The older I get the more nostalgic I am, a sentiment that applies to dramas as well. Older dramas I loved appear even more wonderful through the rear view mirror, and I have a super soft spot for reunions and whatnots, even if it’s something that I didn’t watch the first time around. The cast of the 2010 hit SETTV TW-drama The Fierce Wife gathered this week for a media event to celebrate the drama getting official Spanish dubs and getting broadcast on some Latin American channels.
Leads Sonia Sui, James Wen, Chris Wang, and Amanda Zhu all made an appearance, putting to rest any rumors of cast discord from way back when. Or if there was some truth to it, clearly time has allowed everyone to move on and return as happy former drama colleagues. The press noted that all four leads were single when they did the drama, with a subject matter about marital infidelity and moving on, while five years later all four are happily married in real life. In fact, James, Chris, and Amanda are all parents while the mommy in the drama Sonia recently tied the knot but hasn’t yet expanded the family with her new husband.
The Fierce Wife was a critical and popular hit for SETTV five years ago, so much so the network followed up with a movie to tie up loose ends. I couldn’t bring myself to watch it no matter how much folks were ranting and raving about the acting and story – it’s basically a horror movie to me when the story revolves around a kind dutiful does nothing wrong housewife who brings her flighty cousin into the house for a short stay only to have her husband hook up with the hussy. It may make for good TV but is such a realistic and probable nightmare scenario I don’t have the stomach for it. Years later it still remains as one of the better TW-dramas out there, if the subject matter isn’t as personal a distasteful dish as it is for me.
I also find the subject matter of the drama distasteful but was curious enough to check it out especially when I love Sonia and James as the OTP in The Happy Times of That Year.
I skipped the first part of the drama… didn’t want to watch the adulterous pair getting together.. and only started watching when the wife found out. Sonia is a revelation in the drama, nuanced in her perfomance. James made his unfaithful and weak character realistic yet not entirely detestable.
I like the drama a lot, truly well written and well acted.
I didn’t actually see The Fierce Wife but I read recaps a long while back and was inexplicably drawn to the show. Not sure I’d actually watch it now that I know the entire story, but one thing I definitely agree with you about is that Sonia and James are so, so, so lovely in The Happy Times of that Year / The Year of Happiness and Love. Highly recommend it to anyone who’s still reeling with disgust over James’s character in TFW.
Oh yes, I watched it a few years after The Fierce Wife. It was a pleasant surprise to find that they can be so adorable as a OTP.
I actually was hooked to this for some reason cause I remember following it when it aired in TW. I loathed James’ character RF – he was a weak weak weak and horrible man IMO as much I didn’t like Amanda’s character.
It’s still interesting to me even though the plot isn’t all great. I felt that it was really realistic cause it does happen in real life. And those people are distasteful/despicable. 🙁
Good to see all of them together again. 🙂 Congrats to Chris and Sonia, respectively. 🙂 Amanda and James are each like seasoned parents already 🙂 time flies!
I totally read the title wrong lol, I read it as the cast reuniting for a new drama called “everyone now married” haha
For me the show became interesting after the divorce happened. Until then it was simply melodrama territory.
I found Ruifan frustrating and hard understand, and wondered if he had a psychological problem because he was so obstinate and kept flying in the face of good sense in all his decisions.
Amanda Zhu truly deserved her Supporting Actress award. Whether as Qiwei on the verge of a mental breakdown, or her previous role in Autumn Concerto as a rape victim suffering from PTSD, she cornered the market on playing traumatised characters.
The show was fun to watch when it veered briefly into Temptation of the Wife territory, with a makeover of An Zhen to regain her husband, but what truly elevated it was when it turned around from the clichés of its genre to show how An Zhen discovered the stuff she was made of, and how she rebuilt her life in her own right. And the conversations with her friends – I could imagine having them in my own life.
瑞凡, 我回不去了(Ruifan, I can’t go back) is a classic line to many, but 我们不是婚姻的附属品 (we are not the appendages of marriage) is the line that I will always remember this show by.
Watched this last year on a satellite channel with no subtitles and with my parents. #facepalm
It was so addictive, I actually wrote to the satellite provider requesting subtitles. Lol
One of those dramas, that provokes a visceral reaction as it does hit so close to home. James character was the one that struck me as the most realistic and I really thought he did a great job.
I agree with those who’ve said that it was the wife’s discovery of her “fierce”ness that made this a really good Drama. Also, James did a great job of making me wish for really bad things to happen to him, as did Amanda.
Wow, five years went by really fast. It was a harder drama to stomach, given the nature of the story, but I really enjoyed the acting from Sonia Sui and James Wen, and it does remain one of the better TW dramas I’ve watched in recent years.
Is it me or… does James Wen look a bit like Nicky Wu with his new hair?
watching this made me realize how easy a man can be swayed into the cheating and still feel like he did nothing wrong.
with a plot like that no wonder it was taken up by latin american countries… we love that kind of drama…some mexican dramas have had similar plotlines though they drag on so much that I quickly lose interest.
I watched from the beginning once I found it; you have to to see Sonia Sui’s transformation. I am the guy who likes music. I still listen to Yisa Yu and Freya Lim. My favorites are 指望 and 重傷, and I can’t leave out 五天幾年 (如果說這是愛). And 暖心. When I watch a drama the good songs just stick in my head and I can’t get them out.
My mom is currently watching this drama and it is pissing me off!!! I cannot stand Amanda’s character and can’t believe she has no shame and self worth. It’s also strange and cool how I came across this article and then find out my mom is watching it. I really pity Sonia’s character and hope for the best with her.
I’ve watched this 4 years ago, but I started REPLAYING it recently because Netflix made it available for streaming. If there’s something that hadn’t change, it is my love for Lan Tien Wei. He’s role is a GAME CHANGER especially to An Zhen. ♡
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now one of my best drama ever!