Upcoming TW Dramas (Vic Zhou, Joe Cheng, and George Hu)
A bunch of new Taiwan dramas have or are about to commence filming, and the networks trotted out their stars to promote said dramas at the Taipei Television Festival.
GTV brought out Park Shin Hye and George Hu, stars of the upcoming live-action drama adaptation of the manga Hayate the Combat Butler. Filming commences in October, and Park Shin Hye will be living in Taiwan for the next few months as she films this drama. She mentioned that it feels like she’s filming the sequel to You’re Beautiful, since she gets to act with a group of good-looking young men.
SETTV has X Channel on the horizon, starring Joe Cheng and Amber Kuo. The two stars did not make the promotional tour since they are filming the drama as we speak. I cannot wait!
Finally, saving the best for last, Vic Zhou (Zai Zai) is making his long-awaited return to television with his starring role in Coming Home (fka Pacific Steamer 1949), a period drama set in Taiwan and China in the waning years of World War II.
Zai Zai plays a Taiwanese doctor educated by the Japanese and forced to be the medic for the Japanese army. The story takes Zai Zai from Taiwan to Shanghai, and back to Taiwan on that fateful Pacific Steamer (one of the last to leave China before the communists took over and closed the sea lanes) which crossed the strait in 1949 and sank.
Starring with Zai Zai is the who’s who of venerable Taiwan old-school elder statesman actors, plus his co-star from Black & White, Janine Chang. Folks are saying that Janine and Zai Zai bolted B&W the movie to “come home”, but Janine has been honest in saying that she was willing and happy to do the B&W movie, but in the end her role didn’t exist in the final script.
These are some interesting TW dramas in the pipeline, and I’ll keep everyone abreast of any new developments. Oh, and there is one more upcoming drama, but it is giving me a brain melt moment, so I really don’t want to talk about it. But in fairness I shall. Another Korean actress is coming to do a TW drama. Gu Hye Sun is doing a live-action adaptation of Zettai Kareshi (Absolute Boyfriend) with Wu Zun. Just….make your own joke about this, okay? Trust me, the jokes write themselves.
[Edit: I totally totally forgot about Material Queen, the drama which Jerry Yan had to drop out of, and Vanness Wu took over. I have like zero interest in it so have no clue what it is about, only that the leading actress is Lynn Xiong.]
Thanks for the update ockoala! I haven’t seen any TW drama lately except for the Vaness Wu melodrama entitled Autumn Concerto aka Next Stop, Happiness which I gladly recommend if you’re a VW fan. His acting has improved a lot since Meteor Garden days and he’s super-cute too!!
thanks for the update…
i pretty much watch everything with any of those actors/actresses in, and NOT for their acting… altho zaizai sure improved a whole lot.
as for wu zun. *goes off laughing*
omg!!! That’s not true, it is???!?!! Really Wu Zun und Gu Hye Sun alias Geum Jandi from BBF?!?!?together in a drama?! Wu Zun…ah the love of my life…but Honey can’t act at all…at least if he’s to play the robot he doesn’t have to show much emotion (in the beginning) Anyway there’s still hope that he improved over the years….^^
@ v, Kersten
Yeah, Wu Zun was born to play the robot boyfriend in Zettai Kareshi. Yup, this drama is pretty much a done deal. I don’t hate GHS, I just can’t stand watching her on screen (after BOF).
As for Zai Zai, he’s improved more than a lot, I think he’s one of the best actors of his generation in TW.
oh… i totally forgot about GHS when i mentioned all the actors. she didn’t even cross my mind… that’s telling about how much she annoyed me in BOF. i don’t even want to think about her… guess my subconscious is ignoring her as well. haha. not that i dislike her as a person. on shows, she’s sweet and looks fun to be with. but geum jandi was extremely irritating, or rather her portrayal of it.
wu zun=epitome of robot acting=robot. altho KHJ’s jihoo is up to par as well. haha. i sometimes think he’s hot, and then it gets totally ruined by his acting. his good looks (altho not my type) can’t even cover it.
as for zai zai, totally agree. what a shame it would be if he didn’t get discovered for MG. he’s the reason i have hope in tw acting, even with all the horrible overreacting abound in tw dramas.
do you have more updates about athena? i’m so hyped up for that drama i can’t believe it got delayed. altho giant is good too.
i just realized i sounded confusing. i was referring to wu zun as not my type, not KHJ… altho KHJ is not too much my type as well, but less so that wu zun. i guess among all versions of jihoo, i prefer zaizai’s looks. well, more like a snapshot of it. i literally swooned during the 1-2 seconds in the opening of MG garden when he was playing violin and looked up. altho i like shun’s acting the best. the chinese guy acting was good too but he was too skinny for my taste and for some reason, i didn’t like him.
and how on earth did i end up writing paragrahs about HYD from a post about tw dramas? lol
I am very excited about Zai Zai’s drama. Sounds exactly up my alley.
I am excited for Gu Hye Sun’s drama too because now that means I won’t have to watch it – she is perfectly suited for ridiculous mugging required by this.
Major LOL @ the Wu Zun comments…the casting of Night-o is too perfect–seriously LMAO!
Totally am looking forward to Zai Zai’s new drama! It’s always such a pleasure to watch him because he consistently improves in each drama he does. I have to agree, he is one of the better actors in his generation.
Goo Hye Sun and Wu Zun?! *rubs eyes and stares again* I… really don’t know what to say.
Unfortunately, my love of lulz means I might actually have to check out this atrocity. I mean, robotic male lead paired with female lead who overcompensates for his cardboard mimicry with enthusiastic mugging? It’s just asking for mocking.
well yes, Wu Zun as a robot, how fitting!
but still, it’s interesting.
and yay, new drama for Joe Cheng!
You guys are hilarious! lol..
Wu Zhun doing robot – fit to a tee. hah.
Actually, this is a good idea. Bringing Korean actresses over to star in Taiwanese dramas. Because they can teach the Taiwanese actors a thing or two. From what I understand, the Taiwanese love all things Korean. And I’m not sure if they’re trying to go the way of Korean dramas but that would actually be a good thing because many Korean dramas have good storylines and good scripts. So.. this is a good idea.
Koo Hye Sun did well in her other projects, I loved Seo Dong Yo.. Plus, I’ve heard only good things about her regarding Strongest Chil-Woo.
Acting is a lot of like relationships, isn’t it? In many partnerships or relationships, one will be slightly more experienced or skilled. So, in this case, Koo Hye Sun will be more experienced than Wu Chun and Park Shin Hye more than George Hu. This is a very good thing indeed.
love joe cheng and amber kuo.. cant wait the drama..
I really like Janine Chang. I’ve been watching all her dramas, maybe movies after! I really like her. Not exactly sure why.