jasmine's drama blog

Synopsis:
Alex and Rosie has been best friends since they were young. Both have decided to study abroad in the United States but Rosie ends up not going because she is impregnated by her friend Greg. She doesn't tell Alex because she knows he would not go abroad if he finds out. Greg, on the other hand, disappeared after finding out about Rosie's pregnancy. Initially planning to give her child up for adoption, Rosie decides to keep her child and Greg eventually also returns so she gives him a chance. He disappoints her by having an affair with another woman. While Rosie was back with Greg, Alex got together with Sally and was about to marry due to Sally's pregnancy but Sally's child is actually another man's. Will Alex and Rosie end up together after many years?

In summary, they go through many ups and downs before ending up together and telling each other they love each other.

Synopsis:
Hoping to inherit the Ding's family business, Ding Chi purposely caused her niece Ding Aijia to fall from the cliff. But after knowing that her father will donate his entire fortune to charity, she searched for her to prevent that from happening. After finding her, Ding Chi decided to switch the real Ding Aijia with Yu Youmei, the daughter of the family that saved Aijia. Ding Chi staged everything and brought the fake Aijia back to the Ding family once she turned 16 while the real Aijia became Yu Youwei and lived with the Yu family after losing her memory from the fall.

However, Yu Youwei's love for the sea is destined to intertwine her fate with the Ding family. She initially wanted to join the Han's Corporation but because she started off on the wrong side with the CEO Han Ming, she eventually joins the Ding's Corporation. But Ding Chi will do everything to prevent Youwei from remembering and reuniting with the Ding family. How will Youwei regain her identity and return to the Ding family?



Cast:

Synopsis:
This drama takes place in Tong Sai during the 1930s, an era of corruption and human trafficking. Kam Wah (Louis Cheung) is a corrupted officer from the start who takes bribes and collects tributes from commoners. But he begins to change when he meets righteous cop Sum Yat Yin (Matt Yeung) and gets embroiled in the investigation of human trafficking. As he finds his conscience, he gets closer to and develops a crush on Leung Sam (Tavia Yeung) who has taken a vow of celibacy yet fell in love with Yat Yin. Leung Sam and her childhood friend Fa Ying Yuet (Rosina Lam) were both victims of child trafficking who became separated from their family but each went down a different path. Ultimately, the four joins together to counter the mastermind behind the human trafficking organization.





Cast:
Louis Cheung as Kam Wah
Tavia Yeung as Leung Sam
Matt Yeung as Sum Yat Yin
Rosina Lin as Fa Ying Yuet
Lau Kong as Chong Ngou Shan
Akina Hong as Ho Wan Fong
Joe Tay as Chong Man Tou
Timothy Cheng as Lui Kwok
Hugo Wong as Lui Yu Wai
Koo Kung Chung as Ng Sai Cheung
Willie Wai as Shek Gau
Candy Chang as Lam Choi Dip
Brian Burrell as James Charlton
Amy Fan as Gu Sau Hing

I decided to watch this drama after my interest in The Journey of Flower has started to dwindle. Initially unwilling to watch this due to its genre (horror), I gave it a try after my sister wanted to watch it with me to improve her Chinese. First off, this is not much of a horror drama compared to the horror movies out in the market. However, some parts are not suitable to be watched in the dark since it does give you the creeps if you do. So far, I'm only up to Episode 6 and has done a search on this drama.


Synopsis:
Wu Xin is not a normal human being, he never grows old and will never die. He doesn't know where he came from or where he is going. Wandering through boundless ages, he adventures while falling in love at the same time.

To pursue his love, during the reign of Tongzhi, he and his wife lived in seclusion in the mountains. During the Republican era, his wife died of old age and as for him because of his impoverished conditions, he is forced to leave the mountains to make a living as a monk.




The Cast:

Cast:
Yi Zhi Mei members:

Synopsis:
Former undercover police Pau Kai Chung (Chin Siu Ho) escapes to the Wudang Mountains after experiencing a severe setback in life. His senior Mo Yee Shan (Yuen Qiu), whom he has known since his youth, hires him as a chef for her lodging establishment in Wudang. She also takes in the mysterious and mentally ill Ho Ching Tung (Derek Kok), who was brought to Wudang by Kai Chung.

Originally known for being a land of spiritual calmness, Wudang enters a state of chaos after a group of new Hong Kong students are taken in to learn Tai Chi. The new students include Yee Shan’s daughter Lok Yeung (Tavia Yeung); the fighter Cheung Ka Kong (Timmy Hung); son of a wealthy businesswoman Lok Yik Hin (Jonathan Cheung), Yik Hin's private female bodyguard Yeung Ching Wu (Toby Leung), model Siu Yuk (Regen Cheung), accompanied by her mother Chin Yam Yam, and rebellious student Mia Lau (Rainky Wai).

The appearance of Lok Yeung triggers a painful memory in Kai Chung. Lok Yeung’s purpose in staying in Wudang is to convince her mother to sell her lodging establishment to a Hong Kong investment group. Yee Shan promises to give up the establishment only if Lok Yeung manages to win a competition in three months. Meanwhile, Yee Shan purposely injures herself so Kai Chung can teach her Tai Chi class.

Eventually, Ching Tung overcomes his mental illness and becomes well again. He reveals Kai Chung’s true identity, and danger shrouds the Wudang Mountains.

Synopsis:
Tang Dou Dou (Li Qin) sells tofu for a living and often dreams about marrying a first-ranked scholar. Master Shen and Madame Shen is so impressed by Dou Dou's eloquence and wits that they want her to marry their son Shen Bo Nan who was coined as the child prodigy of Jiangnan for passing the exam at a young age.  Unfortunately, she is conned and in actuality, Shen Bo Nan possesses the mental mindset of an 8-year old due to an accident. Even though she wants leave the Shen family, she eventually makes a deal with Madame Shen and promises to remain by Bo Nan's side for a year. However, as she stays with the Shen family, she slowly discovers that what Bo Nan encountered years ago wasn't an accident at all and in fact linked to a shocking secret.





The Cast:

Young cast:



Tang Dou Dou, known as Tofu Xi Shi (one of the four beauties in China), runs a tofu business. She is conned into a marriage with Shen Bo Nan by Master Shen and Madame Shen but she promises to remain in the family for a year. Unexpectedly, she is touched by Bo Nan's actions and decides to help cure his mental illness.

This isn't the first drama I've watched Li Qin act. The first was Shining Days with Peter Ho but I couldn't sit through the whole drama since it's 80 EPISODES long. She is a really good actress as evident in this drama; her expressions are on par for the mischievous Dou Dou.

Synopsis: 
Li Yi Feng plays a sweet, rich young master, while William Chan takes on the cold, heroic, investigator. On the ladies’ side, Tang Yan embodies the spirit of a sweet, strong willed Chinese Woman, in contrast to the nobly charming young mistress of Shu Chang. Moreover, the two ladies often find their interests in conflict with each other. Aside from that, the two families will battle over producing the best incenses in the area.


Source: Dramawiki



The Cast:
Tiffany Tang as Le Yan
Li Ya Feng as Ning Chi Yuan
William Chan as An Yi Chen
Shu Chang as Xia Ya Hui Zi
Zhang Zhi Xiao as Ning Hao Tian
Sierra Lee as Ning Pei Shan
Huang Ming as Wen Shi Xuan
Lu Xing Yu as An Qiu Sheng
Yang Ming Na as Bai Song Xian


~ Episode 2 ~

• Le Yan's (LY) dog chases Chi Yuan (CY) while Yi Chen (YC) and LY has a whole conversation about their background and their similar memory loss. YC explains to LY that he and CY met a few years ago when CY was ill from alcohol poisoning. After he cures him, CY wants to become brothers but he wants to be the older one since he explains that he will look out for him forever as the older one. 
• The dog chases CY up a tree and he takes a nap, hoping the dog will be gone by the time he wakes up. Unfortunately, the dog is still there and he lands on the dog. He encounters YC's father.

• CY is seen roasting something. LY comes asking where is her Ah Wang (her dog) and he gestures towards the thing he's roasting. Angrily, LY holds up a butcher knife and tries to attack CY. YC stops LY and shows her that what CY is roasting is not her dog but a sheep. 
• CY sees PS on the streets and questions her why is she dressed so nicely, isn't she afraid she will become the next victim of the devil. She informs him that even if the devil sees her, he will be frightened away. She also discloses to him that she has someone that will marry her eventually. After she leaves, CY asks who is the unfortunate man to marry such a manly woman?

Summary: 
Adapted from Korean drama My Daughter Seo Young, The Wife's Lies tells the story of a girl named Li Xiaxi who lives a tough life due to her father's constant gambling habit. After her mother dies from a heart condition, she blames her father for her mother's death and holds a grudge towards him. She takes on a position as tutor for the Jiang's family youngest son Jiang Yiming to support her and her brother's education but eventually falls in love with their eldest son Jiang Yibin. They finally get married after his parents' approval but she lies that she is an orphan, that both her parents have died because she didn't have the courage to tell them about her father. On the other hand, her brother Li Dongxu becomes entangled in a love triangle with the Jiang family's only daughter Jiang Yishan and Sun Jianuan. Xiaxi's lies spin out of control when her father becomes her husband's savior and when Dongxu finds out about Yishan's identity.

Cast:
Jia Qing as Li Xiaxi
Zhang Xiaolong as Jiang Yibin
Qiu Shengyi (Prince) as Li Dongxu
Xu Lu as Sun Jianuan
Shen Meng Chen as Jiang Yishan
Li Tianzhu as Li Guoliang
Li Mao as Jiang Yiming
Guan Shaoceng as Jiang Tianhao
Rong rong as Xu Jinxiu
Guo Jiahao as Sun Jiahao

Episodes 1-5:
The Wife's Lies starts off setting the backdrop for the story:

Synopsis:
To Zan Feng is the illegitimate second son of wealthy banker To Co Nan. He operates a bank that loans out equipments and lands rather than money, hoping that people can grow their own food and support themselves by selling the food as well as eventually return the money. One day, he meets nuns-to-be Wai Lam and Wai Yu who are trying to pawn off their temple's land for money to treat their head nun's illness. Eventually, they are forced to become Zan Feng's maids in order to repay the debt that Wai Yu scams from him. After escaping death, he encounters the brother of the Kangxi emperor Fuk Qun and becomes an official that fights corruption with the help of Fuk Qun. Being well-equiped with martial arts, Wai Lam and Wai Yu soon become his bodyguards, protecting him on his journey fighting against the corrupted officials. He soon goes head-to-head with his brother To Zan Ming who is a student under the guidance of his mentor Wing Bak Hin, who is the mastermind behind all the corruption. Zan Feng soon discovers the truth behind Wai Lam's background and his father's death being associated with Wing Bak Hin.

During my winter break, I've began watching the newest adaptation of Louis Cha/Jin Yong's wuxia novel, The Deer and the Cauldron. I haven't watched the previous version except remember bits and pieces from the 2000 Duke of Mount Deer version, starring Dicky Cheung. But I want to say this new one is really vibrant (costumes and accessories) and actually entertaining. As a fan of Han Dong and Loura Lou, I was interested to give this a try. I've only watched up to episode 11 and then stopped because of work and another drama The Empress of China starring Fan Bing Bing. However, I really love its opening and especially its ending theme - I would definitely finish this when I have time in the future!

Music
There have been many adaptations of Louis Cha's wuxia novel The Deer and the Cauldron and each has its own opening and ending theme. These songs prove to show that even adapting a novel many times, the result can end up differently based on the perspective the production team decides to focus on and show.

The Deer and the Cauldron 2014

天意如此
This song is written from Wei Xiao Bao's point-of-view; he is saying that he is not smart, does not like to read (not erudite), does not have a wealthy background, but he is loyal, does not easily admit defeat, and a list of other good traits.

你不是我从小想嫁的大英雄 by Wang Le
The lyrics of the song is written from the point-of-view of Wei Xiao Bao's wives. They are saying that he is not the hero (he's an anti-hero) they've wanted to marry since they were young. However, they were mesmerized and attracted by all his goods and bad. Really like the lyric and rhythm of this song!

曾想象你才子风流

This TV series is adapted from a popular novel also written by the author (Gu Man) who wrote Shan Shan, Come and Eat (Boss and Me). The production team that brought to us Boss and Me also had the honor in producing this drama.



Synopsis: