Clesias
This review may contain spoilers
Just finished this drama ten minutes ago and I'm absolutely speechless.
It wasn't that this is a bad drama or that I felt I wasted 20 hours of my life watching this; it's the exact opposite. Never had I felt this satisfied watching a TVB drama and it wasn't just for the last episode. Even from the first 10 minutes of the first episode, I felt I was in the good hands of a capable writing team as I was led deeper and deeper into the building's corridors and creepy staircases. As the plotlines progressed and the story between Alex/Coco, Siu/Yok-Fai, and Teacher Lam began to slowly unravel, this feeling grew in me and I binged the last 4 episodes in a frenzy.
Hard to believe but this is actually TVB's second foray into urban fantasy (the first being The Exorcist's Meter, but some might put it into the supernatural genre). I think TVB has always wanted to do this kind of drama for a long time but it's either they didn't have the budget or the writing resources to do so. Plus there have been many numerous urban fantasy dramas from other countries that it seemed rather un-creative to do so. This time round, the writing team has struck gold, or rather they learned to make use of what they have in abundance around them - the real, authentic flavor of Hong Kong. What captivated me the most in the drama wasn't the fantastical elements but the characters and the social issues the different plotlines brought out. There was no character that felt like the stereotypical 2-dimension characters we often see in TVB dramas; each of them had their own struggles and motivations that pushed them down into the paths they have chosen. It is no wonder that most of the audience was upset by the way the story about the baby and the 2 mothers ended, or had tears when Gai-ye was combing the doll Mary (which actually housed Cheng Cheng's soul)'s hair. We see such characters on the screen and yet, we can't help but feel that they are breathing, living among us - they could be us or they could be any of our family or friends.
Surprisingly, there was a sparse use of CGI effects in the drama, especially in the first few episodes. But it is for this exact reason that the drama did not fall into the category of B-grade fantasy/science-fiction mindless entertainment. In the first two stories ("Dream" and "Baby"), there was never a direct explanation for the way things happened; it could be supernatural or the schemes of a grief-struck woman or just plain old coincidences. The scenes flow from events to events and it is up to the audience to decipher or connect the dots. As such, it is much easier to induce the feeling of unease in the audience as they continue watching. Also, by getting rid of unnecessary and cringing effects, the drama enables the strong writing to shine through and to focus on the messages/social issues behind the fantastical happenings, like racism, the relentless pursuit of wealth and people's approval.
The acting here is stellar, especially Selena Li who was able to play two different characters in such a distinct manner. Alex is a modern woman, carefree and simple in her wishes and desires; thus Selena's voice is higher and more cheerful when she is playing her. On the other hand, Coco had been through much and her sufferings shaped her into a matured and solitary character; Selena's voice deepens and become huskier in the role of Coco. Even her body language changes from one character to another and this is not something even a seasoned actress can accomplish. I wish the same can be said about Joel Chan. He's not terrible in the roles of both Siu and Yok-Fai - Siu is lovable and earnest, while Yok-Fai is charming and suave (one can see why Coco was so smitten with him), but Selena's performance absolutely outshines his. (Or maybe I'm just biased against him.)
I don't know what else to say without going into more tl;dr but this is a TVB drama that doesn't feel like a TVB drama but undoubtedly feels like a Hong Kong drama, made by Hong Kong, for Hong Kong. And it is such gems that we should support.
It wasn't that this is a bad drama or that I felt I wasted 20 hours of my life watching this; it's the exact opposite. Never had I felt this satisfied watching a TVB drama and it wasn't just for the last episode. Even from the first 10 minutes of the first episode, I felt I was in the good hands of a capable writing team as I was led deeper and deeper into the building's corridors and creepy staircases. As the plotlines progressed and the story between Alex/Coco, Siu/Yok-Fai, and Teacher Lam began to slowly unravel, this feeling grew in me and I binged the last 4 episodes in a frenzy.
Hard to believe but this is actually TVB's second foray into urban fantasy (the first being The Exorcist's Meter, but some might put it into the supernatural genre). I think TVB has always wanted to do this kind of drama for a long time but it's either they didn't have the budget or the writing resources to do so. Plus there have been many numerous urban fantasy dramas from other countries that it seemed rather un-creative to do so. This time round, the writing team has struck gold, or rather they learned to make use of what they have in abundance around them - the real, authentic flavor of Hong Kong. What captivated me the most in the drama wasn't the fantastical elements but the characters and the social issues the different plotlines brought out. There was no character that felt like the stereotypical 2-dimension characters we often see in TVB dramas; each of them had their own struggles and motivations that pushed them down into the paths they have chosen. It is no wonder that most of the audience was upset by the way the story about the baby and the 2 mothers ended, or had tears when Gai-ye was combing the doll Mary (which actually housed Cheng Cheng's soul)'s hair. We see such characters on the screen and yet, we can't help but feel that they are breathing, living among us - they could be us or they could be any of our family or friends.
Surprisingly, there was a sparse use of CGI effects in the drama, especially in the first few episodes. But it is for this exact reason that the drama did not fall into the category of B-grade fantasy/science-fiction mindless entertainment. In the first two stories ("Dream" and "Baby"), there was never a direct explanation for the way things happened; it could be supernatural or the schemes of a grief-struck woman or just plain old coincidences. The scenes flow from events to events and it is up to the audience to decipher or connect the dots. As such, it is much easier to induce the feeling of unease in the audience as they continue watching. Also, by getting rid of unnecessary and cringing effects, the drama enables the strong writing to shine through and to focus on the messages/social issues behind the fantastical happenings, like racism, the relentless pursuit of wealth and people's approval.
The acting here is stellar, especially Selena Li who was able to play two different characters in such a distinct manner. Alex is a modern woman, carefree and simple in her wishes and desires; thus Selena's voice is higher and more cheerful when she is playing her. On the other hand, Coco had been through much and her sufferings shaped her into a matured and solitary character; Selena's voice deepens and become huskier in the role of Coco. Even her body language changes from one character to another and this is not something even a seasoned actress can accomplish. I wish the same can be said about Joel Chan. He's not terrible in the roles of both Siu and Yok-Fai - Siu is lovable and earnest, while Yok-Fai is charming and suave (one can see why Coco was so smitten with him), but Selena's performance absolutely outshines his. (Or maybe I'm just biased against him.)
I don't know what else to say without going into more tl;dr but this is a TVB drama that doesn't feel like a TVB drama but undoubtedly feels like a Hong Kong drama, made by Hong Kong, for Hong Kong. And it is such gems that we should support.
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