Drama Review: Meteor Garden 1
Okay, I know this one's a classic and it probably speaks for itself already, but Meteor Garden is the first Asian drama I've ever watched and everything started from there so I MUST at least write something about it. So here it is.
METEOR GARDEN 1
Synopsis:
Shan Cai, played by Barbie Xu, is a spunky young girl, who happens to be the only poor student at Ying De University. Surrounded by her extremely wealthy and arrogant classmates, she struggles to cope with being the odd one out. Life is made even more difficult by the fact that she has caught the attention and the wrath of the F4 - four handsome heirs who basically rule the school. Led by Dao Ming Si (Jerry Yan), they set out to make life difficult for Shan Cai, but instead of backing down, she shocks everyone by standing up to them. Before long, Dao Ming Si realizes that he has fallen in love with the only person who has ever went against him.
Cast:
Barbie Xu as Shan Cai
Jerry Yan as Dao Ming Si
Vic Zhou as Hua Ze Lei
Ken Zhu as Xi Men
Vanness Wu as Mei Zuo
Ranie Yang as Xiao You
Review:
*SPOILER ALERT*
Like I said before, Meteor Garden is a classic. It is by no means perfect, but I think it paved the way for every other Idol Drama that came after it. What made this such a hit? I think it has a lot to do with the character of Shan Cai. She's strong and brave and idealistic. A little nuts. But in a cute way. She marches to the beat of her own drum no matter how much her surroundings try to mold her into something "acceptable." And I don't know about the rest of you, but I just can't help but want to be like a girl who can win the hearts of four arrogant and self-centered spoiled brats.
Moving on to those four guys. Ah yes, the iconic F4. They're THE idols. Four absolutely hot guys, each with their own thing to offer. First off is Dao Ming Si, the leader. The very last word in arrogance, he's rich and hot and basically has an ego bigger than himself. But at the same time, he has a certain innocence and vulnerability which becomes apparent the moment he falls in love with Shan Cai. He instantly gives his all to win her heart, even if his efforts are sort of clumsy and selfish. He's impulsive and rash as well as jealous and obsessively protective. And he won't hesitate to kick the butt of anyone who gets in his way. He's the entire bad boy package, and before you know it, you've fallen in love with him pineapple hair and all. :) I have a lot of favorite Dao Ming Si moments but I will never forget the astroboy shirt he wore in order to become more approachable, and when he told Shan Cai that he believed in her, when no one else did, and when he confessed with absolute honesty and kissed her with all he had.
Then there's Hua Ze Lei, played by the wonderful Vic Zhou. Lei is an introvert, but he radiates a calm strength and a sense of justice that sets him apart from the rest of the F4. With the simple act of picking up a fallen garbage can, he becomes Shan Cai's ideal man. Then he rescues her and teaches her the secret to stopping one's tears. His rare smiles and his secret pain, not to mention his heart-rending violin-playing made him the guy that we all wanted to hug and protect.
I think that this contrast between Dao Ming Si and Hua Ze Lei is another major reason for the show's success. You have these two polar opposites and yet you find it difficult to choose which one you want to win. And when you finally make your choice, you root for him and defend him fiercely. To this day, I am certain that there are thousands of Meteor Garden fans out there, who are in search of their own Dao Ming Si or Hua Ze Lei. To this day, I can bet that there are fans out there who insist that Lei should have won Shan Cai's heart, just as there are fans who will insist that Shan Cai made the right decision with Dao Ming Si.
Moving on, let's not forget the two other guys who complete the F4, Xi Men and Mei Zuo (played by Ken Chu and Vanness Wu, respectively). Xi Men is the mature one, showing wisdom beyond his years. And yet, he is unable to open his heart to anybody. None of his girlfriends ever last beyond a week. Mei Zuo, on the other hand is the player, constantly partying, always in search of a good time. No question about it, these guys are cute and charming. But unfortunately, their characters seriously lacked personality and annoyed me a lot throughout the series. For example, has anyone ever noticed that Mei Zuo (Vanness) is seemingly obsessed with his hair, constantly running his fingers through it, then letting it fall back into place. As for Xi Men, i just really despised his outfits. Haha. But I won't be unfair. I will say that those two guys were good for a lot of laughs throughout the series. And Xi Men's relationship with Xiao You (Shan Cai's bestfriend, played by Rainie Yang) was also really adorable. I actually wish they followed through on it some more.
Meteor Garden was also peppered with a lot of interesting cast members, such as the aforementioned Xiao You. I think this was Rainie Yang's first role, and she did pretty well. Her role in Meteor Garden was a lot more genuine than her following dramas. And who could forget Shan Cai's parents? Materialistic and silly and absolutely crazy. And there's Dao Ming Si's evil mother. Seriously one of the best(worst) villains that I've ever seen.
Wrapping up, I stand by my opinion that Meteor Garden is a classic. I'd recommend it to anyone who's just getting started with dramas. Yes it has its cheesy and corny moments. And there's some bad acting here and there. But beneath that all is a timeless plot that's sure to make you go awww at all the right moments. It'll make you laugh and smile and at times feel dangerously close to tears. And when you finish, you'll find yourself wanting more. And isn't this what we look for in dramas anyway? :)
METEOR GARDEN 1
Synopsis:
Shan Cai, played by Barbie Xu, is a spunky young girl, who happens to be the only poor student at Ying De University. Surrounded by her extremely wealthy and arrogant classmates, she struggles to cope with being the odd one out. Life is made even more difficult by the fact that she has caught the attention and the wrath of the F4 - four handsome heirs who basically rule the school. Led by Dao Ming Si (Jerry Yan), they set out to make life difficult for Shan Cai, but instead of backing down, she shocks everyone by standing up to them. Before long, Dao Ming Si realizes that he has fallen in love with the only person who has ever went against him.
Cast:
Barbie Xu as Shan Cai
Jerry Yan as Dao Ming Si
Vic Zhou as Hua Ze Lei
Ken Zhu as Xi Men
Vanness Wu as Mei Zuo
Ranie Yang as Xiao You
Review:
*SPOILER ALERT*
Like I said before, Meteor Garden is a classic. It is by no means perfect, but I think it paved the way for every other Idol Drama that came after it. What made this such a hit? I think it has a lot to do with the character of Shan Cai. She's strong and brave and idealistic. A little nuts. But in a cute way. She marches to the beat of her own drum no matter how much her surroundings try to mold her into something "acceptable." And I don't know about the rest of you, but I just can't help but want to be like a girl who can win the hearts of four arrogant and self-centered spoiled brats.
Moving on to those four guys. Ah yes, the iconic F4. They're THE idols. Four absolutely hot guys, each with their own thing to offer. First off is Dao Ming Si, the leader. The very last word in arrogance, he's rich and hot and basically has an ego bigger than himself. But at the same time, he has a certain innocence and vulnerability which becomes apparent the moment he falls in love with Shan Cai. He instantly gives his all to win her heart, even if his efforts are sort of clumsy and selfish. He's impulsive and rash as well as jealous and obsessively protective. And he won't hesitate to kick the butt of anyone who gets in his way. He's the entire bad boy package, and before you know it, you've fallen in love with him pineapple hair and all. :) I have a lot of favorite Dao Ming Si moments but I will never forget the astroboy shirt he wore in order to become more approachable, and when he told Shan Cai that he believed in her, when no one else did, and when he confessed with absolute honesty and kissed her with all he had.
Then there's Hua Ze Lei, played by the wonderful Vic Zhou. Lei is an introvert, but he radiates a calm strength and a sense of justice that sets him apart from the rest of the F4. With the simple act of picking up a fallen garbage can, he becomes Shan Cai's ideal man. Then he rescues her and teaches her the secret to stopping one's tears. His rare smiles and his secret pain, not to mention his heart-rending violin-playing made him the guy that we all wanted to hug and protect.
I think that this contrast between Dao Ming Si and Hua Ze Lei is another major reason for the show's success. You have these two polar opposites and yet you find it difficult to choose which one you want to win. And when you finally make your choice, you root for him and defend him fiercely. To this day, I am certain that there are thousands of Meteor Garden fans out there, who are in search of their own Dao Ming Si or Hua Ze Lei. To this day, I can bet that there are fans out there who insist that Lei should have won Shan Cai's heart, just as there are fans who will insist that Shan Cai made the right decision with Dao Ming Si.
Moving on, let's not forget the two other guys who complete the F4, Xi Men and Mei Zuo (played by Ken Chu and Vanness Wu, respectively). Xi Men is the mature one, showing wisdom beyond his years. And yet, he is unable to open his heart to anybody. None of his girlfriends ever last beyond a week. Mei Zuo, on the other hand is the player, constantly partying, always in search of a good time. No question about it, these guys are cute and charming. But unfortunately, their characters seriously lacked personality and annoyed me a lot throughout the series. For example, has anyone ever noticed that Mei Zuo (Vanness) is seemingly obsessed with his hair, constantly running his fingers through it, then letting it fall back into place. As for Xi Men, i just really despised his outfits. Haha. But I won't be unfair. I will say that those two guys were good for a lot of laughs throughout the series. And Xi Men's relationship with Xiao You (Shan Cai's bestfriend, played by Rainie Yang) was also really adorable. I actually wish they followed through on it some more.
Meteor Garden was also peppered with a lot of interesting cast members, such as the aforementioned Xiao You. I think this was Rainie Yang's first role, and she did pretty well. Her role in Meteor Garden was a lot more genuine than her following dramas. And who could forget Shan Cai's parents? Materialistic and silly and absolutely crazy. And there's Dao Ming Si's evil mother. Seriously one of the best(worst) villains that I've ever seen.
Wrapping up, I stand by my opinion that Meteor Garden is a classic. I'd recommend it to anyone who's just getting started with dramas. Yes it has its cheesy and corny moments. And there's some bad acting here and there. But beneath that all is a timeless plot that's sure to make you go awww at all the right moments. It'll make you laugh and smile and at times feel dangerously close to tears. And when you finish, you'll find yourself wanting more. And isn't this what we look for in dramas anyway? :)