Sakura of DOOM

Wow, I really love this drama. It does have many of the same flaws that the manga does, as it largely follows the same plot, but the script and the actors make some small changes that end up making me much happier about the plot and the characterization. The drama is also much tighter than the manga and less sensational and gothic, so in the end, the focus on Ling and Qi Luo as a couple and as individuals is tighter.

I'd rec this for people who love the manga, with a note that the drama doesn't get rid of all the gender issues, and I'd definitely rec this to people looking for a good, solid romance. I am probably more invested than people new to the series would be, but I think the drama alone does a good job of showing the stages of a relationship that come after the meet-cute. Though there are many of the same Big Misunderstandings that come with romantic dramas, my favorite part about the series is that Ling and Qi Luo amazingly talk to each other and trust each other, as opposed to leaping to conclusions. I also adore Qi Luo's friendship with another girl, and though many of their conversations are about romance, there's also the feel that it's a good, solid friendship that goes beyond talking about boys.

( Spoilers for all the manga and the drama )

In conclusion: love Ling, absolutely adore Qi Luo, and am tempted to watch the entire thing again.

Mars is based on the manga by Soryo Fuyumi, only set in Taiwan. Good girl artist Han Qi Luo (Aso Kira in the manga) and bad boy motorcyclist Chen Ling (Kashino Rei in the manga) meet cute when he asks her for directions and she responds by drawing him a map. He's fascinated by the sketch on the back, and he ends up awkwardly attempting to befriend her by being a pest.

tatterpunk lured me in with the promise that Barbie Xu's Qi Luo is well acted, and that the setting has changed from high school to college. The setting change is a huge plus for me, as certain events at the end of the manga are much easier to take if all the characters are graduating from college. And so far, though Vic Zhou is cute, Barbie Xu takes the cake. It helps that Vic Zhou has incredibly horrible hair, but really, I like how Xu portrays Qi Luo, particularly her body language, which is always very restrained and contained.

So far, the plot has been very closely following that of the manga (it's roughly halfway through v. 5 right now). They've consolidated a few minor characters, and they're foreshadowing some plot twists earlier; both changes work for me. I've also found that though I reread the series last fall for Yuletide, I've forgotten a lot of moments between Qi Luo and Ling. The drama manages to make some of them much more memorable for me, though part of that may just be because I see them endlessly replayed in the opening and closing sequences. But there's a sweetness to the kiss across the subway turnstiles that I adore, and overall, the drama is making me remember why I loved the manga so much when I first read it.

The most striking thing so far is how early Qi Luo and Ling get together; there are very few Big Misunderstandings or love triangles, and the ones that are in the drama are sorted out fairly quickly and sanely. I have an added appreciation for Da Ye (Tatsuya in the manga) and Qing Mei (Harumi in the manga); I particularly love Megan Lai's Qing Mei, who has a bad temper and resorts to violence and swearing as often as possible. Qi Luo and Ling are also just really sweet as a couple. Even though Ling is annoying to Qi Luo in the beginning, there's a sense that it's clumsiness on his part, not actually aggressive behavior. And you see why Qi Luo falls for him; he is actually tries really hard to be considerate, despite his occasional giant blind spot.

The drama's currently at the point in which we're getting eight revelations a minute about Ling's Tragic Backstory, and I wish Qi Luo had more to do than sit there solemnly and listen, but I'm hoping Barbie Xu gets much more to do when we get to Qi Luo's Tragic Backstory.

On a minor note, while motorcycle races are slightly more interesting on TV than on paper, I still find them pretty boring. Also, I hate the drama version of Qi Luo's painting of Ling.

Right now, this is the best tdrama I've watched, and fairly high up there with other loved drama series, though that may also be because I'm already emotionally invested in the characters and the story, thanks to the manga.

Please use <span style="color:#333;background:#333">spoiler text</span> for any spoilers of the manga! I've read the entire series, but other people may not have.