100% Senorita (2003)

Disclaimer: I watched this for Wallace Huo and ALMOST dropped it regardless.

This drama made me so upset in parts I was in actual emotional agony. Part of it has to do with the script writers taking such a sadistic approach to Joe Chen's character, who was the far more compelling twin but was used as a sacrificial lamb throughout most of the story.

As much as I love Wallace Huo, Deric Wan's character had a much *much* more compelling arc as well. I mean, Wallace is insanely good looking so if you just wanna stare at him in his idol days for 40 episodes, it's well worth the price of admission, but never use "death and the maiden" as a trope in a story where it's competing for screen time against the lead couple. As an archetype, death and the maiden will always be far more interesting.

Fair warning, there is also instalove in this story, one of my least favorite tropes, with the additional theme of "fate" prevalent in everything, in a sort of mystical way that felt more depressing than optimistic.

I'm also not a big fan of the "poor little rich girl" trope, and ofc we get oodles of that here, complete with a rich twin who is always perfect in every way. Overall, I couldn't in good conscience recommend a drama with so many tropes that get subverted in almost perverse ways and with so many absurd twists and plot holes big enough to drive a trailer truck through them.

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