Clesias
This review may contain spoilers
Thank you, ViuTV!
This is me crying for the past 30 minutes before I could sit here and type this review.
Why the tears, you might ask?
1) Because it has been such a long time since we have seen so many Hong Kong citizens coming together and putting everything they have into pursuing their dreams. There were contestants who sacrificed their time and even their money just so they can perform on the stage. For a city languishing under stress and socio-political uneasiness for many years (especially after the handover in 1997), such a scene is sure to stir the hearts and passions of anyone watching.
2) Because there were so many tears shed by the contestants - doesn't matter if they have won, doesn't matter if their performance had high praises or not. They cry because they have invested emotionally and mentally so much in this show; they cry because despite their conflicts and fights, they see the other contestants not as competitors but as friends, brothers, and comrades in this journey to stardom.
3) Because ViuTV gave them this stage that no other TV stations were willing to give. Not just any stage - but a stage that allowed them to be themselves and not mere commodities in an industry. Everyone involved in this show truly cared for the contestants and want them to show their best abilities - from the producers (including our beloved Fa-Jeh!) to the coaches to the hosts to the crew and even to the voiceover (yes, even the voiceover artiste became popular in Hong Kong after this show aired, this is the funniest thing ever). Want more proof that this competition value people over entertainment? In the Top 20 going into Top 10 segment, Team B decided to send out the weakest 2 contestants to "fight" for 2 spots in Top 10. (Keep in mind, that throughout the competition, these 2 contestants were seen as "baggage" that were lucky enough to get into a good team in previous rounds to bring them into Top 20. And they know it. Maybe they also felt the same way.) In a normal competition, you will never see this happening because common sense - this is a competition, if you're not good enough then no team is going to send you out to fight for something so important. But Team B's coaches were willing to do this, just so that the weakest 2 contestants had this one chance to perform and show everyone what they can do. Literally where will you see this kind of scene?
4) Because the various performances were way better than those put out by "the neighbouring station" *coughs*TVB*coughs* in recent years. The creativity and effort put into these performances is something I will never expect from a HK artiste, much less from those who haven't even stepped into the industry. Even simple songs like GEM's AINY and Hins Cheung's 酷愛 could inspire different interpretations from the different teams that surprisingly elevate the original songs! (This is my favorite performance in the whole competition: Team B4 performing 酷愛 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJBSsllSAOk&ab_channel=ViuTVViuTVOfficialArtistChannel.) As a Cantopop fan for so many years, this show gave me hope and assurance that Cantopop is in the good hands of the next generation.
5) Because this was the show that gave us Mirror and Error. Enough said. Where would be Mirror and Error without this show, without Fa-Jeh? And not just Mirror and Error, but also the other contestants, no matter if they are still in the entertainment industry or not, who have found their confidence and strengths during the show.
When everyone says that "Cantopop is dead" or that "Hong Kong's entertainment industry is witnessing their sunset", thank you ViuTV for proving them wrong.
Why the tears, you might ask?
1) Because it has been such a long time since we have seen so many Hong Kong citizens coming together and putting everything they have into pursuing their dreams. There were contestants who sacrificed their time and even their money just so they can perform on the stage. For a city languishing under stress and socio-political uneasiness for many years (especially after the handover in 1997), such a scene is sure to stir the hearts and passions of anyone watching.
2) Because there were so many tears shed by the contestants - doesn't matter if they have won, doesn't matter if their performance had high praises or not. They cry because they have invested emotionally and mentally so much in this show; they cry because despite their conflicts and fights, they see the other contestants not as competitors but as friends, brothers, and comrades in this journey to stardom.
3) Because ViuTV gave them this stage that no other TV stations were willing to give. Not just any stage - but a stage that allowed them to be themselves and not mere commodities in an industry. Everyone involved in this show truly cared for the contestants and want them to show their best abilities - from the producers (including our beloved Fa-Jeh!) to the coaches to the hosts to the crew and even to the voiceover (yes, even the voiceover artiste became popular in Hong Kong after this show aired, this is the funniest thing ever). Want more proof that this competition value people over entertainment? In the Top 20 going into Top 10 segment, Team B decided to send out the weakest 2 contestants to "fight" for 2 spots in Top 10. (Keep in mind, that throughout the competition, these 2 contestants were seen as "baggage" that were lucky enough to get into a good team in previous rounds to bring them into Top 20. And they know it. Maybe they also felt the same way.) In a normal competition, you will never see this happening because common sense - this is a competition, if you're not good enough then no team is going to send you out to fight for something so important. But Team B's coaches were willing to do this, just so that the weakest 2 contestants had this one chance to perform and show everyone what they can do. Literally where will you see this kind of scene?
4) Because the various performances were way better than those put out by "the neighbouring station" *coughs*TVB*coughs* in recent years. The creativity and effort put into these performances is something I will never expect from a HK artiste, much less from those who haven't even stepped into the industry. Even simple songs like GEM's AINY and Hins Cheung's 酷愛 could inspire different interpretations from the different teams that surprisingly elevate the original songs! (This is my favorite performance in the whole competition: Team B4 performing 酷愛 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJBSsllSAOk&ab_channel=ViuTVViuTVOfficialArtistChannel.) As a Cantopop fan for so many years, this show gave me hope and assurance that Cantopop is in the good hands of the next generation.
5) Because this was the show that gave us Mirror and Error. Enough said. Where would be Mirror and Error without this show, without Fa-Jeh? And not just Mirror and Error, but also the other contestants, no matter if they are still in the entertainment industry or not, who have found their confidence and strengths during the show.
When everyone says that "Cantopop is dead" or that "Hong Kong's entertainment industry is witnessing their sunset", thank you ViuTV for proving them wrong.
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