As the news of a Meteor Garden remake blasted last year, our social media feeds have been bombarded with throwback posts that include photos and videos of the past editions shown on Philippine television and anecdotes of netizens reminiscing their fondest memories of the phenomenal drama.
It was in 2003 when the Taiwanese and first television adaptation was released in the country, introducing us to four swoon-worthy young lads -- Dao Ming Si, Hua Ze Lei, Mei Zuo, and Xi Men -- and one brave girl named Shan Cai.
We all rejoiced when it was announced that Meteor Garden will have a reboot, and we also swooned over the new cast members who will play the iconic roles. And now, our dreams have come true. The retelling of our favorite Meteor Garden is here.
As we brace ourselves for its highly anticipated broadcast on the ABS-CBN primetime block, let's get to know first the new heartthrobs who will portray the dashing, spirited, and adorable F4.
Dylan Wang as Dao Ming Si
He may be the youngest among the new F4, his unruly stance and condescending vibe (at least on the screen) makes him the perfect pick to become the leader of the prominent group.
Wang He Di was born in Chengdu, Sichuan, China on December 20, 1998. He graduated from Sichuan Southwest College of Civil Aviation and became a professional image spokesperson for flight attendants.
Proving his talent, he won the singing competition in the Sichuan Campus Red Festival, an event sponsored by several universities and colleges.
He entered show business in 2017 as a regular in the variety show Super Idol where he emerged as the winner. Then, producer Angie Chai tapped him for the starring role of the Meteor Garden 2018 reboot as Dao Ming Si.
Aside from acting, Dylan also pursues a musical career as he sang one of the songs in the official soundtrack of the classic series remake. He also loves to play basketball, with the Los Angeles Lakers as his most favorite team and looks up to illustrious NBA player LeBron James as his idol.
Darren Chen as Hua Ze Lei
His angelic face and laid back disposition makes him stand out, garnering lot of love from the audiences. However, unbeknownst to many, Kuan Hong or Darren Chen is actually an amicable guy who loves to goof around off-cam and shares his amusing antics to his followers on social media.
Among the boys, it was only him who is not from mainland China. Born on January 15, 1995, he came all the way from Taiwan where he already works as an actor.
In 2016, he debuted in the romantic comedy web drama Proud of Love by playing the second lead Lin Yu Tiang, the childhood friend of Vivian Sung's character, and reprised his role in its 2017 sequel.
The 23-year-old charmer does not only exhilarate us with his handsomeness and acting chops, but with his prowess in singing and playing the piano as well.
Connor Leong as Mei Zuo
Like Darren, Connor Leong is not new in acting. His first-ever appearance was a cameo in the drama Midnight Diner and succeeded by a supporting role in the martial arts drama Huang Fei Hong.
His 2017 was indeed productive and incredibly great as he landed his first starring role through the flick Cat Lover and became a regular in the variety show Super Idol together with Dylan. He was then chosen to breathe life to Mei Zuo, the happy-go-lucky, fun-loving, and mature member of F4.
Reportedly, he is going to have a special participation in the upcoming series Another Me, which will also star Shen Yue, who plays Shan Cai in this new version of Meteor Garden.
In addition, Connor, whose real name is Liang Jing Kang, has also been working as a model since he was still attending South China Institute of Software Engineering in Guangzhou University.
Born on January 3, 1994 in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China, he is the eldest and (tallest!) among the newest F4 at age 24.
Caesar Wu as Xi Men
Not much is known about this up-and-rising hottie who hailed from Shenzhen, Guangdong, China and was born on October 16, 1996. But what we're aware of is that, he's doing a great job in personifying the bespectacled Xi Men, the resident playboy, tea connoisseur, and gifted potter of F4, and being a promising singer-dancer too. Also known through his real name Wu Xi Ze, Meteor Garden is his first showbiz stint.
Aren't you excited to meet them? Don't miss the homecoming of the Asianovela that started it all -- Meteor Garden -- starting August 20 before TV Patrol on Primetime Bida.