So I’m totally and completely jet lagged. Again. I’ve been doing international travel multiple times a year since I was 5 years old but good gracious the tolerance is inversely proportional to experience and instead manifests itself with age. As I painfully tossed and turned in my comfy bed, I ended up trying to watch random dramas to see if the sheer tedium could lull me back to sleep. The Swordsman, like a zombie that won’t die and keeps reproducing more offspring in terms of episode count, is still so bad as to be literally unwatchable. After watching some J-doramas (Dinner – I’m ready for lunch now, Nobunaga no Chef – time-traveling AND cooking?), I randomly clicked play on a new C-drama I knew nothing about. Not even who the stars were. It’s called Hello Gorgeous (Chinese title 华丽一族 The Extravagant Clan, not to be confused with the famous period J-dorama 華麗なる一族 Kareinaru ichizoku starring KimuTaku) and stars the enchantingly real and charming Li Xin Ru, the immortally good looking Godfrey Gao (who is next going to be Magnus Bane in the upcoming movie adaptation of City of Bones in case anyone cares), and real life Chinese male supermodel-turned actor Li Xue Qing (English name Jed Lee). The drama is a remake of the 1997 K-drama classic Model starring Jang Dong Gun, Kim Nam Joo, and Han Jae Seok, which I have not watched other than guffawed over the ridiculous make up and outfits way back when. Within minutes I was hooked – this is what I wanted SOP Queen to be except that one turned out to be a bore and so intent on making every actor and scene look good that it became a poseur show. Hello Gorgeous is instead ridiculous and entertaining with promises of crazy but fun makjang to come that will hit all my kinks (betrayals!, angry make outs galore!, deliciously juicy love triangle!). This drama took over the weekend time slot from Drama Go Go Go and now I’m dying for more more more! I have to also point out how tall all three leads are – Godfrey is 6’5″ (195 cm), Li Xin Ru is 5’7″ (170 cm), and Li Xue Qing is 6’2″ (188 cm), which is nicely realistic if the drama wants to convince me they all play super models onscreen. Continue reading →