TVB, Hong Kong Drama, 25 episodes
Rating: 9/10
Cast:
楊千嬅 Miriam Yeung
周柏豪 Pakho Chau
黃浩然 Raymond Wong
陳煒 Alice Chan
洪永城 Tony Hung
朱晨麗 Rebecca Zhu
王梓軒 Jonathan Wong
Role:
藍飛 Lam Fei
榮浩田 Wing Ho Tin (Oppa)
尚劍雄 Seung Gim Hung
萬風華 Man Fung Wah
楊宏立 Yeung Wang Lap
馬思蕾 Ma Si Leui
梅君明 Jonathan
Theme Song: 楊千嬅 – 嫁給愛情
Sub Theme Song: 周柏豪 Pakho – 讓愛高飛
Other Songs:
吳若希 Jinny – 每段愛還是錯
戴祖儀 Joey – 天光前分手
Lam Fei is a housewife married to architect Seung Gim Hung. They have a 6-year old son named 佳佳. After learning that her husband has been cheating on her and accidentally telling her husband’s boss that he is working for a competitor, their marriage falls apart – Seung Gim Hung moves to China to advance in his career while Lam Fei remains in Hong Kong, taking care of their son. To help pay the mortgage on the new house that Gim Hung had just bought, Lam Fei rents out a room to a handsome and rich boy, Wing Ho Tin. With the support of her two best friends Man Fung Wah and Ma Si Leui and her new tenant Wing Ho Tin, Lam Fei starts her own career with her amazing talent in cooking.
I was initially hesitant to watch this drama. It’s not your usual action-packed drama, and there are also scenes that are very business related (which I usually find more boring). Turns out, it’s actually a great drama that is able to pull a range of emotions out of you. The business side is more of a reason for all the actions, while the relationships that the characters build is what really drives the drama.
Lam Fei & Wing Ho Tin
Lam Fei and Wing Ho Tin (Oppa) have an interesting relationship. In the beginning, Lam Fei is not a big fan of Oppa, and is worried that he will have a negative influence on her son 佳佳. Slowly, Oppa grows into someone that she can trust and rely on. Along with her two best friends, Oppa encourages her to start her career with her passion for cooking. In the meantime, he takes her son to school, works on homework with him, and is always there to help her with anything she needs – he’s definitely the kind of friend you would want in your life. Although Oppa seems to be a rich boy who only knows how to spend his father’s money, he is actually a very caring person.
Through Oppa’s facial expressions, you can tell that he is constantly thinking of Lam Fei and 佳佳, and truly cares for them. It hurts him on the inside to know that a good woman like Lam Fei is fighting such a hard battle to live without her husband. To make matters worse, Lam Fei also has to deal with her husband’s lover humiliating her in public – giving her money to divorce her husband and telling her to give up.
Luckily, Oppa is always there by her side. When Seung Gim Hung’s boss sends a letter to Lam Fei requesting her to give the new house back or pay the full cost, Oppa goes to his father, a lawyer, for help. When Lam Fei runs after her husband’s car and falls, he catches her as she faints. When the typhoon hits, he shows up unexpectedly, at the right time, to protect Lam Fei as the glass door shatters. When nobody else is free to help Lam Fei think of ideas on her big food project, he stays up to work on it with her. It’s pretty unrealistic to have such a caring man show up every time you are in trouble, but it’s something a lot of people dream of.
In addition to all those “awhh” moments, the dynamic between Oppa and Lam Fei also has a childish feel that makes you laugh. In scenes with 佳佳, Oppa acts more like a kid and Lam Fei will always have to scold them both. At 佳佳’s family day at school, Oppa pretends to be 佳佳’s dad without telling Lam Fei, and when Lam Fei shows up at school and sees him, she chases after them as Oppa and 佳佳 run out of the school to avoid being caught. It reminds me of how when you’re a little kid, it’s so exciting to play with an older brother or sister because you get to do all the cool and fun things!
He always seems positive, but it’s not easy being Oppa. His relationship with his father is not the best, and he has been spending his father’s money his entire life. It wasn’t until Lam Fei challenged him to find a job by the end of the day that he finally started working. With more time spent with Lam Fei, Oppa grew from liking the feeling of being liked to learning how great it feels to actually like someone. In the past, he would keep his distance from his exes and push them away when they are crying and seeking comfort through a hug, but now he is more open to offering a hug when Lam Fei is going through a tough time. Even with everything that is going on in his life, Oppa never lets himself be sad for more than 10 minutes, which really enhances the fun and light-hearted mood throughout the drama and brings a smile to everyone’s faces.
When Seung Gim Hung finally returns to Hong Kong after all he has done, he still thinks he has a chance with Lam Fei. Gim Hung tries to fix the mess he’s created, but at the same time spreads the lie that Lam Fei was cheating on him and fights for the custody of 佳佳. By now, Lam Fei and Oppa have already developed feelings for each other, but Oppa loses confidence when Gim Hung returns to win Lam Fei back. Oppa’s father is also not a fan of Lam Fei, and is always discouraging him from being with Lam Fei. All Oppa wants is for Lam Fei to be happy, and he loves and cares for Lam Fei and 佳佳 so much that he is even willing to sacrifice himself for the happiness of Lam Fei, which is to always have 佳佳 by her side.
Oppa leaves for England to study to become a doctor, and returns after six years to learn that Lam Fei did not get back with her ex-husband and still loves him. They find each other at a busy intersection, and Lam Fei says, I thought I wouldn’t be able to find you, Dr. Wing, and Oppa responds with, 茫茫人海中,我只看見你一個人 (in a vast crowd, I only see you alone).
Man Fung Wah & Jonathan
Man Fung Wah and Jonathan have more of a fairytale relationship. They meet when Jonathan accidentally gets into her car and drops one of her brand new “Cinderella” heels outside of the car as he gets off! Adopted by a rich family, Jonathan always follows what his guardian Mrs. Mui says, except when she pushes for him to marry another rich, but bad-hearted girl. At the end, Mrs. Mui finally accepts that Jonathan truly loves Man Fung Wah, but before they can continue their love story, Jonathan dies tragically trying to save the rich, bad-hearted girl from killing herself.
When Jonathan appears in the drama, there is a scene where he is playing the violin – it’s actually one of the songs from another drama, 是咁的，法官閣下 (OMG, Your Honour)!
Ma Si Leui & Yeung Wang Lap
Ma Si Leui is the wife of Yeung Wang Lap, CEO of a medical examination company. Si Leui is always worried that her husband is cheating on her and does not like his aunt, who is constantly reminding Wang Lap that he made a bad decision in marrying her. Providing comic relief throughout the drama, Si Leui acts as the head of the family when they are home, calling her husband Mrs. Ma and herself Mr. Ma. After a big argument with Wang Lap and thinking that his aunt has dementia, Si Leui treats his aunt a lot better. With the help of Oppa, Wang Lap and Si Leui reconcile with each other.
Wonder Woman shows how a simple housewife can step up in times of trouble and raise her own family. Even though there will be a lot of obstacles and discouraging people along the way, as long as you stay focused on your goal and remember who or what you are doing it for, you can go a long way. Having a strong group of friends who are able to provide emotional support is also important.
The three men, Oppa, Jonathan, and Wang Lap, have been good friends since they were kids. They were all born (or adopted) into a rich family. All three of them have to stand up against their family to be with the woman they love, because their family thinks that they can marry someone better. Oppa’s dad does not think being with a divorced woman with a son is good for his son. Jonathan’s guardian wants him to be with another girl because of business connections and her connection with the other family. Wang Lap’s aunt is always unhappy with Si Leui because she does not seem qualified and smart enough for Wang Lap. However, these three men are willing to do what they can and even give up all their money to be with the one they love. The families eventually come to accept the fact that money and love cannot be compared.
Overall, this is a great drama with a great cast. It’s funny and light-hearted, even though there are scenes that are more intense. The music complements the scenes very well, and you might even notice that the characters/couples have their own theme playing when it’s their turn on the screen. The sub theme song to this drama is also very beautiful! I think if the couples in the drama had more honest communication with each other, the drama would go in a totally different direction. A lot of times, if the characters had just talked about the issues they have together, the issue could have been more easily resolved and their relationship would be stronger. My favorite scenes are with Lam Fei and Oppa, of course. If there is a sequel, I hope that Lam Fei and Oppa have more fun and cute scenes as a couple!
