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****

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****

Born Rich

I had such high expectations when I first heard BR was being filmed since it has one of the best ensemble cast and the plot sounded interesting. However, bad ratings and reviews plagued BR and I can understand why. The premise of BR is not bad but the plot was too unrealistic and draggy. If BR was a lot shorter (around 20 episodes instead of 41 episodes), I think it would have done better. The ending was also ridiculous and it's such a waste for such a great cast.

Ray Lui: This is his comeback TVB drama and I thought he did a great job. His character was not likable at all and his change of personality was due to his arrogance and high self-esteem. Ray still looks really young; he doesn't seem to ever age! 5*****

Gallen Lo: Gallen's 2nd comeback TVB drama; I haven't seen him in a drama since "Seven Sisters" (I have only seen parts of "Golden Faith" and "The W Files")! His character was really despicable and greedy but Gallen did a fantastic job. Gallen has aged a lot since the last time I saw him onscreen. 5*****

Nancy Sit: I couldn't take her seriously in here since she threw a lot of tantrums in the beginning. I didn't like her character until she supported Jamie Chik's character. This is not one of Nancy's best roles. 4****

Jamie Chik: She's still pretty but you can tell she has also aged. Her character is too nice that it's sometimes unrealistic. Her character is also too in denial when it comes to Ray's character. However, her acting is still good after taking a long break from acting. 5*****

Kenix Kwok: She looks too skinny that it's getting scary; I can't believe she was pregnant in real life near the end of BR! BR might also be Kenix's last drama since she wants to focus on being a mom. Her character was too obsessed with Ray's character and she was horrible when she wrecked Ray and Jamie's marriage. Kenix was convincing as a third party though. 5*****

Anita Yuen: Watching BR proved to me that Anita is a fantastic actress! I had doubts after watching "Love Exchange" but Anita proved otherwise in here. Her character for the most part was likable even though she was too stubborn and blinded in love when it came to Gallen's character. 5*****

Joe Ma: I think this might be my favorite role of Joe's. He was really likable and I like his undying and never willing to give up love for Anita's character. 5*****

Kenneth Ma: He's such an adorable character in here. His character wasn't all that important until the very end though. 4****

Sharon Chan: Her character's purpose was only to be used by Vincent and Gallen's characters so she wasn't really all that important. Her hairstyle was horrible (the bangs have to go). 4****

Vincent Wong: He looked a little bit better in here than in "War of In-Laws II". His character was greedy but he sort of redeemed himself at the end. 4****

Ray+Jamie: They were believable as a married couple and they had chemistry, which was a given since they were a couple in "The Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain 1985". I hated Ray's character for betraying Jamie's character though. 5*****

Ray+Kenix: They would have been a better couple if Kenix wasn't the third party. 4****

Gallen+Anita: A lot of people liked them together in the beginning, but I thought they kind of looked weird together (it's probably because they are "half-siblings" in here). 3***

Anita+Joe: They are cute together even though it was mostly one-sided. 4****

Gallen+Sharon: They had no chemistry whatsoever. 1*

Kenneth+Sharon: They were cute. I just wished their relationship was more developed. 4****

Sharon+Vincent: They also had no chemistry whatsoever. 2**

Themesong by Gallen Lo: I love Gallen's voice so this song was great as always. 5*****

Rating: 3.5***

Pages of Treasures

I primarily watched this because this is Wayne Lai's first leading role and because none of the other cast members annoy me. POT was a sweet, short family drama. It wasn't the best or worst drama, but it's probably better if you don't have any expectations of it or watch this only when you’re free. POT is filled with family problems but it does end on a happy note.

Wayne Lai: He didn't disappoint in his first leading role, enough said. 5*****

Sonija Kwok: Her character is really lovable but it can get frustrating on how nice she can be to people, especially Sharon Chan and Fred Cheng. Sonija has nicely transformed into a good actress but her skin and outfits look really bad in here. I like her hairstyle in here though. 5*****

Eric Suen: He's cute and I wouldn't mind seeing him in more TVB dramas in the future. His character was a sweet boyfriend to Shirley Yeung. 4****

Shirley Yeung: She seemed bored/stiff in some scenes...maybe it's because she doesn't have enough chemistry with Eric? I pitied her character but it sometimes got annoying because I felt she was a little selfish when it comes to her relationship with Eric. 3***

Vivien Yeo: She's becoming a better actress but she's still doesn't have enough variety of expressions. She looks really pretty in here; she looks a lot better with longer hair. I sort of felt bad for her character though; she always ends up loving the wrong person at the wrong time. 3***

Sharon Chan: She's so posh in here and her character was both annoying and funny on how she used people to her advantages, especially Sonija. 4****

Lily Ho: She was not bad for her first drama but she has too much makeup on. 3***

Jason Chan: He's cute and he was not bad for his first drama either. 3***

Macy Chan: She looks pretty in here and she fits the role of a model. 3***

Vivi Lee: I barely recognized her in here since she looks a lot prettier in here than in "The Four". Her character was fun to watch even though she was a meanie. 3***

Wayne+Sonija: I initially thought I wouldn't like them as a couple but their bickerings grew on me and they became a pretty cute couple. Their relationship was kind of rushed though since one minute, they're friends and the next, they became a couple. 3***

Eric+Shirley: Although I wanted Eric to end up with Shirley, I'm still a little iffy about their relationship. 4****

Eric+Vivien: They look good as a couple too but I think Vivien is a little too tall for Eric. 3***

Lily+Jason: They were okay; there should have been more scenes showing how they got together though. 3***

Sharon+Stephen Huynh: They look good together but I don't like how Stephen's character treated Sharon's at the end. 3***

Themesong by Eric Suen: 4****

Rating: 3***

The Last Breakthrough

TLB is a very touching and inspiring drama about doctors with the right touch of romance.

Nick Cheung: 5*****

Raymond Lam: He was so cute in here and I like how his character was so honest and straightforward in love and in what he wants. 5*****

Sonija Kwok: This is the role that made me start to like Sonija since I thought she improved a lot and it was a likable role. 3***

Leila Tong: Her crying was excellent in here but I was sometimes so frustrated with her character for denying Raymond's love. 5*****

Bosco Wong: 5*****

Sharon Chan: Her character can be so annoying since she's the third wheel in Raymond and Leila's relationship but she did a nice job at it. 3***

Nick+Sonija: 4****

Sonija+Andrew Lien: 3***

Raymond+Leila: I can't wait to watch another drama where they are a couple again since they are adorable together! 5*****

Leila+Bosco: I like the friendship they shared and the sweet, innocent, and unselfish love Bosco has for Leila. However, I still like Leila with Raymond better. 4****

Raymond+Sharon: 3***

Themesong by Raymond Lam: 5*****

Rating: 3.5***

Lethal Weapons of Love and Passion

I was so excited to watch this drama but it was kind of a disappointment after I finished watching it since it was so boring in some scenes. Nevertheless, it was watchable because of Raymond Lam since his role was so complex because he's not the normal hero.

Raymond Lam: 5*****

Bosco Wong: 5*****

Charmaine Sheh: I was so bored with her character that I didn't really care that much about her. 4****

Sonija Kwok: She was pretty boring too but her scenes with Derek Kwok were watchable. 3***

Sharon Chan: 4****

Mimi Lo: She looks so pretty in here. 4****

Raymond+Charmaine: I don't like this couple at all since I find them mismatched together...they were a little bit better in The Drive of Life. 1*

Raymond+Sonija: What was TVB thinking...and I never understood why Raymond loved Sonija so much. 1*

Bosco+Sharon: They were so cute and funny together. 4****

Sonija+Derek Kwok: 3***

Mimi+Power Chan: 4****

Themesong by Raymond Lam: 5*****

Rating: 2.5** Watch this only if you're a Raymond Lam fan...

Catch Me Now

I initially was going to skip this since the plot didn’t sound too exciting but rave reviews and the curiosity to see Idy Chan’s come back drama enticed me to watch CMN. I’m so glad I watched this since this is a good action/thief vs. police drama in a very long time. I absolutely fell in love with CMN right at the beginning since it was clever, suspenseful, and thrilling to watch the cat and mouse games between Damien Lau’s thief team and Joe Ma’s police team. CMN reminded me a lot of Ocean’s Eleven and Death Note (but not as extreme).

Damien Lau: The Master Mind of the thief group. I absolutely love him in here since his role is extremely intelligent and he looked really good for his age. He is the modern-day Robin Hood. 5*****

Johnson Lee: The Hacker. He was likable in here and I like how he was so madly in love with Sharon Chan. He’s really funny and this is probably his best role to date. 5*****

Koni Lui: The Shooter. She surprised me in here since I thought she was just going to be another pretty face. For her first time acting, she was excellent! I love her role since she’s really cute as an aspiring actress and extremely cool as the shooter. I was kind of disappointed with her character when she fell in love with Johnson’s character but it can be forgiven. Her crying was also really real so I look forward in watching more of her dramas in the future. 4****

Joe Ma: The Senior Inspector of the police group. His role was likable but he was so righteous that he can be annoying. 5*****

Aimee Chan: The rookie cop. For her first time acting, she wasn’t too bad either but she was definitely overshadowed by Koni. I like her unique way of spelling the name “Amy” though. 3***

Idy Chan: I have never liked her as an actress since I find her overrated and she wasn’t that great as Xiaolongnu in The Return of the Condor Heroes 1983; I thought Carmen Lee did a better job in the 1995 adaptation. Her character was kind of useless in here other than being the love interest for Damien’s character. She was annoying as a housewife but she did look good for her age. 3***

Fala Chen: I’m getting really sick/tired of watching repetitive roles portrayed by Fala. Although she’s nice in here, I found her annoying for being “stupid” in some scenes. She’s also another useless character other than being the loyal wife to Joe’s character. 3***

Sharon Chan: She was okay in here; I like her better in other dramas but at least she wasn’t annoying. 4****

Damien+Idy: They were okay; they matched in terms of looks. 3***

Joe+Fala: They were okay too. 3***

Johnson+Sharon: A lot of people like this couple but I thought they were just okay together. When did they start to like each other since it was of nowhere that they started to like each other? 3***

Johnson+Koni: Another okay couple. I don’t really get why Koni likes Johnson since she initially rejected him but I guess she saw how nice he is to Sharon? 3***

Rating: 4**** If the useless characters/love relationships were cut down or kept to a minimal and there were more schemes by Damien’s team, I would have rated this higher.

Word Twisters' Adventures

I was really excited to watch this when its costume fitting was announced because I really liked Jordan Chan in "The Duke of Mt. Deer 1998". However, I wasn't too thrilled with Charmaine Sheh pairing up with him and Michael Tse's mustache. Plus, the ratings in Hong Kong were really bad. Nevertheless, I still watched it because I'm a Charmaine fan and I really missed watching her after barely watching her in "The Drive of Life" so I gave it a try.

The first few episodes were nothing extraordinary or that interesting to continue, but I kept on watching to see if Jordan/Charmaine would save this drama. I'm glad I did because it got really interesting and funny when the Sharon Chan's case was introduced. It got even better after Charmaine and Jordan were forced to marry each other. Therefore, I absolutely love this drama and the ending wasn't too bad either; one of the better TVB endings lately. I think this drama is really underrated because it's really entertaining, funny, and witty (minus the beginning episodes and the last episode).

Charmaine Sheh: I thought she did a really great job in here; she was so cute and lovable! This is one of Charmaine's better ancient dramas. 5*****

Jordan Chan: He's great as usual in this comedic role but this role is a lot like the one in "The Duke of Mt. Deer 1998" so nothing surprising there. 5*****

Michael Tse: He was able to show two sides to his acting: serious/sad and funny/happy. And I have to say that he did an excellent job. He was hilarious when he started to speak English too. However, the mustache made him look really weird and perverted... 5*****

Sharon Chan: She shined in the beginning but kind of "died" off at the end. I felt she wasn't "evil and pitiful" enough; nevertheless, still a good performance. 4****

Suki Chui: This is my first time seeing her on screen and she was okay, not that great though. Throughout her case, her facial expressions made me think she was evil/have ulterior motives which is opposite of what her character is supposed to be: nice and really pitiful. 2**

Charmaine+Jordan: I love this pairing! They are adorable together and I couldn't get enough of them! 5*****

Charmaine+Michael: They were pretty cute together too so I felt really sad for them when they couldn't marry but Charmaine was cuter with Jordan! 3***

Michael+Suki: They were weird together and it was just awkward so I'm glad they didn't end up together, but it was kind of sad that she died and Michael ended up with nobody. 1*

Themesong by Jordan Chan: I initially didn't like it when I first heard it but it grew on me after watching the themevideo several times; it's pretty catching. It would be better if Jordan wasn't talking in the beginning though. 3***

Rating: 3.5*** I would watch this drama again.