TVB 56th anniversary

It's been years since my last post (7 years to be exact)! I have been watching more series in 2023 and following more TVB stars online last year, so I will be putting in my 2 cents for this anniversary for some of the bigger categories.

Best Drama Pick- My 1st choice would be Queen of News. Exciting episodes, thought provoking quotes/topics, good acting by a few and for the good, but flawed characters. I would say it is a classic in modern times. My 2nd choice would be From Hong Kong to Beijing. To be honest, when I first saw the preview of this series, it didn't hold much interest. As I read comments that people praise this was a good series and there was constant news about it, I thought why not give it a try. And I am so glad I did. This was a very enjoyable series that I wouldn't say a classic but a good TVB series that is a excellent cast, good acting, mix of comedy, touching/inspiring/romantic story lines, and good music which TVB tends to show once in a while such as Inbound Troubles and Come On Cousin in the past.  My 3rd choice would be Unchained Melody as it kept me watching even though it was not a high budget series with a big name cast. It reminds me of Time Before Time (and it is so sad Kathy Chow Hoi Mei passed away last year but this is another post) although Time Before Time is of course miles above with cast, storyline, suspense but as a mystery/ghost/romance series, it was a nice series overall. To round out the top 5 are two other stable good series The Invisibles and Speakers of Law. These were great series, stable cast, overall good storyline, and I have 'chased' episodes for these as well but I would not deemed these as memorable. Why? In 5 or 10 years, if you ask me what is it about or who is in the cast, I wouldn't remember. Too many of these action/cop and law series that it all gels together for me. I did watch Narcotic Heroes but I am not sure why this series was a hit in HK. I find it all a bit ridiculous this series, the story line, the characters. I enjoyed My Pet, My Angel and thought it was a cute series but like many pet series, it is cute but nothing too classic/memorable.I thought Kalok did a good job portraying his character though. Let Me Take Your Pulse probably takes most inspirational and possibly educating series of the year, but I find the pacing a bit slow and while I do like the two main leads, I didn't feel their chemistry as a couple.. The group chemistry was one of the plus points of this series, but it wasn't outstanding as compared with the cast in From Hong Kong to Beijing. Maybe the music gave it the plus points. I did not watch Dead Ringer and Romeo and His Butterfly Lover but have watched some clips here and there. Both do not really strike my interest although I may go back to watch one day. 

Best Actress - Who could it be other than the one and only Ms. Charmaine Sheh in Queen of News?? True main leading lady in this serie that no other can compare. From all the behind the scenes and interviews, Charmaine gives in a lot of effort for her character. The character's mannerisms are so skillfully depicted that she makes Sister Man a classic character. If she doesn't win, well then it would not be right. Whoever that wins would just get intense criticism. 2nd runner up that gets my vote would be Selena Lee for the same serie. Although I like Selena, her portrayal and character isn't really the best like it was compared with her portrayals in the Barack O'Karma series. She did a great job, but it did not wow me like Charmaine did. 3rd runner up, I would give it to Jinny Ng from From Hong Kong to Beijing. I thought Jinny is a singer only, but wow, she did a great job in this serie. She had good comedic timing and was able to portray the emotional scenes accordingly. I feel for her while watching her in this serie. I saw her again in The Spectator and was again surprise by her acting. She really does have leading lady presence. Hope she can act in more series and continue to hone her acting skills! 

Best Actor - I think Ruco Chan did a good job in From Hong Kong to Beijing, exploring comedy, but the character was not really a classic. Kenneth Ma's character in Queen of News had potential but he didn't really fit the role well. Kalok and Matthew Ho did a decent job in their respective roles but both portrayals do not scream Best Actor. Joel Chan is the usual stable portrayal so not a standout. Moses Chan probably has the highest chance for best actor but I don't think his character or portrayal was outstanding. It was different from his usual characters and acting though, I would give him that. Pal Sinn's character is kind of annoying in Come Home Love, but I think he is a potential underdog. Another potential underdog is Bosco.I like Bosco but did not watch Dead Ringer. It is not a popular serie so doubt he would win for that. My vote goes to Ruco still, but Moses will likely win.

Best Supporting Actress - It is between Kelly Fu for From Hong Kong to Beijing and Samantha Ko from The Queen of News for me, though I can see Regina Ho or Venus Wong getting it too.  Although I like Kelly and Venus more, I think Samantha Ko and Regina ho are truly the supporting actress for The Queen of News. They are both a strong backbone for this series. Regina had a more complex character, but her acting is eh...Samantha's character had a more up and down so audience can see her portray different sides of her character. Her acting was probably the best I've seen of her so I would give her my vote. 

Best Supporting Actor - Top 4 is Eric Tang, Jonathan Cheung, Mark Ma, and James Ng in that order. Queen of News would not be the same without Eric Tang's character and portrayal, and I am not sure who could portray his quirky character any better than him. Jonathan Cheung did the usual good job in Speakers of Law. Serie would be lacking without his character. Mark Ma does his usual good job as best supporting but didn't think his character was core supporting in Narcotics Hero though. If he wins, I think it would be well deserved though. James Ng, surprised me with his performance in From Hong Kong to Beijing so I am mentioning him.

Most Improved Female Artiste - This is a tough one as I like a lot of the artistes! My top 5 are Kelly Fu, Tiffany Lau, Venus Wong, Kayan Yau and Celina Harto. Kayan has potential, but honestly yes, she can have more improvement. Celina has a lot of potential, but she is not given more roles to further improve. I think she has a lot of charisma and can do well if given more roles to act. Venus was really good in The Queen of News, and she has been at least female lead or supporting so not sure why she got put in this category. I wouldn't say there is improvement because she has been stable but her role in Queen of News definitely gave her a boost of popularity/buzz. Tiffany Lau has been a great supporting actress in numerous TVB series and has improved gradually since beginning, but I feel she does not have audience fate as much. This award should really be for her if based on title of most improved. However, I think Kelly Fu deserves the award based on all the years of acting and vast characters she had played throughout the years. Like Tiffany, she also does not seem to have much audience fate, but her character in From Hong Kong to Beijing finally gave her the popularity boost needed. If you see from behind the scenes/clips, there are many clips of her working into character. I really see her putting a lot of hard work in this character. Best of luck to her!

Most Improved Male Artiste - My top 4 are Mark Ma, James Ng, Danny Hung, and Andrew Chan in that order. Like Kelly Fu, Mark Ma has done various roles for many years and have excelled in all of them. He really deserves Best Supporting more but if to say improvement throughout the years, then out of all the others, he deserves the #1 spot for this award. I really think James Ng did an awesome job in From Hong Kong to Beijing. Never thought much of him before, but his acting and musical talent truly shined in this series. Danny Hung aka mini Kevin Cheng (they look alike!) is very, very good looking and charming. I always enjoy seeing him onscreen, but his roles are generally small and not too memorable. Andrew Chan is Feng Siu in Come Home Love. I became a big fan of his last year I guess due to me liking his pairing with Kelly Gu's June character in the series. I think his acting is ok, not strong compared to say Mark Ma and others, but compared to the beginning of Come Home Love, his acting has improved and he did dabble in hosting and singing last year which may give him some points. I would be happy for him if he wins, but he doesn't have much audience fate I think.

These are my 2 cents! Lets see what will happen on 1/14! 

Thoughts on 2017 Upcoming TVB Series

Thoughts on 2017 Upcoming TVB Series

This was a post I wrote early in 2017 but haven't posted. It is now September 2017, and overall I have not been impressed with any series. I think only Destination Nowhere, Provocateur, and My Dearly Sinful Mind were the only ones so far that kept me watching. I am waiting on The Unholy Alliance and the A General, a Scholar, and the Eunuch (originally the Time-Traveling Officials). TVB, it's your 50th year, stop putting out stupid series and give me something memorable to watch!! Do I have to pull out old TVBs and Youtube to watch or what?

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The Unholy Alliance - This is another Jazz Boon series with Ruco and Nancy as the leads. It seems like a promising, addictive series with a good cast. Joel and Elaine usually give standard good performances. I look forward to seeing Ruco and Nancy as a couple again.

Time-Traveling Officials - This seems like a comedy crossover between Three Kingdoms RPG and Kong Wah's The King of Yesterday and Tomorrow. It seems interesting since I've always liked time-travel series. Not really something that I think would win awards, but good entertainment.

The Unlawful Justice Squad - Vincent Wong and Tracy Chu pairing up again is a factor to watch, but then not sure how big is Tracy Chu's role. It seems like Ali Lee or Sisley Choi has larger role. An interesting character for Vincent, but the cast is comparatively weak compared to other series.

Oh My Grad - I've always enjoyed the Wong Cho Lam Inbound Troubles series, not because they are great, but it's entertaining to pass time with, and for sure, there will be some good classic songs to listen to. Disappointed that Ivana Wong would not be in this one. She is definitely part of the reason why part 1 and 2 were so good.

Line Walker: The Prelude - Cast includes Jessica and Michael Miu and the supporting cast are promising as well. In the presentation, it has Tony and Priscilla, which is a pairing I like to watch onscreen. Pakho Chau looks crazy cute as well!

Deep in the Realm of Conscience - The cast is very promising with a lot of big names and fresh faces. I would imagine the costumes would also be beautiful. I definitely look forward to this one.

Heart and Greed  - The presentation for this looks quite cheesy. Bosco looks quite cool as the villain, so hope he does not disappoint.

Mystery - Kevin and Kristal Tin stars in this one. Kristal's character is very dark and interesting. It is something she can definitely flex her acting skills with, but she has strong competition with the actresses in the other grand series.

My Ages Apart - Seems like another Brother's Keeper/ Threshold of Era that shows decades of HK. This seems like a grand production with Bobby Au Yeung, Kristal Tin, Moses Chan.


Potential Best Actresses to Watch: Kristal Tin has a promising role in Mystery, Alice Chan, Nancy Wu, Annie Liu, and Candy Lo in Deep in the Realm of Conscience may be ladies to watch; Jessica and Ada are may give some surprises.

Potential Best Actors to Watch: Steven Ma, Michael Miu, Bosco, and Bobby Au Yeung are the guys I would follow and watch for the best leading man.

Seems like 2017 will be quite competitive year!

Happy New Year 2017!

Happy New Year 2017! Lets all hope for a wonderful year ahead!

My Favorite TVB Series of 2016

My Favorite TVB Series of 2016
*updated to add Dead Wrong 9/4/17

Sigh 2016 was definitely a good year for TVB indeed. It was a hard choice, and both A Fist Within Four Walls and Dead Wrong were both the cream of the crop. But if I have to choose, I have to vote for Dead Wrong as #1. Anyhow, TVB please keep making series like Dead Wrong and A Fist Within Four Walls to show you are still capable of bringing good series to the table!


1. Dead Wrong - It has been a while, but I still remember how much I enjoyed watching this serie, and the beautiful scenery of Vietnam. The mystery of who did it kept me watching until the end, and everything kind of makes sense at the end. Roger is definitely the star of the show portraying Vincent as a good man deep down, but he's not a flawless person because he is vengeful. He leads the series without any doubt. When he was angry and vengeful and going crazy, it felt so real - like this is not Roger Kwok, this is Vincent, which showcases Roger's superior acting skills. The other cast members also did a great job. I particularly enjoyed Vincent Wong and Stephanie Ho's story as a couple, which was unexpected. In one scene when she was all dressed up waiting at his bedside, she even kind of looks like Yoyo (Vincent Wong's wife in real life!). Roger and Joey Meng as a couple was actually cute to watch because the serie kind of shows when they get together and how they became a couple.. I am not a fan of Joey, but she did show she is a capable actress in this serie. The only actor that I had doubts was Kenny Wong, but he was bearable. I also think Zoie Tam and Rebecca Zhu both portrayed their characters well as supporting actresses. (Hello TVB, these actresses are what good supporting actresses should be!)

2. A Fist Within Four Walls - A close #1 but Dead Wrong's entire story and cast acting, I felt, was more complex and better. AFWFW was good entertainment without a doubt, the cast was well-casted, and the story kept me watching every episode. The chemistry of the cast reigns far more supreme to Dead Wrong definitely. I loved Grace Wong's character, and I was surprised she did such a a great job. I liked all three pairings in the serie. There are some elements of Ruco & Nancy's romance that reminds me of Charmaine & Raymond in Line Walker. Moon Lau and Phillip Ng also did well as a couple. I also liked Benjamin and Grace's story as well. It was cute watching all three pairs. It was not just the couples, the supporting cast all just a good job. I enjoyed all of Yuen Qiu and Phillip's scenes as mother and son. Carlo Ng also surprised me as well. I hope the whole cast would cooperate again in another serie because they all work well with each other.

3. Over Run Over- Time Travel/Sci-Fi Series/Movies are my favorite genres, so of course this one will be in my favorites list. This one was an unexpected surprise, but it kept me catching every episode. Without Tracy Chu and Vincent Wong as leads, it may not be the same level of success though. Their chemistry and romance story was really good, and the storyline was interesting to watch. Tracy is a charming actress, and Vincent Wong did a great job. I also like Pal's character in the serie.

4. Presumed Accidents-I enjoyed seeing the different cases and watching the mystery develop. This is one of the series that kept me chasing each episode and gave me a few surprises here and there. There are some sci-fi/mysterious element here with George's character and unbelievable plots, but it entertained me enough to keep watching. I grew to like Sisley's character in here, and she has improved a lot.

5.The Executioner- This was one of the first serie of 2016. My, time surely passed by quickly. In general, this serie told a pretty interesting story with interesting character - the midwive and the executioner. I remember I enjoyed watching it, and I kept watching it to see what would happen to the characters. However, nothing in the serie stands out incredibly. Nonetheless, a good serie in general.

6. K9 Cop- This one had decent leads, Linda Chung and Bosco Wong, and they were a cute pair. I liked it but felt like they didn't focus enough on the dogs. I think Kayi and Jerry Ku unexpectedly was an interesting couple and had good chemistry. Raymond Cho and Tracy was also a cute couple. I also enjoyed the chemistry with Bosco and the sisters (especially Kayi and Tracy). Bosco and Raymond Wong also worked well as good friends. Overall, enjoyable series but nothing memorable.


Special Mentions:

Law Disorder-  This serie was promising, and it did keep me watching from beginning. It kept me watching to see how Alex and Liu Kai Chi try to kick each other out, but there wasn't really anything too exciting or memorable about the series. I felt Liu Kai Chi was being a bit caricature as the villain though he was still captivating to watch. He even had a mustache like Hitler and really high standing hair. Alex Fong has always been a so-so actor for me, but he did a pretty good job in this serie. Ali Lee was not impressive at all. Mandy Wong does better but is not really leading actress material. Felt that Florence Kwok would've been a good female lead, and her character would've interesting material to work with. Too bad she would always be stuck as best supporting roles even though she is more than capable as an actress.

Fashion War- This is another serie that I thought would be relatively boring, but it was interesting to see the focus on the magazine industry. Not sure how it is in Asia, but magazines seems to be slowly dying here in the US since more and more people are going online for news and stories. I kept watching until the end, but again, not classic series material.

Blue Veins - Special mention because I thought this serie would be absolutely horrible, but I did enjoy the scenery, and the story is bearable. Kevin and Kay Tse's characters were romantic for me. I was never a fan of Kay Tse, but she did a good job. Grace Chan disappointed, and I thought her character was really annoying.

Come Home Love: Dinner at 8 - The thing with sitcoms is that it can keep you watching mindlessly. It's a good series for freshers to act and gain experience in. I liked that the serie revolves around the television station. Wayne and Teresa Mo work well together, and Power Chan and Angela Tong are good support, but is it classic material? No, but it's good enough that I know who the characters are and it's something to continue to watch because they are there.

TVB Awards 2016

Updated on 9/4/17 to include Dead Wrong.

TVB, what a much, MUCH better year! From what was a terrible awards presentation and series year in 2015, I guess you can only improve right? My general thoughts overall on the winners and nominees:

Best Actress

Last year, I absolutely was stunned with Nancy Wu’s win for such a mediocre character and mediocre serie, Ghost of Relativity. It was like how can you put this serie on the shelf next to TVB classics and NOT LAUGH? However, at least, like Kevin Cheng’s first won, Nancy Wu redeemed herself with this year’s acting and serie. She was funny/comical but yet when she’s serious, you want to cry with her as well in A Fist Within Four Walls. There is something with Priscilla Wong that I can’t picture her as a serious actress. She cries well but in serious scenes, I can tell she’s trying but I can’t buy her acting. People say Maggie Siu should’ve won, and her character in The Executioner was interesting enough. She gave a solid performance, but it’s a shame the serie itself was not popular. I like both Nancy and Maggie’s characters and performances, but I would say I like Nancy’s more as it is more memorable to me, while I don’t remember Maggie’s character as much.

Best Actor

I really like Ruco, and I think it's still nice he won,and he is a more than capable actor, but after watching Dead Wrong, Roger Kwok definitely led that serie as Best Actor, and judging between him and Ruco's acting and character in AFWFW, I think Roger was able to portray a complex character successfully to the point that in some scenes it was scary to watch him because it seemed so real. I really think Roger put a lot of efforts into the portrayal of his character, and he did a better job in that regards. Roger definitely deserved the Best Actor win, but Dead Wrong was not the popular series in 2016 - AFWFW was. The popular series usually gets the coveted Best Actor/Actress award. It's sad but thank you to Roger for bringing a Best Actor performance for audience to enjoy. Benjamin Yuen should not be in this list, and he would not if A First Within Wall Fours wasn’t that popular and he is deemed as co-lead with Ruco Chan. Bosco Wong has always been a good actor, but Two Steps from Heaven is not a popular serie. Somehow he just doesn’t have the best luck with characters – they’re always either the too nice, funny type or the villainy but chummy type. His most complex and interesting role has been Bai Co from Lives of Omission. He should do some undercover cop roles or some gang leader type of roles or ancient series fighter or revolutionary rebel type of roles. His looks does not suit modern businessman. Vincent Wong did a surprisingly wonderful job in Over Run Over, but it’s not perfect. There are some scenes that I feel are a little exaggerated. Plus, he does not have much leading actor nominations under his belt. It is understandable he did not win yet, but the future is bright for this one if he continues, maybe in the next few years. I think Ruco Chan did a great job in A Fist Within Four Walls. Is it his best performance compared to the rest (other than Roger because I haven’t watched Dead Wrong yet)? Yes, I do think so. Is it his best performance ever? No, I don’t think so, I liked him in The Other Truth, Reality Check, Outbound Love, and Captain of Destiny, but sometimes it is all about the right timing – he’s got a good partner with chemistry, a great cast, a popular serie that is well-received by audience, and he did his part, so it is in his favor to win.

Most Popular Female Character

I think Grace Wong deserved this award. Her character was well-liked by the audience. Joyce Tang is also well-liked by the audience but her character is more of an ensemble – nothing too outstanding on just her character. Grace’s character was definitely well written- mysterious, interesting, and romantic as well. Nancy Wu’s character is also more interesting than Joyce’s. I don’t know why, but Tracy Chu is just naturally talented as an actress. She can really take an unlikeable role and make it likeable (case demonstrated in K9 Cops). Her character is quite stubborn in Over Run Over but yet I like her character. TVB needs to promote her like 100x time because she’s uber talented and smart! I would give her my third vote after Nancy and Grace. I didn’t think Natalie Wong’s character as Yiu Yiu was any outstanding – I would like to see her in a villain role so she can do something different rather than play a flower vase type of characters. I think she has potential but keeps on getting the need to protect her vibe in all characters.

Most Popular Male Character

I liked Benjamin Yuen’s character as A First Within Four Walls although he is wooden but that’s his character, so it’s alright, but my favorite was definitely Vincent Wong in Over Run Over. I can see how others like Ruco Chan, Bobby Au-Yeung, or Louis Cheung more as well. In my opinion, it should’ve went to Vincent Wong in Over Run Over – he was simply endearing in there. I was never a big fan of his, but he won me over in Over Run Over! Vincent also further won me over in Dead Wrong - I find him quite romantic to watch and had chemistry with both Stephanie Ho and Zoie Tam. 2016 finally turned me into a big Vincent Wong fan! 

Best Supporting Actress

All three nominees are great actresses. In terms of popularity and character this year, Grace Wong’s character in A Fist Within Four Walls was definitely Best Supporting Actress material for THIS YEAR. I think Katy Kung did an ok job in Two Steps from Heaven from the scenes I’ve seen of her in it, and her acting has been decent since beginning, but I don’t feel like her character was a crucial supporting for the serie. Joyce Tang is always a standard good actress, and if counting all her past performances, she definitely deserved this award the most. However, I didn’t think her character in a House of Spirits was any different or outstanding though. If I have to say who is deserving at least based on this year’s performance and characters, then my choice is in the order of Grace Wong, Joyce Tang, and then Katy Kung. If based on experience and acting, then it would be in the order of Joyce Tang, Katy Kung, and Grace Wong.

Best Supporting Actor

Raymond Cho is deserving of Best Supporting Actor as a consistent actor in all of his roles. I like his character in A Short End of the Stick, and I am glad it brought him the fame finally. I felt his best performance and character was in The Confidant, and I hope that he will have the opportunity to showcase his acting skills in more complex roles. Hugo Ng was good in his role in Brother’s Keeper II, and the man should get recognition for taking on such a hated and controversial character. Alas, as with any other, Brother’s Keeper II was not popular and thus will not get notice. In my opinion, I did not get the hype with Brother’s Keeper I either though yes, I did enjoy watching Kristal Tin’s explosive character.

Most Improved Female Artiste

I am disappointed with Most Improved Female Artiste because I think Moon Lau, Tracy Chu, Katy Kung and Stephanie Ho are all more deserving than Ali Lee. I’ve seen Ali Lee in all her series, and I felt like it’s more or less the same traces of each other. When I see her onscreen, I’m like it’s Ali not whatever character she is supposed to portray. If talking about versatility and talent, Tracy Chu and Katy Kung are far ahead of the race in this group. They shouldn’t be in this category because they are far more advance than this. I feel bad for Moon Lau because it seems like this award is stolen from her. She definitely did well portraying different roles and you can see her improvement in the latest series playing the mistress in Bosco’s serie, Two Steps from Heaven.  Stephanie Ho is a pretty decent actress and can convey her emotions well. The only thing that works against her is her height, but she no doubt tries her best in every role. Not sure who Mayanne Mak is. This is the first time I see her on television, but seems like she is well liked. Does she have some connections with management?

Most Improved Male Artiste

Most improved male artiste nominations have a bunch of good looking guys! I feel the winner, Jonathan Cheung, is deserving of Most Improved Male Artiste. The only thing is that I feel like he can work on his facial expressions more. Other than that, he seems like a very sweet and romantic guy, proclaiming his love for his wife for her support during his winner’s speech. If Jonathan Cheung isn’t there, I would feel that Mark Ma would deserve this award. Mark Ma is a decent actor although not too good looking but he has that good guy charm that works on television for best supporting actors. Matthew Ho is easily the cutest guy out of the group but I find it is hard to see him in his roles because of his babyface. To his credit, his acting is decent, and I look forward to seeing him in more series. I always felt like James Ng is a cute guy, though not handsome, but I see him more as a singer rather than actor. Hubert Wu is cute, but as for acting, he definitely needs to act more to gain more experience. Bob Cheung doesn’t really have that much roles yet, but so far, I think he’s a pretty good actor and is quite good looking. With his good looks, he should have more opportunities for roles to improve his acting.

Most Popular On-Screen Partnership

Nice to see Vincent Wong and Tracy Chu win the Most Popular On-Screen Partnership. They do have a lot of chemistry in Over Run Over. Tracy Chu has always does such an awesome job with all her screen partners though. She even has great chemistry with Bosco as just siblings in K9 Cop. Ruco and Nancy also had good chemistry and a great couple’s storyline in A Fist Within Four Walls too. It is deserving either of the two won.

Most Popular Drama Theme Song

The TVB themesongs over the last several years or so have been great simply because actual singers have been singing the themesongs! In some cases, the only thing going for the series have been the themesongs. I am ok that the duet “Never Know You are the Best” by Ruco and Nancy won. It is a relatively decent song, but my favorite is Stephanie Ho’s themesong for Over Run Over – it simply brings so much emotions and represents the storyline and romance so well. Stephanie Ho's themesong for Dead Wrong was simply the best themesong hands down (even better than her themesong for Over Run Over). Her themesong for Dead Wrong gives me all kinds of feels and matches the romance for the couples in the serie.

Best Serie

A Fist Within Four Walls is well-deserving for Best Serie. I have not known about the Kowloon Walled City before, so it was interesting to learn about its existence from this serie. Great cast, great characters and acting, good couple pairings, and addictive. For me, what is deemed as a good serie has to keep me wanting to watch more to see what happens. Not to mention, it is exactly the type of action drama that can be milked into a movie or sequel in the future. Overall, this year the year has so much better series than last year but then you can only improve from the wasteful year of 2015. I have enjoyed quite a few series here and there and most were better than I thought. Other series other than A Fist Within Four Walls that I thought were interesting and kept me wanting to chase each episode were Over Run Over, The Executioner, Presumed Accidents. I’m just glad to see Over Run Over get some recognition. It was an unexpected success, which makes it even more memorable. I thought TVB would’ve swept it under the rug, so it’s good to see it’s not.

Special mention - Carlo Ng also won the professional actors award, and he is well deserving. He did an awesome job as Cheung Mei Gor.

I look forward to TVB’s 50 years celebration next year. It looks like there are a lot of great big-time series and good competition next year, so hopefully TVB will not disappoint. 

2015 Lunar New Year - Concerts in Vegas

Living in Houston, Texas, not many Hong Kong/Chinese singers drop by in town. Most HK singers visit California/Canadian cities, Reno/Vegas, Atlantic City, but NEVER Houston! Generally around the Chinese New Year's, I noticed there is always a concert in Vegas by a well known Asian singer. Guess they are there to make some money during the Lunar New Years! Past concerts in Vegas during February/Lunar New Years time were Jacky Cheung, Emil Chou, and last year was Hacken Lee. This year, searching around the web, I see two singers coming to Vegas during this time of year!

1) HK bank Grasshoppers (草蜢) at MGM Grand - 02.28.15
For those who are interested, you can visit: ticketmaster.com and http://www.mgmgrand.com/entertainment/entertainment-schedule.aspx

2) GEM (鄧紫棋) at the Venetian - 02.21.15
For those who are interested, you can visit http://www.venetian.com/entertainment/shows/gem.html
Source: Asian Walkway

Fan Thoughts on Shirley Yeung

So as a TVB fan and fan of Shirley Yeung, she certainly had a rough year the last 1-2 years. After all that has happened, I did feel disappointed that Shirley went the route that she went, but I am still her fan and hope she does well for herself, daughter, and family in the future.

I have read a lot of bad comments about Shirley in the last 1-2 years, and I will just make a few comments about them. I want to say we don't know her personally and what really happened, so I am not sure why people jump and criticize her for it. I also do not support cheating, and she could have certainly handled it better, but humans are humans. People make mistakes, and while some people don't have to face those mistakes in public, she did have to bear all the pain in public along with the stigma of having a child out of wedlock. I want to say she is definitely very brave to face all the criticism in public. Some females would most likely have an abortion to cover it up and just live another normal day, but she didn't, so at least she bears responsibility for her actions. It's not something to applaud for, but it's good she is a responsible person.

I also dislike the gold-digger comments and Shirley's age. I think Shirley still looks beautiful despite being a mother of one and past mid 30s. Yes, some males may not want to be step fathers, but it's not to say others may not. She could meet an older guy who already has kids and is looking for another half. She could meet someone younger who is willing to take on father responsibilities for her baby.

I hope Shirley does well and finds her career so that she can provide a comfortable income for herself, her baby, and her family, and I also hope she will come back to film for TVB once in a while.

Triumph in the Skies 2015 Movie

Triumph in the Skies I was one of those popular TVB series that does not exactly have the best writing but oh the romantic feel, the pleasing music, and the cinematography of the series is so very eye-candy and makes the mind think all happy thoughts whenever it is mentioned!

So when Triumph in the Skies II happened, I was also super excited!Now, gotta remember, the first one was made about a decade ago, so things have changed a lot in the real world. It is noteworthy to say that the sequel was able to keep that feel and popularity with the younger and older audiences -  keeping that romance, the pleasing music (save for the themesong which was butcher by George Lam - no doubt, he's a good singer and respected musician of his own right, but the themesong just doesn't match the overall feel of the serie), the cinematography, made the storyline and characters more modern, and attracts tons of popularity once again for the cast. It is so popular that it spawned the movie for Triumph in the Skies in 2015.

Now, the cast of the 2015 movie already looks very impressive! We got Francis Ng, Sammi Cheng, Louis Koo, Charmaine Sheh, Amber Kuo and Chilam (who plays the swooning Jayden Koo)! The news media are promoting it as having 3 kings and 3 queens! Not sure about that, but looking at some of the scenes....yes, it also gives me the feeling of something I really want to watch.

Here's to the anticipating of Triumph in the Skies in February 2015! Check out the trailer below to satisfy some of the anticipation!

I am back!! & UDVD Club

These last 5-6 years (has it been that long?!!) I kept watching TVB series but rarely wrote or commented about it. A lot of job responsibilities and lack of time can make it difficult to be actively talking and debating about TVB.  However, these days I am thinking more and more about how I enjoyed writing about TVB series, and how it can be stress reliever, and so I decide to give this a try again as a hobby on the side.

How am I watching TVB now? I am currently enrolled in a TVB DVD program in which the company emails 3 DVDs weekly to my mailbox, and I pay a monthly fee. It is usually current series that Hong Kong just recently broadcast but with 2-3 weeks delay when it gets to my mailbox. It's a convenient thing for me since I can watch whenever I want, and I can keep the dvds of my favorite series without having the need to purchase them. I also don't need to worry about watching everyday as it gets addicting with the streaming online. An hour a day of television can take away a lot of time during the week, so I just get my dvds and watch on the weekends.

The cons of the DVD program is that that sometimes I do not get the dvds at a set time. It usually comes on Friday, Saturday, and if delays, to Monday through Wednesday of the next week. It can be frustrating when waiting for the next episodes. Another con is that sometimes the dvd is not able to play properly and skips or freezes, perhaps due recording issues by the company. The company always is willing to resend the same DVD if there are issues, but again, there's the waiting factor.

Thus, the DVD program has its advantage and disadvantage, so it's not for everyone, but as of now, I am ok with this program to watch new TVB series.

If anyone is interested, check out the company's website: http://udvd.umgtv.com/

TVB Anniversary Gala 2009

TVB had once again held it's Anniversary Gala celebration on November 19th. It was ok overall, but I'm just going to focus on Bosco & Shirley for this post.

My favorite part of the Anniversary Gala this year is not the cute singing by the group performing My Girl & Stupid Cupid , it is actually the opening. Why? Because one of my favorite couples, Bosco & Shirley got to perform as part of Man Chor street segment. At first, I thought it was Lai Lok Yi & Shirley, but after re-watching, I was like OMG lol. Bosco looks so dashingly handsome!! I am thinking that he & Shirley may be wearing similar clothing to Gordon & Kathy's roles in Time Before Time? Whatever it is, can we have a remake of Shanghai Bund or Time Before Time or some other Man Chor serie so that Bosco & Shirley can pair up once again? They look so gorgeous as a couple!!




It was so nicely done with Kathy Chow's themesong to In the Chamber of Bliss playing (although the lyrics changed), but the atmosphere and cinematography was extremely beautiful and romantic!! Even the lyrics were nicely done. And of course, my dear Bosco & Shirley was also performing as one of the couples. When it got to Bosco & Shirley onscreen, the lyrics say "roles going through with you"...and I was thinking how fitting it is since the actors & actresses live through their roles with each other (but I guess it was meaning more of the audience). Shirley's smile is so pretty when the screen was focusing on them and Bosco had kind of a sly smile, which made it all the more cute haha.

I am surprise they did not put Bosco with Myolie walking out for War of In Laws in the initial opening and not putting Shirley in the Miss. HK segment either. I am glad though because Bosco looks so darn handsome in that suit and specs! And he's pairing up with Shirley, who was so pretty too, so double bonus for me!! Hahah...I am such a fan girl still!! LOL

Here's a very beautiful & clear version of them from another site.


* This picture found from this site (I just remove all the wording...can't resist because it's such a beautiful pic of them!): http://www.tieku.org/238655/2.html

For more on Bosco & Shirley, visit: http://chakkei.blogspot.com/

Astro on Demand 2008 - Bosco & Shirley

My first post back & it's because I saw one of my favorite couple, Bosco & Shirley on TVB's anniversary Gala haha! Bosco & Shirley has motivated me to update something!! lol

Astro on Demand awards 2008 was actually aired earlier/beginning of this year, but since I was lazy, I did not post anything. However, Bosco & Shirley did walk out on stage together at the beginning. It was interesting since, correct me if wrong, but I think while arriving on Red carpet, it was Ron & Shirley who came out and Bosco & Tavia. So they switch onstage?? lol Perhaps Ron & Tavia are more popular in Malaysia?






Ahhh...they are so cute together as a couple!! Can't TVB see that?? When can they be in another serie together??

Shirley Yeung won for My Favorite Villain from Sung Ka Yee of The Brink of Law, and she thanked Michelle Yim because it was her who helped her get into character. I thought that was so sweet sweet. I hope Michelle & Shirley will be able to cooperate again (and well with Bosco too haha!)

Bosco won for his character Lui To in The Price of Greed. When he was onstage, the MC's teased him saying that there is one person he needed to thank in the audience, and both Tavia & Shirley was gesturing Myolie, but Bosco cleverly said that he has to thank the person sitting next to Myolie, which is Shirley because she was his partner in the serie (actually his onscreen partner is really Kate though! lol). He ended up thanking Shirley a second time onstage too, making everyone laugh haha. It seems something is really going on with Myolie and Bosco - gotta be something with other artistes/friends pointing it out.

For more on Bosco & Shirley, visit: http://chakkei.blogspot.com/

TVB 41st Anniversary Awards 2008

The Beginning

The beginning shows various stars showing up on the red carpet in antique cars. Then the stars were introduced by pairs or groups and came out onto the stage to give a little comment. I particularly like the actresses and actors that said their comments while being in character or referring to it. My favorite comments were Wayne’s and Michelle Yim’s. Wayne was saying that every year he gets nominated, every year he eats “white fruit” (kind of like canto slang meaning he gets nothing), so everyone, remember that he is “white fruit king” and Michelle Yim saying “Husband, I don’t mind sharing, but talking about Best Actress...”and doing her Hung Yee’s hand gesture, finishes by saying “it must not be shared”. The introduction was a nice ice-breaker and kind of funny at times, while the artistes got to stand out a little bit and distinguish themselves so I enjoyed it.

Most Modern, Stylish Award

The first award to be passed out was the most stylish award. Magazine covers of all the nominated artistes were flashed out one by one, and the way it was done was pretty cool and the magazine covers were nice to look at…very starry lol. I thought Bernice would be the best candidate to win because her tastes in clothes are always very on target and always very elegant or sexy. However, I think Myolie may have been in more of a variety of outfits from daring to bold this year, so perhaps she does deserve it. I never think Myolie is pretty when she is on-screen, but she does look very nice in magazine covers or at awards though. Anyway, she looks ‘handsome’ in the suit! At least Bernice didn’t come, or else she would’ve been a little embarrassed since she is always well known for her style and look.

The cameraman is so off guard at times. After this award, Amigo Chui was asking Chau Chung ( the Grandpa from Moonlight Resonance) who he thinks would win Most Improved female, and he said Tavia Yeung, but the camera focused on Toby instead, but then he later he did say Toby…so I guess the cameramen could read minds.

Athena Chu & Francis Ng – Presenters

I was so shocked that Francis came as a presenter. Partly because I thought that after Triumph in the Skies, he and TVB were not on friendly terms, and partly because I just finished watching On the Edge, and he was all kinds of awesome in that serie, so I was like..ah…it’s Francis!! It’s funny when Athena asked Francis at what part in time he thinks he would win for the Most improved, and he said of course, after he left TVB, and then he was referencing how a bird can get tired so once in a while, he comes back to film some series like Old Time Buddy and how TVB let him fly up to the highest, letting him Triumph in the Skies….and everyone was clapping afterwards lol….and Athena also says briefly, “then I will see when I will triumph in the skies.” Last year, Ray and Kathy Chow came back as presenters, and Kathy has already acted for E.N.I (or whatever they call the third part of The Academy) with Ron and Sammul, and now Ray Lui is going to film the grand serie with Gallen. It seems that Athena and Francis are expressing some interest in filming for TVB again, so I REALLY, REALLY hope to see Francis jump on board again and film a new modern drama. Come on TVB, ask Francis to come on board again!

Most Improved Male

Wong Jo Lam won this. I think this is the only award that I am kind of disappointed with even though I haven’t watch his performance that much. I thought Derek Kwok did a great job in D.I.E. , and he also seem to have a different role in War-of-in-Laws too and along with Joyce Tang, he has made some headlines, so I was kind of expecting him to win. I was rooting for Johnson Lee personally since I think he’s such a funny guy, but yet he can be very convincing when serious in Catch Me Now. As for Wong Jo Lam, I personally think he kind of tries a little too hard to be funny, and at times, it can buy a chuckle or two, so I don’t really get all this hype about him.

Most Improved Female

Personally, I was rooting for Selena Li because she is one of my favorite younger actresses and I like her characters in most of her series, but Nancy Wu has always been a capable actress to me, so I think it was well-deserved. Her performance as the Fourth wife in The Silver Chamber of Sorrows was well-performed indeed. I especially like how Nancy mentioned Triumph in the Skies and her role in Silver Chambers of Sorrow. It’s always nice to hear when stars mention about when they first started in their acceptance speech because it shows how hard and long they have worked. In Nancy’s case, she really had to ride it out a couple of years. The dance competition really help propelled her up into the spotlight. However, does anyone feel like she’s not really surprise of winning? Her speech seems really good but a little rehearsed.

Best Blog

Raymond Lam wins this award. Considering he is so popular, of course it would rest safely in his hands. ^_^ His speech was a little brief, but I guess with the blog, maybe he didn’t feel like he should take too much credit for it? I think I only visited his blog like once…I will definitely visit again.

I’m gonna skip the variety shows awards. I’m not really into those shows.

Eric Tsang, Wong Jo Lam, and Louis Yuen -Presenters

First thing Eric says when he comes out, he tells Carol Cheng that his English is very good, don’t say his English is poor. And Carol was like “So?” Eric is hilarious, he was saying how it has been 11 years, and Super Trio has won every year, but since Louis and Wong Cho Lo became elders, there is no winning of an award. He even mentions how TVB has one award rule so that Wong Cho Lam won the Most Improved award so that’s why they can’t win it. Oh Eric Tsang, gotta hand it to him to make people laugh. I also love the bit he said about Charmaine, about how she is “great” (that it’s apparent that she was seen by [paparazzi], but she would say no, no and still wouldn’t admit it (her being seen with Ron or Kevin I guess lol) I hope I would be able to meet him one day or at least get an autograph lol. Anyone know where I can get his autograph??

My Favorite Female Character

Louise Li Si Kei won this award. She mentions a disappointment….that it’s a bit stressful to be nominated, so she asked the higher management if she could step out the race this year, but they said no. It was sort of a what the heck, why did she say that moment, but I think Louise is just being very honest and straight to the point about how she feels since she probably wants to get out of the competition so that others can have a chance. I think she’s just a humble lady that doesn’t really want to hog the spotlight, but it came out awkward.

Carol Cheng briefly interviews the nominees. I like the part in which she goes and tells Liza that not many people are rooting for her this year and what does she think? And Lisa’s response was “it’s not only me, I think everyone at the company thinks I’m not here” (which can mean exactly as it is said, but in this case, it can means she’s everyone is treating her like she’s not important” Carol then asks everyone if they think Liza Wang is “not here”, and everyone says no.

Dicky Cheung -Presenter

If I’m not wrong, Dicky was referring to ATV and TVB’s rivalry during his opening presentation since ATV is “Yau Han” company vs. TVB is “Mo Sin” company so he put it in a clever way saying to have (Cantonese =”Yau”) and not to have (Cantonese = “Mo”)so there is no need to be so stubborn. I think it’s not really a good time to talk about rivalry on an awards show because it is after all TVB’s moment to shine. Anyway, I don’t think Dicky meant to be rude, but I didn’t really appreciate it, it wasn’t the right timing. What does everyone think?

My Favorite Male Character

Raymond won this award, but Dicky was not there when Raymond was on stage. I thought he just left like that because he was having an attitude, but it turns out he was heading straight to Stephen Chan in the audience section. There was a brief moment showing Dicky going over to Stephen Chan, and Stephen Chan seems excited when he saw Dicky but yet his expression was like “oh no….get off the screen”.

Anyway, Raymond seems to be putting the focus back on TVB in his acceptance speech by saying he hopes HK audience continue to support TVB’s programs and even more television series , so that every year there can be more improvements. (Isn’t he so clever!) I like how he refers to his colleagues as his ‘brothers and sisters’….gives a very close feeling….but also not forgetting the veterans by saying he hopes to cooperate with more and learn more from them. Raymond just always knows what to say. Every year that he wins, I always enjoy his acceptance speeches. He’s a darling! I wonder what he would say when he wins Best Actor….and I just know that day would come soon! Keep working hard, Ray!

Carol & Amigo interviews the nominees a bit, and one part deserving a mention was that both Sharon and Nancy Wu had confidence in Tavia! That was a nice moment! The younger generation does seem very close with each other!

Anthony Wong – Presenter

Anthony Wong was joking about Eric Tsang, which caused Eric to be onscreen a bit in his casual clothing lol. I thought it was funny how he says the supporting artist should have good acting, but good enough acting that the main leads do not feel that you are a threat to them.

Best Supporting Actress

It is very sweet how before Tavia gives her acceptance speech, she asks everyone to give a great applause for Lee Heung Kum, who Tavia says is considered the best supporting actress to her. I like how she thanked all the producers that used her in their series, and that she would continue to do her best, and not be proud!

Tavia made ah Yuet a very real and likeable character. If it was played by someone else, perhaps ah Yuet wouldn’t be so real and likeable. Tavia totally deserves the award! Although, I would also give props to Fala. If Tavia’s character does not exist, Fala’s chance would be the highest as her character was also very likeable, and Fala did a nice job. Lee Heung Kam also did a great job too, but popularity-wise may not win that much points.

Karena Lam – Presenter

It’s interesting how Karena Lam relates best supporting to stealing or being a big thief. I don’t really get the concept. I think I agree more with Anthony Wong’s comment lol.

Best Supporting Male

Wayne got this one! Everyone stood up for him and cheered too! Truly wonderful to hear him thanked someone through all the wonderful characters he got to act such as the pig in Journey to The West (nice that Dicky was there too) and Hon Shun in The Conqueror’s Story (which was also one of his best acting). I actually have not watched The Gentle Crackdown II, so I don’t know how his performance is, but he probably did an exceptional job anyway as usual. It was a great moment to see that he finally got the award he deserves years ago.

Best Serie

Moonlight Resonance wins. It’s really a no-brainer. The serie has great characters, not in the sense that it has a great plot, nor great development, but in the sense that these characters add to the family element when put together and most characters were able to stand out in this serie through their ups and downs as they continue to touch or amaze the audience. There is the annoying and money-crazed auntie, the mute daughter and sister, the sort of rebellious adopted daughter, the somewhat wacky son, the filial and sweet son, the second wife villain, etc. And it does help that a majority of the actors and actresses playing them gave a convincing performance. And I actually liked the other phrases by Auntie Sa and Hung Yi more than “Do not be scared, Hor Ma is in the living room” like…. (in Mandarin) “I say you can [make it], then you can [make it]. I say you can not [make it], then you can not [make it]. I say you can [make it], and you can not [make it], you will still [make it]” or Michelle Yim’s phrase “[My] person is in heaven, the cash is in the bank, why do I need so much money”?

On a side note, it was kind of sad to see that Shirley Yeung didn’t get to stand up with the cast when all of them went up there. It’s understandable that she would not be included since she only has one or two scenes as guest star, but it can be disheartening in a way. I don’t think there would be a sequel though. It broke the 50 pts ratings, so if the next one doesn’t make it, it would bring the name down. They probably don’t want to risk it.

I think Catch Me Now deserves an honorable mention. If there was no Moonlight Resonance, this would be the next best serie. It was fast-paced and it was a fun storyline to watch which side would win….the cops or the robin - hood team. Characters are also engaging, but I guess there was some chemistry lacking between leads.

Moving on…getting tired lol…

Best Actress

My favorite win of the whole awards show is Michelle Yim’s Best Actress Award! Not only is it the most well-deserved Best Actress award in a LONG time, but she also broke the record for having a villain character won Best Actress (Gigi Lai doesn’t count from War & Beauty to me)! Michelle’s speech was very touching, especially how she talked briefly about her career and how she does her best in every role. That made me think about her character in “The Brink of Law” which was another great villain portrayal by her, but in that one, she was more reserved and calm, while in this one she was more loud and angered. Two villain roles, but yet clearly different portrayals. Simply a great, great actress! And it also sweet of her to remember her three assistants….which very few winners would thanked when they win. By the way, she looks so beautiful too. I bet that wig in Moonlight Resonance is to make her look older haha.

Best Actor

Ha Yu’s name is announced, and everyone stood up and gave a big applause. It was funny how Louise Li brought tissues up for him lol. He waited for 40 years for these two series. Ha Yu did do a great job in Moonlight Resonance, and he really touched me whenever he cried and went back to his children and Hor Ma. I’m glad he won because he totally deserves it out of all the male actors in Moonlight Resonance. It was inspiring how he mentioned how he was so depressed last year since whole the whole of Heart of Greed won awards, but he listened to Johnny To saying that as long as he continues on without leaving the entertainment circle, he will have a chance, so he didn’t leave, and now his opportunity for the award came. His ending remarks tied Moonlight Resonance and Heart of Greed together so I thought it was a good final note for his speech and a good representative of the end of the Heart of Greed series.

Have to say Roger also did a great job in Last One Standing, but it was too bad the serie did not do so well, which is as I think it should be. I think Last One Standing was good at times, but it failed to keep me interested as much as Moonlight Resonance.

Ending with Lifetime Achievement Award

Paul Chun wins this award. He mentioned that it is kind of afraid to win this award because he’s afraid having to be retired, but he emphasized that acting plays a big part to him, and that he will continue to act. He is certainly a consistent actor, and being a TVB actor for SO many years, any TVB fan would be familiar with his face. I am glad to see him win this award!


Final Thoughts

I believe the results were widely supported by many TVB fans, and those who knew the results were most likely satisfied. However, I think some things can be improved such as that every artiste that participated should be invited and come also, such as it was in the past. Although the awards were well-deserved this year, it just seems kind of empty without the familiar middle generation Siu Sung and Fa Dans? Where is Joe Ma, Bowie, Ada, Gigi Lai, Jessica, etc.? Another thing would be leaving us some suspense, don't narrow down the winners. In 2003, it was like Bobby, Kong Wong, Chilam, Roger, Francis Ng, and Bowie all together, and it was until the final moments when we know the real winner. The excitement was there, the competition was healthy. It should be like that. Hope that the 42nd anniversary would be more improved.

Seeing Ha Yu, Michelle Yim, Wayne, Tavia, and Nancy winning is like seeing hard work getting noticed since they have been in so many series, so many roles, and have never gotten popular and noticed and awarded until now. Hope that these winners are signs that TVB is beginning to cherish and appreciate the talented and strong great actors and actresses that they have, to promote potential when it is there, and to stop playing favoritism.

TVB Best Actress 2008 - My Top 3 Picks

3. Susanna Kwan – in Moonlight Resonance - BRONZE

For playing such an annoying character, but yet was comedic and entertaining. Moonlight will definitely be missing something without her crazy remarks and hilarious jokes. Being so bratty and being into everyone else’s business, but also standing out, it’s definitely a job well done.

2. Louise Li – in Moonlight Resonance - SILVER

Her character is supposedly very housewife-like, and she does appears very gentle and homely, but when faced with obstacles, she becomes particularly strong, and Louise was able to convince me that how strong her character can be although her outer appearance is more soft. I also enjoyed her golden quotes and speeches as she presented them very well also. There’s a certain way she says them that reinforces the statement. Anyway, great performance, but someone else was able to stand out more.

1. Michelle Yim – in Moonlight Resonance - GOLD

She has a villain presence in this serie and of course that stands out, but what amazes me the most was her expressions – her facial expressions and body language. Remembering her character in this serie, she had two particular scenes that wowed me. One was when she was sitting with Jo Bau at the park, and Jo Bao couldn’t see, and towards the end, ah Hung was crying and saying that she should find a way to repay Hor Ma, but her eyes all of sudden became vengeful when she looked at Jo Bau. And then the second scene was she was telling Linda why she explained why she is lowering the amount of shares to give to Jo Bau every time she thought about ah Sum and ah Ho being together and when she was counting down with her fingers, it was intense. And then there was one scene, and I don’t remember who it was she was interacting with, but she was using her sunglasses and just putting it towards the guy’s chest as she was talking to him, which I think also made an impact that she’s making her point and you better listen. And she also cried so beautifully heartbroken but became angry in a flash when she knew that Jo Bao went to celebrate ah Hing’s birthday, which shows how volatile her character is. As a character, ah Hung isn’t really that memorable to me, but since it was Michelle who portrayed her, she really stood out. I don’t think there are many actresses that can portray her role so effectively without worrying about image and all because it requires an air of superiority, lots of guts, much bitchiness, and also a dash of elegance while at it. Anyway, I think Michelle simply displayed what great acting is all about in Moonlight Resonance. Best Actress belongs to Michelle Yim hands down- no doubts, no questions, no complaints!!

TVB Best Actor 2008 - My Top 3 Picks

My top 3 goes to...




3. Kevin Cheng – Last One Standing : Bronze

A very different performance from Kevin portraying an angry and extremely aggravated character. Whenever he was mad, he was scary to watch! One of his best scenes was when he was with Roger in the alley when he was kicking and punching things! On a side note, I think Kevin did a great job in last year’s The Ultimate Crime Fighters as the gay villain.

And then now….I feel like it’s a tie between two actors.....between Damian Lau – Catch me Now and Ha Yu- Moonlight Resonance

For Damian Lau, the portrayal of a modern Robin Hood hero is believable and indeed, he was very suave, intelligent, and charming also. Damian is just a superb actor. He never fails being the antagonist or protagonist who can emote any type of feeling the character at the moment is like.

For Ha Yu, his character gave him a lot of ups and downs to portray many types of expressions from semi-bad, to happy, to silly, to angry, to sad, to you name it. There were many scenes in which he broke down and got downright dejected to the point that it touches your heart.

So who should win?? Kind of a tough choice right? I personally like both actors, but there needs to be a winner, so how else to judge? Well, I think it’s safe to say that we can judge by the opposite pairing and cast chemistry.

Who can say those who won Best Actor or Best Actress in the past did it alone without the interactions with their opposite partner and the other people in the cast? Probably 99% of the time those who won had a very compatible partner (Gallen Wang, Ada Choi, Louis & Jess, Bowie & Gigi, Kevin, Moses, etc.) or at least a very compatible cast (as in the case with Liza Wang and War of In Laws). One person can be an excellent actor or actress, but with a not so good partner or screwy cast, the hopes of a best actor or actress is brought down.

So if we use chemistry interactions with opposite pairing and other members of the cast, then I have to say Ha Yu wins over Damian.

2. Damian Lau - Catch Me Now : Silver

For Damian Lau, he has wonderful chemistry with his group of partners in crime in Catch Me Now, but lesser so with Idy Chan, so his romantic moments with her didn’t really bring out his best moments.

1. Ha Yu – Moonlight Resonance: Gold

Ha Yu would reign supreme as he has chemistry with almost everyone in Moonlight Resonance, especially his opposite pairings, Michelle Yim and Louise Li. I also like his interactions with Fala. When he wiped away her tears, it was a very sweet father-daughter moment!

So those are my Top 3 picks! What are yours?

And why not Raymond Lam for Moonlight Resonance?
In all honesty, between Raymond Lam and all the other nominees for Best Actor, he is my favorite actor and idol out of them all. So why didn't I choose him? Because his character in Moonlight Resonance did not get the plot or scenes that shows how strong he really is as an actor. So because I am his fan, I would rather he win for a character that is WORTH it, and not this simple character in Moonlight Resonance because if you ask me whether he stood out from everyone else in terms of acting or character from Moonlight, I can definitely say no.

To see some others' opinions on whether Raymond should win for his character in Moonlight Resonance, you can visit: Asianfanatics: Does Ray deserve the Best Actor award with his acting? [in Moonlight Resonance]

Stay tune on my choices for the other picks!

43rd Golden Bell Awards - Best Female Actress

Ariel Lin has won Best Female Actress award for They Kiss Again! She has had tough competition with Chen Qiao En and Rainie Yang as nominees! Personally I was rooting for Chen Qiao En the most, but I am glad to see Ariel won as I have seen her past works and knows that she is a wonderful actress.

As for Chen Qiao En, I think she already has gained a lot of attention and popularity from Fated to Love You, so even though she did not win, to be nominated is also another achievement! I believe that she will continue to improve and act out wonderful characters in the future!

To see other winners, you can visit: Asianfanatics: 43rd Golden Bell Award Winners

劉三好/宮心計 “Palace Schemes”

Pictures fromYule.baidu.com

Genre – Ancient series revolving around the palace

Rumored Cast – Moses Chan, Kevin Cheng, Charmaine Sheh, Tavia Yeung, Fala Chen, Michelle Yim (Mai Suet), Selena Li, Susanna Kwan, Christine Ng, Nancy Sit, etc.

Plot – Its going to be about revolving around the fights and struggles within the Sheung Goong (which from my understanding seems to be a group of court ladies and servants that prepare the extravagant clothing and fashion accessories for the imperial family) during the Tang Dynasty. Wiki Source* shows that Charmaine would be playing the character, Lau Sam Ho, whom is the main character of the serie. Moses Chan would be playing the emperor, and he will have a crush on Lau Sam Ho. Kevin Cheng would be a guard, who pursues Lau Sam Ho romantically. Tavia Yeung would play a concubine who would harm Lau Sam Ho. Susanna Kwan’s character killed Lau Sam Ho’s mom. Fala Chen would be the palace maid. Michelle Mai, Susanna Kwan, Kara Hui, and Christine Ng are all listed as part of Sheung Gung.
*Wikipedia information are tentative and may not be accurate.

My thoughts: I am very excited about this serie, and I hope most of the cast can stay the same! I love series revolving around the imperial palace. There’s so much drama, mystery, and romance that can be stirred up into a great serie as seen with War & Beauty! I think the cast is just simply TOO grand, and it’s definitely going to be a flexing of muscles for the ladies if the above rumored cast holds. I extremely love the whole cast although I wouldn’t mind if Moses and Charmaine are not included. I like them as actors and actresses respectively, and I think they are capable in most of their scenes, but as they were involved before in War & Beauty, I kinda want the whole cast to be fresh. I think it would be interesting to replace Moses and put Raymond as emperor instead. Anyhow, I am very excited that Tavia would be playing a villain role. It would definitely be a new role for her to try. I have a lot of hope that she would excel in her role as a villain, and I can’t wait to see her shine again! Also glad to see Selena in here as she would get a lot of experience from the veterans. With such a big female cast, I'm guessing the focus would be on the gals, but I hope it would give the guys some good stuff to work with also.

For more information:
Wiki Source
Spcnet thread for this serie

Similarities with Price of Greed & Moonlight Resonance

A few similarities with The Price of Greed and Moonlight Resonance can be seen! Wonder if the producer of MR took some inspiration from The Price of Greed eh??

-Bosco, Shirley, and Kate are casted in both series
(Lui To, Mui Mui, Lam Ping; Dr. Ling, young Hor Ma, Ka Mei)

-Adopted Children
(Louise Li and Tavia; Kingdom Yuen and Bosco & Shirley)

-Adopted sister crushing on adopted brother
(Shirley crushing on Bosco; Tavia crushing on Moses)

-A mute sister
(Shirley; Fala)

-“Goon Ga Jai”
(Kingdom Yuen refers to Bosco’s character in TPOG as that nickname; Raymond’s nickname is that)

-Deception
(Sammul & his brotherhood of con artists; To a lesser extent, Kate being conniving and lying about her past and intentions)

-Guy really likes the girl, but girl really likes another guy
(Bosco likes Kate who really likes Sammul ; Raymond likes Linda who really likes Bosco)

-One foot stepping on two boats (Sammul with Kate, Vivien, other women lol; to lesser extent, Bosco with Linda and Claire)

What do you think? Of course it could be inspiration or it could just be coincidence, but nonetheless, it's a little fun trivia.

TVB 41st Lighting Ceremony

*Above picture from TVB Weekly, pg 32, found from lovebosco.net

Another year seems to be coming to an end, but before it does, it's another controversial, although still the-talk-of-the-town, TVB 41st anniversary coming up! Actors and actresses in glamorous outfits will be paired up, awards will be passed out, and lots of stage performances by various TVB actors and actresses, not to mention the new presentation clips for new series that are in store for us in 2009.

However, it all starts with the lighting ceremony. Joyce Cheng starts the show singing the themesong of 畢打自己人, which is a new drama sitcom that she will also star in. Joyce is a decent singer, and her themesong for TVB serie, Speech of Silence, was a very pleasant song. However, her performance for this themesong is a little off, like she has something stuck in her throat. She is still able to reach those higher notes ok, but I felt like she couldn’t sing the song very smoothly.

Then there is a drama skit with the cast of 畢打自己人, which gave out a couple of jokes and chuckles. I like Teresa Mo, so I’m glad to see her acting for TVB again. I think she is a great comedian- actress. I feel bad for the people that has to drink the milk. With the given milk conditions in China, they are indeed very brave lol.

Then we have the cast of The Gem of Life talking about their characters. I haven’t paid attention to the news of this serie, so it’s actually pretty interesting to hear the older veterans talking about their characters. The clips they showed of the serie is very dramatic and exciting, not to mention very, very beautiful with the scenery. Still having a bit of gripe that Linda Chung is in the serie, but oh well, hopefully she will make something out of it. The younger cast from TGOL goes on a catwalk with their diamonds. I think the cast looks very cool and dazzling in black accompanied by their diamonds, and the themesong by Shirley Kwan playing in the background is very catchy and fitting for the serie.

We move on to Lisa, Charmaine, Joe Ma, and Raymond Wong’s serie “Turbulence of East and West”. I didn’t know much about this serie before, but seeing the clips and Lisa talking about her character, it seems like a pretty interesting serie. Lisa’s character in this serie is different and complex, being an unwed pregnant woman who went ahead and got married to another man. Charmaine’s character seems a little like her character in Point of No Return, while Lisa’s character seems a little like a serious version of her character in the War of In Law series lol.

The nominations are then revealed. Various actors and actresses were asked who they support or think would win. I listed who each of them support below. A lot of people are rooting for Michelle Yim, Ha Yu, and Moonlight Resonance!

-Dodo thinks Michelle Yim because she did a good job and is still so beautiful after many years.
-Roger supports Moonlight Resonance, but also supports Lisa Wang since her character is fresh and is able to display different acting. Somehow Roger seems a little bit down? It seems like he is forcing the smiles and excitement.
-Christine Ng thinks Louise Li because she portrayed different characters for both MR and HOG and still did a great job.
-Kevin supports Susanna Guk and Michelle Yim from MR
-Ron says he would support Michelle because he likes watching her act, and they cooperated a few times, and she also adores him, so with business or personal, with “tung ching fun” (sympathetic points) or “gum ching fun” (feelings points), he’s got to vote for her.
-Bowie for Michelle Yim
-Louise Li favors Susanna, Michelle and of course, herself
-Nancy sit supports herself because one she always have confidence
-Lisa Wang is confident of War of In Laws II despite tough competition.
-Lau Dan thinks Ha Yu and two, Kevin Cheng
-Dodo, Carol Cheng, hopes Ha Yu or jokes that he’ll have a temper
-Charmaine favors Jo Bau and felt it’s unfair that he didn’t get it last year
-Sharon votes for Raymond because she knew him for a while and says he worked hard and he did a good job with Goon Ga Jai.
-Kiki Sheung votes for her "son" in Last One Standing, Kevin cheng and Bobby Au
-A girl votes for Bobby (I don't know her name)
-Bobby is for Ha Yu
-Nancy for Ha Yu and Raymond Lam
-Wong Jo Lam for Ha Yu
-Lisa votes for Ha Yu because his character is able to let him demonstrate his acting and is a hot serie
-Micheal Tse says literally says HOG’s Chinese title (while everyone else says Ga Ho Yuet Yuen), World's Twister Adventure, and D.I.E
-Ron likes MR and places his bet on this
-Kevin thinks MR and reminds audience about Last One Standing too
-Kate Tsui for MR and feels proud to be part of the serie that is the talk of town
-Roger mentions MR and reminds audience about Last One Standing also.

If you don’t want to get spoiled, don’t watch the part where it shows the clips of the finale for The Four and Last Man Standing. I’m so looking forward to the ending of both series, very exciting! But also, they kinda ruined it for me, but still, very exciting!!

Then Kelly performs two of her songs for the concluding performance of the show.

The clips of the upcoming anniversary series and TGOL Catwalk are the best highlights in the ceremony! Of course for me, I’m also happy Shirley was behind Bosco and Ron in the group picture haha!

43rd Taiwan Golden Bell Nomination for Best Actress

Read news on AF

The nominations for the 43rd Taiwan Golden Bell Best Actress Awards includes 4 major popular Taiwanese idol actresses: Angela Chang, Ariel Lin, Chen Qiao En, and Rainie Yang.

Personally, I am rooting for Chen Qiao En although I have not seen the other three’s works in the running. I think she did a great job in Fated to Love You, and her character in the serie has experienced a lot of events which gave her the opportunity to display different acting throughout the serie. I’ve seen Ariel Lin and Rainie Yang’s previous works before though, and Ariel Lin is a stronger contender between the two in my opinion. As for Chen Qiao En and Ariel Lin, it’s hard to say. Both of them are my favorite Taiwanese idol actresses, so I hope the best for both of them.

Kelly Chen becomes Mrs. Lau

Above Pic found from: Apple

Miss. Kelly Chen becomes Mrs. Kelly Lau on October 3, 2008. Her marriage announcement was made during her last concert earlier this year. I actually do not know much about Alex Lau, but I knew that Kelly dated him for many, many years. However, they look like a very matching couple! I especially love the above picture of him just touching Kelly’s chin…a very touching moment!

When I first saw her wedding dress in the pics , I thought it was kind of simple since Kelly’s outfits usually stand out more, but of course Kelly still looks very beautiful. Possibly with all the wedding attire she has worn for modeling and acting, simple is considered sweet. Congrats to Kelly and Alex for becoming officially husband and wife!

Niki-Kevin-Charmaine Rumored Triangle

The recent rumor that is most interesting is the Niki-Kevin-Charmaine triangle! It seems to come out of nowhere for me, but then the HK media seems to get these things right at times. If it were true, I think Niki and Kevin are cute, but then I think Charmaine and Kevin seems to match more with TVB as a common background, which brings same interests, events, in career and same friends also. The rumors seem to die down now probably due the TVB anniversary coming up.

To read more:
Kevin Cheng admits break up, Charmaine Sheh expressed her view

Kevin Cheng Becomes Charmaine Sheh's Tenth Boyfriend

Speculation and Gossip

I wonder how many believe this rumors, so please take the poll!

What a September!

It turns out I didn't get to go on vacation because a hurricane came into town the same weekend I planned to go. So I stayed home and survived my first hurricane! About three weeks ago, Houston was hit by Hurricane Ike!. I didn't imagine it would be so bad. A lot of people didn't have any electricity and water for weeks. I was lucky because I only have to endured no electricity for one week. Lots of trees on houses, and roofs leaking for many others. Of course, with no traffic lights, people have to stop and go, and there are some crazy drivers. I went to a supermarket that was open because they running on generators, and it's kind of like mass hysteria when people are getting ice. You would think it's like the end of the world when you see people run to get the ice and grabbing it, and of course, LONG lines to the cashier. Gas stations were pretty crazy too because only a few opened at a time, so cars would be lining up for streets. I have to say the worst experience is not having real "hot" food to eat afterwards. Can't really cook at home, and going out, no restaurants would be opened because there is no electricity and water. It was a very difficult and different experience, and really makes me appreciate the things that I take for granted like food, electricity, and water. I mean without electricity, I spent two days either sleeping or staring out the window (no, i'm not joking). I was bored out of my mind. Anyhow, that's my little rant and update for anyone interested. I think next time, I'm not staying when another one comes. Then now, there are worries about the US economy with bank failures and stock market falling. It's a very busy and interesting 2008 for people in the US, I know it is for me.

So back to Asian entertainment, so many entertainment news! What is the hot topic now?? If you're still reading, look forward to more of my thoughts on various old news and Moonlight Resonance in the upcoming days.