THE FRIENDSHIP [Taiwan]

Written by Funn Lim

This review was posted many years ago, exactly when I am not sure but it should be within months from the original broadcast of this series. I am posting it as I have posted it originally.

SPOILERS ... SPOILERS ... SPOILERS

Title
The Friendship (fan's translation)
Ching Yee (Chinese)

In TWS website, they wrote JUSTICE as the title. But confirmed by someone who could actually read Chinese that is Jessica, the title actually means Friendship.

Description
If I am not mistaken, a Taiwanese production. A modern day drama.

Important Notice
I have yet to watch this movie. This overview is like an introduction of the series. If there are any inconsistencies with the series, please by all means, BLAME TWS and the Official site.

Length
Unknown

Status Of The Voices
I was told this was a Hokkien/Fuchian series, and Yue Ling had to learn how to speak that language as she had to render some songs as well as dialogues in Fuchian. So I would assume there is no dubbing and the language is Fuchian language. If anybody could confirm this, please E-Mail me.

Basic Story & Some Spoilers Revealed
Yao Hui and Cai Ping are neighbors, as well as fellows students in high school. You could say the two grew up together. In the days when the two were young, they would mutually assist and encourage one another. Every little bit helped forward this tart romance, however fate plays a joke on people. After entering society, the two started going onto two different roads which started to pull them apart.

During a lucky chance, Yao Hui figured out the plan of Hong Ba Group's Lin Jin Cai to secretly kill the boss of Zheng Yi group, Liu Zheng Yi. At the same time, he was acquainted with Zheng Yi's daughter, Yi Jun.

Yi Jun fell in love at first sight with Yao Hui's daring spirit and wisdom. For Yao Hui, she fractured her relationship with her adopted brother Liu Wen Xian and had endless disputes with him. Zheng Yi sees that because of Yao Hui's appearance, his business and family has a large ripple. Just when he thought he would cut all ties with Yao Hui so Yi Jun and Wen Xian could marry, his old friend Liao Sang suddenly tells him Yao Hui could be his real son. Because of this, Zheng Yi has a dilemma and Yao Hui has a very unclear entanglement with Yi Jun, Zheng Yi and Wen Xian.

To help Cai Ping with getting money to save her mother, Yao Hui enters Zheng Yi Financial Group Co. But Yao Hui didn't use the fact that he was Zheng Yi's life saver to get a high rank. Instead because of his pragmatic personality, he voluntarily choose to start from a small office worker. Over the course of becoming Zheng Yi's successor, Yao Hui lived through the world's coldness but has his fill of love and closeness. Yet Yao Hui, praising himself as a man, thought that no matter how painful or tiring it will be, he would not easily give up. He was willing to have a smiling face in front of his girlfriend and mother so his love would have a happy life. He caused himself to silently shoulder all the other pains by himself.

The fate of hero of a tragedy seems to be decided by the heavens! Yao Hui, unaware of it, slowly entered the world of the evil. Yet he had no choice. Although he understood that the the business group looked bright and clean on the outside, in reality it was a power scope for evil. But for love and justice, he was already compelled to be eternally unable to return back yet wanted to control his destiny.

Losing the the boundary of right and not correct, losing the precious determination of right and wrong, Yao Hui could never control his own future. Yet even if everyone left him, even if his sincere love for Cai Ping was destroyed Yao Hui understood that he could never start over again in this life. He could never choose the right path. But Cai Ping and his mother would always be his most loved ones.

Yet Cai Ping thought differently. Her mother's death released her heavy family burden. Although the fact that she couldn't be filial to her mother would always be a regret for her, it also brought her to a different track in life.

With the silent support of Yao Hui along with the help of a friend, Cai Ping becomes a well known singing star. Cai Ping enjoys the name and benefits of all that riches and fortune brings, but when the evening with the quietness comes, she frequently looks at the gift Yao Hui gave her for her first birthday present in her life and sighs. That which Yao Hui once promised her, the delicate wrist watch where they would live through every minute and second of their future together she remembers in her heart. Who knows where he is now?

Cai Ping's heart has some resentment. She's angry that the Yao Hui, who's serious about his promises, broke this promise. She wondered if it was because of her career on the rise that he stayed away or because of his being stuck between the good and the bad sides that he ended the romance so that she wouldn't be involved with it. Yet Cai Ping, living in brightness, would never know that Yao Hui never actually broke the promise he made. Yao Hui only changed his pattern and secretly abiding behind Cai Ping's back, and was living every moment and second with her.

After Yao Hui and Cai Ping part company from each other, Zheng Yi awkwardly begged Yao Hui to appear personally to speak for Yi Jun to become the new chairman of Zheng Yi group to combat Jin Cai. And Cai Ping also married his agent, Wen Xian after feeling completely dejected.

Wen Xian was a clever man yet still was extremely dangerous. He not only secretly moved his adopted father's business over to his own name, but also used Yu Hua, who thought her marriage hopeless, to strengthen his own position. He ended up forcing Yu Hua on a road to self destruction and ended the relationship with her husband, Jun Sheng, who loved her deeply.

Still, the bad Wen Xian didn't stop there. He continued to strike at Jun Sheng and engulfed the Lin family business. Also after clearly realizing Yao Hui's weak point, he married Cai Ping. Wen Xian ransomed Cai Ping to be the shield and to control Yao Hui. He also forced Yao Hui to choose between love and justice and pushed him into a difficult predicament.


My View
I have never intended for this site to have so much written info. Reading Jennifer's Character Intros were a revelation to me about this series, because Jennifer used the most beautiful words to describe the Chinese words used . You and I may argue till kingdom come whether her translation was accurate, but I believe in Jennifer's translation. I think she did a magnificent job!

Anyway, reading the synopsis translated by Jennifer and Scarlett's mom, I would say this series is your typical dramatic Taiwanese drama that eventually will have a happy ending, but first we must go sit through lots and lots of frustrating drama before we have that ending and it may not be our desired ending. I have a feeling w ewill have lots and lots of crying, screaming and punching, plus lots of overdone and dramatic drama.

I am very happy though with this site of mine for one reason; now I know who played Yue Ling's father in Women's Romance, who is Lin Zai Pei who plays Liu Zheng Yi. I remembered him because I hated him in Women's Romance, like a total wimp of a father but in here, supposedly he plays a rather nice and brave guy, so that is a welcomed change for me. You know, he reminds me of someone I once knew.

Now, that is most interesting though is Yue Ling playing a singer in here, and so it would be nice to hear her sing again, in whatever language, though I must ask, can she sing and will she be convincing as a singer? If this series is a Fuchian series and is not dubbed, I will withstand the torture and hopefully English translation will be provided. I have yet to see this one and I doubt I will have a chance to do so.

Yue Ling looks very mature and quite pretty in here. She is definitely the one with the star power in here. And that is the problem.

Reading the character description, she is supposed to be so beautiful, a few men would fall for her beauty. Truth is Yue Ling is not THAT pretty. And the dressings from the pictures a bit too old fashioned, considering this is a modern Taiwanese drama, shouldn't there be more "IN" fashion? And the worst of all, are the pairings. First of all, there is no good looking guys in here, except for one cute looking one in Song Yi Min. Second of all, Yue Ling standing next to them looks like their big sister, even next to the one she is supposed to pair with. Looks wise, I see no chemistry but that will have to wait for me to watch the series before I can give a fair observation. The bad guy looks like a silly boy to me, the other lead actress nothing great. Maybe the pictures are not highlighting their best. No offense, but I really think this series suffers from horrible casting decisions. Other than Yue Ling, not one of the girls nor the guys look decent or even remotely interesting. I know for a fact this series has been heavily promoted, so we will just have to wait and see for the response. I have this sinking feeling this series will not make a big splash in Taiwan Entertainment world, based on the pictures and the synopsis.

Questions Hoped To Be Answered
If you know the answer, please E-Mail me.

1. Is there an English title?

2. What is the language used? Are the voices dubbed?

3. Yue Ling really sings the songs?!

4. How many episodes?

Is It Out Yet... in VCD format?
Still showing in Taiwan and I don't think there will be any VCD format for sale. If there is, do tell me. I am in Malaysia.

Will there be a review by you Funn?
Like I said, won't have a chance to watch it so no review. If you have seen it and would like to comment on it, I would hope you would write a nice one and send it to me. So that I can confirm how true is the above synopsis.