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 the role of Shancai at Taiwan’s Golden Bell Awards in 2001.

Tributes for Hsu continued to flow in after her death, including from the leading actors of Meteor Garden.

Taiwanese actor Ken Chu, 46, who portrayed playboy Ximen in Meteor Garden, was the first to do so. He wrote on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Feb 3, “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. The quartet was led by Shancai’s love interest Daoming Si, played by Taiwanese actor Jerry Yan.

The other members of F4 were the pensive Huaze Lei, played by Taiwanese actor Vic Chou, and the calm Meizuo, played b...