Nostalgic Taiwanese dramas
Before we had absurdly pretty oppas and blood-thirsty zombies dominating our screens, us Malaysian millennials likely filled our days by camping in front of our television sets and gushing over the latest Taiwanese idol dramas. That, or we were busy trying to catch reruns on – ahem – illegal streaming sites.
No matter how poor the English or Malay subtitles were, or how cringey the storyline gets, Taiwanese dramas were a form of solace for our young minds and hearts from tedious school assignments. We rounded up 10 iconic Taiwanese TV dramas that were the rage back during our youthful days, which will surely trigger your nostalgia.
1. My Fair Princess 還珠格格 (1998)
Image credit: Rakuten Viki
The Taiwanese period drama, My Fair Princess (1998), was undoubtedly a cultural phenomenon that was a hit not only in Malaysia, but the whole of Asia. In fact, the TV series was so big that it launched the careers of the lead actresses whom we know as A-listers today: Fan Bingbing, Zhao Wei, and Ruby Lin.
Adapted from the novel Princess Returning Pearl by Chiung Yao, the story is set in the 18th-century Qianlong Emperor’s Qing dynasty reign and follows a young and tomboyish Xiao Yanzi. The young girl was adopted by the emperor who mistakenly believed her for his illegitimate daughter.
Image credit: IMDb
The story’s timeless plot circled around friendship, romance, family conflict, and palace powerplay. Along with its endearing and lovable characters, the show managed to capture the hearts of audiences across generations.
A remake of My Fair Princess was aired in 2011, but the original series remains a beloved classic among fans.
2. Meteor Garden 流星花園 (2001)
Image credit: Vidio
The Japanese manga, Hana Yori Dango, has been remade and adapted plenty of times since its initial release – but the first adaptation that had viewers throughout Asia in a swoony mess is the Taiwanese version, Meteor Garden (2001). This massive hit series stars Barbie Hsu and Taiwan’s hottest boy band at that time, F4, which consists of Jerry Yan, Vic Chou, Ken Chu and Vanness Wu. Taiwan TV dramas
Image credit: Johor Now
The plot is a classic Cinderella-esque story, following a poor teenage girl named Shancai who attends an elite university for the upper echelons. After standing up for her friend, she becomes the target of bullying by four handsome and rich male students collectively known as F4. Things take a turn when the arrogant Dao Ming Si – aka the leader of F4 and pretty much the most popular student at the university – starts to fall for her.
The plot may sound cliche, but the drama perfectly hits all the right notes for the hopeless romantics – including those who dream to be Shancai.
3. At The Dolphin Bay 海豚灣戀人 (2003)
Image credit: MyDramaList
Every great melodrama comprises a tragic love story, an evil stepmother, and a heart-wrenching soundtrack – and At The Dolphin Bay (2003) ticks all these boxes. Angela Zhang plays Xiao Pin Gai, an orphan girl who becomes close friends with an orphan boy named Zeya, played by Ambrose Hsu. Unfortunately, they are split apart and lose contact with each other when they get adopted by separate families.
Years later, Xiao Pin Gai becomes a rising singer while Zeya is the CEO of the music company that she is signed to. Circumstances reunite the childhood friends, though they must navigate family drama and overcome career obstacles to finally be together.
As music was an integral part of the drama, fans likely remember the soundtrack’s iconic songs, which live on in our karaoke sessions today.
4. The Prince Who Turns Into A Frog 海豚灣戀人 (2005)
Image credit: DramaWiki
Packed with cliches and unrealistic plot points, The Prince Who Turns Into A Frog (2005) is just the romantic fantasy drama we need to escape from reality. Like every other idol drama, The Prince Who Turns Into A Frog follows the typical poor-girl-rich-boy storyline. You likely know the gist – the spoiled and handsome Shan Jun Hao is the stereotypical heir of a hotel chain, who loses his memory when a poor schemer, Ye Tian Yu, accidentally runs him over with her car.
Romance blossoms between them, but challenges appear on the road for the pair too.
Image credit: Yahoo News Singapore
The series was arguably one of the most popular Taiwanese idol dramas throughout Asia, shooting Ming Dao and Joe Chen – who played the main leads – to fame after it aired.
5. It Started With A Kiss 惡作劇之吻 (2005)
Image credit: IMDb
Based on the Japanese manga series Itazura Na Kiss by Tada Kaoru, It Started With A Kiss (2005) is the perfect Taiwanese drama rendition of it that’ll take you down memory lane. The drama’s simple romantic-comedy plot is every bit as endearing as the characters themselves, with Ariel Lin portraying the quirky and ditsy Yuan Xiang Qin amazingly, while Joe Cheng plays the broody Jiang Zhi Shu.
Xiang Qin has a huge crush on her high school’s star genius and hottie, Zhi Shu, but gets humiliated when he rejects her coldly. Her unrequited love is slowly reciprocated when the family of the two leads start living under the same roof due to unforeseen circumstances.
Image credit: Doramania
The drama became such a huge hit that a sequel was made the following year, titled They Kiss Again. In 2010, a South Korean adaptation Playful Kiss was released, which did well internationally.
6. Smiling Pasta (2006)
Image credit: Yahoo News Malaysia
There’s no shame in admitting that you were once immensely entertained by the over-the-top animations and silly plot twists of Smiling Pasta (2006) – because trust us, so were we. Smiling Pasta was quite the talk of the nation when it first aired. Not only did it hold the record for having the highest debut ratings of all idol dramas, it also stars Malaysian singer Nicholas Teo as the male lead, making him the first ever Malaysian to star in a Taiwanese drama.
Image credit: 中华网
Starring alongside him is Cyndi Wang, who portrayed the innocent college student, Cheng Xiao Shi. Her life takes a turn one day when she bumps into superstar He Qun as he was evading the paparazzis, causing Xiao Shi to fall on top of him and surprise, surprise – their lips collide too. To avoid a scandal after pictures of their kiss are splashed all over the newspapers, Xiao Shi is forced to parade as He Qun’s girlfriend and fiancée. Thus, a love contract forms between the two.
7. Hana Kimi 花样少年少女 (2006)
Image credit: Hana Kimi Taiwan
The more ridiculous an idol drama is, the better. This is why Hana Kimi (2006) was such a hit back in our high school years – that, and the amount of pretty faces that star in it of course. Joining the train of manga-adapted series, Hana Kimi is based on the popular Japanese manga by Nakajo Hisaya titled Hanazakari no Kimitachi e. It stars a few of the hottest Taiwanese idols of the era, including Ella Chen of S.H.E, as well as Wu Chun and Jiro Wang of Fahrenheit.
Image credit: ar.javamem
The drama follows the story of Lu Rui Xi, who disguises herself as a male student at an all-boys school in a quest to meet her idol and high-jump athlete, Zuo Yi Quan. She befriends Jin Xiu Yi along the way, a cheerful soccer prodigy who starts questioning his sexuality when he finds himself developing feelings for Rui Xi.
The lighthearted drama is a breeze and a joy to watch with its fast-paced storyline, over-the-top scenes, exaggerated acting, and quirky characters. Following the success of the series, Japanese adaptations were made in 2007 and 2011, followed by a South Korean one in 2012.
8. Fated To Love You 命中注定我愛你 (2008)
Image credit: Pinterest
Yet another one to add to the roster of poor-girl-rich-boy dramas, Fated To Love You (2008) is a beloved nostalgia-filled drama that holds the record for highest average ratings in the history of Taiwan idol dramas.
Starring Joe Chen and Ethan Juan as the leads, the drama revolves around the “plain jane” Chen Xin Yi and wealthy heir, Ji Cun Xi, who sleep together as strangers following a series of mishaps on a cruise. This encounter leads to a pregnancy and the two have no choice but to get married.
Despite having an atypical storyline, Fated To Love You has heart – its arcs and raw emotions are what stood out to viewers. The two leads succeeded in creating such an organic and heartfelt chemistry that audience can’t help but be invested in their relationship.
9. Autumn’s Concerto 下一站 (2009)
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Autumn’s Concerto (2009) was well-loved by those who thrived on dramas that brought on major waterworks – a Taiwanese Winter Sonata, if you will.
Top-billed Vanness Wu portrays the role of a prestigious lawyer, Ren Guang Xi, while Ady An plays Liang Mu Cheng, a poor orphan girl who was sexually harassed by her stepfather. Fate brings the two together, and they stay by each other’s side through love and hardships. However, tragedy strikes when Guang Xi suddenly has to undergo a major brain surgery which causes him to lose his memory.
Image credit: kdramadiaries
Autumn Concerto has everything a superb romance melodrama needs to get us swooning like a love-sick puppy – an us-against-the-world premise, dramatic OST, sizzling chemistry between the leads, you name it. But what stood out was the great directing and amazing acting skills showcased by the cast. Besides, some eye-candy scenes from Vanness Wu helped too.
10. Hi, My Sweetheart 海派甜心 (2009)
Image credit: IMDb
Fans of Taiwanese idol drama will find Rainie Yang no stranger, as she has starred in multiple iconic idol dramas throughout her career. In the quirky rom-com Hi, My Sweetheart (2009), she plays the feisty Chen Bao Zhu who saves a wealthy but timid dork, Xue Hai, from his bullies. Xue Hai – played by Show Luo – falls in love with her, but after a misunderstanding which made him think that she dumped him, he transforms himself into a handsome hunk to seek revenge.
Image credit: My Asian Movie & Drama
The drama was a huge success with Rainie Yang even snagging the title of the Best Actress at the 45th Golden Bell Awards, which is considered Taiwan’s equivalent of the Emmy Awards in the US.
Nostalgic Taiwanese TV dramas
While the majority of our attention may have shifted to K-dramas and Western TV series, these Taiwanese dramas were a huge part of our youthful days – and trust when we say that we will defend the corny jokes and cringey romance plots with all our hearts.
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Cover image adapted from: Channel Korea, Vidio, Netflix & Yahoo News Singapore