Taiwan
- "I've had enough. What has become of the F4? Shouldn't our friendship be stronger than anything else?"
- —Mei Zuo[src]
Mei Zuo (Chinese: 美作; pinyin: Měizuò) was the heir to a wealthy family. He graduated from the elite college, Ying De Academy. Mei Zuo and his best friends, Dao Ming Si, Xi Men, and Hua Ze Lei, were all members of a group dubbed the F4. He often helped his friends with their relationships, particularly trying his best to help Si with Dong Shan Cai.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Mei Zuo was born around 1980[2] as an heir to a wealthy family.[5] During kindergarten, he befriended Dao Ming Si, Xi Men, and Hua Ze Lei. The boys met Teng Tang Jing, who was three years older, during this time as well. She was like an older sister to the boys. Mei Zuo and the others were unsure of how to help Lei during his bad spells, but Jing was able to calm him down.[6]
College[]
Mei Zuo and his friends eventually became known as the F4 with Si as their de facto leader. They attended Ying De Academy for college and were generally able to do whatever they pleased thanks their families' influence. On occasion, they gave out red slips to the students who opposed or offended them. For example, Ah Shu was given one after standing up to the F4. He was bullied by the student body until deciding to drop out.[5]
Meeting Shan Cai[]
The F4 first met Dong Shan Cai, when she stood up to Si for her friend. A day after receiving a red slip, she declared war on the F4. Mei Zuo was amused, saying "The first challenge we've ever had." Later, at their favorite bar, Mei Zuo compared Shan Cai to Si's sister, telling him "I doubt you can handle her." A couple days later, Shan Cai ran up to Si and punched him, surprising them all.[5] Some days later, Shan Cai ran up to Si again now indignantly telling him that she was a virgin. Unable to reach him, she kicked Mei Zuo instead. That afternoon, he and Lei walked into the shop Shan Cai worked at. He jokingly called her a "hardworking virgin." Sometime later, Mei Zuo and Xi Men told Shan Cai about Jing whom returned from France the following day. The F4 were with Jing when Lei protected Shan Cai from a mob of bullies.[6]
Si later informed Mei Zuo and Xi Men that they were not going to Hawaii for spring break. It turned out to be a cruise trip. They were joined by Shan Cai and her friend, Chen Qing He. At that night's party, Mei Zuo danced with her. On the last night, Si invited everyone to eat sashimi on deck. On their first day back, Si asked Mei Zuo and Xi Men if they knew Shan Cai and Lei regularly met. The guys were puzzled until Bai He and Qian Hui showed Si a video. Mei Zuo and Xi Men were unable to calm the seething Si.[7] Mei Zuo later attended Jing's twenty-fourth birthday. He spent most of the night at the bar and ordered drinks for Shan Cai. After Jing announced her decision to return to France, the F4 and Shan Cai said goodbye to her at the airport. Mei Zuo was excited for Lei, when he decided to follow Jing.[8]
Rift in the F4[]
After seeing photos of Si and Shan Cai on the noticeboard, Mei Zuo and Xi Men teased Si and asked him "How did it go?" Both guys were impressed by his answers with Mei Zuo calling him a "worthy leader." The next day, they had lunch with Shan Cai. Mei Zuo warned her that Si was "very possessive." Two days later, he and Xi Men tried to comfort Si after photos of Shan Cai with a guy were posted.[9] After the misunderstanding was cleared up, Lei returned from France. The F4 later went on vacation to Okinawa with their dates. The next day, Qing He arrived and brought a magazine detailing Jing's engagement. Mei Zuo and Xi Men were concerned for Lei. The following morning, Si returned to Taiwan on his own. At home, he explained to Mei Zuo and Xi Men that Lei and Shan Cai had kissed.[4]
Si kicked Lei out of the F4 and replaced him with Qing He. However, Mei Zuo said to Xi Men "I'll never accept him as part of F4." The following day, Si tried to have Lei and Shan Cai expelled. Mei Zuo declared "If you force Lei to quit, I will quit too." Dao Ming Zhuang interrupted to propose a basketball game, which would settle things. They nearly won but Si gave up at the last second. After the game, Si departed for New York. The F3 later helped Shan Cai at her job by using their good looks to attract customers.[10] Si soon returned to Taiwan. The F3 greeted him happily at school. Sometime later, Mei Zuo and Xi Men teased Si after his date with Shan Cai ended badly. He continued to be on bad terms with Shan Cai for some time, despite Mei Zuo and Xi Men urging him to apologize several times.[11]
Supporting Si and Shan Cai[]
Mei Zuo and Xi Men on their date with Xiao Zi
- Shan Cai: "I'm not after his money."
- Mei Zuo: "What's wrong with being rich? Spare a thought for your family. He will never date another girl. Among the four of us, he's the best fighter."
- Shan Cai: "That's not a strong point."
- Xi Men: "Can't you two just pair up? You're getting me all worked up!"
- — Mei Zuo and Xi Men urge Shan Cai to date Si[src]
A few days later, Mei Zuo and the others had not seen Si for a while and became concerned. They began searching for him and later learned that Shan Cai was missing as well. After locating him, Si went to go save Shan Cai. Mei Zuo, Xi Men, and Lei anxiously waited. At the hospital, the guys played a trick on Shan Cai by pretending Si was dead. Some days later, the F3 picked up Shan Cai for Si's birthday party.[12] At the party, they tried to protect Shan Cai from Si's mother, Dao Ming Feng, but were quickly silenced. However, they were able to help Shan Cai and Si escape the party. The next morning, they warned Si that his mother would probably try something. Not long after, Feng arranged Si's engagement to He Yuan Zi. Mei Zuo and Xi Men attempted to seduce her in order to help Si, but she saw through the ruse.[13]
Sometime later, Si began dating Xiao Zi which left Mei Zuo and Xi Men in a state of confusion. He refused to say anything on it further.[14] After Shan Cai's parents moved away, the F3 came to visit her at her apartment. They were surprised when Si's mother arrived a few minutes later. Feng, whom was upset about Si's and Xiao Zi's engagement ending, insulted Shan Cai until she finally stood up to her. After she left, Mei Zuo voiced his surprise that Si had broken up with Xiao so quickly. The guys voiced their concerns about Shan Cai essentially declaring war on Feng, but offered their support nonetheless. After Shan Cai began working as a maid at Si's, Mei Zuo and Xi Men encouraged Si to make his move. The two later tried to give him advice once they started dating.[15]
Si's relationship problems[]
Si and Mei Zuo meet Si's cousin
- Mei Zuo: "What would you have done if Si failed to face reality before you left?"
- Lei: "I had another plan. If Si did not turn back before my departure, I would've taken Shan Cai to Japan. It wasn't necessary because I knew Si would not let me down."
- — Lei reveals that he was not actually pursuing Shan Cai[src]
Mei Zuo, Xi Men, and Lei gathered to give Si advice, when his mother returned to Taipei. They warned him that she would likely up the ante.[16] A couple days later, the F3 heard from Qing He about Shan Cai's disappearance from school. They visited Si to get to the bottom of the situation, but he refused to reveal anything. Si began acting like his old self again, which worried his friends. To cheer him up, Mei Zuo and Xi Men organized a get-together. It turned out to be a bad idea, when Si and Xi Men started hitting each other. After the fight, the F3 abandoned their attempts to cheer Si and decided to focus on figuring out the situation and finding Shan Cai.[17]
Qing He figured out where Shan Cai was and relayed the news to the F3, but Si refused to go see her. After Shan Cai returned, Si made a "clean break" of the relationship and Lei began pursuing her. Si seemed fine with the circumstances, until he broke down crying in front Mei Zuo and Xi Men.[18] A couple days later, the F4 said goodbye to Lei, who departed to Japan. Mei Zuo later asked Si about his "talk" with Shan Cai. Si mentioned his cousin that Shan Cai claimed to have met. They questioned Ms. Yu and Xiao Zi about him, and quickly became suspicious of this "cousin". The two eventually have Yu Sao introduce him to them. However, when they meet him, he looked nothing like Shan Cai described.[19]
Meeting Aisa[]
Meanwhile, Mei Zuo met a Japanese girl named Aisa, who had pickpocketed him. He spotted her later and followed her into a photo booth. Mei Zuo threatened to take her to the police until she told him about her sick relative. When Mei Zuo brought flowers to the relative, he learned that she had lied. He managed to track her down again. She finally revealed that she was searching for her grandmother. Moved by her story, Mei Zuo promised to help. He soon received word that she had died, but did not Aisa about it. Mei Zuo and Aisa become close as they prepare to enter a dance competition together. Later, Mei Zuo confessed about her grandmother. The same night, Aisa's mother arrived to bring her back to Japan. Aisa briefly kissed Mei Zuo before leaving.[20]
Attempt to rescue Si[]
Mei Zuo, Xi Men, and Lei break into Si's home to rescue him
- Shan Cai: "We were supposed to eat lunch together, but he didn't turn up. What's the matter?"
- Mei Zuo: "Si might be in trouble. His cellphone is off and we can't find him. I received a weird phone call last night."
- — Mei Zuo realizes that Si is definitely missing[src]
When Xiao You began pursuing Xi Men, Mei Zuo advised him to stay away from her since it would likely anger Shan Cai.[21] Later, Xi Men stopped going out at night with Mei Zuo. One night, Mei Zuo phoned Si, but he ignored his calls. Mei Zuo then cynically commented to himself, "F4 is disbanding" upon realizing that his friends were all busy. He received a mysterious phone call from Si later that night. In the morning, Xi Men and Mei Zuo were unable to find Si. Yu Sao gave them a invitation to Si's and Xiao Zi's wedding, when they went to his home to see him.[22]
After Lei came back from Japan, the F3 were able to obtain the details of the situation from Xiao Zi. They eventually decided to rescue Si with the aid of Yu Sao. However, they were caught by Feng. The F3, now at a lost for what to do, get an idea from Qing He to call Si's sister.[22] Thanks to Zhuang's intervention, Feng finally decided to leave Si and Shan Cai alone. By this time, Xi Men was back to his old self, much to Mei Zuo's amusement.[23]
Post-college[]
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Physical appearance[]
As a member of the "Flower Four" (F4), him and his friends were all considered unusually good-looking. Mei Zuo had shoulder-length brown hair. He was often seen pushing his hair away from his face, perhaps the reason he was sometimes seen sporting a ponytail. His long, straight hair framed his oval-shaped face. He had dark brown, hooded eyes with a medium-sized nose and plump lips. His wardrobe consisted of mostly casual, trendy, and sporty clothing which suited his active personality.
Personality and traits[]
On the whole, Mei Zuo was a carefree and fun-loving person who often smiled. He was active and enjoyed physical exercise, including chin-ups and basketball. Mei Zuo got along best with Xi Men, whom had a similar temperament. They were both considered mature compared to their other friends, Si and Lei. The two often tried to be a voice of reason with the hot-tempered Si. Mei Zuo dated often, much like Xi Men. However, Mei Zuo was more prone to short-term relationships whereas Xi Men had more flings. Both guys regularly teased Si about Shan Cai and his general inexperience with women.
Etymology[]
His given name, Mei Zuo (美作), contains the two characters in his manga counterpart's surname. The first character means "beautiful," "attractive," "good-looking"[26] and the second means "to do," "to perform," etc.[27] Mei Zuo was not given a surname, similarly to Xi Men who was not given a personal name.
Behind the scenes[]
Portrayal
- See also: Category:Akira Mimasaka portrayals
- Mei Zuo is portrayed by Vanness Wu in Meteor Garden (2001),[25] Meteor Rain (2001),[28] and Meteor Garden II (2002).[29]
Character notes
- Wu grew up in California and says several English phrases throughout Meteor Garden.
- When Meteor Garden re-aired in April 2018, Wu's hair in the drama was dubbed "silky smooth" and began trending on social media.[30]
Appearances[]
| Meteor Garden (2001) | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| (Debut) | |||||||||
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | |
| Meteor Rain (2001) | ||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||||||
| Meteor Garden II (2002) | ||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||
| 13 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 22 | |||
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |||
|
References[]
- ↑ Based on Si's birthday and the timeline, Mei Zuo would likely be twenty-one in Meteor Garden and twenty-two in Meteor Garden II.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Since the F4 are the same age, Mei Zuo was likely born in 1980 like Si.
- ↑ Episode 21, Meteor Garden II
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Episode 6, Meteor Garden
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Episode 1, Meteor Garden
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Episode 2, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Episode 3, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Episode 4, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Episode 5, 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 1, Meteor Rain
- ↑ Episode 17, Meteor Garden
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Episode 18, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Episode 19, Meteor Garden
- ↑ Hana Yori Dango FF
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 http://www.cts.com.tw:80/prog/drama/meteorgarden/p04.htm (Chinese)
- ↑ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/美
- ↑ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/作
- ↑ https://f4.tv/mg/mr/cast.html (Japanese)
- ↑ http://star.cts.com.tw:80/prog/drama/star2/star1.htm (Chinese)
- ↑ http://www.dramapanda.com/2018/04/rainie-yang-and-vanness-wu-also-recount.html
See also[]