2008 TVB Series The Gem of Life - 40 Pictures

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The Silver Chamber of Sorrows is a 1920’s drama about the dark and repressed lives of people living in that era. In particular, it focuses on the tragic fates of women. Especially in the past, women didn’t have a voice. They didn’t have a say in the path their lives took. They were often enslaved by “fate” (or perhaps it’s more appropriate to say the control of other people) and could only silently accept what life gave them. They did not dare to rebel or act on their own wishes for women and girls of that time period were socialized to be subordinate and just obey the commands of others.

The Sheung family women were such victims. First Wife Siu Dip (Nancy Sit) had an arranged marriage with Old Master Sheung (Paul Chun) and for much of her life, she just worked blindly to appease his wishes. Second Wife Nin Wong (Rebecca Chan) was a maid to Siu Dip, but she couldn’t accept her “status” or “fate” as a maid, so she plotted to become Old Master Sheung’s concubine. She acts haughty and has a bad mouth in order to show off her “status”. Third Wife Sau Hang (Christine Ng) was deceived into marrying Old Master Sheung and separated from her true love, Sheung Wan (Ng Wai Kwok). Forth Wife Fei Fei (Nancy Wu) was a promiscuous and young woman who embraced western ideals. She married Old Master Sheung in the pursuit of wealth, but her desire for lust and “love” seduced her into a deadly affair. Young Mistress Hor Yi (Charmaine Li) longed to be free and experience the world; sadly, she was caged inside of her home like other daughters of rich families. Third Mistress Man Fung was sacrificed and widowed at a young age simply to boost the family’s name. Illegitimate daughter Chau Guk (Shirley Yeung), who thought she was an orphan and slaved as a maid for the Sheung household, was powerless and abused.

Indeed, the Sheung family women were pitiful. It was almost as if they were cursed with a tragic fate that forced them down dark paths and sad lives… The themesong to Chamber emphasizes this so-called “fate” with a beautiful melody and poignant, meaningful lyrics.

“Accept Fate” by Ivana Wong
(Themesong from TVB series The Silver Chamber of Sorrows)

English Translation by MetalAZNWarrior
Monologue: Everlasting pledge, it best be forgotten
Let laughter be light, let pain be light
Life or death, union or separation
Doesn’t have control of the body;
doesn’t have control of the heart

I once didn’t believe too much in decided fate
I once wanted to revolt against fate
If I felt my heartbeat had no way to be calm,
Who is willing to listen?

*Chorus: At the years’ ups and downs is my destiny
Within hopelessness mutely enduring, within pain stealing life
Using love to trade for a most painful lesson, delusions approach
Therefore regretting been born*

Once wanted to recklessly build another life
You once wanted to embrace me, but in the end withdrew
If I could change and be brave, keeping you

Monologue: Fallen petals, wandering and drifting
Pledges and promises; exhaustion and powerlessness
Willing deception; heartbreaks and regrets
Love may end, but sorrows are endless

*Repeat Chorus*

Dreams will change dark from most brightest, letting love turn to hate
Flowing tears is me not willing
Letting tranquility stir dust particles, I am not content
Simply what should not have happened occurred

Once wanted to recklessly build another life
You once wanted to embrace me, but in the end withdrew
If I could change and be brave, forgetting you

Analyzing the themesong
It’s hard to say who exactly the narrator of this song is. I think every woman in the Sheung household can relate to the lyrics, but the voice that this song most speaks out to is probably Sau Hang. It’s a little tricky interpreting this themesong since I cannot put my finger on who the narrator is. Therefore, I’m going to interpret it differently than usual and won’t be making any real “conclusions” from the song.

The two monologues really add to the song and I think Nancy Sit delivered them well. They are very poetic and “traditional”, so I am not even going to try to deep dig into their meaning or explain how they apply to the Sheung women. Basically, I take the monologues directly. They basically highlight sorrows, pain, and tragedy.

Verse #1 is a rather sad retrospective look at the feelings the Sheung women used to have towards “fate”. They didn’t believe too much in it. They thought that they, in an era post-Qing dynasty, might have a chance to turn things around and not let their decided fate control their lives. However, as it turns out, they, like all of the women before them, are still cursed and chained by “fate”. They do not have freedom to chose or change how their lives are. In fact, they feel so meek and hopeless about their lives that they don’t even think anyone would care to listen to them.

The chorus sums up the tragic lives of the Sheung women. Because they are women, they cannot speak out and can only endure and bear their pain caused by men [and others with authority] without a word of objection or complaint. They regret being born since their lives are only filled with pain and sorrows. Because of their own pain, they decide to induce pain on other people, hence “stealing life”. The chorus most applies to Sau Hang because she creates a huge revenge scheme in order to get payback for having been deceived and treated badly. She becomes heartless for the sake of revenge (thus “trading love”) and transforms into a monster, totally unlike her kind and peaceful “true” self. This transformation into a monster that isn’t her is the most painful lesson. She becomes delusional because she’s convinced she’s not wrong and that she’s a “victim”. She tries to deceive herself into saying her actions were all “justified”.

My interpretation of the “you” in verse #2 is not another person, but is actually the repressed, true selves of the Sheung women. This is the person they want to be, the person that they truly are with freedom and a voice. This is the self that they want to break free and embrace them, but this self is not courageous enough and backs away. They cannot break free and start a new life. If only they could change and be brave… Even though they cannot let their “true self” take over, they cannot let go of this self. They hold on to it… perhaps as a last source of dim hope.

Verse #3 addresses the Sheung women’s journey down a dark and wicked path. They were all once innocent and kind-hearted, but situations and their ill fate led them to turn their love into hate for the sake of revenge. They become scheming and manipulative in order to scavenge whatever power they can manage. However, they still shed tears because they do not “want” to do these things. The third line applies most to Nin Wong and Sau Hang. They are both not satisfied with the way their lives are, so they stir trouble. The last line relates back to how the dark paths that the Sheung women take is a direct result of “things” that should not have happened in the first place. In particular, the fact that Sau Hang was deceived into marrying Old Master Sheung, causing all of the unnecessary pain and troubles that followed.

Verse #4 is a replicate of verse #2 with a very significant change to the last line. Verse #2 ended with the women wanting to “keep” their true self, but verse #4 (which ends the song), says that the women will “forget” this self. This is a very tragic and moving closer. It implies that the women have given up and no longer hold on to any hope that they might have. They believe they are doomed and thus forget themselves. They have sadly just accepted fate (as the title of the song urges).

Thoughts
“Accept Fate” is easily one of the most (if not the most) beautiful, suiting, and well-composed themesong in a recent TVB series. Ivana Wong’s vocals are a refreshing change (thank god TVB chose her to sing this song!). Her voice is so melodious in a haunting way, which accentuates the grimness and helplessness of the song so well. Nancy Sit’s monologues add to the song’s meaning. I really looked forward to hearing this song at the beginning and ending of every episode of The Silver Chamber of Sorrows. It’s simply an exquisite and excellent song.

In 15 days, the sparkling diamonds and rich & fabulous lifestyles that is the beautiful and exquisite world of The Gem of Life will illuminate the TVB screen and grace it for 80 episodes. Setting the record as the most expensive TVB production, can this series set more records? Beginning October 20, 2008, we will all find out.

Until then, enjoy some previews of this classy drama.

TVB’s 41st Lighting Ceremony showed a 1 minute trailer of never-before-seen footage from Gem. It highlights Louise Lee See Kei’s dark and manipulative matriarch role as well as the plights of the three leading actresses — Ada Choi, Gigi Lai, and Maggie Shiu. It also gives a taste of Linda Chung’s bitchy and spoiled character.

The cast of Gem consisting of Maggie, Gigi, Ada, Linda, Bowie Lam, Moses Chan, Kenny Wong, and Bosco Wong put on a great Catwalk Show for the Lighting Ceremony to show off expensive diamonds and fierce expressions. The beautiful themesong of Gem sung by Shirley Kwan graces the background of the magnificent show. Take note of Linda’s very in-character expressions.

Although it’s almost a year old now, the over 2 minutes in length 2007 Sales Presentation clip of Gem never gets old. Explosive, seductive, and high in drama, it is a must-watch. It highlights how much TVB invested into this extremely grand production.

English Title: The Gem of Life
Chinese Title: 珠光寶氣
Cantonese Title: Ju Gwong Bo Hei
Vietnamese Title: N/A
Casts: Ada Choi, Gigi Lai, Maggie Shiu, Bowie Lam,
Moses Chan, Bosco Wong, Linda Chung, Wong Hei, etc.
Length: 82 episodes (Cantonese) // 61 tapes (Vietnamese)
Release Date: October 2008 (Canto) // November 2008 (Viet)
Genre: Grand Production Drama/Epic Blockbuster

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 Mei Kei) does not agree with her values. Yet when she sees that the man Yin is going out with is Ko Cheung Sing (Bowie Lam Bo Yi), who is very well-off, she decides to let Yin go with her choice. Yau’s second daughter Hong Nga Tung (Gigi Lai Chi) 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 Ho), the son of Hong Kong’s most powerful business tycoon Ho Fung (Ngok Wah). Being the youngest in the family, Hong Nga Sze (Ada Choi Siu Fan) 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: Astro On Demand

My thoughts: After a year’s worth of filming and months of waiting, it’s kind of hard to believe that in less than three weeks The Gem of Life will be gracing the TVB screen for the next over four months. This series is TVB’s longest series since At The Threshold of an Era and is the most expensive modern drama of all time. There’s glamour galore in Gem — from cast to sets to props; TVB did not skimp out on this series. It will definitely be something to watch. It feels and looks like a must-watch epic — that rare series that can’t be skipped.

I do hope that the script will be as exquisite as the series looks. I believe it should be. I want Gem to be a long-lasting classic and remembered for more than its glamour. Although it’s a series about vanity, I hope there’s much more than meets the surface and that it will not only entertain, but intrigue. I really can’t wait to watch it. I look forward to some great acting and glamour all-around. I’m also anticipating Louise’s role as a manipulative matriarch. It’s time for her to show a different side to her acting rather than being the understanding, sympathetic, all-knowing angelic mother all of the time. I also can’t wait for Linda Chung’s performance as spoiled brat (among other things) Sung Tsz Ling. It should be very refreshing to watch Louise and Linda take on new roles. It’s also been a very long time since I’ve seen most of Gem’s cast (Ada, Gigi, Maggie, Bowie, and so on) so it will be fresh to watch everyone.

All of the information and opinions I have on Gem can be read here. I’ll definitely be following this series and updating on it — stay tuned!

New banner

How can I be back without a new look?

Although I really liked the banner I used for the past two months with its dreamy look, it was time for a new look. If you read the explanation behind this new banner, you will know why I love this particular banner so much. It may not be my best work nor is it that great of a banner, but its meaning makes it stand out.

No more Heart of Greed

When it was revealed that Moonlight Resonance’s ratings peaked at 50 pts in the finale, I thought for sure that TVB would milk their latest cash cow some more and produce a third installment in the Heart of Greed franchise for 2009. However, TVB’s general manager Stephan Chan declared that there would be no more “installments” to Heart. It will just be the original Heart and its even higher-rated “sister series” Moonlight.

I was shocked to hear the news. The TVB that we have all come to know loves to monopolize on a successful formula. They love milking their cash cow(s) for all that they’re worth. I thought that there would be a new Heart installment as long as each successive series continued to do “well”. How could it be that they willingly said “no” to more?

I have to commend TVB for coming to this decision. Although I love the Heart cast, I think a third series would be “over-kill” and ruin the Heart franchise. The cast suffered a lot for Moonlight and I am glad that their hard work paid off and that the series did what Heart could not do — steal the #1 spot of being the TVB series with the highest ratings peak ever.

Would I have watched another installment of Heart? Yes.

Do I want another installment? No.

Moonlight did what most sequels can never do and that is to surpass its predecessor. Although it’s an “original” series, it borrowed a great deal from the original Heart. If there was a third series, it would feel even more repetitive. There’s only so much family drama that can be created. There’s only so many pairings that can be formed. Even if the third series had a different setting (be it a costume drama or a period drama), even if everyone had “new” roles and relationships, it would not be fresh.

I love family-oriented series, but I would much rather TVB produce entirely new series without the Heart brand attached. Therefore, I have to say that I am happy that there won’t be another Heart. The cast and crew cannot handle any more pressure or stress and I believe the audience wouldn’t be as receptive. It is a wise decision for everyone. Kudos, TVB.

What do you guys think about TVB’s decision to not produce any more Heart?

Lots of thoughts coming up
It’s been two months since I last posted any “real” thoughts on series and even longer since I wrote a review. I’ve watched a lot of series in the past few months. Normally I would write full-length reviews, but there’s just too many series and it’s been too long. I’ll just briefly comment on everything that I’ve watched lately. What series are they?

ATV’s 105-episode The Good Old Days & I Have a Date with Spring; Taiwan’s Princess Returning Pearl I (Huan Zhu Ge Ge); TVB’s Journey to the West I & On The Track or Off… and maybe a small comment on TVB’s 1993 The Edge of Righteousness (which I dropped).

On what I’m currently watching
It’s been 15 months since I started watching A Kindred Spirit. After 705 episodes, I’ve gone through a lot watching the series. It’s a constant wave of up and down, love and indifference. I’ve said this about the series months ago — when the series is great, it is excellent but when it sucks, it is ridiculous and almost unbearable. It remains true. Through it all, I’ve never regretted watching the series. The cast is great and I really love the family drama, relationships, and storylines.

Kindred is the series I enjoy watching the most these days. It’s been mostly great (the quality is comparable to the first 300 episodes that I love… perhaps even better) in the past 150-200 episodes or so. I love all of the characters now and all of the storylines are very well-written lately. The series is focused and just really enjoyable. I’m actually a little sad to think that I only have a little over 400 episodes left before I finish the series. I can’t wait to start blogging about my opinions on episodes 652-705. I have so much to say! I’m dying to watch more, but I cannot until I blog on those episodes.

I’m currently on episode 36 of Moonlight Resonance. I hope to finish the series by the weekend. I will not comment anything on the series until after I finish it. I want to make sure that what I say reflects my true opinion of the series. There are times in which I love it. There are times in which I’m not so crazy about it. Let’s just say that I “enjoy” watching it because of the Heart cast. I won’t comment on the script or anything like that until next week.

I’m struggling to watch The Demi-Gods & Semi-Devils 1996. I can’t seem to get into it. I’m only on episode 14 (out of 45) and it feels like I’m never going to finish. The series has always been rather “confusing” for me to watch because sometimes I just don’t know what’s going on. I have no idea what the series is about. The relationships, characters, motives, and so on are hard for me to grasp. Unlike Legend of Condor Heroes 1994 and Return of Condor Heroes 1995 (both of which I loved), for me Demi-Gods isn’t as easy to understand and get into. I will definitely finish the series because it’s rather interesting and I do believe it is a worthwhile series as many people have praised it. I would appreciate it a lot if someone could tell me what the series is about.

Last but certainly not least, I finally started watching the series I waited for since 2006 — Legend of the Demigods. I have to confess that I was “turned off” by the series when I saw the themevideo. The computer graphics were excessive and badly done. The series didn’t look that “great” anymore. Luckily, the series turned out to be quite pleasant to watch. In fact, it is very enjoyable. It is a cute series. I’m only on episode 5, but I’ll definitely be watching more soon. I can’t wait!

In the past week, I had to live without a computer. The LCD screen of my TOSHIBA laptop died on me. I had been having problems with it starting a few months ago, but I managed to unconventionally fix it. The computer had 3 months to go before it reached 2 years of age (apparently the faulty LCD monitor problem is experienced by many others that have my model of laptop). Therefore, I didn’t have a computer for 5 days since I couldn’t get a new one until yesterday. Before, I think I would have gone “crazy” without a computer. I would be dying to go online. Before, I cared a great deal about the “online world”.

My response to the situation was different from what I imagined. I survived. I lived (yes, it’s possible!) without a computer. I was very mellow and didn’t put much importance or worry over the matter. Sure, I missed having a computer, but the “obsession” was no longer there.

Originally I thought that it was because I was losing interest in the online [TVB] world. It turns out that that’s not the case. I still want to know what’s going on. I still like to watch series. It’s just that I finally let go of the importance that TVB and the Internet had over my life previously. I view them very lightly now.

Before I used to watch at least one TVB episode a day. Now, I can go for days without watching a single episode. It’s not that I’m not enjoying the series or that I’m not interested. It’s simply that I didn’t get a chance to watch — and that’s all right. TVB is only an entertainment outlet and I now at long last finally feel that way towards it.

I’m no longer 15. I’m no longer in high school. I don’t have hours and days to spend watching TVB and getting involved in the Internet. I don’t care about being the first to know the latest news. I finally grew up and know where my priorities lie.

I am 21 — officially a “legal” adult. I am in the fourth year of my six year professional Pharmacy program. I have many things to do and a “real” life to live. Furthermore, I have a future to build towards.

It is… a releasing feeling.

I am glad the events of the past month have happened because they really allowed me to grow up and let go of the things I deemed so “important” before. I now know what’s most important and where to place TVB, the Internet, and my site on my spectrum of priorities.

Thank you for sticking it out with me during the past few weeks as I sorted everything out and placed my life back together. After many false alarms and premature announcements, honestly and truly, I will be back with real updates again starting on October 1, 2008. Thank you for the patience and understanding once again.

English Title: The Four
Chinese Title: 少年四大名捕
Cantonese Title: Siu Nin Sei Dai Ming Bo
Vietnamese Title: Tứ Tuyệt Danh Thám
Casts: Raymond Lam, Ron Ng, Kenneth Ma, Sammul Chan, etc.
Length: 24 episodes (Cantonese) // 19 tapes (Vietnamese)
Release Date: September 2008 (Canto) // October 2008 (Viet)
Genre: Costume Drama/Martial Arts/Detective

Synopsis:
A drama adapted from the popular martial arts novel written by Wen Ruian
about the four great constables — “Heartless”, “Metal Hand”, “Life Chaser” and “Cold Blood”

Hard-hearted and smart Mo Ching (Raymond Lam Fung) became a crippled when he was young. Fortunately Ching met Chu Kot Ching Ngo (Dominic Lam Ka Wah), the Head of the Sheriff Bureau, and learned from him his unparalleled skills of using concealed weapons. Chu has once helped the Sung Emperor recover an invaluable piece of article that the empire has long lost. To reward Chu, the Emperor re-opened the Sheriff Bureau. In addition to Ching, Chu has recruited Jui Ming (Sammul Chan Gin Fung) — a cunning swindler, Tit Sau (Kenneth Ma Kwok Ming) — an honest guy, and the cold-blooded Lang Huet (Ron Ng Cheuk Hei) and called them “The Four”.

The Sheriff Bureau has cracked many difficult cases under the leadership of Chu. After having gone through thick and thin with the others, Ching has become a lot less arrogant. He has fallen in love with Song Chi Yin (Kate Tsui Tsz Shan), an herbal doctor, but she is only using him to sow dissension amongst “The Four”. This furthermore deepens the hatred between him and Sau. The King of Qi Chiu Cheong (Tsang Wai Kuen) and the treacherous minister Choi King (Lau Kong) are plotting to revolt against the Sung Dynasty. Chu risks his life to ruin their plan, but by doing this, he is also driving the bond between him and “The Four” to the verge of disintegration…

Credits: Astro On Demand

English Title: Last One Standing
Chinese Title: 與敵同行
Cantonese Title: Yue Dik Tung Hang
Vietnamese Title: N/A
Casts: Roger Kwok, Kevin Cheng, Yoyo Mung, Kiki Sheung, etc.
Length: 22 episodes (Cantonese) // 16 tapes (Vietnamese)
Release Date: September 2008 (Canto) // October 2008 (Viet)
Genre: Modern Drama/Thriller/Suspense/Mystery

Synopsis:
Time was served for a crime he did not commit.
After ten years, can he discover the truth behind his father’s murder?

Cheung Sing Hei (Kevin Cheng Ka Wing) is accused of murdering his stepfather and he is sent to prison for 10 years. After being discharged from prison, Hei decides to take revenge on his best friend and cousin Tong Lap Yin (Roger Kwok Chun On). Yin works as a notary. He is an honest and trust-worthy gentleman who never blames Hei for his short temper and unreasonable accusations. He spends a lot of time to investigate Hei’s case and help him find the real murderer. Hei and Yin used to be best companions but they fell out eventually because of deceit and trickery. What makes the matter worse is that they have fallen in love with the same woman.

Hei loses all his confidence after being sent to jail unjustly. Lei Pui Ka (Yoyo Mung Ka Wai), the reporter who visits him regularly during her voluntary services, manages to bring hope and joy to him again. Even though Ka appreciates Hei’s character, she is deeply in love with Yin and she agrees to marry him eventually. However, Ka receives some anonymous letters continuously and these letters give her a great shock…

Credits: Astro On Demand

English Title: Your Class or Mine
Chinese Title: 尖子攻略
Cantonese Title: Jim Jee Gung Leuk
Vietnamese Title: Oan Duyên Tương Phùng
Casts: Bobby Au-Yeung, Sheren Tang, Benz Hui, Derek Kwok, etc.
Length: 20 episodes (Cantonese) // tapes (Vietnamese)
Release Date: August 2008 (Canto) // September 2008 (Viet)
Genre: Modern Comedy/Drama

Synopsis:
It’s battle of the sexes on the football field.
Can a woman become a better coach than a man?

Pang Kam Chau (Bobby Au-Yeung Chun Wah) used to sell parallel imports but his girlfriend has taken away everything from him. In order to re-establish his career, Chau plays tricks to gain the trust of a soccer team leader Fan Tai Wai (Benz Hui Shiu Hung). Through the help of Wai, Chau becomes the Operation Director of the soccer team and he promises to help all team players achieve excellent results in the coming public examinations. Chau teaches the team players in an unconventional way. He encourages them to hang around at pubs and chase girls actively but the result is disastrous. Ching Kwok Chu (Derek Kwok Ching Hung), the soccer team’s sponsor, tries to hire the famous tutorial queen Yim Ka Lai (Sheren Tang Shui Man) to help coach the team. Lai’s teaching style is totally different from Chau and they fight with each other all the time.

The academic performance of the team varies a lot but Chau discovers that Wai’s son Fan Pui Tung (Law Chung Him) has plenty of potential so he pays special attention to him. During this time, Chu’s younger brother suddenly takes away the ownership of the soccer team. Chu tries to take revenge by asking Lai to make the soccer team into a mess. Chau is enraged and he discloses the secret relationship between Chu and Lai to everybody. All of a sudden, Lai’s splendid tutorial career is coming to an end…

Credits: Astro On Demand

With over 10,000 copies sold since its release on August 20, 2008, Linda Chung’s debut CD “One Person Dinner, Two People World” [一人晚餐, 二人世界] can be considered a success and very ideal. There is a potential for the disc to reach a “Gold Record” status (selling 15,000 copies). Thank you so much for supporting Linda and buying her debut album! With the good response to this record, I think a sophomore album (and hopefully even more records) is a good possibility in the future.

The CD is packaged in a cardboard sleeve and comes with a lot of goodies (depending on which version you choose to buy). I like the design and theme of the packaging. It’s very “pure”, girly, and cute — matching Linda’s image. Most of the pictures are new and especially taken for the album artwork. A few pictures are re-used from Linda’s Bio-Essence advertisements. The mini-poster is actually quite big, but the downer is that it comes folded shoved into a sleeve with the album booklet. In essence, it ruins the poster because of the deep folds. I would recommend buying the version with the 5 mini-postcards more because these postcards are a substantial size and aren’t “ruined” like the mini-poster with its folds. Plus, I think the pictures used for the postcards are more “natural”.

Overall, I’m satisfied with the packaging and product. I definitely got my money’s worth. I’ve scanned the album artwork (CD sleeves, album booklet, postcards, and so on) to share with everyone. Enjoy the pictures!

Front covers of both versions

Back covers of both versions

Version #1 with a mini-poster

Version #2 with 5 mini-postcards

Linda Chung Debut CD - “One Person Dinner, Two People World”
[一人晚餐, 二人世界] Album Artwork - 29 photos

Click Here To View Gallery

In the past 2 weeks of being “away” from online world and especially away from blogging, I was able to clear my mind and reanalyze things.

Before I can come back, I have to be honest…

I set high goals for myself. Call me ambitious, call me competitive if you wish, but in everything that I do, I strive for excellence. I constantly want to keep improving and going uphill. I think we all want to be successful. It is true that I never imagined TVB Musings would become a “big” blog, but my long-term plan was to make timeless: the VIRTUES OF HARMONY network the #1 English TVB fan site with the help of my up-to-date and more expansive TVB blog. For the past 2 years (especially in the first few months), I worked really hard to accomplish this goal. I constantly updated and promoted. Luckily for me, I already had nice traffic from my “main” site(s) and also a reputation as an English TVB veteran “netizen”. Therefore, the task to build up TVB Musings was not too hard.

In the months and years to follow, TVB Musings continued to grow and reach more and more traffic. My site ranking increased rapidly, making me very happy. I really enjoyed seeing my hard work pay off. I finally did not have to do promotion for myself anymore. People now knew of my site. I am very grateful to each and every one of you for being faithful visitors and helping to make my site grow. Without you guys, I would not have the motivation to keep going and maintaining this site.

As of now, www.virtuesofharmony.net is the #1 English TVB fan site. 2 years ago, this feat seemed like something I could not do. Yet… today, my site is now the top site. Hard work, dedication, and perseverance really pay off. Nothing is “impossible”. I fully believe in the saying that you reap the fruits (be it good or bad) of the seeds that you plant. At long last, everything has paid off and my goal has been accomplished.

I should be happy.

Ironically, I am not.

During the course of reaching #1, I lost myself and the initial joy I had with blogging. In the past couple of months, I struggled with maintaining this blog. I became too involved with the site and too worried about making sure that what I was doing would allow me to reach for the top spot. It was no longer the fun I had before. “Ah! What to update? What to update?” I would ask myself. There was a lot of pressure and many things I had to consider before posting.

When my “big dramatic breakdown” happened on August 22, I just had to go on hiatus. I had to leave. In case some of you misunderstood, my decision to go on hiatus all along was because of personal reasons. I really want to make it clear that a personal issue was the reason I went away. While the “controversy” with downloading mp3’s on the online world contributed to my sadness, that had little to do with my broken spirit and heart. Thank you to those of you who apologized. I have long forgotten and forgiven. It’s a small matter and I know no intentional harm was meant. I have no hard feelings towards this issue, but please do not bring it up again. I am very tired of it and do not wish to discuss it.

At the time I decided to go on hiatus, my mind could no longer focus because of the personal issues I was dealing with. I had lost the care, interest, and mentality to update [among other things]. For a week, I was numb to the site I worked so hard previously to build up. A week later, I slowly began to “feel” again and decided to update you guys on my condition. I just wanted to reassure everyone that I was “okay”, but at that time, I still wasn’t “myself” yet.

It turns out that a heart needs time the most to heal. Even though my personal issue was “resolved” last week, it took me another week to slowly recover. Until I could feel that my heart was healed and my spirit revived… Until the pieces of my real life was put back into place, there was no way I could return… no way could I come back until what was most important to me was back. Without this most important, everything seems meaningless… and I do not have the mood to do or feel anything. I was at an emotional low, depressed and moping around.

Taking away my emotional low and personal issues, looking back, to be honest, in my two weeks away, I felt more relieved than anything. The “stress” and “weight” were both lifted away. I didn’t have to worry about this or that. I regained a lot of free time. It was a very “free” feeling. I was able to “relax”. I’m not going to lie; I enjoyed my break a lot. I now realize that I was too invested in maintaining my site. I was far too involved and cared too much in the past. It was unhealthy and I should not have placed so much into it.

Yet… I know I can never let this site go.

I enjoy writing. I enjoy blogging. I enjoy updating. I enjoy “communicating” with you guys. Doing all of this and playing a role in the online world is a part of my interests.

I’m officially “back” — with a renewed interest and goal.

No longer am I fighting for #1. I am very pleased and more than content with where my site stands now and where I believe it will continue to stand and grow. However, having been #1 once has already fulfilled this desire. I’m not concerned with posting what’s most popular or what will gain the most hits or comments. I will take things lightly and have fun again. I won’t give myself undue pressure. Blogging should be a hobby done when I have free time, not a chore and certainly not a job. What I seek now is to first and foremost make myself satisfied and happy with my own updates. I want to enjoy doing this again. I want to reassure everyone that nothing will really “change”. It will still be the TVB Musings that everyone knows. What will change is how I deal with and look at my site.

Once again, thank you for continuing to support me!

Linda Chung’s debut album “One Person Dinner, Two People World” [一人晚餐, 二人世界] is officially on sale starting today — August 20, 2008.

Thank you to everyone who supported Linda and ordered the album from YESASIA! Since the album’s been up for pre-order since last Wednesday, Linda’s CD (with the mini-poster) is at of this moment the #1 best selling CD for the past week! Her sales have increased with each passing day! Furthermore, the second version of her CD (with the mini-postcards) is the #3 best selling CD!

Linda’s album is surprisingly selling quite well!

If you like Linda or enjoy her music, please support her and purchase her album! It’s now on sale for a great deal of $15.99! Her debut album is very important in determining the future of her music career and whether or not she will have future releases.

Please do not download the CD! It is okay to “preview” it, but if you end up liking it, do the right and legal thing and buy the original! Not only do you get album artwork (with your choice of cover), you even get a bonus DVD with two music videos and a poster or 5 postcards! What a great deal for less than $20!

If you see people posting it, please request that they remove the CD. Not only is it illegal but it is also damaging (not supportive) to the hard work that Linda has put into recording this record. Thanks!

Once again, thank you so much for making Linda’s CD the #1 best selling CD for the past 7 days on YESASIA! Keep the buzz going and let’s keep her CD at the top! Although Linda’s transition to becoming a singer is because of her personal interest and passion for song, I’m sure she would be very happy to see her album sell well!

Again, support music and buy — don’t download!

[Translation of Raymond Lam Fung's "Made In Hong Kong" (08/15/08) interview in which he prank calls the gullible and innocent Linda Chung Ka Yan -- hilarity ensues]

You need to call Chung Ka Yan, telling her that your friend’s grandma really likes watching “Moonlight Resonance” [家好月圓], especially the characters ‘Manager Boy’ [管家仔] (Raymond) and Ah Chau [阿秋] (Linda). However, she won’t eat unless doctor Ah Chau comes visit her and encourages her to eat, only then will she eat. Can you convince Miss Chung to come and encourage grandma to eat?

Want to download this radio clip? Right click and Save Target/Link As this link; please do not post this link at any other site and/or forum. Thank you!

Note: I did not translate every single word said and omitted certain parts that didn’t relate to Linda as indicated by the brackets or were too “noisy” to translate, but I translated around 97-99% of the interview parts I chose to transcribe. I could not catch a few parts only.

[Praising the series]

Raymond: I don’t know if I can reach her because she’s filming.

Radio Host: Just try.

[Calling Linda]

Linda: Hello?

Raymond: Hey.

Linda: Hello?

Raymond: Hey, Ka Yan.

Linda: Yes.

Raymond: It’s Ah Fung.

Linda: Hey, Ah Fung, what’s up?

Raymond: No, nothing. I need you to do me a favor.

Linda: Do what?

Raymond: A friend of mine…

Linda: Which friend?

Raymond: My friend, his grandma watches Moonlight Resonance [家好月圓] and really likes our characters.

Linda: Really?

Raymond: Yes. … She was hospitalized.

Linda: Okay.

Raymond: She wants to ask you… you –

Linda: Ask me to come visit her?

Raymond: Yes, she won’t eat.

Linda: Really?

Raymond: Yeah. That’s why I want to ask you to come and encourage her to eat.

Linda: Me?

Raymond: Yeah. Can you help?

Linda: [Exasperated]

Raymond: Are you working?

Linda: Yeah, I’m working now. Are you going too?

Raymond: Of course I’ll go with you.

Linda: Oh… okay. Uh… when? Because this week… I’m… When? Are you joking? Are you playing me?

Raymond: No! I’m telling the truth, the truth, the truth, the truth…

Linda: When?

Raymond: See when you’re free.

Linda: Oh… I think 5 PM, 6 PM, or 7PM.

Raymond: How about if you say a few words to my friend’s grandma now? Is that okay?

Linda: [Agrees]

“Grandma”: Hello?

Linda: Hello, grandma. I’m Yu So Chau!

“Grandma”: Really? Is this true?

Linda: It’s true!

“Grandma”: Ah Chau… the Ah Chau from the series?

Linda: Yes, yes, Yu So Chau — Ka Yan, I’m Chung Ka Yan.

“Grandma”: Ah! I’ve watched you on TV. You’re a really pretty girl.

Linda: Thank you, thank you.

“Grandma”: You did really well.

Linda: Why aren’t you being good? Why aren’t you eating? You need to eat, do you know that?

“Grandma”: You come and eat with me.

Linda: You eat first. In the upcoming days, I’ll come. Can you eat first?

“Grandma”: You really need to come.

Linda: Huh?

“Grandma”: You really need to come.

Linda: Yes, I will. You need to eat first. If you don’t have strength, you can’t see me.

“Grandma”: Are you busy now?

Linda: Yes.

“Grandma”: Ask Fung jai to take you here.

Linda: Sure, sure.

“Grandma”: I’ll wait for you.

[Everyone laughs and reveals it was a radio prank, apologizing profusely]

Linda: Ah! You guys pranked me! Aiya!

Radio Host: Chung Ka Yan, you are really kind.

Linda: Are you kidding me? I was also suspicious. Why would it be like this? … Argh…

Radio Host: Sorry for bothering you.

Linda: It’s okay!

Radio Host: Sorry. When you heard Grandma talking… Let’s talk for a little bit. You changed into a baby-like voice when you talked with the grandma.

Linda: No it’s because I wanted to help. You said she was sick. You played me! This week I keep getting played, it is really funny!

Raymond: I was forced. It’s not my fault.

Linda: Okay…

[Talks about Raymond's new song, Moonlight's sub -- [愛不疚]]

Radio Host: Your upcoming CD, Ah Fung will buy your CD –

Linda: He’s going to buy 10 copies!

Radio Host: Buy 10? Haven’t seen him do that.

Linda: He’ll buy 10 to 20 something copies.

Radio Host: It’s out?

Linda: It isn’t out yet. It’ll be out on the 20th.

Radio Host: What are you doing now?

Linda: Actually, I’m in the make-up room now about to take pictures.

Radio Host: Aiya, sorry for bothering you! Go make yourself pretty. Next time we’ll see you again.

Raymond: Don’t be mad at me!

Linda: This is so funny! Okay, okay. Thank you. Bye bye.

Radio Host 1: Next time you see her, tell her sorry.

Raymond: Okay.

Radio Host 2: She’s really a good person.

Radio Host 1: A really good girl!

Radio Host 2: Yes, she’s kind-hearted.

Radio Host 1: When she heard grandma was sick, she immediately transformed into Yu So Chau and told her, “I’m Yu So Chau!”

Radio Host 2: She’s really like her role, very kind-hearted.

Raymond: She’s always like that, very cute.

[Teases Ray if he feels guilty]

Radio Host 2: This prank was really successful.

Radio Host 1: We can’t find Yu So Chau’s song for the time being, so let’s play Guk jeh’s (Susanna Kwan Guk Ying) song first. Sorry. We’ll play it next, Chung Ka Yan’s song.

Radio Host 2: Ah Chau, we unintentionally hurt you [無心害你] (title of Moonlight’s theme, Susanna’s new single).

[Apologizing to Linda and talks about continuing to watch her in Moonlight, but it won't be on air again until Monday]

A comeback…

TVB Generation was one of the first TVB blogs on the Internet. Blogger Asia was really a pioneer and inspired many people to open TVB blogs. In fact, I dare say she helped to pave the way for the countless of blogs that exist now. How can I be so sure? Simply because my blog would not exist if I did not visit her blog.

I really have to thank Asia for helping me gain traffic for TVB Musings two years back when my blog was a baby. Before we were affiliates and blogger friends, I was a fan of TVB Generation. Like everyone else, I grew very concerned when Asia abruptly disappeared. With no word, no one knew what happened. At first, I thought it was another spell without updates because she was busy, but when it became weeks which turned into months without updates, I grew worried.

Even though the blog was “dead”, I still visited TVB Generation every now and then out of habit… hoping to see an update or hear a word that Asia was okay.

If you didn’t already know, Asia officially made a “comeback” on August 8, 2008! That’s right, TVB Generation is back — totally revamped with a new look and plenty of updates. I was very surprised, but very much relieved and happy. I wanted to help Asia spread the word about the return of TVB Generation. Do visit and show Asia some support! Asia is back — the same blogger we all know and missed with her fun write-ups, frank comments, and to-the-point updates.

Welcome back Asia & TVB Generation!

A new home…
Blogger cx839 is notoriously known for constantly changing blog URL’s, names, hosts, and layouts. Since I became affiliates with him, I think I had to change his URL 5 times! What a troublesome blogger who can’t make up his mind! I grew so tired of his changes that I decided to offer him a permanent host and URL. He won’t be able to change again and I won’t have to update his link or name anymore. Thus, TVB Memories is now officially a member of timeless: the VIRTUES OF HARMONY network.

All jokes aside, the main reason I decided to give TVB Memories a new home was because I feel this blog has potential. A free WordPress account is quite limited (not even allowing a Shoutbox to appear on the sidebar) and it dismayed me to see the blog not be the “best” it could be. I personally enjoy reading his updates and have watched TVB Memories grow and improve in the last few months.

I believe that it will continue to develop and become even better. I have confidence in cx839 and therefore decided to endorse him and host TVB Memories. I want to help it become the “best” it can be. I expect great things.

Update your bookmarks, visit the revamped TVB Memories now located @ www.virtuesofharmony.net/tvbmemories, and show cx839 some support!

Linda Chung’s debut album releases on August 20, 2008. Entitled “One Person Dinner, Two People World” [一人晚餐, 二人世界], Linda’s CD is composed almost exclusively of love songs — Linda’s favorite type of songs to sing. The CD’s title represents the modern working woman’s yearn for love, but lack of time due to her career.

The CD includes 10 songs, two of which are in Mandarin. It also comes with a bonus DVD that includes music videos for her two singles (which the album gets its name from) and a special behind-the-scenes video that shows how Linda’s debut album came about. Most impressively, two songs off the album are musically composed by Linda herself.

CD
01. “One Person Dinner” [一人晚餐]
02. “Two People World” [二人世界]
03. “I Don’t Understand You” [我不懂你]
04. “Heaven’s Matches” [火柴天堂]
05. “Rollercoaster” [過山車]
06. “Actually I’m Not Happy” [其實我不快樂]
07. “Romantic Silence” [浪漫無聲]
08. “Have Her” [有沒有她]
09. “You Don’t Understand My Heart” [你不懂我的心] (Mandarin)
10. “I’m Not Happy” [我不快樂] (Mandarin)

DVD
01. “One Person Dinner” [一人晚餐] MV
02. “Two People World” [二人世界] MV
03. Making of The Album

As a special promotion, the album’s first publication is available in two different covers with two gifts for fans to choose from. The first cover offers a mini-poster while the second cover offers five [different] mini-postcards. The CD is listed for $18.49, but for the time being, YESASIA is selling it for only $15.99 — 14% savings! Do take advantage of the great deal and buy the album now while it’s on sale for a very good price!

Interested in the poster? Order it from YESASIA!

Want the postcards? Order it from YESASIA!

Can’t decide which one you want? YESASIA has a very good deal where you can buy both for only $30.98 — a savings of 16% off the listed price for two! That’s what I did!

If you’re a fan of Linda or like her music, please support her and purchase her debut album! Whether or not Linda is able to release more CD’s in the future is dependent upon the sales of her first CD! Please don’t download and support Linda and the hard work she put forth in recording this CD!

[好狗出更] (literally translated as “Good Dogs on the Beat”) had its costume fitting the other day. In the series, leading actors Steven Ma and Linda Chung take on new roles and images. For the first time, Steven permed his hair. His role is very perverted — reading adult magazines on a daily basis — and foul-mouthed. He will constantly tease Linda about her body, saying that she is flat-chest.

In the new series, not only does Linda have to wear a short wig and big glasses, but she even has to bind her chest (to make her appear flat). It is her first time acting as an “ugly” tomboy role. Linda’s character is messy and doesn’t know how to take care of herself.

In 2008, Producer Leung Choi Yuen gave Linda a breakthrough role as the unkempt Mongkok “Wet mui” Sze Ka Ka who turned good in A Journey Called Life which earned her a lot of acclaim. It seems he is intent in giving both Steven and Linda breakthrough roles with this new series. Although Steven’s emotional scenes were highly praised, some people criticize that he always acts as the “good guy” or in professional, mannered roles. In this new series, the audience will see a totally different Steven. Foul-mouthed, nasty, and perverted… It should be a refreshing performance. Like Ka Ka, I think Steven’s character will change from a bad guy into a good guy in the end.

Linda has looked “pretty” in all of her series, so it’s a change to see her “ugly”. In real life, Linda wears glasses (in fact, her vision is very bad) so not having to wear contacts for the long hours of filming will give her eyes a rest. Her wig… looks fake. I think the reason why she did not cut her hair is because she has to do promotional work for her upcoming CD. Furthermore, her character will undergo a “make-over” during the second half of the series. Apparently, her tomboy role is only for the first half of the series. Her performance should be refreshing. I’m excited to see how she acts it out!

I can’t wait to see Steven & Linda as a couple again. Journey did not have enough of them, so I hope Producer Leung will give them more screentime in this series. However, Steven sounds like such a bad and unlikable guy… I really can’t imagine how the two of them will fall in love. Their love story should be interesting and “new”. I’m confident in their chemistry.

Other cast members for the series include Kent Cheng, Maggie Shiu, Koni Lui, Raymond Wong, and Natalie Tong.

The news did not say too much about the storyline, which was disappointing. They mostly just focused on the changes in Steven and Linda for their roles. It’s reported that Koni’s role is another sexy lady who is mistaken to be the mistress of a rich man. As reported earlier, [好狗出更] is a cop drama focusing on police dog training and how they help the police to crack cases and fight crime. If anyone has any more information on this series and/or the roles of other cast members, do share!

More pictures from the costume fitting

TVB Series A Kindred Spirit (Episodes 601 - 651) - 143 captures

Click Here To View Gallery

TVB’s most intelligent series of the 21st century thus far has got to be the 2004 classic War and Beauty. No other series can compare to the sheer brilliance of this Qing-dynasty costume drama about the dark lives of the concubines living in the palace. War boosted the audience’s confidence that TVB can still produce high-quality and intellectual programming that is different and not formulary or reused.

Unlike most other TVB series, War is complex, has multiple layers in both its characterizations and plotline, and is so cleverly and well thought out and planned. War is deeply meaningful, intriguing, poignant, and offers much to think about and discuss. It is an artwork — a true masterpiece that TVB can be proud of for many, many years to come. My full review for War is available here.

Obviously, TVB wants to “recreate” the success and magic that was War.

Since 2004, TVB has tried to create other “versions” of War.

Trials and failures
At the end of 2004, Producer Mui ambitiously set out to create a 1930’s version of War revolving around a family who owns a cosmetic shop. That was her goal with 2005’s grand production The Charm Beneath. Charm boasted a very big and impressive cast, including War alumni Gigi Lai & Moses Chan, Yoyo Mung, and Anne Heung.

Just like War, Charm was also 30 episodes and would also be female-dominated, focusing on the power struggles in a rich family in the 1930’s. Charm had everything going for it — a promising premise that was indeed War-like, a beautiful cast, gorgeous, custom-made costumes, and many alluring props and sets. TVB had so much confidence in the series that it was aired as an “Anniversary Series”.

Perhaps TVB made a mistake from the get-go when the English title was revealed to actually be The Charm Beneath rather than Beneath The Charm (there was a bit of confusion because of the way TVB set the words on the poster). The Charm Beneath suggests “finding beauty in ugliness”… rather clichéd. Beneath The Charm would have made for a much more intriguing title because it suggests that the “charm” and allure is deadly [i.e. there's more than meets the eye] — which was exactly what TVB was promoting the series as. In fact, the tagline was something along the lines of “Hiding daggers behind smiles”. This would have fit much better with the theme of the series.

Unlike War, Charm did not win big ratings. In fact, ratings were mediocre and disappointing, especially for the amount of money and promotion that TVB put into the production. Somehow, the audience just wasn’t buying that the series was the 1930’s War. The audience wasn’t hooked into the storyline like they had been for War and Charm did not gain much recognition.

While Charm was one of the best series of 2005 (it’s personally one of my favorites and I deem it a classic), it failed to live up to its goal to be the 1930’s War. The series was said to focus on scheming women fighting for power ala War, but instead, it turned out to be more like a big family drama focusing on kinship, friendship, and love. Fights and struggles happened within the family, but it wasn’t solely the women. The big villain of the series [who propelled much of the plot] was female and the series was female-dominated, but the script was not like a 1930’s War at all. The series was not dark and twisted and the dialogues were also not impressive like in War.

Thus, Charm tried to be a 1930’s War, but failed.

Meanwhile, during 2005, the producer of War was hard at work at his own 1930’s version of War. He reunited the War cast (minus the extraordinary talents of Sheren Tang & Maggie Cheung) and added new main cast members Ada Choi and Maggie Shiu for a very hyped-up, grand production known as The Dance of Passion.

Dance was about the struggles between two clans and focused on the pitiful fates of women. Set in a village secluded from the rest of China, the setting of Dance was a repressive and cruel environment of unjust customs. The four leading female characters all faced many problems and became manipulative and scheming in order to survive (gain some power) and escape their “fate” ala War.

TVB filmed the series on-location in China. Like War, Dance was a high-value grand production that TVB invested a lot into. While Charm failed in 2005 to be another War, people were sure that Dance would live up and be another War since it was from the same production team.

With high hopes comes high disappointment.

Dance’s opening week earned high ratings (mostly because TVB promoted the heck out of it months and months before it released), but this quickly faded as word-of-mouth about the series became unfavorable. The audience complained that Dance was boring and slow. They criticized the yellow tinge that TVB used to give the series a “dry” feel as hurting the eyes. They criticized the long, complicated, drawn-out dialogues full of “meaning”. Thus, the audience wasn’t satisfied with Dance and were not drawn into it like they had been with War. For much of its run, the ratings for Dance was only mediocre for the amount of promotion and money that TVB put into it.

Indeed, Dance was a disappointing series. It had the makings to be a 1930’s War, but failed because it tried too hard. War prides itself in its complex, deep, and intelligent dialogues consisting of only proper and traditional language (which makes it hard for some people to interpret). Dance tried to continue this by also having complex and deep dialogues for its characters. The problem was that the dialogues simply tried too hard. Most of the dialogues seemed excessive and unnecessary, almost running around in a circle before a point was even made. The long, poetic dialogues and slow pace of the series bored some audience members.

Furthermore, the audience could not relate to Dance’s story. While HK OL’s (office ladies) related themselves to the plight of the War concubines, they could not put themselves into the shoes of the Dance women. The fact that Dance’s setting was in an atypical environment (a secluded village in the desert away from the rest of China) also made it harder to relate. The storyline was also very dramatic [perhaps too melodramatic and "depressing" for some people]. Consequently, Dance did not draw a big following or crowd like War and failed to impress. Thus, Producer Chik failed at creating a 1930’s War.

There’s a saying that the harder you try to do something, the less ideal the results are (hence the comment of “trying too hard”). Sometimes not trying and letting things happen naturally is the best way. Producer Mui and Producer Chik both aspired and tried their best to make 1930’s versions of War, but they did not succeed. Maybe War is a once-in-a-lifetime masterpiece that cannot be recreated. Perhaps its level is so high that it cannot be reached by TVB again. Or…

War comes when least expected.

TVB was able to successfully produce two “versions” of War without trying.

The male version of War
Almost everyone wrote off 2006 series Safe Guards from the very beginning. It was thought to be a doomed production with low viewership because the cast did not consist of anyone “popular” and especially because the female side had then-horrible Elaine Yiu leading. Who knew Safe was not only a good, but an excellent series?

Safe’s male cast is solid, consisting of Steven Ma, Wayne Lai, Cheung Chi Kwong, veteran Kwok Fung, and Evergreen Mak. It boasts the strongest acting by a male ensemble in a long time, which is appropriate because the series is male-dominated. It’s rare for TVB to make a male-oriented series and even rarer for such a production to be successful. Safe managed to be this production. It garnered many praises and relatively high ratings.

Safe ended up being the “male version” of War. War was female-dominated and put issues that women face on center-stage. Likewise, Safe, being a “male version”, was male-dominated and focused on issues that men face. These issues included brotherhood between “real” brothers [blood-related and adopted] and friends, relationships between fathers and sons, and basically roles and responsibilities that men have and what struggles and conflicts comes along with them and how they deal with these issues. It was a truthful portrayal and made the series relatable (even if the time period and actual storylines were not).

Just like War, the script for Safe is top-notch. The dialogues are wonderfully written and there are many powerful scenes. The characterizations are complex and the storyline is engaging. While Safe isn’t dark and intriguing like War, it is still an excellent series and is the most appropriate series worthy of being classified as War’s “male version”.

The 1920’s version of War

2008 series The Silver Chamber of Sorrows had a low budget and a not-so-grand cast, but TVB had confidence towards this series. They rushed the production and released it the same time that 2007’s huge series Heart of Greed aired, hoping that Chamber would be the “costume version” of Heart. They promoted the series as the ancient Heart. Chamber started off rather low in terms of ratings with criticism saying that the series was clichéd and boring. It appeared that Chamber would not live up to the label of an “ancient Heart” as TVB was promoting. It also seemed like Chamber would travel down the road of lowly-rated Charm.

However, something very surprising happened in its third week of airing. The series picked up and started to receive good buzz. The ratings followed suit. In the final week of airing, the series earned a very respectable rating of 34 pts and peaked at a very impressive 42 pts. Thus, the series started off low but ended on a commendable high and is therefore considered a “success”. Chamber ended with a very good word-of-mouth as many people praised the script. It was a surprising hit in both ratings and quality.

Although TVB classifies Chamber as a costume version of Heart, I think it is much more appropriate to label it the 1920’s version of War. Chamber exuberates the “feel” of War in terms of darkness, chilliness, intensity, intelligence, and grippingness. While I was watching Chamber, I kept being reminded of War. It is one of the most high-quality costume production I’ve seen in a long time. In many ways Chamber is the perfect counterpart and is fitting and deserving to be declared as War’s 1920’s version.

For starters, exactly like War, Chamber is a female-dominated series with the women manipulating and plotting, totally driving the plot. The sets, props, and costumes of War and Chamber are both grand. There’s no question about War’s set — what else beats the real Imperial Palace in Beijing? The costumes and accessories of the concubines were stunningly gorgeous. War was a visually appealing and captivating series. The Sheung family mansion in Chamber is massive with many rooms and a huge garden. In some “overhead” shots, it reminds me of a miniature version of the Imperial Palace. The 1920’s costumes adorned by the cast are also pretty. Both War and Chamber are glamorous alike.



No other series shows the repressiveness and power struggles of the women in War like Chamber. The concubines of War were captive in the palace, unable to escape. They were bound by many codes and “laws” and life was a constant struggle. Their every move was watched. They could trust no one. They had to plot for power just to survive. If they didn’t, they would die old and forgotten, rotting away in the “Cold Palace”. They were truly miserable and repressed, unable to have any freedom. They were constantly on their guard and calculating something.

The wives of the Sheung household did not have much more freedom than the concubines of the palace. They were captive in the Sheung mansion, bound by their marriage to Old Master Sheung Hang (Paul Chun) and the Sheung’s “family laws”. They did not have the right to do as they pleased. Exactly like the concubines who fought for the favor of the Emperor, the Sheung family wives fought for Old Master Sheung’s (who himself is in many ways similar to an Emperor) favor. They wanted to secure their status in the family.

There was an internal struggle for power for the women of War and Chamber, but of course the stakes and measures were not as high for the Sheung family wives as those of the concubines. The concubines of War were held inside of the Imperial Palace by four tall red walls filled with ghosts and demons while the wives of Chamber were caged in the Sheung family’s “bird cage” of a mansion. Thus, the women of both series lacked freedom.

Chamber was deliciously captivating with all of its schemes and juicy dark secrets and twists. There’s lots of substance behind the surface and it is a dark and intriguing series and offers lots of think about and discuss, much like War. While the dialogues and acting of Chamber cannot be compared with those of War, the script is simply too exquisite that it doesn’t matter.

Chamber is an excellent gem of a series that fits the War label snuggly. TVB successfully and unknowingly produced a 1920’s version of War. In fact, it is the only other series that TVB has produced in recent years that can even be compared with War.

More War to come?
War’s Producer Chik is trying so hard to recreate the magic, success, and intellectual depth and intrigue of War. I have confidence that 80-episode blockbuster The Gem of Life will be a “modern version” of War for reasons stated here . However, to be labeled or even compared with the War brand is a very difficult feat. Chamber was able to do it fatefully, but can Gem? I don’t want to put too much pressure on Gem [although pressure churns out diamonds so maybe it's a good thing], so I’ll just leave it at that.

Hope TVB will be able to produce more masterpieces like War in the years to come!

New blogs are born every day on the Internet… but a new blog born on timeless: the VIRTUES OF HARMONY network? When that happens, you know it’s something special.

Ever Star, owned by my “little sister” Annisa, is this blog.

Launched on August 4, 2008, Annisa will share everything that comes to her mind about everything that she loves, with a strong focus on TVB. Because she just started, she doesn’t have much to check out yet. However, with an attractive and professional layout and lots of potential, Ever Star will be a blog to keep an eye on. I have high expectations and faith in her and fully endorse her — which is why her blog is hosted by my site. Check out her blog and leave her some support!

Episodes 601-651

I thought I’d never feel this way towards A Kindred Spirit again. The show that I loved is truly back, at least in these episodes. Since the late 400’s and especially in episodes 500’s, the series has been slowly improving and going uphill. In these 50 episodes, Kindred is the best it has been in a long time.

After waiting over 200 episodes, Ah Loi (Lui Fong) came back! My neck was growing long just waiting for him to come back and be with Ah King (Kingdom Yuen). I was actually very bothered that the first scene in which Ah King met Ah Loi again was when she was on a “date” with Dai Lik (Wai Ka Hung). You could tell that Ah Loi was happy to see Ah King, but because of Dai Lik… I very much dreaded a love triangle between Dai Lik, Ah King, and Ah Loi because I hate love triangles (and Kindred’s love triangles are especially dragging and sometimes unbearable). Thankfully, such a drawn-out love triangle didn’t happen. I was actually quite surprised that it only lasted a few episodes before Ah Loi and Ah King cleared up their “misunderstanding” and got together.

I love Ah King and Ah Loi! There is something so innocent and precious about the two of them. I just love watching them together. They are such a sweet and cute couple. While their moments are few, I enjoy every minute of them. For sure they are one of my most favorite Kindred couples.



I was devastated when Ah Loi was kidnapped by Tsz Ho (Cheng Tse Sing). He was going to propose to Ah King! If I wasn’t spoiled by the fact that Ah Loi and Ah King eventually get married later on in the series, I would curse and hate the Kindred writers so much for this development in the storyline. Ah Loi just came back and in 10 episodes, he’s gone?! I waited 200 episodes to see Ah Loi again for 10 episodes to find that he’s thrown into the ocean and possibly dead? I really wish I knew early on that Lui Fong was only a recurring “guest star” and not a main/supporting cast member. If so, I wouldn’t grow so attached to his character. Who am I kidding? Even if I knew, I can’t help but really like Ah Loi. His character and storyline truly saved Kindred back in episodes 300’s.

The Ah Loi tragedy really moved me mostly because I love Ah Loi & Ah King. Seeing Ah King cry so much (excellent crying done by Kingdom!) was heart-breaking. I really like how she says she will wait for Ah Loi. She refuses to believe that he’s dead. It’s quite touching how she says she won’t move on even if she waits all of her life and he never returns. I really like the parallel between Ah King’s wait for Ah Loi and Ah Hoi’s (Ben Wong) wait for Choi Yiu (Angie Cheung) earlier on in the series. Even though the wait doesn’t guarantee anything, they still wait… because they love and there’s nothing else they can do. Choi Yiu left Ah Hoi because of her stomach cancer while Ah Loi left Ah King because he was kidnapped and thrown into the ocean (with weights on) by Tsz Ho.

I thought it was powerful how Ah King declared that she won’t be like Ah Hoi and move on. Dai Lik was there to witness her say this, which totally crushes him. He really has no chance in winning Ah King’s heart. He can’t even be like Seung Seung (Candy Lo Lam) who had Ah Hoi’s heart briefly when Choi Yiu was away. I am actually much relieved to hear Ah King say this because I would hate it if she got with Dai Lik just because Ah Loi is away (and may never come back). Hopefully Ah King’s wait for Ah Loi won’t be too long… I really want to see them happy and get married! I am waiting for Ah Loi’s return along with Ah King.

Ah Nam (Mark Kwok) and Ah Man (Winnie Yeung) are super sweet — perhaps too sweet that it feels like artificial sweetener. I like them as a couple and I’m happy they got together, but I don’t “feel” for them. I mean, it’s great that Ah Nam has finally moved on from Ah Gwai (Angie Cheung) and has someone he truly loves and it’s fantastic that Ah Man has someone that treats her right (unlike Tsz Ho). However, their relationship isn’t that deep and wasn’t really developed. They got together and then got married really fast (especially for Kindred’s standard). Hopefully later on the writers will focus on their relationship and develop it more/better.

The most meaningful aspect of this couple is that Ah Man shows Ah Nam the meaning of “love” and what it is to be in a relationship. Before, he thought it was just about taking care of the other person’s needs, going on dates, and buying gifts. Ah Man clarifies that it’s not. She says it is about thoroughly understanding another person.

I used to dislike Ah Man because I thought she was boring and too “perfect” and “nice”. Also, Winnie’s acting was [is] bad. I find it disappointing that her character is still flat and boring, but I guess after so many episodes, I’ve grown to accept her. It helps that she and Ah Nam are just so sweet. They really match. Their wedding was great. I am happy for this couple.

Tsz Ho is a bad, horrible, evil man! I’m not sure what episode he meets his demise, but I don’t know how much worse he can get. He caused his uncle’s (Auntie Yung’s (Tam Sin Hung) brother) family to go poor by losing their small shoe company and he deceived Ah Hoi into bankruptcy. This was the “big revenge plan” he was talking about on the plane back in episode’s 500’s when he broke off ties with Auntie Yung and the Li family at the hospital. This was the “big event” that I was looking forward to.

I was not disappointed. Of course, this storyline did not beat Ah Wah (Lau Siu Gwan) and Ah Yan’s (Florence Kwok) rich-turned-poor storyline, but it was well-executed and it affects the entire Li family, not just Ah Hoi and Ah Gwai. “Sam Doh” was mortgaged to the bank in order to raise monopoly for Ah Hoi’s company so with his company going bankrupt, “Sam Doh” no longer belonged to the Li family. Poor Auntie Sin (Lee See Kei), Char Siu Bing (Lau Dan), and the rest of the family now have to work day and night in order to earn enough money to get back their restaurant.

I finally “feel” for Ah Hoi again. Since the whole messy love triangle with Seung Seung and Choi Yiu, I haven’t been fond of Ah Hoi, but after this storyline, I like him again. I feel so sorry for him. He worked really hard to get where he was and all because of Tsz Ho, he lost it all. He put his heart behind his company and truly built it up. He deserves the money that he earned. Unlike Tsz Ho, Ah Hoi is someone with dignity and morals. Even though his birth mom is rich, he doesn’t stick his hand out and ask for money. His rich mom is always his last resort. I respect and like that. In fact, he hasn’t even told her that he’s poor now. I’m actually curious as to how his mom will react to this news.

I love Ah Hoi and Ah Gwai! I thought it was very touching and sweet how the two of them are facing their sudden poverty together. Ah Gwai was hurt by the fact that Ah Hoi didn’t let her know anything was happening. However, Ah Hoi is the type of guy who likes to keep everything inside of him and just bear the pain for all. Ah Gwai has really grown since her first appearance. She used to be so vain and silly. Her thinking has matured and she is more “toned down”, but she retains the same playfulness that is the character. Ah Hoi and Ah Gwai’s interaction (dealing with their financial woes) reminds me of Ah Wah and Ah Yan earlier on in the series dealing with the same issue.

I look forward to seeing how Ah Hoi and Ah Gwai rebuild their lives, just like how Ah Wah and Ah Yan were able to pick the pieces back together and return to the “high-class life”.

Ah Wah is disliked by the Li family for “betraying” Ah Hoi by working for Tsz Ho (who took over Ah Hoi’s company and offered Ah Wah the chance to keep his job), but I don’t agree with their resentment. I agree with Ah Wah and his family’s reasoning for not quitting the company and staying to work for Tsz Ho. Ah Wah has a family to support. Unlike Ah Hoi, he doesn’t dump his children [won't we ever see Kwan and Seung Seung's baby again?]. He has to take care of Ah Yan, Pui Pui, and his mother. He cannot afford to lose it all again. Starting over is tough as it is; a second time would be even more difficult. Ah Wah couldn’t take that risk. He had to think of his family. I don’t dislike Ah Wah at all and I hope the Li family (especially Char Siu Bing) will come to see this and not blame Ah Wah anymore. He doesn’t deserve their “dislike”. As a character, Ah Wah has grown into a very likable family man and husband. It almost feels like the cheating husband of so many episodes ago is a different person. Ah Wah and Ah Yan remain to be a very loving couple.

After being gone for over 150 episodes, On jai (Hawick Lau) is back. Honestly, I’m indifferent to this character. He doesn’t really add to the family scenes and his stories were dreadfully boring. Therefore, I’m not exactly “happy” about him coming back. I’d much rather see Ah Foon (Kenix Kwok) and Ah Bong (Sunny Chan) back. Of course, I know that’s impossible… but you get my point. Nevertheless, it’s nice to see the family reunite with On jai after so long. They really love him. What I do like about this character is that even though he’s the baby of the family, he still wants to play an active role in helping his family out and doesn’t want to be “spoiled” and let his family members take care of him.

On jai and Joan (May Kwong) are matching and cute, but they lack depth (even more so than Ah Man & Ah Nam). I don’t “feel” for them nor do I really see their “love”… maybe because this relationship seems “immature” compared to the other relationships (mostly because they are the youngest couple). It’s almost like puppy love. Since On jai was gone, Joan pretty much disappeared as well, which also didn’t affect me too much as well. I was very upset at Joan for the way she treated On jai. Out of nowhere she became “attracted” to a much older man (May May’s (Celine Ma) birth father Lai Gin Long (Felix Lok)) because she found it “refreshing” since “mature men” provide a feeling of “security”. First of all, he’s married and second of all, it was totally out-of-character for her. It was almost random and a ridiculous twist. It was later “explained” that Joan was momentarily blinded by greed for money and thus acted irrationally, but I don’t accept this reason. If she truly loved On jai, she would not have done this. She didn’t consider him at all. She was selfish. It disgusts me how heartless (and out-of-character) she behaved. I felt sorry for On jai. He doesn’t deserve this. With this, On jai and Joan began the first of their many break-ups in their on-again, off-again “turbulent” relationship. I am not looking forward to seeing how their relationship develops. They bore me.

I feel sorry for Sophie (Poon Bing Seung). Lai Gin Long blackmailed her about the secret of May May’s identity. She paid him off for now, but for sure this secret will be revealed soon. I was thinking that May May was going to fall for Lai Gin Long and then find out he’s her father. There were implications that she found him “attractive”. However, they didn’t go down that path. I’m really anticipating the revelation of May May’s identity because that would mark major changes and huge dramatic twists.

Tsz Ho began cheating on May May with a girl also named Sek Man (Yau Ching). In fact, he cheated with this girl simply because she has Ah Man’s name. I honestly wonder if Tsz Ho truly “loves” Ah Man or if he just doesn’t want any other man to have her if he can’t have her. His actions towards Ah Nam are those of jealousy and his affair with Sek Man because of her name implies so. Tsz Ho doesn’t love anyone but himself. I really hate him for screwing up everyone’s lives just to prove that he’s superior, powerful, and “capable”. He won’t stand to be belittled.

Although I don’t like May May, I have to admit that I feel somewhat sorry for her seeing Tsz Ho cheat on her. You can tell that she loves Tsz Ho even if she’s quite nasty and demanding when she bosses him around. I’m curious to see how she handles his infidelity. I’m sure there’s going to be hell.

I am beginning to see the charm between the pairing of Lap Sang (Marco Lo) and Ah Jing (Wallis Pang). Before, I was frustrated with how Lap Sang emotionally abused Ah Jing and hated him for the terrible ways that he treated her. I was so happy when Ah Jing finally gave Lap Sang a piece of her mind. She couldn’t take it anymore and decided to break ties with him.

It seems I really understand Lap Sang, which is a good thing because this means his characterization is consistent. Like I said previously, I believed that Lap Sang refused to be a doctor again because he felt he was no longer “fit” to be one. Indeed, he admits that he believes this is part of his “punishment” for being the bad guy that he was in the past (arrogant, cheater, greedy, etc). He feels that he doesn’t deserve prestige, respect, or a high-paying profession. Furthermore, as Ah Jing puts it, he cannot bring himself to face his former colleagues and friends. It is because of Ah Jing that Lap Sang unleashes his pent-up reasons for punishing himself.

It is thanks to Ah Jing and his mom Auntie Ho (Nancy Sit) that Lap Sang practiced medicine again. He didn’t want to disappoint his mom (and the rest of his family), so he had to go along with going back on the doctor path. At first it was “force”, but later on Lap Sang warmed up to being a doctor again. After Ah Jing started to avoid and ignore him, it was only then did Lap Sang realize what Ah Jing meant to him. He came to the sad discovery that besides his family, Ah Jing was the only other person who cared about him — his one true friend. She understood him and helped him unconditionally. He missed her and at long last appreciated her. Unfortunately, it was too late. Ah Jing was done with him (or at least she tried her best to convey this). Lap Sang would have to work hard to get back on her good graces.

The Li family (in particular Auntie Ho), ever so desperate and insistent that they have to have Ah Jing as their daughter-in-law, devise a plot to make the two of them “interact” and hopefully end up dating. At first things are awkward, but then they hit it off again. Ah Jing begins to feel sweet being with Lap Sang. They buy one another Christmas presents. Unfortunately, Ah Jing overhears the Li family and her adopted father talking and misunderstands Lap Sang’s actions towards her as being forced by their family members. She thought he was only nice to her as part of their plan and not because he was true to her. She was very upset and makes up her mind to leave Hong Kong to further her studies (she began this process when she broke off ties with Lap Sang earlier).

Lap Sang shows up and asks Ah Jing to stay in Hong Kong for him. She tells him to get away and not touch her. He forcefully kisses her. At first, she resists, but then she gives in and returns his kiss. She agrees to stay in Hong Kong for him. From this moment on, Ah Jing and Lap Sang are a couple. Last Christmas, Ah Hoi and Ah Gwai’s feelings for each other were solidified. This Christmas, Ah Jing and Lap Sang get together. I wonder what the next Christmas in Kindred will bring.

I thought that Lap Sang and Ah Jing looked good, but I failed to see the chemistry between them before. Ironically, when they were apart and “fighting” with each other, I began to miss them and wish they were together. I really like watching them! My favorite part of theirs before they finally got together was their interaction leading up to and on Ah Man & Ah Nam’s wedding. Ah Jing was simply adorable wearing her geeky glasses [because of an eye infection] and trying so hard not to let Lap Sang see her “ugly”. It was rather touching that Lap Sang showed up wearing glasses to the wedding so that he and Ah Jing would “match” as the best man and bridesmaid. They were so cute!

The kiss between Lap Sang and Ah Jing is probably one of the best kisses in Kindred so far. It was natural and filled with passion. I’m really happy that Lap Sang and Ah Jing are together. I’m looking forward to watching more of their scenes. Honestly, I’m still waiting for scenes where Lap Sang does something for her. He has yet to prove that he really loves her. Although I like this couple and enjoy watching them, I am not yet touched by them and I’m not really convinced in their love yet.



Wallis gets prettier as the series progresses. Her shorter haircut is very refreshing and she looks so much better with her hair down as opposed to it being clipped back.

I love A Kindred Spirit anew, at least in these last 51 episodes. I thought the script was the best it has been in some time and the quality was consistent. Although there were a few boring parts, I did not mind them much because the storyline had purpose and meaning again. It is focused and on-track once more. I’m drawn into the storyline and enjoy watching the characters again. I really hope that Kindred can keep this quality (but I know it probably won’t) because when the show is good, it is really good. It’s really interesting to watch at this point in the story. I’m very excited and eager to watch the next episodes to see what’s going to happen next.