The Mysteries of Love

Trailers 1-4

I’d be lying if I said I’m not excited for this show. It has almost everything to be successful for today’s TVB standards; a group of popular stars, some decent characters with solid backgrounds, two polar relationships, criminal investigations to keep the audience’s attention, and maybe some sort of an intelligent plot. Fans are already going wild in anticipation for their beloved on-screen couples. To be had, I’m not one of those fans and I think they’re going overboard with the hyping. My interest for this show is dwindling away thanks to continuously chancing upon hyperactive, unreasonable comments about The Mysteries of Love, especially the one about it being the most anticipated show of the year. Sorry, but that spot belongs to what may be this year’s anniversary series. You know? The one with Sheren Tang and Wayne Lai, the one that should be much better acting-wise as well as directing-wise.

As much as I like Tavia Yeung and Raymond Lam, I don’t consider myself a fan and I do have some problems with their acting, although nothing to the extent of the problems I have with Kenneth Ma and Bernice Liu. I like all of them as people. They’re very nice. But to advocate Mysteries with the acting flag is such a wrong move. (More on this later.) On a related note, I’m glad Tavia is finally getting her deserving promotion and attention but TVB needs to tone it down. I feel like she’s the only actress in TVB this year and that’s bad, super bad. I’m really tired of seeing her! The same goes for Kenneth although not as much. I know they should strike while the iron is hot and milk her popularity for all it’s worth, but darn it, they’re pushing their limit and MY limit. After Mysteries, I would like to NOT see Tavia for a while but I’m sure one of her other series is on the to-be-released list. Ugh.

Bernice, on the other hand, I warmly welcome back. Nevertheless, she better show some significant improvement this time.

Now, the trailers are done finely. The ideas of using light, mirrors, and magnetism to represent love and attraction are superbly clever although I believe physics doesn’t really explain love; chemistry and psychology do. Anyway, I like the last trailer the most because of the camera angles and how the two ladies identify their opposing values. I think the last two trailers are more representative of the series than the first two since they put the focus on relationships rather than the science and criminology. And that’s exactly what I’m cautiously going into this series expecting.

Enjoy!

Note: We’ve decided our subbing team will be called ART! Please don’t re-distribute our work.

Synopsis

This is a love story between a professor and a policewoman. Their dating experience is enhanced with sense and sensibility through the application of interesting physics theories on the investigation of various crime cases.

King Pok (Raymond Lam) is regarded as the youngest genius in physics and he is appointed as an associate professor in a Hong Kong university. Invited by his good friend Lo Tin Hang (Kenneth Ma), senior inspector of police at regional crime unit, Pok assists in cracking many mysterious crime cases and he also meets the policewoman Chui Siu Lai (Tavia Yeung) during the process. The rational Pok evaluates that he has fallen in love with Lai because of a love hormone called phenylalanine. However, owing to the huge difference in their family backgrounds and life values, Pok fails to tackle their ever-changing relationship problems with formulas.

On the other hand, the romantic and uninhibited Hang has been maintaining a sex-only relationship with the journalist Ling Man Ka (Bernice Liu). Hang doesn’t believe in eternity and he is only looking for sensual pleasure in a woman. However, his belief is suddenly shattered when he learns that Man Ka is going to get married.

Source: Astro on Demand

• This series is mildly based on Japan’s Detective Galileo but will focus more on the romantic relationships than the cases.
• Raymond will be a rich physics professor.
• First time Tavia will play a police officer, where she later gets promoted and transferred to the CID department.
• Similar to Galileo, Raymond and Tavia will develop feelings for one another throughout the course of their detective cooperation.
• Kenneth will be a senior cop and leader of the team Tavia gets tranferred to. While he will be a couple with Bernice, he will also have many other female companions including Lisa, Fanny, Doris, Mandy, and more.
• Bernice is a career woman who makes work her first priority.
• Jessie will be best friends with Bernice.
• Doris is Raymond’s assistant.
• Law Lok Lam is Tavia’s father, who is also a retired police officer. Their family owns a restaurant.
• Lawrence Ng will be Evergreen’s son and Tavia’s nephew.

Character Descriptions

• The tentative title is Yes Sir, No Sir (點解阿Sir係阿Sir?).
• Producer is Lau Ka Ho and the drama is a 30-episode modern comedy involving school and cops. Screenwriters are Wong Yu Dak and Leung Man Wah.
• Cast includes Moses Chan, Tavia Yeung, Ron Ng, Linda Chung, Lee Kwok Lun, Lam Ying Wai, Kwong Chor Fai, Mandy Lam, Candy Chu, Lin Ying Hong, Cheung Dak Lun, Ho Wai Yip, Ronald Law, Cilla Kung, Chu Man Hon, Wong Tak Sang, Calvin Chan, Yeung Chiu Hoi, Angel Chiang, Jackie Cheng, Leo Lee Ho, Yeung Chi Lo, Nathan Ngai, Ma Guan Dong, Joey Law, Lam Sau Yi, Seng Oi Lam, Bruce Li Hung Kit, Chau Chung, Lai Pei Dak, Lily Lee, Lee Chong Si, Fung So Por, Jonathan Cheung, Doris Chow, Lo Lok Lam, Ram Tseung, Jess Shum, Angelina Lo, Yu Yeung, Queenie Chu, Savio Tsang, Eric Li, Lee Sing Cheung, Lee Kai Kit, Stephen Wong, Lau Guai Fong, Chuk Man Kwan, Chan Dik Hak, Wong Fung King, Chan On Ying, Tsang Wai Wan, etc.
• The story will mainly take place at a high school and revolve around the rebellious students (as would any school drama).
• Our lead actor, Moses Chan, will be an undercover agent betting his career on acting as a very strict teacher in order to investigate a triad member, most likely played by Eric Li.
• Tavia Yeung will be a liberal studies and physical education teacher.
• Ron Ng will be a cop, specifically an inspector of the regional crime unit who is responsible for patrolling certain schools. Fellow cops include Lee Sing Cheung, Lee Kai Kit, and Stephen Wong.
• Linda Chung will be a bowling instructor and the younger sister of said triad member under Moses’ hunt. Linda’s character is cool and does not like to joke.
• Ronald Law will be leader of the rebellious students and Angel Chiang will be one of them, characteristically vain and flirtatious. Cilla Kung will also be part of the gang.
• The romantic storyline is essentially a love square. Moses, Tavia, and Ron form one triangle while Moses, Tavia, and Linda form the other triangle—something like Linda likes Moses but Moses likes Tavia and then Ron likes Tavia but Tavia likes Moses. You know? Anyway, Moses and Ron will both chase after Tavia. Moses, however, also pretends to fall in love with Linda in order to achieve his undercover goal(s). Meanwhile, Ron will already be dating girlfriend, portrayed by Jess Shum, but because she forces him to marry her, he later likes Tavia. According to the Scoop clip, Tavia rejects Ron. Still, it is not confirmed that Tavia will end up with Moses.
• Clip

• The premise of the show sounds okay, entertaining to say the least. (No, I have not seen the Stephen Chow movie.) But I’m not sure it can last for 30 episodes. That number just seems wrong and LONG to me for a school/police comedy. Needless to say, the cast is appealing (to me and some) and refreshing thanks to finally shoving Ron into a series with Moses AND Linda—two people he has not (never?) really collaborated with before.

If you’ve been checking the Photobook at least weekly, you’ve probably noticed that I had added scans for issue 667 of TVB Weekly a couple weeks ago. I didn’t post about it at the time because I was way too busy. Plus, I had nothing to say since I haven’t even started the series yet and the scans aren’t very interesting either. (I think TVB is abusing Tavia Yeung‘s rise in popularity and that’s not good in any way, shape, or form.) Nevertheless, now you know and you might also know that A Fistful of Stances (Kevin Cheng, Kenneth Ma, Selena Li) didn’t do well in terms of ratings until it’s last few episodes, notably its finale, which I hope to catch up to as soon as exams are over.

I’ve heard both positive and negative comments about Fistful, more so positive than negative. I’m going to keep my expectations low though, in the case that positive reviews are just from spazzing fangirls and shippers who aren’t critical thinkers. *Ahem* No offense to anyone really. I’m a fangirl at times too.

Issue 669 of TVB Weekly then is about Suspects in Love (Flora Chan, Joe Ma, Sharon Chan), which barely started its run a couple weeks ago. Not many TVB fans and/or viewers are tuning into Suspects, and I can totally understand why. It doesn’t have much appeal, does it? Other than being Flora’s return series, the rest of the cast is pretty bland and the love triangle is … well, another love triangle. However, I did catch 2 episodes of Suspects last week and will post my impressions on them soon along with some extremely delayed reviews.

PLEASE DO NOT TAKE WITHOUT CREDITING!

Synopsis

Au Yeung Wai Lai (Yuen Qiu), owner of a martial arts training school, is reunited with her long lost son Koo Yu Cheung (Kevin Cheng) after years of agonizing separation. Upon his return home, Cheung is shocked to find that his younger brother Koo Yu Tong (Kenneth Ma) has been critically ill and that his father was murdered long ago by Wing Tak (Dominic Lam), the current director of a pharmaceutical company and a bitter old foe of the Koo’s. Cheung has never been into kung-fu but shows only glimpses of his potential when he strikes back at the impudent, arrogant Wing Man Kwan (Jacky Heung), the son of Tak. Pinning all her hopes on Cheung, Lan not only teaches him a special set of kung-fu skills created by the family, but also registers him for the Guangdong Boxing Championship Tournament. Out of the blue, Cheung’s opponent in the final turns out to be Kwan.

Cheung starts losing his bearings after achieving growing success and recognition in the field of martial arts. Caught up in the love triangle involving himself, Lan’s apprentice Ying Ngan Ming (Natalie Tong), and his dream girl Chow Mui Mui (Nancy Wu), Cheung is utterly confused and exhausted, which later causes his failure in the final tournament.

Source: Astro on Demand

A Fistful of Stances

Trailer 2

After researching more into this drama and watching this trailer, I’m excited! The screenwriters are Cheung Wah Biu and Chan Ching Yee, the same combination behind Rosy Business, instead of Cheung and Sit Ka Wah, the combination behind Heart of Greed and Moonlight Resonance. See the difference?

I hope these trailers are helping you in deciding what to watch and what to not watch.

Enjoy!

A Fistful of Stances

Trailer 1

Once upon a time, I tweeted that the background music/drumming is what creates the tension in this first trailer of Stances and makes it appealing. I still think that. However, I also think that the music constitutes to my grouping Stances with dramas like Real Kungfu (Yuen Biao, Maggie Siu, Selena Li) and Wong Fei Hung (John Chiang, Bosco Wong, Rain Li), which I’m probably not wrong in doing since they all fall into the action category. I’m praying for Stances to distance itself from the former and be more similar, or even better, than the latter. Given that this is Lee Tim Sing and that TVB is promoting this by riding on the success of Rosy Business, I’m hopeful.

The cast is likeable. At least no one annoying is part of it. Still, I have the same concern as everyone else–Kevin Cheng. I’ve admired Kevin for a long time and will probably continue to love him, but Burning Flame III and Beyond the Realm of Conscience both left a bitter taste in my mouth and I simply cannot forget how irritated I was with Rex and how bored I was with Hin Yeung. (UGH! Remembering them is the last thing I want to do today.) I think Kevin can do better. Perhaps in those cases, he too was just bored with them? I don’t know, but I will continue to have faith in him and pray his love triangle with Nancy Wu and Natalie Tong will not be painful to watch. It’s a bit awkward though, because Natalie was his sister in so many past series. *Shrugs*

Kenneth Ma and Selena Li will be a pleasant couple to anticipate. No meddling love strings attached elsewhere!! Selena in next trailer, please.

Enjoy!

• The tentative title is literally An Uninvited Date (不速之約), which is actually not the first title. TVB changed to this from A Date with Job (约伯有约) to avoid misleading the audience and relating to the story of Job from the Bible, although the drama will still be loosely based around that.
• Cast includes Bobby Au Yeung, Raymond Lam, Tavia Yeung, Gigi Wong, John Chiang, Mandy Wong, Power Chan, Fung So Boh, Bak Biu, Leanne Li, Natalie Wong, Catherine Chow, Ching Ho Wai, Felix Lok, So Yan Chi, Deno Cheung, Russell Cheung, Lam Yuen Ying, Quinn Ho, Poon Fong Fong, Luvin Ho, etc.
• Producer is Poon Ka Tak and the drama is 20 episodes.
• Bobby Au Yeung said that although he can’t reveal too much of the plot, the series has a Western feel.
• Bobby and Tavia Yeung will be acting as husband and wife.
• Due to his doctoral code of ethics, Bobby will wait for 3 years before courting Tavia, who was one of his patients. When he meets her again 3 years later, he wanted to chase after her, but she dies from a car accident. However, she later comes back to life.
• Raymond Lam will be a "devil" who tries to take Bobby’s life. However, Raymond said that his character is reasonable and because Bobby has many regrets and things left undone, Raymond will bring Bobby back to life.
• Raymond also said that he will have some kind of relationship with Tavia. (Whether it is a romantic one is for us to wait and find out!)
• Because Raymond has two movies on hand, he will start filming on March 3rd, while the cast starts tomorrow, February 25th.
• Some clips here.

• I’m TOTALLY EXCITED for this!! I’m like in ULTRA HAPPY mode right now! Really, really happy to see Bobby in TVB news again. From what the main leads have said, I’m going to take a stab at the chronology of the script’s outline. Bobby meets Tavia and falls in love with her, but she dies 3 years later in a car accident that he either witnesses or gets shocked at seeing her at the emergency room. At that point, he will probably meet Raymond and asks Raymond, the almighty "devil" or Satan or Grim Reaper (whoever–some guy with red eyes and a vampiric/powerful aura (LOL!)) to revive Tavia. They make a deal and Bobby will exchange something "important" to him, most likely his own life. However, Bobby doesn’t want to die yet and Raymond chases after him to seal the contract. Through their many obstacles, the understanding between Bobby and Raymond grows deeper and they develop a strong bond. These feelings make Raymond more "human" and prevent him from killing Bobby. Raymond allows Bobby to live for an extra amount of time or revive him but alas, after X years, Bobby dies and meets Raymond again in Hell. Okay, that was a load of my fantasical trash but I think that’s the gist of it. I also think the apple, although it can represent many things, will be the forbidden fruit of Raymond’s actions–breaking the circle of life in a way.