| This article is about the Taiwanese drama. For other uses, see Meteor Garden. |
Meteor Garden (Chinese: 流星花園; pinyin: Liúxīng Huāyuán) is a Taiwanese drama based on the Japanese manga, Boys Over Flowers by Yoko Kamio.[2] It stars Barbie Hsu as Dong Shan Cai, who is bullied by the F4, played by Jerry Yan, Vic Chou, Vanness Wu, and Ken Chu.[3] Angie Chai produced it, while Cai Yue Xun directed.[4]
The drama premiered on April 12, 2001[5] on CTS and was a huge success.[6] Barbie Hsu was nominated for a Golden Bell Award for her performance.[7] The drama was followed by a side story, Meteor Rain in 2001,[8] and a sequel, Meteor Garden II in 2002.[9] A Meteor Garden remake, also produced by Chai, was released in 2018.[10]
Dong Shan Cai (Hsu) is a normal student at the elite college, Ying De Academy. The school is controlled by the F4, a group of four rich boys. Shan Cai's life changes forever when she confronts F4's leader Dao Ming Si (Yan). Things turn complicated when he develops a crush on her. She, however, has feelings for his best friend, Hua Ze Lei (Chou).
Summary[]
Lower-class student, Dong Shan Cai (Barbie Hsu) attends Ying De Academy, a college run by the four wealthy families of the F4. The clique consists of Dao Ming Si (Jerry Yan), Hua Ze Lei (Vic Chou), Xi Men (Ken Chu), and Mei Zuo (Vanness Wu), who are allowed to do whatever they wish. Shan Cai manages to avoid them until her friend, Li Zhen (Ann Yeh), angers Si by accident. After standing up for Li Zhen, she is given a red slip and her classmates begin bullying her. When she declares war on the F4, Si sends two guys to scare her but Lei stops them. The next day, Shan Cai punches Si in retaliation. He subsequently becomes interested in her. Si has her kidnapped and brought to his house, where he arrogantly asks her to be his girlfriend. Shan Cai rejects him, stating that she cannot be bought.[11]
Later, Bai He (Belinda Cheng) and Qian Hui (Zhang Ruo Zhen) pretend to be Shan Cai's friend in order to humiliate her. From them, she learns about Lei's love for Teng Tang Jing (Winnie Chien) who soon returns from studying abroad. Meanwhile, Shan Cai's old friend Chen Qing He (Edward Ou) transfers to Ying De. A jealous Si sends him a red slip. Lei protects Shan Cai and Qing He from a mob of students, making Si furious.[12] Si later offers to pay for Shan Cai to go on the class trip. She decides to go on a cruise with Qing He instead, though Si ends up buying the ship. The first night, Shan Cai enjoys the party until she accidentally kisses Si. She later eavesdrops on Lei confessing his feelings to Jing, which devastates her. Back at school, Si attacks Shan Cai after learning she likes Lei. He stops when she starts to cry.[13]
Shan Cai attends Jing's birthday party with her best friend, Xiao You (Rainie Yang). Jing announces her plans to return to France. After seeing her off at the airport, Shan Cai yells at Lei to follow her. Once Lei has left, Si asks Shan Cai on a date. There is a misunderstanding and she arrives very late. The pair end up trapped in a stairwell. In the morning, someone snaps a photo of them and posts it at school. Everyone now thinks they are dating.[14] Bai He and Qian Hui act nice towards Shan Cai and take her dancing. A DJ finds Shan Cai passed out at the end of the night and takes her to a hotel. Photos of them going into the hotel are posted at school and the other students bully her again. Si initially does not believe Shan Cai, but eventually comes to his senses and tells her that he loves her.[15]
When Lei comes back from France, Si claims that he and Shan Cai are now dating. Later, the F4 and Shan Cai go on vacation to Okinawa. Shan Cai meets Lei the first night and he tells her about Jing. The following night, Si sees Lei and Shan Cai kissing. He refuses to forgive Lei and starts acting unruly at home again. His sister, Dao Ming Zhuang (Mary Hsu), is called in to help him deal with his problems.[16] Si later attempts to have Shan Cai and Lei expelled from school, but Zhuang interferes. She suggests that they play a basketball game to decide their fates. Si's team nearly wins, but he ends the game at the last second. That night, Lei admits to Shan Cai that he was using her to forget Jing, while Si decides to join his parents in New York. Before he boards the plane, Lei tells Si that Shan Cai actually likes him.[17]
Back from New York, Si immediately visits Shan Cai and spends the night at her parents' insistence. Later, she learns that her father (Dong Zhi Cheng) has borrowed a million dollars from a loan shark and asks Si for a loan. He says that she can repay him by meeting next Saturday. Their "date" ends disastrously. Shan Cai later obtains another part-time job with the help of a new friend, Xiao Shun (Lin Zu En).[18] Si disappears for a few days after being rejected by Shan Cai. She is later kidnapped by Xiao Shun and his associates. He wishes to avenge his friend whom Si hurt. When he arrives, Si allows himself to be beaten in order to protect Shan Cai. After being discharged from the hospital, Si invites Shan Cai to his birthday party with plans to introduce her to his mother, Dao Ming Feng (Zhen Xiu Zhen).[19]
At Si's birthday party, Feng immediately disapproves of Shan Cai and becomes angry with Si. He then runs away from the party with Shan Cai. His mother later attempts to bribe to Shan Cai to stop seeing Si. Her mother (Wang Yue) strongly declines. Feng makes her next move by introducing Shan Cai and Si to his new fiancée He Yuan Zi/"Xiao Zi" (Christine Ke). Shan Cai later unwittingly becomes friends with her and decides to end things with Si.[20] After Si and Xiao Zi begin dating, she often complains about him to Shan Cai. The new couple end up going to Xiao Zi's family's villa with Shan Cai and Lei. There Si finally says that he still loves Shan Cai. Their engagement ends, despite Feng's protests. Meanwhile, Shan Cai's parents move to a fishing village, leaving her behind to continue her studies.[21]
After challenging Feng, Shan Cai is suddenly evicted from her apartment. Si brings Shan Cai home since Feng is away on business. She begins working as a maid under Ms. Yu (Angie Tang). Later, Si asks Shan Cai to date him on a trial basis of two months and she agrees. Their relationship is soon tested, when they go on a double date with Xiao You and her boyfriend, Zhong Ze (Li Jie Sheng). After Si punches him, he stops contacting Xiao You.[22] She later sees him dating a different girl. Xi Men helps her get revenge on Zhong Ze by humiliating him. Xiao You and Xi Men then orchestrate an elaborate date for Si and Shan Cai, which almost works. Later that night, Feng returns and tries to kick Shan Cai out, but relents when Ms. Yu threatens suicide.[23]
Si's mother hurts Shan Cai by going after the livelihoods of Xiao You's and Qing He's families. Shan Cai agrees to end things with Si and Feng reverses the damage. That night, Shan Cai breaks up with a heartbroken Si, before leaving Taipei. She joins her parents in the fishing village, while Si sinks back into his old self. In the town, Shan Cai befriends her coworker Ah Song (Wallace Chung), who is waiting for his girlfriend Ah Xiang (Beatrice Hsu) to return.[24] A few days later, Lei and Qing He arrive to bring her back home. Shan Cai goes back to school, but begins avoiding Si. He makes a "clean break" of their relationship and Lei begins to pursue her romantically. In actuality, Lei is only pretending to go after her to encourage Si to voice his true feelings.[25]
Satisfied that Si is allowing himself to feel again, Lei leaves to help his father in Japan. Shan Cai and Xiao Zi later go on a double blind date, where they meet Si's cousin Qing Yong (Blue Lan). Si becomes suspicious of him, but Shan Cai and Qing Yong become friends. He eventually reveals that he was hired by Feng to seduce her.[26] Despite being mad, Shan Cai stays friends with him, his real name being Ya Men. He tries to get her to forget about Si. However, Shan Cai decides to take another chance on love and returns to Si. They keep their relationship a secret at first. Around the same time, Xiao You confesses her feelings to Xi Men, who rejects her. When she persists, Xi Men takes her to a hotel to scare her. She then tells him that her family is moving to Canada.[27]
A few days later, Shan Cai and Si go on a date. All of Si's credit cards are rejected, which makes him worry that his mother is interfering again. After Si drops her home, a group of men kidnap him. His mother locks him in his room and starts to plan a wedding for him and Xiao Zi. Lei comes back to help Xi Men and Mei Zuo rescue Si. They reach his room, but are ultimately caught by Feng.[28] Shan Cai visits Si to convince him to eat, though she ends up joining his fast. Si's sister yells at her mother for treating Si the same way she did to her years before. That night, Feng stays up thinking and leaves in the morning. Si and Shan Cai are reunited, now without his mother's interference. Some time later, at Si's urging, she declares "I like you" and they embrace. They pass by a street musician (Harlem Yu) singing "Qing Fei De Yi".[29]
Cast and characters[]
Staff[]
- Original work: Boys Over Flowers by Yoko Kamio
- Producers: Angie Chai, Jerry Feng, Wu Zhi Qiang
- Screenplay: Angie Chai, Jerry Feng, Sharon Mao, Gong Min Hui
- Planning: Yang Jia Yu
- Director: Cai Yue Xun
- Executive producer: Li Tai Lin
- Deputy director: Xie Xiao Fen
- Production: Lu Shu Juan, Yang Yuan Ren, Lu Ying Shu, Chen Qin Win, Li En
- Cinematography: Lin Qing Fang, Lin Wen Kai
- Lighting: Wang Li Da
- Editing: Zheng Ya Yun
- Post production: Long Jia Li
- Makeup: Lisa Alen
- Stylist: Hong Mei Qi
Episodes[]
- Main article: Meteor Garden (2001 drama)/Episodes
| Notice There are several different cuts of Meteor Garden (2001). This wiki currently goes by a 19 episode version (VCD), which is believed to be the closest to how the series first aired. |
Production[]
Meteor Garden is the first[30] live-action television adaptation of the Japanese manga, Boys Over Flowers by Yoko Kamio. The series was produced by Angie Chai with the objective of creating a program for the Taiwanese youth.[31] Meteor Garden was Chai's first television drama project. During production, she was told to "cut out unnecessary scenes to save on cost." However, she was able to secure funding for the scenes.[5] Filming officially began on March 4, 2001.[32] The school scenes were shot at National Chung Cheng University.[33]
Barbie Hsu, who was then known for being in a music duo with her sister, was cast as the female lead.[34] Newcomers Jerry Yan, Vic Chou, Ken Chu, and Vanness Wu were discovered and hand-picked by Chai to play the F4.[35] Chai decided to retain the Japanese names for most of the characters, though read with the Chinese pronunciation. The decision caused some controversy at the time, but later became standard.[36][37] Meteor Garden was extended from July to August, due to its popularity.[38]
Broadcast[]
Meteor Garden was first broadcast on CTS, a free-to-air station in Taiwan.[39] It initially aired at 9 PM before being moved to a prime time slot.[40] The series premiered on the station on April 12, 2001 and concluded its first run on August 16. A second run of the drama began on July 31.[32] In October 2018, Meteor Garden was rebroadcast on CTS.[41]
The drama has aired in over sixteen countries, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia,[42] and the Philippines.[43]
Promotion[]
F4 featured on Taipei Walker
- Main article: Meteor Garden (2001 drama)/Promotion
On April 4, 2001, a preview of Meteor Garden was covered by the media.[44] Shooting of the drama was covered on April 20.[45] The same day, CTS held a celebration banquet for Meteor Garden. Wu was unable to attend as he had flown home to the United States. A press conference for the drama was held on July 30.[46] F4 were featured on the cover of the August 2001 issue of Taipei Walker.[47]
Home media[]
- Main article: Meteor Garden (2001 drama)/Home media
Meteor Garden was first released on VCD in three different sets during and after its first broadcast. A limited time DVD was made available to order in late 2001.[48] It has been released on various home media formats throughout all of Asia.
Music[]
- Main article: Meteor Garden Original Soundtrack
The soundtrack was released in 2001 on CD and VCD. It featured the theme songs to Meteor Garden, "Qing Fei De Yi" ("Can't Help Falling for You") by Harlem Yu and "Ni Yao De Ai" ("The Love You Want") by Penny Tai.[49] EMI also obtained rights to a large amount of English songs. It took three months and a million New Taiwan dollars to license the music with Queen's "Love of My Life" being the most expensive.[50]
Merchandise[]
A photo book, titled Meteor Garden Photo Album, was published in September 2001. It focuses primarily on F4, featuring new photos and behind the scenes photos from Meteor Garden. F4 attended a book signing event on the day it was published.[51] The book was published in Japan in 2005.[52] A light novel of Meteor Garden written by Sharon Mao was released in early 2003.[53]
Reception[]
Meteor Garden was an unprecedented success.[38] It ushered in a wave of "idol dramas," a concept originating from Japan's "trendy dramas."[54] Producer Angie Chai earned the moniker, "Idol Drama Godmother" (偶像劇教母), for her success in the genre.[55] Several dramas were adapted from Japanese manga in the wake of Meteor Garden, including Peach Girl and Poor Prince.[56] Jerry Yan, Vic Chou, Ken Chu, and Vanness Wu shot to stardom overnight and formed the band F4, named for the clique in the series.[57] The long hairstyles of the four also became popular.[58]
The drama was popular internationally, being watched by nearly 500 million people across Asia.[54]
Ratings[]
Meteor Garden had high ratings during its initial run.[59] It received an average rating of 6.99%, setting a record that it held until 2006.[60]
Accolades[]
| Recipient | Category | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36th Golden Bell Awards | |||
| Cai Yue Xun | Best Director – TV Series | Won | [61][62] |
| Barbie Hsu | Best Actress – TV Series | Nominated | |
Gallery[]
| Boys Over Flowers Wiki has a collection of images on this topic. (view gallery) |
| Boys Over Flowers Wiki has a collection of screenshots on this topic. (view category) |
Videos[]
Notes[]
- The manga was not yet finished when Meteor Garden was written. Thus, it was given an original ending.
- Aisa Senda, Mai Sato, and Blackie Chen have short cameos in episode four. Senda and Sato later appeared in Meteor Rain (2001), while Chen had a supporting role in Meteor Garden II (2002).
- Harlem Yu, who performed the theme song of Meteor Garden, has a cameo in the series finale as a street musician performing the song. Yu also appeared in the remake in the same capacity.[63]
References[]
- ↑ Like many early 2000s Taiwanese dramas, there are several cuts of Meteor Garden often changing the number of episodes. It originally aired as nineteen episodes in its native Taiwan, which is the version the wiki goes by.
- ↑ http://www.f4.tv/mg/mg1/index.html (Japanese)
- ↑ http://www.cts.com.tw:80/prog/drama/meteorgarden/fp02.htm (Chinese)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 http://www.f4.tv/mg/mg1/staff.html (Japanese)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 https://www.dramafever.com/news/meteor-garden-taiwans-boys-over-flowers-gets-a-fresh-remake-after-16-years/
- ↑ Advancing Comparative Media and Communication Research, Joseph M. Chan, Francis L. F. Lee, Taylor & Francis, 2017, 9781351715898, page 224
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/event/ev0001552/2001
- ↑ http://www.f4.tv/mg/mr/index.html (Japanese)
- ↑ https://f4.tv/mg/mg2/index.html (Japanese)
- ↑ http://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/04/14/17/meteor-garden-reboot-will-be-flashier-show-creator-says
- ↑ Episode 1, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Episode 2, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Episode 3, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Episode 4, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Episode 5, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Episode 6, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Episode 7, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Episode 8, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Episode 9, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Episode 10, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Episode 11, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Episode 12, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Episode 13, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Episode 14, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Episode 15, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Episode 16, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Episode 17, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Episode 18, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Episode 19, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Media Across Borders: Localising TV, Film and Video Games, Andrea Esser, Iain Robert Smith, Miguel Á. Bernal-Merino, Routledge, 2016, 9781317610793, page 156
- ↑ TV China, Ying Zhu, Chris Berry, Indiana University Press, 2009, 9780253220264, pages 96-100
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 Meteor Garden (2006) [DVD] Malaysia: Speedy Video.
- ↑ https://entertainment.mb.com.ph/2017/06/27/fan-girls-embark-on-their-own-meteor-garden-tour/
- ↑ http://www.hinews.cn/news/system/2010/11/06/011426346.shtml (Chinese)
- ↑ "Burning Bright", The Straits Times, July 7, 2001, http://www.hanadan.net/main.html
- ↑ https://newvoices.org.au/volume-4/the-localisation-of-the-hana-yori-dango-text-plural-modernities-in-east-asia/
- ↑ http://www.newsen.com/news_view.php?uid=200909111230401020 (Korean)
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 http://jerrynews.tripod.com/news/newspaper/200106/20010630b.htm (Chinese)
- ↑ http://www.cts.com.tw/prog/drama/meteorgarden/ (Chinese)
- ↑ Television Across Asia: TV Industries, Programme Formats and Globalisation, Albert Moran, Michael Keane, Taylor & Francis, 2003, 9781134392605, page 68
- ↑ https://shows.cts.com.tw/shows_prog/drama/153.html (Chinese)
- ↑ http://www.teny.co.jp:80/f4/f4.html (Japanese)
- ↑ https://www.pep.ph/guide/tv/27044/10-things-you-might-not-know-about-the-original-meteor-garden
- ↑ https://news.cts.com.tw/cts/entertain/200104/200104040059322.html (Chinese)
- ↑ https://news.cts.com.tw/cts/entertain/200104/200104200060259.html (Chinese)
- ↑ https://www.tumblr.com/ciakenchu/60679276341/schedule-1999-2001年 (Chinese)
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/TaipeiWalker.KADOKAWA/photos/a.167147013057/10152750142003058/ (Chinese)
- ↑ http://www.cts.com.tw/prog/drama/meteorgarden/vcd.HTM (Chinese)
- ↑ http://jerrynews.tripod.com/news/newspaper/200106/20010603a.htm (Chinese)
- ↑ http://jerrynews.tripod.com/news/newspaper/200106/20010623.htm (Chinese)
- ↑ https://mypaper.pchome.com.tw/emmalin/post/362662 (Chinese)
- ↑ http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/442031009X/ (Japanese)
- ↑ https://www.linkingbooks.com.tw/LNB/book/Book.aspx?ID=98015 (Chinese)
- ↑ 54.0 54.1 https://reclamationmagazine.com/2020/07/23/how-idol-dramas-changed-the-21st-century-asian-media-landscape/
- ↑ https://dailyview.tw/Daily/2016/07/28?page=2 (Chinese)
- ↑ http://jerrynews.tripod.com/news/newspaper/200106/20010626.htm (Chinese)
- ↑ http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/06/16/talkasia.f4.script/index.html
- ↑ https://mypaper.pchome.com.tw/emmalin/post/371214 (Chinese)
- ↑ http://jerrynews.tripod.com/news/newspaper/200108/20010801b.htm (Chinese)
- ↑ https://www.touzitop.com/ystt/5304.html (Chinese)
- ↑ http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/1/8/19/n120807.htm (Chinese)
- ↑ http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/1/8/19/n120809.htm (Chinese)
- ↑ http://ent.people.com.cn/n1/2018/0306/c1012-29851670.html (Chinese)
- ↑ http://ent.sina.com.cn/v/2002-01-29/71347.html (Chinese)
- ↑ Boys Over Flowers volume 28, side-columns
- ↑ Boys Over Flowers volume 29, side-columns
- ↑ http://www.dramapanda.com/2018/04/rainie-yang-and-vanness-wu-also-recount.html
- ↑ https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-05-14/boys-over-flowers-forces-f4-idol-band-to-rename-itself
- ↑ https://mypaper.pchome.com.tw/emmalin/post/362658 (Chinese)
- ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/06/10/band-hits-sour-note-in-china/0dda3ff5-45d0-437e-81e1-932af019872f/ (archive)
- ↑ https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/china-cracks-down-on-over-the-top-anti-japan-dramas
- ↑ http://www.dramapanda.com/2017/12/dee-hsu-to-play-dao-ming-sis-sassy.html
See also[]
| Meteor Garden (2001-2002) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Boys Over Flowers adaptations | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
External links[]
- Meteor Garden official website (archive)
- Meteor Garden official Japanese website
- Meteorg Garden on CTS (Chinese)
- Meteor Garden on TBS (Japanese)
Meteor Garden on Wikipedia- Meteor Garden on Chinese Wikipedia
- Meteor Garden at the Internet Movie Database
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