Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Murphy's Law of Love: Sexy Stares and Skinship From Episode One

Taiwanese dramas are great.  But they are also even more tropey and formulaic than Korean dramas.  They tend to lean towards the fatey things way more.  They are super fluffy too, mostly.  But that is exactly their charm.  They are quick to the chemistry stuffs, giving us feels and awkward humor from episode one.


When discussing this, Lizabreff and I summarized that while Kdramas withhold to build the tension for the moment they get together (only to be broken up only moments later), Tdramas give you lots of moments with chemistry, sexual tension, and romantic humor, they drag the drama out with lots of ups and down.  They also have the one trick I absolutely hate.  The mid-series bitca.  I hate having the bitca show up right as things are going great.  Either have her there the whole time, or never there.


So needing something fluffy, and being absolutely in love with Hao Wei (Jolin Chien), I decided to give Murphy's Law of Love a shot.  Even though Hao Wei is the other man, I was ready for some fluffy.  Also, the male lead looked attractive enough.


I didn't think that I was going to fall completely in love with Danson Tang within the first two seconds though.


That man's sexy stare though.


It definitely fits the Taiwanese mold.  I felt like I was watching Just You, Fated to Love You, and Fall in Love With Me (in a good way, so like the beginning that we all liked) and many others.  The same tropes, but that is why we love it.

Of course Lance had to be the man that broke our lady's heart at the beginning.


So that's what you did after you left, eh Lance?  Went and broke young poor girls' hearts?  You dog.

And of course our couple's fates crossed at the beginning without them knowing.


I just want to know why he was walking his dog through a restaurant.  Or were they at a do it yourself outdoor patio in the park?  Not sure, either way.

And then, naturally they would meet again, only they would mistake it for bad fate at first.  You can't get away from fate.  Not in a Taiwanese drama.



Way to come of as a jerk.  These misunderstandings always happen to cause a love/hate relationship.  Which we love.

But he's already leaning towards love, look at that look he's sending in her retreating direction.


And then they fatefully meet again.



And he pins her against a wall.  Yes, this is still episode 1.  This is why I love Taiwan.


Dude, could they make this man sexier?  Guyliner for the win.


He even pulls the double arm wall block.  Well played, episode 1.


But of course they have different views, even though their background brokenhearted stories are pretty much the same, even happening on the same day.


Unlike most girls (cough cough Stone Faced Tao Zi from FILWM cough cough) our girl Xiao Tong is plucky AND smart, and she can voice her opinion intelligently, as well as just being passionate and feisty and stuff.


She's already got him being sympathetic and interested in her.


That stare there, the soft, nice one.  Rawr.


Fated to Love You moment, buying the preciously auction item to make her happy.


And then she doesn't seem happy about that, which takes him aback... which is cute- and good for his ego.


Even if it's slightly misplaced anger against him, I do like how she can be just logical too.  Also, please put him in his place sometimes too.  He deserved it a little in this scene.


But I love how he reads phones with class.  Look at that pose.


I like this kind of love/hate tension in episode 1, it makes things move fast.


Wait... that's the face of a professional psychiatrist?  Haha, but she really is, and I love that.


So then here comes a butt load of fate.  He's always popping up right when she says things like this:


Nope, he's got your phone, remember?


But he can't just give it to her like that, right?


Nope, he's got to tease her with it.  When did they have time to get close enough to playfully tease?  It's still episode 1, right?

Haha, that smile.  He's such a butt head, and I love it!  This is great love/hate chemistry right here.


But it's not one sided.  She gives him some of his own, and it's awkwardly beautiful.


So much close talking.  Yay.



So like all good Taiwanese dramas, he is so bothered by her winning some too, that he looks her blog up online, and ends up...




Being honest?

Lots of random meetings and popping up... is he not stalking her?  I know they work across the street from each other, but still... mwahahaha, I love it.  That stare!


He even drives sexy.



This is another Fated to Love You moment, when they are communicating through writing and she's helping him without her knowing that it's him.  Classic and great.


His stare can pierce through the screen.


Haha.


Caught in the act of spying?  Yeah, he's got it bad and only episode 2.  I guess you have to move faster when it's only one episode a week.


Forced skinship as she chases him for her career purposes.



Always leads to accidental kisses.  You thought they were bad in Kdramas, they are worse in Tdramas.  Also they can happen as early as episode 2.



And now he's a goner.  When dramas on TV and ads with kissing bother him this much.  He's ready to pursue her full time.


And start really hanging around her work, in hopes to see her.



And be sad that she still hates him... for some reason.


Oh right, because you keep acting like a punk.


Sure, keep letting her think you're a jerk because that will be better... in what universe?


And more forced skinship, only this time, he's totes okay with it, and I am totes okay with that too.  The way he stares at her.  Rawr, rawr, rawr!


And then he turns into the cutest guy ever when she sends him a thank you/happy birthday message.



Which he then listens to on repeat, which is the most adorable thing ever.



We've maybe reached episode 3 at this point, and he's progressing nicely.  Even a bit sneaky.


But he still has the bad luck to walk up right as she bad mouths him.  Poor, little, cute, sexy stare Jia Wei.


I'm just going to leave these shots here:





Omo, I. can't. even.  Sigh!  Rawr!  It's like he wants to devour her, in a not creepy way.  What sexy, romantic, chemistry filled stares!  Whoo!


Anyways.  I am also excited that Hao Wei is also in this, not that he's done a ton yet.  I'm sure he'll be annoying someday, but he's cute now.




I'm also sure that the bitca is going to suddenly show up again mid-series and cause problems, just like in Just You.  Sigh.  Oh well.  At least there should be plenty of brooding Danson stares when that happens and he's torn between his love for Xiao Tong and his guilt or whatever towards his ex-girlfriend.  Boo Exes.  But with things moving this fast, this should be the typical Taiwanese Rollercoaster of emotions, chemistry, and drama.  Oh well.  It's the lots of ups that help us get through the lots of downs... unless it's Fall in Love With Me, and then the second half is nothing but downs... but let's hope this one sticks closer to Just You.  It seems to be like more that one so far anyways.  Here's to hoping.