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dangermousie*hyperventilation*
*high-pitched scream*
English-subbed trailers for Summer Desire (a.k.a. Summer Bubbles) are out.
First one:
Oh YES.
SD is apparently based on some psycho-popular novel about plucky and awesome heroine Xiao Mo (my girl Barbie!) and her having to pick between two different mad-for-her men: her sexy former stepbrother who is now a huge star (Huang Xiaoming), and a super-rich ex-boyfriend who has forgotten her but then remembers and decides he still wants her (Peter Ho). Blahblahblah lots of angst.
OK, you know, I don't care if it makes me sound insane: if Xiao Mo does not end up with Luo Xi (the stepbro), I will kill something!
She can even end up single, that's fine. But if she ends with Ou Chen --- grrrr. Well, unless they change the story around from the book synopses I have read and the trailers seem to show it as pretty faithful. I was going to do a whole rant about Ou Chen as a 'viable' romantic lead but after all, the drama is not out so I shouldn't.
ETA: Screw it. I love a good rant. See, here is my problem. Leaving aside the issue of not finding Peter Ho attractive in the least and thinking Huang Xiaoming is sex on legs, I loathe loathe LOATHE Ou Chen. I am all for the "they used to be a couple, had break-up from hell, now meet again years later, he blackmails her into a relationship to make her pay" - two of my favorite twdramas, Autumn's Concerto and My Lucky Star use that. BUT:
(1) In MLS and AC I genuinely like the original romantic relationship - they are functional and even amazing together. All I get from the original dating of Xiao Mo and Ou Chen is that he is a controlling, borderline abusive freak and she goes out with him to shield her family.
(2) In MLS and AC, I can definitely see why the men are so boiling mad at the girl - she comes across as completely in the wrong to them and would to anyone in their position (we, as audience, are of course privy to facts they do not possess). In MLS, he believes she dumped him in the worst time in his life because he was broke and crippled, then she caused an accident which killed his beloved older brother and didn't even bother to call 911. In AC, he believes she walked out on him when he was dying despite his pleading, didn't care he got stabbed in front of her eyes and then hid the fact that he had a child from him. Yeah, I can see why these would make someone unhappy. In SD, she told him to go DIAF because his obsessive jealousy made her stepbrother leave (it was the family kicking him out or Daddy losing his job) and distressed parents driving her younger sibling (who got sick from all the drama) to the hospital got into an accident and died because they were so upset they weren't paying attention where they were going. Right clearly ain't on his side here! In fact, I am all with her for wanting him to DIAF.
(3) I happen to adore MLS's Tian Qi and AC's Guanxi. Both are good guys and fun to be around. Ou Chen is just not a good person in any way. He didn't learn anything about selflessness, for one.
(4) By pulling the whole blackmail thing, they are not breaking anyone up. Both the heroines of MLS and AC are single. Not only that, but they are still in love with the original guys in question. Xiao Mo is in a committed relationship with someone else who she loves!
(5) Blackmail. Tian Qi is just so endearingly bad at it - his version of revenge is to shut down her store but also save her from being arrested, be willing to be burn to death so she would escape unharmed etc. Guanxi - blackmailing someone into marriage to save a friend from being arrested isn't exactly the most praiseworthy action ever but it's in another universe from telling the girl her brother will certainly die if she does not marry him (not to mention it's part of a pattern - earlier Ou Chen was threatening to ruin her boyfriend's career unless she begs - isn't that more of an evil bad guy thing? I've seen Delightful Girl Chunhyang, isn't that what the insane bad guy does?)
(6) I would be willing to somewhat put up with 1-5 if there was an indication Xiao Mo secretly was still madly in love with Ou Chen. However, not being insane, she does not seem to be.
Anyway, unless they change the story, I loathe Ou Chen with the power of 10,000 suns. I hope he does not get the girl. But I fear he may.
This airs after Down With Love, I believe.
*high-pitched scream*
English-subbed trailers for Summer Desire (a.k.a. Summer Bubbles) are out.
First one:
Oh YES.
SD is apparently based on some psycho-popular novel about plucky and awesome heroine Xiao Mo (my girl Barbie!) and her having to pick between two different mad-for-her men: her sexy former stepbrother who is now a huge star (Huang Xiaoming), and a super-rich ex-boyfriend who has forgotten her but then remembers and decides he still wants her (Peter Ho). Blahblahblah lots of angst.
OK, you know, I don't care if it makes me sound insane: if Xiao Mo does not end up with Luo Xi (the stepbro), I will kill something!
She can even end up single, that's fine. But if she ends with Ou Chen --- grrrr. Well, unless they change the story around from the book synopses I have read and the trailers seem to show it as pretty faithful. I was going to do a whole rant about Ou Chen as a 'viable' romantic lead but after all, the drama is not out so I shouldn't.
ETA: Screw it. I love a good rant. See, here is my problem. Leaving aside the issue of not finding Peter Ho attractive in the least and thinking Huang Xiaoming is sex on legs, I loathe loathe LOATHE Ou Chen. I am all for the "they used to be a couple, had break-up from hell, now meet again years later, he blackmails her into a relationship to make her pay" - two of my favorite twdramas, Autumn's Concerto and My Lucky Star use that. BUT:
(1) In MLS and AC I genuinely like the original romantic relationship - they are functional and even amazing together. All I get from the original dating of Xiao Mo and Ou Chen is that he is a controlling, borderline abusive freak and she goes out with him to shield her family.
(2) In MLS and AC, I can definitely see why the men are so boiling mad at the girl - she comes across as completely in the wrong to them and would to anyone in their position (we, as audience, are of course privy to facts they do not possess). In MLS, he believes she dumped him in the worst time in his life because he was broke and crippled, then she caused an accident which killed his beloved older brother and didn't even bother to call 911. In AC, he believes she walked out on him when he was dying despite his pleading, didn't care he got stabbed in front of her eyes and then hid the fact that he had a child from him. Yeah, I can see why these would make someone unhappy. In SD, she told him to go DIAF because his obsessive jealousy made her stepbrother leave (it was the family kicking him out or Daddy losing his job) and distressed parents driving her younger sibling (who got sick from all the drama) to the hospital got into an accident and died because they were so upset they weren't paying attention where they were going. Right clearly ain't on his side here! In fact, I am all with her for wanting him to DIAF.
(3) I happen to adore MLS's Tian Qi and AC's Guanxi. Both are good guys and fun to be around. Ou Chen is just not a good person in any way. He didn't learn anything about selflessness, for one.
(4) By pulling the whole blackmail thing, they are not breaking anyone up. Both the heroines of MLS and AC are single. Not only that, but they are still in love with the original guys in question. Xiao Mo is in a committed relationship with someone else who she loves!
(5) Blackmail. Tian Qi is just so endearingly bad at it - his version of revenge is to shut down her store but also save her from being arrested, be willing to be burn to death so she would escape unharmed etc. Guanxi - blackmailing someone into marriage to save a friend from being arrested isn't exactly the most praiseworthy action ever but it's in another universe from telling the girl her brother will certainly die if she does not marry him (not to mention it's part of a pattern - earlier Ou Chen was threatening to ruin her boyfriend's career unless she begs - isn't that more of an evil bad guy thing? I've seen Delightful Girl Chunhyang, isn't that what the insane bad guy does?)
(6) I would be willing to somewhat put up with 1-5 if there was an indication Xiao Mo secretly was still madly in love with Ou Chen. However, not being insane, she does not seem to be.
Anyway, unless they change the story, I loathe Ou Chen with the power of 10,000 suns. I hope he does not get the girl. But I fear he may.
This airs after Down With Love, I believe.
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no subject
Date: 2010-01-11 07:54 pm (UTC)With Summer's Desire, Ou Chen just seems to be abusive and insane.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-11 08:04 pm (UTC)Yeah, in MLS, all I got from it was that if someone was Tian Qi's enemy, they had it made because he was just so amazingly sweet to Zhi Qing even when he was supposed to be hating her. Yeah, he got brusque and tempery a few times, but that was about it - you could see he was just dying for her. And in AC, Guanxi was always a bit unbalanced due to childhood traumas, but even after he got so mad after finding the truth, his revenge is not really revengy at all - OK, he's lashing out and all but as far as revenge goes, he totally sucks. And his trying to tie her to him is motivated, in part, by wanting to be near his son, too. So yeah, I get it. Not to mention that they don't know the self-sacrificial reasons for heroines' actions, so I can so see the basis for the 'hatred.' Ou Chen is in possession of all the facts and they don't put him in a good light either and he's still revengeful? I mean, he doesn't get WHY a woman might want to break up with him if he is responsible for breaking up/deaths of her family?
Also, Ou Chen seems to have ALWAYS been posessive and abusive and crazy. It's not like he was a sweetheart who temporarily lost it and will return to cute baseline. Naaaah, THIS is his baseline.
If his romantic competion is awesome angsty and NOT insane Huang Xiaoming, is that even any choice?
ETA: Also, when he basically makes her beg and beg to save her little brother's life and toys with her to make her truly desperate and then makes her marry him? UGH BURNING HATE OF LOATHING DIE DIE DIE.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-11 09:48 pm (UTC)How did the book explain Ou Chen being the romantic hero then? He sounds crazy and abusive!
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Date: 2010-01-11 09:55 pm (UTC)I mean, when little brother would rather die than have his sister marry you, you are kinda failing at life.
I am in it just to see Sexy Stepbro slit his wrists in abandonment angst.no subject
Date: 2010-01-11 11:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-11 11:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-13 05:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-11 11:04 pm (UTC)totally agree on all your MLS and AC points - when it came right down to it, neither Tian Xi or Guangxi would ever do anything really really bad to their old flames - ie if anyone - either they or their family - was in actual physical danger they'd swoop in in a second and save them. Their default is extreme kindness, and they're only driven to act against their natures by extreme circumstances - but the second something happened or someone was need they'd revert right back to courage and kindness. Whereas Ou Chen seems evil by default, and the threatening-her-with-brother-dying is just a line you don't cross, not if you want to be seen as a "good" hero and/or have the audience root for you. ugh ugh ugh.
I LOVE the premise and I love Barbie, but I must admit I'm not sure I like any of the rest of the cast - even the supporting cast seemed like poor actors. We'll see how this goes.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-11 11:09 pm (UTC)I find Xiaoming plenty hot though, so if you don't want him, more for meeeee :)
In the novel she ends up with Ou Chen (apparently) so let's hope they either change it or make him more tolerable. If not though, I am going to have such a fun time bashing (aaaaah, the good old BOF days).
neither Tian Xi or Guangxi would ever do anything really really bad to their old flames - ie if anyone - either they or their family - was in actual physical danger they'd swoop in in a second and save them
Exactly. They are basically lovely upstanding people only acting out under extreme duress but here - not this at all.
Hey, at least it's not Haou Airen, where heroine fell for and ended up with her serial rapist.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-11 11:15 pm (UTC)aaaaah, the good old BOF days LOL
Hey, at least it's not Haou Airen, where heroine fell for and ended up with her serial rapist. that's...nice.
Or East of Eden, with that horrrible storyline with one of the secondary couples.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-11 11:17 pm (UTC)(but if that's the case, why was the trailer so Xiaoming-centric?)
True, it was, which is odd. I suppose it depends which market they were orienting it towards - he is a huge huge Mainland star so if those were directed at Mainland to get them interested, I could see them making it more about him. Who knows? I just know I am going to uncanon ship and get my heart broken once again. See icon.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-11 11:21 pm (UTC)It's going to be BOF all over again isn't it.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-11 11:55 pm (UTC)HXM is a little skinny here but I went so ridiculously hormonal for him in Return of Condor Heroes, I am still recovering (talk about my ideal boyfriend - loves one woman all his life, doesn't care she is older/non-virgin/his martial arts teacher/everyone is against it, goes through 18 billion kinds of torture to protect her, waits for her to come back for 17 years etc etc).
Here is a MV (in case you are curious):
I think I had such a crush on his crush on his character, it trainslated elsewhere.
Sample scene:
no subject
Date: 2010-01-12 08:12 am (UTC)I am tempted by RoTCH but have stayed away thus far and I think will continue to do so because it's a)a period drama b)super angsty and c)about martial arts, and none of those three things appeal to me at all.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-12 01:53 pm (UTC)Wuxia dramas always make me think of grown-up fairytales and so they have their own plot logic and rhythm - not better or worse, just different, always takes me time to get used to it. If you ever do get interested in checking one out, though, this is the one to do it with (just skip useless and annoying first 2 eps)
no subject
Date: 2010-01-11 11:40 pm (UTC)So you know this is top anticipated 2010 dramas from any country.
Now my comments: If Ou Chen gets the girl, I just may fly to Taiwan and kick some ass. I mean did you see the preview? Did you hear Lou Xi's voiceover. Clearly dude who is awesome deserves the girl.
Ou Chen. DIAF, please. Thank you. He is every incarnation of the obsessed, un-healthy, controlling bf/ex I despise. Despicable. Also, way less important but dude is fug.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-11 11:56 pm (UTC)Yes. That.
But honestly, I wouldn't care (I liked Peter Ho well enough in Butterfly Lovers) if he wasn't such a texbook controlling wannabe abuser.
Also, Luo Xi? How can you not like him???????? Guy is abused orphan who is now a superstar who is sweet. WTF.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-12 02:45 am (UTC)Can't decide whether I like HXM's wig or not... in some shots, it looks absolutely gorgeous, and in others, it makes me go "... D:" Not to mention the style resembles Peter Ho's a bit, so sometimes I can't tell who's who when they don't show their faces. :(
And lol, another drama where Xiaoming has to speak English. I love him for trying, though. Hahaha.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-12 03:57 am (UTC)Their hair is weirdly similar :)
Well, at least his English is better than my Mandarin :P
no subject
Date: 2010-01-12 08:04 am (UTC)Hey, Xiao Mo, if you don't want Luo Xi, can we have him? xD
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Date: 2010-01-12 01:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-12 03:35 am (UTC)In the novel she ends up with Ou Chen (apparently)
I personally think he ought to be in a mental hospital.
(Not to mention Barbie's character is a freaking saint and she absolutely DOES NOT deserve him).
I'm hoping the HXM-centricness means that they changed the plot for a more palatable ending! Then again, Peter Ho was the one who produced the whole thing so...=(
no subject
Date: 2010-01-12 03:55 am (UTC)personally think he ought to be in a mental hospital.
Or jail! And seriously, I suppose they could have salvaged it somehow if they cast someone amazing who could have projected vulnerability/niceness despite the crazy actions. But Peter Ho is playing him straight out of movie-of-the-week psycho school. Every time he is near Xiao Mo I am afraid he'll knife her!
(Not to mention Barbie's character is a freaking saint and she absolutely DOES NOT deserve him).
Oh YES. As far as I got in the summaries, I don't even get how she is going to fall back for him. Because she seems to be pretty hard-core common sense.
I'm hoping the HXM-centricness means that they changed the plot for a more palatable ending! Then again, Peter Ho was the one who produced the whole thing so...=(
Yeah, every time I get hope by those trailers (because they were so totally HXM-centric) I remember Peter Ho is the producer and down that hope goes agaaaaain.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-12 04:14 am (UTC)yknow, I love the girl for her patience and her loveliness in putting up all the summaries, but how ANYONE can think Ou Chen is remotely likeable I really don't understand. IT IS BEYOND COMPREHENSION.
(then again, people like that strange obsessive thing named edward cullen of the ridiculously hilarious twilight. i just read this magazine article while having my hair cut yesterday about how ladies (who seem otherwise sane and well-adjusted) are obsessed with twilight and edward cullen, so...disturbing. /ot digression)
she seems to be pretty hard-core common sense
IKR! I really like her character from what I've seen/read so far because I trust Barbie would make her into a Shan Cai-except-in-even-more-insane-situations. YAY for a normal, sane, relatable and non-useless heroine! =D
(I suspect with how much I would want to STAB Ou Chen she would be the only reason why I would watch this. That, and that HXM to me looks as promising lookswise as my favourite Chinese actor Chen Kun, who unfortunately only seems to act in movies)
I remember Peter Ho is the producer and down that hope goes agaaaain
Yeah I was depressed enough when he cast himself in the show (although yay for his crush on Barbie which led to his casting her despite her obviously being too old for the role). I am superficial so he is seriously one actor (well at least in terms of looks) I would not especially watch a drama for.
when is it airing though, dyou know? It keeps getting pushed back (or did I miss it in the trailer, cos I can't watch the trailer now?).
no subject
Date: 2010-01-12 04:25 am (UTC)how ANYONE can think Ou Chen is remotely likeable I really don't understand. IT IS BEYOND COMPREHENSION.
Well, the author clearly liked him - she let him have the girl, yikes!
IKR! I really like her character from what I've seen/read so far because I trust Barbie would make her into a Shan Cai-except-in-even-more-insane-situations. YAY for a normal, sane, relatable and non-useless heroine! =D
Yup, I can't imagine her playing a wimp or weak.
Re: HXM - he does it for me in a unfunnily total way.
Re: Peter Ho. It doesn't help I find him fugly. Fuuuugly. It's the nose.
Latest on air date is after Down With Love (the Jerry-Ella drama) - March/April?
no subject
Date: 2010-01-12 01:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-12 06:25 am (UTC)Also, that first scene from the first video, is that the same house from Miss No Good (Tang Men's house)???
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Date: 2010-01-12 01:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-16 12:07 pm (UTC)thanks for those two trailers, I suck at finding trailers at YT!
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Date: 2010-02-18 02:42 am (UTC)