Smiling Pasta
The first drama I watched was 'Smiling Pasta,' a 2006 drama starring Cindy Wang as Cheng Xiao Shi and Nicholas Teo as He Qun. Xiao Shi is a girl who has had 17 boyfriends and all of them have dumped her before the relationship gets past the 3-month mark. She wishes on a shooting star that she will find someone to break her curse (because she believes that she is cursed) and to cherish her forever. Fate decides to answer, by having her lips collide with famous idol He Qun. He Qun has just been dumped by his secret girlfriend, Rita, who left him for his estranged brother, Ah Zhe. And to make the quadrangle complete, Ah Zhe is Xiao Shi's first love and the one who seemingly cursed her relationships in the first place.
When the couple collide (and fall to the ground, which results in the kiss), the paparazzi are there to take pictures, and the photos are published claiming that He Qun is having an affair on Rita. To save He Qun's career, his manager claims that Xiao Shi is, in fact, the secret girlfriend, and that she and He Qun have been dating for a year. Events force Xiao Shi and He Qun to go along and as time passes, their relationship evolves from a love contract to something else.
It was a cute drama. If you can't tell by the pictures, the clothing was reminiscent of the 80s in the US. Seriously. From the Mom's necklaces and earrings to the Ah Zhe and Rita 'rocker' clothing... it really reminded be of clothing I saw in the 80s. I'm not quite sure why the costuming was so dated, when the outfits in Rock 'n' Road didn't have this feel at all, but that's how it ended up.
Nicholas Teo was great as He Qun. He played He Qun as a sensitive eldest son who just happens to be an singing idol. He wasn't overly arrogant (his arrogance towards Xiao Shi was more teasing than condescension) and he was quick to humble himself. At times, Cindy Wang was a little too innocent/perky for my tastes, but I liked the friendship that developed between Xiao Shi and He Qun. Xiao Shi's family was one of the highlights of the show; I've not met such an abundantly encouraging family in any other drama. They were Xiao Shi's cheering section and knowing them helped He Qun's mom to get his dad to loosen up, which was really good because He Qun's father was particularly infuriating. The second lead, Ah Zhe, took after his father in the pridefulness, but was less annoying because he had a strong sense of being the protector of others, so he'd find some reason not to be so obstinate in his pigheadedness.
I liked it but I don't think it will be one that I will watch again.
My rating: 6/10
After Smiling Pasta was over, I thought about watching What is Love? over again (I'm still considering it), but instead I looked over some of Viki's other Taiwanese drama selections. I settled on 2011's Skip Beat!, a drama adapted from a manga by the same name.
Skip Beat
I absolutely loved this drama. It's been a while where I was sleep-deprived because of a drama, but this one led to that. Two nights in a row. Getting up for work the next day was a little challenging. But I loved it.
The series starts by explaining that everyone is born with a Pandora's box inside them: vengeful spirits who urge their master to commit dark deeds. God locks the box away with many padlocks and hides it in the deepest recesses on a person's heart, but betrayal and rage can break the locks and set the spirits free... Since the synopsis let the cat out of the bag, we know that Gong Xi's box is going to bust open right from the beginning.
About 4 minutes into the first episode, I knew I was going to like it, *because* of the manga elements that were incorporated. You've got a crazily-enthusiastic heroine, Gong Xi (Ivy Chen) who *really* loves pop idol, Bu Puo Shang (Super Junior's Lee Donghae). When she discovers there's a poster out there she should have, she rushes out from her job so quickly that papers fly (like in cartoons). As she peddles her bicycle to the store, she goes faster than a car, a police motorcycle and even a bullet train traveling 330 km (205+ mph). At that moment, I knew that it was going to keep the manga feel, and I appreciated that.
We quickly discover why Gong Xi loves Shang so much: they grew up together and he's been the object of her devotion since she was left to stay at his parents' inn. In fact, she's working three jobs to supply the apartment that he lives in... when he's in town. But being a popular music idol, it's not often. When he's out of town, he ignores her calls and and when he is in town, he treats Gong Xi like his maid.
From the moment we meet him, we're not meant to like him. He's rude and short with Gong Xi and it's obviously that he doesn't appreciate anything that she does for him. In fact, from the way he acts, if she disappeared from his life, he wouldn't miss her until he needed someone to do his laundry. (Many of the Viki viewers were angry at him for his behavior and while I really didn't like him, she tolerated and rewarded his behavior, so why would he act any differently?)
We also meet Dun He Lian (Super Junior's Choi Siwon); Shang sees him on television and seethes over his popularity, so of course, Gong Xi hates him, too. Lian is a hugely popular actor who is confident and self-assured and brash enough to chastise one of his elders on the man's work ethic even as he signs an autograph for the man's daughter. You might call that arrogance, but I didn't necessarily see it that way, since Lian did have a point and was correcting the man for not being considerate of the people he works with. So he's not a self-centered like Shang, but he's not overly warm and likable either.
Quickly, though, Gong Xi discovers that her devotion to Shang has been wasted; she finds him canoodling with his manager. He calls her boring, plebeian and ugly. In fact, he left home because his parents were planning on making him marry her. As Gong Xi hears his words, the padlocks in her heart break and she vows revenge. Shang scoffs at the idea that she could ever do anything to hurt him. She's so pointless that she can't even touch one of his toenails. The only way she could ever hope to have revenge is by becoming a more famous and popular entertainer than he is and there's no way that will ever happen.
But that starts Gong Xi on her journey. She hounds a casting manager into giving her a chance to join LME, even though she obviously has no clue what being in entertainment actually means. But her perseverance pays off and she gets an audition. At the audition, she catches the eye of LME's Chairman and becomes the first member of the "Love Me" division, a division where the members are people who are lacking in ability but full of potential. The people who join this department must win people's love through their work, which means that Gong Xi will be doing a lot of thankless, miserable tasks in order to earn enough points to debut.
LME also happens to be the company where Lian happens to work. Their paths cross early and Gong Xi catches Lian's eye. His attitude quickly rubs Gong Xi the wrong way and he's a bit repulsed that she's trying to be an actress not for love of the craft but for revenge. But as they get to know each other, they both realize that their first impression wasn't accurate and a mutual respect and friendship blossoms... and later grows into love.
Quickly into the show, I grew to love both Lian and Gong Xi. Gong Xi... she was goofy and passionate and a bit of dork. I can relate. Plus, even at her most crazy, she was lovable and loved -- by me and the people she was around. She didn't let anyone stop her from being herself and even when people doubted her, she never doubted herself. Her zest for life really reminded me of a self that I've lost a little bit and inspired me to get back to that person who is brave enough to be herself instead of trying to live to please other people. Ivy Chen did a fantastic job of making you love Gong Xi and all her craziness.
Lian was reserved, self-contained, a bit of a mystery, but inherently good and considerate of people. The elder he corrected in the first episode, when Lian learned that the man acted that way out of love for his dying daughter, Lian seemed unaffected but he was. Even though he didn't show any emotion, he immediately bought the girl a teddy bear and decided to visit her personally. Even though he's appalled by Gong Xi's motivation, he still tries to help her achieve her goal. He doesn't have a problem doing grunt work or things that are 'beneath' someone of his status. His high standard includes an exacting professionalism and respect for others and he doesn't (normally) let his feelings get in the way of doing what's right. Even when it seemed like Lian was going out of his way to antagonize Gong Xi (her perception at least), I actually saw his actions as trying to help her to become the actor that she was meant to be. I thought that Siwon did a great job of being self-contained but smoldering -- man! the man's stare will make your legs turn into pudding -- and showing someone who intentionally kept his thoughts and feelings hidden from everyone slowly fall under Gong Xi's spell.
Donghae, too, made someone you're supposed to hate into someone you don't. Even though he's a total jerk to Gong Xi in the beginning, Donghae made him human and while I never totally warmed up to Shang, I could see him growing into someone who could give Lian a run for his money when it comes to Gong Xi's heart.
Beyond the story and the acting, the music is another reason why I absolutely loved this show. I can't recall another show where I made sure to listen to and watch the opening credits for every single episode. That's how much I loved the song, Super Junior-M's 華麗的獨秀(S.O.L.O.). It has an exuberant, joyful feeling to it, which I feel every time I listen to it.
I find the credits really capture the tone of the song and the spirit of the show. And it just makes me smile every time I watch it. (You might wonder about the chickens. Watch the show and it will become obvious.)
The entire song is just as good:
If you're interested in knowing the lyrics, I've posted them here.
這是愛(That’s Love) by Donghae (with Henry) closed out every episode and it's just as good.
All the music picked for the soundtrack was excellent and really went along with the emotional tone of the scene that it was accompanying. Sometimes, it even enhanced the emotional tone of the scene that it played in. Unlike some other dramas (Almost paaaaaaaaaaaradise!), I never got tired of a single song.
Final verdict: One of my favorite dramas, ever. Even if the ending was a little flawed. There's rumors of a second season and I really hope it happens, because I want to see Gong Xi and Lian's romance continue and I want to see the eventual showdown for Gong Xi's heart that's coming between Lian and Shang, even though I know Lian's going to win. (As he should!)
My rating: 10/10
In Time with You
The last drama I watched was In Time with You from 2011. Cheng You Qing (Ariel Lin) and Li Da Ren (Bo Lin Chen) have known each other since high school. Back then, they were 'enemies,' but somewhere in college they became best friends. Even though he's always there when she needs him, You Qing doesn't realize is that Da Ren has been in love with her most of the 14 years that they have been friends, even though he swore that he would never fall for her. Da Ren has never confessed his feelings because one of them is always in a relationship when the other isn't. Now, on her 30th birthday, You Qing is feeling sensitive about her age and feeling old. When she gets an email from Da Ren teasing her about the "symptoms of premature aging," she makes a bet with him that, before they turn 35, she'll be the first to get married. But will You Qing be able to find someone better than Da Ren?
From the beginning, You Qing was someone I could relate to -- smart, confident, and a little too self-sufficient, which left her unsuccessful in the dating department. In fact, her most recent boyfriend dumped her for a younger woman. Not that You Qing wanted him back, but it's the 'younger' part that bothered her. Da Ren was the guy any girl would want as a best friend (and love interest). Kind, serving, observant and just a bit annoying (because he's a man), Da Ren is the guy that her parents would love to have as their son-in-law, but You Qing swears that he's just a friend. Their story is told partly in flashbacks, with You Qing sporting some unflattering hair. The show did a good job of developing the characters and their motivations; the people and events felt very familiar, which I liked. I liked the characters, including her parents. They were great parents. I want parents like her parents; they cared more about her happiness than their own dignity (if you watch Ep. 13), you'll totally understand what I'm talking about.
My one complaint is that it felt like it dragged. From the first episode, I could tell that Da Ren was in love with her, but he just kept chickening out of fully confessing his feelings. She started hunting for her husband material and Da Ren would pine. He's getting hit on by the second female lead, Maggie (Andrea Chen) and he would be yearning for You Qing. (I found Maggie not just a little annoying, but a lot. Pushy, perky, clingy and young. I roll my eyes and grumble.) He would be the best friend and he would pine. It started being painful, watching his pining, especially since I knew that his romantic rival, Ding Li Wei (Sunny Wang) hadn't even shown up yet. (He didn't show up until Episode *5.*) I jumped forward to Episode 10 and finished the series.
I did enjoy the end and the last episode was really sweet because it was finally You Qing and Da Ren together. And conveniently, You Qing's break up with Li Wei wasn't painful or drawn out, since, after deciding to end it, she came home to find him in bed with someone. It gave her a great excuse to cut all ties... quit her job... and travel the world. There's a time jump and then we get to see them both finally happy, which put a smile on my face, especially because the pair were so cute! They even got a bulldog that they treated like their baby.
Even though I did skip about half this drama, I'm still giving it an 8 out of 10. The dialogue was rich, acting was robust and it was well filmed. I even liked annoying Maggie at the end of it.
My Rating: 8/10
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