TVB Anniversary Awards 2020: Predictions and Picks

This year has without a doubt been a complete mess, and it's time for a sense of normalcy (if only for my own sanity) with TVB Interaction's yearly anniversary awards post.

Every year we joke TVB is nominating everyone, but TVB has truly outdone itself by nominating nearly every last person, including many in the wrong category.  Complete newcomers are nominated in the Most Improved category, guest stars who barely registered a blip in their series are nominated in the supporting categories, and supporting actors are competing in the leading actor categories.  

See the full list of nominations here.

Best Actor

Top 5: Moses Chan, Wayne Lai, Raymond Lam, Kenneth Ma, Vincent Wong

Predicted Winner: Raymond Lam

Personal Choice: N/A

Snub: Frankie Lam for "Life After Death" 

Ouch to a petty TVB not even bothering to nominate Frankie, who recently wrapped up a stint as Vice President of ATV, despite a whooping 22 nominees in this category.  Mark Ma, who I was cheering to win Best Supporting Actor, was instead nominated here.  Admittedly, it can be difficult to categorize second lead roles, particularly for series with smaller casts, but Mark would have made for very strong competition in the supporting category.  Moses and Wayne are the perpetual top 5 nominees, but I wouldn't be surprised if Shaun or Joel kicked out one of the TV Kings for their performances in "Brutally Young."  It's hard to see anyone besides Raymond Lam winning to make up for all the years he narrowly lost, though I have heard rumbles of Lau Dan being a black horse.  While it was enjoyable to see remnants of the Raymond of yesteryear who got be more lighthearted and charming, he was severely sidelined and underdeveloped, much like everybody in "Line Walker"'s painfully over bloated cast ensemble.  He did what he could with the material given to him, but it will very much be a delayed win rather than one deserved for the particular series he is nominated for.  And with a lack of competition, I don't particularly care either way.

Best Actress

Top 5: Selena Li, Katy Kung, Mandy Wong, Ali Lee, Sisley Choi

Predicted Winner: Mandy Wong

Personal Choice: Ali 

Alrighty guys, if Katy wins for a clearly supporting role (and more importantly, not even a good one - for the last time, bulging your eyes is not acting!) in "Death by Zero," I will be livid.  I feel like I say this every year, but this is definitely the weakest competition for Best Actress yet.  Even with a lesser 18 nominees here, while no one in the Best Actor category is less than a second male lead, this category is littered with supporting actresses including Crystal Fung and Samantha Ko for "Al Cappuccino."  The "Lo and Behold" actresses arguably should be in the supporting categories still, but I am more forgiving for a sitcom where the focus shifts much more between characters.  

I've heard Mandy is the hot favorite to win after going home empty-handed despite an acclaimed performance in "Threesome" in 2018.  I don't have particular issues with Mandy winning, but she was also clearly a supporting role in "Line Walker" and hardly had room to really display her acting chops.  Mandy is someone who is clearly capable of giving a memorable, strong performance, but in recent years has been relegated to boring, uncomplicated roles (she played a straight-edged cop in both her series this year) and this in turn has also made her performances boring.  Hopefully, a TV Queen win will finally give her meaty roles again. 

Like with Best Actor, there is no one I am supporting to actually win, but if I had to choose, Ali probably gave the best performance of the bunch.  While many current actresses seem to only excel in one type of role, after watching her as "Cash" in "Death by Zero," I am persuaded Ali is the most versatile and chameleon-like, having played villain, dramatic, and comedic roles well.  She is uninhibited in her acting, which allowed Cash's silly and funny side to shine without making her cartoonish or exaggerated.  Though not Best Actress level (then again, who is these days?), I was also impressed with Sisley, who noticeably improved from the first "Legal Mavericks 2" and did much better in her emotional scenes.

Favorite Male Character

Top 5: Joel Chan, Moses Chan, Vincent Wong, Raymond Lam, Michael Miu

Predicted Winner: Joel

Personal Choice: Joel

I am surprised how much I have come to genuinely enjoy Joel's acting in recent years and how much screen presence he now has, especially in "Brutally Young" as the charismatic gangster with a good heart.  Vincent could possibly win again, but given Joel went unrecognized last year for "Barrack O'Karma," hopefully he will be able to go home with something this year.  Moses' "Zero" is also Moses at his best, playing a suave, confident, and clever yet humorous assassin but just restrained enough he was not over the top and annoying (the same cannot be said for his performance in "Beauty and the Boss").  

Favorite Female Character

Top 5: Selena, Sisley, Mandy, Ali, Katy 

Predicted Winner: Katy

Personal Choice: Ali

I'm throwing stones a little here, as Selena, Sisley, and Ali have all won this award already.  Mandy could win if someone else pulls an upset for Best Actress, but after that, Katy is probably next in line.  She garnered buzz for "Death by Zero" (admittedly, not the good kind), and she is nominated for "Hong Kong Love Stories," which has been receiving praise despite its bad time slot.

Best Supporting Actor

Top 5: Brian Tse, Tsui Wing, Benz Hui, Bowie Wu, Kent Tong 

Predicted Winner: Brian

Personal Choice: N/A

Snub: Anthony Ho for "Brutally Young"

While he certainly effectively creeped me out in "Death by Zero," I'm still not convinced Brian Tse is a strong actor.  With the moderate buzz he received for the series, and the excessive amount he was hounded by the press this year because of the Ashley Chu and Jackson Lai scandal, TVB may be looking to give him some encouragement.  

Although not a nominee in this category, I would have supported Mark.  I always get nervous when TVB dramas portray characters with any kind of disorder, but Mark clearly took great care in portraying a doctor with autism spectrum disorder, nailing subtle mannerisms while making the character lovable and realistic.  It was particularly impressive after watching him as the guy next door in "Lo and Behold," and I look forward to seeing him in more roles.  I was not a fan of Tsui Wing's character in "Al Cappuccino" at all, but he is always a solid supporting actor so I'd love to see him win one year.  

Anthony got to play a very substantial and meaty role in "Brutally Young" compared to his usual characters and was sympathetic and likable, so it's surprising he did not even get a nomination.  

Best Supporting Actress

Top 5: Moon Lau, Yoyo Chen, Angel Chiang, Winki Lai, Suet Nei 

Predicted Winner: Winki

Personal Choice: Winki

Snub: Vivien Yeo for "Brutally Young"

There's actually some competition in this category!  It's a difficult toss-up for my personal choice between Moon and Winki, but Winki edges out for me.  Moon's sweet and affable "Bei Bei" character admittedly has a special place in my heart and her passing over storyline in "The Exorcist's Second Meter" was touching thanks in large part to Moon's performance.  Similar to Yoyo, Winki showed in "Al Cappuccino" she is capable of playing far more than the "leng mui" characters she started off in.  She played the tough-as-nails big sister character well while conveying the character's more tender side who just wanted to a regular OL.  And of course, she had wonderful chemistry with Owen.  Winki is probably my favorite of the more up and coming actresses and I'd be more than happy for her to win.  

Yoyo is a black horse, having received good buzz for "Life After Death," and based on merit of performance alone I wouldn't go with Yoyo as she had a rather small supporting role where she mostly got to play the loyal, flirty, and fun friend.  However, she has gone from mostly only believably playing cute, young girl characters to naturally playing a charming and sexy mature young woman here.  With her focus on being a mother, TVB has put her on the sidelines for years, and if she does win, I hope it will propel her to be promoted and receive major roles, much like this award has done for previous winners. 

Although she received a Favorite Female Character nomination despite departing TVB this year, Vivien was snubbed for her performance in "Brutally Young" in this category.  This is the most emotive Vivien has been, having needed to communicate without speaking, and it is sad her best performance came just as she decided to move on from TVB.  

Most Improved Actor

Predicted Winner: Mark Ma

Personal Choice: Mark Ma

In a more ideal situation (for me at least), Mark could win Best Supporting Actor and Brian Tse could win Most Improved, as this is more reflective of their acting progress and experience.  Hopefully, Mark has this in the bag.  Of all the categories, this is probably the only one I'd genuinely be a bit upset about if my personal choice didn't win, especially if it went to one of the much more green actors I can barely remember the name of. 

Most Improved Actress

Predicted Winner: Moon Lau

Personal Choice: Gloria Tang 

If we're talking about actual improvement, Gloria has easily improved the most, having been unwatchable during her debut but becoming much more natural and likable in recent series such as "The Exorcist's 2nd Meter."  Moon is a relatively heavily promoted actress that has yet to win this award, but Angel Chiang may very well pull a win for "Al Cappuccino," though I still don't find her very believable as the sexy, flirty triad boss. 

Best Partnership

Predicted Winner: Vincent Wong, Owen Cheung, and Brian Chu in "Al Cappuccino" 

Personal Choice: Vincent Wong, Owen Cheung, and Brian Chu in "Al Cappuccino" 

While Vincent's romantic storylines with all four females in "Al Cappuccino" were haphazard and undeveloped (and overall just plain confusing), Vincent and Owen once again pulled off a great bromance and Brian was a welcome added dynamic.  Vincent and Owen are probably my favorite male partnership overall, as they are unafraid to get physical with each other while also being great banter partners.  I'm also a big fan of Kenneth and Hubert's partnership, but much more so in the original than in this year's sequel given their characters were often more at odds with each other. 

Best Theme Song

Predicted Winner: Raymond Lam and HANA's subtheme for "Line Walker"

Personal Choice: Man, I don't care. 

Best Drama

Predicted Winner: Line Walker 3: Bull Fight

Personal Choice: Death By Zero

"Line Walker 3" is the big anniversary production with the big cast and overall just part of a major franchise (that I wish would end).  While it started off promising, the series already had obvious difficulties integrating characters from the original and the prequel, particularly Benjamin and Priscilla's characters.  With the addition of numerous new characters, there was always too much going on and no individual character could be fully developed, leading to a mostly convoluted and disjointed storyline.  I was looking forward to watching Kenneth as a villain, but he mostly bulged his eyes.  

The dark comedy vibe where a heavy and rather violent subject matter is balanced with witty humor is common in American media such as superhero shows, but not at all with TVB, so I was very hesitant about "Death by Zero."  While the tone takes getting used to because of its novelty for a TVB series, it is executed well.  This tone and style is of course not everyone's cup of tea, especially much of TVB's target audience, but is very much up my alley so I was pleased with the freshness.  While I wish some characters such as Samantha's were better utilized and some minimized, Moses and Ali in particular shined, along with supporting players like Timothy Cheng.  Sure, it gets a bit absurd at times and some of our assassins seemingly just kill in plain sight, but it's a hell of a fun and fresh ride and more than deserving of "Best Drama." 

"Captain of Destiny" Review

I had originally dropped "Captain of Destiny" after five episodes on the first try, but after having a few friends tell me it gets better, I decided to give it another shot. Next thing I knew, I had binge watched the rest in four days.

After a slow and rough start that makes "Captain" seem like much more of a joke than it really turned out to be, it develops into one of the better and most entertaining series of the year. Unfortunately, by then, most viewers had already tuned out, as evidenced by its low ratings.

Cast-wise, it is easily understood why people were hesitant and turned off by the decision to cast Grace Chan as the female lead and Tony Hung as the titular "Cheung Po Tsai."

Grace can get very irritating as "Wong Tai-Mui" with her widening eyes and love for screaming her lines, particularly in the early episodes. She does tone down more as the series goes on and becomes much more bearable as the focus shifts more to Ruco Chan. Do I still think she has potential? Sure, but it was definitely too early for her to receive a lead role. I thought she was quite natural in "Raising the Bar," and although she has a stronger and more assertive character here, her acting seems to have even retrograded a bit. Wong Tai-Mui could still be likable overall, but I especially disliked her whenever she was so quick to think the worst of the 11th prince. I understand having hesitations, but how about not blatantly accusing someone of framing or murdering someone without getting any information first? Aren't you supposed to be a cop?

I am genuinely surprised by the criticism Tony received for his performance here, even though the harshest criticism was mostly directed towards Grace. As much as I like Tony as a host and ove
rall person, I had huge concerns for him coming into this series. However, I thoroughly enjoyed him as "Cheung Po Tsai" once we got past the silliness of the first few episodes. Tony was able to use his real-life playfulness and easygoing personality to play the titular character with humor and fun. His emotional scenes are unsurprisingly more raw, but the only scene I felt was particularly weak was one in the later part of the series where he confronts Ruco's character from jail. In the end, I'm not sad that Raymond Wong had to pull out of the series, but happy with the way things turned out for Tony. I'll probably receive some flack for this, but I finished this series thinking he did indeed deserve the Most Improved Actor award.

Ruco's role was increased to pick up the slack that came with casting less experienced actors such as Grace and Tony, and of course, he once again rises to the challenge. He nails the "stern but kind" role, where he was much more domineering and intimidating in the beginning before softening to become the passionate and intelligent 11th prince we loved. Timing-wise, I did think this was the right year for Ruco to win Best Actor. But even as the huge Ruco fan I am, even I must admit that solely performance-wise, this character was not a challenge for him and did not provide him with new material. I was however slightly surprised by his performance as the Bandit King, "Bowie." He needs to play another one of these baddie characters!

The rest of the cast performances are a mixed bag. Joel Chan and Mandy Wong may have been third supporting characters who didn't appear until almost halfway through the series, but they were both very entertaining and unpredictable, which is hard to come by with TVB's trite love trianKelly Fu's acting is still raw with a lot of room for improvement, but she surprisingly did not ever annoy me much. While she was overly naive and kept accidentally getting into trouble in the beginning, I came to appreciate her and Otto Chan's loyalty and confidence in Ruco, and how the three really became friends. Maggie Shiu was enjoyable and a reliable supporting actress as usual. Ocean Zhu's character was just plain weird and could have been eliminated. I ended up being most disappointed by Elaine Yiu's performance having already known she received the Best Supporting Actress award for it. She would just give her best resting bitch face and say her lines in a catty way, and I stared at the screen wondering "She won an acting award for this?"

"Captain of Destiny"'s largest problem lies in the disjointedness of its two storylines: the storyline between the pirates, and Ruco's palatial drama. Both have their distinct strengths, as the pirates' provided humor and lightheartedness, while Ruco's storyline balanced it out with more substantial drama. However, it makes the viewer feel like they're watching two completely different series and made for some awkward scene transitions. There could be a very serious scene involving Ruco and his military, and then we would transition into a scene where Grace was being chased around by the pirates in white "ghost" costumes. It is not until around 20 episodes in before Ruco even meets Tony and Grace.

Another major problem the series has is its plot holes and sloppy writing, particularly when it came to the romantic storylines. I understand that romance was not the focus on the series nor should it have been, but since the writers decided to include it, they should have done a better job. Grace is shown clearly falling for both Tony and Ruco and mulling over her feelings for the two men, but then all of a sudden shows that she only loves Tony. Ruco is portrayed as heartbroken over Grace, and then all of a sudden expresses an interest in Kelly, who returns the interest. This isn't a messy love triangle. This is just bad writing, and it seems like the writers changed their minds midway through writing the script, but could not have been bothered to go back and make the revisions. With that said, to my genuine surprise, I quite liked Tony and Grace together, as their relationship was allowed to grow from friendship. Any love line involving Ruco though, was thrown together very haphazardly.

Perhaps the even bigger concern people had going into the series was not the cast, but the CGI effects. Although it could still be obvious what was CGI and what was not, the effects were definitely much better than expected and the battle scene was very well-done. The series may have had many flaws, but the visual effects ended up not being one of them.

Despite its weaknesses though, "Captain of Destiny" is one of the most entertaining series of the year. It can easily be binge-watched if you just make it past the first few episodes because it has good pacing and still has many elements a solid series should have, including some interesting characters, comedy, drama, a little action, and some romance (as haphazard as it was). With all the mediocre series this year, "Captain" should not be completely written off because of its less-experienced leads and rough beginning. It is still very much a grand production.

Rating: 3.5 stars

"The Fixer" Review

My feelings toward "The Fixer" can best be summed up as ambivalent. "The Fixer" starts off with probably one of the most promising premises so far this year, but greatly suffers from poor direction and pacing.

I went into the series thinking it'd be reminiscent of "Catch Me Now," one of my all-time favorites, with its gray characters, refreshing ensemble, and blend of action and comedy. I was quickly disappointed because the team here is a far cry from the Robin Hood-like gang of "Catch Me Now," who do good deeds albeit through illegal or questionable means. Although Chin Ka Lok's team does not simply accept money from anyone who needs their help, his monologue in the finale saying that he had come to the realization he had not been helping people solve problems all this time, but helping them to avoid responsibility, rings very true.

Although this made me not actively root for the team as much, I was able to put these misguided expectations aside after a few episodes and instead find its real problems elsewhere.

"The Fixer" had great potential to be an entertaining and compelling action drama, but mostly fails in its first half by being roughly 75% draggy family drama and with maybe a 25% focus on the problem solving. I normally like or am indifferent to Gigi Wong, but her character here is a waste of screen time. This is not the actress' fault, but the scriptwriters for dragging her arc out so long and making the huge mistake of focusing on her and the brother's estrangement. Although I cannot say I know much about Alzheimer's, it drove me up the wall and just seemed too convenient that Gigi could recognize her youngest child as a grown up, married woman, yet thought her middle son was a child still in elementary school.

The series picks up after Tracy Chu's character makes her entrance and completes the team. It gradually eases off of Gigi, and in the last five or so episodes it's all a whirlwind of major events. Throughout the series, I was either slouching in my chair bored from the family drama, or staring at the screen trying to process all that was happening. In the end, this is my biggest complaint. The writers spent half the series going in the wrong direction with trite flashbacks and sob stories and offering us minimal insight into the characters (other than Chin Ka Lok and Benjamin Yuen's).

While it does not boast any big names, "The Fixer" does benefit from a fun and unlikely ensemble.

Unfortunately, the series was unable to utilize it more. Chin Ka Lok and Mandy Wong are given the meaty characters with a past, and Tracy and Timmy Hung are mostly relegated to being responsible for comic relief, and we never get to learn too much about them. This is a shame, because although Mandy is a solid actress as usual, her character simply wasn't compelling as the female lead despite her dark past since she spent the majority of her time looking cool and detached.

However, she and Chin Ka Lok surprisingly pulled off chemistry despite the age difference and physical incompatibility. Whether it was their intimate moments or just subtle body language with each other, they appeared very at ease and natural together. Although I am still not a fan of these onscreen pairings with significant age differences, in this situation it worked just fine because both Mandy and Chin Ka Lok are capable actors, while in other pairings there is always a weak link (typically the newbie female who has to be perched up by an experienced actor).

This is the first time I've seen Tracy, and I must say, she has probably already become my favorite newer actress and I hope TVB continues to promote her. From her first scene, she lights up the screen and is very lively, a welcome contrast to Mandy's character. There were several times I actually became annoyed with "Duck Duck," particularly whenever she disrespected Benjamin by being rude or just plain childish, but overall she was a lot of fun. Tracy is natural, possesses charisma and affability, and did well with all the physical comedy she was given, something that puts her at an advantage over many other TVB actresses.

I've always been confused by Timmy's place in TVB, as he seems to just film series whenever he feels like it. With that said, I always enjoy him whenever he does pop up because he seems like such a fun and easy going guy, and this vibe usually transfers onscreen to his typically comical characters, as it did here. He and Tracy certainly fulfilled the task of providing comic relief, both individually and together.

Benjamin is an actor who I've always found affable but can also be unreliable. He tends to cross the fine line between portraying a serious and aloof character well and being wooden. He fares much better here, where we get to see two different sides of him: the "stone face" sergeant, and the warm, dorky side he only reveals to his mom and Rebecca Zhu. He is adequate in his work scenes, but very endearing and entertaining in these warmer scenes where he actually gets to crack a smile. My favorite scene is when he texts Rebecca, intently stares at his phone until she replies, then is so excited when she replies that his phone falls out of his hands when he tries to pick it up.

There are some TVB actresses who look the part and can portray a police madam very well, and then there are those who just look like they're trying too hard. Rebecca is definitely not Linda in "Tiger Cubs 2" bad, but in her first appearance she comes off incredibly forced in her attempt to act professional and dominating. Her performance becomes much better as her character starts to befriend her subordinates, and as a result does not have to look so intimidating. Although I've always been indifferent to Rebecca, I loved her scenes with Benjamin. The two were just so sweet and dorky together.

Overall

There was great potential and the cast ensemble is a pretty refreshing one to watch. Yet, this potential does not get fulfilled and instead we got very inconsistent pacing and one bumpy ride. The series virtually wastes half the episodes it was allotted by making the dumb decision to focus on Chin Ka Lok and Benjamin's estranged relationship and Gigi's Alzheimer's. Even the cases themselves were not too interesting. There were just so many problems with the direction (or rather, directions) the script writers took. And yet, there were also many entertaining moments. "The Fixer" ultimately is not a series without its strengths, but has many more flaws that could have been avoided. However, in some ways, it is still much better than many of the other series this year. As a result, I am left still feeling ambivalent instead of mostly positive or negative towards it.

Rating: 3 stars

"Madam Cutie on Duty" Review

Before I started "Madam Cutie on Duty," I thought the series would go in either one of two different directions: It would be an enjoyable lighthearted drama, or a very lame and unfunny one. The selection of scenes from the theme video seemed to make it point towards the latter. Thankfully, after a more over the top premiere episode, "Madam Cutie" becomes yet another funny and fun series that is very entertaining.

Although the series has a likable supporting cast consisting of faces like Mandy Wong, Kaki Leung, Rachel Kan, and Raymond Cho, it is romantic leads Priscilla Wong and Edwin Siu who make it worth watching. 

Priscilla and Edwin met filming this series, but what is surprising to hear is that the two did not even befriend each other until after filming completed, and would typically go into their respective corners when the cameras stopped rolling. This does not show at all on screen, as the two looked completely comfortable with each other and evoke playful chemistry while their characters bickered, and sweetness as they started to become friends and care for one another. Without this chemistry between the leads, "Madam Cutie" would have been a complete bust.

On her own, Priscilla is able to prove critics who say her acting is one-note wrong. Here, she has plenty of room to show audiences her comedic talent and timing and delivers as "Fa Ping." She is endearing, cute, and at often times laugh-out-loud funny without becoming too exaggerated. The moments where she notices herself morphing more and more into a housewife were probably the most comical. I hope to see her in more comedic roles such as this.

Edwin does not shine as much on his own as his female lead, but is still likable as "Law Dai Shu" and it is nice to be able to see him finally taking on a lead role. He delivers solidly with what he is given, but the script does not provide him with anything he has not done before. My major complaint is that while it was appropriate for the character, I constantly wanted to brush Edwin's messy hair.

Although not a star-studded trio besides for Mandy Wong, the three housewives Priscilla befriends are great. While Mandy's screen time significantly decreases in the last few episodes, it is obvious that she has got these housewife roles down pat. Instead of being loud-mouthed and obnoxious, her character is much more soft-spoken yet still clever here, and she plays it effortlessly and with cuteness. Kaki Leung has vastly improved since her debut in "E.U." and is quite likable to watch now. It was a pleasure to see Rachel Kan in a larger role, and she proved to be quite amusing at times, particularly with her superstitions, all the while being sympathetic. The sweetest part though was seeing Fa Ping genuinely growing closer and caring about the housewives and developing a real friendship with them.

The subplots of the supporting characters themselves are watchable enough, but are not as interesting and entertaining as the main storyline of Priscilla and Edwin living and working together to investigate the case. However, I did enjoy Rachel's storyline with her son, and how he gradually matured and came to appreciate her.

Unfortunately, the series is not without some weak links that bring the series down from being the most easy and light fun it can be. Lee Yee Man gives the most annoying performance as well as the creepiest. Many of the older cast member's characters were a drag to watch too. How many more times is TVB going to make Rosanne Lui play the mean and spiteful mother-in-law and Mary Hon the mother who abandons her kids? Susan Tse's character is also rather irritating, and I would much rather either see her in more kindhearted mother or clever villain roles again. The worst storyline though is the return of Mary as Dai Shu's mother in the last few episodes of the series, which seemed like more of an excuse to give Edwin some emotional scenes and push Dai Shu and Fa Ping closer together. It is TVB at their usual with the overdramatic and soapy family drama. Luckily though, the series bounces right back for a hilarious final episode that sees the housewives defending themselves (and winning!) against gangsters with pots and pans and ketchup bottles. 

Overall, while there are some less than stellar points, "Madam Cutie on Duty" is yet another easy and enjoyable watch from TVB, while also being funnier than most lighthearted series. Leads Priscilla and Edwin are what make the series a delight to watch, but Mandy, Kaki, and Rachel shine at their own certain moments as well.

Rating: 3.5 stars

"A Change of Heart" Review

With a solid cast ensemble, interesting premise and good pacing, "A Change of Heart" is one of the better quality TVB series in a long time. In fact, in what has been a year full of mostly lighthearted series or universally panned dramatic serials ("Bullet Brain" or "Beauty at War" ring a bell?), "Change" is the best drama series the quickly disintegrating TV station has managed to churn out before the anniversary awards season begins.

Although any series over 20 episodes tend to drag at some point, "A Change of Heart" keeps the filler material to a minimum. There were a few slower episodes and moments here and there, but overall the series does well in not throwing in scenes simply to hike up the time and its 30 episode count is justified and necessary to tell the whole story while providing entertainment.

While I had been hoping that TVB would venture into a more dark and grim tone with this series, I was pleasantly surprised at the mix of comedy and drama it gave. "Change" exhibited a story line much heavier and overarching than the typical series, but the script smartly decided to not have it weighed down by excessive intense drama and smoothly in some laughs and chuckles. Other than the script, this can be mostly attributed to the cast and characters.

Leading man Michael Miu once again shows that age is doing nothing to hinder his charisma. In the early episodes before "Fong Chi Lik" underwent the heart transplant surgery, Michael injected hilarity into the original loud-speaking, aggressive and temperamental character who would have been otherwise annoying.

Perhaps it is because "Yuet Shan" greatly mirrors the real life personality of Bosco Wong, as both are business-savy and playful with an eccentric fashion sense, but Bosco appears very comfortable, natural and likable here. While Yuet Shan was a bit irritating and seemed childish compared to older brother Yat Shan initially, he quickly filled the void. He ended up becoming a more realistic character with his own flaws, but still a good guy, only more fleshed out. Something eye raising though is that Yuet Shan seems completely different from the long haired, rugged and depressed version from flashbacks. At times, Bosco seems to be playing himself, so I don't have too much praise, but he still made Yuet Shan charismatic, easy to like and root for. What I never saw coming and still don't understand though, is how and when Yuet Shan started to fall in love with Siu Kat. Their relationship came out of the blue, and felt forced. I kept thinking I had missed a scene or entire episode.

Mandy Wong's portrayal of "Ha Sze Ka", or "Sze Ka Che", was nothing surprising given her previous range of performances. Like Michael, Mandy is yet another example of an actor keeping a character from being annoying. Ha Sze Ka was rather overwhelming at times, but for the most part, Mandy made her funny and fresh.

Vincent Wong truly shows he has come a long way in his portrayal of the caring and well-meaning doctor "Eason", who happens to have a love for investigating cases. Not only is Vincent natural, but he exhibits surprise comedic timing from his facial expressions to his overall conduct as Eason. What I love about Vincent and what probably keeps him from getting mass recognition though, is how subtle he can be as an actor. His acting is full of small details that can easily go unnoticed as opposed to moments that speak loud and obviously. If the anniversary awards were judged on acting performance alone, Vincent would have "Most Improved Actor" in the bag. Due to the series not making much noise and Vincent overall being a low key actor with little favor from TVB, it's unlikely. I believe he will one day get the recognition he deserves, but hope it's sooner rather than later. He is quietly one of the most hardworking young actors today, and really got into character as "Eason".

Elaine Yiu's "Ah Yan" often felt out of place with the gang of friends. Although stubborn to the point of being rather annoying at first, her character seemed to become a means of comic relief in the last few episodes. Seeing her emotional scenes though, I am saddened how she is still stuck playing minor supporting roles or guest spots after so many years at TVB. She was much more convincing and touching than Niki in these scenes.

Benjamin Yuen once again shows potential in a performance as semi-villain "Martin". He is still missing some charm, but shows more depth in this particular performance and character, though Martin and Sin Hang's affair felt rather contrived.

The weakest link of the cast ensemble though, is easily female lead Niki Chow. For once, the character was not one tailor made for her by TVB, resulting in probably her weakest performance to date. "Yuen Siu Gut" was already a hard to warm up to character on paper, and Niki did not do it any favors. She mostly came off as wooden and aloof. In certain scenes, she even made her appear crazy. While I do not dislike Niki, "Siu Kat" was overall a hard to like female protagonist whose portrayer failed to make her any better. The character also had probably the worst wardrobe for a female lead ever. Everything Siu Kat wore was ill-fitting and unflattering.

Siu Kat however, is made more likable in scenes with close circle of friends Yuet Shan, Eason, Sze Ka Che and Ah Yan. Their scenes together were warm, fun, and brought a layer of comedy that kept the series from being hard to digest. What was particularly refreshing about the series was the subtle relationships that emerged. While not completely unpredictable, for once it was not obvious who would end up with who, or at least not until the last few episodes. Viewers could have easily been tricked into believing Mandy and Vincent would become a couple from the earlier episodes, or Bosco and Mandy.

As much as I enjoy loyal and warm friendships being portrayed on screen in place of overdone romantic love lines, at one point "Change" becomes distracted with this character development and focus. The series' emphasis is on the overall story and how the characters are intertwined, not purely on the characters themselves. While it made for an entertaining comedy-drama, it luckily gets itself back on track in the last 10 episodes.

Hands down the acting highlight of "A Change of Heart" is Joey Meng as villain "Tong Sin Hang". "Sin Hang" is one of TVB's best villains in a long time. Her slow transformation into evil is justified with a family background and series of personal hardships. Additionally, "Sin Hang" is quietly, almost silently manipulative, capable and powerful, making her that much scarier and intimidating than a typical obvious, almost cartoon-like villain. Joey gives it her all as the villain and it is evident in her chilling performance. She is definitely a contender for this year's Best Actress. Once again though, like with Vincent, the series failed to make much noise and Joey will probably be overlooked. Unfortunately, Sin Hang's character comes to a sloppy and unrealistic conclusion, reaching a peaceful ending without achieving even the slightest sign redemption.

The first 29 episodes of "Change" sees minimal inconsistencies, plot holes, and for the most part entertains and delivers. What saddens me is that hands down the worst written episode of the entire series is its last. Close to reaching a resolution, the writers threw in one of the most unbelievable plot twists. It ruined the dramatic, but overall still logical tone of the series. The climax is poorly written and highly unrealistic. However, I try not to let it ruin my overall positive impression. The ending overall is a decent one, with the characters getting the happy endings that they weren't far from and deserved.

Overall

"A Change of Heart" does what an entertaining drama should do. It keeps viewers guessing, wanting more, provides laughs as well as some twists and turns, and boosts characters and actors to like and connect with. Despite being 30 episodes long, it is able to sustain its momentum all through out the series and does not ever fall into the territory of being trite. Is it outstanding or groundbreaking? Definitely not. However, it has a solid main plot, series of subplots, and for the most part, a wonderful ensemble. It is the first TVB series of the year that I actually became invested into and closely followed, and the best series TVB has aired this year so far.

Rating: 4 stars

"Tiger Cubs" Review

"Tiger Cubs", with its high budget and quality of production as well as its cast ensemble, is easily the best series of the year hands down.

The series seemingly flies by with its straightforward plot and quick pace.  It has viewers hooked from beginning to end, without ever wavering in quality or consistency too much like typical TVB series do. From the first episode, it is clear the effort that was put into the series.   From the cinematic-like filming style, to the thrilling and well shot action sequences, to the wonderful ensemble of characters, "Tiger Cubs" is the most quality production of the year.

Cast and Characters

"Tiger Cubs" is easily most beloved for its young SDU boys, which consist of Oscar Leung, Him Law, Vincent Wong, William Chak, and Benjamin Yuen.


Oscar Leung receives the best character of his career with "Chong Chuk Yuen", as the role allowed him to shine and show his charisma and potential as a future leading actor.  Unlike his usual more rough and comic relief-type roles, Oscar is a gentlemanly, calm, mature, and sweet young man with a romantic side here, something we've never been able to see much of before.  Despite the age difference, he realistically portrays the brotherly friendship between him and Joe with ease as well as the sibling chemistry with Jessica.  And of course, his signature wink was adorable.

The fabulous acting by the young cast does not stop at Oscar though.  Him Law portrays the confident, cocky, rash, and impulsive "Yu Hok Lai" naturally and without a problem.  He matures and develops a close friendship with the team's technician So Man Keung (portrayed by Mandy Wong) as he helps her get over her fear of heights and achieve her goal of becoming the first female SDU member.  I can not deny he is one of the best actors of his generation and has what it takes to be a lead actor.

Vincent Wong delivers his most natural performance to date as "Yau Chun Hin".  In contrast to his best buddy Ah Lai, Hin Jai is humble and patient, but is insecure and lacks self esteem due to the pressure he feels from his family, which is full of heroic and accomplished cops.  Ah Hin was the character with the most potential, and I had looked forward to seeing him mature and become more confident as the series progressed.  Unfortunately, the script did not seem to have any intentions of focusing in on Vincent (notice he's the only one of the main SDU guys to not have any love interest), as he had the least screen time.  His character development was executed in a disappointingly abrupt and brief fashion.  Regardless, Vincent did wonderfully with what he was given.  In the early episodes, you could see the hesitation in his eyes as he started SDU training.    He also finally shed his habit of adding in English words and phrases to his lines.

No one had expected Hin Jai to be the one to die.  (Thanks to a prank by Jessica, who had "confessed" her character died early on during its airing.  This turned out to be a stunt by Jessica and Vincent to keep the actual ending under wraps.  Very clever, Jess...)  Hin died in such a tragic, graphic, and gruesome way.  Huge props to him for giving such a memorable performance in his last scene.  His death already had me in tears, and seeing the character try to utter one last smile to the world before he passed made my heart break.  Fantastic acting touch.  Previously, I already loved Vincent for his real life down to earth personality but thought his acting left much to be desired.  He shows he has what it takes to be a solid actor here, and I will be cheering for him all the way.  If a sequel does happen, I will greatly miss his presence.

Mandy Wong, like usual, delivers solidly and is perhaps the only female of the male dominated cast that is likable and interesting.  Christine Kuo gives what was hands down the weakest performance with her scattered Cantonese and English and bimbo-like character.  William Chak did well in the one episode he had the spotlight (the tour bus storyline), and I look forward to seeing more of him.


Although our lead actors perform adequately, they fail to shine and instead are overshadowed by the bright group of youngsters I mentioned above (excluding Christine).  Joe Ma, as our leading man, anchors the SDU team as their leader, but fails to leave an impression like the others.  He is likable as the hardworking "Chin Sir" who cared deeply for his subordinates.  As a character with not much of a dynamic though, he was easily outshined.

Jessica Hsuan portrays a different type of police officer here as the depressed and suicidal "Madam Chong".  While she delivers, it is hard to make this type of character likable as the depressed and suicidal state (understandably) of Madam Chong rid her of her personality and livelihood.  When she recovered though, she lost the only major dynamic she had.  However, as Joe and Jessica's relationship finally started to fall for each other, they did get some smiles out of me.  The scene where they are both sitting at the dining table stealing glances at each other was awkwardly adorable.


Other Notable Performances

This review would not be complete without mentioning the series' resident ultimate villains Kenneth Ma and JJ Jia, who made their debut in the first episode and returned in the last for a nail biting finale. Kenneth is chilling, frightening, and convincing as "To Tin Yau".  JJ Jia gives a decent performance as well.  However, they have already received endless praise for their roles, and I would like to mention others too.

Kenny Wong appeared in what was an underrated guest star role.  While I'm not usually fond of the actor, he gives a heartbreaking performance as the loving father forced into committing crime to get money for his sick son's surgery.  You could see the guilt in his eyes and that he genuinely did not wish to hurt anyone, especially in his last confrontational scene with Mandy.  Despite doing a bad thing, he sparked sympathy through the portrayal of all the emotions the character felt while doing it.  Jazz Lam was adorable, pitiful, and convincing as (autistic?) young boy whose life long dream is to be a cop and take care of his mom.  He is such a valuable and rare actor.

Lastly, a shout out to my favorite "underdog" artist, Patrick Tang.  He appeared in the series as a regular under Jessica's team.  Though "Ben" is Patrick's smallest role yet (I smell demotion), he makes the most out of the very minor but likable character.  It was nice to see Patrick in a more professional and mature role.  I loved the character's loyalty to Jessica as well as his subtle touches of humor.


The Series in General

The plot isn't one that sparks thinking or deep meaning, but the writing is above average for TVB's shoddy scripts these days.  The change in format was refreshing and proved to work well.  Since it clocked in with slightly longer episodes, but a shorter overall episode count at just 13, this made "Tiger Cubs" more consistent and less prone to cliches and filler material.  In fact, by the series' end, there is still a lot of potential for further development.  A majority of the scenes served a purpose, and unlike most TVB series today, doesn't stray from the point.  Additionally, the cinematic like filming style and high budget makes it look much more presentable, professional, and more attractive to look at.  It is the rare instance that they try something new and different and succeeded.  Quality isn't compensated, it's even better.  I appreciate how it still has the familiar feel of a TVB series, but attempts new things and actually executes it well.

Highlights

• The brotherhood, friendship, and chemistry between the characters.  The SDU team truly felt like a team, and I'll miss them!
• The action sequences/climaxes.  The cases themselves were fine, but not overly intriguing.  However, the climaxes always had me sitting at the edge of my seat!
• The finale.  Never has the finale of a TVB series had me so nervous, stressed, and thrilled!  My heart was probably pounding by the second half of the finale. 

Overall

You don't break what's not broken.  However, recent TVB series have indeed been broken - in other words they've mostly sucked.  "Tiger Cubs" takes a familiar formula but improves upon it with outstanding acting, cinematography, style, and action.  The script is no masterpiece, but it is through its execution that "Tiger Cubs" shines like a diamond.  

Rating: 4.5 stars

"Sergeant Tabloid" Review

In a nutshell, "Sergeant Tabloid" is a decent and entertaining drama, but lacks one specific theme.  There are bits of sisterhood, rushed romance, cops running around, and even the journey of a surprisingly heroic character.  Yet, it doesn't seem to have a point or purpose besides offering some decent entertainment.

The Premiere

First off, "Sergeant Tabloid" wins the award for cheesiest first episode ever.  Niki and Vincent's relationship felt lame and even cringe worthy, making it seem like an idol drama.  While the rest of the series was by no means excellent, the premiere episode was not an accurate representation of the series itself.

Characters and Performances

Niki Chow has that X-Factor that makes her liked by audiences, but her acting leaves much to be desired.  I can't deny she has something very endearing about her, but her performance did not offer anything new. 
 
Going into this series, I was prepared to dislike Michael Tse once again.  Ever since the success of Laughing Gor, he seems to have trouble not injecting a little of the character's "chokness" into his performances.  However, Michael's "A1" turned out to be the highlight as well as the anchor of the drama.  The character is fleshed out with strengths as well as weaknesses.  He is a slimy yet smart and ambitious reporter, but has so much humanity in him.  His journalistic integrity and conscience was tested with the tragic suicide of a tormented teen he indirectly caused.  He learned to confront and forgive everything that happened in the past.  As a result, he was a very dynamic character.

The first half of the series saw a Michael Tse that still couldn't shake off the chokness, but he successfully sheds it after.  The whole plot with him and his family, as well as the grief he went through after the teen's suicide, could've easily been cliched and cringeworthy. However, Michael portrayed the character very well.  A1 went through many stages of emotions, and Michael nailed them all.  He unexpectedly became my favorite character, and was what kept my interest.  This is hands down my favorite performance of his in years.  I hope that he will continue to deliver, and show that he is more than just Laughing Gor.


Press coverage and hype of Mandy Wong's character, nicknamed "Madam Kill", led me to believe that she was going to be a tough and ruthless madam with no emotion at all.  Szeto Kiu was simply a lonely girl who didn't know how to communicate with people or express her emotions properly.  Mandy continues to prove her potential by being a convincing tomboyish inspector despite her young age.   

Matthew Ko was lucky enough to get a second chance at being second lead, and the opportunity wasn't wasted.  This is Matthew's best performance to date.  Although he still has a lot more improvements he could make, he was quite natural here.  He is lovable, cute, and funny as the playful and sweet "Wong Tze", or "Prince".  I enjoyed his scenes with Mandy.  Perhaps it's because the character is more like his real personality, but Matthew appeared very comfortable onscreen unlike in the past, where he was awkward and wooden.    I'm looking forward to seeing more of him.  With his improving acting and refreshing honest and straightforward personality, I might finally have another actor to name for promising rising siu sangs.

Oceanne Zhu  continues to prove to me how much potential she has.  She was adorable and sweet as "Lam Oi-Oi", and her Cantonese has improved vastly in a short amount of time.  William Chak also did decently, and his initially lazy character sparked a few laughs. Becky Lee is usually likable, but proved to be very irritating here with her foolish and annoying character.

The Plot


The problem with "Sergeant Tabloid" is its lack of direction and true purpose.  There is no concrete plot or theme.  A little of everything is thrown in, which would be great if there was one main story.  The series was more focused on the characters, which served as a problem as Michael's "A1" was the only character that came close to being compelling.  Other than that, everyone and everything felt flat.  As a result, I finished the series feeling unsatisfied.

The ending was poorly written, and heavily contributed to my feeling of dissatisfaction towards the series.  The sudden appearance of Elaine Yiu was very random and unnecessary.  Niki and Michael's and Matthew and Mandy's relationships were arguably the main focus of the series, yet were sloppily resolved.  Everything was all a rush.

Overall

"Sergeant Tabloid" is nothing spectacular, and yet another example of lack of direction in a TVB series.  It is still enjoyable at several points, but forgettable.  Michael Tse gives a notable performance of a surprisingly decently written character, and anchors what is otherwise a mediocre drama.

Rating: 3 stars

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

Comments: Sorry if this review was not as well written and seemed a little all over the place.  I put off starting and writing this review for the longest time because I was busy, and by the time I started, I had already forgotten many of the series' details.

"L'Escargot" Review

As the series that managed to both bore and aggravate me, I'm not sure how I managed to finish "L'Escargot". Either way, I'm thrilled that I finally got it done with and due to being busy with school, extracurriculars, and AE Experience, I almost passed up writing a review for it.  Then again, I needed some way to vent my feelings for all the irritation this mediocrity caused me.  As a result, I will take a more informal and sarcastic take for this specific review.

This series was supposed to show the hardships of the working class and buying a house right?  And yet, I felt more hardship trying to sit through all the aggravating relationships and love lines.

Before I start getting too cynical (I'm the one who made myself finish it), I will add that "L'Escargot" had a lot of potential.  It could've been easy to relate with due to the premise of hardships the working class go through in society.  Due to a poorly written script and set of characters though, it becomes near impossible to connect with any of them.  A majority of the characters were unlikable and wishy-washy.  How can I relate to a person's hardship if I feel like they brought it upon themselves, or even worse, don't even understand their thinking or actions?

Character Analyzations and Performances

Let's start with the main couple, Kwan Ka On (Michael Miu) and Long Kiu (Sonija Kwok).  Ah On bothered me to no end with how selfless he was towards his family, to the point he always sacrificed his wife's happiness.  It's one thing that he puts his family in front of himself, it's another thing that he doesn't even seem to care about his wife's feelings.  It wasn't until Long Kiu started spending an increased amount of time with Paul that he even seem to use any brain power thinking about her.

Long Kiu is one of the characters I'm neutral against.  She was a bit naive, but not to the point she was stupid.  Unlike everyone else, I felt slight pity for her.  She chose Ah On over the much more thoughtful and financially stable Paul because she loved him.  Despite not being the practical decision, she followed her heart.  Unfortunately, that did not result in happiness at all, but rather, more hardship.

As a veteran actor and good friend of Michael Miu, Felix Wong critiqued Michael's performance as his breakthrough upon returning to TVB.  Like Felix said, Michael did something he has not done in past performances.  He shed his usual onscreen charisma and took on the role of a lower middle class and rugged man with ease.  At the same time, I was not able to enjoy Michael's performance or his character.  I hope to see him play better characters, ones that both show his acting skills and are likable.

Sonija Kwok has little problem speaking her lines with the right amount of emotion, but her motions and physical presence continue to feel awkward and unnatural to me.  She doesn't seem to know what to do with the rest of her body, yet she delivers her dialogue adequately.  Despite being quite likable, Sonija has been getting uninteresting characters.

And then we have Kwan Ka Lok (Linda Chung) and Jim (Michael Tse).  Oh dear.  I have never been fond of the two in the first place, so seeing them portraying terrible characters AND act as a couple was too much.  Once again, this plot line could have been done more gracefully, or at least decently.  There was a huge lack of logic in the character's thinking and actions. 

Jim has a beautiful, smart, and capable wife, Man Wah (Joyce Tang), and yet he went running to a little girl like Ka Lok.  He basically found himself a perfect wife that he was unworthy of, and he cheats on her.  Not only that, his love for Ka Lok bordered on insane as opposed to genuine love.  I was literally waiting for some announcement that he was mentally unstable.

Society suffers from having double standards on cheating.  They think it's more despicable for a woman to cheat, yet find it typical for a man to do so.  For Ka Lok, I didn't hate her just because she cheated.  I hated why she cheated.  There was no reason why.  Like Man Wah said in her confrontation with Ka Lok, it wouldn't have been so bad if she was a gold digger or wanted to climb higher on the corporate ladder.  It wouldn't have been as bad if she really was in love with Jim.  While cheating is despicable, at least then Ka Lok would've had justification as to why she cheated.  It wasn't for love, it wasn't for money, it wasn't for a promotion.  She was youthful, bright, and had a great boyfriend.  And she cheated on him with another man.  But for what?  Ka Lok was weak, naive, and had no idea why she was doing what she was doing, even at the end.  Words can not even begin to explain how endlessly annoyed, irritated, and aggravated I was with her.  Linda isn't a bad actress, but she has been cast in so many low profile series in such unlikable characters.  I feel sorry for her, as it feels like she has to cry every day she goes to work. 

The love story between Ka Lok and Jim was not between two people who genuinely loved each other despite already having wonderful partners.  It was the sloppy and messed up story of two very, very foolish people.

Dai Ding (Ron Ng) started off as the ideal boyfriend.  He was sweet, romantic, capable, handsome, and had a good job.  It made me want to slap Ka Lok for not appreciating all that she had, a family and a boyfriend who couldn't love her more.  I pitied him, and was cheering for him to get together with Joyce (JJ Jia) instead.  Unfortunately, by the last few episodes, even his behavior became questionable and he slowly fell into the inevitable fate of most TVB characters these days: he became stupid and irritating.  Performance wise, Ron did a decent job and improved in his emotional scenes.  However, I have no idea why Ron loved this role and series so much.  Except for his one crying scene, this character was only yet another character that failed to show his improvements as an actor.  As a result, I'm still waiting for a true follow up performance to his portrayal of "Chung Lap Man" in "E.U.".

JJ Jia was quite likable and sweet as the incredibly shy and somewhat slow Joyce.  Her acting needs a lot of work, but next to Ka Lok, I didn't care and was just happy to see a more likable and cute character.

Mandy Wong is the year's first breakthrough as her portrayal of "Kwan Yee So" generated buzz and headlines through out "L'Escargot"'s whole airing.  This praise is nothing short of deserving.  Despite her young age, she completely morphed into the role of a loud mouthed, obnoxious, and greedy housewife, right down to the small motions like pointing with her chopsticks.  I found myself amazed at how convincing she was.  Also, Mandy's performance reminds me so much of Iris Wong in "The Threshold of a Persona".  The way they spoke and acted as housewives is very similar.  At certain angles, they even resemble each other a bit!

Oscar Leung finally gets the delayed recognition he deserves as one of the best young supporting actors in TVB.  Usually known and loved for his cute and comedic roles, Oscar also completely morphed into the useless and depressed Kwan Ka Hong.

Kwan Ka Wing (Him Law) and Booking (Yoyo Chen) ended up being my favorite couple to watch as well as my favorite characters.  Sadly, their storyline was extremely rushed and didn't have much screen time.  They brought badly needed comic relief and were very cute together.  Known for portraying bitchy roles, Yoyo Chen was surprisingly endearing and adorable as Booking.  I hope to see her in more of these likable roles!  Although my like for Him continues to dwindle, he is rather natural in his acting and very cute in these little brother roles.  The two were very fun to watch, and it was so sweet when they finally reconciled and realized they genuinely love and care about each other.

The Four P's - Premise, Potential, Plot, and Pacing

The premise was decent and had potential.  The plot itself was beyond poorly written.  The aggravating relationships overshadowed what I assumed what the point of the series was, to show the hardships of the working class.  The pacing was ridiculous.  After watching half the series, I felt like nothing had happened yet.  The title "L'Escargot" is supposed to compare the hardship a snail and a human goes through.  Yet, it was more reflective of the series' slow and snail like pace.

 Ending 


*Spoilers*

A very unexpected and atypical ending for TVB, but once again not realistic or too reasonable.  I was surprised to see that instead of Ka Lok, Dai Ding, and Joyce being alone or Ka Lok and Dai Ding reuniting, Dai Ding and Joyce ended up together.  While I initially cheered for the two of them get together, Dai Ding was obviously still in love with Ka Lok and would never genuinely love Joyce.  The biggest shocker though, was probably Jim turning himself in and going to jail.

Overall


I hope that the high ratings the series received during the finale will not inspire TVB to do more series like this.  Due to its length, pace, and poor script, it was extremely hard for me to sit through.  It conquered what is usually a hard feat to do: be boring and aggravating to watch.  "L'Escargot" was a waste of a great cast.  At the least, it finally got Mandy and Oscar the recognition they deserve.  Other than that, I'm glad to have written this review for it and finally put it behind me.

Rating: 2 1/2 stars

Possible Breakthroughs of 2012

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!