AEE HK Music Awards

Cantopop has long lost its level of prestige with the dozens of different award shows that give out countless awards. It starts to become hard to tell which awards are really an "honor" and which are just pork chop awards. At the same time, still so many artists and songs go unrecognized. The same people win every year (Joey, Eason, I don't doubt you're very talented, but someone else deserves to win!) until it loses it's meaning. The year of 2012 was quite a great year for Cantopop, and the first ever AEE HK Music Awards hopes to recognize the people who may have not gotten the attention or accolades they deserve without giving out so many awards their meaning is lost.

Song Awards

Top 10 Songs of the Year

#10 - "The End/到此為止" by Shiga Lin

Ballads are nothing unfamiliar to the world of Cantopop, and although "The End" is nothing groundbreaking, it's still a beautifully composed and sung song. Shiga's vocals are gorgeous and full of heartbreaking emotion. The song is very personal and full of meaning, as it signified Shiga acknowledging, learning from, and moving on from a damaging scandal that hit her early last year. She deserves all the accolades she's received for this song, and does not go unnoticed here either.

#9 - "BB88" by Khalil Fong
Upbeat songs are not too common (and quite often they're not good either) in the HK music industry. Khalil released the most upbeat single of his career with "BB88", a pleasant surprise because it stays with his signature R&B sound, while also very creative, catchy, and fun!

#8 - "Drenched" by Wanting Qu
Although written in English by a China-based artist, "Drenched" became a huge hit following being used in the HK movie "Love in a Buff". The song is magical and absolutely beautiful with Wanting's deep and soulful vocals and the moving musical composition, so it just can not go unrecognized here!

#7 - "Cold Joke/冷笑話" by Fiona Sit
After a year of consistently releasing great singles, Fiona capped off the year with "Cold Joke", her most mature and best work yet. The song, from the lovely musical composition to her vocals, is full of so much emotion that you know it is very special to Fiona. There is feeling in every breath. The song is delivered with so much grace.

#6 - "Frail/孱弱" by Kelvin Kwan
Kelvin found his niche sound this year in alternative/rock influenced songs, and "Frail" is the cherry on top of a great year of experimenting with the new musical style. The song is gripping, slightly gritty, and full of angst, not something many Cantopop singers can pull off. It allows him to showcase his vocal abilities while keeping it fresh and original instead of the typical love ballad.

#5 - "So Dry/疗Dry" by Eric Suen
Eric finally returned with a new album again and completely took us by surprise with "So Dry". It's unlike anything he's ever written before. It's catchy, upbeat, but also creative, whimsical, with a message that's easy to relate to. Rarely is an upbeat Cantonese song that good! "So Dry" is the new working people's theme song.

#4 - "Death Row/斬立決" by Pakho Chau
Perhaps no other song leaves as much of an emotional impact following listening as "Death Row", as it honestly does leave you in a state of sadness. The song touches on the issue of cyber bullying and depicts the horrors through its well-written lyrics, a haunting melody, strong vocals by Pakho, and evokes so much emotion.

#3 - "Goodbye" by Dear Jane
After a year of sweeping up awards for "Yellow Fever", "Goodbye" is still a little shining gem that went mostly unnoticed and undecorated by awards. It is a phenomenal song that is heartfelt, moving, powerful, serene, wonderfully produced and polished. Tim sounds his best vocally with his gentle yet powerful delivery, and the instruments come together beautifully.

#2 - "Yesterday/昨天" by Mr.
Mr.'s "Yesterday" is hands down the best rock ballad of the year. It is a beautifully and wonderfully arranged. At a long length of 5:15, the song does not drag on, but continues to deliver to the very end and leaves an impact. The song is powerful, thoughtful, and meaningful. Alan's vocals anchor the song, and the instruments shine, particularly during the guitar solo.

#1 - "Non-Vegetation/人非草木" by Kary Ng
Taking the top song honor is Kary with "Non-Vegetation". The composition and arrangement of the song (which consists of both piano and strings) coupled with Kary's soft but strong vocals is breathtaking and enchanting. Both a bit of sadness and sweetness is evoked. The song says that humans are not like vegetables and meant for living, which is exactly what Kary has been doing: living the life. "Non-Vegetation" is the best song of the year, and Kary's best yet.

Songs that narrowly missed getting placed or ultimately removed included G.E.M.'s "Someday I'll Fly" (meaningful, but in the end sounded generic), Raymond Lam's "Because of You" (lovely, but not outstanding), and Eason Chan's "Heavy Taste" (unique and catchy, but already heavily awarded).  I also really wanted to include Kary's "Ferociously", Fiona's "Better Me", and Pakho's "Irreversible", but excluded them as I didn't want to include more than one song from an artist.

Genre-Specific:

Best Ballad: "The End/到此為止" by Shiga Lin
The most beautifully composed and sung ballad of the year with a story behind it. Although ballads are vastly overdone in Cantopop, Shiga breathes a breath of fresh air into the type of song.

Best Dance Song: "Ferociously/狠狠" by Kary Ng
Dance songs in Cantopop are often poorly done, full of autotune, or just not catchy. Kary's "Ferociously" is catchy, funky, refreshing, with great choreography.

Best Rock Song: "Yellow Fever" by Dear Jane
Rock has found its way back into the mainstream Cantopop industry, a feat worth celebrating. Dear Jans's "Yellow Fever" is a catchy, infectious rock song with a great hook and intertwines dub step well.

Best Duet: "Lone Ranger Companion/獨行俠侶" by William So and Kay Tse
A great collaboration between William and Kay. The song has a lovely melody and the two talented artist's voices blend together and compliment each other very well, making it a more memorable duet.

Music Video Awards

Best Music Video: "Confessions/告白" by Kary Ng
The best music videos don't take away from the song, but compliment it and make it even better. In Kary's first attempt at directing, the MV of "Confessions" acts out the story and message in the lyrics. It depicts the emotional despair of a person who cheated in a relationship, and the one cheated on. The different shots and settings used done and chosen well. Everything from the shots of Kary resting her head on her boyfriend by the sea, to the ones of them hanging out happily in the past, to her singing as her dress flows with the wind are fantastic. The entire video does a spectacular job of boosting the emotion of the song.

Honorable mentions include Kelvin's "People of My Generation" for it's concept, Pakho's "Death Row" for it's art direction, and Eric's "So Dry" for it's creative use of animations. In general, I saw quite a few great music videos this year.

Album Awards

Album of the Year: "My January" by Kary Ng
"My January" went largely unrecognized by awards and deserves a lot more love.  "My January" is a collection of Kary's personal stories of love and life that flows smoothly from track to track until the very end.  It shows her maturation into a fine and talented young lady with songs that show her talent, feeling, and grace.

2nd Place: "Back to Wonderland" by Khalil Fong
Khalil returned to the funkier and retro sound and concept of his popular 2007 album "Wonderland", and it worked.  There's still the same R&B/soul style we know him for, but with a more upbeat and funky twist.  It's an album brighter and quicker in pace than his past works, and one that will have you swaying your head to the music.

3rd Place: "Self-Portrait" by Raymond Lam
Raymond genuinely surprised me with "Self-Portrait", a mature and creative piece of work that exhibited many different musical styles that all worked well with him.  Raymond may be known as more of an idol and not taken very seriously as a singer, but many overlook the fact that "Self-Portrait" is still a fantastic album and his best one yet.

Artist Awards

Most Promising Artist: Shiga Lin
Shiga showed potential as a newcomer, and over the last year has polished up her vocals to the point she's now one of the most beautiful and controlled young voices in HK. She did well with ballads such as "The End" and "Movin' On", and also the midtempo and inspiring "Run". She proved she is also strong and capable of overcoming hardship, which shows she can last a long time in this cutthroat industry. She breathes fresh air into the HK music industry, which is in need of youthful talent like her, so expect to see a lot more of her.

Most Improved Artist: TIE, Fiona Sit and Kelvin Kwan
Fiona first debuted back in 2004 as a singer with potential, but her vocals weren't always too reliable and she had trouble gaining success.  Yet, her voice and control has improved heaps and bounds over the years and she found lots of momentum in 2012 and exerted many different musical styles in her album "Filicious".  All the singles released were hits, and she was able to hold her own concert at the HK Coliseum for the first time.  She too, is steadily becoming a young lady worthy of respect as an artist and will soon emerge as one of the best.

It has been an exciting and impressive year for Kelvin.  He made a comeback to the industry last year, but successfully shed his image and past this year.  He's no longer someone to be associated with his scandal back in 2009, but as the man and talented young artist he is today.  His "Occupation" EP showed he is capable of many musical styles and found a niche in a more gritty and rock influenced type of music.  He has involved himself in the creative process of his music and tried his hand at directing one of his music videos.  This may not have been expected, but Kelvin has vastly improved and is quickly becoming one of the most talented and worth noticing young singers in Hong Kong.

The best singer/band awards are the top honors of the AEE HK Music Awards.  They're judged by the performances of the artists this year, which include the quality of material they've released and the success they achieved, as opposed to just whose the most popular.

Best Band: Dear Jane
Dear Jane was the rising band of 2012 as they achieved great critical and commercial success, sweeping up countless awards for "Yellow Fever", putting them on the map.  They're helping bring rock to the mainstream Cantopop with their more unique punk influences and honest and passionate music.  It's been great seeing them see reach new heights this year, and it's only expected that 2013 be an even better year for them.

Best Female Singer: Kary Ng
Winning the top song award, best dance song, best music video, and best album, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise as Kary grabs the top honor of Best Female Singer.  It's truly been a fantastic year for her and it showed the completion of her transformation into a young woman and musical artist.  She's became one of the shining stars of the Cantopop industry, since she has both years of experience and youth (she is only 26 years old but has been in the industry since around 15).  Mark my words, she is going to become the next pop diva.  Move over Joey Yung!

Best Male Singer: Kelvin Kwan
This may come as a surprise to some people and met with mixed response, but it's been an exciting and impressive year for Kelvin.  He made a comeback to the industry last year, but successfully shed his image and past this year.  He's no longer someone to be associated with his scandal back in 2009, but as the man and talented young artist he is today.  His "Occupation" EP showed he is capable of many musical styles and as mentioned above, found a niche in a more gritty and rock influenced type of music.  He has involved himself in the creative process of his music and tried his hand at directing one of his music videos.  This may not have been expected, but Kelvin is quickly becoming one of the most talented and worth noticing young singers in Hong Kong. ***Update 11/2/13**** I had intended to update this a LONG time ago, but then...life happened, so I never got the chance. This comes awfully late, but I thought it was worth changing before the next awards comes around.

Best Male Singer: Pakho Chau
After I had originally posted this, I had listened to Pakho's music more in-depth and was blown away by the material he released in 2012, as well as all he had accomplished. Pakho has gone from a fresh-faced idol in his early days to an accomplished singer, songwriter, composer, and occasionally music video director (he directed Shiga Lin's "Time for Love" MV). He has evolved into one of the most respectable and versatile young artists today, and is a force to be reckoned with. The singles he released this year were all among the best of 2012.  "Death Row", "Imperfect","無力挽回/Irreversible", and "只有一事不成全你/There's Only 
One Thing I Won't Help You With" were all phenomenal singles that showed his talent, passion, artistic touch, 
and maturity. Pakho topped off his strongest year yet with his much anticipated first HK Coliseum concert as 
well as a compilation album, both titled "Imperfect." He has truly come far and secured himself as a staple of 
the Cantopop music industry. With Pakho, there is hope for continuous fresh and high quality Cantonese music 
as he continues to take the industry by storm.

This wraps up the first AEE HK Music Awards!  The results may look much different than the existing award shows, but my goal was to recognize those who usually do not receive the awards I think they deserve.  What do you think was the best of 2012?  Comment with your thoughts!

Raymond Lam's "Self-Portrait" Album Review

Since debuting in the music industry five years ago, Raymond Lam slowly traveled off the path of being an actual artist and instead became an idol. However, Raymond shows redemption with the more mature yet diverse "Self-Portrait".

In past albums, Raymond's albums have been heavy with ballads and upbeat dance songs. Although ballads showed his voice and range nicely, it started to become boring and gave off the feeling that he had a "sleepy" voice. I wanted something different. His upbeat songs such as "Chok" and "Hello" lacked substance and were even somewhat laughable for their lyrics and composition and didn't fit him.  Rest assured, "Self-Portrait" is one big step in a positive direction.

Every song on the album is a bit different and there are many different feels and styles exhibited here.

The main plugs "頑石/Stubborn Stone" and "Because of You" are the closest the album has to ballads, but aren't quite ballads, which is a nice change. Instead, they simply have a slower tempo but carry a lighter and more serene feel.

"頑石/Stubborn Stone" possesses a beautiful sound from an orchestra and band in the background and the subtle yet obvious hint of sadness and pain in the lyrics are brought out by Raymond's signature emotion-filled voice.  The Mandarin version is also nice, but as usual, the original is better and flows more.

"Because of You" has a similar musical composition and feel but with a contrasting tone. It is sweet, calming, and sounds very romantic. Both are definitely highlights of the album, but far from the only noteworthy tracks.

The videos for both were splendidly shot.  It was nice for EEG to invest more money for Raymond to travel to New York to film the music videos.  "Stubborn Stone" was shot in the city, while "Because of You" is shot by a serene dock.  Both looked simplistic yet visually beautiful with the location filming and soft lighting.

"寂寞星球/Lonely Planet" is another stand out with its mysterious aura and subtle old Chinese influence. The song leaves you feeling intrigued and even slightly spooked from the mesmerizing melody. This is unlike any other song he's ever released.

"年時/Years" and "暗中作樂/Concert in the Dark" are also enjoyable tracks. "Years" carries a lovely melody and tempo that gives off a very soothing and thoughtful feel. "Concert in the Dark" is a more upbeat but playful song. "膠椅/Plastic Chairs" is another upbeat and playful song but has a slightly funky feel that's fun, but not fantastic.

"一刀切/One Size Fits All" plays like a song for a movie soundtrack with its suspenseful and strangely thematic feel. An interesting and dynamic song.

With my history of not liking dance tracks, at first listen, LFX 6.8 was not music to my ears, and the excessive auto tune did not help. However, as I listened to it more, it grew on me. It's catchy and has a great infectious beat. The hip hop influence is there but not over the top.

Aside from the main singles, "The One" and "I'm Okay" are my personal favorites off this great album.

"The One" is infused with a R&B feel, which is very refreshing and fitting with Raymond's voice. The song also has a slight mysterious yet romantic vibe to it that makes it so pleasing to the ears.

On the other hand, "I'm Okay" is an endearing and sweet song with an airy feel.  It's a fun track you can easily sing along to.  The female voice over near the end of the song rendered it more cheesy than necessary, but doesn't ruin the overall effect.  The music video co-starring Oceane Zhu is also very cute and smile inducing.

Overall

As an idol singer that has been sweeping up awards more because of the lack of singers and disagreements between record companies than his music itself, perhaps it's become easy to forget Raymond genuinely is talented.  He has good range, singing low as well as high notes with ease, and of course, the charisma and stage presence.  His recent material made him lose credibility in my eyes, but "Self-Portrait" comes as a true and pleasant surprise.  It is his album of redemption.  Here, he shows he has the versatility to sing different styles and types of music and has the potential to become known as an artist, not just an idol.

All of the songs here are worth listening to and able to set themselves apart instead of blurring together, something a lot of Cantonese albums can not do. Instead of having songs residing at polar opposites of the spectrum (slow ballads and upbeat dance songs), the album explores the things in between. Raymond Lam may have taken a few steps backward in the last few years, but with "Self-Portrait", he takes a huge step forward, and it's definitely worth nothing.  He is someone to start taking more seriously.

"Self-Portrait" is one of the best albums of the year and has quickly become one of my favorites.  Raymond's always had the talent, and for the first time in a while, he is able to show it.  Hopefully, he will continue in this direction.

Rating: 4.25 stars

A.E. Insights: Current and Rising Siu Sangs of TVB

It's been many years since TVB raised and promoted their last group of siu sangs (Raymond Lam, Bosco Wong, Ron Ng, and Kenneth Ma). These four men all had different strengths and weaknesses, and are all now at varied peaks and lows in their careers. With many artists busy with looking for other work and money making opportunities, TVB is now left in a dilemma. So our question is...

TOPIC: What is your opinion of the previous promoted siu sangs and how are they doing so many years later? Also, with the drainage of lead actors, who should become the next siu sangs?


Iris: Raymond, Bosco, Ron, and Kenneth are all successful now, but at differing degrees.  I personally think they're all talented and handsome guys, but very different from each other and now all at different positions.

If you had asked me who was my favorite out of the four before "Moonlight Resonance" came out in 2008, I would've quickly said Raymond Lam.  Besides being good looking, he had the best acting chops out of the four and most charisma.  He delivered memorable performances that left an impact.  From 2002's "A Step into the Past" to 2006's "La Femme Desperado", there was no question: Raymond was definitely the best actor out of the new generation.  I absolutely loved him in "Survivor's Law".  He shined as the kind, witty, passionate, yet slightly gullible lawyer.  Unfortunately, his career made a turn for the worst following the hugely successful "Moonlight Resonance". His popularity skyrocketed, and he received characters that capitalized on his success as an idol/pretty face instead of the talented actor he truly is. All of his roles since MR have been boring and fail to show his versatility and charm.  Nowadays though, I wouldn't say I have a favorite out of the four.  What about you, Niki?

Niki: Now I'm desperately trying to remember some of the older series I've seen them in and drawing a blank, hehe > u <; I did remember Raymond in "La Femme Desperado", Raymond did have a very likable character. His acting was natural and playful and he carried the emotions well. Yeah, his characters now emphasize on his looks and the characters themselves had nothing much to them. But I don't think I had a favorite, just because I didn't really know or bother to pay attention to the actors back then. Now, I think I would choose Kenneth as my favorite. He's a pretty good actor and his sweet and innocent personality outside just makes me favor him a bit more.  

Iris: Kenneth would probably be my current choice in terms of solely acting and personality.  He's shown acting skills and vast improvements.  I also really like his offscreen personality as well, as he is a modest, humble, shy, yet playful and youthful person.  However, like many people have noted, Kenneth lacks the charisma.  He has the likability and sincerity, but not the "X-Factor" that some people are just born with, which affects how memorable he can or can not be in his performances.

As for Bosco and Ron, they were more of the "heart throbs" back when they first started with mainly teenage fan bases.  In contrast to Kenneth, they have the charisma, but are not as skilled in the acting department.  In recent years, they've been demoted to second lead roles.  In Bosco's case, this has actually come to benefit him.  Not quite ready to take on lead roles, being demoted allow him to take on different roles and develop his acting more in a smaller capacity.  This setback paid off for him as he received critical acclaim for his supporting role in "Lives of Omission".

Unfortunately, things have only gotten worse for Ron.  He gave the most memorable performance of his career when reprising the role of "Chung Lap Man" in "E.U." in 2009, and was the most natural and emotive he had ever been.  He continued giving solid performances in "A Chip Off the Old Block" and "OL Supreme", successfully shedding his "impulsive hothead" typecast.  However, with his vast improvements, he became demoted to second lead and 2011 became the worst year for him so far in terms of roles and performances.  They all either lacked a dynamic, were underdeveloped, or just plain unlikable, not allowing him to show his acting skill.  Even in "L'Escargot", he was only able to show his acting in his one crying scene.  Real life girlfriend Viann Zhang has only caused the actor more trouble and career bumpiness.  What is your opinion on Bosco and Ron?

Niki: Yeah, I get what you mean. Kenneth is sincere, but when it comes to charisma, he's beaten. For Bosco, I did take notice that he has a broader range of characters to work with. He turned from a witty and playful cop in "7 Days in Life" to the sly and manipulative gangster in "Lives of Omission" and managed to portray the characters well. Bosco can definitely take advantage of the demotion as his chance to improve his acting skills and he also has Myolie supporting him mentally (and also perhaps through the very expensive gifts they like to give each other). As for Ron, I really feel sorry for him. When he finally improves, his characters couldn't get more boring. I hope he gets better characters soon and also that his girlfriend won't keep making trouble for him to fix. Speaking of "OL Supreme" though, I really liked his dorky character "Ah K"; he was so cute there. This year, I would say his character in "Forensic Heroes" was likable and had potential. But in the end, he didn't have enough screen time and the character ended up being under developed. If it wasn't for that, maybe that character could have been a pick up for Ron this year. For "L' Escargot" though, I remember you mentioning that even though his acting was solid during that emotive scene he was still over shadowed by Linda?

So, Ron's heart breaking tale aside and moving on from our old siu sangs, who do you think will be the up and coming ones?

Iris: Yes, Linda received praise for her crying scene when all she did was scrunch up her face and force out a couple tears. Meanwhile, Ron fully emoted and even had snot coming out of his nose. I hope in the future, Ron will get better roles before I completely forget he's a decent actor.

And now to discuss the next siu sangs of TVB.  Ruco Chan and Raymond Wong are the latest to have been promoted to lead actor, and both came with over a decade of experience.  This makes it hard for the young and newer actors to catch up.  Most recently, Jason Chan has been given the chance to lead in an upcoming series with Linda, so that will be interesting to watch.  Jason's handsome and friendly exterior, coupled with his educated and modest personality make him very likable.  However, his acting is still green and could use a lot of work.

Niki: Ah yes, Jason. I heard that he was being promoted lately. What is his drama with Linda? His acting should improve as he goes along.

There's also Matthew Ko, who was recently in "Sergeant Tabloid". I don't know if he's going to be a siu sang in the future, since his acting still needs work. But his character in "Sergeant Tabloid" was cute and likable, and he was able to garner some attention. It was a good improvement from when he was in "Man in Charge", where he was still unnatural and quite wooden in front of the camera. His handsome and charming looks makes him a good candidate to promote though. I also appreciate his straightforward personality.  It's quite refreshing.

Iris: Jason and Linda are starring in "Ferris Wheel of Happiness", which is a romance drama I think.  It is a smaller production, so it'll allow Jason to improve without having such a large weight on his shoulders.

I agree with what you said about Matthew.  He showed significant improvements in "Sergeant Tabloid", but I'm unsure as to if his acting truly improved or if it was the character.  Whatever it is, he shows potential.  He has the looks and charm, and is starting to improve.  I also like his straightforward and honest personality, which is hard to come by in the entertainment industry.  He's not ready to be lead yet, but I hope TVB gives him good supporting roles and potentially groom him into a siu sang in the future.

The one I have the most confidence in being the next siu sang though, is Edwin Siu.  He has been in the industry since 2002 and starred in "Aqua Heroes" in 2004, where his acting was mediocre.  However, since returning to TVB in 2008 and restarting his whole career, his acting has improved by heaps and bounds.  He's worked very hard, and it shows.  This year, he surprised and impressed everyone with his comedic talent in "Daddy Good Deeds" and made a complete 360 in "Gloves Come Off" as a semi-villain.  He has the hardworking and modest personality, charm, talent, and handsome yet cute looks.  He definitely has what it takes, and has the most range of all the rising actors right now.  All I'm saying is, he better get the recognition and promotion he deserves!

Niki: Edwin definitely has what it takes to become a siu sang. If TVB would open its eyes and promote him better I would be so happy. He was adorable in "Daddy Good Deeds"; he and Steven were the best part of the show. He really surprised me with his role in "Gloves Come Off". I didn't expect it, but he was actually able to scare me. His character didn't get that much screen time, being a minor role, but Edwin really shined and made the most out of it.

But speaking of recognition, Him Law is getting a lot of attention lately and all for the wrong things. All we've been hearing lately is rumors and scandals of Him, from him dating Tavia to the photo shoot case, as opposed to his acting. However, he is a pretty good actor, and his popularity is growing right now. So what do you think of him as a future siu sang?

Iris: Out of the younger guys, Him is the most natural actor. He has a lot of potential and has improved. However, he is definitely getting recognized for all the wrong things and has become a regular tabloid target. His real life personality is probably the worst out of everyone's with a history of domestic violence and several scandals, which makes it hard for me to look beyond it and truly enjoy his acting nowadays. Him is probably TVB's first choice to promote right now, but I hope Edwin gets the recognition he deserves too and that Him matures. In general, Him is an actor who I like as an actor, but not as a person.

In contrast to Him, Vincent Wong is someone whose real life personality is very likable but his acting leaves much to be desired. I have heard good things about Vincent being a friendly
and down to earth person, and something about him makes him seem approachable, unlike Him. His acting though is only acceptable. He presents likability in his performances, but doesn't possess a lot of charm and his acting still needs work. He is most likely not becoming a siu sang anytime soon too, as he is a new father and he and wife Yoyo Chen are taking off time from acting.

Niki: Him really does have the worse personality out of the potential stars right now. He should change that soon or it could be what ruins him. And I agree with what you said about Vincent. His acting is nothing special, but his personality is very likable. Even though he's not going to become a siu sang anytime soon, it's nice that he's spending some time with his family.

Another rising star seems to be Benjamin Yuen. He has been getting praises lately for his acting in the sitcom "Til Love Do Us Lie" and in "Hippocratic Crush". After watching these two series, I can say that Benjamin has good acting skills. He's natural in his performance and is likable, but his roles are still limited. Looks wise, he's not extremely handsome but still possesses a good amount of charisma. While he's a good actor and has the charisma, I still don't see him in a lead role yet. Perhaps it's because he hasn't gotten too many significant roles yet, but he's someone to look out for.

Iris: I didn't watch either series, but I have heard many good things about Benjamin's performance and character. I actually first noticed him back when he debuted in "Your Class or Mine", which was also where I first noticed Him. It's nice to see that he's showing more potential and talent. He's far from being lead actor material right now, but it's nice to see him getting praise and more major roles.

One last notable actor is Oscar Leung, who has consistently given solid and memorable performances despite portraying minor roles. His popularity and recognition level has increased since "L'Escargot", which makes me happy. For some reason, I can't seem to see him in a lead role though. He's probably not very favored by TVB executives. Perhaps second male lead?

With the drainage of artists and amount of artists that are still relatively green, it's hard to choose who has what it takes to be the next few siu sangs. I think just having the guys experiment with different and increasingly major roles will tell. If I were to pick a few that could potentially be the next group of siu sangs though, I'd say promote and invest in Edwin Siu and Him Law, then train Jason Chan, Matthew Ko, and Benjamin Yuen to eventually fill the void. The one with the most popularity is definitely Him, but I think Edwin will have the most successful long time career. All these guys have their individual charms, strengths, and weaknesses, and I'm interested in seeing where their careers take them the next few years.

Niki: I can't see Oscar in a leading role either, but he does definitely deserves bigger roles. Second lead should be appropriate, he'll be able to expand his abilities further.

The next couple of years will surely be interesting. The artists drainage will provide a great opportunities for these new batch of artists to rise. Their career roads should be bright if they take this chance to improve themselves. With so many artists leaving now hopefully TVB will take good advantage of these potential stars. In time, with some polishing, training, and investment Edwin Siu, Him Law, Jason Chan, Matthew Ko, and Benjamin Yuen will be ready to make up for the lack in leads.