Angel N Devil Review

Title: Angel N Devil

Genre: Fantasy, School, Idol

Episodes: 26

Broadcast period: 2014-Nov to 2015-feb

Cast: Sylvia Wang, Simon Lian, Teddy Chen, Cosmos Lin, Cheng Yu Xi, Lou Hong Zheng, Huang Wei Jin, Chen De Xiu, Lucia Chen, Ting Liu, Allie Jie and Sunnee Yang.

This story is the continuation of the Zhong Ji Series, but in the Copper Dimension.

Kate (Cosmos Lin), Yan Yan (Lucia Chen), Xiang Ning (Ting Liu), Allie (Allie Ji), Ding Dang (Sunnee Yang) and Xiao Yang (Cheng Yu Xi) are six high schoolers, living in the copper dimension. All sic have signed a contract with the guardian of light Xiong Ya (Teddy Chen) in exchange of one wish to come true. They fight the evils and demons, and protect the innocent at night.

One night while fighting a demon, Xiao Yang is attacked and dies as a result. The groups become bent of finding the killer, and soon meet Yin Xiao Feng (Sylvia Wang), who claims to be her younger sister.  At first the group is mistrusting, until they notice her fighting power. They decide to introduce her to the world, but Xiao Feng is reluctant to join. Wondering why her sister would sign a contract that would enable her to get harmed, for one wish, she questions Xiong Ya about it. She is told that her sisters wish is to keep Wang Cha Li (Simon Lian) out of danger and protect him. Soon she meets Cha Li, and finds out that he is Xiao Yangs boyfriend.

The two dislike each other at first, but when Xiao Feng signs the contract to find her sisters killer, the two find middle ground and decide to join forces…

Hmm, not sure of I got all it completely right with the summary, but I think most of it fits.

Continuing the series, this one has all the new actors from the Zhong Ji universe, though the characters are not the same. There is a small resemblance, but I think this series has the new cast in focus, mainly the A’N’D idol group. Though SpeXial is in it (and ends up taking more screen time than the girls), the main story is the girls and Sylvia Wang.

Considering its predecessors, this is a bit on the lower side of the bar, though the storyline is good. Unfortunately, there are too many fillers, and not a real guide for the new actors - they really are green. The ending was supposed to be epic, but was rather a headscratcher.  And the saddest part is that the stars in this one is Lou Hong Zheng, Huang Wei Jin and Chen De Xiu, though Sylvia Wang has moments.

All in all, a decent drama, but not that exciting - unless you really like the girl group A’N’D (and boyband SpeXial).

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Odd Perfect Match Review

Title: Odd Perfect Match

AKA: Dan Shu Jue Pei

Genre: Idol drama, Romance, Comedy

Episodes: 21

Broadcast period: 2011-Sep to 2012-Feb

Cast: Godfrey Gao, Alice Cheng, Chen Zhi Kai and Xiao Man.

Ying Kai Tai (Godfrey Gao) is the son a multi-millionaire CEO, and the sole heir to that very firm. His entire childhood has been strict to the point where he wasn’t allowed to do anything even remotely close to his interests, but has been trained to become a heir and that involving learning bossiness from a very young age. This has led him to become cold, arrogant and selfish. When he returns from Switzerland he is confronted by his father about a book he has published, but finally fed up with his father’s ways Kai Tai decides to leave home and become a writer.

Yuan Huai Zhen (Alice Ceng) is a mathematician and a math teacher at a college where Kai Tai’s father had been sending donations. Her entire mind is wrapped up in logic, but that hasn’t stopped her from becoming empathetic. She has a taboo word that she hates and fights everyday: that is being left alone or “unwanted”. So she collects everything that can still be used or reused.

The two completely different people meet at an airport by accident, and as different as they are their personalities butt heads. Huan Zhen accused by misunderstanding Kai Tai to be a murderer, leading Kai Tai to be arrested and detained at the airport. After clearing everything up, fate brings them together once again, this time at the college where Huan Zhen works. And after she disses his book, Kai Tai decides to make the silly Huan Zhen his main lead in his book. Mission? To make a fool out of Huan Zhen, and let the entire world know. But after spending time together, the two become closer and closer, eventually each other’s best friends. Leaving Kai Tai in a confused state about whether or not to finish his book…

I heard about this drama a while back, but it had the most typical problem of all: no subs. But when I one day it was subbed, I finished it in a matter of 3 days. I might have had high expectations because it didn’t really go the way I thought it would, and the cast were a bit awkward: or at least some of the supporting cast and the main actress were so annoying to look at. Godfrey was great, really trying, but yeah he sort of lost his quality along the way as he was acting with everyone.

The storyline was quite brilliant, might be because I am a mathematician myself, but the idea of the “odd perfect match” and making it of two odd people, instead of two odd numbers was great. I kind of felt they kept it going through and through the entire drama,

So to sum up: good story with bit of lacking actors, but okay watch.

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥ ♥ ♥ ½/ 3½ out of 5 hearts

Love, Now Review

Title: Love Now

Genre: Romance

Episodes: 72

Broadcast period: 2012-Oct to 2013-Mar

Cast: George Hu, Annie Chen and Dou Zhi Kong.

Lan Shi De (George Hu) is a ruthless CEO with an eye for perfection, yet his mother and grandmother have a hard time getting him married, even with the huge amount of blind dates, he leaves after a very short time. The reason is mainly because he is looking for a specific person with big eyes and a slender nose, whom he had met before and has been looking for ever since.

Yi Ru (Annie Chen) is a workaholic that doesn’t know how to slow down, right until she is told she has terminal liver cancer and only six months to live. Little does she know that her family made up the story about her being ill in order to make her go on a vacation, and take off from work for two weeks. She leaves for the Philippines and by a push of destiny so does Shi De, and notices her, which makes him more than happy. After saving her life, Shi De loses his wallet and baggage, so Yi Ru decides to help him out. The two spend time together and become close, and Yi Ru cries her heart out. This makes Shi De ask her to marry him. At first Yi Ru takes it as a joke, but for some reason she keeps imagining marrying him… will she?

Okay first of all, my review sucks, because the drama is much more than what I have written. Secondly this drama is really good. The couple is a match made in heaven, and the storyline is great as well. Oh and there are 3 amazing love stories in this one, which made me all hyper all the way through. And the general story is pretty amazing. BUT there is this: it is a stretched out family drama. When I say that I mean like for 72 episodes drama, you first think “oh it’s just a long drama” but it really is like those sitcoms… Not as taky and badly acted as them, but just LONG, and just too many clichés like decease, revenge etc.

Besides that it is a fun and loving drama, which makes you happy most way through.

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 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

Alice in Wonder City Review

Title: Alice in Wonder City

AKA: Give Alice A Miracle

Genre: Romance

Episode: 15

Broadcast period: 2012 May to 2012 Sept

Cast: Aaron Yan, Xie Jie Kai, Lara, Yang Gui Mei and Tracy Chou

This story is about 5 people connected by love, dreams and music.

He Ting Yu (Aaron Yan) is a concertmaster, and is known for being a genius. Growing up as a child prodigy, he has constantly been put under pressure and has never known anything besides his violin. Due to the pressure, Ting Yu stopped sleeping and started getting paranoid. At the verge of madness he was saved by Kang Lisa (Yang Gui Mei), a café lady who helped him get over his insomnia and became a stand in mother.

Lan Die Fei (Lara) is a huge fan of Ting Yu’s and when her sister offers her a job interview in the same concert hall; she is more than happy to participate. There she meets her idol, but is shocked to find out that his personality is completely different than expected.

When a violinist is needed, Die Fei recommends Chen Hai Jie (Xiu Jie Kai) whom she had befriended, and started to be fond of, but even though Hai Jie has a happy personality, he has a history with a woman called ‘Alice’ (Tracy Chou). Even if he only spent few days with her, he isn’t able to forget her. Hai Jie manages to get the job, surprisingly directly from the moody concertmaster Ting Yu, and the two become close.

Everything becomes hectic when Lisa gets a visitor claiming to be her long lost daughter called Ito Seiko - who happens to look exactly like Alice…

So I started this, even though I love Aaron Yan, without any expectation of it being good. After watching 15 min, I realized that I really might just not be able to finish 15 episodes, mainly because the storyline sort of gave me a weird “what the hell is this about” vibe. But once I really watched it, I noticed how good it actually is. It is a very mature drama, which is rare (might also be the reason for the vibe), and the usual clichés are there, but made ‘realistic’ in that sense that they are too ridiculous like we are used to in other dramas.

I had a hard time seeing Aaron playing the tough guy, though I believe he managed to pull it off. Also, Lara is great, not the typical pretty girl, but most definatly an amazing singer!

All in all, serious drama, with great actors, and great story :)

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥½ / 4½ out of 5 hearts

Silence Review

Title: Silence 

Genre: Romance

Episodes: 19

Broadcast period: 2006-May to 2006-Sept

Ending theme song:  Shou Xi De Wen Rou (Familiar gentleness) by Vic Zhou

Cast: Vic Zhou, Park Eun Hye, Andy Hui and Megan Lai.

Zhao Shen Shen grew up with her single mother, and her neighbor uncle as her father figure. The uncles son Zuo Jun was her closest friend, and when they one day were on their way with bus, they were met with an accident, leaving Shen Shen mute as a result. Shortly after her mother meets an accident and dies, where after Shen Shen is taken in by her uncle. In the hospital she meets Wei Yi a boy of same age, who broke a leg. He becomes her best friend eventually first love when they exchange letters, though when he recovers he is released from the hospital, separating the two, but promise each other to meet again Christmas 2006.

Years later, Shen Shen (Park Eun Hye) lives with her uncle and his son Zuo Jun (Andy Hui). She owns a stall, and works in front of the same company building her uncle works at. The company just got a new general manager who happens to be Qi Wei Yi (Vic Zhou), young but ruthless, and the same kid that Shen Shen met as young though both are unaware of it. He fires Shen Shen’s uncle, making her angry, so she sets out to get revenge, only to start a feud… 

Hmm, this drama has taken me just too long to finish, not because its bad, it just is slow. Like imagine that typical family feud: neglected wife, despicable father, coldhearted CEO son. And suddenly a pretty girl with the heart of gold becomes friends with the son, they fall in love, but the dad doesn’t allow it, since the son becomes less coldhearted. The girl is mute, so she is liked even more when she fights unrighteousness - and not to mention the two annoying supporting actors that simply won’t let go. Oh yeah, and the illegitimate child that wants to ruin the sons family. They apparently didn’t find that melodramatic enough, so they added cancer in the pool.

Lol, don’t get me wrong, I didn’t hate it, I just was stuck in 20 episodes of Chinese sadness: how’s that different than the Korean? I’ll tell you: they scream less, do less push-and-pull, and don’t make you want to throw up by continuing talks about why they can’t be together. So I feel miserable that everything became so sad… Man!

The lead couple is doing a good job, and so did everyone else, but I just felt it became mediocre. There wasn’t anything that made you want to continue it - unless you are a Vic Zhou fan like me.

But I recommend it, not to people who want humor, but to those who want a good story, sad, and without the stuffiness.

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts

Skip Beat Review

Title: Skip Beat

AKA: Extravagant Challenge

Genre: Romance, comedy

Episodes: 15

Broadcast period: 2011-Dec-18 to 2012-Apr-01

Cast:  Ivy Chen (Young: Deng Yun Ting & Chen Shi Ying), Choi Si Won, Lee Dong Hae (young: Mini Bin), Bianca Bai, Jin Qin, Ada Pan, Allen Chao, Frances Wu, Bu Xue Liang, Dong Zhi Cheng, Li Yi Jin, Zhang Ben Yu, Cindy Song…

Since an extremely young age Gong Xi (Ivy Chen) has dedicated her life to her boyfriend Bu Puo Shang (Lee Dong Hae). All she wanted was to satisfy him and help him with everything. Bu Puo Shang left his family in order to pursue his dream of becoming an singer and Gong Xi followed him. Since then she had been like a maid for him. He would hide that they lived together and everyday he would care less about her and ignore her more and more. He started considering her less as a friend and only used her. One day Gong Xi witnesses Bu Puo Shang talk badly about her while with his manager and her whole world collapses. She vows revenge. She decides to take revenge by becoming even more successful than him. She somehow manages to join an agency where she starts her small but quickly recognizable career as an actress, where she also meets Dun He Lian (Choi Si Won). Dun He Lian is a famous actor who recognizes her potential and ends up somehow being friends with Gong Xi.

So why did I watch this drama? I don’t even remember, was is because of Si won? Probably.. There is one thing I really hated about this drama. So they dubbed Donghae and Siwon’s voices. Seriously I hate that so much! I get it they are famous so it means a whole lot when they shoot a drama and they get like extra lots of views and yeah even I watched it. But it’s just so bad. The drama itself was pretty alright even though the story is a bit weird. Like Gong Xi dedicated her life to taking care of Bu Puo Shang, ehmm..? What I really liked about it was the actor-stuff. They showed a side of acting we maybe don’t often consider. And it was pretty cool how they showed what it takes, that it takes talent and the talent was really visible. So I actually did enjoy it but at the same time I was thinking it’s a bit ridiculous but I guess I could bear it. 

☆☆ / 2 stars out of 5

♥♥♥ / 3 hearts out of 5

Bunji's verdict

I bet you saw my rating and thought “what a bad drama”, well it is not. At least not as bad as the idea you have it to be. It is okay honestly it just ends off and without a real ending. I at one point was very captivated by the story but it just bores you unless you are interested in showbiz. It had a lot of ‘manga moments’ as I would call them, but it did not flutter my heart as the moments usually do. Though one thing did happen though: I wanted to watch a Siwon and Dong Hae drama, due to their acting. Kind of made me interested.

So watch? If you have watched or read Skip Beat you  might be a bit disappointed, but if you are an E.L.F you might just love this.

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 4 stars

♥♥½ / 2½ out of 5 hearts

Starlit Review

Title: Starlit

Genre: Romance, melodrama

Episodes: 22

Broadcast date: 2009-Jan to 2009-Apr

Cast: Jerry Yan, Terri Kwan, Alice Ceng and Chen Zhi Kai 

Cheng Yue (Jerry Yan) is a pianist, who once saved a girl from being hit by a car, which led him to break his hand. Everything seemed okay until he found out that he would never be able to have an agile hand again, which means that he’ll never be able to play piano again. His mother spent all her life trying to make him the best pianist in Taiwan, which only leads to him not doing anything else besides playing. After a huge argument, Cheng Yue leaves his mother and girlfriend, by running away and not contacting them again.

Two years past, Cheng Yue now a piano teacher, meets the girl he saved, Dong Xiao Lu (Terri Kwan), whom he now blames for all his mishaps, and ends up losing his job. Feeling guilty, she decides to help him get a new job at her company, and the two start to form a mutual understanding, and soon more than that. Cheng Yue confesses to Xiao Lu, but she rejects him telling him that she has never thought of him like that, but somehow her rejection seems halfhearted…

While I was watching the drama I didn’t feel the chemistry of the couple at all, even though it’s 22 episodes worth of screen time, which especially for a Taiwanese drama is long. Somehow the main actress annoyed the shit out of me, and made me want to yell “CUT!“ 50% of the time! Like there were times when I thought she was blind (like the actual physical form), but that was just because of the ridiculous acting.

On the other hand, she does a great job as a sick patient, and Jerry Yan does was he’s used to :P The drama reminded me of the Japanese 1 Liter of Tears with Nishikido Ryo and Sawajiri Erika, except it was adults and there was much more love story than illness.

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts

Calling For Love Review

Title: Calling For Love                                       Genre: Romance, comedy

Episodes: 14

Broadcast date: 2010-May to 2010-Aug

Cast: Mike He, Charlene Choi, Chen Zhi Kai and Tracy Zhou.

Chen De Xing (Charlene Choi) left Hong Kong after her mother’s death in order to find her father, whom she had never met before. She doesn’t know his name either, and her only lead is a picture that is at least 25 yers old, but she is still optimistic and gets a job as a taxi driver. Her life is turned upside down when the super idol Bo Ye (Mike He) returns to Taiwan, and she winds up with his fans. Things heat up when she does a mistake and takes pictures of Bo Ye, infuriating him and his manager.

Bo Ye is known to be a star, but due to his father indebting him, his sister going to arts school, he became an idol, which he resents. When he’s finally able to pay it back, more debt seems to come up; his manager borrowed money from mafia, his best friends restaurant is not going so well, and his sister needs to go to Paris to continue her education. All this leads him considering going back to the job he hates, until he buys a lottery ticket and actually wins! But unfortunately he put the ticket in a book, which he had mixed up with De Xing! Now he has to get it back from her, without telling her about the winning price, 300 mio…

Yeah, I get why it didn’t become popular as Mike He’s drama usually are, it’s really not that good. The actual highlights of this drama are the cute interactions, which are rare, like RARE for a TW drama. The drama has the baseline that he has to make her fall in love with him so that he can get the money, but he falls in love with her; that’s a pretty good baseline, except the drama is thin as paper. The characters don’t do the actors justice, even though they aren’t that good actors, somehow it becomes boring, and 14 episodes feel like forever. I don’t mind push and pull as long as it’s done classy, which this is not even worth mentioning. I bet the director doesn’t even understand the concept of push and pull. On the other hand, you can watch it without the annoyance that most dramas like this have…

☆☆½ / 2½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts

Gloomy Salad Days Review

Title: Gloomy Salad Days
Tagline: Dear death, please take away my misfortune, even if the price is for me to turn into a stone...
AKA: Death Girl
Genre: Human drama, supernatural
Episodes: 20
Broadcast period: 2010-Oct to 2010-Dec
Cast: Aaron Yan and Serena Fang (and many many others...)

This story revolves around several students’ lives and how they come across Du He also known as Death Girl (Serena Fang) guardian of the ‘Bridge of Helplessness’. Every student has something part of their lives that they hate to the point of helplessness: that is where Death Girl comes in.

They can only see her with the black stone, and with that they are also able to summon her. They can request something from her, but if they still don’t overcome their helplessness they will become a part of her bridge as a rock.

Shen Qi (Aaron Yan) has the ability so see Death Girl even without the black rock, and tries to warn every student he sees talking to her, but the matter of the fact is that everyone thinks him as weird because of it. He eventually starts to fall in love with her, and beings to understand the meaning of life and death…

This is a very different kind of drama, with the entire dark setup, and it isn’t really my type of drama. I watched the first two episodes and really didn’t like it, but suddenly this grew on me, and I guess my mind became wicked as well. It deals with crazy stories, not those weak ones like Romeo and Juliet, but hardcore ones if you ask me, the ones that our society doesn’t agree on. Anyhow, all scenarios are unpredictable which is nice, also the endings of every story, as well as the last story. 
One thing was bothering me though: the students really don't give any f*** for their classmate, like he said that he has a braintumor, they laugh at him.. what's with that!?
So: good drama, but not really a happy one.

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Drunken To Love You Review

Title: Drunken to love you
AKA: Love You
Genre: Comedy romance
Episodes: 18
Broadcast period: 2011-Apr to 201-Aug
Cast: Joseph Cheng and Raine Yang

Lin Xiao Ru (Rainie Yang) is a fun loving and cheerful girl always putting everyone else first before her. Being an orphan she had always envied happy families that eat together, so her dream is to open up a little restaurant with the man that loves her, by working hard as a manager and saving bit by bit.

Song Jie Xiu (Joseph Chang) is a top interior designer, who has made himself a name in that industry. Having supermodel Tang Ai Wei (Tiffany Xu) as a girlfriend, his life couldn’t get better, except the two can never meet in public. When he one day proposes to her, she rejects him, favoring her career. Heartbroken he goes to a bar, and is joined by a happy Xiao Ru whom had met earlier when she saved Ai Wei from paparazzi. She tells Jie Xiu that her pilot boyfriend is going to meet her there and that they are going to vegas to get married. When she finds out that he decided to dump her, she runs out and confronts him, only to be told that he has another girl. Now both Jie Xiu and Xiao Ru have been dumped, so they decide to get drunk, real drunk.

Next morning they find out that they’ve gotten married… to each other!

A VERY funny drama, with great actors and chemistry. The only problem is that it is a little bit too long for my taste. I don’t mean the episode count, but the entire screenplay, like for some reason they needed so much time to get together, they could at least add some spice while at it :P

No it’s fun, not the funniest, but good fun. And even though long, not that nauseating dragging feel :)

☆☆☆½ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

PS Man Review

Title: PS Man
AKA: The Womanzier
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 21
Broadcast period: 2010-Feb to 2010-Jul
Cast: Lan Cheng Long, Sonia Sui,Wen Sheng Hao, Bianca Bai and Xiao Xiao Bin.

Xia He Jia (Lan Cheng Long) is a famous author, who has made himself a celebrity status by writing screenplays for famous movies and TV shows. This leads him to have an arrogant personality, and believes that he can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. He also believes that there isn’t a woman that can’t be handled, meaning her can get ANY woman ANY time.

When he finds out that supermodel Amanda (Bianca Bai) on an interview says that she doesn’t date because she only wants to date the one guy that will love her for real her: basically making her unreachable. This makes He Jia want her.

After he crashes Amanda’s movie premiere and happens to injure the director of the movie, he is forced to do 158 hours of community service in a kindergarten. There he is bullied by Ma Xiao Qian (Sonia Sui), which he can’t comprehend, since he IS Xia He Jia, but Xia Qian has her reasons: the two were neighbors as kids, and he made life a living hell for her then, so it’s time for payback…

Ah~ this drama is great. I really missed these kinds of dramas, the ones that give you that crippling in your stomach… At a point I was really blushing, not because of the scene but because of the words, really womanizer… Lan Cheng Long is officially the hottest Chinese I’ve ever seen :P Well, I liked him in Easy Fortune Happy Life as well, but this made it official. I liked the surrounding stories, they weren’t heavy nor long, just the right amount. But on the other hand the minus is the LOOOOONG love story of the lead couple, I just found her annoying at the end, even though I sort of understood her. The ending was tacky, though funny, but still VERY Chinese with the kidnapping… tsk..

The characters were perfectly made, like really thought through, which I enjoyed.

It’s sort of a grown-up drama, with loads of comedy twists that make it youthful, so I sort of recommend it

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥½ / 4½ out of 5 hearts

Material Queen Review

Title: Material Queen
Genre: Romance
Episodes: 22
Broadcast period: 2011-Jun to 2011-Nov
Opening theme song: Is This All by Van Ness Wu
Cast: Van Ness Wu and Lynn Hung

Abandoned as a child Lin Chu Man (Lynn Hung) grew up to be a materialistic and selfish gold digger who believes that she does not need love in order to be happy, she needs jewelry and brand bags. When her old, weird and rich boyfriend finally proposes to her, she can’t help but to agree. On the other hand, due to a ‘curse’ saying that only if she really loves the person she’s saying it to, she will not be able to say the three words I love you. When an opportunity arises; the rich and young heir William is in Paris. She decides to give it a shot, and starts her plan to woes him. She succeeds, only to find out that the man she thought was William is actually a poor student, working as a duplet for the real heir, which makes her dump him in an instant. Cai Jia Hao (Van Ness Wu) goes to school in Paris, learning how to master violin. In order to make extra cash, he pretends to be William. When Chu Man’s fiancé finds out, he makes sure that both Chu Man and Jia Hao pay, making both of them leave Paris.
Back in Taiwan Chu Man loses everything, so she has to find a new place to live. In an ad she finds a cheap room for rent with beautiful view. It turns out to fake, and the room is not what she’d expected. But due to her in need of money she agrees to live there. Jia Hao also returns home, devastated, because he has been thrown out of the school his sister worked so hard in getting him in to, and not being able to make his father’s death wish of him becoming a known violinist, come true, due to a woman that doesn’t even love him. Arriving home the neighbors think he graduated, and due to the celebration, Jia Hao is not able to break their hearts, so he lies.
In the evening, Chu Man learns the feeling of being poor, when the shower only releases cold water and the lights go out. Walking out she literately bumps into Jia Hao: it turns out that the room is part of Jia Hao’s house, and that he’s the landlord!
When a golden opportunity arises again, Yan Kai Ming (Daniel Chan), a rich entrepreneur is looking for models to work for him; Chu Man decides to give it a shot. But living with Jia Hao and his family, as well as loving neighbors, makes Chu Man wonder of whether or not she really just wants material stuff…

Okay first of all, the lead actress’ character is superb, best Taiwanese character ever made. This is the first time some as snobbish and arrogant is the lead; it’s actually extremely rare that the lead isn’t all goody-goody and miss-liked-by-everyone. And what I love most about her, and also why I rated as I did, was because of the changes she goes through. That itself was worth a lot of stars..
Second of, this drama was bound to be brilliant with Van Ness Wu in the lead. I mean, no matter in what position you put him in, he does it with wholeheartedly. Act as a romantic geek? Check! Act as a heartbroken millionaire with a vengeful soul? Double check! Lol, guess that’s what he’s best at..
On the other hand it can be draggy, I mean it took her 9 episodes to fall in love with him, and it took 9 episodes for him to forgive her… That’s the definition of draggy! But I really liked it. Very real, mature and makes you think : ) I recommend..

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Hi My Sweetheart Review

Title: Hi My Sweetheart
AKA: Playboy and Sweetheart / Shanghai Sweetheart
Genre: Comedy, Romanance
Episodes: 14
Broadcast period: 2010-Nov to 2011-Jan
Opening theme song: Head Over Heels in Love by Show Lo
Ending theme song: Rain Love by Rainie Yang
Cast: Show Lo, Rainie Yang and Lee Wei.

Hsueh Hai (Show Lo) has been raised in a somewhat plastic ball all his life; he gets dressed by maids, never does anything himself, never ridden a bus before, never had friends nor girlfriends, basically over-protected. That has made him childish, naive and weak on self-esteem. When he one day is to leave for a new school (mainly to get away from his over-protective sister who has raised him after his parents death), his sister follows him, to make sure he gets there, much to his displease since he wants to get away from his family. At the airport he undirectly meets Chen Bao Chu (Rainie Yang) when she returns his boarding pass, after he dropped it, to the desk office, and leaving a post it saying 'stupied'.
When they meet second time, both not knowing it's the other and after Hsueh Hai changes his name to 'Lin Da Lung' (his sisters idea, so he wont get kidnapped since they are so rich), Hsueh Hai now Da Lung finds out she is a tough girl no one likes, but as naive as he is, he tries to help her, making Bao Chu interested in him, which leads to their bumpy relationship...

OMG, I just needed this kind of drama. It was real fun, made my day, I've become a huge fan of Show Lo, yes I used to like him, but this made me totally fall for him, daiim he's hot! hehe..
This drama has almost ALL drama clicheés: the accidentel first meeting, the bumping heads, the short romance, the misunderstanding, the revenge, the 'patch-up', the second misunderstanding, the life-threatining saviour, the amisia and not to mention the 'trying-to-get-the-memories-back'. Beside the massive stereotypes, I've come to enjoy this, may be because of the interesting new side of love, okay, yeah it's that 'I want to die for you' / 'I can't live without you', but it's pretty fresh, with the meanie and the dork : P
Heck, I even liked Raninie Yang here, LOL, and I swear that I saw some of Mike He's acting characteristics in her! hahaah...
Summing up:

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts