TVB Interaction

Possible Breakthroughs of 2012

2012-01-25T17:25:00.001-05:00

There are a couple TVB actors each year that reach a breakthrough in their career, whether it's with an outstanding character, performance, or both. As a result, they experience massive jumps in popularity and their career goes to new heights. Here are a couple actors I think will have a breakthrough in 2012...

Mandy Wong
Upcoming Series: Tiger Cubs, The Hippocratic Crush, Policewomen's Battlefield of Love

After losing out on Most Improved Actress at 2011's Anniversary Awards, 2012 looks like it could be a career changing year for the young actress. Arguably the most talented of the new generation, it seems Mandy is getting more diverse and difficult roles to show it.

She will be the second female lead in both "The Hippocratic Crush" and "Policewomen's Battlefield of Love". In "The Hippocratic Crush", she will play a hot-headed intern who always wants to be better than her older sister, Tavia. Even more interestingly enough, in "Policewomen's Battlefield", she plays a rough female inspector with the nickname "Madam Kill". Just the nickname catches my attention!

Although I'm not looking forward to the two series themselves much, I can't wait to see her in these roles. I've always been able to imagine her playing such ambitious and tough characters, and I'm glad she's finally getting the chance to shine!

Oscar Leung

Upcoming Series: Queens of Diamonds and Hearts, Flying Tigers, The Dazzling Dance of Chang'an, The Great Eunuch, Policewomen's Battlefield of Love (Guest star)

Even though he is one of the most solid young supporting actors, Oscar has always been underrated. He received a much larger role in "The Season of Fate" back in 2010 and was even pegged to win Most Improved Actor, but ended up not even being nominated. Since then, he's returned to minor supporting roles.

After getting a moderate amount of attention from "L'Escargot", it's starting to seem likely this will finally be his breakout year. He has a whooping five other series slated to air this year. In "The Great Eunuch", he will be portraying the emperor. While I think he doesn't look the role, his acting chops and talent lets me know it will be interesting.

You are truly not a good actor unless each of your performances leaves a good impression, no matter what the character. Oscar always manages to turn in a great and memorable performance. He can provide wonderful comic relief as well as do emotional scenes. I hope that 2012 will be the breakthrough he and fans have been waiting for!

Nancy Wu
Upcoming Series: Boxing Champion, Daddy Good Deeds, The Great Eunuch

Nancy is another talented and young supporting actress who always leaves a good impression. She always manages to shine in her roles, no matter how small. While she has portrayed many interesting and memorable characters ("Ah Sze" in Gun Metal Grey and "Eva" in "Forensic Heroes 3" are recent examples), 2012 looks like it will bring yet another breakthrough for her as an actress.

Portraying a mute and deaf professional boxer in "Boxing Champion", the role has "potential breakthrough" written all over it. She is the second female lead in the series as well. If "Boxing Champion" is successful and her performance gets positive reception, perhaps she will finally be promoted to leading actress? My only reservation about this is that she may lose her appeal if this happens.

Tavia Yeung gave countless memorable performances as a supporting actress, but became dull and received very boring roles after being promoted to lead. As one of my favorite actresses, I'd hate Nancy to go down that road and prefer to see her in these supporting roles that allow her to shine.

Eric Li
Upcoming Series: Dangerous Protection, The Great Eunuch

I'm not sure what Eric's role in "Dangerous Protection" and "The Great Eunuch" is, as he's once again only has a small supporting role. However, he reached a breakthrough as the funny and loyal "Lo Yat" in "Bottled Passion" as the character and performance garnered him praise and recognition.

Like Oscar, Eric leaves a good impression with each of his performances. From the creepy bald rapist in "A Fistful of Stances" to the driver and robber in "Catch Me Now" to the hilariously mean hotel manager in "7 Days in Life", whether it's playing good or bad, he is always memorable.

While it is too early in the year and "Lo Yat" was too small of a role for him to win Best Supporting Actor, Eric's future looks a little brighter. I think now, he will be cast in more series. Perhaps if Producer Lee Tim Sing wasn't retiring, he could promote Eric the way he promoted Raymond Wong. Considering they play buddies in his production "Bottled Passion", wouldn't that just be amazing?

Edwin Siu
Upcoming Series: Boxing Champion, Daddy Good Deeds, Steps to Heaven, The Great Eunuch
Edwin has improved greatly since his "Aqua Heroes" days, while retaining his cuteness. He is lively and enjoyable to watch onscreen, and it seems he is slowly being more promoted. One day, I think he will be first supporting actor. Overtime, he could even be a lead.

Unfortunately, his only more major role from his four upcoming series is "Daddy Good Deeds", which looks cheesy and ridiculous. Perhaps his pairing with Linda will be fun and make some noise? I'm hoping he gets a decent amount of screen time in the other three series. Saying he will get a breakthrough this year is a bit of a stretch, but I'm too fond of him to put him on this list and hope for the best anyway.

Him Law
Upcoming Series: Tiger Cubs, The Hippocratic Crush

Following "Your Class or Mine", I started really liking Him and thought he had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, the story of him hitting girlfriend Theresa Fu was exposed permanently damaged my impression of him. His personal life aside, I'm not too fond of his recent "muscle man" image and much prefer him when he exerts more cute and boyish charm. I guess that contradicts his real life personality too much?

While his real life personality seems a little worrying, his acting career seems to be improving. He is second male lead in "The Hippocratic Crush", and his character actually seems interesting. Seeing him in a professional role will be new. The press has also been blowing Him and Tavia's real life friendship out of proportion, so it will be interesting to see how they will play out onscreen. I still like him as solely an actor and still believe he has potential. However, Him is the only actor here who I don't also like in real life.

These six are the ones I think are most likely to reach a breakthrough in their career this year. Overall, I think Mandy is most likely to reach new career heights, and I couldn't be happier. I will be keeping a close eye on these six! Let's hope for the best for this talented bunch!

Ruco Chan & Grace Wong Perform @ Citywalk

2012-01-24T18:08:00.000-05:00

First off, happy belated Chinese New Year to all my wonderful readers! You can find my wishes for everyone here. Normally, I don't share videos or do short posts, but wanted to for this occasion.

For this year's Citywalk event, Ruco Chan and Grace Wong performed a dance to Ne-Yo's "Closer".

I've always enjoyed Grace's dancing and was excited to see Ruco dance for the first time. The outcome was fantastic, especially considering Ruco said they had to do it so last minute and squeeze it into their schedules.

Grace looked stunning and is such a talented dancer. She wasn't too showy, but still showed her abilities.

Ruco did much better than I expected he would. He nailed all the moves and transitioned well. Even when he got on the floor, he didn't fall behind and continued on smoothly.

The two were very in sync the whole time and appeared very into it. They looked great and performed great as well. They created chemistry and overall did wonderfully. Great job, Ruco and Grace!

*Clap clap clap clap* :D

"Finding Life's Sweetness" Chapter 6

2012-01-21T15:25:00.000-05:00

It was Friday night again, a time for working people everywhere to relax.

Simon was tending to his bar when Ethan walked in. "Ethan, good to see you! What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I wanted a drink, and who better to patronize than my old friend?" Ethan replied. "One beer please."

"Coming right up", Simon said, and decided to spark up another conversation. "So how are you and Ella?" he questioned.

"Pretty good. We're going to the beach to watch the sunrise tomorrow", Ethan told him. "Hopefully she doesn't fall asleep or get bored", he added a bit nervously.

Simon laughed at the remark and handed him a beer. "That sounds like something she would enjoy. She needs the relaxation", he said.

Ethan nodded. "I think the peace and serenity should be great", he noted. "Also, if things go along like I hope, we might spend the whole day together."

"Sounds interesting", Simon replied. "What are you going to do and where are you going?"

"I don't know yet", Ethan shrugged. "I want to plan it as we go, see what she'd like to do."

"Aw, if I was a girl I'd be so swooned by your thoughtfulness", Simon joked, poking fun at his friend.

"Har har", Ethan replied, sarcastically.

"So what's going on in the great Simon Ng's love life?" he moved on.

"Like a desert experiencing an extreme drought", Simon replied.

Ethan wrinkled his eyebrows. "Really? A young good looking guy with a lot of money who's surprisingly not a jerk isn't getting any love? What's wrong with this picture?" he made fun of Simon. "Maybe your magnetic attraction force that seems to surround every rich young guy is broken", he added with a laugh.

"Very funny", Simon sarcastically replied.

"Here's a weird story though", he started. "I am currently the fake boyfriend of someone", he straightforwardly said.

Ethan choked on his beer. "I'm sorry, what? What made you agree to do that?" he asked, curiously.

Simon shrugged. "I'm doing it as a favor to her", he replied.

"You must like her if you're willing to do that", Ethan smiled. "So who's the special girl?" he probed.

"Kristy, the assistant manager at my dad's agency. And I find her interesting, I don't exactly like her", he defended.

"Come on, Simon. We're adults now. If you like someone, just say it. We're not kids anymore", Ethan teased.

"I'm not even supposed to tell you about this", Simon replied, but then his face softened.

"She's different though. Ambitious, tough, intelligent, and a feisty and fiery spirit unlike any other girl I've met", he talked about her fondly. "Very stubborn though", he added with a chuckle.

Ethan started pointing at Simon. "I've never heard you talk about a girl like this, you are definitely in love with her", he said.

Simon laughed. "I guess I am", he replied.

"Be careful though, she sounds like a potential heartbreaker", Ethan warned, jokingly.

"We'll see about that", Simon said.

Quinn and Vince entered the bar in commotion.

"Why did you drag me here?" Vince complained.

"So you can have a little fun! You've been so boring lately!" Quinn complained back in a huff.

Simon and Ethan looked up and caught sight of the two. "Quinn, hey!" Simon called.

"Hey, Simon!" she yelled. She nudged Vince. "That's the handsome son of the owner of the agency I was telling you about", she told him and skipped over to him.

Vince followed Quinn over to the two guys and took a good look at Simon. "Hmph, what's so special about him? I'm just as handsome as him", he thought to himself.

Simon pointed to Vince. "Your boyfriend?" he asked Quinn in a friendly tone.

Quinn looked appalled. "He wishes! This is Vince, my good friend and flat mate", she introduced.

"Nice to meet you", Simon and Ethan said to Vince and shook his hand, who appeared annoyed at the "He wishes" comment.

"So what are you two talking about?" Quinn asked, enthusiastically.

"Our love lives. Or in my case, lack of it", Simon joked.

"Interesting", she replied, intrigued. "I still find it hard to believe you wouldn't have a girlfriend", she pondered.

"That's the same thing I said to him", Ethan agreed.

"How hard is it to believe? You've made several of my girlfriends run away", Vince teased her.

"Whoa, Quinn, what did you do?" Simon asked in deep interest.

"Nothing! Girls just don't like the presence of another girl at their boyfriend's place", she replied, defensively.

"I can see how that would cause some problems", Ethan laughed.

A guy from the other side of the bar came over beside Quinn. "Hi there, what's your name?" he asked, flirtatiously. Clearly, it didn't take him long to take a liking to her cute and fun personality.

Simon and Ethan watched without much reaction, but Vince's nose flared. What was this chump doing talking to Quinn? Looking for a quick hook up?

"Quinn, what's your name?" she replied with a smile.

"Johnny. May I buy you a drink?" he shot Quinn a smile.

"Sure!" she said with her usual enthusiasm.

Another guy came over, ready to sweep Quinn off her feet as well. "I'm Daniel, I couldn't help but noticing your cute face from over there", he said with a smile.

Vince's eyes widened. Another guy?! he yelled to himself.

He reached over and put an arm on a grinning Quinn's shoulder. "Hey, Daniel, can't you see she's with me?" he told the guy.

Not wanting to pick a fight, the guys simply left.

"Huh, cheap and undetermined", Vince said about them, satisfied.

Quinn threw his arm off her shoulder and yelled "What did you do that for?"

"They were obviously trying to hook up with you!" Vince replied.

"So? I wasn't going to follow any of them to a hotel room!" she said, angrily. "They offered me a free drink!"

"If it really means that much to you, I'll pay for your drink", Vince offered.

"That's not the point!" Quinn screamed. "But you can definitely pay for my drink", she added.

"Ok then, everything's fine", Vince said.

"No, everything's not fine! Why did you ruin my fun?" Quinn whined.

"Nothing good was going to come out of that! Who knew what those guys were really like?" Vince claimed.

Quinn groaned. "Who are you to say that? I know you've picked up girls at bars before. I've seen you do that once, and it was not much different from what they did!" she said.

"Yeah, but you know me and what I'm like", he answered.

"I wasn't trying to find a boyfriend here, Vince. I only wanted to mingle a bit", Quinn rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to go to the restroom", she said, and left in a huff.

Vince bit his lip. Ok, maybe that was too much, he thought. But who knows what they could've done to Quinn?

Simon and Ethan had been observing the two's bickering in amusement the whole time.

"So what's up with you and Quinn?" Simon asked, curiously.

"We told you. We're friends and flatmates", Vince repeated.

"That didn't just look like an argument between two friends", Ethan said.

Simon nodded. "Somebody seemed jealous", he noted.

"Rich boy, what are you talking about?" Vince grumbled.

"It's pretty obvious. Why else would you have such a big reaction?" Ethan questioned.

"She's my friend! I have to look out for her", Vince said.

"Even if you're just looking out for a friend, you don't have to look like your eyes are going to pop out of your head at the sight of her with another guy do you?" Simon joked. Simon and Ethan both burst into laughter.

Vince faked laughter. "Har, har, har, are you two done laughing at me yet?" he asked, annoyed.

"Ok, sorry, Vince. We aren't trying to make fun of you", Simon apologized after he managed to stop his laughter.

"Yeah, sure you didn't", Vince rolled his eyes. "I'm going to go to the restroom", he said and left the two guys.

He turned the corner to where the restrooms are and saw Quinn standing there talking to...another guy?! Seriously?

He hit his head against the wall. Come on, Vince, why do you care? he thought to himself, extremely annoyed.

===================

Comments: A very dialogue driven chapter with several character interactions. I am slowly developing the relationship between Simon, Ethan, Vince, and Quinn. These four will quickly become close friends in the near future, while the three girls will under go more bumps.

It was pretty fun writing lines for Simon and Ethan, as the two are supposed to be good buddies who make fun of each other a lot. :)

Aw, poor Vince! He seems to be in denial that he loves Quinn, doesn't he? :P I love writing their scenes, hehe.

Preview of what's coming up: Ethan and Ella go on their first real "date".

"Finding Life's Sweetness" Chapter 5

2012-01-17T17:23:00.001-05:00

"Excuse me, I have a package for a Ms. Ella Yeung", a delivery man said to Quinn, who was dozed off at her desk.

Quinn jumped up quickly. "What?" she looked up in confusion to see a bouquet of roses infront of her. "Oh, sorry. Ella!" she called.

Ella stepped out of her office. "What are you yelling about Quinn?" she asked and caught sight of the roses.

"Someone sent you roses", Quinn said with a mischievous smile. Ella signed off on the delivery and opened the card that was hidden in the roses. The card simply read "From, Ethan".

Quinn peeked over Ella's shoulder to look at the card. "Is it from the guy who was waiting for you outside the bar the other night?" she asked, curiously.

"Yes", Ella bluntly replied, not sure what else to say.

"Get back to work", she told her, and took the roses into her office. She stared at them as she thought hard. She and Ethan had only met twice, but he had managed to leave a heavy impression on her. He was the only one who had ever challenged her in such a way, and she wasn't sure what to think about that. She agreed that there were some things that she should change in her life, but didn't want to listen to someone so easily. Was he worth listening to? Only time would tell.

**********

Kristy sat impatiently at her desk. For some reason, she felt...unfulfilled.

Her eyes landed on the plaque sitting on the front of her desk. It read "Kristy Wong - Assistant Manager". All of the sudden, the words seemed to stare at her in the face. She had been working as an assistant manager for about a month, but was already growing impatient and yearning to get higher up. Ella was alright, but she wouldn't be satisfied until she found herself at the top, over Ella.

That wasn't the only thing bothering her though. Her mom had visited her last night. She wasn't nearly as angry as she had been on the phone the other day. Even so, their encounter last night managed to be even more unpleasant than their phone call.

Knock, knock! Kristy ran over to look through the peephole at who was at the door. Who could possibly be looking for her?

She saw her mom (Mary Hon) standing outside and froze. If there was someone who managed to even come close to slightly frightening Kristy, it was her mom. She wasn't intimidating, mean, or scary in anyway. However, Kristy had gotten her bluntness from her mother. Only, she was an entire different kind of bluntness.

"Sweetie, it's so nice to see you!" she said after Kristy hesitatingly opened the door for her.

"Mom, what are you doing here? It's Friday night, how did you know I was home?" Kristy asked, trying to feign politeness.

"Who are you trying to kid, Kristy? You're always home", she answered, making fun of her.

"That's not true, I went to the bar with a couple colleagues a while ago", Kristy attempted to defend herself.

"Oh, a bar isn't the best place to meet men, sweetie", her mom said. She paused and added "Then again, I'm happy you're going out at all."

"I didn't go there to meet men, mom. I just went to blow off some steam", Kristy replied.

"I didn't realize you knew how to do that", her mom laughed. "Anyway, I was just in the neighborhood meeting up with some friends and decided to stop by."

"That's very nice of you, mom", Kristy said, biting her lip to keep herself from saying something rude.

Kristy's mom proceeded to sit down and pulled a couple of pictures from her purse. "Many of my friends showed me pictures of their sons. Some are quite handsome and seem to have good character", her mom informed her.

Her daughter replied with a groan. "How many times do I have to tell you I don't want to be set up?" Kristy complained.

"You and I both know you're not going to find a boyfriend any other way", her mom stated. Before Kristy could get too offended, she quickly added "It's not because you're not pretty! You just never put yourself out there."

Kristy squirmed in discomfort. Getting a boyfriend wasn't in at all in her interest, but she'd take any opportunity to prove her mom wrong.

"I will find a guy, mom. You'll see", Kristy said. Her mom didn't look too convinced.

Kristy walked into the pantry to pour herself a cup of coffee.

What was she going to do? Even if she could find a boyfriend, she didn't want to deal with having one. Too much baggage, like she needed anything to keep her down. She stood there pondering while slowly sipping her coffee.

"Hello, pretty girl", Simon greeted her as he came in. Kristy cringed at his greeting and suddenly thought of a brilliant idea.

She nudged him and straightforwardly asked "Do you want to be my boyfriend?"

Simon dropped the cup he had been holding, feeling shocked, then smiled. "My charm finally got to you, huh? You really don't beat around the bush do you?" he asked.

"Don't be so flattered", Kristy scoffed. "I'm asking you to be my fake boyfriend to prove to my mom I can find my own", she cleared up.

"So you're using me?" Simon feigned offense.

He thought about it for a moment. "Okay, I'll do it. Then again, technically that means you can't find a boyfriend on your own. A real one anyway", he joked.

"Whatever", Kristy rolled her eyes.

"Fake or real relationship, you will fall for me eventually", Simon stated.

"Yeah, keep thinking that", she replied, sarcastically.

"I have a few conditions", she proposed. "You can not say a word of this to anyone, you may refer to me as your girlfriend, and you most certainly can not touch me when my mom's not around."

"Why don't you just tie strings on me and control me like I'm your puppet?" he joked.

"If everything goes my way, I will be able to do that", Kristy added in a sneaky tone.

Simon looked slightly taken aback. "So...when are we meeting your mom, sweetie?" he asked.

"Don't call me that", Kristy grumbled.

"You said I can't call you my girlfriend", Simon defended. "Well, now you can't call me any other pet name that makes me want to vomit either", she added, and started to walk away.

"I'll tell you when we'll meet her", she called out. She said that as if their "relationship" was just another business deal.

Simon admired her as she walked away. Something about her blunt, feisty, and headstrong personality was (to him anyway) very attractive.

"I'll get through to her eventually", he thought to himself. "She's one tough cookie though."

==========

Comments: There was so much more I wanted to include in this chapter, but decided to leave it for the next one to keep the length consistent. It seems a lot more easier and organized to focus on specific characters each chapter as opposed to trying to squeeze in a scene with each person.

We got to see what Kristy's mom is like, and it's rather clear where she got her bluntness from, heh.

I used (attempted to anyway) a couple instances of foreshadowing, especially with Kristy. I'm not too good at it though, so it isn't too clear but I have some of you will be able to catch it.

More of Ella and Ethan soon, I know I haven't focused on them much. I'll do my best to not make it as boring and underdeveloped as it has been.

Preview of what's coming up: Focus on all the guys and Quinn, as well as Quinn and Vince. :D Really looking forward to writing this chapter. Stay tuned!

Introducing Asian Entertainment Experience!

2012-01-07T18:18:00.000-05:00

A close friend of mine, Niki, recently came up with the wonderful idea of creating a collaborative blog/website about Asian entertainment called Asian Entertainment Experience. The site will be run by her, a couple of our friends, and I.

The site, also referred to in short as AE-Experience, will cover all types of Asian entertainment. It will focus on Korean and Hong Kong dramas and music. The site will offer reviews, fan fiction, satire, general discussion, and other unique features.

I am the web manager of the blog (I'm in charge of the layout/design and will promote the site) and one of the head writers along with Niki. I will be contributing some of my pieces from TVB Interaction to the site as well as writing exclusive content that won't be posted here. There, I will also write about TVB as well as C-Pop and other things relating to HK entertainment. Please support my friends, TVB Interaction, and I by visiting!

Blog URL: http://ae-experience.blogspot.com/
Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/#!/AEExperience

"Bottled Passion" Review

2012-01-03T14:04:00.000-05:00

Premodern dramas and romance dramas are my two least favorite genres. Just by the genre, I should've hated "Bottled Passion". However, due to great pacing, script, and acting, "Bottled Passion" ended up not only being an exception, but one of my favorite series of the year.

The Acting

Raymond Wong delivers the most captivating performance of the year as "Tung Boon-Sin". He was charming in his scenes wooing the Ko sisters. Unlike many other female viewers though, I didn't feel swooned by his magic tricks and odd antics in courting them. Perhaps it's because I prefer sincerity over charm, but I was much more moved by his earnest love for Tsui Sum. His subtlety yet realism in portraying his emotional and crying scenes made me want to tear up myself. They proved that less is indeed more. On a more superficial note, Raymond looked very handsome here in his long jackets and suits.

I don't understand the criticism for Niki Chow being the worst actress ever. She has a limited amount of facial expressions, but exerts a very endearing innocence and sweetness. The character of Tsui Sum also called for her to cry a lot. Due to the sad nature of the drama, she probably had to cry at least once an episode. While Niki doesn't shed many tears, she shows the appropriate amount of sadness and pain. In this case, this was good enough for me. If I had to watch someone like Tavia Yeung cry as much as Tsui Sum did, I'd probably go nuts, no matter how realistic and emotional her crying is.

Elaine Yiu did a great job with the staring and sneering, but still wasn't too likable. Katy Kung has a lot of potential as an actress, but her character was extremely irritating to watch.

Other notable performances include Eric Li, Claire Yiu, and Jack Wu.

Eric Li is one of those actors who is capable of giving a memorable performance no matter how unlikable his character is. Lucky for him, this underrated actor was able to portray a likable and funny character here. I enjoyed watching the friendship between him and Raymond. Sadly, I don't think he'll be getting promoted anytime soon.

Claire Yiu has been stuck playing some terrible roles lately, but I surprisingly loved her here. She was hilarious as the talkative and loud mouthed wife. She could've easily been annoying, but Claire somehow makes her an entertaining character to watch.

Although boring at times, Jack Wu does well as the kind hearted doctor who loved Tsui Sum. A decent actor who can emote, I'm surprised Jack has been stuck playing small roles for so long. This is the most significant role of his I've seen in a while.

Rebecca Chan also showed some vicious acting here as the villain.

The Script
The first two episodes start off quite slow, but fast paced afterwards. Almost each episode ends with a cliffhanger. It is entertaining to watch and I found myself surprised at how fast each episode seemed to pass. For once, the tragic love story was done right.

The Ending
I didn't expect a happy ending for Tsui Sum and Boon-Sin, but Raymond and Niki had so much chemistry I wished it would work out. They were so passionate and sweet. After watching 20 episodes of the two trying to find their way back to each other, I couldn't help but hold onto the hope that Boon-Sin was still alive all the way until the end credits started to roll. Despite that, Tung Boon-Sin's death is fitting due to the nature and genre of the drama and makes their tragic love story memorable.

However, I still have many complaints about how his death was executed. First off, why was the city square, which is usually bustling with people, completely empty except for one passerby in broad daylight? Second, if Boon-Sin had enough energy to hobble all the way to the river and get on a boat, surely he could've walked to the hospital. Silly Boon-Sin. You could've easily lived happily ever after with Tsui Sum.

Overall
After the first two episodes, "Bottled Passion" is a captivating and entertaining drama about two lovers. I normally turn away anything premodern or romance driven, but this was a wonderful exception due to the acting, script, and pacing. It deserves all the glowing praise it's been getting and Raymond Wong is already one of my picks my Best Actor this year. I am very satisfied with the ratings it raked in for the finale despite its terrible time slot. Unlike many other series I watched or tried to watch this year, this is one of the few that didn't make me feel like I wasted my time. The highlights of the series however are still definitely Raymond and Niki.

Rating: 4 stars

"How to be a Fan" Satire

2012-01-02T16:46:00.002-05:00

TVB Interaction introduces the latest installment in its collection of satirical guides! This time, I will teach you how to be a fan. Being a hardcore fan can be a lot of hard work, but with this "how to" guide, doing so will be easier than ever!

1. Be hypersensitive.
People joke, people mock, and people criticize. No matter what people say about your idol, take it to heart. No matter what the person's tone or intention is, take everything they say or write seriously.

2. Put down and criticize other people's idols.
You're not a true fan unless you openly hate on other people's idols. Let them know whose idol is better! If you are a hardcore fan, spend time editing other people's idols wiki pages and badmouth them.

3. Blindly love all of their work.
An idol is bound to have their great projects, less than amazing projects, and projects that are just plain terrible. No matter what, love everything they do. Not liking anything they do makes you a disgrace of a fan.

4. Brag about your idol regularly on forums.
Once again, let them know whose idol is better! Praise, compliment, and glorify your idol to your heart's content, whether it's on their own thread, someone else's thread, or a thread about a series he or she is not in.

5. Hate whoever your idol starts to date, no matter how happy they or with them because that means you can't be with them. As if that were possible.
One of the key things about being a fan is wanting their idol to be alone forever. If your idol does start to date someone, openly talk about how much you hate that person. If you can't be with them, no one else should be able to. Your idol's happiness doesn't matter to you, as long as you get to sleep knowing your idol isn't in someone else's arms.

Follow these five steps, and you will be a true fan! Your idol will be so proud!

=================================

Comments: This is just a short satire I wrote since I haven't written one so long and was inspired.

It's funny how some people classify being a fan as. The above is how some fans act. I don't mind those fan girls who spazz and get excited over their idol. While I usually don't act that way and find them a bit silly at times, I overall don't mind them and find them kind of cute. However, there are fans who get way too worked up over their idol.

I've been spending less and less time reading and commenting on sites like JayneStars. Some fans get offended too easily, yet they can be very vicious as well. For example, you have your Kate haters who will take every opportunity to put her down and your Ron fans. While I understand Ron fans increasing anger at the small roles he's been receiving lately, they're still a bit too much. When Ruco emerged as the lead over Ron in "ATF", Ron fans attacked Ruco fans saying it wasn't fair, even though it wasn't his fault. The most ridiculous thing I've seen is some girls saying things like "She is so ugly" and "She should go die" about their idol's girlfriends. Seriously?

I hope people don't go rabid on me for writing this. My loyal readers should enjoy this satire. I haven't written one in probably two years.

"Finding Life's Sweetness" : Chapter 4

2012-01-02T15:00:00.000-05:00

It was near the end of the day as well as the end of another work week. Simon clapped his hands. "Everybody, I'm happy to announce that I am treating everyone to happy hour at my bar today!" he said.

Everyone cheered in happiness. "What's everyone so happy about?" Kristy asked as she walked by.

"I'm treating everyone to happy hour", Simon told her. "That's very generous of you, but you can count me out", Kristy replied.

"Blowing me off again? Come on, I'm asking you to go out with all your colleagues, not go on a date with me!" Simon joked. Kristy walked away.

Simon went up to the roof to get some fresh air and saw Kristy standing there as well talking on the phone with someone. He quietly walk towards her but she didn't seem to notice he was there.

"Mom, I told you not to call me when I'm at work!" she scolded.

"Or else when am I ever going to hear from you? You don't bother to call me when you're off work or visit me even though I live only 20 minutes from you!" her mom complained.

"I have my own life and I am very busy!" Kristy yelled back.

"I know you're very busy with work. That's all you care about! You don't care about your family and don't have any friends or a boyfriend. Does anything else matter to you?" Her mom was yelling loud enough Simon could hear her.

"I'm a grown woman. I don't need my mother to dictate how to live my life. I have to go back to work, goodbye", Kristy said bitterly and hung up. She turned around to see Simon.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked, suddenly looking ashamed.

"Long enough to know you don't have the best relationship with your mother", he replied.

“Don’t take this personally, but I’m curious. Besides work, what do you do in your free time?” Simon asked.

“Um, yoga. Sometimes I read”, she answered.

“That’s good, but do you ever go out and socialize?”

Kristy came to the sad realization she didn’t.

“I don’t have time”, she claimed.

“You do, you just have to make time”, he said.

“But I don’t have friends”, she said quietly.

“You have me and many other colleagues. Come with us to the bar tonight. You don’t even have to drink or eat, just come to chat with people and make friends”, Simon proposed.

Kristy stood there and thought about it for a moment. “Alright”, she finally agreed.

Simon broke out in a smile. “Great!” he exclaimed and left the roof top.

“I better not regret this”, Kristy thought to herself.

*********

Simon’s Bar had a great atmosphere and could’ve been mistaken as a quaint restaurant with its unique lighting, softly playing music, and colorful and eye catching decor.

Simon led all the Starry Marketing Agency employees to their usual area.

Kristy tapped Simon’s shoulder. “Hey, the place looks great, but couldn’t you have come up with a better name than Simon’s Bar?” she asked.

“I’m not good with names”, Simon laughed.

“He’s really not”, Ella chimed in.

“There’s a surprise”, Kristy laughed back.

“She’s smiling! She’s laughing! We’ve reached a breakthrough!” Simon playfully announced.

Kristy punched him playfully, but had to admit she was already in a better mood.

“I’ll be right back with your drinks and appetizers”, Simon told everyone.

Kristy sat down next to Ella, who she thought she had the most chances of sparking friendship with. Quinn plopped down next to her.

She wasn’t sure what to think of Quinn. She had such a low position at the agency and Kristy had caught her dosing off once. At the same time, she wished she could live as carelessly and freely as Quinn seemed to live.

As for Ella, she was a question mark. At work, she seemed professional and intelligent, but she didn’t know more about her than that.

“Simon seems sweet. Very good looking too”, Quinn said all giggly, breaking the silence.

“He’s not that bad”, Kristy admitted.

Ella looked at her with a surprised look. “Not bad, I thought you hated his guts!” she laughed.

Kristy attempted to be more fun and silly. She shrugged with a sneaky smile. “I’m not a simple person. I could say I like you but really hate you and say I hate you but like you”, she stated.

“Sounds like we’re back on the elementary school playground!” Quinn said. “Hm...I wonder what you think of me then”, she questioned.

“I think that you seem to enjoy sleeping on the job a lot”, Kristy joked.

Quinn feigned a look of worry. “Oh I forgot, I’m talking to the two managers!” she said.

“You still remember that, huh? Remember we still have the power to fire you!” Ella joked.

“Ok, ok!” Quinn put her hands up in surrender. “I don’t think believe you two are as scary as people make you out to be though”, she added.

“Really? I thought people were convinced I’m the devil in disguise”, Kristy said.

“Devil? No. Slightly intimidating? Maybe”, Quinn stated.

“You’re quite straightforward aren’t you? You’re lucky I actually like that about you!” Kristy said to Quinn with a smile.

Ella turned to Kristy. “It’s true, even I felt slightly intimidated when you came in your first day”, she shared.

“Really?” Kristy answered with genuine surprise. She didn’t realize she actually scared people.

“Yes, but still impressive at the same time. It wouldn’t hurt to crack a smile every now and then”, Ella suggested.

“That might scare people even more”, Quinn replied.

“Huh, you really are fearless aren’t you?” Kristy pointed at Quinn, who responded with a smile and shrug.

Kristy was surprisingly enjoying herself. She couldn’t remember the last time she joked around with a bunch of girlfriends like this.

She nudged Ella. “So do you have a boyfriend?” she asked curiously.

“No”, Ella answered, looking slightly shy.

“What?” Quinn looked shocked. “A pretty and smart woman like you doesn’t have a boyfriend?”

“There must at least be someone trying to court you”, Kristy added.

Simon came back with everyone’s drinks and appetizers. “Wow, you three seem to be hitting it off. What are you chatting so happily about?” he asked as he slipped into the seat besides Kristy.

“We’re probing into Ella’s love life. How does she not have a boyfriend?” Quinn asked Simon.

“Oh, I think that will change soon”, Simon answered mischievously.

“What are you talking about?” Ella asked, looking confused.

Simon shrugged. “I don’t know what I’m talking about, you ladies enjoy yourselves” he said and left.

“Don’t listen to him, I have no idea what he’s talking about”, Ella said to Kristy and Quinn.

The three continued to chat happily and get to know each other. After a while, it started to get late, so everybody started to leave the bar.

Ella, Kristy, and Quinn exited together, continuing their silly conversation, with Simon joining in as well. They walked outside to see Ethan waiting by his car.

“Who’s that handsome guy?” Kristy asked. “He looks like he’s waiting for someone.”

Ella couldn’t be more surprised to see Ethan. They hadn’t met again since the function last week and she didn’t think she’d ever see him again. What was he doing here?

Ethan caught sight of Ella and waved to her as he started to walk towards her. “He’s here for you! And you said no one was trying to court you!” Quinn said.

Ella pulled Simon over. “What is he doing here?” she asked him. “He told me he wanted to see you again! He had only nice words to say about you, so I told him you’d be here tonight”, Simon answered. “You’re welcome”, he said with a smile.

“So that’s why he looked so darn sneaky”, Ella thought to herself.

Simon turned to Kristy and Quinn. “How about we leave Ella to her Prince Charming?” he suggested to them. The two started to walk off with him.

“Hi, Simon told you you’d be here tonight”, Ethan said to Ella with the same charismatic smile he gave her the first time they met.

“Hi”, Ella said back, nervously. She didn’t know if she should be happy or nerve wracked. “What are you doing here?” she tried to ask politely. After all, she did want to know.

“I was wondering if you wanted to grab a cup of coffee together”, he asked.

“Um...” Ella started.

“I came all the way here to ask you that. It’s just a cup of coffee, I won’t take more than an hour of your time”, he said.

“Alright then”, Ella replied. Sounded fair enough. What could it hurt?

**********

Ethan took her to a nice little cafe nearby.

“Tell me more about yourself”, he said to Ella as the waitress came with their coffee.

“What’s there to know?” she asked.

“I don’t know. Anything you’re comfortable telling me”, he answered. “I don’t know why, but I find something intriguing about you. After we met the other night, I couldn’t help but think about you and what you were like”, he added.

Ella felt nervous yet excited at the same time. “Honestly, I did too. I also thought about what you said”, she replied.

“Which part?”

“The part where you said life would be more easy and enjoyable if you learned to be flexible and relaxed”, she answered.

“I see. You said you have a problem with being too organized and structured, right?” he asked.

Ella laughed. “Yeah, kind of”, she said.

“We’ll just have to help you change that then”, Ethan said with a smile.

“That’s probably easier said than done”, Ella said.

“I like a challenge”, he replied.

Ella smiled and laughed. Something about him made her heart flutter.

The two continued to chat until the cafe had to close. They talked about work, family, and life in general. Ella was surprised at how comfortable she felt talking to Ethan.

Ethan escorted her out the door. “We should do this again sometime”, he said to her.

“Definitely”, Ella replied sweetly.

“Shall I give you a ride home?” he asked.

“That’d be great” Ella said happily. After a night of spending time with her co-workers and Ethan, this was the most happy and satisfied she felt in a long time.

**********

Back at the bar, Quinn had quickly caught a taxi and went home.

“You want a ride home?” Simon offered to Kristy.

Kristy was feeling a bit hyper even though all she drank was some iced tea. This was the most enjoyable night she had in forever. Due to her good mood, she said yes to Simon without any remarks or refusal.

“You look extremely happy. I’m not sure what to think of this”, Simon said to Kristy as he drove her home, pretending to sound scared of this side of her.

“Very funny”, she replied in her usual sarcastic tone, then softened up again. “Thanks for convincing me to come tonight. I had a good time”, she sincerely thanked him.

Simon smiled. “You’re welcome, I’m glad you enjoyed yourself”, he replied. “Do you think you’re going to be joining us again anytime soon?” he asked her.

“Sooner than you’d think”, she smiled back.

They approached an apartment complex and Kristy asked him to stop. “This is where I live”, she said and got out of the car. “Thanks for the ride!”

After getting out of the car, Kristy turned back and talked to Simon through the open window.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I may not hate you anymore, but I still certainly do not like you”, Kristy said playfully to him.

“We’ll see about that”, he answered back.

Kristy smirked. “Goodnight Simon”, she said and walked away.

“Goodnight!” he called out to her and started to drive home.

“She’s really not your ordinary girl”, he said to himself, smiling.

===========================

Comments: A longer than usual chapter this time since I'll be busy again after I go back to school. This chapter focused on mostly Kristy, but also Ella.

Isn't it nice to see the three girls starting to become friends? For some reason, I love writing for Simon and find writing dialogue for him the easiest.

Hope you enjoyed this long chapter!

"Finding Life's Sweetness" : Chapter 3

2011-12-28T15:09:00.000-05:00

"How about this jacket?" Quinn held up a black jacket for Vince to see, who was lying on her bed. It was her first day of work as the O.A., and Vince had encouraged her to dress to make a good impression.

As a result, Quinn had been digging through her closet all morning trying to find something appropriate for the office while Vince gave her input. Most of her pieces were bright colored and fun. Having never worked in an office before, she came to the realization she didn't have any proper work attire.

Clothes were sprawled all over her bed. "I never noticed how much your clothes resemble that of a hippie's before", Vince laughed. "Do you even have a button down shirt? That'll go with the the jacket and the skirt", he advised.

"Oh, I think I do somewhere", Quinn answered, continuing to look through the mess of her closet.

"Be right back, I need to use the bathroom", Vince said.

"Found it!" Quinn yelled. The shirt was very wrinkled and clearly hadn't been worn in forever. She'll just ask Vince to iron it for her.

Before Quinn could change out of her pajamas, she heard a knock at the door and went to open it.

A young female in a floral dress stood at the door step looking confused. "Who are you?" she asked.

"Who are you?" Quinn asked back.

"What are you doing here?" the female interrogated in an increasingly angry tone.

"I live here?" Quinn replied, in a tone that yelled "Duh!".

The female looked at Quinn, who was only dressed in a tank top and pajama pants and started to freak out. "Where's Vince?!" she demanded.

At the moment, Vince finally walked out of the bathroom. "Who's at the door?" he asked as he approached the living room. "Angie?"

"Vince, who is this?" Angie asked angrily, pointing at Quinn. Quinn put her finger down, "I'm his friend, who are you?"

"I'm his girlfriend! Vince, what is a girl doing living in your apartment?" Angie yelled. Vince looked at the two in desperation, clearly freaking out and unsure of what to do. "Um...Angie, I'd like you to meet someone. This is my good friend Quinn", he introduced with uncertainty.

Angie didn't look too happy. She held up her handbag and started hitting him. "Jerk!" she yelled in a huff, and left.

Vince collapsed onto the couch with his face in his hands.

Quinn looked at him and bit her lip. This wasn't the first time a girl had stormed out of Vince's life after seeing he had a female roommate.

She sat down next to him and playfully punched him. "There will be other girls. Besides, you're Vince the ladies' man!" she exclaimed, in an effort to cheer him up.

Vince smiled halfheartedly back. "I didn't like her that much anyway," he replied. "Go get dressed for work, you don't want to be late."

***********

Quinn strolled into the office. Ella happened to be in the open office area talking to one of her subordinates.

"Ms. Yeung!" Quinn called. Ella looked up from her work. "Quinn, you're here just on time. Come with me to my office", she said.

"Did you get here alright?" Ella asked after they settled down in their office. "Yes, thanks for asking", Quinn replied. She appreciated her boss' politeness but felt rather uncomfortable with the formalities.

"I'd like you to copy these papers for me and enter these accounts into the computer", Ella said and handed her two folders of papers. "Before you get to work though, let me show you around and introduce you to everybody", she said.

Quinn nodded. "That'll be great", she said and followed Ella out.

"Simon!" Ella called. "Come here, I want to introduce you to someone", she said.

Simon approached them and put his hand out to Quinn for a handshake. "Hello, you are?" he asked.

Quinn shook his hand. "Quinn Tong, the new office assistant. And you?"

Kristy showed up next to them. "He's the big man's son who doesn't have anything better to do than bum around here", she told Quinn.

"I help out too, I just bum around on the side", Simon corrected. "I'm Simon. This pretty little devil here is Kristy, the assistant manager", he said.

"Hello Simon and Kristy", Quinn said with a smile.

"Ella, I'll show Quinn around for you", Simon offered. "Good, get you off my back for a while", Kristy smirked. "He's your problem now", she whispered to Quinn.

"I can hear you, you know", Simon replied. Ella laughed at the two's bantering. "That'll be great, thanks Simon. Any problem with that, Quinn?" she asked.

"A tour given by a charming guy like him? Why would I have a problem with that?" Quinn laughed.

"See, everyone agrees I'm charming except you", Simon said to Kristy, who only replied with a roll of her eyes.

Simon showed Quinn around and then back to her office space. "This will be your office space, but you'll probably spend a lot of time in the copy room. If you have any questions or need help, I'm usually hanging around here in the early afternoon", he said.

"Just curious, what exactly do you do around here?" she asked.

"I'm usually here from 12 to 2. I run a bar and don't have to go to work until 6. I spend an hour or two a day here just helping out", he explained.

"I'd love to go to your bar sometime. You have so much time though, why would you spend it here?" she said.

"Like you said, I have so much time. I have people to run the bar so I don't even have to go to work if I don't want to. I like the people here and my dad appreciates me helping out with the agency whenever I can, so why not? It's play and work at the same time", Simon replied.

Quinn nodded. "I see. You're quite a filial son then. I should get to work now, thanks for showing me around!" she said.

"No problem", he replied.

**********

It was a couple hours into the work day, and Quinn felt herself nodding off at the computer.

There was an hour of work left and she had finished all her tasks. They were tedious, but relatively easy to do once she learned her way around the computer program and copy machine.

There was no boss breathing down her back either, which was a huge bonus. She still felt restless though, and started squirming in her seat.

"I'm bored", she mumbled to herself. She pinched herself to stay awake.

She peeked over at her colleague's desks to see what they were up to. To her amusement, Lily was painting her nails and Eric was playing online poker.

Quinn logged onto MSN Messenger and IMed her friends until it was time to leave work.

Heh, maybe working in an office wouldn't be so bad after all. Certainly better than working as a waitress or busboy.

**********

"I'm home!" Quinn called.

"You're still employed aren't you?" Vince asked nervously.

"Yes I am", Quinn said in an "in your face" tone.

"Oh good", he answered, relieved. "Wait...you are employed at the same job right? Not a different one?" he asked.

"Yes, silly!" she said.

The two sat down to have dinner and chat after a long day like they always do. Only today, the atmosphere was a little awkward. Quinn and Vince kept staring down at their plate.

"I'm sorry about what happened this morning", Quinn apologized.

"Don't worry about it, it wasn't your fault", Vince replied quietly.

"Maybe I should move out. I think I'm the reason why so many of your relationships don't work out", Quinn said in a low voice.

Vince put down his fork and looked up for the first time during their whole meal. "Don't be crazy! I told you, it's not your fault", he argued.

"But..." Quinn started.

"No, end of discussion", Vince said. "Besides, you pay me rent. I'm not going to just kick out my tenant", he added as he mustered up a smile.

"Ok then", Quinn said.

Vince sighed. The truth was, Quinn definitely was the reason why so many of his relationships didn't work out. What girlfriend would be comfortable with their boyfriend living with another girl? At the same time, Vince couldn't imagine what it'd be like to not live with Quinn anymore. He wouldn't be able to tell her to leave. What was he going to do?

===========================

Comments: This chapter was very focused on Quinn, as well as Quinn and Vince. Of course, there was also some more bantering between Simon and Kristy! The next chapter or two will begin focusing on Ella and Kristy. Friendships between the characters will start developing as well. Hope this chapter didn't bore you too much!

"Finding Life's Sweetness" : Chapter 2

2011-12-27T13:31:00.000-05:00

"One mocha frappuccino with extra whipped cream please", Quinn told the cashier at Maggie's Cafe. She quickly paid, got her drink, and went to plop down on one of the comfy sofas. She was exhausted and craved something sweet to give her an energy and mood boost.

She had been running around all morning trying to find a job. It turned out that these days, bosses were more interested in laying off people than hiring people.

What was she going to do? Where else could she look? Quinn knew Vince would only continue to harass her if she didn't go home with a new job. She swore, sometimes, Vince acted more like her father than her best friend. He always lectured her on how she had to change her carefree lifestyle and get some stability in her life.

Quinn had never had much stability. In fact, her friendship with Vince was probably the only consistent thing in her life. She preferred making things up as she went along. If she wasn't happy, she'd fix the problem, which often resulted in her quitting or getting fired from numerous jobs she hated.

The bell on the door of the cafe rang and Ella walked in, interrupting Quinn from her thoughts. She observed Ella in her work attire as she brought her daily espresso. Hm...what would it be like to wear formal clothing and go to work at the office everyday? Sounded a bit boring and suffocating, but in Quinn's unemployed state, a little appealing.

"How are you doing today, Ms. Yeung?" the cashier asked. "Good, and you?" Ella politely answered.

"Fine, how has work been?"

"Like it's always been. We're a little short on people though, we could use some more help around the office", Ella replied.

Quinn's ears perked up. "Wow, what luck!" she thought and quickly ran over to Ella, slightly frightening her. "Hi! I'm Quinn Tong. Sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear. You're looking for help around the office? That's perfect, I'm looking for a job!" she excitedly said.

Ella looked at her with surprise. "Um...yes we do. I can only give you a job as an office assistant though. You'll be doing tasks like copying papers, organizing information, answering phone calls, and running errands from time to time. Are you capable of doing such tasks?", she asked Quinn.

"Yes, I'll take it!" she eagerly replied. It sounded far from the most interesting job in the world, but at least she'd have one.

"Ok, but I'm warning you, it doesn't pay much."

"I'll take it anyway!"

Ella was quite surprised at Quinn's eagerness. She looked relatively young and had probably just been fired. She seemed desperate, and Ella really did need some extra hands at the agency.

Ella took a business card out of her purse. "Here's my card, report to work tomorrow at 9AM", she said and hurried off.

Quinn looked down at the card, which read "Starry Marketing Agency". She pumped her fist into the air. "Yeah!" she exclaimed. Vince will be proud, and finally stop lecturing her.

**********

Simon peered over Kristy's shoulder while she worked on her computer. "So, do you have a boyfriend?"

Kristy didn't bother to even look at him. "No, why are you so nosy?", she bluntly replied.

"Just wondering. I thought an attractive young woman like you would have a boyfriend for sure", Simon said.

Kristy scoffed. "Men are a waste of time".

Simon laughed. "Perhaps they're just scared of you", he teased.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be besides bothering me at work?" Kristy asked impatiently.

"I told you, I run a bar. I don't have to go to work until 6pm. I don't even have to go to work if I don't want to."

"You don't have a girlfriend? I would think a rich guy like you would have a line of girls following him around."

"Haven't found the right girl. I know I may seem so charming and flirty, but I'm not much of a playboy. I'm more old fashioned than you'd think. Don't care to entertain the girls that you claim follow me around. Is this game of 20 questions over yet, Ms. Wong?" Simon answered playfully.

"Pfff. That still doesn't justify why you're always here", Kristy said.

"Truthfully? I'm a boring person. Other than tending to my bar, I don't do much with my life. Besides, the people here are..." he looked at Kristy thoughtfully. "Interesting", he finished.

She gave him a weird look. "Nonsense", she said, and went back to work.

Someone knocked on the door. "Come in", Kristy said, and Ella walked in with a file in her hand.

"Kristy, read over this file", she said. Kristy took it from Ella's hand.

"Ella, don't leave yet! I have something to ask you", Simon called before she could walk out.

"Yes?" Ella turned around.

"My good friend Ethan Chan is hosting a function tonight. I was wondering if you wanted to come with me and meet him. He's a business man, maybe you two could work together", Simon proposed.

He turned to Kristy. "You can come too if you want. I'd be more than happy to go with two such pretty and capable women", he said to her sweetly. Kristy almost shivered at the thought. "No thank you", she replied.

Simon didn't look too surprised. "Ella?". Ella thought about it for a second. "Sure, why not?" she replied. A little mingling wouldn't hurt, especially since she didn't have anything better to do.

"It's a date then! I'll pick you up at 6", Simon said. "Ok", Ella smiled.

Kristy rolled her eyes. "Can I work in peace now?" she said in an impatient tone.

Ella and Simon quietly tiptoed out.

**********

Ella examined herself in the mirror in her deep blue strapless dress and black cardigan. It had been forever since she had gone to a social event. This outfit seemed fitting for a function, neither too casual or formal.

Right on time as always, Simon rang the door bell.

At first glance, he looks like yet another playboy. If there was something Ella had learned from being friends with him for five years, it was that that couldn't be any farther from the truth. The two had always been on friendly terms, and he was the one person at the agency she was close to, yet he doesn't even officially work there! Nevertheless, they were never anything more. Simon was an easygoing guy who Ella enjoyed being around and talking to, but nothing else.

Ella opened the door to see Simon looking handsome in a suit. "Ready to go?" Simon asked with his usual warm smile. She smiled back and said "Yes".

The function was lively with many chattering people and great music and food. Ella took a second to absorb the atmosphere.

"There's Ethan!" Simon said, excitedly and went off to greet him. Ella followed behind.

Simon tapped Ethan's shoulder. "Buddy, I haven't seen you in so long!" he exclaimed. "Yes, it has been too long!" Ethan replied.

Simon turned to Ella. "Ethan, I'd like you to introduce to someone. This is Ella, a friend of mine and the manager at my dad's marketing agency. Ella, this is Ethan. He's a good buddy of mine from college!" he said.

Ethan gave Ella a charismatic and friendly smile and shook her hand. "Pleasure to meet you", he said to her.

"Pleasure to meet you too", Ella answered as she shook his hand.

Ethan looked to be in his early to mid 30s and was very handsome. He wore spectacles that made him look mature and even more attractive.

The two spent a couple seconds longer staring at each other than two new acquaintances usually would. Ella felt herself growing a bit shy. Her polite smile became a shy one. Ethan smiled back.

Simon seemed to automatically sense the sparks and quickly made an excuse to step away.

"Hey, is that Tim from college?" he said as he pointed to no one in particular. Simon gave Ethan a pat on the shoulder. "Take your time chatting you two!" he hastily said before leaving them alone.

Ethan laughed at Simon. "He hasn't changed at all", he said to Ella, and they began engaging in small talk.

"So you are the manager at Starry Marketing Agency, huh? Extremely impressive that such a pretty young woman like you is so capable and smart! I love an intelligent woman", Ethan complimented Ella.

Ella felt herself turning red. "Thank you, you're not so bad yourself. You organized a very nice function", she replied.

In a matter of minutes, Ella and Ethan grew more comfortable with each other and their small talk became more engaging discussion.

"One should always be professional", Ethan stated. "At the same time, they shouldn't become too obsessed with organization and structure."

"Yes, but I can't help being a neat freak and trying to live a structured life", Ella laughed.

"That's fine. Striving for perfection is tiring though. Learning to be more relaxed and flexible will make live easier and more enjoyable", Ethan replied.

He looked down at his watch. "I'm sorry, but it's almost time for me to go up and speak. It was very nice talking to you, Ella", he said, sincerely. He handed her his business card. "Feel free to give me a call, whether it's for business or just to talk", he said. He gave her one last warm smile before walking to the stage.

Ella stared at the business card in her hands.

"So, how'd it go?" Simon popped up next to Ella with a wide grin, scaring her.

That night, Ella tossed and turned in bed, thinking about her encounter with Ethan. Her mind switched between thinking of Ethan himself, and what he said. His words echoed in her head. "Learning to be more relaxed and flexible will make life easier and more enjoyable", she repeated to herself.

That's what Ella needed to do. Be more relaxed and flexible.

===================================

Comments: Things are picking up! The last main character, Ethan, has been introduced. What do you guys think of him? Do you agree with what he said?

I feel like everyone will only continue to like Simon even more. He is certainly very likable and I love writing his bantering scenes with Kristy. Simon and Ella also have a sweet friendship. Although they're not a couple, hopefully this will be a nice treat for TaRo fans. :)

Ella is beginning to go through development and taking notice of her weaknesses. Kristy may seem like a robotic character now with her bluntness and seriousness towards work, but she will open up soon too.

Vince didn't appear this chapter, but he will be back next chapter. More hilarity will ensue between him and Quinn. Speaking of Quinn, her first day of work will be next chapter as well!

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and will continue to read!

Finding Life's Sweetness : Chapter 1

2011-12-26T18:30:00.000-05:00

A young woman in her late 20s walked down the streets of Hong Kong with an undeniable air of dominance. Her face was straight, appeared tough, and ready to intimidate the first person that dared get in her way.

She was Kristy Wong (Mandy Wong), an up and coming marketing professional. She had been voted the one to watch by business magazines all over Hong Kong, as well as one to be feared.

It was her first day of work as the assistant manager at Starry Marketing Agency, her latest promotion in her climb up the corporate ladder.

“One day, I will be the manager”, Kristy thought to herself as she step foot into her new work building. She strolled into the elevator full of people and hit the third floor button, completely oblivious to the ones warily observing her.

**********

Ella Yeung’s (Tavia Yeung) office is one of the neatest and most organized spaces one will ever see. Everything was where it had to be, and in alphabetical order no less. Ella could be a little obsessive compulsive, and she admitted it. Without organization, she felt anxious and uneasy.

However, that didn’t stop her from being one of the most respected and capable in her field. Firm and professional yet fair, she had her subordinates under her control while still being well-liked. To the world, Ella Yeung was the closest anyone could get to perfection.

Knock, knock! Ella’s secretary, Daisy, (Natalie Tong) walked in with Kristy beside her. “Ms. Lam, the new assistant manager Ms. Wong is here”, she announced.

“Hello Ms. Lam”, Kristy said, with an insincere smile that showed she was all business. Ella reacted with her usual welcoming smile. “Hello there, Ms. Wong. I’ve heard a lot about you”, she answered.

“Good things I hope”, Kristy replied. “Of course”, Ella replied back.

As they sat down, the two women observed each other in great detail and were impressed with what they saw.

"She looks professional, elegant, and intelligent. What a refreshing change from my previous boneheads of bosses", Kristy thought.

"Fiery spirit of a fighter this girl has", Ella thought.

Kristy reminded Ella a bit of herself when she first entered the marketing world, confident and ready to conquer. After being manager for almost five years, 32-year old Ella had begun wanting something more. But what? What could a modern day woman want besides her career?

"Welcome to Starry Marketing Agency. It's a pleasure to have you as our new assistant manager," Ella said.

"Thank you, I look forward to working here and learning from you. Who knows, maybe one day, I will be the one sitting in your seat", Kristy replied with a smile.

"Maybe", Ella laughed. "I worked hard for this position though and I won't lose it so easily".

"Then I'll just have to work even harder."

"I like your ambition. Now let's introduce you to your subordinates", Ella said as she led Kristy out to the open office. "You just met Daisy, that's Eric, Lily, Jennifer, and Johnny. The door over there will be your office", Ella pointed to Kristy.

"Hello, everybody!" An attractive young man in his late 20s (Ron Ng) walked in with two bags in his hand. "I have everyone's favorite treats!" the man called out. All the employees started crowding around him. "Two egg tarts and milk tea for the lady boss", he said enthusiastically as he handed the treats to Ella.

The man turned to Kristy. "Who are you?" he asked with a confused face. "Who are you?" Kristy asked back in a demanding fashion.

"Simon, this is Kristy Wong, our new assistant manager. Kristy, this is Simon Ng. He is the son of the owner of this agency", Ella introduced.

"Nice to meet you", Simon said to Kristy with a charming smile, and put his hand out for a hand shake.
Kristy brushed off and ignored the gesture. "The boss' son, huh? That would make you the rich kid born with a silver spoon in his mouth?" she cooly asked.

"I guess you could say that", Simon replied. "But I don't sit around doing nothing while I squander away all my father's money, so don't get the wrong idea."

Kristy looked unimpressed.

"What? Never see a handsome boy before?" Simon teased.

Ella watched the two in amusement. "Simon runs his own bar. Many of us like to go there and relax. He also comes to help out here at the agency too, even if it's just to deliver us snacks", she told Kristy.

"Good to know", Kristy replied, and proceeded to take the last latte in the bag of snacks Simon brought before going to her office.

"Hey, I was saving that for myself!" Simon complained. The door shut.

"She's a feisty one isn't she?" he said to Ella. She only replied with a laugh and returned to her own office as well.

Left alone, Simon turned to see Daisy, Eric, Lilly, Jennifer, and Johnny huddled in the corner eating their snacks and holding back giggles. Clearly, they had been intently watching the pair banter. "Get back to work you guys!" he yelled, playfully. The five quickly ran back to their desks.

**********

Handsome 25-year old real estate agent Vince Wong (Bosco Wong) unlocked the door to his apartment after a long day of work. He walked in to see his roommate and best friend since high school, Quinn Tong (Leila Tong), casually lying on the couch watching TV while munching on potato chips without a care in the world.

He bit his lip nervously. "Quinn...what are you doing home? I thought you don't get back from work until 7", he asked cautiously.

Quinn finally turned away from the TV and acknowledged Vince. "Oh, you're home? Wow, that was a really good show!" she said enthusiastically.

"Quinn..."

"I got fired, okay!

"You got fired again?! Quinn, this is the fourth time you've gotten fired this year! And the year's only half over!" Vince yelled.

"Well, apparently bosses don't like being told by their employees they're wrong and stupid like a monkey with its head cut off", Quinn replied bluntly.

"No one wants to be told that!" Vince sighed. "Quinn, I know you're outspoken. I love that about you as much as I love your...vivid way of talking", he said about his dearest friend with a smile. He grew serious again. "However, work isn't the place to fully exercise the freedom of speech you love having so much. We're not 16 years old anymore. You need to find a new job that you can keep", he told her. "Okay?"

"Whatever you say, daddy", Quinn answered Vince with a salute. She got up and went back to her room.

Vince shook his head. "Oh, Quinn. You haven't changed a bit since we were kids", he said with a fond smile.

========================

Comments : Voila, the first chapter of "Finding Life's Sweetness"! I hope you didn't find it too terribly boring. I was trying to properly set everything up. Apologies for the slow pace and relatively uninteresting start. I think I introduced the characters decently enough though! Hopefully, it'll get better as it goes on. Do give feedback! :)

New Fan Fiction: "Finding Life's Sweetness" Forewords

2011-12-25T13:18:00.001-05:00

This lovely poster was made by Lynne from TVB Horizon!
Synopsis: Three women, all want different things in life. One wants perfection, one wants money, one just wants to live a happy life. What happens when these three women’s lives intertwine? This is the story of three young women’s journey in facing friendship, love, and the struggles of life itself.
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Cast:

Ella Yeung - Tavia Yeung

Kristy Wong - Mandy Wong

Quinn Tong - Leila Tong

Ethan Chan - Ruco Chan

Simon Ng - Ron Ng

Vince Wong - Bosco Wong

Character Descriptions

Ella Yeung - Manager of Starry Marketing Agency. She is a hardworking and for the most part, independent young woman who strives for control and perfection in her life. Tired of taking care of herself her whole life, she has a soft side and secretly wishes for someone to look out for her.

Kristy Wong - Assistant manager of Starry Marketing Agency. She is an ambitious, confidant, demanding, and slightly greedy individual feared by her subordinates. She is blunt and sarcastic in her words and does not show much compassion.

Quinn Tong - A quirky, independent, and free-spirited individual who has trouble keeping a job due to her outspokenness. She finds a job as the O.A. at the marketing agency. Her wish is to live a happy and carefree life.

Ethan Chan - A charming, slightly rebellious, and laid back businessman. He can be a bit lazy and unconventional, but gets things done when they have to be.

Simon Ng - The son of Marcus Ng, the owner of Starry Marketing Agency. He runs his own bar, Simon's Bar. He is attractive, flirty, and playful, but can be caring and thoughtful as well. He is the only one who isn't scared of Kristy, and finds himself bothering and challenging her at work.

Vince Wong - Real estate agent. He is funny, sweet, a bit silly, and has been Quinn's best friend since high school. Although a self-proclaimed ladies' man, he secretly loves Quinn and is very protective of her, often helping her out of trouble.

=================================

Comments: This is my second attempt at writing fan fiction, after having written my first [very rushed, very shoddy] fan fic "Deceiving Assumptions" for TVB Central. Although I won't be using the actual script format, this may end up playing out like a screenplay for a drama.
Inspired by dramas revolving around women like "La Femme Desperado" and "Beauty Knows No Pain", I decided to put my own spin on this type of series with my own characters and cast.

Just a bit of extra information, but I wrote Tavia, Mandy, and Ruco's characters with them in mind. Tavia is in desperate need of a meaty character, even if it's just on paper. Kristy Wong is a character I'd love Mandy to play. Quin, Ethan, Simon, and Vince were written first, and I picked the actors I thought would be perfect for the role.

I hope everyone will enjoy reading "Finding Life's Sweetness"! Hopefully, my fiction writing skills will develop and improve, and fan fiction will become a new part of TVB Interaction! Merry Christmas, everyone! :D

1st TVB Interaction Awards

2011-12-19T16:58:00.000-05:00

Introducing, the first ever TVB Interaction Awards! The TVB Interaction Awards will take place after the TVB Anniversary Awards each year. Your typical honors will be given out (Best Actor, Actress, etc) as well as "just for fun" awards (such as "Most Disappointing Series" and "Most Surprising Series").

TVB often awards people for their overall hard work in their career as opposed to the performance they were nominated for itself. While I'm not against the system as it has awarded deserving people, but the TVB Interaction Awards will award solely on the merit of that specific performance from an actor and/or quality of a series. These are TVB Interaction's/my own choices, and will usually be different from the winners of the Anniversary Awards. If there is more than one deserving winner, one honorable mention will be chosen.

Best Actor: Ruco Chan for "The Other Truth"
Ruco finally got the chance to be first lead in "The Other Truth", which has garnered him critical acclaim and millions of new fans. For good reason too! He not only brings justice to the most well-written character of the year, but makes him come alive. He portrayed "Keith" with charisma and subtlety, coming off as natural and near flawless. He brought out all the character traits Keith was supposed to have, including his rebelliousness, righteous, intelligence, playfulness, wittiness, and more. Based on acting alone, Ruco Chan is definitely Best Actor of 2011.

Honorable Mention: Roger Kwok for "Wax and Wane"
Roger Kwok has given me many reasons to dislike him as an actor recently, from his boring character in "Threshold of a Persona" and exaggerated comedy roles. However, his performance in "Wax and Wane" not only redeems my impression of him, but also makes me a new fan. Roger's true specialty is definitely in drama. Roger brought out the tough exterior and soft interior of "Yee Chun" and was very charming. He portrayed everything well, including professional working side, his love for his mother, and his steady fall for Peace. His crying scene at his mother's grave had me misty eyed and his scenes with Kate Tsui made me smile sweetly. Roger gives his best and most charming performance in years, and it was a shame so many people couldn't recognize it.

Best Actress: Myolie Wu for "Ghetto Justice"
What can I say? Myolie could be professional, she could be witty, and she could be adorable. While the performance itself is solid, it's not necessarily Best Actress solid. However, there weren't any exceptional lead female performances this year.

Honorable Mention: N/A
Not many strong or memorable lead female performances this year.

Best Supporting Actor: Patrick Tang for "7 Days in Life"
Patrick pleasantly surprised audiences with his unexpected comedic talent and timing. Both his character and performance were extremely endearing and fun to watch. He never failed to make me laugh and smile. I've always defended him as a decent but unfairly criticized actor, but the superb performance and comedic talent he showed here was beyond even my expectations.

Honorable Mention: Damien Lau for "The Rippling Blossom"
Although he played a significantly smaller role than usual, Damien also showed some amazing and surprising comedic talent and timing. He was hilarious as the gruff and grumpy man. He also had great chemistry with Myolie and Chilam. The trio were so fun to watch together! Despite that, he didn't even receive a nomination. What an insult to the actor!

Best Supporting Actress: Nancy Wu for "Forensic Heroes III"
As "Eva Chow", Nancy was able to portray her most professional and different role yet, and she did a fantastic job. She solidly portrayed the character's driven and overly competitive side as well as her more vulnerable side. The video she filmed for Wayne and her tears after saying goodbye to her family were very realistic and misty eyed.

Honorable Mention: Elena Kong for "River of Wine"
Elena consistently delivers as a supporting actress. I didn't watch "River of Wine", but was told she was the best part about it and that her emotional scenes were captivating. I'm not surprised at all, as Elena is a wonderful and underrated actress. Along with Nancy, I believe she will win Best Supporting Actress...someday.

My Favorite Male Character: Ruco Chan for "The Other Truth", "Lau Sze Kit/Keith"
The best grey character TVB scriptwriters has written in a while. Keith is a righteous and unconventional lawyer who believes in justice, and comes as close to the steel lines as he can to achieve it. He is also charming, sweet, intelligent, and rebellious. I don't feel the need to iterate Keith's characterization any more.

Honorable Mention: Roger Kwok for "Wax and Wane", "Yung Yee Chun/Eugene"
The classic tough exterior and soft interior character, only done right. Yee Chun comes off as serious and cold, but is actually very caring and sweet to the people he loves, particularly his family. Watching him slowly fall for Peace was also the most rewarding and enjoyable part of "Wax and Wane".

My Favorite Female Character: Myolie Wu for "Ghetto Justice"
Professional, witty, and endearing. With her unique haircut and suits, she was also very stylish!

Honorable Mention: Kate Tsui for "Wax and Wane", "Man Ka Fu/Peace"
Although Kate's performance could've been a lot better, Peace was so sweet, caring, and likable. She was the person who got Yee Chun to open up, and the little notes she wrote to him were very cute.

Most Improved Actor: Edwin Siu
Edwin showed huge improvements in "Forensic Heroes 3". He was much more natural, cute, and lively. However, it was his emotional and crying scenes in the finale blew me away. How he didn't even get a nomination for Most Improved and Best Supporting is beyond me.

Honorable Mention: Jazz Lam
Jazz surprised everyone by portraying a lawyer in "Ghetto Justice" with a lot of heart and humor. In terms of acting, out of the actual nominees this year, Jazz definitely should've won. Despite his short height and kid like appearance, he's shown to us that he is a valuable supporting actor.

Most Improved Actress: Mandy Wong
The true most improved actress of the year, Mandy has the most talent and potential out of the new generation. She did well in all of the roles she received this year, especially "Home Troopers" and what I've seen of "Lives of Omission". I can't wait to see her in more major roles.

Honorable Mention: N/A
Mandy Wong is my first and only choice for Most Improved Actress this year. I've been supporting her to win for the last three years.

Best Drama: "Ghetto Justice"
"Ghetto Justice" had everything to make a fantastic and memorable series. Great cast, script, characters and just the right mix of comedy and drama. It became a hit due to its own merit, and not promotion and hype.

Now for the original/just for fun awards. There are three categories, "Series", "Characterization", and "Chemistry"...

Most Underrated Drama: "Wax and Wane"
Started off weak but was enjoyable afterwards, if only for Roger and Kate. While not amazing, people bashed it for being terrible without giving it a real chance.

Best Comedy: "7 Days in Life"
Original, creative, and genuinely funny and sweet. Steven and Sonija's storyline was disappointing, but the rest of the cast was colorful and each brought something special.

Most Overrated Drama: "Lives of Omission"
Since I didn't watch all of it, I won't call it a bad series that didn't deserve its popularity. However, there are other series that deserved "Lives" success as well.

Most Disappointing Drama: "Men With No Shadows"
Like many TVB series, "Men" had a lot of potential but it was unfulfilled. The plot twist resulted in a cliched, overdone, and irritating storyline with unlikable characters.

Worst Drama: "Links to Temptation"
A draggy, sloppy, and cliched storyline where every single character was stupid and/or annoying.

Best Cast Ensemble: "Ghetto Justice"
The cast of "Ghetto Justice" seemed a bit odd at first, but ended up being the one that worked the best with the most chemistry together.

Best Overall Characterization: "Ghetto Justice"
Each character was written well and were very likable!

Worst Overall Characteriation: "Links to Temptation"
Once again, every last character was stupid and/or annoying. Even the ones that started out likable became stupid.

Most Tragically Undeveloped Character: Ron Ng, "Forensic Heroes", "Wind"
Second male lead? Yeah right. With Wind's [lack of] characterization, Ron Ng was merely a background character and love interest for Kate. At least Wind was more likable than Ron's character in "Wax and Wane".

Most Well-Written Character: Ruco Chan, "The Other Truth", "Keith"
A grey character done right. Not a goody two shoes or unrealistically kind, not unreasonably evil.

Best Comedic Duo: Patrick Tang and Mimi Lo in "7 Days in Life"
Who would've thought that these two would've had chemistry? Don't let their appearance incompatibility fool you, these two were adorable and hilarious together!

Most Surprising Chemistry: Roger Kwok and Kate Tsui in "Wax and Wane"
Roger and Kate had more chemistry than Ron and Kate in "Wax". Again, who would've thought? Their storyline was the highlight of the series. The two were so sweet together, but sadly were never meant to be.

Cutest Couple: Chilam Cheung and Myolie Wu in "The Rippling Blossom"
Appearance wise and chemistry wise, these two were very cute and fun to watch together!

Best Chemistry (On and Off Screen): Ruco Chan and Tavia Yeung in "The Other Truth"
Ruco and Tavia had a lot of chemistry in "The Other Truth", but it is their off screen chemistry that makes them such a cute TVB couple. The two get along so well and always make fun of each other. Watch their Fan and Kam interview and you'll know what I mean!

Most Passionate and Groundbreaking Couple: Bosco Wong and Kate Tsui in "Lives of Omission"
Bosco and Kate had the most passionate and intense love scenes probably ever in a TVB series!

That wraps up the first TVB Interaction Awards! Hope you enjoyed this post! What are your favorites this year?

"Aqua Heroes" Review

2011-12-18T16:48:00.001-05:00

Tired of the conventional TVB series, I decided to watch something a little different. I just wanted to watch something fun and light. "Aqua Heroes" was the perfect treat. It is cute, funny, sweet, and relaxing to watch. Surprisingly, it wasn't lame of over the top. It is definitely a bit cheesy and silly, but in a good hearted instead of a cringe worthy way. Acceptable performances from a group of fresh faced youngsters, humor, and the swimming theme created a very enjoyable series that makes you recall those wonderful summer days of hanging out with good friends.

Cast Performances

Bobo Chan - Although she appeared rather clumsy and was unnatural, she was likable enough as the kind and good hearted "Busy".

Leila Tong - Being the only experienced actress in a cast full of newbies (except for Sheren and Ai Wai), Leila delivered the best performance of all the youngsters hands down. Her rebellious character would've been irritating and annoying if played by someone else. However, Leila makes "Rain" a lovable character that is competitive to a fault. It was not until the last few episodes when Rain's jealousy hit an all time high that even Leila couldn't save her from being annoying.

Edwin Siu - For his debut performance, Edwin didn't too bad. He has definitely improved heaps since though. However, the character's indecisiveness later on made me want to punch him in his cute little face. On a side note, his oversized sweater vests he always wore in the beginning were ugly and unfitting, considering the series took place in the summer. I was relieved when he started wearing casual clothes (ironically, after he got an office job).

Bosco Wong - A very strong debut performance! Bosco was hilarious though a bit exaggerated. Nevertheless, he was funny and lively.

Sheren Tang - Sheren looks so youthful and pretty here! Along with Ai Wai, she was funny and fun to watch. While I still don't know why she did it, it cracked me up whenever she put on her sunglasses infront of Ai Wai, even at night.

Ai Wai - A solid performance from a veteran actor who usually doesn't have much to do. He worked well with both the swim team and Sheren. They made a great comedic pair!

Stephy Tang was decent and likable but had very little to do. I was fond of Theresa Fu and her quirky character. From accidentally swallowing her hum, to getting afraid of ghosts, and her father and daughter-like relationship with Ai Wai, Theresa was cute and fun to watch. Matt Yeung and Lai Lok Yi did what they could with what they were given. Lai Lok Yi's doggie swim had me laughing so hard!

My only major complaint about the series was the swimming featured. All of it was ridiculous, impossible, or against the rules! You're not allowed to leave the surface of the water nor is it safe to do so. Also, whoever heard of swimming like a screwdriver? I also found it odd the girls always trained so hard for meets while the guys were usually just hanging around.

The theme song by Bobo and Edwin was catchy and their individual subthemes were very nice. I loved all three songs.

Overall, I highly enjoyed "Aqua Heroes". It was full of (good) fluff, smiles, and laughs. Edwin and Leila's characters became irritating near the end but that didn't stop it from being entertaining as a whole. If you're looking for something fun and don't mind a cast full of newbies and some silliness, I recommend "Aqua Heroes"!

Rating: 4 stars

"Forensic Heroes 3" Review

2011-12-14T17:37:00.000-05:00

Watch with low expectations and an open mind. By doing so, this reboot of the beloved franchise can actually be very enjoyable and relaxing to watch. While not extraordinary by any means, "Forensic Heroes 3" is one of the standouts of 2011 for its decent entertainment value and great cast.

Characters and Cast Performances

A reboot of such a loved series with a new cast and characters could've been a disaster. However, TVB was able to assemble a great cast that worked extremely well together. Nevertheless, I wish they had just given it a different name. By carrying the "Forensic Heroes" name, it angered and turned away (close minded) fans of the first two and ended chances of another installment with the original cast.

Wayne Lai - Pro Sir
Good actor, solid performance, but flat character with not much substance. Pro Sir was likable, but more could've been done with him. However, I enjoyed the scenes with his family (played by Yuen Wah and talented child actress Moon Chan).

Maggie Cheung - Mandy Chung
Finally, a character and performance from Maggie I can actually consider a good comeback! Having been the original choice to play Yoyo Mung's character in the first "Forensic Heroes", it was nice to TVB to invite her to replace Charmaine Sheh. This worked out well, as Maggie did a solid job portraying Mandy's professional as well as off-work side.

Kate Tsui - Ada Ling
Is it unrealistic for a senior inspector to curl her hair every morning? Yes. But you have to cut Kate some slack as it is TVB's wardrobe and hair and make up department that dictates artiste's look for the series. For whatever reason, they always make Kate look most feminine when she's playing a cop. How contradicting. I can't deny that she looks very pretty and stylish here. Loved her hair and clothes! In the time where the young people are taking over TVB, I was able to overlook how oddly young Kate and Ron were to be senior inspectors.

Appearance and casting decisions aside, Kate was cute and fierce as a tough and smart cop. Her reactions to Ko Sir's pursuit of her were too hilarious and adorable. Her acting has become a lot more convincing and gradually becoming more natural.

Ron Ng - Wind
"Wind" is Ron's worst role in years. The character was boring, undeveloped, and had very little screen time. Even Edwin had more to do than him! Ron has improved so much as an actor, but hasn't been able to show it for a while.

Edwin Siu - Ken Ho
I know Edwin's acting has vastly improved since his return to TVB, but his performance as "Ken" justifies it. He is cute, lively, and extremely likable. However, it was his acting in the finale that blew me away. His emotional and crying scenes were superb and he definitely should've been nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Most Improved. Happy to see TVB is promoting him and am looking forward to seeing him in more major roles.

Aimee Chan - Angel Chiang
Her accent is still strong but it was funny how everybody poked fun at her for being an "ABC".

Ruco Chan - Jim Fong
A huge step down from "Keith" as "Jim" lacked substance, but he was still likable and charming as always.

Nancy Wu - Eva Chow
What a refreshing and different role for Nancy! She was superb as the driven and capable lawyer. Although she had a strong desire to win cases at all costs, she was proven to still be human.

Character Dynamics

Wayne and Maggie's relationship was subtle and sweet. It was too obvious how compatible they were from the beginning.

Despite the age differences and appearance incompatibility, Wayne&Nancy and Maggie&Ruco's relationship as well as Maggie and Kate's friendship were all convincing and enjoyable to watch. Wayne, Nancy, and their family were fun to watch. The family's subsequent struggle was sad.

Maggie and Ruco's short lived relationship was sweet. It was refreshing to see that both consistently acted like the mature and logical adults they were, right down to their break up. This made it very easy to watch them.

Kate and Maggie were a great representation of modern career women who are best friends. They look so incompatible appearance wise, but Maggie's professionalism and Kate's ability to get along with her co-stars makes it work well.

Kate and Ron's "brothers to lovers" love story was disappointing. They were cute together and Ron's confession to her on the rooftop was sweet. Due to Wind's flat characterization, the two's relationship was mostly unfulfilled potential.

Finding the Balance

In the first half of the series, case after case is thrown at you. There was barely any focus on the characters themselves. The dominance of the cases in the storyline made me worry it'd go down the road of wasted character potential. Luckily, it started to slow down and balance cases and relationships in the second half.

The Cases

Decent yet forgettable, and most of them predictable. As I'm writing this, I've already forgotten most of them. The first one was extremely predictable, most likely to throw us off that the rest would be as equally predictable. The cases could've been better, but could've been a lot worse. The forensics here were less impressive and not as focused on as in the original.

Conclusion

"Forensic Heroes 3" isn't outstanding, but addictive, entertaining, and enjoyable. Unlike the first two, it branches beyond the field of forensics and has a more diverse cast. With low expectations, I was able to enjoy FH3 more than almost any other series this year.

Rating: 4 stars

Message From Iris: Comeback and Thank You's

2011-12-09T17:38:00.001-05:00

I've been trying to stage a comeback for TVB Interaction for nearly a year, but was never able to successfully do so. There were a couple attempts here and there, but they were all quickly run into the ground after one or two posts. Thanks to the TVB anniversary spirit, I was finally able to make a comeback and rekindle my interest in this blog last month.

I'd update regardless of how many people read it as long as I was still passionate about it. However, I was worried that after being in hibernation and barely updating for months, I lost all or most of my readers. To my complete surprise, my comeback outperformed my expectations. While playing around with Blogger's new interface, I looked at my site statistics. I was surprised to see that TVB Interaction received more page views in November than any other month in the last year. It was more than double the number of views I usually get in a month! Of course, that's probably mostly because of the anniversary awards, but I'm still pleased. I'm also happy to see that my previously most loyal readers are still here and supporting me by regularly commenting. Especially big thank you Chriselle, Queen_Owl, LynneD., Krystal, and Nancy for being TVB Interaction's top commenters and overall most loyal supporters!

This message is simply to officially announce my comeback to the TVB blogging world and thank everyone for continuously supporting this blog! Also, I will still be updating Beauty of Critique from time to time. Hope everyone keeps supporting TVB Interaction!

Love,

Iris

TVB 44th Anniversary Awards: Red Carpet Fashion Critique

2011-12-09T12:19:00.002-05:00

The red carpet is where you'll find the best and most noteworthy fashion. This year, many different colors, styles, and designs once again graced the red carpet at this year's TVB Anniversary Awards...

Dressed to Impress: Myolie Wu and Kevin Cheng
It seems to be an unwritten rule that if you expect to win an award, you have to dress to stand out. In other words, you have to dress to win! Myolie's combed back hair and long black feathery dress made her look confident and distinct. Kevin does not fail to get stares with this red ensemble. A red suit is something nobody should wear, but Kevin manages to pull it off while looking sharp! Of course, that doesn't mean he could've easily looked more handsome in something else.

Coordinated Couple: Fala Chen and Michael Tse
Fala and Michael matched very well in their mostly coordinated outfits. It would've been more fitting for Michael to wear cream colored slacks instead though. Fala's dress and hair was simple but pretty, much like her own fashion sense. However, the fact that the dress wasn't full length made it seem less formal. V-necks are sexy, but her v-neck was a bit too deep.

Daring and Sexy: Sharon Chan
Sharon looked absolutely gorgeous and stunning, particularly as she accepted her award. She seems to become more beautiful as time goes by! It's no surprise she once again decided to flaunt her best feature: her 43-inch legs. Instead of a high leg lit, Sharon opted to be a little different and even more daring by wearing a dress with a very high hemline in the front with a long train in the back. Once again, she successfully accessorizes simply yet smartly. The necklace adds just the right touch and the heels are killer!

Unconventional (and a little odd): Kate Tsui and Bosco Wong
Bosco isn't always the best dressed, but you have to admit he definitely has the most unique fashion sense. However, his ensemble looks unfitting for any occasion. It looks like he's wearing a bathrobe! The shoes/ridiculously tall boots were also too much. Kate normally has an amazing sense of style, but something seems to happen during the grand TVB anniversary events. Not a fan of the gelled back hair. While the white cutting is a bit more different, Kate's dress manages to be both plain yet awkward.

The Prom Queen and the Bad Boy: Kenneth Ma and Linda Chung
It's reassuring to see that Linda isn't pulling anymore outrageous fashion stunts like at the anniversary awards two years ago. Feminine and sweet is the style that works best for her. Her long dress with a glittery top is very pretty. She accessorized appropriately, simply, and elegantly with matching earrings. It looks like something a prom queen would wear! Her slightly curly hair put to one side is fitting too. Meanwhile, Kenneth looks like the bad boy who would go with the prom queen. He looked very handsome at the gala in his suit, and while Kenneth does something different here, it doesn't work for him. The skinny leather pants do not flatter him!

Simplicity and Elegance: Moses Chan and Tavia Yeung
Tavia finally gets it right at this year's anniversary awards! At the last few anniversary events, she either tried too hard or looked too plain. Here, she has a elegant and unique dress to compliment her natural elegance and maturity. She also finally decided to not do anything to extreme with her short hair too, by leaving it natural and to the side. I was never fond of those blown out straight bangs! The color and design of the dress looks so delicate and lovely. As much as I hate Moses' current hairstyle and think it makes him look older than he is, he sported a simple suit that made him look handsome and clean cut.

The Swan and the Prince: Nancy Wu and Ruco Chan
The bottom of Nancy's dress makes her look like a swan! She looks so graceful and poised. The red lipstick offers a great contrast. I'm not too fond of the top of her dress though, and for some reason they remind me of tassels. Her hairstyle is interesting and fits with the feel of her ensemble. Ruco looks handsome as always. If you look closely, his suit is actually complete with sparkles. The sparkles don't pop and distract too much but are unique, adding a special touch to his classic suit.

Selena Li: Sexy and Sweet
Raymond Wong: Dorky Yet Cute
Love Selena's whole ensemble! The hair, necklace, and the dress. She looks sexy but still retains her natural sweetness. The leg slit allows her to be sexy without being too much. The top is nicely detailed and the waist nicely cinched. Really like the accents on it! My only complaint is that the top looks slightly poofy/loose, which clashes with her thin figure and small shoulders. Raymond Wong once again comes to the awards show looking dorky, but he always manages to look dorky yet cute. I wonder if his bow tie was also made by his wife. What he got wrong here though is his pants. Is he just wearing dark jeans? He seems to be a fan of the "dorky style", but it'd be nice to see him looking handsome in a classic black suit.

Aimee Chan: Neither Here Nor There
Ron Ng: Handsome in Black
Aimee's fashion choices are almost always misses. She almost always manages to be too plain and/or awkward. The overall design of the dress is unflattering and doesn't look grand or formal enough for the red carpet. Ron looks handsome in his all black suit but it is a bit plain. Perhaps a tie would've been a nice touch, but it'd probably clash with the black shirt.

Glowing and Feminine: Natalie Tong
Natalie looks gorgeous and feminine in her soft pink strapless dress! It gives off a princess feel which matches her youthfulness and innocence. I like how she paired her necklace with a bracelet too. Her make up and long flowing hair compliment her outfit. She's practically glowing! My one major problem though: her push up bra is way too obvious and unnecessary.

Trying Too Hard: Liza Wang
Dear Liza Jeh, we already know you're youthful appearance and spirit wise. You do not need to try so hard to prove something you've already proven! She seems to be in a competition with herself to be even more outrageous than the last. She looks like a golden space alien in this gold colored get up and the leggings are a huge no no.

Overall, there were a lot of interesting and flattering fashions at this year's anniversary awards. Of course, there were a lot of misses too. For the females, Sharon is my vote for Best Dressed as well as Most Daring and Sexy, like I said in my caption for her. My other favorites are Selena, Tavia, and Natalie. Overall, almost all the girls looked gorgeous! For the guys, I liked Ruco's softly glittering suit and Moses' simple suit most.

I hope you enjoyed this fashion post! This is my first fashion post for a TVB event and it was fun to write. What did you think of what everyone wore? What is your choice for Best Dressed and Worst Dressed?

TVB 44th Anniversary Awards Results+Comments

2011-12-06T17:48:00.004-05:00

No matter how much we complain about how the TVB Anniversary Awards are rigged, we (or at least I) still look forward and enjoy watching them.

The top 5 nominees this year were just ridiculous. Some were random, some were undeserved, and a couple were snubbed. While there were other people who arguably deserved to win more, this year's winners were reasonable and acceptable.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Lee Heung Kam
Congratulations to Kam Jeh! She should've received this award last year. I didn't know she has been in the industry for so long (since she was 14 or 15 years old). Although "Moonlight Resonance" was ridiculously overrated and loud, Lee Heung Kam shined there!

Most Improved Actor: MC Jin
TOP 5
MC Jin
Jazz Lam
King Kong
Jason Chan
Matt Yeung

I was cheering for Jazz to win as he is the true Most Improved Actor of 2011. His casting as the lawyer in "Ghetto Justice" could've been a huge mistake, but he pleasantly surprised viewers by pulling off the role with heart and comedic timing. However, I can see why TVB would want to reward MC Jin since he's filmed so much for them recently. If someone had to win besides Jazz, I'm glad it was MC. He never fails to be fun with his great rapping and improvisation skills, including in his acceptance speech. Better luck next year, Jazz? The only actor who didn't deserve to be here was Matt, since he didn't have any significant or memorable roles this year.

Most Improved Actress: Sire Ma
TOP 5
Sire Ma
Mandy Wong
Samantha Ko
Katy Kung
Cilla Kung

No, poor Mandy! It's no surprise Sire won, but I'm still very disappointed and this is probably the award I'm most unhappy about. I have mixed feelings about almost every other category. Mandy's acting is more consistent and has improved more. Out of all the newer young actresses, she has the most potential. However, TVB is keen on promoting Sire. She was in more series than the rest of the nominees, but wasn't the most memorable. It's silly Samantha was even here since all she did was host programs and a short guest appearance in FH3. Katy is adorable with potential, but her roles in series right now aren't too significant. Cilla is a decent newcomer, but has yet to prove she can play something besides a school girl.

Best Supporting Actor: Ben Wong
TOP 5
Ben Wong (Lives of Omission)
Jazz Lam (Ghetto Justice)
Derek Kwok (LOO)
Ngo Ka Nin (River of Wine)
Lee Kwok Lun (Forensic Heroes III)

Although I did not watch all of "Lives of Omission", Ben Wong has been a solid supporting actor for nearly 20 years and the recognition is greatly deserved. Jazz and Ngo Ka Nin earned their spots here as well. It's a shame to see that when Derek is able to get into the top 5 again, it's for a series where he had a forgettable and small role. Lee Kwok Lun deserved to win this award back in 2009 for his performance in "Beyond the Realm of Conscience". But for his guest appearance in FH3? Definitely not. Since when did such short guest appearances even qualify you for the Best Supporting categories? This year apparently. Would've liked to see Patrick place.

Best Supporting Actress: Sharon Chan
TOP 5
Sharon Chan (GJ)
Nancy Wu (FH3)
Aimee Chan (The Other Truth)
Helen Ma (TOT)
Natalie Tong (TOT)

The amazingly talented and lovely Elena Kong is the most offensive snub of the year. After all that buzz about her possibly winning this award, she couldn't even get in the top 5? What the hell, TVB? However, Sharon truly deserved to win this award. Yes, Elena and Nancy delivered stronger performances, but Sharon has worked so hard without recognition for so long. It's about time for Sharon to finally shine. Her speech, along with Myolie's for Best Actress, was the most touching of the night. She broke into tears as soon as her name was announced as the winner. Close friend Christine Ng did as well! She said when nobody wanted her, TVB was there for her. It was sweet and funny to see an incredibly emotional and touched Sharon remove her heels per Felix Wong's request, even though he was only kidding. Speaking of Felix Wong, after his rant about TVB last year, it was a huge surprise to see him present. It was also nice, and his words and handing of the tissue for Sharon were very sweet and subtlety comedic. I couldn't stop smiling for the actress. Aimee's top 5 nomination for her mediocre three episode guest appearance in TOT is the worst and most undeserving this year. Helen Ma always delivers as the bitchy (excuse my language) mother, but it was random for her to finally place this year.

My Favorite Male Character: Kevin Cheng
TOP 5
Kevin Cheng (GJ)
Ruco Chan (TOT)
Michael Tse (LOO)
Bosco Wong (LOO)
Wayne Lai (FH3)

Was it surprising that Kevin won this award instead of Michael or Bosco? Yes. However, the character of "Laughing Gor" has been tired out, so I'm glad "Law Ba" won over him. I can't put too much input on Bosco since I didn't watch all of LOO, but having him win for more variety would've been nice. Although it was expected, I was crushed black horse Ruco didn't win. After getting so much hype that Ruco would take home an award this year, he finally left home empty handed and was neglected at the show as well.

My Favorite Female Character: Myolie Wu
TOP 5
Myolie Wu (GJ)
Fala Chen (LOO)
Linda Chung (Yes Sir, Sorry Sir)
Maggie Cheung (FH3)
Aimee Chan (FH3)

It was clear Myolie wasn't too happy to win this award as she thought it meant she would lose out on Best Actress. While Myolie deserves to win as her character genuinely was the most memorable and entertaining of the year, this award should've gone to Fala or Linda who probably would've appreciated it more. I was expecting Fala to get this as consolation or Linda since she received the most buzz for her character "Ms. Cool". Now, what in the world is Aimee doing here? Does she have some weird guarantee that she makes it into the top 5 of every category she's nominated in? Surprised Tavia didn't get in.

Best Actor: Kevin Cheng
TOP 5
Kevin Cheng (GJ)
Michael Tse (LOO)
Bosco Wong (LOO)
Wayne Lai (FH3)
Moses Chan (YSSS)

Why is Moses here instead of Ruco?! I knew Ruco wasn't going to win, but he deserved a top 5 nomination more than anyone! Poor guy. Most certainly more than Moses, who was simply over the top in Yes Sir, Sorry Sir. My anger and disappointment aside, I am genuinely happy Kevin won. He finally relaxed and learned to be more laid back this year, resulting in a memorable and fantastic performance in "Ghetto Justice". He was very honest and humble in his acceptance speech. He himself admits that he didn't really deserve Best Actor back in 2006, but he definitely does this time!

Best Actress: Myolie Wu
TOP 5
Myolie Wu (Curse of the Royal Harem)
Fala Chen (LOO)
Maggie Cheung (FH3)
Linda Chung (YSSS)
Liza Wang (Home Troopers)

There is no other young leading actress more deserving of this award than Myolie. It was still a mistake for TVB to nominate her for "Curse" though. Unlike her speech for My Favorite Character, her speech for Best Actress was very touching. Having just completed "Triumph in the Skies" myself, it was an extra special treat to have her award presented by former co-star Francis Ng. Her proclamation of love for Bosco, her real life boyfriend of 7 years, was the most memorable moment of the night. Myolie has always been more secretive and closed off in talking about her relationship with Bosco, but finally opened up last night. An excerpt from her speech: “There is one more person. He has always been very strict towards me. When we were filming War of In-Laws, he cared very much for me. I do not know what to say…anyhow we had a little argument last night. He told reporters that when I receive the award tonight, he will go to the restroom! However, he did not go to the restroom. I know that I have many flaws and that I am difficult to get along with. But you (Bosco Wong) also have many flaws and you are difficult to get along with as well. I hope that we will continue to support each other!” Bosco and Myolie are so sweet and are now my favorite TVB couple ever. I truly do hope they get married someday!

Best Drama: Lives of Omission
TOP 5
Lives of Omission
Ghetto Justice
The Other Truth
Forensic Heroes III
Yes Sir, Sorry Sir

Despite sweeping a majority of the awards, "Ghetto Justice" failed to grab Best Drama. I would've preferred GJ to win Best Drama and have the Favorite Character awards divided. LOO was more hype with high ratings while GJ had the best writing, characters, acting, and was overall a more creative and entertaining series.

tvb.com Weibo Popularity Award: Kevin Cheng
Was hoping Ruco to at least take home this award since "The Other Truth" resulted in Ruco becoming the #1 artiste on tvb.com for months as well as a significant increase in Weibo followers and Facebook friends on his official account. Kevin experienced a huge popularity spike in the Mainland this year though, so this is once again no surprise.

Extraordinarily Elegant Male and Female Artistes: Bosco Wong and Myolie Wu
It was too cute to have both of them win together! The two were so shy to go accept the award together!

I would like to give a special shout out to both Ruco and Roger Kwok, who failed to place in the top 5 for Best Actor or even be nominated for Favorite Character in "Wax and Wane". While everybody was obsessing over Law Ba and Laughing Gor, I was in love with Keith Lau and the extremely underrated Yee Chun. My like for Roger had gradually started to decrease after seeing him in boring roles like in "The Threshold of a Persona" and exaggerated comedic roles. Although "Wax and Wane" was not great, it was not given a fair chance by viewers. Roger's performance as "Yee Chun" finally won me over again. His tough-exterior and soft-exterior character was intriguing and lovable as was his character's love for Peace (Kate Tsui). Roger Kwok's performance and character in "Wax and Wane" is the most underrated lead performance of the year.

Overall Thoughts
There has been a lot of talk about how TVB didn't "divide the pork" this year by offering consolation prizes to Michael, Fala, Linda, and others. While I'm glad TVB decided to give the awards to the people they thought deserved it instead of giving out consolations, I would've liked more variety. It's one thing if there was nobody else deserving, but TVB could've easily rewarded more hardworking and deserving artistes. Three awards each for both Kevin and Myolie was a bit much though I would've been fine with two. Then again, you can't ever count on TVB to be fair. Congratulations to this year's winners!

TVB's Best Young Singers (Male Edition)

2011-11-23T17:28:00.005-05:00

Practically every TVB artiste, particularly the younger generation, gets the opportunity to sing in at least one point. Most are decent, but aren't exactly professionals. However, some surprisingly possess a great amount of talent in singing, whether they pursue it as simply an interest or a career. This is a list of my personal favorite young male singers in TVB in no particular order.

Ruco Chan

*Ruco Chan singing the theme song of "The Other Truth" live

Ruco originally entered the entertainment industry as both a singer and actor. He was noted as having a lot of potential, signed by PolyGram, and dubbed a young Andy Lau. This should've guaranteed him a successful career. Unfortunately, when Polygram merged with another record company, he was dropped from the label. As an actor at ATV, he sang several themes, most notably the theme song of "Love in a Miracle" with Amy Chan. His newfound popularity have allowed him to sing at many live functions. He has a strong and powerful voice but also shows very good voice control. Unlike many other TVB singers, Ruco gives off a fun and lively atmosphere when singing live, making him very enjoyable to watch perform.

More links:
ATV Commercial Song Medley 2005: http://youtu.be/gAXmEtxiBow
08-10-2010青衣show (Part 1 of 4): h ttp://youtu.be/kxvdVFmH2ZI

"Love in a Miracle" Theme Song: http://youtu.be/yosIgs0uZI0
天性如此 MV: http://youtu.be/MngRmyWNZjk

Sammul Chan

*Sammul Chan singing the theme song to "Triumph in the Skies" in Cantonese and Mandarin live

Although Sammul has left TVB (boo hoo!), he was formerly of TVB. Strong, soothing, with a good range? Sammul's singing contains all of these elements, making him a great singer. He can be gentle, but also more powerful. He sings with a lot of emotion, making him that much more lovely to listen to. Sadly, he was never able to sing a theme song himself for TVB before leaving. However, it is fun to "stalk" him on YouTube for new live performances.

More links:
"The Moon Represents My Heart" Live: http://youtu.be/QaUaI9i7YL8
"Survivor's Law" Theme Song Live: http://youtu.be/hLv4MeiQK8I
"Chasing Love" Musical Solo: http://youtu.be/hLv4MeiQK8I
"Child, Let Me Love" MV : http://youtu.be/n2uzNQfvKWI

Edwin Siu

*Edwin Siu performing on "The Voice"

Edwin experienced success and popularity as a singer a few years back, but subsequently disappeared from the music scene. TVB currently has plans to promote Edwin, which will allow him to gain more exposure as both a singer and an actor. Unlike Ruco and Sammul, who sing more for interest, I can see Edwin pursuing both a singing and acting career. I sure hope so too, because his voice is soothing and has great range and emotion. His recent performance on "The Voice" was fantastic and showcased his talent. Of all the guys listed here, Edwin's singing is probably my favorite (as much as I've been a long time fan of Patrick).

Other Links:
十個分手的理由 MV: http://youtu.be/hDt3Jp6vfXU
重點情歌 MV: http://youtu.be/oQdpH18-IY8

回家 MV: http://youtu.be/xhJJAg6ksEE
接受我 MV: http://youtu.be/AP58Nrui1Yk
接受我 Live: http://youtu.be/h6HkPI1njSA

Patrick Tang

*Patrick Tang singing "好" live

Patrick is an underrated actor, and an even more underrated singer. He released several successful songs, but has since faded in popularity. This has nothing to do with lack of talent, but because of the record company he's signed to. Signed under Universal are some of the most popular singers in Hong Kong, most notably Hacken Lee and Kay Tse. As a result, Patrick has been neglected and lacks the promotion needed for success. In my opinion, he'd be much better off in a smaller label where he could get more promotion and become a "big brother" of the company. He has a deeper and stronger voice than others, but could work on controlling his voice. His main setbacks are that he can get carried away with longer notes (but I appreciate his enthusiasm) and his struggles a bit with higher notes because of his deep voice. Even so, I've always had a soft spot for Patrick, especially as a singer. He puts an immense amount of emotion into singing his songs, especially his ballads. He's also tried his hand at composing and songwriting, having written his song "難分難解".

More Links:

"心寒" MV (feat. Tavia Yeung): http://youtu.be/H40MCJk7Zzo"戒不掉你" MV: http://youtu.be/SNAWBfJrbxw
"難分難解" MV (TVB version, feat. Macy Chan): http://youtu.be/-i7aZ7nxKUQ
"十年后的你" MV: http://youtu.be/tUMWSbR2kzs
"變形記" MV: http://youtu.be/TQo5FtAaeq8

"Links 2 Pat's Trick"Album Excerpts Live: http://youtu.be/0hQXa3oEg_w

Vincent Wong

*Vincent Wong singing the subtheme to "Gun Metal Grey" live

Vincent pursued a singing career a couple years back but did not enjoy too much success. He used to be a bit flat, but his vocals have since vastly improved. He doesn't have as much range or strength as the other guys on this list, but his soft yet strong voice is easy and pleasing to the ears making him still enjoyable to listen to. I loved Vincent's live performance of the subtheme to "Gun Metal Grey" more than the original. He put more emotion into the song and his voice was tender and soothing. Although he still sings at functions, it seems he's another artiste who has decided to put his music career behind him.

More Links:
"爱你便爱" MV: http://youtu.be/uyaXU_8fUok"Sorry" MV: http://youtu.be/D0XS5Gs60cw
"愛與被愛" MV (Duet with Hailie Leung): http://youtu.be/8Ac-NzUQVuQ
"分手不分开" http://youtu.be/H-S9A5Qwsh8

"最難過今天" MV (Duet with Myolie Wu): http://youtu.be/m3_vQckGMWM

Zac Kao

*Zac Kao singing "時間停頓" Live

Although not a TVB signed artiste, Zac films a series every now and then. He first caught my attention in the cool and savvy Ko Choi Sang in "D.I.E. Again", and I wondered why I didn't see him very often. I found out that he is actually an accomplished songwriter and music composer, but has also released one solo album titled "Singing Sincerely", making him very musically talented. He has a nice voice that has a sweet charm to it, and his songs tend to be well polished since they're his own product. Would like to see him act more often and release more solo material.

More Links:
"時間停頓" MV: http://youtu.be/z-wLfGrcgCs
"不要驚動愛情" MV: http://youtu.be/BozTuC0GVrM

"為神上路" MV: http://youtu.be/vIi1IJTanlE
"真心唱歌" MV: http://youtu.be/F3xuuaMZL9A

These are the male artistes of TVB whose singing I enjoy most. There are others too, but these six are my personal favorites. Hope you enjoy all the links I've provided, maybe you'll become a fan of one of these young talented men as well? And of course, share your favorites with me as well!

The Next Top Fa Dan

2011-11-16T18:26:00.000-05:00

Since TVB's loss of Charmaine Sheh, the TV station has lost their top actress and biggest cash cow. As a result, they are grooming their current young actresses to take over the spot. Although they are no longer too interested in one big star, they still want more strong first line actresses. This post isn't trying to predict who can replace Charmaine Sheh, but rather, analyzing and evaluating who has what it takes to be the most successful actress in TVB overall.

My Top Choice
#1 - Myolie Wu
Favorite character/performance(s): The witty and professional lawyer Wong Sze Fu/Kris in "Ghetto Justice", Ling Ling in "Survivor's Law"

Favorite pairing(s): Myo&Sammul in "When Rules Turn Loose", Myo&Kevin in "Ghetto Justice"
Strength(s): Arguably the most versatile of all the young female actresses currently in TVB, consistently delivers solid performances despite receiving some mediocre roles
Weakness(es): Has been criticized by netizens for her performances in the past

In my opinion, Myolie Wu has what it takes to be the most successful actress in TVB and is the most versatile of today's generation. In the blink of an eye, she has been in the entertainment industry for over 10 years, and her experience shows. She was stuck playing weak and mediocre roles for a while, but has since overcome that rut. Recently, she has been seen portraying a variety of roles that have garnered her praise and won over netizens again such as her roles in "A Chip Off the Old Block", "The Rippling Blossom, and "Ghetto Justice". She does equally well in both comedy and drama. Due to having the most consistent success this year, Myolie also has a very high chance of finally taking home the coveted "Best Actress" award. I haven't started "Curse of the Royal Harem" and think she should've been nominated for "Ghetto Justice", but I still support her. She has worked so hard and overcome so many obstacles as an actress, it is time for her to shine!

Honorable Mentions

#2 - Kate Tsui

Favorite character/performance(s): The tough yet adorable cop Ling Sin-Yee/Ada in "Forensic Heroes III"
Favorite pairing(s): Kate&Kenneth (in several series), Kate&Roger in "Wax and Wane"
Strength(s): Has determination that has consistently kept her working hard and improving her acting; works well with almost every co-star
Weakness(es): Has trouble portraying good and feminine characters due to her natural air of fierceness, still has many haters who refuse to accept her as an actress

Kate initially received a lot of criticism for being a bad actress, many people going as far as saying she should quit the entertainment industry. However, she didn't let that criticism get to her and instead made it constructive by becoming determined to continue working hard to improve her acting. This is why personality-wise, she has what it takes to be a successful actress. Her narrow eyes give off this glare that can make her look evil, which used to be always present in her past performances. This year has been a breakthrough for her acting-wise because she has successfully shed that "evil glare", but is still able to use that to her advantage when the time calls for it. She possesses a natural air of fierceness that no other artiste has, which makes portraying tough and intelligent characters her specialty. Her one major flaw is her inability to play good and gentle characters like Man Ka Fu/Peace in "Wax and Wane", where she seems tired, most likely from trying so hard to shed that natura air. However, over time, I believe Kate can become a well-rounded actress. Until then, she is still one of my favorite TVB artistes due to her determined personality, fighter girl spirit, fierce aura, and improvements in acting!

#3 - Fala Chen

Favorite character/performance(s): Szeto Ngan Ping in "Can't Buy Me Love"
Favorite pairing(s): Fala&Timmy in "The Stew of Life"
Strength(s): Has the widest variety of characters
Weaknesses(es): Fails to create sparks with co-stars on an emotional level

Compared to actresses like Kate, Linda, and Selena, Fala has the widest variety in the characters she plays. Her acting has improved and she has shown us that she has comedic talent as well. Fala was my top choice to be the next Charmaine Sheh a couple months ago, but that opinion has changed. Her emotional scenes themselves are decent, but she has a lot of trouble creating sparks with co-stars on an emotional level. By that, I mean she appears emotionally detached in romantic scenes. She portrays lighthearted and sweet chemistry (i.e. she had chemistry with Timmy and Kenneth in the comedies "The Stew of Life" and "Can't Buy Me Love") just fine, yet struggles in going deeper. Fala does not seem to like working with her on-screen love interests and particularly hates kiss and love scenes. She avoids them at all costs and usually opts for camera angle tricks whenever possible. Meanwhile, Kate manages to have chemistry with almost every on-screen love interest and can appear to be both lighthearted and passionate. I've come to the sad realization that Fala acts well herself, but has not emotionally connected to any of her co-stars in a more dramatic series.

Also, in terms of character specialty, she is the opposite of Kate. Feminine characters are her strength while tough characters are her weakness. Of what I saw of "Lives of Omission", Fala was not believable as the tough and strong Madam Jo. This weakness may actually limit her more than Kate's. In the end, both of these problems will hold her back as a serious actress.

#4 - Tavia Yeung

Favorite character/performance: Suen Ho Yuet in "Moonlight Resonance"
Favorite pairing(s): Tavia&Ruco in "The Other Truth"
Strength(s): Emotional/crying scenes
Weaknesses(s): Lack of variety in roles, has not done comedy

Despite possessing a natural elegance as well as major talent in drama series and emotional scenes, Tavia has been extremely limited in her roles lately. Does she have the capability to be a lead actress? Definitely! But ever since she was promoted to lead actress, she has been restricted to weak and quite frankly, irritating characters that require her to cry way too much. She has yet to show whether or not she has talent in comedy. In general, her acting is much better than that of Kate and Fala's, but I question if her exquisite acting stretches beyond drama. Tavia used to be my favorite TVB actress, but the repetitiveness and unlikability of her recent characters has caused me to no longer be excited to see her onscreen. She could easily be much higher on this list if she had the opportunity to be more daring in the characters she portrayed.

Other Choices

#5 - Nancy Wu
Favorite character/performance: Hui Man Sze in "Gun Metal Grey", Eva in "Forensic Heroes III"
Favorite pairing(s): Nancy&Vincent in "Gun Metal Grey"
Strength(s): Overall a capable actress; consistently delivers in supporting roles
Weakness(es): Voice is not too pleasant and slightly irritating when she yells/screams

If an actress is truly talented and capable, they will leave a good impression on you no matter what the character they're playing. This statement applies to Nancy, because while she has played irritating characters in the past ("Bing Bing" in "A Fistful of Stances"), she rarely fails to give a solid performance. Her one and probably only major drawback in her acting is that her voice is not too pleasant on the ears when she yells and screams. Maybe it's for this reason that I can not imagine Nancy as a lead actress, even though I absolutely love her. However, I am pleased to see that she is a second lead in the boxing series with Kevin, Raymond Wong, and Selena Li. Her character is a deaf and mute professional boxer. I see another breakthrough for Nancy on the horizon.

#6 - Selena Li
Favorite character/performance(s): Cat Li in "Forensic Heroes II"
Favorite pairing(s): Selena&Kenneth
Strength(s): Does well in ancient series and emotional scenes
Weakness(es): Has a naturally sweet and innocent aura that could hinder her ability to portray evil

Selena is pretty as well as adorable. Coupled with her solid acting, she is endearing to watch onscreen. She has also proved she can play spoiled and somewhat conceited characters like in "To Grow With Love" and "The Four" without being too irritating. She looks beautiful in ancient series and does well in her emotional scenes. She can make improvements, but has a lot of potential and I hope to see her in more series in bigger roles!

#7 - Linda Chung
Favorite character/performance(s): N/A
Favorite pairing(s): Linda&Steven
Strength(s): Cries well
Weakness(es): Also has a naturally sweet and innocent aura that could hinder her ability to portray evil

Compared to the other potential fa dans, I think Linda has the least chances of becoming a top actress and I've yet to completely warm up to her. Although she is a decent actress, she also has a naturally sweet and innocent aura like Selena. However, I think this limits Linda more than Selena as she comes off as even more innocent to me. This will keep her from portraying a wide variety of characters, especially villains. However, she does do a very good job with her emotional scenes.

This is my evaluation and personal choices for who has what it takes to be the most successful actress in TVB. What are your choices and thoughts?

"The Other Truth" Review

2011-11-14T17:04:00.003-05:00

"The Other Truth" is the most case driven drama of the year, which is a shame since it had so much potential for intriguing and sweet love relationships and enjoyable character interactions. While it is above average compared to other series this year, it falls significantly short of the preceding lawyer drama "Ghetto Justice", which better balanced cases and characters. Putting aside my love and bias for Ruco Chan, I neither hated "The Other Truth" nor loved it.

Characters and Performances

Ruco Chan - "Keith"
After 17 years of struggling in the entertainment industry despite immense talent and good looks, Ruco finally landed a lead role and received the recognition and praise he deserves for his portrayal of "Keith". The character feels tailor made for him, as Ruco excels at portraying gray characters. Ruco has consistently delivered solid performances as semi-villains since returning to TVB, which caused many people to be biased against him. I am very satisfied that not only did he get the chance to portray a good guy for a wider audience to like him, but was also given the chance to portray such an intriguing character that allowed him to showcase his talent. Keith highly believes in justice, and is not afraid to take risks and come dangerously to the bottom line in order to achieve it. Not only does Ruco have charisma that makes Keith ridiculously attractive, but he flawlessly brings out the rebellious and independent nature and unconventional thinking the character is supposed to have. Ruco portrays Keith in such a charming, subtle, and natural fashion and has my vote for Best Actor as well as Favorite Male Character.

On a slightly off topic note, I usually don't like Producer Amy Wong much, but she gets major bonus points for seeing the talent in Ruco and finally letting my favorite artiste the chance to shine!

Tavia Yeung - "Mavis"
When I learned that Tavia would be portraying an independent and strong lawyer, I was ecstatic. I thought that she would finally be able to break out of the weak and emotional characters she has been portraying lately. However, other than being independent and intelligent, Mavis is a flat and uninteresting character. In return, you wonder why Keith and Wallace both fell for her so hard. Tavia brings nothing new with this portrayal. She was sick during filming, which resulted in her screen time being distributed to others. This makes me wonder, had Tavia not been sick, would Mavis have been more developed?

Raymond Wong - "Wallace"
Although Raymond Wong is another one of my favorite actors, I am glad the writers sidelined him more in favor of promoting Ruco, who has been in the industry a couple more years than Raymond. "Wallace" was a more laid back and playful character compared to the ones Raymond has portrayed since being promoted to lead with less challenging material. As a result, he portrays Wallace with ease. Raymond is a handsome and great actor, but when standing with Ruco, the latter seems to outshine him in both aspects.

While Tavia and Raymond did share many cute scenes together, I preferred Ruco and Tavia together since I think they were more compatible personality wise. They had things in common, but also had many differences that compliment each other. Mavis encouraged Keith to be more structured and responsible while Keith encouraged Mavis to act outside the box and be more unorthodox.

Natalie Tong - "Cecillia"
Cecillia was perfectly likable, and her crush on Keith was sweet. Natalie's performance was average, but I'm starting to feel like all her performances are the same.

Louis Yuen - "James"
Due to him not being nowhere as attractive and professional looking as Keith or Wallace, James is a hardworking and modest yet klutzy lawyer who strives to be taken seriously as a professional. Although I don't like Louis too much, this was a nice role change for him. I was annoyed with the amount of screen time he had in the beginning, but he grew on me later on.

Kenneth Ma - "Alex"
Kenneth's portrayal of Alex generated much discussion while the series was airing. He takes a break from his usual righteous roles, which is a nice change. There were certainly flaws in his performance (he seemed innocent at times), but overall he delivered. His last scene was very chilling and realistic!

Highlights

Ruco's performance as Keith.
The jury trial. It was refreshing and interesting to see the jury interactions. Not only was it a fantastic new spin on handling the cases, but we got to learn more about how a jury worked. I commend all the actors featured in the case's jury as well, especially veteran Angelina Lo.
Keith and Mavis' bickering and bantering scenes.
Wallace's pursuit of Mavis. Love how their code for help is "I love you"!
The scene with Mavis, Keith, Wallace, and James at the restaurant where Keith and Wallace fight over the cheesecake, which is supposed to symbolize Mavis. James takes the cheesecake away from them, but ends up being too scared to eat it himself.

Overall

The second half of the last episode felt like a slap in the face for me due to most of the time being spent on Louis and Kristal Tin. I wouldn't mind seeing them get their happy ending if it didn't drag on so long. It angers me even more that the disappointing conclusion of Keith, Mavis, and Wallace's storyline was simply squeezed into the last minute.

While "The Other Truth" was certainly entertaining and addictive, it left much to be desired. Some of the cases were poorly executed, such as the "kill the cop" case. It had a lot of potential and started off strong, but the conclusion could've been better. Meanwhile, the case with Rosanne Lui and Leanne Li dragged on way too long. We were introduced to great characters with so much potential. However, with the exception of Keith, the script fails to dive in and fully explore these characters and their relationships.

Do I want a sequel? Yes, especially since it will be a direct sequel. That way, the scriptwriters and producer Amy Wong get a second chance at further developing these characters. Hopefully, the sequel will balance the cases and relationships better. I am wary of how it will turn it, but I'm looking forward to it.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars

TVB 44th Anniversary Awards: My Voting Ballot

2011-11-11T18:19:00.001-05:00

Although the nominations list was quite surprising, disappointing, and odd, I can't change anything about it. That is why I've made my decision on who to support this year and have cast my votes on tvb.com!

Best Actor: Ruco Chan

After lots of discussion, debate, and "TVB politics", an obvious winner is yet to emerge. Will it be Ruco, Kevin, Michael Tse, Steven, or Chilam? Either way, I will always support Ruco. He was not nominated for Most Improved Actor, so at least TVB also acknowledges he's extremely overqualified for the award. I keep hope that he still does have a chance of winning Best Actor as he truly deserves it.

Best Actress: Maggie Cheung

Although this role isn't too much of new territory for the incredibly versatile Maggie, it is the first role I've genuinely enjoyed her in since her comeback to TVB. I can finally say welcome back, Maggie!

Best Supporting Actor: Patrick Tang

Black horse candidates rule! And even though Patrick has no chance of winning, I can still say I supported this surprisingly hilarious and adorable underrated actor.

Best Supporting Actress: Sharon Chan

It was a tough choice between Sharon and Nancy. I chose Sharon because after all her hard work these years without recognition, I think the time has finally come for her to shine!

My Favorite Male Actor: Ruco Chan/"Lau Sze Kit/Keith"

Need I once again state why I love this character (and Ruco) so much?

My Favorite Female Character: "Wong Sze Fu/Kris"

Witty, intelligent, professional, and adorable. My favorite character of Myolie's...her whole career!

Most Improved Actor: Jazz Lam

Jazz used to be an over the top actor, and while he still exaggerates at times, he has toned it down and improved. His role in "Ghetto Justice" could've been a huge miscast, yet he pulled off the role well.

Most Improved Actress: Mandy Wong

With so much potential and true talent, nobody deserves to win more than Mandy. She has proved her ability in both comedy and drama, while Sire Ma still struggles in emotional scenes.

Best Drama: Ghetto Justice

Hands down the drama with the best and most refreshing script, characters, and acting all year.

TVB Weibo Popularity Award: Ruco Chan

Who did you think I was going to vote for? After experiencing a huge increase in followers on Weibo and skyrocketing to the #1 position on tvb.com during the airing of "The Other Truth", Ruco will most likely take home this award.

Who's on your voting ballot? Who do you support, and who do you think will win? Share your opinion with me! :)

TVB 44th Anniversary Awards Nominations (TVB Interaction Picks)

2011-11-09T17:30:00.002-05:00

I know I haven't updated in forever, but since Anniversary Awards are still my favorite time of year for TVB, I am coming out of hibernation! Instead of making predictions this year, I will be making my own list of nominations. These are my personal picks with minimal influence from predictions and gossip. Most of these people will most likely not be nominated or have no chances of winning. There is no set number of nominations, I nominated as many (or as little) as I thought deserved a nomination. Note that there is some bias since these are my personal choices and I skipped many series this year.

Best Actor
Ruco Chan - The Other Truth
Joe Ma - Relic of an Emissary
Chilam Cheung - The Rippling Blossom
Roger Kwok - Wax and Wane

Ruco portrayed Keith with so much charisma and genuine emotion he should at lest be nominated and get into the top 5! I'm not a fan of Laughing Gor and only watched 7 episodes of "Lives of Omission", so Michael Tse is not included. Wayne gives a solid performance in "Forensic Heroes III", but it's not new territory for the versatile veteran actor who has already won this award twice. My close friend noted that Joe's performance in "Relic" was superb yet underrated. Although I did not watch the series, I don't want the underdog to go unnoticed! While Chilam's performance and character was nothing extraordinary, he was cute and likable. He is rumored to take home this award as an incentive/"bribe" from TVB so that he will agree to film "Triumph in the Skies II". Roger's performance in "Wax and Wane" may not be anything new, but he portrays "Yee Chun" with so much charm and sincerity. After seeing him in many lackluster comedic roles recently, it was refreshing to see him in a dramatic role that showed his emotional range and soft side.

Best Actress
Myolie Wu - Ghetto Justice
Maggie Cheung - Forensic Heroes III

If the male performances for this year weren't award worthy, the females were even less so. My only choices are Myolie and Maggie. Myolie was great as a witty and intelligent lawyer. Maggie is very professional as "Dr. Chung" and pulls off the role of a pathologist very well.

Best Supporting Actor
Damien Lau - The Rippling Blossom
Derek Kwok - Wax and Wane
Patrick Tang - 7 Days in Life
Raymond Wong - The Other Truth

In a smaller role than he usually plays, Damien is surprisingly hilarious in the first comedic role I've ever seen of his! He portrays the grumpiness and roughness of his character so well and had so much chemistry with Myolie and Chilam. Derek Kwok consistently delivers as a solid supporting actor, and "Wax and Wane" is no exception. Patrick isn't the best actor and "7 Days in Life" has sadly been long forgotten, but is my honorable mention. He proved that he has great comedic timing. I never expected him to be so genuinely cute and funny or have so much chemistry with Mimi Lo. Raymond Wong did well in "The Other Truth" has the cool, rich boy and shared many cute scenes with Tavia (and this is a Ruco-Tavia fan speaking).

Best Supporting Actress
Kate Tsui - Lives of Omission
Mimi Lo - 7 Days in Love
Nancy Wu - Forensic Heroes III
Sharon Chan - Ghetto Justice

Despite not watching "Lives of Omission", I think Kate has improved so much as an actress. Mimi Lo is hilarious and adorable in "7 Days" with Patrick! They had so much chemistry and were very underrated. "Eva" is unlike any other character Nancy has played and quite intriguing. Sharon is the hot choice to win this year, and I support her. Her performance may not have been spectacular, but she was likable and has been so hardworking in her career I'm willing to turn a blind eye to that. Perhaps it's time for Sharon to finally shine!

My Favorite Male Character
Ruco Chan - The Other Truth, "Keith"
Roger Kwok - Wax and Wane, "Yee Chun"
Kevin Cheng - Ghetto Justice, "Law Ba"

Keith is righteous and professional, yet tries to push his limits and do whatever he can to establish justice. Charming and sweet, yet rebellious. A great example of a grey character! Yee Chun was the classic tough-exterior, soft-exterior character, an archetype I never seem to get tired of. He came off as serious and slightly cold but inside, had the deepest care and love for his family. Law Ba is the hot favorite, and was indeed an entertaining and unique character. However, Keith is still my favorite character of the year, with Yee Chun as a close second.

My Favorite Female Character
Myolie Wu - Ghetto Justice, "Kris"
Kate Tsui - Wax and Wane, "Peace"

I usually have countless female characters that I love, so the number this year is disappointing. Kris is so professional and witty it's endearing. Although Kate could've done a better job at her portrayal of Peace, the character was incredibly sweet and cute. I loved how she was the only one that could get Yee Chun to open up! The little notes she wrote for him were adorable. With every note she wrote for him, he came closer to falling in love with her. :)

Most Improved Actor
Ruco Chan
Edwin Siu

I really don't think I need to keep restating my love, admiration, and respect for Ruco. This award has his name written on it even though he's overqualified for the award considering how much experience he has. When asked about winning any awards, he replied “Many people feel that I have a good chance in winning the Most Improved Actor Award. However, if the award title were changed to ‘Oldest Qualified Newcomer Award,’ then I have confidence to win!” So cute, yet so true. Edwin Siu seems to be getting promoting more lately, which he deserves. He is cute and has a lively acting style different from other young actors, and I think he can groomed to become a leading actor over time.

Most Improved Actress
Mandy Wong

My one and only choice. Mandy is rather plain looking, but puts so much effort into her performances, making her extremely likable. Out of the new young actresses, I strongly believe she has the most potential. TVB, give her bigger roles!

TVB Weibo Popularity
Ruco Chan

Following his breakthrough and success from "The Other Truth", Ruco has finally received the recognition and fans he deserves. He has been the #1 artiste on tvb.com for a while and has gained many more followers on Weibo since portraying Keith.

Lifetime Achievement
Liza Wang

At 64 years old, Liza still possesses the youthfulness and spirit of someone much younger. She exceeds at everything she does and has been loyal to TVB for countless years.

Best Drama
Ghetto Justice

With the most original, creative, and solidly written script and characters for a TVB series in years, "Ghetto Justice" deserves to win hands down. "7 Days in Life" is a honorable mention for its original and comedic storyline, but its lead characters were not executed well. "The Other Truth" was a highlight only for Ruco/Keith, while the series itself was mediocre. "Forensic Heroes III" is addictive and entertaining, but not outstanding.

"Gun Metal Grey" Review

2011-06-03T17:46:00.001-04:00

Many people (including me) were fooled into believing TVB was waiting until the second half of 2010 to air the series actually worth watching. We were proved wrong, as every appealing series either disappointed or was pushed back and thus ended up not airing in 2010 at all like "When Heaven Burns". "Gun Metal Grey" on the other hand, shines like a diamond instead of rusty metal like the title suggests against the rest of the flops this year.

Cast and Characters

Nowadays, I'm not only looking out for individual cast performances, but outstanding performances as an ensemble as well. A factor of the series is ruined for me if the cast does not work together as a whole. Chemistry is a must, and amongst everyone, not just on-screen pairings. If it's forced, it doesn't work. Fortunately, the cast of "Gun Metal Grey" has no problem creating chemistry and a comfortable and fun atmosphere. Everyone just clicked.

Although the drama's goal was to illustrate the shades of grey of humanity by showing a police officer who was neither good or bad, the result was another portrayal of a good but misunderstood person being provoked into turning evil. Nevertheless, it was another interesting take on the familiar TVB concept and Felix Wong gave a fantastic performance as "Stone Sir". He was kind and warm in the beginning, yet chilling and haunting when the bad in Stone emerged. The character "Stone Sir" was an intriguing take on a cop loosing faith in the law and taking justice into their own hands using extreme means. Felix made the transformation seem realistic and not at all forced. When it comes to picking a comeback series/role, Felix managed to do a much better job than other veteran actors like Gallen Lo, Flora Chan, and Kenix Kwok.

It's been so long since I've seen Michael Miu portray a role with so much charisma! Although Michael is one of my favorite veteran actors, I haven't thoroughly enjoyed watching him in a drama since he played "Li Sir" in "The Academy". "Mad Sir" is funny, clever, and Miu's best character in years. He has not seemed this fitting or comfortable in a drama for a long time. I loved watching Mad's sweet, cute, and unconventional ways of courting Kim (Jessica Hsuan).

While I don't find Jessica Hsuan an exceptional actress, I like how her acting is so natural. "Kim Hui" was a very likable and endearing character as the reporter who initially had a crush on Stone but eventually fell for Mad. I have trouble thinking of another couple with such effortless and natural chemistry like Jessica and Michael. They are a joy to watch together. Their scenes are not only sweet, but hilariously adorable as well. Besides for Michael, she also worked very well with her on-screen mother, played by Mimi Chu.

Vincent Wong has shown that he is a decent actor with a good amount of potential, but has received several bad and simply unlikable characters to play. For the first time since his acting career has started, he gets to shine as "Carson Ko". Carson is sweet, caring, loyal, and the perfect boyfriend. I loved watching how persistent and sincere he was in courting "Ah Sze" (played by Nancy Wu). This was Vincent's long awaited breakthrough, and it is clear he put a lot of effort and heart into his performance. His acting has also seemed to visibly improved since his first role, the annoying "Mark" in "War of In-Laws II". Had TVB not completely neglected this series, I believe Vincent would've been promoted more and groomed into becoming a first supporting actor or second male lead.

"Ah Sze" was slightly irritating initially, but matured and became much more likable as the series went on. Ah Sze was tough, clever, and known for going to the gym to punch her punching bags whenever she felt stressed, sad, or mad. Her admiration for Mad was cute and different (since it was never actually a crush). It was sweet watching the hard headed Ah Sze initially push Carson away, yet gradually becoming touched at his care for her and slowly returning his feelings. Nancy Wu seemed very fitting for the role, and her top 5 nomination for "Best Supporting Actress" was deserved.

Grace Wong and Oscar Leung were both great additions to Mad's "A Team". Grace was adorable with all her different hats and her crush on Carson. Oscar was also funny, especially with how he was constantly sleepy and yawning all the time. Mimi Chu was hilarious as Jessica's mother. Patrick Tang wins my "Most Surprising Performance" with his creepy and haunting portrayal of the doctor suffering from dissociative identity disorder. He has shown lots of improvement as an actor, but unfortunately continues to be disliked for simply not being handsome.

Thoughts on the Ending *SPOILERS*

Sometimes, killing off a character is necessary for the development of the other characters and the outcome of the plot resolution itself. Although it makes us even more sad, the script writers usually choose the most beloved character for this purpose. It results in a heavier and more heartfelt impact on the viewers. In this case, the beloved character was Carson. While I understood how Carson's death was necessary for Stone to reach the apex of what he had become (a murderer), I was annoyed that the audience was never able to see him properly buried and mourned by Mad, Ah Sze, and the rest of the A Team. Given how important he was to them, it's not possible that he was never given a proper funeral.

Stone cuffing himself to Mad to symbolize that he realized all his wrongdoings and admitting defeat was very meaningful and creative. Him realizing who had become felt too sudden. It had become too late for his character to just "surrender". Nevertheless, I applaud the script writers for the symbolism. The scene felt powerful and successfully brought the series an end to its gripping climax.

Conclusion

TVB greatly neglected this anniversary series and opted to mass promote "No Regrets" and "Can't Buy Me Love" instead. The biased company never gave it the recognition it deserved. Thankfully, the fans discovered this gem themselves, making "Gun Metal Grey" one of the most talked about series online. This is another thing that makes "Grey" exceptional. Despite the major lack of promotion, it managed to become a success on its on.

"Gun Metal Grey" doesn't have an amazing script or incredibly original storyline. The cases were watchable and interesting enough, but it is the cast that makes it the most memorable series of the year. I enjoyed watching each cast member alone and even more so together. They were what turned this average series into one of the best of 2010. "Mad and Kim" and "Carson and Ah Sze" were also my favorite on-screen couples of the year while Mad and Carson were my favorite characters of the year. I hope this talented and bright bunch get to collaborate again someday. Overall, the cast, characters, chemistry, humor, sweet relationships, and action make it my favorite drama of 2010.

Rating: 4 stars

"7 Days in Life" Review

2011-03-06T11:06:00.001-05:00

The end and beginning of the year is always the worst time for TVB because it is during this time that all the mediocre series are aired. After months of being suffocated with bad series, TVB exhales its first breath of fresh air with "7 Days", a series about many different people getting quarantined into Wonderful Hotel for seven days after an outbreak of H1N1 (aka "Swine Flu") is reported there.

"7 Days" showed promise and potential since the series was first unveiled at the sales presentation last year. Despite major cast and script changes, its potential did not go to waste. Its storyline was new, different, and taken from a true event. The humor is completely unlike TVB. When you laugh, you laugh out loud. If you're looking for a comedy, "7 Days" is right for you, although there are dramatic twists.

Perhaps one of the most anticipated things about the originally proposed series was its star-studded cast, which would've consisted of Bobby Au-Yeung, Yoyo Mung, Bowie Lam, Krystal Tin, Sammul Chan, Myolie Wu, and others. Unfortunately, it was later announced there would be a new cast. Fortunately, the new cast did a superb job although they did not boost the biggest names. The supporting characters shined in their fun and lovable roles characters, eventually proving to be more entertaining than our two leads.

Patrick Tang and Mimi Lo, whose roles originally belonged to Sammul and Myolie, delivered the biggest surprise of all. Appearance wise, the two initially seemed incompatible. Patrick is older than Mimi, but still has a kid-like look while Mimi looks more mature. From Mimi constantly referring to Patrick as "Fei Chai" to the two of them looking after the kidnapped kid (played by Coleman Tam), their interactions were hilarious and adorable. I would've loved to see Sammul and Myolie pair up again (and still do), but Patrick and Mimi brought something fresh to the screen. They are unexpectedly my first favorite couple of the year.

Lately, Bosco Wong seems to have been demoted to second lead roles. This is best for him, because he is still not able to carry a series by himself. While I doubt Bosco's versatility in portraying something besides a cop, he looks the part. Other than that, Bosco needs to work on getting into his characters.

Joyce Cheng may not have been blessed with beauty or exceptional talent, but she works hard. Her hard work pays off because she has improved since her "Off Pedder" days. Joyce gave a decent performance and actually became quite endearing and fun to watch. I hope she gets more diverse roles in the future (this is her second time playing a blundering reporter, and she's only been in two series!). She and Bosco were cute as brother and sister like friends, so I'm glad it never developed into anything more than that.

Yuen Wah was comedic when it was called for. Other than that, his character added an extra layer of mystery that kept things interesting.

Many of the minor characters contributed to the fun atmosphere of "7 Days". Oceanne Zhu was cute and shows potential. It was nice to see Koni Lui in a different role, although "Karen" was quite silly and naive. Eric Li was hilarious as the mean manager who yelled at all his employees but constantly kissed up to his rich guests.

Unfortunately, the biggest drag of "7 Days" were the relationship between our two leads, played by Steven Ma and Sonija Kwok. The premise of a couple who are both thiefs sounded fun, but TVB decided to go in a different direction and make their relationship as rocky as possible. Mistake? Yes. "Calvin" and "Christy" were attempts to create complex characters that ended up backfiring. In the end, they were a chore to watch. It was an even bigger chore because they were our main characters. I don't necessarily dislike Calvin and Christy, complicated love stories are not TVB's thing.

Steven Ma gives his all in portraying his first semi-villain/villain role. He brought the coolness needed for the character and even brought out Calvin's arrogance. While some scenes seem forced, I think it had more to do with my positive impression of Steven's real life character and his countless righteous roles from the past than his unconvincing performance. An even bigger factor was Calvin's complex characterization, which ended up turning into inconsistent characterization. The transition from an arrogant thief to a man dying from illness who just wanted to be with the one he loved was sudden and abrupt.

Christy was betrayed in love and decided to become a thief with Calvin to toughen up herself. Unfortunately, she ends up falling in love with him resulting in some unfortunate events, misunderstandings, and more heartbreak. Sonija is likable to watch, but I fail to see her as a good actress. The way she speaks her lines still feels unnatural. While she wore too much make up here, Sonija Kwok looked beautiful with her long curls and feminine wardrobe.

Like all TVB series these days, "7 Days" quality was not always consistent. It hit a snag around the middle (focus on Steven and Sonija's drama), it quickly overcame it and became more addictive than ever. Comedy, drama, romance, and even some mystery, "7 Days" has something to offer for everyone. It is a joy to watch and by the end, you'll feel like the series flew by.

"7 Days in Life" is the best TVB series that's released since TVB's anniversary. While it has some cliches we've come to expect from TVB, it is refreshing and the most original thing they've come up with since "You're Hired". I definitely recommend it!

Rating: 4 stars

Back at Blogger :)

2011-01-08T15:47:00.001-05:00

If you've stumbled on this page once again (How long has it been? Half a year?) then I'm thrilled and relieved. That means you've heard the announcement that TVB Interaction is returning to its roots and using the url tvbinteraction.blogspot.com again! Phew, I'm so glad I never deleted this blog off Blogger or else I wouldn't be able to use this URL and have to import everything again!

Now I realize the layout I have up is still the same one from last year (Him & Mandy). I will try to have a new one up soon. In the meantime, please keep checking back and follow me on Twitter if you haven't already for updates. :)

TVB 43rd Anniversary Results + Comments

2010-12-28T14:49:00.003-05:00

I know this post is almost a month late, sorry for the delay...

Best ActorFelix Wong, Gun Metal Grey
Moses Chan, Can't Buy Me Love
Raymond Lam, Mysteries of Love
Steven Ma, Ghost WriterWayne Lai, No Regrets
Yay for Wayne! I was starting to expect that Steven would win, but Wayne winning again was a pleasant surprise. It was hilarious when Sandra Ng presented this award. Throwing the results aside, she went on to say it was a no brainer and that Lau Sing was of course the winner. As everyone started cheering and hugging Wayne, Sandra screams "Wah, everyone believes me?" TVB is so predictable I predicted every top 5 nominee correctly.

Best ActressCharmaine Sheh, Can't Buy Me Love
Linda Chung, Ghost Writer
Maggie Cheung, Beauty Knows No Pain

Sheren Tang, No RegretsTavia Yeung, Mysteries of Love

What a relief that TVB decides to be fair and give Sheren this award! Very deserving. Charmaine is a wonderful actress, but the role of Chiu Yeung did not do anything to showcase her acting any further. It was extremely cute when Sheren told the presenter Dik Leung did not hand her the award yet. What is up with Linda getting into the top 5 of every award she is nominated in?

Best Supporting ActorDominic Lam, A Fistful of Stances

Evergreen Mak, No RegretsPierre Ngo, No Regrets
Raymond Wong, No Regrets
Ron Ng, OL Supreme

After years of being a loyal supporting actor to TVB, Evergreen finally gets recognition. Although I find "Fei Fan Gor" annoying, Evergreen never fails to deliver a solid performance. I'm surprised Ron got into the top 5, but thrilled OL Supreme managed to achieve something at the awards.

Best Supporting Actress

Elena Kong, Beauty Knows No Pain
Fala Chen, No RegretsKara Hui, A Fistful of Stances
Nancy Wu, Gun Metal Grey
Susanna Kwan, Can't Buy Me Love

While I still believe Fala was nominated (and won) for the wrong role, she is definitely deserving. She's proved this year she can be versatile. Her roles this year don't rely on her sexiness. She's portrayed innocent, adorable, weak, and tough characters. Without a doubt, Fala is the young TVB actress with the most potential.

My Favorite Male CharacterKenneth Ma, Koo Yu Tong, A Fistful of Stances
Moses Chan, Kam Dor Luk, Can't Buy Me Love
Raymond Lam, Kingsley King, Mysteries of Love
Steven Ma, Chow Yung Kung, A Watchdog's Tale
Wayne Lai, Lau Sing, No Regrets

TVB might as well rename this the "Raymond Lam Award For Every Year He's Nominated For Best Actor But Doesn't Win". Phew, what a mouthful. However, it's true. With the roles he's been getting lately, Raymond (Lam anyway) won't be winning Best Actor anytime soon. What I hate about TVB is they feel the need to compensate artistes with an additional, more minor award when they are unable to give them the award they want. This year, they do it again. Kingsley King was a bore, and I had really been crossing my fingers that Kenneth would win.

My Favorite Female Character

Charmaine Sheh, Chiu Yeung, Can't Buy Me LoveLinda Chung, Ng Sei Tak, Can't Buy Me Love
Sheren Tang, Cheng Kau Miu, No Regrets
Tavia Yeung, Tsui Siu Lai, Mysteries of Love
Teresa Mo, Tsang Kiu, Someday

No surprise here once again. The favorite character awards are quickly becoming the compensation awards. I'm turning a blind eye to TVB on this one though, because I actually quite liked Chiu Yeung. Charmaine really knows how to be adorable. :)

Most Improved ActorHim Law
Jazz Lam
Joel Chan
King Kong

Raymond Wong

Of course. :D

Most Improved ActressElaine Yiu
Mimi Lo
Natalie Tong
Selena Li
Skye Chan

Selena has once again lost out, but Natalie deserved it. Her speech was touching, especially with how she started crying and dedicating her speech to her mother.

Best Professional Performance AwardMoses Chan
Technically, this is compensation. However, I agree that Moses is very professional.

tvb.com's Popularity Award

Raymond Lam

No surprise here.

Best Drama

A Chip Off the Old Block
Can't Buy Me Love
Every Move You Make
No Regrets
The Mysteries of Love

I smell compensation.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Louise Lee

I guess we expected Lee Heung Kam to win? Louise Lee is definitely younger than past winners. Congrats to her though!

Congratulations to this year's winners! Although they were rather predictable, (most) of the winners were deserving. This is just a short post to share my brief thoughts so sorry for disappointing some of you guys. I plan on writing a post on the fashions at awards show and some other posts soon.

TVB 43rd Anniversary Awards: My Predictions & Personal Picks

2010-12-04T17:15:00.000-05:00

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Ron Ng - A Chip Off the Old Block
Roger Kwok -The Season of Fate
Kevin Cheng - A Fistful of Stances
Joe Ma - Suspects in Love
Raymond Lam - Mysteries of Love
Steven Ma - Ghost Writer
Kent Cheng - When Lanes Merge
Bobby Au-Yeung - A Pillowcase of Mystery II
Damian Lau - Growing Through Life
Bosco Wong - Growing Through Life
Moses Chan - Can't Buy Me Love
Bowie Lam - Every Move You Make
Wayne Lai - No Regrets
Felix Wong - Gun Metal Grey
Michael Miu - Gun Metal Grey

My Predicted Winner: Steven Ma
Although Steven's performance as Po Chung Ling in "Ghost Writer" was not a breakthrough, I think he deserves it the most. He's a hardworking actor with a great personality that has been loyal to TVB for so long. It's about time he's rewarded for that.
My Predicted Top 5: Steven Ma, Wayne Lai, Felix Wong, Raymond Lam, and Moses Chan
While "Lau Sing" did not shine in "No Regrets", Wayne is of course strong competition. With Felix's comeback to TVB and the whole controversy where TVB failed to promote "Gun Metal Grey" at the gala, the least TVB can do is give him his deserved top 5 nomination. Raymond Lam and Moses Chan are givens.
My Pick: Steven Ma
See "My Prediction" above.
My Top 5 Picks: Steven Ma, Wayne Lai, Felix Wong, Michael Miu, and Moses Chan
Michael Miu finally gets a character that shows off the charming and humorous side of him!
Who was snubbed? Michael Tao for "Sister of Pearl", Kenneth Ma for "A Fistful of Stances", and Raymond Wong for "When Lanes Merge"
I can't believe Michael Tao wasn't nominated for his superb performance in "Sister of Pearl"! I also can't believe that after all the praise Kenneth got for "A Fistful of Stances", the mediocre Kevin is the one nominated instead. Poor Raymond Wong isn't recognized by TVB for his best performance of the year (and arguably of his whole career so far).
Wrong Nom? Bowie Lam.
Should've nominated for his fantastic villain performance in "Sister of Pearl." Then again, he was the overall lead in "Every Move You Make".

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Myolie Wu - A Chip Off the Old Block
Kate Tsui - The Beauty of the Game
Maggie Siu - A Watchdog's Tale
Michelle Yim - The Season of Fate
Liza Wang - OL Supreme
Ada Choi - Fly With Me
Tavia Yeung - Mysteries of Love
Linda Chung - Ghost Writer
Fala Chen - Ghost Writer
Louise Lee - Some Day
Teresa Mo - Some Day
Jessica Hsuan - A Pillowcase of Mystery II
Maggie Cheung - Beauty Knows No Pain
Charmaine Sheh - Can't Buy Me Love
Sheren Tang - No Regrets

My Prediction: Charmaine Sheh
It's unlikely (although there is still a chance) that Sheren will win Best Actress for the second year in a row.
My Predicted Top 5: Charmaine Sheh, Sheren Tang, Tavia Yeung, Myolie Wu, and Michelle Yim
Regardless of how overrated I think "The Mysteries of Love" is, Tavia is almost sure to get into the top 5 due to TVB's excessive promotion for it. (Their campaign was: "Look! An all star cast with crappy writing! :P) Myolie definitely deserves a top 5 nomination for portrayig "So Fung Nei" in "A Chip Off the Old Block". Critically praised, it's the role that saved her TVB career. I'm a bit nervous as the series aired so long ago and may be neglected and forgotten. Being a veteran and contracted, Michelle may be the last nomination, but this could be anyone.
My Pick: Sheren Tang
Sheren's character in "No Regrets" is the complete opposite of hers in "Rosy Business", allowing her to once again showcase her versatility. I don't think anyone else could make those vicious glares as convincing as Sheren!
My Top 5 Picks: Sheren Tang, Charmaine Sheh, Myolie Wu, Liza Wang, and Fala Chen
Liza's performance in "OL Supreme" may have not been absolutely fantastic, but I'm biased. As the number one sister of TVB though, she may just get into the top 5. Fala clearly out shined Linda in "Ghost Writer". While it's too early for her to win, I wouldn't mind her getting some recognition. Perhaps that's why TVB put her in this category when she should be put in supporting.
Who was snubbed? Christine Ng for "The Beauty of the Game"
Christine delivered a superb performance as the villain of "The Beauty of the Game". It would've made more sense for her to have been nominated for Best Actress instead of Favorite Character.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
John Chiang - A Chip Off the Old Block
Derek Kwok - The Season of Fate
Michael Tse - My Better Half
Ron Ng - OL Supreme
Dominic Lam - A Fistful of Stances
Kenny Wong - Fly With Me
Raymond Cho - Fly With Me
Joel Chan - Sister of Pearl
Kenneth Ma - Mysteries of Love
Johnson Lee - A Pillowcase of Mystery II
Louis Yuen - Can't Buy Me Love
Raymond Wong - No Regrets
Pierre Ngo - No Regrets
Evergreen Mak - No Regrets
Vincent Wong - Gun Metal Grey

My Prediction: Evergreen Mak
"Fei Fan Gor" has spiked Evergreen's popularity. After years of being a solid supporting actor, he's finally getting some recognition. This year, he's a hot favorite. While I think Evergreen's a great actor, I just find "Fei Fan Gor" annoying.
My Predicted Top 5: Evergreen Mak, Raymond Wong, Pierre Ngo, Ron Ng, Dominic Lam
Raymond Wong has went from a prized supporting actor to one of TVB's newest leading young men, so TVB probably won't let him walk away without an award. What a shame that he's nominated for his minor role in "No Regrets" yet he's getting no recognition for "When Lanes Merge". Pierre's another strong contestant. Although I generally don't like him, Dominic did a fantastic job of portraying the villain in "A Fistful of Stances".
My Pick: N/A
Honestly, I'm stuck. As long as the winner is deserving, I won't mind too much.
My Top 5 Picks: Same as my predicted top 5.
Vincent should have been nominated for "Most Improved Actor" instead. It's too early for him to be in this category, but he has improved. I'm impressed how he has been able to hold his own position in "Gun Metal Grey" and not get out shined by Felix and Michael despite his lack of experience.
Who was snubbed? Chapman To for " OL Supreme"
Although his comedic acting style was exaggerated, something about Chapman's portrayl of the silly "Leven" was so fun and lovable. How disappointing to see he was overlooked in this category.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Sharon Chan - The Beauty of the Game
Denise Ho - OL Supreme
Selena Li - A Fistful of Stances
Natalie Tong - A Fistful of Stances
Kara Hui - A Fistful of Stances
Queenie Chu - Fly With Me
Kiki Sheung - Sister of Pearl
Aimee Chan - Some Day
Kingdom Yuen - When Lanes Merge
Elaine Yiu - When Lanes Merge
Elena Kong - Beauty Knows No Pain
Toby Leung - Growing Through Life
Susanna Kwan - Can't Buy Me Love
Fala Chen - No Regrets
Nancy Wu - Gun Metal Grey

My Prediction: Fala Chen
Fala has delivered four great performances this year: "In the Eye of the Beholder", "Ghost Writer", "Can't Buy Me Love", and "No Regrets". Her acting has improved so much and we've learned how naturally adorable she can be. Out of all these performances though, "No Regrets" is probably her weakest one (and the most minor).
My Predicted Top 5: Fala Chen, Nancy Wu, Elena Kong, Selena Li, and Natalie Tong
Nancy's always a strong contestant! Elena gained praise from netizens for her fabulous portrayal of "Angela Auntie" so I hope she makes it in. She could be considered the "black horse". Selena was so lovable in "A Fistful of Stances". Natalie unexpectantly gained popularity with her portrayal of "Ah Ngan".
My Pick: Denise Ho
Denise Ho delivered the most refreshing and unique performance in a TVB series by a young actress in years. She was simply hilarious. Her different yet natural acting style is one that has probably never been seen before. At the same time, Denise is the farthest thing from a contracted artiste. Her portrayal of "Music" was also one of the most underrated of the year. Her chances of even getting into the top 5? Zip.
My Top 5 Picks: Fala Chen, Nancy Wu, Elena Kong, Selena Li, and Denise Ho
Natalie has improved, but her performance is still far from fantastic. It's too early for her to win.
Who was snubbed? Susan Tse for "No Regrets", Teresa Lee for "My Better Half"
TVB must be so afraid of a non contracted artiste of winning again they didn't bother to even nominate the always splendid Susan, regardless of her amazing acting skills and versatility. Teresa was hands down the best thing about the silly "My Better Half". She was natural, hilarious, and adorable. I'm impressed with Teresa's ability to be so naturally cute despite her age.
Wrong nom? Fala should've been nominated for "Can't Buy Me Love".

My Favorite Male TV Character
Ron Ng in A Chip Off the Old Block
Steven Ma in A Watchdog's Tale
Wong Cho Lam in Don Juan DeMercado
Chapman To in OL Supreme
Kevin Cheng in A Fistful of Stances
Him Law in Suspects in Love
Raymond Lam in Mysteries of Love
Tsui Wing in Some Day
Kent Cheng in When Lanes Merge
Raymond Wong in When Lanes Merge
Bobby Au-Yeung in A Pillowcase of Mystery II
Johnson Lee in A Pillowcase of Mystery II
Moses Chan in Can't Buy Me Love
Louis Yuen in Can't Buy Me Love
Wayne Lai in No Regrets

My Prediction: Raymond Lam
TVB can't give the prestigious TV King award to Raymond (at lesat I hope not), so they have to give him this award as "compensation". Remember back in 2008?
My Predicted Top 5: Raymond Lam, Moses Chan, Wayne Lai, Raymond Wong, and Bobby Au-Yeung
Grand production male leads Moses and Wayne are sure to get in. I'm crossing my fingers for Raymond Wong. If he can't even get nominated for Best Actor, then he should at least get into the top 5 for Favorite Character. "Turbo" experienced many changes and matured a lot through out "When Lanes Merge". He was a dynamic character and Raymond W. did an impressive job portraying him.
My Pick: Raymond Wong
My Top 5 Picks: Raymond Wong, Chapman To, Moses Chan, Wayne Lai, and Ron Ng
Of course I have to support the "OL Supreme" gang! "Leven" and "KK" were both hilarious in their own separate ways.
Who was snubbed? Michael Tao in "Sister of Pearl", Michael Miu in "Gun Metal Grey", Vincent Wong in "Gun Metal Grey"
TVB, you hate Michael Tao don't you? Ouch, no love for the characters of "Gun Metal Grey" at all? The charming and funny "Mad Sir" and the caring and thoughtful "Carson" are two of my favorite characters of the year. What does TVB have against this production?

My Favorite Female TV Character
Myolie Wu in A Chip Off the Old Block
Christine Ng in The Beauty of the Game
Kitty Yuen in Don Juan DeMercado
Liza Wang in OL Supreme
Ada Choi in Fly With Me
Tavia Yeung in Mysteries of Love
Louise Lee in Some Day
Teresa Mo in Some Day
Joyce Tang in Beauty Knows No Pain
Charmaine Sheh in Can't Buy Me Love
Fala Chen in Can't Buy Me Love
Linda Chung in Can't Buy Me Love
Susanna Kwan in Can't Buy Me Love
Sheren Tang in No Regrets

My Prediction: Charmaine Sheh
I'm almost 100% sure Charmaine will win this. I honestly don't mind, Chiu Yeung was cute and entertaining. There are other people who should win, but Chiu Yeung winning isn't the worst thing that can happen on the night of the awards.
My Predicted Top 5: Charmaine Sheh, Sheren Tang, Tavia Yeung, Fala Chen, and Myolie Wu
Sheren, Tavia, and Fala are most likely to get in, Sheren for her new type of character, Tavia for the undeserved popularity of "Mysteries of Love", and Fala for her tough and adorable character. Myolie deserves this as "So Fung Nei" was a joy to watch with her cunning, clever, and hilarious ways. Will she make it into the top 5?
My Pick: Fala Chen
My Top 5 Picks: Fala Chen, Charmaine Sheh, Myolie Wu, Liza Wang, Joyce Tang
Joyce was so cute as "Bibi" in "Beauty Knows No Pain"!
Who was snubbed? Denise Ho in "OL Supreme"
Sad face.

Most Improved Actor
Lam Tsz Sin - Don Juan DeMercado, My Better Half, A Fistful of Stances, Mysteries of Love, A Pillowcase of Mystery II
King Kong - OL Supreme, No Regrets, Super Trio Game Master
Joel Chan - Don Juan DeMercado, OL Supreme, In The Eye of the Beholder, Sister of Pearl, A Pillowcase of Mystery II
Raymond Wong - A Watchdog's Tale, Mysteries of Love, When Lanes Merge, Can't Buy Me Love, No Regrets
Him Law - Suspects in Love, Miss HK in India

My Prediction: Raymond Wong
Raymond is almost sure to win this, unless TVB wants to play with us and give it to King Kong instead. If Raymond had been nominated for a better series, then I would support him for Best Supporting Actor and King Kong for this award. Raymond's experience is beyond this category but that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve it. I'm actually surprised at King Kong's comedic talent and I'm actually starting to love him. He is unexpectedly hilarious and one of the reasons why I love watching the latest season of "Super Trio". I like him more as a comedian and host as an actor though.
My Pick: Raymond Wong
Who was snubbed? Ruco Chan, Oscar Leung
I'm not even being biased, but I thought Ruco would be nominated for this award considering he's been in more series recently and is starting to get promoted. However, I'm thinking that TVB is saving his nomination for next year as he will be a leading man then. Oscar's acting continues to improve and after his most major role to date in "Season of Fate", people thought he'd be nominated (and even win) for sure. Ever since SOF though, he's gone back to getting very minor roles. If the overacting Lam Tsz Sin and Him who's only been in one unnoticed series this year could be nominated, I don't see why Oscar was left out.

Most Improved Actress
Selena Li - A Fistful of Stances, Can't Buy Me Love
Elaine Yiu - In the Eye of the Beholder, Ghost Writer, When Lanes Merge, Can't Buy Me Love
Natalie Tong - A Watchdog's Tale, A Fistful of Stances, The Comeback Clan
Skye Chan - Scoop, Yan Chai Charity Show 2010, Gala Spectacular 2010
Mimi Lo - The Beauty of the Game, The Season of Fate, Don Juan DeMercado, My Better Half, Jade Solid Gold

My Prediction: Selena Li or Natalie Tong
Maybe this will finally be Selena's year? *Crosses fingers* She's been nominated year after year. Natalie is likely to win, but I think Selena deserves it more.
My Pick: Selena Li
It's about time! Elaine also improved lots this year. Mimi's a great comedic actress, but her experience is beyond this award and she is rather overlooked. What's Skye doing here?
Who was snubbed? Mandy Wong
Perhaps TVB still considers her a newcomer. While she's talented, she is still relatively new. Maybe next year?

TVB 43rd Anniversary Awards Nominations Predictions

2010-11-10T21:25:00.000-05:00

This is not the actual nomination list. The actual nomination list for the anniversary awards will be released tomorrow (November 11th).

Nominations in bold are who I think will win. Nominations in italics are who I want to win. Note that these are premature assumptions.

Best Actor

Bowie Lam, "Sister of Pearl"

Michael Tao, "Sister of Pearl"

Steven Ma, "Ghost Writer"

Bobby Au Yeung, "A Pillowcase of Mystery II"

Wayne Lai, "No Regrets"

Kenneth Ma, "A Fistful of Stances"

Raymond Lam, "Mysteries of Love"

Moses Chan, "Can't Buy Me Love"

Felix Wong, "Gun Metal Grey

Michael Miu, "Gun Metal Grey

Honorable Mention: Raymond Wong, "When Lanes Merge"

Comments: I've only watched two episodes of "No Regrets" so I can't speak too much of Wayne's performance. However, I think he is easily the strongest contender. There's been a lot of buzz about Steven possibly getting the award. Although he is a versatile actor, I think the role of Po Chung Ling didn't show that. His performance was solid, but not Best Actor worthy.

Best Actress

Liza Wang, "OL Supreme"

Myolie Wu, "In the Eye of the Beholder"

Sheren Tang, "No Regrets"

Yuen Qiu, "A Fistful of Stances"

Esther Kwan, "The Season of Fate"

Maggie Cheung, "Beauty Knows No Pain"

Michelle Yim, "Beauty Knows No Pain"

Jessica Hsuan, "Gun Metal Gray"

Charmaine Sheh, "Can't Buy Me Love"

Tavia Yeung, "Mysteries of Love"

Honorable Mention: Christine Ng, "The Beauty of the Game"

Comments: What I said for Wayne applies here too. Charmaine is a hot choice, but again, I don't think the performance was Best Actress worthy. "Can't Buy Me Love" was also crap, so when Charmaine wins this award again, I want it to be for a worthwhile drama.

Best Supporting Actor

Chapman To, "OL Supreme"

Ron Ng, "OL Supreme"

Sunny Chan, "Ghost Writer"

Evergreen Mak, "No Regrets"

Raymond Wong, "No Regrets"

Ngo Ka Nin, "No Regrets"

Derek Kwok, "The Season of Fate"

Power Chan, "Beauty Knows No Pain"

Dominic Lee, "A Fistful of Stances"

Bosco Wong, "Every Move You Make"

Honorable Mentions: Johnson Lee, "In the Eye of the Beholder"

Comments: Raymond Wong popularity has exploded this year, and he is also a hot favorite for an award this year. I support him for this award! Other than that, Chapman and Power are my two "black horse" nominees. Chapman may have an exaggerated style of comedy, but he never failed to make me laugh as "Leven." This really tells you something, as I usually hate exaggerated comedy. Power was just hilarious in "Beauty Knows No Pain" with his fun personality, random Mandarin, and chemistry with his onscreen friend/later crush/later girlfriend Joyce. My favorite male performance from the series.

Best Supporting Actress

Denise Ho, "OL Supreme"

Teresa Lee, "My Better Half"

Selena Li, "A Fistful of Stances"

Natalie Tong, "A Fistful of Stances"

Fala Chen, "Can't Buy Me Love"

Joyce Tang, "Beauty Knows No Pain"

Elena Kong, "Beauty Knows No Pain"

Nancy Wu, "No Regrets" or "Gun Metal Grey"

Susan Tse, "No Regrets"

Kara Hui, "No Regrets"

Honorable Mentions: N/A

Comments: Fala has improved immensely this year and has received several lovable roles. She is the top pick for Best Supporting Actress, but her previous premature win back in 2007 may hinder her chances a bit. As much as I love Fala, I still can't forget Denise's amazing and refreshing performance as "Music." She was just too fun and hilarious! I also loved Teresa, who was adorable in "My Better Half" with her clever and cute character. However, she has zero chances of winning. Here's to hoping she'll at least get nominated!

My Favorite Male Character

Leven (Chapman To), "OL Supreme"

Tong Bak Fu (Moses Chan), "In the Eye of the Beholder"

Koo Yu Tong (Kenneth Ma), "A Fistful of Stances"

Hung Yiu Sang (Michael Tao), "Sister of Pearl"

Po Chung Ling (Steven Ma), "Ghost Writer"

Kingsley King (Raymond Lam), "Mysteries of Love"

Yiu Hok Sum (Bowie Lam), "Every Move You Make"

Kam Dor Luk (Moses Chan), "Can't Buy Me Love"

Lau Sing (Wayne Lai), "No Regrets"

Mai On Ting (Michael Miu), "Gun Metal Grey"

Honorable Mentions: Ling Siu Kei (Ron Ng), "OL Supreme", Ho Ka Bo (Raymond Wong), "When Lanes Merge"

Comments: I've expressed my love for Leven, Koo Yu Tong, and Hung Yiu Sang in my reviews already. :) I'm puzzled as to who is actually everyone's favorite character though and who's the hot favorite, so I'll just guess Lau Sing/Wayne.

My Favorite Female Character

Queen (Liza Wang), "OL Supreme"

Music (Denise Ho), "OL Supreme"

Chau Heung (Myolie Wu), "In the Eye of the Beholder" or So Fung Nei, "A Chip Off the Old Block"

Cheng Kau Miu (Sheren Tang), "No Regrets"

Wing Chi Ching (Selena Li), "A Fistful of Stances"

Ying Ngan Ming (Natalie Tong), "A Fistful of Stances"

Chui Siu Lai (Tavia Yeung), "Mysteries of Love"

Kate Tsui (Ko Lai Sum), "When Lanes Merge"

Chiu Yeung (Charmaine Sheh), "Can't Buy Me Love"

Szeto Ngan Ping (Fala Chen), "Can't Buy Me Love"

Kim Hui (Jessica Hsuan), "Gun Metal Grey"

Honorable Mentions: Miu Ling Chi (Teresa Lee), "My Better Half"

Comments: Same about Lau Sing/Wayne applies to Kau Miu/Sheren. I don't actually think they'll both take home double awards. I loved Ko Lai Sum/Kate while watching "When Lanes Merge", but the chances are extremely unlikely. I've stated my love for Music several times. I'm fond of Ngan Ping too, but not as much as Music.

Most Improved Actor

Oscar Leung

Him Law

Stephen Huynh

Vincent Wong

Lai Lok Yi

Comments: It's been a slow year for the Most Improved categories this year! Oscar Leung is the most deserving and will probably win. Typically people nominated for this award have been in several series that year but since Koni was nominated for a three episode guest appearance, I figured "what the heck, just nominate Him." Stephen Huynh's been in a lot of series lately and his acting has improved. I've heard Vincent is doing well in "Gun Metal Grey" and has a decent character. As for Lai Lok Yi, he's just a filler. He did decently in "Every Move You Make".

Most Improved Actress

Elaine Yiu

Natalie Tong

Mandy Wong

Selena Li

Sharon Chan

Comments: Mandy may still be considered a newcomer depending on your point of view but I think she's a great young actress. Natalie gained popularity for her role and performance in "A Fistful of Stances" so she has the highest chances. Elaine has been improving lately too. I feel like Selena is nominated every stinkin' year (and never wins), so I thought TVB would probably just nominate her again. Poor Sharon will probably be nominated and dumped again.

Best Drama

No Regrets

Comments: It's not rocket science folks. Superb acting and script. I haven't watched it, but it's been getting overwhelmingly positive response. Unless TVB acts stupid again and gives it to "Can't Buy Me Love", "No Regrets" is very likely to take "Best Drama" home.

“OL Supreme” Review

2010-10-10T21:44:00.001-04:00

"OL Supreme" started off as one of the better sitcoms in recent years. While nothing outstanding, it was fun, enjoyable, and relaxing to watch. Through out the four months it aired, watching the new episode became a part of my daily life. Each time I watched the sitcom it gave me joy, laughs, and good hearted fun. Even if I was having a bad day, turning on an episode of the sitcom would instantly make me smile and feel better, with its upbeat and infectiously happy theme song/video. The ending theme by the talented Denise Ho was also lovely.

"OL Supreme" had an unusually small cast for a sitcom, but the feeling of liveliness was never absent. The chemistry between the cast members were undeniable. [A majority of] the cast and characters were superb.

Liza Wang rounds up this awesome cast well. The veteran only seems to have gotten younger in this sitcom, and not just because of her unique and colorful wardrobe. "Queen Jeh" brings out the youthful spirit that never seems to die in Liza. She's clever, friendly, and always manages to come up with an idea. Her catchphrase "Sorry, I'm not usually like this..." was just hilarious. She also had wonderful chemistry with on screen daughter Denise Ho and love interest Cheung Kwok Keung.

Denise was amazing as "Music." I was surprised that this was only Denise's second TVB series (with her first one being over 9 years ago) because her acting was so incredibly natural. She was just so fun, endearing, and lovable. Denise never failed to steal the screen in her scenes. Watching her performance was so refreshing because she's just so different from your typical TVB actress. Her acting style is so distinct and she's very tomboyish compared to others. "Music" was clever and funny, yet caring. She is easily my favorite character hands down. She never failed to make me laugh. I was saddened to see her character placed on the sidelines in the second half of the sitcom. I'm inferring that she was busy with her music career and couldn't commit to filming full time, forcing the writers to significantly reduce her screen time and develop the secondary characters more. Unfortunately, Denise's departure from "OL Supreme" as a regular main cast member was easily the main reason why the sitcom went down hill.

Along with Denise, it was the first time I've watched Chapman. He was also refreshing to watch. While his humor was often exaggerated, I still found him hilarious. He tends to be over the top, but in a good hearted way. The jokes that were targeted at him were funny too. I always laughed when the characters teased "Leven" about how he was a "fei jai" with no neck. His best scenes were with Music. Anytime the two shared the screen, laughs or at least chuckles were sure to occur. Chapman is a great comedic actor, but he just wasn't as fun to watch without his other half towards the end of the sitcom. I would've loved to see the two of them date in the end, but I thought their ending was sweet. Leven's drawing and the changes he made to it were very symbolic of their relationship. First it read "Above friendship, below lover." By the last episode, it read "Above friendship [a lot], almost lover." I think that fits them perfectly.

Cheung Kwok Keung continues to impress me as a solid supporting actor, and he proves his comedic capability here. While Music is my overall favorite character, "Susan" was a close second. It cracked me up how Susan was such a laid back boss who didn't have the nerve to yell at his employees, even when they deserved it. One of my favorite scenes is when Susan imitates Queen. Cheung Kwok Keung does such a fantastic job doing an impression of Liza! I couldn't stop laughing. Despite having a much lower status in TVB than Liza, she and Cheung Kwok Keung had a lot of chemistry. Their scenes were so adorable. Even in the earlier episodes, I could sense that Susan had a crush on Queen, admiring her to the point he could barely get any work done without her. He was a bit silly and useless early on, but very lovable. I loved how he was so sweet and caring to Queen. I was practically squealing when they finally got together.

With his past of various "bad boy" and impulsive characters, Ron Ng impressed me with his portrayal of the nerdy, but adorable bus lover "KK Jai." Initially, I had expected his performance to be stiff but he was surprisingly very natural and convincing in the role. Watching Ah K made me think of Ron in a whole new light. His acting only continues to improve.

Cute and petite, Sire Ma gave a decent debut performance as "Gwun Lui." While not too natural, she did quite well for her first performance. She also had chemistry with Ron. The two made quite a cute couple.

When watching the first half of the sitcom, I was excited to see Joel Chan and Koni Lui's relationship unfold. Physically, the two looked very compatible. Unfortunately, when the spotlight finally came around to them, I was tempted to fast forward their scenes. "Lui Yee" and "Cho Man" were both extremely immature and as a result, annoying. There was not much wrong with their performances (although Joel exaggerated sometimes), but their characters were simply irritating.

Although occasionally irritating, Lam Lei and Wilson Tsui managed to be sometimes entertaining. Kwok Fung was hilarious as the thrifty and money loving Tok Suk. Although his character could've been likable, I just wasn't fond of King Kong. There was too much focus on him. Joey Mak was very cute and has above average acting skills for a newcomer. She's very underrated and I hope she will be promoted more in the future. Wu Sir (Patrick Dunn) was probably the most annoying and immature boss in TVB history.

During the first half of "OL Supreme", there were a lot of fun and decent storylines. The one where the whole cast enters the dance competition was my personal favorite as it allowed the couples to develop. Any plot where they focused on Music and Leven was solid too. I enjoyed the one where Leven fought for custody of his children by representing himself in court. In general, I found that the quality of the sitcom for the first half depended on whichever character it was focusing at the time. My least favorite storylines were anything involving Yan Jai (King Kong) or Lui Yee's parents. Unfortunately, it lost a lot of steam. All the storylines after episode 50 or so were very lackluster. The waning quality of the sitcom became more consistent that it no longer depended on the characters. The writing became sloppy and uninteresting. Music was sidelined and as a result, so did Leven. With two of the most hilarious and vital characters seemingly to have faded into background, "OL Supreme" got worse and worse. I strongly believe that if it weren't for Denise being unable to commit to filming due to her busy music career, "OL Supreme" would've maintained its wonderful level of entertainment and humor. Regardless, I wouldn't be surprised if I found myself rewatching random episodes of the sitcom.

Rating for episodes 1-4o: 4 stars
Ratings for episodes 41-80: 2 1/2 stars
Overall Rating: 3 1/4 stars

“Ghost Writer” Review

2010-08-04T21:10:00.001-04:00

"Ghost Writer" in my opinion is the best series released in the first half of 2010. As the first ghost story and mythical series in years, it did not disappoint.

Characters & Performances

Hilarious and cute in the beginning as the playful Chung Ling, Steven Ma is a great actor who gives a solid performance. However, it's nothing that should be winning him the Best Actor award. The one downside was that his "tragic" love story with Sum Yin fell flat. Steven and Linda usually have a lot of chemistry but it does not show here, resulting in a draggy storyline. This caused "Ghost Writer" to have a major flaw.

Although Linda Chung is a decent and improving actress, she has yet to impress me. I cut her slack though as her performance was still very acceptable for someone who was suffering from insomnia at the time of filming. She seems like a very sweet and hardworking person (though some her fashion choices are extremely questionable), but I'm just not a fan of her as an actress just yet. Lau Sum Yin was a "goody goody" character, but still likable. She also looked beautiful in her last scene, while I didn't like her hair and attire in the rest of the series.

Fala Chen proved that she can be adorable in ancient series earlier this year portraying in In the Eye of the Beholder. She further proves her capability of being naturally cute as "Ling Wu Siu Chiu" here. In fact, I love her in ancient series even more so than modern. While Siu Chiu is a cute and innocent character at the beginning, the script writers drastically changed her in the last few episodes or so. How Siu Chiu suddenly fell head over heels in love with Chung Ling and stopped at nothing to get him was irritating to watch and out of character. I only believed that she admired and respected him. However, I must admit that while appearance wise they only look like brother and sister, Fala and Steven have fantastic chemistry. They make such a cute couple, and I can't wait to see them pair up in Links to Temptation.

Sunny Chan is a very talented actor who often lands unrealistically good characters. When I found out he would be portraying a villain, I was excited. In the end I found myself disappointed with "Ko Jit's" development. I had hoped that the reason he became evil was a result of getting fed up with corrupt government officials. Instead, he became evil because his best friend happened to be in love with Sum Yin, the love of Ko Jit's life (what I was afraid would happen). Nevertheless, Ko Jit is a good example of someone who unintentionally and unwillingly becomes evil.

Human Nature

What I enjoyed most about "Ghost Writer" was the theme of human nature, and how that was touched upon by talking about corrupt government officials. The theme was interesting and it reflected real life. While the reason why Ko Jit turned evil was disappointing, it showed how a good person can be "turned" into an evil one. When one is as generous and forgiving as Ko Jit yet constantly pushed around, they'll eventually be frustrated. They'll be tired of everything, and become "possessed" by an inner demon, as described in "Ghost Writer." The characters experienced different emotions and some underwent different changes, all relating to human nature.

Conclusion

"Ghost Writer" is a unique series dealing with more serious issues without being too "heavy" and stressful to watch. It was refreshing to watch another mythical series, especially one that didn't offer ridiculous CGI effects. I definitely recommend it, as it is one of the highlights of this slow and mediocre year.

Rating: 4 stars

A New Beginning

2010-08-01T18:05:00.001-04:00

I've considered getting TVB Interaction hosted for almost a year (not long after it was created and gained momentum). Due to lack of knowledge of web development and design and being busy with my own life, I put it off for months. A bit over a week ago, Shirley of Beloved.nu hosting sent me an email telling me she admired my writing style and excellent content. She offered to host me, and I was more than eager and thrilled to accept her offer. One week later, TVB Interaction has moved (and I give Shirley many thanks). It is the start of a new beginning for my blog and I hope to improve it and make it better. Please visit me from now on at my new URL here.

With love,
~Iris

The Mysteries of Love Review

2010-07-06T19:44:00.001-04:00

And TVB disappoints us...again. The Mysteries of Love was one of the most anticipated productions this year but as usual, we are let down.

Characters and Performances

Raymond's a great actor, but his roles continue to become more and more boring. "Kingsley" was an unrealistic character who literally knew everything about anything relating to science. The fact that he did bothered me a lot. Kingsley studies physics, not every aspect of science. While I'd find it understandable and acceptable if he happened to know a bit about different scientific fields, how he was able to chime in with tons of information and observations honestly drove me nuts. Raymond's performance in the series was just mediocre, and his hair in the series was not any better.

Siu Lai does no justice to Tavia's great acting skills. In fact, I still refuse to call Siu Lai "Awesome" because to me, she is not awesome at all. Despite how physically strong Siu Lai may be, she is (very) emotionally weak. I did not enjoy her character at all. I have to give props to Tavia for the scene where she is acting all bubbly and happy at work after going on her first date with Kingsley. She was so adorable in that scene, especially when she was interrogating that suspect. PC was looking and listening to her in disbelief!

With a great hair style and wardrobe, Kenneth managed to look more handsome than Raymond. He was so cool/"yau ying" as Lo Sir. It was fun seeing the professional side of Gordon at work and the playful flirty side of him in his personal life. At times, I'd have to remind myself they were the same person. Kenneth was average in the role, his performance as "Koo Yu Tong" in A Fistful of Stances was a lot better.

The status of second female leads continues to fall lower and lower. Bernice was more of a guest star than the second female lead. It's great to see her on screen again, and she looks gorgeous, but there was nothing special about her performance. The fact that her name "Nicole" was spelt "Nickole" and prounced "nickel" drove me nuts, as did the character's English. Don't get me wrong, Bernice's English is good, but Nickole, you're in Hong Kong. Speak Cantonese!

Cases. Not too interesting. The cases were rather boring. The writers tried too hard to fit physics into the cases. Ruco Chan and Raymond Wong's cases were the best, especially the latter. It was thrilling and fast paced. That case was perhaps the only one that even made you bother to think about it. Unfortunately, its conclusion was rushed and abrupt. Raymond's case was the last one, and was literally solved within the first five minutes of the last episode. It was a very bad ending for such a suspenseful case.

Chemistry. The couples have great chemistry, but it couldn't make up for the poor development and writing of their love storylines. Raymond and Tavia (affectionately known as "FungYi") are cute, but Kingsley and Siu Lai were simply boring, if not irritating. To me, they looked more like friends. Although I haven't watched Into Thin Air, I love the Kenneth and Bernice pairing. The two are rather adorable and they are so comfortable working together. However, their "friends with benefits" storyline was sloppily written.

Conclusion. Many anticipated this series. Many carried high expectations. And yet, many were disappointed. The Mysteries of Love is extremely mediocre. It is apparent that TVB was aware they had an "all star cast", therefore they didn't bother too much with constructing a decent plot. While sad to realize, most of us know that TVB knew the cast was awesome, and that it was guaranteed to bring in high ratings. In the end, this series does not even come close to going in my highlights of the year.

Ratings: 2 1/2 stars

Presenting The Beauty of Critique

2010-07-04T18:43:00.001-04:00

Remember my blog Speak4Myself? Well, it is now no more! Speak4Myself has been completely relaunched with the new name The Beauty of Critique.

Some questions you may be asking...

Why the new name and where did it come from?
What will you blog about?
How will TVB Interaction and The Beauty of Critique be similar and different?
Why relaunch Speak4Myself at all?

If you want to know why, visit my blog at its new URL (http://beautyofcritique.blogspot.com/) to find out the answers to all these questions! Please support me and The Beauty of Critique! I wish for it to be successful as TVB Interaction.

With love,

Iris

Farewell, TVB Sensations

2010-07-03T21:27:00.001-04:00

I meant to put this post up a while ago when Liling decided to say goodbye to blogging for TVB Sensations, which was on June 23, 2010. I didn't get the chance to until now...

Many TVB bloggers have said their goodbyes, and Liling of TVB Sensations is the latest to do so. Ironically enough (or not), all TVB bloggers "retire" for the same reason: lack of interest. Liling is of no exception. The passion she used to hold in TVB and updating her blog is of no more. For the last few months, when she updated, it was because she felt obliged to, not because she truly wanted to.

Liling is a great writer. Some of her best pieces include her satires and features. With each crappy series that releases though, Liling's love for TVB decreases. As a result, that disinterest is reflected in her latest posts. Try comparing her older reviews to her more recent ones. They're much shorter and less detailed. She's lost her creative "edge" in her posts.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying her writing is getting worse. Naturally, when you write about something you're not passionate about, you simply can't get your best work out of it. That's why despite feeling sad, I support Liling's decision in discontinuing TVB blogging. Her full writing potential won't be fulfilled if she blogs about TVB.

Rest assured, Liling won't disappear. She still actively tweets on Twitter (and some tweets are of her thoughts on TVB series). Follow her if you haven't already here. I've also told her that I know she will miss writing and blogging. We really do know each other far too well, because not long after telling her did she actually start to miss writing and blogging, two of her favorite hobbies. While I don't want to get anyone's hopes up, I wouldn't be surprised if Liling returns with a new blog.

This is the end of yet another TVB blog, but I also see a new beginning. Even if I'm proven to be wrong, I'm happy I'm still best friends with Liling and still keep in very close contact with her. :)

Sister of Pearl Review

2010-06-22T19:45:00.005-04:00

Sister of Pearl joins A Fistful of Stances and In the Eye of the Beholder in my "Few Great Series of 2010 List." It may even top them both. The series is intense,but not overly dramatic, from beginning to end. Practically each episode ends with a cliffhanger, making Sister of Pearl an addictive 30 episode ride.

Character and Performance Analysis

Almost every character is intriguing. In the beginning, almost everyone seemed like a villain, or at least a "semi-villain." As you continue on, you realize they are all complex. They're people with both strengths and weaknesses (including greediness). Ho Cheung Hing is the true psycho...I mean villain. It was interesting to see how all the characters changed through out the story, whether it was for the better or the worse.

Chu Pik Ha (Jessica Hsuan)

Strength: clever and determined
Weakness: conniving and almost shameless

Although it is understandable that Pik Ha returned to her maiden home to take over her father's pearl business in order to pay off her deceased husband's debts, I can't figure out a logical reason as to why Pik Ha would fight and plot against her older sister Pik Wan. As stated above, Pik Ha can be almost shameless in order to gain what she wants. Pik Ha seduced Pik Wan's husband Cheung Hing so that she can get information from him.

Performance: None of her roles have been very memorable, but it is refreshing to see Jessica as a clever schemer. She is a natural actress though I'm not extremely fond of her.

Chu Pik Wan (Kiki Sheung)

Strength: hardworker
Weakness: unconditionally loved Cheung Hing too much despite all the evil things he'd done to her, selfish

Pik Wan may be the eldest, but she acted the most immature. She annoyed me way too many times though I felt slight pity for her. Despite all the things she'd done (and how annoying she could be), I didn't believe she deserved someone like Cheung Hing.

Performance: Kiki isn't a bad actress, but she lacks the youthfulness and charm. She also always gets the same annoying characters.

Hung Yiu Sang (Michael Tao)

Strengths: clever, caring, kind at heart
Weaknesses: bad luck, said phrases like "I'm not dead yet" too much, initially selfish and greedy, used the method of blackmail too much

I loved the development of Hung Yiu Sang. He went from being selfish and greedy to caring and sacrificing towards the ones he loved. In order to get money in the beginning of the series, Ah Sang collaborates with Lai Sheung to make her Chu Siu Cheung's secret mistress. Yet in the end, he did everything he could to protect Pik Ha. Although he died a pitiful death, how he sacrificed himself for Pik Ha made him even more respectable. I especially loved his scenes with Pik Ha's son Tim Jai. Those were so cute.

Performance: Normally, I would hate characters who talked with the cockiness and arrogance Hung Yiu Sang did, but Michael's great acting skills made it amusing. Michael gave a fantastic performance. I wouldn't have liked Hung Yiu Sang as much if it weren't for the actor portraying it.

Ho Cheung Hing (Bowie Lam)

Strengths: Can't think of any.
Weaknesses: He's a freakish spiteful psycho blinded by revenge.

One of the most despicable characters of the year. Although it's understandable Cheung Hing holds anger towards the Chu's, it was no reason for his immoral actions. He didn't stop at any means to seek revenge for his father. He was determined to send his wife Pik Wan to jail, as he blames her for his father's suicide. As annoying as I found Pik Wan, Cheung Hing did not deserve to still have his wife after loosing his memory and becoming mental.

Performance: Haunting and convincing performance by Bowie. He's a great actor despite his lack of good looks.

So Lai Sheung (Joyce Tang)

Strengths: Motherly instincts, her change to a smart, strong, and independent businesswoman
Weaknesses: Would do anything if it would do good for her son and keep him safe

When she first appears, she is a naive and greedy woman. Her only goal is to get money from the Chu's. Eventually during her pregnancy, she grows to love her unborn son. After his birth, she is willing to do anything to keep her safe. Lai Sheung's change into the tough and intelligent woman was abrupt but still entertaining.

Performance: Joyce was very cute in the beginning as the naive and innocent Lai Sheung. Her scenes with Michael were so amusing, especially with the background music. Of course, Joyce is great at portraying a tough woman as well.

Chu Pik Lam (Macy Chan)

Strengths: Caring
Weaknesses: Immature, can be whiny

Pik Lam is spoiled and tends to be whiny. Her sudden decision to marry Benjamin Yuen's character (who I can't remember the name of) for the sake of getting over and making her ex-boyfriend jealous resulted in a mess. Her marriage with Yuk Chai was even more disastrous. Eventually, Pik Lam starts to fall in love with Yuk Chai.

Performance: Macy's performance wasn't as great as her others, and Pik Lam wasn't too likable of a character. Macy and Joel were quite cute though.

Chow Yuk Chai (Joel Chan)

Strengths: Honest and kindhearted
Weaknesses: Is too honest, naive, and thinks everyone and everything is "good"

Such a character is unrealistic but he was a refreshing contrast from the rest of the cast. His plot line with Macy and the character itself was good comic relief. Without him, the series would be too dark. There'd be no good people, just evil. And if there are only evil people, how can there be good?

Performance: Joel is a bit exaggerative at times, but it's refreshing to see him in a good role. Luckily for him, the exaggeration works decently with his role.

Conclusion

In terms of script, characterization, and performances, Sister of Pearl is a very strong series. It is entertaining, dark, and intense. However, the series holds so many schemes and plot twists it's hard to keep track. At a few points while I was watching the series, I could no longer follow the plot. The series is too heavy and it can be challenging to watch. My suggestion, if you want to watch something lighthearted, look somewhere else. The scheming and backstabbing is endless. Although it is more clever and intelligent, the reasons behind it are just as unreasonable and ridiculous as other similar series featuring backstabbing. Even so, TVB offers a pleasant surprise with Pearl.

Rating: 4 stars

Happy 1st Blog Anniversary TVB Interaction! :D

2010-06-12T21:01:00.007-04:00

This year has flown by! Believe it or not, it's officially been a year since the creation of TVB Interaction. What first started out as a small fry blog has turned into a unique blog with many wonderful loyal readers. Speaking of loyal readers, please take a look at this banner that was created as a tribute to our first anniversary:

The banner above was made by TVB Interaction's #1 reader herself, Krystal from TVB Focus! Krystal, I'd like to thank you for this banner tribute and being such a loyal reader in general. :) Featuring three of my favorite characters from D.I.E. Again, this banner is the first graphic Krystal ever created on Photoshop. She even made this before the first Photoshop banner for her own blog! As stated in the email she sent to me with the banner attached: "I wanted my 1st Photoshop creation to be TVB Interaction's 1st Anniversary banner :)" Awww, thanks Krystal! :D

This leads me to what I want to talk about next: I can not stress enough how amazing it is to create a blog and meet people through it. People say you shouldn't make friends online (i.e., through MySpace and dating sites), but this is the one exception. It's truly special to build a friendship with someone online. Not only are the TVB bloggers I've met friendly, but they share the same interests as me and read (as well as support) my hard work. This has allowed me to make some very close friends. A year ago, I never would've thought that some of the people I'm closest with would be people I met via the Internet!

What TVB Interaction Has Done For Me

I believe TVB Interaction has changed me. I know that sounds cheesy, but it's true. If you know me very well, you would know that I'm one of those people with a tough exterior and warm interior. There are so many people at school who annoy and/or aggravate me. I consider myself a generally nice person, but I can easily get ticked off by certain people. As a result, I can appear very sarcastic and cold towards others. Some people consider me mean. However, it was different when I was online. TVB Interaction allowed me to just be me. I was able to be who I really wanted to be: A nice and friendly person. For some reason, it was just so easy for me to do so online. I didn't feel the need to be the type of person who gives sarcastic remarks to people to get them to shut up. I could just be sweet little me, the kind of person I would not be hesitant to be in real life if people weren't so cruel or untrustworthy.

It also allowed me to hang out with a crowd I felt much more comfortable in. Due to my more mature yet awkward personality, I find it hard to socialize with my peers. I can only find so much in common with them. I am the type of person who is mature in the way that I think more sensibly and be more responsible. As a contrast, the people my age at my school are only mature in the way that they're dating way too early and talking about stuff they should in no way be talking about. The TVB bloggers I've met are different. They're grown up, actually mature, and are genuine, great people. Even if I'm not close to them, I can have friendly conversations with them. These are the kinds of people I feel so much more comfortable with. They are the ones I would hang out with in real life if I had the choice. To put it simply, they gave me the chance to be the person I wanted to be.

TVB Interaction has also helped me decide my future. I know that may sound silly. Why would a TVB blog cause me to realize what I want to do with my life? I've always loved writing. And over the year that I've been updating TVB Interaction, my writing skills have improved dramatically from before. I developed different writing skills such as analyzing, critiquing, and writing satire. These are skills that I learned myself. As a result, it's made me realize that I want to do something with my interest in writing. I keep saying that I'll only write as a hobby and find an alternative career, but that hasn't been working for me. I want to make a career out of writing. It'll be hard, and chances are the job wouldn't be stable nor worth a lot of pay. Right now, I'm actually looking towards becoming a web designer. The job consists of one of my other interests (web design) and can also lead to me becoming a writer. (If you become successful as a web designer, you can actually write for blogs as part of your career!) And I won't give up on the possibility of becoming a writer on the side. One of these days, you will see my [real] name on some sort of publication at the book store. It's a big aspiration, but I am determined in making it.

It May Be Getting Worse, But I'm Forever a Fan

Yes, TVB is getting worse. Yes, I'm becoming more interested in American series than those produced by TVB. You shouldn't bite the hand that fed you though. Blogging for TVB Interaction was the first step in becoming "discovered" for me. For once, there were people who read what I did, critiqued, and complimented it. Plus, no matter how bad the series gets, there's still certain fun in being a TVB fan. This includes being able to recognize all the artistes, following a series process (from the costume fitting to the actual filming and etc), and anticipating upcoming productions.

I'll Always Be Here

I plan on sticking around for years to come. Perhaps what I'm most proud of about TVB Interaction is that it's my first successful commitment. I'll admit that commitment is one of the things I have trouble with. Prior to creating this blog, I was constantly creating new blogs and abandoning old ones. This blog and past year has proved to me that I am capable of commitment. TVB Interaction will always be one of my priorities. Yes, I'm an aspiring writer. I want to branch out of just writing for TVB. I am currently trying to do so with my other blog Speak4Myself. I also want to write stories. But I'll never forget my "baby."

Iris Says Thanks Again

I've probably said this hundreds of times, but thank you! Thanks to all my wonderful readers who've been supporting this blog. You guys mean the world to me. It feels great to know that I have so many loyal readers, both silent and active. To those who have left me countless tags and comments, thanks for letting me hear your thoughts! To those who are silent, let me hear from you! I was once also a silent reader, and trust me when I say it's so much fun being a "loud" reader. So go ahead and leave me a comment now if you haven't already! Don't worry, I won't bite. ;)

Cheers to a great year and let's hope for many more to come!

When Rules Turn Loose Review

2010-06-07T19:37:00.005-04:00

After series like Heart of Greed and Moonlight Resonance, I've lost all confidence in the family genre. However, When Rules Turn Loose reminds me it's Moonlight I disliked, not the genre itself. Rules is a great family series with an endearing charm.

Characters & Performances

Liza Wang - Suen Man Yee

As usual, Liza is professional and convincing in her role as "Lawyer Mom." That's all that needs to be said here.

Ha Yu - Shum Yat On

What an inspirational character! I love how Yat On was so optimistic. Instead of sulking and worrying about his heart disease, he cherished life. He didn't let his disease get the best of him. His historical stories and philosophies were entertaining and interesting. They were meaningful and didn't fail to make you think. Ha Yu gave a fantastic performance. Dick Ching may be sweet, but in terms of great characterization, he just can not match up to Shum Yat On. My favorite character for this entire series.

Myolie Wu - Shum Yat Yin

Myolie looked so young and so much like a kid back then! She was natural and incredibly cute. As always, Myolie nails her emotional scenes. Her most well done scene in the series is definitely when she is battling her first case in court. Such a powerful scene! It was also sweet yet sad to see Yat Yin mourn the death of her father.

Sammul Chan - Ching Hok Kan (Dick)

Although a great lawyer and a very caring son, brother, boyfriend, and person in general, Dick was static the entire series. He had no real development. I thought that a major plotline within the series would be Man Yee training him to be a better lawyer. The series quickly starts moving onto the topic of family and shys away from giving Dick real development. I was looking forward to seeing him grow as a lawyer. He was the same at the end of the series as he was at the start. Despite that, Sammul was cute, adorable, natural, and charming. I found myself falling in love with his character (and Sammul himself) all over again. I'm thrilled that he was able to portray a lawyer again after Survivor's Law, giving him the opportunity to shine instead of being out shined by Raymond. Sammul has excellent speaking skills and makes a very convincing lawyer. What a shame Sammul left TVB just after he landed his first lead role. If he hadn't, he would be one of TVB's top leading young men by now.

Patricia Liu - Shum Yat Sum

While I love the character's outer elegant appearance, I found myself extremely annoyed and irritated by Yat Sum. She didn't cherish her husband and even started an affair. Nevertheless, I enjoyed watching Yat Sum realize her mistakes. I'm happy that she become good friends with Raymond instead of simply getting back together again. Patricia is pretty, but her performance is just mediocre.

Marco Ngai - Yuen Sai Hei (Keith)

As a villain, Keith was not developed enough. In fact, his character is the most boring (ironically enough). Marco's performance was also dull, and he can't portray a lawyer. Despite being older (and supposedly more experienced), Sammul is superior to Marco in terms of portraying a lawyer.

Wayne Lai - Hung Ji Dat (Raymond)

Boy, would I love to have a man like that in my life. Caring of his wife but also hardworking, Raymond is capable of balancing work as well as spending time with his wife. Raymond was extremely likable and I pitied him when he was made the scrape goat in his divorce with his wife. Wayne delivers a great performance as always. I know Wayne is of lead status now, but it's still sweet watching some of his older performances as a supporting actor. His roles were small, but he always shined.

Nancy Wu - Cheung Lai Kei

Nancy was adorable in her role and very pretty. I loved watching her friendship with Myolie. The actress must work on her emotional scenes though. I was sad to see her leave after just six episodes, but I was surprised that I didn't miss her character (especially after Yat Yin and Dick got together). In the future, I hope that Nancy and Sammul get the chance to pair up, though it seems very unlikely.

Kate Tsui - Ada

Kate's performance wasn't horrid. Then again, it's also not a far cry from some of her more recent performances. She was decent though I felt her voice was lower than usual. It felt awkward, as if Kate was doing that on purpose. I would have to say that she doesn't look her best in this series either. I was surprised to see that Sammul and Kate aren't terrible together (even if it was just as friends).

Highlights

Myolie and Sammul have amazing chemistry. They make such a cute couple! I loved all the scenes where Sammul was trying to court Myolie. One of my new favorite couples!
Sammul's lawyer scenes. Like I've said several times before, he makes a great (onscreen) lawyer. Plus, I'm always interested in hearing lawyer cases.
Ha Yu's character, and his bond with his youngest daughter Shum Yat Yin.
The change Yat Sum underwent after realizing all that she's done wrong.

The Draggy

Lee Sing Cheung's character in general. He was not a villain. He was just selfish and greedy. His character was a waste of my time.
Keith and his poor development. I wanted to slap him off the screen with his cocky looks and the way he treated Yat Sum. Plus, it drove me crazy how he always had his Bluetooth in his ear. It made him look so arrogant.

The Last Episode

Episode 21 was great. The series wrapped up wonderfully. Yat On's death was sad, but it gives everyone a chance to mature and growth. "Lawyer Mom" finally slows down and continues to travel to everywhere she had planned to go to with Yat On. Although it hits Yat Yin the hardest, she matures. Dealing with her father's death was the stepping stone to growth and becoming a new person. This new person was a stronger and smarter lawyer. Raymond and Yat Sum are very happy together as close friends, which causes them to be closer than they were ever before. Yat Sum is also given a new look which in my opinion, makes her look even more radiant as well as happy. Lastly, we see Keith hurrying off with yet another new girlfriend who informs him that the ICAC is looking for him. What a short and sweet ending to such a draggy and annoying character! Rules has a very satisfying ending. If there were anything to be added, I thought that Dick should've proposed to Yat Yin. Hey, just a thought.

Conclusion

When Rules Turn Loose is just what I needed. A lighthearted series full of warm moments, smiles, laughs, cries, and morals. It is TVB at one of it's most wholesome and squeaky clean, but in a completely good way. I greatly enjoyed Rules.

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

New Feature: Analyzing Articles - "Kevin Cheng: From Leading Actor to Supporting Actor"

2010-05-27T18:46:00.001-04:00

A new feature is finally here! You can find out what this new feature is about by simply reading the article: Analyzing Articles. Nowadays, it's hard for you to believe anything you read. It's up to you to think what is true and what is trash. Like the title says, I will be picking articles I read that I find interesting and posting them on my blog. I will analyze which parts I think are pure gossip, partly right and wrong, or nothing but the truth.

Key

Words in blue = Fact
Words in green = Gossip
Words in pink = May be true, may be false
Words in purple = General Opinion

*Credits: Thanks hyn5 for the translation of this article! To read her translation straight from her awesome blog, click here. Original article by Sudden Weekly.

Kevin Cheng: To Leading Role to Supporting Role

Originally, Kenneth Ma was supposed to be the second male lead. Whether it is liking from the audience or acting ability, Kenneth Ma exceeds Kevin Cheng by a mile. Logically, he moved from second lead to first lead. The ratings for "A Fistful of Stances" have been steadily increasing. TVB has arranged for the finale (two episodes) of the series to air (April 18th 8:30pm) after "Super Trio Game Master" to go up against "The Hong Kong Film Awards Presentation", which will be airing on ATV.

The writer has been watching this series every night. The partnership of producer Lee Tim Sing and screenwriter Cheung Wah Biu didn't disappoint, as the plot is well-paced. On the contrary, as the male lead, Kevin Cheng's screen time and limelight are inferior to Kenneth's. It seems as though he had been moved from a leading role to a supporting role. Why is that so? A TVB snitch revealed that someone was always sick, and would only do three moves at most while filming fight scenes. [This person] would not be able to remember long lines of dialogue. Thus, action choreographers gave [this person] the nickname 'Three Moves'. Screenwriters gave his screen time to Kenneth Ma.

Kevin Cheng's smoothest fight scenes were with Yuen Chau and Ram Tseung.

Netizens Greatly Criticize Kevin Cheng
It was rumoured that Kevin Cheng obtained his leading role from complaining to executives, but what about it? He can't fight, he can't speak, and he is greatly criticized by netizens.

The writer asked the crew of "A Fistful of Stances", but they were unwilling to respond to the rumours. However, the truth is in front of us!

Facts

Kenneth Ma was originally second male lead of A Fistful of Stances. Kevin Cheng was clearly stated male lead (and was also positioned at the front of the poster).

If you've watched A Fistful of Stances, it becomes clear to you that the plot is more focused on Kenneth and he has a significant increase in screen time.

Pure Gossip

I'm not a fan of Kevin, but people still shouldn't talk about him that way. This piece of the article was clearly exaggerated to make Kevin look bad. Everyone messes up their lines occasionally and longer lines are harder to memorize. Plus, if Kevin was truly "always" sick then we probably would've heard news that filming of the series was taking longer than planned with the [at the time] lead actor not feeling well. Normally, when an artiste is sick, there will be news about it. It's never a big cover story, but a short paragraph and picture tend to be leaked. Remember that article about Raymond getting food poisoning? Also, I highly doubt that Kevin refused to do more than three moves at a time while filming fight scenes. The 'Three Moves' nickname I think is something the paparazzi made up to make the article more juicy. I also find it rude they refer to him as [this/that person].

Might Be True, Might Be False

Kevin is one of TVB's "biological" sons. It may be true that Kevin used his connections to ask for a leading role. I wouldn't be surprised. Perhaps he even complained (but I hope an artiste would not be so vain and immature to do so). However, the latter part just seems like the paparazzi exaggerating things a bit, as usual.

General Opinion

When writing articles, people (such as the paparazzi) like to include the general opinion people have of someone or something. I was about to put this in the "fact" section, but this is an opinion. In most people's opinions, Kenneth performed better than Kevin.

OL Supreme is coming to an end...

2010-05-25T12:27:00.005-04:00

OL Supreme is coming to an end very soon. The finale will be aired on June 11. I am not kidding when I say I am probably the fan most in denial and disappointed by the ending coming near. The sitcom first started airing back in February, which strangely doesn't feel like that long ago. It feels so sudden that it's coming to an end.

I love OL Supreme. I've fallen in love with all the characters. I've become accustomed to seeing the faces of Liza Wang, Denise Ho, Chapman To, Ron Ng, and the rest of the cast almost every day. Watching the theme video and listening to the theme song never fail to make me smile. Every time the theme video starts, I feel at home. In fact, watching the latest episode has become the highlight of my day for everyday I watch it.

The last few months have been rough on me. I've become stressed with everything from school work, friends, the thought of finishing middle school and starting high school very soon, and other personal issues. OL Supreme is a major stress reliever for me. It relaxes me. Everytime I watch an episode, I manage to forget all my troubles for a limited amount of time. As a result, I now consider it one of my fav series.

80 episodes is relatively short for a TVB sitcom. Practically every sitcom nowadays are extended. There doesn't even have to be a reason either. Off Peddar was initially around 260 episodes, but an additional hundred were ordered despite it getting mediocre ratings its whole run. At first, I hoped TVB would decide not to do so with OL Supreme. I thought that extending it would make the quality of the series go downhill. As time past and OL became more part of my every day life, I sincerely hoped that TVB would extend it. I realized that the quality of OL does not go downhill. Instead, I noticed the quality simply fluctuates depending on the character and subplot they're focusing on. I wanted it to become at least 100 episodes.

I was disappointed. The sitcom is truly coming to an end. There have been no news of TVB planning to extend the number of episodes. After the 80th episode of OL Supreme airs, it's all over. The new sitcom Sunny Every Day will start airing. When that happens, my interest in TVB will start to die again.

I really do think that after OL Supreme, I will never be so addicted to a sitcom again. I will no longer feel the need to chase one and download the latest episode everyday as soon as I come home from school.

The cast and chemistry of OL is amazing. Liza Wang, Denise Ho, and Chapman To are just awesome. For a sitcom, the cast is very small. However, that made the atmosphere more 'at home' and sweet. The interactions between all the characters are spectacular. I love each and every one of them.

I do not hesitate to say that this sitcom is what has kept me together the last three months. It got me through all the hard times, but it will sadly not be able to get me through the stress of starting high school. It puzzles me why OL Supreme never experienced higher ratings or any promotion or exposure. It is certainly the best sitcom TVB has put out since the good ol days of A Kindred Spirit, War of the Genders, and Virtues of Harmony.

Goodbye, OL Supreme. Thanks for all the enjoyment, laughs, and relaxation. I will hope that you will get an appropiate finale.

A Fistful of Stances Review

2010-05-25T12:20:00.002-04:00

A Fistful of Stances is addictive and engaging. The pacing and length are just about right. It shares the same "formula" as Moonlight Resonance, but I managed to not mind much at all.

Characterization

Practically all the characters bear similarities with those in Moonlight Resonance, but they're developed better and more likable. While Moonlight had two well developed and complex characters (Cho Pa and Sa Yi), Fistful has better overall characterization. Each and every single character is developed either well or decently. In other words, Fistful took what Moonlight had and made it better. I guess second time's the charm. For a more in depth look at the similarities of the characters in the two series, read here.

Performances

Yuen Qiu - "Au Yeung Wai Lan"

With her impressive kung fu and seemingly natural tough nature, Yuen Qiu portrayed the lovable strong yet caring mother well. Kind of puts Lee Sze Kei's portrayal of the ridiculously angelic "Hor Ma" to shame doesn't it?

Kenneth Ma - "Koo Yu Tong"

Having always been a good actor, Kenneth rarely receives interesting roles that have the ability to showcase his talent. That can't be said anymore however, because "Koo Yu Tong" is a complex and lovable character. He is uneducated yet clever, serious yet playful, silly yet hardworking, as well as determined and caring. His character is the most realistic, entertaining, and lovable. Kenneth brings the character to life, making me love him even more. This is probably his best role (and performance) to date.

Kevin Cheng - "Koo Yu Cheung"

Kevin is supposedly the male lead of the series, yet he is out shined by Kenneth. Despite the fact he has been acting for around ten years, Kevin still doesn't seem to have the passion or talent. His emotional scenes are poorly done with a half hearted effort. It was extremely hard for me to pity his character when he first appeared because honestly, these scenes made me cringe like crazy. It's obvious that while Kevin is now 41 years old, he still looks very young. Too bad that handsome face of his can't seem to express anything. Koo Yu Cheung was initially insecure, upset, confused, and just plain lost. Kevin however, made it seem like Ah Cheung simply had a bad temper.

Selena Li - "Wing Chi Ching"

No matter what, Selena always exerts that sweet and adorable charm of hers. Out of all the current fa dans, I must say Selena is one of few who portrays their emotional scenes the best. While I didn't spot many tears in her crying scenes, at least I know she's portraying the crying naturally instead of using the aid of eye drops. Kate and Shirley, you might want to learn something from her. The scenes where she's working as a doctor at the hospital and dealing with Koo Yu Tong as her patient were adorable. She and Kenneth have so much chemistry!

Natalie Tong - "Ying Ngan Ming"

It was a smart move on TVB's side to give Natalie a significantly larger role than she's received in the past. I've always thought she has a lot of potential as an actress, and she was able to prove so with her portrayal of "Ah Ngan." Her emotional scenes weren't done all that bad either. I found the portrayal of the trauma she went through after getting raped was quite realistic. I was also cheering for her when she stood up for herself. Natalie is very cute, and surprisingly has chemistry with Kevin despite the age difference. This is probably because the two have collaborated as brother and sister twice.

Dominic Lam - "Wing Tak"

Why Wing Tak was so keen in making life difficult for the Koo family was unreasonable and never really justified. Dominic delivers a solid performance, as he is convincing as the selfish and self absorbed villain. The fact that Wing Tak never admitted nor believed he did anything wrong and yet hung himself the day before his execution cracks me up. I thought Wing Tak was simply evil and stubborn, but I guess he was a coward at heart. *sarcasm*

Jacky Heung - "Wing Man Kwan"

Is Jacky Heung the newest kung fu "bad boy"? Upon finding out more about him, I saw that most of his past movies are all kung fu flicks. The new actor will also be filming Female Fist alongside the Olympic kung fu gold champion, John Chiang, and Kenneth Ma. While his acting is not all that great, he has the look to make his portrayal of the immature bad boy more convincing. Something about his voice bothers me though, and it seems unfit for his appearance somehow. It was still touching to see Man Kwan turn good, and I must admit it is probably my favorite part of the finale.

Angela Tong - "Chow Fong Fong"

There's something else I'd like to admit, and that is the fact that I adored Angela's character and performance. Some would probably find her annoying, but I actually loved her. She was so cute when arguing with her husband and forbidding him from doing kung fu. She even put up a sign in her company saying that no one can perform, talk about, or even mention anything relating to kung fu. Her relationship with Leung Cham (Ram Chiang) was cute and hilarious. It was sad to see Fong Fong mourn over the sudden death of her husband, especially with the regret she had for not making up with him. I enjoyed seeing her fall back up again and doing everything she could do to expose Wing Tak's wrongdoings. However, I found the times she called Wing Tak "Chicken Face" to be extremely unnecessary. Come on, it almost cost Fong Fong her life.

Ram Chiang - "Leung Cham"

I've always loved Ram Chiang as a supporting actor and he always manages to make me laugh. This series was no exception although his character was nothing too special. Like I said above though, he was so cute with Angela. His sudden death made me sad and this makes it the second series where Ram had a good character but died out of nowhere after Beyond the Realm of Conscience. I see how it was necessary for the finale though.

Stephen Wong - "Koo Yu Yan"

Stephen might be tall and quite cute sometimes, but he doesn't have what it takes to be a solid supporting actor. His emotional scenes still make me cringe. There doesn't seem to be much improvement from his performance in 2007's Steps.

Alex Lam - "Koo Yu Leung"

How tall is Alex? He's so short! Nevertheless, he is a decent actor. He exaggerates at times, but he is so much easier to watch than Stephen despite not being handsome.

Shirley Yeung - "Koo Yu Kuen"

I'm actually surprised Shirley had so little screen time. Her "status" with TVB is falling quicker than Ron's. Then again, I'm relieved. She constantly screams all her lines in all of her performances. I couldn't find the difference between Shirley's portrayal of "Ah Kuen" and "Ah Fun" in A Chip Off the Old Block, except for hair and costume.

Nancy Wu - "Chow Bing Bing"

I was expecting more from the character, but Bing Bing made no impact on the overall plot whatsoever. She gave Ah Ngan a hard time, got dumped by Ah Cheung, then disappeared. This role brought no justice to Nancy's talent.

Tavia Yeung - Young "Au Yeung Wai Lan"

All I have to say is: TVB, just because Tavia is very good at crying, it doesn't mean you should force her to cry in all her scenes.

Length

I wasn't impressed with A Fistful of Stances when I first started. The flashbacks were necessary to foreshadow the plot, but were boring. It was a big 'sob story.' While I appreciate that they went with the 'show, not tell' method, I would've preferred that they didn't waste so much time with them. Flashbacks are cool, they give you a taste of what the characters were like before, but TVB always goes overboard with them. I continued to be not impressed when "Koo Yu Cheung" was introduced. Yes, he was pitiful, but it's frustrating to see a character throw a big tantrum. The series first started intriguing me after Koo Yu Cheung started settling into the Koo family after his kidnapper/adoptive mother's death. The family at that point was reunited and the plot finally started to develop. Fistful's turning point was definitely the rape of Ah Ngan. (The rapist was potrayed by Eric Li, who gave a very convincing and rather haunting performance!) The family's chemistry (as well as Ah Ngan's blooming friendship and crush on Ah Cheung) finally came full circle. From then on, the series flew by. The pace after episode 8 is very fast and very addictive.

Overall Thoughts

A Fistful of Stances is clearly a Moonlight Resonance rip off. However, it's hard to hate the series for it because it took everything Moonlight had and made it better. All the ridiculous bickering was toned down. The issues dealt with the Koo family were much more tragic than the silly problems dealt with in Moonlight. Fistful, in my opinion, holds many more merits. It ties together drama and comedy much better. While some family scenes were included, they didn't occur as often and were not as forced. There weren't a bunch of family scenes included just for the sake and fun of it. Fistful is engaging, addictive, and definitely one of the better series of 2010.

Rating: 4 stars

[Message From Iris] 5/17/10

2010-05-17T17:06:00.004-04:00

Hello, lovely readers! It's been quite a while since I've left a message on my blog. This is just to let you guys know I'm still alive! :)

So what have I been up to lately? I haven't updated TVB Interaction in over two weeks, but that doesn't mean I haven't been writing anything. In fact, I've written two articles recently. One is a spotlight on Kenneth Ma while the other is an article about series to look out for this year. However, they are written exclusively for the first issue of TVB Central Magazine. These two articles will be made available to view here after the release but if you want to read it first hand you'll have to read the magazine! It is due out at the end of the month. Make sure to check it out! It will be focusing on The Mysteries of Love and its main cast members Raymond Lam, Tavia Yeung, Kenneth Ma, and Bernice Liu.

The reason I wrote not one, but two articles in such a short amount of time (within a week)? I miss writing. Even though I normally don't dig out what's at the bottom of my heart and throw it into a post, writing is a type of therapy to me. It relaxes me and makes me less stress. In a time where things have gotten crazier and more tense, this therapy is just what I need. Plus, I'm still in denial that I will be finishing middle school in just one more month. It's safe to say that I've regained my inspiration and interest back. I'm sure that's good news to my loyal readers! :)

Hopefully, my review for A Fistful of Stances will be up sometime this week.

The Mysteries of Love

2010-05-17T16:48:00.003-04:00

English Title: The Mysteries of Love
Chinese Title: ????

Cantonese Title: Tam Ching Suet Ngon

Broadcast Period: May 24, 2010 – June 25, 2010

Genre: Modern Drama

Length: 20 episodes

Producer: Lau Ka Ho

Scriptwriter: Wong Yuk Tak & Leung Man Wah

Cast: Raymond Lam, Tavia Yeung, Kenneth Ma, Bernice Liu, Lisa. S., Ruco Chan, Mary Hon, Law Lok Lam, Lee Kwok Lun, Jazz Lam, Evergreen Mak, Jess Shum

Synopsis

This is a love story between a professor and a policewoman. Their dating experience is enhanced with sense and sensibility through the application of interesting physics theories on the investigation of various crime cases.

KING POK (Raymond Lam) is regarded as the youngest genius in physics and he is appointed as an associate professor in a Hong Kong university. Invited by his good friend LO TIN-HANG (Kenneth Ma), Senior Inspector of Police at Regional Crime Unit, POK assists in cracking many mysterious crime cases and he also meets the policewoman CHUI SIU-LAI (Tavia Yeung) during the process. The rational POK evaluates that he has fallen in love with LAI because of a love hormone called “phenylalanine”. However, owing to the huge difference in their family background and life value, POK fails to tackle their ever-changing relationship problems with formulas.

On the other hand, the romantic and uninhibited HANG has been maintaining a sex only relationship with the journalist LING MAN-KA (Bernice Liu). HANG doesn’t believe in eternity and he is only looking for sensual pleasure in a woman. However, his belief is suddenly shattered when he learns that MAN is going to get married.

Comments: It's finally here! Can't wait. The cast is awesome and we already know they'll have chemistry. Not only does it have four popular leads, Raymond Wong and Ruco Chan will both join the supporting cast as intelligent villains. Phew, I thought I wouldn't see Ruco for quite some time. I love case solving series and this looks like it'll have a couple good ones. Hopefully, it doesn't turn out to be copied too much from Detective Galileo, the series The Mysteries of Love was based off of. The physics theme is fresh and sounds interesting. I really hope this series doesn't disappoint!

In the Eye of the Beholder Review

2010-05-02T18:30:00.002-04:00

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

Sisters of Pearl

2010-04-27T17:05:00.004-04:00

English Title: Sisters of Pearl
Chinese Title: ????
Length: 28 Episodes
Genre: Pre-modern, Family
Producer: Lam Chi Wah
Scriptwriters: Suen Ho Ho and Lee Yee Wah
Cast: Jessica Hsuan, Kiki Sheung, Bowie Lam, Michael Tao, Joyce Tang, Macy Chan, Joel Chan, Savio Tsang, etc.

Synopsis
After the death of her husband, Chu Pik Ha (Jessica Hsuan) returns to her maiden home with her son, in a deliberate attempt to take over the family jewelry business from her big sister Chu Pik Wan (Kiki Sheung). To prevent Ha from getting too out of hand, Wan needs her matrilocal husband Ho Cheung Hing (Bowie Lam) to create trouble for her sibling. Hing does not follow her instructions, but instead secretly helps Ha tackle her problems one by one. Wan soon comes to realize that Hing has never really got over Ha. Wan's little sister Chu Pik Lam (Macy Chan) is still attending school and too young to deal with such family issues. Wan feels a profound sense of helplessness and becomes even more frustrated when So Lai Sheung (Joyce Tang) turns up suddenly claiming to be a mistress of her late father and pregnant with his baby. Out of respect for their father, the sisters agree to put Sheung up for the time being until the situation becomes clearer. Shortly thereafter, Ha discovers that Sheung is just a tool of her cousin Hung Yiu Sang (Michael Tao), who has been plotting to wage a battle of wills against the Chus.

Comments: Looks promising and dramatic! Hope it's not overdone though. The cast is great though I'm not a fan of Kiki. Should be interesting to see Jessica as an antagonist. Major fans of Joyce and Macy as well. We'll see how this goes...

Fly With Me

2010-04-27T16:59:00.004-04:00

English Title: Fly With Me

Chinese Title: ????

Cantonese Title: Fei Neui Jing Chyun

Producer: Chik Kei Yee

Screenwriter: Chow Yuk Ming

Cast: Ada Choi, Moses Chan, Raymond Cho, Kenny Wong, Catherine Chau, Rachel Kan, Chan Hung Lit, Helen Ma, Ching Hor Wai, Yu Ji Ming, Wong Chun Tong, Yeung Ching Wa, Chan Dik Hak, Lee Ka Din, Mannor Chan, Law Mong, Queenie Chu, Xu Meng, Lily Ho, Tai Yiu Ming, Yiu Hou Jing, Ho Wai Yip, Shum Poh Yee, Kimmy Kwan, etc.

Length: 25 Episodes

Broadcast: April 19, 2010 to May 21, 2010

Genre: Modern, Superhero, Action, Comedy

Synopsis
Leung Hau Chi (Ada Choi), a career woman in her thirties, has all the attributes of a typical Hong Kong woman—fussy, arrogant, and easily irritated by the sight of beautiful younger ladies. She is desperate for love and has been eagerly waiting for the thrilling miracles of life. As Chi is plunged into misery and despair, something strange happens and leads to her abrupt transformation into a superwoman of charm and immense strength. Every time Chi mutates, she is equipped with extraordinary powers, through which she fights for justice and helps the weak, joyously exploring and experiencing a dazzling kaleidoscope of adventures. Along the way, she is happy to have met three nice men, namely the brave yet traditional policeman Yeung Ho Yin (Kenny Wong), the good-natured gentleman turned nouveau-riche businessman Tsu Wing Fai (Raymond Cho), and the super-talented genius Kan Ming Hin (Moses Chan). Fortuitously, Hin is in love with Chi in both her usual and mutated states, leaving her stranded on the horns of a dilemma.

It is always hard to be plain and perfect at the same time. Despite the extraordinary powers she has, Chi is unable to get out of the maze of love. How is Chi going to handle it all? What more perfect choice could there be for her?

Comments: I'm a little late in posting the series info this time, haha. Anyway, I haven't started the series so I can still give my 'initial thoughts.' The series looks lame and exaggerated (and I've heard it is). I expect top notch acting with unusual and unrealistic plot. On a side note, this has got to be the worst TVB poster ever. So cheesy!

Comparing AFOS and MR: The Characters

2010-04-25T19:34:00.001-04:00

VS.

Although 2010 series A Fistful of Stances has gotten better as it progressed, it's hard to ignore the similarities between it and 2008's critically acclaimed and award winning (don't forget overrated) grand production Moonlight Resonance. One of the hardest similarities to ignore would be the characters. Some characters from both productions seem so alike that A Fistful of Stances seem like they based them off of Moonlight's. Some simply bear some of the same qualities and/or characteristics, while some look like they were practically plagiarized.

Yuen Qiu 's "Au Yeung Wai Lan" vs. Lee Sze Kei's "Hor Ma"

The similarities aren't exactly hard to notice. Both are caring mothers who raised big families on their own. Both have suffered much hardship including losing their husbands. They are both however tough and extremely "good" in that way TVB characters are.

Take your pick. Easy. Yuen Qiu's "Au Yeung Wei Lan." While both are very caring and kindhearted, Wei Lan comes off more realistic. Then again, maybe I'm just biased. I've never seen Lee Sze Kei as a versatile actress, and it's refreshing to see Yuen Qiu as I've never seen her in a series before. However, I'm a lot more fond of Wei Lan because of her tough qualities and talent in kung fu. I'd pick those two over Hor Ma's lousy gags anyway.

Kevin Cheng's "Koo Yu Cheung" vs. Moses Chan's "Kam Wing Ka"

Ah Cheung and Ah Ka are both the eldest brother in the family. However, in both cases, they barely act like it. The role of the eldest brother is taken over by the second brother (Ah Tong in Ah Cheung's case and Goon Ga Jai in Ah Ka's case). This is a result of both characters being 'useless.' Ah Cheung only calls himself useless because he is still new to the family and not familiar with all his family members, making him more modest and understandable. Ah Ka on the other hand initially wasted his life by getting addicted to the stock market, was irresponsible, and silly.

Take your pick. Koo Yu Cheung. While I'm not fond of the character too much, he doesn't feel as much of a waste of my time as Ah Ka was. At the least, he was more hardworking. He also didn't fall in love with a girl (like Ah Ka towards Ka-Mei) just because she was "hot." The character is likable after he puts all his anger issues aside.

Kenneth Ma's "Koo Yu Tong" vs. Raymond Lam's "Kam Wing Ho/Goon Ga Jai"

Although only the second eldest, both guys do a good job of acting as the eldest. They are the father figure of their household. They care for their family and put their family first no matter what. Lastly, both fall for the daughters of the villain.

Take your pick. Koo Yu Tong all the way! While "Goon Ga Jai" is sweet, he lacks layers. His character couldn't be any more simple, and was rather boring. In fact, Goon Ga Jai was so 'good' he was unrealistic (in the way Hor Ma also is). Meanwhile, Koo Yu Tong is intelligent despite his lack of education, clever, funny, and so much more. His character is complex and written well. He's entertaining and so much more lovable. Kenneth also had a lot more to work with than Raymond did, resulting in a fantastic performance, especially when it came down to his emotional scenes.

Natalie Tong's "Ying Ngan Ming" vs. Tavia Yeung's "Suen Ho Yuet"

The similarity is just too obvious. Ah Ngan and Ah Yuet were both adopted at a young age by kind mothers so they grew up with large families. In addition, both fell in love with their non-blood related elder brother.

Take your pick. Tie, I loved both. It's hard to come to a decision because while Ah Yuet and Ah Ngan come from the same background as well as love issues, their personalities are very contrasting. Ah Yuet is outspoken, righteous, but impulsive. Ah Ngan is more vulnerable and shy. The character of Ah Yuet was a bit overrated but Tavia is a fine actress and portrayed her very well. Meanwhile, Natalie continues to improve and I found her so lovable and sweet as the naive Ah Ngan.

Selena Li's "Wing Chi Ching" vs. Linda Chung's "Yue So Chau"

Chi Ching and Yue So Chau, despite having good hearts, struggle with having a parent that have done countless bad deeds. They find it hard to deal with their villain parent. Not only that, both fall for the son of the family their parent hate.

Take your pick. Wing Chi Ching! Let's not even relive the horrible, weak, and annoying Yue So Chau. I think most people share the same view of her (though some are more harsh than others).

Dominic Lam's Wing Tak vs. Michelle Yim's "Yan Hung"

It is inevitable that all the things Wing Tak did (murder three people) were much, much worse than what Yan Hung did. However, both share the characteristic where they are not satisfied until they completely ruin the family they hate. In both cases, the reason why they hate that specific family so much is never justified, making it come off as ridiculous. I lost track of how many times I mentally yelled to Wing Tak "Hey, you're the one who killed three of the Koo's family members. They should be the ones carrying all that unhealthy hate, not you."

Take your pick. None. Wait, maybe I should say Yan Hung just because she wasn't as 'evil.' Then again, it is easier to make a villain more evil in ancient and premodern series. Oh, whatever. Both characters are perfectly hate able.

Lee Sing Cheung's "Au Yeung Cheung" vs. Susanna Kwan's "Chung Siu Sa"

Both get excited at the sight of money. It's that simple. They're greedy and selfish. However, Ah Cheung is just a background character to make the Koo household a bit more noiser and fun. While Chung Siu Sa proved to be incredibly annoying at times, she was one of the main characters who was greatly developed.

Take your pick. Chung Siu Sa of course. Yes, she was annoying at times, but I loved the change she underwent. She had multiple layers and you could sympathize with the character. Of course, the character wouldn't be nearly as entertaining and easy to love if it weren't for the talented Susanna.

Nancy Wu's "Chow Bing Bing" vs. Kate Tsui's "Lo Ka Mei"

Chow Bing Bing is practically a complete copy of Lo Ka Mei. They both give off the impression that they are 'sweet and innocent' when they are truthfully conniving with a heart full of...envy? They have a past of messy relationships. One is an adulteress and gold digger while the other became pregnant as a teen and cruelly put her son into an orphanage (and may I add was so stupid as to get pregnant accidentally again with the same guy). As they both fall for a man, they quickly realize that the man's non blood related sister is in love with them. Even though both women don't do anything to pursue the relationship further, Chow Bing Bing and Lo Ka Mei were keen on ruining their love rival's lives.

Take your pick. Chow Bing Bing. Don't get the wrong idea, I hate both. Chow Bing Bing barely made an impact on the overall plot and merely served the purpose of coming between Koo Yu Cheung and Ah Ngan. Ka Mei however makes Moonlight Resonance go downhill with plenty of screen time and ridiculous schemes. Also, Nancy is a much better actress than Kate.

It's amusing how despite all the similarities between the characters of A Fistful of Stances have to Moonlight Resonance, I liked all the characters of Fistful more (except Au Yeung Cheung vs. Chung Siu Sa). Hey, A Fistful of Stances may have borrowed quite a bit from Moonlight Resonance, but at least they made it better!

Comparing AFOS and MR: The Characters

2010-04-25T19:34:00.000-04:00

VS.

Yuen Qiu 's "Au Yeung Wai Lan" vs. Lee Sze Kei's "Hor Ma"

Kevin Cheng's "Koo Yu Cheung" vs. Moses Chan's "Kam Wing Ka"

Kenneth Ma's "Koo Yu Tong" vs. Raymond Lam's "Kam Wing Ho/Goon Ga Jai"

Natalie Tong's "Ying Ngan Ming" vs. Tavia Yeung's "Suen Ho Yuet"

Selena Li's "Wing Chi Ching" vs. Linda Chung's "Yue So Chau"

Take your pick. Wing Chi Ching! Let's not even relive the horrible, weak, and annoying Yue So Chau. I think most people share the same view of her (though some are more harsh than others).

Dominic Lam's Wing Tak vs. Michelle Yim's "Yan Hung"

Lee Sing Cheung's "Au Yeung Cheung" vs. Susanna Kwan's "Chung Siu Sa"

Nancy Wu's "Chow Bing Bing" vs. Kate Tsui's "Lo Ka Mei"

My Better Half Review

2010-04-18T19:52:00.001-04:00

My Better Half returns to TVB's lighthearted and enjoyable yet forgettable type series. Unfortunately, that's all that this series is...

Characters and Performances

Maggie Cheung - "Ko Lai Sum"

Being the actress I respect most, Maggie Cheung actually treats acting as an art, an opinion not very common in artistes nowadays. She hates repeating herself, so all her roles are a challenge, unique, and different. As viewers, people trust that any series she's in will be above average. Unfortunately, both the role and the series didn't meet my expectations. Although I expected it to be good, my expectations weren't even set that high. However, Maggie still portrays Lai Sum's tough side and feminine side flawlessly. Maggie's cuteness comes off extremely natural and seems effortless. In the end, I still ponder why Maggie (who is relatively picky when accepting series) agreed to film this. (That makes her the second fa dan for me to ponder over about their comeback. I'm still scratching my head over Kenix Kwok's acceptance of the role Angie from Born Rich.)

Michael Miu - "Ching Sum"

As a capable actor, Michael M.'s not getting roles to show that. Even if he does look young for his age, I don't want to see him as a henpecked husband who sometimes acts like he's 20. Solid performance and decent amount of chemistry with Maggie despite the age difference. However, I don't think I'm pushing it by saying Michael M. hasn't had a good role since 2005's The Academy.

Michael Tse - "Ching Yee"

I think I have a thing for characters who are womanizers at first but become a loving boyfriend/husband later. Just look at my fondness for Born Rich's Topman. While the role isn't a challenge for him, the role is likable and Michael T. has amazing chemistry with Teresa Lee.

Teresa Lee - "Mau Ling Chi/Gigi"

The role is interesting and unique. A clever person chasing after nothing but money at first, she's later revealed to be a sweet, caring woman who wants love (from a man and family/friends). Unlike her rival in love Yuki, Gigi is tough, genuinely loves and cares for Ching Yee, but can take care of herself. That is why I love her so much. Teresa is adorable and full of charm. She nails the role.

On a side note, I loved the co star chemistry between Maggie, Teresa, and both Michael's. They collaborated very well and their friendship came off real. The scenes where they discuss how to make their mother (in-law) happy are sweet. It was hilarious seeing them figure out how to get a baby.

Mandy Cho - "Yau Ka Lei/Yuki"

If you are a bad actress with a bad character, there's no stopping me from hating you. Yuki is annoying, weak, and incapable of taking care of herself. Mandy shows little improvement and her performance comes off half hearted.

Derek Kwok - "Kong Sun So"
Despite claiming to go green, Kong Sun So is a dirty and sloppy person. He wants to have an affair, yet loves his wife greatly. Derek can portray any type of role, both comedic and dramatic, but this character was just a waste of his talent. There wasn't anything special. It's a bit odd Derek's role here was so small considering he's received many second lead and first supporting roles the last two years.

Mimi Lo - "Poon Lei Sin"
Although this is the third consecutive airing series in a row that Mimi's been in, my adoration for Mimi continues to increase. She has a knack for comedy and is cute and hilarious. Mimi always seems to have these crazy curly hairstyles in series (D.I.E. Again, The Beauty of the Game) but I thought this particular one fitted her and made her look very cute.

Oscar Leung - "Heung Cheuk Shek"
Oscar is cute has shown to be talented with an incredible amount of potential as an actor. He's still terribly under rated, but it appears he has high chances of grabbing the Most Improved Actor award this year. Or at least, that's what we TVB bloggers hope.

Grace Wong - "So Sin Hung"
Grace manages to stand out in the circle of new comers with her passion for the entertainment industry. She takes acting seriously, and obviously knows what she's doing. However, I expected more from her role. I would've liked to see more of her and Oscar too. Their 'getting together' was too rushed.

Zac Kao
Not only is he extremely cute, Zac has an immense amount of comedic talent. He is naturally hilarious and always manages to make me laugh. I was amused that TVB took notice of the fact he and Michael Miu look extremely alike and even had Zac play Michael's look alike. TVB, promote him!

Surprise, Surprise!

Out of nowhere, fellow actress and real life wife of Michael Miu, Jamie Chik makes a cameo in the last episode of My Better Half as a doctor sharing a scene with the cast, with her husband included of course. What a cute surprise!

Overall

The cast and acting is nearly perfect (with the exception of Mandy). As always though, acting can not save a bad script. While My Better Half isn't necessarily bad, it was only mediocre. For Maggie Cheung's comeback, it greatly disappointed. It is funny at times, but it's exaggerated and awfully silly humor. If it weren't for Maggie, and the chemistry of Michael T and Teresa, I would've given up on the series.

Rating: 2 1/2 stars

Suspects of Love

2010-03-22T19:55:00.003-04:00

English Title: Suspects in Love
Chinese Title: ????
Cantonese Title: Sau Ha Lau Ching
Broadcast Period: April 5, 2010 – April 30, 2010
Genre: Modern Romance
Length: 20 episodes
Producer: Poon Ka Tak
Scriptwriter: N/A
Cast: Flora Chan, Joe Ma, Sharon Chan, Him Law, Louis Yuen, Shek Sau, Rain Lau, Power Chan, Mandy Wong

Synopsis

In order to rescue her best friend COCO KAM (Rain Lau), masseuse CHENG SIU-YAN (Flora Chan) is embroiled in a triad murder case. Misconceiving that she has killed someone, YAN hides away from the police and gangsters by reluctantly returning to her long-separated father CHENG TSUN-CHEONG (Shek Sau). CHEONG opens a Chinese herbal tea shop but the business is failing. YAN drags through the days stressfully until NG CHUNG-MING (Joe Ma) comes into her life. MING claims to have a secret prescription for making Chinese herbal tea but he is actually an undercover police. By investigating YAN’s case, MING hopes to get promoted and marry his inspector girlfriend CHEUNG SZ-MAN (Sharon Chan) at the end. MING’s supervisor CHEUNG SZ-CHAI (Power Chan) used to oppress him a lot and MING is losing confidence at work. However, ever since he meets the cheerful YAN, MING begins to develop his self-esteem and find his life path. His delicate relationship with YAN also starts to grow.

MING’s younger brother NG CHUNG-HONG (Him Law) meets YAN’s younger sister CHENG SIU-MAN (Mandy Wong) and love grows spontaneously. However, YAN finds out MING’s identity and she believes that the two brothers are making use of them to carry out investigation. On the other hand, MING learns that YAN’s cousin LEUNG KING-HO (Louis Yuen) is just released from jail and he is familiar with the gang leader, and YAN is considered in connection with the case. Their blossoming relationship is thrown into turmoil as they get closer to the truth.

Comments: No fan of Flora and without a doubt she is the least versatile out of TVB's top four fa dans. I've realized I can like Joe and enjoy his performance, but only with a good character (Topman in Born Rich). Sharon does not look the part of an inspector at all so I'm doubtful. At the moment the only thing that interests me right now about the series is seeing Him Law and Mandy Wong. Two of my new favs! :)