MARS (2004)

I was able to finish watching this just this weekend and it's a breath of fresh air from all of the romcom and feel good dramas out there.

This series was able to tackle mental health, suicide, sexual harassment and bullying in a serious way.
It also tells how someone suffering from these issues can redeem and love themselves even if the world is against them.

Also, the male lead is so protective of the female lead but no stalking is involved (where it is very common on current dramas). He will run as fast as he can to protect her and you will definitely feel his love for her.

It's a must watch if you are looking for such genre on a drama.
There is no HD copy of this since this is way back 2004.

OST and background music are all great.

P.S Barbie Hsu and Vic Zhou were real-life couple during this series.

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Lo adoro

Existen pocos doramas a los que les doy una opinión ,pero este lo vale totalmente , amo esta obra .Toca tantos aspectos trágicos de la vida en pocos capítulos ,me parece increíble que no sea mas popular de lo que ya es .Las actuaciones me encantaron ,no hay algo malo que le vea al drama , en general una obra de arte .Ah y el final me tenia de nervios, en serio hicieron un excelente trabajo captando la atención de esa forma . Es muy curioso porque antes de este papel a mi no me gustaba para nada Barbie o bueno no le había dado una oportunidad pues siempre oía hablar de el dorama mas comercial que tiene ,llegue escéptica y me fui enamorada de ella . Y que decir del papel de Vic ,cuando no puede aceptar que ella viva con el asqueroso hombre y trata de ir con la chica al motel y no puede llegar a nada ,WOW! con esa escena y el sentimiento que me transmitió , fue la primera vez que me enoje peor entendía la acción de despecho . Ya no quiero seguir espoileando tanto pero realmente valió cada maldito segundo de mi tiempo .

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Story 10/10
Wow, so many plot twists... There is such an emotional and psychological depth to this drama... The writing is fantastic and I didn't find myself skipping scenes like I usually do... MARS is definitely a mature drama that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster.. Although it is heavy, there are many cute, funny scenes to lighten to mood, too. The ending is complete and there are no loose ends!
Acting/Cast 10/10
All of the actors were amazing, but Barbie and Vic especially stood out to me. First, their relationship is so believable. They have such great chemistry together. Coming from someone who normally watches Kdrama, it was so refreshing to see the main couple so comfortable together (even showing affection for one another in a non-awkward way, lol). Vic is especially amazed me... I don't want to give away any plot points, so I won't say more! :)
Music 10/10
WOW! I usually never pay attention to music of a drama... but this drama's music is absolutely breathtaking. Especially Ling (Zero)... I liked it so much I'm learning to play it on my guitar and piano... Look up the english translations to the songs, because they have such meaning and add depth to the story!
Rewatch Value 6/10
Ok, I never really rewatch dramas... So this is just a personal opinion... I know a LOT of people have rewatched this drama, so maybe you'll want to watch it again... Because it IS one of THE best dramas I've watched.
Overall 10/10
Please watch this drama; I promise you won't regret it!

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Mars is my favourite manga ever! The story is fantastic and the characters are so lovable. When I found that there was a drama, I started watching it without even giving the second thought (I don\'\'t usually watch Taiwanese dramas)...
I liked it, but it doesn\'\'t come even close to what the mange is for me, I think Koreans would make the drama better (my personal, subjective opinion). Though I likes the guy playing Ray, I didn\'\'t like Barbie\'\'s performance, she wasn\'\'t quite Kira...
Maybe if you like the mange very-very much, you expect the drama to be everything you expected, and if smthg is not...you get disappointed easily.

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Taiwanese Hansel and Gretel

...with the only difference that they are a couple, not siblings. All the rest is according to the mythos: they both are the abandoned kids who get attracted to each other for a very solid reason (rare in love dramas and adding value to this one) - their trauma patterns perfectly match. They literally smell each other's PTSDs and the whole drama is the process of mutual healing through the relationship. And it's worth a watch for this reason only. This is basically a great story. No silly funny scenes, so peculiar to other romantic shows. No fillers. However, a lot a things were overexplained which is quite annoying. The viewers are not stupid. They can understand the underlying dynamics. A nice description of psychopathological processes. I love the stories that can serve as demonstrations for med students. This is the case. Some of the things didn't overcome my cultural barrier though and this leaves a filthy aftertaste. Like, I can understand that some mothers betray their daughters for the sake of their own survival (or this is how the mothers explain it), but I cannot at all comprehend why the school violence and harrassment wasn't reported. If it was, however, the story would be quite different. And, nevertheless, I don't get it how someone who threatened to break your bones could eventually become your best friend. A misterious local culture with weird interpretations of shame and dignity. This blocked me from smooth rolling through the show.
One of the reasons I picked this show was to give Vic Chou a second chance after his, let's call it, "strange" acting in The Flame's Daughter. As I'd read the reviews I understood this was his best drama ever. So, he could not have possibly failed. BUT he did! Even though he was in his best shape and he fit this drama organically, and a few more descriptions like "gorgeous", "sexy", "terrific", "so damn good", "one of the best looking guys in that part of the world", etc., as soon as he opened his mouth the whole charm was gone. He was good in some of the scenes, but it felt cringey in the most. All the rest of the cast were great.
I recommend it for those, who are picky about love stories and require solid psychological assumptions behind the characters. It's all here.

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