Ring Ring Bell (2011)

I have no idea why I started watching Ring Ring Bell because 1. I wasn't familiar with the cast, 2. The synopsis sounded lame, and 3. It's really hard for me to finish a Taiwanese drama without dropping. When I noticed that the first ep was subbed on Viki something in my mind told me just give the first episode a try, no harm done...

Story- The first episode was so original. I liked that we got to see a backstory of how fate will play a role in them meeting again, although for a bit they don't know what we know. This drama was heavy on the romance and the story is predictable but I just found it so fascinating. I love that the feelings the main couple had for each other never wavered. Now there was plenty conflict especially towards the end but it never got too angsty to the point of frustration. My only complaint about the story would be the arc about the tug of war team, it really could have been done without. The ending was happy=)

Acting/Cast-The leads really carried the show. Their acting especially by Janine was really really good. She had a lot of crying scenes and managed to make them very believable. Peter and her had such an AMAZING chemistry. Now a lot of the supporting characters I thought the drama could have did without, like Xiao Xiang’s friend she meets competing for a job and her tug of rope posse. They were so annoying and also Xiao Xiang’s family especially her mom(the overacting was really too much). Other than that I liked the supporting cast.

Music- I don't usually notice a Taiwanse OST unless its to the point where I can hum the melodies of the songs outside of watching the show. So I can say without a doubt, I really liked the OST and score because they were memorable.

Rewatch- I can see myself watching this once a year just because the drama is short and I loved the leads. I could never get bored with watching this.

Overall Ring Ring Bell might seem cliche and silly at times but it was such an enjoyable watch. This is my top Taiwanese drama even beating out Autumn's Concerto & Devil Beside you. That's saying something!

Read More

Let the bells ring of love. This drama had it all comedy, romance, and amazing acting so I know people are wondering why I give the drama such average scores with the exception of acting. Allow me to explain myself first.

The story actually had a great start. Instead of skipping the two main leads Zheng Xiao Xiang(Chang Janine) and Ren Jia Kai( Ho Peter)the writers allowed us to see their background story and how they met before they are separated due to events. When they meet again the love they had for each other, but never blossom blooms as they face problems to keep the love intact. I loved the story. I thought it was original and fresh.
I had no major problems with the story with the exception of the tug of war girls, but they are not the reason I gave Story a 7, the pace is. The show started with a nice pace, yet towards the end in my opinion the pace slowed as the twist and turns surfaced. The ending was a nice one I just wish the pace didn't slowed down as much as it did. You could tell they were trying to drag the story on around episode 13. Other than that great story.
The music is similar. At first I loved the twinkle little star song and it played at appropriate times, yet towards the end it played seemingly whenever. One of the hardest thing about a show is the music. If there is no variety in the bgm(background music) it becomes repetitive and people start to hate it. I think that if they added a few more songs it wouldn't have been so bad.
My favorite thing about this drama is the acting! All the characters held an important role in the story, well except the tug of war girls. Ho Peter is a great male lead and him and Chang Janine had great chemistry. You would think they were a real couple. The chemistry between Chang Janine and the second guy Wang Ke Jie(Xiu Jie Kai) was also good, however the adorable little girl Duo Duo stole my heart. Deng Tracy is one of the best child actors in the Asian drama world. When she cries you cry with her, she is that believable. Never had I felt so much raw emotion from a child actor her age at the intensity I did in this show. I hope I see more of her.
I hoped I explained well enough about my scores. Overall, I liked this show and I would watch it again. I'd have to skip Duo Duo parts to avoid crying. Its a really nice show and regardless of whether or not you agree with this review I hope you check it out.

Read More