Cover If the F Forever reunion has you feeling nostalgic, these are the F4 projects, dramas and movies that filled the years between ‘Meteor Garden’ and today (Photo: IMDB)
If the F Forever reunion has you feeling nostalgic, these are the F4 projects, dramas and movies that filled the years between ‘Meteor Garden’ and today (Photo: IMDB)
1 / 1
As F4 reunites for the long-awaited F Forever concert, here’s a nostalgic look at how Jerry Yan, Vic Chou, Vanness Wu and Ken Chu quietly built remarkable solo careers long after ‘Meteor Garden’ turned them into a generation's first Asian heartthrobs
There are reunion tours, and then there are events that feel like someone unlocked an entire generation’s core memories.
The announcement of F4’s F Forever reunion has done exactly that. For many millennials in Asia, Meteor Garden wasn’t simply another television show. It was an era before we started using the term. It was rushing home after school to watch Shan Cai and Dao Ming Si argue, collecting unofficial F4 posters from magazines and somehow learning the lyrics to Liu Xing Yu without speaking a word of Mandarin.
The reunion won’t be quite complete. Ken Chu will be absent from the concert, with Mayday frontman Ashin stepping in alongside Jerry Yan, Vic Chou and Vanness Wu. But his place in F4’s legacy remains unquestioned, and his career after the group’s heyday deserves just as much attention.
While F4 largely stepped away from performing together after dominating Asian pop culture in the early 2000s, none of them disappeared. Over the next two decades, they reinvented themselves in remarkably different ways. Jerry Yan became one of Asia’s enduring romance leads, Vic Chou quietly transformed into an award-calibre dramatic actor, Vanness Wu embraced music, dance and reality television, while Ken Chu carved out a more understated creative path.
If the F Forever reunion has you feeling nostalgic, these are the projects that filled the years between Meteor Garden and today—and they’re well worth adding to your watch list.
In case you missed it: Barbie Hsu’s best: 7 memorable Shan Cai moments from ‘Meteor Garden’
Jerry Yan
For many fans, Jerry Yan will always be Dao Ming Si: impossibly handsome, explosively temperamental and somehow still charming enough to make an entire generation swoon. One could say he created that archetypal moody leading man. But after Meteor Garden, Yan resisted the temptation to replay that role. Instead, he spent the next two decades proving he could anchor prestige dramas, mature romances and emotionally demanding characters while somehow looking like he’d discovered the fountain of youth.
See more: 8 essential Dylan Wang Chinese dramas to watch before ‘Light to the Night’
‘The Hospital’ / ‘白色巨塔’ (2006)
Above This is the drama that first showed audiences there was far more to Jerry Yan than Dao Ming Si’s swagger
If Meteor Garden made Yan an idol, The Hospital made him an actor.
Directed by Meteor Garden creator Tsai Yueh-hsun, this landmark Taiwanese drama swaps high school romance for the cutthroat politics of a prestigious teaching hospital. Yan stars as Dr Su Yihua, an exceptionally gifted surgeon whose idealism and compassion make him an unlikely pawn in a brutal struggle between ambitious department heads and hospital executives.
Rather than relying on his heartthrob image, Yan delivers one of the most restrained performances of his career. He portrays a man slowly discovering that talent alone isn’t enough when institutions value influence over integrity. The series became one of Taiwan’s most acclaimed medical dramas, earning praise for its nuanced writing and sophisticated look at ambition, ethics and the human cost of professional success.
‘Count Your Lucky Stars’ / ‘我好喜欢你’ (2020)
Above In ‘Count Your Lucky Stars’, seeing Yan opposite a new-generation Shan Cai feels like a full-circle moment for ‘Meteor Garden’ fans
Nearly 20 years after Meteor Garden, Yan delighted fans by sharing the screen with Shen Yue—interestingly, the actress who played Shan Cai in the 2018 remake.
Instead of recreating the old dynamic, the series cleverly flips expectations. Yan plays Lu Xingcheng, an impossibly successful fashion magazine editor blessed with extraordinary luck, while Shen Yue’s struggling designer seems cursed by spectacularly bad fortune. After an unexpected kiss mysteriously swaps their luck, both are forced to navigate careers, romance and a rapidly unravelling world where nothing goes according to plan.
The premise is delightfully ridiculous, but Yan sells it with effortless charisma. Trading Dao Ming Si’s explosive arrogance for a polished, mature confidence, he proves why he remains one of Asia's most dependable romantic leads.
‘The Forbidden Flower’ / ‘夏花’ (2023)
Above Xiao Han may be Yan’s most emotionally mature performance, and perhaps the strongest reminder that his romantic appeal has only deepened with time
If there was ever any doubt that Yan could still command the screen more than two decades after F4’s heyday, The Forbidden Flower erased it completely.
He stars as Xiao Han, a gifted but emotionally guarded horticulturist living a solitary life until he meets the spirited He Ran (Xu Ruohan). What unfolds is an intimate romance told through breathtaking cinematography, painterly colour palettes and quiet emotional performances rather than grand melodrama.
The drama became an online sensation not only because of its visual beauty but because audiences couldn’t stop talking about Yan himself. Older, quieter and carrying a weathered maturity that only enhanced his appeal, he demonstrated that some leading men don’t simply age—they evolve.
Vic Chou
Back in the Meteor Garden days, Vic Chou was the gentle heart of F4. He played the quiet, soulful Hua Ze Lei who could melt viewers with little more than a thoughtful glance. Two decades later, he has quietly assembled one of the most respected acting careers among Taiwanese idols, consistently choosing psychologically complex characters over safe romantic leads.
‘Black & White’ / ‘痞子英雄’ (2009)
Above In ‘Black & White’ nobody expected Hua Ze Lei to become an action star
Chou shocked audiences by transforming into Chen Zaitian, a flashy, rule-breaking detective whose expensive suits and effortless charm hide a deeply conflicted investigator. Paired with a by-the-book partner, he finds himself uncovering a sprawling conspiracy involving corruption, organised crime and powerful political interests.
The series raised the bar for Taiwanese television action, featuring cinematic shootouts, explosive set pieces and production values rarely seen on the small screen at the time. More importantly, it proved Chou possessed the range to carry physically demanding, emotionally layered material. This role earned him a Golden Bell Best Actor nomination.
‘Danger Zone’ / ‘逆局’ (2021)
Above ‘Danger Zone’ is one of the strongest crime thrillers Taiwan has produced in recent years—and arguably Chou’s finest television performance
If you’re looking for proof of how fearless Chou has become as an actor, Danger Zone is impossible to ignore.
He plays Liang Yan-Dong, a brilliant former defence attorney imprisoned under suspicious circumstances. When a string of grotesque serial murders leaves investigators with nowhere else to turn, authorities reluctantly recruit him to profile the killer from behind bars.
The set-up evokes classics like The Silence of the Lambs and Mindhunter, but the series quickly develops its own identity through intricate mysteries, morally ambiguous characters and relentlessly tense pacing. Chou anchors every episode with an understated performance that emphasises observation over theatrics, making intelligence feel just as compelling as action.
‘The World Between Us: After the Flames’ / ‘我們與惡的距離’ (2025)
Above ‘The World Between Us: After the Flames’ showcases just how far Chou has come, shifting from one of Asia’s biggest teen idols into one of its most respected dramatic performers
By joining the second instalment of one of Taiwan’s most acclaimed television franchises, Chou confirmed what critics had been saying for years: he had become a bona fide dramatic actor.
Building upon the socially conscious legacy of The World Between Us (2019), the sequel explores the ripple effects of tragedy, examining grief, trauma, public accountability and the impossible choices people face after life-changing disasters. Chou delivers one of the series’ most emotionally raw performances, embracing vulnerability over star image and allowing quiet moments to carry extraordinary weight.
It’s a role worlds away from the dreamy Hua Ze Lei fans first met in 2001—and that’s precisely what makes it so rewarding to watch.
Vanness Wu
Among the members of F4, Vanness Wu may have undergone the most dramatic transformation. While audiences first knew him as the carefree, fashion-forward Meizuo, Wu spent the years after Meteor Garden refusing to be boxed into a single identity. He bounced effortlessly between blockbuster dramas, music, dance, fashion and reality television, building a career that has always been driven as much by performance as by acting.
‘Autumn’s Concerto’ / ‘下一站，幸福’ (2009)
Above If ‘Meteor Garden’ made Vanness Wu famous, ‘Autumn’s Concerto’ made him one of Taiwan’s definitive romantic leading men
In Autumn’s Concerto, Wu stars as Ren Guangxi, an intelligent but privileged law student whose seemingly perfect future is upended after falling in love with the hardworking Liang Mu Cheng (Ady An). Just as they begin building a life together, a devastating brain tumour leads to surgery, memory loss and years of heartbreaking separation before fate brings them together once again.
Yes, it’s packed with classic idol-drama ingredients—amnesia, missed timing, family opposition and enough emotional twists to fill several lifetimes—but it executes every one of them with remarkable sincerity. Wu anchors the series with one of the strongest performances of his career, balancing youthful arrogance with devastating vulnerability.
More than 15 years later, Autumn’s Concerto remains one of Taiwan’s highest-rated romance dramas and a benchmark for the genre.
See more: Van Ness Wu enters a new era with his first English solo album, ‘Take a Ride’
‘Princess Weiyoung’ / ‘锦绣未央’ (2016)
Above Long before morally grey antiheroes became the norm, Wu surprised audiences by taking on one of the most complicated characters of his career
As Tuoba Yu, a calculating prince locked in a vicious succession battle, Wu trades romantic comedy for political strategy. Every smile hides an agenda, every alliance comes with conditions and every decision inches him closer to either ultimate victory or complete destruction.
Sharing the screen with Tiffany Tang and Luo Jin, he demonstrates a darker, more restrained acting style that few expected from one of Asia’s biggest former idol stars. Rather than chasing sympathy, Tuoba Yu constantly keeps viewers guessing whether his next move will be brilliant, ruthless, or both.
It’s the role that showed Wu could thrive in prestige historical dramas just as comfortably as modern romances.
‘Street Dance of China Season 2’ / ‘这！就是街舞’ (2019)
Above While the other F4 members were deep into dramatic acting, Wu returned to where his artistic journey began: performance
Serving as one of the Team Captains alongside Jackson Yee, Han Geng and Luo Zhixiang, Wu reminded audiences why he had always been considered one of Asia’s most naturally gifted performers. Week after week, he impressed viewers with crisp hip-hop technique, musicality and an infectious enthusiasm that earned the respect of both contestants and fellow captains.
Perhaps even more refreshing was his mentoring style. Rather than relying on celebrity status, Wu became known for encouraging dancers to find their own artistic voice, creating one of the season's most supportive team environments.
For younger viewers discovering him for the first time, it was a revelation. For longtime F4 fans, it was simply a reminder that the dancing had always been there. It introduced Wu to an entirely new generation and reaffirmed his status as one of the most complete entertainers to emerge from the Taiwanese idol era.
Ken Chu
If the other members spent the last two decades chasing increasingly bigger productions, Ken Chu took a different route. Never the loudest personality in F4, he gradually gravitated toward projects that reflected his calm, introspective image, building a career defined less by constant visibility than by thoughtful creative choices.
His absence from the F Forever reunion concert will undoubtedly be felt by longtime fans, but it also offers the perfect excuse to revisit the quieter body of work he created while his bandmates were making headlines.
‘Sky of Love’ / ‘天空之城’ (2004)
Above ‘Sky of Love’ remains one of the best showcases of Chu’s warm, introspective acting style and his ability to carry a mature romance (Photo: IMBD)
‘Sky of Love’ remains one of the best showcases of Chu’s warm, introspective acting style and his ability to carry a mature romance (Photo: IMBD)
1 / 1
Released not long after the height of F4 mania, Sky of Love allowed Chu to step away from Xi Men’s flirtatious image and embrace a far more grounded leading role.
Starring opposite Li Bingbing, Chu plays a passionate photojournalist whose work takes him across breathtaking natural landscapes while navigating grief, love and questions about environmental preservation. Rather than relying on grand romantic gestures, the drama unfolds with quiet emotional honesty, matching Chu’s naturally understated screen presence.
It’s a reminder that not every post-idol project needed to chase blockbuster spectacle. Sometimes slowing the pace created something even more memorable.
‘The Legend of Chu Liuxiang’ / ‘楚留香传奇’ (2007)
Above It’s the project that most clearly shows Chu stepping out of Xi Men’s shadow and becoming a leading man in his own right (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
It’s the project that most clearly shows Chu stepping out of Xi Men’s shadow and becoming a leading man in his own right (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
1 / 1
Chu took on the enormous challenge of portraying Chu Liuxiang, the legendary gentleman thief created by Gu Long. Following in the footsteps of actors like Adam Cheng wasn’t easy, but Chu made the role distinctly his own, underscoring the character’s elegance, intelligence and easy charm rather than brute force. The lavish production introduced him to a much wider Mainland Chinese audience and proved he could carry a sprawling wuxia epic without leaning on his F4 fame.
‘Batanes: Sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan’ (2007)
Above This film, starring eventual Filipino superstars, was surreal post ‘Meteor Garden’, but also strangely fascinating (Photo: GMA Films)
This film, starring eventual Filipino superstars, was surreal post ‘Meteor Garden’, but also strangely fascinating (Photo: GMA Films)
1 / 1
Long before international co-productions became commonplace, Chu surprised Filipino audiences by starring opposite Iza Calzado in this sweeping romantic drama filmed almost entirely in Batanes. He plays Kao, a Taiwanese fisherman who washes ashore after a violent storm and slowly forms a deep connection with a grieving widow still struggling to move on from the loss of her husband. Rather than relying on grand melodrama, the film lets the rugged cliffs, crashing waves and quiet Ivatan way of life shape a tender story about healing. It also marked Chu’s first Filipino film, making it a fascinating crossover project that only reinforced his impact.
Sasha Lim-Uy Mariposa is a lifestyle journalist who is known for her food writing. Based in Manila, she also covers entertainment and dining, as well as a broad range of topics. She was the former digital editor at Esquire Philippines and was the digital managing editor at Spot.ph, and now writes for the different Tatler Asia markets as a contributing writer for T-Labs.
