Jardim de Meteoros (2018)

Tudo perfeito, mas....

Eu simplesmente amei o Dylan Wang! A voz, o sorriso dele, a atuação..., cada momento era muito fofo, cada intensidade era muito de enlouquecer, saca? Achei perfeito! De fato, se fosse avaliado apenas a intensidade na fofura, esse dorama estaria em terceiro lugar no meu pódio!

Mas...

Eu odiei a protagonista. A Shancai é extremamente enjoativa. Suas ações são repetitivas, ela é feita para ser de personalidade forte, mas age como uma garota com zero atitude, não demonstra o que sente pelo Si e tampouco sabe o que sente. Ela é confusa, provoca muita briga desnecessária com o carinha, não impõe limites ao namorado dela (teve inclusive algumas cenas que o ciúmes dele era realmente desnecessário ao cúmulo, mas fazer o que?) e fica apenas como uma dessas garotas que se diz forte, mas se você for ver, ela é comum e toda sem juízo.
Cara, nada contra pessoas comuns! EU SOU COMUM, MEDROSA E INSEGURA, mas que custa os roteiristas não tentarem vender uma personagem "de personalidade forte e corajosa" quando, na verdade, ela custou muito a agir como tal.
Não vi grandiosas evoluções nos personagens, acho que ela só parou de se comportar como uma criança e o rapazinho parou de agir como um rebelde infantil.
Acho que ficou muito enjoativo até o episódio 20-30. Eu tive que pular para ver o final e depois ter ânimo para continuar ou iria realmente empacar no caminho. Mesma coisa de sempre! Casal vai-não-vai.
Sendo bem sincera, nesse quesito eu acabo preferindo o melhor amigo. Ele agia com maior prontidão do que o Si e era beeeeeem mais modesto, carinhoso e gentil. Apesar de tudo, a Shancai tinha que ficar com o Si porque os dois, apesar de serem duas crianças birrentas, têm um vínculo muito mais intenso do que o do outro shipp.

Personagens secundários são simplesmente legais, mas é aquela, né? Não atraíram a minha atenção.

Trilha sonora SUPER condizente e SUPER legal. Eu amei porque tudo veio a calhar bem com os momentos.

Mas então o que definiu de vez a minha decepção com o dorama?
O final.

Sério. O início é viciante, o meio fica um pouco enjoativo, mas tudo que você esperava da Shancai começa a surgir, eles começam a lutar de verdade para serem um casal e então, no final, tudo vira um cagaço de série.

Achei tudo muito nada a ver, muito personagem desaparecido aparecendo no final só para "aparecer de prontidão uma última vez", mas muito personagem que deveria ter aparecido no final nem ficou pro cheiro. Previsível, MUUUUUUITO SEM SENTIDO, parece que ficaram 49 episódios enrolando com detalhe besta e chega no final e fazem tudo na correria.... vai entender!

Ainda sim, isso não anula o fato de ser um dos melhores doramas no que se diz fofura e amor intenso. Aqui vemos um amor levado às últimas circunstâncias.

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Mto bom! Mas o final…

É mto bom! Um dos meus doramas favs. É bem clichê p ser sincera mas tem muitos episódios, eles poderiam resumir um pouco mais para ficar menor.
Já o final por um lado eu gostei e o outro nem tanto, pq ele não deixa as coisas muito claras, tipo eu nn estava entendendo se a Shancai estava sonhando ou nao, se o casamento era real ou não e tbm a mãe do Si *do nada* começou a gostar da Shancai (oque foi estranho, já q ela sempre odiou a Shancai literalmente o dorama inteiro), e por causa disso o final causa muitas teorias.
Mas eu amo esse tipo de história, um estilo bem clichê msm kkkk
Enfim, dorama muito bom?❤️

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Muito problemático

Já tem um tempo que assisti e não me lembro de muita coisa. Esse foi o primeiro Drama que eu assisti na vida e quase desisti da Dramaland depois dele, apesar dos atores serem muito bons.

Pra começar que a Shan Cai é muito chata e irritante. Achei que ela fosse ser aquela protagonista forte e até tentaram, mas passou longe disso. Toda a vez que ela tinha atitudes de uma criança, e deixava que o Dao Ming Si a tratasse como um lixo minha vontade era de segura-la e manda-la reagir! Dao Ming Si era outro chato, e cheio de atitudes infantis, violentas e doentias. Tive que respirar fundo muitas vezes pra não desistir, mas pelo menos deu pra perceber a evolução dele ao longo do drama. Gostei muito mais dos personagens secundários do que dos protagonistas, com exceção da Li Jia Qi, que meu Deus que menina emocionada demais.

Eu achei extremamente problemático e senti uma vergonha alheia o drama INTEIRO desde a agressão e o menino plantando bananeira pra não chorar até o casamento que foi um evento totalmente aleatório e sem noção kkkkkkk

Não sei o porquê, mas apesar de tudo isso foi interessante assistir, mas mais por curiosidade mesmo e 50 episódios foi um exagero, poderia facilmente ser reduzido pela metade.

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Decepção

Dorama cansativo, sem ter motivos de ter tantos episódios, enrola muito, não tem nenhum personagem carismático e bem desenvolvido. Protagonistas chatos, antagonistas forçados e coadjuvantes irritantes.
Não dá pra entender o motivo de ser tão elogiado, pois além de romantizarem violencia querem justificar suas ações com um "amor" muito mal construido. Os trios amorosos são chatos, não dá clima, só faz você sentir vergonha alheia e raiva.
Outro ponto é sua falta de sentido em alguns momentos, como quando mostravam a personagem agressiva em um momento (sem razão pra isso) e no outro romantizavam isso.
Perssimo!
Fui arrastando por que queria acredita em seus elogios, mas não deu.

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Before I begin this review...

1. I have watched all licensed live versions of this story (Taiwan, Japan, Korea and now this China remake).
2. I grew up watching the original Meteor Garden.
3. Japanese Hana Yori Dango became my ultimate favorite adaptation.

Here’s my review.

It was clear from the very first episode that there were going to be many changes made to the origin story in this new remake. One being the iconic F4 banner in the locker symbolizing F4's desire to challenge you to a poker match. Two being the noticeable absence of bullying and flaunting of wealth (due to China censorship)... which left me asking, whether this was truly Hana Dango. Why does it look so different? Third being DMS is actually quite the gentleman in this version. He is still arrogant and hot tempered but not really a bully per say. His rocky start with Shan Cai is very "Pride and Prejudice-ques" in that, it stemmed from misunderstanding and poor communication on both sides rather than bullying. Despite all of the noticeable changes, I was addicted by the first episode. The acting wasn’t very good. The story line was familiar but not at the same time. Yet, curiosity and awe at how this version looks and feels kept me going.

I compare the feeling of watching this version to falling in love when you are in your early teens. It is clear that this version of Meteor Garden is marketed towards that age group. The actors are all new people. Their youthful looks and clear inexperience with acting actually helps with the portrayal of these seemingly innocent and naive characters. These characters are not deep nor well developed at all. You can say they are one dimensional and kinda cartoony. So if you are expecting some well fleshed out story with deep characters and development... this show is definitely not for you. But, if you take this version for what it is meant to be, which is a highly entertaining, childish story of two characters falling in love despite ridiculous obstacles... then you will love this version. Hana Yori Dango is the king of all that is good and bad about cliche Asian Rom Coms and this version delivered the cheesiness in unapologetic style. Ultimately, it is silly to expect anything more from the king of all idol dramas.

Personally, I watched this version for Dylan Wang and Shen Yue. I grew to be very fond of the two actors and loved seeing their natural chemistry on screen. Despite being newbies, these two delivered strong performances in difficult scenes that really moved me. I didn’t care much for the other characters but didn’t mind them that much when they were on screen. I also grew to love the blatant product placement. It was so in your face that you couldn’t help but laugh. I also enjoyed the new scenes and the faithful adaptation to the original manga. This was the most faithful adaptation to the manga which is probably why the original author, Yoko Kamio, is also a fan. She drew Dylan as Tsukasa... so if that’s not a sign off, I don’t know what is...

As much as I loved this version, there were many moments in this drama that were so ridiculous that I wasn’t sure what the hell I was watching... it almost felt like the screen writers flat out gave up.

So, the jury is pretty split on the reception of this version. I think it’s best to watch and decide for yourself whether you enjoy it or not. I liked it and I had a good time watching.

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A plot as thick as Dao Ming Si's eyebrows

Only real trash connoisseurs will understand the true value of this masterpiece. The most irritating finale i've ever seen but would this show really be as entertaining with an average vanilla finale that doesn't feel like you're tripping on LSD ? Think again... Like a river, the plot flows and flows. Not a single dull moment except for the whole episode exploring the unnecessary drama between Mei Zuo and Caina. You can skip it without feeling guilty.

Last but not least: Thomas powerful, gripping and iconic performance at the London restaurant will never be forgotten.

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Let me start off by saying that you're either going to love or hate this drama. There's not really an in-between feeling with this one.

The good stuff:
Casting - I feel the casting team did a great job. I actually started watching because of Shen Yue but found that casting of Darren Chen, Caesar Wu and of course Dylan Wang pretty much nailed it in terms of outer appearances.

Soundtrack - I actually really enjoyed the music that was played throughout that drama. I think they choose the right songs for the right moments and I loved how they subtly used the original songs in some scenes.

Original tropes - Aside from the obvious fact that Daoming Zhuang is played by Barbie Hsu's real life sister, there are many more tropes, linking it to the original that is super cute.

Chemistry - Again chemistry between leads were on point. The only reason why I made it to the finish line was actually the chemistry. Not just the main lead couple but all of them as a whole. I usually don't have second lead syndrome but I was rooting for Hua Ze Lei more than Daoming Si in this version. The main lead still had a lot of chemistry but I enjoyed the screen time between Shen Yue and Darren more for some reason.

Emotional Scenes - Shen Yue cries like an absolute angel. It's super natural and i'm a sucker for emotional scenes. In particular, the hot pot break up scene and their last date in London still lingers in my heart even now. Both main leads nailed the crying scene there. The scene where Shancai walks to Daoming Si's room after standing in the rain and collapsing due to exhaustion was a killer one as well although I wish it was a little more extended.

The bad stuff:
Acting - To be honest there were some scenes that really highlighted the young cast's acting ability but overall i'm sorry to say, their acting was pretty bad. I am no acting expert and yes it's harder than it looks and these guys are all mostly rookies but if no one is going to speak up about this, how are they all meant to get better? I'm sorry to say that the acting was very stiff and sometimes you could actually see them glimpsing directly at the camera.

Story - I appreciated the fact that they toned down the bullying and adapted into a way that is more relevant to today's generation which is centered around the internet. What I did not enjoy was the fact that the story moved rapidly at the start and became stagnant in the middle. Obviously the story is nothing new and we all kinda knew where the train was heading but there were parts that really had no relevance to the original story or adding depth to the current one. For example Mei Zuo's strange love triangle. Like WTF? I can understand that they wanted to give this character more screen time as he hasn't received that in any of the other previous versions but that stupid love triangle was the biggest wast of time.

Dubbing: Why? Just WHY? I understand when period drama's need dubbing to be more accurate to the time and place but modern drama? Really? Shancai's voice was soo annoying that it actually still irks me now. Shen Yue's voice is actually quite nice as it is and it was not dubbed in A Love So Beautiful so I don't really understand why they had to use dubbing here.

Setting - Considering that it is set in university, the whole drama feel was VERY childish. They either should have used the same cast in a high school setting or a more mature cast in the uni setting and made it a tiny bit more mature while staying true to the original story line.

The downright ugly:
Product placement - Okay so at some points I actually had to check to see if I was still watching the drama or was I watching a commercial? Absolutely absurd the way products were shot and used in this drama like how clear do you want to make it that these brands are sponsoring you? Product placements here is the worst I have ever seen in any drama to date.

Ending episodes - Just WTF? The final episodes were the most ridiculous, laughable and down right stupid scenes I have ever had the misfortune of seeing on any drama. His mum conceding because of a video he made detailing how he's grown up but does piece signs and checks his hair at the end? The weird as fuck wedding with no parents and the worst ever dance from his sister? Their weird star gazing in London where Hua Ze Lei is hard core third wheeling? I could literally go on for hours about how the ending was a disgrace but I think you get the gist of it.

So on that note, it concludes my review. All I can really say is that i've seen it, it was below average but with good chemistry and a terrible, terrible end.

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(For a spoilerful review, I wrote a separate, much more in-depth version here: https://dramavixen.tumblr.com/post/177526794854/)

Was I expecting a trainwreck when I first started watching? Perhaps. Actually, yes; unquestionably so. Thus, even if I call this show a trainwreck, it wouldn’t be accurate to say that Meteor Garden was "below expectations."

Meteor Garden was possibly one of the most anticipated Chinese dramas of the season, rousing the nostalgic instincts of those of us who have long been attached to this story. Of course, that’s a great burden on the cast and crew. This is especially true in China, where viewers tend to prefer the “original” version of everything—novels, dramas, movies; you name it. Any kind of remake or adaptation is asking for trouble; and Meteor Garden fared the worst that I've seen, with a whopping rating of 2.8/10 when the first episode aired.

We can say that viewers in China are being overly judgmental, but the one thing they’re right about is that choosing to remake this was a shaky decision to begin with. At its core, Meteor Garden overflows with cliche after cliche; all the ones that make us roll our eyes whenever we see them: the poor girl-rich guy combo, the trash male lead/nice second male lead dynamic, the meddling mother-in-law; the list just writes itself. This isn’t to say that cliche usage equates to a bad drama, but historically, Meteor Garden has never elevated these elements to anything past mediocrity.

This adaptation still uses all of these tropes: without improvement. We can argue all day about how the writers toned down the bullying that existed in the previous versions; how Dao Ming Si isn’t as bad of a guy as he used to be. That doesn’t change the fact that this story is incredibly weak.

The conflicts between the main couple start off making sense because they have a lot of moral disagreements. Meteor Garden intends to show the evolution of a relationship as it progresses between two enemies to two people in love. However, with 48 episodes worth of problem after problem solely for the sake of dramatics, the instability of their relationship quickly becomes less heartbreaking and more obnoxious. All the side plots involving the other characters are also either boring or mindnumblingly frustrating—or (if your goddess of luck has abandoned you) both!

How do the characters play into the plot? In a word, badly. The sheer level of bullcrapery that is injected into the script makes it impossible for anyone to truly develop or interact with each other like normal human beings. Each character does have their good and bad points, which I appreciate. But more often than not, we don’t get to see them act as people; they’re just used as paper dolls for the sake of toddling through whatever conflict the writers feel like putting into the episode. It’s a real shame, especially since the actors all have so much potential to do better.

In all honesty, I’m surprised that I finished this show. Well, I guess I could be more surprised; from the very beginning, I wanted to see this ordeal to the end so that I could be as thorough in my roasting as possible without any false pretenses. So here, I have to say that Meteor Garden is but a pile of burnt potatoes. And just like there're a lot of better things to eat than burnt potatoes, there’re a lot of better things to watch than this.

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“ Meteor Garden”? More like a “ Meteor” Destruction Site, If You Ask Me...

It seems when coming across Meteor Garden(2018) , you come across two types of fans; the diehard lovers of Meteor Garden, who most likely haven’t seen other versions before , or the biased haters who constantly draw-up the parallels between their “ favourite” version and Meteor Garden as well.

In all honesty, Meteor Garden (2018) isn’t an entirely terrible drama in its own right ; it adds a much needed modern generational update from the 90s manga and the original ‘00s drama versions through technology, as well as thankfully getting rid of some of the more dire cliches ( including the amnesia trope) than some of the other versions. Additionally whilst a lot of critics seemed to be quite cutthroat about the casting choices ( particularly Sheng Yue) , Dylan Wang certainly wasn’t a bad choice for Do Ming Si . Although he was certainly not as memorable as his predecessors, Wang actually added quite a much needed light-humoured and boyish manner to his performance as our lead Male lead ( which may have been one of the few enjoyable factors of the show).

On the other hand, there’s no denying or sugarcoating that the Chinese version of Meteor Garden lacks a lot of originality, cultural insight and storyline than the other adaptations, sometimes making this 50- episode version feel very disjointed and dragging after the halfway point due to gradual fading interest in a lot of the storyline and characters.

This ironically also moves us onto the second problem of the show being how “ toned down” some of the riskier issues of the show actually were ( including the main driven plot point of the extent of bullying) as a consequence of Chinese censorship. Naturally this isn’t entirely the fault of the scriptwriters, as one writer joked and revealed shortly after a flood of complaints from critics upon these issues, how they had quite literally been told by the censors that “ they can’t have bullying”, “ there can’t be evident gaps between rich and poor”, “ violence is wrong” and a man dating several women will send out “ bad messages” if they included any of these themes in the actual script . ( For those who don’t know, the Taiwanese version created controversy and was banned upon most mainland Chinese airways for these exact reasons when it was first aired).

This doesn’t defend the problem, however, that there’s little sense of cultural reflection or intrigue around Meteor Garden (2018) . Even Chinese netizens pointed out that for a show centred in one of the world’s leading consumerist and fashionable cities , Shanghai, a lot of the outfits, hairstyles and accessories of the drama felt too outdated and unfashionable ( leading to the popular joke that the fashionable “ F4” were the “ four country boys”) for modern Chinese youths and unlike the other versions, the drama simply didn’t kept on culturally with the latest fashion.


Whilst there’s no denying that every adaptation is based upon romantic cliches and tropes from the original Hana Yori Dango manga, most of the versions have at least brought something fairly new or different to the table. The Korean version( Boys Over Flowers -2009), brought us elements of the infamous aspect of “ Chabeol” heirs and a fairly intriguing love triangle , the Taiwanese version (the original Meteor Garden -2001) became a cultural sensation across most of East Asia as one of the the first big “ idol dramas” to hit Chinese airwaves with Do Ming Si as a fairly dark character, and Ze Lei as a gentler version than the original manga whilst finally the Japanese version (eponymous to the manga as Hana Yori Dango- 2005-2007) played fully upon the Tokyo cultural aspect of living conditions for most Japanese families within small flats ( a running gag in the show) and Tsukasa as the lovelorn Male lead, and Rei as the cool and mysterious love interest.

Yet the Chinese version really has little to really offer ( apart from the evident name changes) on this front; the aspect of the show being set in a University is copied from the Taiwanese version , and the “ spoilt brat heirs” montage is directly taken from the Korean version and even the ending nearly directly copies the Japanese version without a second thought.

Although a respected actress , Sheng Yue really doesn’t add anything new or different to her version as Shan Cai in any manner of performance or character progression ( unlike her previous incarnation by Barbie Hsu and respectfully Mao Inoue ) being thrown out the window after the first few episodes. Similarly , the remaining members of the F4( played respectfully by Darren Chen, Connor Leong and Caesar Wu ) have always been portrayed in most of the adaptations as unrepentant bullies who gradually grow upon viewers through their often respectful and loyal feelings towards certain topics and especially through their gradual friendship with female lead. In the Chinese version, however, the F4 , just didn’t share the same level of bonding or actual development as the other versions; instead inexplicably “ perfect “ because of their skills and only “ falling” short of these perfections when it was necessary for the plot.
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Whilst respectfully it is quite fun for fans of any of these versions to see little homages or scene parallels ( such as wearing a similar outfit or being in a similar setting ) to their favourite scenes, there is a difference between putting in small Easter eggs or homages ( such as Barbie Hsu’s sister appearing as a character) and then directly copying dialogues, scenes and scenarios nearly word for word. There’s just nothing new, unique or intriguing which the Chinese version brings to this latest version.

To put into refined words, Meteor Garden is a hot mess . Whilst it certainly isn’t a drama beyond salvation ( due to some fairly comical moments thanks to Dylan Wang) and certainly shouldn’t be disregarded as being “ dire and beyond watching ”, there’s just nothing to really add or show in this version which hasn’t been brought up before by the respected Taiwanese, Korean and Japanese adaptations as well . Hopefully the Thai version will bring something new or at least intriguing to the classic tale of Hana Yori Dango/ Boys Flowers , as Meteor Garden (2018) just didn’t quite bite the bullet for doing any of this.

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Well Netflix is offering all kinds of Asians series, so I started with Mr Sunshine and so far that is my all time favorite. Next recommendation Meteor Garden, so let's give it a try.

I wan't acquainted with the story and I really struggled getting through the first episode. The concept that an university is ruled by four students seems absurd to me, but alright it's just the first episode. Back to the lead Dong Shancai and I really couldn't decide what to think of her. I first thought she and her friends escaped from my little pony's land or something, because it was all like let's all be friends forever. LALALA XOXO. Are you people in your twenties and starting university or kindergarten?

Let's watch another episode maybe it's get better, but for me it didn't. I found the way Daong Ming Si treated Shancai repulsive. Dragging her around/ sorry walking with her, was for me a big no no. Pushing her against the wall and standing over her, I was like no. That is no way to treat women or people in general, but still all the women there idolize him.

After watching a couple of episodes you get more into the story and you get more acquainted with the characters, but the problem is mainly that there isn't much depth. Episode after episode it is Dong Shancai en Daong Ming Si fighting and the rest of the characters is trying to help them. There are fun parts, but they can't safe the show. I was so happy when Zhuang came into the series. Finally there is a woman, that acts and is dressed like an actual woman! I'm sorry but F4 is dressed like really stylish and you can say/see they are young men. Shancai and her friend are always dressed for kids.

So perhaps if I read the manga or knew the story I would have liked it, but I say never again. The lack of depth in the story, the way woman are treated or dressed and the strange plot lines. Ow I thought it was funny to send you out in the middle of a snowstorm, where you almost froze to death, but let's still work together on our next school project. Say what? Or random girl walks to Daong Ming Si, again I say girl not women and offers him a cake that she baked and he troughs it in her face! Where is Zhuang when you really want to see her? Perhaps next time invest in the writing and not in all the product placement. How about some songs in exchange for the three songs they have on repeat?

So I want to go with: Say something, I'm giving up on you, but I gave up.

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The 2001 Taiwanese version of Meteor Garden is what got me hooked on Asian dramas, and I have watched the Japanese and Korean versions as well, so I have a lot of love (and nostalgia) for the story. This version has a promising fresh-faced cast with some changes to the story that I liked, but ultimately was way too repetitive and had some very questionable writing.

THE POSITIVE: This version places the characters in college, which I found much more believable (not that we're *really* going for believable in this drama). What I loved the most is the friendship between F4. In this version, I felt their friendship the most deeply, especially between Dao Ming Si and Lei. They had a bunch of really cute scenes, like that sleepover scene (hehe). I liked that each member of F4 had their own talents and interests, and each received their own storyline. (Never mind that I didn't care for Mei Zuo's storyline - he deserved better - and I hated the ending of Xi Men's storyline. Sorry, I was not on Team Xiao You in this version even though that was my favorite storyline in the Korean version. I never really felt moved by them in this version.)

THE NEGATIVE: First of all, Dao Ming Si's behavior in the beginning is pretty appalling. The delivery scene when he throws the food on her, and when he aggressively corners her are both SO extreme, and he never actually apologizes. I just can't overlook his behavior. Second, why the heck did Shan Cai forgive every single person who wronged her? Reconciling with Li Zhen I can accept, but those other two girls who almost caused her to freeze to death in a snowstorm??? The manipulative Xiao Zi??? Third, the back-and-forth with Dao Ming Si's mother was too drawn out. In this version, it just went on for too long and felt nonsensical. I wish that the London storyline was merged with the locked up in Shanghai storyline. And the tasering + Xiao Zi's fake kidnapping storyline???? Literally had no point???? And made no sense???? Basically once we got to London, the drama went truly downhill. Also, this was the most boring Shan Cai ever. Barbie Hsu was just so good.

THE RIDICULOUS: F4 are bridge champions in this version??? Excuse me? That started off the drama on a truly bizarre note. And, WTF @ Thomas reappearing and then turning out to be friends with the thieves. AND he is invited to the wedding at the end? No frickin' way. Speaking of the wedding, THAT ENTIRE WEDDING SEQUENCE WAS SO WEIRD I WAS PRAYING IT WAS A DREAM BUT IT WAS REAL??? His sister's dance????????? I literally cannot.

In conclusion, a lot of the most powerful, dramatic moments in the Taiwanese moments felt underwhelming in this version.

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