BEST DRAMA 最佳电视剧
The Little Nyonya 小娘惹
This drama stars:
1st generation –
Jeanette Aw as Huang Juxiang, Xiang Yun as Tianlan, Lin Meijiao as Guilan, Huang Hui as Tao, Dai Yangtian as Yamamoto Yousuke (Shanben Yangjie), Desmond Sim as Charlie Zhang, Pierre Png as Chen Sheng, Apple Hong as Huang Meiyu, Darren Lim as Huang Jin Cheng, Cynthia Koh as Xiujuan, Pan Lingling as Xiufeng, Li Yinzhu as Chen lao-tai, Yan Bingliang as Huang Yuan
2nd generation –
Jeanette Aw as Shanben Yueniang, Qi Yuwu as Chen Xi, Joanne Peh as Huang Yuzhu, Eelyn Kok as Huang Zhenzhu, Yao Wenlong as Liu Yi Dao, Andie Chen as Huang Tianbao, Zzen as Robert Zhang
(recurring)
Xiang Yun as Tianlan, Huang Hui as Tao, Pierre Png as Chen Sheng, Darren Lim as Huang Jin Cheng, Cynthia Koh as Xiujuan, Li Yinzhu as Chen lao-tai
4th generation (modern era) –
Xiang Yun as Shanben Yueniang (old), Felicia Chin as Anqi, Nat Ho as Li Xiuwen
THE STORY
1st generation
1930s-40s, before the war, Malacca and Singapore
The Huangs are an influential family in Malacca. The head of the house, Huang Yuan (Yan Bingliang) is a businessman, and his son, Jincheng (Darren Lim) helps him. His wife, Guihua (Lin Meijiao) makes sure her presence is felt and nurtures her daughter, Meiyu (Apple Hong) to become a good Peranakan girl, who can cook well, make kueh, sew and embroider beaded-shoes. Then there is Tianlan (Xiang Yun), who is Huang Yuan’s 2nd wife. She was previously a servant who was in charge of looking after Old Mrs. Huang. Old Mrs. Huang has since passed away, leaving no place in the house for Tianlan and her daughter Juxiang (Jeanette Aw).
This era focuses on Juxiang and how she suffered in her family. Although deaf-mute, she was a strong woman who refused to bow to her fate. Victimised and ill-treated, she was a wonderful cook, and made delicious kueh. Her sewing and embroidery were considered one of the very best in her generation.
Her looks and personality caught the eye of 3 men - Charlie Zhang (Desmond Sim), a lecherous businessman; Yamamoto Yousuke (Shanben Yangjie), a young Japanese photographer; and Chen Sheng (Pierre Png), a guy from a rich family.
Determined not to marry Charlie Zhang as his 2nd wife, she ran away from home, and almost got caught by human traffickers. Yamamoto Yousuke (Shanben Yangjie) saved her, but Charlie caught her. Yamamoto Yousuke (Shanben Yangjie) saved her once again, and brought her back to Singapore, where he married her.
They had a daughter, Yueniang. However, war came, and being Japanese, Yamamoto Yousuke (Shanben Yangjie) and Juxiang were attacked. Juxiang and Yamamoto Yousuke (Shanben Yangjie) die, leaving their 8 year old daughter, Yueniang.
Chen Sheng marries Meiyu, but is unhappy with the marriage. He chooses to fritter his life away by dancing and singing daily to escape from his fate.
Other sub-plots include the love triangle between sisters -Xiufeng (Pan Lingling) and Xiujuan (Cynthia Koh)- and Jincheng (Darren Lim) which goes into the 2nd generation. Xiufeng marries Jincheng, and they have 3 children. However, he still loved Xiujuan, and he had an affair with her…
2nd generation
1960s-70s, Malacca and Singapore
This era focuses on Juxiang’s daughter, Yueniang, and her cousins - Yuzhu (Joanne Peh) and Zhenzhu (Eelyn Kok). Yueniang’s fate is pretty much like her mother’s, as she is bullied by her family members. To protect her grandmother Tianlan, who brought her up, she lived life strongly and bravely.
Even though she and Chen Xi (Qi Yuwu) loved each other, the family did not approve of their relationship, and she was sold to gangster, Liu Yi Dao (Yao Wenlong). Not one to succumb to fate, she rebelled and refused to let Yi Dao get his way. He was impressed by her strength and courage, and they became sworn siblings after that.
Yuzhu is a kind and gentle girl, who was Yueniang’s good friend. She even thought Yueniang to read and write. Liking Chen Xi (Qi Yuwu), she soon realised that he only had place for Yueniang in his heart. As if that was not bad enough, she was raped by Charlie Zhang’s equally lecherous son, Robert Zhang, and was forced to marry him… She gives up on life, and goes into depression.
Zhenzhu is Yuzhu’s sister, with a character totally opposite to her sister’s. She is selfish, unscrupulous, and downright evil. She sees Yueniang as a thorn in her flesh, as she also likes Chen Xi, and thus, pushes Yueniang into the well. She sees her sister being raped, but did nothing to help her. Even though she married Chen Xi in the end, he never loved her.
Meiyu, who has a deep grude against Juxiang, decides to take it out on her daughter, Yueniang. She is partly responsible for breaking lovers Chen Xi and Yueniang up.
Many ups and downs occur, and the Huang family business declines. It comes down to Yueniang to save the family business.
4th generation
2008, Malacca
Yueniang’s grand-daughter, Anqi (Felicia Chin) comes to Malacca to visit her, from Canada, where she was studying. Following her is Li Xiuwen (Nat Ho), who is serious in wooing Anqi, but she keeps ignoring him. Either that, or she makes fun of him.
It is to Anqi and Xiuwen that Yueniang relates the past to. She tells them more about the Peranakan culture, and how life was back then.
***
Just in Singapore 一房半厅一水缸
Stars: Fiona Xie as Lin Xiuming, Kang Chengxi as Su Dingyi, Chen Liping as Nancy, Huang Wenyong as Lin Bang, Adam Chen as Ma Zhigang, Li Yinzhu as ‘zi-dong’ sao, Patricia Mok as Mary, Nelson Chia (Xie Shenjie) as Robert, the late Lan Qingxi as Qiang (San Wan), newcomer Paige Chua (Cai Qihui) as Xiuzhen, Apple Hong as Qianqian, Liang Tian as ‘ka-fei’ shu, He Bin as ‘ka-fei’ sao, Hong Da Mu as Ma po-po, Ong Ai Leng as Shumin, Peng Xiuxuan as Weijie, Yan Bingiang as Pao, Rayson Tan as Jianhui, Zhang Wei as Mr. Fang, Hong Huifang as Wang Jiao, Li Tianle as Meiling, Chen Huihui as Lian, Vivian Lai as Jinyan, Belinda Lee as Fang, Elizabeth Tan as Jianhui’s wife, Lin Jia’an as Tingting, Lin Jun Hao as Weiye, Iko Liu as Paris, Hayden Hee as Roger, Suresh as Kumar, Jasmani as Ali, Asmiyati as Yati and Henry Heng as Mr. Su
On the 8th floor of a block of one-room rental HDB flats, live different people from different walks of life.
There’s Lin Bang (Huang Wenyong), a former ge-tai singer, now a taxi driver, and his family - wife, Nancy (Chen Liping) runs a shrine in her house, dedicated to the “goddess” 13 gu-niang. People to come and pray, and she’ll pretend to be a medium in a trance, following that, she’ll give them amulets, then she keeps the angbao money; older daughter, Xiuzhen (Paige Chua), a university undergrad, who refuses to return home, as she is ashamed of her background. She stays in the university hostel, although the only bed in the flat is reserved for her only. She is not Lin Bang’s daughter; and younger daughter, Xiuming (Fiona Xie), who quit studying after passing her N levels. She now runs a fried food stall in the pasar-malam. She is caring, and nice to the people around her. However, her mother only insults her, and compares her to her older sister.
The two sisters form a love triangle, with Su Dingyi (Kang Chengxi), the son of a property magnate, who lectures in the university Xiuzhen aka Carol is studying in. Knowing he is rich, she tries to get his attention. Meanwhile, Xiuming keeps having tussles with him, as she mistakes him time and time again for a pervert. In actual fact, he was making a short film about people in the heartlands. Attracted to Xiuming’s straightforward manner, and how she is honest about her family background, he begins to woo her. Su Dingyi’s mother, Wang Jiao, used to be a famous ge-tai singer, together with Lin Bang. According to him, she was the one who cheated him of all his money, and being in the state he is now, is all thanks to her.
‘zi-dong’ sao (Li Yinzhu) is a widow, who lives with her son, Qiang (Lan Qingxi). Qiang is nicknamed San Wan, for he is a parking attendant. ‘zi-dong’ sao is a miser, and often takes advantage of her neighbours’ generosity. Qiang likes the cashier at the bread shop and goes there everyday to buy a donut just to see her. However, he is mistaken for a pervert.
Ma po-po (Hong Da Mu) stays with her good-for-nothing grandson, Zhigang (Adam Chen). Ma po-po collects cardboard for a living, and scrimps on her meals, eating food people have thrown away, just to let her grandson eat delicious food they cannot afford. Instead of being grateful, Zhigang grumbles about the food she cooks for him, and even asks her for money. Later on, he nearly causes her death to get the insurance payout.
Because of money, he is forced to ‘marry’ massage palour proprietress Paris (Iko Liu) in a fake marriage… Later, Qianqian (Apple Hong), San Wan’s beautiful vietnamese bride comes to Singapore. She is very innocent, and falls into Zhigang’s trap. He wants to elope with her…
Mary (Patricia Mok) and Robert (Nelson Chia-Xie Shenjie) have 3 children, Weijie (Peng Xiuxuan), Weiye (Lin Jun Hao) and Tingting (Lin Jia’an). They were working in a bank until they were retrenched, and have no plans of finding another job. They just sleep and loathe all day, living on the government’s financial aid. Oldest son, Weijie, cannot stand what they are doing, and works at Xiuming’s store to contribute to the family. In actual fact, he is the only one support the whole family. Mary and Robert even encourage Tingting, who has a glib tongue, to cheat people of their money, by pretending to be miserable. They harbour dreams of going overseas, even though they don’t even have enough money to get through their daily lives. They try means and ways to get people to realise how ‘miserable’ they are, and hope to get money should people pity them.
Mr. Fang (Zhang Wei), a retired school teacher, lives with his brother, Pao (Yan Bingliang), an ex-convict, and Pao’s delinquent daughter, Meiling (Li Tianle). To prevent Meiling from going out of the house, they tie her up. She manages to escape in the middle of the night, and the commotion wakes all the neighbours, who try to stop her. This makes Pao grateful to his neighbours. It turns out that Lian (Chen Huihui), the mad woman in the neighbourhood, is Meiling’s mother.
‘ka-fei’ shu (Liang Tian) and ‘ka-fei’ sao (He Bin) run a coffee store in the hawker centre. Although they have 2 grow-up children who are well-educated - older son Jianhui (Rayson tan) holds a doctorate, and younger daughter Shumin (Ong Ai Leng) is a high-flying career woman, they continue to stay in their rental flat. Shumin turns up one day and announces that she and her husband will apply for them to stay in a 3-room flat at Bedok Central. However, they must sign a will which is in her favour. She then asks them to look after her son, as the private neighbourhood she is currently staying in has dengue cases.
Thus, the story about the ceramic water tub begins. Seen by Shumin as a hazard, as she is afraid her son might drown in it, she asks her parents to get rid of it. It ends up in Ma po-po’s house, where Mr. Fang sees it, and researches. It resembles a nine-dragon tub bought in Hong Kong for US$2 million over 50 years ago, and Mr. Fang deduces that it is a fake. Zhigang loses it while running away from his creditors, and it is picked up by Weijie. But it still travels, and ends up in all the neighbours’ houses, and when it is finally known that it may be an antique worth a few million US dollars, no one knows where it has gone…
Everyone tries to get their hands on it…
Perfect Cut 一切完美
世界上“没有丑人，只有穷人。”
这是王沺裁在U频道播出的晚间10点重头戏《一切完美》中的口头禅。剧中，沺裁饰演整形医生Alex Tan。多名女艺人都大胆演出，甚至“脱衣服”让沺裁为她们“整形”。
对于这些女艺人对他的信任，沺裁觉得很荣幸。让沺裁在拍戏过程中最难忘的还是在手术室的情节，还有女艺人的身材！问他谁的身材最好，他哈哈大笑：“可能潘玲玲的身材最好。但是她没让我修复，所以我看不到！”
剧中演整形医生，沺裁是否曾想过整容？沺裁笑着表示，自己的五官单个来看，鼻子不够直、眼睛不够大、嘴巴不够好看，对自己的五官不是很满意。“但是我觉得配合起来的那个x-factor 能让人家接受，看起来的感觉还蛮亲切，那个感觉更重要吧！”
不过他可以接受女友或是朋友去整容。“要是有原因的话，比如说去割了双眼皮后，让你看起来更有精神，对各方面都有帮助，why not?”
沺裁认为生命中不可能有完美的事物还是人，自己在剧中也推翻了“没有丑人，只有穷人”的理论，明白了“如果能够包容不完美，就能一切完美。”
沺裁表示，虽然比较注重内在，但是外表固然是重要的。“外表有一定的好处，让人家一开始就喜欢你。然后想跟你接触，然后才能看到你内在的一面。”
好久没在银幕上看到沺裁，沺裁笑说那一段日子都在摧残，吃得胖胖的，完全不顾形象！但沺裁后来还是觉得自己对演戏还是抱着热忱，所以现在一年拍一部戏。
拍完《一切完美》后，他坦言还没脱离角色，还一直觉得自己是Alex Tan，想继续拍下去。他表示，非常荣幸和高兴接拍这部剧，自己有很好的发挥空间，拍戏时也不会很辛苦。
沺裁也表示，除非有很好的剧本或是《一切完美》要开拍第二系列，否则他不是很想再拍戏了。“因为从等到了一个这么好的一部戏，再去拍一个不是很开心的戏，我想我不会很舒服。”他直言，“如果以后叫我不要拍了，我也OK！”
【一切完美】5大非看不可的理由！
【一切完美】是U频道年度重头戏。有什么可看性？我们特别邀请本剧监制刘健财告诉你5大非看的理由；还有你万万不可错过的精彩片段。
#1 U频道年度本地重头剧
U频道继 【梦。拼图】后就没有再播本底剧了。【一切完美】是首部在U频道十点黄金档播映的本地剧，和剧力万钧的韩剧，港剧并驾齐驱。
#2 题材新鲜
【一切完美】以整容为主题，探讨现代人对整容的看法；同时提出疑问：整容到底是生理还是心理缺陷？
故事分为13集，内容以单元据形式呈现，并由郑婉龄，王沺裁，谢韵仪，许立桦之间的爱情，亲情贯穿全局，写实之外，也写情。
#3 画面唯美
【一切完美】采全外景拍摄，戏里不见 HDB (政府组屋)，力求画面优美。
刘健财说，为了符合王沺裁和谢韵仪的整形医生，心理医生的 "上等人" 身份；拍摄地点都定在 "贵到飞起" 的餐厅拍摄，虽只租用几个小时作为拍摄，费用让人咋舌。
据说，为了搭配他们的身份，戏里的道具都十分讲究，有些还要特别购买呢，例如：昂贵的皮椅，LCD 电视等.... 制作费大出血。电视剧杀青后，不少东西是要当二手货出售。访问时，刘健财还打趣说："你要买吗？当场就可以在这里交易了.... 哈。这电视是我的私货。"
"英伦情人"
其中一幕，拍摄王沺裁和谢韵仪在英国留学相约在餐厅的画面。制作组费尽心思把英国雪景 "搬" 到新加坡来，白雪飘飘，一对情人相约在浪漫的咖啡厅，看起来真赏心悦目。
#4 制作严谨
刘健财认为，要拍，就要认真地拍。
他说，整容并不单纯是大众所认为的，把丑整为美。整容也包括修复，例如：修复被毁坏的肌肤等。
拍摄前，制作组拜访了极为本地著名整容医生，从专业角度了解整容。拍摄时，也有专业整容医生全程随团指导，决不马虎，保证传达正确知识。
有一幕隆胸的戏，画面是整形医生把隆胸用的矽胶塞到胸部切口的特写。拍摄前，制作组特别找来好几块猪皮 (猪皮和人皮较相似) 练习，现在上面化妆，把色泽调到和人体相近的颜色，然后在猪皮下塞入血浆，还要调整灯光，角度，就为了拍摄出来的画面更贴近现实。
如此重复练习，调整之后，才进行真正的拍摄。拍摄时，真正的整形医生也在场指导。播出后请留意这一幕，镜头上动作流畅的手，就是那位指导医生特别客串的 "替手"。
#5 精彩片段
宋怡霏背部全裸~
宋怡霏在吸里饰演忧郁症病人，因为很久没有和老公欢好，以为老公嫌弃她的胸部太小，而去进行隆胸手术。
为了【一切完美】，宋怡霏豁出去了。除了两场背部全裸，露出正面胸部下方的镜头外，和陈传之之间的激情戏也不少。有一幕她整形后，脱衣服，狂吻的镜头也非常激烈。小心喷鼻血。
背部全裸，大牺牲。刘健财当初怎么说服她？
"拍的时候，她有一点点犹豫，她问'啊，去到酱啊？'，可是导演很快就说服她了，她也不扭捏。其实，她和导演和我都很熟了，而且这些都是为了剧情所需，不是为了拍而拍，也不是卖弄色情。"
林湘萍勾引王沺裁
林湘萍饰演拥有得天独厚的天使外貌，内心却丑陋无比的女人。她嫉妒好朋友 "一大粒" 虽然长得胖胖的，生活却无往不利，不但出生富有家庭，还十分有人缘。
有一场戏，林湘萍勾引王沺裁，根据刘健财的形容，当时两人之间的互动，张力十足，火花四溅，噼里啪啦狂烧。刘健财点评，林湘萍和王沺裁演的相当不错，让在一旁的工作人员也感觉到紧张。他还说，这个时候，可以看到演员的公里。这场戏，"可看性"十足。
洪乙心腿开开~
洪乙心饰演一个因为快要结婚而 "修补" 处女膜的女人，为此找上了王沺裁，动作非常不雅。王沺裁则需要 "埋首" 在腿间，做缝补，拉线的动作。刘健财叙述："拍摄的时候，乙心大叫 "不是吧，第一场戏就拍这个，很尴尬。"
陈靓瑄 "丑" 态尽露
陈靓瑄饰演整过容的小明星 "樱桃公主"。刘健财说，这一集花了制作组不少财力，人力和物力。
戏里有不少演唱会，签唱会场面，为了制作人头攒动的场面，请了不少咖历菲；另外也为 "粉丝" 制作大看板，半人高大海报，单曲CD，甚至是随CD附送的 "樱桃公主" 小玩偶.... 全都做足，一点也不欺场。
剧中也会出现公主陈靓瑄 "整形前" 的照片，到时要看个仔细，看看她到底 "整" 过那个部分。
郑婉龄和 "死人" 为伍
阿嫂代言人郑婉龄阔别电视5年之作。她在戏里饰演死人化妆师，"嫂味" 依旧。不过在监制的要求下，一改以往 "平民把刹" 阿嫂说话大大声，举止粗鲁的作风，提升为 "高级" 阿嫂。戏里，这位仍然小孤独处的高级阿嫂开始想找个伴，没想到笑料百出..... 如果你怀念荧幕上大剌剌的郑婉龄，不要错过。
杨伟烈处女作
【才华】亚军杨伟烈在戏里饰演不想和父亲拥有一张相似的脸孔而要求整容的青年。这是杨伟烈在【才华】比赛后的戏剧处女作。刘健财认为，以一个新人来说，杨伟烈在戏里的表现算是可圈可点的。
Love Blossoms 心花朵朵开
Stars: Chen Shucheng as Tao Dashun, Ivy Lee as Tao Zi Jing, Felicia Chin as Tao Hai Tong, Zheng Geping as Yun Kai Wang, Constance Song as Tao Ling Lan, Patricia Mok as Yun Cai Xia, Rayson Tan as Kang Qing Xiong, Terence Cao as Yu Wen Hao, Zhang Yaodong as Ma Da Ji, Adam Chen as Guo Zi Peng, Chen Tianwen as Lu Gua, Koh Yah Hwee (finalist from Star Search 2007) as Tao Wen Zhu, Ben Yeo as Wang Zhigang, Priscelia Chan as Yuan Er-bo, Jin Yinji as Su Baozhuan, Eelyn Kok as Mei Wei, Ng Hui as Xiao Lei, Lin Meijiao as Pan Qiulian, May Phua as Xu Yanning, Darren Lim as Huang Yezu, Hong Huifang as Liang Miaochang, Huang Wenyong as Yu Dongcheng, Chen Chuxuan as Yiling
SYNOPSIS (credits to Mediacorp for the basic info)
i’ve rewritten the synopsis below by myself. in my own words
Tao Dashun (Chen Shucheng) owns and runs a floral nursery and has 4 daughters - Ling Lan (Constance Song), Zi Jing (Ivy Lee), Hai Tong (Felicia Chin) and Wen Zhu (Koh Yah Hwee). A widower, and having a traditional outlook, his daughters are not very close to him.
His nursery is his labour of love - it reminds him of his late wife - but none of his daughters are interested in taking over. Later, he decides to sell it to help Zi Jing pay off her gambling debts. The buyer is rich ABC (American born Chinese) Ma Da Ji (Zhang Yaodong), a young man who knows nothing about the industry. Hai Tong, being very shrewd, takes advantage of this to make life better for her father, by making Da Ji pay him an enormous amount to run the whole show. Towards the end of this installment, he realises that he actually has a son - Wen Hao (Terence Cao), with his old flame Miaochang (Hong Hui Fang).
Oldest daughter Ling Lan and her father are estranged, as he sent her to the drug rehabilitation centre when she was 18. She has not returned home since then. Her boyfriend ran away, leaving her with their daughter, Yiling (Chen Chuxuan). They currently live with Lu Gua (Chen Tianwen), who is a horrible man. He engages in illegal activity and secretly has designs on Yiling.
Zi Jing is married to Yun Kaiwang (Zheng Geping), they run a flower stall, and they have a daughter, which causes them to be constantly picked on by Kaiwang’s mother, Baozhuan (Jin Yinji), who hopes for a grandson. Kaiwang’s sister, Cai Xia (Patricia Mok), gloats over the fact that she and her husband Qing Xiong (Rayson Tan) have a son. However, they are back to live with Baozhuan because they are bankrupt. With their appearance, the harmony in the household declines further. It is compounded by the fact that Qing Xiong has a Vietnamese second wife, Yuan Er-bo (Priscelia Chan), and when Kaiwang tries to help his brother-in-law cover up, Er-bo ends up falling in love with him. Zi Jing leaves, and her compulsive gambling habits are exposed. Top it up with Qing Xiong’s schemes which make Kaiwang the scapegoat, the couple have many problems which take a long time to solve.
Hai Tong is a very shrewd woman who is proud and confident. With her boyfriend, Guo Zipeng (Adam Chen), they run a floral hamper shop. Zipeng always has to give in to her and as their relationship is not solid, he cheats on her with his old girlfriend. Unable to be humble, she dumps him and returns to her father’s nursery to start anew. There, her relationship with Da Ji advances to a closer level. Hoping that she’ll persuade him to stay, he is disappointed when she lets him sell the nursery and join his parents in China.
Youngest daughter Wen Zhu is a happy-go-lucky undergrad who wins a university beauty pageant and is talent-spotted by the TV station and cast in a drama serial. She likes Da Ji. When in the entertainment industry, she endures the wrath of actress Yanning (May Phua) who makes her life difficult. Image consultant Zhigang (Ben Yeo) becomes her good friend, and he falls in love with her. However, she starts to distance herself from Zhigang when bad media focuses on her fight with Yanning, and speculation that Zhigang is a sissy and maybe gay. Because of her brother-in-law Lu Gua’s antics, she knocks her head and develops a blood clot and is unable to concentrate on her acting career when she is constantly attacked by severe headaches.
The Golden Path 黄金路
Starring: Chen Liping as Xiao-gu, Li Nanxing as Ah-Jin/Jin Long, Tay Ping Hui as Huang Kaijie, Felicia Chin as Lin Fei, Joanne Peh as Huang Kaiqi, Chew Chor Meng as Huang Kaida, Joey Feng Jinyu as Jin Feng, Cai Peixuan as Zhen (Rou-gu mei), Huang Wenyong as Lin Desheng, Priscelia Chan as Lu Simin, Nat Ho as David, Wang Yuqing as Lin, Carole Lin as Yan, Wen Liling as Ying, Alan Tern as Dejian, Li Wenhai as Cai, Zheng Geping as Hai-ge, Edmund Chen as Cheng, Joey Swee as Cheng-sao, Hong Peixin as Hu, Zhang Wei as Jinlong’s grandfather
In the 1980s, Xiao-gu (Chen Liping) is a widow, who, with her three children, Kaida, Kaijie and Kaiqi, runs her tzi-cha roadside stall. She is known for being able to laugh her days away, her personal motto being “笑也一天，哭也一天，为什么不笑着过一天？”
Oldest son Kaida (陈勇铭 Chen Yong Ming) is very hardworking, and does very well in his studies. The same can’t be said of second son Kaijie (马纬翰 Ma Wei Han), who is playful, and doesn’t like to study. Youngest daughter Kaiqi (捞毓婷 Lao Yuting) is helpful and caring.
Enter Jin Long (张家奇 Fraser Tiong) and Jin Feng (黄磬仪 Huang Qing Yi), siblings who move into the same building as Xiao-gu and her children. Jin Long and Kaijie have already met and can’t stand the sight of each other. They start quarelling whenever they meet. However, Kaiqi takes care of Jin Feng, who is just a few years younger than her. Jin Long has to make money to take care of himself and his sister, as their father is out at sea - he’s a sailor.
Jin Long and Jin Feng’s father is actually not a sailor; he was involved in a large scale robbery of a jewelry shop. He and his 2 partners made off with about $800,000 worth of jewelry. One of his partners was killed during the police chase, not by the police - they only injured him, but by his other partner, Hu.
Xiao-gu takes care of Jin Long and Jin Feng, and she and Ah-Jin soon become close. He proposes marriage. However, not everyone is happy. Jin Long and Kaijie are the only ones who oppose the marriage.
Kaijie witnessed Jin accidentally kill Hu, as Hu was pestering him to participate in another heist, which Jin refused to, as he was going to settle down in a new life with Xiao-gu. After digging around, Kaijie realises that Jin and Hu were robbers. On Xiao-gu and Ah-Jin’s wedding day, he gets Ying to call the police hotline, and report that she knows the robber in the identikit printed in the newspapers.
Jin holds policeman Cai hostage, and runs to an abandoned building. He lets Cai go, and jumps onto the road, where policemen surround him. He points a gun to his head and shoots himself.
TIME PASSES. It is now in the 1990s.
Xiao-gu’s roadside stall has grown into a restaurant. All the children are all grown-up. Jin Long (Li Nanxing) looks exactly like his late father. Kaijie (Tay Ping Hui) is still the same as before, and despises Jin Long.
Jin Long is very close to Kaiqi (Joanne Peh), and he secretly holds a torch for her. Kaida (Chew Chor Meng) is a medical student, still as hardworking as ever. Jin Feng (Joey Feng) is lousy at her studies, and hasn’t even passed her O levels, even though she’s almost 20.
Kaida, Kaijie and Kaiqi are all university students. Jin Long helps out in Xiao-gu’s shop, with no ambition, and Jin Feng dreams of becoming an actress, hating to study.
Enter Lin Fei (Felicia Chin), a rich girl who takes a liking for Jin Long. She keeps pestering him non-stop, and tells everyone that she is his girlfriend. Kaijie likes her, and pursues her, but she only has eyes for Jin Long.
Also playing a part in the story is Ah-Zhen Rou-gu mei (Cai Peixuan), who helps out in Jin Long’s maternal grandfather’s Bak Kut Teh shop. She is a very loyal and hardworking, and allows no one near the shops’ money, even though loan-sharks pester her everyday.
Xiao-gu buys over a dry-market, and puts Jin Long in charge of it. He is not a very capable boss, but Xiao-gu insists that the market is his responsibility.
By My Side 不凡的爱
This drama stars:
Chen Hanwei as Chen Bufan, Zoe Tay as Lin Xinya, Rui-en as Zhang Yuhang, Elvin Ng as Chen Buqun, Terence Cao as Zi Xin/Zi Jian, Vina Lim as Chen Tiantian, Zhu Houren as Lin Chunxiao, Zhu Yu Ye as Wang Qiuyue, Chen Tianwen as Andy, Brandon Wong as hui-gou (grey dog), Ong Ai Leng as Cecelia, Ye Shipin as hei-ma (black horse), Benjamin Heng as Xinya’s brother, Melody Chen as Xinya’s brother’s wife
This drama starts with Chen Bufan (Chen Hanwei) passing out after coughing incessantly, and he is taken to the hospital, with his wife Xinya (Zoe Tay) and daughter Tiantian (Vina Lim) following him.
Flashbacks show that Chen Bufan is a loving husband and model father. He works in a meat factory, and his wife is a tutor. Their daughter, Tiantian, is 6 years old, and they are well liked in their neighbourhood.
Scenes in the current and past show the set of events which happened after Bufan discovered he has AIDS. His entire family were discriminated against, and life became very painful for them, as they were regarded like the plague.
I gave up 1/2 way. It got boring and kind of pointless, as it was really miserable… All the info in a drama setting was definitely better than doing it in a magazine programme. I appreciate the fact that this drama set out to create awareness among the masses, and it did it’s job.
Chen Hanwei was brilliant! He looked so sickly, and looked like he was going to collapse and die anytime.
Zoe Tay’s role was quite pointless. She was so cold, and strict.
There was no chemistry between her and Chen Hanwei, even in the beginning, when they were supposed to be a loving couple. Therefore, I was not surprised when they were having a cold-war and all. You couldn’t feel the love between the couple.
On the other hand, I thought Vina Lim as Tiantian did a good job, and kept the life in the show. she was the one who asked questions which everyone watching would, at one point or another. so I think she can be called the audience’s conscious-voice
Rui-en was quite an ‘emo’ character, and Elvin Ng was the one who managed to melt her heart. Rui-en and Elvin as a couple… they were quite sweet.
Terence Cao in the show — quite meaningless. really.
OVERALL, this drama did what it was supposed to do — create awareness about AIDS, and warn people about its dangers. it attempted to show how a family’s love can change almost every situation, and also focused on current issues like unfilial children, discrimination among kids due to adult’s thoughts…
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my 3 favourite dramas are up there — The Little Nyonya, Just in Singapore and The Golden Path!! yes, they are all productions of Ang Eng Tee 洪荣狄 :) i’d be really happy if any of them win!
but who knows? many years have passed where educational-sponsored dramas have taken the Best Drama title and not really deserved it, considering the other nominations! By My Side might just win based on this! and to be fair, this show has many fans, people like it! it managed to touch on a sensative issue, and bring it close to the people.
everyone expects The Little Nyonya to win, and why not?! it was a really good show, and it was engaging, and full of evil people. but its weak point was that it was too simple a story — it was either black or white, people was just good or bad, no grey, no conflicting struggles within a character.
Just in Singapore was a different kind of show — it was a heartlander-ish based drama, which was funny, and very close to ones heart. one could easily relate to the characters and their struggles for a better life; you cursed the selfish people, and felt pain for the ones who’ve been taken advantage of…
and as for The Golden Path, it was a story about family, greed, love, hate, revenge — a very powerful drama which in terms of production values, is so much more superior to The Little Nyonya. people struggled with their decisions; even the good characters made bad decisions. it was a very suspenseful drama, and the acting was brilliant!
Perfect Cut caused a craze, and a whole lot of loyal followers. although likened to a US series about plastic surgery, this drama brought plastic surgery and psychology closer to us. acting by the guest stars, i’ve heard, were brilliant. i’ve heard tons of praises for this show. this drama is the only Channel U drama which has been nominated in all the Star Awards so far. it stands a high chance of winning too. i’m quite sad that i’ve not watched the 1st season yet, ‘cos they’re airing the 2nd season soon. i should really get down to watching it.
i can confidently say that Love Blossoms won’t win this year. although i personally feel that it’s the best mega-drama (i didn’t see Holland V, saw all the rest), it has no chance this year, ‘cos the rest of the nominations are just too strong. sure, this was a nice drama about family, but not strong in production values. there was too much of things going round-and-round, repeating the same thing again and again, and bickering, shouting. there was just too much of it!
Just Waiting for 26 ApiRL 2009
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