This first episode is a delight to watch and to recap. I think the show nailed the execution and improved the plot. The characters feel alive instead of caricatures of themselves, which the show owed it to the original writer Gu Man also being the scriptwriter. If you like the book, I think you will enjoy this adaptation.
Game world. Lu Wei Wei Wei and Zhen Shui Wu Xiang are the two remaining players battling a monster, and they manage to defeat it with well-coordinated teamwork. The monster drops a powerful item, which Lei Shen Ni Ni gets. Another player outside their group wants it too and challenges Wei Wei to battle for it. Wei Wei agrees to fight him on behalf of her friend and they promise on a time.
Later when they are alone, Zhen Shui gently chides Wei Wei for still calling him so unfamiliarly. Another couple passes by, who calls each other husband and wife, highlighting their awkwardness even though they have already been “married” for half a year. Zhen Shui wants more and asks if she is studying in D City.
Switching to real life now, Bei Wei Wei (Zheng Shuang) is hesitant to exchange photos with Zhen Shui and denies his requests to meet for dinner. When she is about to reply, her laptop dies. Turns out her roommate Er Xi (Rachel Mao) fried the electrical circuit by cooking instant noodles. Wei Wei fixes it with expertise.
Problem solved, but the laptop won’t turn on. Er Xi sheepishly admits that she has oh so accidentally dropped the laptop when she borrowed it earlier. Wei Wei drags Er Xi out to get her laptop fixed. Er Xi complains that it is waste of a good day, while their roommates are out doing much more interesting things. But Wei Wei shuts her up, calling it her fault.
They ride on Er Xi’s scooter around the campus and come across a crowd staring at a basketball game poster. The silhouette hints that it is the campus Da Shen (the male equivalent of goddess), Xiao Nai, which gets all his fangirls excited. Exposition minions tell us that Xiao Nai is in senior year now and is rarely seen in campus.
Wei Wei is not immune to Xiao Nai’s charms either, as she tells Er Xi that they must be an hour early to get the best seats in the basketball court. Wei Wei explains that she is a huge fan, as they are also in the same course, and has downloaded all the softwares Xiao Nai designed. She says if the real world is like the gaming world, Xiao Nai would definitely be number one with his talent.
In a computer store, two girls are buying a hard disk as part of their plan to get help from one of the computer engineering guys. Meng Yi Ran, the campus beauty, asks if it will work and her friend assures her that there is no way they wouldn’t help knowing it is her. They are surprised at how expensive it is though, and tries to haggle with the owner. This is when Wei Wei and Er Xi comes in and overhears.
Wei Wei, who knows a thing or two being a computer engineering student, tries to help Yi Ran and points out that the owner is trying to sell a secondhand good for a higher price. Upon hearing it is Bei Wei Wei, Yi Ran smiles and basically screws her over, saying she believes the owner wouldn’t lie to her. Besides, he needs to make a profit too. Ugh, this girl.
Er Xi is as indignant at Yi Ran’s attitude as I am. She says it must because of their (one-sided) rivalry over last year’s campus beauty ranking. Yi Ran won with a photo which Er Xi says is photoshop-ed over a few days, lol. Wei Wei doesn’t think it’s a big deal, though she does wonder why Yi Ran acts like this when she won the title. Er Xi: “Maybe because her chest is flat?” Pfft.
Wei Wei excuses herself to go to a PC café, where Xiao Nai (Yang Yang) is discussing with his uncle about his plans to start his game company. Uncle promises him a gift (the PC café) if he wins this chess match, which Xiao Nai of course does. But he turns it down, preferring to work from the bottom. When they leave the room, Xiao Nai spots Wei Wei using a computer nearby.
He doesn’t know her but he is mesmerized by the way her fingers move across the keyboard. He has a stone face but he smiles seeing the way she plays the game. He moves closer and stands behind her, watching her defeat the guy who challenged her earlier. Xiao Nai stones while Wei Wei leaves, not knowing her Da Shen is just behind her.
When Wei Wei returns to the dorm, Er Xi recounts the Meng Yi Ran tale to their roommates Xiao Ling (Yu Qin) and Si Si (Song Xin Jia Yi). Thanks to that fiasco, Wei Wei has to resort to buying computer parts online and fixing it herself. She looks for her red notebook, where she makes notes about the game. She explains that it might help her become a game designer someday, preferably in Feng Teng Corp (from Boss & Me!).
In the literature department, Yi Ran confirms with her friend Na Na that it was really Bei Wei Wei yesterday. Even though she compliments Wei Wei’s looks, it looks more like she is fishing for her friend, who is more like a minion really, to tell her she is prettier. Na Na is really prejudiced against Wei Wei, thinking she is just trying to show off her knowledge in the computer store earlier.
She brings up the photo their friend Cao Guang took a few days ago, where Wei Wei got off a sports car. She says Wei Wei is not as innocent as Yi Ran thinks. Cao Guang (Johnny Bai Yu) enters and when pressed for the photo, he says he has deleted it. Na Na wonders if he has fallen for Wei Wei but he scoffs. He wouldn’t like a girl like Wei Wei (prepare to eat your words, boy!). Yi Ran just looks really thoughtful, absorbing all this in like ammo she will use someday.
Laptop fixed, Wei Wei logs into the game and find Zhen Shui’s request for a “divorce”. She is surprised but agrees easily. Zhen Shui wants to compensate her with an equipment but she turns it down. After all, they got “married” for a quest. They part without much fanfare.
Ni Ni finds Wei Wei picking herbs and she breaks the news that Zhen Shui is soon to “marry” Xiao Yu Yao Yao, who is selected as the most beautiful in the gaming forums. Ni Ni thinks that it is a pity. Apparently in the past Yao Yao is aiming for the number one in the rank, Yi Xiao Nai He. They were spotted together in the past. But it is obvious Wei Wei doesn’t really care for gossip, especially in-game gossip.
Hesitantly Ni Ni tells Wei Wei that there is also gossip about her. She is the only female in the ranking, she never asks other guys for equipment, and she never post her photos either. Everyone thinks she is a man behind the female persona. Wei Wei is so stunned and complains about a world that only cares for appearances. Er Xi chimes in to complain about that: “If you say that as a campus beauty, what about the rest of us peasants?”
Wei Wei receives the gaming notification that says Zhen Shui and Yao Yao has gotten “married” and heads over to attend their wedding march. But she gets an upset stomach and goes off to the washroom, leaving her avatar idly standing in the path of the march. It gets everyone curious about the “leftover” from Zhen Shui’s past, who thinks she is here to cause problems. They all wait to see a good show, nothing quite like a jilted lover at her past lover’s wedding.
Back in front of her laptop, Wei Wei finds herself at the centre of attention. If she leaves now, the peanut gallery will definitely think she is running away. So she decides to set up shop and sell off her high-level medicine. A dissatisfied Zhen Shui demands from an explanation, and poor Wei Wei helplessly answers that she is just here to check out the celebration.
The march moves on, and Wei Wei closes shop after selling out her inventory. She hears someone calling her and sees Yi Xiao Nai He, the number one fighter in the server, staring at her. He asks her opinion about the wedding earlier. Wei Wei wonders if someone as great as Nai He is here for gossip but answers that it is a grand one. Nai He: “Then do you want an even grander wedding? Get married to me.”
-ENDS-
Ryu: This is exactly what I needed after three entire weeks of misery. It is faithful to the original story and covers all the points that make it such a fun read, while fleshing out the plot and characters that never got the attention they deserve. What I appreciate most is those details feel organic to the story, instead of manufactured complications. Characters like Cao Guang and Meng Yi Ran weren’t important to the novel because they never were important to Wei Wei. But this is a drama, so we see more things from more perspectives (also, we do need to fill more screen time). Win-win. I am actually surprised how much I like this. Show, please don’t screw this up for me. Okay? Okay.
I love how well this show sets up our main character Wei Wei. Of course I adore her character from the novel, but I like how the drama shows us the type of person she is. I really admire how no-nonsense she can be. She doesn’t care for gossip or beauty rankings or when some girl decides she would much rather pay an exorbitant price for a third-rate product, thankyouverymuch. Above all, I enjoy her interactions with her roommates. They make me miss my best friends. I also can’t get over how cute Rachel Mao is. She is like a little chipmunk. So cute, so squeezable.
We catch a glimpse of Xiao Nai, quite literally Da Shen. We see more of his ridiculous popularity later on, and while I totally get it, it is still ridiculous. So, Da Shen is perfect. I actually have a problem with how perfect he is, in fact, I can’t think of anything that he is not good at. In the book, it is understandable because we see things from Wei Wei’s perspective and she pretty much puts him on a pedestal. I hope the show does better and humanise him more with some flaws, like not knowing how to tie his shoelaces or not being able to sleep without a teddy bear.
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
Omg you make this drama sound like it’s worth the watch! You’re pretty close to convincing me that I should give this a go. I look forward to your next recaps/reviews so I can ponder on this for a while longer!
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
So far it’s pretty good. It’s enjoyable because it’s pretty much angst-free and there’s a lot of fluff. If you like a breezy romcom, campus love story, definitely give it a try.
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
^ No need to ponder any further! Watch it STAT! Lol.
This show is exactly what I need before the heavy republican dramas in September to come!! Rachel Mao is killing it IMO. She’s such a natural and I’m looking forward to her villainy role in Princess Wei Young with Tang Yan! And she’s dating Chen Xiang. Life is complete.
Can’t wait till epiosde 13 where she and Johnny’s character flirt in the game… Oh… MY GAWDDDDDD.
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
LOL @ the picture of Xiao Tong staring at Zheng Shuang!! The girl is flat!! Just look at her twig body!!
In his next role, I would like to see some facial movement from Yang Yang…
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
I’d love to see more smiles from him, considering how smiley he is in real life. He’s always stuck with the poker faced roles like Ruo Bai and Xiao Nai. Although this time, Xiao Nai has a lot of subtle movements that are easy to miss if you blink!
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
It’s definitely because of his character. Xiao Nai is pretty much a stone face, high and lofty immortal type even in the modern world. I expect him to smile a lot more with Wei Wei in the future! And about Zheng Shuang’s chest, I think we can just cut her and the show some slack and just pretend she has quite the rack, lol.
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
I’ve watched up to ep 11 and am loving it, even if I’ve left college decades ago and gaming isn’t my thing. It’s the fluffiest fluff and yes! I’m blown away by Rachel Mao’s adorableness :))) I must say it disturbs me to see Zhang Shuang sickly thin, and it shows in her face. (Tang Yan is very skinny too, but her face looks healthy)
Love O2O is very My Sunshine-ish, from the music score, down to the prevalence of Rio and Yakult, LOL.
What’s great about Gu Man’s dramas is indeed the fluff, no unnecessary dog blood plots. But I can’t help thinking that behind the perfect portrait of the lead male characters, they all tend to be controlling, no? And the female leads will happily submit to the heroes 😀
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
I think Shuangs face is okay too, as long as they dont show her arms amd legs, I’m okay. Lol.
But honestly, most chinese actresses are flat as a board. ?
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
having ample boobs isn’t contingent to being a good actress, but the Chinese media and netizens never fail to scrutinize every inch of actresses’ body parts.
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
I don’t think that the female leads happily submit. I feel that they were more like, it’s not worth the fight. LOL. I remember reading Shan Shan, Come and Eat and one of the thing that sticks out was that intellectually, she knew what was going on. She just chose not to bother with it because it’s not important or worth the fight.
For Wei Wei’s case, I feel that in the beginning she did gave in because she did idolized in. However, as the plot progresses, you’ll note how she starts to show how she held her own in situations that she feels requires it. I think this is more evident in the epilogues after they married and have kids.
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
I’ve watched up to ep 12 and reallyyy love it!! I even watch it without eng sub because i can’t help to wait another day! So far i love the story but often skip the story that doesn’t include our main OTP hahahaa
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
I’ve been following this drama ever since it aired. The current episode is Ep 17 and I can tell you that this drama starts well but at Ep. 15 onward, there will be some ‘delaying’ tactics used. In Ep 16 alone, there were a few flashbacks. Basically, the story is not long enough to accommodate 30 episodes but the director and writer are probably adding in extra bits like the development of the relationship between Mei Shixiong and KO etc. The pace is starting to drag a bit but the story between the OTP is still worth watching. Yang Yang himself is worth the watch. LOL So far, I’m still looking forward to the next episodes. I wonder if they will include their real wedding and their sons born a few years later- which are the Epilogues after the main story; considering that there are 30 episodes. I like their eldest son’s character – Cong Cong, in the novel. He’s smart and cute. Totally took after his dad! 🙂 Yes, I read the novel and therefore know the story. So far, they are following the novel quite closely. 🙂
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
So there will be a story for Haomei and KO? 😀 I don’t know why but I’m looking forward to this ‘type’ ever since I watched Heroin, lol.
PS: I think most of us share the same thought as you – I can just stare at YY all day long, hehehe.
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
So far there is quite a bit of interactions between KO and 美人师兄 which I love so much! I really like how they incorporate and add bits into their story, like a small little arc! KO is definitely slowly ‘eating’ our beauty up and looks like he has been plotting it and the beauty has no idea at all! Poor guy kekeke!!! I squeal a lot when they come up, absolutely cute pair!
I actually thought the pace is awesome and not slowing down! They are following the novel so closely and are really doing a great job making a drama out of this short novel! Just that I honestly skip 二喜 and 曹光’s scenes… I really dislike 曹光’s character.
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
Hao Mei and KO are cute to watch. I don’t think they’ll go as far as incorporating Gu Man’s side story for this pair since that would put this drama at rated-R but it’s so nice to see some development between them.
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
Hi, kindly remind me who is KO? i read the novel and watch this drama until ep 12, but have no idea who KO is. probably i just fast forward his part. Hold on, is he the chef??? is it BL? correct me if i was wrong. Thanks 🙂
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
I had to consult Wiki and some other sources before finding out KO is the guy who served at the canteen (and turned out later he’s some sort of a techie too?). if you’re watching Mystic Nine, he’s Lt. Zhang :))
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
lenje answered your question about who he is so I’ll answer your other question. Yep, it’s BL. Gu Man wrote a side story just for them. If you recall from the ending song, KO holds up two plastic bags, and that’s from the side story. I just don’t know how far they’ll get with that scene though lol.
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
Thanks Lenje and Polaris..
But i remember that actor (KO), i watched one of his dramas. He was the male lead. I was kinda surprised seeing him here, perhaps he did a cameo 🙂 or probably, he’s just not that popular, who knows.
But well, uhm.. Nothing against BL, but seriously, Mr. beauty is really handsome and cute. My bad that i didnt really read the epilogues 🙁 i wish i could ship him with one of the girls team. I thought mr. Beauty has his own goddess, wonder why he changes? 😀
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
to Lenje – he’s not the same actor as Lt Zhang. I would die if that cute puppy actor was in Smile is alluring too. He is so cute and adorable and I want to pinch his cheeks when he’s being badass and pretty in Mystic Nine.
But I do like the current actor for KO. Very intense and smooth. He’s not been in much i think but he was in Chronicles of Life.
to chasingpolaris – if they can film the wedding dress scene I don’t see how they can’t film KO and Mei ren shi xiong’s ending.
I like the epilogues when the two couples get together (Wei Wei/Da Shen) and (KO/hao Mei).
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
Hahaha, don’t get my hopes up high because I really want to see that supermarket scene come to life! XD
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
Well it was implied in the book too not described in detail just like the wedding dress scene but at least I hope they show them in bed after the fact talking about it. I can’t believe how much I’m lookin forward to them. The actors have a lot of chemistry in my opinion.
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
Ryu, did you give up on Lao Jiu Men? 😀
I used to be a gamer too and can relate to all the ‘love’ interactions. You kinda just look forward to playing with your online friends, or even ‘fall in love’ with someone, hehe.
YY looks incredible in his in-game makeup, love the eyes and eyebrows! The rest are super handsome and pretty too! Even more so than their modern looks, tbh, hahaha. Personally, i think MXT’s cuteness is slightly too much, it will be better if it’s toned down. If a 20 year old Uni student behaves like that, Imma hit that face, regardless how cute, :’D
ZS has overwrote my unwillingness to watch her in a drama, weiwei is likable and hope she stays like this throughout and not deteriorate to some weak female lead.
Patiently waiting for the episodes to air 😀 but two episodes a day is a treat already! 😀
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
I didn’t have time to catch up on it at all, and Wei Wei is my absolute first drama-watching priority (been hyped for it for more than a year + my friend has been raving about it). Mystic Nine is being unhelpful too, I skimmed a little and it was all tomb scenes ugh. Do people still want these recaps?
Wei Wei is definitely not a weak female lead, even if she gets overshadowed and led around by Da Shen a lot. She even grumbles about this, lol.
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
watching these two kiss… omg…so awkward!!
i have a new name for zheng shuang… the park shin hye of Cdramas!! what the world?!!
yang yang has movement in his kisses but not the emotions behind it. im disappointed. lol.
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
Is it that bad, Frea? I don’t know about Zheng Shuang, but I find Yang Yang tends to overdo the poker/stone face in these type of characters 🙁
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
YangYang really did overdo a bit of his stoned-face character even though that’s how DaShen is written. But honestly he could have put in a little emotions, sometimes I will just end up thinking is DaShen even in love with WeiWei at all? After the kiss he had with WeiWei in ep17, when he left, he just looks… idk emotionless and like he just finished a task…
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
yes! yes! peach! i completely agreed with what you wrote. when he walked away like that.. i was left feeling very disappointed. seems like we skip a chunk of HOW they fell in love in the first place…. 🙁
everything is good though. the friends are great!
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
@ryu, i saw a few compilation of their kiss scenes…. and was left feeling unmoved. feels like they were going for a “pretty” showcase of the kiss without actually putting in the emotions of the moment. zheng shuang looks uncomfortable and stone-faced 90% of the time… hence the park shin hye’s reference. LOL
yang yang… his kiss was much better in the trailer for i belonged to you with bai bai he and it was only 2 minutes long!
i blame yang yang for promoting the kiss scenes to be mind-blowing and intense!! lols
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
I’m up to ep 13 now hehe. So much fluff! I loved the novel and it’s cool seeing my fav parts and dialogue in the drama XD But I have fast-forwarded through some parts (which all happened to be scenes involving the two leads only LMAO sorry OTP).
Niu Jun Feng did really well in his emotional scenes and Rachel Mao is so cute! Also love the roommates’ friendships.
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
I’m not surprised I fell in love with this drama since it the same script writer for Boss & Me. Gu Man is so talented with writing these script I love all her projects.
32 thoughts on “Just One Smile is Very Alluring: Episode 1 “A Virtual Proposal.””
I have never found a c-drama I liked before this, and have been quite picky about my twdramas – mostly because the over-the-top physically comedy and ridiculous situations totally turned me off in cdramas and many twdramas. For instance, I love the twdramas “In Time with You” and “Refresh Man,” because they had a sweet, more grounded approach (ie, didn’t have unrealistic 20 feet flying kicks or bitchy second leads that plotted murder and mayhem for no other reason then that they were delusional psychopaths). I did try cdramas at first, but after trying multiple ones, I inevitably always ended up being disappointed so I started avoiding them like the plague. However, I’m a big Ji Chang Wook fan…and he was staring in a Cdrama…but it was “season 2” …so I checked out the season 1, staring one Yang Yang. Whirwind girl had a lot of the elements I disliked in cdramas, so I only lasted a few episodes, but I did end up really liking Yang Yang, so on a whim I watched the first episode of this.
OMG.
I totally fell in love with this drama. Over the past few days, I watched the first 16 episodes, and I love it more and more with each episode. It’s funny, sweet, and the main characters are just so awesome. I’m actually re-evaluating cdramas because of this, and I’m willing to look for more like this one, now that I know they exist.
SO SO SO SO SO good! And Yang Yang is so hot in this. But most of all, the story and pacing is so great, and all the characters are so awesome. and the friendships are adorable – really, why is it so hard to find dramas with decent, loyal friendships? But I love the two groups of dorm mates here, they are so sweet! Like when all the girls take the one dorm-mate to the hospital and spend the nightb with her there <3 <3 <3
Highly, highly recommend. I'm buying this when it hits DVD.