MARS (2004)

This drama got me out of a drama slump. It was very gritty and down to earth. There was a lot of true life issues. Sometimes watching a show without a lot of fluff is a good thing.

I enjoyed how the little things were solved quickly. We wern't agonizing over the ex-girlfriend for 4 episodes. One was enough.

There was redemption,friendship, true love, and forgiveness. All the things a good drama calls for.

At first I thought it was going to drag. Come on 21 episodes?? I am going to be fast forwarding I just know it! You don't. Each installment is fast paced, and you never feel the need to click forward.

The acting was wonderful. Vic and Barbie were outstanding. Megan and Jie Kie were great supporting cast. Loved them.

Watch it. You won't regret it!!

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I thought the story was amazing! It was a very intense & beautiful love about two very different broken people slowly healing each other, A painfully shy artist and a popular playboy find a soulmate in each other. It was very deep & touching and i can say i really loved it and it has become one of my favourites, The only flaw was i just didn't like the athmosphere to the drama, It was kinda creepy and unnerving at some parts, Which maybe was the fact there was very little music or the fact that i've had a similar experience to barbies character but i still managed to finish it in one day because it's that amazing. If you're looking for a lighthearted bubbly drama this is not for you, But if you're looking for a deep intense real romance than watch it.

Another reason i found this unnerving at some parts is maybe due to the fact there was alot of deep real life issues such as rape, suicide, abuse, murder, mental illness etc which is very rare for an asian drama but it put them all together so good, it had alot of things that does actually happen in this world which i did like because it shows that not everyones life is amazing, That alot of people go through so much but it shows that no matter what you go through you can still find happiness, Also maybe i'm just a dreamer but after finishing this it gives me hope that maybe someday no matter how damaged i am, I will find someone that loves me for me and loves all of me as much as Linq & Qi Luo love each other :)

As i said there isn't much music but i loved the opening song, It was beautiful. I do reccomend this drama to people, I think this is a drama everyone should watch, It's one of a kind but beware that it's quite dark and deep, Yes there is a few parts that will make you laugh but really overall it's not funny, Also there is a few parts that may even freak you out lol

Overall i gave this a 9, Mainly because the story is beautiful & touching and barbie & vic had such great chemistry that it was so believable, The only thing that stoped me from giving a 10 is as i said the athmosphere, I am really picky when it comes to that,But then again I watched it online which unlike korean dramas, Taiwanese are pretty bad quality, So maybe if it was on dvd the athmosphere may appear better, but i do admit that the more you watch of it the less creepy it becomes, You might feel like giving it up in the first 3 or 4 episodes because it's quite dark but if you hang on it will become a little less unnerving and more amazing, anyway i would really recommend this drama, Don't let the athmosphere stop you from seeing this amazing & beautiful drama, I definitely agree with those that say it's one of the best dramas that has ever come out of taiwan, It has a genre of it's own. I certainly do not regret watching it :) and i would so watch it again, In fact i'm thinking of buying it on dvd and If you managed to read all of my ranting then you should watch Mars too.
Watch it, This amazing real drama will not waste your time, You won't regret it!

Edit: I just rewatched this drama again a few months ago and i must say i found the the atmosphere wasnt unnerving anymore so im finally gonna give it a 10 :)

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Wow where do I begin with this drama?

Well let's start with the fact that this drama ought to be deemed as a CLASSIC in dramaland. It is not classical in the way in which it is filled with accidental kisses and nonsensical tragedies but it is classical in the way that all the emotions involved and expressed in the drama were universals. They were still relevant to me as a viewer despite the fact that the drama was created TEN years, a decade ago. Oh did I mention that this drama pulled me out of a slump and has become a trigger for my recent Taiwanese drama obsession phase? Anyways, the psychological states, questions, and statements of Qi Lou, Chen Ling, and Sheng were so interesting and were webbed beautifully on-screen.
From the story to acting, everything was top-notch and amazing. The story managed to put hardcore issues such as rape, suicide, and mental illness without over dramatizing them. The directing and producing was superb. The acting of Barbie and ZaiZai were off the charts and they had steaming chemistry as two very hurt individuals in society. Megan Lai, Xie Jie Kai, and An Jun Can played their supporting roles with dimension and grace. An Jun Can's character is solid, creepy, hopeless, and intelligent. He really will make you think and doubt many things.
The music was well-fitted into the drama especially Alan Kuo's Ling. Sometimes the lyrics matched exactly as the situation on-screen, enhancing the scenes.
Lastly, from my personal opinion, this is a drama I would definitely re-watch. There is just something about this drama that will just pull you in even if you know what is going to happen.Plus I'm a sucker for Vic Zhou's acting so the rating is a little biased hehe

Overall, whether your a new watcher or an old watcher like me, you will come to adore this drama.

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Story-10/10
When I watched this series, the character I was most drawn to was the female lead. There was something unusual about her that I couldn't figure out. Every episodes the writer would drop hints here and there, but I wasn't able to put the puzzles together until it was revealed. The second half of the series focused on the main guy past. Anyway, I enjoyed the entire series very much. I watched every episodes because I was intrigues with the storyline. The romance blended in perfectly in this drama too. Definitely the director, writer, producer, and the casts deserve recognition for this great series.

Some viewers complained about the soundtrack in this series. I, on the hand, enjoyed the soundtrack in this series and thought it suited the drama perfectly.

Would I recommend this series? Since this series focus on serious real life circumstances, I would only recommend for adult or mature viewers only.

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I usually find it difficult to watch shows that deal with heavy subject matters, and for the most part prefer sillier, light-hearted drama/comedies. So I was surprised how much I enjoyed MARS. I stumbled across MARS when looking for live-action manga/anime, and thought I'd give it a shot.

I liked how it leapt right into the story, with the introduction of the two main characters. Then we got to meet supporting characters, whose stories interested me also. The chemistry between Ling and Qi Luo was amazing, and I love how their relationship slowly developed. I really enjoyed the little things that made the characters endearing to me, like when Ling annoys Qi Luo in class, trying to get her attention. The relationship develops at a realistic pace, with the facades and defences of each slowly disappearing, and their true natures and vulnerabilities revealed.

I became emotionally invested in these characters, and to me that is a sign of good acting and writing. I cried several times throughout, and just when I thought surely nothing else could possibly happen to these people, something did. But there was still that sense of hope, that they could overcome everything with each other's support.

So, an emotional roller-coaster, but well worth watching, and just as good to re-watch.

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This is my favourite Asian drama, I'd seen many before watching this, and I've seen even more after finishing this, but no one comes close to Mars.

First thing first, Mars isn't a fluffy feel good drama, it handles serious issues like rape and suicide.

If you do decide to watch it, it has an amazing storyline, the good girl and bad boy meet and fall in love, but there are many more layers to their characters than one would expect.
The best thing js that both characters show growth, it isn't just the guy or the girl changing, they both grow together.

The performances of Vic Zhou and Barbie Hsu are so good that at times I had to remind myself that they were just acting... also there chemistry is just out of this world good!

The music is good, and the fact that there are instances where it isn't used adds to the scenes.

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STORY------ 10/10

I find this story very interesting, I like the fact that the writer actually adapted most of the scenes from the original Japanese manga (MARS by Furumi Soryo, 1996, if you haven't read it yet I recommend that too you'll be amazed at the resemblance) back to the story line one of the scenes that I was pointing it were the opening where Qi Lo and Ling met and a lot more I won't be a spoiler. It's unpredictable in some way, I kind of didn't know how the story will unfold and what is background of each character until it was revealed in the series itself. The topics touched in this series is a very complicated mix, highly dramatic from family problems to even as grave as rape and suicide. Although it still had some of the usual cliches, I'm giving it a 10.

ACTING/CAST ------10/10

This is a turnaround from how I first saw Barbie and Vic (Meteor Garden) she still had the same hair though, I like the timid side of Barbie and the more arrogant yet lost soul Vic was in this drama. I think he also gained weight here, which is better. The other supporting roles were great.

MUSIC -----10/10

I love the soundtrack,very well placed songs, if it's a cute lovey dovey scene you'll feel the lightness of the scene from the song. If it's those scary psycho turnarounds, It's scary alright. Just listen to it and the intro Very STRONG SONG.

REWATCH VALUE ------ 10/10

I'm giving this a high rewatch value, you just get pulled by the drama. The love for the characters and that Ducati man it's just nice to watch over again, even the struggles that they have it gets you back to see it again.

OVERALL ------ 10/10

Overall it's a 10! although it's a bit old considering it was aired 2004, it's still a great all in all. Something highly recommended.



I hope this is helpful enough for you guys :)

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I absolutely loved this drama. I have found that the Taiwanese actors/actresses don't usually display the emotions of their characters very well but this drama floored me. I loved the way each character was portrayed. The rxns of the characters were right on & were believable. I wish that Tong Dae was a little more inappropriate in his rxns but he was believable in that he was trying to display normal rxns to fool the ppl around him. This drama seemed to question if murders r born naturally or born from circumstance.



I don't know how ne1 could not enjoy watching this drama, but I am sure that if u don't like to look at the tragic side of life & the struggle to live through it, then u will not like this drama. My wisdom of the day is: U r only a victim if u act like 1.

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Mars happens to be the most outstanding masterpiece I have ever had the privilege of watching.
I finally decided to write this review when I remembered a little while ago how much this drama helped me when I didn't even see a future for myself. Mars goes over dark subjects of mental illness, rape, and absolute tragedy, but what it is about altogether..is overcoming that tragedy.

One quote to sum the drama up is from the drama Bloody Monday 2:

“No one was supposed to open Pandora’s Box.
So much catastrophe came out of the box.
But what do you think was left inside?
Hope.”
- J
Normally I am not a fan of Taiwanese dramas because to be honest they aren't always as good as Korean or Japanese dramas. This has to be the best Taiwanese drama out there!! The way it was filmed was perfect and the actors chosen for the leads were sooo wonderful. I was able to relate to the female lead so much that I cried when she cried and was scared or unsure when she was.
This drama is so different than most because it is so inspirational.

Following our dreams and overcoming our tragedies with our foever soul-mate.

The music in this drama was wonderful and I listen to the soundtrack on my iPod all the time. It can get repetitive but it's so wonderful I could care less.

I haven watched this drama about 4-5 times through already and after I'm finished this review I'm going for a 6th. Mars is so realistic but it has some typical high-school cliches at the same time. It is a lot deeper than shy girl meets popular playboy because the chemistry and the obstacles are absolutely real. The chemistry even goes off-screen as the main actors did have quite a long relationship after the drama. I recommend this drama to a mature audience and I'm not talking about age 18+, they just need to be mature. This is a nicely paced but drama that goes over adult topics so if you aren't mature enough or even mentally stable enough I don't recommend watching this.

Although I watched this at a very dark time in my life it did help me, but there were a lot of topics that came up that felt like my soul was being torn apart. I'm so grateful to have watched this because it helped me become stronger. If you choose to watch Mars I surely hope you enjoy it because this is an example of how T.v shows should be.

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I personally think this drama is highly overrated. The script is ridiculous in its extremities, and while I know most people don't watch dramas because of their closeness to reality, this was just a little much.

There was never a main plot or driving force. Mostly it seemed like the writers were just trying to find as many ways as possible for our leads to be miserable. Honestly, I've never seen so many psychotic antagonists in my life. Like everyone was LEGIT crazy. And they just kept coming out of nowhere, showing up randomly.

Character development was also incredibly flawed when it came to side characters. Their relationships had little to no foundation and often went unexplained. Somehow in a matter of minutes sworn-enemies began acting like life-long friends and the audience was just forced to accept it.

This drama's only strong point was its OTP and having actors like Barbie and Zhou be able to convincingly sell the characters. Even though I went throughout this entire drama scratching my head wondering how much worse it could become, I couldn't stop watching this drama for the sole reason that I loved seeing these two actors on screen together. Their chemistry is fabulous and it's easy to see how they began dating after the drama.

While Mars was definitely entertaining at times, and definitely solid when it came to romance, the script was a HOT MESS, and for that reason I gave it a low rating.

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