The Foreword; Part I.

Hello guys! I don't think I've done a proper introduction of myself since I hurriedly threw this blog together at the beginning of this month. I'm Wendy, and I also go by the moniker of glazed.over or glazedover08 in forums. As you can probably already tell, by me opening this blog up, I'm a TVB fanatic and watch its series religiously. Other interests are music, pop culture, and the Internet. Amongst the things you'll see on this blog, besides my random ramblings about TVB, will probably be a little bit of fanart or icons, and possibly more fanfics like the Raymond/Tavia one-shot below.

Choosing to read a blog is a little like dating, no? You don't date a person without knowing his/her interests and finding that you have a little something in common. Same goes for TVB blog-hopping. I'm obviously going to be writing about things that pique my interest, and if we don't share that, then you're not going to have a lot of fun at this URL. So here, goes- a little on my favourite TVB actors and actresses.

My Leading Men

Raymond Lam Fung

Why he wins my heart: Superman; this guy can really act, sing and dance. And he's so natural and at the top of the game for all three. He is, in my opinion, the most versatile actor in his generation. He sounds good singing live, which many TVB artists don't. Plus, he's extremely easy on the eyes. Raymond is also the kind of actor who is able to elevate his co-stars performances because he has got great good chemistry with almost everyone he stars with.

Aesthetic value: I think he's extremely good-looking. He's got that very dreamy look, and just emits charm without trying. Many guys would kill to be that way. I preferred his look a few years ago, compared to his hairstyle and his body build now. I think he's way too skinny as of late. But with a voice like that, who really cares anyway?

Favourite Series: A Step Into the Past, A Taste of Love, Eternal Happiness, Survivor's Law, The Last Breakthrough, Twin of Brothers, La Femme Desperado

Remarkable Partnerships: With Myolie in SL, Tavia in TOB, Leila in TLB. I can't decide which one I like best.

Moses Chan Ho

Why he is the apple of my eye: He can do both comedic and serious roles with ease. He's hilarious with comedic roles. Mastering both genres is hard, and although critics say TVB should never give him serious characters to play, I beg to differ. I think Dr. MC Lam in the Healing Hands franchise is an excellent serious portrayal by Moses. Can't wait to see him in Heart of Greed. But yes, Moses has very precise comedic timing, very reminiscent of Kate Walsh who plays Dr. Addison Montgomery in Grey's Anatomy. Unfortunately, I can't think of a good male example to compare him with, as of now. His characters in Sui Tong Lau, Sek Sui and Kelvin (The Gentle Crackdown, Love Bond and Family Man respectively) were so, so hilarious.

Aesthetic value: Moses is a great epitome of the tall, dark and handsome fairytale Prince Charming. Swoon, enough said. And, he's got a great smile that makes me feel very cheerful.

Favourite Series: Family Man, Where the Legend Begins, Love Bond, Healing Hands II & III, Perish in the Name of Love, The Gentle Crackdown, War and Beauty

Remarkable Partnerships: With Bernice in LB and HH3. And yes... just Bernice. They've really won me over.

Steven Ma Chun Wai

Why he gets my two thumbs up: If TVB were a racetrack, Steven would be my favourite 'Ma' (Oh wow, that was an awful pun, I'm sorry. Lol.) But horse jokes aside, he is definitely one of my favourite TVB actors. Steven plays the strong, virtuous, righteous male very well. He's mastered that role so perfectly that he could probably do it in his sleep. But he's also done some completely opposite roles like his rich kid role in Ultra Protection, and his stint on Virtues of Harmony, which I didn't watch, but heard he delivered well.

Aesthetic value: He's got that adorable baby-face which is money in the acting world. I honestly can't see much difference in his face over the years. Except for the fact that he was definitely not as tanned when he started out. If I remember correctly, he got an insta-tan when he appeared in Healing Hands II.

Favourite series: Healing Hands I, Ultra Protection, On the Track or Off, When the Legend Begins, Perish in the Name of Love, The Brink of Law

Remarkable Partnerships: Hands-down, definitely with Ada in OTTOO and WTLB. Also with Marianne Chan in Ultra Protection and Charmaine in PITNOL. I must say, however, he and Bernice look extremely compatible, but they didn't have as much chemistry as the rest.

Bosco Wong Chung Chak

Why he gets a golden star: Upon seeing him in TITS, I predicted he'd make it soon and I'm so happy he did. Bosco has received a lot of hate in TVB blogs lately, due to his apparently wooden acting in HOG, and in my opinion, probably due to overexposure on TVB's part. I haven't watched HOG, so I honestly can't comment on it much, but he's still one of my favourites. He's got a lot of potential, and I think he can act and he's got charisma on and off screen, unlike certain Mr. Hong Kong contestants. Another actor who handles all genres pretty well.

Aesthetic value: For me, Bosco might not be as classically good-looking as some of his peers (Although I found him extremely hot in his office gear as Michael in Life Made Simple, and in the HOG screencaps I've seen), but he's attractive in his own way and he makes up for it in personality. Loads and loads of personality. He never fails to make me laugh in his interviews and he's got a lot more wit than could be said for a lot of others. He seems to have great relationships with all his co-stars and I love that.

Favourite series: Triumph in the Skies, The Last Breakthrough, War of In-Laws, Life Made Simple, Under the Canopy of Love, Dicey Business

Remarkable Partnerships: I really liked him with Tavia in DB and Myolie in WOIL. Also with Leila in LMS and TLB.

Michael Miu Kiu Wai

Why he makes me swoon: I'd heard so much about him from my mother and sister that when he appeared in the Academy, I was probably already made an honourary fan by the both of them. But I wasn't disappointed, it was a great performance, followed by what I thought was a stellar performance in the first three quarters of DB. Him as supposed-antagonist in The Academy and as the villain Kiu Ching Cho in DB actually made me root for them, instead of wishing their demise, and to me, that's effective acting.

Aesthetic Value: I don't think you could find me another TVB actor at his age who oozes as much charm, charisma and sex appeal as he does. He's very handsome, to put it succinctly. He's what every young actor right now, should want to be. If I had to choose, I'd say he's Hong Kong's equivalent of George Clooney.

Favourite Series: The Academy, Into Thin Air, Dicey Business. I never watched any of his series before his comeback, but so far I've liked every performance of his in all his series that I've watched.

Remarkable Partnerships: I loved both the different partnerships with Michelle Yim in TA and with Jessica in DB, which were relationships that were complete polar opposites.

Sammul Chan Kin Fung

Why he gets five out of five: I actually think Sammul has great potential, but is overshadowed by the rest of his TITS pilot castmates at TVB. I was very pleasantly surprised at his devious Vincent and cool Wai Pak Kiu in Survivor's Law and The Academy, respectively. Both are characters with many layers and back-stories and if played by a lesser actor, would have come off as one-dimensional. Sammul does just the opposite, and I have to admit, that was fresh and that was what won me over. Definitely looking forward to seeing more of him and am trying to get Bar Benders and When Rules Turn Loose to watch.

Aesthetic value: Cute. Another baby-face club member.

Favourite series: Survivor's Law, The Academy

Okay Partnerships: Sammul and Bernice had a handful of cute scenes together, but nothing memorable. Fiona was slightly better, but still not remarkable. I'm looking forward to watching the two series I named above to see if any better partnerships surface. And of course, not forgetting SL2.

Ron Ng Cheuk Hei

Why he makes the list: Previously, I was not a huge fan of Ron's. Of course, like any other girl, I could appreciate his good looks, was rather indifferent towards Ron's acting. but Apologies to all Ron fans, which I know there are many, but I felt his performances in The Academy and Triumph in the Skies and Revolving Doors were all almost carbon copies of one another (I, however, liked his RDOV character). Stubborn, impatient, irrational young protagonists who later realises and changes for the better. Yes, I agree that it is TVB who casted him in all three roles and that he was given that script. But as an actor, you could still work with what's given and churn out different performances. He could have given his characters some special gestures or trademarks or remarks to establish some differentiation between. He's a good actor, but he needs to put more thought into developing his characters. I did, however, really enjoy his change of character in BOL where his Tung Yat Jun was calm, intelligent and rational. Ron did that exceptionally well. Another stand-out role for me, was in Twin of Brothers.

Aesthetic Value: Ron is very physically attractive, and I believe I am also speaking for a lot of other girls when I say that. He has a good fashion sense for what works on him and what doesn't, and he's got that very handsome, healthy image. Definitely hot. Also, like Bosco, this guy has a huge personality. I love watching his interviews and clips of him horsing around with his cast-mates because he loves to joke around with them.

Favourite Series: Lost in the Chamber of Love, Twin of Brothers, Revolving Doors of Vengeance, The Brink of Law

Remarkable Partnerships: With Myolie in LITCOL, Leila in TOB, Ella in RDOV and although I didn't like his character in TA, I liked him with Tavia in it.

Derek Kwok Jing Hung

Why he gets my vote: This guy, to me, is extremely underrated and deserves more roles, with more screen time from TVB. I'm so glad to see him getting a big role in the recent The Family Link, but then I was annoyed because they couldn't even put him on the poster. All the other main male casts were, but he wasn't. He's perfect as a villain as demonstrated time and time again, but even more effective in his show-stealing, quiet, subdued role in RDOV.

Aesthetic Value: I find him good-looking, but sadly often overshadowed by his younger counterparts. If I ever get a high-flying job at TVB, the first thing I'd do is to promote him. Plus, he really delves in martial arts, so extra points for him.

Favourite Series: The Kung Fu Master, Shades of Truth, Revolving Doors of Vengeance

Remarkable Partnerships: For sure, with Jade Leung in The Kung Fu Master. The strange thing is that I don't remember much of the series, but I remember Derek and Jade's parts, and their love story pretty clearly. Definitely NOT Elaine Yiu in RDOV.

Raymond Cho Wing Lim

Why he gets a tick: I've always noticed Raymond Cho as a supporting actor in a lot of the TVB series I've watched and liked him. If Derek Kwok is the king of supporting villain roles, then I'd say Raymond is one of the better supporting comedic actors. For me, he stole the show in HH2. And while I watched HH3 mainly for Moses and Bernice, Raymond's continued portrayal of the spunky and cute Chris, again stole the show. Give me Dr. Chris to watch over Lawrence Ng's Dr. Paul anyday.

Aesthetic Value: Yet another baby-faced guy. They just never seem to age, do they?

Favourite Series: Healing Hands II & III, Life Made Simple

Remarkable Partnerships: On paper, Raymond and Maggie Shiu as a pairing seem to be a trainwreck, but they really deliver on-screen as Anson and Chris. They had chemistry and made the age-gap work and were believable.

Fred Cheng Chun Wan

Why he might make it on my list one day: Another Canadian-grown artist in TVB. He's one of the male newcomers whom I feel has the freshest look and best potential. With time and guidance, I think he could do third lead roles very well, and slowly work his way up. He's already had bit roles in a coupe of series, so hopefully he's on his way to better things. Also, having grown up overseas, he can probably converse fluently in English, which is a huge plus for me and usually for TVB as well. Subsequently, he was recognised in the TVB New Talent Singing Contest in which he got second place. TVB loves their actors who can also sing (or rather, loves to make their actors who can't sing, sing) so that's another advantage for him.

Aesthetic Value: He's cute, with a very marketable image which I think TVB could really capitalize on because he already has a lot of fans, and he has that aura which could pull in a lot of new fans.


Another few actors whom I always enjoy watching are Benny Chan, Wong Hei, Deric Wan, the awesome veteran Paul Chun, the ever-dependable Benz Hui, Alex Fong and Bobby Au Yeung. Also, can't forget Gallen Lo, Nick Cheung and Marco Ngai, all of which are under another special feature I have planned.

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Wow, so that came out rather long. I shall continue on the pretty ladies another time, so look out for that one. Hope you enjoyed reading my two cents. Who are some of your favourite TVB actors? Do leave me a comment! Oh, and if anyone wants me to link you, just drop me a line, and I'll link you right back. :)

Fanfic: The Sound of White

Just thought I'd take a quick moment to post up a small one-shot fanfic so that this place doesn't look thaaaaat empty. This is a short one-shot starring Raymond and Tavia. I'd initially written this fic for an American TV series called One Tree Hill (Anyone watches that? I'm obsessed with it too, lol.) but editted it to fit Ray and Tavia instead. I've posted it before on two or three forums, TVBSquare was probably one of them, but well, what better place to host it than my very own blog now?

It's pretty abstract; I don't explain a lot of things, because it was just a one-off inspired fic, but well I still hope you like it, even though I know it's pretty average.

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The Sound of White
featuring Raymond Lam & Tavia Yeung
lyrics from The Sound of White by Missy Higgins

Disclaimer: Everything, from how the actors/actresses are portrayed to the situation that they are in/have been in, is fictional and is merely a figment of my overactive imagination.


Like a freeze-dried rose,
You will never be


She remembered how he had showed up at her doorstep. She had been broken-down, lost and wildly searching for some form of retribution. It had been cold outside, numbing even. But somehow, nothing compared to the dull solid thud she felt inside.


What you were;
What you were to me in memory


“What-” her words had gotten caught in her throat as the sight of him took away all sense of speech. He was even more beautiful than she had realised.

The corners of his mouth curved up slightly, and he held out a hand, his fingers clutched around the stem of a single blood-red rose. The rose, was the epitome of perfection within itself; its stem without thorns, each petal unwounded. “I- I just wanted to see how you were doing,” he had said softly to her, his eyes searching hers for approval.

She had bitten down on her lower lip, so hard that she had felt the taste of blood on her tongue. She had wanted to laugh it off with one of her signature flippant remarks, which she had perfected. She had wanted to toss her hair unaffectedly, stare him down, and act like she didn’t care. But she knew that he would see right through it. Because he just would. That was how he was. Finally, she stepped aside, and held out the door for him to enter.

Tavia Yeung never let anyone into her personal space. She considered it an invasion of her privacy, but it was a habit, a quirk that was far more symbolic than she ever imagined it to be. She was cool, calm and calculative, and as a ground rule, never let anyone in too close. No one ever invaded her feelings. But even the greats had their flaws. That was where they had gotten her this time. Seeing Ron and Michelle together had been like a blow, knocking all the air out of her, where it hurt the most.

That night, her eyes had followed him around as he walked right into her home, her life. Where no one had ever been. He cut a menacing figure in her room. Tall, broad, muscular. He stared at her, and into her with an intensity that made her tremble. Nobody ever made her tremble.

Until now. Until she had let Raymond Lam Fung in.

He held out the rose to her. “You might want to put this into water?” he asked, in his lilting voice.

She nodded, her eyes travelling around the room, and landing on the glass of water she had set on her dressing table. Two small white pills lay next to it. Her ode to sleep for many nights now.

She reached out to take it from him, but he touched the rose to her full, plump lips, taking her by surprise. “It’s perfect,” he had whispered hoarsely. “Just like you are.”

And it was that simple whisper, and that gentle touch alone, that had brought tears to her eyes.


But if I listen to the dark,
You'll embrace me like a star


He seemed real to her. He had been real to her. She still remembered the way he had touched the rose to her eyelids, and gently brushed his lips against hers. He was warm, and passionate, and ignited her in a way she never knew she could. He gave and gave, without wanting in return. And that only made her want to give her all to him.


Envelope me, envelope me


She loved lying next to him, their skin on skin. He held her so close, so tight that she could feel the beating of his heart under her palm. He sang to her, in his beautiful melodic voice, night after night, until her eyes gave way to the power of sleep.


If things get real for me down here,
Promise to take me to before you went away,
If only for a day


It was then, that maybe she had learnt how to love and be loved.


If things get real for me down here,
Promise to take me back to the tune,
We played before you went away

*

The night was peaceful. No crickets out on their nightly rounds. No sounds of the solitary car driving by. Nothing. The silence, was almost deafening. He sighed as he watched his daughter sleep peacefully in the crib next to his bed, her little chest rising and falling with every intake of breath she took. He loved her with all his might, all his heart. And this was where he wanted to be. With his precious daughter. That really should be enough for him.


And if I listen to, the sound of white,
Sometimes I hear your smile, and breathe your light.


But it wasn’t. He wanted them both. Was it selfish to think it? Maybe, but he knew that once he stepped into Tavia’s life, he would never be able to let her go. Perhaps it was human nature to want something you could never have.

He had only been a young adult, a teenager when he first met her. Even then, she was the epitome of perfection to his young heart. His eyes followed her throughout their acting classes, and then as they both made it to the pinnacle of success on TV. In between classes, filming sessions, photoshoots, lunches, parties, promotions, anniversary celebrations; he watched her. He was no stalker, but she had intrigued him.

She was beautiful. And he could tell that, at the mere age of nineteen when he had first laid eyes on her, she was the girl he could love for the rest of his life.


If I listen to, the sound of white,
You're my mystery


She had four different smiles which he knew like the back of his hand. There was her cocky, signature smirk, used daily at the slightest remark. There was the tight smile, which didn’t quite reach her eyes, reserved only for the people she didn’t think important. There was the one where she was happy about something that the world didn’t know, when a smile niggled at her lips throughout the day, and she held an extra glint in her eyes. And then there was the one where she laughed out loud, without any qualms; nothing held her back. That was when her entire face lit up. God, he loved it.


One mystery, my mystery


She seemed like she had it all. Money, beauty, popularity. But he knew that there was more to her than just that outer sheet of physicality. He saw through her airs and graces, her many farces and layers. Beneath all that, was someone very much like himself, trying to find her way through the world. Like him, she made mistakes, she stumbled and she fell. And she longed someday, to hop off the pedestal that the whole of her world had placed her on.

He wanted to hold out his hand to her as she did it.


My mystery, my mystery


He had been the luckiest man alive when she had let him in. Into crevices of her heart that nobody had ever been close to grazing. He had loved her. And she had loved him back.

But life had a way of taking things away. Forcing choice between two things which held equal fort. His daughter was his own flesh and blood, and he couldn’t let her go. Tavia had understood, when he had told her. Not that it had mitigated the pain of loss in any way.


My silence solidifies,
Until that hollow void erases you,
Erases you so I can't feel at all.
But if I never felt again, at least that nothingness,
Will end the painful dream, of you and me


He sighed again, and wondered what she was doing.


And if I listen to, the sound of white
Sometimes I hear your smile, and breathe your light.


Many miles away, she sighed too, looking out of the window.


If I listen to, the sound of white
Sometimes I hear your smile, and breathe your light.


She too, wondered what he was doing.


And if I listen to, the sound of white sometimes
I hear your smile, and breathe your light.


He was listening to the sound of white. Just like she was.

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Let me know what you think! :) Feedback is very loved.

Welcome All!

Hey guys! Welcome to my little corner of the web where I'll be blogging (Hopefully often, because I have a horrible tendency to procrastinate and not finish things I start. Hee.) about the craze that is TVB, as well as maybe posting a few of my mediocre arts, fanfics and videos. So many TVB blogs have been sprouting up lately, and as a TVB fan, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and join the fun. As you can see, this place is horribly bare and I'm still in the midst of starting up and everything, but hopefully after my exams are done in the middle of this month, I'll be up and running.

See you guys then,
Wendy.