That's actually quite simple. At one point, I thought « Wow ». I was already hooked from the start (or rather around episode 3 because that's when the main leads actually meet for the first time) but later I really fell in love with the characters and the story. I was impressed, which nearly never happens. I was so eager to see the next episode that I ended up reading the novel... only to be frustrated by not being able to finish it. Yes, unfortunately for now, you'll only find the first half translated in english on internet. (EDIT : now completed! Advice: watch the drama before reading the novel.)
Story :
It's a little difficult to follow at first because there are a lot of characters and informations to remember. When it started, I thought it would be roughly one case every three episodes. So I didn't really care about the criminals identities and that's where I was wrong. It's actually one big case. The first case leads to the second, which leads to a third even bigger, and so on. Episodes are short but intense on informations. You have to stay focused to follow this drama, be warned.
Drama vs novel
Personnaly, I love them both in a different way. In the novel, I love how intense the main leads relationship is. We don't have their inner thoughs in the drama, so the focus is more on the investigation, which gives off an intense feeling too. Hence, I did not mind the difference, but I'll surely see a lot of things in a different way when I'll rewatch it. For instance, Ji Bai feelings are less obvious in the drama. He smiles at her, confides in her, stays by her side... They just made Xu Xu realization of her feelings more obvious than the novel through her drawings. Still, I think you'll appreciate the drama more if you watch it before reading the novel.
Acting and characters reactions
Realistic. I have to word it that way because, when it's a romantic comedy, chinese and taïwanese dramas tend to exagerate situations. Fortunately, they choose to focus on the investigation for this drama, so the acting is also very serious. The one thing that actually doesn't feel right is Xu Xu drawing cartoons. I felt the way she was portrayed in the novel, being someone really mature and logical, was more realistic.
Music and cinematography
I loved the opening song and even more its clip. So beautiful and kind of sensual, even with animals drawings. It goes well with the cinematography. Some sequences are beautiful. I loved how they make use of some silent moments. One little thing bothered me in the first few episodes. At times, the camera trembled too much, probably to give a suspens feel. But overall, it was really well-done.
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Im happy to report the opening two episodes i was swept away. The opening theme is one of the best ive heard in awhile (its a trademark sound similar to CSI) and the cinematography was so nicely done. Those drawings adorable and gorgeous. Finally i now couldnt imagine Ji Bai as none other than Wang Kai and Xuxu none other than Olivia. They both suited the roles to a T.
Yet there is a but after putting out these praises. Of all the 3 novels from Ding Mo i find the love relationship in When Snail falls in love to be the cutest and sweetest. And just the right balance with the crime solving bit. But the production crew in this drama has opted to tip that balance and scale down the romance. I understand roles get magnify or diminish and plots do change in adaptation. But i cant really agree its for the better with some of the changes. Nevermind that its more centric on police detective skills, crime solving and profiling and character growth for Xuxu.
Just to name a few: Xuxu's pursuer was scraped off. Xuxu as the solo disciple to Master Ji scrap off. The JiBai pursue first got a 180degree treatment. The reason why JiBai went to Myanmar changed. Yao meng character changed but since its for the better im ok with that.
Lets just say cause i read the novel there were certain things i was waiting for and came up empty waiting and watching from beginning to ep 15. Nothing. Then we go from nothing to suddenly 75% in their romance development. I get it thats its snail" but that sudden development didnt have time in earlier episodes to plant and bloom properly.
Then episodes 18 to 21 was so epically good and bolstered up by such commendable acting from both our leads.
This drama could have been a solid 10. All the more cause we know the chemistry between our leads is powerful and that i felt was not fully unleashed. Ive been left in vain wanting that bit more for our lion and his snail. To the point i wish theres a special episode to see more of them as an item.
Il definitely miss Wang Kai as a detective n that man rocks the white shirt blue jeans look. Again want to note awesome casting of him n Olivia. This among the best C dramas have to offer in 2016. DO WATCH and if you love more romance development Do READ the novel.
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This drama could have been wonderful, and that's even more frustrating. Mostly one thing has prevented this drama from perfection : the format. It was way too short, the drama really need at least 10 episodes in addition ! I quite like the length of 30 minutes for an ep, they were really intense and thrilling. But overall the story was completely rushed : the romance was rushed, most of the characters had no development except the two heroes, relationships were undeveloped (except between the two heroes). I guess they want to concentrate on the investigation but even this part was completely rushed : the situations were way too quickly explained (it was so hard to follow the story sometimes), links between cases too, and the cases were resolved more and more faster when they were more and more dangerous and complex. Furthermore I wasn't afraid at all of the villains. How could I ? They weren't really present : not a long time on screen, not mentionned a lot, we didn't know a lot about their personality and/or intentions ; it feels like 'little villain' when they weren't at all...
It's really the problem of this drama. The story was great : super great characters (good or bad ones ; I loved Xu Xu and Ji Bai they were soooo cool), interesting cases with surprising turn of events and a guiding thread between all of them (so well thought !). The drama was also well shot : great atmosphere (with a good uses of music), and I really like the use of the camera ; and the cast was super great (mostly for the two main actors who were so perfect in their roles). It only needs more development, just way more development... (and that's why my average note of story/cast/music is higher than my overall note)
(Another thing which really bother me was the romance : it wasn't at all what the synopsis promises me. I guess in the novel it's more clear that the lead falls for her in first, when here... they just don't have the time ; But finally I never really see him fall in love when I was really waiting for that. It's maybe not that important but I was disapointed. Overall romance in this drama really disapoints me : lack of development for the main couple and you don't really feel that they fell for each other (mostly Ji Bai) and for the secondary couple, wah... no comment).
To conclude, this drama was really pleasant to watch, but it leaves me with a sour taste in mouth and the thought that it could have been way much better.
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The title is kinda cheesy cute and will throw people off but It does make sense to the story. ^^
It was a bit hard for me to get into it at first, I'd say maybe 10 minutes into the drama wasn't easy to follow. I had to stop everything I was doing and pay closed attention. Now here's where it gets even more interesting. One huge case with different criminals. You'd think the cases were separate but those big cases led to an even bigger case. Everything was connected and I loved it.
I don't know how it is exactly in the novel and I personally would love to read it but the drama was amazing. I love the main leads XuXu and Ji Bai. I loved how they were when they first met. Ju Bai seemed like a big, intimidating man while Xu Xu seemed like a fragile little girl who wasn't afraid of him. One of the one things I loved was how brave she was. She took risks and wasn't afraid to speak her thoughts. She kind of... hmm.. I don't wanna use the word scare, but she kind of gave me goosebumps and the reason why was because of how excellent she was at reading people and how accurate her analysis was. "It was like she could read minds" or something. She was very adorable tho! >w< Ji Bai (Kai Kai) was very handsome, strong, rough and tends to hides his emotions. I think they got along pretty well. They didn't really focus on the romantic aspect of the drama, but rather on the crime/investigations instead. It didn't bother me at all because the little scenes they showed with the main leads were so cute, I just wished there was more.
Most of the time the drama was very somber, that also includes the acting as well. They made use of silence and I thought is was amazing. Silence speaks volume as they say. The setting along with the background music they played gave me an eerie feeling which had me wanting more. It's one of those doubtful feelings you get when you think everything is cream and peaches and a happy ray of sunshine but you don't know what's going to happen so you can't help but wait in fear that something bad might happen. That's exactly how this drama was for me. I was on edge each episode.
I liked the music especially the opening and ending. I love Xu Xu's drawings that they showed in the opening. It was very appealing to look at and I think it tied in well with the cinematography which was so beautifully done. This drama was really good and I wholeheartedly recommend. ^^
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At a snail's pace.
Sometimes all you need to know about a drama is in the name - this one is aptly titled because it unfolds at a snail's pace. This is about a talented young criminal profiler Xuxu's quest to gain the approval and acceptance of her boss Ji Fai; who wants to boot her out of the department for flunking the physical fitness test.The cases in this crime thriller drama are linked and have a personal connection to Ji Fai. While quite well written, the clues and conclusions are either obvious or they are not at all and unfold like a police procedural. A very slow paced police procedural. That simply doesn't work - if its gonna unfold slowly then it must be littered with enough clues that the viewer gets hooked into playing armchair detective. If its gonna be a police procedural, then its got to be fast paced and action oriented. This was the worst combination of both. I lost interest in the case after about 13 episodes but kept watching hoping (wrongly) for some romance.
It goes without saying that Wang Kai looked yummy in this drama and his acting was very good. I really enjoyed all of the fast moving action scenes he was in. But I just couldn't see the chemistry or romance. First of all, Wang Xiwen's Xuxu did not come across as a criminal profiling genius; just a rookie cop who thinks VERY SLOWLY. Watching someone think very slowly is VERY BORING. The character is also inconsistently written: someone supposedly so perceptive she can draw inferences from human nature not obvious to others but yet lacking in social skills and EQ??? Both characters wore such solemn expressions I started to hope they would just glower each other to death.
There are some good things about this drama that actually starts out quite well. The second ML and FL are quite adorable and really lift the mood and team dynamic. But it simply just wasn't enough. If you really want to watch Wang Kai, then you can consider this a 7.0 but if not, it really is a 6.5. Bottom line, if you are looking to be intrigued and thrilled, look elsewhere. If you need a sleeping aid, this is a total snooze fest.
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The psychologist rookie they brought over as a profiler is supposed to be eccentric I believe and smart. She walked around looking at things with her head tilted, staring at crime boards, and looking at people with dead eyes and she still can’t manage to profile anything special and all I saw her do for the most part is speculate. They wanted to present her as the odd perceptive kind but she just came off odd.
The pacing for the drama was uneven. They spent time dragging out on plots that didn’t need it while blasting through the ones that could have benefited a deeper dive. Because the investigative methods were uninteresting, even when you find a plot that catches your interest, it won’t hold your attention for too long.
The biggest flaw of this drama would be how the investigation unfolded. It was basically a narrative, meaning they tell us what their conclusion is after the fact rather than walk with us through the process of how they got there. They present it in a way that makes them sound superior while they smugly look at the perpetrators or suspects and tell them “look how smart I am, I figured out what you did”. It was boring.
The romance was ridiculous. As the title suggests the Snail is shown falling in love, slowly focusing on his expressions, his feelings, worrying about him and slowly realizing that she is falling for him. However we are told the snails counterpart, a lion, who has been treating the Snail as a rookie under him for most of the drama, is out of the blue in love with her. There was no stolen glances, no electricity, nothing that would convince anyone that there is romance between the two.
Wang Kai in denim and Wang Kai is suit is like the sun peaking out on a rainy day for this drama.
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The story is basically a big, intricate spider web where everything is connected. What seems to be individual cases, slowly all begins to be pieced together into a large puzzle. It was fun watching that happen and trying to guess the criminals along with the characters. I also have to mention the incredible cinematography. The first few episodes really impressed me in that regard because it almost seemed like I was watching a movie. And at the short length of 30 minutes an episode, it went by quickly.
There's definitely less romance in WASFIL in comparison to LMIYD but the chemistry between Wang Kai and Olivia Wang is still palpable. It's definitely a more emotional and intellectual connection, rather than physical. Nevertheless, they worked extremely well as a team and the few moments where they did have romantic moments were thoroughly satisfying.
Music didn't really stand out to me other than the theme song and end song; they're fitting to the drama.
The reason why I couldn't give a 10 was because I felt like some areas were rushed. The drama could've been longer and more fleshed out. (I read the novel) Though the novel was more detailed, Wang Kai and Olivia really brought Ji Bai and Xu Xu to life, exactly how I imagined the characters to be.
I recommend this drama. It's a twisty, mysterious, suspenseful, and romantic drama that keeps you on your toes. The twists are unexpected too!
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On other websites, there is a misleading blurb which advises that Jai Bi falls in love with Xu Xu but she is slow to return his feelings. I think this may be a description for the book (I haven't read the book) as it seems more like the other way around, with Jai Bi is slow to return any feelings.
However, the following is what brought down the rating for me:
-Xu Xu. I feel as if she wasn't written very well. Her conclusions were easily made and obvious which made it hard to believe that she was really needed in the major crimes division.
-Romance. I feel as if the romance wasn't very believable. I just couldn't feel much between until the real end of the series between the leads, like the real end.
-Disappearance of characters. I felt like Yao Meng and Zhao Han were written off which was a shame because I really like Zhao Han.
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Normally I expect much more skinship than this drama delivered. Even double the amount would still not be enough. However, I was surprised at my willingness to wait and be satisfied by the bare minimum, because the main story and the development of their working relationship was so good. It didn't suit neither of the characters personality to have a lot of tension or move too fast.
So what IS this drama if not a romance? It's a police detective, criminal investigation type story with a case spanning across the season, and bits of pieces delivered as case of the week type of thing. It's very well produced with some fantastic actors and a good script that manages to keep up my interest and investment.
Wang Kai is as always brilliant! The role was tailormade for him. I haven't seen Wang Olivia in anything, but I think she delivered and made me care about her character, even though she wasn't all cutesy and super hot (thank god, I needed a breath of fresh air).
The set locations were stunningly beautiful or grippingly grim. A lot of work has gone into this production and it shows. I could have asked for a better editing of the last episode, I think someone messed up with a rush job or it's just so artistic I didn't understand. But I won't complain, I got a pretty good ending, there were answers, there were final farewells, and loads of NEW questions that I'm just making up my own head canons for.
The music was good. Especially the intro and ending music. I didn't notice the music during the show, so that must mean it was well picked and discrete.
This is not a romance! I repeat, this is not a romance. I still watched and loved it and I got my OTP. I'm totally satisfied!
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I'm not used to writing reviews but since this landed on my favorite lists, thought what I have initially written deserves an edit.
Why am I sooo in love with this drama????
1. I love how the story was presented in such a way that it stimulates thinking and imagination. Each episode keeps me on my toes and are full of surprises.
2. Unlike other dramas that has a lot of repetitive scenes obviously to make the story longer, all the flashback scenes in this drama are necessary and important piece of the puzzle
3. I love how each episode are presented in such way that there seems to be an end like the Kdrama "Signal" but are still bits and pieces of a big puzzle. Well written indeed
4. The drama is not cheaply done, I am treated to a movie-like production with great acting, direction and cinematography
5. Lastly love how the drama ends makes me crave for a part 2
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WASFIL had a strong start and I loved the introduction to the characters. The first case was also interesting, but it was honestly too long. Yeah, the writer connected the things very well, but it took so many episodes that it became tiring. I just wish they had more cases, because the writer knows how to show more interesting and shocking cases. Of course this has to do with the drama length. It was too short but still, they dragged some things too much. I wanted more cases because I loved how they handled them.
I also wanted more romance! Like, c'moon, the romantic scenes between Ji Bai and XuXu were l i f e! Why wait 15 episodes to show some progress with their relationship? I wanted more touches, more kisses, more hugs, more everything. Their romance wasn't one of those annoying and unnecessary romances which we often see in these type of shows. Moreover, it was one of the drama's biggest charms. The second couple was also so freaking cute!
I loved all the characters! I've read some negative comments about Xu Xu but in my opinion, she was a lovable female lead. Very charming, smart and undeniably strong. Yeah, some conclusions she made were quite obvious, but honestly, not everyone would pay to all these details.
I find the acting very good, especially Wang Kai. Oh my god, this man... I could watch him just breathing for 20 hours straight and I would still be glued to the screen completely. Such an attractive man. :')
Overall, ''When a Snail Falls in Love'' is a nice show which lacks some things, but still it's worth seeing and I do recommend it.
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