Meteor Garden

Shan Cai is a spirited, working-class college student who wins a place at the exclusive Ying De University, a campus dominated by wealthy heirs. She draws scorn from rich classmates and soon clashes with Dao Ming Si, the arrogant leader of the notorious F4 clique. What starts as public spats turns into a tangled set of relationships, as Shan Cai's blunt honesty and independence unsettle the boys who are used to getting what they want. The show mixes romantic tension, slapstick moments, and soap-style twists while following how a single outsider changes the fragile balance inside a world built on privilege.

Released in 2001, Meteor Garden was produced under the guidance of Angie Chai and written by Mag Hsu, adapting Yoko Kamio's manga Boys Over Flowers for Taiwanese television. The series helped translate a popular print property into a glossy live-action hit.

It didn't sweep major international awards, yet Meteor Garden became a ratings phenomenon in Asia and raised the profile of its young cast considerably. The show translated on-screen fame into off-screen opportunities, and the actors received plenty of media attention and fan-voted honors across the region.

Meteor Garden left a clear mark on early 2000s pop culture across East and Southeast Asia. The fictional F4 became a real-life pop fixture, the lead actors turned into household names, and the show's style, soundtrack, and recurring scenes were copied in later regional teen dramas. It helped shape the template for subsequent idol series and introduced many viewers to the modern Asian romance soap format.

Critical reaction was mixed to positive, with audiences responding far more enthusiastically than some reviewers. Viewers praised the chemistry among the leads and the show's emotional highs, while critics pointed to its melodramatic plotting and soap tendencies. Major themes include class inequality, power and privilege, loyalty among friends, and the messy rules of young love, all delivered with a balance of comedy and heightened drama. The series holds a 7.1/10 average from viewers, reflecting its enduring fanbase.