Fondant Garden

Rating: *****


Genre: Taiwanese Drama, Romance
Episodes: 16
Cast: Jian Man Shu, Kingone Wang, Johnny Lu, Park Jung Min




SYNOPSIS:
"Zheng Mi En (Jian Man Shu) is a talented pastry chef who works and manages at a successful bakery called Fondant Garden. Her boss and close friend from college, Chen Ai Lin (Lia Lee) always asks Mi En to bake cakes for her and pass them off as her own creations, convincing her prideful father that she is the one baking the amazing cakes. Ai Lin's father sends Ai Lin off to a fondant cake-making competition in Korea, causing Ai Lin to drag Mi En into her mesh of lies once again.
In the midst of this, Po Xi Huan/Park Hee Hwan (Park Jung Min) is a second-generation Taiwanese-Korean businessman from a Korean company who does not wish to inherit his family business. His father plans to use the upcoming cake competition as a way to force Xi Huan into an arranged marriage with the winner, who apparently has been chosen ahead of time. Xi Huan's Taiwanese half-brother, Yan Han Xiang (Kingone Wang) runs the family business division in Taiwan, but wants to be the successor of Xi Huan's father's company. Because of this, Han Xiang is a little annoyed that his younger half-brother is uninterested in taking over the business, and yet might inherit it instead of him."


REVIEW:
It's so rare that I give five stars to a Taiwan drama, but I really have to say that I absolutely loved it.  Lighthearted and sweet, this drama made me smile everyday.  Although I'm sick of amnesia themes, I will forgive the stereotype and give it the best rating I can.  I think my favorite part of the whole show, though, is the beginning.  Although obviously fake, it really set the tone for the whole drama.  I still have the song in my head to this day.  All in all, this is a drama you will definitely enjoy.

What did you think of this drama? Comment below!


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Love Or Bread

Rating: ****

Genre: Comedy, Romance
Episodes: 12
Cast: Joe Cheng, Ariel Lin, Bryant Chang, Wu Jian Fei, Zhang Jia Hui


SYNOPSIS:
"Joe plays a person who looks rich and elegant on the outside but is in reality poor."






REVIEW:
What to do?  I thought I reviewed this drama months ago!  Why is it not in my review blog? 0,o  I mean, I remember watching it.  I'm so lost. T.T  See, this is what happens when you are lazy and don't review the drama right after you finish.  You just assume that you reviewed it already, so it never gets done.

This drama is wonderful.  I can't remember too many details, as it's been too long since I've seen it, but I enjoyed it.  I tried watching this several times, but it never really clicked.  I don't know why I didn't watch it before.  In any case, that's all I have to say about this drama.  Well, except for "Why does he have her pet in the last episode?" 0,o

P.S. Can you spot the "I <3 Ariel" hat in the last episode?

What did you think of this drama? Comment below!


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Happiness is Like a Sunny Day

Rating: ****

Genre: Romance
Episodes: 25
Cast: Mike He, Janine Chang, Li Yi Feng

"When Xiang Yun Jie (Mike He) learns that he has an eight year old son from his previous marriage, he struggles to gain custody of him.  After learning that it would be hard to gain custody as a single dad, he stages a fake marriage with the help of a maid, Fang Yong Yong (Janine Zhang).  When their contract ends, will they be able to see a sunny day?"

Although it was a bit cliche and there wasn't much of a unique storyline, I still found myself completely addicted to this drama.  Maybe I'm a bit biased because I helped to segment this drama (I picked the timings for the subtitles), but I really did enjoy this drama.  I don't think it helps, though, that I have a biased for anything with Mike He in it though.  I don't think I've hated any drama that I've ever seen him in.

Down With Love

Rating: ****

Genre: Romance
Episodes: 16
Cast: Jerry Yan, Ella Chen, Kelly Huang, Michael Zhang

"Xiang Yu Ping, an expert divorce and inheritance lawyer, is seen by others as cold, selfish, and ruthless. After Yu-ping’s older brother dies in a car accident he has little choice in taking in his brother's two orphaned children, Fei and Ting. Every nanny he hires to care for them is either scared off by the mischievous children or ends up falling in love with him. Fed up, Yu Ping asks his secretary, Yang Duo, to find a nanny that meets his requirements. Having lost all their wealth when their mother passed away and being abandoned by their father after racking up heavy debts; Yang Duo can not ignore the fact that she needs the money and recommends her younger sister, Yang Guo, for the job; assuring Yu Ping that her tomboyish sister will not fall in love with him by lying that she does not like men at all."


Although I haven't watched "Down With Love" for a long time, I remember that I enjoyed it a lot.  Funny and addicting, this drama will definitely make you smile.  Normally I would take this chance to explain all the errors or problems a drama has, but (quite frankly) I don't remember seeing any real problems with it. Although they could have rounded out the supporting characters a bit more, I think they did a pretty good job of putting this drama together.

Love Contract

Rating: ****

Genre: Romance
Episodes: 20
Cast: Ariel Lin, Mike He, Bryant Chang, Petty Yang, Phillis Quek

"Outwardly, Xiao Feng (Ariel Lin) is a stubborn tomboy and the captain of the Kendo Club at her college. In her group of friends, she is the leader with her demanding nature and abrupt ways. Inwardly however, Xiao Feng is a girl scarred by her past and searching for what she wants most, love. Her friends, Ah Kai (Zhang Rui Jia), Xiao Bai (Lai Zhi Wei ), Mu Tou (Lin Yi Hong), Xin Lei (Zhong Xin Yu, and, Xiao Xiao (Yang Pei Ting) don't know about that part of her past but they are all loyal friends to Xiao Feng; that is, until Xiao Bai and Ah Kai leave the Kendo Club for the Swim Team. Xiao Bai and Ah Kai are immediately regretful when the captain of the Swim Team, Ah Ken, turns out to be a captain as grueling as Xiao Feng. When one night Xiao Feng announces to her friends she wants love the most, Xiao Bai and Ah Ken devise a prank called the love contract. In exchange for finding swim team members to recruit, Ah Ken must court Xiao Feng."


What should I say about this drama? Although I liked it, I really don't know where to begin with all the problems it had.

This drama has a slow pace. Unlike most dramas, though, this drama had a steady, but slow, pace that can make you want to fall asleep if you're not interested in the story. I don't recommend this drama to anyone who doesn't like plain romance stories, as you will get sleepy. I also thought that there was a lot to the story that happened off screen and too much that didn't happen on screen. There will be long scenes of characters staring into the distance and thinking, but sometimes they didn't show important scenes. This causes confusion for the viewers. If it weren't for those few scenes they left out, I think this series would have been a lot better.

The acting and production was good, but I think that there could have been better scene selection.

Smiling Pasta

Rating: ****

Genre: Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 17
Cast: Cyndi Wang, Gino, Jian chang, Joyce Zhao, Nicholas Teo

"Xiao Shi is a girl who has gone through many short relationships, 17 to be exact, not one lasting more than 3 months hence, she was cursed with a three-month curse. After being dumped by her 17th boyfriend, the world looks grimmer than ever. At that time, a famous idol, He Qun runs past, bumps into Xiao Shi, and they end up "kissing" on the street. Paparazzi swarmed by and to avoid a bad reputation, He Qun’s manager declared Xiao Shi as He Qun’s girlfriend of one year and fiancée. Thus, a love contract was made. This story is about how the couple learns to like each other after having disagreements in the beginning, as well as fighting the injustices the media throw at them. Will Xiao Shi finally break her 3 month curse? "


Although I haven't watched this drama in a while, I assure you that Smiling Pasta will make you smile. Although I haven't seen it in a while, it is a very cute little drama. Like all dramas, it isn't perfect. There were some things that weren't realistic. For example, there was a kick ball contest in front of the whole school. Obviously, this school doesn't uphold academic standards such as going to class. There were many more problems that I'm sure I forgot, but it really can't be helped as it has been more than a year since I last saw it.

The drama is lighthearted and is an easy watch... Although there is plenty of drama to go around, it wasn't annoying enough to make me want to shut off my computer.


Although it is off topic, Cyndi Wang always reminded me of the Wendy's mascot when she was wearing red pig tails.

Calling Big Star/ Calling for Love

Rating: *****

Genre: Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 14
Cast: Charlene Choi, Chen Zhi Kai, Mike He, Zhang Yu, Zhou Cai Shi

"Bo Ye is a reluctant big star who entered the entertainment industry to support his family. Now that he has earned enough money and his contract about to end, he happily starts planning for the next stage of his life. Around the same time, unfortunate financial downturn struck his agent, his sister and his best friend. Feeling obligated to help them he contemplates on renewing his contract. Totally depressed by this thought, he buys a lotto ticket hoping that he can win the big one and save him from this dilemma. As luck would have it, he wins the jackpot but loses the ticket before he can cash it. Now he is chasing after a taxi driver, De Xing, all over town in order to get it back."

This is another drama that I have probably passed by a hundred times without even being slightly interested in. I don't know, I guess the plot just didn't sound all that interesting. However, once I watched the first episode, I was instantly hooked. As you know, I'm quite biased when it comes to Mike He. Mike is probably one of my favorite actors from Taiwan and I love him dearly. Actually, I think I've seen Charlene Choi before as well but I really am not sure. The acting was decent and I loved the storyline much more than I had thought I would. Again, because I'm completely biased, I just have to rate this five stars.

Ying Ye 3+1

Rating: ***.5

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Action, School
Episodes: 16
Cast: Chen Qiao En, Jerry Huang, Jason Hsu, Ming Dao, Viter Fan

"Xia Tian, Jia Jiang, Fang Wei, Bulu all four grew up on Westside Street together and currently study in Ying Ye School. One month away from graduation. Xia Tian's dad is a police officer in Westside Street and is retiring tomorrow. But just on that day, they all had a fight with the Dinosaur gang in the school and were almost expelled by the principal. Officer Xia went to settle the conflict and not only did it not get settled, his gun got misplaced by the principal too. Everyone thus discussed things over and decided that AJ they all will remain in the school and they must find the gun within the one month of graduation to let Officer Xia retire peacefully and happily. Jia Jiang, Fang Wei and Bulu then can successfully graduate. While finding the missing gun, they discovered that a ex-convict Grey Wolf who escaped from prison is possibly connected with the missing gun and even more surprisingly, the Grey Wolf is actually having close communication and contact with students in Ying Ye."

Anything with Ming Dao and Chen Qiao En in it is a good drama. However, I'm not too interested in the way the fight scenes and such were made.. Anyway, it is something to check out.

My Lucky Star

Rating: ****

Genre: Comedy, Romance
Episodes: 20
Cast: Hong Xiao Ling, Jimmy Lin, Lee Wei, Leon Jay Williams, Yoo Ha Na

"Like the boy who cried wolf, Xia Zhi Xing had lied one too many times. So when she did tell the truth, nobody believed her except for the most unlikely person, Zhong Tian Qi, a runaway young master of a jewelry empire. His belief in her inspired her to become a real jewelry designer instead of a lying, scheming jewelry con artist. In the process, she taught him the real value of jewels that he is destined to inherit. "

Bull Fighting

Rating: (not Rated)

Genre: Basketball, Romance, Comedy, Sports
Episodes: 17
Cast: Cyndi Chao, Godfrey Gao, Hebe Tian, Lee Wei, Mike He

"It started as a 3-on-3 basketball competition between two rival schools; an annual event in which the winner would control the 13th Street basketball court for the following year. To everybody's surprise, the 9-year reigning champion lost this year... and it was all because of one girl. Now, this game has a new purpose. Yi Sheng Xue (Hebe Tian), a hot-headed young girl, is an avid Bull Fighting fan. At her side is her loyal childhood friend and personal bodyguard, Jin Zi Cong (Lee Wei). Their lives take a drastic turn when they meet Shen Ruo He (Mike He), whom Sheng Xue falls deeply in love with. However, they encounter many obstacles that stand in the way of them being together. Will love triumph over evil? And will Zi Cong be able to live with seeing the woman he loves, love another man? "

I like Mike He so much that I'm afraid my review will be bias so I won't say anything lol.. I liked the drama though.

Autumn's Concerto

Rating: ****

Genre: Romance
Episodes: 21
Cast: Ady An, Tiffany Xu, Vanness Wu, Xiao Xiao Bin, Chris Wu

"Ren Guang Xi, a cocky law student, seems to lead the perfect life. He's the sole successor to a huge and famous business and a talented ice hockey player. But in reality, his lonely life lacks joy, laughter and motivation. That is until he meets Liang Mu Cheng, the new bento seller at his school canteen. Although orphaned at a young age, Mu Cheng does not let her past affect her and lives life with great passion and determination. A harmless bet brings the two together and Guang Xi slowly changes as Mu Cheng teaches him how to give and love. Tragedy strikes when Guang Xi suddenly has to go through a major brain surgery which causes him to lose his memory. His mother begs Mu Cheng to leave him and the latter has no choice but to do so. Little does she know that she already has Guang Xi's child. Six years pass. Mu Cheng lives a quiet life with her young son in the countryside while Guang Xi is now a successful lawyer and is engaged to He Yi Qian, the kind and beautiful doctor who took care of him after his surgery. A strangely familiar piano piece stirs Guang Xi's heart as he struggles to recall his past romance with Mu Cheng. How will the couple make up for six years of lost time? Happiness, which stop do I alight at?"

I'll be honest; any drama that uses amnesia is not really interesting to me. However, regardless of that part of it, I really enjoyed it.

Brown Sugar Macchiato

Rating: ****

Genre: Comedy, Romance, School
Episodes: 13
Cast: Ah Wei, Ao Quan, Gui Gui, Wang Zi, Ya Tou

"One day, six boys with different personalities and backgrounds are notified they shared the same father. And on top of that they are entitled to a large inheritance. There is only one catch. They must attend the same school and live in the same house for one year to become loving brothers. But, the boys not only hate each other, they have to deal with nine mean girls from their class. Will the brothers band together and successfully pass the inheritance test? Or, will falling in love with their classmates pull them farther apart? "

Hi, My Sweetheart

Rating: ****

Genre: Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 14
Cast: Rainie Yang, Fang Fang, Lee Wei, Show Lo, Maggie Wu

"Xue Hai was a certifiable dork when he first arrived in Hangzhou. After his schoolmate Bao Zhu saved him from bullying, she became his first love. Then, a misunderstanding caused them to lose contact when she moved back to Taiwan. He thought she dumped him. So he transformed himself from a dork to a hunk in order to seek revenge. "

This drama was the reason I fell in love with Show Lo XD

Fated to Love You

Rating: ****

Genre: Comedy, Romance
Episodes: 24
Cast: Baron Chen, Bianca Bai, Chen Qiao En, Ethan Ruan, Tan Ai Zhen

"A really unfashionable working class girl Chen Xin Yi has the desire to tie down her handsome boyfriend to be with her. Due to certain reasons, her boyfriend gets her to go on a love cruise and she started to ponder on how to lose her virginity and tie down her boyfriend. Xin Yi ended up taking cold medicine which made her drowsy and went into Ji Cun Xi's room. Cun Xi is the sole male heir to his family's company and has been in love with his girlfriend, Anna, for a long time. He planned to propose to Anna on the boat but she didn't turn up on the cruise. An island owner added drugs into Cun Xi's drink and Cun Xi became disorientated and returned to his own room. Xin Yi and Cun Xi end up having a one night stand. Xin Yi later finds out that she's pregnant and Cun Xi's grandmother forces them to get married. Will a couple forced to marry for the sake of their unborn child find love with each other?"

Why Why Love

Rating: ****

Genre: Romance
Episodes: 15
Cast: Rainie Yang, Mike He, Kingone Wang, Judy Fukumoto

"Tong Jia Di needs a life besides work, paying down family debt, and more work. So her best friend Jiang Xiao Nan sneaks in a "Love" coupon in Jia Di's raffle box praying that the lucky guy who draws it will sweep Jia Di off her feet. As it so happens, Huo Yan, the compassionate manager Jia Di has secret crush on, is the lucky guy. But, tho' the prince can exchange the coupon for Cinderella's love, it doesn't mean he will, especially when his devilish younger brother is determined to exchange his "Master/Angel" coupon for her servitude."

It Started With A Kiss 2

Rating: ****

Genre: Comedy, Romance
Episodes: 20
Cast: Joe Cheng, Ariel Lin, Danson Tang, Jiro Wang, Tang Tsung Sheng

"The sequel of It Started With A Kiss begins with Xiang Qin and Zhi Shu's wedding and honeymoon. Even after marriage, they experience problems and interferences within their marriage such as mistaken pregnancy, misunderstandings, and a run-in with a girl from Zhi Shu's past. Xiang Qin and Zhi Shu switch to medical school to become nurse and doctor. During that time, Zhi Shu meets new rivals who wish to outdo him and Xiang Qin makes four new friends, and one of them likes her and wishes to replace Zhi Shu. How will their lives turn out to be?

It Started With a Kiss

Rating: ****

Genre: Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 30
Cast: Joe Cheng, Ariel Lin, Cyndi Chaw, Jiro Wang, Tiffany Xu

"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?"

Devil Beside You

Rating: ****

Genre: Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 20
Cast: Rainie Yang, Ivy Fan Xiao Fan, Kingone Wang, Masuyama Yuki, Mike He

"After finally getting the courage to confess her feelings, Qi Yue (Rainie Yang) was handing her love letter to Yuan Yi (Kingone), but by a stroke of bad luck, he did not see and walked passed her. The person standing in front of her was the troublemaker of the school, infamously known for his devilish ways – Jiang Meng (Mike He). The devil will get what he wants, and the object of his desire was Qi Yue. Although having a cruel exterior, Ah Meng’s heart is kind and caring, which truly touched Qi Yue. The big problem remained – Ah Meng is the son of the man Qi Yue’s mother is going to marry. Even though they were not related by blood, who will accept this step brother-sister relationship? What is to become of their relationship when other lovers come into the picture?"