Hong Kong Classic: The Greed of Man 1993 (40 Episodes)
This Classic drama coined the term “Ting Hai Effect”, a Hong Kong stock Market Phenomenon which occurs whenever one of Adam Cheung’s dramas are being broadcast. Even though this is probably more of a self-fulfilling prophecy, this belief has hurt the actor’s potential to book jobs over his long-term career. Especially whenever The Greed of Man is rebroadcast, the dip in stocks would be taken notice of. It makes one wonder about the powers of suggestion that could influence the livelihood of society.
The drama tells the story about the clashes between two families, Fong and Ting. While the Ting consist of four sons, the Fong family are with three daughters and one son. This is a story of loss, devotion, and family-feuds, with a lining of romance. Not the kind with the silver lining, but with a stain of blood that could never be wash away.
It was a classic of HK cinema that happens to bring two unexpected love birds together in real life. Amy Kwok and Sean Lau met on the set. However, neither could stand the sight of the other. Lau is a veteran actor who started from being an extra of Duke of Mount Deer to his first leading role. While Amy Kwok was a Miss Hong Kong, which got her a ticket to a prominent supporting role, much to the chagrin of Sean Lau. Yet, this blistering chemistry on set sent this bickering couple to the altar 6 years later, and they have remained faithful to this day.
Riverdale (Netflix, Season 1 & 2, Ongoing Season 3)
Small town, an iconic American setting for any mystery to arise in. Gossip and whispers are weapons that could set the downfall of any household overnight but are not the only weapons to end one’s life. Base on Archie Comic, Archie Andrews and his friends are faced with the reality that their typical hometown is no more. The first season focuses on the murder mystery of the Golden Boy’s life, and the second season follows a serial killer who is threatening to clean up the town of its most sinful creatures.
Yes, this drama may first seem like a high school cliche with all its Breakfast Club members, but 16 Candles is not without its sprinkles. From family secrets to drug money, class prejudices to conversion therapy, Riverdale did not shy away from the darkness exists each residence’s soul. With each step these wayward teenagers take, they soon realize the truth is more ugly than the lies.
Dakaretai Otoko Ichii Ni Odosarete Imasu (BL Anime, Ongoing, 12 Episodes)
After Junjou Romanitca, Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi, and Super Lovers, we came upon DOINOI. This anime is based on a Yaoi manga, not Shounen Ai. So their relationship progression was fast-paced, with barely any character development. These characters bonded without much explanation. As enjoyable as the anime is, this is more of a guilty pleasure rather than an adaptation that exceeds one’s expectation. Given the fact that the original work focused much more on yaoi, the scriptwriter of the anime did what they could to salvage the relationship that seems to be based on physical needs alone. While other BL works can be rewatched many times because of the attachment to the well-developed characters, this anime is, unfortunately, something one can only watch once.
Watch List:
Legend of Hao Lan (40 Episodes, Premier Postponed, TBA)
Legend of Sun Ruowei (60 Episodes, 2019)
