TVB Anniversary Awards 2017: Results + Comments

Global Netizen’s Favorite Drama: “The Exorcist’s Meter”

Not a surprise and well-deserved. I’m so glad TVB didn’t give this to “Line Walker 2” and always love a good underdog story. This series had a low budget and the farest thing from a star-studded cast, but heart and creativity. There probably isn’t any other series in the last few years that dealt with the subject of human loss and love so well, much less while tying together supernatural elements.

Most Improved Actor: Mat Yeung

I said “Matthew” out loud just as the winner was announced and was completely blindsided in the best way possible when Mat’s name was announced instead. I pegged Mat as having no chance, especially as the two drama series he is nominated for did not receive much attention. Yes he’s overqualified for the award, and perhaps Owen deserved it most solely in terms of actual improvements in acting, but I am so happy that he has finally received recognition. Next stop, best supporting actor with the big boys?

Most Improved Actress: Mayanne Mak

I was totally surprised by this, and don’t watch variety shows so I cannot give an opinion as to whether or not Mayanne deserves it. From all the applause and cheers she received, it seems like she did, and in that respect I’m happy for her. However, I still think TVB needs to separate out the most improved acting and hosting categories. I’m mostly just glad Jacqueline Wong didn’t win (sorry Kenneth).

Most Popular Drama Theme Song: Hubert Wu’s theme song for “The Exorcist’s Meter”

Woo so happy Hana didn’t win for her sub theme for “Line Walker 2”! This is definitely my favorite theme song of the year. No complaints. So glad Hubert, who is a far superior singer, finally nabbed this award out of the hands of Jinny, Hana, and Co. Also loved the "Hearts of Fencing" reunion. When I first heard the theme song by 2R start playing, I was wondering why it sounded so familiar before I was flooded with memories of the series.

Most Favorite Onscreen Partnership: Edwin Siu, Raymond Cho, and Matthew Ho for “A General, A Scholar, And An Eunuch”

I didn’t actually put this down as my prediction, but did expect this would be a very likely scenario. Edwin, Raymond, and Matthew were such a fun ensemble with chemistry while each having comedic talent in their own right. Edwin looked completely surprised and unprepared when giving the acceptance speech though, which was quite funny.

Best Supporting Actor: Joel Chan for “The Unholy Alliance”

Top 5: Joel Chan, Jimmy Au, Andrew Yuen, Owen Cheung, Anthony Ho

This category was obviously one “The Unholy Alliance” co-star versus another. In the end, I’m not surprised Joel won, and that is more fitting anyway because as solid of an actor as Jimmy is, his bodyguard role in the series probably could not even have been considered a supporting role. Joel was one of the more emotional people of the night, which makes sense given he was given a second opportunity at TVB and has experienced so much more success this time around after putting in a lot of hard work. I’m looking forward to seeing more of Joel. It was sweet seeing Elaine present the award to Joel and tearing up behind him as he gave his speech, before regaining composure and watching him in admiration.

Best Supporting Actress: Rebecca Zhu for “A General, A Scholar, And An Eunuch”

Top 5: Rebecca Zhu, Tracy Chu, Mandy Lam, Elaine Yiu, Sharon Chan

I don’t think I’ve ever been so genuinely offended and confused by an anniversary awards winner in my life? While I did not agree with Katy and Elaine’s wins in the last two years for this award, at least they were for meaty roles. Meanwhile, Rebecca had the least to do of all the females in “A General.” She stood around and flirted with Matthew sometimes. What’s even more offensive is that her co-star Grace Wong did not even place into a top 5 despite giving a far superior, more entertaining performance. However, I was pleasantly surprised Mandy Lam placed for “Lo and Behold.” I haven’t been watching it, but been hearing good things about her and always like it when actors from sitcoms can get short-listed. Either Tracy, Mandy, or Elaine winning would have been better than Rebecca. And this is saying a lot, considering Tracy only had a guest starring role and Elaine gave a typical performance and already previously won. I can’t believe Sharon was short-listed for her cringeworthy, adulterer role in “Heart and Greed 3” either. This has been one of the weakest categories in the last few years, but Rebecca’s win is probably one of the most uncalled for and unfair since Fala first won in 2007 very shortly after debuting.

Favorite Male Character: Kenneth Ma for “The Exorcist’s Meter”

Top 5: Kenneth Ma, Vincent Wong, Moses Chan, Edwin Siu, Benjamin Yuen

Most of us definitely called this. “Ma Kwai” is definitely one of the most easily likable characters of the year. All the top five nominees’ characters were likable though, which is a nice change from some categories sometimes not even having one solid nominee recently.

Favorite Female Character: Sisley Choi for “Legal Mavericks”

Top 5: Sisley Choi, Natalie Tong, Nancy Wu, Mandy Wong, Ali Lee

Slightly surprising, but not that much considering it’s TVB. Sisley should have been nominated for and won Most Improved Actress instead. If we are looking solely at character, I really did like her “Din Jie” character, which was a refreshing female character who was bad ass, did not care she was unattractive, and was unapologetically herself. I would still easily choose Ali’s “Paris” over Sisley, and am disappointed Ali went home empty-handed despite giving such a solid performance in “My Ages Apart.” Unfortunately, what I dreaded would happen to Ali happened to Sisley instead. She isn’t necessarily undeserving and has genuinely improved, but she won such a major award sooner than others usually do, which has already given her criticism. TVB is hurting Sisley more than helping her by pulling this move, while the audience may have actually been happy for her had she won Most Improved.

I might be in the minority here, but I liked Sisley’s speech about how the criticism she has received for her acting made her question her self-worth, while getting to play this role helped her to finally get some it back. You can tell that the attacks and negative words have really gotten to her, but instead of questioning why people are criticizing her (ahem, Grace Chan), or letting it get the best of her her, but you can also tell she has taken it to heart and tried her best to improve. But yes, it was bizarre that she didn’t actually thank people in her speech. On another note, every main cast member except Mandy deserved praise for “The Exorcist’s Meter,” but here we are. Moon Lau should have taken her place.

Best Actor: Vincent Wong for “Legal Mavericks”

Top 5: Vincent Wong, Kenneth Ma, Ruco Chan, Michael Miu, Moses Chan

Expected, but still satisfying. Vincent obviously knew he was going to win barring an upset by Kenneth, so he was calm and collected and had a well-rehearsed speech. Vincent is a perfect example of someone who may not have as much experience under his belt as other winners (12 years, and just a mere three series as a leading actor), but won based on merit instead of timing, and the luck of receiving a great role he could nail. I would love to see more actors in the future winning based on the merit of performance alone, rather than it just being “the right time” or the luck of being cast in a series with high buzz. I definitely felt Vincent had the potential to win TV King when “Legal Mavericks” and his role was first announced - called it!

Best Actress: Natalie Tong for “My Unfair Lady”

Top 5: Natalie Tong, Jessica Hsuan, Nancy Wu, Nina Paw, Ali Lee

My jaw dropped when Natalie’s name was called. I wasn’t angry like for Rebecca, but I was just shocked. I did not read the reports that Natalie’s fans had been campaigning for her or that she was rumored to sign a new contract in exchange for the award, so I was completely confused. I have liked Natalie for a long time and think she is a good actress, but not Best Actress caliber (she was also in the awkward position of being a second lead in “My Unfair Lady,” neither a leading or supporting actress).

Best Drama: “My Ages Apart”

I’m surprised that TVB didn’t give this award to “Line Walker: The Prelude” and allowed it to go home empty-handed. But if this award was going to go to any other series, I’m not surprised they decided to give it to the anniversary drama that didn’t make a splash, but at least didn’t completely tank (ahem, Heart and Greed). I am very happy this series won though, because it was a refreshing series with a great sense of humor. I am a fan of meta and satirical humor, as well as series that are not afraid to poke fun at themselves. As crazy as the main family and some plot lines could get, you could tell the writers were well-aware of its own absurdity and never took themselves too seriously. It’s something I really wish more TVB comedies could incorporate. And while it understandably dragged sometimes at a whooping length of 50 episodes, with its large ensemble, I did not feel like it dragged significantly more than series that ran just a mere 20 or 30 episodes can sometimes. I wish more people would have tuned in.

"Raising the Bar" Review

I knew going in "Raising the Bar" would not be case-driven, which allowed me to enjoy it a lot more. However, as a heavily character-driven series, there was very little character growth despite the great potential for it.

First, let's look at the titular "four girls"…

After having experienced sexual harassment by her former mentor, Giselle Tong gave up the year of training she already completed to pursue her ultimate dream of being a barrister. Of all the girls, the real female lead Grace Chan had most potential for a dynamic storyline. I had looked forward to see the intelligent, sweet, ever hardworking, but somewhat reserved Giselle mature and become a great lawyer throughout the series. However, after the first few episodes which heavily focus on Marcus (played by Ben Wong) teaching new pupils Giselle and Quinton (played by Louis Cheung), this storyline is thrown into the background and largely implied. By the end, we don't necessarily feel like she hasn't grown as a person or lawyer, but that we had just missed out on seeing it, and that is a shame.

As an actress, I did not find Grace to be bad in her debut performance in "Overachievers. Yet, she and the character left a sour taste in my mouth and I dreaded seeing her here, especially as she was paired up with one of my favorite actors. Thankfully though, I liked her much more here and only had one major problem with her performance. Giselle did not learn English until she was in 8th grade, yet her English is perfect. I have a lot of trouble believing she could learn at such a stage without even a hint of an accent.

Coming in second in terms of screen time is Brittany Fok, played by Jeannie Chan, who surprisingly went from my most disliked character to one of my favorites. This is mainly because in the episodes that focus on her, Brittany is really the only one who goes through any substantial character development. This is rather ironic as she is the only girl already practicing at the start of the series. Starting off as a spoiled rich girl who treated her friends like dirt (especially Yiu Chui-Fa), midway through the series she matures to become a much sweeter and considerate person while still being assertive and confident. It is quick, but still happens reasonably. I absolutely hated watching Brittany in the early episodes, but enjoyed seeing her become humbled at work, and having that spread to her personal life as well.

Jeannie comes off heavily pretentious in her performance early on (then again, it is in-character) but becomes likable and more natural in the second half. I also loved the character's fun but still professional wardrobe the times her outfits weren't dominated by huge bows.

Newcomer Moon Lau is the most pitiful - and by pitiful, I mean I feel bad that Moon got a character that has no personality for her debut performance. Holly Tsang is nice, is said to be diligent at work, and seems to be a pretty good friend. However, there's really not much else to her. She is bland and boring, and though Moon was decent for a newcomer and neither wooden or exaggerative, there isn't much anyone could do to save the dull character.

The wedding storyline with her and Jayden is the most jarring of the series.  Holly already knew Jayden was cheating. Even more confusing was Jayden's perspective. He did not get Holly pregnant, is a self-proclaimed player, and was not a rich son being pressured to get married by his parents. Why marry her then? What gives guys? I am however vey relieved the writers did not put her into the love triangle with Grace and Louis, instead opting for her to be the friend who observes the obvious attraction the two had for each other and trying to push them together.

The most underused female character is Stephanie Ho's Yiu Chui-Fa, who is mostly around for comic relief. Following her and Lincoln (King Lam) becoming a couple, her screen time becomes virtually nonexistent (Apparently in this series, once you had a storyline that focused heavily on you, you got banished to the sidelines). While Ah Fa may have been irritating played by another actress, Stephanie is absolutely adorable and hilarious, shining in her few scenes. I loved any scenes or interactions that featured her with her mentor Duncan (Timothy Cheng) and love interest Lincoln. Unfortunately, she has absolutely zero development, especially as a lawyer. She's just the funny and cute short girl that fades into the background the second half. My favorite part about the series though is her ridiculously catchy and fun theme song, which is reminiscent of those for older warm and lighthearted TVB series from the 2000s.

Now the titular "Three Bars"...

The three bars refer to the three law firms, headed by mentors Ben, Elaine Yiu and Ram Chiang, and Timothy. All have minimal screen time, and unfortunately the one with the most is also the most irritating and unnecessary to watch.

Ben surprisingly has a few very comical moments in the series, but for the most part has little to do. I did like the balance between him being shown to be very professional and intelligent at work, yet still rather laid back with friends and at home.

Portraying the funny and charming Duncan Yam, Timothy's character and performance was a nice change of pace for an actor who is usually stuck in evil roles. He had great comedic timing in the few scenes that allowed him to show it. On his own, he is great. Yet his and Natalie Tong's storyline is left mostly vague only to be suddenly put together in the end. Natalie is given too "cool" and mature of a character here, and the result is that the usually youthful and natural actress comes off as pretentious and cold instead of professional and reserved due to her tough childhood.

No complaints on Ram's character and performance as the kind and lighthearted solicitor Woody Lam here, other than he does not get enough screen time. But then there's his firm partner Elaine Yiu…

Elaine wins the award for least likable lead. On paper, the character is already hard to warm up to, always giving everyone including her own husband the stink eye, except bookstore owner Don. Vivian is unsympathetic, cold, and treats an otherwise great and understanding husband unfairly. Their affair was incredibly unnecessary and a waste of time that could have been allocated to the development of the four girls instead. Performance-wise, she perpetually gives everyone the resting bitch face and like Natalie, seems to think acting professional means acting cold and pretentious.

And finally, the two guys…

It would have been amusing if the Chinese title was translated to "Four Girls, Three Bars, and Two Boys." It is not, which does not seem fair to Louis and King's characters, but I digress.

Aside from Giselle, Louis' "Quinton Chow" also had the most potential for great character growth. He is implied to be around 30 years old and having already worked in the construction and engineering field for several years. Despite this, he gives up what he already has worked for in favor of pursuing his dream of becoming a barrister. It sounds like the story of considerable sacrifice, hardship, and questions of whether Quinton made the right choice. He breaks down once early on as he starts to follow Marcus and becomes overwhelmed with his new path. However, afterwards, he seems to easily float through. By the time he becomes a barrister, we are under the impression his career change was a piece of cake. I didn't want a bunch of emotional scenes, but I did want to see Quinton grow as a student of the law and eventual barrister and feel at least a little rewarded at the end when he is finally shown in the wig and gown.

With that said, Quinton is still perfectly lovable enough. Having portrayed many heavy semi-vilain roles lately, Louis appears very comfortable and laid back here. It was nice to see a quirky and playful side of him, especially when he would lovingly talk to his plants and speak about aliens to his parents. I enjoyed his scenes with Grace. The friendship turned mutual romantic feelings came about rather organically. I loved when he playfully pushed Grace to admit she is "Black Angel" with the stuffed bear (which ended up in hilarious awkwardness for him when she gives it to Brittany). Louis makes Quinton a very endearing character to watch even though the writing of the character leaves much to be desired.

"The Voice" alumni King Lam is a surprising treat to watch as the slightly goofy but goodhearted and
blunt lawyer with a crush on Ah Fa. I loved whenever he wasn't afraid to speak his mind in situations even when not exactly appropriate. (For example, the scene where he suddenly yells at the girl who flushed her baby down the toilet that she had given birth to a kid, not a piece of BBQ pork honestly had me laughing so hard). I was sad to see his screen time was significantly reduced by the final episodes.

Louis and King round out the dominantly female friend group well, and make the friendship aspect more dynamic. I loved the scenes the two shared together, especially whenever they would make fun of each other about the girls they had feelings for.

Overall Thoughts

The few cases that the series manages to churn out are either boring, convenient (such as the case of Brittany's family friend getting acquitted of assault against his mistress with CCTV footage), or sloppily concluded (such as the compensated dating and rape case). As a result, I'm still looking for another great legal drama from TVB.

As for the series itself, the script apparently decides they want to focus on the friendship of the four girls and to a lesser extent, the two guys. I would have been welcoming of that, only this focus on friendship is largely on superficial things like them going on trips together (Do pupils and trainee lawyers have that much free time?). I don't doubt they are all great friends, but it is all skin deep and fails to show any deep connections. This is not necessary for a series in general, but I believe this is necessary for a series that decides to be so character and friendship-driven, or else you have little of any substance.

"Raising the Bar" ends up being the stringing together of some entertaining and fun scenes between the core friend group and some bad story lines. The cast is too large, which led to a strange allocation of screen time. After 23 episodes of not doing much, the finale also strangely decides to shove in a large rape case against a main character, a parent's death, another parent dying of illness, a wedding, and two surprise cameos from Tony Hung and William Chak. Other than that, the series is easy to watch while easily forgettable. This is the norm for TVB lately, but what makes it disappointing in this case is that it could have been something much more.

Rating: 3 stars

Overworking Artistes?

It's always good to be hardworking and put your best effort into everything you do. Even a little stress can be good at times, as it can make you determined. Overworking yourself is another thing. It can lead to poor health and exhaustion. It can affect your mentality and happiness . Here's a short list of the recent TVB artistes who have overworked or been overworking...

Linda Chung

At the beginning of her entertainment career, Linda was often depressed and would often cry. Who could blame her with all that was suddenly being thrown at her? She was all alone in Hong Kong, with no friends or family beside her. Eventually she grew more popular, leading her to work more and more. During the filming of A Journey Called Life, she broke down. She was stressed and tired from filming two series and a movie. All of her energy was all gone, and her mentality was not in very good shape either. Recently, those days have started to returned. By then, she had started to get insomnia, and lost much sleep. Due to lack of sleep, she was unable to perform her best as well, and Linda deeply regrets that.

Linda's problem lied more with herself and the stress she was getting than from overworking. She was getting too much thrown at her at once and it overwhelmed her. I'm sad to hear that she had gone through such a dark period in her life and that the dark period is coming back. This proves that the entertainment industry isn't just fame and fortune. It is also definitely not the 'easy life.' I'm glad that Linda has gotten a lot of rest this year though, and I'm looking forward to seeing her in A Watchdog's Tale.

Kate Tsui

Kate has recently been going down the 'fighter girl' path. After neglecting her health for 3 months though, she finally collapsed in early August. Kate at the time was working hard on a Mainland movie that was to be filmed in a 3 month period as well. When going to work everyday to film the movie, Kate would have to fight everyday. She would fly up into the air numerous times to do difficult fighting scenes, resulting in numerous bruises. After the movie's filming wrapped up and Kate returned to HK, she felt dizzy and had a fever. Kate's album release and filming of her MV 'Hit Me' was postponed for her to get some rest.

Perhaps the news of Kate working so hard to the point she collapsed was what subdued my dislike for her. While I think she's not a good actress, and mediocre at best, I can't deny her 'fighter girl' attitude. No, I'm not referring to her latest movie. I'm referring more towards how she's battled all the criticism and rumors she's gotten from people and how she just keeps going with what she's doing. Besides, what other pageant winner would've agreed to cut their hair and play a tomboy like Kate did in On the First Beat? The news about Kate collapsing from working made me think about Kate in a new light. I hope she learns to work at a reasonable amount and leave time for her to relax.

Natalie Tong

Natalie is the most recent TVB artiste that I've read about overworking, with the article about it releasing just two weeks ago. Her family is in a lot of debt, and to pay it off, Natalie has been working herself extra hard and accepting as many job opportunities as possible. She has most recently accepted a fighting movie . To earn the money, she has to film many kung fu scenes, leaving Natalie all bruised up with minor injuries.

Natalie is one of my favorite TVB artistes, and I was saddened when reading this. She's suddenly become the breadwinner of her family! This sounds like another family of someone from the entertainment industry spending lots of money because they believe that their family member is 'rich.' In that case, Natalie's family first used her hard earned money, and now Natalie has to earn it back? Poor Natalie, as if she wasn't skinny enough? What's overworking and a kung fu movie going to do to her health and figure?

Ella Koon

Ella has recently received a boost in popularity after an amazing performance of Endless Love. This has led to a chance for her to record an English song with Japanese rapper NYCCA called 'Dare to Be.' As a result, this is leading her to a new high point in her career as a singer, which hasn't been so bright despite having a wonderful voice. However, not long after reaching her career high, Ella has lost her voice. After a hard day of recording in the studio for 12 hours, Ella strained her voice. Her doctor has told her to go easy and rest her voice for 3 months, or else she'll damage her vocal cord. Ella has become worried about her health, and has rejected a couple jobs so that she can heal quickly and continue to sing.

I'm so happy that Ella has been getting more positive exposure and that her singing career has brightened. I was sad to hear that Ella had so quickly started to do more than she could handle. I'm glad that Ella is concerned about her health and is willing to take a rest so that she can be back and better than ever when she recovers!

Now we know that there are artistes that actually take their work seriously, or at least have a heart and conscience. Unfortunately, this has led to quite a scare. Like Bosco said in Burning Flame 3: "No one dies from starvation in Hong Kong. They die from overworking." While that quote was said in a light tone, it is somewhat true. I don't believe that these artistes have overworked themselves to the point their life is in danger, but it still has given everyone quite a scare. This is definitely not the way to work. Above all, health has to be most important. If you aren't healthy, then you can't do anything.

Randomness (1)

There have been many things I wanted to say about TVB that I felt didn't fit into any specific post. That's why I was inspired by MetalAZNWarrior's 'randomness' posts. Remember reading those? So here we go...

Beyond the Realm of Conscience and Born Rich are out!

Initially the wait for these two grand productions felt endless. Now that it's finally here, it feels like just yesterday when we first watched the sales presentation clips for the two series! I know that I'll get addicted to these two series. I also like to watch a lot in one sitting as opposed to an episode or two a night. That's why, I'm going to wait another week or two before I start to watch. That is...if I manage to wait that long.

During the time Beyond and Born Rich were filming, I felt myself anticipate Beyond more. I couldn't wait to watch Tavia portray a villain for the first time, and I loved the female cast. As to Born Rich, I was simply looking forward to it as it was a grand production with a great cast. In the couple weeks before the release though, I felt myself anticipating Born Rich more. I don't know why, I just did. Was it the intense looking trailers? Or the addictive theme song?

Almost Done With Watching The Stew of Life


Recently, the only series I've been watching properly is The Stew of Life. It's a mediocre series and something you'd watch to past the time. I found myself enjoying it though. The first episode is very boring, as it is too 'simple.' Eventually though, I started to chuckle. Cheung King Fai is hilarious with all of his amusing lines! Lee Sze Kei's character is very different from that of Hor Ma from Moonlight Resonance. She is much more 'loose' and sweet in this series, making her enjoyable to watch. I'm still not convinced of her versatility though. 30 episodes is too long for a series like this though. It started to drag towards the middle, and at that point, I was only interested in Fala and Timmy's storyline. Ah, Fala and Timmy! They seem like a random couple, but it turns out they have great chemistry! They make the cutest couple, and I loved the development of their relationship as it's different from the usual 'rival haters' plot. I love Fala more with each series I watch. She has great potential, and I'm so glad she's been given a lead role. Christine looks great in this series! While her character is another example of the 'HK material girl,' she is still fun to watch. However, I felt myself getting annoyed at her for her superficiality at times. Her plot with Ken Wong was boring too.

The Stew of Life is getting pushed down my playlist though. One, I haven't finished downloading it. Silly me. Two, like I said, it's getting draggy. I'll definitely finish it sometime though, because I hear Timmy proposes to Fala!

Fala's 'Bra' Scene

Lately, there's been a lot of discussion over Fala's 'bra' scene. Actually, it's more of a bunch of unreasonable angry viewers complaining again. As usual, I think they're overexaggerating something that's not a big deal. The 'bra' scene ties into the plot of Fala thinking Timmy is gay, meaning he wouldn't care if she changed in front of him. It is part of the plot, as well as part of generating laughter. It really isn't that big of a deal. If the viewers think so, then obviously they haven't been watching American primetime TV.

Ella Koon's Performance of 'Endless Love'

Lately, Ella's been gaining attention and praise for her amazing performance of 'Endless Love.' I couldn't be more happier for her. I've always thought she was a great singer with a beautiful voice. Unfortunately, her chance of getting majorly popular was blocked by all the rumors around her. Ella has everything it takes to be an entertainment queen: She's beautiful, she can act, and she can sing. All to a high degree too! She is a very beautiful model. Despite being a singer turned actress, she can act better than half of today's pageant winners. As for her voice, it's a great thing to listen to. She's had more than her fair share of rumors though. The TVB sexual harassment case that surrounded TVB a couple months ago also affected her. Quite frankly, I'm by her side on this. She had said everything she said not because she was a big mouth, but because she wanted to raise awareness. Also, she's had that incident where she was taken advantage of when a fan grabbed her and kissed her at an event. It's no surprise that she's sensitive and outspoken on the subject of sexual harassment. Best wishes to Ella and I hope she'll gain success!

Sammul Chan and Natalie Tong--The Next Cute Couple?

About a week ago, this picture surfaced on the web accompanied by a short article, and I am officially in love with it. The picture is from the filming of The Comeback Family. Initially, I wasn't looking forward to the series except to see Sammul again. (By the way, I miss him dearly!) Now, I can't wait to see it. Sammul will be paired with Natalie Tong in the series. They sound like another 'random' couple, and their outer appearances don't match that well. However, I get this 'sweet' feeling from them. Also, they seem to have a good friendship off screen. Natalie complains that Sammul always tries to prank her, such as one time where he didn't like her hair and go up to her and say 'your hair....' then run off in a flash. Aw, that sounds adorable! Speaking of which, Sammul looks adorable in that bunny suit! Can't wait to see their relationship!

So that's my first 'randomness' post. Haha, that was a fun way to get out all my thoughts! I'll probably use this method a lot in the future. :) Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it!

'The Threshold of a Persona' Review

Before the release of Threshold, I didn't hold any anticipation or special expectations. It wasn't that I thought it would be bad and wouldn't watch it, but it just didn't attract me beforehand. I watch practically any series that comes out now since it's summer, and I need a past time/relaxing time when the day's almost done.

For me, I had three reasons to looked forward to watching: Roger Kwok, and his second collaboration with Yoyo Mung after Last One Standing. I wanted to see their relationship unfold in comparison to Last One Standing as Roger would once again return as the good guy. As for the plot, I figured I would just watch and see. Not having seen a modern action series since E.U., I thought it'd be nice to watch something that might actually keep me in suspense.

The three reasons that had been why I would watch the series turned out to all be disappointed...

Roger Kwok

I never thought I'd say this, but I was disappointed by Roger's performance here. He was sometimes stiff. His speech doesn't demand attention, but makes you rather tired. He just didn't bring his character to life. However, there wasn't really anything to bring to life in his character, except his two crying scenes. In the end though, it is still a solid performance. It is just not a special, memorable, or special performance for someone as versatile and talented like Roger Kwok.


Roger Kwok and Yoyo Mung's Relationship

Even though Roger and Yoyo's relationship in Last One Standing was not 'pure' with the fact that Roger was evil in his doings, their relationship still shines in comparison to Threshold. I could feel the emotions between Ah Yin and Carmen in Standing. I could feel that although Roger was evil and cunning, he cared and loved for Carmen endlessly and didn't want her to leave him. I could feel the pain Carmen felt when she learned of Roger's true character and bad deeds. In Threshold though, it was just way too quick and things were just said instead of shown for us to see. There was no room for their relationship to develop. It is only said in the last few episodes that Angel (Yoyo Mung) had a crush on Ah Kit (Roger Kwok) and they got together in the last episode after Roger Kwok's wife Ah Man (Claire Yiu) died. I do not doubt the two's acting or chemistry, but the fact that the two simply weren't given enough time to develop. They spent too much time on Roger and Claire's relationship that the quick get together of Roger and Yoyo felt so 'empty.'


The 'Action'

Although this series is classified as 'Modern Action' it really can't be classified into any genre. Threshold lacks its own genre too much. It is anti-climatic and stays that way with the exception of the last two episodes. I wasn't expecting constant fighting, violence, or blood but I was at least expecting ACTION. I was expecting people to move around the world. Meanwhile, a majority of the time has characters worrying over their relationships. It is a laughing stock in terms of 'action' compared to TVB's previous action series E.U., which is one of 2009's finest.

Enough of my complaining about the disappointments of the series though, and let's move onto the performances and characters...

Excuse this part for being extra long, as this has quite a big cast to take note of..

Roger Kwok as Fong Tsun-Kit
Thoughts about his performance and character already stated above.


Yoyo Mung as Ah Jo "Angel"

Ah Jo/Angel is a very sweet and caring person who wants to prove that a woman can take care of herself by herself. You will easily like her and her name (I find the nam Ah Jo so cute). However, it is nothing special for Yoyo. The problem doesn't lie in her acting, it lies in the role. Yes, these roles are great and likable, but they can't show the versatility of Yoyo. Is Yoyo a versatile actress? We'll probably never know, because this is the type of character she always has. But wait, isn't she playing the villian in the new lawyer series with Fala Chen and Steven Ma that's filming right now?

Claire Yiu as "Ah Man"

Initially, I didn't like her, nor did I feel much for her. As her past was slowly revealed and one by one bad things started to happen to her, I couldn't help but pity her. Before meeting Ah Kit and moving to Hong Kong, she worked as a prostitute to make money to pay for her father's surgery. For how long? A week. However, that week scarred her for life. All she wanted was to start over and live a new and happy life. And yet, heaven just couldn't give her that. Everywhere she went, her past haunted her. When she finally met her demise, I was in tears. The sight of her being pushed off the roof to her death by Ah Yue and falling on her husband who she just reunited with was haunting.
Without Claire, there wouldn't be a plot for 'Threshold.' Her character "Ah Man" is what makes the plot go forward. She is the most important female character. You pity her so much. Claire did a good job portraying the pitable Ah Man.


Raymond Cho as Cheng Pak-Yue

It's impossible NOT to hate his character towards the middle and end. In fact, I never liked Ah Yue to begin with. Even before all the things he done wrong, I already didn't like him. He was selfish, conceited, and powerhungry. He wanted to climb up to the top of the ladder to getting a promotion, no matter what dirty little thing he had to do. Whose ever life came in danger, he didn't care, as long as he could save his own skin. It's one thing though to be selfish, it's another thing to be cold blooded. I couldn't believe that just to save himself from getting into trouble, he murdered Ah Man, who was perfectly innocent, by pushing her off the building. I hated him so much for this and wish I could just punch him, but decided to spare my computer. Watching him is so aggravating you wish he'd just die. It's mean, but it's true.

On the other hand though, this role proves how good of an actor Raymond really is. His performance is absolutely convincing, and you realize that when you start getting the urge to smack him.

John Chiang as Mak Sir


Good solid performance, but not much to say about it. Honestly, I didn't pay much attention to him. However, I did like how he gradually start caring more about his wife and son. At first, all he cared about was his job. After getting divorced (and getting back together) with his wife, he learned to become a better husband. His character had a good amount of growth. Truthfully though, I didn't care much for him.

Patrick Tang as Au Shun-Fung

"Au Shun-Fung" is a different type of character for Patrick and my favorite character in this series. He is no longer playing some 'little boy who needs to grow up" like he did in King of Snooker. Quite frankly, it's refreshing. Ah Fung is a hard working and devoted mature young adult. He has a passion for his job and overprotective of his mother and daughter. He's too good for his own good. You can't help but fall in love with him and how he just cares about everything and everyone.

I loved his relationship with his mom. He is overprotective of his mom, and bans her from doing many things like traveling to China by herself as well as drinking. Their scenes were so funny and sweet. I loved it when they bicker because you can tell they really love and care for each other and yet having them argue can't help but make you chuckle. It's too bad that after the first few episodes, scenes between Ah Fung and his mom went from limited to none. I would've loved to see more between them, especially since 'Threshold' was dragged on a bit too long anyway.

Patrick has improved a lot. It is probably the first time we've seen him in such a serious and mature role, and he pulled it off nicely. He gives his character charm and is what makes him so likable. This series is most likely to make you a Patrick fan, or make you at least not hate him anymore if you did so before. I don't see why people hate him. 

Ruco Chan as "Kelvin"

"Kelvin" is one of those 'in the middle' characters. You don't hate him, yet you don't really like him either. I actually liked him, and found his character to be very interesting.
Formerly of ATV, this is Benny/Ruco's first series after returning to TVB. Out of the four younger actors/actresses in this series (Patrick, Natalie and Toby), he gave the best performance, just not the most likable character. He outshined the other three in terms of acting. He was constantly under the shadow of his dad who was the 'heroric immigration officier' whom pratically everyone know. He wanted to prove to everyone, most of all his dad, that he has ability and talent too. This led to him making a mistake however, and that led to even more mistakes, including ones that he did not intentionally do. Most of the mistakes he made leading up to his arrest were with good intention. Ruco's portrayal is very convincing and makes Kelvin come to life. Although he made so many mistakes, you pity him and feel what he's feeling through his 'dark' time. I am very impressed by Ruco and seeing him in A Great Way to Care and Burning Flame 3, two characters whom are very different from Kelvin, proves his versatility and talent. I definitely want to see more of him and think that he has a bright future ahead of him.

Natalie Tong as Yip On-Yee

On-Yee is a single and unmarried mother who became pregnant with her daughter "Sze-Sze" when she was in high school. However, she becomes much more smarter and cautious after making this mistake. Her personality is strong and independent. Unlike other young mothers, she cares for and loves her daughter very much. To her, Sze-Sze was the most important person to her. This makes her iffy towards new relationships though, such as a failed relationship with Kelvin. Unlike with other characters in series who ended up alone though, I didn't pity her. Not because I was against her character, I already stated that I absolutely loved her. I thought that her ending up alone was fitting. There is no one more important to her than her daughter, and she is the only one she needs. On-Yee is a strong, independent person, the type of person who doesn't need a man to make her happy. All she needs is Sze-Sze.
Natalie does a great job and is very charming as On-Yee. She is the one that brightens up the screen with her charm and smile. Her portrayal as On-Yee proves that she can play more than the 'innocent one' or the younger sister. Natalie improves more and more with each series she is in, and is on the way to becoming a fine young actress. She has so much potential, and this is her best character and performance so far.

Toby Leung as "Yan-Yan"
I didn't like Yan-Yan that much. I didn't hate her, I found her likable, but not as special or interesting as Kelvin, Shun-Fung, or On-Yee.

Toby delivers the worst performance of the younger four. She was not 'atrocious' or 'terrible' but she was mediocre at best. I don't like the way she talks and her emotional scenes need much improvement.

Other Notable Performances/Characters

Kenny Wong as Wu Sum

I was neutral towards Kenny. I didn't love him as much as other people did. One thing I did like him for, was his love for Ah Man. He cared for and was always there for her. If it weren't for him, Ah Man would've totally fallen apart and died much earlier. He did more for Ah Man than Ah Kit ever did. Then again, he is still a triad leader involved in criminal and illegal activities. At the end of the day, he is still 'bad.' He's just not coldhearted though. Even so, Kenny Wong pulled my heart string when he cried over the death of Ah Man, whom he loved so much.
Iris Wong as Lai-Man
I absolutely loved Iris Wong. At first, I did dislike her for taking advantage of Ah Man, but I grew to love her. She was such a funny character. I loved how she was just always talking away, or how she would always be the first one to talk in the middle of silence. It was so cute and nice of her to stand up to that 'fei jai' for Hei-Hei. Iris brings 'Wing So' to life. Without her, 'Threshold' would be completly dead. I applaud her performance.
Power Chan as Ah Lun
Ah Lun was such a good friend with a good heart. I loved how he cared for Ah Kit and Angel. The scenes where he was 'nagging' Angel to take care of herself were so sweet. It was also funny to see how in a situation he would always be the first to speak up and say something (usually something rude to the wrong party). Watching him getting hit in the head by that brick made my heart beat really fast (as well as make me hate Ah Yue even more for leaving him there). I was so afraid he'd die (as at the time I didn't know what happened to his character at the end). Power is always a strong and entertaining supporting actor underrated and underpromoted by TVB. Congrats to his upcoming marriage by the way.

Additional Thoughts
-Even after watching, I still fail to see the main plot of this series. I know the theme was immigration, but what was the plot?
-I felt sorry for the illegal immigrants a lot of the time. I especially felt sorry for the man who came to work illegally in order to earn money for his ill wife. Unfortunately, he died before he could set foot in Hong Kong.
-I liked Queenie Chu here. For once, she didn't play a third party or mistress. She looked very pretty and sophisticated. She has potential, I hope she gets more roles in the future (that aren't her playing a third party of mistress).
-The Kelvin/Ah Fung/On-Yee & Ah Fung/On-Yee/Yan-Yan love triangles (or love quadrangle) is much more bearable to watch than past love triangles. Watching love triangles usually make me nuts and make me want to throw something, but this was not bad. It was actually interesting at times too, because you somewhat cared who ended up with who.
Recommended? No. It is a forgettable and unintriguing series. If you're looking for something action-packed, definitely pass as well. If you do though, it should be for Patrick, Natalie, and Iris' wonderful characters and performances.
Rating: 2 1/2 stars. The script is weak and fails to lure in the viewer. However, the supporting cast (Patrick, Natalie, Chan Chin Pang, Iris Wong, and Power Chan) are a joy to watch. I also loved watching the 'four' (Ah Fung, On-Yee, Kelvin, and Yan-Yan) before their complicated relationship issues days. Something about four friends having a bbq on the roof and talking and laughing is so relaxing to watch.

Patrick Tang : 3 Great MV's

TVB actor Patrick Tang has been working with TVB for 9 years, but he has yet to gain a very large fan base. This year, he has been featured in 3 series back to back, which is getting viewers very annoyed and sick of him. (The King of Snooker, Just Love ll, and The Threshold of a Persona) I've watched all 3 now, just not in order. In his defense, it's unlikely he filmed all these series back to back. It was just TVB's decision to air those series in that order, which is probably their method of promoting him. Of course, the purpose of promoting someone to become more popular is somewhat ruined when they just complain about his presence on TV for so long. I actually think he's not that bad of an actor, maybe not as good as siu sangs Raymond Lam and Sammul Chan, but not horrid. I don't mind watching him, and I think I quite like him. He exaggerates at times which makes you able to easily tell he's acting though.

For those who still think he's a bad actor, you have to admit he's a good singer. Patrick is probably better off with a career mainly focused in singing. He has a very nice and low voice which is better than all the TVB actors turned singers. As I searched on YouTube for his music today (with no knowledge of whether he has released any MV's or songs not linked to TVB), I managed to find most of his MV's. I have only watched a couple, and I liked the ideas/plots of the them. Hong Kong music videos seem to running on a low budget lately, thus most videos are nothing special and rather plain. That's why his videos seem to stand out to me so much. They can be either explained as : creative, meaningful, or unique and unused. I've chosen to point out 3 of his MV's.

A Creative Video
????



This is my personal favorite. The video is about how Patrick is a smoker and has a girlfriend who hates people who smokes, and wants him to quit. She tries to get him to stop, but he can't. He uses many methods to cover up smoking, such as simply throwing out the cigarette when he sees her coming hiding it in places likes his shirt collar, sleeve, and pants; and eating lots of mints and spraying himself with perfume. Throughout the video, his girlfriend gets close to him various times to either kiss or hug him, only to notice he's been smoking by his scent. We also see both of them holding anti-smoking signs.

I find this video very creative, because not only is it nicely done, it also boosts the message that you shouldn't smoke. It shows how someone is addicted to smoking and just can't stop, and all the things he does to hide it from his girlfriend. I love this video because it's so creative and just very cute.


A Meaningful Video
???



This video features Tavia Yeung as his lover, who suffers from an illness and will die soon. She uses a voice recorder to record her thoughts during her last days which Patrick soon receives. Patrick is seen several times passing her hospital room outside, giving her flowers. He carries Tavia outside so she can enjoy the world one last time. The video then switches to Patrick running to the hospital as fast as he can with flowers in his hand, knowing Tavia is about to take her last breath. Just as he reaches her hospital bed and is about to put the flowers on her bed, she passes away, without being able to see Patrick one last time. The video ends with Patrick recording a message on Tavia's voice recorder, saying he will always remember her.

Although not my absolute favorite, I still really love it. It is really meaningful and at the same time so sad. The whole video is only 4 minutes, but plays out like a tragic love story. A music video most of the time will just feature the singer lip syncing to the lyrics, and although they exist not that many play out as a story.


A Unique and Unused Video
???

(For some reason, there is no embed code for this video, so below I've posted a direct link.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olrdIo4IWhE

Featuring Natalie Tong.
The video starts out seemingly like a decent MV, with Patrick and his girlfriend. Natalie is seen starring at them from afar. You'd think that she is jealous of Patrick's girlfriend as she is in love with him. If you keep watching, you realize it is the exact opposite. Patrick's girlfriend and Natalie are in fact bisexual, and share a relationship which they hide from Patrick. Natalie becomes jealous of Patrick whenever he is with her 'lover.' One of the scenes feature Patrick waiting outside the ladies' room waiting for the two to come out, thinking they are just taking a long time. We see that the two are inside being intimate, clearly showing they're bisexual. When Patrick and his girlfriend get in their car, she tells him about her relationship with Natalie. The MV ends with her taking Natalie's hand.

Hong Kong is definitely less daring than the U.S. when it comes to working gay, lesbian, and bisexual statuses and relationships into their productions. This is what makes this video more unique as the theme is much less used in HK. The portrayal wasn't too explicit or strong either, which makes it less awkward for the general public to watch while still getting the message out there that not everyone is 'straight.'

Me discovering this MV came at a good time as I'm watching The Threshold of a Persona, which features Patrick and Natalie in a love triangle/quadrangle with Toby Leung and Benny Chan.


As I've said before, Patrick is not the best actor, but he's improving and I like watching him. However, I fully support him in his singing career. I hope he will release another album soon. He sings better than any other TVB actor, so I don't care what you say about his acting.

A Double Dose of Natalie Tong

I've always been fond of Natalie Tong. She's pretty, youthful, and a good actress. She has played the role of the younger sister multiple times, which is how I first started liking her. Not being a TVB fan for that long yet, I'm more familiar with newer productions. Natalie Tong first caught my attention in 2007's Life Art.

In Life Art, Natalie played Belle, Kevin's younger sister. She is at first a spoiled and selfish person. In the later part of the series, Kevin's colleague Ray accidentally throws up on Natalie while drunk. To make it up to her, Ray agrees to buy her the designer shirt she wants and do favors for her. Natalie abuses Ray's offer of making it up to her by ordering him around and making him buy her everything she wants. In the last couple of episodes, Belle develops into a nicer and less selfish person, and she and Ray become a couple.


Her performance was very cute and likable. She had great brother-sister chemistry with Kevin. The two were very convincing as brother and sister, and the few scenes they had together were very enjoyable to watch. Her subplot about her relationship with Ray was amusing and cute as well. This role, along with a few others including The Green Grass of Home led her to become one of the top 5 nominations for Most Improved Actress at that years TVB Anniversary Awards.



The Power of What a Bad Role Can Do


Although Natalie didn't win the Most Improved, fans still knew she had improved. Unfortunately, her next production after the TVB Anniversary Awards wasn't able to show that. For the first time in a while, Natalie no longer had to play the 'younger sister' in late 2007's The Building Blocks of Life.


She played the character On-Kiu, the only child of a big architect. The series started as her being a likable character. Her short lived relationship with Tai-Yip (Sam Chan) was cute. The two had an enjoyable chemistry as they were just an innocent couple full of puppy love.

Unfortunately, as the series progressed, their relationship slowly died out as On-Kiu became more annoying, rebellious, and immature. It is revealed that On-Kiu never graduated college, and had faked her diploma. Her father orders her to go back to England and graduate with a real diploma. Immaturely, she runs away with Tai-Yip. Tai-Yip at first agrees to it, and treats it as just a cooling off period. However, On-Kiu does not intend on going back, and wishes to stay with Tai-Yip and never go back. Tai-Yip, although still cares for her, does not think it is the right decision and leaves. On-Kiu is at this point has become very muddleheaded and naive, and starts to think that Brian (Power Chan) is the one she loves and the one who cares about her. Tai-yip tries to win her back, even proposing to her. His effort was all ruined, and he is left with a criminal record when Brian frames him for cutting him. She soon learns she is carrying Brian's baby, and the two agree to get married. Even after all of Brian's wrongdoings are exposed, On-Kiu still stupidly stays by his side to the end. Although some characters who do wrong things are forgivable, and deserve to be forgiven, Brian wasn't an example of the 'evil turned good.'

Natalie's On-Kiu was nothing but frustrating to watch because she supported and loved all the wrong people, and left all the ones who supported and loved her. For a time, I no longer liked Natalie because of this performance. Somehow, Natalie had pulled off the annoying role too because she was able to make her voice whiny practically the whole time. You can say, I was no longer a fan of Natalie Tong.


A Double Dose of Natalie Tong


I have recently just finished watching Just Love ll, and I'm starting to watch The Threshold of a Persona, both of which Natalie are in. As watching her in likable but two very different roles, I've quickly started to like Natalie again. To this day, she is still improving greatly, and cuter and prettier than ever.

Just Love ll


Natalie plays a prosecutor, and she does a good job. She may not be entirely convincing, but convincing enough that she sounds professional. Her role is very likable, and her subplot with magistrate CK was enjoyable. At first, I found the relationship a little awkward, and wondered why Natalie is always paired up with someone older than her. However, I grew to like them. It's nothing that would become a favorite onscreen couple, definitely not, but it is acceptable, humorous, and sweet. Of course, the relationship is not smooth sailing, and starts to fall apart. In the last few episodes, Natalie questions if she really likes CK, or if she was only being rebellious by liking someone her sister-in-law didn't approve of. She runs into the guy who framed CK of assault at a bar, who asks her to drink with him, offering her a spiked drink. Later, he books a privated VIP karaoke room for the two of them, as he was planning to rape the supposedly drunk Natalie. I worried at this point that Natalie would've once again fallen into the fate of being taken advantage of because of being naive. I was pleasantly surprised that her character had been so clever. Turns out, she had knew the drink was spiked, and switched the two drinks. She was at this point sober, while the guy drank the spiked drink and became drunk. During the time he was drunk, she sent an SMS to her sister (Casper Chan) calling for help. Before the guy (whose name I forgot) can even touch Natalie, Casper along with her boyfriend and CK come and after going to court, the guy is charged. Yay for smart Natalie!


The Threshold of a Persona

This is the newest series out, and the most different character I think I've ever seen Natalie in. She plays a unmarried single mother who became pregnant as a teen. However, her character is quite comedic. She does not let the fact bring her down. She is very independent, and does not let the fact make her feel bad. Along with her mother and older sister, she loves and takes care of her daughter, who is starting primary school soon. Although she is a person who accidently became pregnant as a teen, her character is very likable. She seems to genuinely care about her daughter "Sze-Sze" and I've yet to see her neglect her or just 'throw her away' like other pregnant teens do. She is also quite amusing, with the way she handles situations and people who she doesn't get along with. In the last episode I've watched of Threshold however, she seems to be interested in Kelvin, who is reasonably rich and full of connections. I hope that her character does not once again fall into the same fate again, and I'm hoping she is smart enough not to become pregnant accidentally again.

Bottom line, Natalie is a great actress, and I was wrong to have ever stopped liking her simply because of a bad role. However, this does prove that many artistes are bashed at and criticized for characters they play (ex. Linda Chung's Yue So-Chau). I hope that viewers of TVB series stop doing so, as many talented artistes are now being looked down on (ex. Myolie Wu).

The fact that I could see so much of Natalie in two great roles after looking down on her for her annoying role in Building Blocks was like fate. It tells us that sometimes, the problem lies in the role, and not the actor or actress. Remember that!