When a Snail Falls in Love

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When a Snail Falls in Love is a 2016 Chinese TV series based on Ding Mo’s novel of the same name. It combines crime, suspense, and romance and aired on Dragon TV from October 24 to December 12, 2016. The show has 21 episodes, each about 30 minutes long, and was produced by Daylight Entertainment.

Plot in simple terms:
Ji Bai is a serious detective who leads a violent crime unit. Xu Xu is a new intern who works on offender profiling. Together they solve a string of crimes that seem connected. As they investigate, they start to fall for each other. Xu Xu even draws comic panels about their relationship, depicting herself as a snail and Ji as a lion.

Cast (main players):
- Ji Bai — Wang Kai
- Xu Xu — Wang Ziwen
- Yao Meng — Xu Yue
- Zhao Han — Yu Heng
- Ye Zixi — Zhao Yuanyuan
- Ye Qiao — Wu Xiaoyu
- Brother Lu — Zhang Yanyan

Production notes:
- Based on the novel When a Snail Falls in Love by Ding Mo.
- Directed by Zhang Kaizhou and produced by Daylight Entertainment for Dragon Television.
- It is related to Ding Mo’s other adaptation, Love Me If You Dare.

What people thought and how it did:
- The show became very popular online, attracting about 200 million views in the first week and reaching 1 billion views by mid-November 2016.
- It has international appeal, earning a high rating of 9.4/10 on Viki.

International broadcasts and remakes:
- Sri Lanka: aired in 2018 on Rupavahini with Sinhalese dubbing.
- Philippines: aired in 2019 on GMA News TV (dubbed in Tagalog).
- Thailand: in 2023, Tencent Video released a Thai remake of the story with a new cast and setting.

Awards:
- Won several awards, including at the China Quality Television Drama Ceremony (Weekly Drama of the Year and Most Marketable Actor for Wang Kai).
- Won multiple Tencent QQ Star Awards (Quality Network Drama of the Year; Most Powerful TV Actor for Wang Kai; Trendy TV Actress for Wang Ziwen).
- Huading Awards: Top 10 Dramas of the Year.
- DramaFever Awards: nominated for Best Chinese Language Drama.

Soundtrack:
- The show features a soundtrack with several songs, including the opening pieces titled A Snail’s Walk and other profiles like Suspense, Premonition, and Romance.

Overall:
When a Snail Falls in Love is a popular, easy-to-follow crime romance that blends a serious detective story with a growing romance, memorable characters, and a strong online and international presence.