Table of Glory 乒乓圆

March 31, 2009 in 2009 Dramas, Dramas

this drama debuts on 1 April 2009 at 9pm on Channel 8 :)

my forum-er, who has MOBTV, warns that it’s really very disappointing. awww.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL POST @ dramafocus :D

update: dramafocus; Table of Glory 乒乓圆; 5 movie reviews

March 22, 2009 in 2009 Dramas, Dramas, Personal, Special!
Tags: 煮妇的假期, drama focus, dramafocus, housewive's holiday, Table of Glory, 乒乓圆

greetings to all my readers!!

it’s been a while since i’ve blogged; really sorry about not updating!

i’ve been busy with the preparations for the official opening of my new site “Drama Focus ~i’m the girl who reviews~” (http://dramafocus.com)
the site is actually done already, so i hope all of you can visit, read, comment there, and PLEASE SUPPORT ME BY CLICKING THE ADS!!! :)
it’ll be great if you could click everytime you visit and exit!! :) thanks, that will be greatly appreciated!

please also join the forum (http://dramafocus.com/forum)

“Drama Focus ~i’m the girl who reviews~” (http://dramafocus.com) was set up on 14 March 2009.
However, i’ll set the official launch date on 14 April 2009. this day will also mark the end of my 2 year and 5 month wordpress journey, and will signify the start of my blogging journey using a .com url!

thank you, my dear readers, for the continuous support you’ve given me over these past 2 years. i hope i’ll continue to have your support and encouragement over at the new site :)
let’s make the new site and forum a success!!

best wishes,
qingling~

***

DRAMA UPDATES

currently airing at 9pm on Ch 8 on weeknights is “Housewive’s Holiday 煮妇的假期“. i only watched the 1st episode, and didn’t feel that it was worth spending time to watch. it was quite funny, but i’d expect more of the same antics and ranting, raving and similar situations which appear in any other drama. i’m so sorry to announce that i won’t be reviewing this series.

what i’m really looking forward to is the debut of “Table of Glory 乒乓圆” on Wednesday, 1st April 2009, at 9pm on Channel 8.

this drama stars: “new ah-ge” Dai Yangtian, Joshua Ang, Teresa Tseng, Kym Ng, Guo Liang, Kola Zhou (from Star Search 2007), Koh Yah Hwee, Constance Song, Zheng Geping, Rayson Tan, Zhang Wenxiang… (i haven’t found a full cast list yet!)

i got this synopsis from the Mediacorp forum–

Synopsis:
After the untimely death of his mother, Ah Woo (Joshua Ang) became withdrawn and spends most of his time paddling a table tennis ball against the wall. His best and only friend, Mai Xiao Fen (Teresa Tseng) is a national table tennis player coached personally by her mother Mai Tian Tian (Kym Ng). However Xiao Fen is dogged by the stigma of always winning fourth place in all competitions, which affected her confidence.

Xiao Fen’s team mate Zhang Zi Yi (Kola Zhou Ying) takes a liking to Ah Woo and encourages him to play professionally. While everyone else has their doubts, Ah Woo is talent scouted by Lin Da Di (Zhang Wenxiang), a prominent player in the field but with a set of unorthodox training method. When Ah Woo started winning competitions, everyone took notice. His success caught the attention of He Jia Jun (Dai Yang Tian), the best male player in the national team, but how will Ah Woo measure against the best? Will he fulfill his dreams to become a world-class player?

Cast: Dai Yangtian, Joshua Ang, Teresa Tseng, Kym Ng, Guo Liang, Kola Zhou, Zheng Geping, Rayson Tan, Zhang Wenxiang…

this drama looks really exciting! even though a sports-themed drama like 2004’s “The Champion” and 2008’s “Beach.Ball.Babes”, this drama has so much more publicity than its predecessors, with trailers starting in February!
it’s Joshua Ang’s 1st official drama role (his role in “Crimebusters x2” was only a cameo)! it’s also Dai Yangtian’s 3rd role, and this will be his 1st main role. wow, he progressed from unknown newbie to “new ah-ge” in only a year! i’m still amazed.

i typed “乒乓圆” into youtube, and it came up with a slew of trailers and interviews. if you’re interested, CLICK HERE!

more behind-the-scenes pictures and info from Paul Chan:
– feature on DYT and Joshua Ang
– feature on Kola Zhou

– photo gallery from Joshua Ang’s blog

– feature with links to interviews HERE (courtesy of mysteryblogger)

THIS DRAMA LOOKS VERY PROMISING! FOR SURE, WITHOUT DOUBT, I’LL BE WATCHING!!! :)

***

OTHER UPDATES

since i’ve not been watching the 9pm drama, or the 7pm ATV drama, or the 7pm Korean drama, i’ve got nothing much to review.

of course i could do all my overdue reviews (The Little Nyonya and Love Blossoms), or review all the TVB dramas which i’m supposed to and which are super overdue too.
(by the way, i’m trying to integrate my ~i’m the girl who reviews: TVB~ site into dramafocus too, but that will take a bit longer. there are some complications!)

but in light of my pending official launch date, i’ve decided to do something special. unfortunately for die-hard drama fans, it’s got nothing to do with the TV-dramas we all love. instead, i’ll review 5 movies i’ve seen in the cinemas recently :) hope you’ll enjoy my reviews. i don’t think i’ve done movie reviews before!

1. Marley and Me (3.0/5.0)
2. Dragonball: Evolution (4.0/5.0)
3. Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li (1.5/5.0)
4. Race to Witch Mountain (3.5/5.0)
5. Hotel for Dogs (4.0/5.0)

these reviews will all be in situated in the new site dramafocus.com.

Housewives’ Holiday 煮妇的假期

March 4, 2009 in 2009 Dramas, Dramas
Tags: ann kok, brandon wong, 煮妇的假期, hong huifang, housewive's holiday, rayson tan, xiang yun, yao wenlong

this drama starts on 4th March 2009, at 9pm on Channel 8.

starring:
Hong Huifang as Chen Simei, Ann Kok as Alice, Xiang Yun as Ai Qin, Brandon Wong as Chen Weibin, Yao Wenlong as Zhang Jia Sheng, Rayson Tan as Brian

official site HERE
synopsis from Mediacorp site

Three housewives become friends when they worked together to nab a thief that stole bras from the neighbourhood.

Each housewife is different in character. Chen Si Mei, 42, is very thrifty and looks out for small advantages. Alice, 40, is the modern one, who enjoys making herself look good. Zhong Ai Qin, 39, is a natural worrier.

Alice looks down on the others and pretends she’s a rich tai tai. Si Mei, in a bid to stand up to Alice, lies that her husband is a rich businessman.

Each has a different set of problems – a philandering husband, interfering in-laws and marriages that have lost their romance.

All things come to a head when Alice discovers her husband has a mistress. Ai Qin, too is shocked when her suspicions about her husband is confirmed. Si Mei is devastated when she finds that her husband has resumed his gambling habit again.

The three women, who had been fighting secretly amongst one another, realise they are all in the same boat. All their sacrifices for their families had come to a nought. It was time for them to live for themselves.

They decide to go for a long holiday and set off without saying goodbye to their families. Their disappearances cause chaos in their families.

Ai Qin decides to divorce her husband but her husband pleads for forgiveness. Alice is touched by her husband, Jia Sheng’s sincerity and forgives him. Si Mei returns home and realises that her husband has finally kicked the gambling habit.

does this drama remind anyone of “La Femme”? Ann Kok’s part of the trio again! haha :) and Yao Wenlong’s in here too – and as a husband who is having an affair. AGAIN!
what’s different is that this drama will concentrate on people in the heartlands. Hong Huifang’s character lives in a 3-room flat; Xiang Yun’s character lives in a 4-room flat; and Ann Kok’s character lives in a 5-room flat.
i think there will be more comedy in this drama than “La Femme”. i think it’s guranteed to be ‘less serious’ than “La Femme”. OK, i should stop comparing it to “La Femme”!!! haha :)

wait a moment. i just visited the forum, and saw the comparison to HK-TVB drama “The Family Link”, which was a drama about housewives. OMG. it’s almost exactly the same!!

1. Hong Huifang’s character with Kiki Sheung’s character — the ‘ugly’ housewife
2. Ann Kok’s character with Cecilia Yip’s character — the ‘so-called’ taitai
3. Xiang Yun’s character with Sheren Tang’s character — the ‘once-pretty-but-has-now-neglected-her-looks’ housewife; a worrier

i’m pretty amazed that in the show, Ann Kok’s supposed to be older than Xiang Yun! another notable point i gathered from the forum is that (and now i remember) Xiang Yun played Ann Kok’s MOTHER in “Kinship”!!! other than that… Hong Huifang really looks so horrible! haha :)

i like the fact that actors and actresses — Hong Huifang, Xiang Yun, Brandon Wong, Yao Wenlong and Rayson Tan, who are always playing supporting roles (with the exception of Ann Kok) are given the chance to play the leading roles! it gives us a break from the princesses and ah-ges, who i think are over-worked, ‘cos we see them in every other show :)

hmm… it’s from the same people as “Nanny Daddy”! i see. i really really DIDN’T LIKE that show.
anyway, it’s a rather simple plot, i don’t know how it’ll fair, but i’ll be watching… more updates when i’ve seen more episodes!! :)

CLICK HERE to see the special preview!!!

Star Awards 2009 红星大奖 2009: YOUNG TALENT AWARD

February 26, 2009 in 2008 Dramas, 2009 Dramas, 红星大奖 2008, 红星大奖 2009, Dramas, Star Awards, Star Awards 2008, Star Awards 2009
Tags: mediacorp, Young Talent Award

Click HERE for the FULL list of nominations!!

===

*all nominations are listed according to alphabetical order*

YOUNG TALENT AWARD 青苹果奖

1. 陈宇萱 as Little Yueniang from “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   
2. 林家安 as Chen Tiantian from “By My Side 不凡的爱”
   
3. 胡康乐 as Huang Rongxuan from “La Femme 绝对佳人”
   
4. 彭修轩 as Weijie from “Just in Singapore 一房半厅一水缸”
   
5. 黄馨仪 as Feifei from “Love Blossoms I 心花朵朵开”
6. 林咏谊 as Lin Keke from “Perfect Cut 一切完美”

[sorry, can’t find pics of Feifei and Lin Yongyi, please help me!!!]
qingling~

陈宇萱 as Little Yueniang from “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹” — she really impressed me, especially after her mother and father died, when she was demanding, shouting and shouting, begging the Japanese soldiers to give her her father’s body, so that she can bury her parents together. she was such a strong girl; that scene was so touching. :)

林家安 as Chen Tiantian from “By My Side 不凡的爱” — i found her pretty irritating. but nevertheless, her role was probably the biggest of all the nominees. moreover, i didn’t follow this drama. so i can’t really say much.

胡康乐 as Huang Rongxuan from “La Femme 绝对佳人” — this boy impressed so much that he even has a site dedicated to screencaptures of him! HERE. i didn’t watch this drama, but in the episodes where i saw him, he was pretty good too.

彭修轩 as Weijie from “Just in Singapore 一房半厅一水缸” — he was great! the good son any parent but his would like to have. he was caring, and had a backbone, and took very good care of his siblings. a pity his character ended up with a miserable fate; he lost his leg! poor boy.

黄馨仪 as Feifei from “Love Blossoms I 心花朵朵开” — i enjoyed watching her as Feifei. she was a good girl, and she really looked so pitiful when she started crying.

林咏谊 as Lin Keke from “Perfect Cut 一切完美” — there is some confusion with the shows she is nominated for. till now, im not sure if she’s nominated for “Perfect Cut” or “Live Again”. whatever it is, i don’t think this is the year for her to win, mainly because her role in “Reunion Dinner” is more outstanding, and i would really like her to win for that!

i’d like to win: 陈宇萱 as Little Yueniang from “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹” (based on the fact that her acting touched me; she was very convincing.)

who would win: 林家安 as Chen Tiantian from “By My Side 不凡的爱” (based on the fact that she made the biggest impression to majority of the viewers)

(by Shi Liang)

predictions to win / want to win: 林家安 as Chen Tiantian from “By My Side 不凡的爱”

why: her acting is very natural.

Star Awards 2009 红星大奖 2009: BEST THEMESONG

February 26, 2009 in 2007 Dramas, 2008 Dramas, 2009 Dramas, 红星大奖 2008, 红星大奖 2009, Dramas, Star Awards, Star Awards 2008, Star Awards 2009
Tags: BEST THEMESONG, mediacorp

Click HERE for the FULL list of nominations!!

===

*all nominations are listed according to alphabetical order*

BEST THEME SONG 最佳电视主题曲

1. ‘如燕 （Ru Yan）’ by Olivia Ong from “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
2. ‘路 （Lu）’ by Mi Lu Bing from “The Golden Path 黄金路”
3. ‘我知道我变漂亮了 （Wo Zhi Dao Wo Bian Piao Liang Le）’ by Chew Sin Huey from “Perfect Cut 一切完美”
4. ‘心花朵朵开 （Xin Hua Duo Duo Kai）’ by Cavin Soh from “Love Blossoms I 心花朵朵开”
5. ‘屋檐（Wu Yan）’ by Yi Xun from “Just in Singapore 一房半厅一水缸”
6. ‘幻听（Huan Ting）’ by Daren Tan from “Crimebusters x2 叮当神探”

i’m not doing a commentary about the theme songs. my choices are purely personal, based on the tune…

i’d like to win: ‘我知道我变漂亮了 （Wo Zhi Dao Wo Bian Piao Liang Le）’ by Chew Sin Huey from “Perfect Cut 一切完美” [based on the fact that 1) i like Chew Sin Huey’s singing! 2) i like the tune 3) related to points 1 + 2  – i have 23 plays of the same song in my iTunes! haha :) ]

what would win: ‘路 （Lu）’ by Mi Lu Bing from “The Golden Path 黄金路” (based on the fact that i think “The Golden Path” needs more wins when its nomination list pales in comparison to “The Little Nyonya”)

(by Shi Liang)

predictions to win / want to win: ‘如燕 （Ru Yan）’ by Olivia Ong from “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
why: beautiful lyrics and music. it suits the drama very well!

(by Qinghao)

would like to win: ‘幻听（Huan Ting）’ by Daren Tan from “Crimebusters x2 叮当神探”. it’s one of my favourite songs, especially the part where it’s heading into the chorus.
think will win: ‘路 （Lu）’ by Mi Lu Bing from “The Golden Path 黄金路” is also a great song and has a high percentage of getting the award, probably because of the meaningful lyrics the song has. To me, it totally describes every path (路) of our lives.

Star Awards 2009 红星大奖 2009: BEST NEWCOMER

February 26, 2009 in 2008 Dramas, 2009 Dramas, Celebrities, 红星大奖 2008, 红星大奖 2009, Dramas, Star Awards, Star Awards 2008, Star Awards 2009
Tags: BEST NEWCOMER, mediacorp

Click HERE for the FULL list of nominations!!

===

*all nominations are listed according to alphabetical order*

BEST NEWCOMER 最佳新人

1. Andie Chen (”The Defining Moment”, “The Little Nyonya”)
   
2. Dai Yangtian (”Taste of Love”, “The Little Nyonya”)
   
3. Jerry Yeo (”Beach.Ball.Babes”, “Crime Busters x2″)
   
4. Koh Yah Hwee (”Love Blossoms”, “Reunion Dinner”)
   
5. Paige Chua (”Just in Singapore”, “La Femme”, “Crime Busters x2″)
   
6. Zhang Zhen Huan (”The Dream-catchers”)
   

MY THOUGHTS:

Andie Chen — he’s the winner of Star Search 2007. i didn’t think much of him in his debut appearance in “The Defining Moment”. he was just a spoilt good-for-nothing kid, who depended on his family’s (his sister’s more like) money to venture into businesses which only lose money. and his character wasn’t smart either, and was always getting cheated. but i found that he was a pretty suitable choice to play Tianbao in “The Little Nyonya”. his onscreen chemistry with his father (Darren Lim) was very natural. he’s a good actor (of course there’s room for improvement), and i’ve seen that he has crossed over to Channel 5 to do some shows too. pretty versatile!

Dai Yangtian — from China; signed on by Mediacorp in 2007. what MORE can i say?! nothing much was known of him when he made his debut in “Taste of Love”, but when he appeared (for a mere 5 episodes) in “The Little Nyonya”, as the mild-mannered Japanese photographer hero, everyone wanted to know WHO HE WAS! if i remember correctly, when the drama went back to the 1930s, he was the first character to appear. he made such a big impact as Yamamoto Yousuke, that he (who was virtually unknown) shot to fame, overnight, clinching 2/8 of the ‘Top 8 Most Likable Male Lead Characters 年度8大最喜爱的男角色‘ – for “Taste of Love 缘之烩” and and “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”. i think we’ll be able to see how versatile he is when he plays the lead in “Table of Glory”, as a bad-attitude ping-ping player.

Jerry Yeo — the 1st runner-up of Star Search 2007. his debut was in “Beach.Ball.Babes 球爱大战” as Jesseca Liu’s goody-two-shoes brother, where he tried romancing Dawn Yeoh’s character, and then he guest-starred and played the mentally unsound genius in “Crime Busters x2 叮当神探” where he murdered someone very brutally. he was also in “Perfect Cut”, but i didn’t see that; however, i’ve heard he was impressive there! i was impressed by his role, however small, in “Crime Busters x2 叮当神探”. it seemed so real and looked so real that it freaked me out.

Koh Yah Hwee — a finalist from Star Search 2007. she was the first Star Search ’07 alumi to make her screen debut. in “Love Blossoms”, she was the youngest daughter, Wenzhu. in the drama, she won a campus beauty contest, and was offered an acting contract with the TV station. there, she rose quickly to fame, which infuriated dethroned ah-jie (May Phua), who created a lot of trouble for her. she then appeared in “Reunion Dinner” as the goody-two-shoes older daughter who had a scare, when she thought she was pregnant. both her characters are pretty much the same; i’d like to see her in a more challenging role!

Paige Chua — she made her debut in “Just in Singapore”, where she was the materialistic girl wanting to erase her lowly background, and acknowledge her wealthy father and marry into a rich family; at the same time, she won a campus beauty contest. her character was really hateable! she was so selfish, and very ice-queen-ish. argh!! then she appeared in “La Femme”, where she was a married woman, who was childish and threw tantrums. she didn’t carry her role very well there as she was not really good at portraying a bubbly character. then came the role in which she impressed, as a mentally disturbed forensic pathologist. she was really great there! she was full of pain, angst, suffering…

Zhang Zhenhuan — he’s from “U are the One”. i’ve seen him as one of the 6 hosts of the eco-friendly, saving the earth show, with Jeff Wang etc. on Ch U, and he also acts in “The Dream-catchers”. he’s the only host on this list, and he’s not made much an impression, as compared to the rest. his appearance in “The Dream-catchers” may have come too late and too close to the awards that people would overlook him as a nominee. i don’t have much of an impression of him. his works pale in comparison to the rest of the nominees.

i’d like to win: Jerry Yeo (based on the fact that i was really impressed by his acting! for a newcomer, he has the versatility of a more experienced actor. he really impressed me in “Crime Busters x2”, where he played a mentally-psycho genius. so real; so scary; he’s so pro!)

who would win: Dai Yangtian (he’s rightly named ‘Mr Little Nyonya’. other than the drama itself, Jeanette Aw, and songs, he’s the other thing which got people talking! his role in “The Little Nyonya” is definately the turning-point in his career. and that turning-point will most definately be a Best Newcomer award. see what happened to this barely known actor in the Countdown Show awards? he played only 2 roles, and he won for both of them!)

(by Shi Liang)

predictions to win / want to win: Dai Yangtian
why: “The Little Nyonya” is only his 2nd drama, and he managed to perform really well. i also like his pairing with Jeanette Aw.

Star Awards 2009 红星大奖 2009: BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

February 26, 2009 in 2007 Dramas, 2008 Dramas, 2009 Dramas, 红星大奖 2008, 红星大奖 2009, Dramas, Star Awards, Star Awards 2008, Star Awards 2009
Tags: BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, mediacorp

Click HERE for the FULL list of nominations!!

===

*all nominations are listed according to alphabetical order*

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS 最佳女配角

1. Cai Peixuan as Rougu-mei for “The Golden Path 黄金路”
   
2. Eelyn Kok as Huang Zhenzhu for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   
3. Li Yinzhu as Chen Lao-tai for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   
4. Lin Meijiao as Guihua for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   
5. Ng Hui as Ah-Tao for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   
6. Xiang Yun as Tianlan for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   

MY THOUGHTS:

wow! the category dominated by “The Little Nyonya” women!

what?! Li Yinzhu is nominated for her role in “The Little Nyonya” not “Just in Singapore”?! that’s so sad. if she’d been nominated for her role in “Just in Singapore”, i’d be rooting for her to win. now i guess this win will have to go to another… Li Yinzhu’s role in “The Little Nyonya” was nothing special. she was just a grand-old-lady who spoke slowly, and was very prim and proper in her mannerisms. other than that, she had to look sickly. nothing much. why wasn’t she nominated for her role as ‘zi-dong sao’ in “Just in Singapore”?! that’s so disapointing!!!

Cai Peixuan impressed in “The Golden Path”, and everyone was asking who she was. it was the first time Singaporean viewers had seen her onscreen (she acted in collaborations aired in Malaysia earlier). she made such an impression that she was soon just called ‘rougu-mei’, after her character in the show. i felt that she did a pretty good job, and held her own, sharing most of her screentime with ah-ge Li Nanxing.

Eelyn Kok was the evil Zhenzhu in “The Little Nyonya”. she was so selfish, whiny and downright horrible. she did everything for herself, even at the expense of her loved ones (she cruelly walked away from her sister who was being raped)… she was always out to sabotage and wreak havoc; she always looked so detestable! she has improved from her Best Supporting Actress nominated role in “Kinship” (Star Awards 2007), but i’m not sure if it is enough to make her a front runner for this award this year.

Lin Meijiao — the evil matriarch in “The Little Nyonya”. she did so many evil thing possible, and ruled her household by putting the fear in everyone. when she cold-heartedly broke Tao (Ng Hui)’s leg, it put so much fear into Tao that she refused to make eye contact with her anymore. Lin Meijiao had this evil stare which made her look so fierce, and frightening. a definite favourite for the win!

Ng Hui — a favourite for the win! as Ah-Tao, the lovable maid, she showed a different side of herself which, us, as the audience have not seen her before. she managed to bring the life into this character :) this is her breakthrough role. she is better known as Ah-Tao now, so you can see how much her performance in this drama has benefitted her career! her portrayal just made me go ‘wow!’, she is a pretty good actress afterall! and she didn’t disappoint throughout.

Xiang Yun — when asked for predictions in Paul Chan’s bagua blog, i’ve not come across anyone who nominated Xiang Yun. whether for her role in “The Defining Moment” or “The Little Nyonya” (coincidentally, she plays Jeanette Aw’s mother/grandmother in both shows!) but that aside, Xiang Yun is an actress who can hold any role given to her. in “The Little Nyonya”, she was a very timid woman outside the kitchen, but in the kitchen, she exerted more authority. her character, Tianlan, is really miserable. she is constantly seen on her knees, and you can feel her pain when she keeps kowtow-ing to Guihua.

i’d like to win: Lin Meijiao in “The Little Nyonya” (based on the fact that such a nice sweet lady like Meijiao can tackle such a hateful role! everything falls into place — her evil voice, her ‘dagger’ stare, the way she stomps around like the queen of the world… first-class acting!!)

who would win: Ng Hui in “The Little Nyonya” (based on the fact that she should be finally recognised for her efforts, and that her acting has improved tremendously)

(by Shi Liang)

predictions to win: Ng Hui
why: i don’t have any reasons, i just think they’ll give it to her.

want to win: Lin Meijiao
why: she acts as a baddie very well.

Star Awards 2009 红星大奖 2009: BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

February 25, 2009 in 2007 Dramas, 2008 Dramas, 2009 Dramas, Celebrities, 红星大奖 2008, 红星大奖 2009, Dramas, Star Awards, Star Awards 2008, Star Awards 2009
Tags: BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, mediacorp

Click HERE for the FULL list of nominations!!

===

*all nominations are listed according to alphabetical order*

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR 最佳男配角

1. Chew Chor Meng as Huang Kaida for “The Golden Path 黄金路”
   
2. Dai Yangtian as Shanben Yangjie for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   
3. Darren Lim as Huang Jincheng for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   
   
4. Yao Wenlong as Liu Yidao for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   
5. Zhu Houren for “The Defining Moment 沸腾冰点”
   
6. Zzen as Robert Zhang for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   

MY THOUGHTS:

why on earth is Dai Yangtian nominated?!! if he wins, i swear i will never ever review again. period.

there are so many other deserving supporting actors who should be recognised! Chen Tianwen as Lu Gua in “Love Blossoms I” is one!! Adam Chen as Zhigang in “Just in Singapore” is another! OMG. this is infuriating!

sorry, back to business!

with the exception of Dai Yangtian, all the nominees deserve their nominations! :)

Dai Yangtian is just not in the same league as the rest of the nominees; he’s stiff, and still needs a lot more exposure. sure, he made a big impression in “The Little Nyonya”, but just making an impression based on — lets face it, everyone just thinks he looks good. nothing more. theres no substance. not yet, he doesn’t have the acting chops requried for this category. yet. — his looks. and his role, seriously, wasn’t very challenging. yes, i admit he eluded the right personality of this hero figure, to save the damsel in distress, but other than looking ‘cool’ and calm, his acting just didn’t cut it.

ok. i think i’ve explained enough about Dai Yangtian, yes, i’m biased against him. but i feel my explaination doesn’t hint my biasness. argh. whatever.

it’s never easy to play a mentally-unsound person, and Chew Chor Meng did that really well in “The Golden Path”. he eluded all the right emotions and expressions which you’d expect a mentally-unsound person to show. bravo! :)

it isn’t very easy to play a spine-less loser either. i mean, Darren Lim’s Jincheng in “The Little Nyonya” was so irritatingly stupid. he was such a stupid man who refused to stand up for himself, and just listened to what everyone around him said. as a father, he depended so much on the advice of his son. and he managed to look so miserable, but yet, when he was having his affair, his facial expressions were so different, like he was a totally different person. Darren won last year’s Best Supporting Actor for his role in “Kinship”.

Yao Wenlong is a very versatile actor. i never thought he’d be good as a bare-bodied butcher, wow, very eye-opening. oh gosh, sorry, that sounds wrong.
i felt that he balanced the character of Liu Yidao very well — the boorish fierce side of him, and the very kind-hearted and filial side. it is amusing that he managed to keep his eyes wide open the whole show, it really put the fear in you, especially when he was wielding his chopper!

aha! down to whom i think are the 2 front-runners — Zhu Houren and Zzen…

Zhu Houren is brilliant! as seen in many shows, he’s an extremely versatile actor, who fits into any role he’s given. it is the same case with him in “The Defining Moment”, where he goes mad but denies it vehemently. his classic scene was the “踩死你! 踩死你!” bit. so convincingly mad. brilliant!

Zzen. he always plays these ‘pia kia’ roles, but here, he’s not just a ‘pai kia’, he’s an evil kia! muahahahahaha. he was evil, he looked evil, behaved evil, and just didn’t have a redeeming feature in him at all. it was really eye-opening to see him here, ‘cos he portrayed the role so convincingly. WOW. i want him to win!

i’d like to win: Zzen in “The Little Nyonya” (based on the fact that his character was probably the evil-est of the year. there wasn’t a redeeming feature at all; he just did more and more evil things for personal gain. he eluded the right vibes which made you hate him so much, you wished he’d die a really horrible death!)

who would win: Zzen in “The Little Nyonya” (based on the fact that he should finally be recognised as a capable actor who isn’t subject to only small ‘pai kia’ roles)

(by Shi Liang)

predictions to win: Chew Chor Meng
why: his acting was quite good and convincing in “The Golden Path”, especially since he hadn’t acted for a while until that drama.

want to win: Dai Yangtian
why: for a newcomer, his acting impressed me.

Star Awards 2009 红星大奖 2009: BEST ACTRESS

February 25, 2009 in 2007 Dramas, 2008 Dramas, 2009 Dramas, 红星大奖 2008, 红星大奖 2009, Dramas, Star Awards, Star Awards 2008, Star Awards 2009
Tags: best actress, mediacorp

Click HERE for the FULL list of nominations!!

===

*all nominations are listed according to alphabetical order*

BEST ACTRESS 最佳女主角

1. Chen Liping as ‘xiao-gu’ for “The Golden Path 黄金路”
   
2. Chen Liping as Nancy for “Just in Singapore 一房半厅一水缸”
   
3. Fann Wong as Lin Kexin for “The Defining Moment 沸腾冰点”
   
4. Felicia Chin as Lin Fei for “The Golden Path 黄金路”
   
5. Jeanette Aw as Shanben Yueniang for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   
6. Joanne Peh as Huang Yuzhu for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   

MY THOUGHTS:

wow, Chen Liping nominated twice!!

but this will be a tough category. Fann has done this gone-crazy role before, in 2004’s “Beautiful Illusions”. it wasn’t a breakthrough role for her. and i feel that Joanne and Felicia aren’t ready for a Best Actress win yet, based on their experience. they’ve just started playing more challenging roles, and although they may have done well, there are others who’ve surpassed expectations. it is the first time both these princesses have been nominated for Best Actress.

Jeanette Aw was great in “The Little Nyonya”. she totally embraced the 2 roles she was given, and made Juxiang and Yueniang her. think Jeanette Aw, and you’ll remember her in “The Little Nyonya”. think “The Little Nyonya” and you’ll remember her. there isn’t anyone more perfect to be given the role; it’s precisely because Jeanette made it her own. she eluded the feelings and overall characteristics of Juxiang and Yueniang. she is Juxiang; she is Yueniang; she is the little nyonya.

Chen Liping totally deserves her double nominations!! her roles in both shows were very different. although she was nicknamed ‘Xiao-gu’ in “The Golden Path”, she wasn’t always as happy as she looked. she held deep, dark secrets which reflected a choice, a path she chose in order to give her and her children a good life. you could see the pain she went through with her crazy son, her evil son, and the death of her step-daughter. you could feel her joy and her sorrows. Chen Liping just eludes a very mother-ly, close to your heart connection with the audience.
in “Just in Singapore”, she was hillarious as the fake-medium Nancy! you hated her for neglecting and scolding good daughter, played by Fiona Xie, and pouring all her affections and money at her undergrad snobbish daughter, played by Paige Chua. she was not very mother-ly, she did not openly show her care and concern for her daughters, but you could feel that she had the right intensions, and that her bark was worse than her bite.

i’d like to win: Jeanette Aw in “The Little Nyonya” (based on the fact that i was very impressed by her acting; she made the role hers, so much so that no one could even think of replacing her. this is her breakthrough role; lets give this princess a real ah-jie status)

who would win: Chen Liping in “The Golden Path” (based on the fact that she proves once again, that she’s a very versatile actress, whom everyone likes)

MORE THOUGHTS (by Kim):

Who I Think Will / Want To Win: Jeanette Aw
Why I Want Her To Win:
i feel that Jeanette Aw played her roles in “The Little Nyonya” very well that she is now sometimes known as THE little nyonya! she did a wonderful job of acting the two roles in the show that you will never get her characters, Juxiang or Yueniang mixed up! she deserves this award!

(by Shi Liang)

predictions to win: at 1st i think Jeanette will win… but now i think Chen Liping will win…
why: coz Liping is nominated in 2 dramas. as a result, her score will be more than Jeanette

want to win: Jeanette Aw
why: her acting is good in “The Little Nyonya”, especially as a deaf-mute woman. she has improved very much, and she deserves a Best Actress win.

Star Awards 2009 红星大奖 2009: BEST ACTOR

February 25, 2009 in 2007 Dramas, 2008 Dramas, 2009 Dramas, 红星大奖 2008, 红星大奖 2009, Dramas, Star Awards, Star Awards 2008, Star Awards 2009
Tags: best actor, mediacorp

Click HERE for the FULL list of nominations!!

===

*all nominations are listed according to alphabetical order*

BEST ACTOR 最佳男主角

1. Adrian Pang as Alan for “Nanny Daddy 奶爸百分百”
   
2. Chen Hanwei as Chen Bufan for “By My Side 不凡的爱”
   
3. Huang Wenyong as Lin Bang for “Just in Singapore 一房半厅一水缸”
   
4. Pierre Png as Chen Sheng for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   
5. Qi Yu Wu as Chen Xi for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   
6. Tay Ping Hui as Huang Kaijie for “The Golden Path 黄金路”
   

MY THOUGHTS:

there is only competition between Chen Hanwei and Tay Ping Hui. their roles were the most challenging, and would be remembered for ages. they are breakthrough roles, which showcase their brilliant acting skills.

i’m also very glad to see Huang Wenyong in the list! he’s a great actor, but his role in “Just in Singapore” just pales in comparison to the challenging roles which Chen Hanwei and Tay Ping Hui portrayed!

as for Adrian Pang, i can’t really say much, ‘cos i didn’t watch “Nanny Daddy”. his portrayal was pretty OK, very comical.

i don’t know why Pierre Png is nominated for his role in “The Little Nyonya”. his character was rather boring. he just sang and danced and drank all day after the war was over… it was a good effort, and we could see that his command of Chinese had improved, but he’s definately not a strong contender.

Qi Yuwu is another strong contender. although i didn’t really think much of him as Chen Xi, he did as much as a hero-figure would have done. this role marked his return to the small-screen, and he didn’t disappoint. the Best Actor award isn’t for him this year. he should’ve won Best Actor in 2006 for his role in C.I.D. – that role made me see him in a different light, as a really devoted actor.

i’d like to win: Tay Ping Hui in “The Golden Path” (based on the fact that Huang Kaijie totally creeped me out. i mean, how can someone be so evil?! please give our ah-ge some recognition! after all these years he only has a Best Supporting Actor win, which was 10 years ago!!)

who would win: Chen Hanwei in “By My Side” (based on the fact that he sacrificed a lot for the role to look weak, unhealthy, and very very sick. he was very very convincing; a first-class actor)

MORE THOUGHTS (by Kim):

Who I Think Will Win: Chen Han Wei

Why I Want Him To Win:
i think that Chen Han Wei will win the “Best Actor” title for his role in “By My Side” because he had to look so under the weather, sickly, and weak. he also managed to project the messege of how easy it is to contract AIDS and how to handle the illness.

Who I Want Will Win: Tay Ping Hui

Why I Want Him To Win:
i want Tay Ping Hui to win because in his role in “The Golden Path” he broke away from his usual “cool guy” roles and played a super scheming and evil character. in this role, he also managed to not over do his role and keep the suspense going throughout the show.

(by Shi Liang)

predictions to win/ want to win: Chen Hanwei
why: he handled his role in “By My Side” very well

(by Qinghao)

want to/ will win: Tay Ping Hui
why: his acting skills in “The Golden Path” are extremely real; esp. where he kills rougu-mei and begged Li Nanxing’s character to spare his life. you could see the fear in his eyes, and his merciless expression.

as for “The Little Nyonya” best actor nominees, i predict that they won’t win the award this year, despite the fact that “The Little Nyonya” has many fans –  no offence to the fans :)

Star Awards 2009 红星大奖 2009: BEST DRAMA

February 25, 2009 in 2008 Dramas, 2009 Dramas, 红星大奖 2008, 红星大奖 2009, Dramas, Star Awards, Star Awards 2008, Star Awards 2009
Tags: best drama, mediacorp

Click HERE for the FULL list of nominations!!

===

*all nominations are listed according to alphabetical order*

BEST DRAMA 最佳电视剧

1. By My Side 不凡的爱
   
2. Just in Singapore 一房半厅一水缸
   
3. Love Blossoms I 心花朵朵开
   
4. Perfect Cut 一切完美
   
5. The Golden Path 黄金路
   
6. The Little Nyonya 小娘惹
   

MY THOUGHTS:

my 3 favourite dramas are up there — The Little Nyonya, Just in Singapore and The Golden Path!! yes, they are all productions of Ang Eng Tee 洪荣狄 :) i’d be really happy if any of them win!

but who knows? many years have passed where educational-sponsored dramas have taken the Best Drama title and not really deserved it, considering the other nominations! By My Side might just win based on this! and to be fair, this show has many fans, people like it! it managed to touch on a sensative issue, and bring it close to the people.

everyone expects The Little Nyonya to win, and why not?! it was a really good show, and it was engaging, and full of evil people. but its weak point was that it was too simple a story — it was either black or white, people was just good or bad, no grey, no conflicting struggles within a character.

Just in Singapore was a different kind of show — it was a heartlander-ish based drama, which was funny, and very close to ones heart. one could easily relate to the characters and their struggles for a better life; you cursed the selfish people, and felt pain for the ones who’ve been taken advantage of…

and as for The Golden Path, it was a story about family, greed, love, hate, revenge — a very powerful drama which in terms of production values, is so much more superior to The Little Nyonya. people struggled with their decisions; even the good characters made bad decisions. it was a very suspenseful drama, and the acting was brilliant!

Perfect Cut caused a craze, and a whole lot of loyal followers. although likened to a US series about plastic surgery, this drama brought plastic surgery and psychology closer to us. acting by the guest stars, i’ve heard, were brilliant. i’ve heard tons of praises for this show. this drama is the only Channel U drama which has been nominated in all the Star Awards so far. it stands a high chance of winning too. i’m quite sad that i’ve not watched the 1st season yet, ‘cos they’re airing the 2nd season soon. i should really get down to watching it.

i can confidently say that Love Blossoms won’t win this year. although i personally feel that it’s the best mega-drama (i didn’t see Holland V, saw all the rest), it has no chance this year, ‘cos the rest of the nominations are just too strong. sure, this was a nice drama about family, but not strong in production values. there was too much of things going round-and-round, repeating the same thing again and again, and bickering, shouting. there was just too much of it!

(edit: i didn’t see Perfect Cut, so i can’t judge it, and i didn’t finish watching By My Side.)

i’d like to win: “Just in Singapore” (based on the fact that i wouldn’t mind watching it again and again and again!)
what would win: “The Little Nyonya” (based on the fact that it’s the biggest thing which has happened on Singapore TV in 20 years!)

MORE THOUGHTS (by Kim):

What I Think Will Win: “The Little Nyonya”

Why I Think It Will Win:
i think it will win because this show had and still has a blockbuster number of fans. although the plot was simple it still managed to portray what life was like back then, and still remain dramatic and as realistic as possible. another reason why i think it will win is the acting… i think that all the actors and actresses performed very well and made signature roles for themselves.

What I Want To Win: “Just In Singapore”

Why I Want It To Win:
i want “Just In Singapore” to win because it really portrays the lifestyles and habits of the residents who live in one-room flats, and make it heart-warming and hilarious at the same time. the acting in “Just In Singapore” was very convincing and well acted. even though i did not watch this show from beginning to the end, i enjoyed it so much that i will always remember it.

(by Shi Liang)

predictions to win/ want to win: “The Little Nyonya”
why: great storyline, overall colours and setting… the cast put in a lot of effort. this drama deserves it!

Star Awards 2009 红星大奖 2009: Nomination List OUT!!! :)

February 24, 2009 in 2007 Dramas, 2008 Dramas, 2009 Dramas, 红星大奖 2008, 红星大奖 2009, Dramas, Star Awards, Star Awards 2008, Star Awards 2009
Tags: actors, actresses, adrian pang, andie chen, best actor, best actress, best drama, BEST NEWCOMER, BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, by my side, cai peixuan, chen hanwei, chen liping, chew chor meng, chew sin huey, crimebusters x2, 绝对佳人, dai yangtian, daren tan, darren lim, drama serials, drama series, eelyn kok, 胡康乐, 陈宇萱, 路, 黄金路, 黄馨仪, fann wong, felicia chin, huan ting, huang wenyong, jeanette aw, jerry yeo, joanne peh, just in singapore, koh yah hwee, la femme, li yinzhu, lin meijiao, love blossoms, lu, mediacorp, mi lu bing, nanny daddy, ng hui, olivia ong, paige chua, perfect cut, pierre png, qi yuwu, ru yan, tay ping hui, the defining moment, the golden path, the little nyonya, wo zhi dao wo bain piao liang le, wu yan, xiang yun, xin hua duo duo kai, yao wenlong, yi xun, zhang zhen huan, zhu houren, zzen, 奶爸百分百, 如燕, 小娘惹, 屋檐, 幻听, 彭修轩, 心花朵朵开, 我知道我变漂亮了, 最佳电视剧, 最佳男配角, 最佳男主角, 最佳女配角, 最佳女主角, 最佳新人, 林咏谊, 林家安, 沸腾冰点, 一切完美, 一房半厅一水缸, 不凡的爱

EXCLUSIVE from Mediacorp’s bagua blog!

**NOMINATION LIST OUT!!!** (bagua blog)

English (Mediacorp official buzz)

Chinese (Mediacorp official buzz)
Chinese — predictions? (Mediacorp official buzz)

due to the fact that the format is really difficult to read on the bagua blog, i’ll repost the list!!

this year’s Star Awards will have 6 nominees per category.
Chen Liping and Belinda Lee have made the record of being nominated twice in the Best Actress and Best Info-Ed Programme Host categories respectively.

===

The Little Nyonya 小娘惹 — 16 nominations!!!
The Golden Path 黄金路 — 7 nominations!!
Just in Singapore 一房半厅一水缸 — 5 nominations!
3 nominations each for By My Side 不凡的爱, Perfect Cut 一切完美 and Love Blossoms I 心花朵朵开;
2 nominations for “The Defining Moment 沸腾冰点”;
and 1 each for “Nanny Daddy 奶爸百分百”, “Crimebusters x2 叮当神探” and “La Femme 绝对佳人”.

===

*all nominations are listed according to alphabetical order*

BEST DRAMA 最佳电视剧

1. By My Side 不凡的爱
   
2. Just in Singapore 一房半厅一水缸
   
3. Love Blossoms I 心花朵朵开
   
4. Perfect Cut 一切完美
   
5. The Golden Path 黄金路
   
6. The Little Nyonya 小娘惹
   

BEST ACTOR 最佳男主角

1. Adrian Pang as Alan for “Nanny Daddy 奶爸百分百”
   
2. Chen Hanwei as Chen Bufan for “By My Side 不凡的爱”
   
3. Huang Wenyong as Lin Bang for “Just in Singapore 一房半厅一水缸”
   
4. Pierre Png as Chen Sheng for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   
5. Qi Yu Wu as Chen Xi for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   
6. Tay Ping Hui as Huang Kaijie for “The Golden Path 黄金路”
   

BEST ACTRESS 最佳女主角

1. Chen Liping as for “The Golden Path 黄金路”
   
2. Chen Liping as for “Just in Singapore 一房半厅一水缸”
   
3. Fann Wong as Lin Kexin for “The Defining Moment 沸腾冰点”
   
4. Felicia Chin as Lin Fei for “The Golden Path 黄金路”
   
5. Jeanette Aw as Shanben Yueniang for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   
6. Joanne Peh as Huang Yuzhu for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR 最佳男配角

1. Chew Chor Meng as Huang Kaida for “The Golden Path 黄金路”
   
2. Dai Yangtian as Shanben Yangjie for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   
3. Darren Lim as Huang Jincheng for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   
   
4. Yao Wenlong as Liu Yidao for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   
5. Zhu Houren for “The Defining Moment 沸腾冰点”
   
6. Zzen as Robert Zhang for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS 最佳女配角

1. Cai Peixuan as Rougu-mei for “The Golden Path 黄金路”
   
2. Eelyn Kok as Huang Zhenzhu for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   
3. Li Yinzhu as Chen Lao-tai for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   
4. Lin Meijiao as Guihua for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   
5. Ng Hui as Ah-Tao for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   
6. Xiang Yun as Tianlan for “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   

BEST NEWCOMER 最佳新人

1. Andie Chen (“The Defining Moment”, “The Little Nyonya”)
   
2. Dai Yangtian (“Taste of Love”, “The Little Nyonya”)
   
3. Jerry Yeo (“Beach.Ball.Babes”, “Crime Busters x2”)
   
4. Koh Yah Hwee (“Love Blossoms”, “Reunion Dinner”)
   
5. Paige Chua (“Just in Singapore”, “La Femme”, “Crime Busters x2”)
   
6. Zhang Zhen Huan (“The Dream-catchers”)
   

BEST THEME SONG 最佳电视主题曲

1. ‘如燕 （Ru Yan）’ by Olivia Ong from “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
2. ‘路 （Lu）’ by Mi Lu Bing from “The Golden Path 黄金路”
3. ‘我知道我变漂亮了 （Wo Zhi Dao Wo Bian Piao Liang Le）’ by Chew Sin Huey from “Perfect Cut 一切完美”
4. ‘心花朵朵开 （Xin Hua Duo Duo Kai）’ by Cavin Soh from “Love Blossoms I 心花朵朵开”
5. ‘屋檐（Wu Yan）’ by Yi Xun from “Just in Singapore 一房半厅一水缸”
6. ‘幻听（Huan Ting）’ by Daren Tan from “Crimebusters x2 叮当神探”

YOUNG TALENT AWARD 青苹果奖

1. 陈宇萱 as Little Yueniang from “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”
   
2. 林家安 as Chen Tiantian from “By My Side 不凡的爱”
   
3. 胡康乐 as Huang Rongxuan from “La Femme 绝对佳人”
   
4. 彭修轩 as Weijie from “Just in Singapore 一房半厅一水缸”
   
5. 黄馨仪 as Feifei from “Love Blossoms I 心花朵朵开”
6. 林咏谊 as Lin Keke from “Perfect Cut 一切完美”

[sorry, can’t find pics of Feifei and Lin Yongyi, please help me!!!]
qingling~

BEST VARIETY SHOW HOST

1. Christopher Lee for “Life Transformers”
2. Quan Yi Fong for “Life Transformers”
3. Kym Ng for “Buzzing Cashier”
4. Lee Teng for “On the Beat 3”
5. Marcus Chin “Golden Age Talentime 2008”
6. Guo Liang for “CelebriTea Break”

BEST VARIETY PROGRAMME

1. Buzzing Cashier
2. CelebriTea Break
3. King of Thrift 2
4. Life Transformers
5. Star Chef 2
6. SuperBand 2

BEST INFO-ED PROGRAMME HOST

1. Belinda Lee for “Find Me a Singaporean 2”
2. Belinda Lee for “Come Dance with Me”
3. Chua Lee Lian for “Food Old Days”
4. Dasmond Koh for “Tourism Insiders”
5. Guo Liang for “Breaking Barriers”
6. Lin Pei Fen for “So Simple II”

BEST INFO-ED PROGRAMME

1. Come Dance with Me
2. Food Hometown
3. My World My Blog
4. Of Rites & Rituals 2
5. TR- In the Face of Death
6. TR- 5 Years of SARS-free

BEST VARIETY SPECIAL

1. S-Pop Hurray! Music Gala
2. Star Awards – 25th Drama Anniversary Show
3. Star Search 2007 (Finals)
4. SuperBand 2 Grand Finals
5. The Anniversary Gala 2008
6. The Sichuan Earthquake Charity Show

BEST NEWS/CA PRESENTER

1. Helen Cheung
2. Lim Chi Yuan
3. Ng Siew Leng
4. Tung Soo Hua
5. Wang Zheng
6. Zhao Wen Bei

HIGHEST VIEWSHIP AWARDS…

highest rated drama: “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹”

highest rated variety show: “Life Transformers”

ALL TIME FAVOURITE AWARD

– Huang Biren

be sure to watch Star Awards 2009, on Sunday 26 April, at 7pm ‘live’ on Channel 8!

and the post show party, live at 10pm on Channel U :)

*all photos are property of Mediacorp

The Dream-catchers 未来不是梦

February 14, 2009 in 2009 Dramas, Dramas
Tags: dawn yeoh, jesseca liu, lin meijiao, nat ho, paige chua, richard low, rui-en, shaun chen, tay ping hui, the dream-catchers, wei lai bu shi meng, zhang zhenhuan, 未来不是梦

this drama starts on 4th Feb 09, at 9pm on Channel 8.

this drama stars:
Jesseca Liu as Lin Jiale, Rui-en as Lin Jiaqi, Tay Ping Hui as Wang Zhi Wei, Shaun Chen as Jiang Cheng Feng, Elvin Ng as Sato, Dawn Yeoh as Wang Pei Pei, Nat Ho as Lin Jiajie, Zhang Zhenghuan as Hu Yuanjing, Richard Low as Lin Guodong, Paige Chua as Zhang Xiaowei, Lin Meijiao as Cai Aili, Wang Huaqing as Situ Yan, Eelyn Kok as Li Shanshan

OFFICIAL MEDIACORP CH8 SYNOPSIS

this is an idol drama about engineering! haha :) it reminds me a lot of 2007’s “The Peak”, ‘cos they’re both sponsored by erm… big companies to promote something.

in the midst of all the engineering jargon, love troubles surface…

Rui-en will receive the affections of Shaun Chen and Elvin Ng – and they even get to film in snowy Japan! the scenery is so beautiful!
and some complicating problems arise with the arrival of Eelyn Kok’s character as Shaun Chen’s ex-fiancee, who is quite a horrible person – evil role for Eelyn Kok again!

and Jesseca Liu will end up with TPH in the end, but Jesseca is liked by expat engineer played by Zhang Zhenghuan (in his debut acting role), while TPH is liked by resident slacker played by Wang Huaqing.

they ALL have to encounter multiple problems at work and in their love lives, and family lives.

i guess that sums the whole show up. sorta.

SORRY PEOPLE, I’M NOT WATCHING THIS DRAMA.

here are some views from Paul Chan’s blog– CLICK HERE

Reunion Dinner 团圆饭 overview & REVIEW

February 13, 2009 in 2009 Dramas, Dramas
Tags: 9pm drama, alan tern, channel 8, chen hanwei, chen liping, drama review, drama serial, drama serial reviews, drama serials, drama series, koh yah hwee, kym ng, mediacorp, patricia mok, reunion dinner, singapore, tuan yuan fan, wang yuqing, zhu houren, 团圆饭

I’M SO SORRY THAT THIS POST IS SO LATE!!

this drama aired from 6 Jan 08- 3 Feb 08 on Channel 8 at 9pm.

This post will contain the plot overview and minimal summaries, with the FINAL REVIEW.

STARRING:
Chen Liping as Ping, Chen Hanwei as Chang, Patricia Mok as Fangfang, Wang Yuqing as Tianhua, Kym Ng as Nana, Alan Tern as Daxiong, Koh Yah Hwee as Meiqi, Zhu Houren as ‘ah-gong’, Liang Tian as Laksa-shu, Koh Zhengning as Meihui, Desmond Tan as Weide

OVERVIEW~

this drama is all about family, and the importance of the reunion dinner, where the entire family gather for a meal on the eve of the Lunar New Year… it shows how 3 families struggle through their lives to eat this significant dinner.

Ping is married to Tianhua, and they have 2 daughters, Meiqi and Meihui. also living with them is Tianhua’s father, an ex-police officer suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Ping spends all her time looking after her father-in-law, and also makes love-letters to bring-in extra cash for the family. Tianhua has been working in the same company for 30 years, but his stingy boss hasn’t raised his salary for all this time. eldest daughter Meiqi is about to leave to study in Australia with a scholarship; she takes up tuition jobs to support herself. younger daughter Meihui is a JC student who is open-minded, a spendtrift, and is constantly talking back to her parents.

Chang is a plummer who is addicted to gambling. this causes problems between him and his wife, Fangfang, who works hard to provide for their family of 5, with 3 children, Sisi, Qiangqiang and Yaya. Chang promises every year that they’ll be able to eat abalone during their reunion dinner, but he always gambles his money away. although he always promises not to gamble anymore, those promises are empty, and Fangfang leaves him and the children, hoping he’ll really turn over a new leaf. however, he doesn’t. and that keeps Fangfang away from home for a long time. managing everything at home is Yaya, who, although the youngest, is very smart, does well in school, and is very rational. she is constantly heard sprouting difficult idioms and phrases.

then there is Nana, nicknamed ‘Banana’, a beer girl. she is married to good-for-nothing uni-grad Daxiong. she holds 2 jobs, promoting at the supermarket and selling beer. although Daxiong doesn’t like her to be dressed scantily and have men oggling at her when she serves beer, he doesn’t work to make a living, and lazes around all day, hoping to run a big business and get rich quick.

===

SUMMARIES~

in Ping’s family:
Tianhua is picked on by the new boss, Alex, who has taken over his father’s company. Alex proposes many changes, such as changing the company name and using English to correspond with their clients. determined to get rid of the old staff, especially those whose English standard aren’t good, Alex promotes a junior staff member, Isabella (Joey Feng) to the AVP position, leaving Tianhua as her subordinate. Alex asks her to get him to quit, so they won’t have to pay him his pension, which is quite a big sum, considering the fact that he’d been working in the company for 30 years. Tianhua tries his very best to tolerate their nonsense, but finally (just a week before CNY!) quits when they continue to insult him and refuse to give him his Chinese New Year bonus.

eldest daughter Meiqi works as a tutor, but most of the show focuses on her assumed pregnancy, and how she hides it from her family until they finally find out. it turns out that the test she did with the doctor’s was a mistake, and that she wasn’t pregnant, but by that time, her family had met with her boyfriend Weide’s family, and Weide’s father insulted them deeply that Ping refused to let Meiqi see Weide anymore, lest she be looked down by others.

younger daughter Meihui gets into some trouble when someone snaps pictures of her and her boyfriend behaving inappropriately in their school uniforms and sends it to the principal. although Meiqi helps settle the problem, Ping still learns of it when Meiqi injures the boy and the case goes to the police. Meiqi and Ping are insulted by the boy’s parents and Ping makes Meiqi return all the so-called gifts the boy had given to her.

Ping gets tired of looking after the ah-gong and asks Tianhua to broach the subject of sending him to a home with his siblings. however, his siblings refuse to make any decisions.

Tianhua’s father, an ex-police officer, suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. although Tianhua has 3 other siblings who are supposed to share the burden of looking after their father, Tianhua and Ping end up doing everything, from looking after him to paying for his medicine. on top of that, his Tianhua’s siblings expect Ping to cook up a storm for their reunion dinner, and although they claim to split the expenses, they are a greedy and stingy unfilial lot of people. Tianhua’s eldest brother and his wife live in landed property and are filthy rich, but they shirk their responsibilities, which are to pay for their father’s medicine. strangely, as Chinese New Year approaches, they keep appearing at Ping’s house… it is all because of the ah-gong’s antique $1000 dollar note, which is reported to be worth over $300K…

===

in Chang’s family:
Chang is addicted to gambling, and he is constantly running away from loansharks. although he promises to quit gambling again and again, he does not keep his promises, and sinks deeper into debt. as he’d rather spend time gambling than getting jobs, the family are always short of money. he even makes promises to his family year and year again, that he’d be able to put abalone on the table for their reunion dinner.

Fangfang is Chang’s wife. she hates his gambling habit, and moves out, telling them she won’t come back until Chang really turns over a new leaf. although she goes to her mother’s house to seek refuge, her mother soon chases her out, persuading her to go home. but Fangfang later goes to stay with her good friend Nana, until the end of the drama. meanwhile, Fangfang gets a job at a coffeeshop as a helper, and gets poached by a big boss to manage his branch. however, Chang misunderstands that that big boss guy is her lover, and fights with him and her. it is at this point that Fangfang trips and is knocked down by a car. she goes into a coma for a few days, and Chang becomes a fugitive, as eyewitnesses say he pushed her into the car. the truth is that he was trying to pull her back, but couldn’t.

oldest daughter Sisi is a primary 6 student who is lazy, and forever fighting with her brother Qiangqiang. the most sensible is youngest daughter, Yaya. with their father on the run from loansharks and later the police, and their mother away from home, they take it on themselves to make enough money for their reunion dinner. they start by begging for money, but later on, Yaya starts a small stall in the neighbourhood centre doing Chinese calligraphy of New Year greetings. Qiangqiang sells repacked vegetables, and Sisi sells ice-cream and soy milk. they visit their mother everyday in the hospital, hoping that she’ll wake up quickly, so they can eat their reunion dinner…

===

Nana works hard as a supermarket promoter and beer girl to pay for the condo which she and her husband, Daxiong stay in. when they got married, Daxiong insisted that they buy a condo, but all those years, Nana is the one who has been paying off the loan. although a university graduate, Daxiong refuses to work, and loafs around all day. he doesn’t even bother to open and manage the laksa stall his father gave him. Nana also leases one of their rooms to a China study-papa, Wang Hao, and his son. Wang Hao’s wife, Li Tong is a high-flying career woman based in Shanghai. Wang Hao teaches swimming in the condo to make some extra money. Nana and Daxiong go through a lot, and both threaten divorce many times over. one of the reasons is about Wang Hao. Daxiong accuses him of having designs on his wife, and accuses his wife of having an affair with Wang Hao. Wang Hao has problems of his own, as he receives anonymous emails stating that his wife is having an affair with the boss…

Daxiong dreams of making it big, and wants to do business. he is cheated by his friend Vincent time and time again, although Nana warns him that Vincent can’t be trusted, he doesn’t believe her. once, to get back his money from Vincent, he fights with him, and Vincent knocks his head until he passes out, bleeding. Daxiong runs away, and later receives a call from Vincent’s girlfriend, who tells him Vincent is in a coma. he has to pay her $20K to shut her mouth, then she won’t go to the police. if she goes to the police, he’ll go to jail. in desperation, he seeks help from his mother, who takes out her ‘coffin-money (savings for old age)’. Nana tries to stop them, and ends up suffering a miscarriage. Nana also faces competition in her beer girl job from 2 young girls from China. she works very hard to beat them and earn more money.

Daxiong’s parents look down on Nana because of her job and have never approved of their marriage. they think she is after what little money they have. But Daxiong’s father starts to see her in a different light when she offers $80K to lease the laksa stall and learn the preparation methods from him. however, when Nana and Daxiong invite them to their house for reunion dinner and to stay for a few days, they misunderstand an issue and leave…

===

of course, everything ends happily:
Tianhua had quit, but didn’t let his family know. however, Meiqi learns of it, and gives $1000 to her father to give her mother for the ang-pows… later, however, when it is revealed about the ah-gong’s antique $1000 note, he becomes desperate and reveals that he’s out-of-job, and even takes a chopper to threaten his brother and sister-in-law. the box which contains the $1000 note falls to the ground floor, and they all scurry looking frantically for it. the karang-guni man, who knows Ping and Tianhua, picks it up, and offers it to whoever can pay him more. Tianhua’s brother pays him $500, and they take the box and the note away. it turns out that this karang-guni man had printed this note to let amuse the old man… he gives them the $500 and tells them to buy something nice for the old man to eat during the Chinese New Year period…

Fangfang does wake up, and Chang sincerely asks for her forgiveness… she agrees to return home and have a reunion dinner with them.

Daxiong clarifies the matter with his parents: Nana had been persuading him to return the $20K to them, after they’d managed to get it back from Vincent in a rather round-a-bout manner (the ah-gong had been ‘patrolling’ in his police uniform, and chased Vincent when Nana told them they were theives. Vincent hit the ah-gong… although Vincent ran away, he left his money behind. there was over $18K inside, as Vincent had been preparing to board a casino ship. haha)

Wang Hao had moved out a few days back, and been camping in the park, until it was time for him to leave for Shanghai. he didn’t know that Li Tong had come down to Singapore, to surprise them. upset that Wang Hao had believed the email, which was obviously fake, and not trusted her, she was very disappointed. Wang Hao had even returned to China to find out the truth from his friend. to reconcile with Li Tong, he flew back to Singapore, and proved his sincerity by climbing to the roof of a very tall building. when Li Tong found out, she immediately stopped him, as he has back injury. the couple reconcile.

===

finally, they eat their reunion dinners!
at Tianhua’s family’s reunion dinner, they have 2 guests — Meiqi’s boyfriend Weide, and Tianhua’s friend, Mr. Robinson. the ah-gong even offers Ping a toast, and remarks that she treats him the best. Ping decides not to send the ah-gong to a home, and decides to send him to a care centre for the elderly in the day, so she can work, then bring him home at night. at this dinner, Mr. Robinson also offers Tianhua the post of CEO for his Asia-based branch :D

Chang’s family have a reunion dinner fully prepared by their children, who are much more sensible now. the family eat happily :D

Nana and Daxiong have their reunion dinner with his parents, and Wang Hao and Li Tong :D

===

REVIEW~

PLOT

i really enjoyed this drama! it was hillarious at some parts, but also very touching. more than anything, it emphasied this important event for Chinese people, where a family would get together and have a meal. there was enough diversity. you had the housewife, Ping, and the low income working mother, Fangfang; the good-for-nothing Daxiong, and the hardworking but neglected Tianhua. the normal teenage Sisi and Meihui, and 乖 daughter Meiqi who got into some trouble; then there were the unfilial big brother, and Daxiong’s brothers… normal working class parents Laksa-shu and Laksa-sao; and the China study papa and high-flying mother. and of course you had the ah-gong. Zhu Houren totally stole the limelight! :D

i felt that the Chang/ Fangfang story was quite empty, but the children, especially Yaya, made up for it. i loved the father-in-law/daughter-in-law connection between Ping and the ah-gong. it was nice that the ah-gong actually knew what was going on, and he knew Ping was the nicest to him. they were such a heartwarming moments…

CAST

every single member of the cast did brilliantly!

Chen Liping was great as a mother and caretaker, she was so natural and convincing. we could really take it that Yah Hwee and Zhengning were her daughters! Wang Yuqing (for once he isn’t bad!!) took on the role of a slouching, henpecked husband, which is a breakthough role for him in the recent years!
Chen Hanwei was super convincing as this gambler (“老爸 confirm! 老爸 promise!”), and although his chemistry with Patricia wasn’t that fantastic, his chemistry with the 3 children were really good! Patricia Mok’s role was quite similar to her role in Holland V… but still, she did really well!
Kym Ng hasn’t acted in a while, and she was a nice addition to the cast, she did well, especially as this ‘overage’ beer girl! Alan Tern, who hasn’t appeared in ages onscreen, was extremely convincing as this loafer (gosh, how he must hate himself as Daxiong!)!
Koh Yah Hwee was the good daughter… she was really sweet, and Koh Zhengning, in her debut acting role, was very natural!
special mentions to Sisi, Qiangqiang and Yaya! i didn’t catch their names!
Hu Wensui as Wenhao… he was pretty good, but his role wasn’t very deep, if you know what i mean. and for whatever time Wang Huaqing as Li Tong appeared, she eluded this very professional, 女强人 personality.

AND OF COURSE: the ah-gong! Zhu Houren was a scene-stealer! he was utterly brilliant!

FINAL REVIEW: 4.5/5.0 (Very Good!)

The Little Nyonya 小娘惹: SPECIAL ENDING!!!

January 10, 2009 in 2008 Dramas, 2009 Dramas, Dramas, Personal, Special!

sorry everyone! I’VE NOT UPDATED!!

rest assured, my “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹: after 20 episodes” and “The Little Nyonya 小娘惹: FINAL REVIEW” will be out A.S.A.P.!!

anyway, this post is to inform you (if you don’t already know) about a 3-minute SPECIAL ENDING, continuing from where Chen Xi and Yueniang parted at the railway tracks…

LOOK HERE!

and

HERE!

IT WILL AIR TOMORROW (SUNDAY, 11 JAN 09) AT 9.55pm on CH 8 :)
be sure to catch it!!!

qingling~

Love Blossoms II 心花朵朵开 II

December 5, 2008 in 2008 Dramas, 2009 Dramas, Dramas
Tags: actors, actresses, adam chen, ben yeo, channel 8, chen shucheng, chen tianwen, constance song, drama, drama reviews, drama serials, drama series, Dramas, entertainment, felicia chin, information, ivy lee, jin yinji, koh yah hwee, lin meijiao, love blossoms, love blossoms 2, love blossoms II, mediacorp, mega drama 2008, ng hui, patricia mok, priscelia chan, rayson tan, reviews, singapore, terence cao, xin hua duo duo kai, zhang yaodong, zheng geping, 心花朵朵开 2, 心花朵朵开 II

The first part of this drama had 58 episodes. It debuted on Wednesday,
28 May 2008 at 7pm on Channel 8, and ended on Friday, 15 August 2008.

Part II’s debut was on Tuesday, 2 December 2008 at 7pm on Channel 8, and consists of 55 episodes. There will be a 2-hour special from 7pm -9pm every Friday, starting from 2 January 2009.

LOVE BLOSSOMS microsite

Love Blossoms I wiki
Love Blossoms II wiki

This drama stars:
Chen Shucheng as Tao Dashun, Ivy Lee as Tao Zi Jing, Felicia Chin as Tao Hai Tong, Zheng Geping as Yun Kai Wang, Constance Song as Tao Ling Lan, Patricia Mok as Sammi Yun Cai Xia, Rayson Tan as Kang Qing Xiong, Terence Cao as Yu Wen Hao, Zhang Yaodong as Ma Da Ji, Adam Chen as Guo Zi Peng, Chen Tianwen as Lu Gua, Koh Yah Hwee (finalist from Star Search 2007) as Tao Wen Zhu, Ben Yeo as Wang Zhigang, Priscelia Chan as Yuan Er-bo, Jin Yinji as Su Baozhuan, Eelyn Kok as Yu Mei Wei, Ng Hui as Xiao Lei, Lin Meijiao as Pan Qiulian, May Phua as Xu Yanning, Darren Lim as Huang Yezu, Hong Huifang as Liang Miaochang, Huang Wenyong as Yu Dongcheng, Chen Chuxuan as Yiling, Damus Lim as Jason

new characters on Part II include:
Chew Chor Meng as Wang Zhongkun, Yvonne Lim as Pan Jiaqi, Cavin Soh as Pan Jiaiqang aka Young Peter, Richard Low as Old Peter/ Peter Pan, Aileen Tan as Daisy Ma, Vivian Lai as Fan Fan, Evelyn Tan as Wang Zhongmin, Wang Yuqing as Wang Zhonghui, Zhang Wei as Wang Junling

PART I left off with…

Daji (Zhang Yaodong) leaving for China, where his father is expanding the family business. He also leaves with the hope of persuading his parents not to sell Tao Nursery, and asks Dashun (Chen Shucheng) and Haitong (Felicia Chin) to take care of the nursery till he returns.

Wenhao’s (Terence Cao) mother, Miaochang (Hong Huifang), was about to leave and go back to Australia. Still hoping that her daughter Meiwei (Eelyn Kok) would forgive her, and would see her off to the airport, she spotted Meiwei hiding behind a pillar. Calling her, Meiwei ran, as she couldn’t face her mother. Desperately following her, Miaochang ran onto the road, and was knocked down by a car. She died.

Dashun then acknowleged Wenhao as his biological son. Zijing (Ivy Lee) was in a sorry state, hiding in a relative’s house in Malacca after her addiction to gambling hurt her family members again and again. She couldn’t face them. Even though her husband, Kaiwang (Zheng Geping) and father Dashun tried hard to find her and bring her home, she refused to see them. After talking to Kaiwang on the phone, telling him she’ll return as a new person, she was knocked down by a car, and lay unconscious in a ditch.

Meanwhile, Lu Gua (Chen Tianwen), Dashun’s eldest son-in-law, was peddling drugs. Haitong caught him when she was jogging in the park, and threw the drugs into the drain. Because of this, Lu Gua owed the underworld people a lot of money, and, unable to pay, he was beaten up, and injured his leg badly. This incident also affected Wenzhu (Koh Yah Hwee), the youngest sister, who was doing well as a rising star in the TV station, as she was involved in a tussle, and she hit her head, causing a blood clot. The once bubbly and full-of-life girl had to suffer massive headaches and she was unable to act anymore.

Dashun holds a family dinner, and announces that Wenhao is his son. He wants Wenhao, as well as Linglan (Constance Song) and Lu Gua to move into the house, so that they can all be together and look after each other, especially since Lu Gua is reduced to sitting in a wheelchair.

With unresolved issues, like Wenhao’s position in the Tao family and his ties with the Yu family, the feud between Lu Gua and Haitong, Wenzhu’s health, Zijing’s life or death predicament, Haitong’s long-distance relationship with Daji, Kaiwang’s problems with Zijing, Erbo (Priscelia Chan) – the kind-hearted and demure Vietnamese bride who was Qingxiong’s (Rayson Tan) mistress -‘s misery as the thorn in Sammi’s (Patricia Mok) flesh…

and PART II continues…

3 months later

Zijing finally wakes up from her coma. She was saved by Wang Zhongkun (Chew Chor Meng), a good Samaritan, who helps her get back on her feet and turn into a person who can lift her head high and return to her family. Zhongkun is a jewelry designer, and his family owns a jewelry consortium, with branches in many Asian countries. His father, Wang Junling (Zhang Wei) is a strict man who believes in punishing people for their wrongdoings, and rewarding people for a job well done. His brother, Wang Zhonghui (Wang Yuqing) dislikes Zhongkun and always makes snide remarks… this has to do with Zhongkun’s past, where Zhongkun was a compulsive gambler who stole company funds and gambled it all away. Zhongkun’s sister, Wang Zhongmin (Evelyn Tan) trusts him and tries to help him whenever she can. Zijing becomes Zhongkun’s personal assistant, just when Zhongkun is assigned to manage the Singapore branch. Zhongkun will also help Zijing with her gambling addiction, as he had been through it, and helps her regain her confidence. Zijing will end up falling for Zhongkun… but then he falls ill, with a terminal disease.

In Singapore, Kaiwang just opened his flower shop in a shopping centre. Still looking desperately for Zijing, he meets Zhongkun by chance, and drops his wallet in Zhongkun’s car. Zhongkun discovers Zijing’s problems, from none other than Caixia, who paints a ugly picture of her. Even though Zhongkun could have let Zijing and Kaiwang meet, he respected Zijing’s decision to only return and face her family when she has turned over a new leaf. Kaiwang is at his wits end when he realises that Zijing has fallen for Zhongkun… However, Zijing is unable to decide whether to go  back to her husband, and stand by the man who helped her so much, especially since he

Wenzhu goes to Australia to study a multimedia course, and Wenhao goes there to, to settle his late mother’s problems. Wenhao is distant from the Tao family, and even though he originally rejects Dashun’s plan to hand the nursery over to him, he later demands that Dashun buy Tao Nursery back for him. The rift between father and son becomes very big, and it is only because of Pan Jiaqi, a lawyer from Australia, that he lets go of the past, and finally accepts his father. Jiaqi and her friend, Fan Fan end up in a love triangle with Wenhao.

Fan Fan knew Wenhao in Secondary School, and it turns out that Jiaqi knew Miaochang in Australia, and Miaochang treated her like her daughter… Miaochang had entrusted Jiaqi with a box of birthday cards and stuff she bought for Wenhao and Meiwei, but never got the chance to give them, and Jiaqi aims to look for Wenhao and Meiwei. Dongcheng, Qiulian and Meiwei are preparing to emigrate, and they have sold the bak kut teh shop.

With Daji away from Singapore, Zipeng decides to help Haitong unconditionally, professing that he still loves her. Zipeng actually helps Haitong a lot, especially when Lu Gua creates numerous problems, but he also causes many problems for Haitong and Daji, and even resorts to kidnapping her when he loses everything in stock and shares, demanding ransom from Dashun… he was, of course, listening to Lu Gua, who nurses a deep grudge against Haitong, and is yearning for revenge. Haitong and Daji finally manage to overcome all odds – Zipeng’s reappearance, Daji’s aunt Daisy’s appearance which makes life difficult for the couple as she doesn’t like Haitong and forbids them to marry… but she soon understands Haitong better, and agrees to let the 2 of them be together – but when Haitong becomes pregnant, she develops a heart problem and may have to abort the child.

Sammi continues to ill-treat Erbo, and treats her like her maid. She even abuses her when Baozhuan and Kaiwang aren’t around. To get extra money from a karang-guni, she sells Zijing’s ‘ma shang ying (Winning Horse)’ and Erbo manages to get it back from the karang-guni, Peter Pan/ Old Peter. Erbo leaves a good impression on Old Peter, as he does on her, as she thinks he is a kind man. Baozhuan continues to look out for a husband for Erbo, and one of the people turns up to be Old Peter! Erbo is rather happy, and Old Peter introduces her to his son, Pan Jiaqiang/ Peter Junior. It turns out that Erbo had met Peter Junior before, and he had made fun of Sammi and threw stuff at her. Peter Junior is a dimwit. or so he wants people to think when he first meets them. Peter Junior talks to Erbo and finds out that she’s a nice girl. Old Peter then tells Erbo that he isn’t the one looking for a wife, he’s looking for a daughter-in-law. Erbo gets along well with Peter Junior (who is not a dimwit! haha) and he helps Erbo get back at Sammi.

Old Peter’s adopted daughter, Pan Jiaqi, a lawyer, comes back from Australia, because father and son had bluffed her that Old Peter was very ill. They just wanted her to come back, and now, she is insistant on changing their lives. She doesn’t want her father and brother to continue being karang-gunis. She insists that Old Peter should retire, and Peter Junior should learn a skill, which turns out to be cake-baking… she also buys them a new flat, which happens to be right next door to Kaiwang’s, and that antagonises Sammi!

Sammi’s life takes a turn when Qingxiong sinks his money into a scam, and he runs away, leaving her with debt to clear… that’s when we’ll see her cleaning toilets and all that. haha :) serves her right!!! then Qingxiong finally comes back, and tries to make an honest living, and win his wife back.

Lu Gua is the troublemaker. Out to fleece Dashun of his money, he pretends to still be crippled. He is out to get Haitong out of revenge, and makes life difficult for Linglan. He molests his step-daughter, Yiling, and is chased out of the house. He is not done though, and plays a part in Haitong’s kidnapping by Zipeng.

THOUGHTS

The story sounds quite promising, especially with Chew Chor Meng’s appearance, his past and his family, and their business. I’m pleased that Evelyn Tan’s back on screen, even though he role isn’t big, but I was quite surprised to see her! Ivy Lee’s Zijing will undergo a transformation from a housewife to a career woman, and the person who will have more screentime and family problems will now be Terence Cao’s Wenhao. The Yu branch of the family will be written out – Dongcheng, Qiulian and Meiwei, and also Zhigang. May Phua’s Xu Yanning and Darren Lim’s Huang Yezu have been written out too.

I love the comedic antics of Old Peter and Peter Junior – Richard Low and Cavin Soh – and I think they’re great additions to the cast, giving the show, which now has dreary characters who are down and out and full of problems, life :) whats sad is that Old Peter gets dementia after retiring… and it’s great that Erbo, who has suffered so much, can finally find someone who has a good heart, and who loves her and cares for her.

I also really look forward to all the evil and horrible characters getting their comeuppance – Patricia Mok’s Sammi, and Chen Tianwen’s Lu Gua… I saw in the trailers that Sammi was reduced to washing toilets!!!

WHAT I DON’T GET is Mediacorp’s 2-hour special thing. They’ve never done this before, and it’ll take time to get used to it… They’ve done it first with “The Little Nyonya”, on Mondays, then now this, on Fridays (starting on 2nd Jan 09).

Part II’s are usually very disappointing, so i hope this will not be draggy… i hope it’ll be convincing all the way through to the end. let’s hope it doesn’t die off with an insufficient storyline…
I hope this will be GOOD :)