Title: 美樂加油 Měi Yuè Jiāyóu
English Title: Love Keeps Going
Country: Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Language: Mandarin Chinese
Year: 2011
Episode: 13
Cast:
- 王心凌 Wáng Xīn Líng (Cyndi Wang)
- 賀軍翔 Hè Jūn Xiáng (Mike He)
- 施易男 Shī Yì Nán (Eli Shi)
- 張善為 Zhāng Shàn Wéi
- 黃瀞怡 Huáng Jìng Yí (小薰 Xiǎo Xūn) (Albee Huang)
- 張家寧 Zhāng Jiā Níng (Michelle Chang)
- 柳岩 Liǔ Yán
- 张伦硕 Zhāng Lún Shuò
- 于清翰 Yú Qīng Hàn (Ash Yu)
- 賴琳恩 Lài Lín Ēn (Lene Lai)
- 温玄烨 Wēn Xuán Yè (小小彬 Xiǎo Xiǎo Bīn)
SYNOPSIS
Zha Mei Le used to be a carefree child but when she was around nine years old, she overheard her parents fighting to get custody of her intelligent brother because they were getting a divorce. Both her father and mother do not want to get Mei Le, and are forcing the other parent to take care of her.
Mei Le ended up living with her mother after her parents' divorce, and she worked hard to become a child that a parent would be proud of and wouldn't abandon; she studied hard to get good grades, she helped with the household chores without being asked; and she always kept a sunny and agreeable disposition.
Mei Le continued to work hard in everything even when she was an adult. She has certificates and licenses in everything that she thinks would be useful: finance management, insurance management, computer programming, languages, ethics, mechanics, etc.
Mei Le is well regarded at work, but she quit her job in order to help her boyfriend Han Yi Feng make his dream of opening a bakery come true. Mei Le got the necessary qualifications to become a professional baker, and she acquired a business license for a bakery. She also used her savings to lease office space and buy the necessary baking equipment.
Yi Feng was supposed to pick his brother Han Yi Lei at the airport, but he can't get away from his work so he asked Mei Le to go instead.
Mei Le tried to make Yi Lei have a good impression of her, but Yi Lei has a very difficult personality and they just ended up annoying each other.
REVIEW
Love Keeps Going has an admittedly melodramatic plot with characters who have convoluted relationships with each other. But I think the drama has great lead characters in Zha Mei Le and Han Yi Lei, and it's worth it to go through all the nonsensical trappings just to see these two individuals be together.
I think it is quite rare to find two main characters that you like in a production, it's often you like one of the characters and then like the other person by association, so it's quite refreshing that I like Mei Le and Yi Lei separately. They are both amazing individuals, and I can't help but want the two of them to be together because they are better versions of themselves because of each other.
I was fond of Mei Le right away, because she doesn't wallow in her miseries. I admire her for focusing instead on what she can do so she can achieve the results or the outcomes that she wants.
It took a while for me to warm up to Yi Lei because I didn't get his personality and background. Although I don't know what his deal is, I liked that he sided with what he thinks is right even though he has to go against his family.
Han Yi Lei:
Battle Rule #1: To the person (lover) who betrayed you, the best revenge tactic is that you have to live better than you did in the past. You have to be more beautiful and more elegant than before. You also have to be chased by a bunch of men that are better than him.
Battle Rule #2: The most cruel tactic to defeat your (love) opponent is to make her feel that the person she sntached away is someone you already didn't want. You should even thank her for recycling for you.
Battle Rule #3: The most successful cure for a failed relationship is to think of how terrible the other person is. Then apologize to yourself, and tell yourself that you will love yourself more from now on.
I like the short discussion about trust and understanding in Love Keeps Going, although I don't think I completely agree with the drama's stance.
Zha Mei Le's Mother: This is understanding, not trust.
Zha Mei Le's Mother: There's no such thing as unconditional trust in this world, but as long as you understand someone well enough, you will know what they will do and what they won't do.
I think one person can have unconditional trust in another person, mainly because he understands that person and knows him well enough to have faith in his decisions and actions.
###
美樂加油 Love Keeps Going
