Taiwanese Drama is Crazily infectious

Everyone can see that I’m not really writing much of late, that’s because my heart was focusing on something else. I’ve gone back a bit to my old self and watched some Taiwanese Drama.
Now I know that this is not the usual type of things I write about here but it is part of my heritage.
It’s said to be the Drama that racked the most viewers in the past summer, since nowadays the drama is delayed broadcast in other country, it’s racking up new tornado around the Chinese world.
Now let me explain how this work, the Chinese entertainment business is a worldwide business, consists of 4 big studio power house country, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and Korea (Korea being the new boss that sprung out about 5 years ago). The distribution of the media is worldwide, because Chinese population can be counted in millions in country like US, Canada, Australia, Europe, China, South East Asia, thanks to slavery trading in the 19th century Chinese are spread throughout in all Major Continentals.
Taiwan island alone consists of more than a 100 TV and radio stations, over 50 traditional magazine and thousands of online Magazine follows and Blogging and faxing and connectivity to the internet is far far exceeding the American’s population. And because they are very near to Japan, though not everything can come new as fast as Japan but they are really really near when it comes to technology advancement. They may not be as organize, but Chinese have a spongy attitude than any ethnics in the world because they are so widespread and connected. All IPod type, All Blogging type, All Techno Stereotype, all Gossipy attitude, all P2P Sharing network are widespread in the Asian world. While some still choose to be ignorant to think that Chinese is the only market with large Chinese population, if you look at the china and Taiwan entertainment system, you’ll find that they are far more advanced than any people could have thought, because they include the business from all 4 major powerhouse, all going through the Chinese Distribution Chanel. Which is why some artist in the English and European circuit can easily survive without the country ever knowing about them, like how N’Sync, Backstreet Boys started. That’s how now Hanson and seemingly unknown US band like The Click Five actually is big hit in the oversea market. And the Moffatts brother that doesn’t seem big in the US market can rack up sales in Asian country.
One form of under-culture is form in this kinda social structure, (I’m sure somewhere around the world it’s a total Thesis phenomena study in some social study degree.) Chinese community can feel the separation and forcefully trying hard to get connected with these media which makes them really addictive and even feverishly crazy on idolizing certain iconic figure, be it models, singers, actors or other political public figures. This also rack up the opportunity for these people to become famous overnight when you get your face spread on all the front page of gossip mags and distributed around the world. Of course, bad news fly as fast as well, and the online community news buff get their news by the hour if not minutes. So that’s how fast it’ll spread when video (especially viral one, which makes it even more volatile once they got into the Chinese network) spread into the network.

Back to the business here, the drama I just finished has introduced a new actor, Ethan Ruan Jing Tian. It’s an understatement when you say he is new. Five years in the business as model, he have been in literally every magazine cover and as supporting in quite a few of the famous drama in the past. I have been interested on this subject ever since he first came into the scene 5 years ago. There’s quite a stir, just that his inexperience haven’t gave him any advantages yet on the circuit. So now after 5 years finally he got his big break with this drama. I must say there are still a lot of spaces for improvement. But as the songs sings, “you gotta have a trick”, his biggest asset, I guess, is his height and his ability to cry on demand. HAHA! I know, I know the American thinks that Man should be Macho and all. But trust me, Asian have a romantic notion to men who cries. So if you cry enough at the right timing, it crack the heart and women would swarm in like bees to honey. And Taiwanese director have just the right set of skills to create that timing. He got the looks. But his comedic timing still a bit off, but the most off beat acting skill he have to improve on is his acting on getting angry, everytime there’s a scene to promote anger, he fails at it, right then and there everyone can see that he is acting. Space to improve I guess. But as I say, he got the looks and that tricks, just enough to get him rise up. Yes, I will say that their demands are small. As long as it’s fresh then it’s ok. Fresh meat that’s what they called. HAHA! Anyway, this freshness will last for about another 3 years and it’ll depends on how he promote himself in the future. Gambate masu as what the Japanese says.
It’s a shame though, very often the male lead and more likely to get the heat up in such dramas than the girls. The female lead are more likely to sustain longer period of working experience in the business though. Because they have not 5 minutes fame in their belt, so their fame will have less probability to burn out fast. Which gives them the chance to developed into more experience and versatile actresses. Yet it’s really easy to be stereotype into certain character too in this business. Which is why they often reluctant to grab the same act for the 30th time after a few years, and disappear from the view later, still IF they wish to continue in the business, Chinese often promotes quadruple thread experience in entertainment, becoming an Actor, moving to modeling, and then singing and then hosting big event and shows or vice versa are often the path of many artists in Asia. There’s plenty to do.