Autumn's Concerto (2009)

As you can probably see, this drama is one of my favorites, if not number one. I've seen this drama three times, and I enjoy it every time. I could probably watch it again, today, if I had nothing better to do. Sometimes, I watch the first few episodes just for the fun of it. When I feeling down, or when I'm feeling alone.

This drama is the perfect representation of what true love is, and how it should be portrayed. Yes, romcoms and comedies are good, and fun and exciting during that moment, but this type of love... it may be acted, but it still is a goal of mine to have love like that, because even I know love like that does exist, even if that one is not real.

This drama really hit everything for me. I'll try to keep the fangirl inside of me down, and be logical and realistic without giving away spoilers or anything, but it really got everything. There were so many plot twists in this story, and a lot of them weren't very original, and yet... they worked. I mean, come on, popular boy rich boy and poor girl, cancer, memory loss, pregnancy... that's just the beginning. It's like, everything you've ever seen in a drama was thrown into this one, and it WORKED. I know, I can't believe it.
I cry so many times when I watch this drama, it's definitely a tear-jerker. It's a beautiful story, one that will pull at your heart and you won't be able to stop thinking about it.

The acting was phenomenal, I think it is very underrated. Vaness Wu gets a lot of harsh criticism for his 'over acting' but I don't think there was a lot of it. I really liked his 'over acting'. When he cried... oh. my. god. I really believed it. He actually looked like he was crying, and it actually looked painful. I don't know how to put it... he looked like how a guy WOULD cry. And Addy An, she get's a lot of harsh criticism for her under-acting. I agree that sometimes she looks expressionless, but I think it had more to do with the script. Not only that, but I wouldn't say she under acted. I could see it in her eyes, in her reactions, in everything she said. Her mannerisms and subtle expressions, that's what made her character. You need to pay attention to those, it isn't in her character to look so blatantly affected all the time. Mu Cheng gets all of my respect, even if shes fictional. To me, the acting was superb, and lets not forget little Xiao Le. God is that kid going to grow up to be a super star. His acting was absolutely perfect, especially for a child. He really pulled the story together throughout the last half. Some go as far as to say the story was only held together by him toward the end, but I wouldn't go that far. With or without him, I would have kept watching, but he is such a cute little guy. Someday he'd get so tired during shooting that his dad would have to be on site. Such a strong little boy.

The romance and chemistry between the Mu Cheng and Guan Xi is tangible. I can literally almost taste it, I can feel it. It's so beautiful, it touches my heart. I know this sounds cheesy and cliche, but really, you won't find more pure love in a drama than in this. If I didn't know any better, I would assume Vaness Wu and Addy An are in love. The chemistry was just out of this world. Love really does win out in the end, that's what this drama taught me. I have to say I learned a lot from it.

Also, the people you hate in this show you'll grow to love. Along with character development in the main characters, the side characters really developed too. The side-plots in this show were interesting, too, and I found myself just as engaged in them as I was the main couple/family.

The ending of this drama is my favorite. Not just the ending with MC and GX but with everyone. The ending of this drama is also one of the reasons this drama is #1 for me. There is closure, on everything. No loose plot ends, all side plots are tied up, no questions are left, not for me at least. Everything is happy, I'm actually content at the end. No worries, no complaints, just sadness that it's over. Very bitter-sweet.

I won't lie and say that this is an easy drama to watch. There's going to be a lot of painful moments and heart-wrenching scenes, but the good in the drama sky rockets it to the top. Even when you hate someone you didn't think you were going to hate, you understand what's happening, and why their doing what their doing. The love never dies, and even in the toughest moments in the drama, they give you little moments to nibble on while you're waiting. It's a brilliant story, and I will forever enjoy it and remember it. The music alone is beautiful, I have a few songs saved and listen to them frequently, even now. In fact, this is random but I have my itunes on shuffle and ironically 'Next Stop, Happiness' just came on. How funny, must be a sign. (;

If you're looking for a refreshing, pure love story with superb acting, tangible chemistry, and every plot twist you can imagine, this is for you! I will recommend this to any person interested in dramas for the rest of my life, hah! Hope this helped people, sorry if I wasn't as rational and logical as I planned. As you can tell, I'm a fan. I have never watched a drama more than I have this. Three times through the whole thing, not counting the many times I've just watched an episode here and there that I liked. Please watch!

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Autumn Concerto is... a classic.
Not in the negative sense of the word, just the opposite. Watching it feels like reading a novel from centuries past, with all the tragic, the heart-wrench, the twist, the suspense and the sweetness of the most classic romantic literature. A friend compared it to a novel by Judith McNaught, and I tend to agree with her.

One of the things I appreciated the most about this drama is the speed with which the plot is set in motion and the pace established. By the end of episode 1, I was fatally hooked. This is not a show which promises the viewer something, only to drag unnecessary by the middle or loosing consistency and cohesion at some point. If you like the dishes you are presented with at first sight, you will love the whole meal to the end. And a truly romantic meal at that, full of passion and not the usual luke-warm, lovey-dovey chirping.

The acting performances are outstanding as a whole. I have read many complaining about Vanness Wu's broken accent, but since I don't speak Mandarin I didn't notice anything amiss. On the contrary, I felt with his character a lot more than any other in the show, possibly because he has to outshine the delivering with intense facial expressions. Ady An's character can stretch one's patience at times, but this only adds to the actress's skill to make it so. And the chemistry is palpable.
The child is a wonder, no addition needed.

My only complain lies in the editing. This is a general problem I have with Taiwanese dramas: too frequent commercial cuts, filled with those brief reprises in which flashes of scenes to come are shown over and over. Once the viewer is forewarned, I guess it can be overlooked, although I personally find it terribly annoying. The music falls under the same curse: it's very good, but played too often and at times it overpowers the dialogues. If I hadn't liked this story so much, I would have gone insane.

Overall, this is a drama I'm ready to recommend to everyone in search of true romance. It's a timeless story, which does not rely on trend, or shiny, perfectly made-up actors and glamorous outfits. Does it have cliches? Yes it has, quite a few even, but they are well blended into a solid script and a plot which will never get truly old.

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