Well, one of the items on my list of 101/1001 was to watch four drama series on Crunchyroll in four different languages, and I recently completed the first of them. I usually dislike Taiwanese dramas due to the quality of acting (I’ve been spoiled on HK dramas growing up, perhaps), but I decided to watch Peach Girl (Mei Tao Xiao Nu) because I had read the manga series before and enjoyed it, so I wanted to see how the Taiwanese decided to do a television series interpretation of the story.
For those who have read the manga before, here are the name equivalents:
- Momo - Xiao Tao
- Toji - Dong Si
- Kairi - Ah Li
- Sae - Sha Hui
- Goro “Gigolo” - Lu Wu Lang
- Misao - Ah Cao Jie
- Ryo - Ah Liang
1) Characters
First off, I think Vanness Wu fit Ah Li’s character perfectly to a T. He was playful and cool, just like Kairi was meant to be, while still retaining a very warm and open personality. Momo’s characterization irked me at times, because for the most part Xiao Tao acted as if she was worried all of the time. Her facial expression very rarely changed much, and when it did it seemed almost forced. Dong Si as Toji was very bothersome at times because for the most part he acted like a stupid dolt. Perhaps it was just because of his appearance or the way he manipulated his body, but Dong Si’s actor often made it seem as if Dong Si was confused, desperate, or just downright petrified. Sha Hui was PERFECT; I was extremely happy that they didn’t screw up my favourite character, and Ah Cao Jie was a perfect representation of Misao, although she was bolder and more loudspoken. Lu Wu Lang was every bit the character he was meant to be. It’s a pity that everyone was done perfectly except the main character and her first boyfriend. Truly a pity.
2) Set and filming
A lot of the filming seemed very amateur - many awkward angles and static camerawork made it almost boring at times. Other than that, though, I really enjoyed the “wishing tree” idea that they created. The carnival was terrible, though - I would have much preferred Dong Si break up with Xiao Tao on the top of the ferris wheel than on a merry-go-round. That made it almost childish and really haphazard, in addition to adding to the weird camera angles.
3) Music
The theme song for this series is complete and utter love, I must admit. I found myself listening to it for hours on end. It’s got several versions that are in use throughout the episodes - piano and musicbox and orchestrated. The ending song isn’t as impressionable, but the theme song is definitely something that has found a permanent place on my playlist. Another very nicely composed piece would be Sha Hui’s theme (at least, that’s what I call it - it plays whenever something critical is happening).
4) Plotline compared to the manga
I’m really happy that they decided to stage it at a college instead of a high school, and I really enjoyed the “wishing tree” that they used. It provided a nice way for the “rumor” to get around. Speaking of that, I really loved how at the end Xiao Tao mentions the “turning rumor into truth” line. It provides a nice wrap-up to the series and brings us full circle. As I said earlier, I hated the merry-go-round breakup, and an important part of the manga - Momo’s trip to the beach, Kairi going through the rain to find her, and Momo/Toji getting back together. I realize it would have probably made the series too long and been harder to produce, but I still loved that part. They also left out Sae’s romance with Kairi’s brother, and Misao/Ryo’s “romance” isn’t discussed. In fact, they took an interesting turn by saying that Ah Cao Jie had a pregnancy. Sha Hui never falls in love with Ah Liang, and it really sucks because in the end we never get to see Sha Hui’s redemption. I enjoyed the fact that in the manga Sae eventually helps Momo and Kairi get back together, but in the TV series I feel that Sha Hui didn’t get -any- of the goods in the end, which is a bit disappointing seeing as how she’s my favourite character =/ In a way, though, it also garners pity for her, especially in the last episode when she becomes so disappointed to learn that no matter what she does, Dong Si will never love her. “I would’ve given those photos back in front of Xiao Tao, if only I knew you loved me, so I tested you. Turns out the only thing you did all this time, taking care of me, being nice to me, that was all for those negatives!” Poor Sha Hui. Everyone who watches the series always cusses her out and says she’s a despicable brat, but I think she’s one of the more delicate and complex characters that deserves more love.
Meh. I guess I didn’t have that much to say about this series as I thought I did, haha. There were some episodes (ex. the one following Dong Si’s breakup) that dragged on FOREVER, while some of them seemed to go by almost too quickly. Either way, an interesting view at an alternate interpretation - each of the media have their good points, but I have to say I like the manga slightly better, hehe.
Next up: Love Story in Harvard (Korean)
