My MVP Valentine


My MVP Valentine is a 2002 Taiwanese romantic sports teen drama based loosely on two Japanese manga series: Slam Dunk and MVP wa Yuzurenai! . Starring Chinese Taipei basketball star Johnny Yen Hsing-su, it enjoyed huge success throughout Greater China and Southeast Asia. As a result, it is noted for marking the acting debuts of Yen, Angela Chang, Joe Chen Chiao-En and 5566, skyrocketing them to fame. This series is also the only project to star Gao Tien-chi, who was also a former basketball player like Johnny Yen, in his acting career.

Premise

Riding his motorcycle to the National High School Basketball Championship game, Duan Chenfeng accidentally hits and paralyzes Angel, the sister of his main rival Iceman. After Iceman leaves the game for the hospital, Duan Chenfeng wins the championship and the MVP Award but is overtaken by guilt. He quietly quits school and basketball to take care of Angel, leaving his loving girlfriend Xiao Xi heartbroken. Soon the calculating Angel develops feelings for Duan Chenfeng, as the charming Prince vows to win Xiao Xi's heart. Meanwhile, Xiao Xi organizes a basketball team for her school and is determined to transform it from a perennial laughingstock to a respectable power.

Cast

  • Angela Chang as Tian Yuxi, affectionately called "Xiao Xi"
Team manager of the Chi Sui basketball Team. At the beginning of the series, she was dating Duan Chenfeng. After finding out that Chi Sui's basketball team was a champion 30 years before, she set about to reform the broken team to once again capture the coveted title. As the series progresses, she ends up breaking up with Duan Chenfeng and starts dating Prince.
Small forward. MVP of the previous season and league champion with Rui An. After an accident before the final game that crowned him champion causes the paralysis of Iceman's sister, he quits basketball in self-exile and leaves school to take up part time jobs to finance the medical expenses of Angel. Eventually joining the Chi Sui team as he tries his hardest to win Xiao Xi back.
Nicknamed Prince due to his status as the son of the President of the Parent's Association. He was a student at the prestigious Yun Shang but in order to woo Xiao Xi he transfers to Chi Sui and even joins the basketball team without any prior experience in the game. Full of confidence, his signature catchphrase is, "What others can't do. I can" that has been proven time and again.
Yun Shang's best player, Duan Chenfeng's Rival. They were set to finally play against each other but an accident putting his sister Angel in critical condition forces him to abandon the game. When he finds out that Duan Chenfeng caused the accident, he resented him. Eventually when his sister falls in love with Duan Chenfeng, he forces Xiao Xi to break up with Chenfeng in return, he will get Chenfeng back on the court.
  • as "Angel" Ming Juan, Iceman's sister
A promising cellist and Iceman's sister. After the accident, she loses the use of her legs. Duan Chenfeng begins looking after her in repentance and she eventually falls in love with him.
Formerly known as the best basketball coach in the country while he was Yun Shang's head coach. But after the loss to Rui An, he loses everything. While taking up odd jobs to make ends meet, he is constantly harassed by his former boss, Principal Zhang. Eventually, he is hired by Chi Sui to be the team's new coach.
  • Gao Tien-chi as Gao Xing
Point guard. The school's bad boy. Formerly a MVP and top player in middle school but a career-ending injury forces him into early retirement, forcing him to resent the game he loves. But after the Chi Sui team helps him during an altercation with his gang, he joins the team in return.
Prince's childhood friend and self-proclaimed fiancée. Loves everything pink.
When he displays his dribbling skills to the club during their recruitment drive, the team quickly wanted to recruit him. He only wanted to join the team because he wanted to attract more attention from the girls of the school but eventually comes to love the game.
  • Zax Wang as Kang Yong a.k.a. "Killer"
The comic relief, joined the team only after a deal with Prince was made after Prince witnessed his shooting skills on the basketball arcade machine, expecting the skills to translate over. It is eventually revealed that his brother has been extorting money out of him and the situation only got better when his brother looked for him at school and was confronted by Duan Chenfeng. He is best known to perform best under pressure.
Yu Shang's team captain and number 2.
  • Rio Peng as "Little Knife"
Prince's friend.
  • Lu Jian-Yu as Wei Chengkuan a.k.a. "Black Bear"
Chi Sui's Team Captain and Center. He loves the game but his studies sets him back. He eventually works hard enough to get back on the team.
  • Yen Yun-Hao as Lu Yanji a.k.a. "Frog"
One of Chi Sui's original members.
  • Hsia Jing-Ting as Tian Qingzhong, Xiao Xi's father and school principal
  • Chen Kuan-Lun as Dong Qiang, affectionately called "Qiang Qiang", Dong Qishen's son
  • Ko Shu-yuan as Johnson, a rival basketball coach for Yun Shang who replaced Dong Qisheng.
  • Yang Chieh-mei as Fan Chunyi, Liu Hua's mother
  • Tao Chuan-Cheng as Principal Zhang of Yunshang
  • Huang Yuling as Wenwen, Xiao Xi's friend
  • Tommy Peng as Zhihao, Prince's friend
  • Lee Ho-hao as Kang Zhongnan, Kaidong's basketball player
  • King Kong Lee as Qiu Yongqiang, Yongxu's basketball player
  • Chen Ruoping as Ruoping, Dong Qishen's wife
  • Wu Chuan-hao as Liu Hua's housekeeper
  • Yen Hsiao-ming as fiancé of Qiangqiang's mother
  • Xiao Bing as reporter
  • Song Dongbin as sports announcer
  • Jiang Zhongbo as sports commentator
  • Chang Chung-tien as Yunshang's basketball scout
  • Ambrose Hui as gangster

Alternative ending

After the series aired, 5566 released a song titled "Without Your Love", whose MV showed an alternative ending to the story.

Soundtrack

The My MVP Valentine soundtrack was released on two CDs produced by Avex Trax-Taiwan. The first disc contains four songs from 5566, the lead cast, while the second disc is a compilation of various J-pop and K-pop songs.
Some songs not included in the soundtrack album include: