spotlight: "land of wealth"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating:

"land of wealth" themevideo

Land of Wealth Themevideo
View SCREENSHOTS

The themevideo of Land of Wealth elicits a very dramatic and tragic tone. I love the gorgeous shots of the sunset as well as highlights of the scenery. I really like the fact that TVB is going out to the mainland to film for their costume dramas because there are a lot of nice places and it gives a more realistic feel.

series 411: "land of wealth"

English Title: Land of Wealth
Cantonese Title: Wooi Tung Tin Ha
Vietnamese Title: Hoi Thong Thien Ha
Casts: Moses Chan, Steven Ma, Sonija Kwok, Tavia Yeung, etc.
Length: 32 episodes (Cantonese) // 25 tapes (Vietnamese)
Release Date: September 2006 (Canto) // December 2006 (Viet)
Genre: Qing Dynasty Costume Drama

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

Synopsis:
Silver, bank notes - the space between power, vanishing the old
The commercial war joins the stage. Exciting the soul, frightening the heart!

Chai Bak Chuen (Moses Chan Ho) is a descendent of a government official. His family was framed and sentenced to beheading, but luckily, he managed to survive and escape. He becomes the disciple of Kiu Boon Yip (John Chiang Dai Wai), the boss of Shanxi's first bank, Ding Fung Sing.

Chuen realizes that Ba Ba Ha Yi Ko Wai (Sonija Kwok Sin Nei) is a foreigner because she feels inferior, so doesn't dare to show her love. Meanwhile, the Kiu's second young mistress, Kiu Jun (Tavia Yeung Yi) and the military aircraft official, Cheung Sung Man (Steven Ma Chun Wai) love each other. However, the couple's relationship, because Man has to impartially investigate Ding Fung Sing, meets conflicts.

On one occasion, Ding Fung Sing suffers from big storekeeper Cho Yu Tai's (Lau Dan) frame, almost causing them to go out of business. The imperial court doesn't end harsh laws and furthermore, it asks Ding Fung Sing to keep inflating money. Before Yip's death, he hands Ding Fung Sing to Chuen, who time and time again helped him to overcome difficulties. The merchant fights with wealth, government officials fight still with power. How can Chuen lead Ding Fung Sing in facing the corrupt late Qing government?

My thoughts: I was stoked about Land of Wealth since its costume fitting ceremony. The leads are all my favorites and the production just seems very, very attractive. I've always had a "thing" for costume series, especially those that are tragic. Wealth seems like a great tragedy and it looks like a memorable and high-quality series too. Dance of Passion had the "looks" of a great series, but not the substance of one - so I'm really hoping that Wealth isn't just for looks either. In any case, it is by far more visually appealing than Dance, from costumes to settings.

I haven't seen Sonija Kwok in so long, so I really miss her. She's not the best actress, but I enjoy watching her. She's very pretty and I hope to see further improvement from her. Steven Ma and Moses Chan are always great to watch, so I know they won't disappoint. While I think Tavia Yeung's performances are always stable, she hasn't won me over yet. Like I've said before, I think her role of "Kiu Jun" should do the trick. The storyline about the first bank of China is fresh and the theme of the "commercial war" sounds very intriguing. I just cannot wait to watch this series!

programme highlights '06 - issue iii

The third issue of TVB's Programme Highlights for 2006 has been released and BES has been so kind to have scanned it. To view the scans of the eight series slated for release soon, visit her blog here. Out of the eight, I'm definitely going to rent and have high expectations for four of the series.

Land of Wealth
(Moses Chan, Steven Ma, Sonija Kwok, Tavia Yeung, etc)

I'm disappointed that Wealth isn't going to be an anniversary series because it seems very promising. TVB put a lot of money into the production and I definitely like what I see from pictures and news. The costumes and scenery are lovely and the cast is very strong. I love all four leads. The storyline sounds quite interesting and I am an avid fan of this genre! I think there will be a lot of memorable moments.

The Price of Greed
(Bosco Wong, Sammul Chan, Shirley Yeung, Kate Tsui, etc)

Producer Tsui's second series since Virtues of Harmony II! First of all, I'm shocked at how quickly this series is releasing. Second of all, I want to ask Producer Tsui what is it with him and Shirley?! He casted Shirley in both The Biter Bitten and now this series. I really don't understand why. The female cast is quite weak. Shirley, Kate, and Vivien Yeo? Shirley has experience, but still not the talent. Kate and Vivien are still green. However, I do admit that they look quite nice in their costumes. I hope Kingdom Yuen will have a more serious role in this series. I'm disappointed that she gotten comedic roles after comedic roles. I like Sammul now and Bosco is quite good, so hopefully the guys will make up for what the girls lack in acting.

Greed looks very cool and I'm stoked reading the premises of the series. Sammul is super evil, Kate has a split personality, and Shirley is a mute and musical prodigy. I think this series will focus on the minds of people, so I'm quite intrigued. It should prove to be engaging and I know Producer Tsui won't let me down. To be honest, I'm surprised by his series since Virtues. Bitten was a mystery and now Greed is a suspense. I'm all for diversity and think he's a talented producer, but I hope his next series will be more signature of VOH because I think he's the best at doing those funny, warm, light-hearted family dramas.

Heavenly In-Laws
(Nancy Sit, Linda Chung, Joey Leung, Yuen Wah, etc)

The return of "Ma Chi!" I miss my Virtues of Harmony family dearly and I'm thrilled that each of them is making a comeback one-by-one. (Michael Tse had a big break with La Femme Desperado and Frankie Lam recently with Forensic Heroes.) I can't wait to see Nancy and Linda playing mother & daughter because I know they will have chemistry. I loved their scenes in VOH II. Linda looks quite adorable in this series too. The mythical/mortal idea seems a bit overplayed, but I hope Nancy and Linda will make the series worth-while and enjoyable.

The producer of this series has had big hits for TVB, most renowned are Square Pegs and Life Made Simple, so I hope this series will also be a hit. However, I'm not much of a fan of his series though. Actually, I don't like the genre of Heavenly much either. Period comedies can be/get pretty ridiculous and idiotic with the comedy. I'm a bit turned off by the Linda and Joey pairing too... Honestly, I don't expect much from this series because of the producer and genre, but I will watch it for Nancy and Linda.

War and Destiny
(Myolie Wu, Ron Ng, Sunny Chan, Leila Tong, etc)

I love these type of series. I anticipated it since I saw news of its production. The Chinese title is very lovely (Luen Sai Gai Yan - translated as "Turbulent Times of a Beauty") and the cast is good. Myolie says that her role is like Jang-geum (from the Korean mega-hit Jewel in the Palace). I really liked Jang-geum and I know that Myolie will do a great job with the portrayal. The costumes are nice and I adore tragic series. The only setback is Mandy Cho. However, I still think this series will be very good from production pictures and news. TVB has also invested a lot into this series and they haven't done a war-based drama in this time period for some time.

Series I'm passing on


Face to Fate (Frankie Lam, Raymond Lam, Tavia Yeung, Selena Li) - Another good versus evil costume series. (Yawns.) I hate the over-the-top special effects too. Although the cast is nice, I don't like the genre. TVB isn't good at making these type of series anymore and the storyline seems like nothing new.

Love Guaranteed (Sunny Chan, Melissa Ng, Paul Chun, Kenneth Ma) - Too typical and I don't like any of the cast members.

At Home With Love (Lawrence Ng, Yoyo Mung, Chung King Fai, Raymond Cho) - I will not listen to Sharon Chan's singing for twenty episodes! Besides, the storyline seems like the same old thing again and the cast isn't appealing.

CIB (Bowie Lam, Wong He, Maggie Siu, Christine Ng) - I know a lot of people are anticipating this series because the cast is very strong, but I'm just not interested at all. It's not my cup of tea.