Asianovelas have been popular with the Filipino audience ever since Taiwan's Meteor Garden hit the airwaves back in 2002. Since then, a steady stream of shows from Taiwan, Korea, and Japan soon found its way to Philippine shores and started a new craze in local programming, quickly adding a few more slots in the telenovela fan's list of favorites. In just a few years, the Asianovela invasion successfully built a country-wide fan base.
"Asianovelas" are drama shows produced in Asian countries and, of course, the Philippines. The term is a spin-off from "Telenovela," which refers to the Spanish soap operas, like Marimar, that first entered the country.
How do Asianovelas differ from the Telenovelas that we have grown to love?
Asianovelas offer unique, straight-to-the-point, engaging storylines. We Filipinos can comfortably relate with Asianovelas for their traditional ways of story telling. Real-life situations are interpreted and delivered so gracefully, all we have to do is sit back and enjoy the story's unfolding.
The Asian stars with their chinky eyes and smooth complexion look foreign yet feel familiar. After all, especially in urban areas, we often see or interact with Chinese, Korean, and Japanese nationals. The actresses' pulchritude and the hunky yet lean frame of the handsome leading men in Asianovelas exude freshness. No sweaty-looking actors and over-sexy actresses, no long complicated plots.
PEP's Top List highlights the Asianovelas that got us hooked from the first to the final episode. Ranking is based on the ratings and the word-of-mouth fame that a particular series earned both locally and abroad.
If you disagree with the list or if you have more shows to suggest, feel free to share here.
On to the Top Ten Asianovelas!
Meteor Garden.
Just say "F4" and we all know which Asianovela gets the Number One spot on this list. The F4 band caught our attention with their music and pretty-boy looks. Bring in the beautiful, equally talented actress Barbie Shu and you find yourself in Meteor Garden. First aired in the Philippines by ABS-CBN, the show's first few episodes caught like wildfire, forging its status as one of the most watched TV programs.
Meteor Garden, which sounds like a sci-fi project but is far from it, was first released in 2001 in Taiwan. It was based on a popular Japanese manga (comics) titled "Hana Yori Dango (Boys Over Flowers)."
Taiwanese producer Chai Zhi Ping, who was really interested in that manga, decided resolutely to make a TV-series version. But first, she had to find the right group of boys who would play as members of F4. Jerry Yan, Vaness Wu, Vic Zhou, and Ken Chu were chosen to play the characters and soon launched the drama that would catapult them to stardom. The success of the drama made the F4 one of the most famous music groups in 2001. They made the album Meteor Rain even before they had finished the drama.
Meteor Garden is the story of a poor but tough girl San Chai (Barbie Hsu) who studies at the Ing Te University, a university for rich people founded and funded by the F4's family. San Chai and the F4 boys cross paths and they embark on a journey of self-discovery.
Jewel in the Palace.
Dae Jang Geum, or Jewel in the Palace, takes the Number Two spot.
