Meteor Garden
2018
Original language: Chinese
- drama
- family
The story
An ordinary girl is admitted to the most prestigious school in the country where she encounters F4, an exclusive group comprised of the four wealthiest and handsomest boys in the school - Dao Mingsi, Hua Zelei, Xi Men and Mei Zuo.
What it’s like
Glossy, saturated pop-drama in a world of gleaming glass towers, sprawling white mansions and a campus of manicured lawns, where warm sunlight and sweeping rain scenes alternate with dim, moody night interiors. The camera moves with an energetic, slightly theatrical bounce, lingering on slow-motion glances and close-ups of tearful faces, while the score swells with lush strings and earnest ballads at every emotional peak. The vibe is bright, dramatic and bubbly, with a melodramatic streak that suits a weekend binge, a comfort rewatch, or something to fold into a busy evening. The pacing is deliberately long and episodic, with the emotional stakes restated often and drawn out, and its central dynamic is a stubborn working-class girl clashing with an arrogant rich boy who gradually softens. Intensity is moderate: there is bullying, shoving, slapping and some cruel behaviour from privileged characters, along with a few tense, threatening scenes and chaste kissing, but no gore and little real violence. It suits viewers who want heightened romance, rich-versus-ordinary tension and a sentimental, over-the-top emotional ride.
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