comic tease / issue.6

Issue #6 featuring The Price of Greed

comic tease / issue.5

Issue #5 featuring The Price of Greed

spotlight: "the price of greed"

I always get excited when my favorite producers [namely Mui Siu Ching and Tsui Yu On] start work on a new series. In the case of The Price of Greed, I was very intrigued by the concept and "feel" of the series since the costume fitting. Everything from the premise of the storyline and characterizations to the title [Cheen Fong Bak Gai means "a thousand lies, a hundred plots"] seemed very interesting to me. I couldn't wait to watch the series. I was apprehensive and doubtful of the female cast, but Price has two capable male leads and a strong supporting cast.

I was disappointed when Price was warehoused because I wanted Producer Tsui to get another shot at having another hit post-Virtues of Harmony after the deservedly mediocre-performing The Biter Bitten [which I disliked aside from a certain cast member's scenes because it has a poor, inconceivable, illogical script]. I was real confident about Price; however, when reviews started coming in that the series was "boring" and "draggy," I was disheartened. Ultimately, this caused me to lose all faith I had in the series as well as with Producer Tsui. However, some people praised Price and many agreed the second half was pretty good. Therefore, I knew I couldn't give the series up. I couldn't deny one of my favorite producers a chance to prove himself.

I reluctantly started watching Price. I wasn't excited about it and had little hopes about the series. My pessimism soon changed once I started watching the series. I was shocked to discover that I was quite enjoying Price. The series was absolutely gorgeous on an aesthetic level, interesting, and charming. By the time I reached the second half of the series, I knew I was in love with Price. Things just got better and better and I was on the edge of my seat dying to watch the next episode. Price is a truly spectacular series with wonderful writing. It is the best series I've seen in a long time (since Forensic Heroes). I am shocked by how much this underrated and low-budget series has impressed and satisfied my thirst for great entertainment.

Strong points about Price...

The storyline is truly great. It's clever, witty, and poignant. It keeps you guessing. You never know what the "truth" really is and what's a "lie." It's exciting and really engages the viewer.

The relationship and chemistry among "To" (Bosco Wong - his performance was likable enough, but uninspiring and rather bland [possibly because Bosco himself for whatever reason is not fond of Price] and his hair looked really weird and out-of-place for the time period), "Mooi" (Shirley Yeung), and "Lo Leung" (the incredible and under-used and under-rated Kingdom Yuen) was charming, touching, humorous, and incredibly sweet! I loved watching their interactions. It provided a nice contrast to the dark drama that was happening with the con-artists and the Lam family.

There are lots of breath-taking scenes that are well-shot and memorable. Seriously, there are some very nice, innovative scenes in this series. For example, I loved the scene of how "Ping" (Kate Tsui) and "Fung" (Sammul Chan - I've really warmed up to Sammul as his acting has improved a lot and he did justice to his role) met again; the whole "candle lighting" and "Christmas" theme was really pretty. I must say the costumes adorned by the cast give the series a very "glamorous" feel.

The insights on conning are fascinating. You will learn quite a bit!

The way the series is executed, filmed, and paced is so good (particularly in the second half). The way Price managed to make the series so suspenseful and exciting up until the very end was really commendable. I was literally at the edge of my seat for the last few episodes.

The ending was good. Unlike most other TVB endings these days, it wasn't rushed. Everything was solved and it was logical and suitable. It was a wonderful ending to match a great series.

Weak points about Price...

In the first 7 episodes with "Ping" going crazy, they kept showing her nightmare over and over again. Not only does the nightmare make "Ping" go crazy, it makes the viewer go crazy too seeing the repetitive scenes over and over again. Although her nightmare was symbolic, it was too excessive.

Overall, there were too many unnecessary flashbacks. I always hate watching flashbacks (except for when they are actually important). Price overdid it on the flashbacks. They kept showing "Ping" thinking back on her fond, "loving" memories with "Fung" [I mean, I understand their point in showing her reflect on her memories because she truly loved "Fung" and had difficulty accepting that he lied to her the whole time... but come on!]. They also practically replayed every single encounter of "Fung" and Vivien Yeo's character in that one flashback when they got together. I was a bit bored seeing all of the flashbacks, especially when the current happenings in the plot were so exciting.

Last, but not least, the acting is weak on the female side. With stronger actresses, I think Price would have been more convincing and even better. Shirley, Kate, and Vivien did "acceptable" [I use this term loosely] jobs in their roles. I commend Shirley for learning sign language and the violin. She still over-acted and her acting was somehow the same as other series, but I have to say that she is really adorable in this series. You can't help but like her because of her character. Kate was stunningly pretty! I think it was all of her lovely costumes, but in any case, she looked really radiant and glamorous. Her acting wasn't convincing for such a challenging role, but Kate did put in her efforts. Vivien is cute, but I am still not a fan of her acting. She acts the same as she did in her debut in Sunshine Heartbeat - shy, reserved, and almost afraid to speak. I know she's working hard on learning/perfecting her Cantonese, but the language barrier really affects her performance. It was just too unnatural and fake. Luckily, her scenes were limited.

Final thoughts
I highly recommend The Price of Greed. I enjoyed every minute of it. It is a strong show. You must have patience with the series and be observant in order to appreciate it. Don't let the seemingly "slow" beginning discourage you [I didn't think it was "slow" nor "boring," but I can understand those people who thought it was]. Price is a rewarding series and a truly a gem.

It is a fantastic series worthy of a viewing! It far exceeded my expectations and really has won a place as one of my favorite series. Price is a commendable effort from Producer Tsui and has made me confident in his story-telling capability again. Price may not have breath-taking foreign scenes or big A-list stars, but it has what most TVB series of recent times lack - which is heart and it managed to hook me into the storyline. It doesn't need all of those "flashy" things to distract viewers and hide a lack of storyline because Price has a strong script with a point to tell and it is genuine and meaningful. It is really satisfying through and through - I love this series!

Rating:

series 411: "the price of greed"

English Title: The Price of Greed
Cantonese Title: Cheen Fong Bak Gai
Vietnamese Title: Cam Bay
Casts: Bosco Wong, Sammul Chan, Shirley Yeung, Kate Tsui, etc.
Length: 20 episodes (Cantonese) // 15 tapes (Vietnamese)
Release Date: December 2006 (Canto) // February 2007 (Viet)
Genre: Period Drama/Mystery/Suspense/Pyschology

Note: Please credit this site if you should use my translation of the series' plot! Don't just steal or use it for another site without my permission and/or credit. Thank you! Special thanks to Em for helping me with the translation of the synopsis.

Synopsis:
A million people have a million greedy aspirations, a million lies!

Lam Ping's (Kate Tsui Tsz San) boyfriend, Tsui Fung (Sammul Chan Kin Fung), goes missing for a year. Policeman Lui To (Bosco Wong Chung Chak) discovers that Fung actually has died already and it was Ping herself who collected his remains. Not long afterwards, Fung suddenly appears, making the matter even more mysterious! Furthermore, the feelings between Ping and Fung are sealed.

Everything originates from a plot to gain the inheritance by Ping's stepmother and a conman. To begins a series of investigations and survives through many dangers and is even discharged from duty. Fortunately, he has a good friend whom he has grown up with, Yan Yuet Mui (Shirley Yeung Sze Ki), beside him to encourage him. On the other hand, after Ping and Fung are married, something happens to each of their family members. It turns out that the Top Eight Conmen led by Mau Thai (Chan Hung Lit) have taken on different identities within the Lam family...

My thoughts: Finally, a series that I've been anticipating releases. I'm disappointed that TVB is not airing it at the same time, but I hope that they will air it eventually. I believe this is Producer Tsui's second Return of the Cuckoo because several things seem similar. The plot sounds quite intriguing and I hope it is as psychologically satisfying as the premises make it out to be; it seems so fresh and exciting. Sammul is a super villain, Shirley is a mute musical prodigy, and Kate has a split personality. The series looks visually appealing. Although I don't have much hope on the acting (from the female side), I think it should still be a good series. I can't wait to watch this. I really hope it won't disappoint me like The Biter Bitten did (especially since there's no Linda Chung this time to make things bearable).

programme highlights '06 - issue iv

The fourth and final issue for this year of TVB's Programme Highlights has been released. Much thanks to TVFANSQUARE for scanning it and sharing the booklet with all of us! As stated in July, I'll be discussing each issue of the Programme Highlights and expressing my thoughts on them as they come. Because of my pervasive indifference towards most of the series included in this issue, I'm going to be doing this feature a bit differently this time around.

When will they be out already?!
I am not interested in what TVB has to offer lately, so I'm dying waiting for the following series to release.

Heavenly In-Laws (Nancy Sit, Joey Leung, Linda Chung, etc.)
I'm suffering from L.C.W.D. (Linda Chung Withdrawal Disorder). I swear TVB is torturing me by making Linda Chung film all these series and not releasing any of them in the longest time! I haven't seen Linda since Forensic Heroes and I really miss watching her act. She is so charming and just makes my day. There are two new pictures of Linda in this issue and she looks real cute. My anticipation continues to build as my neck grows long awaiting Heavenly In-Laws' release. This is Linda's first costume drama, so I hope she does well. I was looking at old TVB Weekly scans from during its filming and Linda's expressions and looks for Heavenly are super adorable. Apparently, Linda's character (who is a goddess) wants to re-enact Ngau Long and Jik Lui because she is so moved by their romantic story. Of course, since this is a comedy, things won't be so idyllic.

The series starts off in ancient costumes (since Nancy Sit & Linda are mother/daughter goddesses) and will then proceed to mid 1900's as the two of them live life as mortals... Linda falls in love with Joey Leung's character, but Nancy greatly opposes this couple. I think this series should be entertaining albeit cliché and not very different or breakthrough. I hope Linda will show continued improvement in this series. I've grown a lot fonder of Heavenly since last time and just hope TVB will release it soon!

The Price of Greed (Bosco Wong, Sammul Chan, etc.)
My reasons for anticipating this series remains unchanged.

Brink of Law (Steven Ma, Ron Ng, Bernice Liu, etc.)
I fell in love with this series since the costume fitting. Producer Mui Siu Ching always picks the best people and yes, since this is her production, I am confident that Brink of Law will be excellent. How awesome does the poster look?! This series will revolve around business, horse racing, and fashion. True to Producer Mui's style, I'm sure that this will essentially be a family drama (and I love those) with lots of twists and turns. The cast looks so good. It's always interesting and fascinating to watch dramas about rich people. Steven Ma and Bernice Liu look so good together and I have confidence that they (like Frankie Lam and Linda Chung in Forensic Heroes) will have chemistry. It's so nice how the Virtues of Harmony "partners swap" is working wonderfully, creating great new pairings. I haven't seen Bernice in so long, so I miss her. I hope her acting has improved because Bernice has always been a little shaky with dramatic roles. She's fine in comedies and light dramas, but not so good in heavy dramas. Michelle Yim is consistently superb, so I hope they will put her talents to good use in this series. I'm okay with Ron Ng and Kate Tsui.

The only drawback to this series is... Shirley Yeung. There's always a drawback, isn't there? Just when everything is so right, there's that one that ruins everything. Shirley's terrible in her normal roles when she "acts" like herself (loud, stubborn, obnoxious). How bad is it going to be now that they're forcing her to really "act" as a villain?! I don't even want to begin imagining. I'm hoping that whoever made this pamphlet made a mistake because there is no way that Shirley is leading over Bernice (nor Kate for that matter). I will just have to live with her in this and hope she doesn't ruin the series too much.

All in all, I cannot wait for Brink. It is tied with Heavenly In-Laws as my most highly anticipated release out of the series included in this issue.

Standing in the middle of two roads
These are the series that I cannot make up my mind whether I'm going to watch or skip. I'm very picky and thrift with my TVB rentals (especially these days since I have limited time), so I cannot afford to watch any mediocre or bad series. The following series are ones that attract me in some ways, but repulse me in another, so I'm stuck with indecisiveness.

Dicey Business (Bobby Au-Yeung, Jessica Hsuan, Bosco Wong, etc.)
What in the world was TVB thinking when they created this poster? It is so cartoon-ish and to be blunt, down right appalling! Many people are wondering if this series is really a "drama" because the looks for the characters are a bit too "animated." Bobby Au-Yeung with his fake pot belly? Bosco Wong with his hair and glasses? Tavia Yeung with her fake breasts? But then, the fact that Hacken Lee is singing the themesong, the fact that it's a grand production, the premise of gambling, and the title suggesting a "turbulent casino" make this series seem like a true drama?

Does TVB want us to take this series seriously or what? I have no idea! I'm not a big fan of gambling series and from what I've read/seen, Dicey Business isn't all that appealing to me. However, I do have to admit that I am very attracted to Tavia's image for Dicey. She looks really good! Whether or not I watch this series will depend on reviews and when I get a better idea of what this series is truly about.

To Grow With Love (Myolie Wu, Andy Hui, Selena Li, etc.)
Initially, I was attracted to this series because it looked quite cute and funny. Sadly, I've been hearing that it's silly and over-hyped, so this has turned me off. I also found out that To Grow With Love's producer also did War of In-Laws (which I hated), so I'm skeptical about whether I will enjoy his attempt at a modern romantic comedy about the struggles of fat people. I have to say I am in love with the songs from this series though. I haven't completely crossed it off the list yet though, so we'll just have to wait and see.

Glittering Days (Liza Wang, Roger Kwok, Charmaine Sheh, etc.)
I'm not into musicals and Glittering Days seems a bit long and silly to me. However, since it is a grand production and an anniversary series at that, I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. TVB won't put so much backing into such a series, right?

No light of day
These are the series that I'm going to pass on - no doubt about it.

Devil's Disciples (Kevin Cheng, Bosco Wong, Bernice Liu, etc.)
Since Jin Yong no longer lets TVB adapt his novels, where do they turn to for wuxia ideas? Why, video games of course! Devil's Disciples is based on a video game, which explains its heavily computerized dependence. It's a recipe for disaster. The costumes are a big turn off as well. Kevin Cheng, Sharon Chan, and Shirley Yeung are even bigger turn off's. What a pity for me in regards to Bernice Liu - this is her first leading role, her first martial arts role, and the first time she's pairing with an actor around her age (Bosco Wong)... and I'm going to miss it all. I'd rather watch Face to Fate before this series.

At Home With Love (Lawrence Ng, Yoyo Mung, Chung King Fai, etc.)
It changed its poster since the last programme highlights issue, but my thoughts are still in agreement with four months ago. I am not watching this series for the same reasons as stated before.

So... which series are you most looking forward to? What are you going to watch or skip and why?

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.