TVB Musings

chapter 171: a conversation

2007-07-09T18:05:00.000-04:00

[Shanghai, Hotel, Joey's Room]

Ah Nin (Frankie Lam) was surprised to find Joey (Bernice Liu) all made-up and ready to hit the streets when she opened the door to let him into her room. "Where are you off to so early?"

"I'm going to have breakfast."

"You're looking so great just to have breakfast?" He shakes his head and smiles at her, "You girls sure love to be made up."

"What? You're trying to say that I only look good when I'm made up?"

"Of course not. You'd look good even with just a T-shirt on. Let's go downstairs for breakfast."

Joey blushes. "Actually..."

"What? Is what I'm wearing not good enough to go downstairs and eat with you?"

"No, it is just that I have a date for breakfast."

Ah Nin is surprised to hear the word "date". "Oh... who's the guy?"

Joey shakes her head and quickly says, "You've got it wrong. I'm meeting Carrie for breakfast."

"Carrie from 'F&B'?"

"Yes, that's the one. She says she wants to talk to me about you. I think it has something to do with the case."

"Well, then I have to be there too. It's called 'talking behind someone's back' unless that person is there. I'll get changed and meet you in a bit, okay?"

"Um... okay." Joey bites her bottom lip. She wasn't sure if Carrie (Natalie Tong) was going to be okay with Ah Nin being there.

[Café]

Carrie waved and smiled when she saw Joey walk into the café, but the smile wore off when she saw Ah Nin walk in afterwards. She pushes her glasses up and lowers her head down, smiling awkwardly.

"Carrie, good morning." Joey smiles.

"Yes, good morning," Carrie returns the gesture.

"You don't mind that I join your conversation with Joey about me, right? I figured since I'm the 'star' of the conversation, I might as well be here." Ah Nin laughs.

"Yes... of course." Carrie avoids eye contact with Ah Nin.

Ah Nin and Joey sit down at the table and place their orders.

"So what did you want to talk to Joey about?" Ah Nin asks.

"Joey, would you mind going with me to the bathroom?" Carrie asks abruptly.

Joey looks at Ah Nin before looking at Carrie and saying, "Okay. Chris, we'll be right back."

"Sure, take your time."

[Bathroom]

"Carrie, what's the matter?" Joey asks. "Do you have a problem with Chris being there?"

"I wanted to tell you everything... but Chris being there makes everything awkward."

"Huh?" Joey blinks at her, curious.

"How can I tell him that I used to have a crush on him?"

Joey stares at Carrie, surprised.

Carrie blushes, pushing up her glasses. "He doesn't remember... and I don't want him to know now. It's embarrassing."

[Café]

Joey returned back from the bathroom alone.

"Where's Carrie?" Ah Nin inquires.

"This is awkward..." Joey begins.

"She wants me to leave?" He asks.

Joey nods her head slowly.

"I figured that. It's cool. I told the waiter to have my order to go when you two left to go to the bathroom. Ah, and here he comes with my food. I'll see you back at the hotel, all right?" Ah Nin smiles and walks off.

Joey sent Carrie a text message after Ah Nin left to come back out. When she emerged, she walked out with her head bowed down, embarrassed.

"Was he mad?" Carrie asks.

"Not the least bit," Joey smiles, "he was very understanding."

Carrie lets out a sigh. "That's a relief."

"So are you ready to talk now?"

She nods her head, "Yes, yes, of course."

Joey waits patiently.

"First of all, I wanted to say I am sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"The last time you had a chat with me, I lied."

Joey blinks at her. "What?"

"At that time, I couldn't tell you the truth. Now, I can."

"I'm not following...?"

"Let me explain... I was the first person that Chris befriended at the company. I was his personal secretary, so you know, I did odd jobs for him. He was just a really cool guy. Without realizing it, I had developed feelings for him. But you know me... I'm shy... so I couldn't tell him. I wanted to, but I just couldn't. I didn't have a chance anyways. Why suffer the embarrassment? I didn't want things to be awkward between us... I was curious about him though. Last time I told you that he was very 'cold' to everyone and didn't let anyone know about his personal life. That was a lie. In fact, I slowly learned more about him. He needed a friend and felt comfortable sharing his feelings with me. He told me about you."

"Oh?"

Carrie laughs. "Yes, he let me know all of the details about the ups and downs you guys went through. I could tell that he loved you a lot and it was at that point that I knew that I could never replace you in his heart. There was not a chance. I don't think any girl could fill your place. I gave up on any hopes of becoming his girlfriend."

Joey smiles. "If only he could remember as well... but I still love him even if he doesn't."

Carrie just smiles before saying, "When Rose met him, I could tell that she fancied him right away. I played dumb and told her that he was very 'cold'. When she asked me if he had a girlfriend, I knew then that she had set her sights on him. I told her that he seemed disinterested - which was true - but I 'failed' to tell her that he already had someone in his heart. Rose was very eager to be with Chris since their first meeting. He actually talked with me about her."

"What did he say?"

"He thought she was a very pretty, clever, and nice girl. You know, Rose always appears so pleasant, doesn't she?"

Joey nods her head, "But it's all an act."

"I know. She's so pleasant to the point that you have to suspect that it's fake. It's sickening how she appears so 'perfect' all of the time with her 'exquisite' language. At first, I was fooled by her act, but the more time I spent with her, the more suspicious I got. She thought I was this flaky, idiot girl who didn't know anything, but I was watching her. Once, Chris told me that she confessed her feelings for him when he was driving her home. He made it clear to her that he only loved you. Most girls would give up after being rejected, but Rose..."

"She has thick skin." Joey laughs.

"More like thick make-up," Carrie jokes. "Speaking of Rose... she tried to get me to bail her out of jail yesterday."

"What?"

"Yeah. I was surprised myself." She snickers, "I bet she's still in jail."

"But I thought her family was really powerful? Doesn't she have many people?"

"They all left."

Joey looks at Carrie, confused.

"People can share wealth, but when it comes to suffering, no one wants a piece of it. There's no way Rose can get herself out of this. What's the use in helping her?"

"Doesn't she have a lot of money? Aren't people worried she might buy herself 'rich man's justice'?"

Abruptly, Carrie shrugs her shoulders and says, "I don't know, but word travels fast. Everyone knows about Rose and 'F&B' now."

"Oh..."

"Chris will be okay. Don't you worry," Carrie says with confidence.

"I like to think so myself, but how can you be so sure?"

"Because I was with him when he discovered the secret 'F&B' was hiding."

Joey gasps. Her eyes widen. "You were?" She felt happy and excited all at once.

Carrie nods her head as she adjusts her glasses. "I'll never forget that day. It was about time to leave for the day, but Chris wanted to make sure the shipments were okay. The client was a big one, so he didn't want anything to be overlooked. He told me to go home first if I had something to do, but thank god I didn't. I told him a few minutes wouldn't be a problem. Boy was I shocked when I accidentally ripped one of the dresses. I am so clumsy!" Carrie blushes. "But what was more shocking was-"

"Packets of drugs fell out, didn't they?" Joey interrupts.

Carrie blinks, surprised. "Yes, how did you know?"

"Chris' family found them that way too. Rose had some dresses sent to their home..."

"Boy, Chris and I were so shocked. Besides the fact that it was drugs in that dress, what were they doing there in the first place? We decided to rip open more and see if it was the same thing... Surely enough, every single dress we ripped contained packets of drugs. We were both stunned. I mean, there are rumors that Rose's family is a mafia, but who can really believe that when they run one of the most prominent fashion companies? It was at that point that we knew something very fishy was going on with the company."

"Why didn't you guys go to the police?"

"We were going to and we prepared a folder of pictures of the ripped clothing and packets of drugs, but Rose called Chris at that moment. She wanted to meet him at the park or something like that."

"So what happened?"

"He decided that he wanted to confront her about it first, since you know, the company belongs to her family and all. Then, he would go to the police and have them investigate 'F&B'."

"Chris got into an accident that day, didn't he?"

Carrie nods her head slowly. "Unfortunately... Everyone thought it was just a car accident, but I knew it wasn't so simple."

"You think Rose hired a hit man to kill Chris because he found out her family's secret?"

"Most definitely. Like that, Chris was in a coma and the folder of evidence was gone. I couldn't go to the police. I had no choice but to just ignore what I found out and just do my job... It was so disgusting."

"Why didn't you just quit?"

"It's hard to find a job, Joey. Besides, my pay was pretty good since I had been at the company for nearly four years at that time. As much as I didn't want to be there, I had to suck it up. Who knows? Maybe I could find evidence of their illegal doings."

"Did you tell anyone else about what you and Chris found?"

"Who could I tell?" Carrie sighs.

"Did Rose act funny after the accident?"

"I thought that she might be jumpy or feel guilty... but nope. She was very calm. She even visited Chris at the hospital every day - such alligator tears! When I heard that Chris woke up from his coma, I was so happy. Who could have imagined that he suffered from amnesia after waking up?"

Joey sighs. "I know. I was so crushed when he had no recollection of who I was the first time I saw him again."

"I bet..." Carrie continues, "I didn't see him again until a few months later when he returned to work. He 'knew' my name and 'who' I was, but I knew that he knew he didn't 'know' me. I suspect that Rose gave him the details on his colleagues... as well as telling him everything else that he 'knew'." Carrie sighs. "He was like Rose's puppet. It was like he couldn't leave her side." She shakes her head. "The biggest 'surprise' of all was when Chris and Rose announced their 'official' engagement." She rolls her eyes as she pushes her glasses up. "I felt so sorry for Chris."

"He was really hard on himself last night after he put the pieces of the puzzle together. He said he felt like the biggest idiot for believing everything that Rose told him."

"He didn't know any better."

"That's what I said!" Joey laughs.

Carrie just smiles before saying, "When you and his family came looking for him, I was very surprised. I finally met the 'Joey' he was talking about so many months ago but had since forgotten."

"I remember. I asked you to call him to tell him his 'Joey' was waiting for him."

"Too bad Rose picked up the phone... the message never got to him-"

"Even if it did, he wouldn't know who 'Joey' or his 'family' was anyways." Joey sighs. "So we came back the next day and he was there-"

"And boy, what a scene that was!"

Joey laughs. "Yes, it was a big scene."

"When Rose came back, she asked me what had happened and then told me to tell her if you guys came back."

"She really wanted to control Chris' life, didn't she?"

Carrie nods her head. "And she succeeded for awhile. Luckily, the heavens have eyes." She smiles. "Chris is going to be just fine. He didn't have anything to do with the illegal doings of 'F&B' - and I can testify that."

Joey's happiness showed in her big smile. "Thank you so much, Carrie."

"I can't help Chris remember, but I can help to prove his innocence."

Tears of happiness well up in Joey's eyes.

chapter 170: what's going on

2007-07-08T18:40:00.000-04:00

[Shanghai, Hotel, Joey's Room]

The next morning, Joey (Bernice Liu) received a wake-up call from a number unknown to her. She groans. "Hello?" she answers the phone half-asleep.

"Hi, Joey, it's Carrie."

"Who?"

"It's Carrie, from 'F&B'."

The mention of the term "F&B" woke Joey up. She sits up in her bed. "Oh! Carrie. What's up?"

"I'm so sorry about calling you so early," Carrie (Natalie Tong) apologizes. "I wanted to call so badly yesterday, but I was afraid of bothering you and then it got really late. But it's morning now so I thought maybe I could call and it would be okay," she blurts out in an overtly fast manner.

"Whoa! Slow down." Joey laughs. "I just woke up. My brain can't process so much so fast in so little time."

"I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. What's up?"

"I need to talk to you."

"What's the matter?"

"It's about Chris..."

Hearing Ah Nin's name, Joey needed to hear no more. She arranged to meet Carrie in an hour at a café for breakfast.

[Hong Kong, Kam Family Apartment]

The family was gathered around the dining table for breakfast.

The tears in Nim Chi's (Nancy Sit) eyes had finally dried. She had cried all of last night thinking about Ah Nin (Frankie Lam) and the sticky situation he was in. "I thought I had cried my heart out when I learned that everything with Rose (Kenix Kwok) was fake and how much she had hurt him, but I was wrong. Rose is ruining his life. Ah Nin could go to jail for a crime he never did..." The thought that Ah Nin might be locked up scared Nim Chi like no other.

"Why can't that vicious woman let big brother go?" Ah Yat (Joyce Chen) sighs.

"I knew it was a bad idea for Ah Nin to go and talk 'business' with that company..." Ying Gei (Yvonne Lam) comments.

"She brainwashed Ah Nin, could have killed Foon Foon and Hei Hei with her drugs, and now she has him being tried for running an illegal drug market. It's like our family owes her or something, isn't that right?" Gam (Louis Yuen) feels disgusted.

"I have to go to Shanghai," Nim Chi says simply. "Ah Nin needs the support."

"Ma Chi, you're going alone?"

"What choice do I have? You all have to go to work. I already packed. I'm leaving later today on the earliest flight."

["Ka Yan" Company]

Wong Sheung (Lau Dan) walked into his company seeing his employees gathered around in a group gossiping again. He coughs his throat, clearly angry at the sight. "What's going on here? Is there no work to be done?" he demands.

"Sorry, Mr. Wong!" Everyone says in unison as they break up into their respective places in the company.

Man Gwai Fei (Stephanie Che) steps out of her office with a triumphant smile. "They were gossiping about your daughter, Mr. Wong!"

"What? What were they saying about Joey?"

Gwai Fei slaps Gam on the back of his head. "Talk!"

"Mr. Wong, don't you see the physical abuse? I have a right mind to file a lawsuit for keeping such an abusive manager around here!" Gam says.

"What were you saying about my daughter?" Wong Sheung demands, ignoring Gam's complaint.

"Chris is being suspected of running an illegal drug market, so Joey has to stay in Shanghai to offer support," Gam explains.

Wong Sheung blinks, confused. "Illegal drug market? What are you talking about?"

"Rose's company is a farce. They are secretly hiding drugs within their clothes," Ah Yuet (Michael Tse) elaborates.

"What? That's ridiculous! I've known Peter (Michael Miu) for awhile. His company wouldn't do such a thing. There must be a misunderstanding. 'F&B' has been around for many years and has a very good reputation. I introduced Chris to Peter so he could work at 'F&B" when he left 'Ka Yan' in hopes of developing in Shanghai. It can't be." Wong Sheung shakes his head.

Ying Gei gasps, "So you're the one who introduced poor Ah Nin to his death trap!"

"What?"

"If it wasn't because of you, Ah Nin wouldn't be involved with 'F&B'. He wouldn't have met Rose. She wouldn't have hired someone to run him over and erase his memories. He wouldn't be innocently suspected as an operator of their illegal drug market!" Ying Gei says exasperatedly.

Gwai Fei rolls her eyes. "Che! It's the court's decision to decide whether or not he's 'innocent'."

"This can't be. Joey would have called me if something like this happened..." Wong Sheung is still puzzled.

"We're not lying. Ah Nin and Rose were arrested yesterday. It's a good thing they were because Rose was trying to kill Ah Nin and Joey-"

"What?" Wong Sheung is stunned.

"Rose tried to kill Joey for the third time."

"Third time? Huh?" Wong Sheung looks at everyone.

"You're her father and you don't know?" Ah Lo (Bondy Chiu) asks.

"She never told me... what three times?"

"The first time was when Rose committed murder at the wedding boutique. The second time was when she confronted Rose about everything and allowed big brother to see her true colors. The third and hopefully last time was yesterday when she and big brother were at 'F&B'..." Ah Yuet provides the recap.

Wong Sheung can't believe his ears. Joey hadn't told him about any of that. He knew about Rose being fake and he overheard bits and pieces about what she had done to Ah Nin, but he had no idea that she had tried to kill his daughter so many times. It began to make sense to him. The night Joey returned home really late, he could sense something was odd. He wanted to ask her about it, but she refused to tell him anything. Then, she had asked him to distract Rose for a while. "That silly girl... why didn't she tell me any of this?" he thinks to himself.

"I can't believe you didn't know. What kind of no good father are you?" Ying Gei asks.

Everyone gasps at her comment.

"Mr. Wong, we should fire such a disrespectful employee!" Gwai Fei urges.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Wong!" Ying Gei gets on the floor and begs.

"No. She's right. I am useless. So much happened to my own daughter... and I had no idea." Wong Sheung feels ashamed.

"Poor Joey."

"Poor Chris."

"It's all that evil Rose's fault!"

Everyone sighs.

"I have to go to Shanghai. I have to find Joey." Wong Sheung says as he runs out of the company.

[Airplane]

"Oh great, the middle seat..." Wong Sheung sighs. There was a plump woman sitting in the window seat. The other seat was still vacant. He sits down. There was something familiar to him about the woman. She turns around to look at him. He is surprised. "Auntie Chi!"

Nim Chi greets him with a smile. "Mr. Wong."

"Your family told me you were off to Shanghai."

"Yes."

"Me too."

Nim Chi laughs. "It's best that you're going to Shanghai because that's where the plane lands."

Wong Sheung laughs off his embarrassment. "Why, yes, of course."

Nim Chi just smiles.

He clears his throat.

"What is it?"

"This is awfully embarrassing... but would you mind telling me about everything that has been going on with Chris, Rose, and Joey? Joey hasn't told me anything..."

Nim Chi smiles. "Surely. It will make the flight seem shorter."

"the brink of law" thoughts

2007-07-07T13:46:00.000-04:00

About the plot
On an entertainment level, The Brink of Law is satisfying and enjoyable. The series is extremely fast-pace and kind of interesting. It progresses like a gun shot with very little time for the audience (and characters) to digest whatever happened. Be it death or not, the storyline kept moving. There was no time for grieving. I wanted to keep on watching to see what happened next. It didn't help that each episode ended on a cliff-hanger. It was exciting and really addicting to watch - so much that I finished the series in about a week.

On an intellectual level Brink fails utterly. The plot is unrealistic, over-the-top, and kind of typical. There really isn't any "new ideas" in the plot. Characters are very poorly written. Everyone is either wholly good or bad. There is no character development at all. Everything is plot-driven. It's hard to develop a connection with any of the characters because there's only a focus on the plot, which just moves so fast. The relationships between the characters are poorly developed and written. By the end of the series, I felt nothing for the characters and took away nothing from the plot. It feels empty. There's no point to it besides exposing all of the illegal activities of the "Tung" couple. The plot twists are not that great.

While I liked that Brink was not draggy, I hated that it moved too fast sometimes. Each episode pretty much focuses on a different plot. For example, in one episode, it will focus on one character and then tragedy strikes this very character of focus. The very next episode will focus on another character and how he's curious about his mother and by the end, he finds out his true birth identity. By the end of the next episode, everyone knows about this secret. Then, it moves on to another character and plot. It feels kind of disjointed and jumpy.

I was not touched by any of the scenes. Sad things happened all right, but I couldn't muster any emotions watching those scenes at all. It takes a lot for me to cry, but I admit that I get sentimental and feel emotions surge my body when emotional scenes are well-written and acted. Brink failed to do any of that, which is very odd as Producer Mui, one of my favorite producers, heads this production.

Producer Mui is usually very good at creating very touching and meaningful series that convey genuine emotions and very heartfelt characters and relationships. Just take a look at Family Man, Love Bond, The Charm Beneath, Where The Legend Begins, and Colourful Life to name a few. Even her crime investigation drama Forensic Heroes had nicely developed relationships and likable characters. It's because of this that I always look forward to her productions because she picks the best cast and her series are usually high-quality.

Brink has an attractive cast and in theory should be "Producer Mui" good. However, it's not. When the ending credits rolled at the end of episode 25, I sat there thinking, "That's it?"

About the performances
The good characters were all quite boring. The evil characters are the ones that kept Brink going.

Michelle Yim was awesome as to be expected. She gives off such a warm, sweet, and gentle air in other series, but in Brink, she totally transformed into "Sung Kam Chi". She was scary and sinister - which was very convincing and refreshing. I loved watching all of her scenes. For some reason, I couldn't hate her at all.

I must say I was impressed by Shirley Yeung's performance and character. She started off shaky (I could still see traces of the old Shirley playing the same old characters) but as the series progressed, her acting became better. I can even say that it was quite good in the last couple of episodes. Shirley has a habit of over-acting and shouting, so I was pleased to see her act more "subdued". Out of the young leading actresses, Shirley gave the best performance. She was very in character and played "Sung Ka Yi" quite well. This was Shirley's breakthrough and the best she has ever done. Surprisingly, I enjoyed watching her scenes. Her best acting is in the last episode when she tells the truth to "Long" (Stephen Wong) and confronts Michelle. Wow, just wow. Of course, this is not to say that her performance was that great. There is still plenty of room for improvements, but in Shirley terms, her Brink performance was refreshing and very good.

Steven Ma gave a good performance, the best out of all the actors in this series, but like in Land of Wealth, again he is not impressive. "Tong Chi Ko" is a good guy, but he is boring and un-engaging.

Ron Ng was given a very likable, goody-two-shoes character without any anger management problems or temper for once, but he ruins it by playing "Tung Yat Jun" with almost no personality at all. He was so boring and "dead". There's something wrong with him; I find that he makes very unnatural facial expressions. Ron feels so stiff and uncomfortable on-screen regardless of what series I see him in. If he's not being all angry and making weird faces, he's not making any expressions at all and being boring. It's a shame because I could have liked the character. At first, I thought he did okay and it was nice to see him so calm, rational, and intelligent, but as the series progressed, I realized that he still hadn't improved. He's so wooden and void of a personality.

No matter if she's the lead or not, Bernice Liu is always given minimal screen time because of the language barrier (she has to memorize verbatim her lines through pinyin). Brink was no exception. She hardly appeared and only became involved in the story in the last third of the series. I hadn't seen Bernice in a long time (the last was in Love Bond around two years ago), so when she appeared in Brink, I was stunned. I had forgotten how hot this girl is; there's no denying that she is very, very attractive. After all of these years, Bernice's acting is still under-average and below her peers. She is very likable and has a cute and charming persona, but on-screen, she is only good when given the right characters (i.e. "Princess" from Virtues of Harmony or "Gei Mei Lai" from Love Bond). Bernice did not do justice to "Tsui Wing". She failed to convey the proper emotions, had limited facial expressions, and simply read her lines rather than speaking as her character. At times, I felt like all Bernice could do was smile and look pretty... and maybe that's enough for her. It's gotten her this popular and successful so far.

As poor as Bernice's performance was, Kate Tsui did worse. While Bernice looked very pretty and hot in almost all of her scenes, Kate usually looked rather unattractive. The only times she looked kind of decent was when she had her hair up. "Yan Heung Ching" is a good, pitiful girl and in theory should be likable, but Kate plays her so badly that "Ching" is annoying. Her crying scenes still have not improved. She just screams and scrunches her face up hoping for some tears to drop, but none do. It's painful and embarrassing to watch. Kate was stiff, exaggerated, and unnatural. Thankfully, her scenes were kind of limited. Ron and Kate's characters had some rather nicely written scenes, but because they were badly acted out by both parties, those scenes fail to even reach their full potential.

The surprising performance for me (aside from Shirley) was from Stephen Wong. I'm glad TVB is giving him bigger supporting roles because he is likable and his acting has potential.

I do not like Kenneth Ma, but he was kind of likable in Brink thanks to his character. I can accept him as a supporting actor, but please no leads. He has plenty of experience, but his acting lacks charm and presence. He's not that good. I find it hard to feel anything for Kenneth's acting and characters whether he's good or bad.

Yoyo Chen was good as Steven's younger sister. Her performance was consistent and quite natural. Yoyo has come a long way since her debut in Sunshine Heartbeat. It was her very cute portrayal in Sunshine that kept me watching that series. In Brink, her character was very different and she did well. Her Sunshine alumni Vin Choi did not do as well. Aside from the fact that his character was very unlikable, there's something about Vin that just isn't likable to me at all. His acting was too over-the-top as well.

I don't know what to make of Ngok Wah. He is a veteran and in theory should have been great, but I couldn't feel anything for his acting or presence in the series. He just seemed boring and dead on-screen to me, like his on-screen son, Ron. I'm currently watching him in Looking Back in Anger and he acts the same as he did in Brink. I really don't look forward to watching any more series from him.

Final thoughts
I don't know why I enjoyed The Brink of Law while I was watching it. The script is not so good. In fact, it was kind of bad. The characters are so poorly written and almost everyone is flat and boring or give poor performances besides a select few and token supporting cast members (Lee Kwok Lun, Law Lok Lam, Mary Hon, Yvonne Lam, June Chan, and Ha Yu.) However, Brink is more watch-able than Dicey Business. Although it's not much better, at the very least, it does not drag. Even though it's rather pointless and lacks meaning, the pace is fast which helps to keep the audience's interest. However, to give Dicey some credit, it at least had a storyline and better written characters, so it is a "better" series than Brink.

Basically, Brink is forgettable and pointless entertainment. It doesn't know whether it wants to be an epic family drama or a law/crime series. Frankly, it doesn't succeed at being good at either. While I was watching Brink I found it very exciting and entertaining, but at the end of it all, when everything's solved and justice prevails, it feels so meaningless. The good guys win and the bad guys get what's coming to them. "Is that it? I watched 25 episodes just for that?"

There are no morals to be told, no memorable characters, no classic scenes, and definitely no long-lasting impression. I can even say that it's void of a true storyline. Nevertheless, it is not a very, very bad series. In the midst of the series, I found Brink to be quite good. It did its job at entertaining me, but at the end... The after-taste is dreadful.

Brink is okay to watch to pass time, but not really worth it. Ironically, as much as I enjoyed watching Brink more than Dicey, I'd recommend Dicey over it simply because Brink is badly constructed and lacks meaning and a point.

Rating:

1 star for Michelle Yim and Shirley Yeung's characters and acting and 1 star for having entertained me despite its poorly structured, unrealistic, pointless, and shallow storyline.

focus: "love is not all around"

2007-07-05T18:22:00.000-04:00

View SCREENSHOTS #001-046

View SCREENSHOTS #047-092

View SCREENSHOTS #093-138
I already did an informational post about Love is Not All Around with synopsis, trailer, and what-not, so I won't do it again here.

Brief review
Love was better than I had expected. I was only anticipating and watching for Linda Chung's silver screen debut, but honestly, Love is not a bad movie and is kind of entertaining. There's no doubt that this movie is geared towards the younger generation, but it's not totally teenybopper fluff. There are some nice twists in the plot and it's overall a tad bit interesting. The ending was shocking. Let's just say what Stephy Tang said at the beginning (and repeated at the end in the movie's closing moments) - "Not everything you see is the truth and the truth might be elusive" - is true. I thought it was a very powerful and surprisingly dark ending. The overall tone and meaning of the movie was quite different from what I had expected.

Linda did quite well in her role. She's improving and maturing into such a fine actress. I was shocked to see how broken and vulnerable she looked in all of her crying scenes - very realistic; you can feel what she's feeling when she cries. [Thank you Heart of Greed and Korean dramas for teaching Linda how to cry and act with her eyes!] Her best performance hands-down was the scene when she slapped Stephy. The delivery of her lines and her actions were very, very good. The veins in her neck even popped up! It was very convincing and realistic. I must say I am not pleased with the "bangs" hairstyle, but the results on-screen weren't as bad. In some shots, she looked quite pretty. However, overall, she did not look too good, which is a shame because her performance was good. I loved watching the scenes when her character was being "evil" [I use this term very loosely because overall "Ching Ching" was not a bad person. She just acted out of self-defense. She is genuinely a very good and caring person.]. She has an interesting antagonist look. I cannot wait to see Linda's performance in The Gem of Life. I am dying to see Linda act spoiled, rotten, flirtatious, and conniving.

I really liked watching Stephy. She is pretty and acted adequately. Her scenes with Alex Fong were quite good. I can see now why this pairing is popular; they're compatible and cute. Her friendship chemistry with Linda was quite good. In the 8 days that Linda spent filming the movie, she and Stephy developed quite a bond. Linda even read Stephy's book. The friendship showed up on-screen. I was not impressed with anyone else besides the first and second leading actresses and really, the whole movie is about them anyways.

Love is Not All Around is a pretty decent movie as a whole. At the very least, I did not feel bored out of my mind at all.

Rating:

Traces of Heart of Greed
The movie reminded me of TVB's Heart of Greed. In the movie, "Ching Ching" (Linda) has a cheating "Ching Leung" and a "Dak Dak Dei" who unconditionally loves her and is by her side. What's ironic is that the "Ching Leung" in this movie is the son of a dry goods store rather than "Dak Dak Dei". The bad thing is that the "Ching Leung" in the movie - "Ah Wing" (Sammy) - didn't repent, but "Ching Ching" still forgave him. Throughout the whole movie, he kept saying how much he loved his mistress and was thinking about divorcing his wife for her. I hated how he kept saying that he "loved" "Ching Ching". If he loved her so much, why was he hurting her? He was very happy and proud of his affair. Not once did he admit that the affair was wrong. Yes, he felt bad about cheating, but not bad enough to stop it. It wasn't until his mistress left him that he came back to "Ching Ching". "Honey, I'm sorry. Forgive me." That comes too little and too late. I was really hoping that "Ching Ching" would slap him and tell him off. However, that doesn't happen.

Disappointingly, "Ching Ching" takes him back and pretends nothing ever happened. "I never asked him what happened. ... I never asked him who the third person was. The past is over. As long as he came back, that's enough." Furthermore, she reveals that she's pregnant with his baby. I hated "Ah Wing" - such a despicable character. He is no "Ching Leung" at all. "Ching Leung" repented and made up for hurting "Seung Joi Sum" so much. He deserved her forgiveness... but "Ah Wing" is just scum.

It's the death of her "Dak Dak Dei" - "Siu Mo" (Terry Wu) [how funny it is that the name sounds like Moses Chan's nickname - "Ah Mo"] - that made her forgive "Ah Wing" and "play dumb" about her husband's cheating. She realized that holding grudges and not forgiving doesn't do any good. She learned that she had to appreciate the people beside her. Even though she was hurt deeply, I think she couldn't get over how much she still loved him [although I have no idea why she does]. I didn't like that, but I guess it puts it all together and gives "Ching Ching" a conclusion.

I think it's kind of funny that Linda's character in the movie didn't ask who the "other woman" was. In real life, Linda says that she has to know the whole truth before she will forgive - which is like her character in Heart. She couldn't let things go until "Ching Leung" told her who the "third person" was. I guess this offers another perspective towards the whole cheating thing. Is it better to know or to pretend nothing happened and remain in the dark? Is it better to fool yourself or know the truth?

Irony in the title
The Chinese title is rather ironic. Sup Fan Ngoi (translated as "100% Love") suggests a moving love story. However, it's really not the case with this movie at all. The English title is more fitting. By the end of the movie, "love" is really not "all around"! I think the synopsis was also misleading. The movie isn't mainly about Stephy and Alex's relationship at all. Rather, it is about Stephy and her friendship(s) with Linda and Sammy. I think the main message of this movie is that young people these days make relationships way too complicated and that they have an overrated and exaggerated view of love. It's kind of depressing and pessimistic, but I think in some parts it's true.

Second movie coming soon...
Linda's movie debut in Love impressed a lot of people - from movie goers to industry people. She now has many movie offers. It's only been a few months since her first movie was filmed and released and now she's currently filming her second movie work. The movie's cast includes Shawn Yue Man Lok and Chen Kun [Yes, the actor from TVB's historical grand production with CCTV, The Conquest]. I am very excited about her new project. There is no released title or plot to the movie at this time. It's said that Niki Chow is a part of the cast too. However, at this time, it can be assumed that Linda plays the leading female role for the movie.

chapter 169: clicking

2007-07-04T00:42:00.000-04:00

[Shanghai, Hotel]

Joey (Bernice Liu) and Ah Nin (Frankie Lam) checked themselves into a hotel after she paid the fee to bail him from detainment at the police station.

[Ah Nin's Room]

Ah Nin and Joey were seated face-to-face in his hotel room discussing that day's events.

"I don't know what's going on!" Ah Nin says frantically. "They say that 'F&B' is a cover-up for a drug market... and they said that I'm the director of this business, but I-"

"I know you're innocent," Joey says simply.

Ah Nin is touched by her simple answer. "Thank you."

"But it's not enough if I'm the only person who believes you. We have to find evidence to prove you're innocent, that you're not a part of this."

"I bet this is a trap. It's Rose (Kenix Kwok)! I know it. She's behind it." There's a bitter and furious look on Ah Nin's face.

"But she's also being tried for the crime..." Joey's voice trailed. "It doesn't make sense that she'll make a trap for herself."

"It also doesn't make sense to me that 'F&B' is an undercover drug trade. It's a fashion company!"

"Well, from what I've gathered, they're saying that the company is a farce. They hide drugs within the shipments of their clothes."

"But that can't be. I was at the company for about two years. The clients I met were all legitimate people in the industry."

"Yeah, but how much of those two years do you actually remember?"

"Ack!" Ah Nin slaps his head. "I forgot about my 'accident'." He rolls his eyes. "You have a point. After I recovered from my accident, I only remember working at 'F&B' again for about a month or two... until you and Ma Chi showed up to find me. Then I went to Hong Kong with you guys and worked for 'Ka Yan' again."

"So this means you only have memories of 'F&B' from the late summer and early fall of 2006?"

Ah Nin nods his head. "Yes, everything else is a blur. I can't remember."

Joey gasps suddenly.

"What is it?"

"Oh my god!" Joey recalls what Ah Mun (Nancy Wu) had told her the night she went to visit her in hopes of finding out what had happened during Ah Hoi's murder. "I think you did figure out about the drug trade! You don't remember because it was before your accident. The night of Ah Hoi's murder, Rose said something about how it's not just love between you and her. You know her family's secret - and I believe she was talking about the drug trade."

Ah Nin is astonished by what Joey just said. "This is all making sense now. She knew I found out her family's secret, so she paid Ah Hoi to kill me. However, I survived and lost all of my memories. She must have used this chance to manipulate me!" There's a look of clarity in Ah Nin's eyes. "I remember it now. When I woke up, she was there. I didn't know anything at all. I didn't know who I was, where I was, or what had happened. She filled in the gaps for me. She told me about 'us'. She visited me at the hospital every day and helped me on my road to recovery. I found out from her about our 'whirlwind relationship' and how we were actually engaged... Oh my god. I am so stupid for believing everything she told me."

"You didn't know."

"Exactly! I didn't know anything. I'm such an idiot." He continues, remembering everything that happened after he woke up from his coma, "After I was discharged from the hospital, Rose told me that the apartment building where I had lived had burned down. She 'suggested' that I move in with her because it wouldn't be a good idea for me to live on my own-"

"So that was why they told us you had moved from your apartment when we went to Shanghai to find you!" Joey interjects.

Ah Nin nods his head. "I was hoping that after I left the hospital I could remember more by seeing where I used to live... photos perhaps... but she told me everything was burned." Ah Nin gasps. "The journal I found!"

"What?"

"I found an old journal once while I was tying my tie. The entries were about my family... and you! I didn't know what it was doing under my bed, but I read them... and I could vaguely recall writing them... but it was definitely my handwriting."

"Did you read the whole thing?"

"I was going to, but I gave it to Rose because she wanted to see it."

"So I take it you never saw it again, right?"

Ah Nin shakes his head. "Nope. To be honest, I kind of forgot about it."

"Rose must have discarded it, just like she probably discarded everything from your apartment," Joey concludes.

Ah Nin clenches his fist. "That Rose is so evil. Not only did she cause me to lose my memories, but she destroyed everything in my past so I couldn't remember it. Then, she made it like she was trying so hard to help me and she also manipulated me into thinking she was my fiancé and this great person." He lets out a scream. "I am such a fool!"

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Joey insists.

"Oh god, this is such a mess!" Ah Nin groans. "Now, I'm involved in this whole drug ordeal. I'm not a criminal! I don't know anything about this."

"Don't you worry. Justice will prevail. You won't be convicted innocently. I'll do everything I can to help you."

"Thank you so much. I really don't know what I'd do without you." Ah Nin is extremely grateful to Joey.

Joey returns the gesture and says, "Nor would I."

Ah Nin smiles back at her.

[Joey's Room]

Joey waited until Ah Nin was asleep until she went back into her own room. It had been a long and extremely stressful day. Joey plops down on her bed. She looks at her cell phone. She presses her lips tightly together before mustering up the courage to call Ah Nin's family. She knew she had to call them and tell them about what had happened. The line was, however, busy.

She decides to give Nim Chi (Nancy Sit) a call directly on her cell phone. To her surprise, a man answered the phone.

"I'm sorry. I must have the wrong number."

Joey was about to hang up when the man said, "Joey, it's me, Kam Yuet."

"Marco?"

"Yeah. Are you looking for Ma Chi?"

"Yes, where is she?"

"She's on the phone with big brother."

"Chris?" Joey is surprised.

"He just called us a few minutes ago and told us what happened..."

At that moment, Joey gets up from her bed and runs to Ah Nin's room. She knocks on his door.

[Ah Nin's Room]

Ah Nin was still on the phone when he opened the door for Joey.

"I thought you were asleep!" Joey says in a hushed tone. She suddenly realizes she still had Ah Yuet (Michael Tse) on the phone. "Marco, I'm here with Chris now." She hangs up on him.

"Listen, Ma Chi, I'm going to call you back in a little bit okay? Please calm down. I'm innocent. Nothing will happen." Ah Nin hangs up his phone.

"What are you still doing up?" Joey asks.

"I have to ask you the same question."

"You're tired! Go to bed!"

"I can't sleep even if I wanted to." Ah Nin sighs. "Ma Chi is crying hysterically... I feel so awful."

"I was going to call your family and tell them, but you beat me to it."

"It's my family. It's best that I tell them myself."

"I didn't want to bring it up when we were talking because I didn't want to add to your stress..."

"It seems they discovered Rose's secret too."

Joey gasps. "What?"

"A shipment came from 'F&B' for my family. I think Rose promised them some couture dresses for her wedding. Foon Foon and Hei Hei found packets of cocaine in Ah Lo's (Bondy Chiu) dress. They accidentally inhaled some..."

"Oh my god. Are they okay?" Joey covers her mouth.

"Luckily, the amount was very minor. They're okay now. Then, Ah Lo found more drugs inside Ah Yat (Joyce Chen) and aunt-in-law's dresses."

"So that's how 'F&B' is doing their illegal drug trade - hiding the drugs within the actual clothing," Joey nods her head in understanding.

Ah Nin's phone rings, alerting him of a new message. He looks at his phone and sees that Ah Yuet had sent him some pictures.

"What is it?"

"I don't know. I'm opening the message now, but it looks like second brother sent me some pictures."

The pictures in the message were of torn fabrics and thin packets of drugs. Joey and Ah Nin look at the pictures, stunned.

"My god. All of this time, 'F&B' has been hiding such things within their designs. No wonder a lot of their clothes have so many layers." Joey feels a chill. "This is disgusting."

Looking at the pictures, something clicks in Ah Nin's head. "I've seen it before," he blurts out.

Joey looks at him. "What?"

"The drugs within the ripped clothes!"

series 411: "the drive of life"

2007-07-03T00:18:00.000-04:00

Title: The Drive of Life (Shui Yuet Fung Wan)
Casts: Damian Lau, Michael Miu, Raymond Lam, Joe Ma,
Charmaine Sheh, Jessica Hsuan, Myolie Wu, Sheren Tang, etc.
Length: 60 episodes (Cantonese) // 45 tapes (Vietnamese)
Release Date: July 2007 (Canto) // September 2007 (Viet)
Genre: Grand Production Drama/Epic Blockbuster/Family

Synopsis:
Years of upheaval, lingering love and hate
A story about the integrated Chinese family of glamour and decadence

Wah Man Hon (Damian Lau Chung Yan), Wah Man Hung (Liao Jing Sheng) and Wah Man Shek (Michael Miu Kiu Wai) were all born in mainland China. But as a result of the massive political upheaval and the profound misunderstanding among them, the three brothers have fallen out and now live apart in Hong Kong, Beijing and Canada respectively.

Hon's business goes down the pan in the aftermath of the Asian Financial Turmoil. The only saving grace is that members of the Wah's from around the world, including Hon's son Wah Chun Bong (Raymond Lam Fung) and Hung's son Wah Chun Man (Feng Shao Feng), can finally put their prejudice aside and become reconciled with one another. To realize the century-old dream of the family, they decide to work together to develop the local automobile industry.

After ten years of struggle, the Wahs have established its own brand of limousine - a brand the whole Chinese nation is proud of. They make a significant and ongoing contribution to China's automobile industry for they believe that only cars of our own will take us to a better future.

Credits: Astro On Demand

chapter 168: illegal secret

2007-07-01T13:48:00.000-04:00

[Shanghai, Police Station]

It turns out that the police had been investigating "F&B" company for some time now suspecting that the fashion company was a farce for an illegal drug trade. They finally had concrete evidence about the crime. Someone had tipped them on an outgoing shipment and where to find the hidden drugs.

Rose (Kenix Kwok) was stunned when her lawyer couldn't be reached and no one came to bail her out. She had tried to reach anyone she could think of, but no one, not even a maid or one of her father's men, could be reached, or rather, no one showed up. Alone and without anyone, Rose had no choice but to be detained at the police station's jail for 48 hours.

[Rose's Cell]

"Damn it! Damn it all to hell!" Rose was biting her nails. "Where has everyone died off to? Why isn't anyone here? Why am I still here?"

She shakes her fist in fury. Her blood boils. "Daddy pays good money to keep all of our dogs, where are they?"

Suddenly, Rose comes to a realization. She stumbles onto the bed in her cell. She is stunned. She gasps, finally putting together what had happened. "It was Daddy..." she mutters under her breath.

[Flashback]

"Rose, before you go off to Hong Kong to retrieve Chris, there's something I want to give you two," Mr. Suen (Michael Miu) says.

"What is it, Daddy?" Rose approaches her father's desk.

He hands her a folder and smiles. "It's an early wedding present."

Rose is surprised. She opens the folder and sees a thick legal contract. "What is it?"

"Rose, honey, you know that Daddy is getting old. It's time that I sign the company over to you and Chris."

"You are such a joker! You are still in your prime. But besides that, we're not even married yet. Don't you reckon it's too soon?"

He shakes his head. "No, the timing is just right. Sign these papers and let him sign it too. The company is going to be transferred under you two's names. You'll be in complete control. I trust you two."

Rose smiles and hugs her father. "Thank you, Daddy!"

"You deserve it. It's the best present Daddy can give you. You have everything else. I know you and Chris are very capable."

[End of Flashback]

Rose had taken those papers and had Ah Nin sign them when she came to Hong Kong. Afterwards, she sent the papers back to Shanghai for her father. She had quickly scanned the papers, but didn't read them thoroughly. "Damn it! He signed away responsibilities he had with the company. This is all coming down on Chris and I. Damn it! No wonder he's not in Shanghai. He must have known that the police were onto him and ran away." Rose was furious. Her father had betrayed her after she worked so hard to keep their family's secret.

"Damn you, Daddy! How can you let your own daughter take the blame for this?"

[Flashback]

It was the big day. Rose planned for Ah Hoi (Michael Tong) to attempt to run over Ah Nin (Frankie Lam) again that day. She had called Ah Nin to meet her in the park. She was going to engage in some pleasant conversation with Ah Nin and then Ah Hoi would suddenly come and run him over.

Rose smiles when she sees Ah Nin appear. He, however, wore a very furious expression on his face. He held a folder of some sort in his hand.

"Chris!" Rose waves her hand at Ah Nin.

He throws the folder down on the bench where Rose stood by.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm disgusted!"

"Chris, what happened?"

"You know very well what you did. I thought I was working for an honest company, but I was wrong." He shakes his head in anger.

"Chris, you're not making any sense."

He lifts up the folder and opens it for Rose to see. He shows her pictures of packets of drugs in-between fabrics.

"I don't get it." Rose is thoroughly confused. She looks at Ah Nin.

"I accidentally found these in-between the fabric of one of our out-going shipments," Ah Nin says frankly.

"Huh?"

"Don't act dumb."

Rose starts to cry. She pleads, "Chris! I really don't know what's going on. Please, tell me!"

"I know what you did! I'm going to tell!"

"Chris! Wait! Why won't you explain to me what happened?"

"I'm taking this to the police. They're going to investigate and expose whatever it is that your company is doing. I quit!" Ah Nin picks up his folder of evidence and then quickly runs off. Rose trails behind him, screaming his name. In this moment of fury, Ah Nin crosses the street, not seeing the fast-approaching car. It collides right into him. He rolls across the top of the car and lands on the road. Blood begins to leak out. Rose covers her mouth, horrified.

She sees Ah Hoi in the driver seat and quickly gives him the signal to drive off.

Reaching for her cell phone, she dials for an ambulance as she approaches the still Ah Nin. He still held the folder. She scans the scene while talking on the phone, quickly retrieving the folder and placing it in her purse. "Oh god, Chris... What have I done?" Her eyes are full of sorrow.

[End of Flashback]

Rose laughs. "It's so ironic that Chris discovered my family's secret before I did."

[Flashback]

Rose rushed home as soon as she could after attending Ah Nin to the hospital after the accident. She barged into her father's study. Mr. Suen was enjoying a cigar.

"Daughter, what happened?"

Rose takes out the folder and places it on her father's desk.

"What's this?" He asks.

"Chris told me he found drugs within the fabric of our clothes." Rose says.

"What?!" His eyes bulge out. "What did you say?"

"Chris found drugs in our clothes."

"Where is he now?"

"He's in the hospital. He got ran over."

Mr. Suen sighs a sigh of relief. "Thank god. Let's pray he doesn't make it."

"What?" Rose was astonished to hear the cold-blooded words coming out of her father.

"If he lives, we die."

Rose stares blankly at her father. "Huh?"

"Oh daughter, my innocent Rose." He smiles.

Rose finds herself trembling. "Daddy... what do you mean?"

He gets up from his leather chair. "Do you think our family would be so rich and powerful if we only ran a fashion company?"

"Daddy, I-I don't get what you mean."

He continues to smoke his cigar and smile.

"Daddy, please tell me." Rose's heart is pounding.

"Your ancestors were great, do you know that?"

"Yes, they went from having nothing to being one of the wealthiest."

"Ah, if only it was such a simple success story."

"Huh?"

"Our ancestors are some of the smartest people ever. They used their brains to get that rich."

Rose laughs nervously. "Well, of course... that should be the case."

"Oh Rose," he shakes his head and smiles.

"Daddy, you're not making any sense."

"Your ancestors conned."

"What?"

"They tried to make an honest living... but what good was it when they still came up short regardless? What's better than to take money that's already been earned?"

Rose's heart was pounding.

"Ah, what a sucker those Tsui's were for having such a stupid daughter. They lost everything and no one had any idea."

"Y-y-you mean to tell me that our fortune was all attained by conning?"

"At the beginning, yes, but now, it all rightfully belongs to us. We worked to maintain this."

Rose was stunned speechless.

"Oh, the 1930's... your grandfather told me so many stories about it. No one dared to disrespect a Suen. We were the most powerful mafia in Shanghai. We ran the city. Everyone had to answer to us..."

"But the drugs...?"

"The more illegal something is, the more profitable." Mr. Suen grins proudly. "Your grandfather and I thought up this ingenious plan to market drugs... who would ever think to find drugs hidden in-between fabrics of expensive clothing?"

Rose is shocked. Her jaw drops. Her eyes stare unblinkingly at her father. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But we have such a good reputation in the fashion industry!"

Mr. Suen smiles. "Of course. If we didn't have such a good reputation, do you think our shipments could escape the eyes of the government? Who would suspect that 'F&B' is actually shipping more than expensive clothes?" He laughs.

Rose shakes her head. "This can't be true! Our clothes are fabulous. People love 'F&B' designs!"

"They do. That's why we have such a good reputation."

"But you said from the start you and Grandpa used the fashion company as a cover up!"

Mr. Suen laughs. "Your thinking is much too simple. Our family does the best of both worlds. 'F&B' is a legit fashion company. The drug market is a side thing we do to earn a little more."

"This is illegal!" Rose shouts.

"It isn't if no one knows about it." He puffs on his cigar some more.

Rose can't believe everything that she just heard. She had thought her family's company was a prominent fashion company with honest business and nothing to hide. It had turned out that it was hiding a very dirty and illegal secret. She falls to the floor and sobs silently. "Chris was right... It's all fake..."

Mr. Suen gets up from his chair and comforts the crying Rose. "Daughter, what's wrong?"

"It's wrong! We shouldn't be doing this. Our family has enough money. You told me we retired from the mafia world after grandfather died!"

"Fashion goes in and out of style. Drugs are always trendy. We can never lose."

"I'm here! We don't have to do this. My designs can earn enough money!" Rose pleads.

Mr. Suen shakes his head and smiles. "Oh, Rose, you have much to learn."

"What if we get caught? The consequences are dire!"

"We haven't gotten caught for so many years."

"But Chris found out!"

"I know, which is why we have to take care of him immediately." Mr. Suen says sternly.

"What?"

"If he dies, no one will know."

"Daddy, I love him!"

"If he wakes up and tells the cops, we're done for."

Rose frantically says, "He's at the hospital now. You can't do anything to him anyways."

Mr. Suen laughs. "There's nothing I can't do. We have people at the hospital."

Rose trembles. "No, Daddy, please don't!"

"Rose, there are other boys out there for you. Besides, if I'm not remembering incorrectly, you aren't even his girlfriend. Why do you care so much about him?"

"Daddy, I'm begging you. Let's wait until after he wakes up and go from there. Who knows? He may wake up and not remember any of it. Please."

Mr. Suen reluctantly agrees.

[End of Flashback]

"Chris, don't you know that I look out for you?" Rose's eyes start to water.

[Flashback]

Rose was at the hospital again. She looks at the comatose Ah Nin.

"Oh Chris, when are you going to wake up? You will wake up, won't you?" She sat down by his side and took his hand. She places it on her face. "Please wake up."

She sighs, remembering the secret he had discovered before his accident. Silently, she ponders, "Maybe it's better for you not to wake up."

Rose laughs to herself. "I'm so stupid. Why did I tell Ah Hoi to run you over? Life can't be played around like this. I just wanted you to forget everything and love me. Now, you're not even awake to tell me that you don't like me. Oh, Chris..."

She caresses his face with her hand. "I'm so sorry." She lays her head down on his chest and weeps. After a few moments, she gets up and wipes her face. While looking at Ah Nin, she notices something strange. She sees twitching in his right hand. Rose gasps.

"Chris?"

Rose bites the bottom of her lip. "Please wake up and forget it all. Forget that you don't love me. Forget that my family has such a dark secret. Forget it all. Please. It's the only way you'll survive..." she prays.

[End of Flashback]

"You go and screw me over for that Joey (Bernice Liu). Do you know how much I did for you? How much I cared for you? How much I love you? I did so much! You wouldn't be alive this long if it wasn't for me."

Rose shakes her fists in the air. She feels defeated. However, the thought of Ah Nin going down with her made her happy. "Joey won't have Chris. She will never have him! He'll die with me and be with me in death." She laughs.

"looking back" at stars

2007-06-29T23:39:00.000-04:00

I'm currently watching one of TVB's classics produced in 1989, the #1 most watched drama of all time - Looking Back in Anger. It is an excellent production with wonderful acting and such a strong script. You really don't see series like this these days. I am enjoying it so much. Aside from the fantastic story-telling and acting, it's quite surprising and rather amusing to see some of TVB's stars today acting as background characters and cameo's. Anyways, I'm up to episode 14 right now and I've spotted the following...

Gallen Lo Ka Leung

Before he was TVB's #1 brother and a multiple Best Actor winner, Gallen played a cameo role in Looking. He acted as a pursuer of Carina Lau's character, who was determined to marry her. His character is the son of another rich family and was introduced to Carina by her family in hopes of her finally having a socially "acceptable" and "proper" boyfriend. Their personalities didn't match and he did a lot to try to please her, but in the end, their marriage fell through because Carina realizes she can't force herself into marrying him.

Gallen is so young-looking in Looking! His acting has really come a long way since the time of Looking. Although I'm not a fan of his, I think it's great news that Gallen is coming back to TVB. A lot of people are very excited and happy by this news. I always had a feeling that he would return some day. Rumor has it that his first series with TVB in 4 years is slated to begin filming in August and its tentative title is translated as "When a Dog Falls in Love with a Cat" and said to be co-starring Myolie Wu, Margie Tsang, and Lui Fong.

Cutie Mui Siu Wah

I recognized Cutie the moment she appeared as the cashier at the cafeteria that Felix Wong's character was working at. I suspect that the character had some feelings for Felix, but ultimately, Cutie had a total of only a minute or two of screen-time in her 2 or 3 episode appearance.

I really enjoyed Cutie's cameo. She looked so young and cute! Her wide smile is the same then and now. She hasn't aged much either. Seeing her performance made me realize how much I miss her presence in series. She is full of personality and charisma. It's been 3 years since Cutie has acted in a series. I really hope she changes her mind and acts again. She is a great MC because she's so naturally funny and charming, but I would much rather she share her talents on-screen in series.

Frankie Lam Man Lung

Frankie's character is a member of Deric Wan's character's rich friend's posse and I guess you can say he is Deric's "friend" too. His character is a rich boy himself. His character is insignificant and really only a "background" role with a line or two here and there.

I was very surprised when I noticed a very familiar face in the posse of friends - it was Frankie! I have this very mature and professional image of Frankie because he is my Virtues of Harmony "big brother", so it was kind of weird to see him looking and acting as a teenager. However, his face hasn't really changed much. Who would have thought that he would become a leading actor in the years to come? Although Frankie has left TVB again, I am so happy that he's coming back to film Forensic Heroes II in the fall. I can't wait to see Frankie reprise "Doctor Koo Chak Sam" - my favorite role of his - and reunite with Bobby Au-Yeung, Yoyo Mung, and of course, Linda Chung.

Gordon Lam Ka Tung

Frankie's character was insignificant, but Gordon's was even more insignificant. He was a waiter at the place Cutie and Felix's characters worked at. The camera was only focused on his face for about a second in which he had like one line. He was so skinny back then!

Who could have guessed that this kelefe would become a prominent leading man in the late 90's at TVB, star along-side the likes of Andy Lau and Tony Leung after leaving TVB, pair with Maggie Cheung in an award-winning and memorable coupling, and take home a Best Actor award? It's very impressive, admirable, and commendable how far Gordon came from the time he was a kelefe in Looking - a true success story! I quite like Gordon's acting, but the likelihood of him returning to TVB is almost none. Although TVB brought him up from a nobody into a someday, he expressed how displeased he was with them at the time he left. He said something along the likes of how TVB looks at "quantity" over "quality" - I agree.

Gilbert Lam Wai Sun

Before Gilbert was ATV's #1 brother, joined TVB and left, and then joined ATV again, he had a cameo in Looking with Carina and Felix as a character part of a TV series about people with the same birthday. ATV fans definitely know who Gilbert is, but most TVB fans these days probably don't. Back in the early 2000's, he had supporting roles in series such as Where The Legend Begins and The King of Yesterday and Tomorrow. Having left ATV where he was always the lead, Gilbert was fed up with only playing supporting roles at TVB, so he left and went back to ATV.

Gregory Lee Wing Ho

Before he hooked up with Shirley Yeung and played antagonistic supporting characters, Gregory was a child actor at the beginning of Looking. He was kind of good and likable back then... I wonder what happened to him when he grew up.

Evergreen Mak Bao

These days, Evergreen has a nice spot as one of TVB's dependable and great supporting actors (and has led once in the rather well-received To Love With No Regrets, but his acting was overlooked), but in 1989, he was a kelefe. I'm pretty sure this is Evergreen - it looks so much like him. Like Frankie, his character was part of the posse of rich friends Deric's character befriended.

spotlight: "land of wealth"

2007-06-26T20:06:00.000-04:00

Relieved is how I'm feeling after finally finishing Land of Wealth. It makes me sad re-reading and remembering how much I looked forward to watching it and how I thought it was going to be such a beautiful, powerful, and memorable drama.

The irony is that I might have jinxed the series from the start. Nine months ago, I said the following about Wealth: "[The] Dance of Passion had the "looks" of a great series, but not the substance of one - so I'm really hoping that Wealth isn't just for looks either". Unfortunately, my fear came true. Wealth looks so, so good. The on-location shots, the costumes, and the "grand production" feel about this series... it is all so splendid and alluring! However, the script is lacking so badly.

Wealth fell from being one of my "most anticipated 2006 releases" into being a series that I was very reluctant in watching. Ratings were really low (how ironic that its acronym spells this word) and the general word on the street was that it was a boring, draggy, and not worthwhile series. Thus, I began to lose interest in watching it. However, I knew I couldn't pass up on it because it received a few positive reviews and the "grand aura" made me feel remorseful in skipping it.

I fell asleep about three times watching Wealth in episodes 1-19. It was a combination of me being really tired and Wealth's unbearably boring script and slow pace. There are so many draggy and unnecessary scenes that I came close to giving it the Dicey Business treatment [fast-forward until I saw the outcome(s)] several times. Ultimately, I didn't skip any scenes. The series was just too beautiful-looking to fast-forward.

I had a hard time understanding Wealth a lot of times as well. They zipped through the historical aspects, so I had no clue what was going on sometimes. Some of the dialogues were also hard to comprehend. Despite my confusion, I couldn't bear rewinding to clarify myself. I just wanted to keep on watching so I could finish the series. There were small moments that were interesting, but as a whole, I wasn't enjoying it.

Thankfully, starting with episode 20, Wealth wakes up and realizes that it has a story to tell. I must say episodes 20-32 were pretty decent. In fact, it was kind of good. Comparing episodes 1-19 to 20-32, there's a huge difference. Whereas 1-19 was slow and boring, 20-32 was somewhat fast-paced and kind of interesting. There are some very good, powerful moments (the same ones I had been hoping for when I looked forward to Wealth way back when).

About the performances
Moses Chan - Moses is one of my favorite actors, but I must say that Wealth is not one of his best works. He over-acted several times. It was quite painful watching him in the first few episodes screaming. However, his performance improves as the series goes on and I really liked watching how "Bak Chuen" climbed up the ladder towards success. It was interesting. Overall, his performance lacked presence I think. It was bland. However, his character may be to blame. His crying scenes were very good near the end.

Sonija Kwok - Sonija has never been a "great" actress, but I must say I still like her. I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by her performance in Wealth. While her performance was nowhere near "great" and there is room for more improvement, compared to her previous performances, this one is very good. She has improved tremendously. I think this could have been her breakthrough if only Wealth was well-received. Her portrayal of "Ba Ba Ha Yi Ko Wai" exuberates such a warm, cute energy that she lights up the screen with her smile and eager-to-please personality. Her emotional scenes (for the most part) has also improved quite a deal as she actually has tears now! There's a reason why she won both "Miss Hong Kong" and "Miss Chinese International" - and it shows in this series. Sonija was very, very pretty in this series, especially after she marries. She is stunningly beautiful sometimes. Overall, she is so likable in this series. Frankly, it's Sonija's cute and positive performance that kept me awake and going in much of Wealth prior to when the series got kind of good. Bravo to Sonija! [While I loved Sonija's performance and character for the most part, I have some complaints about "Ko Wai" which I will address further down.] I feel so sorry for her because of the negativity that she receives. If she hasn't been "banished" to the mainland, then she's being frozen. I don't know why everyone is so hard on her. She is really not such a bad actress.

Tavia Yeung - I'm liking Tavia more and more. She is pretty in Wealth and her performance in the last episode was great. Her role is a bit boring and there wasn't much for Tavia to do, but she did a good job. She gives a very refined, elegant portrayal of "Kiu Jun". I was expecting more out of "Kiu Jun", but the storyline doesn't utilize her until she marries Moses' character. Still, I liked watching Tavia whenever she appeared. Her chemistry with both Moses and Steven are a bit lacking, but I blame it on the little screentime.

Steven Ma - I'm sorry, but I wasn't impressed by Steven in this series. He is again one of my favorite actors, but his character was really disappointing, so not much Steven could do. I really don't have much to say about his character or performance because it was so bland. While the character is likable as "Sung Man" is such an all-around nice guy, he lacks depth and intrigue. To be frank, he's dull. His predicament with his family going against what is "right" (especially at the end) proved to be nothing more interesting than anything else he was given.

Lau Dan, Chan Hung Lit, and Kwok Fung proved the versatility in their acting. Their performances respectively made me hate them so much in Wealth, but in other series, they are quite endearing actors (especially Lau Dan in Virtues of Harmony). On the other hand, John Chiang wasn't convincing to me. Perhaps I've seen him in way too many villainous roles, but I couldn't accept him as the respectable and wise "Kiu Boon Yip". I loved the role, but his performance is pretty bland and his eyes looked kind of dead sometimes. Lai Lok Yi was bad. I'm not fond of this guy. If he's not boring, he's just unlikable. Kenny Wong was awful. He's so expressionless. How refreshing it was indeed to see Claire Yiu in a role that didn't require her to somehow become a "third party". She is another pretty girl and her role was quite likable. Sadly, "Kiu Ching" never becomes anything more than a one-dimensional (almost background) character. She hardly has a subplot of her own, so Claire couldn't do much. Her acting was kind of weak, but I loved that she had a new role. Rebecca Chan was good as the conniving aunt. Cheng Ho Wai was very good as "Empress Dowager Tsz Hei".

Looking a little deeper...
I commend the writers for not letting "Ko Wai" and "Bak Chuen" end up together. How disrespectful and Point of No Return that would have been to "Kiu Jun" and "Kiu Boon Yip". Yes, "Kiu Jun" told "Bak Chuen" that she hopes he will marry "the one he loves" after she dies and she told "Ko Wai" to take care of him for her, but that doesn't make it right [if they end up together]! Yes, "Kiu Boon Yip" knows that "Ko Wai" never loved him and only has "Bak Chuen" in her heart, but it doesn't make it right either.

I also think that at the end, "Bak Chuen" no longer felt love for "Ko Wai". What he had for her was only appreciation and a different kind of love. I do believe that he grew to love "Kiu Jun". "Ko Wai" just had to leave because she loved him too much and she knew that they couldn't be together again. Too much had happened and their relationship was far too complicated. There really was no turning back. I liked their last bit of dialogue to one another. "If you can let it go, it doesn't matter where you are." "I know... but it makes it easier to forget."

I love the fact that "Ko Wai" never loses her title as the [second] wife of "Kiu Boon Yip". Even though she doesn't love him, the fact that she doesn't denounce their marriage to the public almost redeems her selfish act in marrying him in the first place. I hated the fact that she married him out of revenge to spite "Bak Chuen" for not appreciating her love and marrying her. If she loves him, why wasn't she more willingly to trust him and be patient? Marriage isn't something to play around with. I felt so sorry for "Boon Yip" because he truly loved her. By staying married with him (especially after his death) she shows respect towards him and redeems her mistake. [It was very odd hearing Tavia, Claire, and former lover Moses address Sonija as 'Mother'.]

Truthfully speaking, the relationships between "Ko Wai" and "Bak Chuen" and "Sung Man" and "Kiu Jun" both felt really flat and shallow. It's almost like a Wealth curse - things look so good on the outside, but the inside is quite poor. Both couples had some very nice moments and I don't doubt that there was love, but their lack of trust and understanding in each other broke them both. Communication and trust are the two main ingredients in a long-lasting relationship. The guys didn't explain the truth to their girls and the girls didn't have enough trust in their guys to believe them. Like "Kiu Jun" said to "Sung Man", "Perhaps we are predestined ('yau yuen') but ill-fated ('mo fan')". That saying is very true for these couples - what a shame indeed.

I hate the fact that "Ko Wai" goes off in the last episode and we never hear any more about her. Even the narrator says their relationship "ends with a question mark". What the heck? After 32 episodes, we can't even get a conclusive ending? I was disappointed about that. I expected "Ko Wai" to come back or something and she and "Bak Chuen" could maintain a life-long friendship. Okay, who am I kidding? A guy and a girl can never just be friends, especially if they have a romantic past. Still, I wanted to know what happened to my favorite character.

Dance versus Wealth...
Comparing The Dance of Passion and Land of Wealth, I have to say that Dance wins. As confusing, slow, and boring as Dance was sometimes (comparable to Wealth) the final ten episodes or so were excellent. While Wealth also improved a lot in its last 12 episodes, its improvement doesn't compare with Dance's. It's a pity that both series had the looks of great series but failed so short and miserably.

Memorable moments
These are the scenes that stuck out to me...

The way "Kiu Jun" and "Sung Man" met (albeit not face to face) was absolutely beautiful. I loved how they were fated through the matched harmonies of their respective instruments. It was filmed very nicely.

I looked forward to this scene since its filming was reported in the news. The results were as beautiful as I had imagined. The scene was much shorter and had less of an impact than I had predicted and would have liked, but it is still such a gorgeous scene. The snow, Tavia... everything about this scene is stunning.

This was the first scene that actually touched me. The women of the "Kiu" family were making dumplings for "Kiu Boon Yip" and he had to guess who made which dumpling. His analogies of the dumpling to the person who made it was quite touching. As clichéd as what he said afterwards regarding eating and family was, I was still moved by it.

This scene reminds me of candle lighting scene between "Fung" and "Ping" in The Price of Greed. That was a gorgeous scene and this one is as well. It's very pretty. I love "Ko Wai" and "Bak Chuen" so much... It was touching how they got together in this scene. Too bad it doesn't last long.

Sonija is so cute in this scene! The way she acts is very young and innocent. "Bak Chuen" agreed to marry her. They were so happy and were going to be such a happily married couple if only...

This is such a tragic scene. "Ko Wai" and "Bak Chuen" call off their wedding. She misunderstands him as having "changed" and only loving fame and fortune. The dialogue, the tears, the slap... everything is well-acted and filmed in this scene.

"Ko Wai" is off to marry "Kiu Boon Yip"... Her crying is so tragic and beautifully done. This scene exemplifies how much Sonija has improved as an actress.

"Kiu Boon Yip" discovers the truth about "Ko Wai" and "Bak Chuen" - two of his most loved and trusted. This is a very sad scene. Sonija's crying is again very nicely done and she looks beautifully tragic.

Finally, "Kiu Jun" becomes valuable to the main storyline. I loved how she saved the day by declaring that she was going to marry "Bak Chuen" - it was very powerful. I was surprised that "Kiu Jun" marrying "Bak Chuen" was her own choice. I had thought that they were going to marry against her wishes... "Kiu Jun" is really such a filial daughter and a nice girl. I'm glad her marriage to "Bak Chuen" was her own decision because it fits her character as she loves freedom.

"Kiu Jun" discovers how wrong she was about "Sung Man". What I like about "Kiu Jun" is that unlike "Ko Wai", not once does she consider leaving "Bak Chuen". She knows she's a married woman and even though she knows that "Sung Man" still loves her, that "Bak Chuen" doesn't really love her, and that she still has a place for "Sung Man" in her heart, she holds that inside. She respects her marriage to "Bak Chuen".

"Bak Chuen" confesses the truth about everything to "Kiu Jun". This is an interesting and sad revelation scene. Tavia's crying is nicely done.

The tragedy strikes! "Kiu Jun" is poisoned [by accident]. She gives birth to a baby boy in the jail. She is losing a lot of blood and feeling weak, but her determination to wait for "Bak Chuen" keeps her going. "I have to wait for my husband [to come back]." Everything is solved and "Bak Chuen" saves his family... but it's too late for poor "Kiu Jun". The whole death scene is so well-acted by Tavia and Moses. "I know you don't love me.... marry the one you love... I'll be happy." "No, there's only one wife to me and that's you." It's very touching and sad.

Final thoughts
Unless you are a fan of the cast [Sonija fans must watch for her awesome performance!], love costume dramas, or have a lot of time, I honestly do not recommend Land of Wealth. Everything about the series looks so gorgeous and glamorous with the beautiful costumes and sceneries, but for the most part, it's not really worth the investment in time. Seriously, I wanted to stop so many times and sometimes I watched just for the sake of watching so I could hurry up and finish it. However, episodes 20-32 actually have some merit. Wealth actually held my interest in those episodes and was sort of entertaining. The last 2 episodes were exciting and have some very memorable scenes. As a whole though, the series feels a bit empty and there's always a sense of "Isn't there anything more?" A disappointment indeed.

Despite my unfavorable impression of Wealth, I will always remember how "grand" the series looked (and could have been on the inside as well if the script was a lot better) every time I listen to the awesome themesong by Eason Chan. The themesong is so good! It has such a grand and exciting feel with the melody and Eason's powerful singing.

Rating:

chapter 167: who does drugs

2007-06-24T19:11:00.000-04:00

[Kam Family Apartment, Ah Yuet & Ah Lo's Bedroom]

Ah Lo (Bondy Chiu) modeled happily with the dress that was sent from "F&B" that morning in front of her mirror. She felt great.

She noticed Foon Foon and Hei Hei walking into the room and smiles at them. "Foon Foon, Hei Hei, don't you two think your mommy looks beautiful?"

They clap their hands. The shiny material of the dress attracted them.

"I sacrificed so much for you guys!" Ah Lo sighs. She places her hand on her behind. "My perfect figure is gone."

"Honey! Dinner is ready!" Ah Yuet (Michael Tse) calls from the dining room.

"Coming!" She yells back. "Now, Foon Foon, Hei Hei, be good boys and go on out."

Ah Lo takes off the dress and hurriedly puts on her normal clothes. She lays the dress on her bed and then runs out towards the dining room. She was starving.

Foon Foon and Hei Hei waited until their mother had left the room and ran back inside. They raced to get to the dress that was lying defenselessly on the bed. The twins clapped their hands and each pulled on the dress, reaching for the sparkles that adorned the fabric.

"Mine!" Foon Foon cries.

"I first!" Hei Hei argues.

The two pulled hard on the dress, fighting fiercely to be the sole keeper of it.

"Foon Foon? Hei Hei? Where are you? It's time for dinner." Ah Lo beckons as she makes her way towards the bedroom.

The tug-of-war between the tiny twins finally reached an end as the dress is ripped in half. However, they were no longer attracted to the sparkly sequins. Instead, thin white packets fell out. The twins both reached for one and hid it in their pockets. They ran out of the room and greeted their mommy with a smile. "Mama!"

"You two are so naughty! Sometimes I wish you were babies again like Fu jai and Gwai mui so that we can just sit you somewhere and you won't wander off. No wait. I take that back. Then we'd have four crying babies around here and your daddy and I couldn't sleep. Oh! The woes of being a parent," Ah Lo says. "Come along now."

[Dining Room]

Ah Yuet prepared a small bowl of food for the twins and sat them down in their small children's table before going off to feed Fu jai and Gwai mui their bottles.

"Ah Yuet is such a good father!" Ying Gei (Yvonne Lam) gushes. "Oh, Gam Gam, I can't wait to see your fathering skills."

"Ha!" Ah Lo laughs. "Fathering skills? They're non-existent. Poor you, sister OK. You best keep the kids away from H5N1 otherwise they'll end up as useless citizens as their father is."

"Right, right, just like Ah Lo has no mothering skills. Ah Yuet does all of the work, isn't that right?" Gam (Louis Yuen) laughs.

"Hey! I carried them around for nine months and gave birth! My goodness. Both were such painful experiences. I really... The suffering, only someone who has gone through it knows. Besides, don't talk with your mouth full. It's disgusting enough when you talk with it empty," Ah Lo retorts.

"Really? You always talk with your mouth full... full of crap!"

"You!" Ah Lo glares at Gam.

"Second daughter-in-law, calm down!" Nim Chi (Nancy Sit) urges.

"I'm not going to waste any energy dealing with you two."

"Big big brother, how is Fiona doing?" Ah Yat (Joyce Chen) inquires.

Ah Sing (Hawick Lau) forces a smile. "Um, good."

"That's wonderful."

"Yeah." He quickly glances down and shoves some rice into his mouth.

"Where's Ah Nin (Frankie Lam)?" Nim Chi asks.

"Oh, big brother went to Shanghai with Joey (Bernice Liu)," Ah Yuet replies.

"What? Shanghai? Isn't that where-"

"It is. They went to discuss business with 'F&B'."

"But that's-"

"Yes, that's Rose's (Kenix Kwok) company."

The room grows silent with only sounds of munching.

Foon Foon and Hei Hei take out the white packets they had found inside of Ah Lo's dress. The content was powdery, kind of like white powdered sugar. They are reminded of how sweet that is and clap their hands, hurriedly opening their bags. They take a sniff and start coughing.

"Foon Foon, Hei Hei, what's wrong?" Ah Yuet asks from the couch as he coos to Gwai mui.

"Oh my god!" Ying Gei screams.

"What's that in their hands?"

The family rush over to the small children's dining table.

Ah Hong (Johnny Tang) quickly snatches the bags away from them. To which, the twins cry in-between their coughs.

Gam peaks at the bag and gasps, "Oh my god! We need to get them to the hospital, now!"

[Hospital]

"Oh my god, oh my god, please let them be okay," Ah Lo prays as she paces.

"Wow, so you really do care about them," Ah Yat comments. "All of this time, I thought you just gave birth to them and then dumped them off to your husband."

"How can this be? Who would leave such things around?" Ah Yuet is flustered.

Ah Lo glares at Gam. "The person who identified immediately what it was - that's who!"

"I only knew what it was from watching TV!"

"It's more like personal experience."

"This is really bad!" Ah Hong bites his nails. "The effects of cocaine are deadly to adults, let alone three-year-olds."

"You should really be more watchful of your kids," Ah Yat shakes her head.

"I don't know how that got into our home!" Ah Lo cries. "It must be you! Everyone in the entertainment industry does drugs!" she glares at Ah Yat.

"What! Ah Hong and I are innocent. Don't uphold such a negative stereotype!"

"Then it must be H5N1. This explains why he's such a weirdo! He's stoned all of the time," Ah Lo points her finger at Gam.

"I'm innocent! Yes, I like to gamble and yes, I like to look at dirty things, but I'm not stupid enough to do drugs!" Gam defends himself.

Ying Gei grabs Gam's ear, "What? You read dirty magazines? You watch porn?!"

"Not anymore, honey! Why look at other women when I can look at you for free?" Gam asks.

"Oh, that's right." Ying Gei smiles.

"It's certainly not Ah Yuet or I..." Ah Lo gasps. "It's you!"

"What?" Ah Sing demands seeing all of the eyes on him.

"You're a young guy and you're depressed. These are vulnerable traits for drug use!" Ah Lo yells.

"You're nuts! I don't even live in the apartment, have you forgotten?" Ah Sing shakes his head.

"I can't believe it! How can you do this?" Ah Lo turns to Nim Chi.

Everyone gasps.

"What? How can it be me? I'm an ex-policewoman! This is against the law."

"You're not part of the force anymore. Oh my god! Mother-in-law, you are really..." Ah Lo sighs.

"Ah Lo! Cut it out," Ah Yuet urges.

"My babies are in there! Who knows what might happen to them! I am so scared. They are so little. They have a whole future ahead for them. Now, because someone brought drugs into our home, they could very well be damaged!" Ah Lo cries.

The doctor comes out. The family crowds around her. "Doctor, how are they?"

"Please tell me they're going to be fine!" Ah Lo pleads.

"Like any drug, cocaine has dire effects on the body. Luckily, your kids inhaled a very minor amount. There shouldn't be a problem."

Ah Lo sighs a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank god!"

A couple of policemen go up to the Kams. "We need to take everyone down to the station for questioning."

"What?!"

[Kam Family Apartment]

"That was really...!" Nim Chi is both embarrassed and frustrated. "How can they degrade a senior like me?"

"Auntie Chi, you're only a 'senior' because of your age. You're no longer regarded by the Hong Kong Police Force!" Gam says.

"Ugh, I really don't know how cocaine got into our home."

Ah Lo kisses Foon Foon and Hei Hei on their heads. "Thank god you two are safe. I love you guys very much, do you know that?"

"This is really weird though. How did those packets get into our home?" Ah Hong rubs his chin.

"They certainly don't have feet! They didn't just walk in here by themselves," Ah Yat says.

Ah Lo gasps. "I know who it is!"

"Oh please. You've accused everyone but yourself. Foon Foon and Hei Hei must have found it in your purse!" Gam yells.

"It must have been Rose! She's the only stranger in our house and she seems like the type!"

"Oh my god! Ah Lo has a point," Ying Gei shrieks.

"It must be in big brother's bedroom... the drugs..."

Nim Chi starts to shake. "I really hope Rose didn't influence Ah Nin into doing drugs."

"That's how she's so skinny!" Ah Yat snaps her fingers.

"Let's go into Ah Nin's bedroom and check it out," Ah Yuet says.

"Isn't it wrong to invade other people's privacy?" Ah Sing asks.

"Not when their 'privacy' harms other people! My babies could have died!" Ah Lo says. "Foon Foon, Hei Hei, let's get you to bed." She takes them to their bedroom. While passing by her own bedroom, she notices a chaotic sight. The pretty dress which she had so loved was in pieces on the floor. "Oh my god!" Ah Lo screams. She rushes into her bedroom.

Everyone runs into it as well to see what the matter was.

"My dress!" Ah Lo kneels down to pick up the pieces. To her surprise, shreds of fabric and loosened sequins weren't the only things that she found on the floor. More packets of cocaine also lay there. Ah Lo begins to shake. She picks up a packet and shows it to everyone. They gasp in surprise.

"They were inside the dress..." Ah Lo gasps. She gets up and rushes towards Ah Yat's bedroom. She barges in and opens up her closet.

"Second sister-in-law, what are you doing?!" Ah Yat demands.

Ah Lo grabs the baby blue dress which had also arrived that morning. She rips it into pieces. Just as she expected, inside the fabric were packets of drugs. This time, they were marijuana leaves. Ah Lo then proceeds into Ying Gei's bedroom and seizes the lavender dress that was hanging in the closet.

"Ah Lo, don't do it! The dress is too beautiful," Ying Gei pleads.

"There are drugs inside! These dresses are not wearable."

Ah Lo rips it apart and exposes more packets of drugs. "That damn Rose isn't running a fashion company. She's doing an undercover drug trade!"

spotlight: "heart to heart" by linda chung

2007-06-22T21:45:00.000-04:00

Heart to Heart - Linda Chung
(Themesong from TVB series Best Bet)

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English Translation by MetalAZNWarrior
After gambling for seven nights,
your body is weak, but you're still happy
You continue to gamble on 'dai sai'
and hope for lucky stars to shine on you
Do you have good chance or just good fortune;
when the luck comes you will buy land
You and I with great wealth and fortune happily welcome happiness

Chorus
*Hoo ~ The lucky star shines all over the side of your body and mine
Good destiny comes with a joyous tone,
spreading it throughout the skies
Hoo ~ Luck is loving you loving me a little more
You - my heart agreed early on to meet
It's hard to decide on a predetermined relationship
Also for obtaining complete happiness
A good husband and a kind wife are dear to each other
Strong love and affections is called 'heart to heart'*

Because having good fortune makes loving sweet as honey
For the sake of loving me, you bid farewell to 'ha haai yue'
After frustration, still love the feeling of wealth
I will continue to love to find out what will touch me

Repeat Chorus

Pinyin
Doh liu chat man tui yuen sau yuen daan ying si foon hei
Nei jau gai juk maai dai sai mong gat sing jiu hei
Hoh yau sau hei ji yiu fuk hei wan loi yau maai dei
Nei gung ngoh dai foo dai gwai fai lok ying hei hei

Chorus
*Hoo ~ Fuk sing joi jiu pin nei yue ngoh dik san bin
Leung yuen wan loi foon sing heung pin tin
Hoo ~ Hang wan si ngoi nei ngoi ngoh doh yat dim
Nei ngoh sum lui jo yeuk ding seung gin
Naan dak jue ding dik yuen fan
Waan yau hang fuk dak doh moon fan
Leung foo yue yin chai seung chan
Ching yi nung sum sum wooi kiu seung yan*

Yan yau fuk hei yan ngoi dak yu mat tong bei jaan yue
Nei wai ngoi jeuk ngoh jau go bit liu ha haai yue
Ging gwoh sat yi doh ya seung ngoi gam gok gik foo yue
Ngoh yik gai juk ngoi wai faat gwai dung yan chi chue

Repeat Chorus

Opinions
Truth be told, it took me a while to warm up to this song, but once I did, I absolutely loved it. It is a super adorable and cute song. I can't help but smile every time I hear it. Heart to Heart just melts my heart with Linda's sugary vocals and the cheerful melody. I really like the lyrics too. It's cute and fitting to Best Bet. The allusions towards gambling and "Hor Yi" (Michael Tse) are funny in a very cute way. I know, I keep using the word "cute", but there's really no other word to describe this song. It's such an adorable and endearing song. I love the instrumental at the very beginning - the music just sounds so cute!

When I watched the themevideo for Bet for the very first time, I was shocked. I had thought that the themesong was a duet between Michael and Linda, so I found it to be a bit "weird" during the first listen. I kept waiting to hear Michael's vocals... but it was just Linda all the way through - shocking indeed. I also didn't like the background vocals initially as well - they sounded weird. After I got over my shock and listened again, I learned not only to appreciate, but love the song as well.

I just love Heart to Heart! I'm very eager to hear more songs from Linda in the future. Unlike her acting, Linda has a background in singing. She took vocal lessons from ex-Hong Kong diva Lau Fung Ping, who immigrated to Canada after getting married. She actually performed in-concert with her teacher at the Hong Kong Coliseum a few months back. Linda will be performing there for the second time this August with Raymond Lam as special guest performers for Susanna Kwan's concert. With a background in singing and a good voice, it's not surprising that TVB is investing in Linda's singing career. It's very possible that she might have a record deal in the future. If not, I'm more than content hearing her singing for the themesong or subsong for her series.

comic tease / issue.6

2007-06-21T00:00:00.000-04:00

Issue #6 featuring The Price of Greed

"return of the cuckoo" thoughts

2007-06-18T21:17:00.000-04:00

I actually rented Return of The Cuckoo a few years ago and saw the first four episodes then. I couldn't finish it because my mom said it was "inappropriate" for me to watch and she kept it for herself to watch. Honestly, I wasn't very upset over it because the series didn't impress me in those episodes that I saw. It was kind of boring and weird. It felt very "old-fashioned" and I just didn't like it much. However, it was always in the back of my mind to watch it some day because Cuckoo was a highly-rated series when it aired in Hong Kong and received a lot of rave reviews. It's Producer Tsui's post-A Kindred Spirit and pre-Virtues of Harmony hit. I really wanted to see for myself if it was "that" good.

Recently, I had a chance to watch Cuckoo and seized the opportunity. I was turned off by the series again in the beginning, but this time around, I understood the story a lot better. The first time, I was very, "Huh?" about it, possibly because I wasn't interested by the rather slow beginning. Cuckoo never really engaged my interest and I kept waiting to see the "action" start. To me, it doesn't have a solid storyline. It feels disjointed and incoherent at times. I also found it to be a little pretentious and contrived, trying to squeeze the audience's tears. If you asked me what the storyline of Cuckoo was about, I'd have a hard time answering. Stuff happened all right, but it's really hard to put everything together. Honestly, I really don't know what to make of this series.

Do I like it? Do I hate it? I have no idea.

Best performance hands-down was Julian Cheung's. That is great acting. He is so natural and convincing as the mute "Man Chor"! His sign language looked very realistic and natural. He surely must be a fast learner to have it down so fast and well! He is such a good actor. His crying scenes were so impressive in Point of No Return and his performance as a whole was great in Cuckoo. In fact, "Man Chor" was probably the only character I warmed up to. I loved his narration of the series - very meaningful dialogues. [On a side note, Shirley Yeung could have taken some pointers from Julian. Her acting, voice-over, and signing were all way over-the-top in The Price of Greed.]

Charmaine Sheh was quite unbearable. No, I'm not just talking about her acting. I'm mainly referring to her character. Coupling an annoying character with bad acting makes everything just worse. I cannot understand why so many people liked "Kwan Ho" [in the story and the audience]. I found her irritating and selfish, not cute or charming at all. I hated how she used "Man Chor" (even if in a typical, loving brother/sister way). I couldn't feel anything for her character. I felt no chemistry between her and "Auntie Q" (Nancy Sit). The only chemistry she had was with "Man Chor." I must admit they were charming to watch. By herself, however, Charmaine was just... Her look in this series was quite unflattering as well. I must agree with Charmaine that this isn't the series she "most improved" in. Country Spirit was and remains her breakthrough.

"Lai Shun" (Steven Ma) and "Kwan Ho" were awful. I'm sorry, but I felt absolutely nothing for this couple. I don't even understand how they began. Yes, I understand it was when "Lai Shun" blew "I love you" on the whistle to "Kwan Ho" that they began, but I'm talking about the feelings. Didn't she passionately hate him? All of a sudden, she's all lovey-dovey and talking for hours on the phone with him. It's possibly because of my inability to comprehend when "Kwan Ho" developed feelings for "Lai Shun" that I didn't believe in this couple. From the beginning, it felt like she was using him. Even near the end when he declared his love for her... I felt nothing - not from him, not from her. It just felt like a business deal because he could "provide" more for her. I could see that "Lai Shun" loved "Kwan Ho" a lot (not that I understand why or for that matter why any of the guys fell for her) but from the beginning to end, the love he got back from "Kwan Ho" never equaled what he gave her. In my eyes, she only truly loved "Man Chor". It felt like she was making herself love "Lai Shun"... To my surprise, I really didn't care for Steven in this series. I think it's either because his character was poorly written or his performance was a little raw. In any case, he has truly come a long way in terms of his acting.

Complaints
Some of the dialogues in the series are really ridiculous. For example, during the meteor shower episode, "Lai Shun" tells "Kwan Ho" that he wished for "Man Chor" to be able to speak again and when he does, he'll tell her that he doesn't love her. This was after she told him that she wished "Man Chor" could talk again and tell her his true feelings. What the heck?! Who says that? It's so blunt and awkward.

The ending felt really ridiculous. "Auntie Q" and "Man Chor" do so much for the sake of "Kwan Ho"?! Yes, I understand that they love her and only want the best for her, but they are too self-sacrificing that it felt very fake and contrived. Again, it felt like the writers were purposely doing all they can to make the audience cry. The ending wasn't satisfying. "Man Chor" and "Kwan Ho" meet again after she finds out the truth and then it just ends there after two simple lines?! "How are you?" "I've missed you." Ugh.

I didn't like how they made it seem like "Man Chor" wasn't "good" enough for "Kwan Ho" simply because he was mute. What the heck? I liked "Man Chor" a lot and it was refreshing to have a main character be mute. At times though, I felt the muteness to be too much of a ploy.

I found the series very feminist and kind of demeaning towards men. Then again, Cuckoo had plenty of vicious women, so I guess it balances out.

Praises
Despite all of my complaints, I did find some interest in Cuckoo enough to finish it. I don't know why. As incredulous as I found the plot at times, I was interested in it enough to want to keep watching. There are some really nice moments. In fact, I found that the supporting cast had far more interesting storylines than the "love triangle" among "Man Chor", "Lai Shun", and "Kwan Ho."

What a lovely themesong! The themesong by Julian is beautiful and touching. It really sticks out and is the most memorable thing about Cuckoo. It's such a pity that there wasn't as beautiful, memorable, or moving a series to go along with it.

The scene when "Man Chor"'s mother attempted to kill him at the beginning was chilling and sad. I really enjoyed watching the plot with "Man Chor" reuniting with his mother... only to discover that she hadn't change one bit - so heart-breaking! Poor "Man Chor"; he gets wronged by his mother over and over again. It was ingenious of the writers to have "Man Chor"'s muteness be a psychological fear that resulted from the abuse of his mother. I loved the symbolism of the whistle.

I enjoyed the chemistry and storyline between "Man Chor" and "Kwan Ho". They deserve the "Best Partnership" award that they won at the TVB Anniversary. Their scenes were really cute and touching. Charmaine was actually somewhat likable in those scenes.

I liked the plot with "Chuen Hoi Ging" (Johnny Ngan) and his lung cancer. His storyline with "Auntie Q" and his death scene was touching.

The scene where "Man Chor" asks "Auntie Q" if she was abandoning him was heart-wrenching and memorable. "Auntie Q" realized that "Man Chor" had feelings for her daughter, so she wanted to send him away to "stop" anything from happening. I found her action really selfish and mean. I understand that she loves "Kwan Ho" and wants only the best life for her, but doesn't she care about "Man Chor" too? Personally, I found the relationship between "Man Chor" and "Auntie Q" far deeper than that which she had with her daughter. Julian's crying was very powerful and realistic. It was so sad how he said he doesn't have feelings for "Kwan Ho" and never will.

It was awesome when "Kam Sing" (Michael Tong) rejected "Man Sai Gwong" (Lau Dan). "Come home." "I waited all of my life to hear you say that. It turns out it's not that great. ... My surname will remain Kam." Karma indeed.

I really enjoyed watching "Hoi Lam" (Irene Wong) and "Pui Gin" (Tang Ho Gwong). They were so cute and their storyline was touching. I liked the wedding subplot and how "Manchu Sa Wah" (Mannor Chan) switched the brides - quite exciting and sad. What a tragic ending for this couple... but I liked that she was pregnant with his child and ultimately gave birth to a son.

I found the scenes with "Yi Man" (Sherming Yiu - what an actress with so much versatility!) alone and with her mom (Helen Ma - fantastic veteran also with great versatility) interesting and sad. If only "Kam Sing" loved her, her life would be so different because she wouldn't have the incentive to go down such a dark road.

I liked the back story of "Auntie Q" and "Chuk Jin Fai" (Kwok Fung) as well as how the writers handled the complicated "two family" storyline. I really liked the fact that there was closure and that they didn't end up together, but he gets back with his wife. His wife isn't a bad person. Her actions were understandable. It was good that they portrayed both sides of the story.

Heaven's retribution on "Manchu Sa Wah" was a very powerful scene... but what a shame it had to come with the death of "Pui Gin". She did so many awful things and didn't seem to have a soul at all - what a contrast in comparison to her warm sister ("Auntie Q").

Final thoughts
I have only random thoughts about Cuckoo. I honestly don't know whether I hated it or liked it.

TVB surely picked a suitable English title. I feel "cuckoo" trying to analyze and decipher the series and whether or not I liked it. It just doesn't make sense to me. I felt nothing for it and took away nothing at all. I've gained no understanding or enlightenment and it has little entertainment value. It felt slow and boring. Yet, I managed to like quite a bit about the series. Huh?! I really don't know.

Cuckoo is written by Chan Bo Wah, who worked with Producer Tsui on Kindred for five years and wrote many classic TVB series such as Healing Hands and Blood of Good and Evil. She also wrote my all-time favorite ATV series Light of Million Hopes [which I love for its powerful writing, intense drama, genuine feelings, and ability to draw the audience into the series]. She claims that Cuckoo is a series that's "100% feelings", but with characters so under-developed, an un-gripping plotline, and relationships that feel so shallow... how is that possible?

I honestly wonder why this series was so highly rated and praised by viewers for being gripping, sad, and touching. Perhaps it's not my cup of tea. It's overly sappy, melodramatic, and awfully pretentious. I was highly disappointed; maybe I expected too much. It is, however, far from a "terrible" production. I really liked pieces of Return of the Cuckoo, but as a whole, the series is empty and unsatisfying.

In summary, I guess you can say that I didn't care much for this series.

Rating:

chapter 166: the fun's just begun

2007-06-16T12:08:00.000-04:00

[Shanghai, "F&B" Company]

Carrie (Natalie Tong) greeted Ah Nin (Frankie Lam) and Joey (Bernice Liu) as they entered "F&B" company.

"Carrie!" Ah Nin grins. "Long time no see. How are you?"

"I'm great. Chris, you're finally back; you too, Joey." Carrie smiles sweetly as she pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "It's a reunion."

"How are things with everyone?" Ah Nin asks.

"Same old, same old," Carrie says as she leads the two of them into the meeting room. The other "F&B" employees greet Ah Nin and make small chit-chat with him as they passed them.

[Meeting Room]

"How does it feel to be back here?" Joey asks.

"It's weird coming back as a client. I worked here for the past two years. Not much has changed... just like 'Ka Yan' is like how I left it. Although I don't remember why I left in the first place..." Ah Nin shrugs. He looks out of the window. "Shanghai sure is beautiful."

The sound of high-heels clanking against the floor could be heard coming from outside of the meeting room doors.

Carrie opened the door to reveal Rose (Kenix Kwok), who held her nose up high. Her make-up was harsh and dark. Gone were the soft, pastel colors that she used in the past to give herself a natural look. "Chris, Joey, what a pleasure." Rose grins. "Carrie, excuse us."

"Let me know if you need anything." Carrie closes the door behind her.

Rose sat down on the big chair at the head of the table. "Joey, aren't you usually so chatty? Chris, don't tell me you're feeling shy. Come on, we're discussing business here. I have to feel happy! Otherwise, why would I give my business to you?"

"Miss Suen," Ah Nin finally says as he clears his throat.

"So distant? Chris, we've slept together. Call me Rose."

"Miss Suen, please keep private matters out of this. Let's be professional. This is a business meeting room."

"Oh, Chris. Chris, Chris, Chris." Rose shakes her head and laughs.

Joey presses her lips tightly together as she looks in concern at Ah Nin.

"Joey, how are you, dear? Since I've been gone, have you slept with Chris yet? I know you were looking to get into his pants."

"Miss Suen! Please watch your words!" Ah Nin yells.

Rose gets up and walks towards Ah Nin. "Just look at your anger. It's a shame we aren't having sex." She runs her finger down his chest.

He pushes her away and stands up. "Miss Suen! This is the final warning. If you don't act like a professional, we're calling this meeting off."

"Oh please..." Rose laughs. "Do you think I hold you and your measly business deal in my eyes? I have more money and power than you'll ever have."

"Joey, let's go." Ah Nin grabs Joey's hand and tries to run out of the door.

"Ah, so we're that close already, huh?" Rose smirks.

Ah Nin tries frantically to open the door, but it is, however, locked. "Let us out!" he orders.

"Honey, you're a guest in my house. Until I say you can, don't you even dare to think you can leave." Rose cackles.

"What do you want?" Ah Nin asks.

"What do I want? What do you want? I gave you my virginity! You said you'd marry me. But what do I have now? Nothing. Now you dare to ask me what I want?" Rose slaps Joey. "You left me for this bitch."

Joey covers her face.

"Rose! What's gotten into you?" Ah Nin demands.

"You finally call me by my name, huh? I helped you get back up after your accident. I helped you earn so much money. Yet, you treat me like this..."

"If it wasn't because of you, there wouldn't have been an accident! I wouldn't have been in a coma! I wouldn't have lost my memories! I wouldn't have been deceived for so many months by you!" Ah Nin screams at the top of his lungs.

Rose claps her hands. "Very good! You've said all that you've wanted, haven't you? Deep down, I know you still love me."

"I don't love heartless bitches like you."

Rose laughs as she makes her way back to her chair. "We have unfinished business."

"We have nothing. It's over. There's no longer any relationship between you and I." Ah Nin pounds on the door. "Carrie! Anyone? Let us out."

"Oh, Chris. Have you forgotten where you are? You're a guest in my house. Do you think people would turn against me and open the door for you? You're much too silly. Have you not woken up from your coma yet?" Rose snickers. "I'll say what I said to Joey again. There's only one way out... and that's by your corpses being carried out."

Ah Nin grows tense. His throat feels dry. "What do you want?"

"Depending on how I feel, you can die with less pain... or..." she smiles, "more."

"You deserve to be locked up," Ah Nin scowls. He runs towards the window and bangs on it. "Help!"

"Oh, honey, did you forget that my family runs this town?" Rose approaches Ah Nin from behind and hugs him. "Why don't we have a go at it for one last time... for old time's sake?"

"Let me go!" Ah Nin orders and moves back towards Joey.

"I see... so you want to play it that way. Very well." Rose walks over to a table and opens a drawer. Out of it, she takes out a gun and a long knife. "What a pity. It seems like we'll have to rush into business..." She places the items on the long meeting table.

Joey and Ah Nin exchange scared looks.

"Rose, don't do anything you'll regret," Joey begs.

"Oh, dear... sweet little Joey is begging me again. To think of it, this will be the third time that I try to murder you. The last two, I failed... but don't you worry my dear, I will succeed this time."

"You're crazy. Let us out of here!" Ah Nin yells.

"If you kill us, there's no way you're getting away with murder again," Joey insists.

"Oh really? This is Shanghai. I can get away with whatever I want." Rose grins. "Now, who's first?"

"Rose, why are you doing this?" Ah Nin asks.

"Why?" Rose laughs. "You ask me why again? You broke my heart. You threw our engagement ring onto the ground like it was some worthless piece of junk. You totally disrespected me and disregarded our relationship. You shattered our memories. You broke us!" Rose yells.

"None of it was real from the start. You were dishonest since the beginning," Joey says.

Rose slaps Joey. "Was I talking to you?" She turns towards Ah Nin. "You'll pay for what you did to me."

"And what about what you did to me? You took away my memories! You might as well have killed me."

"Oh, Chris... I may have taken away your precious memories of Joey, but I've given you much more. Money, power, sex... you could have run Shanghai with me. Don't you think I'm an upgrade from this slut?"

"Don't you talk about Joey like that. She's way above your level. She has something you'll never have... her dignity."

Rose spits on Ah Nin's face. She grabs the gun off of the table and then points it at the two of them.

Joey holds on tightly to Ah Nin.

The sight of the two of them sickens and upsets Rose. "This is what you two want... isn't it, to die together? Well, ha! It isn't going to be like that. You're dying on my terms. First, I'm going to scratch up Joey's pretty little face. Then... I'll give her the treatment I gave Ah Hoi. Then, Chris... it will be your turn. I'll use you first and then chop it off once I'm done. Oh and then... I'll let you have a taste... of what it feels like to have my bullet penetrate your brain." Rose cackles evilly.

Ah Nin is both disgusted and terrified. He could no longer deny it. He had to now admit that the Rose he had spent the past year with was a fake. Before, he could lie to himself and think that perhaps she was not so bad, but with reality looking at him in the eyes, he could not deny it. "All this time... you were faking." Ah Nin says in a hushed tone. "When Joey told me you were this horrible person, I couldn't believe it. I didn't believe it until I saw you with that gun trying to kill Joey. Now, I can't believe that I believed you were sincere for all those months. I was truly blind." He turns to look at Joey. "I wish I knew the truth sooner."

"I also can't believe you are this wicked..." Joey comments.

Rose turns and grabs the knife off of the table with her other hand. She smiles. "Oh, you have no idea. It's just beginning..." She lashes towards Joey with the knife, but she and Ah Nin dodge around the room. "This room isn't big. I'll get you eventually." She cackles.

"I won't let you kill Joey," Ah Nin says.

"You won't let me?" Rose laughs. "Your life isn't exactly free from danger yourself."

Finally, Rose gets them into a corner of the room. "Oh, how fun this is..."

Abruptly, the door of the meeting room is kicked open.

"Kam Nin, Suen Seung Sum, the two of you are under arrest for charges of operating an underground market of illegal drugs. You have the right to remain silent."

A squad of police officers stood before the three of them.

comic tease / issue.5

2007-06-15T00:47:00.000-04:00

Issue #5 featuring The Price of Greed

programme highlights '07 - issue ii

2007-06-13T21:39:00.001-04:00

The second TVB Programme Highlights for 2007 is out! Much thanks to Ron Online for the great, high-quality scans! Now, let's go through the series included in this quarter's installment...

Legend of the Demigods
(Linda Chung, Benny Chan, Sunny Chan, Nancy Wu, etc.)
This is my most anticipated series of 2007. TVB hasn't done a mythical series in so long! I enjoy watching series of this genre. With such a strong producer and a nice cast, I am very confident about Legend. It seems fun and interesting. I'm glad it's 22 episodes and not 20.

Linda's role is fascinating. Her character is very cute and happy-go-lucky, but there's a twist. Aside from the traits of her character, Linda also has a variety of personalities and ages to portray. She acts as a 20, 30, 40, 50, and 70 year old - yes, becoming a hot granny. I've heard that she also acts as flirting twins as well as ugly in some parts. Linda is very positive about this series and feels grateful to have been chosen to act out this challenging role. I love Linda's image for this series - very cute and "Sailormoon" inspired. I hope this is another breakthrough for Linda as this is her first costume drama and her role sounds awesome. She filmed Legend before her breakthrough(s) in Heart of Greed and Best Bet, but after Heavenly In-Laws.

Swear is such an amazingly beautiful song too - I can't wait to hear it as the subsong playing at the end of episodes as the credits roll.

Although I'm dying to watch Legend, I'm praying that TVB doesn't release it until some time in the fall. Linda has had 80 episodes released so far this year (and it's only June). She needs a break from the TVB scene for a few months. Besides, Legend is her last release until 2008's blockbuster The Gem of Life is out, so I want to delay it as long as possible so the waiting time for Gem is less.

The Seventh Day
(Kevin Cheng, Niki Chow, Bosco Wong, Natalie Tong, etc.)
What a gorgeous poster! Well, at least half of it anyways. This is the "sad version" of 2006's hit Under the Canopy of Love - which I loved. I'm very excited about watching this series. I'm all for tragic series. I hope Seventh will be as beautiful, meaningful, and touching as TVB is promoting it to be. I'm glad everyone from the original Canopy cast is back. Although I don't like Kevin, I must say he and Niki are a good couple. Niki is a great actress. She just oozes with charisma and is very natural on-screen. Good for Natalie for having for first true second lead! I've been fond of her since her debut in Hearts of Fencing - such a cute girl! Bosco seriously needs to change his look. How many series has he had this particular haircut for now? The themesong to Seventh is dreadfully boring, but I really hope the series isn't. It would be such a pity if it is. This series has scenes filmed in Japan (which should be very beautiful with all of the snow and sights of Japan) and is also filmed in a special HD lens. Canopy used a soft lens to film, giving the series a very dreamy feel, so I hope Seventh also has a special appearance. I can't wait to watch this series!

The Drive of Life
(Damien Lau, Michael Miu, Raymond Lam, Joe Ma,
Charmaine Sheh, Jessica Hsuan, Myolie Wu, Sheren Tang, etc.)
Wow... poor Jessica. It seems TVB has truly dethroned her from the #1 TVB Sister spot simply because she won't renew her contract with them and replaced the spot with Charmaine. A previous Programme Highlights issue released at the beginning of the year credited Jessica as the female lead, but I guess Charmaine was the true lead all along. I honestly hope that the official poster is better than this. It is way too ugly and crowded. If TVB is willing to spend so much money on Drive, why spend short on the poster? Drive is the most expensive TVB series to date with $60 million HKD being spent on production and $1 million on promotional fees. This series celebrates the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's hand-over back to China. Drive is super-hyped and heavily promoted... I wonder if it will live up to all of the expectations people have of it and its performance. Frankly, I'm not interested in this series, but it seems way too grand to miss.

Tai Chi
(Vincent Zhao, Raymond Lam, Melissa Ng, Myolie Wu, etc.)
TVB decided to shorten the English title and make it succinct like the Chinese title as well as simplify the poster. I think I liked the name The Master of Tai Chi better as well as the fuller poster. Having just Vincent and Raymond (although I know the series will be carried on their shoulders) feels really empty. If TVB adds the other cast members to the poster, I think it would look really good. I am definitely looking forward to watching this series as I expressed earlier. People say that this series may be one of TVB's 2007 Anniversary series... if so, I think it's a good choice. It's a grand production with a nice cast, filmed in the mainland, and also the first TVB series in HDTV. Hopefully the script is good because Tai Chi really has everything else going for it.

Phoenix Rising
(Louisa So, Krystal Tin, Leila Tong, Sunny Chan, etc.)
I am interested in this series. I like the cast and it seems like a potentially intriguing and phenomenal series. Louisa is a superb actress and Krystal is quite good, so these two will carry the series very well. I hope Sunny will have another great role in this series like he did in War and Destiny. He is a very underrated actor.

Repeats from Issue I...

On The First Beat (Ron Ng, Sammul Chan, Joey Yung, Michael Tao, etc.) - I was unsure of this series at first and feared it may tarnish The Academy's great name, but positive reviews for this series thus far has really assuaged my fears. I'm definitely going to be watching this.

The Ultimate Crime Fighter (Yuen Biao, Moses Chan, Gigi Lai, Yoyo Mung, etc.) - There are rumors circulating that TVB wants to air this as one of 2007's Anniversary series... could this be why this series still hasn't released? I am still not interested in watching though.

The Family Link (Sheren Tang, Kiki Sheung, Cecilia Yip, Kenneth Ma, etc.) - This is the highest rated series of 2007 to date with a basis on one of my favorite American shows, Desperate Housewives, and led by the brilliant Sheren, of course I am going to watch this. I heard it's funny and enjoyable, so I look forward to watching it.

Devil's Disciples (Bosco Wong, Kevin Cheng, Bernice Liu, Shirley Yeung, etc.) - TVB must love wasting their ink and reprinting a series that was released at the beginning of the year already over and over again. Or are they trying to push this series again? I honestly hope that TVB doesn't air it come July. What a waste of a time slot that will be! I hope it's true that it's only airing on TVB's pay channel.

What series are you guys looking forward to?

remember: winglin

2007-06-11T21:44:00.001-04:00

Winglin was the home to one of the most infamous and long-lasting community in online TVB history. It is the mother of all forums that succeeded it.

As a fanfic haven
Winglin started out as a fanfiction site in the late 1990's. Writers would post their stories based on their favorite TVB artists and/or series and share with fellow fans, who would read them. The site was easy for writers to use and publish their works and it was hassle-free for fans to read and comment. To this day, Winglin remains to be the headquarters for TVB fanfiction writing and is the only remaining fragment of Winglin still accessible.

As a forum paradise
The boardmasters of Winglin decided to create forums for fan discussion (rather than just be a site for fanfic postings, reading, and discussions) of TVB artists and series. The layout followed a similar structure as those of the original Winglin fanfic site. The forums' threads were linear and fans could post without registration. The forums were free to the public and it soon became the "hot spot" for English TVB discussion. In particular, the "New TVB Discussion Forum" was very active. People would post news and have lengthy discussions on the latest releases.

The "golden years" of the Winglin forums remain to be the early 2000's. In those good times, Winglin wasn't just a forum. It was a home to many online TVB fans. It was a strongly-bound community of fans from all over the world. It was friendly and extremely active. Friendships blossomed and it was just a great time. People had intelligent and sound discussions. People knew one another and it was just a warm time and place.

It was the #1 source for anything and everything current about TVB. If you wanted to know something, someone at Winglin would be able to tell you. It was that simple.

Deteriorating and scares... it's the end
Starting in 2004, Winglin headed for an inevitable decline.

As the Internet became more widespread, new forums started to pop up everywhere. These new forums allowed people to have their own log-in and they were structured in an orderly way. People could quickly find their threads of interest. However, Winglin stood the test of time and its simplicity retained its loyal visitors. Even though the forum was threaded and lacked order, people still liked it for being easy-to-use and active. It remained a source for TVB information. However, these "other" forums started to attract and appeal to more people once Winglin began to have one huge problem...

The forums were frequently down as a result of a faulty and old server. People panicked and the mayhem that resulted with each "down time" was proof of Winglin's strong hold on the TVB community. However, as down times became more frequent, people started to accept that Winglin was not going to work all of the time. Perhaps its lack of stability turned a lot of visitors away and contributed to the continued degradation of activity at the forums.

In 2005, troublemakers started rumors that Winglin was going to shut down. With the site's already unstable nature, many fans believed the rumor to the true. Although the boardmasters have always been quiet, they never failed to update individual artist's forum banner and background. In 2005, however, forum layouts remained static. It looked like it was true that the boardmasters were bailing. Luckily, they set the record straight and told everyone that the problem with the downtime was because of the old server and that they were looking into upgrading so that the forums would run smoothly and be up at all times. The promise of a "new" Winglin was promising. However, with the atmosphere of the forums at that time, not even an upgrade could have saved it.

Since the "golden years" of Winglin came to a sad and abrupt conclusion, the forums began to change drastically - for the worse. Spams got worse. People got ruder. Familiarity and friendships were lost. People couldn't be civil. Heated arguments became more frequent. People were attacked. It was chaotic and downright scary.

I was holding off on writing a Remember article for Winglin because the boardmasters promised fans a "new" and "improved" Winglin back in 2006. I waited and waited... To my dismay, such a resurrection never came. I realize now that Winglin is truly but a memory and needs to be laid to rest.

Encoded Thoughts
In 2007, as a forum, Winglin is long gone. However, it retains its original purpose as a fanfic site and continues to serve writers and readers alike. The golden age of peaceful and happy discussions about TVB is gone. Left are golden memories of better times. While Winglin lacked the "custom" and "personal" features of current forums and had a problem with people "using other people's names," its simplicity and ease marks its beauty. The Winglin forums were a haven from boredom and a great source of information for many years. However, like everything else, all good things come to an end...

Thank you boardmasters for creating and maintaining such a beautiful home and a great place for so many years. You guys pioneered online English TVB discussions for overseas and non-Chinese literate fans. Winglin will always rightfully have its place in TVB's history and we will remember you for it.

Bonus: TVB Musings' Episodic Memory
Winglin was one of the first TVB sites I discovered after getting into the TVB world a few years ago. I used it as an information source as well as for opinions on series. It was a great place. I eventually become one of the "known" posters at that forum with my frequent postings. Winglin was a pivotal reason for the success of my Virtues of Harmony websites. They even linked my Virtues forums on their main page of forum directories. I used it to shamelessly advertise my site(s). I used to love Winglin in its "golden years." I'd go to it right after school and check out all of the new postings (which would be a lot). It was so fun! I was addicted to Winglin. I met a lot of good friends there (of which, sadly, I only talk to on an infrequent basis or none at all nowadays). There were so many great people at Winglin during the "golden years" that made Winglin such a fun and interesting place to visit.

I want to give a shout-out to nAnCeE ("Wifey"! I miss the way we used to post with our names together; our chats were so fun!), Diana ("Ah Lui"!), Candie, me, and Ray (If it wasn't for your posts praising Virtues so much, I don't know whether or not I would have had the faith to continue it. It's a scary thought to me now if I never had the 4-years Virtues experience.) I met countless of people over the years at Winglin, so if I forgot you and you're reading this... sorry!

In either 2002 or 2003, discussions started to stray from TVB. People began to be more interested in the personal lives of fellow posters. I remember that one time, everyone posted their pictures. It was crazy. Consequently, the boardmasters created a new forum for personal/off-topic discussions. I believe this was the start of the decline of Winglin. The atmosphere in the TVB forums never recovered after the "personal curiosity" explosion. Perhaps the lackluster-ness of TVB is to blame for the deterioration as well.

Despite my fond memories of Winglin, it hasn't always been so pleasant. The boardmasters know who I am. I bothered them countless of times as a result of "forum drama." Because of my "status" at the forums, people recognized who I was and I inevitably developed haters on Winglin. I don't want to go into details, but let's just say my "forum drama" involved stalkers and a despicable "shim" (inside joke/name).

In 2005, I discovered the joys of Winglin as a fanfic haven. I was very disappointed with Virtues of Harmony II's ending and had lots of ideas on how to continue the storyline, so I started a fanfic. I loved how simple it was to post chapters and the comments page that Winglin had was awesome. It allowed my fanfic to reach out to countless readers. It was great. Sadly, in 2006, I could no longer log in to post more chapters of my story. It turns out that all old users could no longer log into their accounts. However, my fanfic remains on Winglin's server. I probably lost a lot of readers as a result of the move from Winglin over to my own server - such a pity.

As the years went by, my postings on Winglin became less and less. The atmosphere there was no longer the same. Very little people knew anyone else. The "community" factor that was so strong in the early 2000's was lost. The forum became heavy on spam and haters. Its constant downtime was also discouraging. It just wasn't fun anymore. I also avoided posting or posted under a pseudonym because I knew that people still knew who "MetalAZNWarrior" was and I didn't want to leave myself vulnerable for haters to attack nonsensically. Nevertheless, I continued to visit on a daily basis out of habit and to check for news and/or discussions. At this current time, my passion for forums has died. Even if Winglin returned, I'd be indifferent. The feeling is just long gone.

However, I still appreciate and love Winglin for what it was and how much it gave me during the good times.

series 411: "the green grass of home"

2007-06-10T01:09:00.000-04:00

Title: The Green Grass of Home (Yuen Loi Ji Yau Gei)
Casts: Sunny Chan, Christine Ng, Yuen Wah, Law Lok Lam, etc.
Length: 20 episodes (Cantonese) // 15 tapes (Vietnamese)
Release Date: June 2007 (Canto) // August 2007 (Viet)
Genre: Modern Drama/Environment/Enlightenment

Note: Please credit "MetalAZNWarrior" and/or this site if you should use my translation of the series' plot! I worked hard to translate it, so please don't just steal or use it for another site without my permission and/or credit. Thank you!

Synopsis:
The green love destiny already buried
Bickering enemies, calmly awaiting love's seed

After many years competing at the office, interior designer Yip Moon Chi (Christine Ng Wing Mei) not only suffers from poor health, but her relationship with her family members is no longer like before. Therefore, she decides to slow things down and moves to a village lifestyle, in the place in which she grew up as a child.

She never thought that she would suddenly meet her enemy from work, Choi Ka Sing (Sunny Chan Gam Hung), there. Even more, she couldn't have guessed that it's because of Sing that her relationship with her father, Yip Cheung Faat (Yuen Wah), improves. Later, Sing falls in love with Chi, but he still hasn't expressed his feelings for her. She then throws herself back into a materialistic life, once again competing because of her career.

Meanwhile, Faat's farmland is selected by a real estate developer. He doesn't hesitate to file a lawsuit against him and also wants a law to preserve the green countryside. It's a shame his family doesn't support him for this...

My thoughts: I really don't understand why TVB pushed up Grass's release so much. It just finished filming two or three months ago! Is this series so "special" that TVB couldn't wait to air it? To be frank, this series reminds me of At Home With Love - a totally "filler" series with a typical, reused plot. There are so many reasons why I shouldn't even bother with this series and not give it the time of day like I did with Home, but because it's from Producer Tsui, I can't let it go "like that". I don't get it. Why would TVB warehouse Producer Tsui's remarkable and high-quality The Price of Greed and air this one so fast?

I strongly believe TVB is airing Grass so soon because they want to push Suki Chui's TV debut. The self-proclaimed-"I-will-win-Miss-Hong-Kong"-but-ultimately-lost Suki is determined to become a TVB "fa dan". She won the "Female Newcomer" award from Next TV Magazine this year without the audience even seeing what her acting was like. The media called her the successor to Gigi Lai and Charmaine Sheh. Just like how she was with "Miss Hong Kong", she's very cocky about her future at TVB. She's currently being heavily promoted and filming two series (the modern War of In-Laws and the Qing costume comedy with Jordan Chan, Michael Tse, and Charmaine) at the same time. What is it about Suki that TVB seems to love so much? Hmm... they must see something otherwise they wouldn't have rushed the release of an otherwise seemingly unremarkable Grass.

Producer Tsui must be thrilled. His last series A Change of Destiny just finished airing a month ago with rather respectable ratings and good reviews and now TVB is rushing his latest production. [On a side note, I can't wait to see what he will be working on next! I think he's been busy on post-production for Grass, so he hasn't had a chance to work on anything new yet.] Grass contains the staple cast members of a production by Producer Tsui, including Kingdom Yuen and Sherming Yiu. Other cast members feature Evergreen Mak, Lai Lok Yi, Natalie Tong, Mimi Lo, Joel Chan San Chung, Ben Wong, and Leanne Li.

Grass seems like it aims to promote nature and appreciating a simpler kind of life and the environment. It will be talking about how modern life is too materialistic, how everything most people do pollute the environment, and how most people view nature only as a commodity. Grass can very well be refreshing and meaningful, but it can just as easily be overly preachy and lame. Unlike Home though, I quite like the cast of Grass and unlike Producer Lo, I have much more faith in Producer Tsui and like most of his productions. I don't think Grass will be too bad, but it can't be too great either. I think it will be mediocre at best, unfortunately... I hope I'm wrong and Grass turns out to be an enjoyable series, but I am really skeptical about the quality of it.

"in love with drama" cd download

2007-06-08T22:12:00.000-04:00

Note: Just right click & Save Target As to download the songs!

Please do not stream or hot link! Posting direct links of these downloads to any other site and/or forum is strictly prohibited! If you want to share these songs, post a link back to this site. My bandwidth is not free and reserved only for my visitors. Please cooperate! Thanks and happy downloading and listening!

Track 01. Susanna Kwan - Speechless
(Themesong from TVB series Heart of Greed)
:: download - 3.58 MBs - 3:49

Track 02. Shirley Kwan - Only Once
(Subsong from TVB series Best Selling Secrets)
:: download - 2.97 MBs - 3:14

Track 03. Kevin Cheng - The Most Beautiful Seventh Day
(Themesong from TVB series The Seventh Day)
:: download - 3.53 MBs - 3:51

Track 04. Charmaine Sheh - Forbidden Love
(Subsong from TVB series Maidens' Vow)
:: download - 3.63 MBs - 3:52

Track 05. Liza Wang - The Last Empress
(Themesong from TV series The Last Empress)
:: download - 3.21 MBs - 3:30

Track 06. Raymond Lam & Linda Chung - Appreciated
(Subsong from TVB series The Heart of Greed)
:: download - 4.18 MBs - 4:34

Track 07. Bowie Lam - Right or Wrong's Grey Area
(Themesong from TVB series Misleading Track)
:: download - 3.55 MBs - 3:52

Track 08. Bosco Wong - Which Day
(Subsong from TVB series Dicey Business)
:: download - 3.01 MBs - 3:13

Track 09. Bernice Liu - I'm So In Love With You
:: download - 2.98 MBs - 3:15

Track 10. Ron Ng - Golden Strong
(Subsong from TVB series Men in Pain)
:: download - 3.75 MBs - 4:06

chapter 165: be patient

2007-06-07T20:41:00.000-04:00

["Ka Yan" Company]

A few days had passed since Rose (Kenix Kwok) left Hong Kong. Much to the disappointment of Joey (Bernice Liu), they didn't get together right away after he broke up with Rose. She tried to comfort him, but it seemed like Ah Nin (Frankie Lam) built a wall around himself. It was like he was afraid of being hurt again. He didn't want to let anyone else in.

"He can't forget Rose," Joey sighs to herself, glancing a peek at him through her small mirror.

[Daydream]

Joey sat in a field of golden yellow flowers. Her clone hopped towards her, wearing a sunflower-patterned spring dress. She held a bouquet of flowers.

"You're full of tricks, aren't you?" Joey shakes her head and laughs.

"Like I say, I try to spice it up to keep things interesting," Clone Joey smiles. She sits down next to Joey and starts weaving the flowers together.

"What are you doing?"

"It's a surprise." Clone Joey frowns. "You look down again. What's wrong with you now?"

"I don't know. I thought I'd be happier, but I-"

"But you're still not with Chris again yet." Clone Joey rolls her eyes.

"I don't get it. I thought that once Chris found out that Rose was so horrible and evil...he'd-"

"He'd end up right back into your arms and you two would live happily ever after." Clone Joey rolls her eyes again.

"Geez, aren't you sarcastic and mean? Sometimes I wonder whether or not you are Rose in disguise."

"Truth hurts, my dear. It doesn't sound as soothing to the ear as lies."

"You told me to work hard and expose Rose." Joey frowns. "I did that..."

"I know and I'm very proud of you for doing that. You came so close to blowing it. Thank god Rose wanted to kill you... otherwise you'd still be sobbing up to me about how you can't see Chris ever again. Boo-hoo." Clone Joey makes an annoyed face. "Joey, Chris is a person. He has feelings."

"I know that."

"If he just went into your arms after he found out Rose was an evil little bitch, what kind of man does this make him? Would you want to be with someone who goes from woman to woman like that? Like it or not, Chris loved, and I don't doubt that he still does, Rose. He is a man of deep feelings. You know that."

Joey nods her head, listening intently. "That's true..."

"You have to give him time. His wounds have to heal. He can't just accept another woman into his life like that. So what if Rose is gone? So what if you 'waited for him forever'? So what if you two are 'destined'? You can't push these things."

"I waited so long..." Joey moans. "He deserves real love. He's been hurt and manipulated far too much."

"I know." Clone Joey finishes weaving the flowers. She plants the wreath made of flowers onto Joey's head. "Just be patient, my dear. Stick it through with him in these rough times."

[End of Daydream]

Ah Nin stood before Joey, waving his hands back and forth. "Hello... is anyone home?"

Joey blinks and stares at him in surprise. His face stood but a very short distance from hers.

He smiles. "What are you so deep in thought about?"

Joey coughs. "I... was thinking about inspiration for a new design."

"Oh, really?" Ah Nin folds his arms and looks unconvinced.

"Yes! I was!" Joey blushes as she tries to defend herself.

He laughs. "You get worked up so easily."

"I don't want to be wrongly accused! I am a hard worker!"

He playfully hits Joey on the head. "Yeah, yeah. Mr. Wong just called us into his office. Let's go, Ms. Hard-Worker-Who-Daydreams."

Joey smiles happily.

[Wong Sheung's Office]

"Mr. Wong, you wanted to see us?" Ah Nin asks.

Wong Sheung (Lau Dan) played with his fingers underneath his desk, unsure of how to open his mouth.

"Daddy, is something wrong?" Joey is concerned.

"Um... I know with everything that's been going on lately, this is an awkward request to ask. Chris, I'm terribly sorry your wedding fell through. But uh..."

"It's okay. Mr. Wong, just tell us, what is it?" Ah Nin assures him.

"I just got a new business offer..." Wong Sheung's voice trails.

"That's great. Why do you sound so upset, daddy?" Joey questions.

"It's 'F&B'," Wong Sheung blurts out.

Joey is stunned to hear the name of Rose's company. She bites her bottom lip and steals a glance at Ah Nin, who looked calm.

"I know it's awkward. I know it's wrong of me to ask, but the offer is too good to pass up on..."

"Can't Michelle or Miss Man be in charge of the offer instead?" Joey frantically asks.

Wong Sheung shakes his head. "No. 'F&B' made it clear that they only wanted Chris and you to be in charge-"

"It's okay, Mr. Wong!" Ah Nin interrupts and smiles widely. "Business is business. I don't mind."

"Chris, don't push yourself," Joey urges.

Ah Nin smiles at her. "I'm fine! Don't worry about it, Mr. Wong. Joey and I will fly up to Shanghai and bring back good news. Excuse me." Ah Nin leaves the office.

Joey continues to sit in her chair, looking after Ah Nin walking away. "Chris puts on a brave face, but inside, I know he's feeling awkward about it."

"Maybe I should turn down the offer..." Wong Sheung offers.

"Don't. More than anything, Chris hates to have his pride hurt. If he says he can do it, we mustn't do anything to doubt him."

"You're brave too, daughter."

"Huh?"

"Rose is your love rival after all."

Joey shrugs. "Like Chris says, it's just business. So what if we have a history with Rose?"

"I really cannot believe Rose is really so scary." Wong Sheung frowns. "I'd never have suspected that of her from my encounters with her. She seemed like such a sweet, innocent girl."

"She had everyone fooled. She's very convincing. She should win 'Best Actress' at the TVB Anniversary."

Wong Sheung laughs.

the modern "war of in-laws"

2007-06-05T22:44:00.000-04:00

You heard it here first! Last year, I successfully predicted that War of In-Laws would be the next series to get the "modern version" treatment. Surely enough, the costume fitting for War of In-Laws 2007 was today.

When news of the modern version first leaked back in October 2006, the Chinese title for the slated production was 我的野蠻新抱 ("Ngoh Dik Yeah Man Sun Po" - translated as My Barbaric Daughter-in-Law). Going from this title, the roles of Myolie Wu and Liza Wang were going to be reversed. Myolie was going to be the "barbaric" one that Liza was going to have to put up with because she's her daughter-in-law. The reversal of roles also fits more appropriately with modern times. Daughter-in-laws are no longer worried about pleasing their mother-in-laws as much as before and in some cases, the mother-in-law has to follow the wishes of her daughter-in-law! It would be very refreshing to see Myolie be outrageous and mean and Liza be the one who is suffering.

Disappointingly, the storyline obviously changed. The current title for the modern In-Laws is 我的野蠻奶奶2007 ("Ngoh Dik Yeah Man Lai Lai 2007" - directly translated as My Barbaric Mother-in-Law 2007 or War of In-Laws 2007). From this title, it's clear that Liza will remain "barbaric" in this modern version. I guess TVB deemed it too risky to change the "formula" of In-Laws too much.

The Devil Wears Prada Rip-Off?
The media is dubbing the modern In-Laws as a copy of the 2006 American movie The Devil Wears Prada starring the legendary Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. Hathaway's character ("Andrea" or as she prefers to be called - "Andy") goes to work as the assistant of "Miranda Priestly" (Streep) in the prominent fashion magazine, Runway. "Andy" is clueless about fashion and she's only working at the magazine in hopes of a good recommendation letter so that she can write for a big newspaper. "Miranda" is the most fearsome boss ever - demanding, intimidating, etc. Devil follows "Andy" and the great strives she goes through as her assistant.

From information that leaked so far about the modern In-Laws, I can definitely say that TVB did indeed base the series around Devil. For starters, In-Laws 2007 also revolves heavily around clothes and the fashion industry (as Devil did). Liza's character is an executive at a fashion company and she will be "training" Myolie's character to become a "sophisticated" woman with some "fashion" sense. Originally, Myolie's character is a cop (and thus we can assume her character is somewhat of a tomboy or at least lacks a taste for "fashion"). This sounds just like Devil. "Miranda" makes "Andy" transform from a tomboy into someone who wears the latest fashion. The big difference between In-Laws 2007 and Devil is that Myolie and Liza will become in-laws as Myolie becomes a couple with Liza's son, Bosco Wong.

Besides Liza, Myolie, and Bosco, cast members of the modern In-Laws include Vivien Yeo, Suki Chui, and Stephen Huynh.

My thoughts: I absolutely hated the original/ancient In-Laws. I resent In-Laws for being so overrated. Its win as "Best Series" at the 2005 Anniversary was undeserved. I quite liked it at first, but the series instantly loses all merits of entertainment and charm and becomes a tiring, dragging, ridiculous, and desperate series. To me, it's not funny or charming, but irritating and nonsensical. I love In-Laws's premise/idea of a "barbaric" mother-in-law and with a much better script, this series could have succeeded. Unfortunately, the script was beyond lacking. This series was just lucky (as I believe Square Pegs - another series I am not fond of - was as well). I regret wasting 20-episodes time and watching it.

I like Liza. Her acting is superb and I do believe she is TVB's equivalent of Meryl Streep. Devil's success in the box office was primarily due to Streep and her wonderful portrayal and character. I actually watched Devil recently, so I think it's kind of funny that the modern In-Laws turned out to be TVB's version of The Devil Wears Prada. The movie was pretty much fluff and only somewhat entertaining at times - it wasn't my cup of tea. The only good scenes were those involving Streep's "Miranda" - who was incredibly snappy and convincing as the "boss from hell". I think Liza will do justice to a "Miranda"-like role.

Hmm... we'll see how War of In-Laws 2007 fares. I don't have any hopes for this production and will probably skip it as it doesn't interest me. I'm not interested in fashion and I'm not a fan of anyone in the cast aside from Liza. As I stated in a previous post, I am black-listing productions by Producer Kwan Wing Chung. I haven't liked a single series he has produced. His series lack charm and end up being really ridiculous and a waste of time. Producer Kwan also has a track record of ruining good American movies and producing terrible series. Hasn't he learned his lesson yet from his attempt at producing TVB's "version" of Bridget Jones's Diary/Korea's My Name is Kim Sam Soon with 2006's To Grow With Love?

Update: It turns out that TVB has replaced the original producer of In-Laws (Producer Kwan) and given "his" series to Producer Cheung Kin Man (another newcomer producer to TVB). That's funny. Producer Kwan was boasting about how he was going to create a "great" role for Myolie in the modern In-Laws so she could win "Best Actress." Hmm... wonder why he was replaced.

I'm neutral about Producer Cheung. His series include To Love With No Regrets, Dicey Business, Lethal Weapons of Love and Passion, and Lost In The Chamber of Love. The only series that I quite liked from him was Love. It was touching, meaningful, and quite funny. Dicey was okay (at least far better than anything Producer Kwan has produced). It seems like Producer Cheung loves to use Bosco.

I still do not look forward to this production despite a "better" producer being at the helm of it.

a comedic "heart of greed"

2007-06-04T20:52:00.001-04:00

The 2007 grand production Heart of Greed started off shaky, but gradually kept increasing and gaining buzz. In the last half of the series, it was the hottest series to hit in a long time. TVB finally had another big hit in their hands. Ratings were no longer in a slump. Everyone was chatting about it and the cast all got nice boosts in popularity (besides a certain someone). Ultimately, ratings peaked with an impressive high of 48 pts (3.1 million viewers).

TVB announced that they would film another series with Heart's cast to reunite everyone in hopes of another hot series.

It was revealed on May 31st by Louis Yuen in Moses Chan and Linda Chung's chat room session with fans that the entire cast hoped to film a comedy. Moses and Linda both thought it was a really good idea. In today's news, TVB revealed that the new series would have a completely new storyline in a different genre. This confirms that TVB plans to film a grand production comedy.

It's been years since TVB has done a grand production comedy. These days, there are no longer series like A Recipe for the Heart, Happy Ever After, The Legendary Four Aces, and so on. Comedies these days are low-budget with only a few A-list names in the main roles. Only grand production dramas get big A-list cast members.

I love the idea of a comedic Heart. TVB is producing too many grand production dramas these days. The Brink of Law, Dicey Business, The Drive of Life, The Gem of Life... does the audience really need any more big-budget dramas? There's only so much "rich people fighting" storylines and drama that can be created before it gets tiring. After the 60-episode Drive and 80-episode Gem, I think the audience will feel oversaturated with heavy drama. It's time for a change - bring back the grand production comedies!

Besides, if the Heart cast and crew did a drama again, it might seem repetitive and bore the audience. Also, everyone would be comparing the two. It just would be a bad idea.

The cast of Heart is my favorite A-list cast that TVB has put together, so I am thrilled everyone is going to be reunited for a new series. Everyone seems to get along really well and have great chemistry together. They just elicit a very warm feeling and the acting is spectacular. Everyone in Heart cried so much and went through so much drama. A comedy from them would be very refreshing and I think it will also be a hit.

Now, will it be modern or ancient?

I think it can go either way.

If it's modern, I think it would be perfect if TVB did a version of the 10-years-running American classic sitcom Friends. Friends is a hilarious and sometimes heartwarming sitcom about six friends (3 guys, 3 girls) who live in the same apartment building and follows their entertaining struggles through relationships and life's tribulations. Ultimately, four of the six friends become couples. Heart has 6 young leads to fill in the roles (Moses, Linda, Raymond Lam, Yoyo Mung, Bosco Wong, Tavia Yeung) of the 6 friends and the veterans can be their parents. [I'll do a separate post on who I think should play which part in a Friends recast later.] It would be refreshing to see a grand production comedy revolving around the lives of 6 friends [who together are essentially a family] rather than a modern "big family" comedy.

If it's ancient, I think it would probably be a costume "big family" comedy like Virtues of Harmony and Colourful Life.

Personally, I'd want a modern grand production comedy because TVB hasn't done one in a long time. However, I'd be happy and satisfied either way.

Filming most likely won't start until 2008. Moses, Bosco, Linda, and Lee See Kei are working on Gem until October 2007, Bosco will be working simultaneously on the modern version of War of In-Laws until the fall, Linda (who may or may not be filming in addition with Gem) and Yoyo are busy until November 2007 with Forensic Heroes II, and Raymond is tied up with the grand production wuxia adaptation of the novel The Four Great Constables by Wen Rui An.

This comedic Heart will be my most anticipated release in 2009 for sure. It would be great if TVB airs it as an anniversary series for that year too.

How about you guys? Are you liking the comedic Heart idea? Would you rather it be a costume or modern comedy?

series 411: "on the first beat"

2007-06-03T13:42:00.000-04:00

Title: On The First Beat (Hok Ging Chut Gang)
Casts: Michael Tao, Sonija Kwok, Ron Ng, Sammul Chan, etc.
Length: 30 episodes (Cantonese) // 22 tapes (Vietnamese)
Release Date: June 2007 (Canto) // July 2007 (Viet)
Genre: Modern Drama/Police/Crime/Educational

Synopsis:
The truth is a reality, true PTU
Leaving the academy, stepping in front of the firing line
The sequel to "The Academy,"
True feelings demonstrated teach the team through the process

After going through the excruciating training of the academy, Chung Lap Man (Ron Ng Cheuk Hei) and Li Pak Kiu (Sammul Chan Gin Fung) finally become official police officers and are assigned into the same branch. One operation causes Kiu's girlfriend to die a violent death. Furthermore, it causes Kiu and Man, this pair of good brothers, to separate from one another. Newly-appointed police chief Cheung Ging Fung (Michael Tao Dai Yue) turns out to be the crime leader of last time's operation. Kiu further discovers that there's an inside story to his girlfriend's death...

The feelings between Man and his colleague Cheung Nim Yan (Joey Yung Jo Yi) gradually develop. However, his cousin Man Jing (Kate Tsui Tsz San), like before, pursues him. On the other hand, Kiu loves Fung's ex-wife, Yuen Wai Nei (Sonija Kwok Sin Nei). However, the old feelings between Fung and Nei still haven't ended. Facing the impact of career, friendship, and love, how will the two new officers deal with it all?

My thoughts: I really liked The Academy. I'm iffy about this sequel because I don't like the cast changes. The storyline, however, seems promising. Besides, I mentioned previously that I like Academy's characters and want to see what the "future" has in store for them.

I'm so disappointed that Michelle Yim is not involved in the sequel. I loved her scenes in Academy (especially with Michael Miu - the highlight and star of Academy) - I wonder what happened to "Man"'s family in the sequel?!

Poor Ron... In Academy, Sammul's acting clearly outshone his and it looks like Sammul's acting and storyline will outshine him in Beat too. Honestly speaking, "Man" only has a seemingly typical and uninteresting love triangle whereas "Kiu" not only suffers the death of his beloved girlfriend, but has a brother/sister relationship and he's involved with a central mystery as well. How interesting do the scenes involving "Kiu" sound compared to "Man" already?

I'm going to hold out for reviews on Beat and then decide whether or not I want to watch it. I hope it's good and doesn't tarnish the good name Academy built.

linda chung acts 'in the heart'

2007-06-03T13:17:00.000-04:00

Linda Chung Acts 'In the Heart' (Seung Joi Sum)

[Sing Pao 26/05/07]

Recently, Heart of Greed is the town's hot topic. The storyline has reached a climax. However, the focal point of debates is on "Dai Kai" Lee See Kei and "Sai Kai" Susanna Kwan Guk Ying. The two of them are great promotional forces. In fact, the supporting role "Seung Joi Sum" (Linda Chung Ka Yan) also captures the spotlight, secretly gaining young fans' support!

Regarding the audience's gripping interest in "Dai Kai" and "Sai Kai," Linda happily says it is a good thing. She says it really engages her into the storyline: "Although I'm not related with the Tong family and didn't have any scenes with Sister Sei Kei, I really love watching them argue. The most profound moment was when Sister See Kei was in the hospital and yelled at Tavia Yeung Yi; it was very eye-catching. Linda loves the name "Seung Joi Sum" and when she's out in the streets, people will also call her by that name. This makes her unable to deny that TVB's charm on the audience is really strong.

Linda has entered the entertainment industry for just three years. Her greatest concern isn't about her own appearance, but rather it is the audience's extreme criticism of her acting. Linda says, "I love going on the Internet and reading people's comments because I can see what people really think of me. At first, there were people who said I wasn't pretty, that I was ugly. I wasn't angry. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I won't put too much thought into things that can't be changed. What I mind most is people saying that my performance is not good. That's why I had to prove to everyone that 'they were wrong about me'." Last year, Linda won "Most Improved Actress" and a bunch of negative press along with it. She strongly persevered through it. Now, Linda receives heartfelt praises from the audience for her improved performance in Heart. Linda's smile is really from the heart.

The good news is that Linda hasn't let the mean messages on the Internet strike her down; otherwise we wouldn't be able to see her on the television screen again this year! She laughingly says, "After the pageant, I told myself that I'd give three years time for development in the entertainment industry. Whether or not I was successful, I'd go back to Vancouver to continue my studies... It turns out that right now it's been three years and two months. The day I realized this, I thought, 'Crap! I'm still here?'" Linda cannot deny that her formerly settled 'three years then out' thought has changed in the midst of it all. It's all because she thought the industry is too alluring, so after her heart has played enough, she'd return home. Only after three years did she discover her own surprising talents and interest. The reporter cannot restrain and asks her at this moment how many years she has given herself. With an easy smile, Linda says, "Once again three years! During this time, I might already have married and started a family or I might turn around and become a singer. In the meantime, I'll 'keep' 24 hours and earnestly do my job."

Linda is a very easy girl to get along with. No matter the topic, she can engage in conversation. Being in the industry for some years, her close friends are as follow: Winnie Shum Wing Ting, Shirley Yeung Sze Kei, Tavia... Ah! Unexpectedly, she doesn't even have one male friend. Is it because she's afraid of rumors? She says, "Truthfully speaking, I really don't have any. It's not because I'm scared of the rumors. Unless you have something to hide, if you're out-right and righteous, what's there to be afraid of? I think that boys in the industry are too complicated." She admits that during these short years, there has been a guy who has appeared who has met her affections. However, she says, "Thinking about it, there has to be, but I know that after work, the feeling would be gone. I understand it's not real." There are almost ten male artists that have been linked with Linda in the past. Whether or not it's real, only those involved know. She thinks that "not answering" and "no comment," these kinds of predictable answers are for news reporters to hand in something. In the future, surely, Linda will have the chance to be in even more papers. However, she still finds it annoying because it's all fabricated. She might as well just deny it. "Say no" should be the best answer.

My thoughts: Now that Heart of Greed has concluded its golden run, I think this should be one of the last articles on Linda for awhile. In the past couple of weeks, Linda has had so much coverage and features, with each article being longer than the last. Everything was covered already and there's no need for any more interviews from her reflecting her immense improvements, getting through the 'hard times,' and how she got to where she is.

This was another good little article. I liked that it was short and to-the-point and that it allowed Linda to express her thoughts on Heart and also open up a little more, giving us a window into her thoughts.

Truthfully speaking, I was petrified over Heart's release. I was really scared that Linda didn't do as good of a job because of three reports of her causing repeated re-takes. It didn't help that sources from all over were saying that she is the true female lead and has the most screentime. It is a heavy role and in a big, grand production, surely to be watched by a lot of people, so Linda's future rested on it. The situation looked bad from the start for Linda simply because she was casted as "Seung Joi Sum." Heart was going to be a "make" or "break" deal for Linda. It was the last chance she had to prove to people that she is a talented actress and has potential. If she did bad, people would criticize her even more and not give her any more chances (although some people refuse to even give her a chance to begin with). If she did well, she could turn the situation around and make people change their minds about her.

I didn't know which way Heart would tip the boat... and I was scared. Thankfully, the outcome has far exceeded what I thought would happen. I'm amazed and super impressed by Linda in Heart. I cannot believe she did so well and improved so much. Linda said it herself in her Heart chat that when she watched the series, she was really surprised at the outcome. Prior to its release, she wasn't sure how she did. Now that she's seen the final result of her performance, Linda finds it hard to believe it's her acting; Heart is the first performance she is satisfied with. She must be so ecstatic to hear all of the praises showered on her these days by viewers, fans, veterans, co-stars, and people in the industry. All it took was a little thing called Heart - now she has so much more confidence in herself.

All I can say at this point is that I am really happy and super relieved.

TVB Executive Catherine Tsang explains why
It amuses me how haters go so far to downplay things, corrupt and suspect some, exaggerate others, and then twist and make up "truths".

If someone is "over-promoted," they'll say, "It's that evil Miss Lok! She won't stop promoting him/her and keeps putting him/her in every series! He/she is sucking up to her." If someone is getting "too much" exposure in the news, they'll cry, "TVB is bribing the press to put him/her in the news! TVB is paying them to write good things." The list just goes on. It's really ridiculous and nonsensical.

No, she doesn't have "connections" nor does she "suck up" to executives. No one at TVB specifically says "Linda must be promoted!" Perhaps the most convincing words on Linda's promotion by TVB is best told by an insider...

TVB executive producer Catherine Tsang was on the radio recently talking about who TVB was promoting. Linda's name naturally came up. Catherine was very positive about Linda, saying how much she improved and how she's so hard-working. She revealed that Linda always memorizes the script and will ask questions until she's clear (about whatever matter/issue she has). Even more, Linda will always ask what she's working on next even before she's finished filming a series and will never ask for a vacation or a break; she can endure a lot.

Those very words best reveal why Linda is "so promoted."

She's hard-working and has a positive attitude. Who doesn't love a good employee? TVB is, above anything else, an employer. Linda does her job and doesn't make any trouble for them. She tries very hard and comes to work prepared and ready to work. She doesn't waste time or mess around. Linda is very serious about her career. People who have worked with her say she is easy to get along with. TVB executive Virginia Lok has said that producers love to cast her - this is true. Producers Tsui Yu On and Lee Tim Sing have both casted her twice in leading roles. TVB doesn't dictate who is in what series. Producers choose their cast (at least for the major characters). It is not Linda's fault that she gets casted in series-after-series. She's just doing her job as an employee.

There are probably other reasons why Linda has been so favored at TVB from the start, but we as outsiders really don't know what goes on inside TVB, so it's not right to judge or make faulty accusations. It's business. There'll always be those who have more promotion, more successes, etc. In the real world, not everything is about seniority or "being fair". It's about making gains and TVB must have their reasons for investing so much time, opportunities, and money into Linda.

Let the results speak for themselves.

Recap of recent professional acclaim for Linda

Although "Dai Kai" Lee See Kei had no scenes with Linda in Heart, she praised Linda as one of the young actresses she finds to have a lot of potential after watching her in Best Bet, to which Lee See Kei kept saying she gave an "excellent performance"; Furthermore, she has also said that Linda is able to understand her role(s) and knows how to get into character

The Gem of Life co-star and Linda's idol Ada Choi said that Linda "puts her heart into acting and has full potential and professionalism"

Heart co-star and veteran Ha Yu complimented Linda for "immense improvements"

Love Is Not All Around movie executive Paco explained the casting of Linda for his highly anticipated movie, "This time, we chose Linda Chung to act because of the strong recommendations by Yip Nim Sam [the movie's director]. To some extent, everyone is attracted by Linda's docile appearance. Furthermore, she is well-trained by TVB. Her performing skills are something to behold. Her crying really moves every part of the heart."

Movie director of the successful box office hit Love Is Not All Around Yip Nim Sam was full of praises for Linda's performance: "Her performance is excellent. She was very immersed [into character] when she acted out her emotions. Her acting is very exquisite. When she cries, everyone is able to feel her pain. It's very touching."

Fellow co-stars Raymond Lam, Bosco Wong [who, along with Niki Chow and Steven Ma, supported Linda to win "Most Improved Actress" at last year's anniversary], and Tavia Yeung have all said Linda improved a lot; Moses Chan says Linda is very hard-working and Yoyo Mung says she has star potential

Highly respected and big-time veteran Adam Cheng has been watching Heart and says the following: "Linda Chung - she uses her heart [in acting] and I found that she improved tremendously!"

Legendary singer Alan Tam praised Linda for her acting and crying scenes

TVB executive Virginia Lok says Linda learns fast and that producers love to cast her

TVB executive producer Catherine Tsang spoke highly of Linda on a recent radio interview, saying she improved a lot, especially in Heart, and is very hard-working

These words from people in the industry, who have plenty of experience and credibility, show how evident it is that TVB clearly doesn't think it was a mistake on their part to invest in Linda. I think they'll continue to support her so that they can bring her up into a big star. I don't see anything wrong with developing new talents. Flowers will bloom, flowers will wilt - that's just how the industry works. Linda has worked really hard, never stopped trying her best, and has now greatly polished up to become a very promising actress and deserves what she has.

linda chung - latecomer reaches the shore first

2007-05-30T15:06:00.000-04:00

Linda Chung - Latecomer Reaches the Shore First

[Express News Weekly #457]

Unofficial statistics say that the average age of TVB 'fa dan' (leading lady) is 30 years old.

Looking at Gigi Lai Chi, Charmaine Sheh Sze Man, Ada Choi Siu Fan, and Maggie Shiu Mei Kei, they've all already come of age. Even rising stars like Tavia Yeung Yi and Shirley Yeung Sze Kei are no longer 25.

Linda Chung Ka Yan is perhaps the youngest leading lady with the most credentials.

Before we reveal her age, let us first look at the caliber of her co-stars. In the hot series Heart of Greed, she fights with 30 year-old senior Yoyo Mung Ka Wai. In the as-yet-unreleased The Gem of Life, her rival is a woman who must apply heavy make-up before being seen.

Linda's youth makes her a winner
Latecomer first to reach the shore, in 2003 Linda was a pageant queen and last year she won the "Most Improved Actress" award. What's really rare is that she's been out for over three years, but still hasn't been degraded into playing roles of sluts.

Her image is much more precious than her bust-hurling "Miss Chinese International" predecessors such as Bernice Liu Bik Yi and Michelle Ye.

"I want to keep my image, all-together quite 'clean'."

At 23 years old, Linda is truly without additives, so let us hope that she will not end up like Gigi Leung Wing Kei.

Looking at magazine pictures of the modest Linda, she doesn't mind riding the subway and shops in ordinary stores for bargains. Even neighboring girls cannot be like Linda.

"I came from a very poor family. I couldn't afford too luxurious of a life. When I came to Hong Kong to be an actress, I insisted on riding the subway instead of walking."

Entering the entertainment industry for three years, is it possible to still be a white piece of paper? Looking at recent years, Linda has gone from a girl who is not very noticeable to a celebrity in a red bikini at a swimwear show. The names involved [in rumors] with her include Ekin Cheng Yi Gin, Raymond Lam Fung, Moses Chan Ho, and so on.

The most scandalous picture includes the one when Raymond was in the same car as she when he changed pants. The most up-to-date story written about her is that she is trying to steal Bernice's boyfriend, calling Moses to meet her going to work.

Days... are not innocent any more.

'Third eye' has a good judge of people's character
"I've gone through many rumors; Johnny Tang Siu Juen, Ekin, Raymond, Moses, not one is true. I didn't see Raymond change his pants! I didn't have a ride in Moses' car! I haven't had contact with Ekin since filming finished!" Linda was extremely emotional [about this topic].

"I answered reporters' questions. Yes is yes, no is no. If I answer 'No comment,' people will take my silence as an answer." This is experienced by experienced stars and newcomers alike, there's no difference. Look at Charmaine's response to rumors. They will again write about her, but she isn't resentful or angry. Linda, however, is so aroused that she almost wants to raise three fingers up and swear [her innocence].

"Ah! I'm really scared to look at these reports. Furthermore, I'm scared that my mommy will see it and worry." Linda says that many people told her that she'd change after entering the industry. That's why she is extremely watchful of herself.

"I remember that a senior reminded me: You're in Hong Kong without anybody and anything. This makes you appear very fragile. Many boys will take this opportunity to protect you. You have to use your 'third eye' in order to judge people."

Being naive doesn't equal to not having a brain. Linda says that after she entered the industry, there have continuously been people who pursue her; it's just that she hasn't been moved [by them]. "If you invite me out to dinner, I will go and just invite another friend out with me." Suddenly, I come straight to my point and ask if there are many 'siu sang' (leading man) who pursue her. "Hmm... I think there won't be pursuits. Everybody is signed on to be managed by TVB. I don't think they would dare." Linda's answer sounds right, but is pretentious.

When asked of Linda to appraise her rumored boyfriends, she was only willing to discuss one, which was Ekin. "I worked with him as my partner in a series. His character is great. We have no contact privately. In the time when we filmed Always Ready I would talk with him about my problems. What I didn't know, he would teach me." Rumors may not necessarily be true, but looking at Linda's eyes, there's a feeling of gain and loss.

'Cinderella'
Linda was born in Vancouver, Canada. She has an elder brother and sister. Her parents labored vigorously to support the three brother and sisters. "You ask me why I'm so hard-working? It's because when I was little I saw that my parents suffered a lot because of work. They didn't finish their studies. They had plans for me to complete university."

Linda says that their house is near a cemetery. It's an area where poor people reside.

Although the family of five was poor, their lives were very blissful. "Every morning my daddy left to go to work. My mommy went to the restaurant to sell 'dim sum' once she finished seeing me off to school. When I finished school, my mommy would take me to where she had a cleaning job to clean. Afterwards, we would go home to eat dinner. My daddy would then wash the dishes. My mommy would hurry to go off to her second job."

Linda is a real-life 'Cinderella.' When she was at school, there were must-have schoolbags and pretty pencil cases, but she never owned any of these. Her clothes were hand-me-downs from her elder sister. "When I was 16 or 17, my classmates all learned how to apply make-up. They were wearing strappy tops to school, but I always wore a black jacket and some very old-fashioned glasses. No one ever said I was pretty."

After being accepted into Vancouver's UBC University, the 'ugly duckling' finally transformed into a swan. "After my daddy bought contact lenses for me, I finally had boys pursuing me. The most magical was a ball where I changed into a one-piece dress and when the class saw me they were stunned."

The 'turned beautiful' Linda represented Vancouver in the "Miss Chinese International" pageant. However, when talking about beauty, if there's one mountain, there'll always be another mountain that's taller. [This is a Chinese saying that means that there'll always be someone who is better.] Even before the competition, she had already planned to lose. "The 'hot door' candidates were Tsui Ji Yin, Mandy Cho Man Lei, and Hung Hau Ling. Every time we did an activity, the reporters would definitely take pictures of the 'hot doors.' I was a 'big cold door.' The reporters would move pass my side and wouldn't look at me. At that time, I really didn't have any confidence. My 'kind' is very ordinary, how did I expect to be viewed as important?"

From a 'big cold door' to the surprising pageant winner, it turns out that Linda has to thank judge Kelly Chen Wai Lam. "The day before the competition, we went to see the judges. The reporters asked Kelly afterward if she had a favorite. It's because she said the one phrase, 'Linda Chung is very sweet,' the second morning, a number of reporters crowded around waiting for me to appear to take pictures and said I was 'very hot' and must win the competition. It was again very 'magical'."

Magic Time
Coming to Hong Kong for three years, Linda's tears have been even greater than in all of her 18 years in Canada.

"I wasn't happy because no one helped me. If I had a problem, I had to go deal with it myself. A lot of people say that I am lucky because I got leading roles as soon as I entered the industry. The problem was that I simply didn't know how to act. Every day I would ponder how long it would take until I can do well."

Linda's first acting role was as "Hung Bak Lam" in the modern version of Virtues of Harmony. "At the start, I didn't even know a grain of Chinese. I lived in Canada. I could only ask the tea-ladies and hair dressers to help me to add phonetics and then just learn them line by line when I got home. Every day I would learn numerous Chinese words. Every time I filmed a series, it was like a test."

Compared to others of her generation, Linda moved quickly. In her second series, Always Ready, she already played a leading role. Other actresses endure seven or eight years to fight for an opportunity, but Linda just opened her hand and received it.

"My acting was bad," Linda forces a laugh.

Linda is a self-critic. Last year, she depended on Always to win "Most Improved Actress." Compared to her pageant championship, it was an even greater surprise.

"That night, we were celebrating the TVB anniversary. As soon as I sat down, my name was already called to go on stage. It was like a dream. It was only after I got off stage that I cried." Her situation is like Charmaine, who won two awards in one night. Current times create a hero. "It's the first real 'Magic Time'." Her smile is sweeter than sugar.

Look Up

Last year's surprising winner of "Most Improved Actress" Linda worried most about going out and being scolded by people.

"Going out, I really feared that the audience would scold me. I knew that I simply wasn't enough yet. My acting was quite bad. I'm sorry." Her confession is cute.

Recently, Heart of Greed allowed Linda to greatly turn around her situation. From a lot of criticism, she now has many people who praise her.

"Filming Heart, if I wasn't talking lovingly with Raymond, I was arguing. I have very little experience in dating. That's why two weeks before filming, I hid at home and watched Korean series to have a crash course in acting. I examined them on how to argue and how to cry. It turns out that acting requires the usage of your pair of eyes, not your mouth."

In last week's episode of Heart, "Seung Joi Sum" discovered that "Ching Leung" had another woman. The ratings reached 39 points, beating the episode with the death of Lee See Kei's "Dai Kai" by 5 points. Linda finally gained face and can be a person who lifts her head up high.

"When I go out, people call me 'Seung Joi Sum' and praise me for doing a great job."

Linda Chung's story tells us that this world doesn't have "magic" or a lucky life. There's only hard work and making strives.

My thoughts: The first thought running through my mind was, "What? Again?!" She is really getting a lot of media coverage by newspapers and magazines! Thankfully, this article is completely different from her past features. I was very relieved and happy about that. Even if I don't get bored translating the same thing over and over again, other people will get tired reading the same thing. I'm not sure how it compares in length to the other articles, but it is a nice, meaty piece.

Awesome pictures from this interview with Express News Weekly! Thank you for an honest, refreshing, and good interview that revealed even more about Linda.

I think this is the first article in which Linda has addressed the "controversy" over her winning "Most Improved." I think it's great. Even I, as her fan, didn't want her to win because I felt she wasn't good enough for it yet. I'm glad she felt the same way. TVB should have given her the award this year as she has shown improvements by leaps and bounds in Best Bet and Heart of Greed. Honestly, her performances in 2006's series were lacking. After Linda won the award, I got the sense that she wasn't so "happy" winning it. As it turns out, it's true! Linda knows very well her own predicaments and issues. She's a smart girl. She's honest with herself. She knows that people wouldn't be happy with her win, but what could she do? Reject the award? I'm so glad Linda is finally getting her deserved praises from all around now!

Ekin is Linda's idol. She was so happy to work with him as she expressed so herself in the costume fitting of Always. In an interview with Alex Fong a few weeks ago, Linda disclosed that she fell for her co-stars when she first started filming. They were Hawick Lau, Steven Ma, and Ekin. It's clear from how highly she talks about Ekin that she feels fondly towards him, but of course, only in a student and mentor way.

Linda has described "Seung Joi Sum" as being a role similar to those in Korean dramas. I'm really surprised that she took acting tips from Korean series! In any case, it seems to have worked. Heart truly is a turning point in her career. She finally learned how to act, how to cry, and so on and people are much more receptive towards her now. Linda is really happy these days because so many veterans, co-stars, and viewers are praising her. The latest praise she received was from big-time veteran Adam Cheng, who has been watching Heart. Adam says, "Linda Chung - she uses her heart [in acting] and I found that she improved tremendously!" Like the article says, she can finally be proud of her work and lift her head up high.

Like I said, the tide is turning and even this article agrees with it. There's only one way to go from now on and that's up. Congratulations, Linda! I'm so proud of you and your successes.