Jiangsu TV Chinese New Year TVB concert

It's nice to see some Mainland channels appraising the TVB oldies. A few years ago, the main crew of LOCH 1983 (except Barbara, sadly), were invited for an LOCH 1983 celebration by a Mainland channel (will add the name later). Now, for the Chinese New Year 2017, we had Jiangsu TV inviting Michael Miu, Felix Wong, Gallen Lo and Kenneth Joe Ma singing five TVB oldies songs, including "You're the Best in the World" (LOCH 1983) and "Shanghai Tan" (The Bund 1980).

Assisting the four main TVB giants are TK11 and Zero-G plus some all-men background dancers. I have no idea who Zero-G is other than they are six modern boybands. Nevertheless, the all-men configuration really gave the New Year positive fighting energy. Love the all-white suit that the background dancers gave (and that they actually backflipped! OMG, I thought no one in the Central Plains could do that anymore these days!)

Below the break I have the original clips of the TVB songs performed here. Thanks to Ian Liew, Sarafina and Mandred Skavenslayer from the SPCNet for identifying the other songs I had no clues about. 

Update 4 Feb 2017:

Thanks to TVBFan for letting me know about the first song (Triumph in the Sky) and fixing the identity of the actor singing with Gallen Lo. The actor should be Joe Ma instead of Kenneth Ma. 

LOCH 2017 commentaries for Eps 9-16

Highlight of past week: the death of YTX & BXR for me

Happy New Year! Fire Rooster, hoping all the best for us hard-workers (that should include me, I hope…), but in general, may we all be happy, healthy and prosperous. Since iQIYI has released episodes 9-16 last week for the VIPs (which then leaked to YouTube), I can review those episodes for us this time. I do find 8 episodes per week too much to watch, hence I’m glad it’s back to the 4 episodes per week next week onwards. I have indeed subscribed to iQIYI VIP, but it’s just $6 per month, and I made a one-off purchase.

I’m also happy that other people can watch Ep 9-16 as well through YouTube, though I do suggest you watch Ep 9-12 from iQIYI to help the rating. So far, the 2017 LOCH is competing with a series called “The Tomb” something or other for rank 2-3, while Angela Baby’s “General and I” is at Baidu Baike rank 1.

Generally speaking now, I love this series. I did watch it earlier because of Michael Miu, but along the lines, I fell in love with Genghis Khan, Jebe, Ouyang Ke (!!), Mu Nianci, Yang Tiexin, Bao Xiruo, Wang Chuyi, Qiu Chuji, Ma Yu... n the two main leads of GJ HR. I’m okay, but not ecstatic over Chen Xingxu’s Yang Kang, but I am totally irked at the choice of Hong Qigong. The actor may have won a movie award in China, but that doesn’t make him the HQG I hope for.

"In the Rain" (Zài Yǔzhōng), a Michael/Barbara MV

Sandy sent me some songs sung by Barbara Yung last December. I knew that Barbara sang during some of her shows, but I never really listened to those songs. TBH, I think she wasn't a great singer, though she was definitely a great actress and a passionate dancer. Barbara was an alto singer, hence she struggled with higher soprano notes. But when I realised that Barbara actually sang one song with Michael Miu during their concert/tour in Malaysia, I became excited. I listened to a song titled "In the Rain" several times, and the tune entered my brain easily. It was a lovely tune, and quite merry on its own. Michael was definitely a good singer; his baritone voice could produce vibrations several times when he hit some lower notes. Barbara, as I said, wasn't a good singer, but her singing voice was actually sweet for alto tones. She struggled with higher notes, but when singing the lower and medium tones, it was nice to hear her and Michael doing the duet. 

(lyrics and translation under the break)

Manga of the LOCH 2017 characters

So the producers have released the lovely manga of the LOCH 2017 characters. So far, we have only the four main leads, and not sure if we will have more. But I definitely want to see the Five Greats' manga (particularly Michael's laaaaah), hence I hope we will have more!

I'll post more manga artworks here if we have more.

Huang Rong (needs a better facial expression) 

LOCH 2017 commentaries for Eps 5-8

The fearsome Temujin-led Mongolians

Click this link for the iQIYI viewing of LOCH 2017. iQIYI has asked YouTube to remove unauthorised LOCH 2017 videos, hence it’s difficult to view it from YT now.  Still, please view it at iQIYI If possible, for it will help the rating. The show is at rating #3 now as per 19 January (thanks to Don Yu of SPCNet for the rating screen shot below the break). Some quotes about Ouyang Ke is at the end of the post, between some cute photos of Michael Miu as Yeung Hong (!).

Episode 5

This episode covers the Temujin vs Jamukha battle; Temujin was a very cool Khan. Amazing strategy as Mandred Skavenslayer in SPCNet said, and amazing battle scenes. Jebe of course stood out for me, as well as Temujin himself, and Tolui, whose long hair made him look cool, almost like a Native (First Nation) American.

It was touching to see Temujin (Genghis Khan) actually closed his eyes and then, with glassy eyes, shot his own brother. Like, he wished that he didn't have to do that, but he had to, under those circumstances.

LOCH 2017 commentaries for Eps 1-4

The Legend of Condor Heroes 2017 is on-air now on Dragon TV, Dong Fang TV and iQIYI. I’ve been watching ep 1-4 from Monday to Tuesday this week, and I am glad to say that it’s a promising series.  Click this link for the iQIYI viewing. Although there are so many YouTube channels uploading the drama now, please view it at iQIYI If possible, for it might help the rating.

The followings are my commentaries on episodes 1-4. I won’t go through the minute details of the episodes; there are other blogs available surely that mention the episode details. I will definitely go into detail when my favourite Michael Miu appear, but he might not appear before early or mid-February. But we know that Michael is happy with the series so far (see his Weibo at the end of this article). Also at the end of the post, I have a very nice snippet of the upcoming performance by Michael and Felix Wong, singing 'You're the Best in the World' for the upcoming Spring Festival at Jiangsu TV. Thanks to A Virtual Voyage for the news!

MB couple trivia

Chor Lau Heung pacifying Song Siu Ching, Ep 25

I made this trivia with Hannah, preventing her from sleeping by us asking each other some silly trivial questions about MB couples (it’s her birthday anyway, so she shouldn’t sleep early!). The couples in question are Li Sai Man/Chun Sik Sik, Chor Lau Heung/Song Siu Ching, Tung Pang Fei/Ho Doh Wan, and Szeto Man Mo/Lam Chor Yin. We at times include Dragon Ying (Lam A Ying) and her long suffering husband A Leung just for fun, and also Wong Yung/Kwok Ching and Yeung Hong/Mok Nim Chi, cos they just have to be mentioned. The results are as follows, a combination of both our answers. Anyone wants to add anything?

Oh, and happy birthday, Hannah! Thanks a lot for your visits, comments and friendship! 

And this post contains a link to a CLH deleted scene as well, which I wrote for Hannah, but of course others can read too... (you don't mind, do you, Hannah? ^_^) 

Runaway Dragon and Missing Phoenix part 6 (End)

On the final showdown between the Li Princes… and the Epilogue. Click here for the entire Runaway Dragon series. 

Artwork found at Rob Radboud's website

Chun Sik Sik blinked. She must have misheard.

"Excuse me?"

"They suggested me to kill my brothers."

"And..." she dreaded the answer, "I assume this is not a joke...?"

Li Sai Man looked so sad when he shook his head. Then, a helpless question, "What should I do...? I don't know what to do..."

"Sai Man..." she stopped, carefully considering her words. "They are your brothers..."

"I know..." he sighed, pinching his nose bridge.

LOCH 2017 Opening Theme, Closing Theme and other OSTs

OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!




Jeffrey Chiang et al. actually use 'Iron Blood, Loyal Heart', the very opening theme of LOCH 1983 for this new series!!!

Okay, they rearranged the song, it is now the instrumental version, but my God, what a beautiful rendition of the original opening theme! Click the YouTube above and hear and see for yourself! You can see our Michael Miu as Huang Yaoshi flying over the peach blossom trees there, as well as new scenes of Bao Xiruo and Wanyan Honglie with poor Yang Tiexin listening outside the house. Also can see Ray Lui's Southern Emperor and Huazheng hugging the torn Guo Jing. 

Click here for the LOCH 1983 OSTs, including the original 'Iron Blood and Loyal Heart'. 

Update 9 Jan 2017: I have added the extended ver of the opening closing theme. It's official: LOCH 2017 is using the instrumentals of "Iron Blood, Loyal Heart". The iQIYI link is here, the embedded YouTube below the break, as well as some Michael shots as Huang Yaoshi in the extended closing theme OST.

Update 10 Jan 2017: I have embedded Eps 01 and 02 from YouTube below the break. So far so good!

Second trailer & BTS of LOCH 2017

The second trailer of LOCH 2017 is up, as you can see here. I will make screen caps of it in due course (cos I owe Hannah et al Chapter 6 of Runaway Dragon). For now though, it's enough to say it's more about the romances between Guo Jing and Huang Rong and also between Yang Kang and Mu Nianci. Although I'm very pleased to see Daddy Miu, I mean, Huang Yaoshi making two very brief appearances in this trailer.

Daddy Miu: "Sweetie, why do you even pine over this useless boy?! Get over it, and I'll find you a better one!"

The second screen shot is big spoilers for many, so I put it under the break. I also put the new 5 min Behind the Scenes (with Ray Lui and also a good deal of Michael) under the break.

The first trailer of LOCH 2017!

Finally, after months of waiting, here's the first trailer of LOCH 2017! Thanks to SPCNet members for the info. Screen caps and scene commentaries are below the break.



The series will air in China on 9 January, so it's much faster than I thought. It will be 4 episodes per week of 52 episodes. The one shot YouTube has up there is Ouyang Ke flirting with a blushed Mu Nianci. TBH, I was disappointed with the way OYK looked like (so different from the 1983 OYK by Wong Wan-choi or the 2008 OYK by Li Jie), but I'm surprised that the 2 min trailer gave a decent OYK here. We'll see though...

Hannah's beautiful sketch of Barbara Yung

Beautiful teenage Yung Mei Ling, imagined and created by Hannah

I am giddy with excitement! I have been in love with the piece of art above... but I never knew who drew the beautiful piece. I love it so much that I featured it as the first image in one Barbara Yung MV (see after the break too).

Then, today, as I chat with my new friend Hannah, she just sent me a beautiful piece. I knew she was a good (well, great!) artist, for she sent me an example of her artwork last week. Then when I saw the artwork she just sent today, I was like, "Oh my God! OMG OMG OMG!"

For it was the above artwork that she sent me. She said she imagined Barbara as a teenager, and this is the beautiful result.

'He's a Man' - a United We Stand 1984 MV

He's a Man ('United We Stand' 1984 MV) from Icha74 on Vimeo.

The first post after New Year is again United We Stand, for Tung Pang-fei managed to make me squeeze in an MV for UWS while I should be working on another thing (namely, Chapter 6 of Runaway Dragon...). Anyway, he's a bit disappointed because the chosen song (Madonna's 'He's a Man' from Dick Tracy movie) was banned from YouTube, hence the YouTube video has no volume. But hey, I at least have tried!

The mute YouTube video and the lyrics are below the break. The Dailymotion MV has been banned, I think because of the Madonna music, not because of the TVB content. Sad face.

I still love this MV because, like the suspense 'The Detective' Chor Lau Heung MV, it provides a different nuance to the usual romantic MVs that I've produced so far.

Hope you like it!