This is a really lengthy review. I’ve watched all versions of the show, even the manga. I purposely put myself off from watching the latest Chinese version because I thought it couldn’t compare to the Taiwanese one. But I believe this drama is beautiful in its own rights.

Pros:
I have been obsessed with the characters and storyline of meteor garden since I was 13. But after rewatching both the TW and manga versions last year (I’m now 30), I found myself really disagreeing with the portrayed violence and bullying. I love that the Chinese version is a lot more mellow and tame. Like yes, there was still bullying but it’s not those dragging you around while attached to the back of a car kind.

The visuals of cast. They are all so good looking and tall. Even when they are wearing such ridiculous clothing, they still shine.

The casting of Dee Hsu. Though her acting is just ok, but her real-life personality actually makes her the perfect fit for Dao Ming Zhuang. And the fact that they got Barbie hsu’s (the original shancai) sister to play a part in this drama is brilliant.

The ost. Again, I love that the original music were also added to this show. And Wei Qi Qi’s “ love exist” is so hauntingly beautiful that my heart aches every time I hear it.

Budget. They definitely up their game here. The way it was shot, the locations, the amount of designer clothes was way better than the original.

Focus on others characters. They have expanded and added more depth to Yu sao’s relationship with Shancai and Ximen & Xiao You’s relationship. It’s not just about the leads growing as a person, but about everyone else around them as well.

The bro-mance and chemistry between the cast is strong with this one and I’m all for it! The scenes where they were just teasing each other, it felt like they broke free from their respective characters and were genuinely enjoying themselves.

Oh and the little tribute (to the TW version) at the end made me so happy. The last episode was so bizarre that I was laughing pretty hard through it and I kind of liked it.

Cons:
Acting skills needs improvement. For me, Hua Ze Lei is the best. Darren did a fantastic job bringing him to life. I’ve always been a Dao Ming Si’s bias so I never thought there would ever come a day where I’ll pick Lei over DMS. Though I believe Shen Yue is a good actress, I don’t find myself loving her version of Shan cai. It lacks the feistiness that Shan cai should possess. Dylan’s acting needs alot of improvement. He is however, endearing(and an absolute eye candy ), hence I could get through all the episodes.

The constant product placements are so irksome and in your face. I understand that they need to get sponsors what they want, but still, it kind of breaks the story. Like Lei asking Shancai if she have booked her lodging and her pulling out her phone to show an app. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. I did however had a good laugh at Zhuang’s scene with the dandruff bodyguard as well as those in the last episode.

Draggy. 49 episodes were definitely too long. Though I did get sucked in and enjoyed the drama, I wish it could be more straightforward. Like meizhuo’s story line wasn’t necessary for me and I often find myself fast forwarding those parts. I know I said I like that there was more focus on other characters, but honestly I don’t care for Caina as she’s totally a new character. Too much back and forth between the leads. They are always back paddling. It’s the same with the original but because there are so many more episodes in this version, it becomes a little tiring. Also, there were far too many slow mo running and flashback scenes.

Inconsistency. Little things like Caina’s bruises are initially on her left cheek then suddenly it switched over to her right. There are others as well, but I’ve lost count of them all. I wished the crew paid more attention to that.

Verdict:
This drama is worth a watch. Though not my favourite version, but the plot has too many merits to miss. Just know that it is long , so brace yourself for that.