TVB: Ghetto Justice (怒火街頭) 2011

Year Produced: 2011
Created by: Terry Tong Kei Ming
Language: Cantonese
No. of episodes: 20


Opening theme: No Time to Regret by Hanjin Tan and M.C. Jin

Main Cast:
Kevin Cheng Ka Weng - L.A Law/Law Lik Ah
Myolie Wu - Kris Wong Si Fu
Alex Lam - George Mike Jr./ Mai Cho Chi
Sam Lee - Tin Ka Fu
Sharon Chan - Ho Lee Ching
Joyce Tang Lai Meng - Tai Ng Ting

Supporting Cast:
Mandy Wong - Silvia Cheung Chi Sum
Shek Sau - Spencer Cheung Pak Kei
Ching Hor Wai - Poon Siu King
Kwok Fung - Mai Bo (George's father)
Chun Wong - Ting Fook Yuen (Fu's father)
Ting Chu Wai - Tam Wing Chau (Fu's mother)

Storyline/Plot/Synopsis:
A story about the thin line between the law and ethics and whether the two can align with each other to uphold social justice.


Kris Wong Si Fu (Myolie Wu) is an aspiring barrister whose ultimate aim is to create a name for herself in the legal department; setting her idol, Spencer Cheung Pak Kei (Shek Sau) as her motivation, she sets to win as many cases as possible.

She met the unkept and slacker of Law Lik Ah (Kevin Cheng), whom she develops a bad first impression of and was in utter disdain at his sight. Battling him in court, she learns that Law is not as simple as he seems as he holds a rather profound influence over his witnesses and defendants in court.


Law was just as unimpressed with the unethical Kris who seemed to be more interested in the victory of the case than the interests of the causes of justice. However, Kris soon learns, through her various cases that the powerful affluent people are using their wealth to get away with their own heinous crimes thus changing her own direction and perception in law and upholding justice through the truth.

Collaborating with Law, she learns much more than just winning her cases and even befriends the rest of Law's friends, George Mike Jr. (Alex Lam) and Tin Ka Fu (Sam Lee); both of whom were sons of rich families but yet works alongside Law to help the financially incapable in fighting for their rights and for justice.
Law reopens his office which is started to serve the community in Sham Shui Po, and to help the people in need; much to Kris's admiration.

Though initially still fighting for her own ambitions, Kris soon learns that Law's background was more astounding than his appearance, or her perception of him as he was the long lost famous barrister, L.A Law, who was as popular and admired as her idol, Spencer Cheung in the past.

He had fought and won several cases, but had disappeared for years after his last case in which he felt guilty for causing the death of a witness whom he forced to suicide to free his client of the conviction. Unable to bear with his own guilt, Law could not bring himself to court anymore.

As Law and Kris spend more time with each other, they develop feelings for each other but Kris was too proud to admit her growing affections for him. At the same time, Kris bumps into her old friend, Ho Lee Ching (Sharon Chan) who turned up and then surprised Kris with the newfound fact that she is now a prostitute by profession.

Disappointed with Ching, Kris turns away from her old friend although she needs her in a sexual harassment case. However, Kris soon found out Ching's sad story which led to her being a part of prostitution following her rape by her own mother's debtors. Tin Ka Fu, falls for Ching, but was being rejected by him again and again, as she was ashamed of her own background while Fu persuaded his own discriminating parents to accept her.

When Fu and Ching could finally start their own French restaurant; which was Ching's lifelong dream, she stumbled upon Spencer's illegal doings and ended up being murdered.

Although they suspected Spencer, there was no proof to bring him to justice. Angered by that fact, Kris then made everyone, including her own mother as she offered to join Spencer's defense team to help defend him from law. Unknown to them, Kris was just acting indifferent to find the incriminating evidence to nail Spencer on his heinous crime and she finally succeeded in doing so; although unethically and unlawfully. Law realized Kris's intentions and changed her video, sending the evidence of him tapering with the evidence; causing him to be jailed and disbarred from practising law ever again in the future.

At the end of the drama, Kris visits Law in prison and even told her that she will wait for him to return to help her with her practice and decides to reopen Law's office on his behalf, to the delight of the Sham Shui Po's residents.

Christy's Review:
An interesting drama; which takes a different turn from the typical courtroom drama of the likes of Files of Justice and Survivors Law, and focusing instead on the interests of social justice of the lower class people. I find it a fresh portrayal on depicting the interests of ethics in affecting the decisions of justice and that law knows no boundaries in the ones practising and those who are accused behind the bars.

It is a rather fresh idea; and welcomed too, with the rise of social issues and crimes in the society and having normal people and their mentality, gave a different insight into the perspectives of law and in becoming a lawyer. It shows that being a lawyer does not mean that one needs to only dress smart and win cases to be defined as one of potential, but that a lawyer should also uphold ethics and justice at the same time to be able to understand the law.
One of the first courtroom drama with a new take and appeal to true justice.

Characters Analysis:
Myolie Wu as Kris Wong Si Fu

Nothing less than what I would expect of Myolie, as she is just so extremely at ease in her character and her expressions were typical of most of the characters she had portrayed in the past. Initially unscrupulous, Kris Wong was only interested in her own ambitions and could care less about the reality of justice but when she realized, to her disgust, that the rich were using their wealth to evade the consequences of law, she was torn between her own desires and the truth until she met the sleazy Law Lik Ah from whom she learns the true meaning of justice.
Although she was impressed with him, she was at the same time also dealing with her feelings of admiration or disrespect for him until he sacrificed himself for her towards the end. She had finally redeemed herself when she learnt to sacrifice her own career for justice in her best friend's case at the end. It was the turning point; the change of the selfish character Myolie portrayed from the beginning of the series, and for that, she has done a great job.
Myolie's hairstyle was a little weird in the series though.

Kevin Cheng as Law Lik Ah

Sleazy and looking unkept, Law was not as bad as he seems as he helps people in need for the sake of justice and also for a charitable cause. Kevin Cheng played his character naturally as the laid back guy who was actually hiding his own past behind his character. Hiding his pain and grief from the stories haunting him from the past, Law had to act cool and nonchalant in front of everyone and Kevin was just dashing to play this happy go lucky character of Law who was confident and yet ridden with guilt.

Alex Lam as George Mike Jr/Mai Cho Chi

It was refreshing to see this comical guy playing a serious role for once as he settles in his character as a nervous yet helpful son of an ex famous justice, Mai Bo. Alex Lam is a face one would tend to associate with comedy but his expressions and portrayal of a serious character here is simply astonishing, was extremely believable.
Best scenes was when he liked Tai Ng Ting, and yet hid his feelings for the married woman at the same time. A good job done by this actor.

Sam Lee as Tin Ka Fu

Treading on the same nature as Alex Lam, Sam Lee is often seen in comical and supporting roles in movies and this is probably one of the rare times seeing him in a serious and awfully just character that it was initially a little weird watching him in his role. However, his facial expressions was rather natural as shown on his face that it becomes more believable as the show progresses. A fresh and interesting take of a role played by Sam and hope to see more series with him in the future.

Sharon Chan as Ho Lee Ching

Another natural role for Sharon, who never failed to impress with her skills in portraying a difficult and stubborn lady in most of her typical roles. Her indignant facial expressions when facing difficult situations in the drama, just makes her believable in the roles she play. However, Sharon has been underrated in her acting most of the time, given her minor roles and I hope to see her in more major roles soon.

Shek Sau as Spencer Cheung Pak Kei

Although a veteran actor, I never really did like Shek Sau's acting as I find his expressions a little exaggerated at times and it is typical in all his roles over the years. Nothing astounding as he plays yet another despicable character in this drama; one who is just too proud of himself most of the time and will never concede defeat.

Couples' Chemistry:
Myolie Wu and Kevin Cheng as Kris Wong and Law Lik Ah

Nothing much from this bickering couple; and although they were both adorable at times, I just could not feel the sparks from this combination. Individually they are great actors, but when it comes to inserting romance between them, it did not seem to fit their impressions, in my opinion. Well, there is not much romantic scenes between them anyway, which was not too bad.

Sam Lee and Sharon Chan as Tin Ka Fu and Ho Lee Ching

Alright, this may be the most believable couple in the entire series; possibly due to their heights? Chemistry was obviously lacking in them as well, although I can see that both were trying to fit in very hard to play a couple but it just did not seem to bring out the feelings they were both said to have in the series.

Alex Lam and Joyce Tang as George Mike Jr and Tai Ng Ting

This is the least compatible couple, and it was a good thing that they did not develop much on their scenes as well. It was totally weird, and unbelievable and they are definitely the oddest couple in the whole series. It was evident that the relationship was one-sided although towards the end of the series, there was an indication that Ting may accept George eventually.
Well, I hope there will be a change in the sequel which was said to be coming up soon.

Likes about the series:
The touch towards society; especially the sensitivity towards the middle class society. Also, the differences shown between the higher class and middle class and how sometimes perception can be too generalized by the society.

Dislikes about the series:
Maybe the theme song, I just find it a little weird, but that's just me.
Also, the chemistry between all the couples portrayed did not seem very believable and was evidently lacking in their portrayal.

Verdict:
Good watch, definitely worth the 20 episodes and not draggy at all.

Rating: 4/5

TVB: The Mysteries of Love (談情說案) 2010

Year Produced: 2010
Producer: Lau Kar Ho


Opening/Ending Theme: 直到你不找我 by Raymond Lam


No. of episodes: 25
Language: Cantonese

Main Cast:
Raymond Lam Fung - Kingsley King Pok/Professor King
Tavia Yeung Yi - Chui Siu Lai/Sai Lei Mui
Kenneth Ma - Gordon Lo Tin Hang
Bernice Liu - Nicole Ling Man Ka

Supporting Cast:
Chui Family
Cheung Kwok Keung - Ancestor (Appearance in Episode 1 and in picture)
Law Lok Lam - Chui Sir/Chui Hon Fei (Dad)
Fung So Bor - Leung Sau Ngo (Mum)
Evergreen Mak - Chui Kwok On (Eldest Brother)
Ng Wai Shan - Tai Chui Sheung (Sister-in-Law)
Alex Lam - Chui Kwok Leung (2nd Brother)
Lawrence Ng Lok Wang - Chui Ka Hei (Nephew)

King Family
Ram Chiang - Ancestor
Lee Kwok Lun - Philip King Yin (Dad)
Mary Hon Ma Lei - Victoria Cheung Wai Chu (Mum)
Candy Chiu - Anastasia King Chi
Yu Tze Ming - Uncle George/King Chuk

Police Department
Astrid Chan - Madam Koo
Jack Wu - Chim Chi Ko

Others
Leanne Li - Bowie Choi Bo Yi
Stephen Huynh - Adrian

Synopsis/Plot/Storyline:

Taking crime solving dramas to a different notch, this is one which includes the study and application of physics and science in the cases.
Kingsley (Raymond Lam) is the youngest physics expert and his intelligence even garnered him as a genius in his own field. Recognized for his exceptional skills and capabilities, Kingsley was invited to be an associate professor in the local Hong Kong University.
His knowledge and skills also led him to be sought after by his best friend, Gordon (Kenneth Ma), who heads the crime investigation unit in the police department.


Under the wing of Gordon is a dedicated and promising policewoman, Sai Lei Mui/Chui Siu Lai (Tavia Yeung) who works hard at her job and gets along well with everyone around her due to her easy going skills. Her cheerful outlook in life made her liked by her co-workers and even Kingsley found himself attracted to her; something which he deciphered to be a work of science as he explains the stirring sense of affection in his heart for her.

However, the romance between Lai and Kingsley was doomed from the start as they soon realized that their ancestors had crossed paths in the past and they were even sworn enemies following an incident. To add fuel to the fire, Kingsley's family; being a prominent one in the society were displeased with Lai's family background and also their social status as compared to themselves.

The history of their ancestors and a small feud over a painting were just contributing factors to ruining their relationship, and Kingsley well-educated Uncle George's distaste in Lai's education level and also culture just makes it worse.

As Kingsley's parents pressured him on their perceived incompatibility with Lai, he decided to back out of the relationship and broke up with Lai in haste. Lai was devastated with the breakup as she had gone through hardships and was even willing to sacrifice her job to maintain the relationship with Kingsley. Angered and disappointed in Kingsley, Lai then returned to her job as an armed policewoman (she had earlier requested to transfer to the administration department which is more of an office job nature to please Kingsley's family.
Her family supported her, although her father was upset with her decision initially when she sacrificed so much for her love for Kingsley. After the break up, her loving family was behind her and though her father was happy that she was finally doing what she liked at work, he worried for her emotions and mental health as she buries herself in her work to get over the breakup with Kingsley.


Gordon(Kenneth Ma), is the other lead character alongside Kingsley; being his best friend and the police inspector who was in charge of solving all the cases in the drama. At work, Gordon is a serious and committed person who runs the whole crime investigation team with discipline.


However, after work, Gordon is a frolicking playboy who constantly pursues girls for pleasure and sex and his casual partner whom he shares that basis of relationship is air stewardess Nicole (Bernice Liu).

Gordon never put much thought into a serious relationship with Nicole until she announced that she has started seeing a pilot, Adrian (Stephen Huynh), after she returns from a trip. Realizing that he was jealous, Gordon looked forward to them breaking up and when he witnessed Adrian with other women, he told Nicole with the hope of them ending their relationship. However, Nicole was adamant to continue dating Adrian and even wants to marry him. Gordon went to all sorts of extent to prove his love and finally confronted his true feelings to win Nicole back to his side.


The two romantic plots probably dominated a part of the drama, which was filled with a set of interesting murder crimes with evidences and the use of science knowledge in deciphering the incidents which could possibly take place in the event of the occurrence of the crime.
Most of the cases combined the analytical skills of the police force and also the logical reasoning of science in affecting certain aspects of a case, and the lead characters just added the drama and social aspects to completing the series.

Happy ending prevails after all the cases; with Kingsley finally realizing his love for Lai and tries to win her back along with Gordon's efforts to keep Nicole by his side.

Characters Analysis/Review:
Raymond Lam as Kingsley King Pok/Professor King

I consider myself not a devoted fan nor someone who is anti Raymond, but somehow, I just felt like he was just so wrong in this role. Seriously, to have Raymond playing a solid character with vast knowledge in science and be extremely confident in his skills is totally unbelievable. Kingsley may be a young genius, but Raymond just did not seem to fit the description and I can see that even Raymond had a hard time to comprehend that fact as he struggles to play the cool and poised expert in physics field; wearing that same bored and wooden expression for all 25 episodes. He is not a bad actor really, but this role is just not for him. I cannot even imagine him with a name Kingsley, it just seems so out of the world.
Anyway, despite the misfit of Raymond in this role, the character Kingsley himself just annoys me and I don't care whether he is a smart professor or a genius, he is definitely lousy in handling matters of the heart and everything about him just screams weak to me.

Tavia Yeung Yi as Chui Siu Lai/Sai Lei Mui

A great actress really, she just plays this role to near perfection. I love her character, and somehow Tavia always just seems to be at ease in all her roles; whether it was sweet next-door girl or a cool professional, and even in her breakthrough role as an evil villain in another series. She was a little tomboyish in here, but yet she shared that feminine side like a little cute puppy in love when the charming eligible bachelor professes his love for her. The best performance came when she had that emotional outburst in public when Kingsley breaks up with her; one could truly felt the pain and despair she had at that point, with her screaming and tears flowing down her cheeks. I was a little surprised and annoyed with the ending though; as she seemed to be able to forget the weakness in Kingsley and still accepted his proposal which I felt was just a hasty way to end the drama and to give their romance a conclusion.

Kenneth Ma as Gordon Lo Tin Hang

A very convincing performance by Kenneth Ma; and I just feel that this rather stiff actor in the beginning is improving so much in all his roles and it was evident in this drama. I find him funny and more believable in his outward charm which camouflaged his flaws deep inside; insecurity and lack of confidence sometimes. A down-to-earth guy who separates his personalities from his work and home, but that just depicts the realistic average being out there in the world.

Bernice Liu as Nicole Ling Man Ka

I find this character a little annoying to a certain extent as she tries to play a casual dater; and a woman who just seemed too cool for us to believe in. Nothing exceptional as this is just a role that suits Bernice who has that realistic English accent, although it's just frustrating to hear how the others in the drama just pronounced Nicole in a very weird way.

Christy's Review:
A very interesting profile to take the typical TVB crime/police dramas to a new level, and a fresh breath with the inclusion of science; particularly physics. However, I find this drama just disturbingly similar to the nature of an earlier Japanese drama; Galileo, to which Mysteries of Love was compared and also accused of plagiarizing.
Despite this being a new breed of drama, I was still disappointed that TVB had to stoop to copying ideas from their Japanese counterparts and I think this is not the first drama to do so. An earlier drama; Every Move You Make was also accused to copy the notion of popular American drama, Lie To Me.
I do hope that TVB reprise their own creativity; and take a step back to relish and relive the memories of their own Hall of Fame with all the great series in the past? There is definitely much more in TVB than needing story inspirations from others.

It is hard not to compare Mysteries of Love to Galileo; as the character of Kingsley just sticks out like a sore thumb to constantly remind of the exact same character in the Japanese series.
However, I find this drama still enjoyable, or maybe I just like the nature of both dramas which revolves around crime solving.

One thing; I do find it annoying that TVB constantly tries to force their actors to speak English to make viewers believe the part that the character returned from overseas. It sounds unnatural, and far from believing that part of the drama (and of the actor), I would strongly suggest to select actors who could truly speak native English and not some falsified accent which makes it even more unrealistic.

Likes about the series:
The cases and also the characters of Tavia and Kenneth; which somehow I felt was more suitable for each other compared to their alleged partners they were paired with.
Also, the supportive family of Tavia just adds the warmth of family love to the drama; and the enchanting and comical characters of her two elder brothers just add to the laughs and lightheartedness of the story.


Dislikes about the series:
Plagiarism, and some weird accents used in the drama.

Verdict:
Overall, I find it funny and confusing that I still like the drama nevertheless (but I hope something is done about the plagiarism in the future) as it is still an entertaining watch.

Rating: 3.5/5

Disclaimer: Photos are images of TVB.com and are only for illustration purposes.

TVB: My Better Half (老公萬歲) 2010

No. of episodes: 20

Cast:
Michael Miu Kiu Wai - Ching Sum
Maggie Cheung Ho Yee - Ko Lai Sum
Michael Tse Tin Wah - Ching Yee
Teresa Lee Yi Hung - Miu Ling Chi
Mandy Cho Man Lei - Yuki Yau Ka Lei

Supporting Cast:
Ching's Family:
Chu Wai Tak - Ching Yi Cheung
Suet Nei - Lam Bat Hang

Ko's Family
Lee Fung - Kam Ngan Fa

Friends
Mimi Lo - Poon Lei Sin
Derek Kwok - Kong San Sou
Oscar Leung - Hung Cheut Sek
Grace Wong - Sou Sin Hung
Wu Fung - Lou Cheung Chuen

Special appearance: Jamie Chik as Nurse

Synopsis/Storyline
Michael Miu plays Ching Sum, who married Ko Lai Sum (Maggie Cheung), a wife who controls and watches his every move.

Lai Sum is always suspicious of Sum, on whether he is fooling around outside and checks on him at all times, giving him a hard time when she finds anything amiss with her husband.
Sum, on the other hand, did not defy his wife, despite being ridiculed by his colleagues and friends, especially his own younger brother, Ching Yee (Michael Tse) who was a self-professed casanova, and he never believed in impossibilities in love.

Yee crosses path with Miu Ling Chi (Teresa Lee) whom he was at loggerheads with and yet they ended up being colleagues.

The duo then fell in love with each other, and their sparks were about to blossom into romance when Yee bumps into Yuki (Mandy Cho) who was his first lover from high school.

Yuki was now married to an older Japanese man, who was paralyzed and she was taking care of him. Yee still has feelings for her; as she was his first love and he helped to support her studying abroad. Yuki told Yee about the Japanese's kindness to her when she was in Japan and how she ended up marrying him out of gratitude as well. Yuki then sought Yee's help to stir her husband's jealousy; and to cure his paralysis.

When her husband recovered, Yuki once again left Yee to return with her husband.

Yee and Ling Chi grew a little distant but Yee was still unsure of his feelings for her and Yuki.
Sum also begged Yee to reveal the truth to Lai Sum; who was suspicious of her husband from the first day of their marriage due to one single incident; Lai Sum found a lipstick stained handkerchief in Sum's pocket while taking out his coat and she was upset that her husband had cheated on her right from the beginning.


It turned out that the whole issue started from Yee, who had an affair with Yuki at that time when she first returned from Japan and Yee enlisted Yuki's help to convince his sister-in-law and Lai Sum is finally appeased and the couple was finally reconnciled with Lai Sum having a peace of mind from then on.


Yuki then returned to Hong Kong and sought Yee, as her husband had passed away, much to the displeasure of Ling Chi who was hopeful that her romance with Yee would finally blossom. Yee was in a dilemma between Yuki and Ling Chi but Yuki seemed to be victorious with his affections.
However, Yee soon realized that he was truly in love with Ling Chi and they ended up together.

Yee was about to marry Ling Chi, and it seemed to be a happy ending until Lai Sum found out that she could not bear a child due to health problems.

They went for a medical check-up and wanted to go for the in-vitro fertilization to bear a child but to no avail. They finally found the suitable donor from Ling Chi, and ironically, Yee faced the same problem with child-bearing due to his frivolous ways in the past.

It seemed like a crazy situation, with their partners each unable to bear a child and yet the solution could be found in their siblings' spouses!
However, it was soon to be done, with Ling Chi willing to bear Sum and Lai Sum's child although their parents were skeptical about the results as well.
Ling Chi finally gave birth to a healthy baby boy, and they were in for a shock when a crazy lunatic took their baby and almost threw him off the roof!

It was all a happy ending, with Yee and Ling Chi finally marrying in the church and the whole cast even performed a rendition of the theme song which coincidentally, was the song from Chow Yun Fatt's old movie, 'Diary of a Big Man'.


Cast/Character Analysis:
Michael Miu as Ching Sum

Honestly, I find this character a little wimpy as he could not even have the courage to tell his wife or to own up to something. Alright, so he had to protect his own brother's benefit, but at the expense of ruining your own marriage? That seemed a little too far-fetched.
It is obvious that Michael Miu had been away from acting for a while, as there were some scenes where he did not seem that natural and could be a little awkward sometimes. The scene where he posed as the famous "Hao Kor" from EU, that was also too insane and unnecessary.

Maggie Cheung as Ko Lai Sum

Despite her taking such a long break from acting, Maggie is still her best at playing this unbearing wife character. She wore her facial expressions really well; displaying mild and tough in a balance although some of her roles could be crazy.

Michael Tse as Ching Yee

The casanova, and a comic as well who provided light moments to the drama. Despite being a playboy, he was pretty loyal to his first love and I guess it was also due to him hurting from Yuki's sudden departure that he sought comfort in hiding himself behind his philandering mask.
Michael Tse played this character really well; trying to be cool on the exterior but yet being a lovestruck puppy on the inside.

Teresa Lee as Miu Ling Chi

This character is the typical lady trying to find fault with the playboy and yet end up falling in love with him. Then she struggled to maintain her cool but she is no longer the tough lady anymore. Teresa had also been away from acting for some time, and I find her acting a little exaggerated in this part, compared to her previous acting. I believe that all the crazy scenes were not needed to express this character's personality.

Mandy Cho as Yuki

She is the damsel in distress, the one who needed protection, love and attention from her men and yes, she is the one who managed to attract her guy with her sweet and innocent looks as well. Mandy Cho fitted this role with her doe-eyes and innocent personality, making her believable as the guy that most guys would have a soft spot for.

Supporting characters:
Derek Kwok and Mimi Lo were hilarious as a couple, and best friends to the main characters. They definitely added more comedy merits to the drama!~


Conclusion/Verdict:
This is a light-hearted drama, albeit a lot of predictable scenes.
It is certainly a comeback drama for Maggie Cheung, who finally returned to the television scene after such a long time and she did not disappoint the viewers as her acting remained consistent. Besides Maggie, we also see Teresa Lee's return to TVB series and this is the second collaboration of Michael Miu and Michael Tse since their triad series, EU.

Initially I thought this was a drama based on the story of Chow Yun Fatt's movie, 'Diary of a Big Man' revolving around two wives as the theme song was exactly the replica of the song from the movie but yet, it was a totally different story, except that the man of the show shared a common similarity; whereby they were afraid of their wives.
Watch it if you are in for some laughs and comedy revolving around marriage and in-laws!~

Note: Photos are all copyright of TVB.com and are only for illustration purposes.

TVB: Maiden’s Vow 鳳凰四重奏 (2006)

No. of episodes: 30

Cast:
(To be separated into the four different stories to depict the four generations as the same cast was casted in each story)

First generation:

Charmaine Sheh - Ngai Yu Fung
Sammul Chan - Wang Yuk Lun (Sap Yee Siu)
Joe Ma - Yu Chi
Kiki Sheung - Tung Dai Hei
Wu Fung - Wang Sin Kei
Irene Wong - Yung Dak Sin
Chun Wong - Eunuch Cho
Lau Dan - Ngai Bing Fan
Maria Chan - Fa Chin Hung
Akina Hong - Wong Ka Cheung
Evergreen Mak - Lien Chong Hien
Lily Leung - Empress Dowager Chi Hei


Second Generation:
Charmaine Sheh - Wang Chi Kwan
Joe Ma - Lee Kat Cheung
Elaine Yiu - Cheung Lei
Eric Li - Dan Lai Chak
Kiki Sheung - Tung Dai Hei
Irene Wong - Yung Dak Sin
Akina Hong - Chuk Ngun Chi
June Chan - To Suk Han
Lily Lee - Koo Siu Mei
Cha Cha Chan - To Lai Gun


Third Generation:
Charmaine Sheh - Pak Wai Chan
Joe Ma - Dai Lap Yan
Joel Chan - Henry Bat Ha Kau
Law Koon Lan - Nanny Ying
Ram Chiang - Mo Yung Chiu
Annabelle Lau - Lui Ying Hung
Devily Leung - Chien Chi Seung
Ben Wong - Gai Yee Kin
Celine Ma - Woon Yuen Yau


Fourth Generation:
Charmaine Sheh - Dai Sze Ka
Joe Ma - Fong Ka On (KO)
Sammul Chan - Sheung Yat Kat
Sherming Yiu - Siu Yuk Jing
Ken Wong - Tang Pang

Synopsis:
The story revolves around this Phoenix Chinese Restaurant from its origin and the relating events spanning for four generations in the family who started this business.
The story breaks up into the four different generations of the family; starting from the 1900s, set in the period of the end of the Qing Dynasty for the first generation.

Ngai Yu Fung was the only daughter of the Ngai family and was treated as the pride of the family. Her parents loved and provided for her, hoping that she would marry someone of the same social status of the family; if not better. However, Yu Fung only had eyes for her childhood companion who was also sadly, the servant boy who worked in the kitchen. Her parents disapproved of their blossoming relationship, despite the lovers’ pleas and cries. When they decide to elope, her mother begged her to stay back and agree to the marriage to save her father’s failing business and the whole family from crumbling apart. For the sake of her family, Yu Fung agreed to the marriage, breaking Yu Chi’s heart. He then left to study the arts of culinary skills from a retired eunuch from the palace.
Yu Fung’s marriage was doomed from the start.

Her husband was not only the only son of the Wang family, but he was also a disobedient and spoilt child due to the fact that he was the only male descendant in the family.


Everyone tried to please and protect him, and as a result, he was only interested in enjoying life and slowly, he swindled the family’s fortune and caused the death of his own father.

Yu Fung rose to help the family, and slowly she revived the dying Phoenix Restaurant which was also supposed to be sold to pay her husband’s debts. However, in those last days before the restaurant was sold, she made a fortune and slowly, the Wangs climbed up the social ladder again. Yuk Lun then went back to his old ways, and even when Yu Fung gave birth to a baby daughter, he wanted to sell his daughter to fund his gamblings; causing Yu Fung to lose faith in him.


Yu Chi came back and was the one who helped her throughout the family crisis, after he mastered his culinary skills but Yu Fung remained loyal to her husband although they have been accused of adultery. When the war broke out, Yu Fung and Yu Chi died in a tragic train accident, with each other still trying to reach out to the other.


The story then fast forwarded to the 1920s where Wang Chi Kuan, the daughter of Yu Fung and Yuk Lun is now a student who was actively involved in the patriotism movements, much to the disapproval of her grandmother.



She then did the unthinkable during that period; by falling for her teacher, Lee Kat Cheong and convinced him to reciprocate.

The couple eloped and tried to make odds meet. When things turn for worse financially, Chi Kuan secretly found a job to serve in a restaurant and eventually agreeing to dance, much to her husband’s anger. Kat Cheong, on the other hand was trying to study to become a doctor and had to endure the hard labor in the mines.
When one of his fellow labor friends died due to the negligence of the mine company, he was persuaded by a friend to join the revolution. He finally agreed after his mother died and he left town while Chi Kuan found her way back to her family and helped to run the family restaurant. The couple was separated for two years and when Chi Kuan ran into Kat Cheong again, he appeared to be working for the Japanese and was branded a traitor to the country. However, the truth was that Kat Cheong was actually a spy agent and he wanted to overturn the Japanese ruling. He was eventually discovered and he had to flee the country; leaving Chi Kuan behind after spending a night with her on the train. After his departure, Chi Kuan was pregnant and she waited for him for the rest of her life.


In the 1960s, Chi Kuan was seen talking to a young little girl who eventually grew up to be Pak Wai Chan, Chi Kuan’s granddaughter. She was looking for a job on one fateful day when she bumped into Dai Lap Yan who saved her from the chaos on the streets and as fate would have it, she married the man.

She became a housewife after their marriage as her husband was a male chauvinist who would not hear of his wife having to work to lighten the financial burden of the family.
Wai Chan became bored eventually and with the help of her nanny (Law Koon Lan), she found a job in an advertising company where she attracted the attention of the young entrepreneur of the company, Henry. When Lap Yan found out, he was furious, and this led to a rift in their relationship.

Things turned worse when Lap Yan had to report to his wife with the merging of the company and the husband and wife then made a pact. Since Wai Chan was rising in her career, they would switch roles whereby Wai Chan would go back to her husband if he is willing to stay at home as a house husband while she goes to work.

In truth, Wai Chan wanted to teach her husband a lesson to learn about her role as a housewife and to lose his pride and chauvinism. The couple then learnt to accept each other’s indifferences and they had a daughter. They migrated to San Francisco and died in a earthquake.

In the present, 2003, Dai Sze Ka, the daughter of Pak Wai Chan and Dai Lap Yan, is nothing successful like her previous ancestors.

However, she was a very hard working, and independent young woman, albeit still struggling to make ends meet as a beverage waitress. She experienced a few failed relationships and no longer had faith in marriage.

Fong Ka On, a prominent accountant/investment banker was stood up by his fiancée at the altar and when he bumped into Sze Ka, the two ended up in a one night stand. They slowly fell for each other, and moved in together. However, they were unable to tolerate their differences and had a few heated arguments where they broke up again. Sze Ka found out she was pregnant after their break up and although she wanted to tell Ka On, she was disappointed that he accused her of cheating on him with her ex-boyfriend, Sheung Yat Kat who was actually a homosexual. She gave birth to a baby boy, whom Ka On misunderstood as Kat’s son when he bumped into them at the launching of her new cookbook at her newly renovated family restaurant; the Phoenix restaurant. Ka On eventually found out the truth and tried to win her back again, in marriage.


Review/My General Opinion
It was a very interesting twist in bringing the four different background stories together and intertwining them to maintain the continuity. The storyline centered on the difference of views and roles of women in different stages and how time changes the importance of the aspects of independence.

Character Analysis
First Generation
Ngai Yu Fung by Charmaine Sheh

She was the gem of the family, where everything was for the best of her. However, for a woman living in that era, she was a strong-willed and determined woman who was willing to bend the traditions. Sadly, she did not have a choice when her family was put to the test and filial piety took over her choices in life. Although she was not happy in her marriage, she still fulfilled her duties as a wife and remained faithful despite being neglected in her marriage. She helped her in-laws in maintaining the family business despite her philandering husband and was true to the old traditions as a perfect wife.
I felt that she portrayed a true picture of mentally abused women and the concept of inferiority towards the weaker sex back then, but she also depicted the contrary whereby perception may not necessarily be the truth in physical.

Yu Chi by Joe Ma

He was a loyal and poor servant boy who crossed the boundaries when he fell for his young mistress. Although he knew it was unacceptable and he would not be successful, he still tried to fight for his own love and future. He had to accept defeat when the one he loved chose to give up. Even though he could not comprehend her decision, he accepted it with a big heart and chose to leave. He eventually came back and stood by her side faithfully, protecting her from the vicious lies and drama in her marriage. He never lost his love for her, and maintained faithful till the end.
This is one excellent example of a perfect man for a husband! How many guys could remain faithful to you after all the years, or even after you are married?
It may sound silly, but this is a great portrayal of the power of love, and how pure it is and undying. It makes you want that kind of love which will never fail or break your heart!

Wang Yuk Lun by Sammul Chan

This is one scumbag I would want to kick out of the scene from the start. He had no interest in his own life and his own family; in fact, he had no matters, nothing at all. Perhaps it was not his fault to start with as well, as the family seemed to spoil him since young and then pushed him against what they brought him up in. It must rather confusing to be allowed to do whatever you want then be told that you need to be serious. He was trying to grow up but he was still stuck as a playful and young boy. To a certain extent, he was rather pitiful as well.

Second Generation
Wang Chi Kuan by Charmaine Sheh

She was determined like her mother, and was even more stubborn. She went against the tradition and she was more courageous when she eloped with her teacher and turned her back on all the conservative rules. She slowly matured into a more steady and understanding person after marriage and she remained devoted and trusting towards her husband even when the whole world accused him of being a traitor to the country. She was one classic example of the growing stage of a student towards a woman and I liked her courage in everything she does; her ability to speak up and believing in your own rights!

Lee Kat Cheong by Joe Ma

It was so sad that for a male protagonist, he seemed so weak and helpless and just a cowardly. I hated how he could not admit that he had fallen in love too, and that he had to be forced by a young girl to confess his own feelings. This is a rigid character who held on to his own beliefs and rules; yes, he was overly bounded by the rules in his life that he never stopped to realize that there are choices. He was extremely stubborn as well, but he also slowly learnt to accept the differences and his transformation was imminent when he joined the revolution and fought for his country. I do despise him though, for leaving behind his wife and child when they needed him. He is really fortunate to have a wife who loved him so much to stand by him and waited for him.

Third Generation
Pak Wai Chan by Charmaine Sheh

Sweet and lovely, she was so perfect as the caring and devoted wife who stayed at home and made sure her husband's needs were taken care of. It was interesting to see how intelligent she was as she breezed through all those classes her husband made her take. She was brave as well, when she decided to go against the odds to go to work without her husband's knowledge. I laughed when she did so much better than her chauvinistic husband and even had him reporting to her. She finally had it when he constantly discriminated her and she made them switch roles to teach him a lesson.
I loved the transformation from a doting and obedient wife to a powerful and independent career woman who spoke her own mind.

Dai Lap Yan by Joe Ma

MALE CHAUVINISTIC pig! He was just so full of himself and expected his wife to just stay at home. He was in constant denial, well, perhaps that was understandable for men at that time when he realized that he was not capable enough to be considered for a promotion and worse still, his wife (the woman in the house) was doing so much better. However, I do admit his courage to bow down to his wife when he agreed to switch roles and that was where he transformed to become a more understanding husband.

Fourth Generation
Dai Sze Ka by Charmaine Sheh

She may seemed a little eccentric (it was probably the hairstyle) but I felt she was a very independent and strong woman who did not want to rely on anyone to support her through her life. She shunned marriages and was not a crybaby when she realized that she was pregnant and that she had lost her man. She never even begged to go back to him or give in when they had arguments, because she believed that she had herself to fall back on. I truly loved this character who fought for her aspirations and achieving what she believed in.

Fong Ka On by Joe Ma

He was rather successful, but yet he cannot have the best of both worlds when he lost his fiance to his wedding photographer. He tried to deal with it and ended up sleeping with another woman. While he tried to figure it out, I thought he was rather a coward compared to the woman he just slept with as she just shrugged it off. He displayed an OCD streak but it was impressive how he dealt with it for the sake of the woman he loved. This is a rather confusing character; and a selfish one no less, but he slowly overcame his own obstacles and listened to his heart!

What I Liked about the series was the focus on feminism issues; and the evolution of women’s role from one age to another. It was like a transition from conservative minds to the eventual declaration of independence which was truly inspiring. It also portrayed women as stronger than what was generally depicted and the importance of their roles in the family and society.

What I Disliked about the series was the recycling of the main actor and actress! LOL, although to a certain extent, I can understand that they were trying to do that to maintain a visual connection to link them back to the original storyline, but I think that would serve the purpose for Charmaine only, and Joe, does it make sense that Charmaine meets the same guy every generation? It seemed a little ridiculous and distorted the meaning of the show to some star-crossed lovers who were trying to rekindle a lost romance through reincarnation which was totally not the focus of the show!
It also seemed more like the cost-effective approach could really rip the meaning of the drama apart.

What could improve
I think the skipping of Pak Wai Chan’s origin was not really in tune with the storyline, as suddenly she just appeared and was said to be Chi Kuan’s granddaughter. I felt that if there was at least a little flashback into Chi Kuan’s daughter (even if she died early), it would be more coherent with the flow and continuity of the story.
Yes, and the varying of the cast, especially for the male character played by Joe Ma would certainly spice things up even more.

Special Credits
Bravo to Charmaine Sheh and Joe Ma for their excellent portrayals of all four characters, it was not easy to play four different people with distinct characteristics and behavior in one single drama and the transformation was just flawless.
Perfectly done, and I am truly impressed with their stamina to keep up with something which seemed like running four different dramas all at once!

My Conclusion/Verdict
It was a great watch, as it was different from all the other typical TVB dramas although I can’t say the same for each story within the whole drama. It felt like watching four different dramas with one same title; isn’t that effective?
It is also educational to learn about the roles of women and the differences in the perception and treatment towards women back then and now.

Rating: 7 out of 10