fuckyeahasiandrama:

Thank you for not telling the truth. Otherwise, I would have certainly fallen for you. And then, very soon, you would have learned just how hard I am to love. How impatient I am. How dislikable. In truth I am a selfish bitch who really doesn’t know how to love. That’s why, eventually, all the men I’ve loved discovered very quickly how loveable other girls were and left me. Thankfully, you didn’t say anything. Thankfully… You are my very best friend. 

In Time With You tore me apart as a whole, but this scene in particular destroyed me. Mainly because I relate on more levels than I’d like to admit.

Preach sistah.

Preach.

DONNAPIE’S TOP 10 FAVORITE JEALOUSY SCENES IN AN ASIAN DRAMA

Girl, what have you done to me at Number 9:

Jiang Zhi Shu for Xiang Qin in It Started With A Kiss

There’s something to be said about a girl who drives a guy so crazy with jealousy that she drives him over the edge of sanity.

Zhi Shu is known for being rational, composed, calm and collected and it is the fact that Xiang Qin can make him act so out of character especially when he gets jealous that he couldn’t even understand why he’s acting that way.

He kisses her mercilessly, shouts at her that she can’t love anybody else because she can only love him, he relishes the angst of his love rival when he describes in graphic detail how he has one up over him because him and Xiang Qin have already kissed and he can sure freeze the hell out of any man who even dare to come near his Xiang Qin with his ice cold, glacial stare.

The reason why the jealousy from Zhi Shu emits such squeeworthy feelings from me whenever i watch him stems from the fact that he acts as if he couldn’t even give a damn about Xiang Qin and yet his jealousy belies that fact.

He’s like a lost, little puppy who’s been dumped to the curb whenever Xiang Qin even so much as mention leaving him and he flies into an absolute rage that he even surprises himself with the impulsiveness of his actions whenever he’s threatened with the possibility of Xiang Qin not anymore crushing on him.

Sure, we had our jealousy scenes in They Kiss Again too but i would forever hold ISWAK’s jealousy scene way above the fave meter when it comes to the two.

It may be due to the fact that they are already married in TKA that i feel that Zhi Shu has every right to be jealous too but in ISWAK, it is the uncertainty and the heart fluttering feeling of seeing him have his comeuppance over not giving Xiang Qin the time of day that makes his jealous scenes all the more fun to watch.

DONNAPIE’S TOP 10 MOST FASHIONABLE ASIAN DRAMA CHARACTERS

GIRLY GIRL AT NUMBER 2: Chen You Qing in IN TIME WITH YOU 

If there’s one thing that In Time with You has given me aside from one of the best love stories ever told in this lifetime, it is the worst case of closet envy that is ever known to womankind.

With her polka dotted dresses, colored peacoats and ruffly blouses, Chen You Qing is a total fashion A lister in my book.

Whether it be the nautical stripes that she favors or the dresses that she wears with such feminine class, i drool episode after episode over the things that she has in her wardrobe and how she wears it with such panache and confidence that is truly pleasing to the eye.

Chen You Qing always looks perfectly polished but there is also something flirty and playful with her whole look.

She retains her glamour with constructed garments and lines that suit her petite, delicate frame and much kudos should also be given as to how she is styled from head to toe and not just with the clothes she wears.

Whether it be her perfectly coiffed hair that’s in a bun or flowing freely around her shoulders, her natural dewy make up that only manages to accentuate how perfect her skin is, down to her to die for shoes and accessories, it is obvious that much thought is given by You Qing to how she presents herself to the world much like how she emits this vibe of a totally independent, strong and take charge kind of girl.

Indeed, Chen You Qing is one of the best dressed female leads i’ve ever seen in a drama. 

After all, let’s admit it.

If a woman can still make you envious of her clothes even if she is just lounging around at home in maxi dresses, loose sweaters, a haphazard bun and large framed nerdy glasses then indeed she is worthy of being one of the top contenders in this list not just now but maybe until forever.

DONNAPIE’S TOP 10 ASIAN DRAMA KISSES

SIZZLING AT NUMBER 3: THEY KISS AGAIN

HELL, YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH…

If there was one series that really lived up to its title then this one must be it.

Because i swear Zhi Shu and Xiang Qin did not just kiss again for this drama but they kissed again… and again… and again… and…

Oh well, i bet you guys all get the gist.

All 43 times of it.

Yes ladies and ladies.

You got that right.

There were 43 kisses interspersed in between 20 episodes or so of They Kiss Again and if that was not proof enough that Zhi Shu and Xiang Qin should be voted as the top Asian Drama couple with the highest sex drive and libido, then i don’t know what is.  

Seriously.

If there was any dilemma that i had about posting this series as part of my Top 10, it was not about how the kisses were not hot enough but rather which to pick among them because all of them were equally passionate and winning!

But alas!

In the end, the honeymoon kiss won out and how could it not?

When there was a solid 5 minute of Zhi Shu and Xiang Qin making out soooo intimately that i swear at times, i even end up getting embarrassed watching them.

The scene was just shot so sexually that i feel as if i’m a voyeur spying on two people who are so into an act of passion that is normally just reserved for inside the confines of someones own bedroom.

But who am i to complain?

When i savored every bit and morsel of the culmination of the 27 episodes of waiting that i suffered through in It Started with A Kiss that resulted into this explosion of feelings between an OTP that i have soooo longed for to get in this way together.

What added more to the sexiness of this scene was how Winnie, the director, did not score much of the scene so you can absolutely hear the smacking sounds that Ariel and Joe’s lips were making as they meet and parted.

Edward Cullen has nothing on Zhi Shu with the way he was devouring Xiang Qin’s neck again and again as if he wants to suck the lifeblood out of her.

So If this was real life?

I’d bet my savings that Xiang Qin’s neck would probably be riddled with hickeys and love bites the next day with the way he was just lapping her.

But that was only the start. 

Coz when they got to that bed?

The panting sounds that Joe made uncontrollably really made my lady parts flutter.

He was just so into the scene that it blurs the line between fiction and reality that you are absolutely just riveted to every move they make as a viewer.

This was surely one kissing scene without any holds barred.

It was not limited to the confines of the lips but all parts of their body was fair game.

Chin, neck, Ears, chest…

BY ALL THAT IS HOLY.

If i was a boy i’d probably be getting off on it.

At the end of it all though, i guess the love scene that you just witnessed afterwards is just considered icing on the cake.

Because what really matters after watching this two play beautiful music together in that matrimonial bed is the realization that one, Zhi Shu appears to really love Xiang Qin from the bottom of his heart in his own robotic, weird way and two, HOT DAMN, for a nerd this Zhi Shu’s got some moves and Xiang Qin sure did win getting him in all kinds of ways. 

Before i start with the countdown, i just want to say that i only really have three in my list.

I am normally REALLY annoyed by all the exaggerated cutesy, gag inducing acting that other T-drama actresses are famous for but this three are the only ones whom i can only tolerate and who i think is really deserving of the title of actress not just because they get by on looks but mostly because they really have talent.

At Number 3: Joe Chen Qiao En

For her mass appeal and for picking projects that showcase her innocence and comedy skills to the fullest.

I really don’t find Qiao En exceptionally cute or pretty and personally i think her acting seems pretty one dimensional at times, however,  it’s her mass appeal and the charisma she shows in portraying the characters she’s given that makes me drawn to watching her and to checking out her projects. 

At number 2: Rainie Yang Chen Lin

Ugh. That face.

I really think that Rainie is so drop dead gorgeous and i would not be embarrassed to say that if given the chance to be reborn again and choose my face, i would definitely choose Rainie’s if i’m Taiwanese and if i’m Korean, Han Ga In.

But in my opinion, the thing that makes Rainie such a standout despite her gorgeousness is the fact that she doesn’t seem to have any airs and she has no qualms about making herself ugly or contorting her face just to be able to bring on the laughs in her dramas. 

I mean, let’s admit it.

If she was able to make such an impression in such a bit role like Xiao Yu’s when she was still doing Meteor Garden, its  no wonder that she has made it this far and is now making waves as one of Taiwans top leading actress.  

And my most favorite T-drama actress of all time at Number 1 is:

Ariel Lin Yi Chen 

The girl is literally an acting chameleon.

Just watch In Time With You and then watch her in It Started with a Kiss and you’d get to see how she literally imbibes her characters and breathe life into them.

Heck even throw in a little of Tokyo Juliet and Love of the Condor Heroes and you’d get to see how she is able to reinvent herself as another person depending on the story and the character. 

The reason why i love Ariel’s acting and why i adore her as an actress is because of her ability to always show something new depending on her projects.

She’s a filial daughter, a good sister and she’s just so genuinely serious with her craft and with improving herself that you can’t help but admire not just her acting ability but also her values as an actress.

Another thing that’s inherent in Ariel is her ability to create crazy chemistry with anyone of her leading men.

People ship her with Mike then with Wu Zun then with Joe and Hu Ge and now with Bolin. 

And i can’t say i blame them.

It’s because she has this uncanny way of really making us believe that she is not just playing a role but rather living as the characters that we see in the story of any drama that she’s acting on.

The more that Ariel gets older, the more her acting matures and the more beautiful she’s becoming.

One thing is for sure.

I can’t wait to see what this girl has up her sleeve and i am still praying up to now that she would retract her drama retirement because if she indeed does it?

I will be almost half giving up already on watching Taiwanese dramas because to me?

She is really literally only one of the handful of T-drama actresses that are really worth watching. 

Donnapie’s Favorite Asian Drama Countdown:

At Number 2 : In Time With You   

Synopsis 

Cheng You Qing (Ariel Lin) is the manager of a department store shoe department.

On her 30th birthday, Cheng You Qing receives an email on “the symptoms of premature aging” from Li Da Ren (Bolin Chen), her best friend whom she has known since high school.

Unable to accept that he is like a bottle of fine wine that will get better with age and she is like a grape that will dry into a raisin as years go by, she makes a bet with Da Ren to see who will get married first before they turned 35.

However, You Qing often says that the girl Da Ren finds always does not match  him and at the same time, Da Ren is also not satisfied with the man You Qing wants to marry.

After Da Ren’s relationship with his colleague Maggie ended, he admits to Maggie that he has been in love with You Qing all this time.

Why I love it:

I have said everything that needs to be said about this drama.

I have sang it high praises, put it in a pedestal, remembered each and every single scene and line of it that made me laugh and made me cry.

However, for the sake of reference should you be needing your next drama fix sometime soon, i am republishing the open letter that i made to this show when it ended and perhaps that would convince you if not my words why i think this draam is one of the best dramas ever.

Dear Show…

To describe you as one of a kind and epic is an understatement.

You have truly proven that T-dramas can also be world class if only the people involved in it would only give much thought to how a series is acted, directed and written.

Saying that you have wowed me and blew my socks off is only the tip of the iceberg.

I was literally awed, inspired (and sometimes annoyed too) all throughout the 13 episodes that i spent watching your greatness.

You have brought me to some highest highs and lowest lows.

You made me reminisce of a time in my life when i was in the shoes of Da Ren as i love someone quietly (and painfully) in my own way from afar and you have also made me recall the times when i was channelling You Qing.

Of a period in my life when i was blinded by pride and selfishness and rendered helpless by fear that i deliberately turned a blind eye to the love that i deserve which is just right in front of me.

You have shown how unrequited love can be painful but how it can also be fulfilling.

You have shown that sometimes it is not the journey that counts on how two people find each other but just the fact that you’re there for each other TAKING EVERY STEP OF THAT JOURNEY together.

It might have took some time and you may have deprived us somewhat of OTP time but what a beautiful way to show us also that True Love waits and that everything has a right timing to fall in its proper time and place.

You’ve shown us that best friends really do make the perfect lovers and that even if bad boys are more attractive it is always the good boys who finishes till the end.

Thank you for giving us an OTP that is so different in so many ways but is sooo perfect together in almost everything.

I never had any doubts that they are meant for each other.

Thank you for the quotable quotes that are so stark and simple in its plainness and yet it hits me in a place in my heart where i can truly relate and smile in the memory of a time when i also wished i could have said the same.

I wish you could have gone on forever but sadly, all good things has to come to an end.

You truly deserve the earth shattering ratings that you got on your finale.

Job well done.

Now my only problem is, how will i live the rest of my week without you?

You’ve spoilt me so much i don’t think i can watch another shallow, silly, stupid Tdrama which is the norm, ever again.

Well, till here although i know it’s not goodbye since i’m sure my Laptop will see your episodes again.

(and again, and again and again).

You’d be missed.

With Love from your ardent fan,
ME 

What cemented it as one of my favorites:  

Maggie Hsu is a genius of a scriptwriter who elevated this drama to perfection because of how she told this story in a way that’s relatable and stark in its realism.

The lines sometimes just render me breathless and it pierces my soul because it was not lyrical nor poetic but just plain words that were weaved together to create the greatest impact and bring forth the strongest of emotions when it was delivered.

The symbolisms that Winnie, the director has infused in the series were also non-verbal representations of how close You Qing and Da Ren really are to each other that made the story more magical and emotional.

On the actors front, I could confidently say that this is Ariel’s best work to date.

And Bolin?

Oh, Bolin was divine.

Seriously, i’ve harbored secret thoughts of marrying him after watching him here.

I would never ever get tired of saying how great this series is.

I guess because if ever i would be a writer i could imagine my work to be something similar to this.

What’s amazing about ITWY is that it does not have a very deep central driving conflict but still, it was able to capture the viewers hearts and feelings by making them sympathize with the characters and by telling a familiar, poignant story.
 

Donnapie’s Favorite Asian Drama Countdown:

At Number 4: It Started With A Kiss 

Synopsis

After an earthquake destroyed Xiang Qin’s house, she and her father moved in with the family of her father’s college buddy, Uncle Ah Li.

To her surprise, the kind and amicable aunt and uncle are the parents of her cold and distant schoolmate Jiang Zhi Shu, a genius with an IQ of 200 whom not too long ago rejected her endless crush on him.

Will the close proximity give her a second chance to win Zhi Shu’s heart?

Or, will her love for him end under his cold words? What happens when there is competition for his heart?

Why I love it: 

Aside from the fact that i love the series because it gave me the OTP that is otherwise known as ArJoe, i love ISWAK mainly because of the reason that it shows how love is a give and take relationship.

It perfectly depicted how one’s shortcoming could be filled by the strength of the other and that though a one sided love is the most painful kind of love there is when it pays off it’s also the most rewarding.

Though Jiang Zhi Shu might be the kind of man that any girl would love to hate, at the end of the day and after watching him for hours, one can only conclude that the results would lean more towards Love than hate. 

For every 10 things he does wrong to Xiang Qin, he always does that one thing that makes the other mean things he did to her seemingly insignificant. 

He may be an ass most of the time but i can understand how Xiang Qin is so head over heels for him because he also has that knack of making me fall in love with him in the span of one second also in a majorly BIG way.

Watching him interact with Xiang Qin, i can’t help but giggle how despite she is so far from the type that one would deem suitable for him, he is obviously so besotted for her that she’s got him wrapped around her little finger.

He may have the rolling eyeballs and the smirk down pat but at the end of the day, he still does for her what she wants him to do in the first place.

I guess it’s that charm that really made me fall in love with this drama.

Of how a supremely intelligent man is so dumb when it comes to his emotions and feelings and how a seemingly dumb girl has a heart that is as vast as the ocean.

Xiang Qin has proven that if faith can move mountains, determination also can.

Little by little she inched her way closer and closer to Zhi Shu’s heart and though she got hurt a couple of times in the process, i love how Zhi Shu in his own robotic way was also always there to catch her and soften her fall.

What cemented it as one of my favorites: 

There were lots of hilarious and spazzworthy scenes in this drama but what really touched my heart the most was the part when Xiang Qin gifted Zhi Shu with the book about Hippocrates.

That in the midst of Zhi Shu’s confusion where people were telling him to be someone that he was not, it was seemingly unobservant and lost Xiang Qin who seem to really know and understand what’s really in his heart.