Magical Love

How long
20 episodes

Foreword
I have not wanted to write a review on this serial at all after watching it. But I think many may be interested to know how popular Taiwanese pop group, S.H.E. act before acting in "The Rose"€™. Will they create sparks with Big S, Xu Xi Yuan's boyfriend, Lan Zheng Long well? I am afraid that you will be disappointed because nearly the whole cast can'€™t act at all.

Story

Li Hua has thought that her parents want her to be Juliet. She discovers later that her father plans to call her "€˜Li Chang"€™ while her mother "Ming Hua"™. They give in to each other to be "€˜Li Hua". She heaves a sigh of relief, if it is "Zhu Ming Chang"€™, she will be no different from a Chinese snack Chu Cheong Fun.

Li Hua, Qi and Sha Sha fail to get into Taipei University. Sha Sha decides to work in a travel agency while Qi wants to be an entertainer. Li Hua signs up in a private school to attend the tuition class there. The three girls stay together. On her first day at school, Li Hua sees Xiao Ai declaring her love for Tao and kisses him. Tao wants to reject Xiao Ai so he insists that Li Hua is his girlfriend.

He even kisses Li Hua by force and complains that her acting is terrible. Li Hua complains to her friends Sha Sha gives her a torch to protect herself while Qi finds it doesn't matter if Tao is rich. Li Hua hates Tao for being so self-confident and wants to clear the air with her classmates. But all advise her to give Tao up as he is a womanizer and is dependent on women for money.

Li Hua goes to a fast food outlet near Taipei University to cheer herself up€“ also to see if there are handsome guys on the way. She is shocked to see Tao working there as a waiter. The next alarming moment will be how he sets her free when she gets trapped in the toilet. The next moment comes when his girlfriend, Wen Lin rescues her when she sits on tomato sauce to dirty her slacks. Wen Lin brings her home to change them and Li Hua sees Tao walking out of her house, topless.

So the angel is cohabiting with the devil. Sha Sha loses her job because Dong Hai (their landlord's son) and Qi gets news that her customer, singer Wang Li Hong is going to Japan so they rush to the airport to snap photos of them. Her boss thinks that she reveals the secret to them and she gets fired. Both try their best to cheer her up. Tao forbids Li Hua to tell his secret to the other people.

Wen Lin invites Li Hua to come to her home more often and offers discounts if she visits the outlet. Thus Li Hua keeps the brochure, she will visit her outlet when she needs money. Tao deceives Wen Lin that Li Hua and him are from Taipei university faculty. She is disgusted when he pretends to be her nice classmate. Li Hua find both matching in appearance. She is pondering why both stay together when her teacher gets angry when she can'€™t answer her question.

Tao answers for her but Li Hua is still asked to stand outside the class as a punishment. Qi tells Li Hua to shoot a commercial and the boss likes Tao but he rejects t he offer. Qi gets interested in him and imagines him to be rich. Li Hua wants to wake her up from her dream but doesn'€™t wish to betray Tao. Qi sets up a group date. Although Tao still acts cool and never answers Qi'€™s question about his family, he gets along well with Dong Hai to play computer games.

Sha Sha thinks that he is gay and Li Hua thinks it is best for Tao to continue his romance with Wen Lin. However, she is shocked to know that Wen Lin has a boyfriend. Luckily she hasn't mentioned this to anyone. She can see that Tao is hurt when both leave. Later at night, he demands to watch the Japanese drama "€˜long vacation"™ with them. Li Hua feels the way the lead look at others is the same like Tao looking at Wen Lin. Wen Lin is also 5 years older than Tao.

She suddenly discovers that he disappears and sees him getting into a pub. Piano music from Takuya sounds from it and she walks it. She is surprised that the pianist is Tao and gulps a big cup of wine. She gives him encouragement but he is indifferent. She pulls him out for a jog and suddenly gets drunk. He carries her home and she is still half-conscious of the music he played earlier.

Qi invites Li Hua and Sha Sha to join her to an internet meeting session with the Taipei university medical students. Moreover, the guys will give them a treat. Li Hua tries her best to memorize the English phrases from a book she borrows from Tao. She finds that he has very neat handwriting. She imagines to meet someone with Takeshi'€™s eyes and Takuya'€™s smile. But she dreams of Tao screaming that Li Hua is not the type that he likes! Qi introduces themselves as models.

The guys look suspiciously at them and only two guys turn up. They force Li Hua to set up the barbecue pit with the charcoal when Tao suddenly arrives. He sneers at her - she can't finish her schoolwork and is here pretending to be a model?? The more she is with him, the more she feels like the pearls in the pearl milk tea. Tao is such a person he can get into the medical faculty but chooses not to. He wants to pursue his dream to be a fashion designer.

Li Hua finds that she likes Tao and waits for him to give Wen Lin up. She sighs and draws an orange on paper(Wen Lin), a carrot(Wen Lin's boyfriend, Luo Bo), a dough(herself) and a pear(Tao). She draws 4 stars under the pear, he is smart and handsome but tries too hard to act cool. Luo Bo is okay looking but arrogant so he only gets 2.5. Wen Lin is gentle and pretty so she gets 5. She is only a fake pearl so she doesn'€™t deserve much. Tao suddenly asks what she is doing.

He snatches the drawing from her and he smiles. Li Hua thinks this is the end,€“ has he discovered anything? He pinches her face, does she want fruit juice but wants to drink pearl milk tea too to draw the chart? He just got her the tea drink so she should be thankful. She feels her red face and drinks the tea. It is still good to be the dough. As long as someone treats her like a pearl, she can be one in future.

Tao wants to be friends with Li Hua forever and this hurts her. She cries at home as she has exceeded her line. A good friend who is sick will only need a call to ask for the well being but will not go to his home to look after him. When a friend is liking others, she will console and keep him company but should not feel upset. She is about to reveal the truth to him through email when she gets into a website unknowingly. Before she realizes it, she has pressed the transaction complete button to buy a Japanese love amulet online.

It is said to change a friend to a lover and it costs a few hundred dollars. Li Hua and Tao happen to see a stray dog, Ou Gu on the street and brings it back home. It is smart and likes Tao. When Tao finishes tuition and is about to return home, he can't resist looking into Ou Gu'€™s big eyes. He will then stay to play with him. Sha Sha then says that Li Hua can't be compared to a dog.

Stupid Li Hua,“ she tries to imitate the dog'€™s gestures and looks but fails. But she likes the dog too. The next day, she is distracted by the dog€“ not by Tao and he has to use a pen to knock her head to let her concentrate on her studies. She can'€™t remember what is taught the day before and only gets 55 marks. Suddenly the dog jumps and the two go to carry him. They have the dog between them but it is enough for Li Hua to blush. It is Li Hua'€™s angel and she gets jealous when the god kisses Tao's ear.

Li Hua recalls how Tao declares to her that he wants to be a fashion designer. There is a different look, he no longer looks cool but shy and insecure instead. He comes from a family of doctors. He knows that he will be disowned by the family for wasting a year'€™s chance to get into fashion designing. No wonder he keeps it from Wen Lin. Li Hua is happy to know more about him and wonders why he isn'€™t frank to tell Wen Lin about it. Is it because she wants him to be a doctor?

Sha Sha and Dong Hai stop picking on each other and often smile to each other. Qi is excited to tell Li Hua that Dong Hai is romantic to bring her to watch the stars. Li Hua finds it unbelievable. He will want to murder Santa Claus on Christmas day and sells goods on the street on Valentine'€™s Day. She forces the truth out of Sha Sha. She is only helping Dong Hai to woo Qi and she is only his friend. But when getting his call, Sha Sha will rush out of the home to pedal goods with him. Li Hua knows that she likes Dong Hai and now she can only wait for him to love Sha Sha.

Li Hua feels that Wen Lin is only treating Tao as a younger brother. Her grandmother was once his nanny so she knows his likes well. No wonder he only has eyes for her. Li Hua has secretly placed the amulet into his wallet but there si no progress so far. They only take a photo together with the help of the photo machine. But the progress between Wen Lin and Luo Bo is fast.

Li Hua forces herself to eat the sandwiches that Tao likes in the morning. She also records the number of times he smiles a day. She also gets Sha Sha to find a bridal studio part job for her. She hopes to help to take measurements or cut the cloth to help him out before he becomes a designer. But when Tao knows about it, he gets angry, how can she get into university when she works part-time?

She suddenly loses the courage to face him. Wen Lin decides to marry Luo Bo and tries on the wedding gown. The image will be forever imprinted on his mind although it hurts him. He throws all the sketches that he has drawn of her into the river. She wants to get them back but she sprains her ankle and he has to carry her home. She tries to cheer him up but ends up crying herself.

Sha Sha bakes bread to save on expenses. Li Hua feels the taste is the same. After Tao and Wen Lin meet at the studio, Li Hua doesn'€™t dare to return to it and skips classes too. She finds herself empty like the bread and starts baking. She recalls how Tao looks when he is sick and how he rescues her when she falls down or the teacher picks on her. But he is unable to release himself from the love trap.

She does a stupid thing, she goes to Gao Xiong thinking that Tao returns home to avoid Wen Lin when his line is engaged. But he is still in Taipei all along. She has thought of how to console him when she discovers that her purse is missing. She has no more money so she has no choice but to call him for help. He tells her calmly and firmly that he will come to get her. He arrives a few hours later angrily but he cools down when she begs him to have a meal with her.

She even gets someone to take a photo of them. Qi discovers that Dong Hai isn'€™t a rich guy as she imagines and quarrels with Sha Sha. She wants to ditch him but Sha Sha protects Dong Hai, saying that she is materialistic, Tao doesn'€™t look as cool as before. She hopes that he will like her someday. Li Hua learns that Wen Lin breaks off with Luo Bo when she arrives at the bridal studio. She has discovered that he sleeps with other women. That means that Tao has hope so she is unhappy.

Wen Lin is angry to know that Tao stops his studies. Li Hua discovers that they resemble each other beneath the perfect exterior, they have to handle more pressure than others. She is also sad to discover that they actually love each other very much. She is angry that he deceives her while he is angry that she doesn'€™t understand him. Tao refuses to leave after class but he doesn€'t blame Li Hua from spilling the beans. Wen Lin has noticed that something is amiss from Li Hua'€™s expression and tails her.

Why isn't he mad with her so that she can dislike him? Li Hua tails Tao home and he lets her follow him. She encourages him to tell Wen Lin his thoughts. Tao tells the teacher impulsively that he will help Li Hua to get into Taipei university. This shocks the whole class. She begins to pity herself as Tao is very smart. He knows everything and can solve every question in a minute. He has a pair of attractive eyes too.

She has never seen such beautiful eyes on a guy who is 180cm tall. Tao doesn't consider if she can take it and keeps instilling information into her brain. He has many restrictions for her and wants neat writing. She starts to think that it is a waste for him not to get into the medical faculty. The worst is his attractive eyes are in front of her and whenever she is distracted, she gets scoldings from him.

Although this is torturing and she needs to digest more information at night, she looks forward to every session like a date. The next day, she is happy to wait for him when he mentions to Dong Hai that Li Hua is not his type. She runs away after hearing it. A man, Chen Jin Feng boasts that he gets Li Hua, Tao beats him up; Jin Feng is his ex-classmate. After the beating, he walks so fast that Li Hua can'€™t catch up with him. He is too tall and has long legs to do that.

She asks him why he hates to be a doctor while he asks her why she hates Maths. There is no answer for both. Sha Sha and Dong Hai quarrel because of Qi. Qi decides to join an entertainment school in Japan. The two have nothing to say and are nice to each other again. Both start to like each other. Tao still tries hard to make Mrs Li let him study fashion designing while she still wants him to study medicine. She even disallows him to join the tuition class. The two keep Li Hua company instead.

Li Tao goes understudy in Mr Dou'€™s fashion designing company and Li Hua feels lonely. When Tao discusses about work with Xiao Lan, she feels worse. She has thought that she can help him by working at the bridal studio but she now realizes that the job is minor. Li Hua has to admit that Xiao Lan is very capable to help Tao. Moreover, both are primary school classmates.

To check the history, Tao meets Wen Lin, Xiao Lan and finally Li Hua in sequence. Even Xiao Ai is before her so she is destined to fail. Sha Sha places Tao's photo on Li Hua'€™s desk to encourage her. She is Tao's student and she should be able to get into any university. Tao uses his best design for the auction process but is rejected. Dong Hai feels that it is unfair. Since he can'€™t get into the fashion faculty, he has to return to Taipei university to study medicine.

Dong Hai is mad when one of the judges is Mr Dou. He has said that Tao is talented but he rejects Tao just because he rejects him once. Li Hua says nothing as Wen Lin is now with Tao. Li Hua returns home from the class and is surprised to see Ta at home. They agree to be friends again while he informs her that Mrs Li has allowed him to work in Mr Dou'€™s shop till July'€™s auction again.

Sha Sha and Dong Hai can tell that Li Hua loves Tao. They try to create chances for them by staying out late to let them to be together. But he is still cold to her, doesn'€™t smile at her jokes or pretend not to hear her. She gets so frightened by him that she cleans off the lines that she writes painfully by mistake. Tao smiles at her; she gets attracted. He is not used to find her quiet but before she can answer, he turns back to read his book again.

Li Hua'€™s grandmother used to give her a cool drink when she is down so she recommends this way to Tao. But it doesn'€™t work on him. He moves out of Wen Lin'€™s home and stays at Dong Hai'€™s home. She guesses it must be because of Luo Bo and buys the cold drinks. He tells her to close her eyes and she gets nervous. But he doesn'€™t kiss her and only touches her head.

Li Hua buys a small motorcycle and names it "sheep"€™. It is often faulty. Tao laughs at the name but often rides on it. No one dares to be her passenger and most prefer to ferry her instead. She is delighted when he becomes her driver. He will complain that she is too talkative but still laughs at her jokes. She enjoys it very much. Dong Hai even jokes that she can get Tao to take care of her all his life if any mishap happens.

Li Hua thinks that Wen Lin is going overseas to study with Tao and is about to cry when Dong Hai tells her that Wen Lin is leaving alone. Sha Sha doesn'€™t wish Xiao Lan or Wen Lin to affect Li Hua but she can't concentrate at all. She has the urge to ask Tao€“ who does he want to be with? Does the amulet work this time? When seeing a dejected him, she doesn't ask him.

Li Hua gets into a school in Hua Lian, he has promised to take another photo with her at the sticker machine but he doesn'€™t turn up. Is it because she can'€™t get into Taipei university? But he suddenly takes the intiative to bring her to the zoo and take the photo. He tells her that he decides to study in London with Xiao Lan. Li Hua is disappointed, she has hoped to see him at least once a month and this is the outcome.

She has wished to ask him not to leave but this is his dream. They take another photo at the photo machine again and both turn out to be ugly. This doesn'€™t matter to her as long as they have a moment to be close to each other to smile, this is enough for her. Li Hua gets into the teaching academy of Hua Lian. She tries to contact Tao but he doesn'€™t answer her call. She understands that he is busy for the trip now.

Dong Hai and Sha Sha decide to go to New York to study and save up money to shoot a movie. Li Hua is touched; when will Tao allow him to pursue his dream with her? She finally gets to talk to Tao when she secretly makes the call in the toilet. Tao is also happy for her. He initially has a chance to get into a good school but Mrs Li is sick on that day so he rushes back to Gao Xiong. Li Hua vows to be a good teacher like Tao. She starts to like Hua Lian now. He makes her realize her dream,€“ what about his own dream? They have different dreams now so will they drift apart?

Li Hua gets to know a new online friend, Jack. Both have never met before. He stays in Taipei. Sha Sha still teases her of dreaming to meet her Romeo. Both are back and start to work hard to earn money. She tells Li Hua to meet Jack soon. Sha Sha informs Li Hua that Tao doesn'€™t go to London. He chooses to stay to study fashion designing in Taipei university. Although she wishes to meet him, they have already bade each other goodbye on the day they take the picture.

It is strange that Jack still communicates with her although he receives Li Hua'€™s ugliest photo. He will not complain that Li Hua is too slow in her typing. Li Hua is frank to tell the truth about herself and she is now back in Taipei. She eats the bread that Sha Sha makes nervously. It has Jack'€™s name on it. She suddenly feels that it is a stupid thing to do with a rose in her hand, waiting for her online friend.

Will he escape upon seeing her? She starts getting hysterical when an old man walks near her. but he later walks away. Suddenly her dog, Ou Gu comes and it has a rose on its neck. How does it know that she is here? Suddenly someone asks whether she is Li Hua or Rose. It is Tao , he is more handsome than ever. Is he bringing Ou Gu out to play and the rose is from him? How does he know that her nickname is Rose? Is he also having holiday now? He doesn'€™t answer any of her questions.

He touches her hair to mess it up. This fails her attempt to meet Jack in her best form and she protests. Tao then reveals that he is Jack. He has communicated with her for a few months. Li Hua is overjoyed, “ so Tao is her prince charming after all!

Introduction on characters

1. Li Tao -€“ Lan Zheng Long
He is 18 years old. He graduates from high school being first of the whole level. He is considered a genius but he is very cold to all people. His main interest is to reject love from "little girls"€™. His main aim in life is to be a top fashion designer.

2. Ding Wen Lin -€“ Li Qian Rong
She is 25 years old. She is a service manager of a fast food outlet. She is mature and loving to all. Her aim is simple, “ to look for true love.

3. Zhu Li Hua -€“ Chen Jia Hua
She is 18 years old and her nickname is "little pig sister"€™. She is sociable but is very clumsy. She enjoys chatting online, reading comics and imagine love stories to happen to her. Thus she hopes to get into Taipei University to meet her Romeo.

4. Luo Bo -“ Nie Yun
He is Wen Lin'€™s boyfriend who is also a playboy.

5. Hu Sha Sha €- Tina Fu Zhen
She is 18 years old and her nickname is "€˜spicegirl"€™. She is righteous and protects her friends well. Her main interest is to spend money thus her hope is to wander around the world her whole lifetime.

6. An Dong Hai -€“ Liu Zhi Wei
He is a 20 year university student who is always broke. He likes to have lots of girlfriends and talk about royalty. He likes to snap photos of others so that he can be a film director in future.

7. Teacher -€“ Gao Yi Ping
The private school'€™s class teacher who is very strict with her teaching.

8. Yao Qi -€“ Li Xiao Tong
She is 18 years old and her nickname is "€˜Britney Spears"€™. She discards old things after getting new ones and is materialistic. She likes going star chasing and dreams to be a superstar to be worshipped.

9. Mr Dou -€“ Wu Shao Gang
He is a top fashion designer who has high expectations of Tao. That is why he trains him so hard.

10. Dou Xiao Lan -“ Zhou You Ting
She is pretty, gentle and talented. That is why her presence gives Li Hua a lot of pressure.

11. Xiao Ai -€“ Xiao Xian
She is the most daring girl in class to declare her love for Tao openly. She is not afraid of inviting scares, gossips or receiving failures.

12. Mrs Li -€“ Ge Xue
She places high hopes on Tao to be a doctor but he defies her wishes to want to be a fashion designer.

Most favourite character/Most hated character
None, because I can'€™t be bothered at all.

Song
There is no theme song, there is just a piece of unappealing music.

Interesting scenes/ Interesting facts
None, because none of them are comedians or artistes who can really act.

Conclusion
Please don'€™t watch. You will get lots of heartaches. The starting phrase of S.H.E. was so terrible. No wonder this serial ended in disaster in Taiwan. The expressions are so fake and unnatural. Plus a plot which is watery and childishly suitable only for those under 18, I feel that I am tortured when watching it. Lan is completely wooden although he does resemble Takeshi in looks at certain angles. Maybe because he can'€™t act so they just get him to play a cool role?!

Li Hua is desperate for Tao'€™s attention but she has gone to the extreme at times. That doesn'€™t go well with me. Her friends are also a nonsensical lot coming up with stupid ideas all the time. I don'€™t recommend this to curious viewers. Do watch "The Rose"€™ instead.

Sukting'€™s ratings :

On acting : * (Scale of 5)

On story : * (Scale of 5)