A plot as thick as Dao Ming Si's eyebrows
Only real trash connoisseurs will understand the true value of this masterpiece. The most irritating finale i've ever seen but would this show really be as entertaining with an average vanilla finale that doesn't feel like you're tripping on LSD ? Think again... Like a river, the plot flows and flows. Not a single dull moment except for the whole episode exploring the unnecessary drama between Mei Zuo and Caina. You can skip it without feeling guilty.Last but not least: Thomas powerful, gripping and iconic performance at the London restaurant will never be forgotten.
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This review may contain spoilers
Before I begin this review...1. I have watched all licensed live versions of this story (Taiwan, Japan, Korea and now this China remake).
2. I grew up watching the original Meteor Garden.
3. Japanese Hana Yori Dango became my ultimate favorite adaptation.
Here’s my review.
It was clear from the very first episode that there were going to be many changes made to the origin story in this new remake. One being the iconic F4 banner in the locker symbolizing F4's desire to challenge you to a poker match. Two being the noticeable absence of bullying and flaunting of wealth (due to China censorship)... which left me asking, whether this was truly Hana Dango. Why does it look so different? Third being DMS is actually quite the gentleman in this version. He is still arrogant and hot tempered but not really a bully per say. His rocky start with Shan Cai is very "Pride and Prejudice-ques" in that, it stemmed from misunderstanding and poor communication on both sides rather than bullying. Despite all of the noticeable changes, I was addicted by the first episode. The acting wasn’t very good. The story line was familiar but not at the same time. Yet, curiosity and awe at how this version looks and feels kept me going.
I compare the feeling of watching this version to falling in love when you are in your early teens. It is clear that this version of Meteor Garden is marketed towards that age group. The actors are all new people. Their youthful looks and clear inexperience with acting actually helps with the portrayal of these seemingly innocent and naive characters. These characters are not deep nor well developed at all. You can say they are one dimensional and kinda cartoony. So if you are expecting some well fleshed out story with deep characters and development... this show is definitely not for you. But, if you take this version for what it is meant to be, which is a highly entertaining, childish story of two characters falling in love despite ridiculous obstacles... then you will love this version. Hana Yori Dango is the king of all that is good and bad about cliche Asian Rom Coms and this version delivered the cheesiness in unapologetic style. Ultimately, it is silly to expect anything more from the king of all idol dramas.
Personally, I watched this version for Dylan Wang and Shen Yue. I grew to be very fond of the two actors and loved seeing their natural chemistry on screen. Despite being newbies, these two delivered strong performances in difficult scenes that really moved me. I didn’t care much for the other characters but didn’t mind them that much when they were on screen. I also grew to love the blatant product placement. It was so in your face that you couldn’t help but laugh. I also enjoyed the new scenes and the faithful adaptation to the original manga. This was the most faithful adaptation to the manga which is probably why the original author, Yoko Kamio, is also a fan. She drew Dylan as Tsukasa... so if that’s not a sign off, I don’t know what is...
As much as I loved this version, there were many moments in this drama that were so ridiculous that I wasn’t sure what the hell I was watching... it almost felt like the screen writers flat out gave up.
So, the jury is pretty split on the reception of this version. I think it’s best to watch and decide for yourself whether you enjoy it or not. I liked it and I had a good time watching.
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This review may contain spoilers
Let me start off by saying that you're either going to love or hate this drama. There's not really an in-between feeling with this one. The good stuff:
Casting - I feel the casting team did a great job. I actually started watching because of Shen Yue but found that casting of Darren Chen, Caesar Wu and of course Dylan Wang pretty much nailed it in terms of outer appearances.
Soundtrack - I actually really enjoyed the music that was played throughout that drama. I think they choose the right songs for the right moments and I loved how they subtly used the original songs in some scenes.
Original tropes - Aside from the obvious fact that Daoming Zhuang is played by Barbie Hsu's real life sister, there are many more tropes, linking it to the original that is super cute.
Chemistry - Again chemistry between leads were on point. The only reason why I made it to the finish line was actually the chemistry. Not just the main lead couple but all of them as a whole. I usually don't have second lead syndrome but I was rooting for Hua Ze Lei more than Daoming Si in this version. The main lead still had a lot of chemistry but I enjoyed the screen time between Shen Yue and Darren more for some reason.
Emotional Scenes - Shen Yue cries like an absolute angel. It's super natural and i'm a sucker for emotional scenes. In particular, the hot pot break up scene and their last date in London still lingers in my heart even now. Both main leads nailed the crying scene there. The scene where Shancai walks to Daoming Si's room after standing in the rain and collapsing due to exhaustion was a killer one as well although I wish it was a little more extended.
The bad stuff:
Acting - To be honest there were some scenes that really highlighted the young cast's acting ability but overall i'm sorry to say, their acting was pretty bad. I am no acting expert and yes it's harder than it looks and these guys are all mostly rookies but if no one is going to speak up about this, how are they all meant to get better? I'm sorry to say that the acting was very stiff and sometimes you could actually see them glimpsing directly at the camera.
Story - I appreciated the fact that they toned down the bullying and adapted into a way that is more relevant to today's generation which is centered around the internet. What I did not enjoy was the fact that the story moved rapidly at the start and became stagnant in the middle. Obviously the story is nothing new and we all kinda knew where the train was heading but there were parts that really had no relevance to the original story or adding depth to the current one. For example Mei Zuo's strange love triangle. Like WTF? I can understand that they wanted to give this character more screen time as he hasn't received that in any of the other previous versions but that stupid love triangle was the biggest wast of time.
Dubbing: Why? Just WHY? I understand when period drama's need dubbing to be more accurate to the time and place but modern drama? Really? Shancai's voice was soo annoying that it actually still irks me now. Shen Yue's voice is actually quite nice as it is and it was not dubbed in A Love So Beautiful so I don't really understand why they had to use dubbing here.
Setting - Considering that it is set in university, the whole drama feel was VERY childish. They either should have used the same cast in a high school setting or a more mature cast in the uni setting and made it a tiny bit more mature while staying true to the original story line.
The downright ugly:
Product placement - Okay so at some points I actually had to check to see if I was still watching the drama or was I watching a commercial? Absolutely absurd the way products were shot and used in this drama like how clear do you want to make it that these brands are sponsoring you? Product placements here is the worst I have ever seen in any drama to date.
Ending episodes - Just WTF? The final episodes were the most ridiculous, laughable and down right stupid scenes I have ever had the misfortune of seeing on any drama. His mum conceding because of a video he made detailing how he's grown up but does piece signs and checks his hair at the end? The weird as fuck wedding with no parents and the worst ever dance from his sister? Their weird star gazing in London where Hua Ze Lei is hard core third wheeling? I could literally go on for hours about how the ending was a disgrace but I think you get the gist of it.
So on that note, it concludes my review. All I can really say is that i've seen it, it was below average but with good chemistry and a terrible, terrible end.
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This review may contain spoilers
(For a spoilerful review, I wrote a separate, much more in-depth version here: https://dramavixen.tumblr.com/post/177526794854/)Was I expecting a trainwreck when I first started watching? Perhaps. Actually, yes; unquestionably so. Thus, even if I call this show a trainwreck, it wouldn’t be accurate to say that Meteor Garden was "below expectations."
Meteor Garden was possibly one of the most anticipated Chinese dramas of the season, rousing the nostalgic instincts of those of us who have long been attached to this story. Of course, that’s a great burden on the cast and crew. This is especially true in China, where viewers tend to prefer the “original” version of everything—novels, dramas, movies; you name it. Any kind of remake or adaptation is asking for trouble; and Meteor Garden fared the worst that I've seen, with a whopping rating of 2.8/10 when the first episode aired.
We can say that viewers in China are being overly judgmental, but the one thing they’re right about is that choosing to remake this was a shaky decision to begin with. At its core, Meteor Garden overflows with cliche after cliche; all the ones that make us roll our eyes whenever we see them: the poor girl-rich guy combo, the trash male lead/nice second male lead dynamic, the meddling mother-in-law; the list just writes itself. This isn’t to say that cliche usage equates to a bad drama, but historically, Meteor Garden has never elevated these elements to anything past mediocrity.
This adaptation still uses all of these tropes: without improvement. We can argue all day about how the writers toned down the bullying that existed in the previous versions; how Dao Ming Si isn’t as bad of a guy as he used to be. That doesn’t change the fact that this story is incredibly weak.
The conflicts between the main couple start off making sense because they have a lot of moral disagreements. Meteor Garden intends to show the evolution of a relationship as it progresses between two enemies to two people in love. However, with 48 episodes worth of problem after problem solely for the sake of dramatics, the instability of their relationship quickly becomes less heartbreaking and more obnoxious. All the side plots involving the other characters are also either boring or mindnumblingly frustrating—or (if your goddess of luck has abandoned you) both!
How do the characters play into the plot? In a word, badly. The sheer level of bullcrapery that is injected into the script makes it impossible for anyone to truly develop or interact with each other like normal human beings. Each character does have their good and bad points, which I appreciate. But more often than not, we don’t get to see them act as people; they’re just used as paper dolls for the sake of toddling through whatever conflict the writers feel like putting into the episode. It’s a real shame, especially since the actors all have so much potential to do better.
In all honesty, I’m surprised that I finished this show. Well, I guess I could be more surprised; from the very beginning, I wanted to see this ordeal to the end so that I could be as thorough in my roasting as possible without any false pretenses. So here, I have to say that Meteor Garden is but a pile of burnt potatoes. And just like there're a lot of better things to eat than burnt potatoes, there’re a lot of better things to watch than this.
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This review may contain spoilers
Not Perfect But It'll Have A Special Place in Your Heart!
I genuinely enjoyed this show. It's not perfect and it may not be the best drama you'll ever watch but it'll have a special place in your heart. Cinematography was well done. Filming locations were beautiful. There are some things that are different from the other versions of Meteor Garden and that makes it really exciting because it keeps you guessing what was changed in this version. The story is still the good old Meteor Garden tale that we all loved. As someone who grew up watching Asian dramas, this particular story (Meteor Garden, Boys Over Flowers, Hana Yori Dango) is a classic and timeless tale. It's always fun to watch the modern remakes of this story and I'm glad this one didn't disappoint me. Everything cliche in an Asian drama is in this drama lol but I mean, it IS Meteor Garden, so it's expected. This story is basically the foundation of all Asian drama cliches lmao. But it's always so refreshing to go back to this story again in a different setting & with a different cast. If you truly want to enjoy this show, I highly recommend NOT to compare it with the other versions and nitpick on the inexplainable and ridiculous things that happen in this show. Just take it lightheartedly and you'll be able to truly enjoy it. It has 50 episodes (49 on Netflix idk why lol) but it never felt like it was a task for me to finish it because it was so much fun to watch (besides the side story that dragged on for too long *cough cough*). Just don't have extremely high expectations or else... that'll ruin it for you. Other than that, it's really enjoyable to watch. There is a lot of comedy, romance, and it shows the value of friendship and family.ACTING
Acting was just okay, nothing too spectacular. Most of the cast members are new to acting so I wasn't surprised that they were somewhat lacking. It didn't bother or annoy me, though, because the characters were still very likable and cute. It's so fascinating how much Dylan Wang suits playing as Dao Ming Si. I'm so glad he was chosen to play as DMS because I honestly can't imagine anyone else playing it. Dao Ming Si is such a difficult character to pull off, so I give props to Dylan for doing a great job, despite this being his first drama ever. Out of the 5 main characters (F4 & Shan Cai), only Shen Yue and Darren Chen had some experience acting in dramas prior to Meteor Garden. Shen Yue is an excellent actress (became a fan of her during her previous drama!) but for some reason, her acting here felt a bit unnatural sometimes? But she is amazing in dramatic scenes. Her tears fall down so quickly and she makes me wanna cry too ;___; I liked all the F4 members but my fav was Darren Chen/Kuan Hong. I fell in love with him while watching this show. His smile and dimple is to die for!
MUSIC
I LOOOOOOVEEEE THE OST OF THIS DRAMA. I love how they included old songs from the original Meteor Garden. It brought back a lot of memories of my childhood so I was really pleased to hear them again. They included old songs like Qing Fei De Yi by Harlem Yu, Liu Xing Yu by the original F4, and the new version of Ni Yao De Ai, which was still sung by Penny Tai. The songs that the 2018 F4 sang were lowkey cheesy lol but they're really catchy and I found myself listening to them a lot! Honestly, most of F4 can't really sing besides Caesar Wu (Ximen) lol but they're super cute so it's okay hahahaha. There are two English songs that was played throughout the show: Say Something by A Great Big World, which really set the mood, and Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake), which really ruined MY mood bc it's such a terrible song lol.
OVERALL, this wasn't such a bad show at all. I would wait for the new episodes every week and had so much fun watching it. It kind of became my stress reliever since I enjoyed it so much. A lot of my friends enjoyed it as much as I did too.
So now... the final verdict: SHOULD YOU WATCH IT? YES. Absolutely. Go for it. It's funny. It's cute. It's romantic. It's dramatic. F4 members are eye candies. What else could you ask for in a drama? I highly recommend it. Like I said before, it may not be the best drama you'll ever watch, but it'll have a special place in your heart. PLUS, it's on Netflix so it should be easy to watch for a lot of people!
(don't read past this if you don't wanna get spoiled lol but I just wanted to share my personal thoughts)
SPOILERS/MY THOUGHTS
- Shancai and Dao Ming Si's relationship is bipolar and cyclic af lol the same shit kept happening over and over again, just with some minor changes lol BUT THAT DIDN'T KEEP ME FROM LOVING THEM. THEY ARE WAY TOO CUTE.
- JING AND LEI'S STORY OMG idk why but it had so much impact on me in this version. Darren and Sun Yi Han are so shippable! Til the end of the show, I still kept waiting for Jing to come back to Lei so that he wouldn't be alone... at least in this version... ;____;
- Xiao You and Ximen deserved so much more screen time ;___; I'm literally craving for more of them ;___; they're so adorable
- Cai Na and Terrence, a.k.a, the most irrelevant characters and have contributed NOTHING to the show, had so much screen time, I almost went insane. SAVE YOUR SOUL AND SKIP THEIR SCENES.
- the last ep was a big wtf lol but it's weirdly NOT disappointing?? lmao
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“ Meteor Garden”? More like a “ Meteor” Destruction Site, If You Ask Me...
It seems when coming across Meteor Garden(2018) , you come across two types of fans; the diehard lovers of Meteor Garden, who most likely haven’t seen other versions before , or the biased haters who constantly draw-up the parallels between their “ favourite” version and Meteor Garden as well.In all honesty, Meteor Garden (2018) isn’t an entirely terrible drama in its own right ; it adds a much needed modern generational update from the 90s manga and the original ‘00s drama versions through technology, as well as thankfully getting rid of some of the more dire cliches ( including the amnesia trope) than some of the other versions. Additionally whilst a lot of critics seemed to be quite cutthroat about the casting choices ( particularly Sheng Yue) , Dylan Wang certainly wasn’t a bad choice for Do Ming Si . Although he was certainly not as memorable as his predecessors, Wang actually added quite a much needed light-humoured and boyish manner to his performance as our lead Male lead ( which may have been one of the few enjoyable factors of the show).
On the other hand, there’s no denying or sugarcoating that the Chinese version of Meteor Garden lacks a lot of originality, cultural insight and storyline than the other adaptations, sometimes making this 50- episode version feel very disjointed and dragging after the halfway point due to gradual fading interest in a lot of the storyline and characters.
This ironically also moves us onto the second problem of the show being how “ toned down” some of the riskier issues of the show actually were ( including the main driven plot point of the extent of bullying) as a consequence of Chinese censorship. Naturally this isn’t entirely the fault of the scriptwriters, as one writer joked and revealed shortly after a flood of complaints from critics upon these issues, how they had quite literally been told by the censors that “ they can’t have bullying”, “ there can’t be evident gaps between rich and poor”, “ violence is wrong” and a man dating several women will send out “ bad messages” if they included any of these themes in the actual script . ( For those who don’t know, the Taiwanese version created controversy and was banned upon most mainland Chinese airways for these exact reasons when it was first aired).
This doesn’t defend the problem, however, that there’s little sense of cultural reflection or intrigue around Meteor Garden (2018) . Even Chinese netizens pointed out that for a show centred in one of the world’s leading consumerist and fashionable cities , Shanghai, a lot of the outfits, hairstyles and accessories of the drama felt too outdated and unfashionable ( leading to the popular joke that the fashionable “ F4” were the “ four country boys”) for modern Chinese youths and unlike the other versions, the drama simply didn’t kept on culturally with the latest fashion.
Whilst there’s no denying that every adaptation is based upon romantic cliches and tropes from the original Hana Yori Dango manga, most of the versions have at least brought something fairly new or different to the table. The Korean version( Boys Over Flowers -2009), brought us elements of the infamous aspect of “ Chabeol” heirs and a fairly intriguing love triangle , the Taiwanese version (the original Meteor Garden -2001) became a cultural sensation across most of East Asia as one of the the first big “ idol dramas” to hit Chinese airwaves with Do Ming Si as a fairly dark character, and Ze Lei as a gentler version than the original manga whilst finally the Japanese version (eponymous to the manga as Hana Yori Dango- 2005-2007) played fully upon the Tokyo cultural aspect of living conditions for most Japanese families within small flats ( a running gag in the show) and Tsukasa as the lovelorn Male lead, and Rei as the cool and mysterious love interest.
Yet the Chinese version really has little to really offer ( apart from the evident name changes) on this front; the aspect of the show being set in a University is copied from the Taiwanese version , and the “ spoilt brat heirs” montage is directly taken from the Korean version and even the ending nearly directly copies the Japanese version without a second thought.
Although a respected actress , Sheng Yue really doesn’t add anything new or different to her version as Shan Cai in any manner of performance or character progression ( unlike her previous incarnation by Barbie Hsu and respectfully Mao Inoue ) being thrown out the window after the first few episodes. Similarly , the remaining members of the F4( played respectfully by Darren Chen, Connor Leong and Caesar Wu ) have always been portrayed in most of the adaptations as unrepentant bullies who gradually grow upon viewers through their often respectful and loyal feelings towards certain topics and especially through their gradual friendship with female lead. In the Chinese version, however, the F4 , just didn’t share the same level of bonding or actual development as the other versions; instead inexplicably “ perfect “ because of their skills and only “ falling” short of these perfections when it was necessary for the plot.
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Whilst respectfully it is quite fun for fans of any of these versions to see little homages or scene parallels ( such as wearing a similar outfit or being in a similar setting ) to their favourite scenes, there is a difference between putting in small Easter eggs or homages ( such as Barbie Hsu’s sister appearing as a character) and then directly copying dialogues, scenes and scenarios nearly word for word. There’s just nothing new, unique or intriguing which the Chinese version brings to this latest version.
To put into refined words, Meteor Garden is a hot mess . Whilst it certainly isn’t a drama beyond salvation ( due to some fairly comical moments thanks to Dylan Wang) and certainly shouldn’t be disregarded as being “ dire and beyond watching ”, there’s just nothing to really add or show in this version which hasn’t been brought up before by the respected Taiwanese, Korean and Japanese adaptations as well . Hopefully the Thai version will bring something new or at least intriguing to the classic tale of Hana Yori Dango/ Boys Flowers , as Meteor Garden (2018) just didn’t quite bite the bullet for doing any of this.
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The acting was amazing!
Meteor Garden” is the best Asian series of all times.The true meaning of love, friendship and family is tested. This film series is also a romantic drama and remake of Meteor Gardens from 2001 and has by far surpassed it in every way. Shen Yue (Shancia) and Dylan Wang (Dome Si) did an exceptional job. Their acting was phenomenal.This series is very exciting. Moreover, the great cinematography and amazing soundtrack intensify the mood while creatively capturing dynamic visualization of the story. The wardrobe was breathtaking and was worn as if they were high fashion models. Besides the last episode being a little confusing, this is the best Asian romantic drama I have ever seen. Get ready to embark on an emotional journey full of tears, laughter, suspense, and unyielding love. This is a must see!
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This review may contain spoilers
The 2001 Taiwanese version of Meteor Garden is what got me hooked on Asian dramas, and I have watched the Japanese and Korean versions as well, so I have a lot of love (and nostalgia) for the story. This version has a promising fresh-faced cast with some changes to the story that I liked, but ultimately was way too repetitive and had some very questionable writing. THE POSITIVE: This version places the characters in college, which I found much more believable (not that we're *really* going for believable in this drama). What I loved the most is the friendship between F4. In this version, I felt their friendship the most deeply, especially between Dao Ming Si and Lei. They had a bunch of really cute scenes, like that sleepover scene (hehe). I liked that each member of F4 had their own talents and interests, and each received their own storyline. (Never mind that I didn't care for Mei Zuo's storyline - he deserved better - and I hated the ending of Xi Men's storyline. Sorry, I was not on Team Xiao You in this version even though that was my favorite storyline in the Korean version. I never really felt moved by them in this version.)
THE NEGATIVE: First of all, Dao Ming Si's behavior in the beginning is pretty appalling. The delivery scene when he throws the food on her, and when he aggressively corners her are both SO extreme, and he never actually apologizes. I just can't overlook his behavior. Second, why the heck did Shan Cai forgive every single person who wronged her? Reconciling with Li Zhen I can accept, but those other two girls who almost caused her to freeze to death in a snowstorm??? The manipulative Xiao Zi??? Third, the back-and-forth with Dao Ming Si's mother was too drawn out. In this version, it just went on for too long and felt nonsensical. I wish that the London storyline was merged with the locked up in Shanghai storyline. And the tasering + Xiao Zi's fake kidnapping storyline???? Literally had no point???? And made no sense???? Basically once we got to London, the drama went truly downhill. Also, this was the most boring Shan Cai ever. Barbie Hsu was just so good.
THE RIDICULOUS: F4 are bridge champions in this version??? Excuse me? That started off the drama on a truly bizarre note. And, WTF @ Thomas reappearing and then turning out to be friends with the thieves. AND he is invited to the wedding at the end? No frickin' way. Speaking of the wedding, THAT ENTIRE WEDDING SEQUENCE WAS SO WEIRD I WAS PRAYING IT WAS A DREAM BUT IT WAS REAL??? His sister's dance????????? I literally cannot.
In conclusion, a lot of the most powerful, dramatic moments in the Taiwanese moments felt underwhelming in this version.
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I wan't acquainted with the story and I really struggled getting through the first episode. The concept that an university is ruled by four students seems absurd to me, but alright it's just the first episode. Back to the lead Dong Shancai and I really couldn't decide what to think of her. I first thought she and her friends escaped from my little pony's land or something, because it was all like let's all be friends forever. LALALA XOXO. Are you people in your twenties and starting university or kindergarten?
Let's watch another episode maybe it's get better, but for me it didn't. I found the way Daong Ming Si treated Shancai repulsive. Dragging her around/ sorry walking with her, was for me a big no no. Pushing her against the wall and standing over her, I was like no. That is no way to treat women or people in general, but still all the women there idolize him.
After watching a couple of episodes you get more into the story and you get more acquainted with the characters, but the problem is mainly that there isn't much depth. Episode after episode it is Dong Shancai en Daong Ming Si fighting and the rest of the characters is trying to help them. There are fun parts, but they can't safe the show. I was so happy when Zhuang came into the series. Finally there is a woman, that acts and is dressed like an actual woman! I'm sorry but F4 is dressed like really stylish and you can say/see they are young men. Shancai and her friend are always dressed for kids.
So perhaps if I read the manga or knew the story I would have liked it, but I say never again. The lack of depth in the story, the way woman are treated or dressed and the strange plot lines. Ow I thought it was funny to send you out in the middle of a snowstorm, where you almost froze to death, but let's still work together on our next school project. Say what? Or random girl walks to Daong Ming Si, again I say girl not women and offers him a cake that she baked and he troughs it in her face! Where is Zhuang when you really want to see her? Perhaps next time invest in the writing and not in all the product placement. How about some songs in exchange for the three songs they have on repeat?
So I want to go with: Say something, I'm giving up on you, but I gave up.
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The plot: Heres the tricky part, for those watching without having seen other versions, they watch with fresh eyes and many have pointed plotholes, and/or discomfort with some scenes. Personally, I felt this adaptation tried to follow the manga closely but also changed the mood of it. This version is actually lighter, perhaps more palatable and digestable with reduced bullying. Even villanous characters were dialed down, case in point the person who spread the picture of San Chai..that among others were toned down. That said, its a pro and con at the same time because it isnt as intense.
The characters- F4 in this version is more approachable. They are your rich good looking guys but also worked hard for their academics and/or have their talents.
Male otp: Dao Ming Tse is the tough looking kid- that really resembled a porcupine with a soft belly. He's also with steadfast once (and it didnt take long) when he realised his feelings. On most parts he has a very direct approach in pursuing the girl who caught his attention and never much bat an eye at other girls. His character grew from likable to lovable as the drama progresses. His greatest attribute is how he supports Sanchai and encourages her. And you also see his growth towards the end, how even unspoken he reads, understand and provides understanding and security when Sanchai needs it.
Female otp: Dong San Chai is that petite firecracker. She seems that average girl but when push comes to shove and she stands up for her friends, she shines.. and caught the attention of our male lead. In many circumstances, shes slow in romance department and tends to be passive. She took her time in processing the changes in her feelings from hatred to friendly to something more when in comes to Ah Si.
Rest of F4: Like mention this bunch of F4 are more likable. Hua Ze Lei is the flower boy in terms of look, gaze and speech. Who became the realible rock and soulmate to SanChai. Mei Zuo and Xi men also get their arc in the drama. Personally i did not enjoy Mei Zuo's arc and the story of his love interest. Xi men and Xiao Yuo was likable and i did look forward to their part.
Others: SanChai's parents are nice loving parents. They are also less theatrical then J version. I also like Dao ming tse's housekeeper too.
Acting- This is the mix bag.
Dylan Wang He Di- a complete rookie with his first work was a surprise. I thk perhaps his own real life behaviour transcends into his character. He brings the playful and energy to Dao Ming Tse. There's obviously room for improvement but he sells the character well and you could overlook it.
Shen Yue- having seen her previous work in A love so beautiful, i did come in with expectations and she was adequate. She excelled in poignant scenes but her performance was also patchy. Playful and sweet scenes was dealt well between her and Dylan. 90% of their kiss scenes were stiff and at times awkward (perhaps they were shy or it was too cold during filming?) Darren was a bit stiff and sometimes too expressionless. I cant help remembering Hanazawa Rui and found him lacking. Connor was the worst of the bunch in my opinion, he was cringey and he made me skipped his parts. Caeser Wu fared slightly better but also patchy performance.
OST:
Ost can really lift up the drama. Some of the ost esp the old ones were really good and nostalgic. But some of the ones resang by F4, unfortunately i didnt enjoy their vocals. I thk J-version who had Utada Hikaru and the original TW version were a level better.
THE VERDICT:
The plot like mention above is diluted. As a breezy summer watch and as a sometimes fluffy and sometimes innocent youthful love story (if you dont take it too seriously) it was thoroughly enjoyable. They did give us fanservice scenes, happy moments between otp, their coutship, dating, breaking up and getting back together. There was friendship and there was family and there was a love that survived obstacles. It did drag a bit in parts but wanting to see DaoMingTse and DongSanChai get together was still a worth-watching journey. This version replaced the intensity with youthfulness and thats a tradeoff that can tip the scale depending on personal taste..
For all these reasons its still a solid 8.5 for me. Cause this version of Ah Si and SanChai was still cute and lovable as a pair.
Note: My review is influenced by my memory of the other adaptations, how i feel about the story, the characters, the acting, whether it was memorable and my feelings right after i finish the last episode.
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Here's some of my main issue with this.
1. Its not a high school setting but on a university. I don't know why they did that, probably to save money for the uniforms but i saw one of Daoming Si's outfit and its freaking Dior. Apparently it was sponsored. Although they can still wear them because the F4 doesn't usually wear uniforms. OH and i guess another reason was the amount of booze they consumed here, they can't be having all that wine while they're still underage right?
2. NO RED TAGS. this irks me to hell and back. Okay so before you whine about 'how abusive and toxic' it is just bear with me. We all know Daoming Si was a grade A juvenile douchebag and all around jerk but we also know the reason (im just pissed that they didn't highlight this well enough) Dylan Wang's portrayal of this was watered down, one dimensional and honestly quite bland. However this is his first major project so I'll give him a pass and a pat on the back for a good effort.
Shancai on the other hand, because they omitted this tiny detail and replaced it with a non threatening game of cards instead of the horrible bullying it didn't feel scary or frustrating and honestly Shancai could've easily ignore the man who stepped on her phone and have it fixed somewhere, she wouldn't have to deal with F4 because she couldn't care less about the school's elites. The end. But she then challenged Daoming Si and we have this 49 episode long remake. Lol
Because there were no red tags, they completely changed Shancai's strong sense of justice which made Shen Yue's Shancai feel a little bit selfish. Sure, she fights for her friends and all but Makino Tsukushi also fights the school system, standing up to her bullies multiple times and this made Domyouji even the rest of F4 notice her perseverance.
3. ALL THE SHAMELESS PRODUCT PLACEMENTS. This i absolutely can't stand. I don't mind some marketing for the major sponsors but holy hell they literally wasted an episode for the meizuo/caina date with all those annoying cinematic shots for the sponsors. Who the f asked for a meizuo love line anyway. He's supposed to be the noona bait but they totally ruined his story.
Seriously, i get super pissed when the cast suddenly promotes a gadget, moisturizer, game, app like its a part of the damn story.
4. I don't know if I'm stressing this well enough but THE MEIZUO/CAINA ARC IS TOTALLY UNNECESSARY. They could've focused more on Daoming Si, hell even his mother because she's not intimidating enough. They just dragged the last few episodes it eventually feel a lot more forced.
5. Daoming Feng the main antagonist just because. That's it. Daoming Group was supposed to be a force in the finance and banking business and hotels not food and catering. Shancai's parents suffered only a smidge when her dad was fired but they eventually survived because of the mom's catering business.
6. There was no wedding in the manga, Tsukasa proposed but Makino accepted it much later. They were separated actually and its a long distance relationship. This series totally milked the sweet moments for the fans so they will have more materials to edit for their tribute fmvs.
7. Those three random English songs. Its hella cringey.
8. Oukawahara Shigeru >>>>>>>>>He Xiaoqi. Its non debatable.
On the lighter and positive note, I'm completely satisfied with the Ximen/Xiaoyou arc, they never disappoint. Soujirou/Yuki (manga ver.) didn't end up together BUT I definitely prefer this version. Their story isn't drawn out and paced just perfectly.
Also, Zhuang is fantastic, she was fun and animated and she totally captured Domyouji Tsubaki's character.
Another one, when Daoming Si asked for Shancai's hand for marriage and he stayed on the fishing village, there was a moment with his future in laws. I was ready to thrash Shancai's parents for being a little apathetic but this moment saved it that i decided to drop the issue. Its simple and hearfelt, especially when Si and Shancai's dad talked man to man. You can see the uncertainty and inner turmoil on her dad when he entrusted his only daughter to him, coming from a well known and powerful family, there's no doubt Shancai will face a lifetime of hurdles just to stay with Si. Not to mention having Daoming Feng as her mother in-law.
Overall, i strongly suggest you read the manga before watching this or else you'll be disappointed if you're like me, a major judgmental bitch. It is a little thin (regarding the storytelling, delivery and overall flow) and it'll feel like a shallow puddle compared to its predecessors especially the Japanese version.
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This review may contain spoilers
Meteoric Disaster
I have not read the manga nor seen any adaptation of this, so take this review for what it is.It started off pretty good with good comedic execution, but about the 1/3 of the way through it just started to drag and drag and drag at a snail's pace. I started watching at 1.5x the speed and it still dragged, e.g., there was a scene where FL counted the 520 flower bouquet from the ML...seriously?! Like I want to watch someone count flowers for a couple of minutes?! It dragged out even at 1.5x speed...and there were other parts like that...walking in the rain...ugh...
I'll start w/ the bad as I'll need some time to think about what was good...
- FL started of strong and fearless, but eventually became indecisive, weak, annoying
- ML character was mean, abusive, a jerk, selfish, and though was supposed to be financially smart and had a plan to re-conceptualize Daoming hotels, he couldn't apply this to change the fate of the company nor himself
- Side romances were unnecessary (I skipped through them...didn't see the point)
- Too many flashbacks that re-hashed stories that already made the drama drag on, on it's first pass
- Too many episodes - could have finished the entire thing in 20 episodes and make it more exciting
- I've seen better dramas portraying poor girl/boy romance with rich boy/girl
- Halfway through, it seems the screenwriters were using every trope possible to keep this drama going (kidnapping, fasting protest, weird wedding, ugh...)
The little bit of good
- Started off strong with good comedic execution
- I guess that's it...
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