Taiwan Drama: Down With Love 2010

I am currently watching Down With Love starring Jerry Yan (of Meteor Garden) and Ella Chen (of the female band S.H.E.). This is Jerry Yan's best idol drama since Meteor Garden. Needless to say, Jerry provides the eye-candy while Ella Chen lends the cutest comic relief in the series.

Down With Love is yet another Cinderella story - leveled up to the max, with Ella Chen playing Yang Guo, a poor, hardworking, tomboyish girl with the most emphatic facial expressions, and Jerry Yan as Xiang Yu Ping, the cold-hearted, cynical divorce lawyer who doesn't trust girls.

I like the themes of the series which include some child psychology, same-sex issues, and tough love on errant parents (so far) - which is a refreshing change from the "magical thinking" mechanisms usual for Asian TV series. Of course, as it is, Down With Love, with the central Cinderella motif is magical thinking in itself, but I highly appreciate how the writers peppered the fairytale storyline with pressing issues of the day (ahem, here I am again defending my beloved Jerry Yan dramas).

I thought I wouldn't like Ella Chen as Jerry Yan's leading lady. Being used to the likes of Janine Chang and Barbie Hsu, willowy and dreamy, Ella Chen is a refreshing difference. I like how natural her beauty is, with the apple hairdo only some fashion mavericks would dare to sport. She has this cute stray cowlick that makes her look anime perfect! What makes her stand out is her acting abilities - slapstick but not awkward, downright funny, you can't help but love her! She shifts from silly facial expressions to a more serious appearance with natural grace. Ella Chen's Yang Guo grew on me after 2 segments, I could actually empathize with her character.

If you're looking for a good laugh and a live-action-anime-style series, Down With Love is it!!

Thoughts on My Favorite Asian Dramas

I started watching Meteor Garden at the middle part of the second season. I was smitten by its story and having to wait till the next day to find out what happens added to the excitement.

I was amazed at how intricately these drama writers (the playwrights and Ms. Yoko Kamio herself) could've come up with almost real situations. I was just disappointed with the last episode of MG2 because it was cut abruptly. I wanted more ShanCai <3 Dau Ming Sz action - a pulling together of strings - but then, it was assumed by many viewers that a season 3 would realize. In vain.

Nonetheless, MG became my staple background noise whenever doing paper work. It helps greatly that the Taiwanese F4 are hunks!

Last year, a friend of mine recommended Itazura Na Kiss the anime series. That was something else! I'd use every chance I get to watch episode after episode, and to my secret chagrin, was even reduced to tears by paper and pencil (CGI, of course!) and the late Tada Kaoru's amazing imagination... though she went ahead before her story was finished, the ones who concluded INK did a good job in giving Irie Kun and Kotoko their happy ending.

I was glad this year to have watched Boys Over Flowers, the Korean version. It gave more depth to the Taiwanese version. Same characters, same plot. But the differences in versions give one and the same story more depth and detail.

An now, here I am loving Fated to Love You. I have to admit, the practical, level-headed part of me says that the way Ji Cun Xi and Chen Xin Yi met is bull. But then again, the escapist is more than willing to enter the story. I also have to add, it is not a series for children (unlike BOF which could at least pass, though PG is still needed due to violence) - and even too whimsical for impressionable minds. But heck! I watch it alone, so I indulge myself - - - -

Indeed many thanks to the authors of these stories, who have painstakingly followed their passions of bringing their imagination to celluloid life. These stories are wonderful in themselves, for all their merits and imperfections, but hey, they're part of us now.

At the end of the day though, I think about how, though dreamy and exciting these TV series are, they are merely 1 dimensional copies of reality. Like my younger cousin wisely said (and I bet she's not the only one who realizes this) - the best telenovela is our own lives... but hey, some jaded people (wink!) need their prince charming in 24 episodes just to get by.

Long live love stories, though many belong in books and TV... at least some of us can live it vicariously...

Fated To Love You

OMG!!! I am soooo loving Fated to Love You, starring Ethan Ruan & Chen Qiao En. I am still at Episode 10 but definitely captivated (addicted?!).

I thought no Asian drama would beat the different versions of Yoko Kamio's Hana Yori Dango (haven't seen the Japanese version though).

After having finished Boys Over Flowers, I was recommended by my cousin, who's resides in New York, to watch Fated to Love You. She, herself, hasn't seen FTLY but said that her bff recommended it.

So I decided to give it a try. After all, Ethan Ruan looks cute, and I like Chen Qiao En's "ordinary" cuteness - very refreshing.

Watching FTLY is what I use as a reward after 3 hours of paper work, and my oh my, this jaded writer feels the flutter of how fate plays tricks to satisfy Cupid - at the expense of unwitting people :D :D :D

I won't put any spoilers here... Maybe later. But here's the trailer... Whoopee!!!


P.S. DEFINITELY ADULT STUFF