Drama Digest:
This drama is focused on the 1980s Hong Kong TV industry and features characters who were TV artists around that time and how they eventually rose to become future TV superstars in Hong Kong.
The Feel-Good Part:
Those who loved watching TVB dramas from the 1980s would find this drama to be a nostalgic draw.
The Disappointing Factor:
The issue with that is that a good drama requires some dependable Star power. This drama really falls flat without even a single established TVB star, you know, one who actually did a good job portraying one character in a solid drama. It is difficult, if not impossible, to imagine that the careers of Stephen Chow, Maggie Cheung, and Andy Lau, all of whom have a significant position in Hong Kong TV and film history, can be in any way compared to the characters portrayed.
In-Depth Analysis:
Given that TVB has been steadily improving since the late 2010s, the cinematography is flawless. The sets and lighting appear to be of a high caliber. Since it uses a semi-biographical drama to pay homage to 1980s TVB, the plot is generally fairly good. There were some rushed scenes, though, because there were 15 episodes, even though there didn’t need to be. While they concentrated on magnificent details rather than the main plot of individuals attempting to make it great in the entertainment world, the tempo is terribly off.
Star Power:
The cast includes Lau Tak-wah, one of the key leads, is where we begin. Lau Tak-Wing (Wing) is unmistakably modeled after Andy Lau Tak-wah. His plot was well-written. Then, in the second Act, that potential began to diminish. Fortunately, by the drama’s conclusion, his story had returned to its proper place. Wing had an “unappealing” reputation to begin with, which he tried to cover when he first entered the TV business. (Andy did, in fact, present a likable persona when he was a teenager). However, the story focuses on his having girl problems, which obscures the understanding of his true personality, rather than that story once he had that early shot at success. Due to this “superiority” of fame, it would have been more intriguing for Wing to have this expectation of himself and act like someone else instead of himself. The drama’s other key character, Chai Hing-chow (Chow), is portrayed by Karl Ting and is based on Stephen Chow. In contrast to Wing’s story, TVB treated Stephen Chow and his inspirational role justice because it was obvious that he had a passion for acting from the beginning to the conclusion.
Overall Opinion:
You can’t dispute that these stories fall short of making some of the characters more than just walking Wikipedia entries, even if they have been significantly edited to make the life of Hong Kong actors seeking to break into TV entertainment more entertaining. Additionally, it doesn’t go beyond the fundamental storyline that would shock the viewer.
