Ever Star

While the nominations were ridiculous to me and I still feel that way, the winners made my day. TVB finally played fair for a change and gave the awards to most, if not all, of the deserving people. Thanks to that, out of the 9 awards I used my precious brain cells to predict the winners for, I got 6 completely right. (That would be 7 if we were to count the trade off between Ha Yu and Raymond Lam.)

I think all of us are quite satisfied with the awards this year. There isn’t a why-in-the-world-did-that-artist-win rage. No controversy, criticism, or crying is necessary. The TVB 41st Anniversary Awards was a joyful one.

Most Fashionable Artist

Myolie Wu

The first consolation prize of the night but an appropriate one. I feel bad for Myolie for not being recognized in anything this year but it is true that she didn’t give very strong performances. I can only remember liking her in Wars of In-Laws II. Anyway, for a fashionable award, Myolie is a good choice. She’s one of the most courageous artists I’ve seen who doesn’t mind trying out new styles. (This is probably why she and Bosco Wong are so compatible.) Ironically, Myolie was wearing a tuxedo that night instead of a dress. Talk about unique.

I thought it was funny how Myolie turned and stared at Liza Wang for a moment when her name was called before going on stage. She was probably thinking, "What the heck is this?!" She paused for a while before speaking and I couldn’t help thinking Myolie had no idea what to say for such a stupid award.

Most Improved Actor

Wong Cho Lam
Best Selling Secrets, Super Trio Supreme, D.I.E., Miss Hong Kong 2008

I’ve never seen any of his series but I did see his cameo in the movie L for Love, L for Lies and I must say, this guy is hilarious. He is indeed a very talented comedian. I laughed so much throughout his acceptance speech. His lungs must be big if he can talk like that. He just went on and on, and I’m surprised his tongue didn’t get twisted. I hope I’ll be able to see him in a more mainstream series later on since I generally don’t watch sitcoms anymore.

Most Improved Actress

Nancy Wu
Wars of In-Laws II, D.I.E., Legend of the Demigods, The Silver Chamber of Sorrows, Strictly Come Dancing II

Congratulations to Nancy! I was not expecting this. I thought she should’ve won back in 2004 for her strong performance in Twin of Brothers but she got demoted after that unfortunately. It’s been a long ride for Nancy. However, it’s finally her year. Out of the series she’s been in this year, I think she did most spectacular in Demigods and Chamber.

I can’t say I’m not happy that she won since I do like Nancy a lot, but I would be happier if Selena Li had won. I personally feel that Selena has better acting skills and her roles this year are more meaty and versatile than Nancy. Nevertheless, there is always next year and if Selena gets in on Lau Sam Ho, she’ll have a bigger chance. (I can only hope Selena won’t become another Bernice Liu.)

By the way, I love the colorful dress Nancy chose for the night.

Favorite Female Character

Louise Lee See Kei
Chung Siu Hor in Moonlight Resonance

I knew it. Lee See Kei winning this is neither good nor bad though. I’m neutral about it and I’ll probably forget about it tomorrow too. I would’ve rather Liza, Christine Ng, or Susanna Kwan win this. But since Susanna won this award last year, I knew TVB wouldn’t give it to her again. Meanwhile, Liza and Christine didn’t even get into top 5. Still, I thought Ophelia and Ching Sau Hang were such great characters. Ophelia, not only was she also a great mother, she was cunning and full of humor. As for Sau Hang, she was one of the most well developed character this year.

Favorite Male Character

Raymond Lam
Gam Wing Ho in Moonlight Resonance

I actually didn’t like Ah Ho all that much because as kind as he is to those around him and especially to the one he loves, he is the type of guy I consider "dumb". But for Raymond, I guess this is a consolation prize since he couldn’t grab the big fish. Raymond looked a lot more satisfied with this award than the blog popularity one though, which I don’t think he really cared about. Two awards is still better than one, right? Be happy, Ray, and keep smiling.

Best Supporting Actress

Tavia Yeung
Moonlight Resonance

Congratulations to Tavia. I still don’t want her to be labeled as a supporting actress but her role in Moonlight, which was supporting, is indeed deserving. Plus, Tavia totally deserves the recognition. All of her tears as Ah Yuet were worth it. I was touched and pleased that the first thing she did when she got on stage was offer due respect and applause to Lee Heung Kam. I now understand why many artists who had worked with Tavia had praised her. She knows her place in life well and knows who she should be grateful to.

This has been a successful year for Tavia. If she keeps it up, I’m sure she will be able to climb higher and higher and one day become TV Queen. I absolutely cannot wait to see more news on her evil role in Lau Sam Ho.

On a side note, Anthony Wong was so funny acting blind as he walked out to present this award. I kept wondering if he was mocking the ever blind TVB monarchy.

Best Supporting Actor

Wayne Lai
The Gentle Crackdown II

Oh. My. Golly. Wayne! I’m so happy my prediction came true! He deserves this more than anyone and everyone knows that. It took him practically forever to get on stage because all of the artists wanted to hug him. They all stood up and applauded for him. They are all convinced that he is the only one worthy of this award. This simply showed how he is so well loved by his coworkers. His speech also showed him as a very down-to-earth person who acts for the sake of his acting.

We love you, Wayne. All hail the mighty supporting man.

In the mean time, I just want to make a quick comment about the top 5. I’m shocked Johnson Lee did not make it and Him Law is given the spot. TVB needs to stop using the awards show for promotion!

Best Drama Series

Moonlight Resonance

Well, this was evident ever since the series ended, wasn’t it. Honestly, I’m okay with Moonlight winning. It doesn’t have the best script but the script wasn’t terrible either. There was a lot of criticisms about it but that was only because it was overrated. The cast and acting were still top-notch.

Best Leading Actress

Michelle Yim
Moonlight Resonance

Wow, was I ever right that Michelle would win. It is a fact that amongst all of the nominees, Michelle stood out the most. Her performance in Moonlight was stellar. (For her age, she still looks gorgeous although the make up was a bit much on the eyes.) Congratulations to Michelle. I hope to see her in more series in the years to come.

Again, I have a few words about the top 5. I’m very happy with the selections, especially Sonija Kwok who glimmered with elegance that night, but I’m not so happy with Linda Chung being there instead of Susanna. Sure, I liked Linda a lot in A Journey Called Life but that spot should belong to Susanna. I’m sorry but that made me really mad that Susanna didn’t get any recognition when she did a superb job as Sa Yi in Moonlight. I guess it’s impossible for TVB to completely get rid of the favoritism act after all.

Best Leading Actor

Ha Yu
Moonlight Resonance

Yahoo! Encore! Clap, clap, clap. Congratulations to Ha Yu! He deserves this so, so, so much and I’m so, so, so happy for him. I could tell he was very anxious the whole time. He could barely crack a smile during the wait. I’m glad he had a lot of support. When his name was called out, everyone stood up and applauded for him. It was touching to see him hug Raymond first and then Moses, both being his "son". On the stage, Ha Yu poured his heart out. I almost cried seeing the little hints of tears in his eyes.

Ha Yu ended his speech with a quote from Moonlight, "If you say I can, then I can. If you say I cannot, then I cannot," along with his enthusiastically warming laugh as Dai Bao from Heart of Greed. That laugh has really become his trademark and I love him for it. Ha Yu really deserves this award for his role as Cho Pa. Cho Pa is just a man who left his family and lost himself but Ha Yu made him so real and gave him a lot of depth. His crying was outstanding in Moonlight. As for Dai Bao, I can’t say much since I didn’t see all of Heart but I found the role very similar to Shum Yat On from When Rules Turn Loose so I’m okay with Ha Yu winning this year instead of last. Overall, both Heart and Moonlight must be unforgettable for our best actor.

I thought it was funny how Lee See Kei mentioned that three of the top 5 are "related" to her, one being her "husband" and the other two her "sons". It was very appropriate and sweet that she presented this award. As for Raymond, although he looked somewhat disappointed, I’m sure he knows Ha Yu was truly the star of this year and the one who deserves the award most. Raymond is still young and there is always next year, so I hope he keeps working hard.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Paul Chun

Aww, Paul must have been so happy. I know his kids were. They jumped up and shouted for him, which was so sweet. This award couldn’t possibly go wrong. It’s only a matter of time before all the veterans are recognized with it.

Let’s continue to support our artists!

Comment

As I know all the Skip Beat! fans are hunting for this song, I have been working on translating the lyrics for the past few days. It took a lot of time and effort but I feel that it was totally worth it. Japanese isn’t one of my best languages so if I made any mistakes, please forgive me and don’t hesitate to say something.

To make everyone happier, links to download both Dream Star and Namida are below. I promise they are full versions. Do credit me and link back to this blog if you post the lyrics or songs elsewhere. I’m quite sure that there is no other site with a full MP3 of Dream Star yet so be respectful and do not claim you uploaded them. I would really appreciate the cooperation. Enjoy the music.

Downloads

DREAM STAR by the Generous
(Full CD Version)

NAMIDA by 2BACKKA
(Full CD Version)

Back when I heard about the pairings in The Gem of Life, I was most happy and excited for the relationship between Jessica Hong Nga Sze (Ada Choi) and Ho Tai Wor (Wong Hei) mainly because I don’t really recall ever seeing Ada and Wong Hei as an on-screen couple in a series before. I thought it would definitely be refreshing for me, especially since I adore their photoshoot from the TVB calendar in 2002. I find Jessica a very interesting character so far. She’s sassy and prideful but with a lot of charm. Meanwhile, Ah Wor is almost if not the complete opposite. He’s your average everyday nice guy who’s quite content with his quiet life. I’m rather attracted to this unrequited love story so I’ll try to capture its development as the series progresses. Due to this inspiration, Moment will be an ongoing "feature" until I can’t stand watching TVB couples anymore. (Actually, I’m also doing this instead of summaries due to the fact that I discovered writing summaries for each episode or even a batch of episodes is the most horrid, tiring, and burdening thing. (Kudos to KTVB!))

So Constance Hong Nga Tung (Gigi Lai) came back from overseas due to her own problems and in a series of events ended up breaking up with her two-timing ugly boyfriend. Since she was heartbroken, though I could never understand why because her boyfriend is not worth a picometer of her love, her brother-in-law Patrick Yeung Chi Kau (Cheung Chi Kwong) introduced her to one of his business friends. They were caught by the paparazzi and this in turn caused Jessica to misunderstand they were having an affair, that Constance was stealing her husband. A bit of quarreling ensued between the sisters and Jessica went on a shopping spree to cool her anger. Ah Wor showed up at the jewelry shop and took Jessica to the park. He bought ice cream to pacify her. (He’s so sweet!)

I thought it was hilarious that Jessica didn’t accept the ice cream but that’s when we finally found out why she’s so conscious of Constance. She was chubby back then and often teased as "Fat Sze" when compared to her sister. What I love most was how Jessica responded to the ice cream offer, "I won’t eat it. I just want to see you finish them … If I eat the ice cream because I’m unhappy, I’ll get fat. Then, I’ll still be unhappy. Will you be happy then?" Her reasoning is just so full of awesomeness.

Ah Wor instead said that he’d show her some magic using her watch. Jessica turned him down again but this time it was because he had done the same thing in the past and basically broke her watch. Just this little incident illustrates how close Ah Wor and Jessica are and how much Ah Wor cares for her. He had been there for her before when she was sad, or maybe angry, and he is still here for her now. To be honest, this was when I finally knew Ah Wor has a crush on Jessica. He’s just so nice that when he was helping Constance out at the beginning, I thought his crush was her. I love this couple and I hope I get to see more of them before Jessica goes off to marry that old man, which would also be interesting.

I’m sure by now everyone has seen the theme videos for The Gem of Life and When Easterly Showers Fall on the Sunny West, both anniversary series selected by TVB for this year. I’ve had them for a few days already in want of commenting on them but other life and academic burdens hindered me. But here I am again with something to say.

When I first watched the video of Gem, I got a huge headache. It was so hard to concentrate on the slides because well, they are slides! I would try to look at a certain image or inserted clip and by the time I could recognize who was in the image or clip, it was already moving out of the screen. Then, I would have to move my eyes back to the other side to look at the next image or clip. This of course was a repeated process. It got extremely tiring and made me so dizzy, kind of like the nauseating feeling you get if you do several dance piques without knowing how to spot.

I think this is a very creative way of presenting this epic production but sometimes, it’s simply best to stick to the conventional means. Nevertheless, I’ve tried watching the video again and I think I just had to get used to it. The photos of each character, especially the three sisters, illustrate their characteristics rather well as far as I know. Hong Nga Tung (Gigi Lai) has the innocent, caring, and reserved look. Hong Nga Yin (Maggie Shiu) appears somewhat stubborn, dependent, and practical. Hong Nga Sze (Ada Choi) seems outgoing and straightforward but at the same time arrogant. I highly anticipate their sisterly and perhaps rivalry chemistry too as I saw several heartwarming hugs as well as hostile glares.

The theme song, Diamond Jubilee, by Shirley Kwan, sounds like a song from two decades ago so it’s not exactly my cup of tea, but I’m quite sure I’ll grow to like it once I start hearing it every episode.

I can’t wait to start Gem.

I have the current episodes already but I’ll start once I finish Legend of the Demigods and The Four, both of which I only have a couple of episodes left. Yay!

Now, this is what I call a conventional TVB theme video. It starts out with images of every important character in the series we ought to know. It’s made with nice, subtle, and fluffy transitions going from one scene in the series to another. I like it.

Just from the theme video, Easterly makes me think it’s a short version of ATV series, The Good Old Days, mixed with a different time period of Plain Love II. With Charmaine Sheh and Joe Ma in the series, I somehow get the feelings of Country Spirit. From the theme song and video, I start thinking of Point of No Return. Am I going insane?

No, I honestly think the producer, Kwan Wing Chung (To Grow with Love, When a Dog Loves a Cat, Face to Fate, War of In-Laws, Survivor’s Law II) with a lot of poor productions, in my opinion only, under his belt have reached some sort of crazy enlightenment. So he decided to combine the elements of past successful series that centered around the same era into something from himself. But maybe I’m being too skeptical.

The theme song, Love in the Horizon, by Liza Wang sounds fantastic—soft, nostalgic, beautiful, sweet, and compassionate. I’ll definitely look forward to her performance along with my dear Selena Li.

Sha la la la la …

So which theme video or song do you like more?

I received the second Raymond Lam album entitled “Your Love” last week and I’m totally in love with it. It is definitely much better than his first album. Not only does it consist of a variety of music including pop, ballad, and rock, the tracks are all appealing and easy to like. Raymond has always had a strong voice but he truly shows with this album that he can change it according to the mood of the song. The emotion he puts into his songs is what enhances them so much and make them so beautiful.

Ray really has a knack for love songs considering how he records so many of them for TVB series. Not Enough Love (Track 1), Lover and Sea (Track 2), Saying Goodbye with Conscience (Track 5), Shadow’s Love Story (Track 6), and Summer Snow (Track 9) are all pleasantly gentle, bittersweet, and touching. Although these songs are generally my type of music, I actually became fonder of the cool and jaunty All about Your Love (Track 8). It’s so fun to listen to and easy to remember because it’s so repetitive. It makes you want to dance with each drum beat.

As for his duet with Vincy Chan, After Tomorrow (Track 4 and 10), I’m okay with it. All I can say is I like the mandarin version better.

I would also like to congratulate Ray for his success with this album. Selling over 30,000 copies, Ray received a platinum disc last week and works on his third album appear to be underway, which is fantastic. If you’re a fan, this album is a must buy. If you’re not a fan but still a music lover, I still recommend it, from a very neutral perspective.

Can you tell which is the real Raymond?

Scans of Postcards

Free for use but please do NOT hotlink.

Official Site

English Title: When Easterly Showers Fall on the Sunny West
Chinese Title: 東山飄雨西關晴
Cantonese Title: Dung Saan Piu Yue Sai Gwaan Ching
Producer: Kwan Wing Chung
Scriptwriters: Yip Sai Hong and Choi Shuk Yin
Cast: Liza Wang, Charmaine Sheh, Joe Ma, Kiki Sheung, Raymond Wong, Selena Li, Edwin Siu, Kwok Fung, Evergreen Mak, Savio Tsang, etc.
Length: 30 Episodes
Broadcast: October 27, 2008 to December 5, 2008
Genre: Period, Drama, Romance

Synopsis

Coming from a very humble background, Poon Muk Hing (Joe Ma Tak Chung) nevertheless is content with his lot. He works for the Poon family of Dongshan as a driver. His true identity as the eldest son of the family comes to light when he saves Poon Cheuk Wah (Raymond Wong Ho Yin), the young master, in an accident. Chong Fung Yee (Liza Wang Ming Chun), the first daughter-in-law in the family, has to admit unwillingly the fact that when she married into the family she was already pregnant. With his true identity revealed, Hing changes his name to Poon Cheuk Hing according to the genealogical table of the clan. The mother and son have since been locked in a seesaw struggle.

Meanwhile, Yip Heung Ching (Charmaine Sheh) came from an influential family in Xiguan. She starts selling congee on a boat for a living with her elder brother after their family has fallen into decline. Ching and Wah used to go out but Yee did all she could to separate them. Later, Ching opens a teahouse with the help and support of Hing. Spontaneously, love blossoms between them. Not long afterwards, the Poon family runs into a lot of troubles. Yee and Wah are unable to handle them at all. Hing seizes the opportunity to restore the prestige of the family. For the sake of the benefit of the Poon family, he is prepared to sacrifice his relationships with other family members, his love as well as his friends. By doing so, he also involves himself in a never-ending bloody battle of power.

Credits to Astro On Demand

Thoughts

When TVB changed the official title of this series, I didn’t even bother looking at it because it was so long. I personally would’ve just went with a sweet, short, and simple "East and West". I still think the title is a real mouthful and a typing burden but after repeating it six times just to remember it for the sake of editing this preview, it does give off a nice representation of the overall theme of the series. If my interpretation is correct, then TVB is implying that the "rain," be it a war of business or politics, an epidemic, a financial crisis, or natural disaster, pouring on the East will somehow influence the peaceful and prosperous "sun" of the neighboring West.

The plot sounds rather typical actually and it seems Joe will be the most important character. I’ve never been fond of the Joe and Charmaine pairing but I want to see Liza since I really enjoyed watching her in War of In-Laws II. It also seems as if Selena Li will have decent screen presence given her involvement in a love triangle with Raymond and Edwin Siu. Selena said she got to know Charmaine quite well after this series so I want to see if any of that friendship aura will show up on screen. I will watch this series but The Gem of Life of course gets the higher priority spot.

Dream Star is a catchy and upbeat song but it’s not a tune I was attracted to immediately. There is a hint of rock and punk to it that I don’t like. I think it’ll take a few more listens before I can accept this song. Nevertheless, it’s very fitting for Skip Beat!. The animation of this opening is decent. I spotted the main characters including our heroine Mogami Kyoko, charming prince Tsuruga Ren, mysterious boy Kuon, ever almighty rival Fuwa Shotaro, intelligent and elegant best friend Kotonami Kanae, and comedic reliever Yashiro Yukihito. I’m a bit sad dear little Maria is not in it.

I like the idea behind Kyoko chasing after the bird, which is a form of her precious stone. From superficial inspection, it could be a simple representation of Kyoko chasing after her dream or maybe it is destiny pulling her toward something or someone. The path she ventures on allows her to meet with many people, changing her life dramatically. The part I don’t like is where Kyoko gets her transformation. It is abrupt and random. It only occurred at that second because the song was going into the chorus segment. It could’ve been better. The sequence after that however is hilarious—Kyoko smashing Sho with a hammer! I couldn’t stop laughing!

At the end of the journey, the bird turns back into the blue stone and we see Kyoko as a superstar with Ren smiling at her success. Overall, I like the concept of the video but the animation could definitely improve.

The ending theme, Namida, is so much better! I liked it right when it started playing. I generally don’t listen to this type of music but Namida made me want to dance with it. I think the animation is more detailed too, almost an imitation of the manga since there are only pencil lines. I especially adore the colors. The touch of silvery blue and green gives off a bittersweet and lonely feeling but the rainbow colors in the background suggests a sign of hope. Kyoko standing by her bicycle and Ren by his car was really cool and well done.

The most important reason why the ending wins over the opening though is that it focuses only on Ren and Kyoko, which made me so happy. I literally had a stupid grin on my face the entire minute. I also like how the video then transitions straight into a silent preview of the next episode. The label, "Next Target You!" wraps it up with a nice sense of humor.

Along with that, the first episode is already out but there is not a subbed version yet. I will be sure to post it when it’s out! Check back for the update.

Last year, the nominations for TVB 40th Anniversary were mostly reasonable and the winners were predictable, with the only exception of Fala Chen grabbing Best Supporting Actress. This year, TVB must literally be on crack. Half of the nominations for TVB 41st Anniversary are completely senseless and screaming, "Yes, it’s ratings. Yes, it’s promotion. Yes, it’s favoritism." From the looks of it, TVB purposely neglected several actors and actresses and replaced them with those who obviously won’t win in order to "level up" those they intend to let win. I had lost all hopes with TVB awards a long time ago, but I’ll still show my support for well deserving talents here. Whether they win with TVB or not is trivial because as long as they can truly conquer the hearts of their audiences, they’ve won.

Show your support and vote today! As for me, I’ve marked my choices below with black stars. The green stars designate who I think should win and the red stars are who I think TVB will hand the award to.

Best Leading Actor

Everyone seems to think Raymond Lam will become TV King this year. I think so too. It’s a fact that he has a very high chance. His role in Moonlight Resonance was indeed really likeable. Ah Ho has topped every character poll I’ve seen. Although Raymond did great as Ah Ho, there was however nothing exceptional about the role or his acting. Raymond certainly deserves the award but not for this particular performance. Meanwhile, Ha Yu went above and beyond my expectations as Cho Pa in Moonlight. He showed me that there was no limit to his acting. If the Moonlight cast is going to dominate the awards ceremony this year as they did with Heart of Greed last year, then some recognition should definitely go to Ha Yu.

The nominations for this category are quite reasonable though I thought Steven Ma or Paul Chun would be on the list for A Journey Called Life and The Silver Chamber of Sorrows, respectively, instead of Kenneth Ma. It’s too bad they’re not. I’m somewhat surprised that TVB did not include Gallen Lo since they finally got him to film for them again but as I was saying, some are being excluded in order to bump up others. This is how the world goes round I guess.

Best Leading Actress

I’m putting my bet on Michelle Yim. She was magnificent in Moonlight as the jealous, selfish, and evil mistress, Yan Hung. As she did not get anything last year, I hope she will come out victorious this year. Louise Lee See Kei already won last year and TVB could give it to her again but I highly doubt it. It will be a shame if TVB decides to hand this award to Linda Chung. I think Linda did great in Journey but her acting is nowhere close enough to competing against or even overcoming these veterans. As for Kate Tsui, I will just pretend she’s not on the list. (I told you TVB is on crack.) I’m not a fan of Myolie Wu but I’m surprised she’s not there.

Best Supporting Actor

No one deserves this more than Wayne Lai. No one! Wayne shines in all of his roles. His acting is always solid. Although I didn’t watch all of The Gentle Crackdown II, Wayne completely dominated the screen. His presence was noticeable even when he didn’t speak a word. Wayne has been so underrated for so long. It’s about time he gets the spotlight. I wouldn’t mind if Derek Kwok or Johnson Lee win but I really think Wayne will this year, especially since series in which he’s leading are underway.

I’m utterly dumbfounded as to why Oscar Leung and Him Law are on the list. I’ve read several pieces of news claiming that TVB is promoting Him Law but isn’t it way to soon for him to be nominated for anything? If any young actor should be on there, it should be Fred Cheng.

Best Supporting Actress

There is a probability Tavia Yeung will win this award but I think Lee Heung Kam has a better chance. I don’t want Tavia to win this because I don’t consider her a supporting actress nor do I want her to be labeled as one.

Favorite Male Character

Sunny Chan is a great actor and I like his character in Legend of the Demigods a lot. He hasn’t failed to make me laugh yet, but running against Roger Kwok, Ha Yu, and Raymond? He’s out of luck. Roger was awesome in D.I.E. and his character was fun but the ending of that series ruined it for me so I don’t really care about it. I think that this will be a battle between Raymond and Ha Yu. If Raymond doesn’t win Best Actor, then I believe he will get this as compensation. If he does win Best Actor, Ha Yu will most probably grab this one unless TVB pulls some crazy tricks and gives this to Ron Ng as a welcome back gift.

Favorite Female Character

This is actually a very hard one since female characters are generally likeable. It’s also hard to tell who TVB would choose from this batch of actresses. I really don’t care much for any of these characters although Liza Wang was cunning and hilarious in War of In-Laws II. Hor Ma is a mother anyone would want so I think TVB will give this to Lee See Kei. The one character I desperately want on this list would be Ah Yuet. She is the character I identify with the most and if Tavia needs to be nominated anywhere, it should be here.

Most Improved Actor

This is the perfect example of TVB being on crack. What happened to Lai Lok Yi, Stephen Wong Cheung Hing, Stephen Wong Ka Lok, and Matthew Ko? An even better nominee would be Eric Li, who I think has shown constant improvements, especially in Catch Me Now. Wong Cho Lam is a great comedian but as far as I know, he hasn’t been in that many series. Nevertheless, it seems TVB loves him a lot. As I move on to look at number 4, Derek? Derek?! DEREK?! I’m speechless.

Most Improved Actress

Here is another example of TVB being on crack. Tavia?! TAVIA?! Why is Tavia in the improving category? Her acting has been rather stable for a long time. All she ever needed was a breakthrough role. (She got one but too bad it wasn’t a leading role.) This is such an insult. I feel for you, Tavia, better luck next year. Somehow, I have a feeling TVB didn’t include actresses such as Natalie Tong, Elaine Yiu, and Charmaine Li just so they can give this award to Toby Leung. I really hope TVB thinks twice before doing so and give this award to Selena Li, who has improved by leaps and bounds, or Nancy Wu.

Best Drama Series

Well, this is all too obvious, isn’t it? A series that peaked at 50 points during its finale, what more could TVB ask for?

Official Site

English Title: The Gem of Life
Chinese Title: 珠光寶氣
Cantonese Title: Jyu Gwong Bou Hei
Producer: Johnathan Chik Kei Yee
Scriptwriters: Chow Yuk Ming, Bao Wai Chong, and Leung Mun Wah
Cast: Louise Lee See Kei, Ada Choi, Gigi Lai, Maggie Shiu, Bowie Lam, Moses Chan, Wong Hei, John Chiang, Eddie Kwan, Bosco Wong, Linda Chung, etc.
Length: 80 Episodes
Broadcast: October 20, 2008 to February 8, 2009
Genre: Modern, Family, Drama, Romance

Synopsis

You may wish to be a famous socialite.
You may wish to have fame and fortune.
But is that really what you will wish for at the end?

In Pak Siu Yau’s (Louise Lee See Kei) eyes, her three daughters are just as perfect as diamonds. She believes that the greatest blessing for a woman is to marry a wealthy man. To guarantee a better life for her daughters, she has started training the girls since they were young, hoping that they will marry into the richest families when they mature.

Yau’s first daughter Hong Nga Yin (Maggie Shiu) does not agree with her on her values. Yet when she sees that the man Yin is going out with is Ko Cheung Sing (Bowie Lam), who is very well-off, she decides to let Yin go with her choice. Yau’s second daughter Hong Nga Tung (Gigi Lai) is hopelessly romantic but does not seem to have much luck with men. To make it up to her, Yau seeks to match her up with Ho Chit Nam (Moses Chan), the son of Hong Kong’s most powerful business tycoon Ho Fung (Elliot Ngok Wah). Being the youngest in the family, Hong Nga Sze (Ada Choi) is well aware of Yau’s concerns. Having recovered from divorce, Sze now decides to pin all her hopes on Fung.

Yau’s persistence pays off and her daughters have all found a wealthy husband. But money does not really bring them happiness and the sisters are gradually losing themselves in vanity.

Credits to Astro On Demand

Thoughts

Time seems to have flew by. I remember being so excited when this series was first announced because Ada would be back with TVB. I couldn’t wait for this series to release. Now that the summary is out, I look at the date and think, "It’s airing in less than a month. Wow." The plot seems really simple but I’m sure the relationships will be fabricated into one of the most complicated web you could imagine. The cast is magnificent so I expect excellent performances. (I can’t wait to see Ada and Gigi is gorgeous.) I know TVB had put a lot of money into this series, especially with filming in so many areas overseas, so the cinematography should be way above average. Thus, for Gem, it’s really up to the layout of the script. I hope this series will make a greater impact than Heart of Greed and Moonlight Resonance, going down into classic TVB history as an unforgettable series.

I have a feeling the poster above is not the official poster so I’ll be replacing it with whatever TVB comes up with. I am not pleased with this one. It’s looks rough. The positions and poses of the characters are awkward and don’t mind me, but there are too many men! (I’m not being sexist here.) Gem is evidently a female oriented series. The actors on the right and left sides just look like shadows. When I look at the poster, the middle is all that stands out. Putting so many men in black tuxedos on the sides will make them seem like extras. I pray for a better Gem poster.

Episodes 6-22

The beginning of Moonlight Resonance left a very strong impression on me. I was hooked immediately. I just had to know what trials and tribulations the family would have to endure in their path to becoming one again. As I watched on, I noticed there was always some sort of conflict occurring. While the setup of the arguments was clichéd, the arguments themselves were exciting to watch. The trigger would involve one of the family members, being either their own scheme or a scheme to hurt them. Lots of things follow including yelling, slapping, running away, crying, etc. But everything would quickly get resolved at the end of an episode or two as long as everyone gets together, have one big fight, scream a few wise words here and there, acknowledge the rights and wrongs of the situation, and be happy with life again.

I generally find family fights redundant if they happen every episode but Moonlight was different. The acting was too good, making the climaxes of the arguments very intense. Every conflict had a logical reason behind it. The arguments drove the story uphill instead of making it seem draggy. They build on one another and I’m sure would eventually lead to the last family battle.

This court case was frustrating but amazing. I will never forget the "Why?! Why?! Why?!" from Cho Pa (Ha Yu). I felt so sorry for Grandpa Chung (Chow Chung). But as I was saying, after the storm, the family finds everything beautiful again and lets go—that is for the time being only.

Then comes another case. Now, it was Grandma Sheh (Lee Heung Kam) acting up. Everyone went to comfort her but she threw a crazy tantrum. Ah Hing (Fala Chen) grabs the spotlight and told Grandma Sheh how she felt, how Grandma was different on the first and fifteenth days just like the moon. Ah Ho (Raymond Lam) as the most loved by Grandma then pacified her. At the end of the episode, we see a big hug and all’s well that end’s well.

I just wanted to feature this couple for a second. Ah Ka (Moses Chan) and Ah Yuet (Tavia Yeung) are so cute together. I’ve enjoyed watching every single one of the their moments so far. It’s sweet that Ah Yuet is the driving force behind Ah Ka. She got him out of the terror that was the stock market, back on his feet and working hard again, even opening his own business. Moses and Tavia share a lot of chemistry. They are very natural and appear to be having fun in their scenes. The ringtone they record of Eliza (Astrid Chan) was hilarious. "Explain! Explain! Explain!" I laughed so much in that scene. Ah Ka is such a kid but I like his revenge method.

Mid-Autumn Festival is meant to be a joyous time of the year for a family when every member comes home no matter what. I was glad the Moonlight family kind of had their own gathering. This was a very meaningful function with lots and lots of smiles. Cho Pa and Hor Ma (Louise Lee See Kei) were definitely the highlights. How they did their best to deliver the cakes was touching. They had endured so many hardships together back then. It’s comforting to know that Cho Pa still remembers.

This was a beautiful scene. The traditional wedding gowns are gorgeous and the song by Teresa Teng, The Moon Represents My Heart Sweet Honey Honey, simply made everything even more lovely. I only have one complaint and that is Yu So Chau (Linda Chung). I know she is supposed to be the lead female of the younger generation characters and TVB is promoting Linda as if there were no tomorrow so they want her face on screen as much as possible, but her appearance in this scene was so random. She was never called to help. She was never there to begin with. She just suddenly popped up next to Ah Ho. I thought she was supposed to be working the daytime shift?! It was nice to see all the main couples together but it would’ve been better if they had at least mentioned her.

I hated Cho Pa but I had started pitying him in his drunk scenes where he apologized to his children. I felt really bad for him in this scene. He made a mistake twelve years ago and it led to this. He is only trying to be a father worthy of his children. He does love them a lot. All he wants is forgiveness.

The Cho Pa conflict gets its proper conclusion. I forgive you too, Cho Pa.

If I were Ah Yuet, I would’ve thrown a vase at Mak Yau Gung (Lei Seng Cheung). What a jerk! He’s greedy, selfish, and a total loser. As one of the six kids in the family, Ah Yuet always gets the worst end of the bargain. I mean, she’s adopted, yes, but she’s done so much for the family. Why does she have to stand down to make everyone else happy? It drives me nuts how they think of her welfare last. In the confrontation scene of this conflict, I thought Hor Ma was a bit contradicting. She told Ah Yuet to not say anything but then she was the one to tell Gung off. At least, this showed that Ah Yuet had finally grew up.

Grandma also decided to let us know that she was well aware all along and protected Ah Yuet. Grandma has stepped away from her stubborness and came to the realization of who is truly family to her. I can understand why Lee Heung Kam accepted to return from retirement for Moonlight. This role is too good to be missed.

Another Ah Yuet misunderstanding is over. Go, Ah Yuet, I support you!

I was looking forward to the love story for Ah Hing but it came abruptly and ended quickly. The problem was evident from the start. Who would marry a mute girl? Who would let her son marry a mute girl? Obviously, Kelvin Cheng Ga Lok (Dexter Yeung) and his mother (Mary Hon) were okay with that. The struggle to get this couple a happy ever after ending didn’t even last three episodes nor did I know about their relationship until five episodes earlier. Their wedding looks emotional though so I’ll look forward to that.

When Ling Chi Shun (Bosco Wong) showed up, I adored him a lot. On top of being a doctor, he was a considerate, quirky, and humorous guy. The ways he teased and helped Yu So Chau were all hilarious. I actually wanted her to get together with him. The times she spent with him on Lamma Island were cute. She forgot all of her troubles when she was with him. They were already in love with one another, but …

When Ling Chi Shun went missing for several days and then came back with the story, "I already have a girlfriend. Yau Wing Lam (Claire Yiu) cared for me during my hardest time in life. I could never leave her," I just wanted to kick the scriptwriter. It is so clichéd. From that moment, I knew the romance between this couple was going to be tiresome for me. Before this point, I didn’t really care for Yu So Chau. I thought her hot pot scenes with Ah Ho were so irrelevant, repetitive, and never led to anything. Now, I care even less for Yu So Chau. I really hope she has more backbone than this and does not become another one of those damsel in distress, "I can only drown in my tears of misery," character.

Ultimate Essential Climax

Now that light has shed on Cho Pa and Grandma, they know which side they should be on. Judging from the pattern of the Moonlight conflicts, what we need to resolve everything is a big confrontation. Every character just needs to gather in one place and let their feelings lose. (Or perhaps that’s too simple.)