Office Girls Explained

Alt Name:小資女孩向前衝
Genre:romance, comedy
Creator:SETTV
Director:Xu Fu Jun 徐輔軍
Starring:Ko Chia-yen
Roy Chiu
Tia Li
Patrick Lee
Kuo Shu-yao
James Wen
Janel Tsai
Opentheme:"Don’t, Don’t" by Genie Chuo
Endtheme:"Add A Little Happiness" by Yisa Yu
Country:Taiwan
Language:Mandarin
Taiwanese Hokkien
Num Seasons:1
Num Episodes:40
Executive Producer:Pan Bo Xuan 潘博軒
Wu Chang Pei 吳長沛
Producer:Hu Ning Yuan 胡寧遠
Xie Yi Sheng 謝益勝
Location:Taiwan
Runtime:90 minutes
Company:Sanlih E-Television
Cai Xiang Television Ltd.
Channel:TTV Main Channel

Office Girls (literally "Working-Girl Forward"), is a 2011 Taiwanese drama starring Roy Chiu, Ko Chia-yen, James Wen, Tia Li, and Patrick Lee. It started filming in July 2011.

It was first broadcast in Taiwan on free-to-air channel Taiwan Television (TTV) every Sunday at 22:00 from 21 August 2011, and cable TV SET Metro every Saturday at 22:00 from 28 August 2011.

Synopsis

Shen Xing Ren (Ko Chia-yen) is a staff member in the Operations Department of Jing Shi Department Store. At age 25, she has worked there for four years. She is tasked with training and mentoring Qin Zi Qi (Roy Chiu), 28, a new entry-level member of the Sales Department. Unbeknownst to her and almost everyone else there, Zi Qi is the son of Qin Mu Bai (Shen Meng Sheng/沈孟生), the Chairman of Jing Shi Department Store. Zi Qi's father has challenged him to a test to prove he deserves to lead Jing Shi Department Store - Zi Qi will have to live on a lowly entry-level salary for one year, without the luxuries he is used to, and cannot reveal his true identity.

Xing Ren and Zi Qi clash immediately - she is frugal and hardworking, saving every cent to buy a house in Taipei for her and her mother. He is careless and used to living large and spending big. She is extremely loyal to Jing Shi Department Store and is content with her job. He thinks the department store needs to clean house and get rid of corrupt senior management who are stuck in inefficient ways.

To improve sales, Xing Ren suggests inviting her idol Yu Cheng Feng (James Wen), a handsome and internationally-renown designer, to set up a counter in their store. Despite Yu Cheng Feng having publicly stated that his designs would never be sold in department stores, Xing Ren (with Zi Qi tagging along) sets out to get him to accept their proposal. After a lot of hard work on Xing Ren's part, a business relationship is created between Yu and the department store.

Zi Qi is initially attracted to Zheng Kai Er(Tia Li), the lovely and clever assistant manager in the Merchants Department. Kai Er suspects and later discovers Zi Qi's true identity. She tentatively agrees to date him but is increasingly jealous of the growing relationship between Zi Qi and Xing Ren. Kai Er tries to ruin the relationship between the two on a number of occasions. Zi Qi and Xing Ren, despite their constant bickering, gradually realize they care for each other and begin dating.

Later Zi Qi's indulgent mother returns to Taiwan from the United States. She tries to force Zi Qi's father to promote him to Executive Vice President but backs down when Zi Qi convinces her that his father is right to challenge him. He has become accustomed to his new life, drawing inspiration from Xing Ren's example.Zi Qi's mother initially disapproves of Xing Ren, who she feels is beneath Zi Qi, but comes to accept her.

When Zi Qi's identity is revealed early during a heated argument, Xing Ren is upset that he lied to her and devastated by the resulting gossip. She eventually forgives him after a cooling off period working with the Yu's in Paris. The series ends with Xing Ren and Zi Qi's wedding.

Cast

Main characters

ActorCharacterDescription
Qin Zi Qi Shen Xing Ren's lover
Shen Xing Ren Qin Zi Qi 's lover
Yu Cheng Feng World-famous designer
Tia LeeZheng Kai ErAssistant Manager (later Manager) of Merchants Department at Jing Shi Department Store
(Janel Tsai) Wei Min NaSupermodel; Yu Cheng Feng's girlfriend
Kuo Shu-yaoLiu Yu LeXing Ren's roommate; works in the HR department at Jing Shi Department Store
Shi Te Long Manager of Sales Department at Jing Shi Department Store

Others

ActorCharacterDescription
(沈孟生) Qin Mu Bai (秦慕白) Commissioner/ Director of Jing Shi Department Store
Zi Qi's father
(林秀君) Ye Hua (葉華) President Director of Jing Shi Department Store
Zi Qi's mother
(陸一龍) (涂金泉) General manager of Jing Shi Department Store
Lang Tzu-yunFon Ren Yue (封仁月) Vice general manager of Jing Shi Department Store "Administration Department"
(趙正平) Hu Jian Chong (胡建中) Vice general manager of Jing Shi Department Store "Investment Department"
(顏嘉樂) (褚湘蘭) Vice general manager of Jing Shi Department Store "Operation Department"
(綠茶) Lu Cha (綠茶) Xing Ren's coworker in the Sales Department at Jing Shi Department Store
(小8) Mandy (蔓蒂) Xing Ren's coworker in the Sales Department at Jing Shi Department Store
Frankie HuangKelly's husband
Morris RongAnikiBoss of Japanese Mafia
Mondo Otanixiaodi 1Japanese Mafia
Yukiya Oonishixiaodi 2Japanese Mafia

Soundtrack

Office Girls
Original TV Soundtrack (OST)
Type:soundtrack
Artist:Various artists
Released:21 February 2012
Genre:Mandopop
Language:Mandarin
Label:Rock Records (TW)
滾石國際音樂股份有限公司

Office Girls Original TV Soundtrack (OST) (小資女孩向前衝 電視原聲帶) was released on February 21, 2012 by various artists under Rock Records (TW) label. It contains 18 tracks total. The opening theme is track 1 "Don’t, Don’t 不要不要" by Genie Chuo 卓文萱. The closing theme is track 4 "Add A Little Happiness 微加幸福" by Yisa Yu 郁可唯.

Track listing

[1] [2]

Publications

Office Girls Photobook
(小資女孩向前衝 職場生存之道)
Author:Sanlih E-Television 三立電視監製
Country:Taiwan
Genre:Photobook
Published:21 December 2011
Pages:128
Isbn:9789862874325

A 128 page photobook was published in 2011 detailing production details of the drama. The book was published before the completion of the drama.[3]

A novel based on the drama was published detailing the entire story line of the drama. Spoilers are revealed in the novel before the drama finished airing.[4]

DVD release

Official Taiwan version of the drama DVD set part 1 showing episode 1 to 12, comes in original Mandarin language and Chinese subtitles only.[5]

Official Taiwan version of the drama DVD set part 2 showing episode 13 to 25, comes in original Mandarin language and Chinese subtitles only.[6]

Broadcast

NetworkCountryAiring DateTimeslot
TTVAugust 21, 2011Sunday 10:00-11:30 pm
SETTVAugust 27, 2011 Saturday 10:00-11:30 pm
January 7, 2012 Saturday 10:30 pm–12:00 am
ETTVOctober 29, 2012Monday to Friday 11:00 pm–12:00 am
Astro Quan Jia HDMarch 9, 2012Monday to Friday 10:30-11:30 pm
StarHub TVOctober 30, 2011Sunday 8:00-9:30 pm
December 24, 2011 Saturday 8:00-9:30 pm
TVB J2February 25, 2012February 25, 2012 7:30-9:30 pm

International broadcast

Episode ratings

Section Peak (every 15 mins) ! Remark
21 August 2011 Day 1 I earned NT$1,000,000!
(我賺到100萬啦!)
2.78 1 Peak: 3.78
28 August 2011 Day 2 Slowly climbing up!
(一步一步往上爬!)
3.441 CTV Love Keeps Going finale
Peak: 4.56
4 September 2011 Day 3 Be careful of surprise attacks!
(人紅招忌 小心暗器!)
3.481CTV Love Recipe premiere
11 September 2011 Day 4 God! Where are you?
(上帝啊!祢到底在哪裡?)
3.721FTV Hayate the Combat Butler finale
Peak: 5.23
18 September 2011 Day 5 I promise you, I will eat broccoli!
(我答應妳 我以後會吃花椰菜!)
4.161FTV In Time with You premiere
Peak: 7.69
25 September 2011 Day 6 I will lend you my shoulder!
(我的肩膀借妳靠啦!)
4.541CTS They Are Flying finale
2 October 2011 Day 7I actually like Qin Zi Qi?
(我喜歡秦子奇?)
4.401CTS Ring Ring Bell premiere
9 October 2011 Day 8 Kneel down and apologise, sorry!
(跪下 道歉 對不起)
4.681
16 October 2011 Day 9 I actually like Shen Xing Ren?
(我喜歡沈杏仁?)
5.171 Peak: 6.42
23 October 2011 Day 10Love and Hatred
(多情 多恨 情慾的世界)
4.8915.21
30 October 2011 Day 11 You belong to me, but who do I belong to?
(你是我的 那我是誰的?)
5.3516.84
6 November 2011 Day 12Do not let true love turn into regret
(不要讓真愛 變成遺憾)
5.9717.58CTV Love Recipe final
13 November 2011 Day 13How to increase happiness in love
(怎麼在愛裡 微加幸福)
5.5615.87Peak:7.06
20 November 2011 Day 14Congratulations, Shen Xing Ren, you won the top prize
(沈杏仁 恭喜妳中頭獎)
5.351 5.70
27 November 2011 Day 15Men's soup and ladies' soup
(男湯 女湯)
5.051 5.51
4 December 2011 Day 16Are white lies okay?
(善意的謊言行不行?)
5.051
11 December 2011 Day 17The cutest men are the hardworking ones
(認真上進的男生才最可愛)
4.662 5.29FTV In Time with You Finale
18 December 2011 Day 18Silly or naive
(好傻還是好天真)
5.781 6.21
25 December 2011 Day 19Don't tell me lies again!
(以後不要 再對我說謊了!)
5.281
1 January 2012Day 20I'll do something about the money!
(錢的事情 我自己想辦法!)
5.8716.37
8 January 2012Day 21Objection overruled!
(反對無效!)
5.491
15 January 2012Day 22He's the future takeover boss!
(他是未來公司的接班人!)
6.5017.37Peak:8.11
No broadcast on 22 January 2012 due to Lunar New Year Eve
29 January 2012Day 23I just want Shen Xing Ren
(我只要沈杏仁)
6.711 7.19
5 February 2012Day 24You need luck when you meet your love
(遇到相愛的人 需要運氣)
6.481 7.21
12 February 2012Day 25
Final
I do
(我願意)
7.331 8.04Peak:8.99
Average 5.12 - - -

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.kkbox.com/tw/tc/album/FE-NafdW1c1QiX0F1EPw0091-index.html
  2. http://www.rockmall.com.tw/mod/product/index.php?REQUEST_ID=cGFnZT1kZXRhaWwmUElEPTE0NDcw
  3. http://www.books.com.tw/products/0010525287
  4. http://www.books.com.tw/products/0010519183
  5. http://www.yesasia.com/us/office-girls-dvd-part-i-to-be-continued-taiwan-version/1030163212-0-0-0-en/info.html
  6. http://www.yesasia.com/us/office-girls-dvd-part-ii-end-taiwan-version/1030446851-0-0-0-en/info.html