#t-drama

[idontwanttowhy]

Review: Autumn's Concerto (2009)

AKA Next Stop Happiness, AKA the reason that I don't hate time jumps anymore

Synopsis

Liang Mu Cheng has had a tough life. Between her parents dying young, having to give up her passion for playing the piano, and being forced to live in a house with her step-mother's predator boyfriend, she can't seem to catch a break. When fate forces her in the path of one Ren Guang Xi, a law-school-flunking rich kid with anger management issues, things only seem to get worse. Meanwhile, Guang Xi, though he appears to have it all, is being torn apart from the inside--physically and emotionally. The accidental meeting sets in motion a drama that takes place over the span of years, complete with political intrigue, amnesia, courtroom trials, and of course, beef and carrot stew.

MZ Overview: 11/10, can't wait to watch it again!

I watched this at the recommendation of one of my friends who said it was a good entry into the world of Taiwanese dramas, and she was absolutely right! Each one of the 34 episodes was a treat where I was left wanting more. I went into this knowing nothing about the plot, so I was confused at first at the pacing of the show. Surely, I said, there isn't anywhere to go from here? But reader, there WAS. In the best way possible. One major component was a time jump, which was done so well and with so much story afterward that I didn't even mind. Hell, I even liked it! The cast of characters in the second half are so endearing that I kept forgetting that they weren't there the whole time. Don't even get me started on Liang Xiao Le.... one word: ADORABLE. I will most definitely be watching it again, especially when I need to constantly ask "WILL THEY JUST GET TOGETHER ALREADY?" (Because that's a thing I need in life, apparently) Be prepared for major second lead syndrome!

MZ Review (spoilers): I'm not crying YOU'RE crying

CW: Sexual Assault

We meet our heroine, Liang Mu Cheng, as she is trying to transport an expensive fish back to her family, who have designs to use it in a VIP's lunch. The VIP, of course, is none other than the president of the university where Mu Cheng's family now runs the cafeteria. She is warned as she sets out on her journey that the fish needs to be brought home in a certain time, otherwise it will go bad and will not be suitable to be served to such an important person.

With this warning she hops on the bus to her house, which is stopped dead in its tracks by a couple in a fancy sports car ahead of them. Desperate to arrive home on time, Mu Cheng decides to intervene. That is when Ren Guang Xi, the driver of the sports car, is introduced.

What ensues from this point on is in turn touching and traumatic, yet it manages to toe the balance between them, as any good drama does. Yet I do have to say that if I didn't love the characters I would have major issues with the plot lines in this show. Mostly because of the use of sexual assault/trauma over and over again.

I would say its definitely worth watching even with this in mind. The characters are SO GOOD. Not so much in a character development way, but in an exaggerated personality way. Take Mu Cheng for example-- she is the ultimate martyr. Time and time again through the show, she makes the decision to sacrifice for others over herself. While this could get annoying, I appreciated that she was consistent. You know what to expect from her, which is a lot more than you can say for a lot of other main leads.

The best (or worst) part of the love triangle was that I had MAJOR second-lead syndrome from the jump. Hua Tuo Ye is so cute and wholesome, despite the hard edge he tries to portray as a farmer who isn't afraid to throw hands when necessary. We should really call him Hua "I'm his human dad while his alien dad isn't here" Tuo Ye. When he said that to Liang Xiao Le, my heart MELTED. I knew the entire time there was no chance for him and Mu Cheng to end up together, especially since he was already the "big boss" of the house, but I HOPED. At the same time, I couldn't be too mad about this development, because SIX YEARS? Dude, you have to make a move in that time. C'mon.

Everything between Ren Guang Xi and Liang Mu Cheng developed as I expected, so it was nice to watch their love overcome the multiple hurdles that were placed in their way. The only thing that I hadn't really predicted was the way Guang Xi's mom would develop. She starts off as your typical chaebol mom who wants to control the life of her kids, but ends up a loving grandma. I was surprised since I thought she was going to be evil the whole time. So it's not 100% true none of the characters had any development, but I'd say its still pretty accurate.

I'm really glad I watched this show! It was a journey from beginning to end, and as promised the next stop is happiness!

[weeguttersnipe]

You... make me want... to become a better person.

The Perfect Match, ep 15 (Taiwanese tv series, 2017)

[darth-rainbow]

[dearestpartnerofgreatness]

Jojo: From now on, we will be using codenames. You can address me as: Eagle One.

Jojo: Tang Zai Qin, codename: Been There Done That.

Jojo: Yi Sheng is: Currently Doing That.

Jojo: Xiao Shuo is: It Happened Once in a Dream.

Jojo: Shu Qi, codename: If I Had to Pick a Lady.

Jojo: Bi He… is Eagle Two.

Bi He: Oh, thank god.

[ajokeformur-ray]

hello again! Could I please request a little 'Bromance' fic were reader is working at Wei Qing Yang's coffee shop and Zi Feng comes in everytime she's working just to see her? Tbh as long as it's fluffy and involves Zi Feng I'll love it. So feel free to do as you wish. Hahaha! Thank you!!

First Bromance imagine! So excited! <3 I love this Taiwanese drama so much <3 

wc: 489.

Zi Feng breathed in deeply as he stepped into Wei Qing Yang’s coffee shop, the earthly scent of those precious ground up beans filling his senses. A smile came to his face as his eyes landed on you. You were behind the counter, as yet unaware of his presence, and your face had a look of intense concentration.

You were filtering coffee by hand, using a wooden paddle to push the ground beans through, and you looked so at peace, so... you.

Finally, your head jerked up as Zi Feng greeted Wei Qing, the two men talking quietly. You would know Zi Feng’s voice anywhere, and as his gorgeous eyes met yours, a soft smile quirked the corner of his lips. Wei Qing watched the interaction with curiosity and fondness in his eyes - he only wanted the absolute best for Zi Feng, the person he had grown up alongside.

“What can I get for you?” Your voice was quiet, as though you didn’t want to speak at a normal level, frightened to ruin the serenity that you both felt in the others’ company.

Zi Feng came up with a deliberately complicated order, causing Wei Qing to raise his eyebrow in incredulity. You, too, were surprised, but then when Zi Feng winked at you, you realised that he had done so in order to spend more time at the counter with you. His more than generous tip was a thank you, you knew, for humouring him. You could have just made him his usual order, but instead you played into it, to make sure you could discuss things with him.

“How are you, Y/N?” Zi Feng looked at Wei Qing, whom rolled his eyes and left, feigning interest in the coffee machine behind him. He closed his ears but kept his eyes open. It wouldn’t do for him to accidentally tune out a customer.

“Doing all right. Tired. And you?” You smiled briefly, not wanting to seem as though you were complaining to the man who had given you your job in the first place. 

Zi Feng nodded thoughtfully. That was one of the things that you loved about him; he always, always, cared for others more than himself. It might have been because of his having to become the head of his family at such a young age, or because he had been raised in a loving, empathetic environment. Whatever the reason, you felt love bloom for him in your heart. The more time you spent with him, the more you loved him.

“Same as ever.” He took a sip of his coffee and smiled. You felt pride in delivering something he enjoyed. 

He lingered as long as he could, savouring the coffee he hadn’t even wanted. He had wanted to see you, though, and with you in his heart and mind, he was able to face the heap of responsibilities that plagued him each and every day.

want to be added to the Bromance taglist? Let me know.

[jckt-drama]

The Perfect Match Review

There’s just something absolutely adorable and enchanting about two people falling in love despite difficult circumstances. That might be why rich-man-falls-for-poor-but-quirky-heroine is such a prevalent template for romance stories. What could these two possibly have in common? In the case of The Perfect Match, the thing is that the main couple both love to cook. 

The hero, Ting En, is a famous French-trained chef who is drawn into the orbit of local night market food vendor, Fen Qing, when she gains some popularity as the “Night Market’s Ting En.” (Which was a poorly thought out marketing scheme by her friends). It isn’t long before Fen Qing’s pride, and desire to stand toe-to-toe with Ting En, results in the plucky heroine working in his kitchen as his apprentice. She’s going to learn how to make his signature dish in seven days. To the surprise of precisely no one, they do end up being a sickeningly adorable couple.

That said, I do have to voice my approval of how balanced Fen Qing and Ting En are as characters and as a couple. Fen Qing is loud and pushy and nosy, but she is selfless, intuitive, and persistent. There is a scene that I particularly like early in the series where she is tasked with getting a pile of sacks into the building in ten minutes, and she does it in five just to prove herself. It is definitely something that I would do. Ting En, meanwhile, is confident, cocky, and a bit mean, but he never forces Fen Qing to do anything, he is very empathic, though a hair self-sabotaging. They build each other up while also managing to keep each other’s egos in check. It’s quite refreshing in a story like this. They truly are the perfect match.

(And if you think that was painful, be prepared for some of the title drops in the show.)

The major side characters are also well balanced. Fen Qing’s BFF, Shao Wei, is in love with her but doesn’t try sabotaging Ting En in order to win Fen Qing over. He wants to succeed on his own merits, which is uncommon and super admirable for the side-interest. Ting En also has a fantastic bromance with his best buddy Xiao Bin, who is a confident, if incompetent, ladies man. Their relationship is truly heartwarming, and I wish more shows showed a male/male relationship like this. I would also like to mention that Ru Xi, Shao Wei’s sister and side-interest for Ting En, is also very interesting, but I don’t feel like I can talk about her without spoilers. My apologies. The characters that flesh out the supporting cast are also entertaining, though not that interesting. 

If I had to describe the plot in one word, I would say that it is corny. The leads click really quick and soon their inevitable romance begins to bloom. There are some mini-archs throughout the story to add some cohesion, but nothing that connects episode one to episode twenty-two. I will admit, however, that many of the situations that the leads find themselves in are awkward and a tad contrived, you have been warned.

All in all, The Perfect Match is a light and fluffy romance that is perfect for watching after a heart-rending series, or if you’re looking for something that isn’t that deep, but also isn’t completely ridiculous. Happy watching!

[heoldramaicons]

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[memmer19]

I finally finished Hormones on Netflix. I can't figure out if I hated or loved it. There were a few couples I rooted for. I wish we could have had more Tar and Toei. As well as Sprite and Phai. Non and Pang were so adorable. I was super glad when they finally got together. Sun and Win were a whole journey from start to finish. I felt super terrible for Mhog and Thee. Man, they were so sweet and got nothing but crap in return.