Fall In Love With Both Of Me - Episode 1 (A SqueeCap)
Shuk: Hello again, everyone! I recently completed my first ever Thai SqueeCap when I joined the AoMike craze, and now I’m ready to tackle another challenge. To that end, I decided my next project would be Fall In Love With Me, a 2014 Taiwanese drama starring Aaron Yan and Tia Li.
JoAnne: I thought this would be my first Aaron Yan, but turns out he was the cute rich boyfriend of a sidekick in It Started with A Kiss. I very much approved of this OTP about 15 minutes into the first episode, so I'm here too!
EPISODE 1
Shuk: King of all he surveys, a young man in white stares out across Taipei, comparing it in size to a baseball with the logo “OZ” on it. He pulls out his phone and winces to find 36 missed calls and seven messages. He listens to the first one: he’s an hour late to a meeting. Meet Lu Tian Xing (Aaron Yan), who immediately gets stuck in traffic on a single lane mountain road. The cars are going nowhere, but he’s pretty happy just enjoying the breeze and ignoring his cellphone.
JoAnne: Already impressed by the behavior which doesn't quite match the cold chaebol exterior right from the start. Well ok maybe not chaebol since 1)Taiwan and 2) he's dressed a little...mmm...artsy. And that only goes for chaebol sons still in school, as Lee Min Ho will attest.
Shuk: Traffic starts moving, but his eyes are closed savoring the crisp mountain air. The yellow pickup truck behind him, weighted down with assorted objects including a giant straw voodoo doll, drives around his vehicle, only to abruptly halt in front of him. Tian Xing can only gape in horror as a pink container slides off a box, bounces on a Pilates ball, and hits his roof, spraying him and his care interior in a cloud of Barbie-colored dust.
JoAnne: Voodoo doll? Flesh colored dust? What the hell did I wander into? I just thought it was a scarecrow kind of thing. Yesterday, I was trying to remember the name for those things that deploy out of the front dash during accidents (see I forgot it again already) and I kept calling them crash pillows, to my daughter's everlasting amusement.
Shuk: I thought the straw man was wearing one of Lego Li's shirts from "In A Good Way".
Shuk: He storms over to the truck and motions the driver to exit. She does, but can’t help but laugh at the figure in front of her. To his credit, he isn't as angry as I thought he would be, but he’s definitely irritated. And pink. He tells her she is responsible for his $3300 suit. She laughs and calls him cute. Cute, huh? He pours the rest of the chalk on her head and walks away.
JoAnne: He IS cute. OMG he's a muffin. Thank you Taiwan for yet another puppy although this one I just want to ruffle his hair. And man, those eyebrows are serious business.They stick out far enough to be in another zip code.
Shuk: The only hotel in town seems to be a love hotel. With an impatient dusty pink BMW behind her, she pulls into the place. It turns out, of course, there is only one room left. With, of course, an open floor plan and frosted glass shower door. Luckily, our Woman Of Many And Varied Items has some dark material and gaffer’s tape to create a makeshift opaque shower curtain. Tian Xing sunnily thanks her, and slips into the shower before she can protest.
JoAnne: The look they gave each other when they saw that shower.
Shuk: She is on the phone telling them she was going to be late, when, with a slight sound, the curtain fell. She screams; he screams, we all scream for ice cream! Well, not exactly, more like a popsicle. Anyway, he yells at her to turn around, and she does. What’s her expression though?
JoAnne: In keeping with the ice cream theme, I'd say she's looking at a magnum.
Shuk: She’s got the curtain back up, just as he pops out wearing something from the Paul Revere And The Raiders collection. He tells her it’s be great bad luck meeting her. She said it was no great shakes for her either, but he wins the argument; after all, who got the eyeful and who um, got eyed? She slides her overshirt off her shoulder and offers to reciprocate. He stops her, though, and won’t take advantage of her.
JoAnne: Come ON Taiwan, have a little fun.
Shuk: She suddenly realizes who he is-that famous CF wizard Lu Tian Xing!! He flashes her an insincere smile and leaves.
JoAnne: He is unable to smile properly in that fugly suit. I can't blame him.
Shuk: At his venue, Tian Xing’s entourage is having kittens since he’s missing. As they are calling every place they can think of, our gaily-wrapped guy shows up, much to their relief. But before they can usher him into the presscon, he has a question for them: what was the purpose to spend a year creating a public image for someone? Nobody has an answer and they all exchange nervous looks. He accepts their silence and moves on.
JoAnne: Somehow I think he's not actually just letting that go.
Shuk: Director Jin decides to start the press conference without his media consultant, but the press wants to see the CEO. He struts in and Director Jin announces that his advertising company polished his image, and will be working on the next media project with him. With that, Tian Xing takes the podium.
JoAnne: This concept of a rock star ad man is foreign to me, I admit. But it won't be the first time I watched a drama about one.
Shuk: He asks the crowd the same question that he asks his employees. His answer: Advertisements show a warm and moving, perfect world, so that people will pursue the products as they pursue the perfect world. But this year, he didn't film any advertisements. He makes the bombshell announcement that he is taking a hiatus until he can find his creativity again.
JoAnne: Because what is a geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenius without his creativity?
Shuk: His crew is in shock as he steps off the dais. His lead guy asks him, how long? Tian Xing says maybe three months, and then bolts, closely pursued by his gang. A run through the kitchen, double feint, finally into the mens locker room, where he steals a jacket and a pair of running shoes. It’s the only pair with white heels - was this all planned? He strips off the big white bow, which turns out to be a dickey over top of a black button-down shirt, and tosses it into a bin.
JoAnne: What the hell was the purpose of that thing anyway. Why not just wear a fugly-ass white shirt, then?
Shuk: Our SuperAdMan is looking around the employee area when a business suit shoves a baseball cap in his face. It is his assistant and butler, Ah Fu (Chen Bo Zheng). Super preemptively demands the butler’s eyeglasses, which he then pops the lens out. No worries, Butler Fu has a spare set! He tells his assistant what he wants for dinner and starts his 007 exit out of the building.
JoAnne: This guy. Always reliably funny. Like them together, too.
Shuk: Outside he takes a quick breather and turns off his phone. A ball bounces onto his foot just as a young man grabs his shoulder and leads him to a corner of the park, where a group of people are filming a dog food ad. He’s been mistaken for an intern. He looks around at the site, and sees Chalk Girl setting the backdrop. He’s about to call her on it, but decides to keep quiet, now in Clark Brow mode.
JoAnne: I - sorry, what? Clark Brow?
Shuk: I was trying for a Superman/Clark Kent motif, but I kept being distracted by those eyebrows. It's like they are sentient or something.
JoAnne: Well that makes sense, we both noticed and commented on them so they ARE pretty much an independent entity. I wonder if he has a happy trail. (I can explain how I got there, but it's better suited for a RimJeob.)
Shuk: The group is worried; their budget is small, it’s getting darker, and they are using a big black puffball Chow-Chow as the dog of the hour. Still, everyone is upbeat. Clark Brow takes his position of Dog Treat Guy and ends up enjoying himself as the mutt plods back and forth while they film.
Shuk: They finally break for lunch, and Chalk Girl recognizes him despite the dorky outfit. He deflects her by introducing himself as Xiao Lu with Lu spelled like the sinogram for “deer”. He hilariously does finger antlers while she wonders if it is spelled with the sinogram for “road”. She accepts that he isn't the famous guy; everyone else is surprised at his similarity.
JoAnne: I wondered what that was all about!
Shuk: The PD tells everyone that this bespectacled stranger is not that arrogant adguy, and Chalk Girl agrees that his hair is different. She then launches into the story on why she was late, and everyone is surprised she didn't see his legendary temper. What happened? She flashes back to the shower scene, and Clark Brow knows she’s flashing...
JoAnne: I'm telling you, it's a Magnum. Dipped in chocolate, with almonds. Care for a nibble?
Shuk: She shakes it off and offers him a box lunch to thank him for his help. She gives him her business card, and he freezes when he sees the same OZ logo as his baseball. He continues to look at the business card while the rest decide to head out for hot pot.
Shuk: At his palatial home, SuperAdMan looks at the business card, and we get a childhood memory. He’s in his school uniform skulking about a film site and looking at the storyboards. A good-looking guy catches him, but invites him to hang around while he explains how they are filming the commercial. He asks about the baseball; and the older guy tells him it helps his creativity and inspiration.
JoAnne: I can't decide which Aaron Yan I like better. I will put a lot of thought into this, though, I can tell already.
Shuk: Back in the present, he pulls out a memento box. There’s a newspaper advertisement, and he smooths it out. Butler Fu brings some soup, and comments about that CF big brother. Second flashback shows that he had continued hanging at the film site, and eventually got introduced to Tao Zi, the younger sister of the producer. So this was his first introduction to Chalk Girl. Big brother hands her a baseball, which rolls out of her hand into the street. We hear a sudden discordant screeching of brakes as Butler Fu in the present voice-overs that this was the start of Lu Tian Xing’s ambition to film commercials.
JoAnne: It is a Fated Love? With a Tragic Beginning? Plus she's going to fall for both guys, who are actually one guy, but he will still get jealous of himself, you know he will. Oh hell yes I'm on board.
Shuk: The two sit together, and Super tells Fu that he met that girl again today, ten years after their first meeting, and it seems the business is in trouble. The butler agrees, but most of OZ’s troubles are coming from his own ad agency. It’s clear he had not realized that.
JoAnne: And why not? And if the Butler knows that OZ company is important to his boss, why is he just now sharing this info?
Shuk: Maybe Super never really looked at the competition, since he focused on the creative side. Butler Fu, of course, would be expected to know everything about, well, everything.
JoAnne: Little known fact, Butler Fu is SO good at knowing everything that Google Fu is actually named after him.
Shuk: The 23 -year old Tao Li Zi (Tia Li) is cooking the books, and they ended up their last job in the red. Kitty stops by, and Chalk Girl hides the books. She guesses that they didn't make anything on today’s shoot, but boss lady shakes it off and they start working on their next proposal, for a real estate company.
JoAnne: Cooking the books? What makes you say that?
Shuk: She took the pen apart, which I took to mean she was going to try and draw a positive spin on their finances.
Shuk: Dad calls. Tao Zi tries to blow him off, but he feels unwell and insists on her coming home for dinner. Kitty pushes her out the door.
Shuk: SuperAdMan and butler pull outside the Tao residence. Faithful Fu offers to visit the residence with him, but Super wants to personally do it in case they think he’s there to collect debts. Wait, do they owe him something?
JoAnne: Is this an Asian drama? Of course they do.
Shuk: Dad is all depressed because of a paper cut on his left thumb. Chalk Girl grabs her stuff and heads out the door. Dad figures out loud that she can’t find a husband because she doesn't wear skirts. She rounds on him: She has to worry about finding clients, paying her employees, and keeping the business afloat, which is more important than finding a husband. Her mom encourages her to do her best, and they hug for a moment before there is a knock on the door.
JoAnne: I know the mom from something...
Shuk: She opens the door to reveal the bane of her existence. Is he there to exact revenge? He smiles and says their situation was just a small misunderstanding, but he does have business to discuss with her parents. Mom claps a hand on his shoulder, thinking he is a massage customer, and remarks about his tense muscles. He’s not here for that, but before he can say anything else, Chalk Girl pipes up to says he wants to get her back for an imagined slight. Mom’s soothing hand turns pinching as she grips his shoulder in warning.
JoAnne: where do they LIVE?
Shuk: Through the pain, Super introduces himself as CEO of Tian Xi Advertising, to discuss OZ. They aren't inclined to be friendly, but all three listen as he outlines the reason for his visit: The company is in trouble, and he owns 30% of the company. He is willing to buy the company outright, and take the burden off their hands.
JoAnne: Seems reasonable.
Shuk: Wordlessly, the three of them exchange glances. Tao Mom pulls some wicked swords off the wall and hand them to everyone, then goes after him, chasing him off their property and warning him to never return.
JoAnne: Or maybe not, then.
Shuk: He walks back to the car, and tells Butler Fu that the Tao family is strange. Of course, Fu smiles, they have all those swords and stuffs. Super can’t believe he wasn't warned, but the butler counters that sometimes a lofty person need to be frightened. Anyway, since they won’t sell, Super has three months to come up with something to help the company.
JoAnne: Arbitrary deadline makes an appearance! We are moving full steam ahead on Trope Railways, folks.
Shuk: We find out why he has even a partial interest in the business; after her brother died, he asked for help from an old friend of his, which turns out to be Butler Fu! He hooked them up with Super’s dad, who maintained the business for a percentage. No one from the Lu family had ever approached them in the past fifteen years, but here comes the next generation trying to buy it.
JoAnne: Let the glorious misunderstandings which stand between our young lovers begin!
Shuk: At Tian Xi Advertising, Super has been unwillingly sucked into a strategy meeting for Jin He Realty. Little Toad, aka Lance, insists as the face of the company, that he show up for the presentation, but Lance with handle the entire proposal with his team. Super says fine and leaves.
Shuk: At his house, he sees Butler Fu messing with a silver globe in his room. And with a twist, we get an Alter-Identity space, full of casual, colorful, and fun clothing - his Clark Brow closet! Fu suggests he help the struggling company this way.
JoAnne: I was unreasonably excited by this.
Shuk: And voila! Some crazy threads and a combdown, and Clark is reborn as a bright handsome young man instead of that stinky Tian Xing. LOL. In spite of the colorful garb, he still looks better than any Heirs fashion statement. He seems pretty happy about it too.
JoAnne: He certainly throws off that bored look pretty fast.
Shuk: In fact, at a bus stop where his face is plastered on the advertising board, he tries to bring attention to himself, but is totally ignored. He finally makes it to OZ Advertising, and brushes his hand across the logo and gathers courage to enter.
JoAnne: Please be good. Please be full of mistaken identity hijinks and a compelling love story for both facets of our lead male.
Shuk: One of the workers recognizes him and drags him inside. Chalk Girl teases him about his remarkable similarity to a certain hated celebrity, but a furball-bonding moment later they get down to business. They ask him what OZ advertisement inspired him, and he points out the one from the newspaper in his memento box. Everyone gets quiet for a moment; her late brother filmed that.
JoAnne: Faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate
Shuk: He asks if PD Leo took over the company, but he says Tao Zi started accepting cases after she graduated, but her skills weren't up to par and their client base faded. He tells them he stopped by today because he wants to help them in a freelance fashion to get back on their feet. Chalk Girl worries they can’t pay him much, but he’s okay with that. PD Leo reiterates the company’s financial position, but he’s willing.
JoAnne: So the company lay dormant for at least 10 years while she grew up-so, no clients-and then she restarted the company-so, some clients-but then she sucked, so the pool dwindled? Is that what we're going with? Ok.
Shuk: We get our introductions: Leo is the PD and arts director, Xu Maio Maio is the visual artist and Mi Bao mom, and Jia Gai Xian is the production assistant and props guy. And the next proposal they are working on? It’s the same one as his company. He pretends to read it and then tells him he has some ideas, and they sit down for a brainstorming session.
JoAnne: I thought this would be my first Aaron Yan, but turns out he was the cute rich boyfriend of a sidekick in It Started with A Kiss. I very much approved of this OTP about 15 minutes into the first episode, so I'm here too!
EPISODE 1
Shuk: King of all he surveys, a young man in white stares out across Taipei, comparing it in size to a baseball with the logo “OZ” on it. He pulls out his phone and winces to find 36 missed calls and seven messages. He listens to the first one: he’s an hour late to a meeting. Meet Lu Tian Xing (Aaron Yan), who immediately gets stuck in traffic on a single lane mountain road. The cars are going nowhere, but he’s pretty happy just enjoying the breeze and ignoring his cellphone.
JoAnne: Already impressed by the behavior which doesn't quite match the cold chaebol exterior right from the start. Well ok maybe not chaebol since 1)Taiwan and 2) he's dressed a little...mmm...artsy. And that only goes for chaebol sons still in school, as Lee Min Ho will attest.
Shuk: Traffic starts moving, but his eyes are closed savoring the crisp mountain air. The yellow pickup truck behind him, weighted down with assorted objects including a giant straw voodoo doll, drives around his vehicle, only to abruptly halt in front of him. Tian Xing can only gape in horror as a pink container slides off a box, bounces on a Pilates ball, and hits his roof, spraying him and his care interior in a cloud of Barbie-colored dust.
JoAnne: Voodoo doll? Flesh colored dust? What the hell did I wander into? I just thought it was a scarecrow kind of thing. Yesterday, I was trying to remember the name for those things that deploy out of the front dash during accidents (see I forgot it again already) and I kept calling them crash pillows, to my daughter's everlasting amusement.
Shuk: I thought the straw man was wearing one of Lego Li's shirts from "In A Good Way".
JoAnne: He IS cute. OMG he's a muffin. Thank you Taiwan for yet another puppy although this one I just want to ruffle his hair. And man, those eyebrows are serious business.They stick out far enough to be in another zip code.
Shuk: The only hotel in town seems to be a love hotel. With an impatient dusty pink BMW behind her, she pulls into the place. It turns out, of course, there is only one room left. With, of course, an open floor plan and frosted glass shower door. Luckily, our Woman Of Many And Varied Items has some dark material and gaffer’s tape to create a makeshift opaque shower curtain. Tian Xing sunnily thanks her, and slips into the shower before she can protest.
JoAnne: The look they gave each other when they saw that shower.
JoAnne: In keeping with the ice cream theme, I'd say she's looking at a magnum.
JoAnne: Come ON Taiwan, have a little fun.
Shuk: She suddenly realizes who he is-that famous CF wizard Lu Tian Xing!! He flashes her an insincere smile and leaves.
JoAnne: He is unable to smile properly in that fugly suit. I can't blame him.
Shuk: At his venue, Tian Xing’s entourage is having kittens since he’s missing. As they are calling every place they can think of, our gaily-wrapped guy shows up, much to their relief. But before they can usher him into the presscon, he has a question for them: what was the purpose to spend a year creating a public image for someone? Nobody has an answer and they all exchange nervous looks. He accepts their silence and moves on.
JoAnne: Somehow I think he's not actually just letting that go.
Shuk: Director Jin decides to start the press conference without his media consultant, but the press wants to see the CEO. He struts in and Director Jin announces that his advertising company polished his image, and will be working on the next media project with him. With that, Tian Xing takes the podium.
JoAnne: This concept of a rock star ad man is foreign to me, I admit. But it won't be the first time I watched a drama about one.
Shuk: He asks the crowd the same question that he asks his employees. His answer: Advertisements show a warm and moving, perfect world, so that people will pursue the products as they pursue the perfect world. But this year, he didn't film any advertisements. He makes the bombshell announcement that he is taking a hiatus until he can find his creativity again.
JoAnne: Because what is a geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenius without his creativity?
Shuk: His crew is in shock as he steps off the dais. His lead guy asks him, how long? Tian Xing says maybe three months, and then bolts, closely pursued by his gang. A run through the kitchen, double feint, finally into the mens locker room, where he steals a jacket and a pair of running shoes. It’s the only pair with white heels - was this all planned? He strips off the big white bow, which turns out to be a dickey over top of a black button-down shirt, and tosses it into a bin.
JoAnne: What the hell was the purpose of that thing anyway. Why not just wear a fugly-ass white shirt, then?
Shuk: Our SuperAdMan is looking around the employee area when a business suit shoves a baseball cap in his face. It is his assistant and butler, Ah Fu (Chen Bo Zheng). Super preemptively demands the butler’s eyeglasses, which he then pops the lens out. No worries, Butler Fu has a spare set! He tells his assistant what he wants for dinner and starts his 007 exit out of the building.
JoAnne: This guy. Always reliably funny. Like them together, too.
JoAnne: I - sorry, what? Clark Brow?
Shuk: I was trying for a Superman/Clark Kent motif, but I kept being distracted by those eyebrows. It's like they are sentient or something.
JoAnne: Well that makes sense, we both noticed and commented on them so they ARE pretty much an independent entity. I wonder if he has a happy trail. (I can explain how I got there, but it's better suited for a RimJeob.)
Shuk: The group is worried; their budget is small, it’s getting darker, and they are using a big black puffball Chow-Chow as the dog of the hour. Still, everyone is upbeat. Clark Brow takes his position of Dog Treat Guy and ends up enjoying himself as the mutt plods back and forth while they film.
JoAnne: I wondered what that was all about!
Shuk: The PD tells everyone that this bespectacled stranger is not that arrogant adguy, and Chalk Girl agrees that his hair is different. She then launches into the story on why she was late, and everyone is surprised she didn't see his legendary temper. What happened? She flashes back to the shower scene, and Clark Brow knows she’s flashing...
JoAnne: I'm telling you, it's a Magnum. Dipped in chocolate, with almonds. Care for a nibble?
Shuk: At his palatial home, SuperAdMan looks at the business card, and we get a childhood memory. He’s in his school uniform skulking about a film site and looking at the storyboards. A good-looking guy catches him, but invites him to hang around while he explains how they are filming the commercial. He asks about the baseball; and the older guy tells him it helps his creativity and inspiration.
JoAnne: I can't decide which Aaron Yan I like better. I will put a lot of thought into this, though, I can tell already.
Shuk: Back in the present, he pulls out a memento box. There’s a newspaper advertisement, and he smooths it out. Butler Fu brings some soup, and comments about that CF big brother. Second flashback shows that he had continued hanging at the film site, and eventually got introduced to Tao Zi, the younger sister of the producer. So this was his first introduction to Chalk Girl. Big brother hands her a baseball, which rolls out of her hand into the street. We hear a sudden discordant screeching of brakes as Butler Fu in the present voice-overs that this was the start of Lu Tian Xing’s ambition to film commercials.
JoAnne: It is a Fated Love? With a Tragic Beginning? Plus she's going to fall for both guys, who are actually one guy, but he will still get jealous of himself, you know he will. Oh hell yes I'm on board.
Shuk: The two sit together, and Super tells Fu that he met that girl again today, ten years after their first meeting, and it seems the business is in trouble. The butler agrees, but most of OZ’s troubles are coming from his own ad agency. It’s clear he had not realized that.
JoAnne: And why not? And if the Butler knows that OZ company is important to his boss, why is he just now sharing this info?
Shuk: Maybe Super never really looked at the competition, since he focused on the creative side. Butler Fu, of course, would be expected to know everything about, well, everything.
JoAnne: Little known fact, Butler Fu is SO good at knowing everything that Google Fu is actually named after him.
JoAnne: Cooking the books? What makes you say that?
Shuk: She took the pen apart, which I took to mean she was going to try and draw a positive spin on their finances.
Shuk: Dad calls. Tao Zi tries to blow him off, but he feels unwell and insists on her coming home for dinner. Kitty pushes her out the door.
Shuk: SuperAdMan and butler pull outside the Tao residence. Faithful Fu offers to visit the residence with him, but Super wants to personally do it in case they think he’s there to collect debts. Wait, do they owe him something?
JoAnne: Is this an Asian drama? Of course they do.
Shuk: Dad is all depressed because of a paper cut on his left thumb. Chalk Girl grabs her stuff and heads out the door. Dad figures out loud that she can’t find a husband because she doesn't wear skirts. She rounds on him: She has to worry about finding clients, paying her employees, and keeping the business afloat, which is more important than finding a husband. Her mom encourages her to do her best, and they hug for a moment before there is a knock on the door.
JoAnne: I know the mom from something...
Shuk: She opens the door to reveal the bane of her existence. Is he there to exact revenge? He smiles and says their situation was just a small misunderstanding, but he does have business to discuss with her parents. Mom claps a hand on his shoulder, thinking he is a massage customer, and remarks about his tense muscles. He’s not here for that, but before he can say anything else, Chalk Girl pipes up to says he wants to get her back for an imagined slight. Mom’s soothing hand turns pinching as she grips his shoulder in warning.
JoAnne: where do they LIVE?
Shuk: Through the pain, Super introduces himself as CEO of Tian Xi Advertising, to discuss OZ. They aren't inclined to be friendly, but all three listen as he outlines the reason for his visit: The company is in trouble, and he owns 30% of the company. He is willing to buy the company outright, and take the burden off their hands.
JoAnne: Seems reasonable.
JoAnne: Or maybe not, then.
Shuk: He walks back to the car, and tells Butler Fu that the Tao family is strange. Of course, Fu smiles, they have all those swords and stuffs. Super can’t believe he wasn't warned, but the butler counters that sometimes a lofty person need to be frightened. Anyway, since they won’t sell, Super has three months to come up with something to help the company.
JoAnne: Arbitrary deadline makes an appearance! We are moving full steam ahead on Trope Railways, folks.
JoAnne: Let the glorious misunderstandings which stand between our young lovers begin!
Shuk: At Tian Xi Advertising, Super has been unwillingly sucked into a strategy meeting for Jin He Realty. Little Toad, aka Lance, insists as the face of the company, that he show up for the presentation, but Lance with handle the entire proposal with his team. Super says fine and leaves.
Shuk: At his house, he sees Butler Fu messing with a silver globe in his room. And with a twist, we get an Alter-Identity space, full of casual, colorful, and fun clothing - his Clark Brow closet! Fu suggests he help the struggling company this way.
JoAnne: I was unreasonably excited by this.
JoAnne: He certainly throws off that bored look pretty fast.
Shuk: In fact, at a bus stop where his face is plastered on the advertising board, he tries to bring attention to himself, but is totally ignored. He finally makes it to OZ Advertising, and brushes his hand across the logo and gathers courage to enter.
JoAnne: Please be good. Please be full of mistaken identity hijinks and a compelling love story for both facets of our lead male.
Shuk: One of the workers recognizes him and drags him inside. Chalk Girl teases him about his remarkable similarity to a certain hated celebrity, but a furball-bonding moment later they get down to business. They ask him what OZ advertisement inspired him, and he points out the one from the newspaper in his memento box. Everyone gets quiet for a moment; her late brother filmed that.
JoAnne: Faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate
Shuk: He asks if PD Leo took over the company, but he says Tao Zi started accepting cases after she graduated, but her skills weren't up to par and their client base faded. He tells them he stopped by today because he wants to help them in a freelance fashion to get back on their feet. Chalk Girl worries they can’t pay him much, but he’s okay with that. PD Leo reiterates the company’s financial position, but he’s willing.
JoAnne: So the company lay dormant for at least 10 years while she grew up-so, no clients-and then she restarted the company-so, some clients-but then she sucked, so the pool dwindled? Is that what we're going with? Ok.
Shuk: We get our introductions: Leo is the PD and arts director, Xu Maio Maio is the visual artist and Mi Bao mom, and Jia Gai Xian is the production assistant and props guy. And the next proposal they are working on? It’s the same one as his company. He pretends to read it and then tells him he has some ideas, and they sit down for a brainstorming session.
Shuk: A tiny time skip, and it's the day of the presentation. SuperAdMan is prepping for his role as CEO Tian Xing. After the presentation, he plans to leave for vacation, secure that OZ will win the contract. He takes his personal cell, but not his work one. Butler Fu worries about it a bit.
JoAnne: I LIKE that pink jacket. He's ridiculously cute. I am just going to spazz about him a lot, I can tell. Can you believe he's 28? They're actual grown ups? NO way.
Shuk: The two groups meet in the company, and barbed pleasantries are exchanged. The Tian Xi team goes first, with a typical multimedia presentation: polished, with matching suits and identical smiles. The OZ team does a team yell, and a props-driven presentation as a living storyboard of the commercial.
Shuk: There's a brief moment of silence from the stone-faced realty executives before they being clapping. Outside, Super grins for a moment before smoothing his expression. When the envelopes are handed out, Team Chow has won the contract. Yay! Group hug, sans our dorky imposter.
JoAnne: That was very easy. What's wrong?
Shuk: Lance is seething that this little podunk group kicked their creative butts, and wants to go back to the office to see if they can turn this around. Xian Ting cheerfully sends them off before heading out the door for his vacation.
JoAnne: Oh, Mr. Stick Up His Butt is what's wrong.
Shuk: As soon as he clears the building, he gets the call from Chalk Girl, and agrees to meet them for the celebration. He gives a final wave to his glum employees before driving off.
JoAnne: Are drunken shenanigans in my near future? Dare I hope?
Shuk: At OZ the celebration is underway, with plenty of cheers and beers flowing. Clark is wearing a dorky sweatshirt that reads THE ONE. Hee. Later, everyone is slipping into drunken stupor mode. PD Leo asks about Clark's knowledge of the company, and we finally get the rest of the childhood film site flashback.
JoAnne: Yes! Drunken shenanigans are coming! Maybe even a piggy back ride! Oh wait, this isn't Korea. Oh well, anyway. Public Service Announcement: In real life, it's important to drink responsibly, kids. Don't drink and drive, don't have sex with strangers. There's more but I don't want to overwhelm you.
Shuk: It turns out Tian Xing went after the baseball that Tao Zi dropped, and ended up in front of a Car Of Doom, only to have big brother Tao Le Yuan save the day but lose his life. Uh oh, on top of the whole SuperAdMan/Clark Brow thing, does she blame him for her brother's death?
JoAnne: Did you not hear me scream Fated Love and Tragic Beginning just a little bit ago? Plus then Faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate for good measure?
Shuk: Back in the present, he tells PD Leo that, as a child, he was left alone a lot, and grew to love television commercials, especially made by OZ, because it all seemed perfect.
JoAnne: Weird kid.
Shuk: PD Leo confides that he knew the Tao family for years, and watched Tao Zi grow up. They share a bit of a bonding moment, then it's time to deal with the more drunk of the gang, which is everyone else. Clark wakes up Bangs before PD Leo can stop him; the man is a clumsy drunken nightmare. PD Leo takes care of him Kitty and Bangs, leaving Clark to handle Chalk Girl.
JoAnne: First, I say Leo will have a thing for Tao Zi. Second: Kitty Kitty bangs Bangs?
Shuk: When plopping her on the couch, his glasses get knocked off. He sits next to her, feeling nauseous. She opens a bleary eye, and tries to get him to admit he is Lu Tian Xing. He still denies it, but can't seem to get coordinated enough to fend her off when she starts playing with his bangs. She finally collapses against his chest, just as he puts an arm around her and they pass out together.
JoAnne: That is a good way to nap if you're the one on top. Hearing a heart beat is very soothing.
Shuk: The next morning, the gang gets an eyeful of the couple on the couch. Chalk Girl is draped across Clark like a wisteria vine on a live oak. Bangs wakes him up with a forehead tap; Clark quickly slithers out from under her, ending up on the floor scrambling for his glasses. He quickly puts them on and runs for the door. She finally wakes up to see her staff staring at her. Kitty is already shipping the two together. The boys are less impressed. They head out for coffee; she's handed three of them and told to drink them all.
JoAnne: I ship I ship oh yes indeed I ship.
Shuk: Super drives in the rain to his vacation spot - The White House Resort at the oceanfront near Taipei. He has a brief moment to enjoy the calm before loud screaming and carrying-on next door disturb him. He grabs an umbrella and walks out onto the balcony.
Shuk: Who is next door? Our scooby gang, ready for a little overnight party to celebrate their success. His face runs through a gamut of emotions before he goes back inside.
Shuk: They are playing charades - loudly - as their neighbor gets more and more upset, until he finally snaps and stalks over. Mi Bao is happy to see him, but he ignores the dog to deal with the humans: they have been noisy all afternoon, so could they please keep it down tonight so he can enjoy his vacation.
JoAnne: This honestly confused me. I didn't understand that his vacation wasn't planned to be spent as a sort of busman's holiday (with them, making commercials) so I thought he was there for the WORK, and why would he get upset with them for having fun? Why wouldn't he just put on Cute Boy and join them?
Shuk: Chalk Girl huffs that they meet up with this guy everywhere - what bad luck! PD Leo again plays the calm one. They will be running around tomorrow and won't see their grumpy name again. Tao Zi quietly thanks them for putting up with the late paychecks and all the setbacks the company has experienced. They are all for one and one for all.
JoAnne: Bad news phone call in 3, 2, 1...
Shuk: Tao Zi gets a phone call from the realty company that causes her face to fall.
Shuk: Tian Xing puts away his umbrella, just as his bag starts ringing. He sifts through everything to find his work phone where Butler Fu had secreted it. It's Toady, who is gleeful with news. He performed some under-the-table shenanigans, and the real estate company pulled their endorsement from OZ Advertising and gave it back to Tian Xi Advertising.
JoAnne: So basically it's already LanceThatBitch.
Shuk: Tian Xing has barely a moment to hang up on Lance before Tao Zi starts pounding on his deck door. He is nothing but scum in her eyes, and she won't listen as he tries to explain. She tussles with him, knocking his brown leather wallet out of his pocket and slamming him against the wall with his arm behind his back. The rest of OZ shows up, but she is pissed and crying as Tian Xing's face screws with pain.
JoAnne: The First Rule of Puppy Club - the woman should be able to overpower in the first 3d of the drama.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Shuk: Wow, that's a lot to happen in the first episode: character intros, flashbacks, backstory, drunken couch skinship. Maybe because it's 75 minutes long, although it didn't feel like it.
JoAnne: Uh, yeah, I had no idea it was that long.
Shuk: I always like the childhood connections in shows. I'm not sure why, maybe the whole Fate thing. I like our couple, I like the dog, I loathe the toady from Xian Ting's business. And how is our Adman Dork going to juggle this? To help the small company at the expense of his own, I think there's some ethics issues over and above the whole persona switch. Which is clearly going to just stir everything up. And I can't wait.
JoAnne: I guess he will limit himself to making sure that there's a fair playing field, but honestly, his company can lose a couple and not suffer. My guess for the future: Leo likes Tao Zi, Bangs likes Miao Miao but she likes Leo, Clark falls first, Tao Zi keeps Nice Clark at arms length but finds herself falling for Dick Clark (ha) pretty much right away...his annoying female friend, not sure about her. Lance will try to push Lu Tian Xing out of the business. That's it for now. I love it.
JoAnne: I LIKE that pink jacket. He's ridiculously cute. I am just going to spazz about him a lot, I can tell. Can you believe he's 28? They're actual grown ups? NO way.
Shuk: The two groups meet in the company, and barbed pleasantries are exchanged. The Tian Xi team goes first, with a typical multimedia presentation: polished, with matching suits and identical smiles. The OZ team does a team yell, and a props-driven presentation as a living storyboard of the commercial.
JoAnne: That was very easy. What's wrong?
Shuk: Lance is seething that this little podunk group kicked their creative butts, and wants to go back to the office to see if they can turn this around. Xian Ting cheerfully sends them off before heading out the door for his vacation.
JoAnne: Oh, Mr. Stick Up His Butt is what's wrong.
Shuk: As soon as he clears the building, he gets the call from Chalk Girl, and agrees to meet them for the celebration. He gives a final wave to his glum employees before driving off.
JoAnne: Are drunken shenanigans in my near future? Dare I hope?
Shuk: At OZ the celebration is underway, with plenty of cheers and beers flowing. Clark is wearing a dorky sweatshirt that reads THE ONE. Hee. Later, everyone is slipping into drunken stupor mode. PD Leo asks about Clark's knowledge of the company, and we finally get the rest of the childhood film site flashback.
JoAnne: Yes! Drunken shenanigans are coming! Maybe even a piggy back ride! Oh wait, this isn't Korea. Oh well, anyway. Public Service Announcement: In real life, it's important to drink responsibly, kids. Don't drink and drive, don't have sex with strangers. There's more but I don't want to overwhelm you.
Shuk: It turns out Tian Xing went after the baseball that Tao Zi dropped, and ended up in front of a Car Of Doom, only to have big brother Tao Le Yuan save the day but lose his life. Uh oh, on top of the whole SuperAdMan/Clark Brow thing, does she blame him for her brother's death?
JoAnne: Did you not hear me scream Fated Love and Tragic Beginning just a little bit ago? Plus then Faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate for good measure?
Shuk: Back in the present, he tells PD Leo that, as a child, he was left alone a lot, and grew to love television commercials, especially made by OZ, because it all seemed perfect.
JoAnne: Weird kid.
Shuk: PD Leo confides that he knew the Tao family for years, and watched Tao Zi grow up. They share a bit of a bonding moment, then it's time to deal with the more drunk of the gang, which is everyone else. Clark wakes up Bangs before PD Leo can stop him; the man is a clumsy drunken nightmare. PD Leo takes care of him Kitty and Bangs, leaving Clark to handle Chalk Girl.
JoAnne: First, I say Leo will have a thing for Tao Zi. Second: Kitty Kitty bangs Bangs?
Shuk: When plopping her on the couch, his glasses get knocked off. He sits next to her, feeling nauseous. She opens a bleary eye, and tries to get him to admit he is Lu Tian Xing. He still denies it, but can't seem to get coordinated enough to fend her off when she starts playing with his bangs. She finally collapses against his chest, just as he puts an arm around her and they pass out together.
JoAnne: That is a good way to nap if you're the one on top. Hearing a heart beat is very soothing.
JoAnne: I ship I ship oh yes indeed I ship.
Shuk: Super drives in the rain to his vacation spot - The White House Resort at the oceanfront near Taipei. He has a brief moment to enjoy the calm before loud screaming and carrying-on next door disturb him. He grabs an umbrella and walks out onto the balcony.
Shuk: Who is next door? Our scooby gang, ready for a little overnight party to celebrate their success. His face runs through a gamut of emotions before he goes back inside.
Shuk: They are playing charades - loudly - as their neighbor gets more and more upset, until he finally snaps and stalks over. Mi Bao is happy to see him, but he ignores the dog to deal with the humans: they have been noisy all afternoon, so could they please keep it down tonight so he can enjoy his vacation.
JoAnne: This honestly confused me. I didn't understand that his vacation wasn't planned to be spent as a sort of busman's holiday (with them, making commercials) so I thought he was there for the WORK, and why would he get upset with them for having fun? Why wouldn't he just put on Cute Boy and join them?
Shuk: Chalk Girl huffs that they meet up with this guy everywhere - what bad luck! PD Leo again plays the calm one. They will be running around tomorrow and won't see their grumpy name again. Tao Zi quietly thanks them for putting up with the late paychecks and all the setbacks the company has experienced. They are all for one and one for all.
JoAnne: Bad news phone call in 3, 2, 1...
Shuk: Tao Zi gets a phone call from the realty company that causes her face to fall.
Shuk: Tian Xing puts away his umbrella, just as his bag starts ringing. He sifts through everything to find his work phone where Butler Fu had secreted it. It's Toady, who is gleeful with news. He performed some under-the-table shenanigans, and the real estate company pulled their endorsement from OZ Advertising and gave it back to Tian Xi Advertising.
JoAnne: So basically it's already LanceThatBitch.
Shuk: Tian Xing has barely a moment to hang up on Lance before Tao Zi starts pounding on his deck door. He is nothing but scum in her eyes, and she won't listen as he tries to explain. She tussles with him, knocking his brown leather wallet out of his pocket and slamming him against the wall with his arm behind his back. The rest of OZ shows up, but she is pissed and crying as Tian Xing's face screws with pain.
JoAnne: The First Rule of Puppy Club - the woman should be able to overpower in the first 3d of the drama.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Shuk: Wow, that's a lot to happen in the first episode: character intros, flashbacks, backstory, drunken couch skinship. Maybe because it's 75 minutes long, although it didn't feel like it.
JoAnne: Uh, yeah, I had no idea it was that long.
Shuk: I always like the childhood connections in shows. I'm not sure why, maybe the whole Fate thing. I like our couple, I like the dog, I loathe the toady from Xian Ting's business. And how is our Adman Dork going to juggle this? To help the small company at the expense of his own, I think there's some ethics issues over and above the whole persona switch. Which is clearly going to just stir everything up. And I can't wait.
JoAnne: I guess he will limit himself to making sure that there's a fair playing field, but honestly, his company can lose a couple and not suffer. My guess for the future: Leo likes Tao Zi, Bangs likes Miao Miao but she likes Leo, Clark falls first, Tao Zi keeps Nice Clark at arms length but finds herself falling for Dick Clark (ha) pretty much right away...his annoying female friend, not sure about her. Lance will try to push Lu Tian Xing out of the business. That's it for now. I love it.