They Kiss Again Review

Title: They Kiss Again
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 20
Broadcast period: 2007-Dec to 2008-Apr
Cast: Joe Cheng, Ariel Lin, Jiro Wang, Danson Tang, Cai Yi Zhen, Aaron Yan and Wang Zi.

The sequel of ‘It started with a kiss’, where the story begins after the wedding of Jiang Zhi Shu (Joe Cheng) and Yuan Xiang Qin (Ariel Lin) and they are on their way to their honeymoon. Xiang Qin hopes for romance, but their honeymoon is interrupted by a couple, who just can’t seem to leave them alone. Even after that harmony doesn’t last long; not alone is Zhi Shu busy with school and Xiang Qin simply can’t find anything, other than being the wife of Zhi Shu, to do with her life, for some reason Zhi Shu doesn’t want to register them as a married couple in the family register, which makes Xiang Qin wonder if he hasn’t regretted marrying her.

I gotta admit, I really liked the second season. Actually way more than the first one, though to say I’m not a “It started with a kiss / Itazura Na Kiss”- fan. I remember watching the Japanese ISWAK some years back and I remember thinking that the story was so silly and pretty dull.
‘They Kiss Again’ is different, mainly because the opportunities to part are very slim in this one since they are married. So it becomes a story about a newly wedded couple, their difficulties and struggles.
This ‘season’ is for ALL ISWAK lovers, even if you only liked a little bit of the first season, you’ll definitively want to watch this one. I mean it’s what everybody wants, when they watch a drama, and it ends with them getting married, and then you go: “what’s gonna happen next” but the screen says THE END. And if you missed kissing scenes in ISWAK they surely make up for it in TKA.
The script seems a little looser this time, or is it that the actors are so amazing that the dialogues seem to be written at that EXACT moment, because it doesn’t seem staged, most of it.
About the starcast, like there aren’t MANY actors, there are gazillion: Joe Cheng, Ariel Lin, Jiro Wang, Danson Tang, Cai Yi Zhen, Aaron Yan, Wang Zi (never imagend to write Aaron Yan and Wang Zi in the same sentence), Larisa to name a few.
Okay, Ill come down from my pedestal and admit that Joe Cheng is a good actor (OMG! Never thought I’d write that!), usually I hate his acting, and to be honest his face, but seriously, he’s brilliant when it comes to sad scenes. I get sad when he’s sad!
There was one thing I didn’t like, the fact that there wasn’t a main story, like in the fist one.
ANYHOW, I’ll give this drama this rating, with a smile on my face :D

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

The Rose Review

Titel: The Rose

Genre: Family relations, Romance

Episodes: 26

Broadcast period: 2003

Opening theme song: Hua Dou Kai Hao Le by S.H.E

Cast: Ella Chen, Jerry Huang, Joe Cheng, Selina Ren, Joelle Lu, Cecilia Yip and Hebe Tian.

This drama is about the boring, not-so-pretty, often called ugly, and chubby Bai He (Ella Chen). She is having the worst day of her life; her boyfriend leaves her for another girl, whom he sais is a waaaaaay more attractive woman, her grandmother, whom she had been living with her entire life, dies from a stroke, and she is thrown out of her house. But on the same day she finds a letter, from her grandmother, explaining to her, that her real mother still is alive, and that she is the famous actress Han Li (Cecilia Yip).

Bai He, who never had a mother, leaves then to meet her mother, only to find out that the same mother has 3 more children, the 26 year old Han Fu Rong (Joelle Lu), the 21 year old Han Jin (Jerry Huang) and the 17 year old Han Kui (Joe Cheng), who all, which includes Bai He, have different fathers. Bai He is immediately hated by all three children; expecially Han Kui, whom she catches kissing Han Jin, in the middle of the night, while Jin is sleeping.

Things escalate as she falls in love with Jin, making Kui hate her more, but as he spends time with her, he starts to like her more and more, getting into a complex in being in love with both his sister and brother. Bai He then finds out about Jin's fiancé, Qin (Selina Ren), who's dead, and Jin cant get over or cope with it, but starts to fall for Bai He. Soon the truth is revealed and they find out that Bai He isn't really related to any of them, only by Kui, to Kui's despair...

I kind a liked the drama. It was fun, sad and dramatic - not really my style.. Oh well. I liked the "looks-complex" that is presented in the drama, and how superfical some people are. This drama warms your heart - or shocks it - but either way, its a good watch.

I loved Ella Chen in this drama, and I found it kind a funny, that she only acts in those "ugly-girl" dramas, but seriously, the role suits her perfectly. And you gotta love her facial expressions.

I was pleasently surprised with Jerry Huang, Ive only seen him in "Ying Ye 3+1" playing a supporting role, but in this, he was like a dream, you wanted to hug him. (And I couldn't keep myself from lauging seeing the hight differece, between Ella and him.. Least 30 cm!! haha, but kind a cute as he hugged her). Im not a big fan of Joe Cheng, and he didnt quite become my favorite seeing him in thid drama, expecially with the hair (looked like Rapunzel :P), but his character as the loud and annoying one really suits him, and I at the end was hoping for Xiao Feng (Hebe Tian) to pop up, eventhough her role was VERY limited (which is a bit dull, since I think her character would've made a huge difference), she really liked Kui.

All in all, if you like melodramas, guys with lonely blue eyes and Ella Chen's facial expressions, this one is your pick...

☆☆☆½/3,5 out of 5 stars

♥♥½ / 2½ out of 5 hearts