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Actually, I just remembered that this was actually my first TVB series ever and not Road for the Hereos like I mentioned before. But I didn’t count it as official because I was roaming around and playing with my cousins when we were little, so didn’t really watch much or remember some of the details. I only remembered that Felix was quite annoying, bullying Liu Kai Chi. But when I watched it properly this time around, I liked it a tad more–until it went downhill that was.
What was so good about it?
- Felix Wong. He was a big bully at first, but as the series progressed, I really enjoyed watching him. So hilarious yet so charming at the same time. Yes, he could be super mean at times, but I actually enjoyed it. (Until it got out of hand, of course.) Man, Felix’s acting took it to the max during episode 18 with his soul and this guy’s soul being switched! It was just so addicting watching how he carried on the arrogant attitude. (The other guy was good also, so convincing as the honest and kind dude.) He was honestly robbed in this one. His acting showed he was able to do it YET the whole thing was so messed up. I do understand that one could turn the whole show around. It was actually because of him that I hung on ’til the end YET the plot was killing me so badly.
- Liu Kai Chi. At first, it seemed like he was really honest and easy to step on. But he was just nice and kind. He didn’t get stepped on easily though, which was great. BUT he even gained such an edge that I sort of despise. I didn’t doubt his acting, but his character was turning worse and worse as it proceeded. I think he got influenced by the servant girl so there was this smart-aleck edge to his attitude that I really, really hated later as well. His acting was still good, it was just that his character was getting quite annoying in the later parts of the series.
- Felix and Liu Kai Chi as master and servant. They were just too funny to watch. Felix would get the upper hand because he was the young master BUT LKC would get the ultimatum later on because he was the one who could read and write better than Felix. Watching them bicker and fight over Sheren was too funny. But too bad their friendship and/or loyalty to one another wasn’t stressed so strongly anymore. It was like they focused on other annoying things more.
- Sheren Tang. I didn’t like Sheren much in those days, except for maybe one series or so. And it didn’t help that she was really annoying at the beginning. But it grew on me later and glad she wasn’t going to portray a typical screeching girl like others. She was quite brilliant when she put her stubbornness aside. This role also gave Sheren more room for acting. Yet her character was a different story. She was no different than a villain, except that she kept chanting the typical ‘good guy’ mantra. The fact that she used any type of tactics to deceive others made it even more despicable, especially in Helena’s case. Oh yeah, I thought she should’ve used this approach to act her role ‘Zhou Zhi Ruo’ than using that ‘long face’ for ZZR. Since this one made her look so fake with her pitiful behaviors. I couldn’t even stand it anymore. Regardless of how gentle she was later on. Oh yeah, one more complaint, her skills seemed to be VERY impressive at the beginning, WHY did it deteriorate so bad? Probably too focused on Felix? OR had the scriptwriter(s) forget about that as well? Another pathetic attempt to make her gentle BUT failed. It was like the consistency in her character wasn’t even there and the change did not stick as it should. It was convincing at first yet the whole roller coaster attitude later made it like she was two different characters for some reason. Poor transition. Of course, the script, NOT her acting.
- Felix and Sheren as a couple. I didn’t realize how cute they were together until now. Their characters really match wit per wit. YET I no longer cared for them later due to script errors AND many other lame scenes. I wished there was some other series that would be more worth watching since they did have great chemistry together.
- Benz Hui. Always liked seeing him around. A righteous character yet hilarious at the same time. But like others in here, I ended up feeling I really, really despised him too. Like how he encouraged the whole to forget Kiki totally and just focus on Felix and Sheren’s wedding. Yes, Felix should marry the one he loved, BUT he did promise to take care of Kiki before. SO it was a scheme to get the antidote that one time, BUT Felix still tricked Kiki regardless. It was the antidote for him, how could he just forget Kiki like that? How could he encourage his disciples’ behaviors like that? He should’ve just stay out of the whole triangle and let them decide or fight or whatever.
- Benz Hui, Felix, and Liu Kai Chi as master and disciples. I really liked watching those scenes, especially when they conspired with one another to make other people’s lives miserable. It really showed that LKC’s character wasn’t that dumb. He often contributed his ideas for different plots too. I rather they focused on building their good bond more than just the dragging on and on with the triangle. (I got too happy too early because of how fast the Felix-Sheren-Liu Kai Chi triangle ended. Did not realize Felix’s other triangle was even more unbearable.)
- Benz Hui and Lisa Lui as a couple. It’s rare that I pay attention too closely to older couples in series. But I loved them together in here.
- Lisa Lui. I think I could only like her character in here throughout because she was supposedly following her master’s orders before but turned good. YET her character was consistent throughout. Unless she was possessed and was doing things she did not want to, other times, she was kind and nice.
- Kiki Sheung. Another one that I didn’t really like back then but maybe it was because she was given the wrong roles, etc. But this character was really cool. It allowed for more development and allowed her to show off her acting skills. I honestly felt sorry for her for being used so much though. I can’t believe that the others made her out to be unreasonable. She was being used and she was so hurt to the point that she ended up hurting others. It wasn’t a good excuse, BUT I honestly hated the idea of seeing her sinking further like that and no one sympathized with her. I was rooting for her at times since others were getting on my nerves. They seemed to deserve it the way they were leading on like that. I swear she liked Felix for who he was since the part when his soul was switched, she said she liked him for who he was, NOT his appearance. BUT it was lame trying to make her loud and fierce SO Sheren’s character could score some points. Believe me, between her and Sheren, I used to like Sheren slightly better BUT for this one, I was just judging for character AND this time Kiki won my attention. I thought her best choice must be in the temple. Though I hate people who use the temple to hide, I thought with Kiki’s character, I actually felt genuine toward it because she seemed to have understood it already, letting go of her stubbornness and her past.
- Felix and Kiki. OMG! I didn’t even realize how much chemistry they had. LOL! Though he was trying to con her to get the meds for his master BUT their scenes were so funny, especially how flaky he sounded BUT she still fell for it since she really liked him. It became really sad as the plot unfolded and her background was revealed. I honestly felt bad for her for having such high hopes in his and her future, like at least there was him yet it wasn’t so after she realized her life was more complicated than just being on the wrong side of the battle between her father and Felix’s master. Everything was coming to her at once, especially how she was betrayed by both what she believed to be the truth but wasn’t so–on so many levels. Then I can’t seem to blame her for doing that curse on him either since she sacrificed herself for Felix yet she found out it was just a lie. I’ve never liked the other girl more than the main girl until now.
- Lai Hon Chi. Though his character was really annoying at the beginning, he was one of the great actors. The fact that he ended up being one of the rare characters that I liked made it even more ironic.
- Helena Law Lan. A ghost/fantasy-related series without her? Never! She was so convincing as always. I honestly felt pity for her. She lost her daughter, went on the wrong approach to seek justice for this world, thinking she could find someone to replace her daughter’s position in her heart. YET she was just a tool for others to use and dispose of so easily. The saddest thing was she soon joined the forces with the others to gang up on Kiki later on as well. Too bad. I didn’t feel sad for her anymore.
What was bad?
Yes, there were bad sides to it too. In fact, WAY too many, but a few points would sum it up already.
- The majority of the main cast blamed Kiki’s character for being unreasonable. I mentioned this above already BUT I just have to emphasize it here again. Come on now! What they did was so wrong! I know that Felix Lok’s character was scheming and they needed the antidote to save Benz. BUT that was messed up with letting Felix seduce Kiki and that almost cost her life. IF she had died, what would they do? I wouldn’t be surprised if they just moved on. They probably have it that she rather died since they wouldn’t be bothered anymore. I honestly hated that they kept saying it was her fault later on. YES, it was she who caused some of those troubles. BUT if they hadn’t used her and then tossed her aside like they couldn’t care less, then she wouldn’t have done what she did. It was really stupid that they insisted on being right and it sounded reasonable that they had no choice BUT to use Kiki. IF they were so good, they could have gone inside and stolen the antidote on their own OR fight Felix Lok to get it. BUT they had to sink so low as to use Kiki like that AND then blamed her for being unreasonable later. They weren’t the only ones having feelings. She had some too AND she really fell for Felix. So how could she just forget about it? An on and off switch? Great… Perhaps, the only thing that made me forgive them a little more WAS Felix saying that he owed her more than he could ever repay so he can’t just leave her alone. At least someone found his heart. YET things just got worse and worse and worse with the lot acting all righteous on the surface BUT using such despicable tactics to achieve their means throughout. The fact that they shrugged Kiki and her father’s attempts to help time after time WAS just beyond tolerance. The funniest thing and most despicable thing was that they would call Kiki and her father in the most respectable tone and act in the most respectable manner when they needed something, BUT when it was done, they would shrug it off and make it like those two killed all their ancestors SO they had no choice but to ‘X’ them out. Ridiculous to no end!
- Sheren’s servant girl. I don’t know. I can’t seem to stand her. She was rude, loud, and ignorant. Unreasonable too. Yes, she was just a servant and we can say forget it about her being educated BUT it just got on my nerves each time she interrupted and made things worse. What right did she have to issue the orders to beat Kiki up that one time? AND what right did she have to scold at Helena’s character? Helena was really nice and kind to her and her master when they stayed in Helena’s place. BUT what did she get back? The rude treatment and the scolding marathon. So disrespectful. AND gosh, her loudness was like killing my patience. It was like she never knew how to shut up! It was like she was a mute in her past life so now she had to compensate for it. Oh yeah, when she needed to talk to provide info, she didn’t. BUT other times, she didn’t know when to shut up.
- Inconsistency with characters and plot. It kind of made sense with some parts BUT it was too lame seeing how the majority of the characters forgot what the heck they were saying before. Promises were forgotten just like that even if it was just minutes ago. It made all characters so freaking annoying because they couldn’t even keep a promise. It was like trying our patience too much. NO one kept their promises in here. It was just lame.
- The greatest sin WAS blaming Heaven. Pathetic attempt to make it tragic. They kept promising, promising, promising, and going back on their words YET were never punished. Then the last part, they tried to make everything super tragic with Felix and Sheren’s part. What the heck? They went back on their words numerous times already and kept making Kiki and her father out to be bad when the two helped them so much. Now, they were punished and wanted to blame Heaven, saying that they would fight against Heaven no matter what to stay together since loving each other was NOT a crime? I know there was the difference because Sheren had promised with blood SO it became even more serious YET it was pathetic to even think they were good people in the first place.
The fact that this series had such a good cast made it even more pitiful in the end. The plot had potential BUT the character developments were the worst of it all. I hated it that all the supposedly good people in here were so hypocritical. They just used others to their advantage AND still thought it was just right to do that. Messed up! I said it many times in the past already, I didn’t care if the character wasn’t perfect or had other shortfalls, BUT using others like that was just wrong in my book. Somehow, I was just rooting for Felix Lok to kill them all off. They were just hypocrites attempting to make Kiki’s character bad by acting ridiculously pitiful.
So much for being part of the ’80s classics! Honesty, the worst out of the lot. AGAIN, only the acting was good. The rest was just pure crap due to poor character developments and plot. It couldn’t even hold true to anything when TVB tried to divert away from those Jin Yong adaptations. I swear IF they had focused on the comedy scenes more, I would be less pissed. Since I rather they be random more than acting like super annoying, despicable beings. Because I found everyone charming in those scenes (well minus that annoying servant girl BUT still the rest of the cast made up for it).
I sort of remember how Felix said about TVB slamming some series toward him because he was disobeying? Was this one of them? (Or did I remember wrong?)