Angsty Lovers, Evil Fathers, and...Campy High Fashion? Tokyo Juliet brings on the wangst
First off, apologies to the 90% of my flist who've friended me not for anything in Chinese, Korean or Japanese. In my defense, it is summer and all the shows I normally watch are on hiatus.
Last night (4am!) I finished Mars Yup, it's still my favorite dorama. I really love a certain understatedness of it all: we never saw the OTP wedding, the marriage proposal was done matter of factly, we never found out when was the first time they said ILY, because you didn't need it: you could tell they loved each other.
I also love that much as he loves QL, Ling remains a guy. And I love that it's not just his sacrificing for her (though the scene when they are panicking in the hotel room is a huge favorite) but that she sacrifices back for him: even though she is terrified of his racing, she is the one who persuades his father to let him go back. Giving up your wants for your loved one? Yes, that's definitely proof of love there. On both their parts.
I also really loved Ling starting to tell Tong Dao that he would seek revenge on him if TD killed QL, but then saying "but what after that? I'd still have to go on living, and it would be doubly bad: I'd have the sense of both loss and sin." He's really matured a lot. QL screaming in the hospital is so dramatic and good and I love her image appearing to Ling in his unconscious state, and pulling him off the ledge so to speak (a contrast with his mother who chose the dead over the living).
It's amazing how much healthier and functional the OTP is by the end than by the beginning. And I love the hopefulness of the ending, their hugging and laughing and he is off to do what he loves and she is happy to be with him. Eeeeee!
But this is not what this post is about. This post is about Tokyo Juliet. It's a Taiwanese dorama and the first few eps are available on youtube with subs (it's currently running and is being actively subbed). Unlike 'Mars' or 'Silence' which I think have good, understated angst, TJ delights me with its cheesy, delicious angst. It's Bollywoodish, and the very concept of it makes me squee in glee and laugh at the same time. The plot? Our Heroine, Lai Sui, is in the Design College. She has sworn revenge against a famous designer who stole her design. Problem? She crosses paths and falls in love with his son. If you want to watch a deliciously cheesetastic, angsty melodrama, with plenty of dreadful high fashion, cute boys, angst, true love, childhood sweethearts and similar? TJ is a good, good choice. I've only started and I am already giddy :) There is an official webpage for it here, though for those who, like me, don't read Chinese, it's of limited utility. And I bring pics. Lots of them.
Evil Dad:
And if you think this is mixing too many genres, wait until you get hold of Smiling Pasta (which is yet unsubbed) which mixes brotherly rivalry, famous musicians having to maintain a fake relationship for publicity (which blossoms into real love of course), college love hijinks, jilted fiancees, lost dramatic loves, and every other thing you can think of.
Last night (4am!) I finished Mars Yup, it's still my favorite dorama. I really love a certain understatedness of it all: we never saw the OTP wedding, the marriage proposal was done matter of factly, we never found out when was the first time they said ILY, because you didn't need it: you could tell they loved each other.
I also love that much as he loves QL, Ling remains a guy. And I love that it's not just his sacrificing for her (though the scene when they are panicking in the hotel room is a huge favorite) but that she sacrifices back for him: even though she is terrified of his racing, she is the one who persuades his father to let him go back. Giving up your wants for your loved one? Yes, that's definitely proof of love there. On both their parts.
I also really loved Ling starting to tell Tong Dao that he would seek revenge on him if TD killed QL, but then saying "but what after that? I'd still have to go on living, and it would be doubly bad: I'd have the sense of both loss and sin." He's really matured a lot. QL screaming in the hospital is so dramatic and good and I love her image appearing to Ling in his unconscious state, and pulling him off the ledge so to speak (a contrast with his mother who chose the dead over the living).
It's amazing how much healthier and functional the OTP is by the end than by the beginning. And I love the hopefulness of the ending, their hugging and laughing and he is off to do what he loves and she is happy to be with him. Eeeeee!
But this is not what this post is about. This post is about Tokyo Juliet. It's a Taiwanese dorama and the first few eps are available on youtube with subs (it's currently running and is being actively subbed). Unlike 'Mars' or 'Silence' which I think have good, understated angst, TJ delights me with its cheesy, delicious angst. It's Bollywoodish, and the very concept of it makes me squee in glee and laugh at the same time. The plot? Our Heroine, Lai Sui, is in the Design College. She has sworn revenge against a famous designer who stole her design. Problem? She crosses paths and falls in love with his son. If you want to watch a deliciously cheesetastic, angsty melodrama, with plenty of dreadful high fashion, cute boys, angst, true love, childhood sweethearts and similar? TJ is a good, good choice. I've only started and I am already giddy :) There is an official webpage for it here, though for those who, like me, don't read Chinese, it's of limited utility. And I bring pics. Lots of them.
Evil Dad:
And if you think this is mixing too many genres, wait until you get hold of Smiling Pasta (which is yet unsubbed) which mixes brotherly rivalry, famous musicians having to maintain a fake relationship for publicity (which blossoms into real love of course), college love hijinks, jilted fiancees, lost dramatic loves, and every other thing you can think of.