The nominations are out for the 48th Annual Golden Bell Awards, Taiwan’s equivalent of the Emmy’s honoring television’s cream of the crop from producing to directing to acting to variety shows. Last year’s Best Actor winner Bolin Chen and the Best Actress winner from two years ago Tian Xin woke up bright and early to announce the nominees and it was a complete snooze for me until one name got read and then I started shrieking. My Zai Zai is back! With Vic Zhou back in the Best Actor category, I’m sure the news cycle from now until award night will be how Zai Zai is back to avenge his utterly insane loss of Best Actor to his own drama co-star Mark Chao in Black & White. I love Mark, but his win over Zai Zai was seriously wack. Not a single idol drama from last year made the list in any drama category, which is unsurprising since the Golden Bells rarely acknowledge idol dramas and when it does it picks ones that at least has some measure of quality to it (My Queen, The Fierce Wife, In Time With You, etc.) and no such idol drama existed this year. Since I haven’t even heard of the majority of nominated dramas or watched the actors or actresses nominated for those dramas, I’ll just discuss the two nominees that I’m thrilled about. The first being Zai Zai for Returning Home, his long completed cross-straits production of a wartime drama set during the end of World War II. The drama was filmed in three languages of Japanese, Taiwanese, and Mandarin due to the reality of the various languages spoken in Taiwan at that time, and was almost shelved in both Taiwan and Mainland China from airing because both sides thought it was overly sympathetic to the other side. Heh, good old politics. It ended up airing earlier this year with a very low key promotion and not much interest from the audience, though the critical reception was very positive. The second nomination that made me happy was Nikki Hsieh getting a Best Actress nod for her turn as a deaf-mute girl in Die Sterntaler. It’s a remake of the classic J-dorama Hoshi no Kinka (Heaven’s Coins) from the early 90s, which Korean remade into Spring Days with Go Hyung Jung and Jo In Sung. I actually thought Nikki, still a relatively newbie actress, was the best Aya character to date. Her signing was impressive and her acting absolutely a natural. Love love loved her in it! The drama, not so much. So on award’s night I’ll be rooting for Zai Zai and Nikki, and everyone else can talk to my hand.
Zai Zai’s biggest competition in the Best Actor category, other than the usual suspect powerhouse older actors, is Mo Zi Yu who was the lead in An Innocent Mistake. He’s a very understated yet impressive actor. An Innocent Mistake is also leading the total nominations so he’ll be a formidable competitor.
I love Nikki, she has this chameleon vibe about her, with a real life style that calls out edgy J-pop girls like Namie Amuro. Chris Wu is going to have an conundrum as to who he’ll be rooting for since two Best Actress nominees happen to be his last two romantic drama leading ladies. He starred with Zhou Yo Ting in What is Love? and everyone around here knows he played opposite two Nikki Hsiehs in King Flower (Substitute Princess). Neither are nominated in the dramas he worked with them on, Zhou Yo Ting’s nomination is for the public access network drama Falling and Nikki’s nomination is for her turn as a deaf-mute Taiwanese girl who grew up in Hokkaido, Japan in Die Sterntaler with Rhydian Vaugn. I think Chris got slightly shafted for not getting a nod for his turn in What is Love? so imma throwing in a picture of him with Zhou Yo Ting. What? It’s my blog and I can throw in Chris in this post if I want to. XD Even if his hair in this picture looks like the underside of a pineapple.
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Hopefully Zaizai will get the award (finally) this year. I am still hoping Zaizai and Mark could work together again, in time for Black & White 3.
Didn't know Nikki is still considered a newbie actress, she got me stuck by Die Sterntaler for longer than I should, very impressive.
I'm still not feeling ZaiZai's acting tbh, constantly feeling like he's still not breaking the wall, keeping some emotions most intimate, vulnerable he is not ready to share with me, immerse with him when watching him act.
I meant relatively newbie in relation to the other two Ayas Go Hyung Jung and Sakai Noriko when each played their version of the character.
Totally disagree on ZZ but you know that! :-D I watch him with ZZ rose-tinted glasses.
He somehow always put me to sleep in a pretty dreamy way of course! XD
I agree nikki is such a chameleon, she can go in and out of character and you never know what hit you...
Love love love that Vic was nominated, it would be upside down day if he doesnt get the trophy...
CHRIS! :D Congrats and good luck to Nikki, I'm relatively new to TW dramas...watch them here and there so I only know a couple of dramas, and King Flower was definitely my most recent crack drama so I know Nikki and Chris.
Zai Zai, Zai Zai, Zai Zai! *waving her cheerleading pom-poms*
Or else I could whistle the air of Enrico Macias's "Ah qu'elles sont jolies les filles de mon pays" tune. :D Cuz I bet other French-speaking netizens first thought about this song when they came across Vic Zhou's name.
Oh, Captain Koala. You never dissapoint. Right when I was wondering, "Is she going to figure out a way to bring Chris Wu into this conversation?" you do. You have, as my daughter would say, mad skills!
But then the picture of Vic Zhou . . . sigh. There are never too many pictures of him.
I haven't watched Nikki's DS yet so no comments there. I did see an innocent mistake so I am not sure if it will pick up the acting award. I also saw zai zai's drama... And I actually thought it was ok, but I also sometimes feel like he is still just a little awkward in some roles. His character here, I just was missing a little something. I still liked his turn in it and I wouldn't mind if he were to actually act opposite Janine again since they weren't in this series. I was super shock with the mark upset a few years ago.
I saw Yo Ting in Falling and I really liked her there. I was really surprised since I actually don't remember much about her prior to WIL. Not sure if it's good enough to win but I think she can act so the WTF that was WIL with Chris was such a waste of their talent, although it was enjoyable at a superficial level for me.
She was in "The Songs of the Soil" with Tender Huang (Jay Chou's former hairdresser), a biography of the father of Taiwanese songs... Pretty good drama, very nostalgic...
Yes, that's right... I did see that one too. I liked it. :) I watched it after I saw WIL.
Zai Zai... Such a dreamboat.
Lost in Asia Fanatics some months ago. Sigh, nowhere to share my thoughts and love for our dear ZZ. Super happy to post here. Xie xie ni!
No matter how I cried a river when ZZ lost in GBA's 2009,no matter GBA's credibility gone to zero, still I want him to get hold of that flaming golden bell. I want to see him smile so that I can finally get rid of that infamous look on his eyes when he lost.
God bless ZZ on the 25th of Oct 2013!!! Let us all pray for him!!!
Thanks Ms Koala.
An Innocent mistake was the best tw-drama for me last year and I feel it's even one of the best tw-drama to best, it made into my top10 list. I gotta say both male leads did extremely well and I'm not sure if Zai Zai can win against Mo Zi Yi but I love both guys and I'll be happy with any of them winning.
I agree! I recommend Innocent Mistake too!
I'm shock not of the Moms got nominated as Best Supporting Actress!
>_<