2009: A Year in Review: Just a few series

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I can't believe that 2009 is over and that we are currently in the year 2010...I think time totally flew by and it left me a tad bit confused. For some reason I felt that 2009 was one of my least productive years...to think about it...I seem to have not been able to finish any of my fanfics, my grades in university were not what I had hoped for and finally...the series that were out this year were definitely not up to par.

So…I started writing a year end review right before the year ended…yet I couldn’t complete it. I didn’t know of a creative way to show you my view of 2009. However, I figured it out…I’ll use something that I learned in school to convey my message across.

First off, I’d like to say thank you to everyone who continuously supported me and my fanfics over the years and that I truly believe that the motivation that keeps me writing is from your support. I know not everyone who reads, comments, but that’s a given for I, myself am a silent reader (for the most part). Academically, 2009 wasn’t the greatest year for me. I haven’t done as well as I would’ve liked…and so I’m making sure 2010 will be 100 folds better. So far, I’m starting off well, I’m doing my readings and I feel on top of things…but then again it only has been a few days into the term, so hopefully I can keep it up.

Anyways, as I stated previously, I will convey my view of 2009 using something I learned in school…and I did this last year as well when I wrote my year end review…so…what exactly am I going to use? Well…GRAPHS...and other stuff



As you can see from my not so clear graphs, I watched almost 50% of the series produced this year (I included those that were warehoused, and excluded shows like Chip, Beauty and Watchdog) However, of the series I did watch...I only enjoyed three of them. Yes, just THREE. They were You're Hired, Rosy Business and E.U.




And actually...I found myself enjoying You're Hired the most...it was a really entertaining series...I'm not saying that it was the best produced...but in my perspective it was definitely the most enjoyable. Now, you're probably wondering whether or not I've watched the anniversary series like Beyond and Born Rich...and my answer is...I started to...but gave up on both of them.



At first I did enjoy both series, especially Born Rich...but then it occurred to me...that there was just too much talking in both of them. It was always about people being evil, trying to gain more and more and other people bickering...and it wasn't even that witty bickering, it was just nonsensical...and so...i gave up on watching both of them. Beyond was the series that really ticked me off. Why...why must TVB create series with so much talking, so much glaring, and so much make-up? Why? Why?

So...I managed to watch the beginning and the end of both of those series...I used that trick that Power Chan spoke of in You're hired. Where, when people read long reports, they tend to look at the first few pages and the last few...and skip the middle...that's what I did...and from doing so I learned two valuable lessons...one from each of the two grand productions.

Lesson from Beyond: make-up is proportional to evilness...the more make-up you have on...the more evil you are

Lesson from Born Rich: In this day and age, always get a proper DNA test done before you call someone family

Thank you TVB for teaching me two valuable lessons.

And now to continue my review of 2009...let's see...remember how last year I said TVB gave Bosco too many useless roles...well...once again Bosco got more useless roles...and I realized that Kevin is good-looking...but must he always play those prince charming like roles? BF3, which I gave up on...was terrible...why did the producer make Kevin such a Hero and Wong He such a loser? Is it because kevin is better looking? Well...in my opinion...I find Wong He so much more manly...and portraying him as someone with low self-esteem and making him from the king of the world, to the world's slave...was too harsh. I didn't get it...and thus, i gave up on BF3. BF is Wong He's thing...so...the good news is...this probably means there won't be any more BF. Yay for no more crappy sequels to one franchise of series ^_^

I guess we'll end here for today...

So...until next time...I wish everyone a fantastic year, with great health, happiness and success...

Randomness...OUT!!!

An Overdue Review: The Gem of Life

It's been a while since I updated this blog...and I guess to start with all the upcoming updates...it will be a review of the series The Gem of Life. Why not Moonlight...just because it's not the right time...

I've been watching TVB series since I was born...and what appeals to me most is not just the hype TVB gives any series but rather the familiar faces. When I heard about The Gem of Life I was very excited for its cast consisted of people who were so familiar to me. Not only that, but individually (the majority of the cast) their acting had always met or exceeded my expectations. I was excited and heavily anticipated for the release of this very long series.

A lot of people gave up half way through the series saying how the storyline was a drag, it was too long, they ran out ideas and whatnot. However, I managed to finish watching the entire series...yes...that's right...I endured it all. After watching the entire series I was a tad bit disappointed with a variety of things. But...let's not talk about my disappointment...well...I'll save that for the end. So...let me get started with the actual review...

The storyline was not that exciting...well...actually it's more like the MAIN storyline was not that exciting. The entire series like most people already know about is about three sisters...their lives, whether it was love life, work life...it was about them...everything revolved around them. The three sisters represented three different characters...were they totally different? Well...not exactly if you over analyze everything like I do.

The eldest sister was Sylvia played by the one and only Maggie Siu. Sylvia is the independent stubborn workaholic type who seems to care more about her career and her own dignity above all else. Her character seemed to not get along with Louise's character...not because they're completely different people...but because Sylvia is exactly like her mother.


The middle daughter was Constance played by the now retired Gigi Lai. Constance is a rather ridiculously naive character...who seems to be the peace maker ALL the time...and is the "good guy." To me Constance was a very emotional person who would let her emotions drive her...making her a bit stubborn, a bit determined...but generally speaking...very gullible. This is why even though she is not the youngest, she is the one that her parents are most worried about.


The youngest daughter was Jessica played by Ada Choi. Jessica was a very determined character...and very stubborn as well. Money is what drives her...and money is what guides her. That is why she married a man who she thought would bring her happiness through being successful in the business realm...but she was wrong. Later on when she married Elliot's character...she eventually learned that money isn't...well...not exactly...everything.

So...those are the three main characters. This entire series was very much female dominant...just like a lot of the more recent TVB series...I think. Um...so...with a large female cast, with great acting abilities...I can't forget about their male counterparts. Funny enough each of the sister has 2 men by their sides...whether it is a normal relationship or a romantic one...that was the case.

Maggie had Kenny and Bowie, Gigi had Eddie and Moses, Ada had Wong He and Elliot. Relationship wise, my personal favourite was Maggie and Bowie. I thought they had great chemistry...and...they were the most entertaining to watch. Gigi's relationship with Moses was very much unrealistic and boring to watch...from around the middle to the end of the whole thing. Ada had great chemistry with Elliot and from the beginning as the viewers we all knew how Wong He would never be the one for Ada...even though he would try and work very hard to be the right guy for her.

On a side note...I found Linda's character in this series to be very fascinating...and I didn't understand why and how she started to like Bosco at the end. It didn't make sense to me...I thought she was in love with Wong He...and personally I thought they would've made a nice couple...even though everyone else thinks their relationship was more a brother-sister thing. I can't wait to watch the series with Wong He and Linda...lol.

Back to my review:

A character I loved...other than Linda's lol...was Louise. She acts so well...especially when she had Alzheimer it was amazingly well acted. Though, at first you'd probably despise her character. What type of mother would teach their daughters to marry rich instead of work hard to earn a decent respectable living? But overtime you start to understand her more...and then you grow to love her character...especially when she started to change for the better. And how hard she tried to bring her family together again...it was very touching and somewhat emotional.

So...here's a quick summary of my true thoughts on the series

The Good: the cast...absolutely grand and fabulous with everyone's (or almost everyone's) acting up to par

The Bad: The length of the series was ridiculous...

The Useless: Once again...I found Bosco's character to be quite useless...I don't dislike Bosco as an actor...in fact I like him...but it's just that his character was just useless...there was no need to make him 'stick' out...and his so called feelings for Elise (Linda's character) was so fake and unrealistic...and how she fell in love with him was also absolutely ridiculous...

Conclusion: Do watch if you have plenty of time to spare...if you have little time...watch something else...but...I did enjoy this series...but would never rewatch it entirely for I have things to do ^_^


I know this is a horrible review (on my part) but I can't seem to organize my thoughts for this review...I think from now on I'll write my reviews in a more organized way...unlike this thing

I'm BACK!!!

WOW! Can you imagine that I survived my first year of university by watching a lot of TVB, korean and japanese dramas? That's sadly what I did...which was a bad idea. I should've spent the time reading my text, solving homework problems and reading a lot of other stuff...but instead I sat at my desk and stared into my laptop. That explains my total train-wreck of an average. It's not BAD...it's just not good at all...it's so 'not good' that I didn't even make the Dean's list...there goes my scholarship...*tear*

Anyways...let's get back on track.

So...I initially thought that I would be updating my fanfics today...but...after seeing my EXTREMELY depressing physics mark...it totally destroyed my mood and inspiration to write...which is why I'm sorta blogging to let off some steam. So...what does this mean you might ask? Well...let me show you the line-up...for this week

1. Update Take 2 (yes...the fanfic that is NEVER updated...will be updated)
2. Post up a little something about first year...in my personal blog
3. Post up a review on Gem of Life...
4. Update A Truthful Lie
5. To be announced...


Well...that's this week's line up of events...so...be sure to come back to my blog...or visit my fanfics...and check those out...(they'll be coming up...one at a time...from tomorrow until Sunday) and then...we'll see what I will come up with next.

Below is a video that I posted up on Youtube...under a different account and it is a piece that I wrote...to me it still sounds a bit unfinished...but I did improvise the ending of it...so ya. Check it out, I hope you enjoy and...forgive me for screwing up my own piece of music at the beginning.

Original Vs. Sequel

Battle of Survivor's Law




So, I've been watching Survivor's Law 2 recently and I also re-watched Survivor's Law a couple of months ago. Both series revolve around the same topic, law and justice. What made Survivor's Law a good series was the great chemistry between the characters and the cases that were somehow linked into the lives of the characters. Survivor's Law 2 uses the same strategy to make it a good series. Survivor's Law and Survivor's Law 2 have many similarities from the plot to the characters. We all know that the only original character left is Sammul's character. In the previous series at the end his license was taken away and the story for this series continues on from there.

At first one would assume that Sammul would most likely take the main lead for he obviously was in the first and original series but to everyone's (my) disappointment he was not. Instead we get stuck with Kenneth Ma, he's not that bad as an actor, though his singing needs lots of work. Back to his acting, Kenneth Ma had taken over Raymond Lam's role as the lawyer who just doesn't seem to fit the role. One can say that Kenneth is a streetwise guy who somehow managed to go to law school and succeed, which is different from Raymond's character from the original.




M.K. Sun
M.K. is this totally flirtatious guy who had probably slept with the many girls that wander into his family bar, or at least one would assume that he did. After being falsely accused of drug possession and was helped by a barrister at the time, he decided to go into law. Hmmm...how often does that happen in real life? Well, that's not the point. Later on he meets up with the barrister that saved him years ago and wants that barrister to become his mentor, and the story goes on from there.
Kenneth Ma's portrayal of a streetwise guy is in fact not bad. Though the problem lies with his one and only outfit. The denim jacket, shirt, and fake tie. That must be his own fashion statement. The true problem that I have with Kenneth Ma is that whenever I see him, I automatically think of the pervert that he played in Survivor's Law, the pervert with the obsession over ripped pantyhose. TVB must have either forgotten about that or they just thought that the viewers would not remember. Well, I wouldn't have remembered it either if I didn't randomly decided to re-watch Survivor's Law.

Lok Ban (Ben)
Ben, like M.K is also a streetwise, though I must say he looks so much more decent. If I remember correctly Ben became a lawyer because of his father. His father had worked endless years as a clerk in a law firm and this gave Ben the driving force to actually become a lawyer. At first Ben gets fired from the firm that he was working at because the major partner of the firm needed a scape goat, and he was it. Then Ben had decided to move on and applied for a job at a different firm, one that was going no where but down. After he joins the firm...(the story continues).
Raymond Lam's portrayal of Ben was likable. I actually really liked his performance, I found that those shoes that he wore really makes him who he is. In a way it almost symbolizes who he is, reliable, durable, cool. He had more than one outfit and that was for sure because I recall his denim jacket as well as a black one and a couple other ones. I think that Ben's character, although not flirtatious like M.K. was in fact much more charming and likable.



Lily Suen
Lily is born into a wealthy family, the only reason why she became a lawyer was because her ex-boyfriend went into law. Over time she finally found a better reason to be a lawyer and that was to fight for justice. To summarize who she is, let's just say, she's quite materialistic.
Ella Koon hasn't acted in a TVB series since Revolving Door of Vengeance with Ron Ng. Ah, that was quite an enjoyable series. The character that Ella portrays in this series is almost the exact opposite. Other than the fact that she went into her current occupation for the guy she likes. I don't know whether or not Ella's acting slightly improved or is it her own nature that she really can portray a spoiled and materialistic girl. Even though her acting (to me) is still below average, her portrayal was acceptable and Lily is quite an interesting character. What I would suggest Ella to do if she ever acts in another TVB series is to learn how to cry. Oh, her tears did come out, but they felt...forced? I'm not quite sure how to put it.

Chung Ching Ling
Ling is a new lawyer, well a solicitor who is very confident but has a very interesting past. She is apparently the only child in her family and like Ben somehow ends up in a law firm that is going no where but down.
Myolie Wu has never given anything less than a mediocre performance. This means that her performance can sometimes be almost to a point where I can consider it to be 'good.' Most of the time her performance is a bit over exaggerated or her character is a bit annoying. Saying 'a bit' is already quite lenient. But in SL, I quite enjoyed her performance. Would I be able to watch scenes of Ling alone or would I rather watch scenes with Ling and Ben...I would prefer Ling and Ben. Myolie on her own does not give a great performance, yet she always sparks great chemistry with her co-stars which is something not all actresses can do. Overall, I really liked Ling's character as the strong, independent woman and of course Myolie's portrayal of the character.

Let's Talk Chemistry:



MK and Lily....cute? funny?....

they were the replacement for the successful couple in the original, Ben and Ling





This couple in this series was memorable, their bickering scenes were not nonsense like MK and Lily, in fact it was better. Their acting was better than Kenneth and Ella, and thus, they are THE couple in Survivor's Law.

It's a pity that in the sequel there is not a single part that mentions Ling and Ben, now...I think I should mention Sammul's character, Vincent.

Vincent is still ambitious, but he's not the Vincent in SL. Vincent in SL2 is less charming, less handsome, less friendly and...something else. Vincent could have had a very interesting storyline if TVB would give Sammul a chance to show his abilities, but like usual, Sammul's character is overshadowed by someone else's. This time it was Kenneth Ma. I personally prefer Sammul over Kenneth, Sammul just has the right look, and gives off the right vibe. Kenneth gives off the vibe of some streetwise who's a pervert. This may be because I'm just not much of a Kenneth fan. I've also noticed that Sammul and Kenneth doesn't seem to have good chemistry like Sammul has with other co-stars like Raymond or Ron. Very odd.



ALL IN ALL...

I like Survivor's Law...the original more than the sequel :D