Next Stop Happiness ep 1 (not spoilery)
I have watched all the parts of ep 1 of Next Stop Happiness that are subbed and most of the unsubbed parts.
I am in love.
I am so in love that if the rest don't get subbed soon, I am watching raw - last time I watched twdrama raws was Silence (!!!!!).
So far, I am in love with Ady An's heroine, ridiculously so. Ady is my favorite Taiwanese actress except for Barbie Hsu (it will take an earthquake to dislodge Barbie from number one spot seeing that my first two dramas ever starred her) and she is so good in this - my heart breaks for her - she is someone who lost her family, her privileged lifestyle, and her dream of piano-playing at the same time, as a child. But she is not weepy or weak - she is strong and sunny (without being Pollyannaish about it). She is just so functional.
I can tell it will be one of those dramas which will, for me, be all about the heroine and seeing through her prism. When Vanness' character was being difficult with her my rage was irrational - I haven't felt such burning hate since beginning of Brilliant Legacy and Hwan. Not because he was being particularly horrible (he was being difficult and acting out and a brat, but it wasn't anything in the same universe as Hwan) but because I saw everything through Ady's eyes.
As to Vanness, he is gorgeous and sexy (but when wasn't he?) and (while I can't say I love his character in the sense of wanting to date him) as a character and a drama hero he makes me weak in the knees - he is so angry at the world, and acting out, and not adjusted at all - I bet what will draw him to Ady is her sanity, and her refusing to be either impressed or irrationally angry at him. And her genuineness - he is clearly looking for a connection with someone, anyone, and not finding it (see his fake-natured ex). That boy needs a keeper. And I am finding it so hot, it's disturbing. I am old enough to know that in real life trying to be someone's connection to functioning is unhealthy and acting-out-badboy-with-a-heart-of-gold is a dangerous fantasy, but in dramaland nothing gets me faster, faster, faster.
It's funny, when I look at my favorite twdramas, they all have an acting-out, messed-up underneath his outgoingness, heroes. Hmmm. And strong-willed heroines.
kitkat_cat told me that she saw the shades of both Domyouji/Makino and Mars in this and I can totally see what she meant - the acting-out messed up rich boy and a common-sense poor girl who won't buckle down; the horrible family (including a creep of a stepfather) for the heroine, the hero that seems fine and 'fun' but is anything but, and is looking for limits.
I can't say whether it will be anywhere near as good as Hanadan/Meteor Garden/Mars, because that is a ridiculously high bar to set, but it looks very promising.
Oh, and for those on my flist who are reluctant to check it out because they think it's a terminal illness drama or a miserable end drama, it's not. At least, I would be shocked to find out it is - the whole premise of it is Vanness forgetting Ady (and not knowing about his son) and them meeting years later after she left him and broke his heart for his own good. Much more The Kid from Heaven or My Lucky Star vibe - and neither one of them ended badly. Plus, with a title like that, I think it will end up well. Otherwise, they'd just call it 'Next Stop Graveyeard'. :P
Preview for ep 2:
I am in love.
I am so in love that if the rest don't get subbed soon, I am watching raw - last time I watched twdrama raws was Silence (!!!!!).
So far, I am in love with Ady An's heroine, ridiculously so. Ady is my favorite Taiwanese actress except for Barbie Hsu (it will take an earthquake to dislodge Barbie from number one spot seeing that my first two dramas ever starred her) and she is so good in this - my heart breaks for her - she is someone who lost her family, her privileged lifestyle, and her dream of piano-playing at the same time, as a child. But she is not weepy or weak - she is strong and sunny (without being Pollyannaish about it). She is just so functional.
I can tell it will be one of those dramas which will, for me, be all about the heroine and seeing through her prism. When Vanness' character was being difficult with her my rage was irrational - I haven't felt such burning hate since beginning of Brilliant Legacy and Hwan. Not because he was being particularly horrible (he was being difficult and acting out and a brat, but it wasn't anything in the same universe as Hwan) but because I saw everything through Ady's eyes.
As to Vanness, he is gorgeous and sexy (but when wasn't he?) and (while I can't say I love his character in the sense of wanting to date him) as a character and a drama hero he makes me weak in the knees - he is so angry at the world, and acting out, and not adjusted at all - I bet what will draw him to Ady is her sanity, and her refusing to be either impressed or irrationally angry at him. And her genuineness - he is clearly looking for a connection with someone, anyone, and not finding it (see his fake-natured ex). That boy needs a keeper. And I am finding it so hot, it's disturbing. I am old enough to know that in real life trying to be someone's connection to functioning is unhealthy and acting-out-badboy-with-a-heart-of-gold is a dangerous fantasy, but in dramaland nothing gets me faster, faster, faster.
It's funny, when I look at my favorite twdramas, they all have an acting-out, messed-up underneath his outgoingness, heroes. Hmmm. And strong-willed heroines.
kitkat_cat told me that she saw the shades of both Domyouji/Makino and Mars in this and I can totally see what she meant - the acting-out messed up rich boy and a common-sense poor girl who won't buckle down; the horrible family (including a creep of a stepfather) for the heroine, the hero that seems fine and 'fun' but is anything but, and is looking for limits.
I can't say whether it will be anywhere near as good as Hanadan/Meteor Garden/Mars, because that is a ridiculously high bar to set, but it looks very promising.
Oh, and for those on my flist who are reluctant to check it out because they think it's a terminal illness drama or a miserable end drama, it's not. At least, I would be shocked to find out it is - the whole premise of it is Vanness forgetting Ady (and not knowing about his son) and them meeting years later after she left him and broke his heart for his own good. Much more The Kid from Heaven or My Lucky Star vibe - and neither one of them ended badly. Plus, with a title like that, I think it will end up well. Otherwise, they'd just call it 'Next Stop Graveyeard'. :P
Preview for ep 2:
Click to view