403. The Ghost Bride 彼岸之嫁 (2020) Taiwanese-Malaysian

Huang Pei Jia, Wu Kang Jen, Ludi Lin, Kuang Tian

Drama Rating: 8/10     Neck Score: A+

I binge watched this over the weekend, because it's fun and only 6 episodes. But, like all Netflix shows, I'm not actually sure if this is the first season, or if this was the whole show. I feels like the whole story is over, but they left the ending open just enough that I wouldn't put it passed them to add another "season" based on the show's success. I'd watch it if another season came out, not going to lie (I'd watch anything for more Chris Wu) but the story is clearly over. It would have to be a whole new story and adventure, resolving only that one moment that made the ending open enough to justify it. But like I said, it doesn't need it, the story arc with the whole ghost bride thing is done.

I started it based off of the trailers and story line, which looked interesting. It definitely lived up to that. Then we met Chris Wu's character and I got excited (I didn't know he was in it when I started- happy bonus!) and I would have finished it no matter what, so I'm glad it was awesome. My biggest complaint about the show is: what the heck did they do to Ludi Lin's eyebrows? It's like they filled them in way too aggressively, which makes it look like he's wearing fake press on eyebrows, like those fake fur type mustaches. It was incredibly distracting and dropped him to third place in the hotness list- the fact that his character was pretty lame too doesn't help. To be honest, as much as I love Chris Wu and think he's super handsome (he ranks high on my top sexy neck's list), the villain was probably the hottest in terms of pure physical good looks. He's another one of those "hot and evil" types, as the T-list would say. Character-wise though, I'm still 100% team heavenly guard Chris Wu. He's my style. Good and mischievous with a little bit of arrogance. But to be fair, hot and evil is also one of my types. Wishy washy childhood friends with fake eyebrows are not my style.

I guess I should talk about the story too. I loved it. It was interesting, fun, and also surprising. I didn't fully know what to expect, so the twists were nice. It's also a good balance between comedy, fantasy, and horror. It's obviously a ghost story, but it's also a murder mystery and afterlife crime story. Li Lan's father's business was ruined and his health is deteriorating. Then some old friends- a still wealthy family proposes a deal that can save them through her marriage to their son, who just recently died. Making her a ghost bride to appease the son who died too young and unmarried isn't exactly a way to treat old friends. As she is is trying to figure out the best option, she begins to be haunted by her proposed husband, and finds there is more to his death, and the family in general, than meets the eye. But then you have actual time spent in the underworld, plots, scheming, and trickery. Basically, it's a really fun story. They did rush the mystery part of the ending a bit, but since that's just one of the plots, it was fine. But I literally just ordered the book it's based on through my library, because I liked it that much. It's well worth the watch.

250. The Perfect Match 極品絕配 (2017) Taiwanese

Chris Wu, Ivy Shao, Ben Wu, Xiao Man, Nylon Chen

Drama Rating: 5/10     Neck Score: A+

This started out really cute and fun, but like most dramas, it got really weird half way in.  Well, actually it started out so cheesy that I couldn't even watch it at first and I had to give it a second chance.  But for Chris Wu and his amazing chin, I did.  It got better for a bit, and then it got crazy.  The typical build of a Taiwanese drama seems to be a series of short but ever increasing dramatic episodes that just build up until you don't even remember how the show started.  Each problem gets resolved quickly enough that you don't hate it too much, but each problem is more ridiculous than the last until you are just watching it to see how the crazy will end.  Fall In Love With Me is the most extreme example of this.  The Perfect Match was no where near as bad, but certainly went full circle in crazy.

**Probably too many SPOILERS ahead, but these are really just how the plot goes.  You can still watch and enjoy if you're into this kind of crazy.**

A Perfect Match: The Perfect Combo of Tropes and Twists... I love Taiwanese Dramas

It's been a while since I've watched a Taiwanese Drama.  I've been focusing more on the Korean and Chinese lately, not by design, that's just how it happened.  But I was wanting to watch something fluffy and romantic, and I saw this one with Chris Wu.  I hadn't seen his as the lead yet (again, that's just how it worked out), so I thought I'd give it a try.

I stopped in the middle of the first episode.  I forgot how campy Taiwanese Dramas are.  But then, for some reason, I felt I needed to give it another try.  Five minutes later I was hooked.  I had forgotten how quickly Taiwanese Dramas give you the good stuff.  They don't mess around with romantic comedies.  They start with a bang.

86. Autumn's Concerto 下一站, 幸福 (2009) Taiwanese

Vanness Wu, Ady An, Tiffany Hsu, Chris Wu, Xiao Xiao Bin

Drama Rating: 7/10     Neck Score: A

This show is like crack.  Beautiful, messed up, dramatic crack.  It was so flippin dramatic, but I couldn't stop watching.  Vanness Wu is so hot, and played it so well too.  That is a large portion of it.  Xiao Xiao Bin is the other part of it.  That kid is too cute.  Also super good at acting.  I've never seen a child actor that I believed so completely.  He sold it and stole the show.  The show's worst point is that it drags out the drama for a bit too long with not quite enough pay back at the end.  It needed to have a whole episode of them being happy together, not a half one.  So much romantic/sexual tension though.  Rawr.  They meet at college, where he saves her from her d-bag step-step dad who basically is sexually harassing her, and then they get torn apart by his sticky-outty eared mom, who thinks that she can lie and arrange his life to fit her ideals.  That involves sending the girl away and lying to him after he has brain surgery.  Then pops in Xiao Le, who just wants to find his "alien dad" and helps bring them back together again.  But lying always leads to more drama, and this show has plenty of it, but despite all that, it's a glorious wonderful show that I couldn't stop watching and love despite all the crap it gave me.  The OST is amazing, especially this song by Della Ding.  They also did a really good job of aging people.  College student to super successful lawyer, little "lunch box" girl to mom, etc.

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.