February 5, 2025
TOKYO – Japanese manga artist Yoko Kamio, author of the popular comic series Hana Yori Dango (Boys Over Flowers, 1992 to 2004), has paid tribute to Barbie Hsu. The Taiwanese actress died at the age of 48 after she came down with influenza-related pneumonia in Japan.
Hsu, also known by her stage name “Big S”, was best known for playing feisty Shancai in the hit Taiwanese idol drama Meteor Garden (2001 to 2002), the first live-action television adaptation of Hana Yori Dango.
Kamio, who reshared a post on the news of Hsu’s death on social media platform X on Feb 3, wrote on Feb 4 that Hsu’s lovely smile in the series left a deep impression on her.
“I am truly saddened by her death,” the 58-year-old wrote in Japanese. “May she rest in peace.”
Hsu was once part of the pop duo ASOS with her younger sister Dee Hsu. They were also the co-hosts of variety show Guess Guess Guess (1996 to 2012) and entertainment programme 100% Entertainment (1997 to 2024).
The role of Shancai, based on the Japanese character Tsukushi Makino, propelled Barbie Hsu to stardom as she successfully made the transition from singer and TV host to actress.
She was nominated for Best Leading Actress in a Television Series for that role at Taiwan’s Golden Bell Awards in 2001.
Tributes for Hsu continued to pour in after her death, including from the leading actors of Meteor Garden.
Taiwanese star Jerry Yan, who played Shancai’s love interest Daoming Si and is currently based in China, expressed his condolences on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Feb 3.
“I am grateful that I met you,” the 48-year-old wrote in Chinese. “During the carefree years when you were younger, you always said: ‘Live every day as if it were your last, and live it to the fullest.’
“I hope you will go slowly this time. From now on, in another world, there’ll be no worries, and the years will be peaceful.”
Earlier that day, Taiwanese actor Ken Chu, 46, who portrayed playboy Ximen in Meteor Garden, wrote on Weibo, “Alas, a bolt from the blue”, together with three folded hands emojis.
In Meteor Garden, Ximen was part of the rich but arrogant students collectively known as F4 in the elite Yingde Academy, led by Daoming Si.
The other members of F4 were the pensive Huaze Lei, played by Taiwanese actor Vic Chou, and the chill Meizuo, played by Taiwanese-American singer-actor Van Ness Wu.
Meteor Garden was such a phenomenon that the four went on to record albums and hold concert tours as F4 the boy band. The group were later renamed JVKV, using the first letter of each of the members’ names, due to copyright issues.
Chou, 43, and Wu, 46, have so far not commented publicly on Hsu’s death.
Chou’s manager responded to media queries with a folded hands emoji, according to the Taiwanese media.
Taiwanese actors Tung Chih-cheng and Moon Wang, who played Shancai’s parents in Meteor Garden, and veteran Taiwanese producer Angie Chai, who was behind Meteor Garden, have also paid tribute to Hsu.
Next Apple News reported on Feb 4 that Hsu’s mother Huang Chun-mei would be returning to Taiwan on Feb 4. Dee Hsu and Barbie Hsu’s husband, South Korean musician DJ Koo, will be taking Barbie Hsu’s ashes back to Taiwan on Feb 6.