A very clumsy translation of the article from Phoenix Entertainment as requested by @levinars. Again, apologies in advance for any inaccuracies.
"Let's Fall in Love" Pomegranate Couple's Love Check - Even an Idol [romance] drama would not have dared to be written like this
Supposing a story had the following synopsis:
He is handsome, 2nd generation chaebol, involved in the entertainment industry and famous across Asia. She is tall and elegant, an international supermodel, financially well off, but totally inexperienced in love. You are sure to totally avoid it. However, this is actually a true story.
For those who followed last week's "Let Us Fall In Love" where Choi Siwon and Liu Wen weathered the storm and stepped into a sweet new stage [in their relationship], their honest confessions within and without the program had ardent ShiLiu fans declaring that even idol dramas would not have dared to be scripted like this. The most exaggerated dramas would never have come up with such dialogue, because each word comes from the heart.
The audience were stunned - "Why weren't we forewarned that this is actually a documentary on true love?" It is actually devastating to be drawn into someone else's love story! Other fans commented that they have restored the concept of love in its purest form. Liu Wen and Choi Siwon represent what experts are trying to save - the love sceptics of the modern generation. In "Let us Fall in Love", they have with honesty, returned to the basic journey of a man and woman's first encounter, feeling the sparks of attraction, which would lead to becoming a couple. This is love.
What you need to know about this couple from two different countries
Liu Wen is from Hunan, China. Born in 1988, Aquarius, Asia's first supermodel, and 3rd ranking supermodel worldwide. She is the first Asian supermodel to walk the 2009 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York. In 2012, she became Estée Lauder's global ambassador. Last year, with a salary of USD7 million, she became the world's 3rd ranking supermodel,
Choi Siwon is from Korea, born in 1986, Aries, a member of Super Junior. As an idol in South Korea's highly popular group, Choi Siwon also attracted attention due to his prestigious background. His father was a representative of a well-known supermarket brand, trading companies and childcare supplies business, and is currently a university professor. His mother is a diplomat. (not very sure about the translations here - apologies if this is wrong!)
From their backgrounds, one would think that both of them are extremely compatible. What a naive notion! Just the backgrounds alone would already reveal the potential difficulties and contradictions. She is internationally acclaimed; he has had a privileged upbringing. She is independent and introverted; he is an overbearing CEO (literal translation - not sure what they are trying to say here!). Hidden behind what appears to be a typical idol drama is a mass of contradictions.
Every meeting is a long-awaited reunion
The first recording
Date: 3,4 April
Location: Seoul
On April 3, 2015, "Let's Fall In Love"'s ShiLiu couple had their first recording in a classic, small Korean theatre, with Liu Wen and Choi Siwon meeting as intended lovers. However, is this really their first encounter?
To document Choi Siwon and Liu Wen's love chronicles, we would have to go back in time to the year 2013, at the Met Ball Charity Ball, where both were present. We do not know whether these two who never interacted before then, did meet during the event. Some fans also pointed out that there was a huge poster of her directly opposite the stage during the press conference for Dragon Blade.
Although one is active in the Korean idol industry, while the other has her roots in the international fashion circle, prior to "Let's Fall In Love"'s announcement that they have been paired as an imaginary couple, no one would have linked these two together.
However, just as their past encounter indicates, every meeting is a long-awaited reunion.
Behind the scenes
The first two episodes is filled with footage of ShiLiu couple's first two days together in Seoul. Due to the broadcast constraints, what the audience saw was Siwon sighing that Liu Wen had scored a grand slam when she decided on the spot to personally cook a bowl of longevity noodles for him. The editing team had to reluctantly edit out segments that showed the awkward, shy conversations between a couple who formed good impressions of each other after their first meeting. When he drove past the church where his parents got married, Siwon expressed his wish to also be married there one day. Upon hearing from his team members that Liu Wen had a good impression of Kangin, Siwon deliberately brought the matter up. So during their first date, Liu Wen was not the only one who was jealous.
SNS
5 April midnight, which was immediately after the recording of the evening in Seoul, Choi Siwon posted "Just thank you for everything". Some fans pointed out that this message is possibly due to bowl of noodles that Liu Wen made on the night of the 4th.
7 April: Liu Wen wished Siwon a happy birthday, which he then reblogged with the Chinese words "我想谈恋爱" (I wish to fall in love).
Crisis lurking behind the sweet interactions
The 2nd recording
Date: 10,11 April
Location: Beijing
In Seoul, Siwon disclosed that he yearns for the joy of being able to return home to a normal family life after a busy day at work. As such, when the second shoot was shifted to Beijing, his love strategy had begun to materialise. He brought two bouquets of flowers from Korea, via Hong Kong and Shenzhen all the way to Beijing. From the start of the 2 day shoot, he kept asking Liu Wen whether she missed him. Asking to meet her parents, having the mock marriage proposal at the photography shoot were Siwon's attempts to gauge [how she feels about him]. Herein lies the difference between a man and a woman: when a man is attracted to a woman, he would immediately act on it. However, when a woman feels something for a man, 90% of the time, she needs to observe [him] first.
As such, although the photoshoot was not very romantic and her girlfriends helped to initiate Liu Wen's first kiss, the audience was still concerned that variety veteran Choi Siwon was actually unable to mask his feelings that Liu Wen was only physically there [she is not emotionally involved]. Viewers could clearly feel Siwon's emotional ups and downs after being rejected several times.
Behind the scenes
According to the director, when they first started the Beijing filming, Siwon was in good spirits. However, after two days with Liu Wen's extreme nerves and shyness, Siwon's mood was gradually affected. From his conversation with Liu Wen's girlfriends, he learnt that she had been focusing fully on her career with no time for romance. He expressed that he too is similar - over the past decade, his busy schedule meant he was unable to give his girlfriend the attention she needed. However, now he wishes to find a balance between love, life and work.
SNS
12 April: After the shoot in in Beijing, he posted both on twitter and Instagram that he wishes to find a balance between work, life and love.
Love is a journey of creating and eliminating misunderstandings
The 3rd recording
Date: 21,22 April
Location: Beijing
This is the recently aired Ep5, which finally have the audience believing that Choi Siwon and Liu Wen are serious about each other.
Being in the international fashion industry, Liu Wen is unfamiliar with the domestic [China] variety shows. Despite knowing this is [just] a program, she is still unable to separate her real self from it. Although she knows Choi Siwon's proposal was a joke, she could not help but view it seriously. How then could she respond to such a question?
In Korea where every word and behaviour affects the entire idol group, daring to admit that he had secretly dated before requires incredible amount of courage. How much more should Siwon, being a part of the famed star-producing SM Entertainment, be prudent in his words and deeds.
However, under such filming circumstances, Siwon who has been well trained by the Korean entertainment industry since his teens, ended up being unable to control his expressions, and showed his anger several times; whereas Liu Wen who is usually profuse with her "thank you"s, felt extremely wronged to the extent of interrupting Siwon without no consideration to propriety, and came clean with her feelings, "I have always viewed our relationship very seriously [she repeated this twice]... I hope you can understand that this comes from my heart, with no pretense involved. I have always been serious about you."
Her confession was like a light in the dark after putting Siwon and the couple's fans on an emotional rollercoaster ride. In an instant, Siwon switched from his black mood into a suppressed smile. Later in the dark interview room, upon recalling the events, he said that it was an extremely close call, and dumbfounded fans by thanking the program for giving him such a wonderful girlfriend. My goodness, who was the one who angrily threw away the mission card not too long ago!
Behind the scenes
How "scary" is a man who has been dealt an emotional blow? When rattled, the normally "Oppa can do anything" gentlemanly Choi Siwon, would rant in the interview room, "She is already of a certain age, an age that should allow her to coordinate with others. How old is she now, how old? She is already 27! What you cannot do at the age of 27, you will not be able to do when you reach 30."... But Siwon, are you really not worried how Liu Wen would react when she sees [your interview]!
SNS
17 May, the night Ep5 was aired, Liu Wen posted two messages - "I treat everything seriously, even more so in relationships. Can you feel it?" and "I remember all the beautiful times, even though [it] has so many flavours". On 18 May, Siwon reblo