When Lanes Merge

Raymond Wong: 5*****

Kent Cheng: 3***

Kate Tsui: 3***

Sonija Kwok: 4****

Elaine Yiu: 3***

Raymond Cho: 3***

Raymond Wong+Kate: 3***

Raymond Wong+Sonija: 4****

Sonija+Stephen Huynh: 3***

Elaine+Raymond Cho: 3***

Themesong by Ryan Lau: 5*****

Rating: 3***

The Beauty of the Game

I had pretty high expectations for TBOTG since it revolves around the Hong Kong entertainment industry, its secrets, and its drama. There are mixed reviews around TBOTG and for the most part, I thought it was enjoyable to watch. Although the plot, the casting, and the production could have been better, it was still a decent TVB drama.

Christine Ng: She looks great in here; she doesn't seem to ever age! Even though her character was evil, I understood her actions and she was a delight to watch. She made this character extremely believable and she was what made this drama so addicting to watch. 5*****

Kate Tsui: If a better actress was to replace Kate, I think TBOTG would have been a lot better. Kate was annoying (I hated her huge hair clips!) and her acting was really stiff in here. Kate was passable when she became evil though so she was decent in the last half. 3***

Sharon Chan: Not a breakthrough role for Sharon yet but she was good for the most part. I thought she could have portrayed a better drug addict but she was good overall. I thought her character was more selfish than evil in here though. 4****

Kingdom Yuen: She looks pretty and mature in here. Her acting never disappoints so she was a joy to watch in here. 5*****

Chris Lai: His acting was pretty decent in here, but it's probably because his character is adorable so it's pretty easy to portray. This is probably Chris's best role to date for me. 3***

Stephen Huynh: He was good in here but he didn't have to show many emotions so I'm still not too sure about his acting. 3***

Wong Cho Lam: His character served as a comic relief, but it took me awhile to get used to him though since I thought his character was annoying and useless in the beginning. He's really good at comedies though. 4****

Mimi Lo: She's adorable in here but her character wasn't too developed. 4****

Christine+Henry Yue: I don't really know why Christine's character loves him so much since I thought she was only with him because of money. 2**

Christine+Evergreen Mak: 2**

Kate+Chris: They don't have any chemistry together and they were better suited as friends. 2**

Kate+Wong Cho Lam: A random and funny couple. 1*

Sharon+Chris: My favorite couple in here and I'm glad they got their happy ending. 4****

Sharon+Stephen: They don't look bad together but their relationship was so messed up. 3***

Wong Cho Lam+Mimi: They are such a random couple since it seems like they hooked up only because there were nobody else for them. 1*

Themesong by Denise Ho: 5*****

Rating: 4****

A Great Way to Care

I was going to skip this drama since the plot sounded like any other TVB drama and I'm not a fan of Alex Fong and Kate Tsui. However due to pretty good reviews and a keen interest to watch Raymond Wong and Vivien Yeo, I decided to give this a try. AGWTC reminded me a lot of the American "House, MD" but only in the first few episodes. The cases were pretty interesting and it was nice to learn about psychiatry; a different perspective on mental illnesses.

Alex Fong: He was pretty watchable in here but he still lacks some emotions. His character reminded me of Gregory House but not as cool. 4****

Kate Tsui: Her character was okay; she didn't annoy me so that was a good thing. She still lacks a lot of emotions and was pretty stiff in some scenes though. 3***

Raymond Wong: His character was so cute and lovable in here. I like how he was genuinely nice to everybody. 5*****

Vivien Yeo: I really like her in here but she was more lovable when she was “fat” though. I could barely recognized her in her fat suit. 4****

Ram Tseung: A funny and loving husband. 5*****

Astrid Chan: 5*****

Yoyo Chen: I always like her as an actress so I'm glad she got a role in here. Her character sort of reminded me of Allison Cameron. 4****

Timmy Hung: I haven't seen him in a drama since “Real Kung Fu” so it was “surprising” to see him in here. His character sort of reminded me of Robert Chase. 3***

Ruco Chan: Another ATV actor turned TVB actor. He's a pretty good actor and he looks pretty cute. He looks a lot cuter in here than in “The Threshold of a Persona”. 3***

Natalie Tong: She was convincing as a patient. Too bad she was only a guest star in here. 4****

Alex+Ram+Raymond: I like the friendship they shared. 5*****

Alex+Kate: I'm sick of TVB pairing old actors with young actresses, but at least Alex and Kate barely had screen time as a couple. Their relationship was out of nowhere and too sudden. 2**

Raymond+Vivien: The cutest couple in here! I wouldn't mind seeing them together in another drama. 4****

Raymond+Yvonne Ho: 2**

Ram+Astrid: A pretty funny couple. 3***

Yoyo+Timmy+Ruco: It's obvious that Timmy's character had a thing for Yoyo's character and I think Benny's character also likes Yoyo's character. The three of them made a nice intern group under Alex's training. 4****

Themesong by Juno Mak: It was okay but I need to hear the full version to decide it if I like it or not. 2**

Rating: 3.5***

Man in Charge

I was going to skip this drama since I don't really like any of the cast besides Leila Tong, but it's getting a lot harder to watch Leila in TVB dramas so I decided to give this a chance. MIC is not all that funny and it was a chore to watch first half since it was boring and the main characters were annoying. However, the second half was surprising good and watchable; MIC redeemed itself in the second half.

Kenneth Ma: Kenneth was pretty good in here but I don't like his character at all. 4****

Matthew Ko: His acting is still really stiff but he was passable in here. I thought his best scene was near the end when he went sort of crazy. 3***

Kate Tsui: I can't believe I'm going to say this but I love Kate in here! Her character was lovable and Kate was convincing as an assassin who truly loved her husband. I didn't like her hair and outfits in here though. This has got to be my favorite role of Kate's since she was the only one I was looking forward to watch. 4****

Leila Tong: She looks gorgeous in here but I didn't really like her character. She was the stereotypical "ancient" woman and her character wasn't all that interesting. 4****

Kenneth+Kate: They were pretty cute together but Kate's character deserved better. 3***

Kenneth+Leila: I don't like how Leila's character was the third party in Kenneth and Kate's relationship and I didn't feel anything for them as a couple. 2**

Themesong by Kenneth Ma and Matthew Ko: I like the beat but the singing was pretty bad. 2**

Rating: 3*** I would have given this 2** if it wasn't because of the second half.

The Four

I had such high expectations for TF so in a way, I felt it disappointed me. The cases were kind of boring and a lot of questions were left unanswered. However, I blame the latter problem on the editing since it was originally supposed to be 30 episodes but was shorten down to 25 episodes. I'm usually all for shortening dramas but this time around, I actually wished TF was longer. I also heard that the TV version cut/edited out a lot of Ron Ng and Sammul Chan's scenes in order for TF to end earlier so that "The Gem of Life" can air near the TVB Anniversary. I think I watched the unedited version so at least I was able to watch this drama "completely". TF began really well, got boring in the first half, was good again the second half, and then got draggy near the ending. The best part about TF is the relationship between Raymond Lam, Ron Ng, Sammul Chan, and Kenneth Ma.

Raymond Lam: I really liked his character in the beginning but was annoyed with him when he started to fall in love with Kate Tsui. I hated how he was smart when it comes to everything but love since he was tricked by Kate so many times that I have lost count! In a way, his character is realistic in that sense since love is blind for a lot of people. However, Raymond portrayed this role well and he looked so handsome when he wore white. 5*****

Ron Ng: I was looking forward to watching Ron in here since I haven't seen him in a drama since "The Brink of Law". His character was cool but a bit bland for my taste since he didn't really do anything but kill people. I wished his character showed more emotions/softness near the end though. 5*****

Sammul Chan: I like him in here since he was the comic relief; however, he can be annoying since he was indecisive and aloof when it comes to love. This was a nice comeback TVB drama for Sammul. 5*****

Kenneth Ma: I ended up liking this character a lot since I initially thought he would be boring since he's such a "goody two-shoes" but his character went through a lot and he was able to show a lot of emotions. 5*****

Kate Tsui: I think Kate looks the best in here since I actually thought she looked quite pretty in her costumes. Her character was interesting but Kate made the role too one-dimensional with her mediocre acting. This role reminded me a lot of the Michelle Yip's in "Lofty Water Verdant Bow" but not as lovable and cute. She was a little bit better at playing evil in here than in "Moonlight Resonance" though. 3***

Selena Li: I was slightly annoyed with her character in the beginning since she kept following and bickering with Kenneth Ma, but I love her after her father died since she matured a lot; she had a nice character development. Selena also looked pretty in her costumes even though they were extremely bright and colorful. 5*****

Vivi Lee: She's not the most attractive actress but I really like her in here since her acting is not bad for a newcomer. When she cried, I wanted to cry with her. I wished she had more screen time though; I look forward to more of her dramas in the near future. 4****

Cilla Kung: She's cute but she's really stiff when it comes to acting. She's not the worst newcomer ever but it didn't help that her character was not all that lovable. 2**

Raymond+Ron+Sammul+Kenneth: I don't really have a favorite constable since they each have flaws but I love them together since they complemented each other well. Initially, I wanted Bosco Wong to replace Kenneth but I don't think Bosco would have done as well as Kenneth. 5*****

Raymond+Kate: They don't look bad in terms of looks but they have zero chemistry together. I'm glad they didn't end up together since Kate is truly evil. Kate should have died instead of being alive with a disfigured face, but her ending is left open-ended so I think she will eventually die. 2**

Kenneth+Selena: They are the only official couple in here but I wished they would have shown their wedding since that would have been cute. They are adorable together and I want to see them as a couple again. It's ironic because I didn't like them as a couple in "The Master of Tai Chi" and I actually wanted Selena to couple with Raymond before watching this but I'm glad she was coupled with Kenneth instead. 5*****

Sammul+Vivi: I like them a lot together too but too bad, they didn't end up together. Optimistically, I think they will eventually end up together when Vivi finishes her studies and when Sammul decides to settle down. 4****

Ron+Cilla: They're not even a couple since it was pretty much one-sided throughout the drama and it's not even clear if Ron even likes Cilla at the end. I think Ron feels touched/pity for Cilla more than actually loving her. 1*

Themesong by Raymond Lam, Ron Ng, Sammul Chan, and Kenneth Ma: 4****

Rating: 3*** The ending was left open-ended so I sort of wish there would be a sequel but it didn't receive high ratings so the chances are pretty slim.

Moonlight Resonance

MR is the "sequel" to "Heart of Greed" and it definitely lives up to its hype and expectations. I love MR and to me, it is the best modern drama so far for the year 2008. The plot is excellent, the cast is fantastic, and I was never once bored. I wished the editing was better though since some of the scenes didn't flow smoothly enough but I blame that on the fast production instead of the plot since it was filmed and released in the same year. Minus the bad editing, another flaw to MR is the ridiculous love triangle between Raymond Lam, Linda Chung, and Bosco Wong; however, it was a little bit better than the draggy love triangle between Linda Chung, Raymond Lam, and Yoyo Mung in “Heart of Greed”. I find MR a lot more interesting than "Heart of Greed" since it moves at a faster pace, focuses more on family, and has a lot more likable characters.

Ha Yu: I like Ha Yu better in here than in "Heart of Greed" since he eventually redeems himself. Ha Yu is a fantastic actor and I'm glad he won Best Actor since he showed many sides to this character. 5*****

Louise Lee: This character is practically like the one in "Heart of Greed" but I found her too nice in here; she seems more realistic in "Heart of Greed". Louise is the ultimate mother so no complaints here. 5*****

Michelle Yim: Michelle receives a larger role in here and she doesn't disappoint! I love how evil she is and I always look forward in watching her onscreen. Her wig doesn't do any justice to her looks though since it's so ugly. She's such a great villain though! 5*****

Susanna Kwan: She's more annoying than evil in here. I like how she was able to portray a softer side to her character near the end. 5*****

Lee Heung Kam: She's a great veteran and showed many sides to her character. 5*****

Moses Chan: I like him in here but it was frustrating to see him like Kate Tsui before liking Tavia Yeung. 5*****

Raymond Lam: His character is so sweet but I don't get why he loves Linda Chung so much. Linda is not that great of a character so it was annoying watching him so heartbroken over Linda's character. 5*****

Tavia Yeung: I love her in here! I have always like Tavia as an actress but this brought a whole new level of love for Tavia as an actress. I love all of her scenes and every time she cried, I wanted to cry with her. 5*****

Linda Chung: Such a drastic change from her role in "Heart of Greed". I thought her character in "Heart of Greed" was sort of annoying but at least her acting improved. She's just plain annoying in here since I found her character useless and she made me cringed every time she cried. This is one of Linda’s worst role and bad acting. 2**

Kate Tsui: She looks so unattractive in here and her role was extremely annoying. I don't think she looks evil enough but she was convincing when she pretended to be all nice and innocent. 3***

Fala Chen: She's really cute/adorable in here! I wished she had more screen time though. She was really believable as a mute girl and her acting has improved a lot. 4****

Bosco Wong: His acting was good but his role was not as likable as Raymond's in "Heart of Greed". 4****

Louis Yuen: He is a lot less annoying in here than in "Heart of Greed" but his role did get smaller. 5*****

Chris Lai: He was a lot more likeable in "Heart of Greed" and he barely had any screen time in here. His acting has gotten worse since I thought he was a lot better in "Heart of Greed". 2**

Vincent Wan: He's sort of cute but he's so wooden and stiff in here. 1*

Ha Yu+Louise: They really look like a real couple! 5*****

Ha Yu+Michelle: 4****

Susanna+Louis: They don't look like a couple at all and I wasn't even sure if Louis even loved Susanna until the very end. They were a pretty funny couple though. 2**

Moses+Tavia: I like them together but too bad they barely had any scenes together as a couple. I'm still not convinced that Moses loves Tavia as much as Tavia loves Moses though since it seems like they hooked up for the sake of having a happy ending. 4****

Moses+Kate: A superficial couple since they like each other because of looks (for Moses) and money (for Kate). 1*

Raymond+Linda: I thought they were an okay couple in "Heart of Greed" but I hated them in here. I rather have Raymond ended up with no one since Linda is not worthy of him; she's too selfish and weak. 1*

Raymond+Tracy Ip: They don't have any chemistry together but I actually liked them better as a couple than Raymond and Linda. 1*

Linda+Bosco: A better couple than Raymond and Linda since I think they deserve each other. 2**

Bosco+Claire Yiu: I felt so bad for Claire! 1*

Kate+Chris: This is a strange couple since I don't think either one of them truly love each other. They deserve each other though. 2**

Fala+Dexter Yeung: They don't match in terms of looks at all but their characters were cute together. 3***

Themesong by Susanna Kwan: Not as strong as the one in "Heart of Greed" but still good. 4****

Rating: 5***** This is definitely a classic!

The Price of Greed

I watched this because of the plot because I didn’t really like any of the cast besides Bosco Wong. It had potential but failed so miserably because of Kate Tsui and a somewhat draggy plot.

Bosco Wong: I don’t like how he was so in love with Kate Tsui. 4****

Kate Tsui: She was so painful in here...especially when she’s crazy for Sammul Chan. 1*

Sammul Chan: I like how he’s trying on different roles but he wasn’t evil enough. 4****

Shirley Yeung: She was very convincing as a mute girl. 4****

Bosco+Kate: 1*

Kate+SAmmul: 1*

Bosco+Shirley: 3***

Themesong by Bosco Wong: 3***

Rating: 1* TPOG is such a disappointment and a waste of time to watch.

La Femme Desperado

I really like this drama because of Sheren Tang and Michael Tse. They were excellent in here and the plot focused on modern women and their problems in love and work. I really like Melissa Ng and Raymond Lam too but they were kind of annoying near the end and although this drama was good, the ending was unsatisfying.

Sheren Tang: 5*****

Melissa Ng: 5*****

Michael Tse: A breakthrough role since he played a bad person but you couldn't hate him. 5*****

Raymond Lam: He was extremely cute in the beginning but he became too self-conscious at the end. 5*****

Sheren+Michael: 4****

Melissa+Raymond: 3***

Melissa+Michael: 3***

Kate Tsui+Kenneth Ma: 3***

Themesong by Miriam Yeung: 5*****

Rating: 3.5*** It was kind of draggy near the end...

The Brink of Law

Very thrilling and captivating to watch but kind of died off at the end.

Steven Ma: A very likable role. 5*****

Bernice Liu: She was kind of "stoned" in here but still a good role. 3***

Ron Ng: He improved and he looked so handsome in here! One of his better roles. 4****

Shirley Yeung: One of her better role even though she was evil; a breakthrough role for Shirley. 4****

Kate Tsui: She was so painful to watch in here; I hated her hair and outfits. 1*

Steven+Bernice: I started to like them in here but they were cuter in "Steps". 4****

Ron+Kate: I wanted to kill somebody every time I saw them together... 1*

Themesong by Steven Ma and Ron Ng: I love it! 5*****

Rating: 3*** I would watch again but not until a lot of years has passed by so that I don't remembered what happened.

Steps

Initially, I was going to skip this drama but everybody was raving about it so I decided to give it a try. The beginning was slow, the middle was captivating and interesting, and then it died off... This was a unique drama since TVB never had a drama centered on dancing before but it was a stereotypical TVB drama in its own way. It had a happy ending but was too rushed.

Bernice Liu: She was very likable in this role and she's such a great dancer! She also improved compared to her other roles; she should have won most improved actress over Kate Tsui! 4****

Steven Ma: Another great role for Steven; he never ceased to amaze me. 5*****

Kate Tsui: I actually thought she improved heaps in this role, but then again it was a likable role. 3***

Fala Chen: She's improving too but her character was written weirdly. One moment she's evil then nice and then evil again... 3***

Bernice+Steven: They were so cute in here! I love how they understood each other so well. 5*****

Kate+Matthew Ko: They looked cute together but I don't get what the rave was all about. 3***

Kate+Stephen Wong: I was actually rooting for them in the beginning but it just got weird when they actually got together; it was too sudden and rushed. 3***

Fala+Stephen Hyunh: Were they ever a couple/ended up together? It seemed like it was only Stephen loving Fala... 2**

Wayne Lai+Claire Yiu: They didn't matched in looks but their characters were cute together. 4****

Themesong by Bernice Liu: I initially didn't like it when I first heard it but it grew on me after watching the themevideo several times; I absolutely love it now! 5*****

Rating: 2** I would only watch it again for Bernice and Steven and the dancing.