“OL Supreme” Review

"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

"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

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

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

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

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

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