Saturday 26 October 2013

A Rooftop Rant

Be warned:

This post is a rant. 



It has been nearly a month since the GHA nominations were announced and you know what?

I'M STILL FREAKING UPSET ABOUT THE **** jury's **** decision to NOT nominate THE ROOFTOP in ANY category! 


I mean...where is the logic in that??

It is simply not possible that a movie musical of this calibre with a completely original soundtrack was just totally ignored without a single nomination even in the music category. 
The jury appeared very unaccepting of Jay's creation, perhaps because it was just too alien to them. 
After all, there have been hardly any other precedents in the history of Chinese or Taiwanese movies but then, it's all the more imperative that there should be some measure of recognition for the tremendous amount of effort he and the crew put into The Rooftop. 
Production values were very high and  the action scenes were realistic and devoid of CGI. 
It was also a fantasy story of sorts with Jay paying tribute to the 70s era and showcasing locations in Taiwan and China.
The set for the rooftop itself was also nothing short of amazing with meticulous attention to details. 
True, the script could have been a little better but as a musical, one does not require deep and wordy lines, right??
Were they perhaps afraid that this entertaining albeit uneven movie would blow away the rest of the competition?

I'm not saying The Rooftop is perfect. 
But the love theme, You Are Everywhere is heartfelt, melodius and completely fits the movie. 
At the very least, a nomination for Best Song would have been in order, even if it does not win.





Here is another movie reviewer who 'got' what Jay was doing with The Rooftop.

http://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=25316&reviewer=371


"The Rooftop is overstuffed, like Jay Chou had a half-dozen ideas for his 1960s Taiwanese musical project and couldn't decide exactly which ones he wanted to use. So he threw in all of them, even if they don't always do much for the main story of Wax and Starling, two lovebirds from different sides of the tracks. But better that than saving good stuff for a second chance that may never come, especially since it gives this movie a chance to make the audience smile in every minute.
Heck, it doesn't even look like Wax is the main character of the movie to start with; it seems to focus on his handsome pal Tempura (Oh Yau-lun), who lives in the poor "rooftop district" but has a job collecting rent for local landlord "Rango" (Wang Xue-qi) that his friends Wax (who knows kung fu but prefers to use his switchblade comb to make an impression), Egg (Song Jian-zhang), and and A-Lang (Huang Jun-lang) help him out with; they also work for Dr. Bo (Eric Tsang Chi-wai), who has a floor show at the shop where he sells patent medicines. But while Wax is earning the enmity of rival rent collector Big Red (Huang Huai-chen), Wax is falling for the lovely Starling (Li Xin-ai), who seems to have everything but has to work hard to climb out of the debt that her father (Kenny Bee) has gambled them into, even though she doesn't particularly like her co-star William (Darren Chiu).

And there's more, to the point where it's kind of a mercy that Egg and A-Lang don't have prominent subplots, because that's a thing that very easily could have happened. For all that there are a whole ton of characters all sort of doing their own thing, writer/director/star/composer Chou does a remarkably good job at keeping things from flying off in every direction than you'd think. It's not even that everything folds back into a main storyline; every scene just seems very well-linked, whether it be by running jokes, plots which intersect, or just minor bits that show the rooftop residents as a community, so that what happens with one naturally draws the others in. The story does take a hard turn or two to get to the big action sequence in the end with a somewhat extreme tone shift, but it doesn't quite go off the deep end like it could.

Part of the reason that the sudden violence at the climax seems weird is that up The Rooftop is a pretty upbeat musical, and one can fall into the trap of expecting those to finish up with everybody dancing until the villains realize the errors of their ways. And even then, this movie is a lot of fun, with Chou contributing ten songs that will probably get good and stuck in the heads of anybody who knows Mandarin (and even some who don't). The world Chou creates in the Rooftop district of Galilee is so rich, filled with bright colors and musical numbers and martial arts action, that it's an utter delight to let it envelop the viewer completely; sure, it's goofy that one character lives in a shack which is a giant working gramophone, but also awesome, and the way that shape is incorporated into the Chinese characters of the film's title doesn't hurt one bit. Unlike a lot of musicals which come from the stage and unconsciously seem bound by its limitations, this one has its characters dance their way through some big, elaborate environments, from the rooftops to a night market riddled with canals to a bowling alley. There's a reason to say "look at that!" test in almost every scene.

Heck, Chou actually manages the trick of getting the same energy from the musical numbers as from the action scenes, which should happen more often than it does with movies that try to do both (ideally, each is a way to express emotion and advance the plot through physical performance). Even when you ignore just how many other hats Chou is wearing here and how many things he has to do just as a performer, what he manages is something of a tour de force. It doesn't look like one, though, because Wax is well-integrated into the ensemble, so everyone else has room to do his or her thing: Li Xin-ai is delightfully sweet as Starling, managing to display both the natural grace that attracts Wax without it countering how she obviously feels like a fish out of water in his world. Huang Huai-chen is hugely and hilariously aggressive as Big Red, and Huang Jun-lang steals a bunch of scenes as the funniest of the core group of buddies. And lots of actors in small roles, whether they be Xu Fan as the rooftop's "big sister", Eric Tsang as the hustling Dr. Bo, or any of a dozen others, unfailingly hit just the right note and add a little more to the movie.
Get enough people doing that, in front of the camera and behind, and you wind up with something pretty special. Sure, "The Rooftop" is sprawling and sometimes exhausting because Chou is trying to do so very much in two hours, but there are also darn few moments of it that aren't thoroughly entertaining. It will leave viewers worn out, but generally with smiles on their faces."



Simply put, The Rooftop was an audacious but no less passionate attempt to make a movie of a different kind by a man whose creativity cannot be questioned.
I think you either love it or hate it.
Sadly, the GHA jury would seem to be the latter.

I shall end with a quote by blog reader, Henry Lie:

" As someone said of Alexander Pope, in the future his (Jay's) critics will only be remembered like flies in the amber of his greatness."



Monday 21 October 2013

Jay at Sprite Hangzhou 20102013

Jay was the star appearance at a Sprite event on 20 October 2013 in Hangzhou.

He sang his Chinese-style songs and got a sweet kiss from a cute little girl too. :)

I'm having some problems posting the vid link to the Jay Chou Diaoness Page on Facebook.
In fact, I think there's something wrong with Facebook in general tonight.
Hope they work it out soon.

Full vid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EzJWSRp3no

 Qing Hua Ci
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiZuSmKeirs


Hong Cheng Ke Zhan
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByWZWJ5c4RU







Sunday 20 October 2013

Blog remamed: Jay Chou Diaoness

Just a short post to say that I have renamed this blog to make the title sharper and in line with the URL link and my Jay Chou Diaoness Facebook Page which is coming along nicely.

Here is the link to the Page:

https://www.facebook.com/jaychoudiaoness

I hope most or all of you have Liked the Jay Chou Diaoness Page on Facebook as I post there pretty regularly as long as I spot something worth sharing on my News Feeds from numerous Jay Pages and Groups.
As such, it's more 'real-time' there and it includes any pics, news, vids, links or even just random ramblings about or declarations of love for Jay. *blush*
But posting there helps me keep track of happenings in Jay's life and helps me with my blog posts too. 

I have also compiled many albums there which I think many of you will have a great time going through and giving your comments.
Feel free to Tag yourselves or your friends in any of the photos there.
Spread the word about Jay Chou Diaoness!
I love sharing stuff with fans from all over the world.
Although I post mainly in English, I have Likers who also comment in Chinese and even other languages. I am Chinese so I occasionally use Chinese there as well.
But I would encourage everyone to try and use English as much as possible so that everyone can understand.
It does not matter if you think your English is not that good.
 Take it as a chance to practise. :)


See you guys on Jay Chou Diaoness! 

Let me sign off with a lovely caricature of Jay by a fan and my Facebook Friend, Qin Qing. :)
It is super cute and I especially love how she has drawn his hair....so lush and luxuriant!
But the whole pic is just awesome and yes...DIAO!



NB:

I also have another Page viz The Rooftop: A Jay Chou film, which is still going on.
I post there as well, more Rooftop-related stuff.
I didn't think it would go on for so long but somehow, I have been able to keep it going with new ideas.
Do check it out as well! 

https://www.facebook.com/TheRooftopAJayChouFilm

Saturday 19 October 2013

Jayannah!

One aspect of Jay which has been much discussed by fans over the years is the issue of his love life and girlfriends.

As I only came into Jay Chou fandom in 2011, much of what went on before that was already water under the bridge for me and I could only draw my own conclusions from what I read and found out from other fans.
I shall not dwell on the past but suffice to say, it was clear to me that despite all the gossip and tabloid rumours, Jay has generally been a good boy with nary a whiff of sex scandals tainting his image.
That was a big plus point in my going crazy about him as that is the one thing I cannot tolerate in my celebrity crushes.

It was in 2011 that the first pics of him and Hannah surfaced whilst on a holiday in France.
Yes, I was active on the JCS forum then and there was endless debate going on.
And yes, that term 'Jayannah' was coined by me. ;)
Numerous paparazzi attempts to photograph them together were unsuccessful, with Jay at one point trying to turn the tables on the pappz by taking their picture. His run-ins with them are legendary but he has mellowed of late.

From 2011 to the present, Jay has never confirmed any relationship and has categorically stated that he will only make an official announcement when he is going to get married.
That has, however, not stopped the wags from publishing sensational headlines and making up stories which I shall not deign to mention here to keep my blog post respectful to Jay.

Actually, I made a decision when I started this blog that I would not write about him and his girlfriends until such a time that there was something more substantial (instead of mere hints here and there) and also when he appears willing to be less shy about whomever he was with.
Neither did I want to use pappz photos as far as possible.

I think now is the time. :)

Photos surfaced from weibo these past couple of days showing Jay in a restaurant in Hangzhou whilst en route to Fuzhou for another OPUS JAY concert.
Sharp-eyed fans were quick to spot Hannah, albeit not a full-faced shot with Jay.
Ms Quinlivan also posted a photo of herself in Hangzhou on her Facebook Page.
Not difficult to conclude, right? ;)










My thoughts on Jayannah

I can only say that Hannah has shown herself to be a well-behaved and decent young lady over the past two years that I have been Jay's fan. She does her own thing and has been honest yet non-committal in her replies to nosy reporters about her 'boyfriend', without giving anything away.
Many fans were apprehensive about their age gap but I think Jay is really young at heart and needs someone like Hannah.
Many reports have also pointed out how protective he is about her and I think his friends and loved ones are equally supportive.
Of course she is extremely pretty but I believe there is definitely something more than her looks which he is attracted to, like how she gets along with Mama Chou and his friends. 
Besides, there's no accounting for chemistry between a couple and as long as they keep each other happy and are willing to be strong and committed in the relationship, that should be what matters.

I am very happy to see that she is with him in China now....it gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling to know he has a special someone and it looks more and more likely that he will get married next year.

Keep watching this blog. :)

Thursday 17 October 2013

Jay Chou Tribute Video with a message

I am posting a video which has been circulating on Facebook the past week.
It is a tribute to Jay with a little message at the end and is very poetically written in Chinese.
I have tried to translate it as best as I can and hope you guys will understand and appreciate.






https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O59b-Sze9Qk

The words in white on the screen say:
You accompanied me as I grew up.
I'll accompany you as you get older.


Jay:
"You would not know how long those fans will listen to your songs. But I will still carry on singing. Like at times when you feel stressed out and think about Simple Love, I would be very happy. It is not necessary that you have to like my new songs. Fans will come and go; if you have ever listened to my music, I'm already very grateful. As long as there is one fan who wants to hear me sing, I will go on doing so. My era will not pass on."


He has accompanied many people through their joys and sorrows.
His devil-may-care attitude, those long fingers on the piano keys, with every note engaging our senses.
He is Jay Chou.
That curly-haired big boy who wore a baseball cap who has now matured into a successful man.
He has learned to play cat-and-mouse with the press; he can perform magic for the media.
He has learnt to protect himself as well as his companions.
He is no longer that boy-next-door of the early years.
You could say he has left an indelible mark on my life as I was growing up.

I frequently could not sing his perfect yet complicated songs properly at KTV and I finally understood how his unique style would shut up all the naysayers who felt he could only be a behind-the-scenes songwriter and not a singer.
He once said: "I am not a musician nor a doctor. But I can make the music come alive."
I laughed when I heard that, because very few singers have even half his degree of self-confidence, which in his case is totally justified.
He can now wear the most fancy costumes and perform on stage watched by huge crowds..
His simplest love ballads can transport the entire audience to the most emotional high.
And he can help make his friends' dreams come true.

Nan Quan Ma Ma had always worked backstage but even as everyone was exalting Vincent Fang's lyrics, there was no ignoring the fact that Devon Song (Dan Tou) had written beautifully sentimental lyrics too. (Maple)
It is not known when he decided to help NQMM but the fact is, he did and succeeded.
He invested his own money and effort and enabled them to release their first album; directed their first MV.
He would always have them as guests at his concerts to let his fans appreciate and love how dedicated to music they were.
As long as he had the means, he would involve them in his MVs, movies, albums and songs.
Is it any wonder they call him President Chou? ;)

Whether it be his wholehearted accompaniment on the piano, or his engaging melodies or evocative lyrics, and his distinctive singing style, his signature rapping or his Chinese-style songs.
Some have asked what's so great about his mumbling style of singing but that is precisely what is great.

Time flies but Jay Chou remains unchanged.
As he said during the time of Fantasy:
"No matter the time or place in future, I hope my fans will look back and see the same Jay Chou as before."

There are some people whom one will never be able to understand no matter how lengthy the explanation.
And there are those for whom no explanation is required.
Jay Chou is the latter.

I look at that face which I have loved for more than ten years, familiar yet strange.
I have always thought of myself as not being a fickle-minded person and believe in loving one person for the long haul.
Many of his fans have loved him for more than ten years.
There are those who quietly watch him from afar or at his concerts.
 (I am not quite sure how to translate the part that follows the above line)

He was once asked which of his features he was most happy with.
He said: "My nose, as it looks most like my mother's."
Least satisfied?
He said: "My eyes because they are rather small but then again, so are my mother's so it doesn't really matter. We're Asian, after all."

As far as Jay Chou's love is concerned, 70% goes to his mother.
And he would like his girlfriend/wife to feel the same and just leave 30% for him.
He gives all his earnings to his mother.
He named his album after her.
He used photographs of her in his MV for the very meaningful song which he wrote for her.

My feelings for him run very deeply and it is difficult to express all that I want to say as he has been with me through some of my most difficult times.
His songs remind me of many people in my life.
It makes my heart ache when I hear criticisms about his present work as he is still only following his heart and working as hard as ever.
So please do not put him down.
If only you listen to him carefully, you'll see that he is really worthy of admiration.

As Jay Chou grows and develops, I do not begrudge him his changes as everybody changes with time. We are no exception.
We cannot be over-critical and demand that Jay Chou never change.

To Jay:
No matter how you change, I must thank you.










Sunday 13 October 2013

OPUS JAY: Jakarta, Indonesia (Updated)

 NB: I was not in Jakarta for this concert. So I welcome comments and feedback from readers who were there and can give me and other fans more information. :)

OPUS JAY opened to a capacity 12000 crowd at the Mata Elang Stadium in Indonesia on 12 October 2013. 

According to reports from fans, there was no Rooftop segment nor Sign Language. 
I think it was possibly due to a lack of the necessary facilities at the stadium.
The sound system was apparently not too good either. 

Nonethless, those factors did not dampen their enthusiasm nor Jay's who still gave of his best and the fans were very satisfied with his performance.

The special guest was Liu Chen, a Chinese singer aka Sylvia Stefanie.
She sang one of her own songs and a duet with Jay on A Thousand Miles Away.













Jay sang Dao Xiang and Simple Love....I freaking love Simple Love!

http://youtu.be/heV3m5XbIH8


Ukulele:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXWMFOLd3E8

All The Way North:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1lngsdult4

Silence:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT8fAZaYW4M

Guitar medley:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDqEgFT-AEE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT8fAZaYW4M



Short interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iSYFVYjXZwY

"Apa kabar? Saya Jay Chou."
Means "How are you? I'm Jay Chou." :)

Jay:
"It's my second time to Indonesia. My first time was during childhood with my Mum. So it feels like a holiday again now.
I often say during concerts that my fans are like my family; they understand me and my music.
Many of them have kids of their own now and I hope the kids will also become my fans.
I miss my Mum's home cooking when I'm away on tour."

He is then given a present of a wayang kulit puppet.
Love how he said, "Nice!" in English. :)


I shall end off as usual with some swoonsome and handsome-licious pics of His Royal DIAOness:

Omg....that DIMPLE!!!!





Till my next post....good night!

Saturday 12 October 2013

Jay Chou in Jakarta!

One more day to Jay's inaugural concert in Indonesia and Facebook was abuzz with pics and updates of him arriving at the airport in Jakarta.
Most of his crew had already been posting photos from Indonesia but there had been no sign of Jay.
Until this afternoon.

Needless to say, I was determined to keep up with the News Feeds and also made a new Facebook Friend who said she was staying in the same hotel as Jay!
Can't wait to see what she will post!

And it's a little inexplicable, but somehow having Jay in a South-East Asian country like Indonesia just made me very happy somehow. :)


There's our Mr DIAO at the airport, walking along with his bodyguards, looking oh-so-handsome and with his hair little shorter. But he appeared to be in a good mood and heh...no mask! :))




There was a press conference at The Media Hotel and Towers after that:





Looking very dapper in that suit....hey! I recognise that shirt!
It's my favourite from his Hongkong concerts!
It's also nice to know he reuses his outfits and does not always have to wear new or never-been-seen-before stuff. :)



Here is a short translation of what Jay said:


Jay's first visit to Indonesia was with his family more than 20 years ago.
He finds that people tend to drive more slowly here, which is something that he is not used to.
He quipped that he had no need to drive fast in Indonesia anyway 'cos there was hardly any paparazzi around. :)
For OPUS JAY, he has prepared about 30 songs, including more from his earlier albums.
He hopes to hold a concert in Indonesia every two years.
There will be a special guest star at his concert but he cannot reveal who it is.


Hmm....wonder who the guest star will be....  

Whatever the case, let me end off with a pic of His Royal DIAOness and his Royally Rugged Bod....prepare to faint. ;)

 
  Looking forward to OPUS JAY tomorrow!


Wednesday 9 October 2013

Jay rocks Hebei and chills out

I'm still somewhat sore with the GHA jury for snubbing The Rooftop.
But seriously, if Jay had not kept on talking about how much he hoped the movie would be nominated for awards, I could not care less about them.
To me, whether a movie wins awards or not is quite immaterial and unrelated to its entertainment level.
But I just felt for Mr Chou as it was clear that he had poured his heart and soul into putting it all together and although he acts cool, I'm sure he was more than a little upset.

However, I'm also pretty sure he did not wallow long in self-pity and besides, he has many other events to attend and concerts to prepare for.

The most recent event was in Hebei, where he was the main attraction (no surprises there!). Here's a vid of his explosive performance with Fearless and Nunchucks:








After that concert, Jay took some time off to chill and where did he choose to go to? :))




LOL!

Who else but His Royal DIAOness goes into a video arcade surrounded by five or six security personnel, togged up with a mask and glasses?
That picture above (from weibo, posted by fans in Hebei) was floating all over Facebook last night and the universal comment was how cute he looked!
I mean, this is a 天王 (Heavenly King) and he was playing video games and wandering around an entertainment centre....how much more down-to-earth and loveable can he be??
It is also a well-known fact that he loves these games, like any normal guy and just looking at his intense concentration in that pic makes me smile.
I was really happy he was indulging in something so simple yet enjoyable for him.
Which is not that unusual for Jay.
Even where food is concerned, all he cared about eating when in Singapore and Malaysia were his favourite pork ribs soup and barbecued chicken wings. :)

More pics:






To be honest, when I first got into Jay Chou fandom, I did wonder why he liked to wear a mask but I soon realised that it was probably due to two factors:

1. His immunity may not be top-notch due to his AS (ankylosing spondylitis) and when he is in crowded places like airports in China, he really has to take care not to catch anything which might then affect his ability to perform.
Do note that he does not wear the mask when in Singapore and Malaysia.
I shall watch and see what he does in Indonesia. ;)

2. He wants (and needs) to preserve a measure of privacy and a mask, unappealing as it may look, does afford him the freedom to hide whatever facial expressions he may have. He has mentioned before that 70% of him is seen on stage; 20% is exposed by the tabloid reporters. As such, it should not be too much to ask that he gets to keep 10% for himself...which when he puts it that way makes a whole lot of sense.
The sunglasses he likes to don are probably another way for him to maintain some privacy.


Most of his fans already understand this but I can see how strange it would look to non-fans or the general public, who would then accuse him of being anti-social or weird.
But of course, that would not bother Jay. :)

I shall end off with a link to an album of utter and complete HANDSOMENESS of Jay in Metersbonwe...swoon on!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.399550216816321.1073741827.399217090182967&type=1&l=6de8dcdb1a


Cheerio! 









Sunday 6 October 2013

DIAOness Updates: GHA, Global Chinese Music awards, typhoon, MV book, Kobe!

It's less than a week to OPUS JAY in Indonesia on 12 October! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpIuLJokG-U 

I trust all the fans have prepared to give Jay a huge welcome and an awesome PINK Sea!


But before we hit that, here are some updates over the past few days.



1. There were Status reports from many Jay Pages with the following quote about his GHA disappointment, which I also shared on my Jay Chou Diaoness Page:


 【《天台》金马落空 叹歌舞片式微】#周杰伦 自导自演的《天台》,1项也没入围,他昨沉痛地说:「可能台湾没什么歌舞片吧,看到连音乐都没入围,我就明白这一切了。」意指台湾歌舞片风气不盛,所以作 品不受评审青睞. 不过周杰伦敢于尝试别人不敢尝试的歌舞片,也给了很多人信心。值得尊敬。

Jay was somewhat bitter about the lack of nominations for The Rooftop.

"Perhaps the dearth of musical movies in Taiwan explains why The Rooftop was not well-received and did not even get nominated in the music-related caregories. I understand now."

Nonetheless, he had guts and gumption to try his hand at this genre and for that, he deserves praise and respect.

Don't give up, Jay!

加油!


2. Jay has won for Best Album (OPUS 12) at the 13th Global Chinese Music Charts awards!
And his Hong Chen Ke Zhan is one of the Top 20 songs!

Congrats to His Royal DIAOness!!!
Hope this makes up a little for the GHA nonsense. :P



 3. Typhoon warning for Taiwan and Japan...I think Jay is still in Taipei. Hope everyone stays safe!

http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201310050008.aspx


4. Yours truly is now making her way slowly through this Chinese book.
 I think Jay fans would recognise where the cover photo comes from. :)
Yup, it's a novelisation of one of my most fave Jay Chou MVs, 你听得到。(You Hear Me)
This MV always makes me smile wistfully and the ending is just perfect, especially 'cos we can hear Jay speak a little English....he sounds soooo cute! :)




MV:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLY11fv7fUk




5. Kobe was a guest at the same University event which Jay graced six months ago.
He says Jay's basketball skills are pretty good.

Here's a short clip which has Jay's recorded vid wishing Kobe all the best and exhorting him to share more about his life with the students to encourage them.

Jay's part is from 1:09 to 1:43:

http://video.sina.com.cn/v/b/116187016-1610663212.html





Happy Sunday, everyone! 

Tuesday 1 October 2013

WTH, GHA???

Before I proceed with the rest of tonight's post, I must apologise for the use of the *expletive* in the title.

I've been feeling outraged ever since I logged on to the 2013 Golden Horse Awards (GHA) website earlier on this evening  to check out the list of nominees and discovered with increasing dismay that Jay's The Rooftop was nowhere to be found.

http://www.goldenhorse.org.tw/ui/index.php?class=ghac&func=nw&lang=en&switch_lang=1

I read through the list more carefully but it was clear:
The Rooftop had NOT been nominated in ANY category, not even for the music-related ones like Best Film Score or Best Song.
(My sadness over this was a little offset by my happiness that our local film, Ilo Ilo had received six nominations! Way to go, Anthony Chen, Chen Tianwen, Yeo Yann Yann and Koh Jia Ler!)

But it is really befuddling how The Rooftop could have been so rudely snubbed like that.
I know it was not that popular in Taiwan but that should not take away from what Jay has achieved with that movie viz a Chinese musical movie complete with original film score and songs.
Not to mention an original story with beautiful sets and cinematography,which brought the audience into the world of Galilee City.

I can only surmise that the movie just did not square with the jury's (preconceived) view or taste about what a movie musical should be.
As Jay himself had only a couple of days ago mentioned himself, whether the movie does well at the box office or wins any awards really depends on the taste of the audience.
Methinks that was, sadly, somewhat prophetic.

My only consolation is that, knowing Jay, this will not faze him and, instead, he will consider it a setback and chalk it up to experience.
I'm sure he would not have done The Rooftop any other way either, even if he had a chance to go back and redo it, as he felt really strongly about how he was putting the whole project together with all his heart and soul.

I remember him being asked at one interview how he would react if the movie did not do well or win any awards and his reply was:

"I'll just work harder on something else the next time."

Which, in essence, has been how he has reacted to his previous non-successes eg Pandamen and Mr J Channel.
At the end of the day, whatever he does, he does out of passion and to give his friends a chance to work with him, be it in a movie, a music video, a concert or a TV show.
Whether it is a success or not, he would have already had the joy that comes with that and in that sense, one can never truly have a 'failure'.

This also brings home another point about Jay:

He is human, after all!
He has his share of ups and downs too and no, he may be a Heavenly King, but he does not have the golden touch in everything that he does.

However, he has mentioned that he will be concentrating more on music for now and movie-making will take a back seat. (I can almost hear a collective sigh of relief from his fans!)
But somehow, I think the directing bug is still in him and I'm certain he will bounce back from this and astound us with something else in the near future.

I don't know Jay's reaction to this yet and when I do, I'll update or write a new post.

Whatever the case may be, I love The Rooftop very much and believe strongly that the jury has not shown the right judgement in ignoring it in this manner.
And the Taiwanese film industry will be all the poorer for this.