[Updated 3 April with airing dates for Lovestore at the corner (April 18) and Prince William (April 25).]
I guess it is a bit of slump when I’m not uber motivated to follow on-air dramas! So are these upcoming dramas going to help? I guess none of them are on my MUST watch list (probably except You light up my star) but I might end up watching a few episodes just to see whether they’re worth continuing.
Listed according to their (possible/likely) air dates. Dramas without an approximate air date are listed according to anticipation level?
ROCK N’ROAD (A咖的路)
Starring: Chris Wu, Kimi Hsia, Mike Li Zheng Ying, Nita Lei Se Lin
Status: Filming (?), will air on March 16
TVBS’ third drama after Dragon Gate and Kiss me Mom! This caught me by surprise because back in May last year when TVBS did a launch of its new drama division, it was reported the third ‘headline’ drama will be Ruby Lin’s Sixteen Summers. (I saw some news that Ruby is filming it and that one will follow Rock N’Road.)
Anyway, Rock N’Road looks good, and I mean Chris Wu’s hair in particular. Plus, the theme song is by Mayday and the ending song by Jia Jia? Made of win right? (Just let me erase the associations with Dragon Gate then we can talk.) I mean, a huge part of why I stuck with Dragon Gate was because I applaud TVBS’ efforts in trying to do something different. Exploring different genres and actually spend more money in making and promoting its dramas. Unfortunately, I don’t think its first two dramas generated much buzz. Maybe practice makes perfect, although Rock N’Road will be in the competitive Sunday idol dramas timeslot which makes it more difficult.
Story Outline from Rock N’Road’s Facebook page:
Lin Wei Zhen (Kimi Hsia) was a famous child actor but lost her popularity after she grew up. She is at a low point in her life. In contrast, legendary music producer Zhou Shu Yu (Chris Wu) is at the peak of his career. All the singers he collaborates with become famous and best selling. Wei Zhen enters Shu Yu’s world through a song. However, Shu Yu is betrayed by his girlfriend Yang Jia Xin and his partner/assistant Xu Li Da and lost everything. The trouble prone Wei Zhen was the only one who will continue the journey with Shu Yu.
Obsessions of Line also has more useful information about this drama
Verdict: Watch with caution.
FALL IN LOVE WITH ME (愛上兩個我)
Starring: Aaron Yan, Tia Li
Status: Filming, will air on April 6
Short story outline from DramaFever:
Lu Tian Xing is a prodigy in Asia’s advertising field. Rich, famous, and mightily successful, he suddenly announces during a press conference that he will be taking a three-month break from the advertising life. With a simple disguise, he transforms himself into “Xiao Lu.” Enter Tao Le Si, a young woman who promised her late brother to protect his advertisement agency and his legacy. Unfortunately business never picks up and Le Si had to battle with Tian Xing to stop her company from being sold. When Xiao Lu enters her office doors, Le Si initially thinks that he’s Tian Xing but the two men’s personalities are complete opposites. Le Si finds herself drawn to Xiao Lu’s warm temperament, but will their love last once she discovers the truth of his identity?
I’m quite surprised SETTV actually has an even more detailed story outline (see this article) – I remember Love Around had like a one line description lol. However, don’t expect anything ground breaking here? They know what the fangirls want – lots of AARON YAN to the point where there’s a poll going asking which outfits would people want to see Aaron in, for each of his personalities.
I prefer Lu Tian Xing A (top left) and Xiao Lu A (bottom left)? I don’t know what’s going on with that big bow in the top right and although I like bottom right as well, I need to see the full body photo. The pants look a bit suspicious. Leave a message to vote here because it’s totally important.
See what’s happening here? Who cares about the plot if we can choose the outfits! HA. Oh wait, what about Tia? Takes two to tango right? I think people need to be transitioned to a new OTP for Aaron – not that I’m complaining. However, does this really have 31 episodes?!? That feels way too long.
Obsessions of Line also has more useful information about this drama
Verdict: Watch! But with a life jacket just in case I need to abandon ship later.
PRINCE WILLIAM (威廉王子)
Starring: Xie Kun Da, Andrea Chen Kuang Yi
Status: Filming, will air on April 25
According to the writer Kelly Chen Hui Ru (Black & White, Chocolat), this drama will follow TTV’s currently airing Chocolat? The Friday night timeslot has been producing quality dramas (eg. A Good Wife, The Pursuit of Happiness) so does that mean Prince William (not the official name) will be just as good? It is directed by Huang Tian Ren, whose previous work include What is Love.
Hrm. Andrea Chen, better known as Maggie from In Time with You as a lead already?!? Hasn’t she only done like… two dramas? (ITWY was bearable I suppose plus we haven’t seen the still in limbo drama version of Tiny Times.) Maybe their risk will pay off…
Not much has been released about the story. According to this article, Kun Da will play two roles, a happy, kind fishmonger from a small village who by chance, meets a rich, cold guy who looks exactly like himself but had an accident. He ends up ‘impersonating’ the rich guy, while trying to prevent the rich guy’s sister (Andrea Chen) from finding out the truth. Andrea will play an ambitious journalist who is a little rebellious. The writer reveals the story will focus more on real life issues in the workplace, family relationships and also friendships.
Verdict: Try a couple of episodes and see how it goes.
YOU LIGHT UP MY STAR (你照亮我星球)
Starring: Joe Cheng, Janine Chang, Summer Meng
Status: Filming, will air on April 25 (?)
OCKoala has posted a few articles on this drama already so I won’t repeat everything that was said. I was pretty much sold on it based on the Director Winnie + Janine Chang combination. The story has Joe and Janine both playing actors, exploring the ‘darker’ side of the entertainment industry?
Verdict: Watch!
LOVESTORE AT THE CORNER (巷弄裡的那家書店)
Starring: Nikki Hsieh, Lee Wei, Alien Huang, Chloe Wang
Status: Filming complete, will air on April 18
This is just my personal opinion but Lee Wei really does nothing for me. I was quite prepared to just skip this one until Alien Huang’s name came up. He was added in later on right? I don’t remember seeing his name on the original cast. The storyline sounds okay (although it has quite a few of the dramaland cliches already! Amnesia! Disappearance! Falling in love with your sister’s (ex)boyfriend!) Oh well, it’s produced by Dreamland Productions and they make everything look so nice and cosy.
Story Outline from its official website:
Xiang Shu Lei (Lee Wei) comes from a family of doctors. Although he has a girlfriend Du Ke Jie (Tracy Chou Cai Shi), he also has an ambiguous relationship with Dong Xin Ni (Chloe Wang). One day, Ke Jie went to Bi Jia Mountain alone and never came back. Shu Lei and Xin Ni both felt extremely guilty over Ke Jie’s disappearance and they broke up very quickly. Since then, Xin Ni concentrated on her work and became a future star of the property development industry.
After Ke Jie disappeared, her father stubbornly continues to search for her while her mother becomes obsessed with investing in share markets. Younger sister Ke Xing (Nikki Hsieh) not only lost her sister, she also lost her father’s love. When the Du family finally accepted Ke Jie is never going to come back, they start to pack her belongings. However, Shu Lei secretly takes Ke Jie’s bookcase…
Due to a car accident, Shu Lei loses his memory. He moves to Yi Lan and opens a book store. One day, Ke Xing comes into his bookstore and sees Shu Lei. She realises he was her sister’s boyfriend but didn’t expect him to have amnesia. Ke Xing thought, if she can revive Shu Le’s memories, maybe she can earn the reward so her boyfriend Li Ze Xuan (Alien Huang) can start his own business.
A property mogul is making development plans for Yi Lan. Dong Xin Ni is also participating in the project. Will she meet Shu Lei again? For her boyfriend, Ke Xing gets a job at the bookstore but unexpectedly, she is attracted to him…
Verdict: Will wait for reviews to see whether it’s worth watching.
SHENZHEN ROOMMATE DIARIES (深圳合租记)
Starring: Show Lo, Mao Jun Jie, Zheng Luo Qian, Ao Quan (Lollipop F), Gui Gui
Status: Just started filming, air date unknown
I don’t mind Show Lo as a singer / host, but I’m a bit iffy about him as an actor. But this is his ‘proper’ return to dramaland after Hi, My Sweetheart (If you don’t count his micro film with Rainie Yang) some four years ago, so it’s bound to generate interest. I would’ve loved to see a Show/Gui Gui pairing but I believe she is only the second lead.
Short synopsis from guiguiwuyingjie @ Tumblr:
The plot revolves around a guy named Song Xiao Lei (Show Luo) who just had a bad break up and lost his job. With the help of his friend Hua Qiang (Ao Quan), he decides to start a new life, including finding a new home. Xiao Lei somehow ends up living in an apartment with Hu Li Li (Mao Jun Jie), Li Mei Dai (Gui Gui), and Bai Jing Jing (Zheng Luo Qian), three girls with different personalities.
Kappy just posted a more detailed post with lots of pictures over at AVV.
Verdict: Try a couple of episodes & see how it goes.
LOVE NOT AT FIRST SIGHT (一见不钟情)
Starring: Rainie Yang, Zheng Kai, Michael Chang, Ivy Shao Yu Wei
Status: Currently filming, air date unknown
I like Rainie Yang a lot and was quite excited to see her back filming dramas again. However, I’m not sure I love her enough to watch *everything* she does plus I don’t have a lot of confidence in modern c-dramas. Doesn’t help that one of the selling points of this drama is that it’s by the same team (not director though?) of Shining Days –which sucked away many hours of my life I have come to regret.
The very brief story outline so far is that Rainie and Zheng Kai play a pair of bickering rivals – Rainie is the marriage planner who believes in marriage while Zheng Kai is a break up specialist. The opening scenes involves Rainie doing bungee jumping!
Verdict: Will wait for reviews to see whether it’s worth watching.
APPLE IN YOUR EYE (妹妹)
Starring: Blue Lan, Amber An, Zhang Ting Hu, Christina Mok Yun Wen
Status: Filming complete, air date unknown
Put Mag Hsu’s (writer of In Time with You, An Innocent Mistake) name on it and I’m already curious. Can’t find much of anything on it though?! I worry about the cast, a lot. I don’t particular consider Blue Lan and (especially) Amber An strong actors. Maybe I’ve just been watching the wrong dramas with them.
Verdict: Try a couple of episodes and see how it goes.
GO, SINGLE LADY (盛女的逆袭)
Starring: Ady An, Mike He
Status: Filming complete, air date unknown
I was rather excited when they were filming this last year and then of course forgot about it until OC Koala posted the 20 minute preview. I haven’t watched the preview yet, because I hate how C-Drama teasers can get so spoilery? When Ady was searching for a male lead for this drama, I wish she had considered Dylan Kuo, that would’ve been such a nice reunion! (Maybe she did, but the news never included him when they mentioned a list of the actors she tried to get for this role.) See OCKoala’s post for a proper story outline!
Verdict: Will wait for reviews to see whether it’s worth watching.
BRAVELY SAY I LOVE YOU (勇敢說出我愛你)
Starring: Alice Ke, Mike He
Status: Filming, air date unknown
I like Alice and the storyline sounds okay…?
Mike He plays a single dad who doesn’t believe in love anymore. He operates a pizza shop to support his daughter and they live a happy, simple life. Alice Ke plays a 30 year old country girl who moves to the city for work. However, she suddenly faces the lost of her job and her boyfriend. That’s when she starts to reassess her life. Mike and Alice will start off as enemies/adversaries but later become teacher/student. As they help each other and listen to each other’s problems, love blossoms.
Verdict: Will wait for reviews to see whether it’s worth watching.
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