Autumn's Concerto (2009)

Don't know why 'family' is a tag for this. More like epic soap opera of awesome. They used I think every single plot device for a soap opera and pulled it off.

This is strange, but I liked that they had a female lead with darker skin--it was refreshing. I also kind of like the sadistic nature of the male lead--I know a lot of people object to this. But I like what I like.

I thought the two had such amazing chemistry that I actually checked to see if they were dating in real life. And I was utterly shocked (pleasantly) to see an actual bed scene--it blew me away because asian dramas are sooo strict about this.

And my god was that kid adorable. I did sometimes find her passive role to be annoying, but it worked with his extremely...emo and angry personality. He was very mad at the world, and his treatment of her in the second half, was so interesting to watch because he wanted to punish her but it was clearly a ploy to keep her near him and finding reasons to keep her around.

I think he steals the show because her role was so passive. But I liked that the show made an effort to address sexual harassment/rape but it was interesting too given the male leads own questionable treatment of the female lead. I can't say if it was grounded in reality or merely expoitive or appealing to fantasy but it got me, hook line and sinker.

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Autumn's Concerto is one of my favourite drama and will forever stay in my heart. Every time someone mentions about a good dama especially taiwanese, i will remember Autumn's Concerto. I really like the story line that is so original at the time and also so touching. This is a tear jerker drama but with a nice ending. I really love the story and the kid is just so cute and smart. I don't know what to say anymore about this drama because i've watched this a long time ago. I've rewatched this a few times and it still definitely worth my time. So i really recommended this drama

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The opening minutes of episode 1, were enough for me to know I was in this for the long haul.



The first six episodes are brilliant at summarising and basically laying the groundwork for the rest of the series, without making the audience feel like they were loosing out. Or things were being rushed too quickly.



A beautiful story, with adorable characters (even now, I remember little Xio Bin, the five year old with the charisma of a person twice his age...wait, are 10yo's charismatic? You decide)



The grasshoppers are frigging annoying, and with them chirping horribly in one shot, and the next one everything's deadly quiet clearly show there needs to be a continuity error person on the lookout.



Also some of the supporting character's tales are worth skipping, but otherwise BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL

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So its been 2 years since I watched this drama in a go. Yup, me who can't really dramathon dramas watched 21 eps in 2 days while also going to lessons.

What is so great about this drama to even suck in me this intense?

The drama starts very fast and the pace goes on in the same speed. The story doesn't drag.

The music fits, but sometimes I'd like the scenes to be silent. I still listen to the OST at times.

The acting is just awesome. I don't like Van Nes Wu. Yes, I hate his face and he looks so clumsy, but he did his job very good. Ady An....wow...that woman is just beautiful. She suits her role so good. I really really loved her. The boy actor is a diffrent caliber, so cute.

Chris Wu as Hua Tuo Ye was really believable, the way he acted and all. I want to have a friend like that. Also all the other actors did their job good. The only one I didn't like this much was the fiancee.

I already rewatched it so the rewatch value is high.

Don't fret because of the 21 ep or because you don't like Van Nes Wu like me just give it a try.

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I completed Autumn's Concerto recently with my mdl friend gwenp29. I totally agree with this being a classic must watch! Vanness Wu and Ady An are such amazing actors! They have great chemistry and are really believeable as a couple in love. Though there are times in this drama where I wanted to break my computer screen at the stupidity of the characters especially the mother! But my anger always went away whenever Bin Xiao Xiao had a scene. He's just so darn cute! I would rewatch this drama just for him alone. The OST is beautiful, I've found myself humming the tune for days. I reccommend this drama with all my heart! Happy Watching :)

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Being a single mother myself, stories of single moms get my attention. This one tugged at my heart more than once. The child actor was adorable and considering the extent of his screen time and the amount of dialogue he had, he was amazing.

In comparison to other TW dramas I've seen, I'd say the actresses and actors in AC were really good, for the most part. Wu Vaness has come a long way from his Meteor Garden days. Even though he over-acted at times, he was convincing as Ren Guang Xi and had excellent chemistry with An Ady.

I gave the story an overall 7 because I felt that some sub-plots were dragged out too long and because of the over-used Noble Idiot Syndrome that plagues so many other-wise good dramas. Most of the misunderstandings that come between the OTP are understandable in the context of the plot, but one in particular was too obviously contrived as a means of dragging out the story and keeping the OTP apart a little longer. It was ridiculous.

While I probably wouldn't watch the entire drama over again, I probably will re-watch some of my favorite scenes from time to time. Even if only for the shallow reason of gazing at Wu Vaness's beauty :)

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this drama was amazing it made me change my mind about taiwanese dramas well lets begin
Story : 10/10 of couuurs cuz the poor his hates girls he just want to show theirs real faces but when she came to his life he found out that she is innocent and really good he fell in love with her he lived for her and only her she made him believe in life and her strong love made him live cuz he was about to die he misunderstand her and lost his memory after that he got it back he thinks that she hates him trying to revenge but his love for her is still burning!!with the baby now he just couldn't hate her and never can !
Acting/cast: 10/10 cuz the cast is good you can say but theirs acting was amazing he Perfected his roll when he was sad/happy/sick you can see it from his eyes him and her and the little baby he was the best he is sooo skilled that he makes you Believe him when he cry
Music:10/10 i liked all of the ost and the soundtracks they were so amazing specially the opining song it was amazing and the songs are sooo emotional
Rewatch value: 10/10 actually i just finished it and i am rewatching it i cried with them laughed with them they were awesome
Overall:10/10 one of the best dramas i ever watched you wont regret watching it it teated me things one of the mussst watch.

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So... someone convinced me to watch this after I was repelled by the description about the memory loss, which is a huge part of the story. As many others, I see memory loss as a mediocre way to add a spin to a plot which actually arrived already at a happy ending and just needs some more emotional drama.

I was promised something else here... but it was practically the same good old memory loss, just that it took over 20 (!!) episodes to solve it (and we all know that Mr. Memoryloss gets always back together with his first lover, don't we). (Btw. this drama is 34 episodes long, I don't know why MDL shows just 21...)

So you have the original rich but unhappy douchebag (and wow, this one's as douchebaggy as it gets for the first two episodes) and the unlucky, but beautiful and good-hearted female protagonist. From here everything develos exactly as you are used to: The rich, awful tiger-mom, the ever-unlucky second-lead-guy etc. However, Until about episode 10 (don't remember the exact number) the whole plot is practically resolved. The douche turns into a protective prince, the girl gets away from her awful family, they love each other and... then cancer hits. Duh. From then the get-the-memory-back-whilst-loving-the-wrong-woman continues for over 20 episodes. Yeah. Not a fan of that.

Let me narrow it down:
What I liked:
The drama touches three difficult issues: 1) Abuse of women, even by their family members and 2) women, who raise children by themselves - always a touchy subject in Asia and 3) sicknesses like Diabetes. That's some serious stuff right there.
This drama showed one of the most touching and maybe the most BELIEVABLE LOVESCENE I have EVER seen in dramaland. It was cliché, in the shadow of the sickness, with rain and tears... but holly molly - the actors actually acted like real lovers! Unlike other dramas, especially Japanese and Korean, where I cringe everytime when the couple FINALLY kiss in what is supposed to be a passionate scene, solving it all... but you can just tell how awkward the actor/actress feel, their bodies often even not touching whilst kissing, totally stiff... HERE you actually believe it. The kisses are natural, the touches, too. And the first night is not just excluded from the whole plot, like - Sex, no, no, we Asians don't do that (in dramas). So Kudos for maybe the best and most endearing love-scene you will encounter in Asian dramas. (Of course, I haven't seen all, so there maybe better out there)

What I did not like:
Although the emotional settings are nice and believable, which makes it a good drama, the outer settings are... bordering on fairy-tale. Like, it's as if police doesn't exist in Taiwan, because obviously, no one ever called the police: Kidnapping, gangsters, attempted rape, violence, you name it. Everything is tried to be sorted out by the characters themselves... which often leads to unbelievable situations (The courtroom in the beginning, seriously? You got attempted rape and more on the table and they solve it at a SCHOOL court setting??? What the...) This made me sometimes feel like watching a drama for teens, because the reality level was just too low.
Then there is the female protagonist. Her actions post memory loss are often very... frustrating. Not unsimilar to the girl from The Heirs, the character here decides often to just do nothing or be silent or not search help - just not to do what most other people would do at given situation. They explain it with her selfless behaviour, but it's to a degree that can be called medical - lol.
And then there is the last 5 episodes... The way the memory loss problem was solved was really quite exhausting to call the least. I don't want to spoil it, thus I can say not much about it, but the last episodes just dragged and the ultimate conclusion was relatively flat. There is OF COURSE a happy ending, as every memory loss plot requires, but how the couple get back together and finally make up just felt hastened in the last episode and well... not as important anymore.

All in all it was a good drama, certainly worth watching, and I am sure I will revisit at least until the infamous lovescene :) But it could have been shorter by about 10 episodes, if you ask me.

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Let me start by saying that I really love this drama. I didn't know what to expect when I first started it, as I have watched only one tdrama before. The story isn't something that will blow your mind, but the execution was wonderful.

Things I loved: The chemistry between the leads is great and the love story is very sweet.The child actor is just so precious and he is basically the wisest character of the show. The second leads are amazing characters, they are kind, good hearted and they genuinelly wish the best for the ones they are in love with. It is almost impossbile not to like the second lead lady (if you will watch the show, you will know what I mean). The pacing of the story is almost perfect, I didn't feel the story dragged on, even if there are 34 episodes. This drama has a lot of cliche elements, but they are done so well that it made me remember why I love Asian dramas so much.

Things I didn't love so much: the editing of the episodes was a bit annoying because between important moments of the show there are some flash back or flash forward scenes that are kind of spoilers. Maybe some people will like that, but I found myself irritated by it.

I am recommending this tdrama to all the romantic souls out there and I am surely going to watch it again.

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OVERALL
Very good drama that goes to show just how much good acting and chemistry matter in a series. The story and the scripts are not particularly impressive, but trust me, when you start watching, you couldn't care less. Watch if 1) you're looking for a deep love story, 2) you're looking for serious romantic business (aka skinship and cie), 3) you've had an overdose of comedy and want something different, 4) you're ready for a rollercoster ride of emotions. Don't watch if 1) You have low tolerance for relationship conflicts, 2) You have low tolerance for misunderstanding, 3) You don't like kids.

THE STORY
The premise of the show is nothing innovative and does not peak interest. At least, in my case and many others, you hear about how great the show is and then think about watching it. The few initial episodes seduce you like the best player in the world, but the rest of the show drives you insane until you reach the end and feel like your emotions were mercilessly toyed with...except that you loved it. Honestly, the story is frustrating, but it's 'real', something you can't relate to but you can find coherent, and it has characters you can only like, even if you don't always understand them.

THE ACTING
Pretty cool! I'm still new in the realm of Taiwanese dramas. It looks bad to say it, but to be honest, I started with recent romcoms, and they got me thinking that I would never be able to take Taiwanese shows seriously. The acting was almost cartoony, I'm guessing due to the genre. Autumn's Concerto shattered all my prejudice. The acting is superb. There's so much chemistry between all actors but particularly the main couple. I really believe that it's that, more than the story itself, that sucks the viewer in. The little boy is incredibly good too, which is rare for a child actor of his age.

THE MUSIC
Fab. Maybe the main theme song, I love him (Wo ai ta) by Della Ding, will not do it for you, but you'll have to admit it matches perfectly the mood of the show. And there's plenty of other tracks that you'll be able to obsess over. My personal favorite: I thought (Wo yi wei) by Victor Wang.

REWATCH VALUE
It's a matter of mind over heart. Whenever I'm searching for something to watch, my heart begs me to rewatch it, craving for all the intense emotions that it provoked, but my mind tells me not to, because I just can't deal with it. Conclusion is, I'll probably rewatch it again. More than once.

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WOW I don't even know where to start with this. Their acting was just superb. I would say this is probably Vanness's best work yet. Everything was done right for this drama: the production crew, the screenwriters, the actors... everyone was chosen perfectly! Seriously, props to the director and screenwriters because if anyone has read the novel this drama is based off of, you'll know what I mean!! It was a great story but it seriously lacked all the details needed and you kind of just had to imagine them yourself and fill in the blanks. If I could, I would rate over 10 stars for the story only because I've read the original work.

Their chemistry was very apparent and it just makes you want to keep watching them. Another big plus is that the second leads were not annoying jerks at all. They're nice and understanding and are not the clingy type who want revenge after they've been let go. While the plot does have the typical cliches with one of the leads getting cancer AND losing his memory, it wasn't bad at all. Be mindful that this drama was from 2009 and there weren't as many dramas with amnesia in it, so it was very interesting at the time. Maybe if you were to watch it now (after seeing so many dramas with amnesia in it) you'll be like "ugh another one of those" but just throw that thought away and give this drama a try!

Anyhow, It gets a little draggy when they meet again before he regains his memory, but it wasn't to the point where you'd want to drop this drama. Other than that, the pace was fast! The ending could have been better but it wasn't like a super rushed ending that makes you feel like it was a pointless episode.

Autumn's Concerto was probably one of the few that I seriously could not wait for the next episode and each day went by so slowly! I'm still rewatching it a million times in 2016 as this is one of my go-to's when I have absolutely nothing to watch/do. Honestly, I do agree that most TW dramas are slow, draggy, and don't have much of a plot. However, II'd say it's one of the best Taiwanese dramas that have been produced and released so far. This is a must watch TW drama!

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