80. Inborn Pair 真愛找麻煩 (2011-2012) Taiwanese

Chris Wang, Annie Chen, Xie Kun Da, Puff Guo, Chris Wu

Drama Rating: 6/10     Neck Score: A

Another one of those super long (like 84 episode) dramas that make me wonder why I started them but really love in spite of that.  Annie Chen is still studying to pass the bar exam (she has the worst luck) and Chris Wang is the CEO of a zoo resort.  The have a chance encounter that makes him thing she's a home wrecker and she thinks he's a cheater.  Then they run into each other at the temple, where they get the fame fortune.  Then the grandmother (my favorite Taiwanese baby hungry grandmother- the same one as in Love Around) finds out that she is the girl that she promised would marry her grandson because Annie's grandfather saved her family's life when both Chris and Annie were in the womb.  The grandma then does everything she can to force that promise's fulfillment, even pretending she has cancer.  So the couple, even though they started out hating each other, decides to have a secret contract marriage to make the grandmother happy.  Then lots of crap happens.  Annie has a short temper, Chris has a girl who is totes in love with him and not willing to let him go, Annie's first love shows back up, and there is pressure to have a baby, etc.  They are also both really stupid and won't admit they like each other when they clearly do.  Also, there is the other sibling drama.  The older sister is so dumb and controlling that she basically sets herself up to be cheated on by being too willful.  The younger brother is a horrible ladies man, but he meets his match when the girl he picked on in kindergarten comes back for revenge.  So in spite of all the craziness, and long running series, it is actually pretty enjoyable.  I hated the other girl, and his mom, and the cheating husband crap, but the main couple (Annie and Chris) and little brother couple (Kun Da and Puff Guo) are super compelling and I loved it.  I've loved Puff since Just You, and this is further proof that she is a great actress, because her character is so different in this one.  She is a calm, well mannered, yet revenge seeking/man training girl with a cool gangster background.  Yes.  Even though this show was silly, I still liked it.

53. Love, Now 真愛趁現在 (2012) Taiwanese

George Hu, Annie Chen, Bobby Dou, Harry Chang, Vivi Lee

Drama Rating: 6.5/10     Neck Score: B

Because it was too hard to wait on both Just You and Love Around, I decided to watch this one.  It was daunting at first because there are like 75 episodes, but they are only 45 min each, so it is not so bad.  But man, George Hu and Annie Chen have some amazing chemistry.  They were so good in this one that Love Around was basically just banking off of their already established chemistry and popularity (not that it wasn't a good show on it's own too).  This one has the very basic set up that Annie is a workaholic who never takes breaks, so her boss/ex-boyfriend/brother figure and family trick her into thinking she has terminal cancer to get her to take a vacation.  But she happens to bump into George, who has been looking for her ever since their senior year of college when he fell in love with her on site.  Because he saves her from being hit by a car, and loses his suitcase in the process, she has to switch rooms and never sees the "just kidding" letter so continues on the vacation thinking she is going to die.  Then angel face George, who is already in love with her, swoops in to make her dreams come true and it gets really steamy in the first few episodes (like make out by episode 4).  But since it's all based on a lie, not hers but her families, then everything gets messed up and misunderstandings happen.  That's just the situation that sets it up, and since it's so long so much more happens.  It also tried to trick me later and I had to stop ellipticalling because I was so confused and crying at one point, but everything works out well and none of the crap lasts for too long, really.  It doesn't drag, it just keeps going for a long time, with all sorts of ups and downs.  Still, I might like this one more than Love Around, but that's hard to say, because I loved that one too.  Basically George Hu is hot.  The end.

52. Love Around 真愛黑白配 (2013) Taiwanese

George Hu, Annie Chen, Jack Li, Elleya Tao

Drama Rating: 7/10     Neck Score: A+

When I realized that Taiwanese dramas only go once a week and that I had to wait to watch more Just You, it prompted me to start watching this, which started around the same time.  George Hu is hot.  He has a sexy voice, face and when I read his bio, that only made him sexier.  He is like manly and cute/baby-faced at the same time while Aaron Yan is sexy and cute at the same time.  I mean George Hu looks so cute and baby faced but oozes sexy manliness at the same time.  HOW?  He plays the son of a former gangster in this one, and meets Annie Chen when she is dumped at his hotel when she catches her boyfriend cheating on her on his birthday.  Having just been recently dumped himself, he stands up for her and punches her boyfriend.  Then they become friends, helping heal each others pain.  They also figure out that she's the Radio DJ that he is constantly calling because of his ex-girlfriend.  He is the sweetest man in the world, but also super savvy because of his gangster background.  He protects her, and sneakily helps her when her radio station is in danger because of funds.  Then we have childhood friend and nerdy accountant played by Jack Li.  Love him.  What I like about the plot is that the romance is really realistic.  She over thinks everything, and everything is awkward.  They are friends who fall in love.  Nothing super formulaic or cheesy.  It does get a little hookie at the end when the family drama tries to ruin everything, but they both stay so cool that even the stupid noble idiocy thing doesn't work.  Loved it.