11

August 2012

[New Series]: King Maker

English Title: King Maker

Cantonese Title: 造王者 (Jo Wong Je)

Cast: Kent Cheng 鄭則士 (飾董昭), Wayne Lai 黎耀祥 (飾余靖), Kristal Tin 田蕊妮 (飾嚴三娘), Pierre Ngo 敖嘉年 (飾趙貴誠/理宗), Natalie Tong 唐詩詠 (飾樊紅纓), Florence Kwok 郭少芸 (飾慧妃), Lee Kok Lun 李國麟 (飾楊次山), Patrick Tang 鄧健泓 (飾余清/常喜), Vivien Yeo 楊秀惠 (飾德妃), Kingdom Yeun 苑瓊丹 (飾恭淑皇后), Chris Lai Lok Yi

Episodes: 28

Airing date: 13 August 2012 (after ‘Three Kingdoms RPG‘ )

Themesong: “Dream Chaser” (追夢者) by Leo Ku*

Executive Producer: Leung Choi Yuen (Ghost Writer, 7 days in Life , The Days of Days)

Scriptwriter: Ng Shiu Tung

Official: Website | Purchase DVD @ YesAsia.com (English Subtitles)

King Maker

[poll id=”125″]

Synopsis

During the Southern Sung Dynasty, Prince CHIU KWAI-SHING (Pierre Ngo) and Prince CHIU KWAI-WO (Chris Lai) are rival brothers and they both covet the throne of the kingdom. As their strategic advisors, Chancellor YU CHING (Wayne Lai) and Chancellor TUNG CHIU (Kent Cheng) are long-time family friends as well as peer mentors. Unexpectedly, YU CHING’s father YU POK-MAN (Cheung Kwok Keung) courts disaster by making an indiscreet remark. Following the confiscation of their property, the family falls apart. YU CHING loses contact with both his younger brother YU TSING (Patrick Tang) and younger sister YU JING (Natalie Tong). Being deceived, YU TSING has become a eunuch suffering humiliation. YU JING, who experiences amnesia, has been adopted by YIM SAM-LEUNG (Kristal Tin), a daughter of a gang leader. Misconstruing that TUNG CHIU has betrayed his father for pursuing private ends, YU CHING joins force with the treacherous minister YEUNG CHI-SHAN (Lee Kwok Lun) against him. As the rivalry intensifies, both open strife and veiled struggle comes to light. A battle between King Makers sparks off a chain of startling events imbued with aggression, deceitfulness and malevolence.

南宋宮中兩大陣營,大王子趙貴誠(敖嘉年)及二王子趙貴和(黎諾懿)皆覬覦帝位。負責獻計的左右丞相余靖(黎耀祥)和董昭(鄭則士)本為世交,亦師亦友,但余靖父親余博文(張國強)因功高蓋主失言而招來抄家之禍,與弟余清(鄧健泓)及妹余晴(唐詩詠)從此失散,弟弟被騙入宮做太監受盡凌辱,妹妹失憶幸得漕幫幫主之女嚴三娘(田蕊妮)收養,余靖更誤以為董昭為一己私利出賣父親,與董昭反目成仇,不惜投靠大奸臣楊次山(李國麟),兩派勢成水火,展開連番明爭暗鬥。一場造王之戰,連場朝廷殺戮、爾虞我詐、幕幕觸目驚心……

Credits: TVB.com.au

  • I think Kevin and Selena make a pretty sweet couple in this series and they look so good together ! I was rooting for the characters to get together because of how compatible their personalities were but I must say their love story had some of the big “no-nos” in it.  It slightly ruined it for me, but I’ll come to that bit later.
  • Selena and Kevin play the couple of being in two different “worlds”- the rich and the poor.  Selena is a rich, beautiful, intelligent woman who is the CEO of a large corporation. She is well educated and brought up from a wealthy background. In contrast, Kevin is only a security guard at her company, a boxer, a single father who claims to be “old with no money” (as Kevin often describes himself in the series) who also has a criminal record and previously sentenced to jail for 7 years.
  • Their relationship started out as boss and sub-ordinate. I think she abused her power :P, by making him do all these things for her out of work, drive her around, borrowed his uniform on the first day they met. She even forced a kiss on him when she was mad at her boyfriend (at that time) who was a married man and sought this as a way of “revenge”. The two eventually become really good friends as she seeks him out for advice on her relationships and she helps him tutor his son English.
  • TVB Gloves Come off
  • Kevin is very  lovable caring and responsible man.  Kevin’s perception of their “difference” and not wanting to hurt  Edwin (Selena’s boyfriend) largely came between their relationship. It wasn’t even about Selena’s parents getting in their way of being together, it was the whole “we must do what is right and not hurt the ‘innocent’ one” (K is not impressed! XD)
  • TVB Gloves Come off
  • While Kevin developed feelings for Selena, he would constantly deny them re-assuring Edwin that they’re from different worlds and there is nothing going on between them- They’re just great friends and she is his boss. At that time, even Edwin admitted/felt he was the odd one out and Kevin and Selena looked like they were having so much fun together (including Kevin’s son, seemed like a family)
  • However, when Selena realised she had fallen in love with Kevin (occasion where she cried for him when she thought he was in a car accident), the trouble girl dialled into the radio station which talks about love and relationships where she confessed her confusion and not knowing what to do. She realised she loved Kevin, but can’t leave her current boyfriend because he is perfect to her. The two men happen to tune into the station and heard her confession.
  • Edwin ended up proposing to her but Selena rejects him as she decides to be with Kevin. Edwin tells Selena that he will continue to wait for her until she changes her mind. She happily rushes to find Kevin to confess her feelings for him and he instantly starts avoiding her as he realised what had happened.
  • It was pretty pitiful watching Selena “chase” Kevin- I felt so embarrassed for her >< The way he rejected her, humiliated her and “hit” her in the boxing ring was so hard to watch. Guy hitting a girl?? For a girl to go all out and get rejected like that almost makes him sound like a jerk. Kevin didn’t return her feelings because he felt she should have been with Edwin and that he wasn’t good enough for her. He told her that he never liked her and her behaviour was making him despise her.
  • Eventually Selena returns back to Edwin…It really felt like Selena was using Edwin as a rebound!
  • The night before Selena’s wedding, Selena found out from Nancy that Kevin did love her and rejected her before only because he felt he wasn’t good enough for her. I really like the scene when Selena and Kevin finally admitted their feelings for each other- Kevin seemed so heartbroken to see Selena who was in tears.  The two started happily heading to the airport together as Selena proposed to “elope”. It felt a bit like a dream. Technically Kevin could have just left. What left me pretty confused was how Kevin let Selena go back to get married with Edwin. What the heck…..?? Clearly the one she loved was Kevin, but because they didn’t want to hurt Edwin, they made that decision. It annoyed me- left me thinking..”what just happened…?” While Edwin seemed like a nice guy, I was always convinced that Selena married him out of pity more than anything. She didn’t seem happy with him and only chose to stay committed to him. How did Selena even agree to this..??”
  • TVB Gloves Come off
  • TVB Gloves Come off
  • I always thought Selena married Edwin ‘out of duty’- because he was a great man who did nothing wrong to her (pre-wedding) but love just doesn’t work that way! She doesn’t owe him anything!! And what makes me so angry is why does Kevin think he can just push Selena to marry Edwin for? It’s almost like those love triangles where one steps out ‘sacrificing themselves” for the better of the other two. This is modern time and shouldn’t work that way.  I guess the lesson to be learnt there was the whole loop they went through. Selena married Edwin but because of him having suspicions of her loving Kevin (which he already knew about before they got married),  he gets into a car accident and his legs disabled for life. This then lead on to domestic violence as he kept treating Selena poorly because he couldn’t control his temper. After all that, when Kevin supposedly made Edwin see Selena loved Edwin wholeheartedly, Edwin finally trusted Selena and wanted to start fresh with their lives. Edwin however, eventually commits suicide when he claimed he could no longer endure the pain. Somehow I see it as TVB’s way of letting Selena and Kevin get back together, to “fix” up their mistakes of having Selena marry Edwin in the first place…

Read the rest of this entry »

4

August 2012

[New Series]: Ghetto Justice 2

English Title: Ghetto Justice 2

Cantonese Title:怒火街頭 2 (no foh gaai tau 2)

Also see its direct prequel: Ghetto Justice

Cast: Kevin Cheng 鄭嘉穎, Myolie Wu 胡杏兒, Sam Lee 李璨琛 , Alex Lam Chi Sin 林子善, Raymond Cho 曹永廉, Christine Kuo 苟芸慧, Jia Xiaochen 賈曉晨, Elena Kong 江美儀

Episodes: 25

Airing date: 30 July 2012 after Witness Insecurity

Themesong: No Time To Regret (沒時間後悔) Hanjin Tan (ft. MC Jin)  CD (Same as GJ1)

Executive Producer: Chan Wai Koon

Scriptwriter: Suen Ho Ho

Official: Website | Purchase DVD @ YesAsia.com (English Subtitles)

Ghetto Justice 2

Synopsis

After releasing from jail, LAW LIK-AH (Kevin Cheng) wants to start anew and he joins hand with his comrade WONG SZ-FU (Myolie Wu) to fight against injustice.

LIK-AH and SZ-FU soon become the “Condor Heroes” of Sham Shui Po but they have conflicting views on things all the time. To make the situation worse, LIK-AH’s ex-wife KING LING-LEI (Christine Kuo) suddenly returns from the USA and the relationship is put to the test. Meanwhile, they have offended the wealthy property developer by handling a building collapse case and LIK-AH’s life is in danger. Even his good friend TING KA-FU (Sam Lee), GEORGE MIKE JR. (Lam Chi Sin) and the newly-arrived policeman LEUNG PAU-SING (Raymond Cho) are embroiled in the legal battle. Will they be able to fight for the disadvantaged people with law in the end?

羅 力亞(鄭嘉穎)出獄後捲土重來,與承接其衣缽的女Law霸王思苦(胡杏兒)雙劍合壁成了深水埗的「神鵰俠侶」,繼續為民請命,但力亞與思苦的處事態度和方 法往往截然不同,因而產生不少磨擦。而力亞的前妻景伶俐(苟芸慧)突然從美國歸來,令力亞與思苦的感情備受考驗。此際,他們因處理塌樓意外案件而惹來地產 富商不滿,令力亞招致殺身之禍。死黨丁家富(李璨琛)與米佐冶(林子善),以及新落區的雜差梁包升(曹永廉)同受牽連,最終他們能否合力以法律彰顯公義, 為弱勢市民討回公道?

Credit: TVB.com.au

30

July 2012

[Fala Chen] Beautiful Life (CD + DVD)

Fala Chen’s Debut is finally releasing!! 😀 It has been awhile since a TVB Artist has released a new album so it’s all exciting for me when something new is coming out. I’ve heard Fala sing live during a JSG episode which has heaps of room for improvement, but hopefully the CD version will be nice 🙂

 

Snippet from Yesasia.com:
“The latest TVB artist to cross over into a recording career, Fala Chen is making her Canto-pop debut with Beautiful Life. Fans of the popular actress will be delighted to find all her drama theme songs here, namely “Perfect Match” from The Stew of Life (2009), “Romantic Transfer” from Links to Temptation (2010), and “Imperfect Beauty” from Queens of Diamonds and Hearts(2012). Besides, Fala’s first album also features the Cantonese remakes of two Mando-pop hits, one being “Half” (from Della Ding’s song of the same name) and the other “Redemption” (from Fish Leong’s “Don’t Shed Any More Tears for Him”).

The album comes with a bonus DVD containing the microfilm Beautiful Life, which features the songs “Half” and “Redemption”.”

 

For those who would like to support Fala Chen, you can purchase the CD here @ YesAsia.com!!

Fala Chen- Beautiful Life

 

CD
01. 愛上鳥
02. 一半
03. 贖罪
04. 想不想
05. 絕配的一對 (有營煮婦)主題曲
06. 奮不顧身
07. 缺憾美 (東西攻略)主題曲
08. 愛情轉駁 (誘情轉駁)主題曲
09. Beautiful Life
10. 我用距離愛你(國)

DVD
01. 美麗人生 微電影 : 一半 / 贖罪

English Title: Three Kingdoms RPG

Cantonese Title: 回到三國 (Wooi do saam gwok) Return to Three Kingdoms

Cast: Kenneth Ma 馬國明 (飾司馬信), Raymond Lam 林峯 (飾諸葛亮) , Tavia Yeung 楊怡 (飾桑柔), Kaki Leung, Ruco Chan 陳展鵬 (飾周瑜), Pierre Ngo 敖嘉年 (飾孫權), Lee Kwok Lun 李國麟 (飾劉備), Tsang Wai Kuen 曾偉權 (飾張飛)

Episodes: 30

Airing date: 9 July 2012- 10 August 2012  (after ‘No Good Either Way’)

Themesong: Wait For Your Return (等你回来)-Raymond Lam (CD)

Executive Producer: Lau Ka Ho

Scriptwriter: Lau Chi Wah

Official: Website | Purchase DVD @ YesAsia.com (English Subtitles)

TVB Three Kingdoms RPG

[poll id=”123″]

Synopsis

SZEMA SHUN (Kenneth Ma) is sent through time to the Three Kingdoms period of China history when a super typhoon hits the city where he lives. An online game freak, he is thrilled to come face-to-face with his long time idol – accomplished strategist CHUGOT LEUNG (Raymond Lam) – in rounds after rounds of wit battles. Other historic figures he meets include LAU BEI (Lee Kwok Lun), CHEUNG FEI (Tsang Wai Kuen) and CHOU YUE (Ruco Chan). Regarded as a good-for-nothing in the modern world, SHUN nevertheless finds himself reborn in the Three Kingdoms period, a time that does not belong yet so familiar to him. He has an one-night stand with imperial maid SONG YAU (Tavia Yeung) before he travels back to the future. At the end of the day, will brotherly loyalty or city slickness be his secret of success? Be prepared to be amazed by a Three Kingdoms period that you have never thought of﹗

一個沉迷網上遊戲的現代人司馬信(馬國明),一個足智多謀的古代軍師諸葛亮(林峯),因為一個超強颱風令二人相遇在三國時代。司馬信酷愛三國遊戲,早封諸葛亮為偶像,憑現代蠱惑怪招與偶像鬥智鬥力,期間巧遇劉備(李國麟)、張飛(曾偉權)和周瑜(陳展鵬)等各路經典人物,令本來在現實生活一事無成的司馬信突然脫胎換骨,親身經歷了一幕幕耳熟能詳的三國歷史場景,在臨別秋波之前更與宮女桑柔(楊怡)發生一夜情……到底君子式的忠孝仁義還是香港仔耍滑頭是取勝之道,一個充滿驚喜的新三國時代即將來臨……

Credits: TVB.com.au

English Title: Witness Insecurity

Cantonese Title: 護花危情 (woo fa n gai ching) Dangerous Protection

Cast: Bosco Wong 黃宗澤 (飾許瑋琛), Linda Chung 鍾嘉欣 (飾喬子琳), Paul Chun 秦沛 (飾喬江山), Ram Chiang 蔣志光 (飾喬江河), Cilla Kung 樂瞳 (飾李巧欣), Ronald Law 羅鈞滿 (飾楊耀東), Queenie Chu, Rachel Kan 簡慕華 (飾周美虹)

Episodes: 20

Airing date: 2 July 2012 (after ‘Master of Play’)

Themesong: The Most Blissful Thing (最幸福的事)- Linda Chung (CD)

Executive Producer: Lau Ka Ho

Scriptwriter: Choi Ting Ting

Official: Website | Purchase DVD @ YesAsia.com (English Subtitles)

TVB Witness Insecurity

Synopsis
Inspector HUI WAI-SUM (Bosco Wong) of the Witness Protection Unit of the Hong Kong Police Force is assigned to protect tycoon KIU KONG-SHAN’s (Paul Chun) daughter KIU CHI-LAM (Linda Chung). The lives of these two complete strangers are thus interwoven. CHI-LAM is a bit of an eccentric who lives in her own world. WAI-SUM opens her up. Despite the opposition of KONG-SHAN, she takes the initiative to court WAI-SUM. With CHI-LAM getting more and more cheerful and positive, KONG-SHAN, though reluctantly, acquiesces to her going out with WAI-SUM. In the meantime, the sudden appearance of LAI SHU-FUNG (Lee Kwok Lun), a friend whom KONG-SHAN has not seen for over 30 years, gets on everybody’s nerves. When WAI-SUM discovers the secret amongst SHU-FUNG and the KIU brothers accidentally, he is put in a dilemma of upholding justice or choosing CHI-LAM.

警方保護證人組督察許瑋琛(黃宗澤)奉命保護城中富商喬江山(秦沛)女兒喬子琳(鍾嘉欣),從此兩個南轅北轍的命運交織一起!子琳性格孤僻古怪,一直困在 自己的世界,瑋琛的出現叫她打開了心扉,還對瑋琛暗生好感,更不理江山反對,主動展開追求!江山眼見女兒變得開朗主動,逐漸軟化默許,但一個三十多年前的 故人黎樹風(李國麟)突然回來,掀引著各人的神經線,瑋琛發現樹風與喬氏兄弟之間有著不為人知的秘密,令瑋琛陷於困局,掙扎於公義及愛情之間……

Note: The series was originally announced to be a spin-off of the 2011 series Yes, Sir. Sorry, Sir! featuring the popular character “Miss Cool” portrayed by Linda Chung

Credit: TVB.com.au

English Title: Tiger Cubs

Cantonese Title: 飛虎 (Fei Fu)

Cast: 馬德鐘 Joe Ma, 宣萱 Jessica Hester Hsuan, 羅仲謙 Him Law, 梁烈唯 Oscar Leung, 王浩信 Vincent Wong, 黃智雯 Mandy Wong, 苟芸慧Christine Kuo, Yuen Wai Ho 袁偉豪

Episodes: 13 (70 mins each/Finale 90mins )

Airing date: 24 June 2012

Themesong: The Basis Around (身邊的依據) by Joe Ma (CD)

Executive Producer: Lam Chi Wah

Scriptwriter: Lee Yee Wah

Official: Website | Purchase DVD @ YesAsia.com (English Subtitles)

 

TVB Tiger Cubs

 

[poll id=”124″]

 

Synopsis

With Special Duties Unit experienced instructor CHIN HON-TO (Joe Ma) employs draconian tactics to turn his subordinates into hardened cops. Nonetheless, his team worships him.

Although he is particularly strict with YU HOK-LAI (Him Law) and YAU CHUN-HIN (Vincent Wong), he treats them as his younger brothers deep-down. TO’s friendship with co-partner cum good friend CHONG CHEUK-YUEN (Oscar Leung) is challenged when TING WAI-WAI (Christine Kuo) turns away from him and falls for YUEN for his cheerfulness. YUEN tells his teammate SO MAN-KEUNG (Mandy Wong) to pretend to be his girlfriend but his attempt to patch up with TO further complicates the matter. Meanwhile, intelligence reports that “King of Thieves” TO TIN-YUE (Kenneth Ma) is conspiring to rob the exchequer. TO and Organised Crime and Triad Bureau inspector CHONG CHEUK WAH (Jessica Hester Hsuan) are assigned to take charge of the proactive operation. WAH is YUEN’s elder sister. Her boyfriend was killed by a maniac and she has since been immersing herself in work in order to forget the pain. As TO and WAH see each other more, TO realizes they are the same sort of people and that he is falling in love with her.

任職飛虎隊多年,別號魔鬼教官的展瀚韜(馬德鐘)是隊員心目中的英雄人物,他作風嚴肅,對下屬嚴格,尤其向兩位新成員俞學禮(羅仲謙)和邱駿軒(王浩信)作重點訓練,但他私底下原是重情重義的大哥哥,瀚韜一直視最佳拍擋莊卓源(梁烈唯)為好兄弟,誰料女朋友丁慧慧(茍芸慧)移情別戀愛上了開朗愛笑的卓源而提出分手,為修補兄弟情,卓源找來同僚蘇文強(黃智雯)假裝女友,衍生糾纏不清的多角關係;此際,警方據線報得悉賊王杜天宇(馬國明)正策動一宗大型金庫劫案,瀚韜與O記女督察莊卓嬅(宣萱)展開部署行動,卓嬅是卓源親姐,性格孤傲,日夜埋首工作只為忘記當年男友被狂徒殺害的傷痛,相處之間瀚韜漸漸察覺卓嬅和自己為同類人,微妙的感覺油然而生……

Credits: TVB.com.au

Airring: 9 July 2012- 17 August 2012

This reminds me of TVB’s second (?) attempt of “Step into the Past” where modern day character gets taken back in history, except this time it’s Kenneth Ma going back into a computer game. I’m excited to watch this series for the cast (Kenneth Ma, Raymond Lam, Tavia Yeung etc) although my expectations for it isn’t very high. Just hoping for some good entertainment! 🙂