Making the Headlines #1

Everyday, something new is happening with our favorite TVB and HK artists. In our new feature, we will be pulling current stories we find noteworthy and commenting on them with some of our thoughts...

Louis Cheung and Priscilla Wong to star in “Come Home Love” spinoff

Sources: JayneStars (translated by Huynh), Hyn5 @ 幸而城 Fortunate City

Picture Credit: JayneStars

Iris: As much as I like the cast ensemble of “Come Home Love,” I’ve been long looking forward to TVB developing an entirely new sitcom. This spin off seems like an exhibition of TVB’s greediness yet laziness and cheapness. By slapping the “Come Home Love” name on it and calling it a “spin off,” TVB is obviously trying to milk what has become a stable brand. Yet, only Griselda Yeung and Max Cheung are confirmed for the spinoff. I’m sure some of the actors expressed a desire to exit, but I wonder how many people TVB even approached to reprise their roles. I adore Griselda and Max, but can’t help but feel that this is so convenient for TVB because not only are they fan favorites, but also likely the least expensive actors to hire out of the principal cast since they usually portray kelefe roles in dramas. “Come Home Love” also doesn’t seem like it could possibly be “Come Home Love” without Lai Lok Yi as “John Ma,” but I’m happy that he will finally be able to move on to other projects.

That aside, I love both Louis and Priscilla (but have reservations about them as a couple) and it will be nice to see them in something different, but I hope the episode order remains low so they, particularly Louis, isn’t committed to one thing too long and can film more dramatic series. The rest of the cast however, looks like it will bite. And...why is Priscilla sporting the same look as in “Swipe Tap Love”?

Niki: What she said (the problem with us always agreeing).

Tony Hung replaces Ron Ng as lead in upcoming nurse drama “Trainee Angel”

Sources: Hyn5 @ 幸而城 Fortunate City (News Story), Hyn5 (Blessing Ceremony)

Picture Credit: Weibo

Iris: When others have bounced up to lead roles, generally they have received easier roles that are either tailor made or like their actual personality before giving them greater challenges later. How many times have we seen Aimee Chan essentially play herself? A more experienced actor is usually also cast as lead to prop up the newbies. Instead of transitioning him into a lead actor, TVB is throwing Tony into shark-infested waters by first replacing Raymond in “Captain of Destiny” and now having him step in for another leading role that is nothing like what he usually portrays with the expectation he’ll hold up actresses like Moon Lau and Jinny Ng who have even less experience than him. His “monster instructor” role sounds like something many other more experienced actors his age would have some trouble with, never mind a freshly promoted actor, and unfortunately it’s easily predictable that he is going to receive a lot of criticism from netizens. Yet, I don’t think Ron would have done the least bit better.

Niki: Honestly, when I first read what Tony’s character was going to be I laughed out loud. I cannot for the life of me imagine him in this role, but I feel really sorry for Tony that he’s being thrown into the deep end like that. And this shows just how desperate TVB is to replace the veteran actors who are leaving. Hopefully, Tony can use the challenge and possible criticisms as a learning experience.

The general plot of this drama also doesn’t sound very exciting. It sounds like the drama is going to get either really draggy or really messy with all of the different love triangles, either way I’m not looking forward to it. Though I am still curious about how Tony will fare in his role so I may give the series a chance and watch a couple of episodes.

Kevin Cheng and Grace Chan's relationship develops in front of the media

Source: JayneStars (Translated by Su)

Iris: I’m sure this is so annoying for Kevin and Grace, but as readers and TVB fans, it has been interesting to see Kevin and Grace’s relationship slowly develop in front of our eyes, from getting to know each other during filming, expressing an interest in each other, and now going on their first date. I like that these two have been mature in their handling of the media by not being overly evasive while still doing what they can to maintain their privacy. The 22-year age difference is still a lot to take in, more so because of the different stages they are in in their careers and lives rather than the number itself. They still seem quite compatible so time will tell how their relationship works out.

Niki: I think that Kevin and Grace make a really sweet couple so far. I’m glad to hear that the two are now officially dating and that the relationship is progressing nicely. Hopefully, they won’t let the press and ridiculous rumors get to them, but if they can survive this amount of pressure so early on it’ll strengthen their relationship in the long run. Grace seems like a down to earth girl who’s mature for her age, so I think that the age gap will not be too much of a problem for them as long as they maintain a good line of communication. It will definitely be interesting to see where these two will be in the future.

TVB botches renewal negotiations with veteran Bobby Au Yeung

Source: JayneStars (Translated by Huynh)

Iris: Alright, someone needs to go and whack the TVB executives in the head. With all these actors leaving TVB, you would think they would do all they can to convince remaining artists, particularly their most loyal ones, to stay. Their attitude in these negotiations should be nothing short of respectful and sincere when all these talented and profitable actors can be making bank and receiving better opportunities elsewhere. The fact that they would treat Bobby, who has been an asset to TVB and been with them for over 30 years, with arrogance is frustrating. If this doesn’t improve, the station will be losing even their most loyal actors. Get it together TVB!

Niki: Like Iris said, TVB needs to get it together and realize they need all the support they can get. Now they have to put out the fire but I’m sure Bobby’s already lost his faith in them (I know I would).

Myolie Wu contemplates leaving TVB, will get married in December

Sources: JayneStars (Contract story translated by Jingles), JayneStars (Marriage story translated by Su)

Photo Credit: MingPao

Iris: The chances of Myolie staying with TVB are very low, and while I have expected it for a long time and find the timing appropriate, I will still be sad when she ultimately announces that she has decided to go elsewhere.

However, congratulations to Myolie on her upcoming wedding! Although this wedding announcement came sooner than I would have thought, I’m not surprised. I wish her happiness, and that he treats her right. Now get ready for the press to hound poor Bosco on his thoughts on this any day now...

Niki: Sounds like Myolie is getting ready to move on to the next point in her life and she sounds really happy about it. I’m truly happy for her and I wish her all the best in the future. I think that this change of pace could be good for her.

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Iris: We usually take turns starting a paragraph/section but I went ahead and started all of these yesterday since Niki was busy working on something else. Lesson learned… There’s a reason why we usually take turns: so the second person has more chances of still having something to say. 

"Ghetto Justice 2" Review (By Lynne)

Lynne - I am a new contributor here at AE-Experience and this is my first post!

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? -credits ktvb

Let's start talking:

- First of all, let me ask where did Elena Kong disappear to? After her case, she kind of evaporated? I wouldn't find that abnormal if she was just an ordinary character for a sub-story but she wasn't....was she? Sure, she got her own sub-story but she's also a lawyer. I had expected more of her later in court but sadly she was no where to be found later on. Such a pity, because I thought she was the most interesting lawyer to watch.

 - A praise I'd like to give to the producers/scriptwriters is how they effectively connected GJ to GJ2. Let's be honest, I was totally impressed watching the first few episodes because I felt that they did great linking it to GJ! Unlike other sequels, I could feel GJ in GJ2 and it seems like a continuation where nothing was cut. Of course, it helped a lot with the majority of the casts staying, including the mini supporting characters. Even with the new characters, I loved how they were introduced into the original GJ family (JJ Jia, Raymond Cho and Crystal Li). A smooth transition :)

- Love triangle between Law Ba (Kevin Cheng), Sze Fu (Myolie Wu) and Lynnette (Christine Kuo). What was the point of this triangle? I thought there were going to be cat fights, drama and tears but in the end...nothing. A disappointment? Not really because I hate love triangle's drama. Thank goodness Law Ba was decisive and knew who he loves. Unless written well, I hate it when characters can't choose who they love because it gets irritating. I'd also like to thank Sze Fu, for not get overly suspicious, but instead trusting Law Ba (in the beginning anyways....near the end, I supported her for not believing Law Ba though, because he was). A third thanks for not making Lynnette a clingy person. Why? Because they made Christine's character terribly clingy in Tiger Cubs! (Still can't get over that....)

There is one complaint I'd like to address to Law Ba though. I can see that he's a friendly guy but omg....keep your distance AWAY from Lynette when you don't like her! Seriously! This is why she can't get over you! I know he told Lynette straight out that he only likes Sze Fu but his actions (eating Lynette's left overs etc) are.....confusing. Not only is he doing himself no good, he's also doing Lynnette no good.

Another complaint! Why didn't Law Ba and Lynnette get a divorce? I don't get it....were they planning to keep the "married" status forever? Law Ba, you should know the law better than that....it's polygamy if you ever plan to marry Sze Fu later on. Wait, is it still consider polygamy....since he married Lynnette in the Canada? So marrying Sze Fu in HK....would be technically legal? I don't even know....

 *sigh* Now that I've done talking about that, what is my overall thoughts on this love triangle? Pointless.

-I really liked that case about the pregnant lady. I thought that was pretty interesting and the actress did surprisingly well in some of her emotional scenes. Anybody know her name?

 - The case where the lady was trialed for cheating the government's money. That case was rather little but I just want to complain about the outcome. It's stupid that she was charged guilty.

 - The last case, I felt a sense of deja vu and I think everybody felt that too? In GJ, LA took the conviction for Sze Fu and now in GJ2, Sze Fu was a step ahead of LA and took the conviction for him. In the end though, LA still admitted his guilt in court and stuff....and had to go to trial for murder. I personally don't get why it's self-defense. Even though he did not intend to kill, he still should be held liable in some sort of way shouldn't he? Not charge with murder but something else? But the series never showed any of that later....

 I would also like to add...this case had so much potential. A building collapsing? That's an exciting case! In the end though, it was rushed and so therefore....poorly written.

 - Oh...one scene where Law Ba and Sze Fu were forcing the pregnant lady's boyfriend to serve as their witness (or something along that line). Were they allowed to do that!? I understand that Law Ba usually uses some tricks to get their info but what they did then....I felt it was over the line since it seems like they were threatening the guy.

- Ah Teng (Sam Lee) and Sum Sum (JJ Jia). Surprisingly, I loved them together. Especially since they both have lost their loved ones, they got a sense of understanding and connection with each other. While Ah Teng is unwilling to let go of the deceased Ching Ching (Sharon Chan), Sum Sum is someone who knew she had to move on. This is why I like Sum Sum. She's practical, but kind-hearted and knows that they both cannot dwell on the past forever. Instead of trying to stay in the past, she strives forward for a better future, because she knows that her deceased love would want her to do that. Moving on doesn't mean you have to forget, and that is what she taught Ah Teng. I also liked how they stood by each other's side, especially when Ah Teng's mom died. Without her, I don't think Ah Teng could have moved on again.

- LA (Kevin Cheng) and Sze Fu (Myolie Wu). Once again they sparked wonderful chemistry together! I love watching their small interactions with each other, such as LA rubbing his head on Sze Fu's shoulder. They're such a fun couple to watch :) Not to mention they showed a great amount of understanding with each other throughout the series.

 Kevin Cheng as LA? There's something different with LA this time...Even though LA is still a fun character to watch, I thought he's a bit too "loose" in here. I felt this LA missed the sense of "fire", that strong sense of justice that the previous LA had. Maybe it's because he's a bit too laid back in this one? I don't know. I just know that there's a missing spark or should I say, it's just not as strong as before...

 Myolie as Sze Fu? Myolie once again brings the independent and tough character back onscreen! Like what I said before, I'm glad that Sze Fu did not go through a dramatic breakdown or something with LA but instead, dealt with the problem in a cool-headed matter. This makes me like Sze Fu even better than before :) After finishing the series, I also felt that her performance was better than in GJ, especially her emotional scenes.

- Christine Kuo as Lynnette. What can I say? Please put her in smaller roles? I personally don't find her accents terrible...because I don't understand Canto, hehe.  The main problem I have is with her lines within the expressions, etc. She doesn't have much expression on her face and when she says her lines, I can't exactly feel anything in them. Basically, I find Christine's acting rather wooden. I think her recent roles are too big for her to handle. It's better if she starts of with littler and light-hearted roles, which will be easier for her to portray. And since I can't tell TVB to stop promoting her, I wish her the best and hope that she will improve later on.

- Jazz Lam as MJ, Sam Lee as Ah Teng and Raymond Cho as Leung Bao. I don't think I have to talk much about them since I can easily describe them in one word: awesome. I love their friendship with Law Ba! Just like in GJ, they once again managed to make me smile every time they were together.

 - Crystal Li as Grace. You can tell she's a bit stiff but I don't think she's bad for a newbie :) Not much comment on Grace though...Just her "love" triangle with MJ and Leung Bao, she described near the end that MJ is a good man and Leung Bao is a good "friend". Even though she took both of their arms....I'm still going to assume that she chose MJ and that Leung Bao has been "friend-zoned". :P

Overall Thoughts:

Compared to "Ghetto Justice", "Ghetto Justice 2" lacked strong cases and a sense of "focus".  I felt that the series was everywhere, moving from one case to another. Unlike in GJ where law comes into play though, the issues in here were easily resolved.  LA also seems a bit different in here because he's usually convincing Sze Fu and the others to settle the cases in a more "peaceful" way.  Therefore, it does not involve a lot of court work.  I understand that though, because the cases are rather small....and that's the problem.

In the end, GJ2 failed to give the audience a "message" or something to remember about, when GJ did.  So would I recommend GJ2? If you want something for entertainment, try it out because the characters can easily make you smile and laugh.  But if you're looking for a good law series...this is not exactly what you want.  I'd say it's more like a social service series.

Starhub TVB Awards 2012 - Fa Dan Fashion

On Saturday, August 18, a group of TVB artists attended the Starhub TVB Awards in Singapore.  Many of the awards given and the winners were a joke, with even more "pork" handed out than at the TVB Anniversary Awards.  Instead of wallowing about the results of the trivial awards (but if you must - a list of winners has been included at the bottom), let's take a look at the fashion choices by our lovely fa dan's.

Best dressed definitely goes to Selena, who looked gorgeous in a fitted strapless light aqua dress that trailed on the ground to create a mermaid silhouette.  I love the light aqua color, which gives off a refreshing feeling.  The color, design, fit, and of course, the person wearing the dress was beautiful.  To give it a sleek and subtle yet feminine look, Selena pulled up her hair into a loose updo with her bangs to the side, and accessorized with a silver necklace.

Best dressed male goes to Ruco, and cutest couple is Selena and Ruco.  They looked compatible and very sweet together.  Their ensembles complimented each other with the different calming shades of blue.  Ruco dressed in a dark blue/navy suit with black shirt and bow tie.  Not the typical suit you see worn, but he pulls it off looking handsome as always.  However, I wish he opted to stop wearing those glasses all the time.  Ruco went home with the "Best Newcomer" award...and I seriously wonder if he found the win funny, or just plain sad.

The night's Best Actress Myolie Wu wore a deep purple dress made up of a unique fabric (that I can't name).  The neckline and design of the dress, along with her newly cut short hair, makes her look very sharp and fashionable!

Tavia Yeung's fashion choices for award shows in recent years hasn't been anything I've had anything particularly good to say about, but she looked quite lovely that night.  She looked beautiful in her long flowing butterfly printed dress.  The design of the waist of the dress created dimension and created a small waist shape.  Her hair was appropriately pulled into a pony tail.  Tavia's dress makes her look fresh and sweet, and I liked how it wasn't overly formal.

It seemed blues and purples were very popular with the ladies for this event this year!  Linda always looks ready to be crowned Homecoming or Prom Queen with her gowns.  Basically, she looks beautiful but like a princess from a fairy tale.  Nevertheless, I like the color and detailing of the dress, which compliment the sweet and innocent girl very well.  The one shoulder is a nice change from the other dresses.  Ironically, a one shoulder dress is also what I wore to my Homecoming last year...

Fala Chen has a simplistic fashion taste, which is seen in her choices for events such as these.  Unfortunately, simplicity did not work for her here this time as she was just too plain, and the main piece was a disaster.  The strapless white dress had potential, but instead is ill fitting and looks like she wrapped a bed sheet around her.  Predictably, she paired the dress with classic black heels, red lipstick, and simply wore her hair down.  Not Fala's brightest fashion moment, as the whole ensemble did not show her curvaceous figure or beauty.

However, it wasn't Fala that was the evening's worst dressed lady.  In general, I love Kate's everyday fashion sense and think she is a beautiful girl.  Her evening dress choices though are usually a hit or miss, and this was definitely the worst ensemble of the night.  Kate looks gorgeous in curls, but I don't know why she loves donning the slicked back hair so much, which only ages her and makes her look less attractive.  The dress does not compliment her at all, and the worst part has got to be the black yarn (?) that drapes off the back of her shoulders.  Kate looked gorgeous last year at the same event with her slightly curled hair and long sleeved v-neck printed dress.  She looked elegant and attractive without aging herself.  I hope to see her wear a gown that does her justice at the Anniversary Awards.

As always, there were hits and misses for the ladies at the event.  Hope to see even more great fashion at the Anniversary Awards!

The list of winners of the night:

My Favorite TVB Male TV Character:
1. Moses Chan as Sung Yee Long in "When Heaven Burns"
2. Kenneth Ma as Cheung Yat Kin in "The Hippocratic Crush"
3. Kevin Cheng as Law Lik Ah in "Ghetto Justice"
4. Bosco Wong as So Sing Pak in "Lives of Omission"
5. Sunny Chan as Emperor Do Kwong in "Curse of the Royal Harem"
6. Wayne Lai as Po Gwok Tung in "Forensic Heroes III"

My Favorite TVB Female Character:
1. Linda Chung as Kwan Ka Lok in "L'Escargot"
2. Kate Tsui as Yiu Ho Ho in "Lives of Omission"
3. Tavia Yeung as Fan Tse Yiu in "The Hippocractic Crush"
4. Myolie Wu as Wong Sze Fu in "Ghetto Justice"
5. Charmaine Sheh as Yip Tse Yan in "When Heaven Burns"
5. Fala Chen as Chung Mo Yim in "Queens of Diamonds and Hearts"

Star of Perfect Poise Award: Kate Tsui
Most Glamorous Female Artist Award: Tavia Yeung
My Favorite TVB Variety: All Star Glam Exam
My Favorite TVB Mega Variety Special: TVB Gala 2011
Best TVB Male Newcomer: Ruco Chan
Best TVB Female Newcomer: Aimee Chan
Most Improved TVB Female Artist: Selena Li
Most Improved TVB Male Artist: Raymond Wong
Most Energetic Award: Kenny Wong
My Favorite TVB Themesong: The Hippocractic Crush--連續劇 By: Joey Yung
My Favorite Onscreen Couple: Moses Chan and Linda Chung [Yes Sir, Sorry Sir]
Best Smile Award: Linda Chung
Singapore Media's favorite TVB Drama: Ghetto Justice
My Favorite TVB Actress: Myolie Wu
My Favorite TVB Actor: Kevin Cheng
Professional Spirit Award: Wu Fung
My Favorite TVB Drama: When Heaven Burns 

Top 10 TVB Artists of 2011

Every year, Next Magazine holds an awards presentation.  The main component is the list of top 10 TV artists for that year.  The results have recently released, which is why I have decided to put together my own list.  The results are based off on the whole 2011 year, and does not include series that started airing in 2012.  These artists have been picked based on onscreen performance (i.e. notable performances in actual series) as well as offscreen performance (work ethics, personality, improvements, etc).

#10 - Steven Ma
2011 was a year full of ups and downs for the well respected and gentlemanly Steven Ma.   His series "7 Days in Life" was moderately well received, but like most of his series, aired at a bad time slot.  For the first time, his ancient series "The Life and Times of a Sentinel" was able to snag the "golden" time slot as it aired during the summer.  Known as one of TVB's most loyal artists, Steven's career took an unexpected turn when he shocked and saddened many by announcing he would be leaving the TV company after 18 years of hard work with little recognition. In an effort to get him to stay, TVB executives offered to give him the Best Actor award. No longer interested in awards and just wanting to peacefully leave the company and start a new life in China, a tired and worn looking Steven refused and put his effort into filming his final TVB series, "Daddy Good Deeds" and hosting variety show "Book of Words". Steven worked hard this year as well as all the other years he worked for TVB, and deserves a fresh start and success elsewhere.  However, he will definitely be missed.

#9 - Raymond Wong
Raymond may have played second fiddle to Ruco Chan in "The Other Truth", but ended the year with a bang with his captivating portrayal of lead character "Tung Book Sin" in the unexpected big hit "Bottled Passion". His performance was met with critical acclaim and gained him even more fans, securing his status as lead actor. Fans on JayneStars.com even voted him as the Best Actor of 2011 over Kevin Cheng!

#8 - Nancy Wu
Known for her solid and interesting performances in supporting roles, Nancy delivered a breakthrough in the role of the lawyer "Eva Chow" in "Forensic Heroes 3".  Despite only appearing in a handful of episodes, she maximized the screen time she had and left viewers with a deep impression.  Nancy's performance was met with praise and she became the "black horse" candidate for the race for Best Supporting Actress, making it into the top 5.  This year looks like it will be an even brighter one for Nancy.  Will she finally be boosted up to lead actress status?

#7 - Sharon Chan
Viewers only saw Sharon once in the whole year of 2011.  However, with a role like "Ho Lai Ching" in "Ghetto Justice", that was all she needed to make an impact.  Portraying a pitiable and well meaning prostitute, Sharon became one of the most successful breakthroughs of the year.  Her portrayal of "Ho Lai Ching" did not come without hardship, as she broke her collarbone while filming and spent many months recovering.  Instead of giving up, she toughed out the rough filming conditions that came with the character.  Deservingly and not surprisingly, she took home the Best Supporting Actress, after years of unappreciated and overlooked hard work.

#6 - Linda Chung
"Yes Sir, Sorry Sir" may have failed to boost the careers of Moses Chan, Tavia Yeung, and Ron Ng, but unexpectedly generated a huge amount of press coverage for Linda's "Ms. Cool", who was only playing a supporting character.  "Ms. Cool" was so successful and loved that a spin off series for the character was filmed.  In one of the year's biggest shockers of the year, Linda did not take home the "My Favorite Female Character" award despite predictions and buzz.  However, I think having an entire spin off series based off the character is enough to make up for it!

#5 - Kate Tsui
2011 was an extremely busy year for Kate.  She graced television screens in Hong Kong almost all year round, with six of her series aired (including the previously warehoused "A Great Way to Care" and mini series "Dropping By Cloud Nine").  Her partnership with Bosco in "Lives of Omission" was the most talked about on screen couple of the year.  What made 2011 a great year for the actress though, was the improvements made in her acting.  She appeared much more natural and even cute in "Forensic Heroes III", while still retaining the fierceness and power that makes her, well...Kate Tsui.

#4 - Bosco Wong
Bosco seems to have been demoted to second male lead lately, but this didn't stop him from achieving even more popularity and praise.  His performance as gangster "Michael/Bai Co" in "Lives of Omission" was critically acclaimed and generated a lot of buzz.  Despite only being second lead, he emerged as the black horse candidate for Best Actor as well as My Favorite Male Character, competing against co-star Michael Tse, "Laughing Gor" himself.  Some even noted that Bosco out shined Michael.  It seems being demoted to second lead has only made Bosco more likable and popular!

#3 - Kevin Cheng
As an actor who was starting to be more known for his good looks than acting, portraying the role of "Law Ba" in "Ghetto Justice" gave Kevin the career push he needed.  Usually appearing uncomfortable onscreen and even somewhat wooden, Kevin successfully emerged himself in the unique role of "Law Ba".  It seems that 2011 was not only the year his career was resurrected, but also the year he learned to be more laid back and not take himself so seriously.  The result?  A much more likable and charming Kevin.

#2 - Myolie Wu
Myolie has always been the young TVB actress with the most versatility and skill, but recent years had her plagued with undeserved criticism for weak roles.  This was the year she finally fought back and won over viewers again.  "The Rippling Blossom", "Curse of the Royal Harem", and the sleeper hit "Ghetto Justice" all did well and gave Myolie much praise.  She won Best Actress for "Curse", making her the first rising "fa dan" to win the coveted title.

#1 - Ruco Chan
Ruco may not have won any anniversary awards, but 2011 truly was his year to shine.  After 17 years of hard work in the entertainment industry, 2011 was his break out year.  He won critical acclaim for his first leading role as "Keith Lau" in "The Other Truth".  As a result, he became the new favorite among producers when casting people for their productions, particularly Amy Wong.  In a mere 3 months, he pocketed $500,000 HKD from promotions and functions.  He became the new hot topic and household name in Hong Kong, dominating the tabloids and tvb.com blogs much longer after "The Other Truth" finished airing.  To finish off the year, he won Jaynestar's Sexiest Man Alive poll, beating out Kevin Cheng and Raymond Lam.  With "Ruse of Engagement" to be aired soon and the upcoming "Chok Crew" and "Seaside Love", there's no doubt that 2012 will be an even brighter year for Ruco.  He has secured his status as leading actor, and there's no kicking him out.

In my opinion, these are the 10 artists in 2011 that stood out in particular.  They all exhibited something outstanding and made great accomplishments.  We are four months into 2012, so it will be interesting to see what they will be able to accomplish with the remainder of the year.

What are your thoughts?  Who do you think stood out this year?  Comment with your own top 10!

Wish and Switch Drama Review

**Beware of Spoilers** 

Wish and Switch was a lighthearted comedy as well as supernatural themed drama. When the drama had first been introduced, I had some doubts about it. The idea of body switching was peculiar and hoped it wouldn't turn out ridiculous or far fetched. But after it had aired I was pleased to find out it was engaging and enjoyable. The plot was easy to follow with nice comedy relief whenever it was getting dramatic. I was very fond of the drama until the last 5 episodes.

Characters/Performances:

Myolie did a great job as the caring and thrifty housewife, but the character itself irked me. Suk Heung's personality, while kindhearted and innocent, was stupid and easily manipulated. My irritation of Suk Heung grew as the series went on, but her sincere and selfless personality prevented me from hating her. On the other hand Myolie's was able to showcase her comedic talent, which I've always enjoyed.

Selena also did a fantastic job in her role as Hailey. I loved Hailey throughout the entire drama, especially in scenes where her clever personality shined. She was able to handle her emotional scene as well as comedic scenes well without over reacting. I've always liked Selena, but I've never noticed her that much. However, after watching Wish and Switch my liking for her has definitely grown.  Hopefully she'll get more chances to shine in the future.

Johnson Lee was probably the most dislike-able character in the series. At first, I rather liked his character Ka Yan for his innocent and loyal personality. However, as the series progressed I became more and more agitated by his character. It was obvious that his character was messed up badly. Johnson's performance was stable and convincing, but that couldn't make up for his poor character.

Vincent Wong's character was hard to bear and a bit scary at first, but after a couple of episodes his character became better and even sweet. One of my favorite scene has to be during the costume party. It was adorable how Wayne was able to pick out Hailey out of all the "princesses." By the end of the series I was rooting for him and Hailey to finally get together. Vincent is a decent actor and did well as the rich and prideful young master. But I felt he was still unnatural in expressing his emotions during some scenes.


The Story: 

At the beginning of the series it focused on Suk Heung and her family. It didn't take long for me to feel sorry for her, but soon my sympathy turned to irritation. I didn't get how a person can take care of so many people who show her no gratitude and even uses her for their own selfish reasons. During the entire series I was waiting for Suk Heung to take a stand and defend her pride, unfortunately that never happened.
The middle episodes where Suk Heung and Hailey switched bodies has to be my favorites. As they try to get used to each other's lives some interesting and funny situations develop. The two also showed off some nice chemistry. The scene where they went to the convenience store and used the drink bottles to cool each other off had me laughing out loud. The confessions and realization of their feelings between Wayne and Hailey was endearing as well.

The Ending:
After the first 15 episodes however, the drama starts to hurdle off track and became hard to bear. Johnson becoming a last minute villain was both ridiculous and unnecessary. It was funny how they blamed Ka Yan's drastic change in character on the website, yet he still ended up stealing money and causing Suk Heung's death after the machine was destroyed.
Lately TVB has a knack for killing off the leads an episode before the ending, so when I found out Myolie was going to die I thought to myself, how typical.  I was half expecting that she would die, but how she died was just ridiculous. If she had managed to hide Ka Yan from the gangsters, she could have thrown the money away and hide some where instead of saying, "Here I am with the money!" And finally the appearance of a doppelganger is once again, very typical. Of course he would find another girl exactly like his wife....
The ending for Wayne and Hailey was a bit weird for me as well. It seemed rather random that Wayne would suddenly come back with a new personality and propose to Hailey. Even though they justified it by saying he took a soul searching class, it was still too spontaneous. I was glad to see that Wayne and Hailey had a happy ending though.

Overall Wish and Switch had exceeded my original expectation. The two leading actresses did very well, performance wise. The story was interesting and had a nice balance of comedy and drama. But the drama would've been much better without the irrelevant episodes at the end.

Author's Note:

This is my first drama review! I was so excited to write this review since I had a lot to say about this drama. I tried to keep myself from rambling on and on about my confusion and agitation for the ending. This was also to keep my promise to Iris; I had promised her that I would try writing reviews for TVB (of course mine can never be as good as hers ;D). I hope you enjoyed reading. ^^
P.S. I loved Hailey's dog Rocky! I was so sad when he died. He was so adorable, but his "son" Souffle was cute too of course.

New Banner: Valentine's Day!

Niki: We've put up a new banner for February. In honor of Valentine's Day Iris and I have chosen four couples to be on the banner. My choices: Gain & Jo Kwon, Nickhun & Victoria - These two couples are from the previous season of "We Got Married," a South Korean variety show. These two couples are my personal favorite couple from the show and thought they were so cute. Even though their "marriage" ended last year, I still wanted to put them on the banner.

Iris: My choices were Vincent Wong & Yoyo Chen and Bosco Wong & Myolie Wu.
Vincent and Yoyo met on the set of "War of In-Laws II" where they started dating and recently got married on 11/11/11. How romantic! Bosco and Myolie were a famous on-screen couple who started dating in real life while filming "War of In-Laws" together, and have been dating for 7 years. The picture is from a promotional wedding ad, and I hope to see real wedding pictures of them soon!

Niki: We've also changed our layout to match the banner and spirit of Valentine season! Hopefully you guys enjoy the new look and banner! We want to extend our support for the couples (real and onscreen) and wish everyone a happy and romantic Valentine season.

Iris: Thanks and congratulations to Niki for making this beautiful banner and customizing the layout all by herself. The site looks lovely. Like Niki said, we wish everyone the best. Have a great Valentine's Day, everyone!