Four Gifts Review

Title: Four Gifts

AKA: The Gifts

Genre: Romance, Family

Episodes: 24 (DVD) / 15 (TV)

Broadcast period: 2010-Sep to 2010-Dec

Cast: Li Kang Yi, Cynthia Wang, Jozie Lu, Suki Low, Xiu Jie Kai, Nicholas Teo, Nylon Chen and Andrew Tan.

“For love, the princess and the cello player stayed in a simple house. Very soon she gave birth to three little princesses, happily wanting them to inherit the secret of beauty. On the day of her 28^th birthday, she gave every princess a beautiful secret. The oldest princess, Ruo Tian, got a scarf. The second princess, Ruo Wei, got a mirror. And also, for the one inside her, whether it was a princess or prince, she prepared a secret gift. As for the third princess Ruo Yi, which is me, a suitcase - something that no matter how you look at it, doesn’t seem like a gift for a princess. More like a gift for a maid. It was thick and burdensome, and couldn’t be moved. Dad once said that mom left a letter. The letter would explain the meanings of the gifts. He said he would wait until we find our happiness before he read it to us. We haven’t found our happiness, so we don’t seem to have the right to read Moms letter” (introduction).

Zhang Ruo Tian (Li Kang Yi), Zhang Ruo Wei (Cynthia Wang), Zhang Ruo Yu (Jozie Lu) and Zhang Ruo Yu (Suki Low) are four very different sisters. Ruo Tian, the oldest, is a fussy prosecutor, known to do thing in her own style. Ruo Wei, the second oldest, is known as the beauty of the fashion queen, always succeeding due to her smarts and looks. Ruo Yi, third oldest, is the most filial daughter of the bunch, spending most time taking care of their father, even though she runs her own business. The youngest, Ruo Yu, is a student, not listening to anyone, and decides everything on her own.

Living apart and going after different things in life, the four are brought together again after their father goes missing. They soon find him, and are told that he has late stage Alzheimer’s, which leads them to move back in their old home to take care of their father.

At the same time, all four are at different stages in their love life.  Soon even they entwine, and the sisters have to deal with work, love and family relations, all at once…

This is one of those that I was supposed to watch years ago, but kept putting it off due to several reasons. I have always loved Taiwanese love dramas, and this one reminds me a bit of the past dramas that introduced med to drama world. Unfortunately, it is one of those I call “half-half”, meaning it has a lot of ‘older’ drama feel to it, and yet they are trying real hard to make it ‘newer’ or more ‘modern’ - which by the way makes it slow in pace. I don’t hate it, but I rather see a drama with either an old feel, or a new feel - not a mix/blend.

The cast was quite average, and idol-drama-like, except for Xiu Jie Kai. He is kind of growing on me - haha.

The good, and the bad parts of this drama, is the sisters and their bonds, so it is a good family drama. But I had moments when I really was annoyed at most of them - I mean character growth, please~!¨

Anyways, not a drama I would recommend, but not an overall bad drama.

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts

KO One Re:member Review

Title: KO One: Remember

AKA: KO One 4

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Action, Romance

Episodes: 60

Broadcast period: 2016-Jun to 2016-Sept

Opening song: Boyz on Fire by SpeXial

Ending song: I'm not the one you love by Pets Tseng

Cast: Pets Tseng, Lou Hong Zheng, Huang Wei Jin, Sylvia Wang, Zhao Zhi Wei and Chen De Xiu.

After receiving news about K.O One class being in danger, Lei Ting (Pets Tseng) and Xiu (Chen De Xiu) return to the gold dimension, only to be separated. Xiu manages to return to the class and meets up with Gu Zhan (Lou Hong Zheng), Zhi Ge (Huang Wei Jin) and Qiu Qiu (Sylvia Wang), but unfortunately Ling Tei seems to have disappeared. They soon track her down to a house, where they meet a trio from another school led by Zhi (Zhao Zhi Wei), though the trio admits to finding her, but haven't done anything to her. Tension arise, Lei Ting appears, but she seems to have lost her memories.
While the K.O One class try to help Lei Ting retrieve her memories, there seems to be other forces going about the gold dimension, and soon enough even Lei Ting acts very different than usual...

Out of all K.O. One seasons, this one has the best quality when it comes to the fighting scenes/use of magic. Also, this is the first season without Wang Da Dong (Jiro Wang), which means the storyline follows the "newer" characters that weren't in the very first season. This also means the K.O. series has changed both leads and shifted the narrative. This isn't necessary bad, as it kind of needed some freshness to it, and these actors actually manage to keep it interesting. Unfortunately, the only thing that I really liked in this drama was the couple of Gu Zhan and Qiu Qiu: everything else was way too 'melodrama' and there was a huge lack of fighting. I know that K.O. One isn't only about the fighting, but considering the title "K.O. One", the drama should be about the K.O. ranking, which was only mentioned very few times. And they really saved a lot of fighting for some reason. Even though the acting and the dialogues were good, there were too many fillers to be honest. I was actually yearning for more lead couple moments because of it – which by the is one the reasons for my rating. Another one is because, even if this is on the frivolous side, the overall acting is quite great.
So in all, an okay fourth instalment of the drama :)

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

The X-Dormitory Review

Title: The X-Dormitory

Genre: Fantasy, Comedy, Family

Episodes: 40

Broadcast period: 2014-Jun to 2014-Aug

Cast: Pauline Lan, Emily Tsai, Lou Hong Zheng, Xu Ming Jie, Huang Wei Jin and Chen De Xiu.

When the war of the dimensions begins Xiong Ges (Pauline Lan) two sons and husband leave to protect the Iron Dimension. Due to the exposure and tightened rules about Yi Neng users, Xiong Ge decides to open a dormitory to pay her bills, and to help children with Yi Neng powers. Helping her is Han (Emily Tsai), who is yearning for Xia Tian, but staying loyal to the family. Ye Sheng (Huang Wei) and Cang Qiong (Lou Hong Zheng) are both children arriving at the dormitory. Though one is a Yi Neng user, and the other is a Ma Gua (not a Yi Neng user). Unfortunately, they can’t distinguish which is which, and they can’t use their powers to find out as they may get exposed.
Everything seems to fall into place, until there suddenly appears a magical door with the number 206, and the door seems unable to be opened…

It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen “The X-Family”, but watching “The X-Dormitory” it all came back to me at once. Unfortunately, this season is not as good as the other one, both because the 4 main actors aren’t in it (the ones that were in X-Family) and because the enormous lack of storyline. They do add a few and try to make it interesting, but since it is the second season, you can’t not compare these two. Another bad thing is the humor: 10 years ago, the slapstick and over reactions might have been funny, but there are just so forced here and not funny at all.
The only light (and interesting part) is SpeXial, and their storylines. Though the unnecessary forced love triangle between Xia Tian, Han and Cang Qiong was horrible, the idea was good, and well executed considering the crappy script and subplot the actors had to work with. The story of Ye Sheng was very enjoyable, and everything involving him (and the other one - no spoiler) was great to watch.
All in all, a bad sequel, though it has great acting prodigies - or just good young idol actors…

☆☆½/ 2½ out of 5 stars

♥♥½ / 2½ out of 5 hearts

KO One Re-act Review

Title: KO One Re-act

AKA: KO One 3

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Action, Romance

Episodes: 20

Broadcast period:

Cast: Jiro Wang, Pets Tseng, Lin Zo Hong, Xu Ming Jie, Sylvia Wang, Xiao Hou, Lou Hong Zheng, Huang Wei Jin and Chen De Xiu.

This series is a spin-off of season 2, following the same characters, but is the “real” storyline.

With the timeline and KO ranking restored and reset, Wang Da Dong (Jiro Wang) is sent undercover, to investigate a sudden change and rise in the KO ranking, in the current KO One class. Rumors have it that a certain pill is being sold and exchanged from the class which allows a spike in fighting power, so Da Dong is to go undercover as a 28-year-old dropout, repeating the final year. In school, he meets the notorious King (Pets Tseng), known as KO 3, whom he challenges for the spot as the class leader. While trying to establish authority, new transfer students try and do the same but with a different objective. Soon enough more and more mysterious things start to happen, and Da Dong is right in the middle of it all…

Compared to the last season this one is way better. They fixed a lot – like keeping Jiro till the very end – and of course and upgrade in story and acting. Two more members of SpeXial joins the group, one of them being Lou Hong Zheng whom I remember from K.O. 3an Guo – and adored. So, the quality of acting kind of evolved. What is amazing is that the group has grown on me, which I didn’t really think they would. This meant that every time I saw anything that reminded me of the last series, I laughed, rolled my eyes and enjoyed the ‘fan service’. Another thing that made me like this drama is the length – 20 episodes felt just right. Even though it had a lot of those typical fillers, the drama was okay to watch – even emotional sometimes. Pets is awesome as usual – officially my girl crush, and De Xiu is just perfect in this. Jiro looks younger (?), I can’t really explain how and why I feel this, but even with the new idols around him he does not look older. Might be the acting, or his personality, but yeah, I wouldn’t give him more than 20-25 years.

So: all in all, a funny and entertaining 3^rd instalment of the drama – now to the next!

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

KO One Return Review

Title: KO One Return

AKA: KO One 2

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Action, Romance

Episodes: 30

Broadcast period: 2012-Dec to 2013-Feb

Cast: Jiro Wang, Pets Tseng, Lin Zo Hong, Xu Ming Jie, Kwang In Deok, Sylvia Wang and Xiao Hou.

While trying to escort Liu Bei (Chen De Xiu) to the Iron Dimension, Wang Da Dong (Jiro Wang) is caught in an inter-dimensional time quake, and is thrown 10 years into the future in the Gold Dimension. While trying to find his friends, Da Dong returns to KO One class, but is met with strange faces, who never heard of him or his friends. He finds out that the KO ranking, battle points and fighting power have mysteriously disappeared. The KO One class is ruled by King (Pets Tseng), and soon enough Da Dongs free-spirited personality bothers all the students – especially when he challenges King for the position as the top.

While trying to investigate the disappearance of his friends, he also tries to uncover why the KO ranking and power users have vanished…

So, first of all, I am a huge K.O. (Zhong Ji) fan, going back to the three previous seasons: K.O One, The X-Family and K.O.3an Guo. I remember watching the last season (K.O.3an Guo) and loving it, but since the fansubbers kind of went hiatus and Fahrenheit disbanded, I didn’t really pay attention on the series anymore. Imagine my surprise when I saw that the has been at least 1 season pr. year since 2012. K.O One Return is the season right after K.O.3an Guo, and it is the continuation of K.O. One (the very first season). Compared to the first season this one has grown, both in quality and acting – but it also has new faces (I guess a new idol boyband taking over Fahrenheits spot). The storyline is also good, but unfortunately it becomes confusing and quite lacking, as (like in most Chinese idol dramas) the main cast disappears from the lineup. I mean Jiro disappeared in the 14^th episode (or something like that), with 15-16 episodes to go – and he’s the main actor and story! Also, I disliked the ending – quite dull to be honest. Though I was excited to watch this drama, they really drained everything out of you after the 20 mark. It took me forever to finish.

If you are new to this ‘world’ and wondering whether or not to watch this, I won’t say go ahead as there are many other Zhong Ji seasons that are better. But if you are a fan or really liked the first season, this is one of those you need to watch in order to watch the rest.

☆☆☆ / 3 out of stars

♥♥½ / 2½ out of 5 hearts

Ti Amo Chocolate Review

Title: Ti Amo Chocolate

AKA: Set chocolate

Genre: Romance

Episodes: 80

Broadcast period: 2012-Apr to 2012-Jul

Theme song: Undefeatable by Van Ness Wu and Lee Jun Ho from 2PM

Cast: Van Ness Wu, Joanne Tseng, Michael Zhang, Ah Ben, Dou Zhi Kong, Guo Shu Yao and Wang Zi.

Fang Jia Hua (Van Ness Wu) is a stubborn and sometimes rude heir of Taiwan’s most famous food company. His mother left him when he was younger in order to follow her dream of making chocolate. This has made Jia Hua’s father hate chocolate, and even refuse to sell it as a product. One day Jia Hua has enough of his father’s tyranny and decides to follow his dream, which he has in common with his mother: to open up a chocolate store. So he leaves his father’s house and wealth, and leaves the house with only one bag of things. While driving, he bumps into a car that belongs to Hong Xi En (Joanne Tseng), who wants to sue him for the damages, but is also mistook for a boy by Jia Hua. Promising to pay back, he takes her family and her to dinner, only to find out that his cards are blocked, infuriating Xi En, who now has to pay for an extremely expensive dinner.

Adding it to his debt, she commands him to stay at his house, in order to make sure he doesn’t run away, but also makes him pay rent - expensive one at that.

As she and her family get a low income, Xi En is forced to work. As the local chocolate store is looking for workers she lies about her gender to get the job, and as fate has it she meets Jia Hua again who wants to buy the store, but when Jia Hua loses a bet he reluctantly has to work at the shop.

The two start working together, and slowly get attracted to one another, but Xi En cannot tell anyone about her secret or she’ll lose her job, and Jia Hua cannot tell anyone about his real identity since it might get people biased… What is going to happen?

Okay, so decided to watch this drama some time back, for one reason only: Van Ness Wu. I love this dude, yet I finished it because of Dou Zhi Kong who I remembered from Love Around. To be honest the main love story is nice and sweet, even envious but it kind dragged on for the last 20 episodes. The other love stories were okay, but my favorite was Lu Zheng Ting (Dou Zhi Kong) and Hong Xi Hui (Guo Shu Yao), just because the made me: 1 blush, 2 excited when they had screen time, and 2 they are so great together! Besides that their storyline was much newer and thrilling than the typical guilt-ridden story.

As a general the family stories and the love stories are very well though through and they are quite detailed. But somehow this one doesn’t become what I wanted it to be, and just kept on dragging on. Yes the actors are pretty good, and yes it is funny at times, but after the 60-point in the main story, it just gets LONG. So yeah, I seriously only watched the rest because of the second leads.

I don’t want to spoil anything, but I think I would recommend it to rom-com lovers, as it isn’t your typical ‘girl-dressed-as-boy’ story. It has MORE heart…

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

GTO in Taiwan Review

Title: GTO in Taiwan

AKA: Great Teacher Onizuka in Taiwan

Genre: Drama, School

Episodes: 4

Broadcast period: 2014-Mar to 2014-Apr

Cast: Akira, Shirota Yu, Yamamota Yusuke, Chuo Genie, Lou Hong Zheng and Wei Jin.

As part of an international course, Onizuka (AKIRA) is visiting Taiwan for a few days, in order to get the insight of the different ways schools work. Together with Danma (Shirota Yu) they go sightseeing in Taiwan, and as faith will have it, Saejima (Yamamoto Yusuke) happens to be there as well. After a night out Saejima goes missing with Danmas bag which also has Danmas and Onizukas passports.

In the school Onizuka encounters a different kind of atmosphere: the studnets and teachers are ignoring the hardcore bullying of a student who by their definition is “invisible”. When Onizuka tries to deal with the situation he is blocked by both the class’ teacher and also the school principle, saying that he just has to let it go. But as the teacher he is: Onizuka refuses to let any of his students suffer - no matter where they are.

Hmm.. I think the idea was good, and probably also the choice of cast was well thought of, but somehow it feels weird. It might be the length that does it, but it really felt like Onizuka was too fast in fixing the issue. Like the school had to deal with it for some time, and he is there for 3 days and wupti. But that is Japanese dramas for you.

It is good and for some people preferably short, and the story is actual kind of deep, which I did not expect. Even if it only is Onizuka I like the way he is facing the kids.

To sum up: a good GTO special.

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out if 5 hearts

Just You Review

Title: Just You

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Episodes: 21

Broadcast period: 2013-Jun to 2013-Nov

Cast: Aaron Yan, Guo Xue Fu, Katherine Wang, Tang Zhen Gang and Dean Fujioka.

Cheng Liang Liang (Guo Xue Fu) is a happy girl with a good job and a nice house. Her being independent made her strong willed and honest, as well as having a thirst for justice. One day though, Qi Yi (Aaron Yan) shows up in her house asking her to leave it, since he had bought it. At first she just blows him off, but when he arrives at her company, telling everyone he is the new CEO and bans all office romance - leading Liang Liangs best friend to be dumped - Liang Liang becomes infuriated.

Qi Yi a neat freak by nature buys Liang Liangs house because of his past and the house used to be his. Realizing that he can’t get Liang Liang to move, he makes the rules clear to her, and lets her stay for the remaining three months she had paid for.

Still upset with him though, and angry for having her best friend fired, Liang Liang and her neighbor decide on a plan of revenge: to make Qi Yi feel his own medicine, by making him fall for Liang Liang.

I tried making it sound good, but it somehow went wrong along the way. But I think you get part of the point. The reason I watched this was because of Aaron Yan, the only male C-Idol I like, and I probably always will. I didn’t really know what to think of him being the ‘mean’/’cold’ boss and all especially since he has such a baby face, but besides the first few episodes, he pulls it of pretty well, and manages to give me a good laugh. The storyline was quite good and entertaining, but it just gets ongoing for quite some time, which some people like due to the entire make-out sessions and the cuteness, but I wasn’t really sure what to make of it.

The rest of the cast were good, some should get better acting training, but else pretty good.

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Love Around Review

Title: Love Around

Genre: Romance

Episodes: 21

Broadcast period: 2013-Jun to 2013-Oct

Theme song: Come back to me by Bii

Cast: George Hu and Annie Chen.

On his birthday Zhou Zhen (George Hu) is heartbroken when he is reminded of his girlfriend’s promise to celebrate his birthday with him. She broke up with him 2 weeks before the birthday, because she was fed up with his father and the gangster background of his. Ever since the break-up, Zhen started calling a radio station, asking for the same song to play. Hosting the show is Liang Xiao Shu (Annie Chen), who is known to be honest and straight forward in her opinions, and personally believes that justice will always be victorious. Feeling bad for him and wishing him the best, she repeatedly plays it every time he asks. As her boyfriend’s birthday is on the same day, she decides to buy him something related to the one thing he loves: baseball. At the baseball court she meets Zhen, unaware that he is who he is, and starts lecturing him about the fact that he paid three booths so no one else can play, except for him. When a competition is held where the winner gets a signed baseball bat, Xiao Shu wants to win so she can give it to her boyfriend, but is really bad at it, so she asks Zhen for the favor, basically pleading him, and eventually persuading him. He wins the bat, and gives it to her free of charge. The two end up meeting again after she by accident enters his cab, and she wants to pay him back, but he leaves not wanting her money. Running after him, she happens to see her boyfriend at the hotel where Zhen left, and follows him to find out that he is cheating on her.

After an ugly break up, and Zhen helping her, the two become buddies. But Xiao Shu hates gangsters, especially since her father is an ex-cop and she keeps putting Zhen’s father down on her show…

This drama was a very good break from all those dragged and long dramas, also made me fall for this couple. The storyline is very simple and honestly quite slow in its action. I mean for some people it might even be boring, but I have to say this, it really is an okay family drama, even with the lacking and somewhat obvious story. But for some reason I enjoyed it, and it might be because I really missed Taiwanese dramas, the entire too-serious-for-life kind of love stories and yes as said before, obvious.

To sum up, I would say it is good, and the couple is one the best in drama history.

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Autumn's Concerto Review

Title: Autumn's Concerto
AKA: Next stop, happiness
Episodes: 21
Genre: Romance, Melodrama
Broadcast period: 2009-Oct to 2010-Feb
Opening theme song: I love him by Della Ding Cast: Ady An, Van Ness Wu, Chris Wu and Tiffany Xu.

Ren Guang Xi(Van Ness Wu) is rude, spoilt and pretty mean, on the outside. He doesnt believe that woman have hearts, expecially strong women like his mother, whom he blames his fathers suicide on. Liang Mu Cheng (Ady An) lost her mother short after she was born, but has always seen her step-mom as her mother. One day her father dies and leaves the family with huge debth. She and her auntie(step-mom), leave and meets her current uncle. At the age of 22, she meets Guang Xi for the first time, as he parks his car and the bus she is on, trying to break up with his current girlfriend. Mu Cheng, feeling rightous, starts to argue with Guang Xi, but he wont budge. Matters escalate, and they end up at the police station, where, mainly by the given idea of Mu Cheng, Guang Xi ends up doing community servis. Feeling humiliated, Guang Xi promises revenge, and makes a deal with his friends; to woo Mu Cheng, and get a picture with them kissing the next day. Guang Xi forces Mu Cheng on a date, since she had borrowed a book of her friend Hua Tuo Ye (Chris Wu), which is not allowed, and the book is the possesion of Guang Xi. In order to get it back, she agrees to go on a date...

I did not like it, I LOVED, with a capital L, it. Everything about it was great. From the storyline to the acting. Okay, I agree that Van Ness Wu needs to learn how to run, but either way, I never judge on appearance.. I loved the couple, the on-screen chemistry, the dialogs and even the mixed relationships. Eventough the ending was a bit draggy, it did not ruin the overall expe rience of it. Xiao Xiao Bin, the son of those two, was adorable, and probably the cutest and smartest child-actor currently in the movie industry. Mother-son relationsship was fabulous, and the family plot was worth looking at. There were actually no things, except one, that I didn't realise, like, you could guess by watching it. But that was also somewhere in the ending, again, not ruining it. Reasons to watch? Everything! A most definate watch!

☆☆☆☆☆ / 5 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥♥ / 5 out of 5 hearts

Jenji's verdict
OH MY GOD! okay guys u seriously gotta watch this, when Bunji says a drama is good, then its REAAALLLYY goood! U see this drama got 21ep''s right? well i watched like 3th ep the morning i had an exam and i felt so bad that i could barely walk to school, seriously my heart hurt because of how sad it is!!!!! well dont get me wrong its not just sadness,, its like,, like,, heartbreaking romance.. One of those that make u feel soooo... like flying on the clouds but while there's a thunderstorm. _U get me?? like flying on the skies.. i mean its really nice romance but still its so sad .. And the actors are actually really great, like when u watch the behind the scenes thing, they could laugh one moment and the other, tears would just flow .. ayaaaa,, and the little kid is soooo ke ai! His faces when he smiles.. it could even melt the old hag's heart.. and he's so smart and so cute ... and yeah Mu Cheng is such a good mother,, awwww :'(
anyway guys.. this is a must!! Its one of those dramas u cant miss !!!!!!

☆☆☆☆☆ / 5 stars out of 5

♥♥♥♥♥ / 5 out of 5 hearts