Love, Now: Episode 1

If the pilot is anything to go by, we are in deep trouble. Another one to add to our long list of shows to watch, people. Abscenes, no *cough* I meant ABSENCE of second-hand embarrassment is always something I'm grateful for, especially when it comes to twdramas. The dialogue feels natural, no yelling OTPs (yet), another plus. 

My only complain is the BG music (yes, again), and at this point I guess I have to hand in the towel and accept this as part and parcel of a twdrama. Do Taiwanese dig those sounds that much, I wonder. Maybe if I search Baidu hard enough, there'd be a study that reveals "Chinese people: Prone to fall asleep when watching romcoms without wonky noises in the background." Or something.

NOW PLAYING
Love, Now OST - "Temporary Boyfriend" by Yen-j



EPISODE 1 RECAP
The most Interesting Person award has got to go to our hero, the cold city man. BUT! Just when you think he is just cold (yawn! been there, done that), you're in for a treat: 

Man loses wallet, luggage, everything. What does man do to get some money? He DANCES. Yes, work it baby! In Boracay, no less. How did he end up luggage-less in Philippines? 

Err, the story didn't start here - I just got ahead of myself. Ahem, first scene:

Back to the cold city man. LAN SHI DE (George Hu) raises his hand in the middle of a meeting, and the employees are like uh-oh, shit's gonna go down. Whereas us viewers are alerted to this by the Very Dramatic Music.

True enough, the employee doing the presentation is skewered alive. No yelling involved, but he does it in a ruthlessly efficient way (why do you think I called him COLD city man for?)

Lest you feel for this employee, a fatherly figure - he totally deserved it. "Don't think I don't know what you did behind my back," Shi De leans in and says in a dangerously sexy voice. Oooh mama. That can't be legal. He says he's a petty fellow, and the things that are taken from him right under his nose, he'll make him vomit it out, with interest. I hope the old man has saved up a fortune with the ill-gotten gains he has made this past five years.

Now we are in Silly Moment, because clearly, the music doesn't lie. Grandma and mom is here to remind him about his blind date. Satisfaction guaranteed, for the lady in question fulfils Shi De's four criteria of an ideal woman: big eyes, pointed nose, tall figure, and the most important of all - long hair that parts in the middle. 

Poor ladies, all three of them. What they don't know is that he's only interested in this ONE woman with those qualities. Omo, in fact, is that her leaving his company? Lucky day! He makes the run for it, down a flight of stairs and... nearly makes it. Drat those fast closing elevator doors. 

Not giving up yet, he takes the stairs instead - but we know how well that goes in dramas. Points for effort though (aww baby looks so sad). *pats back* 

The escapee is indeed the person he is looking for, our heroine YANG YI RU (Annie Chen), and once outside, she gets a call from her boss. It's an emergency, and she is to hurry back ASAP. 

The introduction of our second lead, SUN QI MING (Bobby Dou) is of him feeding his fishies. 

Oh god, this dude is too creeeepy. Are you sure you are in the right drama and not in some serial killer movie? Someone revoke my Second Lead Shipper badge, 'cause this makes it the third series in a row I won't be on their side.

Turns out the emergency call is no emergency, he merely wants to go back home, heh. And oh, while he's at it he is going to turn off the power to the office. Need to reduce carbon emission, he says. Yi Ru the workaholic is not the least bit fazed. No lights? Just watch her, she's gonna bring all the work back to her home. 

Meanwhile, Shi De's blind date seems to be going well... all thirty seconds of it. Grandma and mom laments, how can Shi De find someone if he won't even give the woman a chance? Big sis LAN SHI YUN (Li Wei Wei - Henry's forlorn ex-ex gf in ITWY!) consoles them, saying it might be just thirty seconds this time, but the next time it could be one minute... one hour... one whole day... and even.... "A lifetime!" grandma and mom shouts excitedly. 

Little do they know, Shi Yun is actually on lil bro's side. She encourages him to stick to his four heartless criteria, because "you're not to get married before me!" (Hahaha, she is in for a surprise, isn't she?) "I know that," he says. But in turn please stop those women from arranging blind dates for me. Big sis replies that he has only himself to blame, because he never fails to cave in when he hears that they have found the person that fits all the four criteria.

(Aigoo, here is another lead who's pining away with a photograph. But wait - he has more! A ballpoint pen - a seemingly everyday object, but is obviously never to be thrown away because it has once graced the hands of the heroine.)

I know you guys can't wait for the cray in Boracay to happen, so lets just get this out of the way...

HOW SHE ENDED UP IN THE PHILIPPINES: Yi Ru comes back, files in her hand forgotten when she sees her family members crying. Dad tries to hide a rather large envelope, but this only raises more suspicion - what is it? Yi Ru demands to see. 

What she sees shocks her to the core. TERMINAL LIVER CANCER?! How can this be, she doesn't smoke nor drink. With only 6 months left to live, the poor girl is whisked away to the Philippines (in a characteristic fashion of dramas, Shi De follows minutes after she checks in).

I gotta be honest, I was surprised to find out that Yi Ru's family was in on the cancer scare - I thought it would be your run-of-the-mill hospital mix up, heheh. But no hospital involved, just your everyday PS skills and onions to keep 'em tears coming. Guessed I should've paid more attention to the BG music during the revelation (why no Serious Tune?)

Shi De, at first understandably pissed (given his personality) that his guide was late, is now thankful to the almighty heavens for that. Because he has finally found his goddess! (and for once I actually like the BG music, magical *twinkling sounds* appear when she turns around and he realizes it's really her, lol). 

But goddess or not, Shi De yells like the cold city self he is when the distracted Yi Ru nearly gets run down by a van (I know this is a familiar trope that exists simply to induce some skinship, but imagine if she really does die. The irony, hahah. That oughta show her family members!) "Do you want to die?!" No, she doesn't. I want to live, she whimpers again and again. Shi De is at a lost at what to do, while the locals just look on (I have a wandering eye when a show film outdoors). 

(Gah, can I just say how sweet it is to see his personality undergo a 180 degree change when he's around her? Usually for this kind of radical thing to happen, one would have to wait till the middle of a series. He follows her around like the lovesick puppy he is, and since his unattended luggage got stolen because of her - he has an excuse for doing so! I want to ask why his wallet is in the luggage instead of his pocket, but neh mind. One shouldn't question her luck.)

As a reward for his heroic efforts, Shi De gets to stay in the same hotel as her, along with her personal thanks. She's sorry that he lost all his belongings because of her (hmm, technically I don't think that's true - the luggage was halfway stolen when he summoned some unknown local to take it for him. But again, shouldn't question luck). He mutters, "I don't mind losing my luggage a few times if I get to meet you." Yah, what did you do to the cold city man, he is all saccharine now! (I am still reeling, while squealing.)

(Meanwhile, in the hotel room she was supposed to stay in...  a note prepared by lil sis about Yi Ru's cancer (or lack thereof) gets blown away by the wind from the glass door left ajar. Any tabs on when this will be discovered? Probably after the wedding night? Oops. But you DO know a wedding is coming right? It's all in the trailers.)

Jajajaja, the boy cannot stop smiling as he trails behind her (still thanking God at the turn of events lol). He is even willing to bend his principles on hygiene for her (he's a tad OCD, a trait not uncommon in a cold city man), as he sips the drink she bought by the roadside for him. 

Shi De is enraptured by a street performance, and has a lightbulb moment when he sees the jar of money they have been earning. 

(I had a momentary panic attack here, I tell you. Had to pause the video - Show, what do you think you're doing to my cold city man?! OMFG would he stoop so low as to steal someone's hard earned money? I didn't know if I could continue to root for him.

Lucky for you readers, you guys get to skip all that because I've already spoiled you guys from the beginning.) And LOLOLOL. Will I ever get over his street performance? This man is not what he seems.

At lunch (that he earned), Yi Ru commends him on being so bold. Shi De shrugs it off, and tells her that he believes in striving for what you want, because no one else can help you. Yi Ru agrees, a tad melancholy at hearing "no one else can help you."

Heheh, he is staring at her again. But this time Yi Ru asks him why. "You look like someone I once knew." Yi Ru: "Me?" Oh I see, you liked her didn't cha? Since you were leering at me, she says cheekily.

Hey, what leering, he defends himself. Reminiscing is more like it.  

Alright, no need to get in a huff; she is only pulling his leg. Besides, she is so used to these stares in Taipei. Her boss is like that too. Upon hearing this, Shi De's demeanor changes, all alpha male. You can sue him for sexual harassment - or better yet, I'll teach him a lesson when he gets back, he says in all seriousness.

Yi Ru manages to placate him, barely. She was only joking, really! 

But the lightness of the mood is soon gone when she sees an old couple at the restaurant. Because Old Couples Must Be Happy, she bursts into a fresh bout of tears, because now she can no longer live long enough to be that couple.

The meaning of it doesn't register on Shi De until later at the beach (he brought her there to de-stress). She tearfully asks,"Why? Why liver cancer?"


Ooohlala. Next up: The Wedding! This is going to be so good, I tell you.