Reaching Out
(2001)
Cast: Gordon Lam, Benny Chan, Nicola Cheung, Kenix Kwok, Michelle Yip, Mei Suet, Ha Yue
My Rating: HHHH1/2
I was looking forward to see this series long before it came out. Why? Hehehe...I like the cast that's why. Well, I'm not anyone's particular fan
but I liked them generally. Besides I heard that this series is really good. Even though there're some people said that it was very very boring, I wanted to watch it.
And when I watched it, it did live up to my expectations.
- -Characters -
-
Gordon Lam as Dai Fook Sung aka. Dai Ah Gor - He lived with his father when he was a kid but then
there was a big fire and his father went inside to save some kids but he didn't
manage to get away. After his father died, Fook Sung went to live in the
orphange. He was like a big brother there so everyone calls him "Dai Ah Gor."
Fook Sung always told everyone about his philosophy of life that his father
taught him. He said he is like a match, stay lit for himself and others. After
moving out from the orphange he lives with Yee Sok (Benny Chan) and he works as
a electrician. Every mornings he will ride his bike and gives breakfast to
homeless people.
He is a very optimistic kind of guy, always tries to
help people and stuff. Besides he's not a boring kind of person who always
preaches, too. He can be funny at times. A very likeable character.
Benny Chan as Lau Yee Sok - His father sent him to the orphanage when he was a kid and came back to
visit him at times. But his father always broke his promises to Yee Sok. And
after a while his father just disappeared. Yee Sok, since then never tried real
hard for anything and grew up to be a very lazy person. He lives with Fook Sung
and works with Fook Sung for a while. But being irresponsible and lazy, he never
managed to work in one place for long. After his father came back, he always
teasing him and badmouthing him but actually deep down he really loves his
father.
I like Yee Sok's character, even though he was so lazy in the
beginning. Maybe he's not as good as Fook Sung but he is a very funny guy and
can be nice actually. It's really good to see him changed to be a hard working
guy in the end.
Nicola Cheung as Kou Wai
Ting aka. The Ninth Sister - Her parents died so she had to
go to the orphange. But later she was adopted by a rich doctor. She grew up with
love and care from the doctor and his wife but she can't get along with her
little sister, Vivian. (The real daugher of the docter) She works at the TV
station as a reporter and she is very serious about her job. Anyway, she never
forgot the time she lived in the orphange and still loves to hang out with Fook
Sung and Yee Sok. 9Mui, in fact, have been secretly loves Fook Sung since she was young
but he only sees her as a sister.
I think 9Mui's character is actually
really nice. She's a nice person just like Fook Sung...I guess she learned a lot
from Fook Sung how to treat others. Anyway, she's sometimes too hot-headed and a
bit too serious about her job.
Kenix Kwok
as Hiu Guan aka. SpiderGirl - Her father died and then her
mother married to some bad guy. She and her older sister ran away because their
mother was on her husband's side and not theirs.They ran away to the orphange
but they didn't accept them. Hiu Guan, anyway, managed to grow up as a sucessful
business woman. She is like extremely rich and known as a very mean person.
People called her SpiderGirl because they think she was like a spider that has
dangerous poison which means she always hurt other people. People always said if
you mess with SpiderGirl, she will keep making your life miserable. Anyway,
she has her soft side that is when she is with her older sister who is suffered
from some liver disease.
I must admit that at first I found SpiderGirl
quite mean and annoying. I don't understand why she was so pessimistic. But
later on I found that she actually isn't that bad. She had a difficult childhood
and she wanted to be tough for her sister and for herself. But she managed to
change little by little when she got to know Fook Sung. She becomes happier and
sweeter.
Michelle Yip as Jess - Her parents died when she was a kid, so she had to live with her aunt.
She came from a rich family but her cousin wasn't so rich so her life got
harder. Her aunt wanted her to marry her son, but Jess didn't love him. Jess
works in the advertising company and she can't get along with some co-workers
because Jess is beautiful and good at her work and people kinda get jealous and
always talks behind her back.
For me, Jess is an all right character. I
almost liked her when she was dating Fook Sung. But then there was that Ken guy
and some part later that she was quite annoying. Anyway, I like her better than
Ken. She's nice and she cares about her friends
Mei Suet as Chan Q - She used to be a singer in some
restaurant and got pregnant with one guy. But when she told him that, he told
her that he'd already got a wife. Anyway, his wife couldn't bear a child so...they
want the baby and Q gave them. Many years later, she came back from Malaysia
and got to know FookSung and everyone. She and Lau Lik (Ha Yue) always got into
fights. And there was one incident that made Fook Sung thought that she was his
mother anyway she denied that. Anyway, at one time she got into troubles, she
unwillingly told FookSung that she was his mother and he helped her out. Since
then Fook Sung took her as his mother.
Ha Yue
as Lau Lik - His wife left him and he left Yee Sok at the
orphanage. He was a small time gangster and not a so responsible kind of guy. Then he took the
blame for his boss and ended up in jail and that was why he just disappeared and
never went to see Yee Sok again. After came out of the jail he came back for Yee
Sok. Yee Sok was still mad at him. At first he tried to be nice with Yee Sok but
after a while he can't stand Yee Sok badmouthing him...so they ended up always
bickering each other. FookSung let him stay with him, while Yee Sok didn't want
to but he had no choice.
Sammul Chan as Ken
- He came from a rich family. His father owns a construction
company but Ken didn't want to work there. He wants to open a bike shop. He
loves riding a bike, and that was how he first met Fook Sung, too. Anyway, later
on he decided to sell his bike shop and came back to work at his father's
company. There, he had a chance to work with Jess and they finally became a couple.
At first he seemed to be a typical nice guy, but when there
were some troubles he turned into a spoiled brat. Also when he wanted something
he always went to ask his mother, and she always gave him anything he wanted.
His character really pissed me off esp. how he handle his relationship with Jess
and FookSung. Anyway, he became a better and more matured person in the end.
Review:
I really like Reaching Out's storyline. It's refreshing, unique and actually very thoughtful. Through the eyes of Fook Sung, we can see the "Beautiful Life." Fook Sung was a very nice guy that really hard to find in real life. He always helped everyone...even someone like SpiderGirl. You see, SpiderGirl was a kind of person that almost the opposite to Fook Sung. She was mean and very pessimistic. And this is why RO is so good. Fook Sung managed to help her become a better person in the end. This show taught us to see the world in the optimistic way. It also taught us to forgive and to let go. This is a very good theme. I like it.
Well, any flaws for RO? Sure. RO is a bit draggy at times especially in the beginning. I'm not saying that I don't like the first half, I like it a lot.(Benny's part was so funny) But it just kept going and going but nothing happened much. Some of my friends wanted to quit after they got to episode 15-16. Anyway, it's not that bad.Fook Sung did help a lot of people around him and I also like Benny and his father's bickering each other. This father and son relationship is both funny and touching at the same time. As for those who thinks it's boring, believe me, it's really worth it if you keep watching. I do think that Kenix's appearance helped the pacing a bit. Another thing to complain is that... it's too rush in the end. I don't have enough scenes of Gordon and Kenix and also Benny and Nicola. I felt that it's not yet fully developed. And there's one thing that really bugs me...that is Fook Sung just happened to be able to donate his liver to SpiderGirl??? It's a bit too coincident. Anyway, I like the ending. It's very cute and happy :)
- -The Cast - -
Gordon Lam - Great job here for Gordon. He was really good as Fook Sung. He gave just the right amount in this role, not overacted or underacted at all. Personally, I don't think he's handsome but in RO I feel that he's so charming and quite cute sometimes. And he made a great pair with Kenix.
Kenix Kwok - She's terrific in both of her roles. I think she is really good especially as SpiderGirl. Sometimes I felt really mad at her when she did something bad, but when she was nice I can feel her cuteness and sometimes I felt sad for her character,too. This is not the first time she played dual roles, though. She did it before in ATE.
Benny Chan - I love watching him in RO. In fact I never really liked him until I watched RO. But his role as Yee Sok is just so funny. Whenever he appeared on the screen I felt like laughing. I didn't know that he could be this good in funny roles. And he's also not bad in dramatic scenes. He's a good actor.
Nicola Cheung - I think she gave quite a nice performance but there's nothing much in her character. So I don't really know. But she's sure look very cute as the Ninth sister in my opinion. She and Benny made a cute couple.
Michelle Yip - Her acting is not bad for a newcomer. But sometimes she looked a bit weird. I didn't say that about her looks. Maybe it's her gesture or her body language or something...that made her looked unnatural and a bit uncomfortable. Anyway, she's not bad.
Michelle Mei Suet - Of course, being a veteran actress, she's great. She's really good in both dramatic and funny scenes. And she and Ha Yue made me laugh a lot.
Ha Yue - This guy is so funny. He was as funny as Benny in this show. I like when he and Benny teasing each other. And he's also good in dramatic scenes. He's great in my opinion.
Sammul Chan - I've got to say that he looks too young for his part and he can't act at all...but then again this is his first series(I guess) maybe he can improve his acting in the future.
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