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!!

Review: Lipstick Jungle

I watched the whole first season of Lipstick Jungle on DVD this afternoon. My interest was a residue from my '80's movie craze over the summer.

Andrew McCarthy, Pretty in Pink dreamy prom date turned Jungle bazzilionaire, and the dewy Emmeline in Blue Lagoon turned power executive/wonder mommy in Lipstick Jungle shone on the Jungle of New York.

I'm not a big fan of western T.V. series. Grey's Anatomy turned me off with the multiple sex partners carousel. And I never got into the Sex & the City hype (I'm more into the oddities).

I Googled Lipstick Jungle because of my mad crush on Blane and I fell in love with the stills on Andrew McCarthy and Lindsay Price.

There's a lot of bad reviews on Lipstick Jungle, which is understandable since Sex & the City is so big, it must've made LJ look like an ugly step sister to Sex fans.

Lipstick Jungle, based on the novel by Candace Bushnell (same author of Sex & the City) follows the lives, loves and lusts of three glamorous, high-powered bff's in New York. Portrayed by Brooke Shields, Kim Raver and Lindsay Price, the three stunning women were perfect for the roles. The seven-episode first season attempts and somehow succeeds in giving humanity to the beautiful socialites struggling to find their rightful gilded thrones in the Big Apple.

I actually enjoyed the dramedy, and for a lazy Sunday afternoon it wasn't a bad way to pass the time.

I liked the soundtrack too. Lots of chill, trance and indie-sounding tracks; very modern.

I'm looking forward to reading the book version. A big, fat 500+ page narrative on the soirees of the glossy lipped power women and their adventures. I'm getting that next week.

Meanwhile, over lunchbreak this week, I'll finish season two and find out why the poor show was canceled.

"Out with the old and in with the ew? That is so mean!" Victory Ford, fashion designer, Lipstick Jungle