The iconic Taiwanese boy band F4, known globally for their roles in the popular 2001 television drama Meteor Garden, staged a surprise reunion performance on Saturday at rock band Mayday’s concert in Taiwan. The quartet’s appearance at the Taipei Dome ignited a wave of nostalgia among the 40,000 concertgoers, many of whom joined in singing their hit ballad, Meteor Rain.
Meteor Rain served as the theme song to Meteor Garden, a series that catapulted the band members — Jerry Yan, Vanness Wu, Vic Chou, and Ken Chu — to stardom across Asia.
A Cultural Phenomenon Reunited
Meteor Garden, based on the Japanese manga series Boys Over Flowers, captured the hearts of millions and played a significant role in popularising the idol drama genre across the continent. The series centred on a working-class girl, played by the late Barbie Hsu, who attends a prestigious school alongside four wealthy and arrogant boys, collectively known as F4 (short for Flower 4). The series’ immense success led to multiple other Asian adaptations, including Japan’s Hana Yori Dango (2005), South Korea’s Boys Over Flowers (2009), China’s Meteor Garden (2008), and Thailand’s F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers (2021).
The boy band F4, which formed shortly after the Taiwanese series debuted, officially disbanded in 2009. Their last known performance together before this weekend was a one-off appearance in 2013 during Chinese TV network Jiangsu’s Spring Festival Gala.
Mayday’s frontman, Ashin (Chen Hsin-hung), a celebrated figure in the Chinese-speaking world, revealed the immense effort involved in orchestrating the reunion. He stated that it took his band years to bring all four F4 members together again, acknowledging that “Everyone overcame a lot of obstacles to make this picture a reality.” Mayday, formed in 1997, has been described by some music publications as the Beatles of Asia and has also been compared to groups like Coldplay.
At Saturday’s concert, F4 performed their signature Meteor Rain and joined Mayday for a rendition of The Song of Laughter and Forgetting.
Jerry Yan, now 48, expressed his gratitude for the reunion, saying, “This is something I could not have imagined would happen again in my lifetime. It’s also made us reminisce about our youth.” Vanness Wu, 46, added, “I am very grateful to everyone who are here to share a beautiful evening with us.” All four band members, now in their 40s, remain active in the entertainment industry.
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The reunion sparked widespread excitement among fans, with many taking to social media to express their joy and call for F4 to hold their own concert. One comment on X read, “OMG!! Thank you Mayday !! My childhood is alive. It’s crazy seeing [F4] perform again.” Another, from the Manila-based music event curating account Sound Check Manila, wrote on X, “Are you crying already… because we are! Hello to the inner child in you jumping up and down because #F4 just reunited! Tour soon? We hope!”
Taiwan’s Mirror Media previously reported that F4 might hold a concert next year, commemorating 25 years since their debut, though this has not been officially confirmed by the artists or their agents. The surprise reunion served as a powerful reminder of the group’s enduring cultural impact across Asia.
