The Gem of Life

I don't really know what to write about first since TGOL was such a long drama (82 episodes!). In general, TGOL was good but it was too long. I think it would have been better if it was cut down in half (30-40 episodes would suffice) because some of the scenes and sub-plots were extremely boring and draggy. The character developments were great and the plot had its ups and downs, but the acting from this grand cast was terrific. To really enjoy this drama, one has to have patience since it does take awhile for problems and exciting things to build up. I thought the ending was nice and for the most part, TGOL was pretty realistic. TGOL is one of the better TVB grand productions, especially when compared to "The Drive of Life" and "The Dance of Passion".

Louise Lee: It was nice to see Louise taking on a different role. She was really convincing as a person with Alzheimer's; a breakthrough role. 5*****

John Chiang: His character was sweet to his family but was not all that important. 5*****

Maggie Siu: I really like Maggie's character but she became so weak and irrational after she married Kenny Wong. She became slightly "evil" in the second half so her character went through a lot. 5*****

Gigi Lai: I still can't believe that this will be Gigi's last drama! :'( Her acting wasn't a disappointment but her character wasn't all that great. This role was pretty annoying since her character was too "righteous" to the point of stupidity. I love her hairstyles and clothing in here though. 5*****

Ada Choi: The most interesting character and Ada was fantastic! She was able to show many layers to her character. Her crying and "crazy" scenes were excellent. 5*****

Elliot Yue: His character is interesting since "looks" are not always everything. He really scared me in the second half. 5*****

Chan Hung Lit: He was brilliant as a person who suffered through two strokes. 5*****

Moses Chan: Not my favorite character but he did well. 5*****

Bowie Lam: This has to be my favorite role from Bowie. He's such a jerk but you can't hate him. 5*****

Linda Chung: She did the whole spoiled, slutty, evil, wealthy role well but I didn't like how her character suddenly turned "good" all of the sudden. A little unrealistic but these type of roles are perfect for Linda. I like watching her more in semi-evil roles than goody two-shoes roles like in "Moonlight Resonance". 5*****

Kenny Wong: I like him in here. 5*****

Eddie Kwan: His character was so creepy in the beginning but Eddie was great in here since he showed many layers to this role. 5*****

Wong Hei: His character was pretty useless since he was pretty much there just so he could be used by Ada and Linda's characters. His character was sweet so I felt so bad for him, especially his ending. 5*****

Bosco Wong: His character was also pretty useless since he wasn't evil or good enough. His character was a lot more interesting in the first half. 5*****

Florence Kwok: Another useless character that doesn't show how good her acting is. She was just pretty much there to be the third party in Maggie and Bowie's relationship. I felt bad for her character but she was the one who brought it on herself. 5*****

Louise+John: 4****

Maggie+Bowie: My favorite couple in here. 5*****

Maggie+Kenny: I also like them together but too bad Kenny doesn't like Maggie that way. 5*****

Bowie+Florence: 3***

Bowie+Kenny: I like the friendship they shared. 5*****

Maggie+Patrick Dunn: 2**

Kenny+Catherine Chau: 1*

Gigi+Moses: They were cute but their on-and-off relationship was annoying and draggy. 4****

Gigi+Eddie: I like them better as friends. 3***

Moses+Linda: 2**

Gigi+Rocky Cheng: 1*

Ada+Elliot: Initially, I thought I wouldn't like them as a couple due to the huge age gap but they weren't too bad together since their characters matched extremely well together. 4****

Ada+Wong Hei: 3***

Ada+Ram Tseung: 1*

Linda+Bosco: I like them better in "Moonlight Resonance". 3***

Linda+Wong Hei: A weird couple but they didn't look too bad together. 3***

Themesong by Shirley Kwan: At first I didn't like it but it grew on after hearing it a couple of times. 4****

Rating: A little long but worth watching. 4****