Given that this is just the subjective assessment of one major Taiwanese entertainment publication TVBS Magazine, it’s still pretty darn accurate in my estimation. The power rankings are out for the top Taiwanese entertainers of 2013 with ten selected from each gender. It’s not just the actors but includes singers and models and folks who straddle multiple industries. The two entertainers who topped the poll are unsurprising and I find deserving of their top dog status – Ariel Lin for the ladies and Show Luo for the gents. Ariel has earned her top status by virtue of both awards (netting her second Best Actress Golden Bell for In Time With You) and drama ratings success for ITWY and King of Lan Ling. Show is the hardest working entertainer and always holding concerts and for the last four years has sold the most records of any singer. This ranking was done by TVBS using a mixture of industry personnel commentary (reporters, agents, producers, and publicists), the size of their fan base, how much each made in CFs, online search rankings, and how well their projects performed in ratings, sales, or box office. The list is below so I won’t get into it other than point out some notables who didn’t crack the top 10. I’m surprised not to see Rainie Yang who has released two albums in the last two years and both have done relatively well. The problem is that she didn’t act which likely impacted her fanbase who loved her for her acting talent. Ethan Ruan also missed the cut likely due to his one year hiatus to the military and since his return he hasn’t done any fast work and instead filmed two movies which are still in production. S.H.E. likely would make the list if this ranking allowed for groups, but then again their time off during Selina Jen‘s recovery and both Hebe Tian and Ella Chen doing solo work has put a dint on their popularity as a group. Some bigwigs like Chang Chen, Ruby Lin, and Alec Su work almost exclusively in Mainland China so their clout is less in Taiwan nowadays. I am really stunned not to see Jay Chou on the list which is probably due to him more powerful behind the scenes as a music producer. This ranking is an informative read into the current power play of Taiwan stars domestically which might not always jibe with how popular each may be with the international audience. Continue reading →