No more live reporting this time (couldn't win the tickets haha). Though the location is the same as last year (MBS), the ceremony was held in the concert theatre this year while last year it was at the grand ballroom, which could accommodate a much larger crowd, to the extent that they sold tickets to the general public.
My predictions look pretty accurate this year heh heh. Next time I shall not predict two winners anymore lol. (the probability is so low anyway)
The Passing of the Veteran
This year's award ceremony is overcast with the death of Huang Wenyong, though the atmosphere was less heavy than Show 1. Probably the ceremony with the most tears (not happiness, but sadness) shed. A new award category was created to reward his contributions posthumously, with a touching dedicated segment. Though ultimately he didn't manage to clinch his very first and last acting award, the popularity (cum charitable) award gave him the chance to shine for the very last time. It was nice to see his 老搭档 receive the award on his behalf.
Ah Boy and Ah Di
It was unexpected to see the Ah Boys on stage as award presenters, alongside one of Taiwan's well-known comedians. At least they provided some humour relief, especially Lobang, rather than the most dreaded 冷场. Also surprisingly, the fat didi and Jiajia got the chance to kickstart the ceremony, albeit a little 冷 due to their stiff way of speaking. All their lines sounded hard-memorized and rehearsed-till-death. Well, they are kids after all...
High High into the Sky
Right from the red carpet ceremony, I noticed Belinda Lee was particularly high and hyper. She had every reason to be so, since she walked away with 3 awards (2 official, 1 unofficial). She must be the happiest winner on that night.
High High into the Sky (2)
This 'high' carries a more literal meaning. Fann and 熊黛林 were wearing heels so high that they were towering over every male artiste who came up for Top 10 award. Super heels are fine, as long as one don't look unnatural walking in them. Fann looked like she was performing on stilts when she walked in the red carpet.
Giraffe No More
Congrats to Lin Meijiao for getting the Best Supporting Award after getting nominated for the Nth time. She shot an indirect reply back to Huang Yiliang, who made a nasty comment about her back in 2003 (which is 10 years ago!!!). Omg, she has been a giraffe for such a long long time??!!
Korean Names
It's pretty new for Star Awards to announce Chinese names in Korean reading. Some may sound a little strange and different, thus the artiste chose to stay put on their seats until their Chinese names were confirmed. But I like how this instills a little guessing element haha. Anyway my Chinese name in Korean reading is Hwang Jun Yeong, though I didn't use this version during my Korean class in NUS haha.
Change in Traditional Elements
Certain traditional parts of the ceremony was changed. For example, the Russian Roulette for the Top 10 awards was removed this year. Maybe the organizer realized that it is very time-consuming (and noisy, due to the screaming of fans). The Top 10 awards are usually presented entirely with the same pair of presenters (or single), but this year the presenters changed halfway during the Top 10 Female award. This one really depends on the nature of the special overseas guest presenters (their celebrity value, gender, as well as what aspect of entertainment they are often involved in).
Some surprises and disappointments this year. Congrats to those who managed to get up the 神台, and jiayou to those who are inching a step closer to this 黄金年华 category...
Showing posts with label Channel 8. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Channel 8. Show all posts
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Star Awards Prediction
My papyrus series has ended, and the time has come just nice to conduct my annual prediction.
The atmosphere of this year's award ceremony is pretty heavy due to the loss of our dear veteran actor. Personally I've been watching his shows since young, so I can really feel the great loss. He has made many good friends in the industry and it's really touching to see so many celebrities wishing him/sending him off. It happens that he is nominated for this year's award, so I hope it can be his final posthumous award, as a recognition of having contributed to Singapore's TV industry for so many years.
Like the previous years:
*Want = Nominee I want whom to win
*Think = Nominee I think whom will win
最佳男主角
Want: 李铭顺/注定 (I wanted him to win last year but haiz. Thanks to Wawa, he gets another shot this year)
Think: 李铭顺/注定 (I think his acting has really improved a lot, ever since the recent Wawa productions. Though he has won this award before long long time ago, I hope he will be duly recognised this time. After all he won an international award recently right?)
最佳女主角
Want: 瑞恩/最火搭档2 (Her opponent Rebecca Lim is good, but I still hope she can win)
Think: 瑞恩/最火搭档2 (Her hysterical acting in this show is 有目共睹 one. No kelong by Joanne Peh please)
最佳男配角
Want: 黄文永/花样人间 (Despite being in the industry for 30 over years, he has never won a lead/supporting actor award before. Hope this will be his first and last acting award ba)
Think: 黄文永/花样人间 (With Chen Hanwei out of the match, veterans are usually a safe choice for supporting awards. Hope people don't see this as a sympathy award though)
最佳女配角
Want: 金银姬/对对碰 (I've never seen her on stage for winning any awards before. After all the supporting awards are an opportunity to let veterans/non-idols shine. Looking forward to the standing ovation should she win this one.)
Think: 林梅娇/千方百计 (Really hard to predict this one...If the 'giraffe' wins this award, Huang Yiliang will be really happy haha. But...)
Think (2nd choice): 向云/再见单人床 (Sorry for 'playing cheat' but it's possible for 2 persons to win the same award right? lol)
最佳综艺主持人
Want: Pornsak/食在好源头3 (He didn't win last year as well as the year before, hence for this third consecutive year I'll root for him again! Jiayou! I feel he's better than 李腾 haha.)
Think: Dunno (I rarely watch local variety shows these days...)
最佳连续剧
Want: 千方百计 (Hope Wawa can win, even though Wawa dramas usually don't have high hopes of winning this award.)
Think: 再见单人床 (No blockbuster dramas nominated this year (even the supposed-hit 花样人间 is not in the list), so I guess a simple 深入民心的小品 can win.)
Don't Want: 我们等你 (Good viewership, but doesn't justify the quality of drama.)
最佳新人
Want: 包勋评/对对碰 (For a newcomer he's surprisingly good in his first major show. Not to forget his popular anti-government rant in the show haha.)
Think: 方伟杰/我们等你 (He's the most likely newcomer choice for Mediacorp to promote.)
Top 10 Male
王田裁
戚玉武
许振荣
黄文永
黄俊雄
郑各评
周崇庆
王禄江
Pornsak
陈汉玮
Top 10 Female
权怡凤
白薇秀
钟琴
赖怡伶
瑞恩
欧萱
蔡琦慧
林慧玲
林湘萍
郭淑贤
Other than the Top 10 Awards, my other predictions last year were totally off...lol. Sigh, the award is getting unpredictable.
The atmosphere of this year's award ceremony is pretty heavy due to the loss of our dear veteran actor. Personally I've been watching his shows since young, so I can really feel the great loss. He has made many good friends in the industry and it's really touching to see so many celebrities wishing him/sending him off. It happens that he is nominated for this year's award, so I hope it can be his final posthumous award, as a recognition of having contributed to Singapore's TV industry for so many years.
Like the previous years:
*Want = Nominee I want whom to win
*Think = Nominee I think whom will win
最佳男主角
Want: 李铭顺/注定 (I wanted him to win last year but haiz. Thanks to Wawa, he gets another shot this year)
Think: 李铭顺/注定 (I think his acting has really improved a lot, ever since the recent Wawa productions. Though he has won this award before long long time ago, I hope he will be duly recognised this time. After all he won an international award recently right?)
最佳女主角
Want: 瑞恩/最火搭档2 (Her opponent Rebecca Lim is good, but I still hope she can win)
Think: 瑞恩/最火搭档2 (Her hysterical acting in this show is 有目共睹 one. No kelong by Joanne Peh please)
最佳男配角
Want: 黄文永/花样人间 (Despite being in the industry for 30 over years, he has never won a lead/supporting actor award before. Hope this will be his first and last acting award ba)
Think: 黄文永/花样人间 (With Chen Hanwei out of the match, veterans are usually a safe choice for supporting awards. Hope people don't see this as a sympathy award though)
最佳女配角
Want: 金银姬/对对碰 (I've never seen her on stage for winning any awards before. After all the supporting awards are an opportunity to let veterans/non-idols shine. Looking forward to the standing ovation should she win this one.)
Think: 林梅娇/千方百计 (Really hard to predict this one...If the 'giraffe' wins this award, Huang Yiliang will be really happy haha. But...)
Think (2nd choice): 向云/再见单人床 (Sorry for 'playing cheat' but it's possible for 2 persons to win the same award right? lol)
最佳综艺主持人
Want: Pornsak/食在好源头3 (He didn't win last year as well as the year before, hence for this third consecutive year I'll root for him again! Jiayou! I feel he's better than 李腾 haha.)
Think: Dunno (I rarely watch local variety shows these days...)
最佳连续剧
Want: 千方百计 (Hope Wawa can win, even though Wawa dramas usually don't have high hopes of winning this award.)
Think: 再见单人床 (No blockbuster dramas nominated this year (even the supposed-hit 花样人间 is not in the list), so I guess a simple 深入民心的小品 can win.)
Don't Want: 我们等你 (Good viewership, but doesn't justify the quality of drama.)
最佳新人
Want: 包勋评/对对碰 (For a newcomer he's surprisingly good in his first major show. Not to forget his popular anti-government rant in the show haha.)
Think: 方伟杰/我们等你 (He's the most likely newcomer choice for Mediacorp to promote.)
Top 10 Male
王田裁
戚玉武
许振荣
黄文永
黄俊雄
郑各评
周崇庆
王禄江
Pornsak
陈汉玮
Top 10 Female
权怡凤
白薇秀
钟琴
赖怡伶
瑞恩
欧萱
蔡琦慧
林慧玲
林湘萍
郭淑贤
Other than the Top 10 Awards, my other predictions last year were totally off...lol. Sigh, the award is getting unpredictable.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Comments on Star Awards (现场直击)
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| Grand Fashion Show Opening |
First of all I've to thank Yes93.3 and 崇庆 for giving me complimentary tickets to watch the ceremony. After following this event for so many years, it feels great to be able to watch live in the theatre (or ballroom in this case). Unlike the previous years, SA sells tickets this year. Hence it is no longer a closed event exclusive for artistes and fans, as anyone interested can just buy tickets and watch. The big jump from complimentary to priced ($60 or $100) has created much displeasure among the fans who have come to watch the awards every year. Because of this, many found it hard to attend and had to give up this year. Putting myself into the fanclubs' shoes, how can I not feel angry about this arrangement?
The atmosphere of being there live is quite different from watching from TV at home. The opening was particularly grand, and long too (took about 10 mins). I wonder how long did they take to rehearse all these. Too bad the sound system broke down midway during Jay Park's performance and did not revive anymore. Subsequently our side had some trouble catching some speeches, especially 蓝正龙's, who spoke so softly.
Although I was seated at the front section, it was still relatively far from the stage, simply because the ballroom is sooooo huge. Furthermore there were two very tall guys sitting in front of me, which partially blocked the stage view. In the end I still had to rely very much on the screen (= watch on TV) haha.
 |
| The enthusiastic fans seated behind me |
As you can see, my prediction is pretty off this year. With the exceptions of Top 20, my predictions for the professional awards were all wrong lol. (Is it me or the judges' tastes have indeed changed this year?) In any case I was glad some won the awards, but a little dissatisfied with some.
Super Veteran
Other than 李茵朱 (who has already left Mediacorp), I understand that 陈澍城 has come a long way since black & white TV (more than 40 years). Hence he is said to be the veteran among the veterans. When I was small, I often remember him as the host for 赢万金游万里 and XX之夜 shows. Things does not necessarily pay with time. After such a long wait, with several nominations along the way, this is his first acting award. Probably all along we have taken his acting for granted, treating him like a side dish to fulfill the father-role required for almost every drama. In 《行医》 his role is more witty and comical, different from the typical fatherly figure. It shows his versatility in both funny and serious roles, like 黄文永.
 |
| The artistes gave a standing ovation when 陈澍城's name was called. |
AT傻大姐
Honestly I felt a little turned-off when I watched 赖怡伶's role in 《四个门牌一个梦》. I don't know if it's because she's trying so hard to imitate ATs, or because I'm just irritated at the ATs' behaviour we often witness around us. Hopefully her AT role won't remain as her only 代表作 in times to come. I actually prefer her laid-back, emo 跛脚 role in 《喜临门》, in which she was also nominated for Best Supporting. Sadly I still feel that she's not very deserving of 超级红星. Look at the 黄金年华 team, then look at her...what a stark contrast...
The Sunglasses Guy
Though I like to watch 李腾's variety shows, like 你在囧什么, 铁路次文化, IQ超人, I still feel Pornsak is comparatively better. I often get a 做作 feeling from him (like wearing sunglasses), whereas Pornsak is much more natural.
Global Exchange
For the 2nd time, 李国煌 won the Best Host Award for 《国际交意所》. Though sometimes his poor command of language gets into my nerves, I highly recommend this show. The third instalment is currently airing now. =)
等到花儿都谢了
Finally after countless policeman roles, 郑斌辉 got an award for an Ah Beng role. Perhaps it is the image change itself that impressed the judges. I hope they didn't judge his performance only based on that 白痴乞丐 video clip lol. Now that he has won the Best Actor, 超级红星 and Best Supporting (many years ago), 明年应该拿什么奖呢？
Kelong Queen
I'm sure everyone shares the same sentiments. It was a super 爆冷 win for Joanne Peh. Some years ago she also won unexpectedly for 《小娘惹》. Her acting is not bad lah, just that there are better candidates around. It is reminiscent of those days when 李锦梅 kept winning the Best Actress award unexpectedly. Maybe the judges prefer the less dramatic, more 深入民心 acting style.
新闻组分猪肉
No idea why there are so many double winners this year at the current affairs/news department. Anyway, 林启元 has already won, 张海洁 won this year. There is nothing interesting to talk about this award anymore...
New Faces
With new faces in the Top 20 Awards, from newcomers like Rebecca Lim and Paige Chua to veterans like Pierre Png and Cynthia Koh, including no-wheres like Ben Yeo, it's getting harder for me to predict. But then again, being too predictable is a little boring right?
Underrun
As usual, SA displayed its poor time management skills. 3 years ago and before, it was mostly overrun when winners took too long for their thank you speeches. 2 years ago, an underrun triggered the mass hugging session on 赵又廷. Last year, the not-very-funny 脱口秀 by Mark Lee caused an overrun. This year, the shorter-than-expected thank you speeches and the cutting out of nomination videos resulted in an eventual underrun. The award presenters weren't very talkative also. There was just so much remaining time to the extent that the hosts had to cut in and kill time.
The amount of time allocated to Jay Park tells the worth of Korean artistes. Mediacorp must have spent a bomb in inviting him for the ceremony, which partly explains the price of tickets? Haha.
Things you don't see on TV:
What happens during the commercial breaks?
Sugi from 绝对Superstar would appear and entertain the audience with his chatty personality haha. Okay lah, his job is just to keep the large audience occupied and inform us about the programme plan. There was once he tried to get the fans to scream for their idols. When he called for Joanne Peh's fans, cheers were hardly heard. "Hmm...only 3 persons" he said...that's so evil haha. I wonder how she feels upon hearing that... But honestly, Joanne's fanbase is rather pathetic, for her popularity. Whenever Joanne's name was mentioned during the awards, the continuous applause stopped. Somehow she is lucky that she still could squeeze a place in Top 10. After the kelong win, I think she might have more anti-supporters haha.
This video shows the live atmosphere when roulette was running. I don't really take notice when I watch it on TV, but in live, it feels more exciting and tense haha.
Friday, April 27, 2012
双人难
While I'm at it...
再见单人床 inherits the same theme (not really a sequel per se) as 幸福双人床 (Mars and Venus), which was aired in 2007. The previous series starred 郑斌辉 and 黄碧仁, and was pretty well-received at that time. 郑斌辉 played one of his most unglam role as an 'uncle'; I remember the scene where he farted in the elevator haha. That was also 黄碧仁's last drama before she left. Pierre Png is the only one who appeared in both series, though he played a different character this time.
As you can see, all the main characters are veterans (uh Joanne Peh too?), and have been in the industry for more than 10 years. So there is no bad acting by amateurs to spoil the show. 郑秀珍 made a comeback in this drama, after 7 years of disappearance since 爱的掌门人 in 2005. Once again for the nth time, she is paired with 王田裁, thus the chemistry is quite apparent.
Well, the theme is pretty clear, talking about marriage and relationship between married couples. All the couples in the show seem to be on the verge of divorce, after having problems in getting along with each other. (Hmm...except the 陈澍城 and 洪慧芳 couple who seems pretty peaceful) This drama also invites MPs, as well as other well-known personalities to provide their own views on marriage. Though tt may look a little propaganda-ish, trying to encourage people to get married and increase the birth rate of SG.
Special mention goes to the theme song 《伴》 by 黄小琥, which is really suitable for this drama. This song is not exactly new, as it was released more than 2 years ago. Listening to it again, together with this show, strengthens the 感动度 of this song. Too bad it's not eligible for my annual Top 20 songs haha.
再见单人床 inherits the same theme (not really a sequel per se) as 幸福双人床 (Mars and Venus), which was aired in 2007. The previous series starred 郑斌辉 and 黄碧仁, and was pretty well-received at that time. 郑斌辉 played one of his most unglam role as an 'uncle'; I remember the scene where he farted in the elevator haha. That was also 黄碧仁's last drama before she left. Pierre Png is the only one who appeared in both series, though he played a different character this time.
As you can see, all the main characters are veterans (uh Joanne Peh too?), and have been in the industry for more than 10 years. So there is no bad acting by amateurs to spoil the show. 郑秀珍 made a comeback in this drama, after 7 years of disappearance since 爱的掌门人 in 2005. Once again for the nth time, she is paired with 王田裁, thus the chemistry is quite apparent.
Well, the theme is pretty clear, talking about marriage and relationship between married couples. All the couples in the show seem to be on the verge of divorce, after having problems in getting along with each other. (Hmm...except the 陈澍城 and 洪慧芳 couple who seems pretty peaceful) This drama also invites MPs, as well as other well-known personalities to provide their own views on marriage. Though tt may look a little propaganda-ish, trying to encourage people to get married and increase the birth rate of SG.
Special mention goes to the theme song 《伴》 by 黄小琥, which is really suitable for this drama. This song is not exactly new, as it was released more than 2 years ago. Listening to it again, together with this show, strengthens the 感动度 of this song. Too bad it's not eligible for my annual Top 20 songs haha.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Star Awards Prediction
How can I forget not to predict? Haha...
Like the previous years:
*Want = Nominee I want whom to win
*Think = Nominee I think whom will win
最佳男主角
Want: 李铭顺/行医 (Although he's becoming more 'uncle', I think he's still able to handle 吊儿郎当 roles pretty well)
Think: 李铭顺/行医 (Or maybe they will let 郑斌辉 win out of sympathy haha)
最佳女主角
Want: 郑惠玉/阿娣 (Her 皱纹 can 'kiap'死蚊子 already, let her win ba lol)
Think: 郑惠玉/阿娣 (Usually 苦命 roles will win...look at the past years winners)
最佳男配角
Want: No one in particular
Think: 陈汉玮/星洲之夜 (Safe choice haha)
最佳女配角
Want: 林湘萍/行医 (Though she appeared for only a few episodes, her 哭戏 is really impressive)
Think: 黄慧/甘榜情 (Didn't watch the show, but heard she's pretty good, to the extent that so many people wanted to slap her)
最佳综艺主持人
Want: Pornsak/食在好源头2 (He didn't win last year, so I'll root for him again this year!)
Think: Pornsak/食在好源头2 (Hmm...I still have confidence in him)
最佳连续剧
Want: 拍卖 (Wawa productions...haha, though I prefer 行医)
Think: 星洲之夜 (Well...blockbuster of the year mah)
最佳综艺节目
Want: 铁路次文化 (People who like to travel will enjoy this show)
Think: 食在好源头2 (good theme + high viewership)
Top 10 Male
戴阳天
戚玉武
许振荣
张耀栋
黄俊雄
郑各评
周崇庆
王禄江
Pornsak
陈汉玮
Top 10 Female
周颖
白薇秀
钟琴
赖怡伶
瑞恩
欧萱
庄米雪
谢韵仪
林湘萍
郭淑贤
With popular artistes like 权怡凤 and 郑斌辉 out of the charts, it's getting harder to predict the Top 10 awards...
Like the previous years:
*Want = Nominee I want whom to win
*Think = Nominee I think whom will win
最佳男主角
Want: 李铭顺/行医 (Although he's becoming more 'uncle', I think he's still able to handle 吊儿郎当 roles pretty well)
Think: 李铭顺/行医 (Or maybe they will let 郑斌辉 win out of sympathy haha)
最佳女主角
Want: 郑惠玉/阿娣 (Her 皱纹 can 'kiap'死蚊子 already, let her win ba lol)
Think: 郑惠玉/阿娣 (Usually 苦命 roles will win...look at the past years winners)
最佳男配角
Want: No one in particular
Think: 陈汉玮/星洲之夜 (Safe choice haha)
最佳女配角
Want: 林湘萍/行医 (Though she appeared for only a few episodes, her 哭戏 is really impressive)
Think: 黄慧/甘榜情 (Didn't watch the show, but heard she's pretty good, to the extent that so many people wanted to slap her)
最佳综艺主持人
Want: Pornsak/食在好源头2 (He didn't win last year, so I'll root for him again this year!)
Think: Pornsak/食在好源头2 (Hmm...I still have confidence in him)
最佳连续剧
Want: 拍卖 (Wawa productions...haha, though I prefer 行医)
Think: 星洲之夜 (Well...blockbuster of the year mah)
最佳综艺节目
Want: 铁路次文化 (People who like to travel will enjoy this show)
Think: 食在好源头2 (good theme + high viewership)
Top 10 Male
戴阳天
戚玉武
许振荣
张耀栋
黄俊雄
郑各评
周崇庆
王禄江
Pornsak
陈汉玮
Top 10 Female
周颖
白薇秀
钟琴
赖怡伶
瑞恩
欧萱
庄米雪
谢韵仪
林湘萍
郭淑贤
With popular artistes like 权怡凤 and 郑斌辉 out of the charts, it's getting harder to predict the Top 10 awards...
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
步步动心
I rarely watch 古装戏. The last time I watched was 环珠格格 I think, if talking about Chinese dramas. I’ve watched a Japanese and a Korean 古装 drama too, and that’s all I guess. As for SG 古装戏, it was long long long time ago. Decided to watch 步步惊心 out of curiosity, since a lot of people were following the series too. Looks like its popularity is partly due to the leads 吴奇隆 and郑嘉颖, who are more well-known outside mainland China. I’ve never watched their shows before, so it was a fresh experience.
The plot is based on the concept of time travel from the present to past, however the drama doesn’t give any feeling of modernity. It’s just like any other historical dramas with traditional costumes. Other than the main character Ruoxi who is aware of various outcomes (and tries to change history), everything seems in place. Though it’s quite unbelievable how Ruoxi, as a modern person originally, could assimilate so well into the olden lifestyle and palace etiquettes.
The story is captivating at the start, but starts to become a little boring in the middle, then picks up again near the end when the emperor passed away. The drama ended on a very sad note, and most people would get emotional over the sad ending. The theme songs also enhance the atmosphere of the show. Listening to them will definitely remind one of the life of Ruoxi in the palace and her interactions with the princes. =)
Thursday, April 05, 2012
赴汤蹈火
The other good drama that aired during my busiest period. Nevertheless I tried to set aside time to watch it.
Mediacorp rarely produces any drama sequels nowadays. Probably most dramas aren't that well-received to justify a sequel haha.
Most of the main characters in the last instalment appear again this time - Dabao's (Big Bun) and family, Xiaoman (aka Bony Shrew) and family, as well as the elusive Zhang Yuze.
Although these familiar characters made an reappearance in the second instalment, almost all of the them died in the course of the plot! Lol. Except the two mains of course. The scriptwriter really knows how to kill off characters. Even the supposed lead Tay Pinghui was not spared. He disappeared for many episodes during the 1st season and this time he was wiped out even before the halfway mark. Poor thing. At least this is something atypical of dramas where "the main leads will never die before the last episode one lah".
Death is so common in this drama. Whenever you see a new 'bad/mysterious guy' appears in a case, he/she will eventually die haha. Like in the previous season, all the cases are connected somehow, with a mastermind behind who has close relationship with Xiaoman.
This is no wonder why Xiaoman will go crazy. Ruien said she became a little mentally unstable when filming the drama. Haiyo.
Plotwise I think the story is a little complex. It can hard to follow if you don't pay attention to the details of the case. I guess that's the problem with thrillers and police dramas. They leave a lot of suspense on the viewers and then reveal the answers all at once at the end.
Mediacorp rarely produces any drama sequels nowadays. Probably most dramas aren't that well-received to justify a sequel haha.
Most of the main characters in the last instalment appear again this time - Dabao's (Big Bun) and family, Xiaoman (aka Bony Shrew) and family, as well as the elusive Zhang Yuze.
Although these familiar characters made an reappearance in the second instalment, almost all of the them died in the course of the plot! Lol. Except the two mains of course. The scriptwriter really knows how to kill off characters. Even the supposed lead Tay Pinghui was not spared. He disappeared for many episodes during the 1st season and this time he was wiped out even before the halfway mark. Poor thing. At least this is something atypical of dramas where "the main leads will never die before the last episode one lah".
Death is so common in this drama. Whenever you see a new 'bad/mysterious guy' appears in a case, he/she will eventually die haha. Like in the previous season, all the cases are connected somehow, with a mastermind behind who has close relationship with Xiaoman.
This is no wonder why Xiaoman will go crazy. Ruien said she became a little mentally unstable when filming the drama. Haiyo.
Plotwise I think the story is a little complex. It can hard to follow if you don't pay attention to the details of the case. I guess that's the problem with thrillers and police dramas. They leave a lot of suspense on the viewers and then reveal the answers all at once at the end.
Monday, March 26, 2012
命中注定
Two good dramas happen to air simultaneously during the busiest period of my semester, and this is one of them.
I've been supporting productions from Wawa Pictures all the way back from 2008-一切完美, its sequel the following year, 魔幻视界 in 2010, to 拍卖 and 行医 last year. The storytelling style is different from the usual Mediacorp productions, and often involves a solid theme. Other than the 20-episode 行医, Wawa productions are usually short(er) and sweet(er) at 13 episodes, like Japanese dramas.
注定 revolves around a gambling theme, and tells why people get addicted to gambling and what goes on in a gambler's mind. This drama really shows the power of $$$ to drive people irrational, doing things that they will never expect themselves to do.
注定 has a fair bit of funny and emotional moments, as well as surprising twists. The main casts are all veterans and evidently, 姜还是老的辣. The young actors/actresses aren't bad too.
注定 also has good accompanying songs that create the mood and atmosphere when needed. Other than the main theme 分岔口 by 陈伟联, the 插曲 (忘记我 - 符琼音) also deserves special mention. So far, Wawa dramas usually have nice theme songs (eg. 二人同行，散场的拥抱，还是要幸福). These 3 songs have entered my Top 20 before haha.
I've been supporting productions from Wawa Pictures all the way back from 2008-一切完美, its sequel the following year, 魔幻视界 in 2010, to 拍卖 and 行医 last year. The storytelling style is different from the usual Mediacorp productions, and often involves a solid theme. Other than the 20-episode 行医, Wawa productions are usually short(er) and sweet(er) at 13 episodes, like Japanese dramas.
注定 revolves around a gambling theme, and tells why people get addicted to gambling and what goes on in a gambler's mind. This drama really shows the power of $$$ to drive people irrational, doing things that they will never expect themselves to do.
注定 has a fair bit of funny and emotional moments, as well as surprising twists. The main casts are all veterans and evidently, 姜还是老的辣. The young actors/actresses aren't bad too.
注定 also has good accompanying songs that create the mood and atmosphere when needed. Other than the main theme 分岔口 by 陈伟联, the 插曲 (忘记我 - 符琼音) also deserves special mention. So far, Wawa dramas usually have nice theme songs (eg. 二人同行，散场的拥抱，还是要幸福). These 3 songs have entered my Top 20 before haha.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Comments on Star Awards
Last year it was an underrun, which triggered the mass hugging session. This time it’s back to overrun again. Looks like there can never be a time when the schedule can just fit in nicely. At least this was much better than credits simultaneously rolling when the final award-winner is making his/her speech (which happened some years ago).
The cause for the overrun? The talk-show (so-called 脱口秀) which I found was rather uninteresting and unnecessary. I often admire Mark Lee for his straightforwardness and humour, but during the talk it gave me the impression that he was just whining away on not getting an award, getting sore over Joanne Peh ‘stealing’ the host award.
Schedule aside, the guest list was pretty skewed too. It seems to cater to the fangirls, as it was dominated by male artistes from Taiwan. (Actually Jimmy Lin was supposed to come, but I think his father just passed away)
The theme of the ceremony was fresh, and the opening was pretty grand too. The unconventional way of delivering the result card to the presenter seemed innovative at first, but slowly lost its novelty as the ceremony proceeds.
Wrong Award?
Realised something was wrong when the winner was thanking the hospital when it is the award ceremony that won the Best Special Variety. So paiseh haha. I guess such things happen when you’re involved in too many nominated works.
First-Time Veterans
This year saw many veterans getting an award for the first time in the category.
Terence Cao was nominated a few times (long ago) for Best Actor, and clinched a few Top 10 popularity award (in the past when he was still quite popular). This is the first time he won an award in the acting category since he entered the industry in 1989.
Huang Wenyong won Best Comedy Performer and 成就奖 many years ago, but this is the first time he won an award in the popularity category since he joined the acting career in err…1981? Not to mislead, he was actually quite popular in the past, but by the time Star Awards began, he no longer had the idol-image. According to him, much of the votes probably came from the participants of the several tour groups he has led. Not to forget his ‘impressive track record’ in the Top 10/5 nominations – he was nominated consecutively every year since 1994 (from when Star Awards started), but never got in until now. A whopping 17 years of wait! Credits to Wiki for the information. Don’t know if it’s really true, but from my memory it seems so. I keep seeing his name being kicked out during the roulette. (along with other veterans like 刘谦益 and 陈澍城) He has yet to get any acting-related awards.
Compared to the first two veterans, she seems to be less appreciated haha. Pan Ling Ling is nominated for the first time this year, since she joined SBC in 1988. Despite being a 演技派 actress, she never had any nominations in acting awards before. Good for her, she won at her first nomination. (Her fan, JJ ,must be happy to hear that) She had won the Top 10 popularity award a few times before however.
Like what A-ya said, I ‘看他们的戏长大的’. So I’m quite happy for them.
I Am Back
Two artistes marked their return to the same award after 10 years.
Ann Kok won a few Top 10 awards during her heyday (when everyone was obsessed by her figure, like Fiona Xie last time). After she left TCS for HK in 1999, returned as Mediaworks artiste, then back to Mediacorp, she had never won any awards since. But her acting has indeed improved a lot. Hope to see her get an acting award in the future, if she still decides to stay in the industry.
During the peak of 城人杂志, it was a battle between Kym Ng and Sharon Au (and Bryan Wong?) for the Best Host. Kym Ng clinched the award twice successively. When she left for Mediaworks, Sharon Au took over. Bryan Wong has also won since the unification. Finally Kym could touch the award again this year, though she seems to have lost touch with popularity awards.
57% of predictions correct for 最佳 category, and 90% for Top 10 Male and Female. Not bad...
The cause for the overrun? The talk-show (so-called 脱口秀) which I found was rather uninteresting and unnecessary. I often admire Mark Lee for his straightforwardness and humour, but during the talk it gave me the impression that he was just whining away on not getting an award, getting sore over Joanne Peh ‘stealing’ the host award.
Schedule aside, the guest list was pretty skewed too. It seems to cater to the fangirls, as it was dominated by male artistes from Taiwan. (Actually Jimmy Lin was supposed to come, but I think his father just passed away)
The theme of the ceremony was fresh, and the opening was pretty grand too. The unconventional way of delivering the result card to the presenter seemed innovative at first, but slowly lost its novelty as the ceremony proceeds.
Wrong Award?
Realised something was wrong when the winner was thanking the hospital when it is the award ceremony that won the Best Special Variety. So paiseh haha. I guess such things happen when you’re involved in too many nominated works.
First-Time Veterans
This year saw many veterans getting an award for the first time in the category.
Terence Cao was nominated a few times (long ago) for Best Actor, and clinched a few Top 10 popularity award (in the past when he was still quite popular). This is the first time he won an award in the acting category since he entered the industry in 1989.
Huang Wenyong won Best Comedy Performer and 成就奖 many years ago, but this is the first time he won an award in the popularity category since he joined the acting career in err…1981? Not to mislead, he was actually quite popular in the past, but by the time Star Awards began, he no longer had the idol-image. According to him, much of the votes probably came from the participants of the several tour groups he has led. Not to forget his ‘impressive track record’ in the Top 10/5 nominations – he was nominated consecutively every year since 1994 (from when Star Awards started), but never got in until now. A whopping 17 years of wait! Credits to Wiki for the information. Don’t know if it’s really true, but from my memory it seems so. I keep seeing his name being kicked out during the roulette. (along with other veterans like 刘谦益 and 陈澍城) He has yet to get any acting-related awards.
Compared to the first two veterans, she seems to be less appreciated haha. Pan Ling Ling is nominated for the first time this year, since she joined SBC in 1988. Despite being a 演技派 actress, she never had any nominations in acting awards before. Good for her, she won at her first nomination. (Her fan, JJ ,must be happy to hear that) She had won the Top 10 popularity award a few times before however.
Like what A-ya said, I ‘看他们的戏长大的’. So I’m quite happy for them.
I Am Back
Two artistes marked their return to the same award after 10 years.
Ann Kok won a few Top 10 awards during her heyday (when everyone was obsessed by her figure, like Fiona Xie last time). After she left TCS for HK in 1999, returned as Mediaworks artiste, then back to Mediacorp, she had never won any awards since. But her acting has indeed improved a lot. Hope to see her get an acting award in the future, if she still decides to stay in the industry.
During the peak of 城人杂志, it was a battle between Kym Ng and Sharon Au (and Bryan Wong?) for the Best Host. Kym Ng clinched the award twice successively. When she left for Mediaworks, Sharon Au took over. Bryan Wong has also won since the unification. Finally Kym could touch the award again this year, though she seems to have lost touch with popularity awards.
57% of predictions correct for 最佳 category, and 90% for Top 10 Male and Female. Not bad...
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
华文智多星（第九集）
进入半决赛，问题形式也换了。
第一回合：错搓对对碰。从8个词语中找出错误的词语。规则简单，但玩法并不容易。题目没指明会有几个错词，所以当中可能有1个错，2个错，3个错，甚至全部错（应该不会啦）。有错别字的，或不存在的词语都算错。
看了也晕。。。
第二回合：念字大考验。念出词语的正确读音。很多非常熟悉、常用的词语往往被念错。就算是从电视/电台媒体也常听到这些错误的念法。
‘载’应该念zai3还是zai4？
第三回合：临场即兴讲故事。第一部分需要从6个词语中选3个来讲个短故事。第二部分则需要用全部5个词语。这是给参赛者发挥创意的单元，但我不是很喜欢，因为他们造的故事听起来很勉强，有时也蛮离谱的。虽然有很多好笑的地方。。。
第四回合：汉字接力。汉字必须蕴含题目中所指定的字。（例—青：清、请、情、静、等等）我最喜欢玩这种文字游戏了，但可惜一直没有游戏对象。
原来有这么多字蕴含了‘斤’。。。
第五回合：熟语决胜负。有三种不同级别的问题—熟语解释、字义/词义、熟语典故/出处。典故题的比重最高，要求也非常严格。来看看其中的标准答案：
参赛者必须把典故一一讲述出来，包括原自哪个作品，人物的名字，朝代等。竟然有参赛者能把全部背出来。。。
佩服佩服。
这种问题还是比较简单，贴切，有趣。
第一回合：错搓对对碰。从8个词语中找出错误的词语。规则简单，但玩法并不容易。题目没指明会有几个错词，所以当中可能有1个错，2个错，3个错，甚至全部错（应该不会啦）。有错别字的，或不存在的词语都算错。
看了也晕。。。
第二回合：念字大考验。念出词语的正确读音。很多非常熟悉、常用的词语往往被念错。就算是从电视/电台媒体也常听到这些错误的念法。
‘载’应该念zai3还是zai4？
第三回合：临场即兴讲故事。第一部分需要从6个词语中选3个来讲个短故事。第二部分则需要用全部5个词语。这是给参赛者发挥创意的单元，但我不是很喜欢，因为他们造的故事听起来很勉强，有时也蛮离谱的。虽然有很多好笑的地方。。。
第四回合：汉字接力。汉字必须蕴含题目中所指定的字。（例—青：清、请、情、静、等等）我最喜欢玩这种文字游戏了，但可惜一直没有游戏对象。
原来有这么多字蕴含了‘斤’。。。
第五回合：熟语决胜负。有三种不同级别的问题—熟语解释、字义/词义、熟语典故/出处。典故题的比重最高，要求也非常严格。来看看其中的标准答案：
参赛者必须把典故一一讲述出来，包括原自哪个作品，人物的名字，朝代等。竟然有参赛者能把全部背出来。。。
佩服佩服。
这种问题还是比较简单，贴切，有趣。
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Star Awards Prediction
Once again it's time for prediction!
Like the previous years:
*Want = Nominee I want whom to win
*Think = Nominee I think whom will win
最佳男主角
Want: No one in particular haha
Think: 戚玉武/走进走出 (he was pretty good in this show, as a villain)
最佳女主角
Want: 瑞恩/我在你左右 (I've grown to like her acting, she's really a versatile actress)
Think: 瑞恩/我在你左右 (never knew she could handle such emotional roles so well)
最佳男配角
Want: 曹国辉/五福到 (this is his most 颓废 look I've ever seen haha)
Think: 曹国辉/五福到
最佳女配角
Want: 郭淑贤/走进走出 (she was so close to winning so many time, hope this time it won't be another disappointment)
Think: 郭淑贤/走进走出 (maybe others aren't really impressive)
Don't want: 林梅娇/破天网 (I still don't get how she managed to be nominated...)
最佳综艺主持人
Want: Pornsak/食在好源头 (I really like his style of hosting in this show)
Think: Pornsak/食在好源头 (but won't it be weird if he wins? since the rest of the nominees are veterans...)
最佳连续剧
Want: 最火搭档 (the sequel is coming!)
Think: 破天网 (well...blockbuster of the year mah)
最佳综艺节目
Want: 食在好源头 (good host + good theme)
Think: 食在好源头 (the viewership was quite high also, and they even re-telecast the 精华 version during primetime)
Top 10 Male
戴阳天
戚玉武
郑斌辉
张耀栋
黄俊雄
郑各评
周崇庆
王禄江
Pornsak
陈汉玮
Top 10 Female
权怡凤
白薇秀
钟琴
赖怡伶
瑞恩
欧萱
庄米雪
谢韵仪
林湘萍
郭淑贤
Last year I remembered that I achieved a 90% strike rate for the Top 10 Male category. Hopefully this year I can achieve similar results. With so many 'princesses' gone, I find it harder to predict Top 10 Female this year haiz.
Like the previous years:
*Want = Nominee I want whom to win
*Think = Nominee I think whom will win
最佳男主角
Want: No one in particular haha
Think: 戚玉武/走进走出 (he was pretty good in this show, as a villain)
最佳女主角
Want: 瑞恩/我在你左右 (I've grown to like her acting, she's really a versatile actress)
Think: 瑞恩/我在你左右 (never knew she could handle such emotional roles so well)
最佳男配角
Want: 曹国辉/五福到 (this is his most 颓废 look I've ever seen haha)
Think: 曹国辉/五福到
最佳女配角
Want: 郭淑贤/走进走出 (she was so close to winning so many time, hope this time it won't be another disappointment)
Think: 郭淑贤/走进走出 (maybe others aren't really impressive)
Don't want: 林梅娇/破天网 (I still don't get how she managed to be nominated...)
最佳综艺主持人
Want: Pornsak/食在好源头 (I really like his style of hosting in this show)
Think: Pornsak/食在好源头 (but won't it be weird if he wins? since the rest of the nominees are veterans...)
最佳连续剧
Want: 最火搭档 (the sequel is coming!)
Think: 破天网 (well...blockbuster of the year mah)
最佳综艺节目
Want: 食在好源头 (good host + good theme)
Think: 食在好源头 (the viewership was quite high also, and they even re-telecast the 精华 version during primetime)
Top 10 Male
戴阳天
戚玉武
郑斌辉
张耀栋
黄俊雄
郑各评
周崇庆
王禄江
Pornsak
陈汉玮
Top 10 Female
权怡凤
白薇秀
钟琴
赖怡伶
瑞恩
欧萱
庄米雪
谢韵仪
林湘萍
郭淑贤
Last year I remembered that I achieved a 90% strike rate for the Top 10 Male category. Hopefully this year I can achieve similar results. With so many 'princesses' gone, I find it harder to predict Top 10 Female this year haiz.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Sunday, April 03, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
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