Moses Chan, Christine Ng, and Kenny Wong Confident in “Beauty at War”
TVB’s major production Beauty at War <金枝慾孽貳> made a weak debut last week, averaging only 23 points, trailing behind low-budget sitcom Come Home Love <愛·回家>. Despite the low ratings, cast members praised the series and are confident that viewership will increase as the story unfolds.
At the drama’s promotional event on today, Christine Ng (伍詠薇) complimented producer Jonathan Chik (戚其義) for his refreshing filming technique. Christine took the ratings with a grain a salt and pointed out that every series has its share of fans and critics. She believes that the ratings will improve later on, and that they will be able to generate more “noise” when Ada Choi (蔡少芬) returns from her maternity leave.
Kenny Wong (黃德斌), who also celebrated his 50th birthday at the event, revealed that he had no expectations to begin with and is therefore not affected by the low ratings. “The series have yet to dig deeply into the plot, and the audience didn’t have time to digest [the story]. [War and Beauty < 金枝慾孽>] left a more profound impression so it is normal to receive these ratings.”
When asked about viewer complaints that the characters’ mind-games could potentially affect young people’s psychological development, Kenny responded, “It depends on their parents’ guidance. The series reflect true human nature. The audience is confused because they are not used to this type of portrayal. Is it really this difficult to understand?”
Moses Chan (陳豪), who plays Kunqu opera master Ko Lau Fei, also finds the ratings reasonable and is not too worried about the series’ success. Moses recently purchased a luxury property in Tai Po worth $33 million HKD, causing speculation that he is building a “love nest” with girlfriend Aimee Chan (陳茵媺).
Asked if he had sought out Aimee’s opinion regarding his purchase, Moses’s face visibly brightened as he shared his future plans. “Aimee is working overseas and has yet to return to Hong Kong. There is no need to discuss with her yet. I really like the house, it is very nice.” Reporters then asked if Moses is looking to share his home with Aimee. He replied, “I haven’t decided if I will move in or rent it out. After all, we date because we want to get married. I understand that everyone is very anxious [about any marriage plans]. I also wish I have good news to share with all of you!”
Source: Oriental Daily
This article is written by Katrine for JayneStars.com.
I have confidence in “Beauty at War” …… its cast and storyline. I just think that scriptwriter Chow Yuk Ming should have a shorter introduction to bring out the characters. It seems that we will see more actions and interactions in Ep. # 8. I have enjoyed watching it so far.
BAW=super awesome! Hated Ko Lau-fei for d 1st few episodes he was so haughty mann! Moses acting=wow!
Kenny looks good at 50.
Wut?! 50?? It must be the work out he does. I better start doing more work outs.
kENNY LOOK VERY GOOD AT 50
50?!!! What the….he doesn’t look 50 at all, lol….
Speaking of BAW, I’m confused what happened around episodes 5 & 6. I hope there will be some explanations. Who did what?!
EP 5 basically wraps up most of the first 5 episodes. Sheung Ling (Ada) finally gets her wish and Yu Fei (Sheren) allows her to join her inner circle, that was the main thing that wrapped up which started since EP 1 when she was playing GO with the 5th prince.
At the beginning, Yee Ho (Rachel Kan) wants Sheung Ling to submit to her control but she has other plans to be directly under Yu Fei. This is because Yu Fei is soon scheduled for a promotion among the consorts which means more influence. Both sides then begin calculating and determining their course of actions, Yee Ho also points out that she was merely testing Sheung Ling while Yu Fei decudes she wants to get close to her directly. Sheung Ling also confirms this on her end.
The flute rumor also gets wrapped up with Muk Do Yee (Katy) being questioned by the previous emperor’s concubines. The Empress isn’t around at this time so I assume power fell to them. Su
Lan (Tracy) at this point begins theorizing that the rumor between Muk Do Yee and Kat Hoi (Kenny) spread because someone is using a gossip to override another gossip as a strategy to allow the Yu Fei rumor to die down.
Su Lan knows that Eunuch Ma has a crush on Muk Do Yee so a trap is set and Yee Ho falls into it. Yu Fei tries to get her back but Muk Do Yee (who works for the Empress) denies her, meanwhile Su Lan thinks she has gotten revenge by gloating in front of Sheung Ling only to realize later that she gave away too much and Sheung Ling deduces she had a hand in the trap.
Yee Ho is ready to sacrifice herself in order to put an end to the rumors spreading about Yu Fei. Su Lan’s uncle is trying to revive the rumors of Yu Fei but Mok Do Yee stops him as she has always seems to have no-nonsense attitude (perhaps because she doesn’t like her father’s business of selling information).
Poisoned food is sent to Yee Ho by Yu Fei but Mok Do Yee sees through the plot as Yu Fei would never be so stupid. She tests her step-mother Sheung Ling and confirms that Sheung Ling was the one who sent the food. However, it is later revealed that Yu Fei really did send the poisoned food but she used Sheung Ling because she wanted to owe her a favor so that she can trust Sheung Ling and work with her rather then have her be submissive. Yee Ho is set free because of Mok Do Yee finding our about Sheung Ling placing all blame on her, this was the price Yu Fei exchanged for what Sheung Ling wants as she officially joins her inner circle.
The episode ends on a powerful note with Kat Hoi (Kenny) despising the lowly servants and placing himself above them as he states they’re not worthy to determine what is white (right/true) and what is black (wrong/false). He’s confident that only fate can determine that and tells his father that he doesn’t understand anything and storms off.
His father realize his son is now determining his own fate as a playback of WAB of Bowie and his father plays in the background. This has double meaning because it applies to Kat Hoi as well as making a reference to Bowie’s own fate.
“Fate isn’t absolute, it has always been humans who are dreadful (compared to the heavens and fate). Humans are much more complex and unpredictable then fate (which is simpler to understand)”
What a detailed summary of the first 5 eps! Now that the opera troupe has been invited to the Forbidden City, we will soon see how the main characters interact. So far I think Seung Ling and Yue Fei are the most intelligent. Seung Ling can read other people well but is also read by Yue Fei.
I love how the series has told us about wet nurses and their conditions. Su Lan made it clear to Seung Ling that the former is not power-hunger as thought, but a mother loving her children back home. I think that is what Su Lan and Seung Ling have in common; they both want their kids the best. But I doubt if Su Lan will go against Seung Ling some day.
Yeah, the most annoying character to me is Ma Sun Mun. How come a eunuch has such power inside and outside the Forbidden City??
“Yeah, the most annoying character to me is Ma Sun Mun. How come a eunuch has such power inside and outside the Forbidden City??”
Then you must watch those series and movies about Ming Dynasty where the powerful kung fu master villains are always the eunuchs.
Thank you for your suggestion. But this is set in the Qing dynasty. Furthermore, it’s Jiaqing’s throne. I still remember in War and Beauty people were talking about how Jiaqing hates the corrupted Heshen and his gang. The emperor must be afraid of eunuchs forming parties after all?
Do you know who Ma Sun Mun works for? The Empress or the Emperor? Or he just chooses to take sides with those favored?
Oh my fault. Heshen is not a eunuch.
He Shen was Qianlung’s time and no he was not eunuch.
Qianlong’s later rule is generally regarded as the start of the decline of the Qing Dynasty as Heshen’s corruption infiltrated all levels of government. I don’t remember the exact number but after the execution, his fortune was worth around 10-20 years of the annual Qing income. No emperor afterwards managed to stem this tide.
That’s what made Puyi’s scece in EP1 important because by this time, Qing are deluded that they’re still a powerful nation yet all this self-delusion is what destroyed them 100 years later.
Eunuch Ma may or may not have a backing, he could simply be like Sheung Ling and is someone with great intellect and power. Eunuchs made up a huge majority of the resident in Forbidden City so they had always held a degree of power in the power struggle within the city walls.
Ahh so the poisoned cakes was done by Yu Fei herself. Why would she want to do that? Does she really want Yee Ho to die?
I’m also a little confused who spread which rumor. Were all rumors spread by Lady Shun?
Yu Fei did it because she knew Yee Ho wouldn’t eat it so she knew if Yee Ho saw that then she could differentiate that it wasn’t sent by her thus she would not go through with her plan of taking the blame. She delibrately chose Sheung Ling because she needs her and also knows she wants to get close to her. She chooses a more benevolent method by owing her this favor of saving Yee Ho but at the same time you can see that she’s willing to put Sheung Lng through the trouble of getting Mok Do Yee blaming her. As I mentioned, that was the price she set for Sheung Ling to get close so that she could feel at peace with having her as the primary wet nurse for her son.
Consort Dowager Shun started the initial rumor(s) and has been using it to extract revenge on her big sister. It soon built up because various parties tried to get some kind of benefit off of it.
From Yu Fei’s perspective that would be a win-win situation where she would gain an ally and new confidany while keeping Yee Ho alive.
confidant*
EP 6 starts with Moses and the troupe in trouble. The storyteller wants them to sign up for the Imperial teaching position but Ko Lau Fei (Moses) refuses.
In a nearby inn, the storyteller vents his frustration and re-tells the story of a maid and imperial guard (the same WAB story of Moses and Maggie) with an added pinch of salt and vinegar. The characters from this series are shown because as he talks the story is actually making a reference to the troupe in this series using the story from WAB. The key thing from that piece was on Lau Fei because near the end he himself admits that he too was once naive and that despite his appearance and how hard he works he’s still nothing more then a lowly performer. This shows that character has something to prove still and explains why he despises people with power, an inner struggle if you will. It concludes with a simple connection to the trainee and how wonderous human connections can be.
Eunuch Ma is getting revenge at Sheung Ling because of what happened in EP 5 between Sheung Ling and Mok Do Yee. He already despised her because they both deal in information for profit but this time it’s a little more personal. He doesn’t mention Mok Do Yee but silently acknowledges Sheung Ling having a superior intellect over Su Lan who used his Eunuchs in her scheme and now he has offended Yu Fei. He’s further offended when Sheung Ling says he has no evidence (the chinese word has a similar sound to the word root which refers to what Eunuch’s don’t have). He makes it clear he’s greatly displeased and makes mention of another consort who might give birth to a son. His department can determine who the new wet nurses will be so he can select people of his own choosing as he still sees her department as crucial to solving the truth behind why the doctor left his post. His selection will also cause more problems for Sheung Ling so he both threatened and made clear his intentions.
Su Lan is confronted by Sheung Ling who takes off her mask and tells her she’s vastly superior to Su Lan mentioning if she wills it she can kick her out of the game anytime. So she asks that she work for her and at least that way she will have a slim chance to oust her. (This part I found very important because in EP 1 Sheung Ling mentions she didn’t really want to stay in the Forbidden City so she might want Su Lan to defeat her and getting close to Yu Fei might be her ticket back to her children. In EP 8 she cries to herself in bed after the encounter with the new wet nurse who was crying about being separated with her daughter.)
A plan is set in motion to bring the doctor Yeung back because they need a trustworthy doctor for the 5th prince and it will dispel the rumors that Eunuch Ma mentioned earlier as people are trying to determine the cause. She send her husband with logic, threats and a final gamble to convince him to return. The gamble pays off as the doctor truly cares for his patients and is a doctor at heart so he returns in a later episode.
Su Lan submits to Sheung Ling the morning after.
Yu Fei and Yee Ho discuss Sheung Ling as they discuss her final gamble. Yu Fei evaluates her and says her most formidable strength is that she can read people accurately so they both acknowledge that they need to be aware of her. Yu Fei states for now she’s loyal but she can’t determine the future but still needs her. As someone who figured all this out, Yu Fei herself has shown great intellect and cunning (EP 5) clearly a notch above her maid Yee Ho.
The episode ends with Moses feeling guilty over his handling of an old situation that has caused the young trainee to be ambushed in his place. He reflects on this and agrees to the Imperial position only to find that Eunuch Ma is in charge and says a good show is to follow.
Thank you for your writing. I truly enjoy reading your analysis. Would it be OK for you to continue with episodes 7 and 8? Look forward to reading your thought.
SD
Thanks for your detailed summaries of all the episodes. I enjoyed reading them though I was able to understand most of the storyline so far. I am sure your writing will help a lot of viewers understand this drama series “Beauty at War” and enjoy it more.
I hope you will carry it on. Your summaries are brief and up to the point ….. easy to read and understand. You did an excellent job.
Yea! keep it going SD n thank you so much!
The first chunk of EP 7 is a look at Eunuch Ma (Wi Kar-hung) more then Lau Fei (Moses) because we already know that Lau Fei is a very stubborn person but at the same time you can say he’s dignified as well. This is shown through his various humiliations by the Eunuch such as singing all night, performing on the streets, serving as his lackey while he’s at an opera, etc. Lau Fei has been putting up with him all day because he wants the troupe to leave knowing that he had offended such a person but he could have never guessed the extent and extreme measures Eunuch Ma would use on people who offend him. Sitting beside Lau Fei is the 7 year old daughter of a couple which her mother had been pursued by Eunuch Ma (before being an Eunuch) only to be rebuked heavily as her husband was even more powerful then he was at the time. The result? A gruesome death for the husband and an equally torturous experience (possibly followed by suicide) for the wife after he seeks revenge some years later. Lau Fei finally can’t stand it anymore as he can’t even see Eunuch Ma as even human to have so little compassion and going so far as to bring the little girl (now grown up) to make a point. But this was significant as it explains why Eunuch Ma held so much sway over the other Eunuchs and his violent outbursts from time to time.
Meanwhile, the concubine finally gives birth to a son which may mean more trouble for Sheung Ling (Ada Choi) because Eunuch Ma warned her it was a possibility.
Doctor Yeung (Raymond Cho) has returned and reveals that the final gamble by Sheung Ling was accurate, she had read his mind and personality perfectly. He’s a bit stern as he wants to draw the line in their working relationship. Yu Fei (Sheren Tang) however apologizes and she explains that she wants to treat him in a fair manner with him standing instead of having him bow down to her like in a submissive role. She’s trying to do the same thing with what she did to Sheung Ling here, having them as partners rather then submissive servants. The news of the baby prince being born ends the scene with Yu Fei joyous and the doctor swayed a little because she doesn’t seem to be as ambitious and ruthless as the rumors say.
Sheung Ling and Su Lan then have a chat in a secluded area, Su Lan confirms that the 3 new wet nurses are not under control of Eunuch Ma. She spread a false rumour but no one from the Eunuch department took the bait so for now it would seem that Eunuch Ma’s early threat has no signifcant backing to it. Sheung Ling muses how to make this seem real but Su Lan assures her that based on what other people perceive of their relationship, it would be accurate and Eunuch Ma himself is busy with other matters (attending to Lau Fei’s troupe) so there should be no danger from the new wet nurses who could potentially be spies, etc. Su Lan leaves and wants Sheung Ling to know that she isn’t the kind of person who lusts for power but just wishes well for her children like her (and wet nurses in general). For that reason. She’s willing to submit to her as it would ensure a stable life for her children.
Sheung Ling then coincidentally meets up with Doctor Yeung and makes some small talk but moves on to informally apologize. They delve a little into Doctor Yeung who has never felt the burden of being a doctor, but in this night he can truly feel the weight of being a doctor. Sheung Ling tells him that he can blame her but to never retreat and he informs her that he never intended nor does he think can. He is about to tell her that he has some regret but cuts himself off and leaves a burdened soul.
She continues back to her room and meets one of the new wet nurses who is crying non-stop. She has been crying for some time and they have a chat in which the wet nurse reveals that she has been praying that a princess be born so she may leave but a prince has been born instead. She cries her 10 day old daughter had to separate without hearing her even call her mother. She is now a prisoner and the walls of Forbidden City her jailor. Sheung Ling tells her no matter what she thinks she must bury it deep in heart but later in the night, she too breaks down thinking of her own children. This an echo of what Su Lan said earlier, they’re not necessarily power hungry but they have to keep playing this vicious game for the sake of their young ones. The wet nurse also thinks of this as an indefinite prison and Sheung Ling explained this slightly earlier when she was asking Su Lan to submit under her, that the wet nurse could stay by the side of the Emperor himself meaning it could be 20+ years before they leave.
Kat Hoi is predicting fate out in the open and says something joyous will happen.
Consort Dowager Shun (Christine Ng) is leisurely cutting out the words Sheung Hai (for joyous occasions) while her maid Yau Heung (the not very bright one) tells her she should stick to the fish as that would be more approriate. She has a pessimistic view of giving birth for the emperor as it’s merely a duty and shouldn’t be celebrated. She cuts up the words but it blows away before Yau Heung can dispose of it. Yuen Sau has accepted the reality of her bleak situation even though it hints that she’s a very emotional and expressive person at heart.
Kat Hoi curiously picks up the paper outside and pieces them together happily exclaiming that this was it all along. A possible foreshadow that Consort Dowager Shun may be the one that can restore his family honor and there will be a working relationship.
Backtrack a little before that and the audience can confirm that the rumor was spread by Consort Dowager Shun, for years her personal maid Yeuk Kwai (Kaki Leung) has falsely promised Kat Hoi’s father that their family can be restored but he now knows this will not happen and refuses to help her anymore. This was right before the part where Kat Hoi places the words back together so it could very well mean that while the father has let go of the situation, his son will take over.
Yeuk Kwai is now lost, she can’t perform her duty but she wants to desperately leave in the Winter. In desperation she lies to Consort Dowager Shun hoping to buy some time till Winter but her cunning master tells her to do one thing while immediately putting Yau Heung to work to check on her progress to find that the gossip has effectively ended. She uses her earned leave as leverage to push Yeuk Kwai to keep working for her making her even more worried that she may never leave.
In desperation, she seeks out Kat Hoi in hopes that a rumor can be built up again. The reason she chooses father and son because they use to work in the court giving their words weight out of all the servants. Kat Hoi makes a wager with her instead by predicting her fate and she’s visibly shaken by what he tells her.
The closing of EP 7 has Yeuk Kwai begging for Yu Fei’s help, at first she tries to play the sympathy card but ends up threatening the Niohuru ((鈕祜祿) family instead. That’s when she catches the attention of Yu Fei who immediately but calmly informs her that she will make arrangements. EP 8 will explain why she did so most likely.
Consort Dowager Shun catches on to this as she uses the same trick by having Yau Heung tail Yeuk Kwai. After finding out she has has visited her sister, she turns 180 degrees and becomes alot nicer to her maid by drawing from a variety of things such as her own past, their relationship, etc. Yeuk Kwai accepts her gift and leaves all teary while she reveals a face of contempt that she reserves for her sister Yu Fei.
You could say she has a devilish side to her, anyone who has slighted her she will use underhanded methods if necessary as the conversation between Yu Fei and Yeuk Kwai confirms she’s behind all the negative gossip about Yu Fei but she leaves no evidence behind and what better way to do it then using gossip.
How far she will go I can’t say but she’s a tragic villain who perceives the world as having done a great injustice to her and she’s unable to let go because of her personality.
confidant*
Great analysis, SD! Thanks a lot. Still awaiting your summary on ep 8 because I feel some gaps between the transition of ep 7 and 8 in Yeuk kwai.
Yeuk Kwai knew that kindness was a fake which yu Fei tells her sister in EP 8. The rest happened in EP 8 and her story has more or less concluded.
EP 8 was pretty straight forward unlike EP 7 which had alot of characters doing a bunch of things.
Consort Dowager Shun is follwing up on the end of EP 7, she’s out to get Yeuk Kwai who is now in hiding (Yu Fei hides her as Doctor Yeung is called by Yee Ho to help examine her) from an arrangement. Sheung Ling and Su Lan discuss the matter and it would seem that Sheung Ling has been left out of the loop while re-confirming that no one knows of their partnership because Yeuk Kwai went to confide in Su Lan. They’re both unaware that she has seen Yu Fei and can only guess at it, Su Lan says that they can’t possibly know everything (even with their intellect combined) and isn’t sure Sheung Ling can sell this favor so she hints that she should just let the matter go as Sheung Ling wants to hand her over to Yu Fei.
Yu Fei visits the Consort Dowager residency and an argument ensues as they used Doctor Yeung to establish Yeuk Kwai as insane. Mok Do Yee says it’s a bit too convienent and a bit out in the open for all to see but Yu Fei in her rebuttal asks her why Yeuk Kwai would go so far to cause harm to C.D. Shun. It goes on for a bit because Yu Fei and Yee Ho clearly know the answer but have to pretend otherwise while Mok Do Yee might suspect it too but she can’t say what she really thinks outloud. Consort Dowager Gwai stops their argument and allows Yu Fei to visit her ailing sister.
C.D.Shun (in perfect health) confronts Yu Fei thinking she has the upper hand and that Yu Fei is trying to use the opportunity to get evidence on her and that she’s the more cunning one. Yu Fei proves her wrong by showing her incriminating evidence that Yeuk Kwai left behind. Yu Fei helped Yeuk Kwai after she repeatedly hides the truth but finally caves in after Yu Fei guarantees she will get her earned leave. C.D.Shun is taken aback after Yu Fei refutes her claim that she was the culprit by telling her it wouldn’t be a private matter between two sisters if she intended harm. She leaves her after telling her sister to blame her and not cause misery for those around her because of her mood. Misery loves company.
The troupe mentions that the eunuchs they teach have no heart in learning their craft.
The storyteller sees Lau Fei at their old performance building and reflects on a few things which he discusses with his son-in-law. We can see from this exchange that he’s similar to Lau Fei in that having been off the stage for so long even Lau Fei seeks acknowledgement from peers, their worth is determined by that brief moment on stage otherwise they would be regular Joes and nobodies. Eunuch Ma understand this perfectly which is why he schemes various ideas to humiliate the troupe.
The second half of the episode has Yu Fei emphasizing her own views on family bonds. During the performances she tells the consort that she’s estatic the 5th prince now has a little brother grow up with. This is strongly related to how she views her own sisterly bond as Yee Ho states that Yu Fei has done all she can to repair their damaged relationship.
Yu Fei at this point tells us a story about their past and how passionate C.D.Shun is. That little hand that once clung onto her is why she will stubbornly hold on to it till his day. She continues to protect her sister refusing to let go, to her it’s unbreakable bond. She reaffirms this by stating in front of Guanyin (the goddess) that she knows it’s bad karma to recount things she’s unhappy about but if she can’t let it go then she can’t let it go. She makes a reference about being able to walk in all directions in her home (Forbidden City) but she refuses to believe that under the same roof she’s destined to be so far and distant from her biological little sister. It’s a declaration that Yu Fei determines her own fate and she will follow through with what her heart desires no matter the odds.
Because of the tone Yee Ho uses to address Eunuch Ma, he believes that the newly inserted performance is meant to give him a hard time after telling him he’s being too nosy. A simple scene that shows how tone of voice can lead to misunderstandings, if Yee Ho had said that calmly he may have interrupted differently.
The troupe is then brought to perform this more complex performance and Lau Fei gets a little revenge (you can tell he enjoys it) by giving Eunuch Ma a hard time as he’s forced to allow them to perform. C.D.Shun attends after having a heart to heart with the ever simple minded maid Yau Heung who convinces her to try.
The sisters reconcile to some extent and in her joy Yu Fei wants to dote on her little sister by scheduling performances she wants to see. This will probably cause many unintended problems because just as she had misunderstood her little sister as being naive (she was really a passionate person) when they were young, she miscalculates the current C.D.Shun. She believes that her core/soul is still the same but as Yee Ho mentioned during the Guanyin scene, perhaps C.D.Shun has forgotten.
This was a slice of life episode done in Qing fashion in my opinion, it wraps up most major plots up to this point and introduces Lau Fei into the mix who will stir the hearts of the women as Moses mentions.
They even made a little scene where the maids chatted about which idol was the best in reference to our own modern society. It also sent a message that it takes more then one man to perform a show and Yee Ho tells them they should broaden their horizons a little rather then having a narrow view.
The circle has finally tightened as we went from EP 1 with a huge broadview to everything being narrowed down into the harem. All main and support leads are now in place with established connections and hopefully a better show to come.
I forgot to add that Yu Fei sets up this performance which leads Eunuch Ma to misunderstand that Yee Ho had a hand in it. She wants to reconcile with her sister so she uses her favorite performance as a reminder of their past.
Yeuk Kwai’s story is at an end as well. C.D.Shun mentions that she’s afraid she may have incurred karma for her actions but Yu Fei says she’ll shoulder it with her.
an even better show to come.*
Need edit button =)
It’s definitely picking up. I can understand why people think the first two or three episodes were boring and confusing but I still genuinely enjoy this series. The acting is superb. Looking forward to episode 8. 😀
In an attempt to inject some new elements into BAW, the series is made to revolve around “rumours” （绯闻） instead of the usual feud engaged by the palace dwellers. In fact, in order to remedy the lack of ‘battle scenes’, the producers resort to writing a witty plot in hopes to attract the attention of us viewers. However, this had the reverse effect of alienating some followers of the drama due to the complexity of it!
Regardless of the outcome, I have enjoyed BAW thus far and will watch it till the very end. That being said, I do have a penchant for TVB series of this sort.
So far, I’ve only watch 3 episodes. But, I’m loving these 3 episodes. Hope it will continue to be as good.
I’m sure you will love it more when you continue watching the next eps.
Glad that I can see more and more advocates of the series!
I am enjoying BAW thus far. kudos to the leads who never fail to disappoint. I am most impressed however, with Katy kung’s improvement and little Pako’s acting. Absolutely brilliant!
When I watch a TVB drama series, I don’t usually watch every episode or every scene because there will always be some boring ones. However, in Producer Chik Kee Yee’s drama series, I think people need to watch every episode and scene if they want to understand and enjoy it.
I have watched every episode and every scene so far, and I have thoroughly enjoyed them. Of course, I have to think a bit and recall some details (or scenes) together which may have occurred in earlier episodes. Acting is excellent so far, especially Sheren Tang, Christine Ng, Rachel Kan, Ada Choi and even Katy Kung and Leung Ka Ki. As for actors, Wai Ka Hung (portrayed the eunuch Ma Sun Moon) does an excellent job. Moses Chan, Kenny Wong and Eddie Kwan are decent so far, so is To Yin Gor as Cheung Kok Sung (杜燕歌 飾 章鞠笙).
The only thing I complained about is: Scriptwriter Chow Yuk Ming has a super long introduction. It takes almost 7 episodes to bring out the characters and theme of the drama series. Hongkongers like fast-paced drama series, and they don’t have the patience to wait for it.
Ep. # 8 seems to be a good one with good interactions of all lead artistes, Sheren Tang, Christine Ng, Moses Chan, Eddie Kwan, Rachel Kan, and maybe Ada Choi and Katy Kung. In this episode, Moses and Eddie will do some Kungu opera shows in the Forbidden City.
I also think Wai Ka Hung did an excellent job! He basically stole every scene he appeared in.
I like the pace of the build-up. It’s like savouring good food. Slowly does it.
I’m confused
After reading the synopsis few posts back I’m still confused. :S
SD
You have done a great job. I hope your summaries will help people understand the drama series and continue to watch it. As a matter of fact, acting is superb in this drama series. Every artiste acts well, with the exception of Christie Kuo. Luckily she hasn’t had much screen time or dialogues so far.
At last get to know both sisters r not from d same biological mother can’t blame Consort Dowager Shun to be extremely sceptical.
SD – excellent summaries! This has been very good series so far where I look forward to learning more and more about the characters. I’m glad there is not much overt fighting and screaming matches since those series give me a headache.