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Hmm…I don’t remember where, but I saw somewhere that said that Skip Beat!  was 13 episodes. I found another source saying it is 25. Given that next week hits episodes 13 and it doesn’t seem like we’re in any spot for a conclusion, I am more willing to bet that 25 is the correct number. Plus, if it’s really 25 episodes, there is a chance that I’ll get to see some favorite manga moments that came in later chapters that I totally want to see. Speaking of the manga, does anyone have any idea if that is anywhere nearing the end of its run? There is much that still needs to happen, but the mangaka just might kill it if it gets dragged on too long.
The pace has picked up once again in this episode, which is good. So, at the press conference, the director has managed to gain some composure and answers questions like a pro. Just when it seems like things are going to wrap smoothly, a reporter brings up the fact that Xu Fang is the son of the original director. Xu Fang changed his name and the reporters want to know why he would change his name [well if he’s redoing his father’s most famous movie, isn’t it a given he’d change his name?]. This makes our poor, nervous director faint. Ummm, well Zhang Shao Huai isn’t a bad actor, I really am not the happiest with his portrayal of the pretty boy, frail director. Oh well. He’s not bad, just not quite what I imagined and he doesn’t really exude the right atmosphere.
With the press conference ending in disaster [and a really horribly done mob scene on our fallen director who wakes up and tries to crawl away before fainting again], Xu Fang is rushed to the hospital and Gong Xi stays by his side until he wakes up. He is embarrassed at having caused such a bad scene. He also feels very insecure in thinking that no one cares about such an unreliable director. Gong Xi tries to tell him that isn’t the case, but he doesn’t really believe her. Yong Chun then arrives [if you remember, she’s Shang’s company’s president and is friends with Xu Fang] and she tells Gong Xi about Xu Fang’s problems. The boy is living in his father’s shadow and is desperately trying to break out. Gong Xi then calls Lian and reports that things are okay at the hospital and she explains the director’s situation in brief. Gong Xi then goes home and vows to do her best to create the best Wei Xu that she can to help the poor director.
Now, um, in spite of the pace being picked up, there really isn’t much to this episode. Qing Jie [the actress who played Wei Xu in the original] bullies Xu Fang mercilessly. She constantly tells him that he doesn’t measure up to his father and that she wants to closely observe Gong Xi’s acting as she doesn’t believe the newbie actress can play the role well at all. Oh geez. She is more witchier in person than in the manga [and she was pretty bad once filming started in the manga]. I do love how Gong Xi hears two extras badmouthing the director and she [in Wei Xu makeup] vows to curse them if they talk badly about him. Du Jin praises her for discovering Wei Xu’s character and this depresses Gong Xi because she was just being herself and has yet to grasp the character.
Filming goes pretty smoothly until Gong Xi’s first scene. She was so wrapped up in trying to figure out her character that she completely forgot they were filming and messed up. A break is called and Qing Jie wants Gong Xi replaced if she cannot pass a test. Gong Xi watches as the director and Lian try to calm Qing Jie down and feels awful that they are having troubles because of her. So Gong Xi agrees to Qing Jie’s test which is to answer questions about the character and if Gong Xi gets one wrong, then she isn’t qualified to play the part. The fun part in this scene is Gong Xi’s telepathic communication with Lian. He asks if she found her Wei Xu and she replies back that she is bluffing at the moment. These two are so in tune with one another. However, despite not completely grasping her character, Gong Xi has a pretty good idea about Wei Xu and answers all the questions correctly until she could not figure out why Wei Xu hated her cousin [who had done nothing wrong unlike the rest of Wei Xu’s family]. Qing Jie then demands Gong Xi’s removal since she hasn’t figured that out yet, but Lian and the director manage to buy time for Gong Xi to find the part while they film other scenes.
Gong Xi, of course, asks for Lian’s help. He won’t tell her outright why Wei Xu hates her cousin [he wants her to think for herself], but he encourages her and gives her pretty good advice [I LOVED his lecture on characterization he gave earlier when Gong Xi said she missed those acting classes because of her recent, busier schedule]. Gong Xi complains to Du Jin about Lian not telling her and Du Jin does tell Gong Xi that Lian is really caring for her and wanting her to discover this on her own as that will do her more good that Lian pointing this out. Gong Xi tunes Du Jin out while she starts thinking deeply about the dilemma. When she refinds the ball that Lian threw earlier during their conversation, Gong Xi has her “aha” moment where she discovers just why Wei Xu hates her happy cousin [even though her cousin should have been just as dark and miserable as Wei Xu]. Gong Xi runs off telling Du Jin that she has discovered her own Wei Xu.
Du Jin reports Gong Xi’s running off and Qing Jie has a field day with Gong Xi’s unprofessionalism. Du Jin then repeats what Gong Xi said, but Qing Jie isn’t believing it at all. Lian and Xu Fang buy time by filming around Gong Xi once again. Where did Gong Xi go? To a hair salon. She knows she should get permission first, but she just doesn’t believe they’d give it. While the set buzzes about Gong Xi, the girl returns and shocks everyone with her different appearance. Needless to say Qing Jie is livid when Gong Xi appears with short hair that reveals her character’s scar. Qing Jie, Xu Fang, and Lian all approach her and talk to her, but Gong Xi ignores them all. When Lian  touches her, she shrugs him off and shoots him a look full of loathing. It is then that Lian realizes that Gong Xi is not herself, but immersed in her role. He gets the annoyed Qing Jie to test the new Wei Xu. Qing Jie does and Gong Xi’s portrayal of the character is completely different and more dark than the original. Qing Jie is quite startled by Gong Xi’s acting. She doesn’t think that it’s necessarily the right fit for Wei Xu. The director rushes off and says he didn’t think Gong Xi’s portrayal was quite right, but now that he’s seen in, he has more confidence and has refound his direction. He knows what he wants to do and he will work hard to surpass his father’s masterpiece. Gong Xi apologizes once she snaps out of her Wei Xu trance [she only did after Du Jin snapped the clapboard meaning the scene is over]. I LOVED how the fired up director gives Qing Jie a taste of her own medicine and says she needs to pull out a better character than the original mother of Wei Xu and Wei Xi.
Gong Xi’s filming goes well and when her scenes wrap, she dawdles on set to talk to Lian. She expects him to lecture her for running off without a word. Lian won’t. Yes, Gong Xi’s methods weren’t the best, but she came back with a character in place and did really well, so he isn’t mad at her. This relieves Gong Xi. Meanwhile, Shang’s manager has discovered that Lian and Gong Xi are acting together in Dark Moon. Remembering Shang’s words from the MV filming, Yin Yin [or Yang Yang?] is determined to keep this from Shang. However, Shang finds out when two girls at Eight Channel mentions Gong Xi and Lian acting together. Shang follows the girls and finds a news clipping from the press conference. The boys is not happy.
That night Lian dreams about his childhood meeting with Gong Xi. How the little girl cried when he told her had to leave and how she would never see him again because their from two different worlds. He then gives Gong Xi Corn to comfort her. He wakes up in a sweat. Why does that memory keep coming back to him? Filming continues to go well for the moment and Gong Xi excels in her newly minted Wei Xu, but the road will get bumpy again when Lian is forced to start acting as a romantic lead in earnest.
Anyone else squeeing for the previews when Lian admits to being in love with Gong Xi?
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tagged with Choi Siwon, drama based on manga, Extravagant Challenge, Hua Li De Tiao Zha, Hua Li De Tiao Zhan, Ivy Chen, Lee Donghae, Live Action, Skip Beat, Taiwanese Drama, Yoshiki Nakamura
12 March 2012 7:38 PM
I’m so confused because we all thought it was 13 episodes, and then some people on viki.com were saying that they thought it was 14 eps, and now you’ve read something about 25. I just have no idea anymore, lol. I guess i’ll just be happy every week if a new episode turns up.
And oh my god if Lian admits to his feelings for Gong Xi next week, all i want to see is Du Jin just being all “yep, i knew that ages ago”, ha ha.
It was funny when Du Jin clapped the clapper board to snap Gong Xi out of her little world. The thing is, even if she was acting really well, surely that’s not good to be so immersed in your character that you actually act like that when you’re not supposed to be acting. Even if she’s a newbie, that’s just not something that the Director should have to deal with, lol. I loved it how Lian figured it out though.
That freaking actress though, I wanted to shoot her. Treating the Director like that! She actually thinks she has the right to treat everyone like that; it really frustrated me. I was happy at the end when the Director sort of put her in her place.
Oh, and Gong Xi imagining Lian chopping her head off! And then when he was growing bigger and bigger while yelling at her. I do love her imagination. And when she was sitting with Du Jin, and Du Jin made the comment about Lian caring for her, which was totally him hinting to her a bit about Lians feelings, but she had tuned him out already and didn’t hear him!
Ah, one more thing. Siwon in casual clothes (what he was wearing when she was waiting for him after the shoot, when she thought he was going to kill her) is gorgeous. He should wear clothes like that more often. And what’s funny, is that i can’t think what he usually wears, but it’s probably stuff equally as casual, but for some reason that particular outfit just made me think “wow”.
13 March 2012 6:44 AM
I know, I wish I knew just how many episodes it really is.
I did love the Du Jin moment where he was hinting at Lian’s feelings and Gong Xi was already lost in her own world and how Gong Xi thought Lian was going to kill her. Ahh, so much fun this episode. Can’t wait until the next one.
13 March 2012 6:12 PM
I guess it is 14 episodes and is slated to finish its run on March 25th and it will be replaced by another Taiwanese drama starring a Korean – Absolute Boyfriend. I didn’t really like the manga, but enjoyed the Japanese drama. Wonder how I will like the Taiwanese version…
13 March 2012 7:38 PM
Oh cool, thanks for confirming that. 14 episodes makes sense. Hey, did last episode feel shorter than usual to you?
I think they were supposed to be making a Korean version of Absolute Boyfriend with TOP as the robot, but I think that got cancelled or postponed. I didn’t realise they were also doing a Taiwanese version. Seriously though, I like Goo HyeSun but i wish they’d quit with the Korean’s in Taiwanese shows. After a few eps, I do get used to the dubbed voices, but it’s so unnecessary in the first place.
I’ve never read the manga but I’ve heard a lot about it. I don’t usually like stories involving relationships with robots, or stories that don’t end happily, so I won’t be watching this one. But i’ll probably watch the Korean version if TOP is in it.
14 March 2012 8:31 AM
The past 2 episodes felt a bit shorter to me.
Yeah, there were rumors about that and also rumors that TOP turned the role down in order to take on the Korean version of Skip Beat! I am a person who loves watching variations [I’ve watched tons of diff versions of Pride & Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Sense & Sensibility and the different Dune shows], but I get to the point where I just want to say to do something original that hasn’t been done yet. If the rumors do come to fruition then TOP as Ren/Lian… that could be watchable. His acting is improving over his Sam days [can’t remember the full title, but it starred BOF’s Lee Min Ho & the lead girl from Sungkyunkwan Scandal].
I hate dubbing [no offense as I know that dubbing is a big thing, esp in China]. I hate it when the dub even when the other person is fluent in the language. I was surprised as they say Park Jung Min is doing his own Chinese lines in Fondant Garden. Siwon and Donghae have basic Chinese thanks to SuJu M, so I thought their lines would be done themselves instead of dubbed. Oh, well.
13 March 2012 12:07 AM
Just want to be sure, u’ll write the recaps to the end right?
13 March 2012 6:43 AM
Yes, I plan on recapping this show until the end, whenever that will be as no one is quite sure how many episodes it is.