact, the ending saved the show by addressing Fu Ze Yi’s disorder, trauma, and how it had affected him over the years. The way Fu Ze Yi struggled to define his identity and the guilt he carried because of Lin took time to be addressed. And as one might expect, because Fu Ze Yi fell in love with Jing Zhi Xia, it ultimately set him free from Lin. This is a story that may not be entirely conclusive or error-free, and I wonder if the involvement of six scriptwriters contributed to the complexity of the plot. Nonetheless, despite its flaws, it offers enough for fans of this genre to enjoy.

If you have watched Fall In Love, and don’t mind sharing your opinions with me, do leave a comment!

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