In the Eye of the Beholder Review

In the midst of all the crappy series that have released this year, In the Eye of the Beholder is like a gemstone in a pile of rocks. It is fun, refreshing, witty, and something new. This series successfully proves that the ancient comedy is indeed not dead (just very endangered). To me, the series is easily comparable to A Chip Off the Old Block. That is not because the two are similar in any way, but because for both, I initially had no expectations. During the costume fitting and filming, I had no interest. I paid no attention to the process of the making of both series. And yet, both series gave me a pleasant surprise. Enough comparing it to Chip though, because this is definitely a series that should be praised by itself.

Characters and Performances

Moses Chan - "Tong Bak Fu"

Tong Bak Fu is an extremely intelligent, witty, and clever scholar, making the character completely lovable. He is one of my fav male characters this year. The beginning of the series where he disguises as a servant (Wah On) to try to court Chau Heung was so sweet and adorable! Moses brings the character to life and makes the character even more entertaining to watch. While rather boring in dramas like in Beyond the Realm of Conscience, Moses has a lot of comedic talent. His portrayal of Tong Bak Fu finally made me his fan.

Myolie Wu - "Chau Heung"

It is unfair that Myolie was judged for not being 'pretty enough' to play Chau Heung instead of her actual performance. Chau Heung may not be as entertaining and unique as So Fung Nei, but still lovable. Myolie's performance was solid and it was fun seeing her as a 'fighter girl.' Surprisingly, she has great chemistry with Moses.

Johnson Lee - "Wat Kei"

Johnson is a terribly underrated actor with a lot of comedic talent. He has amazing co star chemistry with Moses and I could feel the friendship between the two. What a shame that his pairing Shek Lau came out of nowhere. I would've loved to see the two of them develop.

Fala Chen - "Chu Ting Yuk"

Normally, I hate watching bratty princess characters. They are typically annoying and try too hard to be cute. Fala however, nailed the role! She was so lovable and her cuteness came off so natural. For her first ancient series, she did very well. She's also showing us that she has potential in comedy. I love Fala even more after watching her as Ting Yuk, and I also loved her costume and bangs. They made her look so adorable!

Elaine Yiu - "Shek Lau"

Her acting has improved tremendously and it continues to do so. Elaine also seems to become prettier each day! She was cute as Shek Lau, but much was desired from her character. I wish she had more screen time.

Ha Yu - "Wah Hung San"

Veteran Ha Yu showed us his versatility with his performance as the complex and developed 'Cho Pa' in Moonlight Resonance, so this role was a piece of cake for him. However, his role felt rather unnecessary. He had a limited amount of screen time. It makes you wonder how Ha Yu went from Best Actor material to....whatever this role was.

Lai Lok Yi - Emperor

We were all tricked into thinking Lai Lok Yi would be part of the Beholder cast as a major supporting (and I was hoping he'd pair up with Elaine again). Turns out he is not more than a guest appearance, and I certainly don't mind. Lai Lok Yi isn't the worst actor in the world, but he does not look or have the ability to act like an emperor at all.

Highlights

• Tong Bak Fu disguising as servant Wah On to try to court Chau Heung
• Watching Ting Yuk and Bak Fu argue and try to outsmart the other
• Seeing Ting Yuk slowly mature through out the second half of the series
• Bak Fu always being able to come up with a plan to any problem he's in
• Tong Bak Fu and Chau Heung's scenes

Ending

The ending for Ting Yuk was very fitting and I really liked it. On the other hand, the last two minutes just made me go 'WHAT?' The tropical island scene with Moses, Myolie, and Johnson was totally lame. Johnson, however, makes a very realistic (and rather pretty!) girl.

Recommended? Yes! It is a very enjoyable comedy and the script doesn't feel as silly as Chip. The whole series is entertaining and will make you laugh, smile, and so much more. Don't give it a miss!

Rating: 4 1/4 stars