Asianovela addiction? Taiwanese vs Kdrama?

I have always wondered when I actually started liking east Asian movies and TV series.  At first, I thought It was because of Meteor Garden. Huh!  Then, one day I saw the culprit again on cable TV--- So Close.  This movie is about the two sisters that are computer hackers, assassins and espionage specialists who use their late father's secret satellite technology to give them the advantage over their rivals and law enforcement.   Interesting plot but what sticks to me even more was the Carpenters song Close to You because this song was always played in the movie every time Ai Lin (the elder sister) exits the scene right after she wiped out her target and anything that comes her way to complete here mission.  I remember thinking Shu Qi (Ai Lin) was like the prettiest action movie female lead I have ever seen.
         
Of course a culprit can't be just one movie, could it?  Naked Weapon is the next in my list.  I remember first seeing the first part of the movie while riding the bus to work.  Normally, I would rather sleep than watch those movies they play in the bus which were mostly Steven Seagal movies.  I bet I don't have to go into details about that. Mind you, I had to stop for a couple of minutes there because I can't help myself from laughing and thinking, who watches his movies?  Anyways, going back to my second discovery.  So, the movie was an epitome of a kick-ass, neck-slashing, violent yet sexy, female action movie.  It's not like everyday we see women with strength comparable to wolverine!  It agitated my epinephrine that even after I came to the US, I thought of renting the DVD of the movie (and DID) and finally got the chance to watch the whole thing.  If seeing sharp objects cutting through skin and flesh makes you faint, this movie is not for you.
             So there.  The two main culprits.  Now, where does Meteor Garden come in.  Alright, one summer (Philippines)  when there was a war over what TV shows to watch in my small home (back when I was still living with my parents and siblings, and I'm sure you know where I'm getting into), ABS-CBN kept on showing a commercial featuring these four Asian looking characters.  What came to mind after seeing them are my favorite shows when I was young and very imaginative.  If you're born in 1976- 1986, you know what I'm talking about.  Bioman, Shider, Mask Man Ultraman, name it, I DID watch it!  So I was like, wow are they gonna bring back the Asian super hero shows again?  And yes, in those shows,  Japan saves the world and the universe! Nope!  Not America, not USA.  Remember Voltron? Voltes V?  See? Now we're talking.  So going back to Meteor Garden-- I waited and waited because I was really curious what the heck the show was about. Then the day came.  My older brother and I were about to see and of course it turned out to be nothing like what we thought and nothing like what my brother probably HOPED it to be therefore he didn't want to watch it and I'd get really upset and then the TV war begins.  All the while I thought I already lost my creativity in dealing with special needs, until I came up with this wonderful plan that requires a lot of patience and not being able to watch TV in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon.  So there.
               In Meteor Garden, I fell in love with the character of Shan Sai.  The very resilient, supposedly not-so-smart, ugly-but-not-really, long-haired girl that supposedly doesn't use shampoo everyday but still has this beautiful long black hair.  She's inspiring not because she got the members of F4 including his assholyness Dao Ming Si fond of her but because despite her shortcomings she still managed to survive.  Well, the story was cute and who's heart didn't flutter every time F4 appear on the scene.  I even know someone who made a photo album of F4.  Don't ask me because I wouldn't tell. Now I got to stop again because there were so many good memories that went with watching the show.  I remember, there were even these girls that made a bet and played basketball all because of Jerry Yan!  I really can't say who they are but boy, those girls were crazy about the show.  Every time they go to work, that's all they talk about!
 But...let's not forget about Shan Sai's best friend, Rainie Yang...She's a much bigger star now than Barbie Xu (Shan Sai)...
-----to be continued----  I got a lot more to say so I hope you stay tuned! :))  And for all of you, myself included, who LOVE Kdramas, don't get upset because  I'm getting there.  This isn't the conclussion so take a deep breath and relax!  Thanks for reading...