My Top 10 TWDramas/CDramas: a not-too-spoilery pusher post
Twdramas were my first drama loves (mars and Meteor Garden were my first and second drama, respectively) and you never forget your first love, do you?
That is why, much as I might love the slickness of kdrama and the understatedness of jdrama, few things will get me as giddy or emo as a well-done twdrama.
So, after I’ve done my Top Ten Jdramas and my Top 20 Kdramas, the next logical step is the Top 10 Twdramas/Cdramas, isn’t it?
Only I kept putting it off because I yet haven’t seen some which might very well make it into my Top 10: My Lucky Star (which seems to have been universally loved), Corner with Love, The Outsiders 2 (Chances of that one making into my Top 10? 95%). And I haven’t even gotten to At Dolphin Bay, Lavender, Delicious Relationship etc. It’s like a person who only started reading listing their favorite books.
But I finally got tired of waiting to watch them (am impatient), so here is my Top 10 twdrama/cdrama list. Once again, same thing applies: only finished ones (or nearly), as unspoilery as I can make it, blahblahblah.
1. MARS (2004) (20 episodes)
Starring: Vic Zhou, Barbie Hsu
Plot: Set in a college in Taipei, Mars is a story of two broken people: Qi Luo (my favorite, Barbie Hsu), an artist who is so shy as to be dysfunctional, walking through her days as a zombie, praying for no-one to speak to her, and Chen Ling (my fave drama actor ever, Vic Zhou), a seemingly well-adjusted slacker whose passion in life is to be a motorcycle racer, but who is arguably even more messed-up than Qi Luo. Their paths intersect and the story goes from there…
Why: This was my first ever drama, and for two+ years remained the favorite drama, period (Legend has since got to share the top spot). I have metaed enough about it to fill a book, so it seems redundant to reiterate it, but Mars is not just one of the most amazing love stories I’ve ever seen, but it’s such a complicated, nuanced story of two extremely broken people who heal each other (but never mawkishly). It can get incredibly dark (rape, child abuse, insanity, murder) but is somehow uplifting. Chen Ling is my favorite drama hero of all time, and Qi Luo one of the favorite heroines. There is so much in the delicate, crucial relationship between the two, that you could watch and analyze for ages, and the chemistry is through the roof and the story is just like a gorgeous Victorian novel.
Favorite Moment: The love-making scene. Oddly, not for pervy reasons at all (you don’t really see anything), but for how enormously important it is for the character progression (to say more would be to spoil it). Or maybe when he rides to find her at the metro, after their fight.
Vid:
2. THE OUTSIDERS (2004) (20 episodes)
Starring: Dylan Kuo, Ady An, Blue Lan, Michael Zhang
Plot: Ah Hao, Shan Zi, and Xiong Qi are delinquents from poor backgrounds. Ah Hao, the leader among the three, falls in love with Yu Yen, a total opposite of everything they are (a sheltered pianist from a good family) and, miracle of miracles, she falls back in love with him. In order to protect her, he ends up joining the Triads and the story goes from there…
Why: Probably the most ‘grown-up’ twdrama I’ve ever seen, and the most complex, this is both very dark and giddily romantic. This takes something that could be a rather cliched story of forbidden love (low-class gangster and sheltered pianist) but builds it into something entirely different and better: loss of soul (yes, really), and secrets and spaces between people, even those who love each other. Yu Yen and Ah Hao are one of the most fascinating couples I’ve ever seen on screen, because the story gets them together very quickly but what we follow are the cracks and unevennesses in the relationship, all the flaws and hurts. And both of them are flawed, lost individuals somehow, who lose so much through loving each other, and yet you cannot be sorry for it at all. But it is not just a love story, but also a Greek tragedy really, of a loss of innocence, and descent through good intentions, and inevitability of betrayal. It just kills me that more people don’t know about this drama.
Favorite Moment: Oh, so many. But probably (because yes, I am a glutton for punishment), Ah Hao sobbing over and over that he is sorry, in ep 15 (to say more would be to really spoiler it). Or in ep 14, when Yu Yen is repainting the piano and stages the concert for him. Or the scene after Ah Hao et al’s first murder.
Vid:
3. METEOR GARDEN (2001) (20 episodes)
Starring: Barbie Hsu, Jerry Yan, Vic Zhou, Ken Chu, Vanness Wu
Plot: Shan Cai (Barbie!!!) is a poor but strong-willed student at an exclusive, richy-rich college ruled by the offspring of the four richest families, known as F4. When something she does angers the tyrannical F4 leader, Daoming Si (Jerry Yan, showing off his yummy cheekbones), F4 declares she is persona non grata who must be bullied to be expelled. But Shan Cai, full of backbone and common sense, refuses to take it lying down and declares her own war on the F4. Parodoxically, her sheer nerve catches the attention of Daoming Si, and he ends up falling in love with her. One little problem: not only does she (justifiably) hate him, and is also crushing on his best friend, the quietly elegant Hua Ze Lei (Vic Zhou), but Daoming Si wouldn’t know how to woo a girl if his life depended on it…
Why: This is the daddy of all the current twdramas, really. It is ridiculously fun, with some hilarious bits and some incredibly emotional bits. There is a fantastically strong heroine, an amusingly dense hero, plenty of eye-candy, and a story that has been enthralling people for ages (there is a reason Hana Yori Dango, the manga this is based on, has been adopted seventeen billion different times). True, the F4 boys are learning their acting on the job, but the story is so good, it really doesn’t matter. And unlike the jdrama adaptation, this is very very faithful to the manga, which is a huge plus.
Favorite Moment: Daoming Si letting the goons beat him into unconsciousness because if he resists, they would hurt Shan Cai. It’s actually hands-down my favorite scene in any drama.
Vid:
4. WHY WHY LOVE (2007) (15 episodes)
Starring: Rainie Yang, Mike He, Kingone
Plot: Jia Di is a hard-working girl burdened with a family that goes through money like water. Her life could be different if she wasn’t too busy to find love, or so her best friend thinks. The perfect candidate to make Jia Di’s life brighter? The kind, clever manager, Huo Yan. Now only if she didn’t get stuck babysitting his bratty younger brother, Huo Da, instead…
Why: This was a totally unlikely favorite. I didn’t have much interest in it when it started, as it looked like a hang-over from Devil Beside You, a drama I am in a tiny minority in not caring for. I checked it out merely because I like Mike, Rainie, and Kingone, and it looked cute. And somehow, after the first few eps, I discovered I fell madly in love with it. This was a hilarious drama that made me cry, a romance that made me care about family issues, a story with one of my favorite OTPs which made me adore the Other Guy. It did everything right which DBY did wrong, and made no mistakes of its own. It was not draggy or repetitive, nor did it gallop too much. The hero was someone I ended up caring a great deal for: he both grew and was also ‘opened up’ to the viewer, and the heroine was a total darling, whom I loved and wanted to protect myself. The heroine was not a dishrag and the hero was not a mope. Plus, friends who become lovers? Yes please. Oh, whatever. Enough of my blathering, just go watch!
Favorite Moment: Huo Yan explaining himself to Jia Di (by the car) or Huo Da running looking for Jia Di when he is worried she was caught by loan sharks.
Vid:
5. IT STARTED WITH A KISS (2005-2006) (20 episodes)
Starring: Ariel Lin, Joe Cheng, Jiro Wang
Plot: Our heroine, Xiang Qin, might not be the brightest bulb out there, but she knows what she wants: the brainy, good-looking Zhi Shu, the pride of the school. A pity her love letter gets rejected out of hand, and Zhi Shu not only does not break his stride but asks her if she really has nothing better in life. This could be the end of it all, and just an embarassing teen memory (except Xiang Qin is too spunky to be embarassed) but a series of hilarious events conspires to have the ill-matched couple live together. Can the bubbly, not-too-bright Xiang Qin win over Zhi Shu, who is entirely unfamiliar with human emotions? What do you think?
Why: ISWAK is just wonderfully good fun. I watched it in the middle of moving, and remember giggling and sniffling surrounded by boxes. ISWAK makes you forget your daily troubles, it’s true! This is a rare drama with which I fell in love from the opening scene, one where I adored the chemistry, one which (even if the outcome is certain) is full of the wonderful ‘but how on earth will this happen…’ vibe. I love it.
Favorite Moment: Confession and kiss in the rain.
Vid:
(this is sort of a promo vid, so totally unspoilery)
6. SMILING PASTA (2007) (17 episodes)
Starring: Cyndi Wang, Nicholas Teo
Plot: Xiao Si, our heroine, is a college girl laboring under a love curse. She can't date anyone longer than three months as they all dump her. As a result of such latest break up, while walking down the street she bumps into out hero, He Qun, who is a famous young Taiwanese idol in an uber-bad mood, as not only is he being chased by paparazzi, but the love of his life just dumped him. For his leather-wearing, bad-boy younger brother, no less. Due to a series of accidents, the two get entangled, things get misuderstood and hilarity and cuteness follows.
Why: This is poppy fun at its best, which doesn’t take itself too seriously to boot. The hero is awesome and functional (usually the ‘well-behaved but a bit emotionally repressed’ is the type delegated to an ‘also run’ as far the the girl is concerned), the heroine hilarious, the secondaries amuse me, and the family members rock. Plus, very appropriately, an awesome soundtrack. As I wrote earlier: “It reminds me a little of Full House (famous guy and normal girl get stuck pretending they are in a relationship), but only a little. It's a lot more off-kilter, madcap and crazy. It throws in everything and the kitchen sink: famous singers, school rivalry, lost lurve, constraining parents, rebellious angsty students/rockers. Basically think of Full House+Meteor Garden+Mars+Gokusen with a few other doramas thrown in. And yet it works works works. The actors are all adorable (I just want to smoosh the lead guy and girl together), the antagonist is all angsty and leather wearing, and most importantly, the show mocks itself. At one point, when the heroine is dumped yet again, a cartoon cloud appears over her and starts raining just on her, in a great parody of all the angstoriffic in the rain scenes.”
Favorite Moment: I will be cliché and say the ending.
Vid:
7. SILENCE (2006) (19 episodes)
Starring: Vic Zhou, Park Eun Hye
Plot: The heroine of the story, Shen Shen, is a half-Korean girl who has been mute since a childhood accident. When she was in the hospital recuperating, she met and made friends with a boy who was on crutches, Wei Yi. Both of them felt alien so bonded with each other and even fell into a childhood sweethearts type thing, very Victorian. He didn't know she was mute, and he only knew her Korean name. Oh, and he left her his phone number but even if she could call, she's lost it. When the proper story starts, Shen Shen is a grown-up woman, living with her loving family, sunny and unretiring, and not cowed by her handicap. Her father figure gets fired by the young, icy CEO of a company he's worked at for years and ShenShen crosses the man's path as she tries to get him to rehire Uncle. And it goes from there. Of course, the CEO in question is the grown-up Wei Yi. But neither of them know of the fact.
Why: Silence is an amazingly shot and acted drama, and would normally be much higher, except I cannot bear to rewatch the angst again. The OTP is pitch-perfect, Vic Zhou gives a wonderful performance, Shen-Shen is a heroine who makes you love her, and the whole thing has these amazing moments, of either beauty or being punched in the gut and crying until you hurt. But I cannot take the misery a second time, I cannot.
Favorite Moment: Shoes. Oh my God.
Vid:
8. RETURN OF THE CONDOR HEROES (2006) (41 episodes)
Starring: Huang Xiaoming, Crystal Liu
Plot: HXM and CL play the star-crossed, sword-wielding lovers in this wuxia cdrama based on a famous novel. He is her martial arts disciple thus it can’t be, which would be enough plot right there, but throw in evil poisoners, mystical hermits, the most obnoxious character to ever exist, and a Mongolian invasion, and you got yourself a riproaring good time, plus my favorite wuxia ever.
Why: This is a fairy tale for grown-ups, full of magic, star-crossed lovers, gorgeous costumes, and wikedly cool fights. I love the hero but I love the love story even more, pushing every kink I have, and then some. And, a rarity in wuxias, a happy ending!
Favorite Moment: The night after the wedding, in the cave and with her fear of death. Or their fight against Valley Overlord.
Vid:
(Actually my fave MV can't be embedded but here it is:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC-F5hkNsXQ)
9. LOVE CONTRACT (2004) (20 episodes)
Starring: Ariel Lin, Mike He
Plot: The story centers around Xiao Feng and Ken, college students. Xiao Feng is a tomboy (she wears loose, baggy clothing and even an unpretty short wig to school so as to get less attention) and is a president of the college kendo club. She runs it with a strict strict hand, and two of the members rebel and decide to join the swim team instead, only to find out too late that the swim team captain is just as strict and perfectionist as Xiao Feng herself. The captain in question is Ken, who is a quiet loner, the strong and silent type. Well, the friends decide to make life easier for themselves and offer Ken a deal. In exchange for finding a coach and swim team members (no one really want to join), he would have to take Xiao Feng out for a movie. That way (reason they) maybe both of them will mellow out. And it goes from there.
Why: This is a very flawed drama. The parts with the friends were designed for the fastforward button, and the ending literally makes no sense. And yet, and yet…This is put on the list because the relationship between Ariel and Mike (both playing completely against type) rings painfully true and is one of the most romantic and complicated relationships in twdramas.
Favorite Moment: The underwater kissing. Or the dance scene near the end.
Vid:
10. ROMANTIC PRINCESS (2007) (13 episodes)
Starring: Angela Zhang, Wu Chun
Plot: Angela, an average girl, turns to be a long lost grand-daughter of an exxcentric rich gentleman and thus an heiress. Wu Zun is Angela's grandpa's previous successor who is all set to despise Angela but slowly begins falling for the feisty interloper. But is it the path to happiness or just heartbreak? Duh :)
Why: Abandon your brains, all ye who enter here! This is definitely no nuanced exploration of broken individuals finding themselves through love (Mars) or a Greek tragedy set among the Triads (The Outsiders), or even a look at class and feminism even if through a shoujo lens (Meteor Garden). No, this makes no bones about what this is: pure, delicious, sugar-sweet cotton-candy fluff. But I defy anyone not to get a sugar rush of glee just watching this yummy fairy-tale about the modern-day Cinderella. Cute boys, crazy fashion, spunky heroine, a smidgeon of angst. This is the closest I’ve seen to a distilation of shoujo on screen. The fact that Wu Chun (or Wu Zun, pick your spelling) is so smoking hot, doesn’t hurt.
Favorite Moment: When Wu Chun follows Angela when she runs away, and spends the whole night with her sleeping on his shoulder, wrapped in his jacket.
Vid:
In conclusion, yes, Vic Zhou is still my favorite drama actor, all these dramas later.
That is why, much as I might love the slickness of kdrama and the understatedness of jdrama, few things will get me as giddy or emo as a well-done twdrama.
So, after I’ve done my Top Ten Jdramas and my Top 20 Kdramas, the next logical step is the Top 10 Twdramas/Cdramas, isn’t it?
Only I kept putting it off because I yet haven’t seen some which might very well make it into my Top 10: My Lucky Star (which seems to have been universally loved), Corner with Love, The Outsiders 2 (Chances of that one making into my Top 10? 95%). And I haven’t even gotten to At Dolphin Bay, Lavender, Delicious Relationship etc. It’s like a person who only started reading listing their favorite books.
But I finally got tired of waiting to watch them (am impatient), so here is my Top 10 twdrama/cdrama list. Once again, same thing applies: only finished ones (or nearly), as unspoilery as I can make it, blahblahblah.
1. MARS (2004) (20 episodes)
Starring: Vic Zhou, Barbie Hsu
Plot: Set in a college in Taipei, Mars is a story of two broken people: Qi Luo (my favorite, Barbie Hsu), an artist who is so shy as to be dysfunctional, walking through her days as a zombie, praying for no-one to speak to her, and Chen Ling (my fave drama actor ever, Vic Zhou), a seemingly well-adjusted slacker whose passion in life is to be a motorcycle racer, but who is arguably even more messed-up than Qi Luo. Their paths intersect and the story goes from there…
Why: This was my first ever drama, and for two+ years remained the favorite drama, period (Legend has since got to share the top spot). I have metaed enough about it to fill a book, so it seems redundant to reiterate it, but Mars is not just one of the most amazing love stories I’ve ever seen, but it’s such a complicated, nuanced story of two extremely broken people who heal each other (but never mawkishly). It can get incredibly dark (rape, child abuse, insanity, murder) but is somehow uplifting. Chen Ling is my favorite drama hero of all time, and Qi Luo one of the favorite heroines. There is so much in the delicate, crucial relationship between the two, that you could watch and analyze for ages, and the chemistry is through the roof and the story is just like a gorgeous Victorian novel.
Favorite Moment: The love-making scene. Oddly, not for pervy reasons at all (you don’t really see anything), but for how enormously important it is for the character progression (to say more would be to spoil it). Or maybe when he rides to find her at the metro, after their fight.
Vid:
Click to view2. THE OUTSIDERS (2004) (20 episodes)
Starring: Dylan Kuo, Ady An, Blue Lan, Michael Zhang
Plot: Ah Hao, Shan Zi, and Xiong Qi are delinquents from poor backgrounds. Ah Hao, the leader among the three, falls in love with Yu Yen, a total opposite of everything they are (a sheltered pianist from a good family) and, miracle of miracles, she falls back in love with him. In order to protect her, he ends up joining the Triads and the story goes from there…
Why: Probably the most ‘grown-up’ twdrama I’ve ever seen, and the most complex, this is both very dark and giddily romantic. This takes something that could be a rather cliched story of forbidden love (low-class gangster and sheltered pianist) but builds it into something entirely different and better: loss of soul (yes, really), and secrets and spaces between people, even those who love each other. Yu Yen and Ah Hao are one of the most fascinating couples I’ve ever seen on screen, because the story gets them together very quickly but what we follow are the cracks and unevennesses in the relationship, all the flaws and hurts. And both of them are flawed, lost individuals somehow, who lose so much through loving each other, and yet you cannot be sorry for it at all. But it is not just a love story, but also a Greek tragedy really, of a loss of innocence, and descent through good intentions, and inevitability of betrayal. It just kills me that more people don’t know about this drama.
Favorite Moment: Oh, so many. But probably (because yes, I am a glutton for punishment), Ah Hao sobbing over and over that he is sorry, in ep 15 (to say more would be to really spoiler it). Or in ep 14, when Yu Yen is repainting the piano and stages the concert for him. Or the scene after Ah Hao et al’s first murder.
Vid:
3. METEOR GARDEN (2001) (20 episodes)
Starring: Barbie Hsu, Jerry Yan, Vic Zhou, Ken Chu, Vanness Wu
Plot: Shan Cai (Barbie!!!) is a poor but strong-willed student at an exclusive, richy-rich college ruled by the offspring of the four richest families, known as F4. When something she does angers the tyrannical F4 leader, Daoming Si (Jerry Yan, showing off his yummy cheekbones), F4 declares she is persona non grata who must be bullied to be expelled. But Shan Cai, full of backbone and common sense, refuses to take it lying down and declares her own war on the F4. Parodoxically, her sheer nerve catches the attention of Daoming Si, and he ends up falling in love with her. One little problem: not only does she (justifiably) hate him, and is also crushing on his best friend, the quietly elegant Hua Ze Lei (Vic Zhou), but Daoming Si wouldn’t know how to woo a girl if his life depended on it…
Why: This is the daddy of all the current twdramas, really. It is ridiculously fun, with some hilarious bits and some incredibly emotional bits. There is a fantastically strong heroine, an amusingly dense hero, plenty of eye-candy, and a story that has been enthralling people for ages (there is a reason Hana Yori Dango, the manga this is based on, has been adopted seventeen billion different times). True, the F4 boys are learning their acting on the job, but the story is so good, it really doesn’t matter. And unlike the jdrama adaptation, this is very very faithful to the manga, which is a huge plus.
Favorite Moment: Daoming Si letting the goons beat him into unconsciousness because if he resists, they would hurt Shan Cai. It’s actually hands-down my favorite scene in any drama.
Vid:
4. WHY WHY LOVE (2007) (15 episodes)
Starring: Rainie Yang, Mike He, Kingone
Plot: Jia Di is a hard-working girl burdened with a family that goes through money like water. Her life could be different if she wasn’t too busy to find love, or so her best friend thinks. The perfect candidate to make Jia Di’s life brighter? The kind, clever manager, Huo Yan. Now only if she didn’t get stuck babysitting his bratty younger brother, Huo Da, instead…
Why: This was a totally unlikely favorite. I didn’t have much interest in it when it started, as it looked like a hang-over from Devil Beside You, a drama I am in a tiny minority in not caring for. I checked it out merely because I like Mike, Rainie, and Kingone, and it looked cute. And somehow, after the first few eps, I discovered I fell madly in love with it. This was a hilarious drama that made me cry, a romance that made me care about family issues, a story with one of my favorite OTPs which made me adore the Other Guy. It did everything right which DBY did wrong, and made no mistakes of its own. It was not draggy or repetitive, nor did it gallop too much. The hero was someone I ended up caring a great deal for: he both grew and was also ‘opened up’ to the viewer, and the heroine was a total darling, whom I loved and wanted to protect myself. The heroine was not a dishrag and the hero was not a mope. Plus, friends who become lovers? Yes please. Oh, whatever. Enough of my blathering, just go watch!
Favorite Moment: Huo Yan explaining himself to Jia Di (by the car) or Huo Da running looking for Jia Di when he is worried she was caught by loan sharks.
Vid:
5. IT STARTED WITH A KISS (2005-2006) (20 episodes)
Starring: Ariel Lin, Joe Cheng, Jiro Wang
Plot: Our heroine, Xiang Qin, might not be the brightest bulb out there, but she knows what she wants: the brainy, good-looking Zhi Shu, the pride of the school. A pity her love letter gets rejected out of hand, and Zhi Shu not only does not break his stride but asks her if she really has nothing better in life. This could be the end of it all, and just an embarassing teen memory (except Xiang Qin is too spunky to be embarassed) but a series of hilarious events conspires to have the ill-matched couple live together. Can the bubbly, not-too-bright Xiang Qin win over Zhi Shu, who is entirely unfamiliar with human emotions? What do you think?
Why: ISWAK is just wonderfully good fun. I watched it in the middle of moving, and remember giggling and sniffling surrounded by boxes. ISWAK makes you forget your daily troubles, it’s true! This is a rare drama with which I fell in love from the opening scene, one where I adored the chemistry, one which (even if the outcome is certain) is full of the wonderful ‘but how on earth will this happen…’ vibe. I love it.
Favorite Moment: Confession and kiss in the rain.
Vid:
(this is sort of a promo vid, so totally unspoilery)
6. SMILING PASTA (2007) (17 episodes)
Starring: Cyndi Wang, Nicholas Teo
Plot: Xiao Si, our heroine, is a college girl laboring under a love curse. She can't date anyone longer than three months as they all dump her. As a result of such latest break up, while walking down the street she bumps into out hero, He Qun, who is a famous young Taiwanese idol in an uber-bad mood, as not only is he being chased by paparazzi, but the love of his life just dumped him. For his leather-wearing, bad-boy younger brother, no less. Due to a series of accidents, the two get entangled, things get misuderstood and hilarity and cuteness follows.
Why: This is poppy fun at its best, which doesn’t take itself too seriously to boot. The hero is awesome and functional (usually the ‘well-behaved but a bit emotionally repressed’ is the type delegated to an ‘also run’ as far the the girl is concerned), the heroine hilarious, the secondaries amuse me, and the family members rock. Plus, very appropriately, an awesome soundtrack. As I wrote earlier: “It reminds me a little of Full House (famous guy and normal girl get stuck pretending they are in a relationship), but only a little. It's a lot more off-kilter, madcap and crazy. It throws in everything and the kitchen sink: famous singers, school rivalry, lost lurve, constraining parents, rebellious angsty students/rockers. Basically think of Full House+Meteor Garden+Mars+Gokusen with a few other doramas thrown in. And yet it works works works. The actors are all adorable (I just want to smoosh the lead guy and girl together), the antagonist is all angsty and leather wearing, and most importantly, the show mocks itself. At one point, when the heroine is dumped yet again, a cartoon cloud appears over her and starts raining just on her, in a great parody of all the angstoriffic in the rain scenes.”
Favorite Moment: I will be cliché and say the ending.
Vid:
7. SILENCE (2006) (19 episodes)
Starring: Vic Zhou, Park Eun Hye
Plot: The heroine of the story, Shen Shen, is a half-Korean girl who has been mute since a childhood accident. When she was in the hospital recuperating, she met and made friends with a boy who was on crutches, Wei Yi. Both of them felt alien so bonded with each other and even fell into a childhood sweethearts type thing, very Victorian. He didn't know she was mute, and he only knew her Korean name. Oh, and he left her his phone number but even if she could call, she's lost it. When the proper story starts, Shen Shen is a grown-up woman, living with her loving family, sunny and unretiring, and not cowed by her handicap. Her father figure gets fired by the young, icy CEO of a company he's worked at for years and ShenShen crosses the man's path as she tries to get him to rehire Uncle. And it goes from there. Of course, the CEO in question is the grown-up Wei Yi. But neither of them know of the fact.
Why: Silence is an amazingly shot and acted drama, and would normally be much higher, except I cannot bear to rewatch the angst again. The OTP is pitch-perfect, Vic Zhou gives a wonderful performance, Shen-Shen is a heroine who makes you love her, and the whole thing has these amazing moments, of either beauty or being punched in the gut and crying until you hurt. But I cannot take the misery a second time, I cannot.
Favorite Moment: Shoes. Oh my God.
Vid:
8. RETURN OF THE CONDOR HEROES (2006) (41 episodes)
Starring: Huang Xiaoming, Crystal Liu
Plot: HXM and CL play the star-crossed, sword-wielding lovers in this wuxia cdrama based on a famous novel. He is her martial arts disciple thus it can’t be, which would be enough plot right there, but throw in evil poisoners, mystical hermits, the most obnoxious character to ever exist, and a Mongolian invasion, and you got yourself a riproaring good time, plus my favorite wuxia ever.
Why: This is a fairy tale for grown-ups, full of magic, star-crossed lovers, gorgeous costumes, and wikedly cool fights. I love the hero but I love the love story even more, pushing every kink I have, and then some. And, a rarity in wuxias, a happy ending!
Favorite Moment: The night after the wedding, in the cave and with her fear of death. Or their fight against Valley Overlord.
Vid:
(Actually my fave MV can't be embedded but here it is:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC-F5hkNsXQ)
9. LOVE CONTRACT (2004) (20 episodes)
Starring: Ariel Lin, Mike He
Plot: The story centers around Xiao Feng and Ken, college students. Xiao Feng is a tomboy (she wears loose, baggy clothing and even an unpretty short wig to school so as to get less attention) and is a president of the college kendo club. She runs it with a strict strict hand, and two of the members rebel and decide to join the swim team instead, only to find out too late that the swim team captain is just as strict and perfectionist as Xiao Feng herself. The captain in question is Ken, who is a quiet loner, the strong and silent type. Well, the friends decide to make life easier for themselves and offer Ken a deal. In exchange for finding a coach and swim team members (no one really want to join), he would have to take Xiao Feng out for a movie. That way (reason they) maybe both of them will mellow out. And it goes from there.
Why: This is a very flawed drama. The parts with the friends were designed for the fastforward button, and the ending literally makes no sense. And yet, and yet…This is put on the list because the relationship between Ariel and Mike (both playing completely against type) rings painfully true and is one of the most romantic and complicated relationships in twdramas.
Favorite Moment: The underwater kissing. Or the dance scene near the end.
Vid:
10. ROMANTIC PRINCESS (2007) (13 episodes)
Starring: Angela Zhang, Wu Chun
Plot: Angela, an average girl, turns to be a long lost grand-daughter of an exxcentric rich gentleman and thus an heiress. Wu Zun is Angela's grandpa's previous successor who is all set to despise Angela but slowly begins falling for the feisty interloper. But is it the path to happiness or just heartbreak? Duh :)
Why: Abandon your brains, all ye who enter here! This is definitely no nuanced exploration of broken individuals finding themselves through love (Mars) or a Greek tragedy set among the Triads (The Outsiders), or even a look at class and feminism even if through a shoujo lens (Meteor Garden). No, this makes no bones about what this is: pure, delicious, sugar-sweet cotton-candy fluff. But I defy anyone not to get a sugar rush of glee just watching this yummy fairy-tale about the modern-day Cinderella. Cute boys, crazy fashion, spunky heroine, a smidgeon of angst. This is the closest I’ve seen to a distilation of shoujo on screen. The fact that Wu Chun (or Wu Zun, pick your spelling) is so smoking hot, doesn’t hurt.
Favorite Moment: When Wu Chun follows Angela when she runs away, and spends the whole night with her sleeping on his shoulder, wrapped in his jacket.
Vid:
In conclusion, yes, Vic Zhou is still my favorite drama actor, all these dramas later.