After seeing the 2009 Korean version, then the 2005 Japanese version, I had to travel back to 2001to see the Taiwanese version. Save for laugh out loud outdated clothing, the Taiwanese version didn’t quite disappoint…
The Rundown
Behind the name: Pun on Japanese saying, “dumplings before flowers”
Country: Taiwan, 2001& 2002
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Drama
Broadcast by: Chinese Television System
Directors: Cai Yuexun, Chai Zhi Ping
Cast: Barbie Hsu as Shan Cai, Jerry Yan as Dao Ming Si, Vic Zhou as Hua Ze Lei, Vanness Wu as Mei Zuo, Ken Chu as Xi Men, Michelle Saram as Ye Sha.
Compare to: Boys Before Flowers, Meteor Garden, Hana Yori Dango
Hate it or Love it? Love it.
Synopsis in a Sentence: Shancai is a stubborn college girl with a mind of her own; she’s trying to mind her business as she attends Ying De College, but her life gets mixed up with the elite… and there’s no turning back once you’re mixed up with them.
It’s now an urban legend, and it started with Meteor Garden, then Hana Yori Dango then Boys Over Flowers, and now the world can’t get enough of this Asian series…
On Writing: The Plot
Uniquely Taiwanese, with of all the renditions of Hana Yori Dango, this one had the most twists, the most freedom, and was the most untrue to the original story (See Hana Yori Dango). But the story is good. The twists are interesting enough, but the plot falls at some parts (some extremely unbelievable, unexplained parts). Apart from that, it’s got enough twists to keep you off course, and enough interest to keep you going.
(4/5)
On Acting: The Cast
Not bad. Not quite bad, save for some mismatched casting (might have been better if the cast was re-shuffled a little bit). For example, the difference between Ximen and Meizuo’s character is blurred, whereas in the Japanese and Korean versions, they are more clearly defined.
Another major complaint — in many situations, the actors did not quite OWN their characters — their mannerisms, clothing, and possible reactions, seemed mismatched.
But overall, relatively good actors:
Vanness Wu as Mei Zuo (美作) He plays Akira (Japanese) and Yi Jeong (Korean). Perhaps he’s supposed to play the “playboy” but he came off as a lot less ‘playful.’ His character is not very different from Ximen’s, so that’s a pitfall. Aside from his character, it seems this guy thinks he’s quite the catch of the season…
Michelle Saram as Ye Sha. She’s is a nice addition in Meteor Garden 2. She plays her character really well — arguably the best out of all of them in the second series.
(3.5/5)
On Production: The Creativity
Quite good, but the affluence of the characters was grossly understated: the characters simply seemed rich, whereas compared to the other versions, it was clear the characters were immensely rich. You don’t quite get the hang of total financial worth of F4 in this series, and that’s a major pitfall.
Other than that, production wasn’t too bad
I have to add one thing about fashion here… my gosh. How honestly HORRIFIC! Seriously ugly pieces of clothing, particularly the males… (Take note, Meizuo’s character). I know that it’s supposed to be 2001, but aren’t these characters rich? How did the producer’s completely miss that? It’s like mistaking cheap cotton is for pure silk: not cool!
(3/5)
On Resolution: The Conclusion
Quite a good ending. Over all, the series was completely resolved. It’s a fun watch, with great twists and interesting developments. Uniquely Taiwanese?
(4/5)
The Verdict: Good Good Good, especially for the first version of the series!
Overall Score = 15 /20
Watch Meteor Garden [http://www.mysoju.com/meteor-garden]
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