Park Shin-yang

Park Shin-yang
Hangul:
박신양
Hanja:
朴新陽
Revised Romanization: Bak Shin-yang
McCune-Reischauer: Pak Shin-yang

Park Shin-yang (born November 1, 1968) is a Korean actor who became famous as a cast member in the well-loved Korean television series, Lovers in Paris, joined by Kim Jung Eun and Lee Dong-gun. Park Shin-yang portrays Han Ki Joo, President of GD Motors. His character falls in love with Kang Tae Yeong (Kim Jung Eun) but competes for her affection with his nephew, Yoon Soo Hyuk (Lee Dong-gun).

Park Shin-yang's recent film project, The Big Swindle, became a big hit in Korea.

Park is married and has a daughter, who was born in Hawaii.

Lovers in Paris

Lovers in Paris
파리의 연인
(Pari-ui yeon-in)
Genre Drama, romance
Produced by Kim Yang
Network SBS
Original run June 12 – August 15 2004
No. of episodes 20
Original time slots Saturdays and Sundays at 9:55 p.m.
Lovers in Paris
Hangul 파리의 연인
Hanja 파리의 戀人
Revised Romanization Pari-ui Yeon-in
McCune-Reischauer Pari-ui Yŏn-in

Lovers in Paris (파리의 연인, Pari-ui yeon-in) is a successful Korean drama series broadcast by SBS in the summer of 2004. The show is also known as My Sweetheart in Paris and Romance in Paris. The show won the prize for best television drama in the Baeksang Art Awards, held on May 20 2005. The show was the first of three romantic dramas set in Europe. The second drama is Lovers in Prague. The third, and last one is simply titled Lovers (연인).

Plot
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Han Ki-joo is the President (and the son of the CEO) of GD Motors (which is based on the successful Korean motor company GM Daewoo). He has been living in Paris for two years after his failed marriage to Baek Seung-kyung. He is charismatic and a smart man and he has been groomed all his life to take over the position of the Chairman of the company, the next commander of GD Motors.

Kang Tae-young is the beloved daughter of a film director. She is carrying on her father’s wish and is studying film in Paris. To make ends meet, she works as a housekeeper for Han Ki-joo. She is a simple yet spunky girl with an optimistic outlook on life, she may be goofy at times but her warm, spontaneous personality makes everyone gravitate towards her.

Yoon Soo-hyuk is the free-spirited vagabond nephew of Han Ki-joo who dropped out of design school in the United States to live with him in Paris. He shares a close and intimate relationship with Han Ki-joo, although Han Ki-joo being the uncle is not much older than him. Han Ki-joo gives the freedom that he yearns for and supports him monetarily to pursue the kind of life he wishes.

Being the man with high standards, Kang Tae-young is quickly fired by Han Ki-joo as a housekeeper. However, when he realises that she is from the same hometown as the wife of a potential business partner, he is quick to capitalise on that and hires her to be his girlfriend to warm up to his business partner. She agrees in exchange for getting back her job as a housekeeper. During the two dates that he takes her out, she is smitten by the entire fairy tale of the event. In turn he finds himself unexpectedly captivated by the chatty, unpretentious girl.

However, the fake girlfriend plan backfires on him, and both part ways on bad terms in Paris.

Yoon Soo-hyuk also meets her on a different occasion and is taken by her immediately. He sees through her insecurities and her weaknesses and his heart goes out to her and wants to protect her.

Recalled by his father, Han Ki-joo returns to Korea, and Kang Tae-young takes the same plane back as well to attend to her father’s death anniversary. Both are reunited coincidentally back in Seoul and manage to have their misunderstandings resolved. She prepares to return to Paris to continue her studies, and parts with him. Unfortunately, her uncle has squandered away her family house and run away, leaving her with her young cousin and the debts he has incurred.

While trying to sort out her family problems and retrieve her father’s camera that was confiscated by the creditors, she meets Han Ki-joo again. Through multiple coincidental encounters, he finds himself attracted to her. Despite his commanding presence and being the next chief of his family's business, on the relationship front he is a complete retard. But his heart starts to yearn for a relationship that he has never experienced before.

Yoon Soo-hyuk returns to Korea as well to track Kang Tae-young down. He puts up at her place and tries to win her heart. But he is devastated when he realised that his beloved uncle is also vieing for her affection.

The situation is further complicated with the introduction of Moon Yoon Ah, the daughter of an influential politician whom Han Ki-joo's father has selected to be Han Ki-joo's wife. She also happens to be Kang Tae-young's classmate in high school and she is determined to win Han Ki-joo to be her husband.

Against the better judgment of all around them, Han Ki-joo and Kang Tae-young open their hearts to each other. But their union will not be smooth sailing with a scheming Moon Yoon Ah and an emotionally wounded Yoon Soo-hyuk plotting to split them up. Meanwhile, a CEO at GD Motors tries to bring Ki-joo down and created a scheme with the designer for GD Motors, Yoon Soo-hyuck to spill the latest car design to the rival of GD Motors. The new car is announced and GD Motors is petrified by the fact that the latest and the best design was stolen. Later, Ki-joo figures out that his beloved nephew, Soo-hyuk did this, but forgives him. The fact that Ki-joo forgave him so easily and lovingly drives Soo-hyuk crazy. After getting into a car accident while blazing through the streets of Seoul to attempt to erase his guilt, he gets amnesia and loses his recent memories. (He only pretends he does not remember anything to let go of Tae-young so she can go after her true love, Ki-joo.) Moon Yoon Ah, after all those times, decides to let go of Ki-joo and throws her engagement ring into Han-River. With two "obstacles" out of the way, Ki-joo and Tae-young can finally get together. Unfortunately because of Ki-joo's families' dislike for Tae-kyung, the couple decides to be separated temporarily. Tae-young goes back to Paris and Ki-joo stays in Korea and overlook a new car development. After 2 years, the new car is announced and is a success. Ki-joo, immediately after the ceremony, catches a flight to Paris. For some time, they do not know where each other is and go on with their lives. Then one day, just as the series started, but this time instead of Tae-young, it's Ki-joo who throws a coin into a fountain and wishes to see Tae-young again. As he turns and put his leg around his bike, he sees Tae-young standing there. They both are stunned. The next scene shows the couple sitting by a river. Tae-young breaks the silence and asks, "If we had not met in Paris, do you think we still would have ended up together?" Ki-joo answers, "Most likely we would have." The scene suddenly switches to an outdoor coffee house and Tae-young with her old hair style is sitting on a chair sipping coffee. There are Ki-joo and probably a potential client in the back. Tae-young's voice over narrates a story. "Behind Tae-young sat the lover she always has dreamed of, but of course, she did not have the slightest idea." The next scene shows Tae-young in Korea, busily typing the same story on a computer. She looks at the clock and busily organize her stuff and leaves. (She is a housekeeper for an unknown person just like in Paris, but this time in Korea.) On her way out, she sees a newspaper with large headline that tells of a "cinderella" girl who got engaged to a rich guy (Picture of Tae-young and Ki-joo). She scoffs and says that that kind of romance never happens to a normal person. She leaves the house she keeps. As it turns out, the housekeeper Tae-young is selling stuffed dolls on a street of Seoul. When she leaves her cart unattended for some time, a lady (about 40-50) comes up to Tae-young's cart and sabotages it for being it her "spot." When Tae-young comes back, she is shocked to find her cart totally destroyed and automatically assumes that the car parked next to her cart is responsible. She kicks the car until the alarm goes off. Surprised Ki-joo comes up and asks her what she thinks she is doing. Tae-young asks for a compensation. When she asks for a sum beyond the reasonable amount, Ki-joo realizes that he had forgotten to bring his wallet says he will go to his house and bring back the money. Tae-young does not like the idea for he can just take off. So she snatches up Ki-joo's key and gets into the car. She and Ki-joo drives off and Tae-young asks if she can make a stop at an apartment. Ki-joo is surprised because the apartment she want to make a stop at is his. They both stare at each other and Tae-young asks if she had seen him somewhere. The series ends with the scene of the couple driving away from the camera above.

* Explanation*

When the couple in Paris sits by a river and Tae-young asks if they would have ended up loving each other even if they did not meet in Paris, the story changes the view and shows an alternate universe/scenario where they do not meet in Paris, but in Korea as a housekeeper and a rich CEO (similar to what happened in Paris).

In conclusion, there are four Tae-youngs leading their own lives in alternate story lines. The first one is the one the viewers have seen for the last 20 episodes. The second one is the one writing a story about a romantic love in Paris. The third one is the one IN the story (may/may not count as a Tae-young). and the fourth one is the one in the newspaper.

The writer of the series stated that she meant the series to be fantasy like with twisted/refreshing/head-scratching ending for basically all Korean dramas are about: switched babies who find out their real parents later, two "star-crossed" lovers with families who do not approve of his/her lover, triangle love story, and etc. Although Lovers in Paris followed the usual pattern of Korean drama, it was extremely popular for the setting (Paris), music, dance scenes, romantic lines, the actors, refreshing ending (other Korean dramas drags on and ends up parents of the lovers accepting their sons/daughthers lovers), and so on.

Cast

The names used in the Philippines are in parentheses.

* Park Shin-Yang - Han Ki-joo (Carlo Han)
* Kim Jung-Eun - Kang Tae-young (Vivian Kang)
* Lee Dong-Gun - Yoon Soo-hyuk (Martin Yoon)
* Oh Joo-Eun - Moon Yoon-ah (Donna Moon)
* Kim Suh-hyung - Baek Seung-kyung
* Jung Ae-ri - Han Ki-hae
* Kim Sung-won - Han Sung-hoon
* Jo Eun-ji - Lee Yang-mi
* Yoon Young-joon - Kim Seung-joon

Staff

* Producer: Kim Yang
* Director: Shin Woo Chul
* Writers: Kim Eun Sook, Kang Eun Jung

Success in Korea

Lovers in Paris got a 51.8% audience rating. Even though the ratings were inconsistent it managed to beat its timeslot rivals. It has been one of SBS's most successful show ever.

Aja became a very popular expression after being used in this drama. It was also romanized as aza in the drama Full House where it was used in the phrase "aza aza, fighting".

Ki-Joo's "house" in Paris, the site of the first three episodes, was actually filmed in the Penthouse of Oakwood Premier Coex Center, a luxury serviced residence in Seoul. The GD Motors building was also in real life the SBS office building.

Success in the Philippines and Japan

It was aired as a "koreanovela" on a primetime slot in the Philippines under ABS-CBN. It only began with a 27.1% rating on its first airing but soared to 36% only a week later and became a top-rater on its timeslot. (Spoilers) The highest rating of the show was 39.7%. It never reached 40% because its rival shows in GMA-7 are still consistent in 30% level. It beat the first week of the Stairway to Heaven

After Lovers in Paris, Stairway to Heaven became a major hit in the Philippines, beating all its counterpart. Stairway to Heaven once reached 50% level, alongside with Full House.

In Japan, it was aired for the first time in January 1, 2005 through Nippon TV satellite (BS NTV) and become a major hit with its peak rating of 26.1%.
source:www.wikipedia.org

Lee Dong-gun

Hangul:
이동건
Hanja:
李東健
Revised Romanization: I Dong-geon
McCune-Reischauer: Yi Dong-gǒn

Lee Dong-gun (baptised Emmanuel, born July 26, 1980, Kangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea) is a South Korean actor. Lee made his debut as an actor and singer in 1997. Currently, he is enrolled in the Department of Theatre and Cinema at Hanyang University.[1]

Lee has stated that he will take a break from acting in 2006 because he feels overwhelmed with his workload in TV and film. He will resume acting in 2007.

He once said that his singing career was like a wheel. Sometimes he’s up and sometimes he’s down. If it wasn’t for acting, he would have left the entertainment business. He said that probably he was never meant to be a singer. So now, he is very much into improving his acting career.

He seems to be fluent at Japanese because he spoke a bit of Japanese when he was acting Friends 2002 and Stained Glass.

Discography

* 1998: Time to Fly
* 1998: Hoping my wishes reach heaven (나의 바램이 저 하늘 닿기를)
* 1998: Propose (프로포즈)
* 1999: El Dorado
* 2000: Whenever it is (그게 언제라도)
* 2000: Much More
* 2004: Ah Reum Da Oon Shi Jak (아름다운 시작)

Filmography

Musical

* 1998: Wandering stars (방황하는 별들)

Drama

* 1999: KBS Ad Maniac (Kwangki 광끼)
* 2000: MBC Three friends (세친구)
* 2001: KBS Can’t help being born well! (잘난걸 어떡해)
* 2002: MBC Friends 프렌즈
* 2002: MBC The thought of wearing rubber shoes on the wrong way (고무신 거꾸로 신은 이유에 대한 상상)
* 2002: MBC Ruler of Your Own World (네멋대로 해라)
* 2003: MBC Ling Ling (링링)
* 2003: MBC I’ll love you til I die 죽도록 사랑해
* 2003: KBS Sangdoo! Let’s go to school (상두야 학교가자!)
* 2003: SBS daily drama The Heungboo’s get lucky (흥부네 박터졌네)
* 2003: MBC No Chun Hyang VS Ahn Mong Ryong (노춘향 vs 안몽룡)
* 2004: KBS Sweet 18 낭랑18세
* 2004: SBS Lovers in Paris (파리의 연인)
* 2004: SBS Stained Glass (유리화)
* 2006: SBS Smile Again (스마일 어게인)
* 2007: SBS If In Love... Like Them

Film

* 2002: Family (패밀리)
* 2005: My Boyfriend is Type B (B형남자친구, B hyung namja chin goo)
source:www.wikipedia.org

Kim Jung-Eun

Kim Jung Eun (born March 4, 1975) is a South Korean actress most popular and famous for her roles in Lovers in Paris and Marrying the Mafia. Known for her spunky, princess-like image, she admits to having been fat early in her life. She also declared openly that when she graduated from high school, her mother allowed her to have plastic surgery as a graduation gift. She is quite famous and popular for Korean television advertisements.

Profile

* Name: Kim Jung Eun (김정은)
* Date of birth: March 4, 1975
* Height: 170 cm
* Weight: 48 kg
* Hobbies: Skiing, swimming, computer games, reading
* Specialties: Piano, flute

TV Dramas

* All About Eve as Yoo Joo Hee (2000)
* Lovers in Paris as Kang Tae Young (2004)
* Princess Lulu as Go Hee Soo (2005)
* Lovers as Yoon Mi Ju (2006)

Movies

* My Old Sweetheart (1995)
* Fun Movie as Sang Mi (2002)
* Marrying the Mafia as Jang Jin Kyung (2002)
* Mr. Butterfly as Oh Hye Mi (2003)
* Spring Breeze as Hua Jung (2003)
* How to Keep My Love as Kim Hyun Joo (2004)
* Sarangni as Jo In Young (2005)
* Mission Sex Control as Park Hyun Joo (2006)

Trivia

Kim Jung Eun is currently dating Lee Seo Jin
source:www.wikipedia.org

Princess Lulu

Princess Lulu

Genre Drama, Romance
Created by SBS
Starring Kim Jung-eun
Country of origin South Korea
Production
Running time 30-40 minutes
Broadcast

Korean superstar and Asian TV’s Best Actress Kim Jung-eun, is now back in Philippine primetime viewing. Kim, more popularly known as Vivian from Koreanovela phenomenon Lovers in Paris, now plays lead role in the most coveted Korean series to date, Princess Lulu beginning this Monday, February 13.

Lulu is the heir to a wealthy empire who dreams of simple things. Her fortunate lifestyle may seem a blessing for others, yet Lulu still tries to find her own happiness above any material thing that leaves her dreaming of marrying the man she truly loves someday. She finds meaning in the vital elements of life – love, friendship and family.

In her effort to find contentment in the most basic things, Lulu often gets herself into all sorts of trouble. Good thing she always has best friend Stephen to her rescue. Then, comes a good looking, rich and mysterious Mr. Right named Marco. Only to find out that Mr. Right is actually Mr. Playboy.

Can a simple, rich girl find true love in a playboy?

Featuring the theme song, “Closer You and I” performed by Mr. Dream Boy Piolo Pascual, catch the most coveted Koreanovela, Princess Lulu, every night in Kapamilya Primetime Bida, starting this February 13. Fall in love over and over again this love month, only here in the first and true home of Asianovelas in the Philippines, ABS-CBN 2.

This was produced by SBS and broadcasted in 2005.
source:www.wikipedia.org

Ahn Jae Wook

Hangul:
안재욱
Hanja:
安在旭
Revised Romanization: An Jae-uk
McCune-Reischauer: An Chae-uk

Ahn Jae-wook (born October 30, 1971) is a South Korean actor, composer and singer. As a child he spent most of his childhood in his hometown, the district of Donamdong in Seoul, before graduating from Seoul Art College, where he majored in theatre. After graduating in 1994, Ahn Jae Wook later went on to make his debut in the drama, The Song of Blind Bird, a drama that was based on a real-life story. Ahn Jae Wook, then a young man, took up side roles in several of the 1995-96 dramas before taking up a lead role in the 1997 drama, Star In My Heart. Together with Choi Ji-woo, both of them took up leading roles in the movie First Kiss in the following year.

Ahn Jae Wook also pursued a career in singing. He composed and sang several songs by making his debut in music from his music album, Forever. It was sung as the last song of Kang Min's concert in the ending part of Star In My Heart, and was a great hit over amounting to 700 thousands sales. His other main albums include Memories and Red in Ahn Jae-wook.

Statistics
Image:Ahn Jae Wook.jpg
Ahn Jae Wook

* Height: 176cm
* Weight: 67kg
* Blood Type: A
* Zodiac: Scorpio
* Waist: 30inches
* Foot: 260mm

Drama

* 1994: Song of Blind Bird (눈먼 새의 노래)
* 1994-7: Partner/Jjack
* 1995: Hotel (호텔, 1995)
* 1995: War And Love (전쟁과 사랑)
* 1996: Their Embrace(그들의 포옹)
* 1996: Salted Mackerel(자반고등어)
* 1996: Three Men Three Women
* 1997: Star In My Heart(별은 내가슴에)
* 1998: Revenge and Passion
* 1998: Sunflower
* 1999: Goodbye, My Love
* 2000: Mom and Sister (MBC)
* 2000: Bad Friends (MBC)
* 2001: 아파트
* 2003: Fairy and Swindler (선녀와 사기꾼) (SBS)
* 2004: Destiny (MBC)
* 2004: Oh! Pil Seung And Bong Soon Young (오!필승 봉순영, KBS)
* 2006: Mr. Goodbye (KBS)

Movies

* 2003: Garden of Heaven
* 1998: Tie a Yellow Ribbon
* 1998: First Kiss
* 1998: Rub Love

Discography

Albums

Forever

(Released 24/4/97)

* Prologue
* Forever
* 아침 고은 햇살
* Don't go baby
* 어둠 그리고 그림자
* 방황
* 널 보낸 지금
* Main The Piano Solo
* Forever (BonusTrack)

(Released November 1999)

* Goodbye
* Yesterday
* Please don't go away
* 인연
* 너 없는 내일
* 부탁
* Baddest
* Illusion
* 나의 너에게
* Yesterday (Instrumental)

Red in Ahn Jae-wook

* Dear...
* Pain
* My Friend
* 시작
* 벽
* 수호천사
* Happiness
* 배신
* 넌 또다른 나
* 모래시계
* 떠나지마
* Never Ever
* 변명
* 자유

Host of Variety Shows

* 1995-6: Five Episodes Of Youth (젊음의 다섯마당), MBC)
* 1996-7: Charging 100% Show (충전 100% 쑈, SBS.)

Awards

* 2000: MBC Best Actor Award

Education

* Jungduck elementary school
* Sinchang middle school
* Kyungdong high school
* Seoul Arts university (Major in play)
source:www.wikipedia.com

Sung Ji Hyo

Song, Ji-Hyo (Korean: 송지효, Hanja: 宋智孝) is a popular Korean TV and film actress. Born on August 15, 1981, she was born as Cheon Seong Im. She is most famous for her portrayal of ballerina Min Hyo Rin in Princess Hours.

Profile

* Name: Song, Ji-Hyo
* Birth Name: Cheon Seong Im
* Name (Korean): 송지효/천성임
* Nationality: South Korean
* Date of Birth: August 15, 1981
* Height: 168 cm
* Weight: 46 kg
* Profession: Actress
* Education: Kyung Moon University

TV Series

* Princess Hours (MBC, 2006) as Min Hyo Rin

* Jumong (MBC, 2006) as Ye Soya

Movies

* Wishing Stairs (2003) as Jin Sung
* Some (2004) as Seo Yoo Jin
source:www.wikipedia.org

Kim Jeong Hoon

Birth name:Kim, Jeong-Hoon
Born :January 20, 1980 (1980-01-20) (age 27)
Flag of South Korea South Korea
Notable roles "Lee Yul" in Goong

Kim, Jeong-Hoon (Korean: 김정훈 Hanja: 金楨勳, born January 20, 1980) is a South Korean singer and actor. He initially rose to fame as a member of Korean duo UN debuting with the single Voice Mail in 1999. After the duo disbanded in 2005, he enjoyed success as an actor starring in Goong, a drama based on comic book of the same name.
Career

Initially pursuing a career in dentistry, he debuted as a member of Korean duo UN in 1999, an acronym for "United N-generation." After six years of success, the duo officially announced that they are disbanding in September 2005, and Kim announced that he was going to pursue an acting career instead. [1] He had stated that considering the conditions of the Korean music industry prevented him from pursuing music he truly wanted to do. By 2005 he had already begun starring in Korean dramas, such as sitcom Orange and 남과 여 (A Man and a Woman) in 2004. He had said his final dream is to become a renowned movie director. [2] ,m.12

Education

Kim also became famous for his academic performance when his high school report cards have revealed that he received A's in every subject thus making him the top of his class and also among the peers in his grade.[3] In 1998, he was accepted to prestigious Seoul National University where he studied dentistry. However, he dropped out in 2003 when he determined that dentistry would not help him in his career. He is now a senior in Chung-Ang University where he majors acting.

TV Series

* Witch Yoohee (SBS, March 2007) as Yoo Jun Ha
* Fog Street (Drama City) (KBS2, 2006) as Lee Yoon Soo
* Goong (MBC, 2006) as Lee Yul
* 한뼘 드라마 <한밤의 파티> (MBC, 2005)
* Banjun Drama (SBS, 2004)
* Orange (SBS, 2002)

Movies

* DMZ (2004)
* Shut Up! (2004)

Discography

* Best Album (2006)
* 5 Stella Lights (2006)
* Sad Song (2007)
source:www.wikipedia.org

Joo Ji Hoon

Joo, Ji-Hoon
주지훈
Birth name:Joo, Young-Hoon
Born :May 16, 1982 (1982-05-16) (age 24)
Flag of South Korea Seoul, South Korea
Years active:2003 - present
Notable roles Lee Shin in Princess Hours
Joo Ji Hoon
Hangul:
주지훈
Hanja:
朱智勛
Revised Romanization: Joo Ji-hoon
McCune-Reischauer: Ju JiHun


Joo, Ji-Hoon (Korean: 주지훈, Hanja: 朱智勛, born on 16 May 1982) is a popular model and actor from South Korea. He is well known for portraying Crown Prince Lee Shin in Princess Hours, which was his acting debut.

Before entering the entertainment industry, he studied at Tongwon College, majoring in e-Business. He was known as "Handy Man" in his school for his tall height (6'2"). In 2003, he went into modelling and advertised for brand names like Calvin Klein, Levi's and Reebok. He has also won awards for modelling.

Profile

* Education:
o Tongwon College, Major: e-Business
o Kyonggi University, Major: Acting
* Modeling Debut: 2003
* Acting Debut: 2006
* Height: 187cm
* Weight: 68kg
* Hobbies: Games, Swimming, Basketball
* Talents: Speed-reading, Self Defense

Filmography

TV Series

* The Devil / Mawang (KBS, 2007)
* Princess Hours / Goong ? (MBC, 2006)
* Old Love ??? (MBC, 2004)

Commercials

* Crown Butter Waffle
* Clride
* Bon
* Hi Harriet Shopping Mall
* Calvin Klein
* CF- SKT
* Cass Beer
* IBM
* Levi's
* POLO
* Reebok
* Cyworld
* KTF
* Sshil On-line game
* OB Lager Beer

Trivia

When it was announced that he would be playing Crown Prince Lee Shin in the drama Princess Hours, fans of the manhwa protested, as they wanted a familiar face to portray that role. However, after the drama was aired, criticism ceased.
Awards

* 2005 Most Stylish Male Model- Style Magazine
* 2005 Best Male Model- The Photographers' Association (2005)
* Best Dresser Model Award- (2004)
* Best Dresser Model Award- (2005)
* 21st Best Outfit(Swan Award)- Best Male model
* 2006 MBC Drama Awards: Best New Actor
source:www.wikipedia.org

Yoon Eun Hye

Yoon Eun Hye endorsing DHC's new product, Q10.
Birth name:Yoon Eun Hye (윤은혜)
Born :October 3, 1984 South Korea
Notable roles :Shin Chae-Gyung (신채경) in Goong

Yoon, Eun-Hye (Korean: 윤은혜, Hanja: 尹恩惠, born October 3, 1984) is a South Korean actress, singer, and model. She debuted as a member of the popular girl group Baby V.O.X, staying with the group from 1999 until 2005. She has since moved on to acting, receiving popularity and fame from her role as a crown princess on the drama Princess Hours, also known as "Goong".

Profile

* Nicknames: "JamGgoDae", "Kkodae Kkodae" (sleep-talker), "Pooh", "Young Girl Warrior"
* Place of Birth: South Korea
* Height: 5'5 (168 cm)
* Weight: 110 lbs (50 kg)
* Religion: Christian [1]
* Family: Parents, younger brother
* Education: Joong Kyung High School, Kyung Hee Cyber University (Graduated: 02/26/07 with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration specializing in Tourism Management)

Baby V.O.X. days

Main article: Baby V.O.X

When the girl group Baby V.O.X dropped a member due to a scandal, Yoon was chosen to replace her. Yoon was by far the youngest member in the group, debuting at the age of 15. She recorded 4 albums with the band before leaving the group in July 2005 [2] in order to pursue an acting career. While with the group, Yoon quickly became known as the "cute" one not only for her young age, but because of her bright personality. However, she was also criticized for her weight, as she looked overweight compared to her very slim bandmates. Although she debuted a new, skinnier body in early 2005, she appeared to be experiencing a "yoyo" effect, as noted by various Korean netizens [3].

Yoon suffered in the hands of detractors Baby V.O.X. when she joined the group to produce their third album. In a water gun incident, Baby V.O.X. was scheduled to appear on Gyun-Ahn Broadcast's Music Engine and was waiting inside their van when Yoon was shot by a water gun by an unidentified man. The man pretended to be a passionate fan of the group and attempted to offer a Pikachu doll as a present. Suddenly, he took out a water gun and shot Yoon right in the eye before running away.

After being shot, Yoon expressed severe pain and could not open her eyes for a long time. Baby V.O.X. had to cancel their performance and headed straight to the emergency room. The hospital informed that Yoon's cornea was damaged.

The members of the group claimed they smelt soy sauce and vinegar from the water that came out of the water pistol [4].

Acting career

Yoon has played a small role on the sitcom Rainbow Romance as Lee Minki's rich ex-girlfriend, before moving on to become one od the regular guest for the variety show X-Man on SBS. While on "X-Man," she became involved in a romantic scandal, which was printed in newspaper, with popular K-pop singer Kim Jong Kook. Although "X-Man" raised her public profile, she left the show a year later in order to pursue acting. Yoon also played Kim Jong Kook's love interest in his music video "Saying You Love Me" which was released in July 2006.

Yoon had her first major acting role in popular Korean drama, Princess Hours (also known as Goong). Initially, however, fans of Goong had questioned her acting ability leading to controversy.[1][2] The success of the drama also appeared unclear as it competed with My Girl which also boasted casting of popular celebrities such as Lee Jun Ki.[3] The drama began with average ratings, but as it continued, viewership increased to almost 30% nationally, leading to an extension of the first season (from 20 to 24 episodes) and a Princess Hours special on MBC. Although Yoon and the other main actors initially agreed to work on a second season of Princess Hours, only one of them officially agreed to do so, forcing the director to change the storyline and focus on brand new characters instead, and is named Goong S.

Due to the success of her first drama, Yoon has been able to continue acting. She is currently working on other dramas, including the recently concluded The Vineyard Man. Like most Korean dramas at that time[citation needed], The Vineyard Man initially suffered from low ratings due to strong competition from the MBC 45th anniversary drama Jumong (TV series); however, the drama ratings gradually increased and reached a successful 15.6% on its finale.

On 24 November 2006, Eight Peaks (production company of Goong), confirms that the true sequel of Goong season 1 (Goong 2) will probably happen. According to Eight Peaks, the original manhwa is still on-going. The production company wants to film the sequel, not the spin-off like Goong S. Eight Peaks have already begun the preparations necessary for the sequel since two months ago. And according to the company, the true sequel will air in late 2007 or early 2008. Actors like Yoon Eun Hye and Kim Jeong Hoon will be back in the sequel as well.[4]

Yoon Eun Hye will return to the audience with a role of the main actress in MBC's weekend drama "The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince " that will be aired in July 2007. In this drama, Eun Hye will be a saleslady 'Go Eun-chan' of the Coffee Shop, who used to be a master of Taekwondo. In this drama, she will be a matriarch with masculine charms. [5]

Dramas

* The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince (2007)
* The Vineyard Man (KBS, 2006)
* Princess Hours (MBC, 2006)

Movies/Tv Shows

* The Legend of Seven Cutter/ Escaping from Charisma (2006)
* X-man (Korean drama) 2005
* Emergency 19 (2002)

Awards

* "Best Actress": The Grimme Awards, hosted in December 7th 2006 for her performance in the series "The Vineyard Man"[6].
* "Best New Actress Award": KBS Awards 2006 (The Vineyard Man)
* "Best Couple": KBS Awards 2006 (The Vineyard Man)
* "Best New Actress": MBC Awards 2006 (Goong)

Endorsements

* Philips Satinelle Ice Premium
* DHC Korea
* Domino's Pizza
* VIKI
* MPLE
* LG Telecom
* Samsung
* Green tea

References

1. ^ 윤은혜의 힘, 미움도 사랑으로 바꿔버린다
2. ^ 황인뢰PD, “‘궁’ 캐스팅 비난 잠재울 자신있다”
3. ^ 스포츠월드 마이걸vs궁 수목드라마 인기지존 누가
4. ^ The True Sequel of Goong Season 1
5. ^ 윤은혜·이선균·공유, MBC 주말극서 '삼각사랑' 펼친다
6. ^ Chinese news article

Princess Hours

Princess Hours (Korean: 궁, Hanja: 宮, romanized as Goong, and also known as Goong - Love in Palace or Palace, its literal translation and the alternate official title) is a Korean romantic comedy/drama, which had its first season run from January 11 to March 30, 2006. It was distributed by MBC, which ran episodes on Wednesdays and Thursdays every week until the show's completion. It was based on the Goong manhwa by So-Hee Park, which has run for 12 volumes (as of June 2006).

Princess Hours became one of MBC's most popular dramas of 2006, second only to Jumong . Overall, the show was the tenth most popular drama of 2006, according to TNS media[1]. Due to the success of the first season, a second season has been produced, a rare occasion in the Korean television industry. However, there was controversy over who had the rights to make the sequel, and as a result, two separate parties planned different sequels. Goong 2 is currently being planned, and Goong S started its run on January 10, 2007.

Season 1
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Synopsis

Set in an alternate 21st-century reality where Korea possesses a royal family, this show revolves around the lives of the Crown Prince (Wangsaeja) Lee Shin, and his new bride, Chae-kyeong. The depicted royal family in the show is modelled after the last royal family of Korea, which in reality reigned until the start of the Japanese Occupation in 1911 and was not reinstated after Japanese surrender in WW2.

The series starts off with the news that the King, Shin's father, is severely ill. With the grim outlook on the King's health, the royal family scrambles to find a wife for Shin, so as to allow him to take over the royal throne if the situation requires. Despite being in love with another girl, the ambitious and talented ballerina Hyo-rin whom Shin initially proposed to (she rejects him to pursue her ballet dreams), Shin eventually marries a commoner to whom he was betrothed by his late grandfather in an old agreement with the girl's grandfather. Shin marries the headstrong yet lovable Chae-kyeong after Hyo-rin's rejection. Despite initially feeling nothing for Chae-kyeong, love eventually blossoms between the couple.

In the meantime, however, matters are further complicated with the return of Lee Yul and his mother Lady Hwa-Young, who was once the Crown Princess (Bingoong) before the death of her husband, the late Crown Prince, older brother of the current King. Yul and his mother were chased out of the palace some time after the death of his father, and it is later revealed that this was due to the King's discovery of an affair between Yul's mother and the current King who was his father's younger brother. Yul's mother had returned with a sinister motive in mind; to restore her son back to the throne, which would have been his eventually, if his father had not died. A series of events befall the palace with the schemes Yul's mother carries out, and is further intensified by the various scandals involving the royal family, which are inclusive of the Shin's continuing relationship with his old flame Hyo-rin, and the budding love Yul develops for Chae-kyeong, his cousin's new-found bride.

The first series ends with Shin giving up his title and allowing his elder sister Hyae-myeong ascend the throne. Shin and Chae-kyeong got married in a Catholic church in Macau, as the series concludes with the possibility that Chae-kyeong is pregnant with Shin's baby; in the end credits, a slideshow is shown with Shin and Chae-kyeong with a baby girl.
Spoilers end here.

Main Characters

Shin Chae-kyeong (신채경)

Portrayed by Yoon Eun Hye, Shin Chae-kyeong is a very effervescent, normal high school girl. She attends the same school as Lee Shin, the Crown Prince of Korea. Her grandfather was best friends with the previous King. To honor his friend, the previous King dictated that Chae-kyeong is to become the Crown Princess, which means that she is to marry whoever is the Crown Prince at the time of the marriage. Although she often seems immature and irritating, she is a kindhearted, innocent, honest person. Often called "Pig" by her younger brother, Chae-kyeong marries the prince to save her family from bankruptcy. Her initial reaction to Lee Shin is one of irritation but she falls in love with him in the earlier part of the series, not knowing that he, in return, feels the same way, until the last few episodes. Although she regards Lee Yul only as a friend and cousin-in-law, he falls in love with her.

Lee Shin (이신)

The crown prince of Korea, Lee Shin, as portrayed by model and actor Joo Ji Hoon, is seen as a smug, indifferent, insensitive young man. After getting rejected by his girlfriend when he proposes to her, he decides to go along with his elders' arranged marriage with Shin Chae-kyeong. At first, he was irritated by her naivete and enthusiasm, but as he recognizes how genuinely sweet she is, he begins to open his heart to her, and falls in love. Throughout the series, it becomes obvious that inside, he is just a lonely, sensitive, warm and kind young man. He also owns a teddy bear, Alfred, the only thing that he can let his guard down for, which is used as a focal point throughout the series. As his cousin re-enters the picture after being forced out of the country many years earlier, the prince quickly butts head with him[a few fist fights], as Lee Yul is a contender not only for the throne, but for the crown princess Chae-kyeong's love. Chae-kyeong does not realize this until later on in the story.

Lee Yool (이율)

Kim Jeong Hoon plays Lee Yool, Shin's cousin. He returns from a long stay in England with his mother, the widow of the former crown prince. The opposite of Shin, he is warm, kindhearted, sweet, and romantic--an instant hit with the girls. Interested in Chae-kyeong, their friendship grows to love on his side, while she remains innocently unaware of it until much later. Although the position of the Crown Prince originally belonged to him, it was given to his cousin when Yool's father died in a car accident and his mother was found to have had an affair with his uncle, who she was originally in love with, but she decides to marry his brother,the crown prince, wanting her son to inherit the title of crown prince. Originally uninterested in the throne, Yool decides to follow his mother's wishes and compete with Shin for the throne after falling in love with Chae-kyeong. In the end, after realizing that Chae-kyeong and Shin truly love each other, he passes up both the chance of being King and having Chae-kyeong as a wife, as he only wants her to be happy with Shin.

Min Hyo-rin (민효린)

Portrayed by Sung Ji Hyo, Hyo-rin is a skilled ballerina. She is beautiful, intelligent, accomplished--basically, perfect in every way possible. In the beginning, she is Shin's girlfriend, and he proposes to her. However, she rejects him, not only because she thinks he is joking, but also because she does not wish to give up her dreams of becoming a star ballerina. When she sees Chae-kyeong and Shin's wedding and how Chae-kyeong is loved by the people (similar to Princess Diana), she regrets her hasty decision, and does everything she can to oust Chae-kyeong from her position. Hyo-rin finds ways to draw Shin back to her, including a "chance" meeting in Thailand, but simply ends up hurting herself, resulting in attempting suicide. Later, however, she decides that Shin does truly love Chae-kyeong, and she ultimately gives him up and decides to just concentrate on her ballet.

Family History

The fictional family history was released by MBC, as follows:

* 광화 원년 1945: After World War II, South Korea's common people wanted the royal family (이) to remain in the country, even as they act as symbols of Korea's past.
* 광화 사십년 1984: Crown Prince Lee Soo (황태자 이수) is married to dancer Seo Hwa Yeong, who becomes the Crown Princess (consort) (황태자비 서화영).
* 광화 사십일년 1985: Grand Prince Lee Hyeon (대군 이현) is married.
* 광화 사십삼년 1987: Grand Prince Lee Hyeon (대군 이현) sires a daughter, named Hye Myeong (혜명 옹주).
* 광화 사십사년 1988: Crown Prince Lee Soo (황태자 이수) sires a son, named Yool (이율). Grand Prince Lee Hyeon (대군 이현) sires a son, named Shin (이신).
* 광화 사십칠년 1991: Shin Chae Kyeong's grandfather dies.
* 광화 사십팔년 1992: Crown Prince Lee Soo (황태자 이수) dies in a car accident. His brother the Grand Prince Lee Hyeon (대군 이현) becomes the Crown Prince (황태자) upon his brother's death. Meanwhile, Lee Soo's family, the Crown Princess (consort) Seo Hwa Yeong (황태자비 서화영) and his son Yool (이율) are chased out of the palace, emigrating to Great Britain.
* 광화 사십구년 1993: Emperor Moo (무황제), Lee Soo and Lee Hyeon's father, dies. Crown Prince Lee Hyeon (황태자 이현) becomes the next Emperor of Korea, thereby changing the former era name of Gwanghwa (광화) to Inhwa (인화 仁化).
* 인화 삼년 1995: Lee Shin (이신) becomes the next Crown Prince (황태자 이신).
* 인화 십이년 2004: Lee Shin (이신) enrolls into a well-known arts and cultures school in Korea. Lee Yool (이율) 영국 디가인 아트스쿨 입학
* 인화 십사년 2006: Crown Prince Lee Shin (황태자 이신) is married to Shin Chae Kyeong after an old agreement between his grandfather and Chae Kyeong's grandfather.

Cast

* Yoon Eun Hye (윤은혜) as Shin Chae-kyeong (Janelle Shin)
o Crown Princess (consort) Shin Chae-kyeong (황태자비 신채경)
* Joo Ji Hoon (주지훈) as Lee Shin (Gian Lee)
o Grand Prince Lee Shin (대군 이신) (by birth)
o Grand Crown Prince Lee Shin (황태자 이신) (after his uncle's (Yool's father) death)
* Kim Jeong Hoon (김정훈) as Lee Yool/Prince Uiseong (Troy Lee)
o Crown Prince Lee Yool (황태자 이율) (by birth)
o SECOND Prince Lee Yool (대군 이율) (after father's death)
* Sung Ji Hyo (송지효) as Min Hyo-rin (Monique Min)
* Lee Yoon Ji (이윤지) as Princess Hyae-Myeong (Shin's older sister)
o Princess Hyae Myeong (혜명 옹주)
* Jeon Ji Ae as Lee Kang-hyun (Chae-kyeong's friend with glasses)
* Lee Eun as Kim Soon-young (Chae-kyeong's friend)
* Dan Ji as Yoon Hee-soong (Chae-kyeong's friend)
* Kang Nam Gil (강남길) as Chae-kyeong's father
* Im Ye Jin (임예진) as Chae-kyeong's mother
* Kim Suk as Shin Chae-joon (Chae-kyeong's younger brother)
* Kim Sang-joong (김상중), as Lee Soo (Yool's deceased father)
o Crown Prince Lee Soo (황태자 이수) (by birth, the eldest offspring of Emperor Moo)
* Kim Hye-ja (김혜자), as Yool's grandmother
o Empress Dowager (황태후) (current Emperor's alive mother)
* Song Seung-hwan (송승환)
* Shim Hye-jin (심혜진), as Lady Hwa-Yong (Yool's mother)
o Crown Princess (consort) Seo Hwa-Yong (황태자비 서화영) (wife of Crown Prince Lee Soo)
* Yoon Yoo-seon (윤유선), as the Queen (Lee Shin's mother)
o Princess Consort to Lee Hyeon (Shin's father)
o Empress/Queen (황후) (after Lee Hyeon's accession to the throne)
* Choi Bool-am (최불암), as Shin and Yool's deceased grandfather
* Nah Eun-kyeong (나은경)
* Kwon Yeon-woo (권연우)

* more

Production Credits

* Original Work: Manhwa 궁(Goong, Hanja: «宮») by Park So-hee (박소희)
* Production Company: Eight Peaks (애이트픽스)
* Director: Hwang In-Roi (황인뢰)
* Writer: In Eun-A (인은아)

Related Series

The original production team that worked on the first season of Princess Hours, including director Hwang In-Roi, resigned from Eight Peaks (the show's production company) and proceeded to form a new production company, Creative Leaders Group 8. Group 8 had initially announced that it would begin production for the sequel to Goong 1.

However, because rights to the manhwa adaptation belong to Eight Peaks, not Group 8, the new company now faces a crisis as its version of the sequel, renamed Goong S, faces a halt in production due to infringement of copyrights. With Eight Peaks intending to produce the 'real' sequel, there are thus two sequels being planned for Princess Hours.[2]

Season 2

The plot of Season 2 would follow closely the plot of the second Goong manhwa by So-Hee Park.

Eight Peaks has announced that preparation for the sequel Goong 2 is underway, which started in September. The cast of Goong Season 2 is still unconfirmed; however, Choi Kae-yung, an executive at Eight Peaks, has revealed that Kim Jeong Hoon (who plays Lee Yool) and Yoon Eun Hye (who plays Shin Chae-kyeong) will return in their respective roles. The company is aiming to resign the entire original cast for the sequel.

Last year, Eight Peaks stated that they would aim to film Goong 2 in late 2007 or early 2008.[3][4] Since then, there have been no other confirmations about the further details of this sequel.

Season S

The plot of Season S revolves around a young worker at a Chinese restaurant who suddenly discovers that he is a member of the royal family and subsequently enters the palace. Hwang mentioned that he would be looking for Yoon Eun Hye's male counterpart, of sorts.

In October of 2006, Korean pop star Se7en was chosen to play the leading role in the spinoff. He will play the character of "Lee Hoo", while others in the drama's second season include Huh Lee-Jae (who plays Yang Soon-Ae), Kang Doo (who plays Lee Joon), and Park Shin-hye (who plays Shin Sae-Ryung). Many of the supporting cast, including those who played the royal family, are expected to join Goong S. Filming started in November 2006.

The current name for the second season has changed from Goong 2 to Goong S -- Prince Hours (궁 S), due to copyright infringement problems. Filming has continued despite Group 8 facing lawsuits due to the unlawful use of 'Goong' as its film title.[5] However, MBC has looked into this issue with Eight Peaks and have stated that the channel station and original production company both own the rights of the name.[6] Goong S will still be used for this season with the subtitle of "Prince Who". Goong S began broadcasting January 10, 2007, with no cast members returning for this spinoff.

Trivia

* Originally, the cast of Goong was BoA as Chae Kyung, Jo In Sung as Shin, Moon Geun Young as Hyo Rin, and Kang Dong Won as Yul.[7]
* Many fans of the manhwa were rather surprised when new stars were chosen for the series as main roles when fan had wanted more known actors to be in it.[8]
* Yoon Eun Hye auditioned for another role, not Chae Kyung. [9]

source:www.wikipedia.org

Vanness Wu

Background information
Birth name 吳建豪‎
Born August 7, 1978 (1978-08-07) (age 28)
Flag of United States Los Angeles, California, United States
Origin Flag of Republic of China Taiwan
Genre(s) R&B, Pop,Hip-Hop
Occupation(s) singer, actor
Instrument(s) singing
Label(s) Sony Music Entertainment, SM Entertainment (with Kangta)
Associated
acts F4

Vanness Wu (Traditional Chinese: 吳建豪; pinyin: Wú Jiànháo) is a member of the popular Taiwanese boy band F4. He was born August 7, 1978, in Los Angeles, United States, and speaks fluent English and Mandarin. He enjoys singing, dancing, rapping, and acting. He has released two solo albums, "Body Will Sing", and "V.Dubb". He also starred in the Taiwanese drama Meteor Garden and its sequel, Meteor Garden II as well as other TV series that proved to be successful. To date, he has starred in two movies: 'Star Runner' with Korean actress Hyun-joo Kim, and 'Dragon Squad' (with Shawn Yue, Sammo Hung, Maggie Q, Michael Biehn and Li Bing Bing).

Lately, he collaborated with Kangta (who is a member of the now-defunct Korean boyband, H.O.T.) , and their first single "Scandal" was released in May 2006. His latest duet with Coco Lee, called ‘Hip Hop Tonight’, is featured in her new album ‘Wow!! Coco’. He is also in a remix of Crazy in Love with Beyoncé. This remix is only available in the Asian edition of Beyoncé's album.

His second album, "V.Dubb", was released on April 20, 2007.

Profile

* English Name: Vanness
* Nationality: American
* Birth Place: Los Angeles, California
* Date of Birth: August 7, 1978
* Zodiac Sign: Leo (western) Horse (Chinese)
* Height: 180 cm
* Weight: 72 kg
* Body: 40.30.38
* Religion: Protestant (the non-Buddhist member of F4)
* Blood Type: A


Filmography

1. Kung Fu Fighter (27 April 2007)
2. Dragon Squad (10 November 2005)
3. Star Runner (Shao nian ah hu - 12 November 2003)
4. Say Yes Enterprise (Qiu hun shi qu suo)
5. Meteor Garden II (Liu xing hua yuan 2 - 2002)
6. Come to My Place (Lai wo jia ba - 2001)
7. Peach Girl (Mi tao nu hai)
8. Meteor Rain (Liu xing yu)
9. Meteor Garden (Liu xing hua yuan - 2001)

Discography

Fantasy 4ever (January 2003) - F4

1. 當你是朋友 (Dang ni shi peng you - You as a friend) - Vanness and Ken Chu
2. 心理測驗 (Xin li ce yan - Psychological test)

Body Will Sing (19 September 2002) - Solo Album

1. Intro (Xu qu)
2. 尋找朱麗葉 (Xun zhao zhu li ye - Looking for Juliet)
3. My Friend
4. 我討厭我自己 (Wo tao yan wo zi ji - I hate myself)
5. 身體會唱歌 (Shen ti huei chang ge - Body will sing)
6. 寂寞廣場 (Ji mo guang chang - Lonely square)
7. Sick
8. 想像十個你 (Xiang xiang shi ge ni - Imagine 10 of you)
9. 那個女生 (Na ge nu shen - That girl)
10. 午夜場的電影 (Wu ye chang de dian ying - Midnight movie)
11. 因為太愛你 (Yin wei tai ai ni - Cuz I love you so much)

Meteor Rain (November 2001) - F4

1. 誰讓你流淚 (Shei rang ni liu lei - Who made you cry)
2. 你不愛我愛誰？ (Ni bu ai wo ai shei - Who do you love if not me?)

"Crazy in Love" Beyonce featuring Vanness Wu ( Asia only release)

Scandal (May 2006) - Kangta and Vanness

1. Scandal
2. One Day
3. Faint
4. 127 Days
5. Good Vibration
6. Scandal (Chinese vs.)
7. Scandal (English vs.)
8. 127 Days (Chinese vs.)


"Hip Hop Tonight " CoCo Lee featuring VanNess Wu (1st single off of CoCo's disc "Wow! CoCo!" )

V.Dubb (20 April 2007) - 2nd solo album

1. 我的王國 (Wo De Wang Guo - My Kingdom)
2. Never Let You Go
3. 放手 (Fan Shuo - Let Go)
4. Just One Dance
5. Friday Night
6. 幻想這愛 (Wan Shan Zai Ai - Imagine This Love)
7. 零時差 (Ling Shi Zha - Zero Time Adjustment)
8. 媽媽 (Ma Ma - Mother)
9. 如果 (Ru Guo - If)
10. Eternity
11. 幻想這愛 (Wan Shan Zai Ai - Imagine This Love) (House Remix)

Commercials

* MP3 Recorder Walkman
* Siemens 2118
* Legend Computers (China region)
* Mingle Shoes(China region)
* Lu Piao Shampoo(China region)
* Pepsi
* Samuel & Kevin
source:www.wikipedia.com

Ken Chu

Ken Chu (朱孝天, pinyin: Zhū Xiàotiān) was born in Taiwan on January 15,1979 and educated in Singapore. A famous singer and composer, he is one of the members of the famous Taiwanese boy band F4 and also a prominent Taiwanese drama actor.

Ken speaks not only Mandarin, but also English, Cantonese, Singlish and a bit of Thai, Indonesian and Japanese.

Ken was working as a waiter in a small restaurant in Taiwan when he was discovered by Cai Zhi Ping, the creator of the boy band F4. He started in showbiz working as a part time as an assistant for some artists, then acting in several idol series successfully which pushed him to the center of the stage. He starred in the famous TV series Meteor Garden and its sequel Meteor Garden II that swept Asia by storm and was the lead in the movies, Sky of Love (2003) and Tokyo Trial (2006). In January 2005, he released his most anticipated solo album, entitled On Ken's Time. He has released his cookbook called Mei Wei Guan Xi (Delicious Relations)on January 5, 2006. It was then released in China on July 4, 2006 and in Japan on November 25, 2006 in a Japanese version. Ken is now focusing on his solo acting career and has a huge fan base in Asia.

On February 24 and 25, 2007, he held his first solo concert in Japan, titled 2007 [I-KEN] 1st Concert at the Tokyo International Forum Hall A with an unplugged theme.
Contents

Profile

* Chinese name: Zhu Xiao Tian
* English name: Ken Chu
* Birth Date: 15 January 1979
* Horoscope: Capricorn
* Language: Mandarin, English, Singlish, Cantonese, Indonesian, Thai and Japanese
* Height: 1.8m
* Weight: 73kg
* Blood Type: AB
* Expertise: Cooking
* Sports - Swimming and diving
* Music - Rock, Jazz, 70's and 80's music
* Favorite Artist - Beatles, Coldplay, Radiohead, Suede, Eagles
* Musical Instruments - Guitar, Drums and Percussions

Achievements

Movies

* Released
o The Tokyo Trial - as Xiao Nan China 2006; Korea 2007

* Released
o Sky of Love - as Wen Jia Hui Hong Kong 2003

TV dramas

* 2006
o Chu Liu Xiang - China as Chu Liu Xiang (post-production; mid 2007)

* 2004
o City Of Sky - as Lu Bin Fei BS Channel, Japan 2006; ETTV, Taiwan 2006; Singapore 2007; QTV11 Philippines 2007

* 2003
o Love Storm - as Wan Bao Long CTS

* 2002
o Meteor Garden II - as Xi Men CTS
o Sunflower - as Xiao Long CTS
o Hi! Working Girl - as Himself CTV
o Come To My Place - as Tian Jian CTV

* 2001
o Marmalade Boy - as You CTS
o Meteor Rain - as Xi Men CTS
o Yamada Taro - as Ho Fu CTS
o Meteor Garden - as Xi Men CTS

* 2000
o Ma La Xian Shi (Happy Campus) - as Jia Bao CTS
o Tsang Love Story
o Lueng Love Story

Albums

* On Ken's Time - 2005

* Soundtrack
o Love Storm - Inside of My Guitar 2003

* With F4
o F4's 360 Degrees - 2006
o Can't Help Falling in Love - 2002
o Fantasy 4ever - 2002
o Meteor Rain - 2001

Books

* Mei Wei Guan Xi (Delicious Relations) - cookbook

released: January 5, 2006 - Taiwan, July 4, 2006 - China, November 25, 2006 - Japan.

* With F4
o F4@Tokyo - 2005 photobook
o Comic Man - The First Anniversary of F4 - 2002 photobook
o Meteor In Barcelona - 2002 photobook
o F4 Music Party - 2001 photobook

Endorsements

* Qingdao Beer - 2002 Taiwan
* Acer Mobile Phones - 2000 Taiwan

* With F4
o Pepsi - 2002~2005 Taiwan, Hong Kong, China
o YAMAHA - 2003 South East Asia
o S&K - 2002-2006 Taiwan, Hong Kong, China
o Asgard On-line Game - 2003 Taiwan
o Mingle Sneakers - 2002 Hong Kong
o Lenovo computer - 2002 China
o Lupiao Shampoo - 2002 China
o Chinesegamer On-line Game - 2001 Taiwan
o Siemens 2118 - 2001 Taiwan

Concerts

* 2007 [I-KEN] 1st Concert February 24-25, 2007 Tokyo, Japan
* F4 Forever 4 - March 22-25, 2006 Hong Kong
* On Ken's Time Mini Concert - 2005 Hong Kong
* F4 Bangkok Fantasy - 2004 Thailand
* F4 Happy New Year 2004 - 2003 Philippines
* The Event (with Vanness and ASOS) - 2003 Philippines
* Fantasy F4ever Live Concert World Tour - 2002~2003 Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, China, U.S.
* F4 Music Party - 2001 Taiwan
source:www.wikipedia.org

Vic Zhou

Birth name 周育民 (pinyin: Zhōu Yùmín)
Also known as 仔仔 (pinyin: Zàizài)
Born June 9, 1981 (1981-06-09) (age 25)
Origin Flag of Republic of China Republic of China
Genre(s) Pop
Occupation(s) actor, singer
Years active 2001-present (F4)
2001-present (acting)
2002-present (solo)
Label(s) Sony Music Entertainment

Vic Zhou (Traditional Chinese: 周渝民; pinyin: Zhōu Yúmín) is an actor, singer and commercial model from Taiwan. He is a member of the famous Taiwanese boy band F4, and he has starred in many Taiwanese dramas. His stage name, 周渝民, literally means “a completely changed person”. It had a variation only in the middle character (from 育 to 渝) from his birth name, 周育民 (pinyin: Zhōu Yùmín), which literally means “a completely nourished or reared person”.
Contents
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Biography

Childhood

Zhou was born on June 9, 1981, making him the youngest of all the F4 members. He is considered the baby of F4, being treated the best by other F4 members. It was his grandmother who gave him the nickname 仔仔 (pinyin: Zàizài), meaning "little child", the other name in which he is known to his fans.

Education

* Department of Business Administration,Hsing Wu College(Traditional Chinese: 醒吾技術學院企業管理科; pinyin: Xǐng Wú Jì Shù Xué Yuàn Qì Yè Guǎn Lǐ Kē)
* Department of Industrial Management,China University of Technology|Chung Kuo Institute of Technology (Traditional Chinese: 中國技術學院工業管理科; pinyin: Zhōng Guó Jì Shù Xué Yuàn, Gōng Yè Guǎn Lǐ Kē)
* Department of Machinery,National LoTung Industrial Vocational High School (Traditional Chinese: 羅東高工機械科; pinyin: Luó Dōng Gāo Gōng Jī Xiè Kē)
* Luodong Junior High School (Traditional Chinese: 羅東國民中學; pinyin: Luó Dōng Guó Mín Zhōng Xué)
* Gong Zeng Elementary School (Traditional Chinese: 公正國民小學; pinyin: Gōng Zhèng Guó Mín Xiǎo Xué)

At first, he tried to finish his degree in machinery technical school (NOT mechanical engineering). But persistent fans prompted him to transfer school twice. Eventually, he quit schooling due to his very hectic schedule. Now, he is studying business administration at Hsing Wu College.

Entering the Industry

He was discovered when he accompanied a friend auditioning for a role in "Meteor Garden" (Traditional Chinese: 流星花園; pinyin: Liú Xíng Huā Yuán). While waiting for a friend at their auditions, he was huddled in a corner near one of the Meteor Garden staff's office, which said he looked like a 花澤類 (pinyin: Huā Zé Lèi) and was asked to audition. Meteor Garden was adopted from a Japanese manga, "Boys Over Flowers" (花より男子, Japanese romanization: Hana Yori Dango). He was slated to play the role of 花澤類 (pinyin: Huā Zé Lèi), a very silent and sensitive guy who was friends with the female protagonist "杉菜" (pinyin: Shān Cài) played by Barbie Xu (Traditional Chinese: 徐熙媛; pinyin: Xú Xí Yuán). It was in this particular role that many fans admired him and continued supporting him on his subsequent roles.

Individual Success as Singer and Actor

Recording Career

He was the first F4 member to release his own album when Make a Wish was released in January of 2002. It was followed by "Remember, I Love You" (記得我愛你, pinyin: Jì De Wǒ Ài Nǐ) which was released in January of 2004. He also sang some solo songs included in F4’s albums like 2 songs in "Meteor Rain", released in March of 2002 and 2 songs in "Fantasy 4ever", released in January of 2003. His and the F4’s albums were all released under Sony Music Taiwan.

Acting Career

Aside from "Meteor Garden", he appeared in many Taiwanese series such as the four-episode "Meteor Rain" (流星雨, pinyin: Liú Xīng Yǔ), "Poor Prince" (貧窮貴公子, pinyin: Píng Qióng Guì Gōng Zǐ) which is an adaptation of another Japanese manga "山田太郎物語" (Japanese romanization: Yamada Taro Monogatari , "The Story of Taro Yamada" in English, "Meteor Garden II" (sequel of "Meteor Garden I"), "Come To My Place" (来我家吧, pinyin: Lái Wǒ Jiā Bǎ) and "Love Storm" (抂愛龍捲風, pinyin: Kuáng Ài Lǒng Juǎn Fēng). He then starred in series entitled "Mars" (戰神Mars, pinyin: Zhàn Shén Mars), co-starring Barbie Hsu for third time. He also appeared in the Taiwanese television program "ABCDEF4", with the other three F4 members. Vic Zhou is the lead in another Taiwanese series entitled Silence (深情密碼, Shen Qing Mi Ma) with Korean actress Park Eun-Hye and Hong Kong actor/singer, Andy Hui. In the series, Vic Zhou plays a terminally-ill businessman who falls in love with a mute girl played by Eun-Hye. Currently, Vic Zhou is filming a new drama "Delicious Relationship"(美味關係, pinyin; Mei Wei Guan Xi) with Patty Hou. This drama is about cooking and also an adaptation of a Japanese manga "Delicious Relationship". In August 2006, he will star in his first movie to be produced in Hong Kong.

Personal Life

* He was previously linked with Angela Zhang due to the fact they both released their albums at the same time and also with Tammy Chen.
* He was supposed to have been in a relationship with the late actress Xu Wei Lun which ended towards the second half of 2005 although the two never admitted to having had any relationship.
* He had a crush on Dee Hsu before dating Barbie Hsu.
* He was said to have five girlfriends in the past.
* Barbie Hsu had adopted him as a younger brother during the filming of Meteor Garden.
* He is currently dating Barbie Hsu.

Filmography

2001 Meteor Garden
2001 Poor Prince
2001 Come to my Place
2002 Meteor Garden II
2002 Meteor Dream Garden also known as Meteor Rain
2003 ABCDEF4
2003 Love Storm
2004 Mars (TV series)
2006 Silence
2007 Delicious Relationship

Release of photographic album

He also released a photographic album in October of 2002, entitled "Travel Dream" (流浪夢, pinyin: Liú Làng Mèng) which contains his pictures shot during one of his trips to Hokkaidō, Japan.

His second photobook entitled 4Faces: Taipei & Tokyo was released in October 2006. It showcased ZaiZai's flexibility in front of the camera. There are 4 themes: Natural Face, Cool Face, Stylish Face and Fashionable Face. The first 2 themes were shot in Taipei while the last 2 themes were shot in Tokyo. This photobook is one of the bestsellers in HMV, a leading music and book store.

Vic Zhou's Quotes

* "The saddest thing in my life was when my parents divorced. They are also the people I want to say sorry to. When they broke up, I was 8 or 9 years old and stayed with my mother in Taiwan. My dad was living at Luo Dong and even had a new family. Despite the far distance, I will always find time to visit him to do my part as a son. Also, I have never thought about becoming a star or becoming famous. However, I cannot deny that I am popular. Yes, it is a happy matter, but I really hate it as it affected my family a lot. Reporters knocked and took photos at my dad’s house, scaring him and he dared not go out. I never expected my rise to fame to harm them…"

* "Without F4, I wouldn't be where I am today."

* "Even though we (F4) are doing our own stuff, it is so our strength is greater when we're united together."
source:www.wikipedia.org

Takeshi Kaneshiro

Taiwan actor Takeshi Kaneshiro

Takeshi Kaneshiro Profile

Name: Takeshi Kaneshiro
Birth date: October 11, 1973
Birthplace: Taipei, Taiwan
Languages spoken: English, Mandarin and Japanese
Profession: Actor

(Also credited as Kaneshiro Takeshi, Jin Cheng Wu, Gam Sing Mou, Aniki)

Takeshi Kaneshiro Biography

Takeshi Kaneshiro is one of the most popular actors in Taiwan, and is quite famous in Japan as well.

Takeshi came from a mixed heritage of Chinese and Japanese, and is able to communicate in both languages.

Takeshi Kaneshiro started modeling when he was still studying in English-based Taipei American School (he can speak English pretty well).

As his fame was growing, Takeshi decided to quit school to pursue his entertainment career.

In 1992, Takeshi made his singing debut in Taiwan with Heartbreaking Night. Takeshi was a decent singer but he was shot to fame much credited to his handsome looking.

Takeshi’s singing career didn’t last long as he was offered more chances in acting instead.

Takeshi first movie was Heroic Trio 2: Executioners (2003), followed by acclaimed Chungking Express (2004) by renowned Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai.

Takeshi Kaneshiro continued to star in various Hong Kong and Taiwan movies before another breakthrough in 1998, with highly successful Japanese TV drama God, Please Give Me More Time.

Takeshi Kaneshiro became pickier with his movies selection in his recent years, taking part in acclaimed movies like Returner (Japanese), Turn Left - Turn Right, House of Flying Daggers and Perhaps Love etc.

Other than his acting career, Takeshi Kaneshiro also became well known in the video game industry, portraying as Samanosuke, a samurai warrior in popular game Onimusha.
source:www.asiapopular.com

Mike Ho

Taiwan artist He Jun Xiang

Mike Ho Profile

Name: Ho Jun Xiang, Mike
DOB: December 28, 1983
Place of birth: Taipei, Taiwan
Height: 180cm
Blood type: B
Profession: Actor and model

(Also credited as Mike He, He Jun Xiang, Xiao Mei)

Hobbies: Basketball, movies and music (and sleep)
Favorite cartoon character: Doraemon
Favorite color: Black, blue and white
Favorite food: Steak
Favorite actor: Ekin Cheng, Tom Cruise and Takeshi Kaneshiro
Favorite actress: Liv Taylor and Charlize Theron
Favorite movie: James Bond 007 series
Favorite music: Country jazz and pop
Favorite singer: Bon Jovi and Avril Lavigne
Favorite line: “True or not?”

Mike Ho Biography

Mike Ho is popular Taiwan actor and model, famous for TV dramas like Devil Beside You and Express Boy etc.

Mike Ho started his career in modeling for magazines and TV commercials; and later made appearance for some music videos.

Mike’s first TV series was as supporting role in 7th Grade (2003) co-starring Ariel Lin. He then starred as leading actor, again with Ariel in Love Contract (2004).

2005 was a breakthrough year for Mike, his TV drama Devil Beside You with Rainie Yang was one of best rated TV series in Taiwan in 2005.

Mike Ho and Rainie Yang will work together again in their next drama, Exchange Love, which is scheduled to start filming end of 2006.

With the popularity of his TV dramas, Mike is very popular overseas; he has lots of fans in Japan, Korea, China and South East Asia as well as Western countries like Australia and USA.
source:www.asiapopular.com

Jerry Yan

Taiwan artist Jerry Yan

Jerry Yan Profile

Name: Jerry Yan
Birth name: Liao Yang Zhen
DOB: January 1, 1977
Place of birth: Taiwan
Height: 180cm
Blood type: B
Religion: Buddhism
Language spoken: Mandarin and Taiwanese Hokkien
Profession: Actor, model and singer

(Also credited as Yan Chen Xu, Yan Cheng Xu, Yan Chenxu, Yan Chengxu, Yin Seng Yuk, Liao Yangzhen, Bao Long, Xiao Bai Tu)

Collects: Sunglasses
Hobbies: Basketball and dancing
Favourite colour: Black
Favourite country: Japan

Jerry Yan Biography

Jerry Yan is one of Taiwan most popular actors. Jerry is one of the 4 members of boy-band F4 and is famous for his TV dramas like Meteor Garden and The Hospital.

Jerry Yan started his entertainment career as a model. Jerry is already quite famous before given chance in acting, starring as leading actor in TV drama Meteor Garden in 2001, which turned out to be a super hit in Taiwan and across Asia, and Jerry became an instant superstar.

Jerry Yan and the other 3 leading male actors in Meteor Garden were formed into a band, named F4 (adapted from the drama) and released their first album Meteor Rain in concurrent with the TV drama.

Meteor Garden was a decent success, and the band released another album Fantasy 4ever. F4 is not officially disbanded, but all the members are working on solo these days.

Jerry Yan continued to star in some TV dramas, including Meteor Garden 2 (sequel in 2002) and The Hospital (2006).

Jerry Yan also has a solo album under his name, The First Time that was released in 2004. It’s also in 2004 that Jerry starred in his only movie so far, Magic Kitchen alongside Sammi Cheng and Andy Lau.

Jerry Yan is often linked with Taiwan top supermodel Lin Zhi Ling, but both of them have denied being together.

source:www.asiapopular.com

Liao Yangzhen (廖洋震)(言承旭, pinyin: Yán Chéngxù (born January 1, 1977) is an actor and a member of Taiwanese boy band F4, better known as Jerry Yan.

He was the lead actor in the popular Taiwanese drama Meteor Garden and its sequel, Meteor Garden II, which made him a popular idol among teenage girls and elder women alike, not only in Taiwan but across Asia.

He worked as a fashion model before venturing into acting, Meteor Garden was his breakout drama. To date, he has starred in one movie, Magic Kitchen with Sammi Cheng and Andy Lau.

In August 2004, his first solo album was released, titled, 'The First Time' (第一次 Jerry for You). In January 2005, he won as 'Most Popular Newcomer' (港台地區最受歡迎新人獎) in the '12th Chinese Music Awards' (第12屆中国歌曲排行榜頒獎典禮) held in Beijing, China.

He is currently starring in a television drama titled 'The Hospital (白色巨塔)' opposite renowned Taiwanese actor Dai Li Ren. The drama is helmed by the director of Meteor Garden and began airing on August 15, 2006. It is being broadcasted Monday through Friday at 8:00 pm on Taiwan's CTV channel.

He is also an ambassador for charitable organization World Vision Taiwan, he has an adopted child, Baldan, in Mongolia. He speaks Mandarin and Taiwanese.

Jerry Yan currently runs his own Star Jerry Co.

He has always encouraged his fans to spend money on charity, and his fans, known as 旭迷, have done many charity works all around the world.

Filmography

Movies

* Magic Kitchen 魔幻廚房 (2004)

TV Series

* The Hospital 白色巨塔 (2006)
* Meteor Garden 2 流星花園 II (2002)
* Come to My Place 來我家吧 (2002)
* Meteor Dream Garden 流星夢幻楽園 (2002)
* Love Scar 烈愛傷痕 (2001)
* ABCDEF4 (2001)
* Meteor Rain 流星雨~道明寺篇 (2001)
* Meteor Garden 流星花園 (2001)

Discography

* You are My Only Persistence (2007)
* The First Time (第一次 Jerry for You) (2004)

1. One Meter 一公尺
2. Be A Good Lover 做個好情人
3. Memory Pieces 記憶拼圖
4. Decoration 陪襯品
5. Want to Love You 想要愛你
6. Gravity 地心引力
7. I Want It Now
8. Isolation 隔離
9. Forget Myself 忘了自己
10. Fantasy

source:www.wikipedia.com

Lee Byung-hun

Korean actor Lee Byung-hun

Lee Byung-hun Profile

Name: Lee Byung-hun
DOB: July 12, 1970
Place of birth: Seoul, Korea
Height: 177cm
Blood type: O
Religion: Buddism
Family: Mother and younger sister
Language spoken: Korean, English and French
Education: Hanyang University (French literature)
Education: Graduate School of Joongang University (Theater and Cinematography)
Profession: Actor
Hobby: Travelling


Lee Byung-hun Biography

Lee Byung-hun is famous actor in Korea, and quite popular in Asia region as well.

Lee Byung-hun was signed by KBS in 1991 after passing their public audition test for new TV star. He made his debut in the same year, starring in TV drama Asphalt My Hometown.

Lee Byung-hun continued to star in some TV dramas, and was already quite popular when he made his movie debut in 1995 with Who Drives Me Mad?

Lee’s breakthrough probably came in 2000 with movie Joint Security Area, co-starring Song Kang-ho and Lee Young-ae. The movie was the highest grossing film in Korean history back then.

Lee Byung-hun then starred in movie Bungee Jumping of Their Own in early 2001. These 2 movies had won him multiple awards, including the prestigious Blue Dragon Award and Dae-jong Award.

Lee Byung-hun also achieved good results in TV dramas. Happy Together (1999) and Beautiful Life (2001) were popular in Korea; and later on built his international fame when the dramas were shown in other Asian countries.

Lee Byung-hun became one of the most talk-about stars in Asia for his love relationship with popular Korean actress Song Hye-kyo, his co-star in highly rated TV drama All In (2003). Their relationship ended in 2004.

Lee’s later movie like Everybody Has Secrets (2004) and A Bittersweet Life (2005) were quite well received as well.

source:www.asiapopular.com

Barbie Hsu

Barbie Hsu (Chinese: 徐熙媛; pinyin: Xu Xiyuan; name also transliterated as Barbie Xu) is an actress and singer. She is most known for her role in Taiwanese dramas, especially Meteor Garden. The first movie she appeared in was the Chinese movie The Ghost Inside. Barbie has also appeared in the Taiwanese series Mars. She started out her career in a duo group called "S.O.S." (Sisters of Shu) with her sister Xu Xi Di. She was recently voted Asia's sexiest vegetarian.

Profile

* Chinese : 徐熙媛
* Name : Xu Xi Yuan
* English : Barbie Hsu
* Nickname : Shan Shan (called by her family members only) / Big S (Da S)
* Siblings : 徐熙娣 Xu Xi Di (aka "Xiao S")
* Popularly Known As : Shan Cai (leading female character in Meteor Garden I & II)
* Date of Birth : October 6, 1976
* Birth Place : Taiwan
* Zodiac : Libra
* Chinese Zodiac : Dragon
* Height : 163 cm
* Weight : 43 kg
* Shoe Size : 7
* Blood Type : B
* Status : She is currently dating the famous Taiwanese singer, actor, and commercial model Vic Zhou.

Filmography

* Meteor Garden
* Meteor Garden II
* Mars
* A Chinese Ghost Story
* Monkey King (Quest to the Sutra)
* Say Yes Enterprise
* Phantom Lover
* The Ghost Inside
* Silk
* Corner ＊ With Love
* 100% Entertainment
* outsider

Barbie Hsu, a taiwanese actress also known as Xu Xi Yuan in chinese pinyin, nickname Shan Shan or Big S...but she’s most popularly known by the name “Shan Tsai” as the leading character of a strong willed schoolgirl striving to stand up against four of the richest bullies of Ying De University who call themselves F4. You know what I’m talking about. Yes, Meteor Garden have reached wide audiences from all over Asia.

Growing up in Taipei, Barbie entered showbizness at the early age of 16, along with her sister and bestfriend Dee Hsu, they earned themselves as TV hosting job of Taiwan's popular TV show called 100% Entertainment Show. The show features interviews and guestings of Asian artists as well as in the international scene. Eventually, the sisters decided to delve into the music scene as well and got themselves their first record album called, "SOS" which means "Sister's of Shiu". Their last album was called "Abnormal Girls", in which later they call themselves ASOS under Wang Wei Zhong's management.


In the year 2002, CBS released a TV series that changed the history of Asian television. Right. I'm talking about "Meteor Garden". A story about courage, love, and sacrifice. Barbie, as the leading actress playing "Shan Tsai" and her first TV role paired with Jerry Yan as the lead actor, playing her persistent suitor, "Dao Ming Si", the richest of the F4, have become the most famous couple ever lived in Asian Television. It made the world crazy, including me. The people wanted more so the production journeyed on to Barcelona, Spain to shoot the sequel of the series "Meteor Garden 2". Barbie followed up with another series "A Chinese Ghost Story", in which she plays an enchanted fox spirit searching for true love.


As for today, Barbie Hsu already earned herself a spot in the movies "The Ghost Inside" and a new series called, "The Phantom Lover". Barbie also appeared in another TV series entitled, "God Mars" along with F4 member Vic Zhuo. The series is set to be shown in Philippine TV this year.

While Big S is almost always busy preparing roles for movies and TV series projects, Small S wouldn't let herself beat with nothing. This young lady has been so famous with her funny antics which earned her a lot of fans in Taiwan with her new TV show "Khang Xi". She's got natural talent in making people laugh which most people find appealing, and not to mention that she's a beautiful woman herself.

Written by vegecrisps.
Credits to Lamgeese for some information above.

source:www.asosonline.com
www.asianfanatics.com

Meteor Garden I

Meteor Garden (流星花園, 'Liu Xing Hua Yuan' in Mandarin) is a Taiwanese drama that began its broadcast 12 April 2001 on China Television. It is based on the Japanese manga Hana yori Dango (Boys Over Flowers - Which is a pun since Dango also means sweets). It stars Jerry Yan, Vic Zhou, Vanness Wu, Ken Chu and Barbie Hsu. The plot is centered around a plain and poor teenage girl called Shan Cai, who goes to a university basically for rich people as forced by her parents. In fact, the university is dominated by a gang of handsome but arrogant students called F4, because they are the heirs of the most influential families in Taiwan.

In the beginning, Dao Ming Si, the gang leader, hates Shan Cai so much that he makes everyone in university play tricks on her with all efforts. However, Shan Cai's persistence (and ignorance actually) gradually gains Dao's respect and later he falls in love with her. Like many other TV series, the lovers end up getting together after going through tons of painful challenges.

Meteor Garden was very popular in Southeast Asia. In the Philippines, the four main male characters, with a band called F4, had a sold-out concert. Filipino audiences may not understand their songs but listening to them makes all girls shout for more. Due to the popularity of the series throughout Asia, two sequels, Meteor Rain and Meteor Garden II, were produced.

The main antagonist is Dao Ming Si's ever judgmental, arrogant mother Dao Ming Feng who is somewhat based on Kaede Doumyoji in Hana Yori Dango. However unlike in Hana Yori Dango, she is seen to be not as evil compared to the Japanese version.

Cast

Main Cast:

* Barbie Hsu as Shancai
* Jerry Yan as Daoming Si
* Vic Zhou as Huaze Lei
* Ken Chu as Ximen
* Vanness Wu as Meizuo

Supporting Cast:

* Zheng Mei Dai (Belinda Cheng) as Baihe
* Zhang Ruo Zhen as Qianhu
* Ye An Tin as Lizhen
* Wang Yue as Shancai's Mother
* Teng Chi Xing as Shancai's Father
* Zhen Xiu Zhen as Daoming Feng
* Edward Ou as Qinghe
* Rainie Yang as Xiaoyou
* Winnie Qian as Tengtang Jing
* Ke Huan Ru as Xiaozi
* Mary Hsu as Daoming Zhuang

Episode Summary

Episode 1

It commences with Shan Cai not being content with the prestigious university she just enrolled in, partly because of her mother's goading. She dislikes the mediocre professors and her arrogant and incredibly affluent classmates, especially a crew of four males who call themselves F4, which has an atrocious notoriety. It gets worse when one of her classmates gets kicked out of the university because he challenges F4. However, it was the day following this incident, Shan Cai, got her first genuine, even though very brief, taste of F4, when her clumsy professor unwittingly bumped into Dao, the alpha male of F4, and by a fluke, overturned his can of soda onto Dao. The professor, was horrified, and while he was stuttering, he tried to apologize and was immediately silenced when Dao made a slight move; he foolishly thought Dao wanted to pummel him. The professor's courage failed, and he stumbles back and falls into Shan Cai and Li Chen, who are bystanders. They were carrying a basket filled with basketballs, which the maladroit professor knocked over, scattering the basketballs everywhere. Dao then punts the empty basket out of his way and F4 follows behind in close quarters, all of them smirking, except for Lei, in the back of the group. Shan Cai was stymied by their actions, and outraged especiallly towards Dao, but she was bewildered when Lei stopped to put the basketballs back into place.

Later on at Italian Tomato, where Shan Cai works with Xiao You, Shan Cai informs Xiao You about her life at the university, especially relating to the morning incident with F4. Xiao You comments that Shan Cai had become a totally different person upon entering the university. She used to be a fearless, benevolent girl but now she seems to mind only her own business.

At home, Shan Cai’s mother keeps on pestering her about her social life at the university. Her mother is set on the fact that she will find a rich man through the university and marry him. Shan Cai tries to persuade her mom to let her stop attending the university. However, Shan Cai's mother lends a deaf ear and forbades Shan Cai from dropping out.

At this moment during Shan Cai's quarrel, F4 is hanging out at a pub, but their fun soon ends, seeing as they have to defend themselves against the males whose 'girls' had been courted by Ximen 'just for fun'.

The next day, Shan Cai has another encounter with F4, this time more horrific - Li Chen accidentally slipps on the staircase, and the ink she was holding hit Dao, leaving him a mess. She tried to apologize, and she was stuttering very badly, not unlike the professor, but arrogant Dao pushes her away, silencing her into a red world of embarrassment. Shan Cai could not help it - her tongue suddenly caught fire at Dao's rudeness and she began scolding him until he was speechless. Dao became incensed at her behaviour. Shan Cai knew the trouble with him was just beginning.

Shan Cai arrives at school the next day, and she feels ectastic. She did not discover a red tag in her locker bearing the symbol for F4 and the words "You'll Be Dead". However, she notices something very strange as she walks into school. No one dared to look, or talk to her. Then Li Chen pointed to Shan Cai's back. The red tag was stuck onto her back - for the rest of the day, everyone played mean-spirited tricks on her, where in one, she was locked in the bathroom. Shan Cai, at the end of the day, felt exhausted and drained, when Li Chen came up to her, and gave her a miniscule white teddy bear, secretly apologizing to Shan Cai. Shan Cai then gathers up her courage and her braids flying, she headed up to the rooftop to shout her thoughts and denounce F4. To her amazement, she sees Lei up there alone. He offers her his handkerchief to clean her face, Shan Cai takes it, feeling very touched and a mite confused.

On her way home, Shan Cai bumps into Dao who tells her that he was impressed that she was able to last this long, and sneering, tells her to prepare for tomorrow - an even more brutal attack. After much thinking, Shan Cai decides to declare war on F4 and challenges Dao by sticking her own self-made red tag, which sports a gray cross and bones, onto Dao’s forehead.

At the Italian Tomato later that day, Xiao You was very pleased to hear that the old Shan Cai had emerged once again. At the pub, Ximen and Mei Zhuo bet with Dao that he would not be able to play Shan Cai out because they were very much alike; strong-headed. At the university, Shan Cai received her biggest surprise when two guys sent by Dao tried to rape her (Dao only wanted to scare her). Lei came in time to rescue Shan Cai and her boldness came tumbling down. In order to get Shan Cai to stop crying, Lei taught her to do a handstand to stop the flowing of the tears.

The next day Shan Cai waited for Dao at university and punched him on the face, scolding him for his immmoral trick. Dao went into total shock, his ego wounded, and then came up with a plan.

The next day, Shan Cai headed up to the rooftop, disappointed, because Lei did not show up at the rooftop that day. She was then wandered around the university when she saw Lei practicing violin at the music room. Lei was not especially pleased to have her as his audience. Shan Cai expressed to him that she would wait for him at the rooftop everyday till he appeared again.

After class, Shan Cai was kidnapped by Dao’s men and brought to Dao’s house. It turned out, Dao’s plan was to offer Shan Cai the right to be his girlfriend, which of course, she thought was ridiculous and turned him down with a vicious gleam in her eye.

Episode 2

Shan Cai arrives to her class boldly - only to find degrading words on the blackboard about her virginity. Shan Cai was seething - she did not even stop to reason and ponder the predicament and went, in a rage, to look for F4, thinking it was their work. Incensed, she bellowed at the top of lungs to Dao, 'I’m still a virgin', and since she couldn't reach him from where she was, instead, she gave Mei Zhuo a painful kick.

Back at class, Pai Her and Chien Hui suddenly became friendly towards Shan Cai to the extent of inviting her to their party. Shan Cai thought that they were sincere and went to the party only to be humiliated by both of them. Shan Cai being herself, stayed tranquil, and with a wicked smile, in turn, humiliated both of them by behaving badly at the party.

Shan Cai visits the rooftop again, astonished to find Lei. Both of them talk for a while, keeping a good distance from each other, but they do not know Pai Her and Chien Hui were recording them. Later, Pai Her and Chien Hui brought a fashion magazine featuring Teng Tang Chin to show to Shan Cai. From them, Shan Cai learned of the existence of Lei’s love life; Tang Chin. They both scorned Shan Cai and said she could never compare to Tang Chin, not even one hair could match her beauty. Then Pai Her shoved Shan Cai, and she stumbled into Dao, who appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Dao declared to both Pai Her and Chien Hui that Shan Cai was 'his' and whoever spit on her, spit on him also. At that point, Shan Cai was trying to digest the news about Lei’s love life (she had a crush then), and instead of behaving amiable, she started a calamity unto Dao.

At home, Dao took a relationship quiz with the help from his personal assistant. The result: he sucks. Luckily the book offered guidance - one of the 'guidances' being that he should dress in 'cute' clothes.

On the following day, Shan Cai discovers more about the Tang Chin and Lei's relationship when Mei Zhuo and Ximen invited her to hang out with them, sitting on the grass and sipping god-knows-what.

That same night, Shan Cai bumps into Lei while on her way home; he was standing in front of a picture of a model, staring intently at it. Lei had just received a text message from Tang Chin informing him that she would be home soon from Paris. Ecstatic, he spontaneously kissed Shan Cai on her cheek, leaving her perturbed. It was a definite snafu.

The day following that, at the university, Dao wearing a 'cute' cartoon shirt, met up with F4, who all laughed at him, poking fun at his clothes. Then, Lei received a phone call from Tang Chin telling him she had arrived at the university. He ran over to where she was standing, in awe of her beautiful figure. F4 was reunited once again with their childhood playmate. Shan Cai, who accidentally passed by, saw the whole reunion scene and was speechless, seeing the exquisiteness and the soft glow of Tang Chin.

Shan Cai had a pleasant surprise when Qing He, her old classmate came to study at the university. Both of them had lunch together and were seen by an outraged Dao, who was just passing. Straight away, Qing He received a red tag at his locker. Shan Cai knew what it meant, and she dragged Qing He, telling him to run for his life. Shan Cai then demanded that the red tag be taken off, shaking her fist at the jealous Dao; but he would not take it back. Both Shan Cai and Qing He were sprinting away from the mob when they bumped into F4 and Tang Chin. Shan Cai was embarrassed of herself, but turned increasingly startled when Lei stepped out to help them, yet again. Dao and Lei each grabbed Shan Cai and started pulling on her, in a fight, trying to assert dominance over one another. Shan Cai yells for Dao to let her go, and Dao does, and immediately severs friendship ties with Lei, dividing F4. Tang Chin helps Shan Cai to clean up (after being dumped in the trash) and they become friends. Lei goes up to the rooftop, followed by Shan Cai, who thanks him for his aid. Both of them just sit there the whole day until night. At night, Lei lights some fireworks to brighten up the dark sky. The next day, Shan Cai who was not feeling very well, fainted at university, while talking to Qing He about a sea cruise trip. Dao was surprised to learn that Shan Cai had came down with a high fever and decided to visit her at her home.

Quotes

* DMS : ( whispers slowly ) I like you. I like you so much that even I think it's weird. In my eyes, I can only see you. Shan Cai, I know I can be very annoying. But I want you to know, if you run away, I will go after you. No matter where, even if it's hell, even if you run to the edge of the world, I will be there. I want you to know one thing, that is I want you for sure.

* SC : Dao Ming Si, I don't care what other people think, as long as you believe in me.

* DMS : I believe you, if you say you didn't do it.

* Lei : When I was young, there was a friend who told me that if you can't hold back your tears, You can stand upside down. In this way, the tears that would fall will stop.

* SC : Flying a kite is like watching somebody from afar. Even though it's far away, there's always hope. Because you know the string you're holding in your hand is like an unbreakable bond that connects the two of you. Chin is like this kite. Even though she's far away, there's a string in your heart that connects you to her.

* DMS : Say it ! Just a simple I like you, say it ! You really hate me that much? You really like Lei so much? Why Lei? Why my best friend? I feel like a fool, why I would like a girl like you. I am Dao Ming Si, the best in the world. I can't believe I fell in love with a girl like you. I am a fool. Don't even say you regret this. Tomorrow's game, I will give my best. Be careful.

* DMS : You are so stupid. If I fight back, I will lose. Then there is no way I can protect you. Taking care of them is easy, but I just want to hold on and not fight back, because at that time I was only thinking I want to protect you. If I die today, don't be sad. Do not cry either.

* DMS : So you will know I like you. Knows to play the piano or not, daughter of CEO or not, I don't really care. Because I really like you.

* DMS : I finally found you. You always have an excuse to run away from me. I don't even know what I should do with you. Could you stop running away from me? Let us solve the problem together. Just leave yourself to me.

* SC : No, I don't feel good at all. I am Hurt. Ever since I saw them kissed, I have a scar in my heart. Dao Ming Si's love is so strong and heavy, so heavy I can't breathe.

* DMS : The shooting star surrounded by the light, symbolizes the wings of Cupid. So before the meteor falls off, if it was seen by the couples, they would be closely locked together. Like having the wings of the God of Love holding them closely, they will be marked with the sign of love.

* DMS : I was once willing to give up anything for her. Even give up the Dao Ming Family business for her. But now I understand, there are some things that can't be forced. The more you put in, the more hurt you will be.

* SC : ( thinking to herself ) I like you ! For a second, I am about to say it out loud. Abandoned my friends and family, abandoned my pride and dignity. Because I really like you.

* DMS : Xi men, what you said may make sense, but I just couldn’t do it. I didn't let myself sink deeper because I never came out of it. I just realized that if I lose SC, then I might not even have the strength to breathe.

* SC : I really like him, there are a lot of times that I want to say it loud, but I can't. I like him and it's not sympathy.

* DMS : I am not afraid of all those obstacles. My only obstacle is San Cai's heart. But I won't think much of it now. No matter what person she likes, I will go after her. No one can stop me, Stop my will to go after her.

* DMS : I am not lonely at all now because I have you. I don't want anything but you. This is the first time I have that feeling, pretty unbelievable right? ( Blushes ) Who dares to interfere and I will kill him.

* DMS : Listen, this woman belongs to me. Try touching a strand of her hair, and you'll get the red slips tomorrow.

SC : I hate your stupidity, I hate your fish eyes, I hate your conceitedness, I hate everything about you. You're the kind of person that everybody hates in those psyche tests. I hate you! I hate you! (runs off) DMS: (quietly)Am I really that hateful?

* DMS : Tell me, why did you betrayed me ? How can you be so mean ? How can you be so cruel ? You crushed my heart in just one night. If breaking my pride is what you're after, Congratulations, you did it ! How can you ask me to trust you ? What do you want from me ?

* SC : If I let you protect me, then I will lose that equality.

DMS : What am I supposed to do with you, why can't you be like other girls ? A bit more gentle some times, more dependable ? Forget it, that's why I like you in the first place. SC : Actually I understand your thoughts, and I am very happy too. So... ( Kisses DMS voluntarily for the first time )

* DMS : Don't you know that I'm worried ? Our relationship has a deadline. Day after day, everything seems to be going the wrong way. Even if you try to cooperate with me at school, or we are with F4, nothing is right. I even think if we are finished... Forget it, this is so embarrassing.

SC : ( Embraces DMS from behind ) Dao Ming Si, I wanted to tell you this, Thank you so much !

* SC : I have something to tell you, I can't be with you anymore.

DMS : What are you talking about? SC : I will leave your home today. DMS : Why ? Why did it turn out this way ? Didn't we left together today ? Do you still remember ? You said you want to have equal status with me and told me not to move out. Didn't you ? So the reason you don't want me to protect you is that you want to break up with me ? SC : No, I meant it at that time I really want to have a steady relationship with you. DMS : Why did it turn out this way ? Tell me. How do you expect me to deal with this ? Tell me ! SC : Dao Ming Si, I already decided I don't want to have relations with the Dao Ming Family anymore, I have also decided, I will not be able to be with you. DMS : I cannot accept this. How could you do this to me ? Shan Cai, did you ever really like me ? Throw away my family, my mom, everything all away. Did you ever really like me ? SC : Actually I never really like you. If I do like you, then I wouldn't be leaving like this. ( Cries and thinks to herself ) Actually there were many times I felt like I am in love with Dao Ming Si.

* DMS : San Cai, don't go. Don't go with him. I can't have you leave me. I can't lose you. Without you, I don't know what my life will be. I can't live a normal person's life, I really don't know what to do if I lose you. San Cai, listen to me. No matter what happens, I will protect you. You have to believe me.

SC : ( Leaves with Ya men on the bus , halts the bus and said to Ya men ) I don't know if love will really disappear. But because I don't know, I want to find my own answer. SC: ( Runs toward DMS ) ( thinks to herself ) I didn't have time to think. I don't care if I regret it or not, I just want to run toward him. Right now, my body and soul are connected; I don't want to lie anymore. I already crossed that bridge.

* SC : So many obstacles have created a bond between us. How I wish we had a normal relationship. But when I decided to be with him, I gave up that thought.

DMS : Is San Cai asleep ? Even though this place is old and crappy, but when I think that she's right next door then this place doesn't feel so bad. Even the air feels different now. I want to go over there and be with her. Even if it's looking at her face while she's sleeping. SC : I thought of crossing that bridge and forcing myself in his world. But Dao Ming Si flipped over the wall and came to my world. I am actually very touched. I really want to go there and tell him. But if I knock on his door, he might think I'm an easy girl.

* SC : Dao Ming Si, we had a deal about the time. If we still cannot be together, then we will give up. And you will accept what your family has arranged for you.

DMS : Why giving up ? If I will give up, I would have given up the first time we broke up. I don't even want to think about it. We will be together. SC : I got it. We will be together. DMS : I miss you so much. ( Cries while covering his eyes with his arms )

* DMS : When I refused to eat, I thought I was about to die. But if I die, I would regret it because you never said you like me.

SC : Is it important ? DMS : Of course it is important. How would you feel if you die knowing nobody likes you. SC : I like you. DMS : What ? Could you repeat it. SC : No, I already said it. Once is enough DMS : San Cai's ( pouts ) SC : Wo Shi Huan ni ! (and they embraced.)

source:www.wikipedia.org