Can't Buy Me Love

CBML is an indirect "sequel" to "Beyond the Realm of Conscience". I say "sequel" because other than having a similar cast and setting, CBML has a completely different plot than BTROC.

Charmaine Sheh: An extremely spoiled but cute princess. 5*****

Moses Chan: 5*****

Susanna Kwan: 5*****

Raymond Wong: 5*****

Linda Chung: 4****

Kenneth Ma: 5*****

Fala Chen: 5*****

Louis Yuen: 5*****

Selena Li: 4****

Susan Tse: 4****

Sharon Chan: 4****

Charmaine+Moses: 4****

Moses+Elaine Yiu: 2**

Raymond+Linda: 3***

Linda+Vincent Wong: 2**

Kenneth+Fala: 4****

Louis+Selena: 3***

Sharon+Edwin Siu: 3***

Themesong by Susanna Kwan: 4****

Rating: 4****

Beyond the Realm of Conscience

I had such high expectations for BTROC and although it was good, it was a little bit too unrealistic to be a classic. Overall, the plot was good and it kept me wanting to watch until the end but the characters in here were not that diverse and developed. I think BTROC would have ranked higher for me if it focused more on Tavia Yeung and less on Charmaine Sheh and the political problems.

Charmaine Sheh: I usually like any characters that Charmaine portrays but I didn't really like her in here because I thought she was an unrealistic character because she was too naive and nice. I was actually rooting for Tavia Yeung's character even though she was evil. Charmaine also doesn't look that attractive in here and her crying was really awkward to watch sometimes. I was a little bit bored when BTROC focused too much on Charmaine's character because she's such a goody two-shoes that you know somebody will come to save her when she's in trouble or she will change a bad person good. 4****

Tavia Yeung: I love Tavia in here! She's such a great actress because I had doubt when I first heard she was going to portray an evil character, but she blew me away with her performance! I didn't think she could look so sweet and evil at the same time. Although Tavia was evil, I was able to understand and sympathize with her actions because it is survival of the fittest in the kingdom. I wished BTROC would focus more on her character though. 5*****

Moses Chan: He portrayed a good king but I don't think there are any kings like him in real life or in history. His undying love for Charmaine was sweet though. 4****

Kevin Cheng: He should not act in ancient dramas period. Like Gallen Lo, their features don't look right in ancient clothes; they look so stiff. A nice character but he was boring to watch. 3***

Susan Tse: She's really great as evil characters. I wished she didn't die so early in here. 5*****

Michelle Yim: I like Michelle but her character is so irritating to watch in here. She's so stubborn and jealous that I felt that it was kind of a waste of her acting. 4****

Susanna Kwan: Wow, I didn't know she can act as such a gentle character. She's definitely a great actress because she made me forget about her bad roles in "Heart of Greed" and "Moonlight Resonance". 5*****

Cheung Kwok Keung: This is my favorite role of Cheung Kwok Keung so far. He's such a great character which is why I feel so bad for him at the end. 5*****

Selena Li: She looks pretty in here but her character is so badly developed. She turned all nice and perfect too sudden. She was more interesting to watch when she was spoiled, bratty, and going against Tavia. 4****

Yoyo Chen: I thought she was great as Tavia's maid since she nailed the evilness down. I think she will be a great actress when given the chancebecause she's pretty and versatile.

Charmaine+Kevin: I wanted them to end up together but they didn't really have any chemistry together in here. They were kind of boring to watch since they were a cliché couple. I'm happy they got their happy ending though...sort of? 3***

Charmaine+Moses: They have more chemistry together but I still didn't root for them because he's the emperor. 3***

Tavia+Moses: I liked them a lot better in "Moonlight Resonance" since I felt nothing for them in here. It's probably because they both used their marriage for personal gain. 2**

Moses+Selena: Another couple who also didn't have any chemistry together since they barely had any scenes together in the first place. 2**

Susanna+Cheung Kwok Keung: My favorite couple in here since they have chemistry and their love story was heartbreaking. 5*****

Michelle+Ram Tseung: They were sweet but a little bit awkward to watch. 4****

Themesong by Susanna Kwan: I didn't like it when I first heard it but it grew on me. 4****

Rating: 4.5****

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****

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!

Where the Legend Begins

I love this drama since it pretty much has everything in here: love, revenge, deaths, betrayals, tragedies, etc.

Ada Choi: Ada looks gorgeous in here but her character was so pitiable. 5*****

Steven Ma: 5*****

Moses Chan: 4****

Sonija Kwok: She's evil but I thought she did a better job in "Perish in the Name of Love". 4****

Ada+Steven: 5*****

Ada+Moses: 3***

Moses+Sonija: 3***

Themesong by Steven Ma: 5*****

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

War and Beauty

WAB is a brilliant drama about the internal conflicts between the imperial concubines. I adore this drama since it has fantastic acting by the cast and a refreshing and addicting plot.

Sheren Tang: 5*****

Maggie Cheung: 5*****

Gigi Lai: Her crying was painful to watch in here so although her acting was good everywhere else, I thought Sheren should have won the Best Actress award since I thought she did a better job. 4****

Charmaine Sheh: 4****

Moses Chan: 5*****

Bowie Lam: 5*****

Sheren+Moses: 3***

Maggie+Moses: 4****

Gigi+Bowie: 3***

Charmaine+Bowie: 2**

Themesong by Bowie Lam: 4****

Rating: 5*****

Perish In the Name of Love

PITNOL is based on a Chinese opera play but is only similar in the beginning since TVB changed the ending. As a whole, this drama is very good if you can accept the changes. The beginning, however, was kind of slow and boring since it focused too much on the childhoods of Steven Ma and Charmaine Sheh. The ending was unbelievable and a little bit disappointing but it can be forgiven.

Steven Ma: 5*****

Charmaine Sheh: 5*****

Sonija Kwok: She’s so evil and despicable in here. 5*****

Michael Tong: 5*****

Moses Chan: He was convincible as the Emperor and the father of Charmaine and Sonija. 5*****

Annie Man: She can be annoying but she redeems herself. 4****

Steven+Charmaine: 4****

Charmaine+Michael: 4****

Steven+Sonija: 3***

Steven+Annie: 4****

Moses+Maggie Siu: 3***

Themesong by Steven Ma and Charmaine Sheh: 5*****

Rating: 4.5****

The Gentle Crackdown

This is such a ridiculous but funny drama. If you don't take this drama seriously, you'll enjoy watching it.

Niki Chow: She's so funny in here. 5*****

Moses Chan: He cracked me up so much; his hand gestures were a classic! 5*****

Niki+Moses: I didn't think they would be a good couple but they weren't too bad. 4****

Themesong by Moses Chan and Niki Chow: 5*****

Rating: 2.5** It's a good drama when you have nothing else to watch. There is a sequel but with a completely new cast.

The Dance of Passion

I love War and Beauty so I had to watch this because it has a similar cast and the same producer but I was uttering disappointed with this drama. It was so boring most of the time; however, the characters were interesting and the ending was really good. Thus, this drama is only worth watching for the characters and the ending.

Moses Chan: I didn’t care too much for his character since he was kind of boring but he did a good job. 5*****

Bowie Lam: His character was really interesting since he’s such a ruthless leader and husband. 5*****

Ada Choi: She did such a great job in here! Her character was the best out of the rest since she has many layers to her characters. Ada never failed to disappoint. 5*****

Gigi Lai: I like her character better in the beginning because she became too weak near the middle and ending. However, her role is still better than Charmaine Sheh’s role. 5*****

Charmaine Sheh: I didn’t really care for her role either since she’s boring like Moses’ role. 5*****

Moses+Charmaine: They were okay…I don’t really like this couple though. 2**

Bowie+Gigi: I never liked this couple, but they were okay in War and Beauty. 2**

Bowie+Ada: I don’t like this couple either. 2**

Themesong by Bowie Lam: I don’t really like Bowie as a singer so this was just okay. 3***

Rating: 2.5** This could have been shorter and more interesting to watch.

Heart of Greed

Such a big and good cast and it wasn't a disappointment (maybe the ending but was still good overall).

Moses Chan: A lovable role. No complaints. 5*****

Linda Chung: She improved heaps but was kind of overrated since I sometimes found her annoying. 4****

Raymond Lam: I couldn't hate his role nor could the rest of the world. 5*****

Bosco Wong: I don't get why people complained about him since his role was boring, not his acting. 4****

Tavia Yeung: Like Linda, Tavia was kind of overrated since it wasn't all that shocking or a controversial role, but she showed a lot of emotions. 5*****

Moses+Linda: Sad that Linda didn't choose Moses until the end; such a pure relationship. They look weird together though. 4****

Linda+Raymond: Cute but their bickerings got really annoying. An overrated couple in my opinion but they look good together. 4****

Bosco+Tavia: I like them together but I'm not a diehard fan. 4****

Raymond+Yoyo Mung: Awkward and they don't look good together at all. 2**

Themesong by Susanna Kwan: Very powerful and good. 5*****

Rating: 4**** I would watch this again.

The Ultimate Crime Fighter

TUCF was better than I thought, but it dragged a little bit too much in the middle. Some of the cases were predictable and unbelievable; nevertheless, it's still a watchable drama. The ending was inspirational and very Buddhist-like, one of the better endings these days.

Moses Chan: He was excellent in this drama. From a Thai pimp, to a nice police, to a man filled with hatred and revenge, Moses showed a wide range of layers to his character. Plus, I'm beginning so see why everybody loves him. 5*****

Gigi Lai: A breakthrough role for Gigi since she acted as a dorky and "ugly" character. I give her props for trying something new but her role was actually more annoying than likable to me. 4****

Kevin Cheng: Another breakthrough role; I think he should have won best actor for this role rather than the one in Under the Canopy of Love (although I liked him in there). He actually made me scared when I found out his true self and his eyes were so intense! 5*****

Moses+Gigi: They were cute but had too many problems/misunderstandings. 4****

Gigi+Kevin: I think they fitted together more in terms of looks and chemistry, but I don't think Kevin ever truly loved Gigi and vice versa. 4****

Moses+Yoyo Mung: They matched in personalities better but the relationship was too sudden; I felt bad for Yoyo. 4****

Subsong by Moses Chan: I like it since it's very soothing. 4****

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