Autumn's Concerto / 下一站，幸福

Currently watching this drama... It's been a while I lay my eyes on Taiwanese drama and after several times thinking, searching and reading all the recommendation... I decided to watch this drama... and I should say I feel a little bit regret...





Why didn't I find out about this drama earlier?

If you love a fated love story than you'll love this... if you love Meteor Garden/ Boys Over Flowers/ Hana Yori Dango/ You're Beautiful.... you'll love this but in a different way.

The storyline won't make you say 'this is boring' or ' a little bit dragging but okay' or 'it's Van Ness so I'm watching it because of him'... believe me it's beyond that. 

Van Ness acting skills has improved tremendously come along with a good paring and superb co-stars it works well. The most important thing is how they developed the story into a perfect piece of drama. I'm not a fan of Meteor Garden but I'm totally crazy over 'Mars'... the last time I feel so happy so great about Taiwan drama is when I watch that drama. 

And I guess Autumn's Concerto finally bring back that feeling to me.

Synopsis:

Ren Guang Xi, a cocky law student, seems to lead the perfect life. He's the sole successor to a huge and famous business and a talented ice hockey player. But in reality, his lonely life lacks joy, laughter and motivation. That is until he meets Liang Mu Cheng, the new bento seller at his school canteen. Although orphaned at a young age, Mu Cheng does not let her past affect her and lives life with great passion and determination. A harmless bet brings the two together and Guang Xi slowly changes as Mu Cheng teaches him how to give and love. Tragedy strikes when Guang Xi suddenly has to go through a major brain surgery which causes him to lose his memory. His mother begs Mu Cheng to leave him and the latter has no choice but to do so. Little does she know that she already has Guang Xi's child.

Six years pass. Mu Cheng lives a quiet life with her young son in the countryside while Guang Xi is now a successful lawyer and is engaged to He Yi Qian, the kind and beautiful doctor who took care of him after his surgery. A strangely familiar piano piece stirs Guang Xi's heart as he struggles to recall his past romance with Mu Cheng. How will the couple make up for six years of lost time? Happiness, which stop do I alight at?

Credit synopsis: silentregrets.com

Main cast:

Ady An as Liang Mu Cheng 梁慕橙

Real name: 吳玟靜 (吴玟静) / Wu Wen Jing

Profession: Actress and singer

Birthdate: 1980-Sep-29

Name: 吳建豪 / Wu Jian Hao

English name: Van Ness Wu

Profession: Actor and singer

Birthdate: 1978-Aug-07

Name: 許瑋甯 / Xu Wei Ning

English name: Tiffany Xu

Profession: Actress and model

Birthdate: 1984-Aug-07

Name: 吳慷仁 / Wu Kang Ren

English name: Chris Wu

Profession: Actor and model

Other cast:

Zheng You Jie as Xu Fang Guo 許方國

Liu Rui Qi (劉瑞琪) as Fang De Rong 方德容

Renzo Liu as Lawyer Lin 林律師

Tao Chuan Zheng as He Zhen Tang 何振堂

Xie Qiong Nuan (謝瓊煖) as Lin Li Xia 林麗霞

Chen Mu Yi (陳慕義) as Zhou Jin Cai 周進財

Alice (艾莉絲) as Zhang Ai Li 張艾莉

Lin Jun Yong (林埈永 / 綠茶) as Bin Zai 彬仔

Zhao Si Shi (趙思碩) as A Jian 阿健

Figaro Ceng as Jacko

Shen Zong Lin (沈宗霖) as A Nuo 阿諾

Wen Sheng Hao as Liang Yun Zhong 梁允中

Lin Jian Huan (林健寰) as Guang Xi's father

Jian Han Zhong (簡翰忠) as Police

Harry Zhang as Luo Jia Da 羅家達

Fu Lei (傅雷) as Photographer

Lin Mei Xiu as Hua Tian Xi Shi 花田喜氏

Chen Wei Min as Hua Huo 花霍

Amanda Zhu (朱芯儀) as Hua Ci Xin 花癡心

Chang Qing (長青) as Hua Ze Lei 花澤類

Xiao Xiao Bin (小小彬) as Liang Xiao Le 梁小樂

Deng Yun Ting (鄧筠庭) as Tang Tang 糖糖

Chen Zi Xian (陳咨憲) as Hua Hong 花轟

Hsia Ching Ting as Fang Ge 方哥

Yao An Qi (姚安琪) as Miss Wu 吳小姐

Derrick Chang as Gary

Read More

Wish To see You Again

I'm currently watching this drama.

What I really like about this drama is the way they make it beautiful... okay I'm not talking about the cast I'm referring to the various locations  they show us. Seriously I've been thinking back then I haven't seen anything like this. I've been wondering too if Taiwan really have beautiful place to go... but after watching this drama I've put Taiwan on the list in my traveling list... wish to see more like this soon.

So is this drama okay for me? yes... I think so since I'm still watching it so I'll say it's great. Guess what make you wanna watch it... all the cute guys are there... Vic Zhou, Ken Chu, Kingone Wang, Vannese Wu.... and yeah the female lead is cute too... I should say perfect match... I'm not bias but Vic and Chen Yan Xi really look cute together...

I'm still trying to finish it... so i don't really know how the ending will be... all i can say is...  I'm quite satisfied.

I quoted this reviews from Andy Chrono: The reason why I quoted it is because I'm agreed with the writers in various way... what I thought and what I want to say been written greatly by the writer so what's the point of writing more if there is someone else who pointed it perfectly... I'm not copying it I just quoted it and that's mean I really admired the writer. All I add here is the pic. ^^ 

Wish To See You Again

Reviewed by: AndyChrono
Details (Spoiler Warning!):



A. Characters:

Vic Zhou as Xu Le 

Xu Le is a best-selling author struggling with a bad case of writer's block. Growing up as an orphan, he naturally developed an introverted personality, making him seem weird at times and awkward when interacting among other people. He has only two friends in his life: Xiao Ma and Ah Hao. To put it succinctly, this is the best character in the series. He's complicated and has great depth for the actor to explore. Vic Zhou does an incredible job here, as every little facial feature is performed flawlessly. The awkwardness and weirdness is pulled off with just enough weight to give it credibility without going too over-the-top to the point where it's no longer believable.

Chen Yan Xi as Pan Neng Xian 

Basically the girl next door. Some may complain that this is a cliche or stereotype. This is a fair criticism but the reality is that most young women in Taiwan probably have a very similar life to the Neng Xian character: just out of college, trying to find a job via internship, exploring dating, etc. Thus I personally have no problem with common characters like this because they represent reality. Michelle Chen fits the role like a glove. First off, she looks the part of the girl next door. Secondly, she doesn't overdo some of the funny or serious moments but instead strikes the right balance so that it's entertaining while still believable in the context of the girl next door.

Ken Zhu as Ding Yu Hao 

At first, I thought it would be another "friend who disappeared and suddenly came back" character. But the underlying reasons for his disappearance is hinted and then explored very well. I won't reveal too much here, but suffice to say the character's background is complicated and interwoven very well with the other main characters. As for Ken Zhu, I personally found him to be the only weak link among the main actors. He doesn't express the character's tortured past and shame very well, and does a bit too many blank stares from time to time. The only difference between his various emotions was the loudness of voice. Ken didn't do a very good job of communicating through the eyes and facial features and body language.

Kingone Wang as Ma Yong Rui 

The character is a standard one: the sibling that is always compared to and falls short of the standards set by his older sibling. While certainly cliche, it's also a character type that represents reality. Most people with siblings have probably had some kind of rivalry or comparison done by parents or others. Xiao Ma here plays a manager of a 5-star hotel run by his older brother. Kingone does an excellent job in showing us the upbeat and casual Xiao Ma. He's also excellent in the sobering scenes. Suffice to say this guy has come a long way since Devil Beside You.

Terri Kwan as Lu Yi 

Childhood classmate of the three friends Xu Le, Xiao Ma, and Ah Hao. Was the school beauty that all the boys wanted to date. Now works at a news company. She has ties to all 3 friends which are slowly explored through the story. The Lu Yi character is the hub around which the three friends turn. Their relationships toward her and one another change dramatically over the course of the show. She can thus be labeled as the catalyst or driving force behind a significant portion of the show's plot. This kind of character is the most difficult to express. Because of the constantly changing relationships, one has to switch between the full range of emotions through the show. Terri Kwan does an excellent job here. There are a lot of crying scenes, but I was pleasantly surprised that she didn't pour on sacchrine to the point where it was cringe-worthy. All-in-all a great showing.

 

Ji Qin as Pan Neng Zhen 

Plays the eldest sister in the Pan family. Loves Ah Hao but is too shy to admit it to him. She is a huge fan of Xu Le's novels but only knows him under his pen name of Ye Zi. The Neng Zhen character exists primarily to help develop the character of Ah Hao throughout the show as a new love interest. The role is relatively small compared to the 5 other leads, but Ji Qin does a good job at playing out the changes that the character goes through: changing froma shy and sheltered girl to one who isn't afraid to go out into the world. Again, somewhat cliche but at the same time realistic and relatable.

Supporting Cast:

The entire supporting cast is superb. You have the hilarious boss of the taxi company who loves to ask his drivers to bring him back any good food they find. Xiao Ma's brother who exudes a calm and serious demeanor of a general manager. The Pan family parents who run a Chinese medicine clinic. Vanness Wu's guest star role as Leo is hilarious but not overdone to the point of ridiculousness. I also want to make special mention of the 3 actors who play the younger versions of Xu Le, Xiao Ma, and Ah Hao. They develop the personalities of the characters flawlessly, as you can see the seeds of why their adult versions are the way they are and why they make certain decisions in certain situations.

Character Summary: 

The best part of the characters in the show are that they are all realistic and relatable. Some like Neng Xian (Nancy) are straight out girl next door types. Some are more eccentric like Xu Le, but they all have qualities the viewers can relate to. There are no over-the-top characters (e.g. anything with Mike He) that while entertaining once in a while, are completely in a different universe. Furthermore, the main characters are all good people with flaws. Their successes and failures are due to their various strengths and weaknesses. This creates a stronger connection with the audience, as you can really root when they succeed, and you really feel for them when they come up short.

B. Plot/Story  

I won't give away the plot, but I'll say that it has similar qualities to that of the characters: realistic and relatable. Nothing absurdly crazy happens. Everything that happens could really happen in real life, which in my opinion strenthens the dramatic impact. There are a couple "buys" we have to accept in order to set up the initial situation and get the ball rolling. However these come early on so you don't get deus ex machina situations at the end. These is a near "kiss of death" cliche near the end but I personally thought that they did an excellent job resolving that without resorting to ultra-weepy scenes with cringe-worthy dialogue. That section is handled in a very adult manner which suffice to say is a rarity in Taiwanese drama. The final thing about the plot is that it weaves in a bunch of tourist attractions in Taiwan (more on this below) and it does it very well. All in all, the plot does an excellent job of weaving the characters together in a belieavable story and also including some beautiful locations for them to go.

C. Music/Soundtrack  

Usually, Taiwan dramas if anything have excellent music. This one has one of the best drama soundtracks I've heard. The opening track "Waiting Here For You" by F4 is catchy and easy to sing along with. There are other tracks used for various moments, and you will recognize them during the show. Lu Yi's moments have a particular song. The 3 friends have their song. Xu Le and Neng Xian have their own songs. I can't find fault with any of the songs as not only are they good songs but they are used effectively to enhance the show instead of distract or detract from it.

D. X-Factors  

The biggest X-factor is definately the scenery. This show was partially funded by the Taiwan tourism bureau, and they masterfully incorporated some of the big tourist attractions like Ali Mountain, Toroko Gorge, Sun Moon Lake, and the Taipei 101. There's some great shots in the show, and I marvelled at how they managed to wrap a believable story involving all of these places. I also want to add points for being realistic with the characters and plot. In an age where over-the-top stuff is the norm, this show was a breath of fresh air. Sometimes less is more, and the realism strengthens the dramatic impact and lessons of the show.

E. Summary/Conclusion  

Wish To See You Again is one of the best contemporary Taiwan dramas. It features realistic adult characters in a realistic story. None of the exaggerated stuff that Taiwan normally puts out. It provides a clear look into life in Taiwan through the characters and shows off many of the beautiful tourist attractions there throughout the story. The music is great and enhances the experience. You grow to care for the characters, as they are all good people trying to succeed, but flawed so that they are tested along the way. This is due in no small part to the actors, who give excellent performances. The plot develops all the main characters very well, including back story and changes through the show. The final resolution is handled nicely as what would normally be a horrible cliche in any other drama is resolved in an adult manner. This one hits all the right notes. I highly recommend you see it if you haven't already.

As I said earlier... I don't write the review... LoL but I believe most of you will agree with the writer... ^^

Read More