#the original version of this had hua cheng in a ‘i have a CRAZY wife she hates STUPID PEOPLE and LOVES DOGS and im NOT AFRAID TO USE HER’

[lazycranberrydoodles]

everybody go home. this is my magnum opus

[recsnrecaps]

Meteor Garden (2001) Recap: Episode 1

Hi folks, it's 2019 and I'm finally fulfilling my childhood resolution to watch this drama. You have no idea - Meteor Garden was such a hit back in the day. However, back then it was only available either at specific time slots on TV or on crappy VCDs that were passed around the community (i.e. schoolgirls and aunties). I never could be bothered to watch it properly.

Imagine my surprise when I chanced across it on Netflix. I am aware that there's a 2018 remake of Meteor Garden, as well as the Japanese Hana Yori Dango and the Korean Boys Over Flowers, but the 2001 Taiwanese version is the original drama that spawned the madness. The buzz around the 2018 version is laughably negligible compared to the craziness in 2001. I'm so ready to experience the magic of 流星花园.

So without further ado, here we go.

Episode 1: Summary

We are introduced to Shan Cai (Barbie Hsu), who rides a crappy scooter to school. Right off the bat we realize that the school caters to the rich and the elite, where students are decked out in designer wear and get NT500000 (~ USD16000) nose jobs during the school holidays.

The fashion rivalry between classmates Bai He (Belinda Cheng) and Qian Hui (Zhang Ruo Zhen) cracks me up. It's petty, exaggerated, and deliciously obnoxious, solidly setting us viewers up with the premise of a school drama about rich kids.

A very normal Li Zhen (An-ting Yeh) appears to be Shan Cai's classmate and friend. She's pretty serious about her homework, having borrowed extra books to read up for the upcoming report assignment. Shan Cai laughs that Li Zhen might be the only student serious about studying in this school, everyone else comes to socialize instead. I’m guessing Li Zhen is on scholarship and needs to maintain her grades.

We cut to a classroom with a boy clearing out his books in order to drop out of the school. A crowd forms around him and the teacher (Bu Xue Liang) approaches to find out why he is leaving and to persuade him not to. However, upon finding out that the boy had offended F4, the teacher doesn't push the matter and instead encourages the boy to leave. Shan Cai watches helplessly from the sidelines and rolls her eyes at the hypocritical teacher.

In class, in a further act of hypocrisy, the teacher gives a lecture on the value of conscience.

Conscience. It's what we call 'moral courage'. It's the most basic quality mankind should have. In Chinese history, Confucius had the strongest conscience. Today, we'll discuss his core thinking. It focuses on benevolence. By benevolence, it means you do unto others what you would want them to do unto to you.

Unable to stomach his empty words, Shan Cai leaves the classroom in a huff. She heads to the roof launching a tirade against the unfairness of the University and coins the term "Pig Head 4". "So what if your family owns the school," she declares. "You better not mess with me. I'll never submit to you."

The 4 in question are just arriving at the University in their comfortable chauffeured rides. We get to watch the boys saunter around and the camera obliges with close ups on each one of them as they stride into campus.

Dao Ming Si (Jerry Yan aka Yan Cheng Xu)

Hua Ze Lei (Vic Zhou aka Zai Zai aka Zhou Yu Min)

Xi Men (Ken Chu aka Zhu Xiao Tian)

Mei Zhuo (Vanness Wu aka Wu Jian Hao)

Shan Cai and friend watch in horror as the teacher accidentally bumps into Dao Ming Si, spilling coke all over him. Apologizing frantically, he kneels over Dao Ming Si, attempting to wipe the soda off his shoes. Dao Ming Si ignores his apologies and we get to hear his trademark catchphrase, "If apologizing is enough, what do we need police for?"

Dao Ming Si waves the teacher off to the side and viciously kicks over the basket of balls while striding off. Shan Cai gapes in amazement at his arrogance. Suddenly, a hand reaches out to righten the fallen basket. It's Hua Ze Lei (known as Lei to his friends), who has a perpetually blank expression on his face and appears to be the only member of the F4 who isn't a douche. While adjusting the basket, he turns and makes brief eye contact with Shan Cai, then hurries off after Dao Ming Si.

At the cafe where Shan Cai works part time, she complains to her co-worker Xiao You (Rainie Yang) about her awful school and the awful boys. It’s exposition time! We learn that F4 Stands for Flower 4, and the boys belong to 4 rich and influential families who own the school. When Xiao You prompts her to confirm that the boys are really all that bad, Shan Cai hesitates and says that maybe one of the 4 is “different”. Methinks she’s starting to have a crush on someone!

As the two continue their conversation, we learn that Shan Cai used to be very outspoken against bullies, in contrast with her current passive nature. Xiao You remarks that she hardly recognizes the Shan Cai now. Inwardly, Shan Cai agrees, hating herself for turning into a coward.

When Shan Cai returns home, she makes an attempt to tell her family she doesn’t want to continue studying at this school. Unfortunately, her mother would hear nothing of it. Turns out her mother had pulled strings to get her daughter into the elite Yingde University. Her mother is fixated on Shan Cai getting a good boyfriend from school and networking well with people from high society so that their family can ascend into a higher social strata. Shan Cai’s poor dad gets berated by his wife for not getting a promotion for the past many years, unlike their neighbors. As the parents bicker, the resentments pile up, making for very awkward dinner conversation. In order to pacify them, Shan Cai promises that she would continue to study at Yingde University.

What a weird couple.

That evening, the F4 hang out at a bar. The boys appear unaccustomed to such a venue, noting with puzzlement that the establishment doesn't serve foie gras or vintage wine. We get to hear them in conversation for the first time ever, teasing Dao Ming Si about his unruly hair and his rigorous hairstyling session to tame it. Lei remains ever silent, using only a thumbs down gesture to communicate his opinion on Dao Ming Si’s new hairstyle. Throughout the night, he keeps staring at his mobile, as if awaiting a call.

It turns out that the boys are only there because Xi Men's latest girl wanted to meet Xi Men at the bar. Which begs the question - why are the other 3 following  Xi Men on his date?! In any case, according to show logic, it’s the right course of action as everyone is present when the loser boyfriend of Xi Men’s girl shows up with a gang of hooligans and causes a scene. The boys slip into action and begin beating up the hooligans. All except Lei, who gets up and slips the owner of the bar NT15000 (~USD500) for the damages before leaving.

The next day at school, Shan Cai stands up for Li Zhen who had accidentally tripped and spilled dirt all over Dao Ming Si. I actually feel sorry for the poor dude who keeps getting things spilled on him. To put a stop to Li Zhen’s apologies, Dao Ming Si does his usual rough shove and pushes Li Zhen into the wall, incurring the wrath of Shan Cai. She shouts at him, calling him a parasite leeching off his parents and declares that the F4 should be called Pig Head 4. Dao Ming Si announces that she has some nerve and stalks away. As the four boys walk past, she thinks to herself that she's going to be dead meat.

At home, she receives zero support from her parents when she mentions once again that she wants to quit school. Instead her manipulative mother fakes a panic attack that miraculously subsides when Shan Cai promises to finish her studies. That night, Shan Cai sleeps restlessly, dreaming of being tormented.

At school, Shan Cai receives the F4 red card and a series of montages show how her life becomes hell. Everyone shuns her, even Li Zhen and Shan Cai is subjected to prank after prank. Finally, a drenched and annoyed Shan Cai escapes to the roof. She leans over the ledge and yells her heart out, cursing the Pig Head 4 with bankruptcy and high cholesterol, for their bodies to be ripped apart by horses and their souls to go to hell. Haha, how inventive. She doesn’t realize that Lei was on the roof too, privy to her outburst. She startles when he asks her if there was anything else. What a delightfully awkward moment. Shan Cai backs away warily as Lei leans forward, but he was only offering her his handkerchief. She accepts it and dabs at her wet hair. Softening up to Lei, she thanks him and begins to apologies for her earlier curses. However Lei cuts her short saying “I’m not interested in other people’s business.” He turns to leave and Shan Cai makes to return him the handkerchief. He ignores the gesture and tells her to throw it away as it is already garbage anyway.

What an awful thing for Shan Cai to hear. He is insinuating that because she used the handkerchief, the handkerchief no longer has any value to him and deserves to be in the trash. Shan Cai thinks back to her earlier assessment of Lei and concludes that he must not be so different from the other 3 after all.

The episode ends with Shan Cai heading home with her scooter. Except this time she has to wheel it along the road because her fellow students had damaged it. A flashy convertible pulls up beside her, and Dao Ming Si leans out to gloat at her. He tells her that he’s impressed with her determination, and will work harder to humiliate her.

Episode 1: Thoughts

Oh where do I begin! This episode does a good job of setting up so many interesting characters, especially the F4. Dao Ming Si appears cocky and rude, but he's the quintessential bad boy. I fully expect a redeeming arc on how he is actually a big softie. In contrast, Lei is mysterious and charming. I wonder what's the story behind his anti social behavior. The other two members kind of fade into the background as we haven't actually seen them do anything except pose and strut around. As for our heroine, Shan Cai, I suppose she's relatable enough as a first lead. We’ve met her family, schoolmates and friends and have a decent insight into her motivations for her actions. I'm so excited for her to show some spunk and challenge the boys to a showdown soon. 

Despite being 18 years old, the show retains its charm. Unfortunately, fashion-wise the show has not aged well at all. What we have here is literally a time capsule of dated 90s trends such as spaghetti strap tops, rebonded hair and frameless spectacles. Plus Dao Ming Si’s ridiculous bandanna is just absurd.

We know in hindsight that this show kickstarted the entertainment careers of these 4 actors of F4. In 2001, after Meteor Garden aired, Sony Music Taiwan signed the 4 boys as an actual boyband bearing the name F4. It’s amazing how these formerly virtually unknown 4 individuals owe their success to this show.

Onward to the next episode!