Goodbye, Barbie

I was one of those '90’s kids who rushed home every day to catch the latest episode of “Meteor Garden”. There was no streaming on demand --everyone had to wait until it aired on television. If you missed an episode, you'd have to ask your classmates the next day what happened. The stars of the hit Asianovela became instant celebrities in the Philippines, even though we didn’t speak a word of Mandarin. Almost every kid in my generation knew the songs that played throughout the love story of Dao Ming Si and Shan Cai. They felt like our best friends during that era.

The recent passing of Barbie Hsu, the actress who played Shan Cai, has saddened millennials. She became a part of our lives for many reasons, not just because she was the heroine of our favorite show but also because she, like many of us, was a growing teenager navigating life’s complexities. The only difference was that she was placed in an elitist society and fell in love with one of the so-called bad boys. Looking back, “Meteor Garden” followed a masochistic trope --one that might be unacceptable in today’s society. Despite this, we adored it. I had T-shirts, posters, stickers, and almost every piece of merchandise my mom could find to feed my obsession.

Shan Cai was a reflection of a little girl with big dreams. My friends and I used to imagine what college life would be like through the lens of her experiences. The show made us feel less alone as we navigated puberty, friendships, and our first encounters with love. Her character felt like someone we could lean on. More than that, “Meteor Garden” was a testament to the significant role that broadcast media played in shaping a generation’s emotions and aspirations.

Times have changed. We no longer have to wait for an Asianovela to air on television. With just a few taps on a screen, we can choose what to watch, no matter what country it comes from. The adrenaline rush of racing home to turn on the TV is gone, and shows are now consumed at our own pace. This new era reminds us that all good things must come to an end --but some are never forgotten. For millennials, Barbie Hsu will always be remembered, not just as an actress but as someone who left a lasting imprint on our childhoods.

“Meteor Garden” is a classic example of how media influences culture at a particular moment in time. Some might cringe at the things they once obsessed over, but I don’t. I’ll always be proud of the girl I once was --the one with a walkman in hand, wired headphones wrapped around her head, playing the latest hits of F4. The image of that little girl in a blue F4 shirt is still a part of me today. In the end, we owe so much to the shows that raised us, the characters that shaped us, and the memories that refuse to fade.