Sere - Visions

Really?

2009-03-19T09:48:00.002-06:00

I decided to catch up on what's going on in the TVB world today and I was pleasantly surprised.

Louis Koo declares the he will return to TVB in two years. Two years! That's a long way from now but I can wait. After seeing the cute encounter Tavia Yeung had with Louis, I wouldn't mind seeing a Louis, Moses and Tavia collaboration! Though I long to see Louis and Jessica reunite...

After much praises of Ada's performance in The Gem of Life, she won second place for the Top 10 TV Artiste at the Next Awards. Good to know that filming 80 episodes of Gem of Life wasn't a complete waste of her time!

Memoirs of Gallen & Jessica - Episode 26 & 28

2009-02-14T23:38:00.002-06:00

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After all the incidents and drama, everyone has settled down. Ivan reveals that he is engaged to Sabrina. Rachel generously gives her warm congratulations. Doesn't Ivan look like he's hurting?

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Rachel recalls her relationship with Ivan from the beginning to the end. Through the sweet and bitter times, she still had a beautiful relationship with Ivan. She settles the guardian necklace safely inside her drawer symbolising that she is ready to move on. Rachel has the mentality to move on but this time, she is taking action and she is going to give Hong a chance. That is hinted with the statue of a cop in the background.

They say that when you fall in love so true, you love so deeply that they stay in your heart and soul. Rachel may bury this love that left such a great imprint in her heart by thinking she can move on, by giving Hong a chance. But this imprint in her heart will be with her forever.

Episode 26 Gallery Episode 28 Gallery

Happy Lunar New Year!

2009-01-26T13:13:00.002-06:00

HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR!
Hope for a prosperous year for all, and happiness and success in everything you do!

Gem of Life: Episodes 21 to 57

2009-01-26T12:43:00.004-06:00

I love Sylvia and Calvin together. I love how Bowie always looked at Maggie with great intensity and love. Calvin's fun personality complements Sylvia's sometimes too serious attitude. Calvin is the best boyfriend to have in Gem. He did a lot for Sylvia. His actions demonstrates how caring and loving he is to her. He doesn't ever brag about the thing he has done to her. It's all very thoughtful. I don't understand why Sylvia broke up with him. Her reasoning did not make much sense and felt forced. Her sacrifice for Calvin is touching. I agree with her when she said, “What’s worst than losing everything and killing yourself still wouldn’t solve all your problems.” I still felt that Sylvia was forgetting who she was after her sacrifice. I can’t wait to see how Calvin responds after he finds out the truth about Sylvia’s miscarriage and Catherine’s requests to help him save his company.

I think by now it is clear that Jessica truly loves Martin. She loves his wealth and power but she also loves him. His wedding speech was so touching.

Constance continues to annoy me to no end. I really wonder how men fall for her. In reality, most men will not stay with someone like her. Terrence has so many qualities and his past girlfriends all have had more interesting personalities than Constance. His ex, Carmen (Bailie Chan) had more personality to lock a man’s heart than Constance.

Jessica said she always felt that Terrance will not be a good husband to Constance. And I agree. He used her and didn't take into consideration her family when he did business. It's obvious that his business is more important to him than love. Not only that, Terrence is so easy to seduce. Under no drugs, he slept willingly with Elise. And still, he blamed it all on Elise. He didn’t realize that he was to be blamed for their divorce. It’s not Elise’s fault nor is it Jessica’s fault (Constance likes to blame her for it). Yes Jessica didn’t stop Constance from looking for Terrence. But Jessica and Elise didn’t force him to take off his clothes and jump in bed with Elise. Jessica warned him not to go meddling with Elise but he ignored Jessica’s intentions because of his preconceived bias/judgement of her. He should open his eyes and try to understand and accept Jessica because she is part of his family after all.

Constance thin outlook on everything makes her jump to conclusions quickly. It makes her look dumb. She preaches day and night about how awful and selfish Jessica is, when she is no better. She is selfish as well, but she doesn’t realize it. All she seems to care about are her own feelings and always ask god, “Why do my closest people always betray my feelings?” Perhaps she should re-evaluate herself and put herself into others shoes before she opens her mouth and jumps to conclusions. Jessica has more burdens to carry on her shoulders than Constance will ever have to deal with. She has Martin’s business to worry about, she has her team and business to run, she has to watch over her family and moreover, she has a baby she needs to take care of (and maybe her only chance of having a kid since her possibility of getting pregnant is slim). Does Constance not realize that if she ran to the police and revealed everything that it will just make matters worse? Even Sylvia who always talks sense knew that telling the police will not make the situation any better. However, Constance still tries to run to the police despite Sylvia and her mother’s pleas. If her mother did not fall, can you imagine all the trouble she would put everyone around her through?

I’m not saying that what Jessica did was right. It was selfish and cruel. But Jessica never asked her mother to take the blame. She was in too great of a shock and panic that she didn’t realize her mother was shoving her into the taxi, away from the crime scene. Jessica was drowning in remorse and guilt and that’s a good enough punishment for her. It is an accident after all, she didn’t mean it. Constance never tried to understand Jessica’s situation and see how disturbed she is about the whole accident. She just packed up her bags and left to god knows where. She did not stay behind and help her family go through the ordeal together. She didn’t have to deal with the repercussions. She whines about how Jessica is so selfish, yet I do not see her doing anything worth mentioning for the family’s sake.

No doubt Jessica is self-centered and selfish. However, even if what she does is selfish, she takes into consideration of the whole picture. It is evident that she will do anything to obtain what she wants. Though she does bad things, deep inside, we know that she has good intentions and she loves her family and cares a lot for Martin. Jessica is a really multi-faceted character.

I find Constance has very little character development. I still view Constance the same way I viewed her at the beginning: a big runaway, irresponsible lover/daughter, narrow minded, whiner and dumb. I find her a hypocrite. At the beginning she ran off with Frankie for two years despite her family’s disapproval. She didn’t play her role as a daughter or sister during those times. She then lies about dating Ah Fat. She continues to date him even though she knows her mother disapproves (so much for caring about her mother’s feelings). Notice that she didn’t dump Ah Fat because what he did was disgustingly wrong. She dumped him only because he hurt her feelings. She gets mad at Jessica for cheating away her father’s money. She then gets angry at Jessica for not taking the responsibility of the car accident. Talk about responsibility, she has none. She didn’t take into consideration of her family. She didn’t try to mend her relationships but runs off to Tibet leaving back her family to deal with the crazy lady/accident and her husband to deal with all her costly spending during her two years of touring. It must be nice running away from all your problems and letting others who have enough sense and responsibility to deal with it.

Initially I hated Lee Sei Kei as the controlling, and pretend to be a know-it-all mother. I hated her for sticking her nose in her daughter’s business and love life. Her daughters are 25+ and she is still nosing about their life. It was as if she was living her younger days through her daughters. But after the car incident, It can be said that she is a good mother after all.

Martin surprised me in episode 50 where his true colours were revealed. His intentions were hinted all throughout Gem with his, “You have to look at business in the long run!” It’s a pity that he sacrificed Mellissa’s friendship for his defeat. I loved their friendship but Mellissa deserves a better friend.

I think Gem has taken at turn after the great climax in episode 50. Things are moving a lot faster and the story has become more exciting. However, despite how good the last 30 episodes may be, it is too late to deem Gem a classic. I feel really bad for Chik Kei Yi. He is under tremendous pressure to produce a classic after the success of War and Beauty that the ratings have not turned out to be less than ideal. Dance of passion did fairly well in ratings (average 33 pts a week and peaking at 38 max) but Gem of Life is averaging 28 pts a week. I hope that he can just relax and take everything easy and maybe that way, he can produce a well crafted series.

Taking a Break..

2009-01-04T19:03:00.001-06:00

Hope everyone had a lovely holiday!

In the upcoming weeks, I will be busy with personal issues and school matters. There will be no updates until 2-3 weeks from now.

Memoirs of Gallen & Jessica - Episode 24

2009-01-03T22:35:00.007-06:00

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To help Ivan and Sabrina win the court case, Ivan was forced to betray Rachel. From Sabrina's and Ivan's testimonies, Rachel realizes that Sabrina deserves Ivan. She finally understands all the burdens bestowed on Ivan that made him unable to choose his way. On the contrary, she did not blame Ivan for betraying her. She said to Hong, "If you had to pick between two choices, and the decision that you make will hurt both, can you really choose?"

Ivan and Rachel have come to a mutual understanding and both agreed that they can't be together. Rachel tells him, "Love is not your first priority. Family, responsibilities, friendship are all more important to you than love. It also made you unable to choose your way." She tells him that she's not mad at his betrayal but feels bad for him. However, she admits that she is still hurt but knows that he's hurting even more. Ivan has nothing to offer her and all he could manage to say is, "sorry."

He admits to her, "When we were trapped under water, I really wanted to escape. But now, I rather live in that moment with you forever." I think my heart melted when he said that.

This break-up had more closure than their first break-up. There were no loose-ends not tied, no anger, and no regrets. Thus, both were willingly and able to move forward without anything holding back. Rachel made him promise not to share/do the things they’ve done together (bread, firecrackers, guardian necklace) and even joked that it was wise of him not to be with her since she demands too many requests. Judging by Ivan’s expression, he didn’t agree with her. Her last words was wising him happiness. That would be hard, judging by Ivan's pained and choked expressions.

Gallen and Jessica were fantastic. They prove that you don't need to spill a litre of tears to make a scene touching or memorable.

Episode 24 Gallery

Memoirs of Gallen & Jessica - Episode 22

2009-01-02T18:39:00.004-06:00

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Finally, in a near death experience, Ivan and Rachel finally disregard everything (burdens, principals, responsibilities) and realize how much they mean to each other. Rachel no longer doubts Ivan's character. Ivan even says, "With your trust, I can now die without any regrets." I think with Rachel's stubbornness, she would have never gotten back with Ivan if it had not been for this "till death we do not part" moment. And we must thank the evil Hung Pak Tou for this moment that took Rachel's and Ivan's breaths away.

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Sabrina thinking Ivan was killed poisons Hong Pak Tou. Ivan rushes to the scene and is flooded with guilt as he comes to the realization of how much Sabrina has sacrificed for him. In attempts to protect her, he admits to the cops that he was the killer. Rachel tearfully tries to convince him to tell the truth because she doesn’t believe that he will kill anyone. Rachel's trust in Ivan has changed compared to the beginning where she doubted his character and believed that he would kill. But at the moment, her trust doesn’t mean much because Ivan insists on taking the blame. Something inside me died when she asked tearfully, "Why aren't you looking at me? It's because you're lying!"

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Rachel expresses her feelings to her sister. She doesn't believe Ivan would kill. She says that her love for Ivan can no longer be denied after their second near death experience. She questions, "Why is it, when we have hope, something terrible always happens to separate us?" She confesses that no matter how much Hong loves her, not matter how much easier life would be for her if she dated him, she will not return his love.

Episode 22 Gallery

Memoirs of Gallen & Jessica - Episode 18, 20, 21

2008-12-30T22:19:00.010-06:00

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Ivan and Rachel encounter at the orphanage.

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Hong makes Rachel think of the past while trying to court her.

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Rachel showed that she was disappointed when Ivan did not show up for lunch with his sister and her. Therefore, she didn't expect him to come this time around. She is surprised when his sister gives her a box and told her this was from Ivan. Rachel opens the box and finds that he's given her their guardian necklace and is hinting to her that he wants reconciliation...

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Rachel's stubbornness and her refusal to ignore her morals is the main characteristic that makes us love her character and her relationship with Ivan. If Rachel was blinded by love and dropped her principles, it would make their relationship wearisome.

Episode 19 gallery Episode 21 Gallery

Overview: A Step Into the Past

2008-12-25T21:23:00.005-06:00

Year Released: 2001
No. Episodes: 40 Episodes
Cast:
Louis Koo
Kong Wah
Raymond Lam
Jessica Hsuan
Sonija Kwok
Joyce Tang
Wong Wai
Kwok Fung
Michelle Saram

A Step Into the Past is TVB’s adaption of Huang Yi’s novel, “Xun Qin Ji.” The story speaks of Xiang Shaolong (Louis Koo) who loses his lover of 7 years (Sonija Kwok) to another man because of his lack of commitment. He was promised to be able to win his girlfriend back by proposing to her before she left him if he agreed to a scientific experiment. His mission was to witness the ascension of Emperor Ying Zheng by way of a time machine. Emperor Ying Zheng is credited for the Great Wall of China. Unfortunately the machine malfunctions and he is transferred three years earlier to the ancient times of the Warring States Era. There, Xiang Shaolong ventures on a journey and finds himself embroiled in critical historical events, falling out and in of love and playing a huge factor in China’s earlier history.

Xiang Shaolong was forewarned before his journey that everything that he will do in the past will affect the present. If he did anything to change history, his existence will cease, and the future will disappear. Xiang Shaolong killed many people and he assisted Zhao Pan (Raymond Lam) who had no royalty blood in him to rise as Emperor Ying Zheng. One would think that Xiang Shaolong was changing history but somehow everything fell into place despite everything that he did. Past was trying to tell the viewers that, no matter what one does, history will always prevail and go onto its unaltered and predestined path.

Past is also trying to convey the message that the future and the past are linked together. At the start of the series, a high tech communicator was found at the site of the tomb of Emperor Ying Zheng. This communicator was given to Xiang Shaolong to help him transfer back to modern world once his mission was complete. Scientists were pondering why a high advanced technology was found at this site. The answer is since Xiang Shaolong decided to stay in the past; his piece of technology remained there until 2000 years later when it was found in the modern world. The past and the future are welded together.

Xiang Shaolong played a significant figure who contributed to the rise of Emperor Ying Zheng. However, there was no mention of his name in history books. Xiang Shaolong wanted to leave Emperor Ying Zheng after he painfully realized that history will always continue onto its predestined fate. Therefore, Zhao Pan who is now Emperor Ying Zheng has become ruthless and cold. Xiang Shaolong created a monster who he no longer knew. Xiang Shaolong wanted nothing more than to leave the palace in peace. Ying Zheng who thought “if you’re not with me, you’re against me,” commands all his troops to kill Xiang Shaolong and anyone who knew of his true identity of Zhao Pan. Once he successfully conquered most of China, he burned all the books that told of Xiang Shaolong and buried everyone alive who mentioned his name. Therefore the name Xiang Shaolong was long forgotten. This is one of the many brilliancy in Step. Is its ability to weave history into the story!

One the many touching sub stories of Past is the story of Zhao Ya (Shirley Yim) and her son Zhao Pan. Zhao Ya is known as the whore of Qian. Her son was spoiled and would create trouble in the community. He often disrespected his mother and was ashamed of her reputation. When really, she was forced to do things against her will because a more powerful figure played by Waise Lee who taunted and threatened her. However, Xiang Shaolong came along and brought hope to her as she discovered her inner identity and worth of a woman. Xiang Shaolong became Zhao Pan’s sifu and by then, Xiang Shaolong taught Zhao Pan basic morals and changed him for the better. In her final moments, Zhao Pan finally realized his mother’s dignity as he witnesses her ultimate sacrifice.

After much turbulence, Zhao Pan transforms into the relentless Emperor Ying Zheng by fate. He becomes a total different person. He is confronted by his mother’s tomb painting while hunting Xiang Shaolong and his men. This scene was harsh as Emperor Ying Zheng is confronted with his mother that sacrifice for him for his existence today. This painful reality reminded him of his past, as his innocent Zhao Pan. The ultimate punch of this scene is how he realizes that the Zhao Pan that exists within him is still there and that he had to force himself to wipe away this segment of his history forever.

The Ending.

The ending of Lao Ai (Kong Wah) and Lady Zhu Ji (Eileen Yeow) was a powerful scene. I always questioned if Lao Ai ever loved Lady Zhu Ji. Even till their death, I still question his love. I only think the sole reason he came back was for his baby. A silly mistake one would think as Emperor Ying Zheng was clearly going to harm his baby if he returned or not. Karma had to do with the death his child since he did kill another’s child because of his own selfishness. Nevertheless, this scene brought Xiang Shaolong to realize that Zhao Pan has died and Emperor Ying Zheng is a monster who he created. A very tragic scene and even I was moved to tears despite how despicable Lao Ai is.

I think this is one of the first, if not the first time TVB has made an ending where our ancient hero marries two wives. I’m glad that I did not have to watch Xiang Shaolong be forced to pick just one. That would have been too typical and boring to watch.

I love the twist in the end when Xiang Shaolong’s child wanted to change his name to Han Yo. It’s a clever twist. The Conqueror’s Story tells of Han Yo and Lui Bang’s battles. Do watch it, it’s just as excellent as Past.

Performances

Louis Koo was a true delight to watch. It was hilarious to see Xiang Shaolong trapped into the past as he adapts to the ancient ways. Then to watch as he is conflicted and torn between loves. Then see him finally come to the realization that history will always go onto its unaltered path and he finally accepts his destiny. It was hilarious watching Louis expose his modern culture to the ancient people. I laughed so hard whenever he used phrases like “thank you, toilet, shit..” I don’t know what it is about Louis, but he has chemistry with everyone he works with, men included! His chemistry with Jessica was already established before this but he also had good chemistry with Sonija and Joyce. He even has excellent chemistry with Raymond! His performance was stellar and he truly deserved his Best Actor award in 2001.

Jessica Hsuan as Wu Tingfang was excellent. It is a pity that Jessica contracted cholera and was hospitalized for a month, therefore she disappears in the middle of the series. Thankfully her disappearance did not affect the overall quality of Past or performance.

I thought Raymond Lam was fantastic minus the over glaring scenes. In my opinion, this is the peak of Raymond’s talent. Nowadays, Raymond’s acting seems to have hit the stop. Maybe his acting has come to a halt or maybe he’s been given roles that don’t challenge him. I’m tired of seeing the lovesick Raymond Lam. Anyway, Raymond delivered a delicious performance. I was very impressed.

Considering that Sonija Kwok was a newbie, I was satisfied with her performance. She appeared to be wooden but she did a good job with the purpose of her character and she did everything that needed to be done. Plus, she looked extremely beautiful.

Michelle Saram was a miscast as Princess Qian. She was supposed to be a beauty and innocent looking. But she doesn’t look Asian at all! She had no chemistry with Louis. Her death was probably one of the happiest moments in the series.

Kong Wah looked bored throughout the entire series. I don’t think Lao Ai challenged him. His character was a hypocrite and there are endless reasons to hate him. I couldn’t hate Lao Ai because Kong Wah made him pitiful. Even now, I don’t understand Lao Ai. Lao Ai is one of the most complex characters in TVB. He has so many layers, he is so unpredictable and he surprised me many, many times with his decisions. I come to not hate Lao Ai because of his powerful and tragic ending. I admit, it was heart wrenching to see the end of him, his love, and his child.

Verdict

A Step Into the Past is an excellent series. It is brilliant, exciting, clever and highly exciting. The cast was top notch and delivered wonderful performances. The script of Past is master piece of work of extreme brilliance. The script captivated me from the very first episode to the very end. Everything that happened in Past contributed to the series. There were no draggy scenes or unnecessary drama. Past explored every theme possible. Comedy and drama was successfully incorporated into the series. It is amazing that with such a grand cast, the producer successfully played and weaved every actor into the plot and did not put any of the actors’ talent to waste. Everyone suited their role perfectly. This classic is definitely not to be missed!

Gem of Life: Episodes 1 - 20

2008-12-15T23:08:00.002-06:00

Episodes 1 -20

I was anticipating Gem since the sale presentation clip was released last year. TVB shocked us with the amount of sexual scenes and violence but it also promised us breathtaking sceneries, exquisite accessories, and a splendid cast.

I can’t say I’m blown away from Gem yet but I can’t say Gem is disappointing either. At the moment, Gem is above average. I hope it does not keep up this way. I want it to start picking up and amaze me with a great story. Gem seems to have no storyline right now. Everything is just happening and seems to serve no purpose. While I find Gem to be lack lusting in the story area, something still interests me and compels me into the series.

The Gem of Life revolves around the lives of three sisters with distinct personalities. Jessica (Ada Choi) believes in superficiality/money. Sylvia (Maggie Shiu) believes in independence/career. While Constance (Gigi Lai) believes in goodness/love.

Jessica is one of the draw in factors of Gem. Her story is the most interesting. While Jessica is superficial, the writers added more layers into her character. Such as her willingness to put up an act for her ex husband, her sincerely caring for her family etc. I find Jessica realistic and I like her despite her lies, cheats and tricks. And to add in, Ada is doing fantastic and has a lot more to offer us!

I was biased by the pairing of Ada Choi (Jessica) and Elliot Yue (Martin) because of the age gap. Now I am happy with the pairing. I have a rough idea what will happen in later episodes. I’m assured that Ada will have a very exciting story coming up. She will definitely shine with what her character with go through. Martin also as a lot more to tell us than we know. I can’t wait to see Ada and Elliot showcase their talent later on. Martin complements Jessica. He brings out the best in Jessica. Although Jessica set up tricks to attract him, she has genuinely fallen in love with him. He’s bound to find out about it and I wonder how they will reconcile.

Sylvia is the hard headed, career driven, rational, super woman which Maggie always plays. Maggie nails her performance. I hated how they made her ex-husband into a cheater. I would have liked it if TVB left out the cheating part and had him divorce her because of the lack of communication. The cheating was totally unnecessary and was just added to make him at fault and not Sylvia.

Sylvia and Calvin make a fun couple – I can't wait to see their development. Sylvia learned of Calvin’s past and her perspective on his character has changed. I think she likes him.

I dislike Constance. She does things that make me go “Huh?” For example, she hops onto a stranger’s boat and shows no awkwardness without pants on. Isn’t it cold since you’re in the water? I just find Constance very fake with her inconsistencies. She makes a big fuss and cries about nearly every unfortunate thing that happens - it makes me go arghhh.

Constance and Terrance (Moses Chan) are developing ever so slowly. What is the hold up? Get a move on already Terrance!

I am intrigued by Bowie Lam’s Calvin. He has depth and there is still much we have to uncover from him. He appears to be a flamboyant and filthy rich business man who doesn’t care an ounce about moral or ethics. But under all that, he’s a very complex man with a past that we still need to discover. One of my most favourite scene in Gem so far is his chat with Sunny (Kenny Wong) in the noodle shop. Calvin is not a total jerk. He became relentless because of the dog-eat-dog society out there.

Episode 10.
Sunny: Fish and meat are not suitable for me.
Calvin: What do you mean not suitable for you? Doesn’t everyone want meat and fish for dinner every day? Eating this simple is good for you, is it?
Sunny: I thought you were full from the last meal.
Calvin: I never allow myself to eat too much (that’s funny because I see him eating something in every scene :P)

Sunny: I’m not talking about your business, I mean your meal.
Calvin: What’s the difference? Everyone is like this. When you have no money and you’re starving, you steal from others. I constantly tell myself not to eat too much. I have to steal others’ dishes. For this reason, I’m on top and you’re at the bottom.
Sunny: During the two years when we were chefs, you used to always come over to my place for dinner.
Calvin: Who are you kidding? I never ate at your place!
Sunny: During those two years when we worked together, you had no place to go to during the holidays. We used to take turns inviting you over for dinner. I’m bringing this up not because I want something from you. I just wanted you to know, from the start, no one put emphasis on who’s on top of the world or who’s at the bottom. The only person, who puts great emphasis on this, is you.
Calvin: Have I ever told you why I never went home for the holidays?
Sunny: I asked but you wouldn’t answer.
Calvin: If your mom was working as a prostitute to make money to keep the food on the table, would you tell anyone? I don’t want to care about status but truth is, there’s always someone on the top and there are those who are at the bottom. Once you had a taste of being poor, you will do anything to make money. Once you earn the money, you’ll use your wit to earn even more. This is how I am, why would I not care?
Sunny: With no past, there is not future. Do you remember your birthday?
Calvin: I don’t remember.
Sunny: But I do. It was yesterday. I remember you were over at my house once and you told my mother that it was your birthday. She cooked up a feast for you. If I remember correctly, you told me you were full and very happy that day.
Calvin: Why do you remember these things? I don’t even remember myself! Why do you have to bring it up?
Sunny: I remember everything that my friends tells me.

TVB 2009 Presentation and Upcoming Dramas

2008-12-07T00:06:00.003-06:00

English Title: Rouge Merchant
Producer: Lee Tim Shing (The Conqueror’s Story, Safe Guards)
Cast: Wayne Lai, Sheren Tang, Ron Ng, Kiki Sheung, Elliot Yue, Nancy Wu, Suki Tsui

Everything about Rouge looks fantastic. I like Wayne and Sheren. Wayne has a meaty character to play with. His character will go through a lot of turbulences. To watch his character grow through phases of good and bad will indeed be interesting! I love Lee Tim Shing who produced the upcoming Salt Traders (Steven Ma, Tavia Yeung etc.) I anticipate Rouge Merchant and Salt Traders greatly. Since he is a pure genius at producing ancient classics, I hope he can deliver another one for us.

English Title: Palace Scheme
Producer: Miu Siu Ching
Cast: Moses Chan, Charmaine Sheh, Kevin Cheng, Susanna Kwan, Michelle Yim, Tavia Yeung, Selena Li, Raymond Wong

It’s been way to long since I've seen Moses in an ancient series, mind you, as an emperor! Palace is dubbed the Hong Kong’s version of Jewel in the Palace. Naturally, the females will dominate the screen and Moses will have little to do. I don’t mind because I find that Moses looks dashing as an emperor so I would like to see him in emperor attire. Tavia looks like she will have a breakthrough role as a villainous. Her popularity has soared since Moonlight Resonance. If TVB doesn’t cut her screen time as they usually do, she might just strike gold with this drama. The cast looks great, the costumes looks glamorous, and the script seems compelling – I look forward to it.

English Title: D.I.E. II
Producer: Kwan Wing Chung (War of In Laws, When a Dog Loves a Cat, To Grow With Love)
Cast: Roger Kwok, Sonija Kwok, Derek Kwok, Nancy Wu, Macy Chan, Rain Lau, Mimi Lo, Stephen Huynh, Kwok Fung, Suet Nay, Edwin Siu

I was devastated when I found out this project was given to Producer Kwan. He is awful. D.I.E. was a cute and charming series. I enjoyed it a lot. I’m still going to watch this sequel for the cast. Just look at the list! It’s fantastic! I’m a bit disappointed that Margie Tsang’s character will be written off. But I love how Edwin Siu is added to the sequel. I love him in When Easterly Flowers Shine on the Sunny West. He is adorable and cute. I think I'm almost a fan. I will definitely be keeping tabs on his upcoming series. He has loads of charisma and potential. I’m digressing... I like the concept of Roger’s baby having a connection with him. Sonija and Roger = chemistry. Even though the possibility of this sequel turning out to be rubbish is likely, I will watch for the cast.

English Title: The Grand Entrepreneurs
Producer: Chong Wai Kin & Tommy Leung Ka Shu (Golden Faith)
Cast: Gallen Lo, Ray Lui, Kenix Kwok, Anita Yeun, Krystal Tin, Jamie Chik, Joe Ma, Kenneth Ma, Nancy Sit, Toby Leung, Benz Hui

I was wrong when I said Gallen will probably not return to TVB after When A Dog Loves a Cat. :P Entrepreneurs boasts fine actors from TVB’s powerhouse with the two male leaves as Ray Lui and Gallen Lo. The cast seem to be getting along very well. Chemistry and love are already radiating through the photos! I’m pleased with the pairings. I think Gallen will have wonderful chemistry with Anita! Gallen had it easy with his first series since his return to TVB, now he has a more challenging (or not so challenging, since he already proved that he can be a very good villain :P ) role to test his abilities. Ray Lui is very charismatic and be assured that he will deliver a delicious performance! I hope Producer Leung can deliver another classic drama.

English Title: Superwoman
Producer: Chik Kei Yei (Secret of the Heart, At the Threshold of an Era, War and Beauty, Dance of Passion, Gem of Life)
Cast: Ada Choi, Moses Chan, Raymond Cho, Kenny Wong

Chik Kei Yei is known for his dramatic series. I am surprised that he’s filming a comedy this time. It looks too silly for me. Finally Moses and Ada are collaborating directly together. I almost chocked on my drink when I saw Moses with white hair and Ada in a geeky business suit and a huge bum. I’m going to give this series the benefit of the doubt. I prefer Ada in dramatic roles but comedy seems to gain her more success. I have this feeling that this series will be popular (in Hong Kong at least) and will be beneficial for her (career-wise).

English Title: The Ultimate Test of Conscience
Producer: Chik Kei Yi
Cast: Nick Cheung, Bowie Lam, Moses Chan, Charmaine Sheh, Sheren Tang, Louise Lee, Maggie Siu, Kate Tsui

Talk about a stellar cast! TVB are wise with their decisions lately. Another Chik Kei Yi production. Nick Cheung inspired my Strike Gold Performance after I read about his comeback. Like I’ve said, Nick is charismatic and he has a likeable vibe that surrounds him. Because of his likeable aura, I always finish his series and movies even when his characters don't challenge him or his series have no substance. Bowie made it to my good list since his wonderful performance in Gem of Life. Moses looks so cool. The female cast look great as well. The concept of the story is interesting and new - I'm intrigued.

English Title: Burning Flame III
Producer: Amy Wong Sum Wai (Burning Flame I, II, Hard Fate, Yummy Yummy, Under the Canopy of Love)
Cast: Wong Hei, Kevin Cheng, Myolie Wu, Bosco Wong, Stephen Wong, Matthew Ko, Aimee Chan, Elaine Yiu

If you recall, I had high hopes for Burning Flame III. Words can’t describe how disappointed I became afterwards. This third instalment is a continuation of Wong Hei’s story and more suffering he will encounter. Wong Hei hasn’t been given any good roles since his comeback. His characters have been either forgettable or downright annoying. I want him to be given a role to showcase his acting and I feel Burning Flame will do that for him since Burning Flame is his most well known role. But I hate the cast. I’ve stated before that I will stay as far as can from Myolie’s upcoming dramas. Looks like I will have to reconsider this series. It’s not just Myolie, I’m not fond of Mathew, Amie or Elaine. I hate the idea of Myolie having a love triangle with Wong Hei and Kevin. I’m neutral about Kevin and Bosco but even they are not all that great despite the fact that I find them likeable. So far the script looks like a snoozer. The attraction of this series doesn't seem to be the chemistry among the cast, a touching storyline or characterizations (that the first installment had.) But it looks more like typical love triangles and predictable subplots, disputes at the workforce and cases firefighters have to encounter. I think I will watch the first few episodes and go on from there.

Strike Gold Peformance: Nick Cheung

2008-11-22T22:23:00.006-06:00

Nick Cheung’s performance as Kevin in Secret of the Heart launched him to fame in 1998. His controversial character and outstanding performance earned him high praises from viewers. He remains one of the most handsome and charismatic villains in history. He charmed the audience at the beginning when Kevin was polite, clever, and an all round kind gentleman. He was on top of the world. His career was sky rocketing, his family loved him, he found his true love, Diana (Ada Choi) and life couldn’t have been any better. However, a terrible secret was discovered which tore apart his happiness and crushed his positive outlook on life. Life treated him unfair and he did not deserve the predicament he was in. As a result, Kevin’s perspective in live changed and he shifted his direction in life to a darker road of no return. His pursuit for money and revenge drove his friends and his true love away. Viewers hated Kevin for his continuous pursuit of evilness. To this day, people still remember Ka Hung’s (Sunny Chan) reaction when he walked into Kevin’s apartment where every wall was splattered with Diana’s blood. Her body was never found. He ended Secret with a haunting line, “Diana is safe with me for eternity.”

Kevin was a despicable and evil character but Nick’s fantastic performance could not be denied. An actor who can make the viewers hate their character yet able to sympathize with them is a fine actor. Nick is a charming person and he has a likeable vibe about him which translates on screen. I sympathized for Kevin because he truly was a victim of another person's mistake. I hated him as well for inflicating so much pain and suffering on others. But I found Nick to be so handsome and charming which made it difficult to hate Kevin. He was fantastic in the way he delivered his lines, the way he walked, how he looked so cold after murdering.. Nick acted for over a decade and finally proved his credibility as an actor with this fine performance in Secret which won him the Most Improved Actor in 1998. Nick Cheung delivered a classic performance that now stands along other famous villains such as Ding Hai (Adam Cheng, Greed of Man) and Tsui Ka Lup (Gallen Lo, Cold Blood Warm Heart).

Plug-Ins

TVB Awards 2008

2008-11-17T19:37:00.010-06:00

Results:
Most Stylish Actor/Actress:
Myolie Wu
Most improved Actor:
Wong Cho Lam
Most improved acress:
Nancy Wu
Most popular TVB Blog:
Raymond Lam
Most Favourite Female Character:
Lee Sze Kei
Most Favourite Male Character:
Raymond Lam
Best Supporting Actress:
Tavia Yeung
Best Supporting Actor:
Wayne lai
Most Favourite TVB series:
Moonlight Resonance
Best Actress:
Michelle Yim
Best Actor:
Ha Yu

I am just going to summarize my thoughts on the winners and the show below

* Tavia looked the most elegant and best dressed of the night. I also love Fala's dress!

* Most fashionable award was a joke. But I guess this award is condolence award for Myolie. I don’t like Myolie’s sense of style but she is one of the few bold dressers out there so I’m okay with her winning this award.

* I was surprised to see Francis Ng, Athena Chu and Dicky Cheung present. I wonder how TVB invited them, especially Francis!

* Nancy Wu winning most improved! I would’ve preferred Selena Li to win this award but I’m fine with Nancy winning. She looked so surprised and happy. I hope she continues to improve.

* Kudos to Tavia for acknowledging Lee Heung Kam. This acknowledgement has never ever happened. Even years before, winners who were clearly undeserving of their award who shouldn’t have won have never acknowledged the artist who should’ve won (i.e. Year 2004). But Tavia has worked so hard and she deserves this award, and it’s still very awesome of her to give a shout to Lee Heung Kam.

* Wayne Lai winning Best Supporting Actor has to be the best moment of the entire show. Notice how he had so many cheers and shouts when the nominees were announced. After his name was said, artists stood up and cheered and he was stopped to be hugged and congratulated. (I love how he reached so far to shake Paul Chun's hand!) The love he received shows how well liked he is and how well he works with his colleagues. Congratulations!

* I thought there were more deserving winners for My Favourite Male/Female Character.

* TVB needs to revise their Best Actor/Actress and Best Supporting Actor/Actress nominees. I feel the actors nominated for Best Actor should’ve been under the Best Supporting category instead.

* Derek Kwok and Johnson Lee nominated under Most Improved category is an insult.

* Lee Sei Kei should never be allowed to present an award ever again. Not only was favouritsim shown, she was extremely rude for not giving the award to Ha Yu and not stepping aside (she shouldn't have been standing side by side with him as it's his moment of glory not hers) and interrupting his speech.

* I thought Roger Kwok deserved Best Actor this year for his splendid performance in D.I.E. and Last One Standing. But again, Best Actor for TVB is based on popularity not solely the performance alone.

* Last one Standing or even D.I.E. should’ve won Best Series.

* I kind of miss the catfights and scandals :P

* I love how Michael Miu looked so chill and relaxed

* I am happy that Paul Chun reassured more years of acting from him. I miss him!

* Where was Gallen Lo, Ada Choi, Jessica Hsuan, Dayo Wong, Damien Lau, Bowie Lam, Maggie Shui, Bernice Liu, Yoyo Mung?

* I hope to never see another HOG or MR cast dominate again.

Congratulations Wayne!

2008-11-15T17:23:00.006-06:00

I’ve lost track of TVB that I’ve forgotten the anniversary awards were held last night. The awards were fairly distributed according to popular votes. Nothing controversial or scandalous happened. I am particularly happy with the winner of Best Supporting Actor.

Wayne Lai began his acting career way back in the 1980s. Wayne Lai defined his name as an actor with his portrayal as the Pig in Journey to the West in 1996. He has the talent but loses out to his looks, height and youth. But this did not prevent him from doing what he loves to do which is acting. He isn’t successful in terms of popularity, promotions, income and fan base. But in terms of ethics, self-improvement - he is very successful. In the past, he was unhappy and bitter with his career but his experiences have taught him to appreciate the journey and the most important matter is to be happy.

Over the past 5 years, Wayne has become more recognizable and he is well liked among the TVB community. TVB has given him many great characters and opportunities to prove and challenge his acting abilities. He would find himself stopped on the streets where people would compliment his performance in a recent drama that was just aired. These small gestures would make him feel content and happy – and to him, this is "true success" and the “reward” of hard work.

Wayne Lai is an outstanding actor who we can expect to always deliver tasteful and memorable performances. He often overshadows the main actors in every drama he appears in. He is constantly seeking ways to polish and improve. Wayne takes the time to analyze his character to define his gestures, expressions and walking to convincingly portray the character he is playing at hand.

Wayne was cheated from this award year after year. His name should’ve been engraved on the trophy 4 years ago with his phenomenal performance in The Conqueror’s Story. He was robbed again from this award in 2006 for his performance in Safe Guards. But that’s fine because his patience, persistence and positive attitude has contributed to his success today.

Congratulations Wayne Lai! There is absolutely no limit to this man’s abilities!

Update..

2008-11-15T00:03:00.000-06:00

Over the past years, I have been on and off, here and there and often disappearing without a warning. I've been reckless and irresponsible and what not. I am very sorry for my careless behaviour. My disappointment in TVB has caused me to be unmotivated to write anything. I’ve decided to return because “something” was missing in my life. I truly miss blogging. Lately, I’ve had a lot on my mind and I need a space to track these thoughts down. And where is the best place to do so? At my very own blog which was always here.

Blogging had disappeared from my life. Over the time periods of my disappearance, I’ve grown less dependent on the internet, TVB world and the online community. I can now say I am able to live without my laptop, without my internet, and without msn. Something I couldn’t have said a few years before. I became detached to the TVB world, forums, and news blogs. I have been watching TVB dramas occasionally from a neutral point of view. The enjoyment and the at “ease” feeling I used to have when I watched TVB dramas has returned. I find myself less biased and more open minded to a lot of new things.

With that being said, I’ve decided to only blog when I want to write my thoughts down. I don’t want to offer downloads, screen captures or anything else of that sort. This blog will now be solely my thoughts and feelings on TVB (and others). Blogging about my thoughts is primarily what I like to do best. I have no guarantee on how regularly I’ll blog. This would all depend on how busy my life is.
Love,
Sere.

Overview: Catch Me Now

2008-07-01T12:06:00.007-06:00

English Title: Catch Me Now
Producer: Chong Wai Kin [A Step Into the Past, Twin of Brothers]
No. Episodes – 20
Cast
Damien Lau
Joe Ma
Johnson Lee
Koni Lui
Eric Li
Al Wai
Sharon Chan
Evergreen Mak
Fala Chen
Idy Chan
Aimee Chan
June Chan
Lee Ka Sing

“Robs the rich and gives the poor
He’s more than just a thief
Fights against injustice and crime
He’s more than just a cop”

The Thieves

The chemistry among the thieves was evident throughout Catch Me Now. The characters all came from different places with different backgrounds but they all share the same beliefs. Their love and care for each other was shown (not told). I love all their goofing around, jokes and serious moments. They are more than just a team, they are a family.

Damien Lau as Jack Ko, “Master Mind”
After witnessing the killers of his parents living freely in this unjust world, Jack Ko firmly believes that law cannot punish (all) the bad in this world. Jack believes that there are other extraordinary methods to punish those who have breach the law and morality. Therefore Jack recruits a group of young and talented people and uses their unique skill to rob from the (evil) rich and donating their dirty money to the poor. Jack has the mind of both a cop and a thief and therefore is the one who plans, directs and leads his team.

Damien Lau gives Jack so much spunk, and so much personality. On the surface, Jack looks like an ordinary man who owns Pirates of the Caribbean Restaurant, but it is obvious that he is intelligent. Yet when we look at Jack we know that he has been through a lot, you know that he has a background. When an actor is able to let the audience know that he has a complicated background (without telling use but showcasing it), you know that he is an excellent actor. Jack is a very multi layered character. He has been through so much in his life in both family background and his love life. Damien showcased this flawlessly. His facial expressions were right on the money. He was dead serious when it came to business but hilarious and funny during his comedic scenes. I adore you, Damien Lau.

Johnson Lee as Tam Ban (BT)
A highly skilled computer technician who ranks in the top 50 in the world. He is hilarious (without meaning to be). He brings comic relief to the story. BT was so likeable. I loved everything about him. From his random English words to his Michael Jackson style wardrobe.

This is my favourite performance from Johnson Lee. His gestures, the way he walks, the way he moves his hand when he talks, the way he pauses before he answers just plainly suited BT. I love it.

Koni Lui as Wang Ming Cheug (Long Leg Crab)
Wang Ming Cheung is an actress who hopes to become big one day. Nicknamed Long Leg Crab, she is a sharp shooter. She is beautiful and uses this to her advantage.

This is Kong Lui’s debut and already I love her. Long Leg Crab was designed and meant for her. Long Leg Crab was cute, often corny and a very compassionate character. She was cool and rough when need be. It is always cool to watch a female sniper. That aside, I was very impressed with Koni. Her acting was cute, she was sexy. What is so impressive about her is that she has a natural talent for acting. Her crying scenes were incredibly touching and it felt very real. I am very curious to see how Koni would flare if she is given a different type of character.

Eric Li as Che Hai Sin “Hao Lo”
Eric Li is usually typecast in perverted, bad boy roles. TVB finally gives him a good character to play. Although Hao Lo had minimal screen time compared to the other thieves, he did good with what he needed to do.

Al Wai – Kwan Yan “Keyman”
Keyman is the oldest from all the thieves (besides Jack) and therefore we often see him and Jack exchanging conversations at a higher scale of understanding. Al Wai always does well with any given role as expected from this fantastic veteran.

The Cops

The cops are not as likeable as the thieves. Aside from Gong, they lack intelligence and seemed to have little to do with little input in planning. The characters were undeveloped and lack chemistry. Therefore they were boring to watch.

Joe Ma Tak Jung – Gong Yeung
Gong Yeung is a righteous cop and strongly believes in black and white. He accidentally befriends Jack and forms at mutual friendship with him. He learns of Jack’s true identity and vows to do anything to throw Jack in jail. He misunderstands Jack and believes Jack is the one who killed his mentor 5 years ago. However the truth unfolds and the misunderstandings slowly unwind. Gong finally realizes that there are shades of grey between good and evil.

I have said before that I do not expect to see the same lustrous performance that he gave in The Conquest again. I was not let down because we see another typical Joe Ma in Catch Me Now. He delivered nothing special and nothing truly bad.

Aimee Chan as Nana
Nana was annoying with her slowness, enthusiasm and stupidity. I wonder if TVB tried to make Nana a cute character as this is Aimee Chans's debut. I found Nana annoying and she was more of a hinder than a help to her team. Aimee did well but Nana was such an annoyance that her acting could have been overlooked.

Yau Dai Hoi as Lee Ka Sing
I like Yau Dai Hoi’s character, Lee Ka Sing. He used to be an undercover for 10 years. I loved the conversations he had with Gong Yeung about the differences between right and wrong. (This threw Gong Yeung even in more confusion). But they were deep words which left you thinking.

Others
Fala Chen Faat Lai – Hong Mei Lai “Minnie”
I like Fala Chen and I believe she has everything required to become a fine star and actress. However, I think she needs change. Maybe a new hairstyle? Because it feels like I have been seeing the same Fala in every series. Minnie is a good character. I do not think she is naïve. I think she responded to everything in a logical and understandable manner considering her perspective and what she knows and sees. Gong pressured her to avoid Kwan Ho because he is bad. Her response is, “You tell me his is a bad person. Where’s the evidence? If he is a bad person put him in jail! In the meantime if you don’t have evidence to prove that he is bad, you don’t have a legit reason to tell me not to befriend him.” Not her exact words but you get the point.

Idy Chan as Bao Yung Yung
Bao Yung Yung is naïve and often trusts others too quickly or too much. She is caring and hardworking. Hence, she is a good friend to have.

I love Idy Chan in Return of the Condor Heroes. She was so beautiful and her acting was on the top. This is Idy’s first comeback since her retirement from the showbiz. As expected, her acting was raw and her facial expressions were stiff and at times, unsuitable. There were times when she was smiling when she should have not been. Her facial expressions just did not feel right at the moment and it came off as awkward. As the series progressed, her acting became a lot better and more natural.

Final Comments

Catch Me Now had its moments; action, laughter and tears. The robbing scenes were riveting and kept me at the edge of my seat. The schemes, the planning were so clever and exciting. I adore the characterizations and rapport, particularly with the thieves. They were fun to watch as each character was different and unique in their own way. I love the bickering between BT and Long Leg Crab. I was hoping that BT would eventually love her but his heart was already with someone else. The chemistry was present between Koni and Johnson. And I did cry when BT died. His death in the car and the hospital scene that followed touched me and I’m sure everyone. The acting and tears from Damien and Koni were realistic. They were lost and distressed. It is completely understandable that none could continue living if they did not avenge for BT.

Complaints
While Catch Me Now is a clever series, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes whenever Gong (Joe Ma) and Minni (Fala Chen) argued. Their misunderstandings just became ridiculous and irritating as both refused to sit down and talk it through.

Yung Yung’s (Idy Chan) back story pulled down the quality of Catch Me Now. Her story and her problems were anything but interesting. I was irritated and could careless about the fate of her character and her son.

Nevertheless despite these subplots where I could careless, there is no denying that they it was necessary but I couldn’t help but groan at these particular scenes.

Verdict
Catch Me Now held its purpose from beginning to end. It did not lose its merit and direction. I loved it from the go to the finish. It kept my hooked and entertained. I fell in love with the characters because of their wonderful portrayal and characterizations. Every character tied into the story, winding in the schemes and plans to produce an outstanding classic.

Theme Video

What I'm Doing

2008-06-06T22:39:00.003-06:00

It's been 4 months since I last blogged! I'm sorry for disappearing. For me there is no passion and thrill that I used to get when I watch TVB series. I was let down one after another. Dramas that I looked forward to and had faith in, did not meet my expectations. I did not get around to finishing up Word Twisters or War of In Laws II. So what have I been doing? I was hooked onto the new American's Best Dance Crew by Randy Jackson. A show that had a lot of merit, talent and "heart." In which case, made me an avid fan of the Jabbawockeez . After the show ended, i turned to Tai Chi Master which was average. It is not a terrible drama, but it had so much potential to be a classic. (I will dwell on that later). Right when I lost all hope in TVB, D.I.E. and Catch Me Now was released. Let me tell you, I have never enjoyed two comedies that are so wonderful and such a spoonful. There are so many laugh out loud jokes in D.I.E.! With Catch, it is intense, it is funny, it is interesting (espeically the characters who have so much personality and spunk)!. I hope to blog again...very soon.

Edison Chen Sex Scandal

2008-02-13T00:24:00.002-06:00

I put off commenting on Edison Chen’s sex scandal for a few weeks now. Partly because I did not care at first. I am usually uninterested in the (Hong Kong) music industry so I didn’t bother to read any of the news when I came across the headlines. It wasn’t until 100s of photos were released, that I cared.

Artists are pets and products. There are merely designed and packaged for us to idolize. At the end of the day, we don’t’ know these entertainers. We don’t know who they are and what they do in the privacy of their own space. It’s none of our business. To have their private lives exposed and hounded like this is quite sad.

I don’t consider the women and the man in the photos as victims. They knew what was coming when they took the photos. It was their decision and it was also them who consented to it out of freewill. Therefore it is not fair for us to put all the blame on Edison Chan (his little buddy was exposed too) because he did not force these women to pose and smile for these photos. If he enjoys viewing these photos in his leisure time, so be it. It was a foolish for the woman to do so. However, I am in no place to criticize their decision and condemn them as wrong.

People have sex. That is no secret. Did we really expect these 26 year olds to be virgins? There is nothing wrong with having sex. What really annoys me is the hypocrisy exposed and created by this whole scandal. Especially Gillian Chung who announced that she is against pre-martial sex just a year ago, saying she was disgusted with Nicholas Tse and Cecilla Cheung kissing in public. I understand that she has to maintain her “good girl, pure and innocent” image. However, I am sure EEG will not punish Gillian if she had not made those ridiculous remarks. Gillian should’ve known the first day when these photos were released that there were more that has yet to be exposed. To deny it and to claim that these photos have been manipulated is stupid and such a far fetched lie. Then there were the police who acted like maniacs by arresting anyone on the streets just to look like they were/are doing something.

I have always loved Nicholas Tse. I love his music and I find him charismatic and a really fine man (inside and out). I do hope that Nicholas and Cecilla Cheung will pull through this ordeal. They have been through so much and they seem to genuinely love each other. If Nicholas does decide to file a divorce with Cecilla, I will not think any lower of him. Were the photos taken during the time he and Cecilla were dating? If not, is Nicholas able to drop his ego and not care about the sniggers and smug looks if he continues to be with Cecilla? This is a real challenge of trust on Nicholas. However if he does choose to be with Cecilla, I will think even higher of him. He would show that he loves her more than his ego and face like a real man and husband should.

I truly feel bad for Bobo Chan. She was merely a filler in this whole scandal. Her marriage is postponed and apparently her (ex) mother-in-law is furious and is now against the marriage. This is a good thing in a way because it is a real testimony to test Mr. Gam’s love for her. If he is not able to handle the pressure, his mother’s wrath and cares too much for his face, she will do better without him.

This scandal is definitely a lot more complicated and shadier than it looks:
Edison Scandal - Conspiracy Theory EEG VS. China Star

I would've liked to comment more but I'm rather busy right now. All best of luck to Nicholas&Cecilla, Bobo and Edison.

Current Watch List

2008-02-05T20:27:00.000-06:00

My current watch list...

The Greed of Man

I've heard many wonderful comments about Greed of Man. I have always been curious to know how it is but I never bothered to watch it because I'm not too fond of Adam Cheng and it is a pretty old drama (1993). Since I had a week off school after exams and plus snow days, I was stuck at home and I decided to give it a shot.

About

Fong Jun Sang (Damien Lau) is a righteous man who hates corruption. Sang is friends with the hot headed and violent Ding Hai (Adam Cheng). They both have four children. Hai is a controlling man who adopts Ah Ling (Yammie Lam) as his girlfriend without her consent or knowledge. Ah Ling is terrified of Hai and has every right to be because Hai’s tempers are extremely frightening. Sang rescues her from her miserable deadlock and thus ignites misunderstandings and problems between him and Hai. Hai concludes that Sang has stolen his “wife to be” and Hai angrily beats up Sang. Due to heavy blows and beatings, Sang falls into a coma for a year. The Fongs are forced to move from a mansion to a one bedroom apartment. Ah Ling who has grown to love Sang takes charge of the torn apart family. She is forced to drop out of school and to work two jobs while taking care of Sang and his four children. Sang finally wakes up from his coma. Tragedy befalls the Fongs again when Sang is unable to regain his memories, how to eat, how to speak etc. Sang has to slowly learn how to eat, how to tie his shoelaces, how to use chopsticks. It takes Sang a long time just to do simple motions. After months and months, Sang finally makes small yet big accomplishments. Sang is able to learn how to use money and he is able to go home without being lost. However, Hai shows up on his threshold. Sang ruthlessly hits him and Hai takes his blows as “trying to murder him”. Not knowing his fatal and deadly strength, Hai unknowingly beats Sang once again – this time to death. Sang’s death was witnessed by his 12 (?) year old son, Bok. Hai then flees to Taiwan and is later imprisoned after beating up a man to paralysis. Years later, their children grow up yet the hatred and rivalry between the Fongs and Dings still exists.

My comments:
And thus, the actions begins with Bok (Sean Lau) avenging the Dings for the death of his father. Hai’s sons grow up to be just as how he is - violent. Damien’s performance is very moving. It is not the first time Damien has played a righteous man with full of justice. However after he had woken from his coma and had to start all over again, he was so wonderful. His dumb-founded expressions and his crying were so damn touching and made me pity his Sang so much. It reminds me of The Awakening Story when Liza Wang has to find her stand in society after waking up from her coma. However, Greed takes a more depressive and realistic take on it. It took Sang forever to simply learn how to tie his shoe laces and just simply uttering one sentence. I can totally understand Bok’s hatred.

Adam brings so much fright to the screen when Hai appears. Hai is a passionate lover. He loves Sang, his kids and Ah Ling. However, because Sang has different values and priorities than Hai, it causes Hai to misunderstand and misinterpret Sang multiple times. He also loves his kids but the beliefs he bestows on his children are sometimes morally wrong. Therefore, his children grows up to be just as how he is. He loves Ah Ling and claims her as his own. He believes that the people whom he loves must also love him back. Hai is one of the most complex characters that I had the fortune to watch. I look forward to seeing him return after he is released from prison. The opening scene with him tossing his sons off the balcony was disturbing and creepy.

It is wonderful to see old faces such as the very cute Leila tong, Michael Tao, Derek Kwok (who has been acting for decades!), the every beautiful Yammie Lam and the super talented Sean Lau.

Greed of Man so far has been daring and I praise the scriptwriters and producers for giving us realistic and violent scenes that clearly depicts how it really is. I can’t wait to watch more and to see how Bok defeats the Dings(at a high cost too).

Drama Overview: Men Don't Cry

2008-01-28T01:08:00.000-06:00

Year Released: 2007
No. Episodes: 21 Episodes
Cast:
Dayo Wong
Cecilla Yip
Vivien Yeo
Benz Hiu

My initial impression of Men Don’t Cry was not good. I do not like the period it is set in. The cast did not attract me. I don’t like Dayo Wong and I don’t dislike him either. I only recall watching War of Genders and To Catch the Uncatchable. Dayo is known for his comedy skills and his dramas usually always sky rocked with ratings. War of Gender is the number one highest rated TVB drama. Men Don't Cry didn't fare well in ratings but I decided to give it a chance after reading such positive feedback from KTVB. Men Don’t Cry turned out to be a nice and enjoyable comedy.

Dayo Wong is hilarious and he too seemed to enjoy acting his “Evil Kin”. I love Ho Kei-Kin. Kin’s ideas and methods are bad but Kin is not so bad as to seriously kill someone. His character was never truly evil. His transition from “evil” to becoming a “nice” person was smoothly demonstrated. I chuckled when he helped Vivien recover from her mental block and regretfully told her, “I shouldn’t have helped you! I don’t even know why I even helped you. Erase what I’ve done. I don’t do nice things for people.” His chemistry with Vivien was very cute. I prefer him with Vivien Yeo rather than Tsui (Cecilla Yip) because their relationship felt more genuine. He was never nasty to her and was always kind to her even before his big change. She brought out the good in him. It took Kin a long time and many difficulties before he redeemed himself. Kin was and is not a bad person but due to the way he was raised, he learned and saw everything in a different perspective (from the norm). He slowly realized (thanks to Wong Fei Hong) that his beliefs were all wrong.

Dayo Wong and Benz Hiu created so much laughter from the jail scenes (still can’t get over the “gay” part) to searching for the treasure (Kin: Why is the treasure so small? Benz: “The eunuch’s treasure is really THAT small) to Benz pleading Dayo to return to the good side. Although Benz lied about being his father, they still treated each other like how a son will treat his father.

I’ve never understood when or how Kin fell in love with Tsui. He was always grossed out by her teeth. Even if he may have some feelings of some sort towards her, it would have all dropped the moment he held a gun to her head. There was not a scene to indicate feelings on his part. It felt like he pitied her more than liking her personality and thus, helped her recover her teeth and such. They had little chemistry. However, the courtship was hilarious. His strategies to make her fall for him was cliché that it is funny.

Cecilla Yip looked too old for her part. Her face looks strangely plastic. Her performance was not impressive but she delivered one particular scene that impressed me. It was when Tsui sold herself hoping that Kin will pay off his debt but he (purposely) lost all the money at the casino. Her family supported her by selling all their valuables. She was so touched, she cried. Her tears came beautifully. Still, I think a younger looking actress would have done this character justice.

The last few episodes are excellent minus the beauty pageant scene at the end. The ending was an “open” ending with many possibilities left for the audience to decide on what happened. But, it was not dumb like Square Pegs. The ending would have been perfect if it ended at the beach scene when Tsui is contemplating on what happened to Kin. The beauty pageant scene was nonsense and unnecessary. However it is a nice ending for a comedy.

Men Don’t Cry is an enjoyable comedy. It created so much laughter for me. The idea of an antagonist being the main character is very refreshing. Men Don’t Cry is a comedy and remained a comedy till the end. Usually comedies produced by TVB become serious and is no longer funny towards the end. Men Don’t Cry is not one of those, the plot became more serious but it still maintains its comedy. It is a well balanced drama. I do recommend Men Don’t Cry if you’re looking for a light and fun drama to watch.

Notices

2008-01-12T01:29:00.001-06:00

It's the time of year again. Exams are quickly approaching. Which means, study, study, study. Until then guys!

First Impressions: World Twisters' Adventures

2008-01-06T23:30:00.000-06:00

I planned to skip World Twisters' Adventures. I watched the first few episodes because well…it was a Sunday morning and I had nothing to do for a few hours before I head to work. So I decided to give it a go. It is okay as I am not interested in law. I realize that I tend to only like Charmaine Sheh when she is in ancient dramas. She looks younger, prettier and her acting is better. Lap Lan Qing Qing (Charmaine She) is very cute and clever. Michael Tse looks like a pervert. That aside, I am enjoying his performance. He always delivers fruitful performances and I really like him. I like his Fong Tong Geng. He has so much attitude, he is cocky but he is also talented. Tong Geng seems to have a tragic life and I am going to be sad as he is let down multiple times in Twisters. Michael and Charmaine have a lot of chemistry! There is this electric spark whenever he looks at her. It was hilarious when he said “First you run around town flaunting your undergarments, then you bathe in public and now you’re on my bed inside a brothel.” They are ubberly cute. Tong Gen really likes Qing Qing. She challenges him and that is what attracts her to him. I will be sad when Qing Qing marries Mong Kat (Jordan Chan). They are the reason that kept me watching the first few episodes. I don’t want Qing Qing to marry Mong Kat (I never liked bickering couples). I dread, I absolutely dread the appearance of Suki Chan and I will hate to see her and Michael be together. Sharon Chan looks stunning. Her performance is quite good. Jordan Chan is much too old for this role. I find Chan Mong Kat annoying because he is so spoiled. He opens his mouth without thinking and he always lands himself in court. Hopefully he will mature soon. I hope Twisters turns out to be a good drama.

Memoirs of Gallen & Jessica - Episode 18

2008-01-05T23:24:00.001-06:00

Watch Chinese Vietnamese
Hung Pak Tou (Shek Sau) steals the tiara from Ivan. Ivan is stressed because the tiara is extremely expensive and valuable made for the newly crowned princess. Sabrina wants to help Ivan but doesn’t know how. Hung Pak Tou’s wife anonymously sends her an email revealing the whereabouts of the tiara which is at Hung Pak Tou’s condo. Sabrina pretends to be drunk and runs into Hung Pak Tou who brings her to his condo. Meanwhile, Ivan comes to her office to apologize for shoving her aside and reads her email (she forgot to close it down). Hung Pak Tou takes advantage of that time to sleep with Sabrina. After much panic and search, Sabrina finds the tiara and quickly leaves while Hung Pak Tou is still deep asleep. Ivan arrives at his condo and at that moment, Sabrina is running out – dress torn, shoes unbuckled and both hands clutching the tiara. That was a devastating scene for Ivan who is furious enough to murder. Because of Sabrina’s continuous pleas, Ivan leaves to the conference instead of attacking Hong Pak Tou (he beats up Hung Pak Tou later on). I find this scene very touching. Sabrina is such a nice lady and she is willing to sacrifice so much for Ivan and she doesn’t ever ask for anything in return. She loves him unconditionally. Too bad Ivan doesn’t feel the same way for her.

Episode 18 Gallery

Moving Scene in Burning Flame #1

2008-01-01T16:01:00.003-06:00

Intro:

I love Burning Flame and I can safely say that it’s my all time favourite drama (hand in hand with Golden Faith and Journey to the West. I personally feel it is the best drama ever produced. I’m re-watching it and I’m on episode 34. I considered writing a review for it (I still may) but instead I decided to recap the many moving scenes in Burning Flame that touched our hearts. Let’s refresh your memories.

Episode 8

All the cadets resent their trainer (Danny Summer). Danny is strict and often punishes them for even the smallest mistakes. At this moment, they are in a building to examine the unsafe environment and to write a report on the safety concerns and issues. However a fire erupts and they are trapped in a small room. Yau (Wong Hei) eagerly offers to go last and assist the others to the third floor. Danny orders Yau to go down first and open the door for the others.

Danny: “You go first, don’t worry, I’m here!”

Yau has a flashback of the scene when he was a little boy trapped inside a burning building. A firefighter approaches him and assures him, “Don’t worry, I’m here!” and rescues him from the blazing building. Yau is ecstatic that his “hero” who saved him when he was young is standing in front of him. Overjoyed, Yau agrees and is the first one to go down first.

One by one, each of the cadets were transferred to the next floor leaving Danny and Pak (Louis Koo) left. Meanwhile, the fire is spreading quickly and time is running out.

Pak: Go first sir!
Danny (tying the rope around Pat’s waist): You go now immediately! You’re my student; I have the responsibility of all of your safety.
Pak: Sir…
Danny is now pushing him out the window despite Pak’s pleas.

Danny is the last to go and climbs out the window. The fire bursts into the room and disconnects the rope. The cadets watched in horror he falls to the ground. He falls into a coma and is in the intensive care unit.

Pak sustained an injury but still leapt to Danny’s room. Yau, But (Joe Cheung) and Hing (Chin Kar Lok) joined.

Pak: I’m worried that he won’t wake.
Yau: He will, don’t worry.
Pak: I have one concern that I want to let him know.
Yau: He will hear you.
Hing: He’s so dumb. Putting his life at risk to save us rascals.
Pak: We misunderstood him. Yet he understands us. And cares and worries for us. He clearly knows our weaknesses and strengths.
Yau (turns around with his head down): He knew I’m rash so he let me go first. You’re calm so he let you go last.

Hing, But, Yau are outside the hospital. Hing asks But if he mailed the complaint letter (towards Danny) yet. But tells them he didn’t mail it yet. Hing is relief but is curious why he didn’t send the letter yet.

But begins to rock back in forth and is staring at his feet.

But: It was my fault. Danny was right. I pretended to be sick so I could go home.
Hing: You lied to me, you idiot! Because of you we all went into the burning room!
But: I know I lied. I’m garbage. Hit me all you want!

Hing angry leaps onto But and hit him ruthlessly. Yau angrily yells at Hing shouts that even if he killed But, Danny will still not wake. But asks, “What can we do then?”
...

Plug-Ins Vietnamese Dubbed

Comments:
I mentioned Danny Summer in my Limelight: Veterans post. I think he is a wonderful actor and it is a loss that he no longer acts. He always nails all his characters. He was wonderful in the scene where he rescued his cadets. His facial expressions when he pulled and pulled to lift up his students to safety and his heavy breathing (due to lack of fresh air) looked so real. I miss watching him on screen. I thought it is very thoughtful and touching what the students did in hope that he’ll wake. I rememberd this scene clearly when I watched it when I was a little girl. When Yau (Wong Hei) realizes that his hero was Danny, I squealed; it was so exciting. It was actually amusing watching these "rascals" in training. Watching them fooling around, suffering from their punishments and then talking behind Danny's back. They all have such different personalities and it is so interesting to watch how they respond to different situations and how they interact with one another.

Random Things.

2007-12-24T18:46:00.000-06:00

December is a busy month. I'm sure we're all busy preparing and fussing over Christmas and the New Year. I have nearly no time to update. Now that I've stepped back into the TVB world, I realized how much I've missed out. Ada Choi is getting married. Wow, she's done a good job keeping it on the down low. I am happy for Ada. Zhang Jin better treat her right or else.... (I'm sure he does since "happiness" is written all over Ada's face the past years). Congratulations to both of them, they have my blessings! I remember coming across a picture of Stephen and Mandy and I thought to myself, "They sure will make a cute couple." Voila, they are dating. I am happy for them as well.

I was browsing through youtube earlier today. I stumbled across some touching moments in Burning Flames. What's on my list to watch this holiday break? Yup, I'm watching Burning Flames again. Expect some updates from me...hopefully. :) I'm also watching Steps and The Ultimate Crime Fighter. So far, so good. Where the Legend Begins is next in line on my watch list. I haven't watched it since it was released. I miss those Steven and Ada days.

I would like to take the opportunity to wish you all a merry Christmas and a great new year! Stay safe!

TVB 2008 PRESENTATION & UPCOMING DRAMAS

2007-11-23T23:47:00.003-06:00

Burning Flames III
Cast: Wong Hei, Steven Ma, Bosco Wong, David Chiang, Sunny Chan, Astrid Chan, Anne Heung, Ng Wai Kwok, Eddie Kwan, Patrick Tang, Matthew Ko, Evergreen Mak, Timmy Hung, Charles Szeto, Lam King Kong, Rocky Cheng.

Burning Flame I remains one of my all time favourite drama. It is no question that the third sequel will not live up to the standards of the first. That doesn’t mean I won’t watch the third installment. I’m sure it will be a lot better than the second sequel because of the great additional casts! I hope TVB unites Astrid and Sunny! Bosco also is fit to play a firefighter and Steven Ma is just a bonus. Not to mention I love Patrick Tang! The second sequel was horrible. The only memorable note about it was the moving ending. It looks like Wong Hei doesn’t die. It is really meaningless then. I feel a sense of loss that Maggie Cheung isn’t in here. Burning Flame is Wong Hei’s most notable work to date. Without Wong Hei in Burning Flame, it is pointless. The reason Burning Flame was a hit is because of the wonderful and poignant characterizations and rapports. We laughed; we cried and with sympathize with the characters. That is what made Burning Flame so wonderful. It was watching these characters grow, watching them learn, make mistakes and then watching them get back on their feet. Some cases they turned better, other cases they turned worst. It was drama that hit your nerves and creates so many waves of emotions. If Burning Flame III is able to grasp that best quality of Burning Flame, there should be no problem for me. Obviously Burning Flame is a male dominant drama and will probably spend most of the drama revolving around the men and their friendship, not so much the love. Hence, the weak female cast. I don’t mind though.

Lee Hak Yung and the Thirteen Protectors
Cast: Ron Ng, Michael Tse, Ngok Wah, Savio Tsang, Joel Chan, Stephen Huynh.

The crops and special effects look ridiculous. I really can't stand dramas of this genre. It's too fake for my taste.

Shing Suet Yim Chong
Cast: Steven Ma, Tavia Yeung, Joey Leung, Raymond Wong, Joel Chan, Cheung Chi Kwong, Fiona Yuen, Kwok Fung, Felix Lok, Kara Hui, Lee Kok Lun.

I got so happy when I read the casts names which include Steven and Tavia. The couple is reunited once again in another tragic costume drama. Steven and Tavia look extremely compatible with each other. Tavia always looks stunning in ancient costumes and she is always impressive playing ancient figures. Same applies to Steven who is equally as capable. The producer is the same one who did Safe Guards and The Conqueror’s Story. They were both moving and excellent in characterizations and rapports. Never did the love stories overshadow the main plot. This is why I love this producer. I expect this drama to be of high standards.

Sweet Talk
Cast: Kate Tsui, Kenneth Ma, Anne Heung, Kingdom Yuen, Ben Wong, Lai Lok Yi, Elaine Yiu, Lau Dan, Yu Yeung, Lau Kong, Mimi Lo, Cheung Yik, Stephen Huynh.

I believe this is Kate’s first leading drama. The plot sounds okay. Kate plays a partially deaf character that relies on sign language to communicate. It takes an extremely skilled actor to be able to act a handicap role. Playing a deaf or partially deaf character requires expressive eyes since the audience relies on their expressions to interpret their feelings and thoughts. I do not think Kate is near that level yet. This drama is full with actors and actress whom I can’t tolerate.

Suspicious Love
Cast: Anita Yuen, Michael Miu, Christine Ng, Tracy Ip, Power Chan, Ellesmere Choi.

I don’t recall seeing any of Anita’s works. I do look forward to Anita, Michael and Christine who look wonderful for their age. I’m also so happy that Mandy Cho is filming again. Although her acting is bad to be frank, I like her a lot. That being said, this drama looks good. I like the plot. It is original and suspenseful. It has been a long time since TVB filmed a drama of this genre.

Hidden Master
Cast: Kenneth Ma, Kate Tsui, Leila Tong, Matthew Ko, Lee Kwok Lun, Ben Wong,
Gordon Liu, Wong Ching. Golden Destiny

It looks typical. I don’t like the cast (aside from Leila Tong) and Kenneth looks extra perverted.

The Gem of Life
Cast: Bowie Lam, Moses Chan, Ada Choi, Gigi Lai, Maggie Shiu, Bosco Wong, Linda Chung, Wong Hei, Eddie Kwan, Kenny Wong, David Chiang, Ngok Wah, Lee Si Kei, Lau Dan, Chan Hung Lit, Helen Ma, Rebecca Chan.

The Gem of Life is going to be very glamorous, grand and spectacular. The sceneries and props are breath taking, glam-ed up classy. I love it! Ever since I found out that Ada is going to marry Ngok Wah, I stopped following news on Gem. Which is a good thing in a way. The least that you know and expect, the more enjoyable the turnout. It is still a big turn off for me though. I love Ada and I will support her by watching 80 episodes of Gem. Moses and Gigi look so cute together. I love Gigi’s look in here. She looks so sweet and demure. I know many are sick of the same casting choice from Chik Kei Yi. True, they are always acting in the same series. However, they are good actors, and we can expect decent acting, if not, wonderful performances. I have a good feeling about this. Gem’s going to be a different and nice drama. I sense it will be a hit.

Heart of Greed II
Cast: Lee Si Kei, Suzanna Kwan, Michelle Yim, Ha Yu, Moses Chan, Raymond Lam, Bosco Wong, Linda Chung, Tavia Yeung, Lai Lok Yi, Fala Chan, Louis Yuen.

I hate Heart of Greed and therefore am not interested in the sequel at all.

When A Dog Loves a Cat
Cast: Gallen Lo, Myolie Wu, Lui Fong, Bernice Liu, Margie Tsang, Raymond Wong, Kwok Fung, Benz Hui, Mannor Chan, Au Wai.

It doesn’t matter how low my expectation for this drama is, I will watch it regardless to support my favourite actor, Gallen Lo. This marks Gallen’s return to TVB after four years. I know many of us are extremely disappointed that Gallen did not accept a longer, serious and more dramatic script. I, as a devoted fan have always wished for him to return with a bang. That won’t happen considering the plot of this drama. I truly believe the only reason why Gallen accepted this role is not because of the so called “good script.” I think it is because he wants to get the 10 episodes he owed to TVB over with. As sad as it makes me feel, I think it is true. I don’t expect to see any more of Gallen from TVB after this. Gallen and Myolie as a pairing make me feel uncomfortable after seeing their wonderful sister-brother bond in Golden Faith. This drama reminds me of Man's Best Friend starring TVB's golden couple, Louis Koo and Jessica Hsuan. It had talking dogs. It wasn't so bad. I hope When A Dogs Loves a Cat isn't too bad either...

Survivor's Law II
Cast: Kenneth Ma, Sammul Chan, Ella Koon, Selena Li, Waise Lee, Rebecca Chan, Power Chan.

I totally forgot how Survivor’s Law was. It’s not pleasing that TVB took Raymond out. I love Ella koon. She is hot and beautiful and her acting is pretty good. I can’t believe Waise Lee is in here! I don’t think we have seen him since Twin of Brothers! Nevertheless, welcome back!

Hu Xue Yan's Lady Chef
Cast: Bobby Au, Charmaine Sheh, Joyce Tang, Wayne Lai, Kwok Fung.

This drama looks like it will be very good or very bad. The cast is excellent. Bobby, Wayne and Joyce are an excellent ensemble. I don’t mind Charmaine. We’ll see if it turns out good.

Thieves Have Their Principles
Cast: Damien Lau, Idy Chan, Louisa So, Joe Ma, Fala Chan, Sharon Chan, Johnson Lee, Evergreen Mak, Sherming Yiu, Lee Kwok Lun, Law Lok Lam, Au Wai, Lo Meng.

Idy fans can rejoice, she has finally returned to the film industry again. IT is so wonderful that she is paired up with an up to par actor like Damien Lau. Thieves looks like it is going to be a nice comedy.

Tai Chi Master
Cast: Vincent Zhao, Melissa Ng, Raymond Lam, Myolie Wu, Kenneth Ma, Selena Li, Lau Siu Ming, Derek Kwok, Power Chan, Lau Kong, Paul Chun.

Tai Chi has been warehoused long enough. I think it is about time it is released. I’m not sure how the conflicts and relationships are going to be laid out. Therefore, my knowledge of Tai Chi is scarce. It’s a good thing, because I have a good impression on Tai Chi. I like the period it is set in. Vincent Zhao is a highly ranked actor and many actresses really wanted to act alongside him. In the end, Melissa was chosen. I was so shocked to see the bed scene with Myolie and Raymond in the presentation! This drama feels very melo and deep.

Walking With The Enemy
Cast: Roger Kwok, Kevin Cheng, Yoyo Mung, Kiki Sheung, Lui Shan, Wong Chun, Elaine Yiu, Lai Xuen, Ellesmere Choi, Evergreen Mak, Macy Chan, Fiona Yuen.

I absolutely can not wait to see this drama! Kevin plays a character that was imprisoned for 10 years and wants to seek revenge on the man who landed him in there which was Roger! I miss Roger so much and I am sure his return with this drama will become an instant hit. Kevin looks so swooning. Kevin doesn’t fare well with “good” characters. His character will be fueled from anger and hatred. I believe Kevin will do well with this role as his emotions are more “apparent” than “subtle.” Roger is a phenomenal actor. He is awesome as a villain and it’s been a long time since he has been given a villainous role. I am sure he will excel. He looks great with glasses too. It makes him look so much more intelligent. I’ve said this many times before; I only like villains who are intelligent. I love villains who weigh their options before following through with their scheming plans. I believe Roger’s character will be a sharp and intelligent villain. Roger says this drama is about him and Kevin challenging each others’ wits and intelligence. We can expect an action packed and thriller drama and great performances! I am trying to refrain myself from reading further news on this drama. I’m sure this drama will be full of surprises and therefore I don’t want to ruin the anticipation while watching it.

TVB 40 Anniversary Results

2007-11-13T20:39:00.000-06:00

Best Actor
Moses Chan Ho [Heart of Greed]

Congratulations to Moses! I am very happy with him and pleased that this award has finally been given to an actor who rightfully deserves it! Moses has become one my favourite actors currently at TVB. His charm and his personality are really getting at me.

Best Actress
Lee Si Kei [heart of Greed]

I don't know what to say. Sure Lee Si Kei was good in her role. I didn't think her performance was outstanding or extraordinary to win the award. But she shook everyone with her performance and many wanted her to win, so it is good that she won, I guess.

Favorite Male Character
Moses Chan Ho [Heart of Greed]

Yay for Moses again! Another deserving win! His character was an all round likeable character.

Favorite Female Character
Susanna Kwan Kuk Ying [Heart of Greed]

I thought her character was pretty dumb. Her reasons for causing all the chaos is something I cannot fathom. Her plans don't work. She's a crazy lady. Susanna's looks suit the role but I thought she didn't portray the warm side of her character good at all.

Best Supporting Actor
Louis Yuen Siu Cheung [Heart of Greed]

Wow I'm completely surprised. No doubt his comedy skills are unquestionable. However, there are so many actors this year that performed better and deserves this award more. I can name five actors at the top of my head that put in more effort and depth into their performances. I'm saddened that they didn't win the acknowledgment through this award.

Best Supporting Actress
Fala Chen [Steps]

Oh wow, Fala's career is sky rocketing. In her first year of her debut, she wins Best Supporting Actress even before winning Most Improved! That is quite an achievement. I like Fala, she's gorgeous and her performances shows great potential. I watched a few episodes of Steps and I like her performance. But it's way too early for her to win this award. I don’t t have a personal favourite for supporting actress, so I don't mind her winning this one.

Best Series
Heart of Greed

I am so glad 2007 is over. Heat of Greed sucked out all the life out of 2007. I'm exhausted and annoyed seeing it everywhere! I can't wait for the upcoming dramas next year. I can't wait to see the promotional clips as I'm looking forward to quite a few dramas.

Most Improved Actor
Amigo Chiu

...and he is?

Most Improved Actress
Kate Tsui Tsi San

I am appalled. I liked Kate when she first began but this year was not a good year for her in terms of improvement and performances. She goes over the top when she acts. I think Kate has a very sharp look and she has good dominance when she's on screen. Hopefully after this, she will improve. TVB probably thinks Bernice is too senior to win this award. Bernice is already a well established actress and her name is known.

Favorite Actor & Actress in China
Raymond Lam & Gigi Lai

Raymond and Gigi are both popular in China. As the winners were based on votes, they deserve this award. I'm happy for Raymond. It's been awhile since he won a TVB award.

The winners this year are so predictable and nothing shocking. Every year TVB always shock us with unexpected winners. It was boring this year. I can now happily say, goodbye 2007!

Memoirs of Gallen & Jessica - Episode 16

2007-11-12T16:42:00.001-06:00

Watch Chinese
Probably months have passed since Rachel and Ivan have met. They meet randomly when Ivan is teaching his sister to be "independent" by taking the bus to work by herself. He tells her he'll meet up with her but he's really in her shadow protecting her if she runs into trouble. He turned on her cell so he could hear her surroundings. Luckily his sister ran into Rachel and Rachel decides to accompany her on the bus. There, his sister constantly tells her how wonderful and nice her brother is to her. Rachel accidentally slips, "He must be your guardian, always there to protect you." Ivan on the line hears this. An awkward silence follows. They get off the bus and Rachel meets this "wonderful" brother. The longing looks they both give each other when their backs turn shows that their feelings are still present.

Watch Chinese Vietnamese
This is a moving scene. I love it when Lau Dan says after Ivan's continuous refusals, "You can lie to me and say you are not Tin Chi but you can not stand in front of your mother and father and refuse to admit you are their son!" This is a well crafted and beautiful scene!

Episode 16 Gallery

Memoirs of Gallen & Jessica - Episodes 13 & 14

2007-11-06T17:59:00.001-06:00

Watch ChineseIvan and Rachel encounters in court. Rachel expresses her disappointment in him again. Ivan stands his ground and tells her he had to do what he had to do, he's done nothing wrong. Ivan tells her "You can't use law to judge an individual['s goodness and integrity]. Which I agree wholeheartedly.

Watch Chinese Vietnamese
Pong wins the court case, but as he puts it, "loses to the heavens" as he is diagnosed with liver cancer. Pong tells Ivan he wishes for Ding Fung to be successfully detached from illegal business and for Ivan to watch over the family and Oscar. He hopes Oscar's record can be clean and that he's sorry for dragging Ivan down the water. Watch closely to Gallen's expression when his expression becomes concern. Such a wonderful scene!

Watch Chinese VietnameseIvan tries to explain death to his sister.

Watch Chinese Vietnamese
Watch Chinese VietnamesePong's death scene. This is the only scene in Golden Faith where we actually see Ivan break down crying. Pong purposely requests Gigi to buy him his favourite tofu because he didn't want her to witness his death. Do you think what Pong did was right?

Watch Chinese

Watch Chinese Vietnamese
I love this conversation between the two brothers. Ivan and Hong really open up to each other and have a serious conversation coming sincerely from the heart. Ivan admits he doesn't think he's a good person but to him his father is a good person. Ivan ponders, "Happiness is not definite." lol, Hong retorts, "What father does not love his son? You're a lot luckier than I am; you had the opportunity to spend a decent amount of time with your father. Me? My family died before I knew even knew how to spell 'death'" Ivan does feel the urge to tell him that Hong hasn't lost everyone, that he still had him. Instead, he tells him he admires his courage and accidentally asks how “uncle” is doing. Ivan questions that if he was a "normal" person, could they be friends. Hong enforces his belief that you're either "black" or "white" there's no in-between. Ivan tells him he hopes that one day they can be friends; Hong says if he is willing to, they can be.

Episode 13 Gallery
Episode 14 Gallery

TVB 2007 AWARDS PREDICTIONS

2007-10-14T23:46:00.001-06:00

BEST ACTOR NOMINATIONS
Personal Favourites
Bobby Au-Yeung – Dicey Business, Moses Chan – Heart Of Greed, Damien Lau – The Drive Of Life
I thought Bobby demonstrated what an excellent dramatic actor he can be. He magically brought out all the aspects of his character so extremely well. His crying scenes were excellent. He had me anticipating his every scene. It’s about time that Bobby is rewarded for his always reliable and consistent performances. Damien Lau was wonderful in The Conquest. He portrayed the transformation of Guo Jian flawlessly. The 10 seconds clip of him portraying his victory, years of hatred in The Conquest is enough to earn this award. He leaves a great impact whenever he appears in The Drive of Life. He emoted his quiet and subtle scenes very well.

Prediction
Moses Chan – Heart of Greed
It makes sense to give Moses this award as he’s finally at the stage to receive the award. It would be wise for TVB to start promoting Moses to the siu sung level. I think Moses rightfully deserves this award. I loved him in Heart of Greed. I found his dorky expressions so cute. Moses really made a big leap in his performances this year. He improved tremendously and rightfully deserves this award.

BEST ACTRESS NOMINATIONS
Personal Favourite
Jessica Hsuan – Dicey Business, The Drive of Life
For the recent years of Jessica’s career, she’s been typecast as her typical stubborn, confident characters. However, this year, Jessica has been acting very different characters. To becoming a gambling addict in Dicey Business to the weak and vulnerable in The Drive of Life. I didn’t particularly like her in Dicey Business because I felt her performance was lacking depth. After 20 episodes into Drive of Life, I love, love, love her performance. Her expressions were pulled out just with the right amount of delicacy, softness and weakness. Her crying scenes were amazing. The way she cried, her every small expression just fit her character perfectly.

Prediction
N/A I know many are placing bets on Lee Sei Kei and Susanna Kwan, both whom I’m not too crazy about. I feel TVB is not going to give the award to either of them.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Personal Favourite
N/A

Prediction
N/A

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Personal Favourite
Benz Hiu - Dicey Business, Ng Wai Kwok - The Drive of Life
I love Benz Hiu’s charm. He really deserves this award and hopefully TVB would give this award to Benz who wholly deserves it. He is always a pleasure to watch. Ng Wai Kwok who plays Ngai Tin Hang is also wonderful. He acts his character with the right and enough weirdness, mysteriousness, ruthlessness and so on. He is so awesome.

Prediction
Power Chan
I’m not fond of Power Chan because I find his acting weird and unnatural. He appeared in numerous dramas this year and it makes sense that he wins this award.

MOST IMPROVED ACTRESS
Personal Favourites
N/A

Prediction
Fala Chen
Between Fala and Bernice, I would pick Bernice. I think Fala will win this award because it seems to be the right thing to do as she is sky –rocketing this year.

MOST IMRPOVED ACTOR
Personal Favourite
Stephen Wong, Kenny Kwan
I think Stephen Wong is very cute. I noticed his potential since Shine on You and payed attention to him since. He's improving steadily and I like him.

Prediction
Lai Lok Yi
Sadly, I think Lai Lok Yi will snatch this award.

MY FAVORITE MALE CHARACTER
Personal Favourites
Moses Chan - Heart of Greed, Damien Lau - The Drive of Life
Who didn’t like Mose’s character in Heart of Greed? He was filial. He gave his heart out to his family but never asked anything in return. He loved Seung Joi Sum but knew that she didn’t love him. But that’s okay, he still loved her unconditionally and was always there to help her and guide her whenever she needed someone the most.
Damien’s character can be disliked because he assumes that what he does is right and best for everyone. He is an admirable character because of all the things he has accomplished and managed. He always has this life lesson/moral whenever he appears and I just love that.

Prediction
Raymond Lam – Afred
Afred was a charmer and would win many girls’ hearts. His actions after breaking up with Seung Joi Sum were very touching and his death seen was heart wrenching. It was nice to watch Afred grow up. He made plenty of mistakes but he learned from them and redeem his mistake and became a more bearable and likeable character.

MY FAVORITE FEMALE CHARACTER
Personal Favourite
Leila Tong – War and Destiny

Prediction
Susanna Kwan – Heart of Greed

BEST TV SERIES
Personal Favourite
On the First Beat, The Drive Of Life

This is based on the dramas that I enjoyed watching. I haven’t finished On the First Beat. But the episodes that I have seen, I’ve enjoyed. I’m twenty episodes in the Drive of Life and so far it has proven to be a drama that develops and grows. I have 40 episodes left, so it is hard to dictate if this drama deserves the Best TV Series.

Prediction
Heart of Greed
A very undeserving win. This drama must be the most overrated series for the past three years. I found this drama to be pretentious. The grand cast was pointless as the producers did not bother to elaborate on certain actors and actresses. There were just there for the sake of it. Take Yoyo Mung for example. Is it necessary to cast such a highly ranked actress to play the third party? Raymond Lam was supposed to be a guest star but his screen time greatly surpasses Tavia and Bosco’s screen time combined. I think there is a problem with the editing and management of this drama. We have seen plenty of dramas revolving around family fighting over assets. This drama has got to be the worst of the bunch. The family scenes were force and fake. There are many ways the producer could’ve demonstrated a loving and caring family. Dancing and singing was not an effective way to show that. The court scenes were lacking tense. The so called villains were not intelligent (I like intelligent villains) but rather pathetic.

A New Beginning

2007-10-13T20:52:00.000-06:00

Hi guys, I’m back. The layout has change for a mark of a new beginning. I hope I didn’t lose everyone. I wish to continue to update on my weekly TVB blurbs and Ada related goods. I like this layout. I feel it is a lot easier to read, fresh and organized. I will add an archive heading very soon. I’m sorry for being irresponsible in the past year. I will try in the future to leave a short notice when I decide to go on a hiatus.

Some notices, Yahoo photos is closing October 18 and therefore the galleries for Dance of Passion, War and Destiny, The Conquest and Plain Love will be gone. I don’t have the time to upload 1000s photos to another server so I will just allow it to be deleted.

Memoirs of Gallen & Jessica - Golden Faith Episodes 10, 11 & 12

2007-08-20T22:56:00.001-06:00

Watch Chinese

Episode Ten Gallery

Watch Chinese/ Vietnamese
Ivan breaks off with Rachel because once again, he is in tangle with the triads who kidnapped his sister. He tells Rachel, "I've dreamt of a beautiful life [with you] but we are living in a realistic world. As always, dreams will be shattered. We are from two complete different worlds. We can never be together. Don't wait for me, I will not come." It's pitying how Ivan and his family who so wish to cut themselves from illegal business but are forced back in it again and again and again.

Watch Chinese
Ivan successfully rescues his sister but was forced to shoot the leader of the triad (Kwok Fung) when he nearly tossed his sister in the lake. Ivan is convinced that he has killed (although we know that he didn't actually kill him) and can't get over that. He pulled the trigger in an act of defense under a life threatening situation and it is completely reasonable and understandable but it's natural that Ivan feels distressed and guilty about it.

Episode Eleven Gallery

Watch Chinese
As Ivan tells Pong, he doesn’t have the courage to face Rachel anymore (after what he has done). Rachel flies back to Hong Kong and finds out all that has happened. She confronts Ivan and goes around in circles about her doubts, how they shouldn't have dated from the start, how she can't let go. It's clear that Rachel does not want to and can't manage to say 'break up' from her lips. Ivan interrupts her and says they shouldn't be together anymore. Obviously stung by this, Rachel angrily shouts that he is selfish, he is nothing compared to her career and her family and assure him that she would not shed a tear because of him. Rachel is obviously very hurt but puts up a rough image to show him and try to convince her that she would be okay without him, but as we see, she breaks down afterwards.

Watch Chinese

Episode Twelve Gallery

Memoirs of Gallen & Jessica - Golden Faith Episode 8

2007-08-01T10:32:00.001-06:00

One whole episode dedicated to Ivan and Rachel.

Watch Chinese
Ivan arrives late for the court and says he's forgotten who the guy was. Ivan insists "I have to do what I have to do." Rachel is furious and makes it clear that he has chosen his path and she has chosen hers - she would not drop her principles.

Watch Chinese
Ivan is trying to make up with Rachel and tells her to put herself in his position. She turns the tables and tells him to put himself in her position. Ivan tells her he doesn't feel guilty with his decisions. Rachel questions his goodness and asks if she should always believe his word. He promises her that this would never happen again. Rachel says "Even if I trust you, I don't trust your family." This pretty settles it. It's depressing that Ivan's complicated family background is putting a barrier between him and Rachel. I really like it when Rachel says "There's that saying that love is blind. But we are both living in a realistic world." Rachel has always and I'm sure many of us would like a romantic, happy ever after love but like she says, they're living in a realistic word - she can't bury her conscience or her morals.

Watch Chinese
Rachel decides to take a break from work and to go on a vacation, to Australia. Many would regard Rachel's act as childish because she is running to the place where her and Ivan met. Sometimes women do stuff just to see their worth and if their partner is willing to come back. Sure enough, Ivan packs his bags and flies off to Australia. Rachel can't suppress her happiness and her smiles when she sees Ivan.

Watch Chinese
This scene is really cute, Ivan and Rachel are picking oranges and the landowners, a middle-aged couple caught them but is not angry and on the contrast, invites them over for tea. Ivan recognizes the husband and says that he looks very familiar. The husband is actually a millionaire of some sort but has decided to retire with his love one and settled for a peaceful and simple life. The wife tells Rachel, "Men will always try to conquer the world. It is not easy to leave everything behind. Not many men are like my husband and are willing to do so." Rachel casts Ivan a longing look.

Watch Chinese
Rachel takes an opportunity and asks Ivan what his dream life is like and he tells her he barely dreams. The conversation quickly shifts to the couple they met and Ivan tell her that he admires them. Rachel tells him the she is able to leave everything behind, her career, her family and asks if he is able to do the same. He says yes, but the only regretful factor is there wouldn't be able to enjoy the 9 different ways to eat the loaf bread. The next few scenes speak of their romantic stay in Australia. Golden Faith is filmed in a fairy tale angle throughout, but has always been able to carry and maintain its realism.

Watch ChineseRachel wakes up early in the morning and attempts to bake bread. The flour makes her have trouble breathing. Rachel tells Ivan that she is not going to let him have an excuse and will keep trying to make the bread until it is perfect. I think it is here when Ivan sees how much living in Australia means to Rachel. He tells her having her by his side is perfect already.

Watch Chinese
Rachel overhears Ivan talking on the phone that he will be back in Hong Kong soon. She gets angry at him and he tells her he has to go back to Hong Kong to celebrate his father's birthday. Haha, the grin Rachel has on later is cute.

Watch Chinese
Ivan and Rachel talk about meeting Ivan's parents. They seem to be enjoying it and their future looks certain however good things can't last too soon...

Episode Eight Gallery

Memoirs of Gallen & Jessica - Golden Faith Episode 7

2007-07-24T14:53:00.002-06:00

Watch Chinese
Rachel hints to Ivan her desire to emigrate to Austrailia. Ivan tells her that he also desires a simple life.

Watch Chinese
Ivan identifies the man that beat up Hong. Rachel is happy because Hong suspected that the guys who beated him up were hired from Ivan. At the end of this episode, Ivan finds out the the man who he identified is the son of the triad interwined with his father's business. Once again, Ivan is put in a dilemna. Should he turn the guy in as any good citzen would do? Or should he not turn the guy in to avoid the trouble for his father but that would deeper the dislike Hong has already has towards him and Rachel would be upset because she is a lawyer and her boyfriend is helping the triads.

Memoirs of Gallen & Jessica - Golden Faith Episode 6

2007-07-20T21:22:00.002-06:00

Watch Chinese
It's normal at the beginning of a relationship for partners to doubt and question each other.

Watch Chinese
This scene speaks of Sabrina's past and how Ivan changed her life. It is no wonder Sabrina loves Ivan so much that she is willing to do anything for him. Ivan went to lengths to help her.

Watch Chinese
Ivan and Rachel making up after an arguement, need I add in a super cute way too?

Episode Six Gallery

No update this weekend, I will be too immersed in Harry Potter to update. :)

Golden Faith Extras

2007-07-16T20:51:00.000-06:00

Ivan and Rachel don't have any scenes in episode 5. Here are a few must-sees from episode 5 that I've extracted.

Watch Chinese
Ivan discovers that Hong is his long lost brother. Ivan is stunned and lost for words but he manages to blurt out "Oh...umm, I just wanted to print and advertistment for Ting Fung." He doesn't clarify with them his identity.

Watch Chinese
Ivan is overjoyed and professes his happiness and history to his buddy. His happiness is soon replaced with regret and a difficult decision. His adopted father is in tangle with the triads but his biological brother is a cop. If he accepts his brother, it will put his father and his brother in a difficult decision.

Watch Chinese
I love this scene. Like I mentioned in my Golden Faith Overview, the reason why I love Golden Faith so much, it is because of the profoundly written relationships and characters. This scene is awesome. I enjoyed watching Ivan andPong interact in Golden Faith very much. It is very touching how Pong and Ivan became father and son. They both lost their loved ones in a single night, but found reassurance and family in one another. After this conversation, Ivan has decided he will not accept his brother and uncle just yet.

Episode Five Gallery

Memoirs of Gallen & Jessica - Golden Faith Episode 4

2007-07-14T11:11:00.001-06:00

Watch Chinese

Just a small clip. I'm trying to extract a clip from episode 4 when Ivan takes Rachel to the orphanage but I can't manage to extract. It is a must-see. :(

Episode Four Gallery

Memoirs of Gallen & Jessica - Golden Faith Episode 3

2007-07-13T22:58:00.001-06:00

Watch Chinese

Watch Chinese

Watch ChineseIvan tells Rachel to try the coffee-fortune, pour milk in your coffee, if it turns clock-wise, what you desire will come true, and otherwise if it spins counter-clockwise. (Something like that) He asks her if there's going to be a anothere date. She was about to pour milk into her coffee but stops and says 'I'm used to drinking black coffee.' She doesn't rely on fate to make her decisions.

Episode Three Gallery

Memoirs of Gallen & Jessica - Golden Faith Episode 2

2007-07-12T23:06:00.001-06:00

Watch Chinese

Watch Chinese or Vietnamese

Episode Two Gallery
There are not many Ivan and Rachel in this episode. They are keeping a distance from each other as Ivan is being sued and Rachel is the prosecutor.

Memoirs of Gallen & Jessica - Golden Faith Episode 1

2007-07-11T22:48:00.001-06:00

I'm finally going to update because I've been motivated to update this feature since I heard the news that Gallen has returned. I stick to my words, like I said, clips with be available on the next update, and here they are. They're in Chinese and I also uploaded the same clips but Vietnamese dubbed also. Do stay tune, as I would continue to upload.

Watch Chinese or Vietnamese
This is Rachel's and Ivan't first encounter when she mistaken Ivan as a pervert. Jessica's expressions are so funny but cute. Ivan tries to tell her that there is something wrong with the car but she insists nothing is wrong with it so he offers to drive for her. Would you let a stranger in your car? I won't but maybe if he looked like Gallen. Kidding! The car breaks down and Rachel hitchhikes. Ivan tells her that a helicopter is coming for them and Rachel sarcastically says a ship is coming for her. Jessica's expression is hilarious when she sees and hears a helicopter in the distance and screams "Where's my ship?!"

Watch Chinese or Vietnamese
TVB really exaggerated and stereotyped homosexuals... It's funny when she tells him it takes a lot of courage to be open with your sexuality and Ivan replies, "It takes even a lot more courage to accept reality." Rachel replies saying "If you want people to accept you, you firstly have to accept yourself" and gives him a hug of encouragement. Gallen's helpless expression is so cute.

Watch Chinese or Vietnamese
Ivan tries to tell Rachel that her finacee is gay but he doesn't know how to tell her and ends up stuttering. Rachel thinks that Ivan and Kim got into a fight and brings him out to have fun to forget about his 'love problems.' Rachel thinks Ivan is nuts when he pulls out Big Bear that he promised his little sister to carry everywhere he goes. Ivan is a great brother. Tough Ivan chased off the robbers who tried to steal from Rachel.

Watch Chinese
One of my favourite dialogues. Who wouldn't become attatched to a guy with this conversation at this place?

Episode One Gallery

=)

2007-06-23T20:37:00.001-06:00

I know I’ve been missing this half a year and abandoned not only this blog but also the TVB world. The reason is simple, I’ve just lost all interest in anything related to TVB. I know that I would come back; I was just waiting to that one series that will stir my interest in TVB again. Since TVB was or should I say is releasing disappointing and crappy series, one after another, I just lost all patience. Thus, I stopped updating since I had nothing to say. Or at least, nothing positive to say. I’m just waiting for that one series which seems to be eternity.

Well, this morning, I was bored out of my mind and decided to visit some of the TVB related sites. And I was hit with the awesome news, Gallen Lo has indeed returned! I am so happy. Words cannot explain how happy I am. I was disheartened when I read the title of his comeback series called ‘When a Dog Falls in Love with a Cat’ and I wanted to cry when I read the cast which includes Myolie Wu, Margie Tsang. The title sounds really ridiculous. I hope Myolie is not the female lead, that would be disappointing. Hopefully more promising casts would be revealed. I really want to cry. But as long as Gallen is back, I am happy enough. I am anticipating his return and his series. Hopefully his next two series will have a more outstanding cast.

And by the way, that series still hasn’t come yet. I just wanted to leave a little post here to let you guys know how happy I am. WELCOME BACK GALLEN!

Overview : Land of Wealth

2007-01-28T16:59:00.000-06:00

No. Episodes – 32
Year Released - 2006
Cast
Moses Chan
Steven Ma
Tavia Yeung
Sonija Kwok
Claire Yiu
Erica Choi
Rabee’a Yeung
Lai Lok Yi
Kenny Wong
Stephen Wong
David Chiang
Lau Dan
Rebecca Chan

Characters/Cast
Moses Chan as Bak Cheun
Bak Cheun is quite pitiful since he had to witness his family be executed before his eyes and not being able to save them. His family’s name is cleared in the end and he becomes a successful businessman, and he is gifted with a beautiful son from Kiu Jun. Although he loved Ba Ha for a time, I believe he was over her in the end. He did not seem to give out all his heart as much as Ba Ha had. In the end, I do believe that he loves Kiu Jun the most. It is interesting watching Bak Cheun climb that ladder to success. Moses Chan surprised me. I have always liked Moses because he strikes me as a very friendly person but I thought his acting has declined over the years. He is so great in Land of Wealth and I have hope in him again. He portrayed all the sides to Bak Cheun very well and his crying scenes are well done.

Tavia Yeung as Kiu Jun
Kiu Jun is a sweet and charming lady and it is no wonder that Sung Ma loves her so much, and eventually in the end, Bak Cheun. She loved Sung Ma but after she is married to Bak Cheun, she is willing to bury her love for Sung Ma and she commits herselt to be a good wife. I believe that when two people are willing to commit themselves to one another, they will eventually grow feelings for each other. This is what happened between Bak Cheun and Kiu Jun. Sung Man holds a special place in Kiu Jun's heart but what was between them is the past and she has moved on. Who Kiu Jun truly loved in the end is arguable. I do not think she is the most pitiful character because although she has led a short life, she died in the arms of the man she loved and she gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Tavia's character is similar to her other characters but this time, her character is more sweet and girly. I can tell that she put a lot of time and effort into pulling out the perfect expressions to match Kiu Jun. She looks amazing also. She is one of those actresses who look quite pretty in normal clothes but once she puts on the ancient costumes, she looks completely ravishing. I discovered her father died during the filming of Land of Wealth. I have stronger respect for her and I am glad that it did not affect her performance. Her professionalism is something to be admired for. She has excellent chemistry with Steven Ma and Moses Chan. I would love to see her act along with them once again in the future.

Steven Ma as Cheung Sung Man
Sung Man is the most pitiful character in Land of Wealth. Sung Man is highly educated and he tries his best to maintain justice when he was an official. It was difficult for Sung Man who is trying so hard to maintain justice to accept that his family is corrupted. Even worst, he had to arrest them, which led to their deaths. He is forced not to marry Kiu Jun. He could not tell Kiu Jun that she has misunderstood him. All he could do is watch her go on her carriage knowing that she is off to marry someone else. When Kiu Jun realizes that she had misunderstood him, it is too late. She asks him if he has married yet and he answers no. Sung Man was still single 'til that day is because he still loved Kiu Jun and she realizes that. Kiu Jun could not do anything but to give her blessings and encourages him to give Anna a chance. Did Sung Man get together with Anna in the end? It is an open ending. I do not think he got with her in the end. Sung Man understood clearly that he and Anna are just friends. Sung Man doesn't challenge Steven ma in any way. He is still great not to say he was bad but I just did not feel it challenged him.

Sonija Kwok as Ba Ba Ha Yi Ko Wai
Sonija is the female protagonist in Land of Wealth Ba Ha is half Mongolian and seems like a very upbeat and cheerful person. She is not always happy she has been hurt in the past but she buried her pain and put on a happy façade. I really liked Ba Ha at the beginning because she was a woman who loves nature, so easy to please, and so simple. I thought it was great how they showed that she is or was not always happy, that she has been hurt very bad in the past. It shows that she is human. I liked Ba Ha until she married Boon Yip and used him a weapon against Bak Cheun. I disliked her for inflicting pain on Boon Yip. He did nothing to deserve any of it. He married her because he loved her but she on the other hand, just married him out of impulse. Once Ba Ha discovers that she misunderstood Bak Cheun, she even requested to run away with Bak Cheun. What about poor Boon Yip? Ba Ha should have just sucked it up and stayed with Boon Yip. She should have taken responsibility for her actions even if she did not love Boon Yip. Kiu Jun on the other hand, although she loved Sung Ma very much, she knew that she could not just ditch Bak Cheun. She was a married woman and thus had to do her duty as a wife. Ba Ha did not realize how wrong she was until Boon Yip actually let her leave. She realizea that she could not be so selfish and leave Boon Yip alone. Ba Ha is a passionate lover who literally gives out all heart when she loves. So when she thought Bak Cheun did not want her because he wanted fame, her love turned to hatred. Ba Ha still loved Bak Cheun in the end, but he did not love her anymore. Sonija was great at the beginning and very refreshing. I quickly got bored of her after awhile as she seems to have nothing new to offer. The most I can say is she gave an effective performance. She was effective but she was not great. Her performances fall short in contrast to her colleagues.

Others
David Chang has this straight face throughout the whole series. His eyes are so dead, it is hard to guess what he is thinking. Is this how Boon Yip is suppose to be? I don't know. Stephen Wong is really adorable. I noticed him since Shine on You and I thought his acting stood out among the rest of the newcomers. He just makes you smile because he is so young and so carefree that it is adorable. He has great chemistry with Sonija and Moses. Claire Yiu is very good. Her relationship with Kenny Wong is also great.

Comments
I really like Land of Wealth because of the way the characters are written. The characters are not the typical characters that TVB usually cycles out. I thought Kiu Jun would be a rebellious and would do anything to achieve whatever she wants. It turns out that she is obedient and does as told. She grew up cultured and she was taught how to behave and what a woman should or should not do. Kiu Jun is a traditional woman and I am so happy that the scriptwriters did not make her out to be one of those characters that sneakily do things that she was told not to do. Surprisingly Sung Man was obedient and did whatever his parents told him to do and that included not to marry Kiu Jun. Sung Man is less traditional but he is a good son and I thought it is believable that while he has less traditional ideas, he is still human and he has his own flaws.

I think the tragedy of this series is the lack of trust among the characters. Ba Ha did not believe that Bak Chuan loved her and totally forgot to take into account that he threw his life on the line many times to save her. She believed that he dumped her to seek fame and money. She did not believe him when he told her he had his own reason. I do not feel Bak Cheun did not trust Ba Ha with his background and plans but broke up with her because he did not want her to be in danger because of his plan to seek justice for his family who had been convicted wrongly. Kiu Jun also had doubts with Sung Man. She misunderstood Sung Man and thought that he arrested her father so that he could become an official again. The main reason why all relationships turn sour is the lack of communication. If all the characters understood each other better, none of the tragedies would have occured.

Land of Wealth has a clever script and the dialogues are poignant with a drop of poetry every now and then. I was moved to tears several times. The performances in general felt real and heartfelt. I really like the music in this series especially the classicals. It just drowns me from all emotions once they start playing that flute-tune. It sounds very sad and fits well with the drama. I highly recommend Land of Wealth if your are the kind to like dramas with meaningful script that makes you sit back and reflect.

Guo Jian Returns

2007-01-21T16:29:00.000-06:00

Download

The scene when Guo Jian (Damien Lau) is presented with his sword is the best scene I witnessed throughout The Conquest (as of yet). Damien's expression as he held the sword is priceless. His years of suffering, his happiness, his pride, his determination, hatred were all displayed flawlessly. An absolute classic scene even with a duration of about 10 seconds.

The Conquest Episodes 5-6

2007-01-13T21:49:00.000-06:00

Episodes 05-06

The Conquest Episodes 3-4

2007-01-11T17:26:00.000-06:00

Episodes 03-04

The Conquest Gallery

2007-01-07T17:22:00.000-06:00

Episodes 01-02

Looking Back in Anger MV

2007-01-02T14:23:00.000-06:00

Uploaded by GEESUS493
Creator Unknown

This MV is so good. I remember my dad coming home with Looking Back in Anger and I said to him, "Why did you buy such an old series for?" I became hooked onto Anger after I looked past the horrible dubbing and very old fashion clothes. I finished watching it within a week (I finished it before my dad). It has one of the most touching storylines and boasts the most powerful performances from all the leads (except Kathy Chow). It is no surprise that Anger remains the highest rating in TVB history. It was a huge success in China and overseas. Felix Wong is great in his role and he looked so cute. I love his chemistry with Carina Lau. They have a legendary chemistry. The ending is the best part of the series. I won't give it away in case anyone decides to watch it because the ending is tragically beautiful.

=)

2006-12-28T22:30:00.001-06:00

Boxing Week is almost over and I still haven’t been at all the malls yet. :) Christmas was nice but unfortunately I had a green Christmas. There was not something I desperately wanted Santa to get me. Right now I am content with my life. Like the saying goes, ‘once you get older you realize it’s the memories that matter not the presents.’ Honestly, I think I have grown a small belly from all the eating, chocolates and drinking. Ai, must go back to pilates routines. ;) So much for a break, I’ve been busy doing projects for all my classes. I hopefully I get them all completed before break ends.

I’ve been meaning to do captures for Romance of the White Hair Maiden for Ada-Exclusive and updating this blog during break but I have so much to do and my computer has just been rebooted so all my programs has to be installed again. I don’t feel like going through the hassle to install them all. I promise, updates will be frequent in February when second semester starts.

I’m currently watching Land of Wealth and The Conquest. I am pleased with both series. I can’t place what I like about Land of Wealth at the moment. The story feels real and I really like the tone of his series. The tone is a mixture of Where the Legend Begins and War and Beauty. The performances are rather good and believable. Land of Wealth has a good portion of history, poetry, and drama. The fire in The Conquest died down but it is still quite good. Joe Ma is excellent in his role. He is only good in semi evil roles. I love his sneers and arrogant expressions. It is a delight watching him. Ah, I can’t wait for more schemes, betrayal and character turning points.

Memoirs of Gallen & Jessica Edition i

2006-12-23T13:07:00.002-06:00

Intro Memoirs - a new entry to recap special scenes from couples who have an undeniable chemistry on-screen. Hopefully it arouses and triggers fond memories and feelings these couples have once brought to us. Enjoy.

First Edition - Gallen Lo & Jessica Hsuan - Part One

Ivan and Rachael are both trapped in the gold mine when Ivan goes searching for Rachel who went missing after Julian (her boyfriend) tells her that he likes men not women.

Rachael: Before, I hoped this tunnel will collapse so that no one can see my embarrassed face.

[Gallen crouches down next to Jessica]

Ivan: If you had the chance to change one thing. What would you change?

Rachael: Do you think I’m still holding an illusion that Julian and I can still be together?
....
I have accepted the truth. Just give me some time, I will get over it.
...
I feel I owe you an apology for getting you involved in this. [Gallen is staring a his feet] Lucky you are still here with me at this time.

Ivan: Wow, you're mutable. First, you call me a scrum and now you apologize to me.

[Gallen and Jessica both smiles]

Rachael: How about you? If you could choose, would you prefer not to have met me?

Ivan: Some things are meant to be.

[Jessica looks at Gallen and nods her head]

Rachael: Is someone going to rescue us? Or is Julian taking this opportunity to kill both of us?

Ivan: Whoa, how you can you think of that?

[Jessica smiles mischievously]

Ivan: Let me tell you a story. [Jessica stares at Gallen attentively] I fell into a lake once when I was young. It was raining hard that day. The sky was dark, the water was dark. I thought surely I was going to die. At that moment, I saw a star shining very brightly in the sky. Do you know that star kept getting brighter and brighter and that star gave me hope? At that moment, someone came and rescued me.

Rachel: Do you think we’ll have the chance to see that star?

Ivan: As long as you don't lose hope, anything is possible.

[Flashlight is dying out]
[Jessica is looking around in awe]

Rachael- There are so many stars.

Ivan: Find the star that’s shining the brightest, it’s going to guide us through.

[Jessica stares at Ivan for a long moment]

Rachael – I found it. Over there. [Points in a direction]

My Comments
The stars that Rachael is referring to are actually the mines in the tunnel. For a moment, I thought Rachael for sure was going to say Ivan is her guiding star because she was staring at him for so long. :P Ivan and Rachel grow fonder of each other after this incident. They are not in love but they have a great impression of each other. I like this dialogue because of what Ivan tells Rachael when she questions if anyone is going to rescue them. Ivan tells Rachel to not lose faith when you feel that all hope is gone. This message ties in nicely with her break-up with Julian.

The Conquest - Episode One

2006-12-06T18:28:00.000-06:00

The first episode put me in awe. It has lived up to my expectations. I was at the edge of my seat the whole time. Every minute of that episode was not wasted and full of content and not ‘filler’ scenes. Chun Kun looks dashing in motion, much better than he does in pictures. Everything is top notch in this series in terms of production and packaging. The costumes and props are beautiful all the way to the last bystander. It shows how much effort was put in this series by the lighting effects, filming techniques and the amount of soldiers they used in the battle scenes. TVB actually shot this series in China. I am glad they did because it makes everything more beautiful and more realistic. Besides the 3 main actors from TVB, the rest of the actors are from China. It's refreshing to finally breakaway from the same faces that we see in TVB series all the time. The director and production teams are from TVB. I think it’s a good collaboration because China’s scripts are usually very draggy and pointless but they have nice sceneries. TVB's scripts are usually quite good but they are lacking the beautiful sceneries or advance technology. The collaboration complements each other well.

It’s not perfect. I thought Fan Li’s and Xi Shi’s relationship progressed too fast. The introduction is sloppy and confusing. I am impressed though. It's just the first episode only and it can go anywhere from there. If it keeps up the good progress, it is going to make it to my favourite’s list.

*sigh* I can’t wait for the next episode..

It's snowing!

2006-12-04T19:59:00.000-06:00

I pulled an all-nighter to finish my 10 page essay on the Korean War yesterday. I am so tired. I started my Nanking Massacre essay and after reading all the atrocities, I feel sick to the stomach.

On the brighter note, it is snowing outside my house. It’s 10cm deep so far. Usually it snows around my area after Christmas but this year, it came early. I am going to have a white Christmas this year. =]

After reading Zhang Yu Sex-for-roles, I am worried. Of course I assumed that actresses do sleep with directors in exchange for roles. It is naïve to think that all the celebrities and stars today got up there solely based on their talent and abilities, alone. I am shocked, however, by how often it occurs. This is disturbing. *sigh*

Gigi Lai's Moiselle 06 Collection

2006-12-01T17:02:00.000-06:00

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19]
[20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29]
I found these Moiselle Ads at cinple.net. I couldn't resist posting them. Big thanks to Missy and laichi.cn!

TVB 2007 Presentation Comments & Downloads

2006-11-20T08:17:00.001-06:00

View the pictures at TVB 2007 Presentation Gallery.

Download Golden Spear Steel Horse
Cast - Adam Cheng, Kenny Wong, Gigi Lai, Eddie Kwan
The best clip from the presentation. Gigi Lai looks so pretty in the clip. If only her acting is as good as how she looks. I love historical/war series with the heavy touch. I hope TVB films this series. More betrayal, more blood, more tears - that's more like it. Just toss out Kenny Wong and Eddie Kwan and replace them with Damien Lau and we're good. The setting looks like it was filmed in the the same place as Dance of Passion. Golden Speer looks like a very promising series.

Download Storm in a Pool
Cast - Moses Chan, Bosco Wong, Raymond Lam, Tavia Yeung, Yoyo Mung, Linda Chung, Chris Lai, Ha Yu, Michelle Yim
Storm in a Pool still hasn't attracted me. It like another typical drama. Bosco looks very good though and I want to see his chemistry with Tavia Yeung. It looks like Moses is playing a traditional/nerd character.

Download Cadets on the Beat
Cast - Michael Tao, Ron Ng, Sonjia Kwok, Sammul Chan, Kate Tsui, Charles Szeto, Joey Yung, Florence Kwok, Kenny Kwan, Ellesmere Choi, Gordan Liu
As if the first one wasn't bad enough. Sammul Chan was the savior of the idiotic and blood vomitting, The Academy. I am not going to watch this one. Michael Tao and Ron Ng are a big no! TVB used to produce great Cop series but now they are horrible with this genre. All the cases will be so predictable and repetitive.

Download Predicting Fate
Cast - Steven Ma, Shirley Yeung, Benny Chan, Yuen Wah, Mimi Lo, Rebecca Chan, Matt Yeung
TVB has to torture me by pairing Steven Ma with really awful actresses. I am skeptical about this series. I have no idea what the plot is about. I am going watch this series for solely Steven.

Download The Most Beautiful 7th Day
Cast - Kevin Cheng, Niki Chow, Bosco Wong, Elaine Yiu, Natalie Tong, Selena Li, Lau Dan, Kiki Sheung
I didn't like Under the Canopy of Love but so far, The Most Beautiful 7th Day is looking pretty good. It looks and feels so romantic with the winter setting and the dreamy effect. I quite like Niki Chow and Selena Li who are turning out to be fine actresses.

Download Exquisite Beauty
Cast - Ada Choi, Shirley Yeung, Bernice Liu, Anne Heung, Ella Koon, Joyce Koi, Astrid Chan, Joe Ma
The plot has already attracted me. I really do hope that Ada Choi can act in this drama. She hardly acts ancient dramas. She looks beautiful and stunning in her costume. Astrid Chan is another bonus. I don't like the supporting actresses and I hope they do get replaced. A good storyline/script can be destroyed by its actors. My goodness, I am very sick and tired of TVB typecasting Joyce Koi as a man. It's enough already. It will totally be a ruin if she is in this series because her acting is so raw and unconvincing. I don't see what is so good about her dressing and acting like a man. Michelle Ye is better at that.

Download The Brink of Law
Cast - Steven Ma, Ron Ng, Bernice Liu, Shirley Yeung, Kate Tsui, Michelle Yim, Lo Lok Lam, Sherming Yiu, Mary Hon, Joe Ma
Ah, TVB is killing me again with pairing Steve Ma up with another inadequate actress. At least Bernice is pretty..lah. Shirley Yeung was awful in the clip. She can't even play a "normal" character convincingly and now she is going to play a villain? It doesn't help with her baby face and raw acting. She's going to come off comedic more so than scheming/evil. I like Michelle Yim and Steven Ma so I am going to watch it. The story is centered on horse-racing and that looks interesting to me.

Download Tale of a Mythical Quest
Cast - Sunny Chan, Benny Chan, Linda Chung, Stephen Au, Nancy Wu, Halina Tam, Chan Hoi Yee, Auguste Kwan, Charmaine Li, Helen Ma, Rocky Cheng
I tend to like dramas of this genre like Gods of Honour and Journey to the West. But, is TVB still good with these genres? Or will they give us an over the top mythical series with too much special effects and make up (eh, just look at that picutre!) I guess we'll just have to wait to see. Benny Chan seems to love dramas of this genre because he always star in them. The only draw back factor is Linda Chung is going to be the female lead.

Download Undercover Cops
Cast - Bowie Lam, Charmaine Sheh, Ron Ng, Wong Hei, Joyce Tang, Chris Lai, Nancy Wu
*yawn* Oh the cast is so putting me to sleep. Oh wait is that Joyce Tang I see in the clip?

The Drive of Life
The cast is not intriguing me. Okay I am reading the character description... Myolie Wu is an upbeat, happy, cute, nerdy character who falls in love with her boss. Charmaine Sheh in her strong willed and confident role. Joe Ma is playing a semi evil role. Michael Miu plays the cunning husband. Ah it's deja vu...

Jewel's Spendor
Not much to comment yet. I like Ada and I like Wong Hei. The story revolves around jewels and 3 sisters. So far, it sounds good. And oh yes...I hope it's not Bowie and Gigi again!

Ron Ng, Bowie Lam and Myolie Wu do not have many series next year. That's a relief. Steven Ma also has a few dramas next year which is good. However TVB is really pushing Linda Chung and Shirley Yeung to our faces. Not so good...

TVB Anniversary Award 2006 - The Voting Results

2006-11-18T16:35:00.000-06:00

HK Discuss Forum
Translated By Crunchster

Best Drama
Under the Canopy of Love
Safe Guards
La Femme Desperado
Dance of Passion
Maiden's Vow

Winner: Dance of Passion
[La Femme placed second, the votes comparing with the First place was really close]

Shocking eh? I thought Dance of Passion beat La Femme Desperado in all aspects. Pity it didn't win the award. I guess people did like Dance of Passion more than the reports/news gave credits to.

Best Actor
Under the Canopy of Love - Kevin Cheng
La Femme Desperado - Raymond Lam
Dance of Passion - Bowie Lam
Forsenic Heroes - Bobby AuYeung
Maidens Vow - Joe Ma

Winner: Joe Ma - Maiden's Vow
[Joe Ma won by alot of votes, Bowie Lam came in second and Kevin Cheng came in fourth]

Not so shocking here..

Best Actress
La Femme Desperado - Sheren Tang
Dance of Passion - Ada Choi
Dance of Passion - Gigi Lai
Maiden's Vow - Charmaine Sheh
To Grow With Love - Myolie Wu

Winner: Charmaine Sheh - Maiden's Vow
[Charmine won by alot of votes, second place was Ada and Sheren Tang came in 3rd]

Myolie wasn't even close to touching the award. All the fat and extra pounds for nothing. I feel bad for her since she put on all the weight only to walk away empty handed. Her body is a bit saggy now and not as tight as it was before.

Favourite Male Character
Under the Canopy of Love - Kevin Cheng
Safe Guards - Wayne Lai
La Femme Desperado - Raymond Lam
Dance of Passion - Bowie Lam
Maidens Vow - Joe Ma

Winner: Joe Ma - Maiden's Vow

Steven Ma didn't even make it to the top 5! No way, Chi is such a great character.

Favourite Female Character
La Femme Desperado -Sheren Tang
Dance of Passion - Ada Choi
Dance of Passion - Gigi Lai
Maiden's Vow - Charmaine Sheh
To Grow With Love -Myolie Wu

Winner: Ada Choi - Dance of Passion
[This time Charmaine came in second and Ada came in first.]

Aww, too bad Ada did not win. But as long as I know the viewers liked Ada, than I'm content.
Best Supporting Actor
Safe Guard - Wayne Lai
Welcome to the House - Lee See Zit
Dance of Passion - Kenny Wong
Love Guaranteed - Paul Chen
Maiden's Vow - Sammul Chan

Winner: Wayne Lai - Safe Guards
[Wayne won by alot of votes, Kenny Wong just made it into Top 5]

Like I said, I am happy Wayne Lai won a lot of viewers' applause because that is all the truly matters.

Best Supporting Actress
Always Ready - Shirley Yeung
Under the Canopy of Love - Natalie Tong
Welcome to the House - Kingdom Yuen
Maiden's Vow - Kiki Sheung
To Grow with Love - Gigi Wong

Winner: Natailie Tong - Under the Canopy of Love
[Shirley Yeung only came in 3rd]

Most Improved Actor
Love Guaranteed - Kenneth Ma
Under the Canopy of Love - Kevin Cheng
Maiden's Vow - Sammul Chan
La Femme Desperado - Michael Tse Teen Wa

Winner: Michael Tse - La Femme Desperado
[Michael Tse won by alot of votes, Sammul Chan came in second, and Kenneth Ma came in 4th]

A bit surprising that with all those series Kenneth was in, he was only fourth place...

Most Improved Actress
Always Ready - Linda Chung
A Pillow of Mystery - Tavia Yeung
Bar Benders - Leila Tong
Forsenic Heroes - Natalie Tong
15/16 - Siw Yee

Winner: Tavia Yeung - A Pillow of Mystery
[Tavia won by alot of votes, Linda only came in 4th]

The actual results are surprising aren't they? I guess Steve Ma isn't that popular eh? I am happy that although Wayne Lai, Ada Choi, Tavia Yeung etc. did not win the award, they have great fan bases. That is really all that matters. What is the point of winning the trophy when you clearly don't deserve it?

At the moment

2006-11-11T16:02:00.001-06:00

I haven’t updated this blog for a long time. You guys are probably wondering what I’ve been up to. Well, I decided that instead of updating news on Ada on this blog, I will make another blog devoted to Ada Choi stuff and goodies. It is messy having my personal thoughts and Ada updates floating here and there. Please do visit and support Ada-Exclusive. If anyone would like to contribute please leave a message in the chatbox. Things like graphic goodies, news translators, screen captures and etc.

This week has been a busy week for me. It is veteran's week and today is also Remembrance Day. It is a very important day for Canadians. I have just been at the march/parade to show my appreciation and respect. I have met about 20+ World War II and/or Korean Veterans and have spoken to a few of them this week. It was a nice experience.

I also saw George on MOD the other day. He is a very attractive and cute guy. Well he’s half Japanese and half English so that explains it. He is so genuine, modest and humble. I really like this guy, hence the new banner change. ;)

Song of the Day -bonus-

2006-10-21T10:45:00.000-06:00

Theme Video

Secret of the Heart Theme

- Sunny, Nick, Ada -

Secret of the Heart Sub 1

- Gallen, Felix, Amy -

Secret of the Heart Sub 2

New Sites!

2006-10-14T22:51:00.000-06:00

Oh my god, I just discovered Gallen Harbour & Heaven Gallord. It's full of so much content. Fans of Gallen must visit this site. It has so many goodies!

Final thoughts on War & Destiny

2006-10-14T17:52:00.000-06:00

If you have known about the Nanking Massacre, this series did not do history justice. Maybe TVB was afraid to be daring and was afraid of arousing controversies in showing the gruesome atrocities that the Japanese had done in the past. That is probably the main reason why this series was warehoused. If you are looking for a historic oriented series, War & Destiny is not one. War disappointed me in that area. It failed to demonstrate the tragic and turbulence times during war - the reason why this series is not a classic. Basically the storyline was okay. The ending was not so good either which pulled down War.

I enjoyed the chemistry between Leila Tong and Ron Ng. However, their relationship was not elaborated on. They focused more on Sunny Chan and Myolie Wu. But I still enjoyed the scenes they shared together. It was simply two youngsters who fell in love during a turbulent time but could not be together due to situations and circumstances. TVB did well in showing the forbidden love between them. And you know, understanding-love always wins me.

The whole time I was rooting for Mandy Cho & Sunny because of the equality between them. There was mutual understanding between them. They both understood each other's intentions and actions. I loved the understanding they shared. When Sunny and Myolie were together, it just felt like...I don't know, like they were siblings. Love or Romance just doesn’t seem like the right words to describe their relationship.

My most favourite character is Leila’s character. She is strong but they also show that she can be weak. She was bitter to be married to a man old enough to be her father. But she sucked it up and accepted her fate and moved on. She was the one who saw things outside the box and she was the one who provided the confused fellows in this series the answers. So I guess her presence was needed for the series. Leila’s performance was very good. I felt her character was genuine. I felt for her. And her crying was thumbs up.

I say Myolie Wu's performance in here was fake, unconvincing and very, very insincere. And awfully dramatic and ‘over-wrought.’ Her character was supposed to be very nice, willing to help others regardless of how bad they treat her, very forgiving and so on. It’s Lost in the Chamber of Love all over again. Her expressions of sadness (when Stepmom yells at her, sister yells at her etc.) were very unconvincing, very fake and very insincere looking. She did not look like she was hurt by their words. I looked fake. I did not feel like her character was genuine or sincere as it is supposed to be. And crying scenes…oh my goodness. I think she broke her boundaries of going as dramatic beyond of what I thought was impossible.

I could not help but notice the similarities between Ivan in Golden Faith and Peng On. Gallen Lo’s Ivan in Golden Faith (people saying he’s too nice and too perfect) was heaps more convincing. Ivan was awfully kind, he held onto hope that Oscar was good. Just like Peng On grasping on hope that she can bring unity among the family. Ivan's family constantly said hurtful words to him because he's not biologically family. But Gallen's eyes looked unfeignedly hurt from their words. He didn't cry but he looked choked. It was convincing and I felt it. With Myolie, it just looked fake and the word I like to use - insincere. Again, another problem Myolie has with interpreting her character.

2006 is a good year for Sunny who broke away from his obedient husband roles. He gave a very solid performance like no other. Despite his perverted looking moustache and geeky hair, it did not affect his performance.

In conclusion is it worth watching? Yes. Is it one of the better 2006 series? Yes. Is it a classic? No.

Ada to Participate in 80 Episode Mega Series

2006-10-13T11:48:00.000-06:00

Confirmed Cast
Ada Choi Siu Fun
Gigi Lai Chi
Maggie Shiu Mei Kei
Bowie Lam
Moses Chan
Wong Hei

Setting
South Africa
China
Japan

For more information, go to:
Idlemindsehseh.blogspot.com
Jayne Stars

I am getting more excited for this. Although the cast is repetitive, we can expect them to give over decent performances. I hope that this series will have some fresh pairings. No more Gigi & Bowie please. It would be too good if Ada & Wong Hei collaborate in the series. This series looks promising and seems to be full of content and not fluff. I'm so excited to hear more from this series!

TVB Anniversary Picks

2006-10-11T14:35:00.000-06:00

My picks are in bold. My comments are in italic. I won't write much since I'm going to include more comments on my year end post. My picks are based on series which I have watched. I have not seen Land of Wealth or Maiden's Vow.

TVB Best Actor Awards
01. Ekin Cheng - Always Ready
02. Kevin Cheng - Under The Conapy Of Love
03. Bosco Wong - Under The Canopy Of Love
04. Steven Ma - Safe Guards
05. Adam Cheng - Bar Bender
06. Chung King Fai - Welcome To The House
07. Raymond Lam - La Femme Desperado
08. Michael Tse - La Femme Desperado
09. Bowie Lam - The Dance Of Passion
10. Moses Chan - The Dance Of Passion
11. Damien Lau - Men In Pain
12. Ron Ng - Men In Pain
13. Bobby Au Yeung - Forensic Heroes
14. Frankie Lam - Forensic Heroes
15. Sunny Chan - Love Guaranteed
16. Kenneth Ma - Love Guaranteed
17. Wong Hei - CIB Files
18. Joe Ma - Maiden's Vow
19. Lawrence Ng - At Home With Love
20. Andy Hiu - Lush Field Happy Times

I would prefer if Sunny was nominated for War & Destiny instead.

TVB Best Actress Awards
01. Liza Wang - When Rules Turn Lose
02. Kenix Kwok - A Pillow Case Of Mystery
03. Niki Chow - Under The Canopy Of Love
04. Shirley Yeung - The Biter Bitten
05. Sheren Tang - La Femme Desperado
06. Ada Choi - The Dance Of Passion
07. Charmaine Sheh - The Dance Of Passion
08. Gigi Lai - The Dance Of Passion
09. Nnadia Chan - Trimming Success
10. Louisa So - Men In Pain
11. Toby Leung - Men In Pain
12. Yoyo Mung - Forensic Heroes
13. Linda Chung - Forensic Heroes
14. Melissa Ng - Love Guaranteed
15. Christine Ng - CIB Files
16. Maggie Siu - CIB Files
17. Charmaine Sheh - Maiden's Vow
18. Sonija Kwok - Land Of Wealth
19. Tavia Yeung - Land Of Wealth
20. Myolie Wu - Lush Field Happy Times

Right now I am rooting for Sheren Tang. It might change after I watch Land of Wealth & Maiden's Vow though.

TVB Best Supporting Actor Awards
01. Ha Yu - Under The Canopy Of Love
02. Wayne Lai - Safe Guards
03. Kwok Fung - Safe Guards
04. Lau Kong - Safe Guards
05. Cheung Chi Kwong - Safe Guards
06. Power Chan - Bar Bender
07. Johnson Lee - Welcome To The House
08. Kenneth Ma - La Femme Desperado
09. Lee Ka Seng - La Femme Desparado
10. Byran Leung - La Femme Desparado
11. Chung King Fai - The Dance Of Passion
12. Kenny Wong - The Dance Of Passion
13. Chan Hung Lit - The Dance Of Passion
14. Lee Seng Cheung - Men In Pain
15. Raymond Cho - Forensic Heroes
16. Paul Chun - Love Guaranteed
17. Sammul Chan - Maiden's Vow
18. John Chiang - Land Of Wealth
19. Lau Dan - Land Of Wealth
20. Jack Wu - Lush Field Happy Times

Most likely Kenny Wong will get this one. I really, really want Wayne Lai or Raymond Cho to win.

TVB Best Supporting Actress Awards
01. Shirley Yeung - Always Ready
02. Natalie Tong - Under The Canopy Of Love
03. Evoone Ho - Under The Canopy Of Love
04. Kingdom Yeun - Welcome To The House
05. Kate Tsui - La Femme Desperado
06. Cindy Au - La Femme Desperado
07. Chow Ka Yee - The Dance Of Passion
08. Helen Ma - The Dance Of Passion
09. Sharon Chan - Trimming Success
10. Halina Tam - Trimming Success
11. Rebecca Chan - Men In Pain
12. Florence Kwok - Men In Pain
13. Akina Hong - Men In Pain
14. Rain Lau - Love Guaranteed
15. Angela Tong - Love Guaranteed
16. Kiki Sheung - Maiden's Vow
17. Clarie Yiu - Land Of Wealth
18. Nancy Wu - At Home With Love
19. Gigi Wong - Lush Field Happy Times
20. Selena Li - Lush Field Happy Times

Florence Kwok since I'm so happy she's back.

Most Favorites Character For Actor Awards
01. Bobby Au Yeung - A Pillow Case Of Mystery
02. Kevin Cheng - Under The Conapy Of Love
03. Bosco Wong - Under The Canopy Of Love
04. Steven Ma - Safe Guards
05. Wayne Lai - Safe Guards
06. Adam Cheng - Bar Bender
07. Cheng Dan Shui - Welcome To The House
08. Raymond Lam - La Femme Desperado
09. Michael Tse - La Femme Desperado
10. Bowie Lam - The Dance Of Passion
11. Moses Chan - The Dance Of Passion
12. Chung King Fai - The Dance Of Passion
13. Kenny Wong - The Dance Of Passion
14. Damien Lau - Men In Pain
15. Ron Ng - Men In Pain
16. Frankie Lam - Forensic Heroes
17. Sunny Chan - Love Guaranteed
18. Wong Hei - CIB Files
19. Joe Ma - Maiden's Vow
20. Andy Hiu - Lush Field Happy Times

Based on character this time. I love Sunny's character in War & Destiny. Steven's Chi is what I call an ideal man.

Most Favorites Character For Actress Awards
01. Liza Wang - When Rules Turn Lose
02. Kenix Kwok - A Pillow Case Of Mystery
03. Niki Chow - Under The Canopy Of LOve
04. Sheren Tang - La Femme Desperado
05. Kate Tsui - La Femme Desperado
06. Melissa Ng - La Femme Desperado
07. Ada Choi - The Dance Of Passion
08. Charmaine Sheh - The Dance Of Passion
09. Gigi Lai - The Dance Of Passion
10. Louisa So - Men In Pain
11. Yoyo Mung - Forensic Heroes
12. Linda Chung - Forensic Heroes
13. Melissa Ng - Love Guaranteed
14. Christine Ng - CIB Files
15. Maggie Siu - CIB Files
16. Charmaine Sheh - Maiden's Vow
17. Sonija Kwok - Land Of Wealth
18. Tavia Yeung - Land Of Wealth
19. Myolie Wu - Lush Field Happy Times
20. Gigi Wong - Lush Field Happy Times

Most Improved Actor Awards
01. Lai Lok Yi - Always Ready
02. Kenneth Ma - The Herbalist Manual, La Femme Desparado, Love Guarenteed, LFHT
03. Kevin Cheng - Under The Canopy Of Love, Trimming Success
04. Steven Ma - Safe Guards, Land Of Wealth
05. Sammul Chan - Bar Benders, Maiden's Vow
06. Raymond Cho - Welcome To The House, Forensic Heroes
07. Johnson Lee - Welcome To The House
08. Michael Tse - La Femme Desperado
09. Vinci Wong - The Dance Of Passion
10. Kenny Wong - The Dance Of Passion
11. Stephen Wong - Trimming Success
12. Ron Ng - Men In Pain
13. Charles Szeto - At Home With Love
14. Jack Wu- Lush Field Happy Times
15. Matthew Ko - Lush Field Happy Times
16. Amigo Chui - Jade Solid Gold
17. Sam Mei - 15/16
18. Ronald Cheng - Beautiful Cooking
19. Edmond Leung - Beautiful Cooking
20. Alex Fong - Beautiful Cooking

I think Steven Ma improved heaps but I want him to win Best Actor instead. I think Sammul should win this one although this award is sceaming "Kevin Cheng!"

Most Improved Actress Awards
01. Linda Chung - Always Ready, The Biter Bitten, Forensic Heroes
02. Selena Li - The Herbalist Manual, Lush Field Happy Times
03. Sharon Chan - Lethal Weapons Of Love And Passion, Trimming Success
04. Tavia Yeung - A Pillow Case of Mystery, Land Of Wealth
05. Elaine Yiu - Safe Guards
06. Shirley Yeung - The Biter Bitten
07. Leila Tong - Bar Benders
08. Sharmon Tang - Welcome To the House
09. Chung Wong - Welcome To The House
10. Kate Tsui - La Femme Desperado
11. Vivien Yeo - Forensic Heroes
12. Chow Ka Yee - The Dance Of Passion
13. Toby Leung - Men In Pain
14. Natalie Tong - Under The Canopy Of Love, Forensic Heroes, Most Important Is Health
15. Nancy Wu - At Home With Love
16. At 17 - Jade Solid Gold
17. Cathy Chow - 回味無窮, 近廚得食
18. Siu Yee - 15/16
19. Clarie Yiu - Most Important Is Health
20. Cindy Au - La Femme Desperado, 心大心細

Selena Li improved a lot this year. She is deserving of this name. Although Leila Tong is way overdue... But Linda Chung definitely will get this award. sighh

Best Series Awards
01. Always Ready
02. The Herbalist's Manual
03. When Rules Turn Lose
04. Greed Mask
05. Lethal Weapons Of Love And Passion
06. A Pillow Case Of Mystery
07. Under The Canopy Of Love
08. Safe Guards
09. The Biter Bitten
10. Bar Bender
11. Welcome To The House
12. La Femme Desperado
13. The Dance Of Passion
14. Trimming Success
15. Men In Pain
16. Forensic Heroes
17. Love Guaranteed
18. CIB Files
19. Maiden's Vow
20. Land Of Wealth
21. At Home With Love
22. 肥田囍事

List Credits to TvbChineseNews.blogspot.com

Ada's Magazine Scans - September

2006-10-09T10:40:00.000-06:00

Credits to adachoi.cn

Song of the Day

2006-10-09T09:37:00.000-06:00

Nicholas Tse - Yellow

Overview : Secret Battle of the Majesty

2006-09-24T18:52:00.000-06:00

English Title: Secret Battle of the Majesty
Chinese Title: Kwan Lam Tin Ha
Vietnamese Title: Cuu Vuong Doat Ngoi
No. Episodes: 40
Year Released: '94
Cast:
Kwong Wa
Lawrence Yan
Kwok Fung
Kent Tong
Poon Chi Man
Erica Choi
Annie Man

Verdict
If you love series based on quarrels and fights among the palace, Secret Battle of the Majesty is the one to watch. It might not have the best choreography or the most glam costumes or breath taking sceneries but it is a really appealing, addictive and an emotional series. Secret Battle of the Majesty is a classic.

Characters
Kwok Fung as Prince No.2
Prince No.2 is the most loved son of Hong Hei simply because he is the only child from Hong Hei's beloved concubine. Prince No.2 was made the successor who would rule the kingdom once the emperor dies. He is made the successor neither because he is noble or intelligent but because the emperor simply loves this son for no good reason at all. He slept with one of his father's concubines, murders, attempted to kill his father etc. Even with all that, his father still loves him very much and would always forgive him regardless of how outrageous he is. What is Prince No. 4 to do with him in the way? He has to rid him because the emperor simply would not give anyone a chance with this arrogant prick in the way. He had a lady seduce Prince No.2 who later poisons him to insanity. With him out of the way, there are now more opportunities for other candidates to be elected as crown prince.

Kwong Wa as Prince No.4
Prince No.4 is unflavored from his father. His father felt that he had been too ruthless from executing some generals in the past and becomes totally biased against him ever since. During a hunting trip, his fellow brother No. 2 drugs him and thus, causes him to rape a peasant woman who later becomes his most beloved concubine. His father goes berserk and locks him up for years under Prince No.2's control where he endured hardships. During the course of those years he met Nin Kang Yew who is ordered from Prince No.2 to guard him. They become friends and vows to achieve greatness. Prince No.4 is released after Prince No.2’s failed attempt to kill the emperor. It appears that Miu Yan, who was the lady that Prince No.4 raped, gave birth to a baby boy. Prince No.4 wants to bring the baby into the palace but his father absolutely refuses. His father tells him, “It’s either the baby stays and you leave.” And so, Prince No.4 leaves. He was told that his grandpa is actually still alive and he is currently resting at a monastery. He embarks on a trip to search for his grandpa where he hoped that his grandpa will give him approval to come back to the palace. Before he leaves, he uses all the money he had to buy Nin Kang Yew a placement in the army. He earns Nin Kang Yew’s dead loyalty after that. On his journey to the monastery, he befriends a very intelligent man named Tai Fu who plays a huge role in his success later on in the series. His grandpa believes that Prince No.4 is made to be emperor so before he died; he wrote a letter to the emperor telling him that Prince No.4 must be made emperor. On his trip back to the palace, his brothers tried to assassinate him but were unsuccessful. Hong Hei did not promote Prince No.4 the successor but instead he promoted him a duke even when he had his grandpa’s will. Prince No.4 becomes bitter and vows to get the throne by all means. And I mean he would do anything to achieve his sole purpose.

I would not say he is evil after he becomes a little more ruthless. Circumstances and situations force him to become unrelenting to achieve the throne. He had to do what he had to do. His brothers, his lover, the monks all went against.

So what were the reasons why they went against him as emperor?

1. He killed his blood father to achieve his ultimate purpose which is to become emperor.
Prince No. 4 is the best candidate from the brothers who has the potential and qualities to rule the whole nation. His other brothers are too stupid, too arrogant or downright too soft. Only someone who is shrewd and cunning can cut it as emperor and Prince No. 4 definitely has the intelligence. His father is too biased against him. It does not matter how hard Prince No.4 worked, his father will never give him the chance. Prince No.4 had no choice but to kill his father off. I am not saying this act is the right or moral thing to do; in fact, I think it is an unfilial act. I do understand why had to kill him.

2. He killed his own brothers.
Prince No.4 did not kill any of his brothers to acheive the throne. He killed his brothers after he gets the throne. Why? Because they tried to overthrow him. They rebelled against him repetitively. He gave them all a second chance and he gave them the opportunity to assist him in ruling the country. But nope, they wanted to be emperor and therefore created multiple plans to overthrow him. But of course, Prince No.4 is too intelligent to fall into their trap holes. The winner becomes emperor while the losers becomes the beggar. All his brothers were against him and pledges to avenge for their father. When really most of them were not against Prince No.4 because he killed their father but it was because they simply wanted to be emperor. What was Prince No.4 to do when all his brothers are trying to kill him? Shall he stand there and do nothing and let them kill him first? How many times have they attempted to kill him? Not once, but twice or even more than twice. First time they betray, Prince No.4 forgives. Second time they betray, Prince No.4 kills. Prince No.4 had to kill his brothers under those circumstances to protect him and the nation.

3. He forced his mother to her dead bed.
Prince No.4 did not tell his mother that "If you kill yourself then I'll ….." His mother committed suicide herself without the influence of anyone. I think it is ridiculous that his brothers dumped the responsibility of her death onto him.

It is funny that the brothers say Prince No.4 should not be emperor because he killed his own father and flesh blood brothers. When indeed they also attempted to kill Prince No.4 too who is still their brother after all. They are hypocrites. They say that Prince No.4 “killed” his brothers is an immoral and inhuman act and therefore they shall kill Prince No.4 to avenge for the so called victims. And yet they try to kill him who is their brother regardless. I do not see how it makes their actions more justified than what Prince No.4 had done. They can not understand that while Prince No.4 did crawl over dead bodies to achieve the throne, he is a good emperor after all! The citizens loved him. As Prince No.4 said to Prince No.14, “I killed my father; I killed my brothers to achieve the throne. Who in this country have never heard about this? However they are not cursing at me for my coldness but they are in fact cursing at you for rebelling.” The citizens loved him as the emperor and did not like the idea of his brothers trying to overthrow him. Like I said, Prince No.4 does bad things but he is a good emperor and that is all that should matter.

The Turning Points of Prince No.4
There are two turning points actually. The transition of his character was developed very smoothly.

1. When he comes back to the palace with his grandpa's will which states that the emperor must promote Prince No.4 the successor. His biased father feels that Prince No.4 is incapable of ruling the nation, thus promotes him as a duke instead. He burns the will in front of Prince No.4. Prince No.4 is full of angst (wonderfully portrayed by Kwong Wa). Prince No.4 learned from this experience that no matter how hard he worked, his father would never change his view against him.

2. Prince No.2 gets locked up after he failed to assassinate the emperor. But because Hong Hei loves this son so dearly, he releases him. Prince No.2 goes back into power and is named the successor. He did not change one twit during the years he was locked up. He is still the arrogant prince. He forced Prince No.4 into drinking his urine. Prince No.4 was very angry that his father can promote someone like Prince No.2 as his successor. He did however endure that one minute of humiliation and moved on to do bigger and better things.

Lawrence Yan as Prince No.14
Prince No.14 is another son who Hong Hei loved too. He had no intention whatsoever to be emperor. He may be nice and noble but he can never rule the country simply because he is too nice. He would most likely lose out to those who are more ruthless and cunning than he is. At first, he didn’t believe it when people kept telling him that Prince No.4 killed his father to become emperor. He did however go in doubt after he discovered that his father made him his successor but somehow in his father’s will he was not made emperor but Prince No.4 was. He later attempted to overthrow Prince No.4 three times. He failed and he was executed from Prince No.4 with poison wine.

Most Pitiful Characters

First one the pops to mind is Nin Kang Yew. He is the most loyal assistant you can ever ask for. For Prince No.2, he was willing to kill his own sister, give up his lover and die for him. He was so loyal to Prince No. 4 because Prince No.4 used all his fortune to buy him a position in the army. He then owned himself to Prince No.4. He treated Prince No.4 as his friend, his equal. When Prince No.4 fell out with Miu Yan, Prince No.4 became so affected that he couldn’t govern. Nin Kang Yew went to beat up Miu Yan because he felt that she was the cause of all this. Miu Yan fell into a coma after Nin Kang Yew beat her up. Prince No.4 went angry and demoted him as a normal soldier. His loyal soldiers were angry for Nin Kang Yew and felt displeased with the emperor’s decisions because Nin Kan Yew fought so hard for the kingdom and the emperor. They told him to rebel against the emperor and that he has their full support. Nin Kan Yew did not rebel. He remained loyal to the emperor even when the emperor presented him with poison wine, he was still loyal. He died loyal. Prince No.4 did not regret any of his actions even when he died. If Prince No.4 had the chance to go back in time, would he still have done what he did? Would he still have chosen to kill his father? Yes he still would have done the same thing. He did however regret one thing. This was executing Nin Kang Yew who was his only companion and friend. That was his deepest regret.

Most Hateful Characters
I do not hate Prince No.4. I indeed pitied him because nobody understood why he did what he did besides his loyal servants. Nobody was there to share his happiness and triumphs. There is no such thing as justice in the palace. Only the shrewd and cunning ones survive. Prince No.4 was a lonely man. I pitied him.

In fact I dislike Miu Yan, the monks, the brothers (except prince no.14). In other words, I disliked everyone who went in Prince No.4’s way.

Theme Videos

Part I

Part II

- Specials -

These are some clips I managed to extract. I had trouble ripping them. I wanted to upload more prominent scenes but I just couldn't. I guess these will do.

Performance Evaluation
Kwong Wa was the shining star! His eyes speak so much volume. So much hatred, so much angst when he faced his enemies. And yet to Miu Yan, his eyes turn soft and his smiles so sincere. You would not hate Prince No.4 at all because Kwong Wa made him so endearing and so easy to love. And he looks absolutely ravishing in emperor attire. His physique and looks just suits perfectly. There is nobody, and I mean nobody who has his look to carry out emperor roles at all.

The actor that played Nin Kang Yew was also very good. His body frame is suitable as the captain of the army. He is so big (not fat) that it looked like he can squash anyone with his thumb. He was very dominant and gave a feeling of authority and righteous. A very good performance.

Lawrence Yan who played Prince No.14 was really good too. He played the wussy-ness and indecisive part of his character very well.

Aside from Erica Choi who gave a decent performance, all the other actresses were no different than a log of wood.

Song of the Day

2006-09-21T21:25:00.000-06:00

Hinder - Lips of an Angel
No TVB themes this time. While I was listenning to the radio, this song started playing. It's just so wonderful and I love it. So, I go on youtube and I tried to find the music video. I couldn't find it. Instead I found a MV with Hither's "Lips of an Angel." So here you guys have, a Harry & Hermione fanmade MV.

Dance of Passion Gallery Complete

2006-09-19T18:16:00.000-06:00

Episodes 29, 30, 31 & 32
Whew, what a journey Dance of Passion has been. There are no subtitles in the last two episodes. Just for you guys. ;)

Check Up

2006-09-16T16:33:00.000-06:00

I am terribly sorry for not updating for so long. As you guys know, I’ve been at school for two weeks already. During the weekdays, I get home a four o’clock and I spend most of my time doing homework. Fridays are days where I spend time with my friends at the movies. Saturdays, I’m out at poolhall. And Sunday is family day. I finally squeezed out some time to write this up. Yes, yes, I'm a busy body.

I’ve done Dance of Passion Episodes 27 & 28. Come and join the
Secret Battle of the Majesty thread at spcnet.tv where I uploaded a mound of caps. I'm going to do episodic captures for Land of Wealth when it is released in Vietnamese. I want to free myself from all possible spoilers because I want to enjoy the excitement and the unknown. I might do episodic captures for Maiden's Vow if it turns out good.

I've read at tvbspace that a veteran actor named Kwan Hoi San who passed away September 11/06 at the age of 82. I recognized this actor who played many roles in the 80's and 90's. He appeared in Looking Back in Anger, Cold Blood Warm heart, Plain Love and a lot more. I just want to say, RIP Kwan Hoi San.

Song of the Day

2006-09-09T12:09:00.000-06:00

Andy Lau - Burning Flame Theme
Full MV of Burning Flame I

Land of Weath Pictures

2006-09-03T12:28:00.000-06:00

Tavia Yeung looks so, so pretty in her costume. Go to this
Link for more pictures. Land of Weath is definitely my most anticipated series of 2006!

Strike Gold Performance : Dicky Cheung

2006-09-02T07:18:00.000-06:00

Intro: Strike Gold Performance is a new and on-going feature which is going to acknowledge a golden performance from an actor or actress which is perhaps their best performance in their whole acting career. This is a one time classic performance which is difficult to top if given the role to another actor. You possibly would not see another performance quite like it from them ever again.

Dicky Cheung as the Monkey God is perhaps his best work up to date and also the best Monkey portrayal ever. He is so cute, so adorable and much so handsome dressed in his monkey attire. His short statue suits the Monkey and it also makes him look cuter. He is what you would imagine as a monkey who hates authority, very rebellious, very active, has an attitude problem but has a good heart. How can anyone forget his “Yo!” or “The Handsome Monkey King of the Fruit and Flower Mountain” statements? Dicky is always prancing around, never sitting still. He is always so active, energetic and adventurous. The way he moves is stylish, it is like dancing but also very sporty and kung-fu ish. Dicky put his heart into this character and makes the Monkey so lively and it shows. His portrayal as the Monkey god is definitely the peak of his career and years after Dicky has been given nothing but characters with similar traits as the Monkey god because of this one, fine, classic performance.

Plug-Ins

Picture of the Week

2006-09-01T17:33:00.000-06:00

Downloads:
Jiu Yuk MV 1
Jiu Yuk MV 2

Thoughts - Dance of Passion Episodes 22-26 1/2 [17-20]

2006-09-01T16:14:00.000-06:00

Episodes 22, 23, 24, 25, 26
I like Dance of Passion but not loving it just yet. Maybe after I have watched the ending, I’ll conclude if I love it or not. After 15 episodes into Dance, I became accustom to it and the more I appreciate it. Dance does grow on you, and I am able to see the beauty of this series. The script is unique (as my sister puts it), the dialogues are linguistic, each word spoke is spoken with such depth and hidden meanings and the sceneries are beyond beautiful. Dance requires philosophizing, thinking, analytical skills and most of all, patience. I definitely do not recommend Dance if you’re impatience because you’ll fail to appreciate it.

The thing with Dance is it’s either your cup of tea or it’s not. The script is well written. It’s sophisticated and very cleverly written. It all boils down if you like it or you don’t. It has nothing to do with Dance being a bad script/series because it’s not. I can see why someone might not like it, though. The only fault Dance might have is the dramatic scenes are not dramatic enough.

Now I just think Ming Fung is stupid. At the beginning, she could’ve have been considered clever because she could right through people and know their real intentions. I see her in a whole new light after the incident where she tried to kick Jiu Yuk and Tung Sing out of Yim Fortress. She really is stupid. Not only is she stupid, she’s cocky and she’s arrogant. She understands people well, she understands their intentions but man are her plans always, always ever so flawed! This was her fourth plan so far in the series which are yet again, flawed! Seriously! I understand that Ming Fung wanted to destroy potential threats to Man Hei but jeebus, come up with a better plan, woman! How could she blame Man Hei for distrusting her when she has never proved herself worthy of his trust considering her rash actions? How could he count on her to do anything let alone reveal to her his secrets?

I love Jiu Yuk and Man Hei! No it’s not because it’s Ada. It’s because I love Jiu Yuk and Man Hei who are the two only intelligent and useful people. They understand each other, they think alike, and they handle problems with the same tactic. Seeing your man sharing an invisible and mutual understanding beyond words with another woman, no wonder Ming Fung is burning with jealously. Jiu Yuk and Man Hei have reached a level of understanding that Ming Fung is never able to reach.

Random Things.

2006-08-27T14:52:00.000-06:00

A short but sweet MV created by Tokaysoul. I uploaded a few clips from Golden Faith onto youtube. Just go to this Link. It is Vietnamese Dubbed.

Song of the Day

2006-08-25T15:29:00.000-06:00

Jackie Cheung - Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain Theme

War & Destiny Screen Captures - Episodes 29 & 30 - END

2006-08-25T13:35:00.000-06:00

War & Destiny Gallery

War & Destiny Screen Captures - Episode 27

2006-08-23T15:29:00.000-06:00

Episode 27 & 28

Thoughts - Dance of Passion Episodes 17-21 [13 - 16]

2006-08-23T12:41:00.000-06:00

Episodes 17, 18, 19, 20 & 21 galleries are done. I noticed that the DVDs that I rent doesn't have the yellow tint compared to the Chinese ones I have. I much prefer the yellow tint.

Finally some drama! Dance of Passion is becoming more intriguing. Before, I felt like an observer and I didn’t really care for any of the characters. Now, I’m really getting into in to it. Thank goodness there are not many Kenny & Maggie scenes anymore. I dread Kenny scenes. Especially his little chats with Moses which are utterly boring and pointless.

“I wanted to keep the news about Chun Fen being abducted on the low but Tung Yeung goes around telling everyone. I brought Chun Fen down the mountain to avoid rumors. But the Heavens is not lavishing us water. And now house burnings. What can I do now?” I pity Jiu Yuk, no one really understands her and her intentions besides Man Hei. She tried her best to save Chun Fen but bad luck just got the better. There was really nothing left that Jiu Yuk could have done. Ting Hiu’s death came so unexpectedly that it serve Jiu Yuk a huge blow. Jiu Yuk lost all direction in life. It is going to be interesting to see how Man Hei assists Jiu Yuk during her most difficult time.

I am disappointed with Tung Shing. He wants to avenge for Siu-Cheuk but has no plan. Even more stupid, he has no factual proof that Man Hei is the one who violated Siu-Cheuk. Heck, Man Hei doesn’t even fit the description of 'jeung bui,’ Tung Shing just assumes it is Man Hei because of his prejudice. Like what Mao To told him, “For revenge, you lose your friends. For revenge you lose your lover. So what if you succeed? In the end, what do you have left?” Siu Kam is probably lying to him so he can stay with her!

Kwok Yip is a foul and repugnant old man. He appears to be a peaceful old man who spends his time leisurely who could careless about what is happening in the world but he really understands clearly what’s going around him. He wants Man Hei as a puppet so he can control him. I think this man has issues. Something must have happened to him in the past to make him such a controlling, no disobedience-tolerance man. I hope more is revealed about this creep in later episodes. I don’t think he’ll just leave like that.

I am disappointed that they didn’t reveal much about Florence Kwok’s character and what happened to her during those years. I am even more disappointed her total screen time lasted only 5 minutes. What a waste of a talented actress! I wished they would have elaborated more on Florence and her story with Mark Kwok. Mark Kwok looks so attractive. His character seems very interesting too.

I thought that scene when Ada was crying and cursing at the ancestors was a bit weird. I don't think it is Ada's fault. It is probably the director or someone trying to make the scene dramatic. It’s just like the scene when Yu Yuet was begging Tung Yeung for forgiveness while she was being dragged on the ground. It's just awkward. However she absolutely nailed the scene when she held Ting Hui's hand crying. Also the scene when Man Hei came to Tung Hiu's funeral. Her lips and everything were trembling.

Charmaine Sheh's crying scenes were done well. I think Charmaine captured the innocence of Chun Fen very well. She has some chemistry with Moses too. On Episode 18 when Ming Fung wanted to run into the building that was blazing with fire was very touching. Gigi Lai did well in that scene. Other than that, she did not have much screen time. Bowie Lam remains the same. Man Hei loves his wife so dearly. Man Hei grasps onto the hope that his wife is still alive and is somewhere out there. You'll think that when they finally reunite, Man Hei would be totally speechless when they meet and he'd be shocked with tears. However it wasn't like that. Bowie didn't even look happy or teary. That scene could've been better.

War & Destiny Screen Captures - Episode 26

2006-08-22T16:53:00.000-06:00

Episode Twenty-Six

War & Destiny Screen Captures - Episode 25

2006-08-21T15:40:00.000-06:00

Episode Twenty-Five

TVB Actors in the Limelight : Veterans

2006-08-21T14:03:00.000-06:00

Intro: I am one of the few fans who pay special attention to supporting actors. I feel that having a great supporting team boosts up a quality of a series and makes a series more enjoyable. Unfortunately, supporting actors usually do not receive the recognition they deserve. Despite that, some remains loyal to TVB and continues acting because it’s their passion. Today, I’m going to acknowledge these [former] supporting actors.

Some of you might recognize this former TVB actor. He has played many roles during the 90’s. You might remember him from A Matter of Business where he played a witty and conniving character or Journey to West II, where he played Derek Kwok’s sidekick. I think the role people would remember him most is in Burning Flame where he trained Wong Hei and others into firefighters. I think Danny Summer is an extremely versatile actor who has a strong presence on screen. He does not act anymore and is currently working on his singing career which is not surprising since he entered the entertanment industry from singing in 1979.

Ah Wai might not have the looks but he certainly always nails his performances. I think he is very fun to watch on screen. You know, some people just have that charm to them that makes them so likeable. Ah Wai is appearing on screen much less than before and the characters that he has been receiving are becoming less and less important. Just look at Safe Guards and War & Destiny. I hope TVB treasures this talent that they have in their hands and use him well.

Ah, the no other than Liu Kai Chi. He is a fantastic actor! He’s been acting since the 80’s! His roles in the 80’s are more substantial in the past than now. He did very well in Ultra Protection. In Ultra, he plays a loyal gangster who has difficulty providing a stable life for his girlfriend and daughter. If I’m not wrong, he is currently acting for ATV. After the death of his son, I don't think he'll return to TVB any time soon since TVB pays very cheap.

Paul Chun is probably the most well known veteran. His performances are always consistent and solid. He has appeared in many grand production such as At the Threshold of an Era & Secret of the Heart. He is appearing less in TVB series but nevertheless, he is still acting. I don’t think the roles that he’s been getting lately challenges him in any way though. You can always count on him and his acting.

Wong Wai is one of the few actors who are able to naturally emit a noble aura. This is why he is so suitable in ancient series. He started off his career in ATV in the 1970's and in the 1990's, he left ATV and joined TVB. Many people consider him one of the classic villains because of his phenomenal performance in State of Divinity 96. He is exceptionally great in State of Divinity 96 as Jing Yong's classic villain, Yue Buqun. His conniving looks and smirks are so convincing. Even though Wong Wai always emits a noble aura, he is still superb in villain roles. Wong Wai has retired and is currently enjoying a peaceful life in Vancouver, Canada.

Law Lok Lam is the first to play Yeung Guo in Jing Yong's Return of the Condor Heroes in 1977. I have not watched that version of Return, because it is just too rare. Law Lok Lam is the perfect actor to play semi villains. He has the deadly eyes that can knock you off your feet. He is still acting for TVB although he appears very scarcely. He said in a recent interview that he will stop acting when producers stop giving him roles. So the chances of him retiring are very slim.

Poon Chi Man appeared in many series during the 90’s. He has taken part of many grand productions such as Cold Blood Warm Heart, Journey to the West, Demi Gods & Semi Devils 97, etc. He does not act anymore. If someone can kindly tell me what he’s doing now, it’ll be great. I think Poon Chi Man is very suitable in ancient eras. He scarily shares a close resemblence with Waise Lee.

Hiu Shiu Hung is a recognizable veteran among the younger generation as well. Like Ah Wai, I also think he has the likeable charm to him. He is appearing in many TVB dramas now. I think he always has great chemistry with his co-stars, whether son-to-father or friends espeically with Roger Kwok. Tai Chi Wai is so well known for always playing the gangster roles. I must say though, he is best fit for the leader of the mafia. He no longer acts for TVB anymore.

Additional Comments: I absolutely adore all these veterans! I surely do miss their presence in series. All images are from this Link. That site has a vast number of pictures and the actors' names. From main to the last bystander, you name it. I will continue this feature to more actors who are younger and receive slightly bigger roles.

War & Destiny Screen Captures - Episode 24

2006-08-20T15:58:00.000-06:00

Episode Twenty-Four

War & Destiny Screen Captures - Episode 23

2006-08-19T10:08:00.000-06:00

Episode Twenty-Three

War & Destiny Screen Captures - Episode 22

2006-08-18T23:25:00.000-06:00

Episode Twenty-Two

Thoughts - Dance of Passion Episodes 9 -16 [7-12]

2006-08-18T13:03:00.000-06:00

Tung Yeung and Ming Fung have the honour for being the two most sheep-ed brain and most annoying characters. I wanted to scream and shout in their face and shake them to get them to wake up from their simplistic way of thinking. They have lived in this community for a long period and yet they think people will think Chun Fen is clean after being abducted. Okay, with Ming Fung, it is forgivable since she studied elsewhere for a period of time. But is Tung Yeung that naïve? This guy only has the rashness but not the brains. After Chun Fen was punished to do the "kneel & 3 bows," Jiu Yuk said "I daresay the days a head of Chun Fen will be more difficult." Tung Yeung replied saying, "What do you want to do to Chun fen?!" I was like, 'woaah,' so quick to snap back eh?' All Jiu Yuk was doing was stating a fact but Tung Yeung was so quick to snap back and accused her of wanting to harm Chun Fen. That is the sole reason why they are annoying. They are so keen to snap back and miss the point being said. All in all, I have to say these characters only have the mouth to yell at people but no actions! So much for "helpin" Chun Fen! More like making her life more difficult than it already is!

Do they share the resemblance? At least Kenny does a bit. They are so quick to bite off peoples' heads.

The more I watch Dance of Passion, the less evil I think Jiu Yuk is. All her actions are to keep her family's reputation good, prepare the best for her son's future and to protect herself. She did not commit any actions so far to make me dislike her. I like her patience and tolerance also. If I was her, I would have kicked Ming Fung out of my house ages ago. I like how she works her brain around things to solve problems.

I pity Chun Fen for being put to ignorance of everything that is happening to her. When she told Gwai Lan about how she is confused with who it was who slept with her that night. Gwai Lan replied saying, "These type of things you have to go and ask ME? He's your husband, these types of things you should know!" Like what Tung Sing said to Tung Yeung. Even after all the bad luck that occurred on Chun Fen, Chun Fen did not lose her good heart and good nature. Poor Chun Fen, she is always taken out as a scapegoat for everything that goes wrong.

I dislike this woman more and more! From simply adoring her directness and boldness to stand up for herself as a woman to hating her guts and what-I-do-is-right thinking. Why must she always assume everything? Why does she always think she is right? She assumes Jiu Yuk wants the worst for Chun Fen when all Jiu Yuk is doing is thinking for the better of Chun Fen and her future! She is always questioning peoples' intentions. I am also thinking why must she make her apologies sound so insincere and rude? What annoys me is the way this woman talks to people. Just the way she talks to Jiu Yuk, Man Hei, Tung Sing, comes off so rude and even to the point of being b----y. She questions and yells at everybody. For example, when Yu Yuet was burning Chun Fen's clothes, Ming Fung was so quick to snap back and assumed that Yu Yuet was thinking Chun Fen is 'dirty.' The only thing I like about her is she makes a good friend.

I like Man Hei. He is not the tough cookie he appears to be. Tung Shing on the other hand is becoming disappointing. He wants to avenge for his dear Siu-Cheuk but he did not do anything clever or damaging yet. I feel sorry for him for always being beaten up. Even though I think Tung Shing is quite useless, I like the way he cares for Chun Fen. Yu Yuet is a difficult character to understand. I really do not understand why she does what she does. Maybe it is because Maggie Siu once again did not dig deeper into her character. I find Gwai Lan and Kwok Yip the most fascinating characters. Gwai Lan already died. The more they reveal on Kwok Yip, the more interesting he becomes. Jiu Yuk’s son and Mat To are the only useful and clever males in Dance.

The actor that plays Kwok Yip, Bowie's father is really good. The way he transforms his kind face to a rugged man is so good! He looks like such a nice old man but really pernicious in disguise. He surely did fool me. Helen Ma is also so excellent. She is so wicked and spooky. Maybe it is because she already has the look so there really isn't much left to do. But she is awesome.

Ada Choi once again did not have much to do. But, I thought her flashback scene was done very well. Charmaine Sheh is doing a mediocre job. When she lost her baby was good potential scene to provoke some tears but she failed to do so. Kenny Wong is so bland with his acting. How did he get so much recognition with this useless character and flat acting? Tut, tut, it must be his body that's doing the trick! Maggie Siu does not impress me one bit. When she was begging Ting Yeung for forgiveness was so dramatic and very opera-ish done.

Gigi Lai started of strong but she falters afterwards. I completely loathe the way she talks. She pauses so frequently now when she talks. She says something, then pauses, continues, pauses and it goes on like that. She needs to get a move on it and speak faster. She is dragging the dialogues much longer than needed. Sometimes when she talks her body is completely postured straight, and her neck is still as a stone. The only thing that is moving is her lips. It’s weird and awkward. The scene when Man Hei was shooting bottles and Ming Fung was behind him crying was done horrible. I did not see any tears at all.

I must praise the script writers for writing such deep dialogues and it is very poetic sometimes too! I thought the whole ‘broken palm’ thing is very clever. Kudos to the script writers! Here is an excerpt from Episode 11. This is beautifully translated by Funn Lim at Seh Seh's Blog!

The fate of those who lives on this Earth are determined by the Heavens and not by oneself,
It is said those who are fortunate shall be blessed with many children,
Those who are unfortunate shall have to learn to live with the taste of a life of a thousand sorrows
It is true
If you think that this is my story alone,
I can assure you,
I am not alone in the world of the unfortunate ones.
But the more the Heavens dictate on me an unfortunate fate,
The more I do not believe in fate
Even if the lines on my palm are broken,
I shall use this palm to pave my own path
Because I believe my fate is not determined by the Heavens,
But by oneself.

The sparks between Ada and Bowie just shot off like the firecrackers in the background. Okay, I'm exaggerating but I'm really interested in the relationship. There is so much mutual understanding.

Quote Mania

I must let all the men know, even if women lead a more difficult life, we are still capable of smiling above you! - Jiu Yuk

Everyone has secrets, we don’t need to know, and we do not need ask. - Jui Yuk

I do not believe in fate. Sometimes when you make a mistake, fate just becomes an excuse for you to take the easy way out. - Ming Fung

It’s difficult to dictate something wrong or right from first impressions. – Mat To

Sometimes when you hold onto something for so long, you might not even know exactly what it is you’re grasping on. It is only when you choose to let go, does the picture become clear. – Mat To

Dance of Passion Screen Captures Episode 16

Episode Sixteen

I've decided, I'm going to fix up my DOP gallery and delete some images. It's bothering me so much.

War & Destiny Screen Captures - Episode 21

2006-08-18T11:17:00.000-06:00

Episode Twenty-One

Face to Fate - To Watch or Not To?

2006-08-17T09:07:00.000-06:00

Reasons to Watch Face to Fate

Although I don't like Tavia Yeung or Nancy, the chemistry between Tavia-Raymond & Nancy-Derek is already sizzling from the theme video.
Great supporting casts [Fiona Yuen, Ah Wai, Derek Kwok, John Chiang, Mark Kwok]
The Gorgeous costumes and very unique hair styles!
Selina Li. I think she is improving quite fast!
Raymond Lam turns evil. This is a must see. I think he did fairly okay in Golden Faith & A Step into the Past.
Raymond Lam with white hair!

Reasons Not to Watch Face to Fate

Tavia Yeung. I'm afraid she'll let me down again and I'll dislike her even more.
Frankie Lam in his typical scholar, good-boy role. Bo-oring. Does he ever get sick of it?
TVB once again attempting to use special effects. *sigh* When will they realize their speical effects looks so ridiculous?
The whole Good vs. Evil plot. TVB is not so great with these plots.
The producer is Kwan Wing Chung who did Scavenger's Paradise, Net Deception & Placebo Care. I'm not a fan of any of the dramas.
A whopping 30 episodes with rather weak leads.

Face to Fate Theme Video

Song of the Day

2006-08-17T06:07:00.001-06:00

Danny Chan - Theme Song
Wong Kit - Sub Theme

Looking Back in Anger was a huge hit when it was released in 1988. I read somewhere that it had the highest ratings in the 80's and remains the most rented VCD of all times. Somehow I'm not surprised. Looking Back in Anger is an excellent series and the cast delivered nothing less than perfect. Felix Wong, Carina Lau & Deric Wan were simply flawless. The ending was the best part of the series. I won't spoil it for you, but the ending is beautiful.

Okay enough about the series. I think it is time TVB have real singers to sing their theme songs! Too bad Danny Chan is no longer with us today. Danny's "What do you want in life?" is a classic. Wong Kit's Sub is also amazing. I've heard many different versions of it but these remains the best!

War & Destiny Sceen Captures - Episode 20

2006-08-17T06:07:00.000-06:00

Episode Twenty

Overview : Golden Faith

2006-08-16T09:47:00.000-06:00

Producer: Tommy Leung Kar Shu
No. Episodes: 45
Year Released: 2002
Casts:
Gallen Lo
Deric Wan
Jessica Hsuan
Raymond Lam
Michelle Yip
Paul Chun
Gigi Wong
Shek Sau
Anne Heung
Myolie Wu
Power Chan
Tavia Yueng

Comments
What makes this series memorable is not the plot itself, which I found very intriguing and nicely written, but it is the characters and relationships that are so profoundly written. Once you watch more of Golden Faith, you get to know these characters better, everything just becomes a journey. I must praise the scriptwriters for painting us such a vivid portrait of these characters that we come to understand their feelings and actions. The bond between the characters whether son to father, sisterhood, brotherhood, lovers are all powerfully written and acted out. The characters and rapports is one of the BEST written ever.

The Casts
Gallen Lo gives Ivan so much depth and it is no longer I am watching Gallen Lo - the actor portraying his character on the screen, but I am watching this character and journeying with him as he faces problem after problem. He makes Ivan seem so real that sometimes I forget that this is only a series and this character does not actually exist. Watching Gallen Lo act, he emotes a heavy and suffocating aura like he could not sit down and breathe and relax. Ivan is a man with many responsibilities and baggage and burdens so naturally Ivan is a stressed and strained man. No novice actor will be able to emit such a tiresome and burdened feeling, only a very experienced actor like Gallen can do the magic. I really think Gallen is in his own caliber, and he is untouchable. He can exude so many emotions with simply his eyes alone, it is absolutely amazing. What a phenomenal, charming and lustrous actor. This was a great way to wrap up his whole TVB career before leaving.

Jessica Hsuan nailed her performance. Golden is one of the few, rare series that Jessica did well in. I thought the scene when she cried on the airplane is done very well. Myolie Wu is simply exquisite as Ivan's mentally ill sister. Her exaggerated and hyperactive acting becomes suitable for her character. I do not feel that Chung Sau Hong challenged Deric Wan in any way. Is it just me or Deric looks more like Gallen's older brother? The minor casts such as Ah Wai, Paul Chun, Lau Dan, and Hui Siu Hung are simply amazing as usual. Great minor actors always boost up the quality of a series. We are lacking great actors like them nowadays. Unfortunately some don't act anymore or do not appear as often. Do not take them for granted! They really do make a series so much better.

Chemistry Factor

Like I had said before, the relationships in Golden are written with a lot of passion. There is not one relationship where I did not enjoy watching. Jessica's chemistry between Gallen is undeniable. When they look at each other, their eyes are shining with happiness. I will get tomatoes thrown at me for saying this. Gallen and Jessica are more compatible than Louis and Jessica. They look better physically and their chemistry is mounds much more. The chemistry between Gallen and Myolie Wu is also excellent. When Gallen looks at Myolie, all his problems and baggage just seems to float off his shoulders. In conclusion, all the relationships are great!

Theme Video

*Specials
Golden Faith Clips *Vietnamese Dubbed

Additional Comments
Like another Golden Faith, producer Tommy Leung is going to be producing the 60 episode mega production with similar casts from Golden Faith. The casts include, Gallen Lo (has yet to confirm himself), Jessica Hsuan, Raymond Lam & Myolie Wu.

War & Destiny Screen Captures - Episode 19

2006-08-16T07:59:00.000-06:00

Episode Nineteen

War & Destiny Screen Captures - Episode 18

2006-08-14T07:05:00.000-06:00

Episode Eighteen

War & Destiny Screen Captures - Episode 17

2006-08-12T07:18:00.000-06:00

Episode Seventeen

Forshadowing in Dance of Passion?

2006-08-11T16:21:00.000-06:00

After Chun Fen (Charmaine Sheh) meets Tung Shing (Moses Chan) she runs to the 'torching place' and by bad luck, she slips into a well. Later on in the series, she is punished by having to be burnt on stake while Tung Sing is desperately trying to stop the fire. She is saved when rains comes pouring down once again. Later on in the series Chun Fen accidentally falls into a well with Tung Sing. Were they foreshadowing Chun Fen's fate after she met Tung Shing at the beginning? Or am I being too analytical?

War & Destiny Screen Captures - Episode 16

2006-08-10T19:53:00.000-06:00

Episode Sixteen

War & Destiny Screen Captures - Episode 15

2006-08-10T19:37:00.000-06:00

Episode Fifteen

Thoughts - Dance of Passion Episodes 1 - 8 [1-6]

2006-08-10T18:45:00.000-06:00

The first few episodes of Dance of Passion are a set up of the community and cultures. The dialogues are mainly how the community runs and what is permitted or forbidden. I think the writers wanted the viewers to fully understand where these people are coming from before digging any deeper into the characters and the story. Thus the talks about the cultures might have bored some but I found it interesting.

What I like about this series is that everything is shown not told. When Charmaine first encounters Moses and figures the he was just torched, she runs back to the torch to find something that his lover might have left back. TVB scriptwriters probably think we're really stupid so they tend to have the characters talk to themselves about their thoughts and what they are doing so everything is mighty easy to understand. Dance is not like that; therefore it might cause some confusion.

I think Dance is something you really have to sit down and watch thoroughly and patiently. Once you miss something a character says, you're lost and confused for the next few episodes or so. When you do become absorbed into Dance, it becomes very interesting.

Jiu Yuk is definitely an interesting character. How this woman made herself a place in man dominating society is definitely admirable. She seems very calculating, weighing her alternatives to see which one is more beneficial. Ada Choi had little to do so far than to look mean.

Charmaine Sheh is acting in her typical unfortunate fate character, Chun Fen. Oh wait, when was the last time she played a poor fate girl? Country Spirit perhaps? She's not as great as she was in Country Spirit, but she is still better than usual. Besides some awkward times when I felt she is trying to act cute, she is still a bit refreshing. I like her dorky smiles when she smiled at the wrong times. I think the small habits that she did like how she wiped her dirty hands on her pants and things like that suit her low-class, poor character.

Gigi Lai as Ming Fung is excellent both acting and character. I think if she stops pausing every few seconds or so after a few words, the dialogues would be much shorter. Gigi definitely look so stunning in the midst of her rather unattractive colleagues (yes it's true, I think everyone looks rather unattractive in here even my dear Ada). Unlike Charmaine, she is more sophisticated in her dressing and movements.

Moses Chan is in his usual characters. Nothing out of the ordinary. Bowie Lam is much better in Dance than in War & Beauty where his face remained expressionless. Although Bowie exaggerates sometimes, he still came off convincingly. I'm interested in his past the most. Other actors including Maggie Siu & Kenny Wong remains bland and boring with their repetitive acting. Florence Kwok's role seems very interesting. I can't wait until she comes back. I have never liked Helen Ma particularly in Armed Reaction but in here she is great. She makes her character so spooky.

Whew, what a way to kick off the series with a blast. Moses had an affair with a widow which is forbidden. Thus his lover had to be torched while Moses had to be burn in firecrackers. Moses manages to wiggle out of his death when it starts raining. Moses survives while his lover dies.

I can't remember the dialogue from the top of my mind but I think this is how it goes.
B=Bowie - G=Gigi
G: If you do not sign the divorce papers, I would continue to bring you troubles. I can read it to you and you can sign, it's the same thing.
B: I had a dog and this was how I taught it. First time he disobeys, I hit him! Second time he disobeys, I hit him! Third time he disobeys, I hit him again! There is nothing I, Man Hei can not control! One day you'll realize who your boss is.
G: If you don't divorce me tomorrow, I will burn down your house. If you don't divorce me the day after tomorrow, I will burn down your factory! Until the day you sign the divorce papers, I will continue to cause troubles for you! What? You want to hit me? Similarly I had a horse and I taught it the same way.
Bowie slaps Gigi, Gigi walks way with a huge smile plastered on her face.

Gigi tries to run away but Bowie catches up with her. At the moment, bandits came towards them and Bowie grabs Gigi and shelters her in his arms. There is so much intensity during this scene.

"A jinx to her husband, ensured widow. Adulterous and affairs. Remains childless and sick in bed." - Chen Fun's mother

"The road ahead of me has already been set. Even it if is dim, you think I have the benefit to choose my way?" - Ming Fung

I think I should put some quotes up from Dance of Passion. They really are quotable. However I can only think of a few right now. My next post would be more organized. lol

Picture of the Week

2006-08-10T11:59:00.000-06:00

Image from Maggiera
This picture was taken during Gallen Lo's birthday.

War & Destiny Screen Captures - Episode 14

2006-08-07T06:20:00.000-06:00

Episode Fourteen
I'm still so dazed. Gallen Lo is actually back..

War & Destiny Screen Captures - Episode 13

2006-08-03T13:21:00.000-06:00

Episode Thirteen
Smiling makes you look 10 years younger. So show me those smiles! :D .

And yet another MV

Dance of Passion MV created by Athens Chan
Featuring Ada Choi & Bowie Lam

War & Destiny Screen Captures - Episode 12

2006-08-03T09:08:00.000-06:00

Episode Twelve

Dance of Passion MV created by Tokaysoul
featuring Ada Choi & Bowie Lam

War & Destiny Screen Captures - Episode 11

2006-08-03T07:50:00.000-06:00

Episode Eleven