TV Drama Review #356 - When Heaven Burns 天与地

No.of Eps: 30
Yr/TV Stn: 2011/TVB
Cast:
Bowie Lam ~ Liu Jun Xiong Joe
Moses Chan ~ Song Yi Lang Angus
Kenny Wong ~ Zheng Zhen Xuan Ronnie
Charmaine Sheh ~ Ye Zi'en Hazel
Maggie Shiu ~ Weng Zhuo Tong Emma
Synopsis: (edited from idlemindsehseh.blogspot.sg)
Due to an accident, radio DJ Ye Zi'en re-encountered her good friends and ex-band mates from her youth; Joe, Angus & Ronnie. Not only this re-encounter made them reminisce their innocent youth when they were in a music band 18 years ago, it also evoked a painful memory everyone has been trying to suppress all these years. Zi'en detested them for not rescuing her boyfriend Jia Ming in a mountaineering accident back then, following which she was constantly lost in relationships and unable to free herself. While the 3 friends feel pained for Zi'en, they are also struggling to survive in the real world. Due to the hidden knot inside their hearts, the four of them were drawn into a complex and turbulent relationships, waiting to be liberated...
Review:
This is a revolution of TVB dramas. It's plot is very dark & heavy, fulled of mixed emotions, truth and lies. Honestly, I watched with some expectations as it's very different from typical TVB plots, but the execution of the drama made the drama a little hard to follow. Perhaps I am not someone who appreciates dark plots, as I found some storyline redundant. The plot lacks a punch, the "pull factor" in order to keep viewers keep wanting more.
The whole drama tackled various themes about people, with one of them being very "glaring". The 3 guys ate up their best friend in order to survive. Is it really wrong? Are we in the position to say they are wrong? In the name of "survival", I guessed it's only normal that humans would end up like this. This is a very daring topic, and I am not surprised that many people wld be disturbed by this idea.
How they punished themselves for survivng was shown throughout the drama. Maybe they wanted to redeem their sins, but covering the truth for so many years proved to be nerve-cracking. They clearly knew they could not keep it a secret forever.
The other big theme is how music could liberate our lives. I thought that's a pretty idealist way of thinking, but one can convey and achieve things through music. I am not a rock & roll fan so I could not relate with their thinking. Haha! 
In terms of characters, none of them are perfect, and I don't like all of them. Haha! Bowie's Joe has the biggest change, from someone fighting for workers' welfare, to someone who played tricks in the cruel business world. I always said Bowie's acting was boring, though he had proved me wrong with his last few dramas. I guessed "Joe" is going to be his next classic character.
Like Bowie, Moses' performance was restricted in his older roles. So he also had a "revolution" via Angus. Angus is outright bad, unlike Joe, who pretended to be good but in fact he's not. Angus played his games well with the Weng sisters, and Joe, who became his rival.
Kenny's Ronnie pales in comparison, though Ronnie is the only one who is acting bad. He has his own set of problems, but he is willing to pay the price for it. He's the middle man between Joe and Angus, who are always on the opposite side of argument. Kenny looked emo and frowned most of the time, but I guessed that's the best he could offer as Ronnie is just more plain than the other 2.
Charmaine's Hazel did not appeal to me. She's probably the only one who has not moved on with her life. (Yeah she did got married and had an affair, but that's just to bluff herself) She did not knew the truth about Jia Ming's death, and she isolated herself. A very passive method. Anyway, she finally opened her door to her friends again, and that's how she grew, facing the truth, accept it and used music to embrace them. Well, Charmaine's acting was quite "ground-breaking" too, though to a smaller extent. She had good chemistry with the 3 male leads, though no romance came out from them :(
Maggie's age is not too easy to act as the naive Emma. It was unconvincing at first, but I slowly got used to it. Emma is not as complicated as the rest. Her main line is between her sister and Angus. She's like the fresh air in the drama as she's not related to the tragic. I guessed she's better in handling "truth" as compared to Hazel somehow.

TV Drama Review #353 - Curse of the Royal Harem 万凰之王

No.of Eps: 30
Yr/TV Stn: 2011/TVB
Cast:
Sunny Chan ~ Mian Ning/Emperor Dao Guang 
Jessica Hsuan ~ Niohuru Yi Lan/Consort Quan
Myolie Wu ~ Tunggiya Yuan Wan/Empress Xiao Shen
Joel Chan ~ Mian Xin/Prince Rui
Sire Ma ~ Le Xin
Nancy Wu ~ Cai Lan/Borjigit Jing Yu
Synopsis: (edited from Wikipedia)
Consort Quan was the sister-in-law of Emperor Dao Guang. However, Dao Guang's brother went missing after a battle and his body was never found. Empress Dowager is devastated that she lost her beloved son. She saw Quan as an ominous woman and wanted her dead. Dao Guang was already in love with Quan since he was young. One day, he announced Quan as his new concubine, which angered the Empress Xiao Shen. Partnering up with Empress Dowager, the two vowed to eradicate Quan using many different schemes to harm her. As Quan wanted to protect herself, she did not hesitate to battle the Empress to the end. During their battle, Quan accidentally discovered a major plot happening in the royal harem...
Review:
TVB is rather good with period dramas, but "COTRH" is not the best I've watched. Firstly, the costumes and make up are very different from the usual. The actresses' make up were too thick! Next, dunno when the Consorts and even Empress call themselves "slaves". It's really odd as that term is only meant for servants.
Plot wise, the developments were alright, with a few nice twists. Dao Guang is not a perfect Emperor, and despite being a women's show, the storyline did focused on the Emperor himself, who was addicted to opium. As for the rivalry between the ladies, the storyline is as usual, but the Empress Doweger stole some limelight from the 2 main ladies.
Cast was ok. Sunny is abit unconvincing with his Emperor role. Maybe I am not used to him acting as one. Haha!
Jessica was not bad, and it's not easy to see her in a role that turned evil.
Myolie tried hard to be convincing, but her acting was too stiff when Yuan Wan is still the evilish Empress. She was much better after Yuan Wan fall from grace.
Joel Chan was great in his role, and nice chemistry with Myolie.
I've seen Sire quite often, and she got the calibre to become a main lead. Too bad Le Xin is a minor character here.
I realised Nancy Wu has the calibre to act as a wicked woman! Haha! Actually Cai Lan is one of the 2 true blue "wicked" characters, besides the Empress Doweger. Nancy's acting was natural and convincing. I thought she was better than Myolie...Oops!

TV Drama Review #351 - Forensic Heroes 3 法证先锋3

No.of Eps: 30
Yr/TV Stn: 2011/TVB
Cast:
Wayne Lai ~ Bu Guo Dong
Maggie Cheung ~ Mandy Zhong Xue Xin
Ron Ng ~ Wind Li Zhan Feng
Kate Tsui ~ Ada Ling Qian Er
Aimee Chan ~ Angel Jiang Zhuo Jun
Edwin Siu ~ Ken He Zheng Min
Nancy Wu ~ Eva Zhou Yi Fei
Synopsis: (edited from Dramawiki)
Senior Forensic Chemist Jack Bu Guo Dong is the head of the Forensic Department and is skilled at analysing criminal psychology. He has a unique view on human nature and is familiar with the structure of various firearms. Bu Sir works closely with Senior Pathologist Mandy Zhong in a wide range of fields including psychology, anthropology, criminology and forensic science. CID Senior Inspector Ada Ling and Sergeant Li Zhan Feng work together cracking many murder cases. Their relationship goes from good friends 'brothers' to a pair of lovers. With a backbone of 10 cases, the forensic scientists, forensic doctors and the police all work together to accommodate each other to solve these cases.
Review:
The 2nd sequel of "Forensic Heroes" had a brand new cast, so if you've not watched the first 2 seasons, not to worry. One might though the original cast was better. I am quite pleased to let you know that this brand new cast is great as well.
Plot wise, it's the usual case by case case solving, and some cases are rather interesting. It's pretty standard for a TVB production, but you won't be sick of it. Lolz!
Cast wise, I liked Wanye and Maggie. They had good chemistry together. Initially I thought Wayne would bored the show, but I was glad that he proved me wrong. Maggie is great with her usual strong character role.
Ron & Kate have paired up for at least 3 times, and I am bored. Yawnzzz! TVB! Pls get them a new partner ok? Both of them are not bad here, just that their romance development is kind of cliche. I wondered why TVB let Kate & Ron kissed so many times. Haha! It's not that common to find the leads kissing too much in the drama, but Kate always got the luck to kiss her co-stars.
Aimee and Edwin made up another interesting pair, but it's a pity they killed off Angel.
Last but not least, Nancy Wu gave a stunning performance with her ambitious and selfish Eva. It's the first time I saw Nancy in such a matured role, even the hairstyle made her older, but it fits her character. Though I disliked Eva, I gotta praise Nancy for her convincing act. 

TV Drama Review #345 - Super Snoops 荃加福禄寿探案

No.of Eps: 20
Yr/TV Stn: 2011/TVB
Cast:
Liza Wang ~ Xin Chao Tong
Wong Cho Lam ~ Gong Ze Lan
Louis Yuen ~ Gong Du Lan
Johnson Lee ~ Cui Xu
Toby Leung ~ Yue Jiao
Special Guests: 
Ella Koon ~ Zhou Ju Ruo (ep4-6)
Linda Chung ~ Shi Ying (ep11-14)
Aimee Chan ~ Ling Miao Sha (ep15-17)
Raymond Cho ~ Xue Zhuo (ep15-17)
Synopsis: (edited from Dramawiki)
Xin Chao Tong resigned from her official duties as a madam cop due to an investigation in a mysterious case, and opens a private investigation firm. She met three pitiful people - Du Lan, Ze Lan & Cui Xu, who are suspected of being murderer of a case. Lightning struck the 4 of them and they are equipped with special powers. The 3 guys have "intangibility or phasing" ability, "superhuman fighting" ability and "mind control (to tell the truth)" ability respectively. Together, the 4 of them use their powers, creative disguises to solve cases.
Why watch?
The drama is light-hearted and entertaining. This is probably the 1st TVB drama to incorporate songs and dances in the storyline. It's funny to see the cast singing modern pop songs which are not from the era the plot is in. The plot is set in the early days and to see the private investigators cracking cases in unorthodox manners is interesting. The cases can be pretty standard, but there are some good twists and turns as well.
The cast is perfect in their roles. Liza and the 3 guys have perfect chemistry. I like to see WCL and Louis Yuen disguise as women...lolz! Johnson seems to be more "normal' though, but he is equally funny at times. Toby shed her previous image and acted well as Yue Jiao, who's an inventor..haha!
Why skip?
The plot developments can be quite lame at times, though they are not enough for one to say "No" to the drama. 

TV Drama Review #344 - River of Wine 九江十二坊

No.of Eps: 25
Yr/TV Stn: 2011/TVB
Cast:
Bowie Lam ~ Song Zheng Yao
Sunny Chan ~ Liang Zheng Kuang
Nancy Sit ~ Guan Hui Lan
Linda Chung ~ Song Zi Cheng
Ngo Ka Nin ~ Song Zi Jun
Elena Kong ~ Ding Jia Bi
Sire Ma ~ Zeng Yu Fang
Synopsis: (edited from Wikipedia)
Madam Liang is the owner of a small business with eldest son Zheng Yao, second son Zheng Kuang, and 2 daughters. Yao is a worker at the Jiujiang brewery but due to a natural disaster, rewrote the lives of the Liang and Song family. Song family’s daughter, Zi Cheng, the third mistress Jia Bi and eldest son Zi Jun were separated. The Song family decided to adopt Yao as their son and looked after the business. Kuang thought Yao became the Song family's son for the sake of wealth. Just when business for the Jiujiang wine brewery were going well, Song family's long lost son returns and wants to claim back ownership of the business. This results in a major feud between the Liangs and the Songs. Finally, when Yao tied the marriage between Cheng and Kuang, he was ready to return ownership back to the Songs. Sadly, Jun causes downfall of the family...
Why watch?
The drama looks boring, but the plot is well developed and nicely paced. I felt like stranggling Zi Jun, but that also means Ngo Ka Nin's acting was good. Ha! It's not easy to find a period drama which focused a lot on relationships, and every character has his ups and downs. 
The cast was great, and I really liked Yao-Bi couple. Bowie's acting is always the same in his dramas, but he did really well here. Lots of emotions and longingness for Bi. Their chemistry was great. Sunny might be a little old to pair with Linda, but their chemistry was great as well.
Jun-Fang couple is more cheerful, and recently I kept seeing Sire Ma. Looks like she's getting lots of attention.
Last but not least, this is Bowie's last TVB drama, and perhaps this is one of his best works.
Why skip?
The drama is typical family conflict plot, with the usual conflicts.

TV Drama Review #343 - Men with No Shadows 不速之约

No. of Eps: 20
Yr/TV Stn: 2011/TVB
Cast:
Bobby Au Yeung ~ Jiang Dong Jian
Tavia Yeung ~ Fang Xiao Fang
Raymond Lam ~ Tai Feng
John Chiang ~ Tang Jin Tian
Power Chan ~ Tang Yong Shen
Synopsis: (edited from k-tvb.net)

Respected pharmaceutical doctor Jiang Dong Jian starts up his own clinic after a drug trial incident. One day, he is approached by Tai Feng, who claims to be Satan. Tai Feng wants to take away Dong Jian's life, but Dong Jian argues that he has lots of things yet to do, including marrying Xiao Fang, whom he liked for 3 years. Feng also likes Fang, but he give up for his bigger plan. Jian and Fang finally got married, and Feng begins to take his revenge...
Why watch?
Raymond Lam acted as a Satan. How convincing cld he be? I thought it was a rare chance for him as such a role is hard to come by. Raymond did well, though he hardly wear any facial expressions throughout the show. Tai Feng is the mastermind of the entire drama, as everyone was fooled and made used by him.
It's good to see Bobby in another "not-so-perfect" role, and I really hated Dong Jian when he started to act like a bad ass. This is another foolish man. Bobby's acting is as usual, but he's more convincing than Raymond.
John and Power's side plot (father and son) was somewhat better than Bobby-Raymond-Tavia plot. The 2 veterans are great and their performance outshone the rest.
Last but not least, Raymond's theme song is great! 

Why skip?
The drama is kind of boring. I guessed the plot development was not that interesting. Standard stuff like how the blissful couple started to quarrel and doubt each other; how the foolish son betrayed his father etc.
Tavia's performance was abit boring here, guess Xiao Fang did not impress me much.

TV Drama Review #340 - Lives of Omission 潜行狙击

No.of Eps: 30
Yr/TV Stn: 2011/TVB
Cast:
Michael Tse ~ Laughing Liang Xiao Tang
Bosco Wong ~ Michael Su Xing Bo
Fala Chen ~ Jodie Zhou Wang Qing
Kate Tsui ~ Paris Yao Ke Ke
Damian Lau ~ Harry Gong Jia Pei
Synopsis: (edited from Wikipedia)
After Laughing successfully completes a long term undercover mission in Mainland China, CIB Director Superintendent Harry recruits Laughing into his department to coach new recruits. On Laughing's first day of work, he encounters a woman that greatly resembles his former lover, Karen; she is Laughing's new boss and second lead in CIB, Senior Inspector Jodie. Together, their assignment is to recruit and train rookies in the art of undercover.
For years, the CIB has been trying to crack down the one of Hong Kong's largest triads, Yee Fung. Laughing chooses to work with Michael, a crippled low-level gangster in Yee Fung. Seeing his ambition, Laughing and Michael have a mutual manipulative relationship to help each other benefit in their own situation. In the process, Michael raises within the ranks of Yee Fung and gains notoriety.
Laughing agrees to become an undercover agent for a fourth time. Using his frustration over his rookie's demise as a ploy, Laughing creates a situation where his behavior could no longer be tolerated by the Police Force and have him kicked out and even sent to jail. Mo Yi Lie, head of Yee Fung, notices Laughing's talents and recruites him as his new star member. In between undercover work, Laughing and Jodie become romantically involved.
Michael gets rid of Mo Yi Lie and soon suspects that Laughing is an undercover....
Why watch?
TVB hardly disappoints us with its detective dramas. "Laughing gor" did it again! "Lives of Omission" is a spin-off from "The Academy" and it's sort of a continuation from movie "Turning Point", which Laughing led as the main character. The plot was full of twists and turns, and the developments were churned out well. There is no one moment I find the drama boring.
The characters are well-layered, each with their own struggles and problems. It's not easy to see well-balanced characters in TVB productions.
Michael is great as usual, though there's nothing new from Laughing as he is already well established from "E.U" period. Bosco's performance was equally convincing, and he proved that he could act well. Michael can be very smart and cunning, but another side of him is very different - his love for Paris.
Fala is the rising star in TVB, and I liked Jodie. Normally TVB couples do not have much chemistry, but I felt the chemistry between Laughing and Jodie :D
I never liked Kate, and I did not like Paris. Paris kept contradicts herself, and I sort of despised her for her choice - using her law knowledge to help the baddies. She did many sacrifices for Michael, but I did not pity her.
Damian Lau's character is quite interesting as well. Everybody made mistakes, so is our superintendent. I liked to see Gong sir worked against Spicy Ginger...great scenes.
The supporting cast was great as well, be it the new cops or the gangsters.
Why skip?
No way! It's a must-watch!!

--Turning Point 2--
The movie is the real finale of the drama. The story continued from the ending of the drama version. Laughing went to jail but he was on mission again, and the baddie this time is Francis Ng. The movie also explained who killed Michael. (surprise surprise!) Actually they added a few more characters who did not appeared in the drama. Hence, it's abit "no head no tail". Kate Tsui was featured in the movie as well, but her role was quite minor.
So you might think they finally "killed off" Laughing, but I guessed the ending showed otherwise. (I don't think he's dead....)
Overall, the movie did cleared up some mysteries, but I guessed it's because they wanna extend Laughing's role, hence the additional explanation and characters. I don't think the movie did justice to the whole Laughing franchise. Francis Ng stole Michael Tse's limelight, and you cld really tell the difference in acting. Francis' character is very calm and noble on the outside, but deep down he was like a "revolutionist".
If the police can't do the job, what makes you think you can? Nobody can play god (my thoughts)

TV Drama Review #336 - The Life and Times of a Sentinel 紫禁惊雷

No.of Eps: 26
Yr/TV Stn: 2011/TVB
Cast:
Steven Ma ~ Nie Duo Bao
Kenneth Ma ~ Fu Quan/Prince Yu
Power Chan ~ Xuan Ye/Emperor Kang Xi
Selena Li ~ Zhuo Zi Ying/Princess Duan Min
Natalie Tong ~ Princess Gui Lun
Elaine Yiu ~ Man Jun/Princess Consort
Synopsis: (edited from TVB Review blog)
Nie Duo Bao is a martial art expert who signs up to be an imperial bodyguard in the Palace. Duo Bao is a righteous man and is always fighting for the rights of his people. He eventually befriends Prince Yu, who is the brother of the Emperor. Under the recomendation of Prince Yu, who is also Duo Bao's superior, Duo Bao becomes the personal bodyguard of Emperor Kang Xi. Duo Bao never imagined that the Palace would be full of backstabbings and plots. He also does not know that Fu Quan is plotting an earth shattering scheme against the Emperor. As Duo Bao spends more time with the Emperor, his loyalty is tested - should he remain loyal to his friend and benefactor, Fu Quan, or Emperor Kang Xi, who has a generous heart and loves his country deeply. In the midst of all the chaos, Duo Bao falls for Zhuo Zi Ying, the daughter of a herb merchant. However, Zi Ying ends up being entwined in the web of power struggle among the imperial concubines. As Duo Bao finds himself surrounded by friends and foes, who are constantly plotting and scheming, he has no choice but to trust no one and trust only in himself.
Why watch?
This is one rare TVB drama with a plot full of unexpected twists. Just as you thought Duo Bao's real identity is revealed, there comes another twist to throw all our beliefs away! Ho! I wld not say the plot is fantastic as there are loopholes, but the drama is packed with punch and development. 
The 2 Mas are great. Steven was great in his role, but it was Kenneth who stole the show. I hardly get to see Kenneth acting as a pure baddie, but he's awesome in his role as Fu Quan. Fu Quan's aggressiveness, cunningness, and his love for Man Jun were acted out with accurate expressions.
The ladies were not bad, though their roles were pretty minor. Selena is the usual nice girl, but I think Zi Ying shld have a better ending. No point killing her in the last 10 mins! Nat Tong's role is another sad character. Her ending was sad too....to stay in a faraway place with a husband who thought she's someone else. Heartbreaking, isn't it?
Elaine Yiu's performance was great as well, too bad Man Jun was paralysed later on, so Elaine's expressions were pretty stagnant.  
Why skip?
No reason to skip. They might have mis-cast Power to be Kang Xi, but this is not bad enough for one to skip the drama.

TV Drama Review #331 - Wax and Wane 团圆

No.of Eps: 30
Yr/TV Stn: 2011/TVB
Cast:
Roger Kwok ~ Weng Yi Jin Eugene
Sunny Chan ~ Wan Jia Feng
Ron Ng ~ Weng Yi Xing Gary
Kate Tsui ~ Wan Jia Fu Peace
Toby Leung ~ Wan Jia Man
Him Law ~ Li Bo Xi Roy
Derek Kwok ~ Wang Hong
Elaine Yiu ~ Wang Xiu Ping
Synopsis: (edited from Wikipedia)
Weng Sheng Fen and his cousin Wan Yong Chang have been at odds for years, over the trade name rights of their family's noodle shop. Eugene, Fen's eldest son engages in a property development project in order to solve the problem. Unwillingly, he offers to buy out the location of Chang's noodle shop with his company's shares. He also invites Chang's son & niece, Feng & Man, to join the company's management. Eugene actually has ulterior motives for doing this, as he hates Feng to the core for marrying his girlfriend Hui Ting (Florence Kwok). On top of this, Eugene's younger brother, Gary, is going out with Chang's second daughter, Peace, regardless of his family's opposition. Now, Eugene is at his wits' end as he has to handle his family issues single-handedly. He never understood what family ties really meant, nor had he the courage to try to find it out, until now.
Why watch?
If you like family drama with lots of misunderstandings, revenge and scheming plots. "Wax and Wane" is for you.
It's also good to see Roger and Sunny trying out roles that are not clear-cut good or bad guys. Both their characters have flaws and their acting were excellent.
Surprisingly, Kate & Toby's performances were better than I thought. Kate is the female lead, though I don't think she's a good A-lister. Peace is the nice girl in the drama, and Kate performed well. The role is not challenging actually. (I believe Kate is better with somewhat evil roles. Lolz!)
Toby has been acting supporting roles for years, luckily she got chance to show her acting with the tom-boyish Da Man Guan (Jia Man's nick name).
The baddies are good to core. Derek and Elaine really drove us mad with their scheming plots. Haha!
Why skip?
The plot is pretty cliche and typical TVB styled. The twists were expected, so nothing is surprising.
Ron Ng is still stuck with his usual character - rich boy who does not want to work, only know how to play, and being used by baddies etc. His acting has not improved, hence I felt disappointed.

TV Drama Review #329 - The Other Truth 真相

No.of Eps: 25
Yr/TV Stn: 2011/TVB
Cast:
Ruco Chan ~ Keith Liu Si Jie
Tavia Yeung ~ Mavis Kang Zhi Xin
Raymond Wong ~ Wallace Zhuo Shao Qian
Louis Yuen ~ James Wei Wen Han
Natalie Tong ~ Cecilia Pan Qiao Ru
Lai Lok Yi ~ Danny Mao Jing Ye
Special Guest: 
Kenneth Ma ~ Alex Jiang Luo Wen
Synopsis: (edited from Dramawiki)
Barrister Keith Liu's ambition knows no limits. He will do everything he can in order to win a case, even if it means putting himself at risk. His good friend Wallace Zhuo runs a law firm. Although Wallace is a qualified barrister, he has no court experience, until he gets to know Mavia Kang, who's another barrister working in Keith's Chamber. Thereafter, Wallace's debut meets with loud acclaim. Their good friend, James Wei, is a down-on-his-luck lawyer who is financially dependent on his mother: but when a thorny case comes his way, it looks as if his luck has finally changed.
Why watch?
This drama is Ruco Chan's representative work from TVB. Actually it is surprisingly to know that Raymond, who is already an A-lister, is the 2nd lead guy in this drama. As per Ruco's previous works in TVB, he is not meant to be a male lead. So after Michael Tse and Wayne Lai, Ruco should be the 3rd guy who is from the "forever B lister but suddenly rose to A lister" category. I agreed that Ruco's performance here is really great. I like his acting, and he got the charisma.
I love Tavia's professional image. She looked confident! Like her scenes with Ruco, but she did not end up with any guys in the end! (We shall anticipate the sequel ya?)
Natalie is impressive as well, though her character's fate was sad.
Last but not least, it's not common to get A lister Kenneth Ma to be a guest . Alex is an interesting fella. On one hand he is cunning, but on the other hand, he's so true to Cecilia (even though he killed her). Kenneth's face changed swiftly, from devilish to a deeply in love man. Impressive.
Why skip?
If you don't like courtroom shows, then this drama might not be for you. However, I think this drama is worth your time.

TV Drama Review #327 - Ghetto Justice 怒火街头

No.of Eps: 20
Yr/TV Stn: 2011/TVB
Cast:
Kevin Cheng ~ Luo Li Ya
Myolie Wu ~ Wang Si Ku
Sam Lee ~ Ding Jia Fu
Joyce Tang ~ Di Wu Ting
Sharon Chan ~ He Li Jing
Synopsis:
Luo Li Ya used to practice law for personal fame and glory but after setting up a Legal Advice Centre with his cousin GEORGE MIKE JR. and his good friend Ting Jia Fu in Sham Shui Po, Li Ya changes his mind and realises that legal representation is not only a privilege of the rich. Soon, Li Ya becomes the People’s Hero of Sham Shui Po, helping grassroots groups fight against injustice with unconventional tactics. On the other hand, barrister Wong Si Ku, who used to admire Li Ya for his invincible performances, starts to disdain him for downgrading to a ghetto lawyer. However, after a few court cases with him, the two start to appreciate each other and fall in love. Besides succeeding in her relationship, Si Ku tries to become an elite practitioner in town. In order to gain advancement, she seizes every chance to get close to the renowned barrister Jiang Bo Qi. Si Ku is embroiled in a lawsuit. In order to save Si Ku, Li Ya has no choice but to challenge the law.
Why should you watch?
Kevin Cheng's performance finally justified his win for the best actor award last yr. Kevin transformed from his clean & rich handsome guy image to a lawyer who dressed shabbily and looked more like a gangster. Lolz! Kevin's portrayal of Luo Li Ya was very natural and convincing. Chemistry with Myolie was great too.
Myolie brought life to her character, Wang Si Ku, but I think she still need to improve on her acting.
Support cast was great. Joyce Tang and Sam Lee were very good in their roles, but Sharon Chan outshine them with her prostitute role. Sharon was always a supporting actress but this drama gave her a chance to show us that she could act well. Good job!
Why you should not watch? 
Can't find a reason :p

TV Drama #320 - Yes Sir, Sorry Sir 点解阿Sir系阿Sir

No.of Eps: 30
Yr/TV Stn: 2011/TVB
Cast:
Moses Chan ~ Luo Yao Hua
Tavia Yeung ~ He Miao Xue
Linda Chung ~ Gu Jia Lan
Ron Ng ~ Cheng Wen Li
Synopsis: (edited from Dramawiki)
Despite the fact that he comes from a long line of disciplined workers, Luo Yao Hua is a teacher of a Band 3 school. One day, he was urged to resign after being vilified by his students as a peeping Tom. At present, the triads have expanded their drug network at local schools. Hua, who has turned a cop, is told to go undercover at the school where he used to teach. At school, he is impressed by the enthusiasm of a new teacher He Miao Xue. He also realize that he was too strict with his students in the past. With a determination to boost students’ confidence, Xue invites bowling expert Gu Jia Lan to teach bowling at the school. When Hua learns about Lan's triad background, he decides to go after her hoping to get close to her brother-in-law. Hua also finds himself in a contest of wits with Inspector Cheng Wen Li, who has been assigned to work as a liaison officer at the school. On one hand, Li is attracted to Xue but on the other, she only loves Hua. All of a sudden, Hua, Xue, Lan and Li find themselves involved in a complicated love polygon.

Slacker's review:

"Yes Sir"  is a police-triad drama with the school as the background. Plot was standard, but the concept of putting a spy in school was out of the box. The drama's pace was not bad, though I felt that 30 episodes were pretty long.
Moses' performance in the drama was not bad, but I was only impressed when he handled the scenes whereby Hua revealed the truth to Lan. The guiltiness Hua felt was shown well via Moses' acting. Moses might seemed a little exaggerating in other scenes, but it was more to provide comic relief.
Tavia's acting is getting better, and she's good at handling emotional scenes. We did not have a straightforward happy ending for Hua & Xue, but I like it this way. It wld be unacceptable for Hua to date Xue immediately after hurting Lan.
As compared to Tavia, Linda's performance seemed to be weaker. I liked Linda's "Ms Cool", but being cool is not easy. Finally we saw her smiling and behaving normal when Lan dated Hua, but the girl was hurt badly when her sis and Hua betrayed her trust. The character had development, but Linda's performance did not seem to make it somehow. I just felt she cld do better.
Ron's Wen Li was the usual rash cops who was biased against the band 3 kiddos. I did not feel much for Li as this character is just a typical support role. I hope TVB gives Ron more chances to prove his acting. He's not well-known for being a good actor, but he can perform better than this.
Theme song is "Chun Feng Hua Yu" by Ron Ng & Moses Chan.

TV Drama Review #318 - The Rippling Blossom 鱼跃在花见

No.of Eps: 20
Yr/TV Stn: 2011/TVB
Cast:
Julian Cheung ~ Yu Zhi Ying
Michael Tse ~ Yu Zhi Xiao
Tavia Yeung ~ Sai Si Long
Myolie Wu ~ Jiang Jiang
Damian Lau ~ Murong Cheng
Synopsis: (edited from Dramawiki)
A Hong Kong dining mogul leaves behind a sushi restaurant to his second wife, their son, Zhi Xiao and the son from his third wife, Zhi Ying. Xiao and Ying are remarkable Japanese cuisine chefs whose main aim in life is to pursue excellence in chefhood. Although Xiao and Ying have different mothers, they get along very well. When their father's first wife creates trouble for the restaurant, Xiao declares to challenge her, claiming whoever wins will have the restaurant. The first wife sends her personal nurse, Si Long to get close to Xiao. On the other hand, their supply for fresh food has been shut out. Ying has to make a trip to Hokkaido to buy fish. He meets Jiang Jiang, a willful girl from a wealthy family on the plane. They also meet Murong Cheng, who is known as "The God of Fish" by chance in the fish market. As the relationship between Ying and Jiang grows, Jinag finds out that Cheng is actually her long lost father. Cheng becomes Ying's mentor and helps him through the competition to win the first overseas Japanese restaurant franchise in Hong Kong. As Ying's career grows, Xiao becomes more jealous of his brother and starts to scheme with Si Long to get his father's fortunes. As Xiao and Ying meet with setbacks in their careers, family and their loved ones after their attempt to save the restaurant, the two brothers decide to have a competition once and for all.  
Slacker's review:
Julian is back on the small screen!!! Actually he's the main reason why I watched this drama. The storyline is predictable, but some parts made no sense to me, especially the r/s b/w Xiao and Long. Well, the consolation is I get to see the delicious sushi!!!  Yummy!
Julian does not seem to age, and he has good chemistry with his co-cast. His character Zhi Ying is more realistic, whereas Michael's Zhi Xiao is too stiff & unnatural. Actually Michael's performance was good, but Xiao is not a character one wld feel close to.
Tavia seems to be the "hot" actress on par with Myolie now. I do believe she's a better actress as compared to Myolie, and she did not disappoints me. Though I think Si Long is a pretty flawed character, Tavia managed to express her emotions well from being scheming, feeling blissful to regretful tears.
Myolie's Jiang Jiang is the typical rich and stubborn girl. Quite irritating yet clever girl. I liked Myolie, but sometimes her acting was kind of forceful. I think I prefer her in more matured roles, but her looks did give her some constraints.
The surprise came from Damian Lau. The veteran's acting was so different as per his norm! Murong is such a whacky and odd person. Damian's previous roles were pretty serious, so Murong is totally a break-free of his previous images.
Theme song is "Jiu Jing Hai You Ji Shen" by Julian Cheung.

TV Drama Review #317 - Only You 只有您

No.of Eps: 30
Yr/TV Stn: 2011/TVB
Cast:
Louise Lee as Zhuang Si Tian
Yoyo Mung as Mai Yi Min Mandy
Kevin Cheng as Xia Tian Sheng Summer
Natalie Tong as Ma Xiao Qing
Chris Lai as Zhang Jing Yuan King
Synopsis: (edited from TVBreview)
Yi Min is a boastful, frank & unrelenting woman who wants to be a wedding planner. She thinks that a wedding planner's job is simple and uncomplicated but comes with an attractive income. Si Tian, an expert in the wedding industry refuses to take Yi Min as her apprentice because she can see through Yi Min and knows her real motive. Yi Min is still determined to get into the wedding industry and does her best to please Tian's younger brother, Si Qi and his wife, Fei Fei. The couple end up hiring Yi Min to work in their bridal wear shop. Yi Min is determined to make something big out of her new career but the sudden appearance of photographer, Summer, makes her think about life's true meaning and purpose. In their course of work, Yi Min and Summer meet many types of characters - from squabbling couples and distressed couples to neurotic brides and couples with disabilities. Every couple they meet has a unique love story of their own. These couples exchange their wedding vows full of love and hope for the future. Yi Min and Summer love one another but their different outlook on life starts to tear them apart...
Slacker's review:
"Only You" is surprisingly a long drama. The plot is typical, but to see King and his gf killed in the last few epis is disturbing. They are getting married, but were killed together. Holding their hands tightly before they were consumed by fire. Very sad yet touching.
Louise's Tian is one of the lead roles, and she has lots of personal struggles in work and family. Yoyo's Min is pretty annoying, but she changed for the better and is much more approachable. Chemistry with Kevin is alright though.
Kevin's Summer is not a difficult character for him, so his performance is average. I pitied Summer for loving a woman who did not deserve his undying love. Glad to see Min beside him but I did not like how he rejected her feelings.
Natalie & Chris are supporting cast. Nat had more scenes with Louise as the mum & daughter had lots of conflicts.
It's a pity that Chris is still a B list actor till now. His performance is average....not much character development.

TV Drama Review #309 - 7 Days In Life 隔离七日情

No.of Eps: 20
Yr/TV Stn: 2011/TVB
Cast:
Steven Ma ~ Yi Zao An Calvin
Sonija Kwok ~ Wang Jia Yu Christy
Bosco Wong ~ Zhao Zhan Long
Patrick Tang ~ Dai Shao Nan
Joyce Cheng ~ Tang Jing
Synopsis:
Criminal Investigation Department officer Zhan Long follows some kidnappers to a hotel while on duty. As soon as he enters the hotel, the medical authorities announce the closure of the hotel after a guest is found positive for having the H1N1 virus. While he was in the hotel, he meets all sorts of people including Calvin Yi, who pretends to be a Thai-Chinese jeweller and his partner Christy, who pretended to be a rich man's wife. Although Long knows that Calvin has nothing to do with the kidnapping, he believes something sinister is going on b/w Calvin & Christy. He join hands with blundering reporter Tang Jing to probe into the case. As they go deeper, they are not only astonished by the guests’ stories but also their identities. The 7-days closure will come to an end...
Slacker's review:
I bet the cast had an "easy" time to film most of the drama in the same place, the hotel. Ha! "7 days" got an interesting background with H1N1, and the whole drama revolved ard the people in the hotel. 7 days in the hotel seemed so long for a 20 episode drama, so it was boring to see the cast at the same place everyday. There turned out to be some good twists with Calvin & Christy's storyline, and the ending for them was not bad. Nice endings don't always have to be happy...
Steven's performance was average here, though it's nice to see him with not-so-good roles. Calvin is a guy full of plans and he hid his feelings very well. Chemistry with Sonija was not too bad, but I felt their scenes together were too little.
I liked Sonija's portrayal of Christy. Christy is a character full of developments, from being a smart thief to being fooled/betrayed by her partner, to finding out the truth of the whole incident etc.
Bosco's character is typical, and you can't fault him much. Ending for Long was a little crappy. I thought he wld end up with Tang Jing leh....
Patrick Tang's Nan is one of the crucial guys in the drama, as he is linked to the kidnapping. Though it's a pity to see Patrick acting in supporting roles, he did nt disappoint us with his acting.
Good to see Joyce Cheng, and I did not think much of her acting previously. Jing is very suitable for her and her acting was natural.
Theme song "Jin Kuai Ai" by Bosco Wong.