ザラ Notes: 流星花園 Meteor Garden

19 April 2008

流星花園 Meteor Garden

Title: 流星花園 Liúxīng Huāyuán
English Title: Meteor Garden
Country: Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Language: Mandarin Chinese
Year: 2001
Episode: 20
Cast:

徐熙媛 Xú Xī Yuàn (Barbi Hsu)
言承旭 Yán Chéng Xù (Jerry Yan)
周渝民 Zhōu Yú Mín (Vic Zhou)
朱孝天 Zhū Xiào Tiān (Ken Chu)
吳建豪 Wú Jiàn Háo (Vanness Wu)
錢韋杉 Qián Wéi Shān (Winnie Chien)
楊丞琳 Yáng Chéng Lín (Rainie Yang)
歐定興 Ōu Dìng Xìng (Edward Qu)

SYNOPSIS

庾澄慶 Yú Chéng Qìng - 情非得已 Qíng Fēiděi Yǐ (Can't Help Falling In Love With You)

Shan Cai is a plain girl from a lower middle class family. Her parents are hoping that Shan Cai will marry someone from a rich family so they enrolled her in the most prestigious university in Taiwan.

Ying De University is attended mostly by people from the elite class. The university is dominated by four guys collectively known as F4, who are the heirs of the wealthiest and most influential families in Taiwan. The F4 members are Dao Ming Si, Hua Ze Lei, Shi Men, and Mei Zuo.

Shan Cai's friend offended F4 leader Dao Ming Si, and she defended her friend from his bullying. Because of Shan Cai's meddling, Dao Ming Si bullied her instead. As Dao Ming Si is the school's leader, everyone at school also bullied Shan Cai but she refused to back down without a fight.

REVIEW

戴佩妮 Dái Peì Nī - 你要的愛 Nǐ Yào De Ài (The Love You Want)

Meteor Garden is the very first Taiwanese drama that I watched. Personally, I don't really like the story line with all its illogical twists and turns, but this is probably because it was based on a manga called Hana Yori Dango.

To be fair, the drama did have its entertaining moments. Although Taiwanese dramas tend to be over-the-top, they almost always have the romantic scenes amazingly done. I first encountered it here, and succeeding Taiwanese dramas I watched have always supported that premise.

I think I initially watched Meteor Garden because it was something new. I need to always finish what I've started so even though this drama had what seemed like endless episodes, I still put up with it. I don't think I'd ever watch it again though.