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While watching Grace Under Fire, I suddenly came to the conclusion that Gillian Chung would be a comparable replacement for Liu Xuan’s Mok Gwai Lan. Both girls are petite and possess a certain fiery righteousness balanced by a degree of innocence. Since I’ve just seen some clips of Gillian in The Holy Pearl (with a similar dubbed voice), I saw the semblance in their facial expressions when performing certain scenes. As Ah Gil has expressed she wanted to be a “fight girl”, I felt she would have made a good Gwai Lan. While Liu Xuan’s gymnastics puts her at advantage, I feel that Gillian would do an equally good job. She can be both cute and sophisticated. It would also be refreshing to see Gillian in a TVB series, especially amongst a group of good actors. I can see her pairing with Bosco and being Kenneth’s little sister (since I love both Gillian & Kenneth, that would be awesome!) I thought Liu Xuan looked really nice with her makeup after marrying John, but I know Gillian would look stunning in the same make up and clothing, especially with all her hair up. However, I guess the series only requires one “gorgeous” girl, which in this case is Fala. (That may have been a little difficult to pull off if Gillian was pivoted alongside her, but I believe it would have worked nonetheless.)

I can completely see Gil playing the overly righteous protagonist that can be strong and, at times, annoying. Based on what the role requires, I believe she is capable of delivering it. As for Liu Xuan, she gave a decent performance, & she’s cute. I didn’t mind her, and her nose didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would (ok, I noticed it, but I can overlook it). The only things is, I can’t judge someone’s acting without hearing his/her real voice. I heard her speak in the trailer and would have preferred her original voice. Overall, I didn’t feel that Gwai Lan was as important nor as well developed as I expected. It’s both a good and bad thing. I’m glad that they didn’t concentrate completely on her, but I felt like her “love” for WFH and character development was underplayed.

So what do you think? Do you agree with this “Recast”, still prefer the original casting or do you have someone else in mind? Please leave a comment & share!

This picture reminds me of the ending themesong of Liu Xuan walking around an ancient town

Starring: Janice Vidal, Janice Man, Aarif Lee, Siu Yam-Yam, Ti Lung, Wilfred Lau Ho-Lung,Alfred Cheung Kin-Ting, Leon Lai Ming, Tan Lap-Man, Matthew Chow Hoi-Kwong,Vincent Kok Tak-Chiu

Cute story, goodlooking people, beautiful music, what more could you ask for? I ended up enjoying Frozen way more than I expected. Yes, it’s corny and not the most unique movie, but it’s refreshing, sweet and light-hearted and does what a movie like this is suppose to do.

I loved the chemistry between the cast and all the comedy intertwined with a bitter-sweet romance. I really wished there were more scenes between Janice Vidal & her “fake” dad; they had such a close relationship (wish it had developed more), and I was upset they didn’t choose to show more of Janice Man with her dad.

The three main cast members proved to be refreshing. Janice V. was adorable, as the confused English-speaking protagonist while Janice M. gave a good performance as headstrong & wacky Monica. JM is indeed very pretty even in her old-school outfits. The big surprise for me was Aarif Lee, who I had never seen prior to this movie. Let’s just say I, like Monica, fell in love with him too! haha. Though not sporting the most complimentary hairstyle, Aarif managed to ooze with charisma. This handsome lad, is not only capable of looking pretty, but also commands the screen well, and he SINGS! (His voice is so much prettier than Leon’s which becomes very apparent near the end, when they switch from one to another)

I loved the flashbacks. I don’t usually find reckless teenagers sweet, but JM & Aarif had awesome chemistry and the remake of Leslie’s song totally helped. It made me all warm and fuzzy inside! haha. Also really liked the focus on the Boy London watch. In the end, I felt so bad for Papa JM. Poor man….

Never liked Leon before, but found him not so annoying and slightly likable in this movie. Nice seeing him try something different and grooming such likable newbies (now when will he bring Charles Ying back into the scene?) !

After watching this movie, which I highly recommend, I couldn’t stop watching and listening to Aarif. haha. Love his songs w/ Janice Vidal! I went on to watch his other movies (Echoes of the Rainbow & Bruce Lee, My Brother), which did not disappoint! Can’t wait for I Love Hong Kong (where he actually has a good hairstyle). He’ll be paired w/ Fala which should be interesting considering he’s younger than her (Aarif’s born in 1987 & Fala’s 1982) This charming boy will make it far if all goes as planned! (Hope he’ll be in a TVB series someday!)

Making of Frozen: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjA1OTg3ODg4.html

Watch 3:24 for Aarif (apparently he’s very “old fashioned”) http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/52C0p9quFl8/

For all those who have watched The Season of Fate, you would know that Vivien Yeo played Sussie/So Sze Wong Kam Fung - a money crazy woman who falls for Oscar Leung’s Yam Sing Tin. This was probably one of Vivien’s better performances (I’ve never liked her as an actress), and it helped that she had nice clothes & makeup. However, her incompatibility with Oscar Leung physically stuck out and made it hard to believe they had any chemistry. Since I like Oscar and believe he’s the better actor, I felt that we would have seen a better love story if  TVB had recasted Vivien with Yoyo Chen. Vivien has a tall stature that made her look like a giant next to Oscar, who I hope puts on some weight soon. On the other hand, Yoyo is shorter and thinner, making her look more compatible with the actor. This pair would have been refreshing as well. As for acting, I feel that Yoyo is the better actress and has been improving. Also, we have seen that Yoyo can play the role of a pretty but “bad” woman is plenty of series. It’s ironic that Yoyo was the first to come to mind when I thought of replacing Vivien since they both found recognition through TVB’s teen drama Sunshine Heartbeats. While Yoyo is older than Vivien, just as she played the youngest sister then, she still looks younger now. (Vivien – left; Yoyo – Right)

Note: Randomly found an Oscar-Yoyo pic at http://www.yoyochen.co.cc/

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With the first 5-award sweep of  Mr. Hong Kong history, Mr. Hong Kong 2010 winner William Chak certainly brought viewers a delightful surprise. Considering that last year’s show was a complete flop with less-than desirable contestants (especially after 2008′s great success), this year’s show faired much better. Due to the changes in the show’s format this year, it was obvious that once William received one award, he would take home the prize as well….deservingly might I add. Standing at 5’10″, the 25-year old champion had also taken 2nd-place in the 2005 Mr. Asia Contest organized by ATV. His experience, and not to mention good looks made him the hot favorite. Although he was my pick since the beginning, I worried that his involvement w/ ATV would cause TVB to rob him of 1st place. However, I guess TVB did not want to risk another corruption allegation, and what a wise choice they made not to interfere; honestly, no one would believe it if William did not win and TVB was smart not to mess with women’s hearts (lol.)!

My picks: William Chak, William Chak….and William Chak! haha.  I thought #4 Angus, #9 Argus, and #2 Li Yangong were also ok.

So how was the show? And how did William snatch all those awards? Well, if you watched it, you would know. lol. The show felt short and there were no crazy touching of the contestants (I guess they had to tone down the show due to complaints :-/ People in HK complain about everything!!) and it was less concentrated on the judges and more on the contests, a good and bad thing. I guess aside from the winner being my choice, there wasn’t really anything so great about this year’s show. The hosts didn’t really do much. I expected it to be better w/ Christine Ng there, but it was great having her as a host anyways. Did they need all 5 of them? No. But it didn’t hurt the show, so oh well. As for 3-D, it really didn’t apply me, but I only wonder if you get in free for the movie theaters cuz why would anyone pay to watch it in 3D when they can watch it at home for free? (Besides I saw guys there when they interviewed the movie goers, haha.)

The greatest quote of the night goes to Ana R. for her “He’s pocket-size.” That was hilarious; I seriously cannot think of another reason why #3 was on this show aside from being entertainment. He’s so tiny and thin (gosh he weights only 124 lb at 5’6″, that makes me feel fat). I did enjoy pointing at him and screaming ‘pocket size’ every time he was on screen!

I absolutely HATED #8 Summer. He came off as arrogant and has such an evil face.  Felt bad for #7 who got only 3 votes in the swimwear part, but seriously, he was weird-looking. #2 with his Mandarin accent & tall build was ok but he totally screwed up the last part of his mask-changing bit. Also, doesn’t #6 look like past Mr.HK hopeful Billy Kong and some other TVB cameo?

#4 Angus (I keep thinking of the burger; like really, was that what you had in mind? Women thinking of a big juicy burger when they see u? lol) was kind of cute, but was too short and looked like a mini-but-buff Matthew Ko. Like Aureliano from last year, probably was in the press too much (well I figured this from his facebook pix w/ all those girls) and it hurt him a little. I for one got the impression that he’s a playboy and flaunts it (eg. through the photos). Not to say the other guys are any better (maybe they’re just careful), but at least it gives you hope that they may be better.

#9 Argus, the 18-year old was surprisingly cute. His face is so black though and he’s not the best looking, but his shyness won over the ladies! I loved how Dodo stood up to protect him and how the girls made fun of him. He was definitely the Joey Law of this year, just not as handsome nor as calm. Argus (gosh where do these names come from?) was so nervous; I seriously wonder if his Mom made him go!

And now for the man of the hour, William Chak Wai Lim. Can I just call him that, Wai Lim? It sounds so cute and so much better than William which makes me think of William Chan (ugh.). His last name is so unique too. Notice all the pictures are of him? Well, since he won all the awards, he’s the One and Only (lol. also he’s such a cutie). After watching the show, I realized he was nothing like what I expected. From his initial pictures, I thought he was cute and probably smug. However, during the show, he came off as confident, humble and grateful. He was also eloquent, which was totally unexpected. I was also surprised that he didn’t take every chance to flash his killer smile and eyes (like Stephen Hyunh did), which makes him the cutest. Actually, he looked less cute during the show than in pictures for this very reason. While I liked William, deep down inside I question his sincerity. He’s just so smooth and says all the right things, it’s hard not to wonder if he’s just playing the game right. Like how serious he looked when they were scoring and how  he looked like he was thanking God for his winning. Well, who cares, as long as he’s cute! (Is it me, or is he rather hairy compared to the other guys )

Honestly, with his looks and the quality of the competition, he really didn’t need much to win. All he had to do was stand there, look cute, speak normally and not sound stupid (and maybe even that would be excusable). Instead though, he actually had a “talent” (dancing) and answered his questions well. He was quick and didn’t hesitate when answering, but did not come off arrogant. The only weird thing I noticed was that he only had one style of walking around the stage, always putting his fist in the air (as pictured in the 2nd row of pix; it was awkwardly funny). Quick note, I must praise this year’s contestants for all trying to perform a “talent” and no one did “catwalking” or flexing.

I was upset that we didn’t get to see the funny side of William or much personality during the show. From his answers in his profile (like about Handelababy) and some pictures, I can see he has a nice sense of humor. (You can read the translation here @ Jaynestars.com) He came off so serious though, but I guess he’s probably quirky too (me like me like)! I also like how he admitted to joining the pageant because he wanted to earn money. I guess you can’t make much as a translator and I really don’t know how big the market for that is. I’m assuming he translates Japanese? In the end, I guess pimping out his good looks was the only viable way he could make money lol. (I don’t think I’d like guys that make a career out of pageants but considering it took him 5 years in between,  I guess he tried to make do and it didn’t amount to much.)

As for who he resembles, I say Michael Miu x Ron Ng (young Ron w/ similar hair especially his main pic) x Andrew Yuen (ATV – just google him, but William is cuter & younger) and maybe a little of Carl Ng Ka Lung (but way better looking – Carl annoys me w/ his arrogance). Despite how deserving William is, my all time favorite Mr. Hong Kong winner is still ’08′s Michael Tsu. Also loved how ’08′s Alan Wan danced during the performance – too bad he was in the back!

With all that said, I wish the best of luck to our Mr. Hong Kong William Chak, may his career shine brightly! Hopefully we’ll see him in some TVB series!

Jason is TVB’s rare “well educated” actors. Growing up in England, he has a degree in both ancient & modern China. He is also an Economics Master in the third top university in England, London University. He is also fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin, English, French & Latin. With looks & the education, no wonder he’s a favorite with many “OL’s” (office ladies). Jason has always been free of rumours. He claims to always be fairly “stand-off”-ish when it comes to female counterparts. He says this is what he needs to work on the most. He explains: “Some people may think I am very shy, but in reality it takes me a while to warm up to people. But when filming, often times it’s required for lots of interaction with girls. I remember one time when filming with Macy Chan (陳美詩) for the “Series Presentation”, because of lack of communication & we needed to act as a couple, when it was time to film, I didn’t know whether to hug her waist or put my arm around her shoulder. Looking back at my performance…..It was bad!! Hopefully in the new year my acting will improve!” But Jason does have confidence when it comes to hosting. Currently in the process of filming Pearl Channel’s 《港生活港享受》, he can talk nonstop. He says: “On the contrary, maybe there might be less viewers on Pearl, but to me it’s a very good learning experience. I feel very comfortable being a host on Pearl. When it comes to big live shows, I get nervous. But I really need to thank the company for giving me so many oppurtunities. I can try many different types of jobs, hopefully I can continue to film series & host!”

There has always been the issue of the lack of actors, causing TVB to search from outside resources to “fill in the spaces”. Having taken part in the movies《阿嫂》、《跟蹤》and《一半海水，一半火焰》, Him Law is one of the fresh faced actors! From 2 years ago when first starting off in the television business, the first thing was from turning into a scrawny kid to having a 40″ chest, Him says: “Every day I lift weights for 2 hours, & sun bathe for 2 hours, hoping to give every one a more sunshine image!” His first series was 《尖子攻略》, running into brillant actor, Bobby Auyeung, & working with “TV King” Roger Kwok in 《古靈精探》, giving him the opportunity to learn alot. Him says: “I seem to be most “fated” with Bobby & Roger. Roger would teach me “the thinking of an actor”, don’t compare yourself to others, because this business can tolerate alot of people. Don’t be jealous of how good others have it, be yourself. He is also very willing to teach me acting.” Many “elders” have said filming series is a form of “training”, long hours, low salary, alot more work than making movies. In regards to this, Him says he can deal with it & even has high hopes for the television industry: “Filming the first series is the hardest, because you don’t know how to adapt. I’m used to it now.” He says he is now part of the anticipated series 《團圓》，He excitedly says: “Before I filmed for 《搜下留情》and did a stage production, now I’m busy filming for 《團圓》，I havent rested for more than half a year, but the busier I am, the happier. As of right now, my work is lined up til mid-year. (Do you have any confidence you’ll win “Most Improved Actor”?) I wish! I’ve been nominated for “Best Supporting Actor” before, hopefully I can have some kind of achievement in TV series!”

Credits: inlovewithu @ AF

Comments: Can I just say Him & Jason are two of my faves  from the up and coming guy actors! I love Him’s charmingly boyish/serious but fun aura and Jason’s dorkniess/suaveness not to mention his English accent! (dreamy!) I was surprised to see them in an article together! haha. I would love to see more of both in upcoming series! I also love how Jason has Kenneth’s dorkiness and Him (surprisingly) has Kenneth Ma’s (yesh i <3 Kenneth!) ‘boring’/logical mindset (he wants to be a Benz Hui too! what a coincidence, totally didn’t expect it!). On a side note, Him is getting too manly buff looking, i want him to go back to his boyish look from Your Class or Mine. It’s nice to be fit, but I hope he doesn’t overdo it!

Mr. HK is a lot more fun to watch than the standard and ‘classy’ Ms. HK competition. I loved the “When Ms. HK Meets Mr. HK ” show & how they painted personalities for the contestants (reminiscent of my beloved reality shows! haha.)! Basically, I was pretty satisfied that my Top 4 were all the highest point scorers in the main competition (women totally have better taste lol!)

I loved how the women were screaming and crazy over the guys, especially Christine Ng. That woman is amazing! I loved her oxygen mask, but I wished we had seen more of her. Also, Angela poking fun at Margaret for not liking “Joey” (since that was her cheating ex-bf’s name) was hilarious…They really are good friends.

I would dare say, due to the quality of the contestants, this was the best of the Mr. HK shows. Despite the obvious lack of talent in such pageants – for goodness sakes, flexing is considered a talent! – it was truly entertaining and that’s all one should expect! I have a feeling that these Mr. HK’s will very soon appear in TVB series…and for once… I can’t wait! I cannot believe I’m saying this! These guys do have charm and as long as they don’t speak too much and don’t appear as leads right away, I’m fine with seeing them…. (occasionally shirtless…lol yes, only occasionally, not in every scene ~coughsRockycoughs~)

My Picks (in order):

1. Alan Wan (New York)
   
2. Michael Tsu (Nevada)
   
3. Joey Law
4. Dickson Wong

Michael Tsu Wilson Wan Shung(Mr. HK 2008, Winner of Mature Group Title)

Age：23
Height：5’9″
Weight： 152 lb

IMO: First off, I don’t usually like guys w/ small eyes, but Michael has such a nice smile to compliment it, and I felt that he was deserving of 1st place. From the Mature Group, he was definitely my fave. It was obvious, from the moment he walked out, that he had captured the most hearts (hands, eyes…and so on…)! I felt that of all the winners of the past years, Michael is the best. Furthermore, I adored his accent (it was funny how he said he wanted to “suck” all the ladies instead of “captivate” them in chinese – he was close, but just missed a word!)! It was also super-cute that he carried around a teddy bear from his gf for good luck (a tidbit he revealed at the When MsHK meets MrHK show – so what’s w/ the rumors abt him being gay w/ Alan? sheesh…just cuz they’re both overseas candidates & so hott doesn’t mean they have to make up stuff abt them!) The only thing that irked me abt Michael was all the cheesy stuff he said in his voiceovers in English about “beautiful ladies being gifts from heaven” (something like that). It was such honey talk and so not genuine, but it’s a competition and it didn’t bug me that much.

Of all the guys, I really do think TVB will try to push Michael into acting quickly. Due to the language barrier, it’ll most likely suck haha…but I would like to see him take on small parts like a “cute western summery surfer boy” or something.

Joey Law Tin Yu (Winner of Youth Group Title)

Age：20
Height：5’10″
Weight： 160 lb

IMO: Joey is a cutie. He’s the youngest of the guys & my age – this makes me wonder why I don’t see anyone that cute walking on-campus! haha. He was my 3rd choice and though I was happy w/ him winning the Youth Group Champion, I would have rather Alan win. I love the shy thing he has going for him, I LOVE shy boys that aren’t overly-feminine! His answer in the Top 3 was so odd though. I definitely felt that the Youth group got a harder question and stand-point to justify, but I was so surprised that Joey was so vocal…i thought he’d just sit there, but he didn’t. However, it seemed like he had no idea what he was talking about. I felt all three guys had bad answers, so I wouldn’t say he performed better than the other 2. When he was questioned by the judges, I think what won him more votes was how he was like “With myself” (head down) – that was very cute even though his persistent “You have to share those memories..” was a little weird…His dancing was cute though. I really liked how Samantha Ko & Sire Ma (my 2 MsHK faves) voted for him. Since they have spent some time w/ the guys on the cruiseliner, I’m sure he must have some personality-features that they liked, which is nice to hear! The only thing I don’t like about Joey is that he seems so boring, he should smile more, but even when he smiles..it feels kind of empty. He lacks a little gleam in his eyes, a little charisma.

Of all the contestants, Joey is probably the best looking features-wise. One of the reasons why I think I like him is cuz he keeps reminding me of someone, but I can’t place my finger on it…(Tsui Tin Yau from Shine?…not exactly) I would say Joey would probably be the easiest to stick into a series cuz he looks like some random cameo guy from TVB acting class…but if he were to make it big, he’d need to showcase more personality and charisma. Nonetheless, I will look forward to seeing him onscreen soon.

Calvin Lui Hei (Revival Stage Winner)

Age：26
Height：5’10″
Weight： 163 lb

IMO: He may resemble Hins Cheung somewhat, but by the end of the show, that’s all I remembered about him. I honestly didn’t see him stand out…. or maybe I was too focused on my faves. If the Revival Stage votes had been given to the live in-studio audience instead of the online and at home voters, I ‘m almost positive Calvin would not have been able to come back. I, personally, wanted Alan to be revived, but that didn’t happen. I don’t mind Calvin, but he just wasn’t captivating for me. He’s just plain looking, but at least he’s not annoying.

Like Joey, he’d probably be easy to stick in a series…he has that cameo look as well, maybe even more than Joey. If he wants to make it big, he’ll need to develop his own unique style big time!

Alan Wan Ka Wai (Top 3/ 2nd place- Youth Group)

Age：21
Height：5’8 1/2″
Weight： 179 lb

IMO: Alan is so freaking cute! Wow, I never thought I’d like a Mr. HK so much. Once I saw him onscreen on the When MsHK meets MrHK show, I fell for him. He has the cutest smile, cheeks, and accent. I don’t usually like the buff type, but he’s agile and not clumsy like Rocky. Alan has so much personality/charisma in his face and I love the way his eyes twinkle. I love how it seems like he’s just here to have fun and he does seem like a very fun-loving guy. I was very upset when he didn’t make it back in the Revival Stage and when he lost out to Joey since he was so popular among the audience as well.

I was surprised that he didn’t speak alot in English like Michael did. That would have scored him more points definitely since his Chinese is accented and limited. I love his intro phrase and how he always mentions loving his mom…. that was cute… (“Tonight I’m going to be the winner, and my mom will be very happy” – rhymed in chinese) I felt bad for him as well, when he was just sitting in the middle and not saying anything during the questioning session (Though the overseas candidates were given the advantage of speaking first, the question was hard)…I was surprise he didn’t answer in English instead, but I was proud that he tried so hard to speak in Chinese.

I would love to see Alan appear in a series as a “western, shy, simple, silly, happy guy” that all girls go “aww..” over. Like Michael, language will be a barrier, but as long as he flashed that smile..haha (btw… at first glance he made me think of some cartoon character..w/ a big mouth haha, in a cute way…) If anything, if he goes back home to NY, wherever he’s going to school…maybe I’ll get to see him…(so close, yet so far haha)

Dickson Wong Man Tick(Top 3/ 2nd place- Mature Group)

Age：30
Height：5’10″
Weight： 146 lb

IMO:When I first saw all the preshow MrHK news (esp abt him being Koni Lui rumor bf), I thought Dickson would be my fave, but as I saw him on screen, I liked him less and less. There’s something so weird looking abt him. Though he’s my 4th choice, I wouldn’t have wanted him to win. He may look good in photoshoots, but he just doesn’t cut it in person. He also has this one tooth I don’t like and I’d rather he smile closed-mouthed since his jaw-line and cheeks look odd when he smiles w/ his mouth opened. Furthermore, Dickson lacks personality and seems rather dull. He may make a good model, but I can’t see him being in a series and I don’t think he has the audience-friendly looks either. H/e, I’m glad that he made it to Top 3 in his group.

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The Miss Hong Kong pageant this year was ok. There wasn’t anything special and it wasn’t terrible either. However, what was the most upsetting was the results and the guest performance from the EEG trio. I was looking forward to the SCD dancing routine and felt that that was the highlight of the show. Nancy was gorgeous & proved that she deserved to be a Dancing Queen – glad TVB acknowledges the audience for once and asked her to perform as well! I was expecting something amazing from Joey Yung, Raymond Lam & William Chan, but that never happened and they performed rather poorly. I saw nothing dancing-wise from them…they were surprisingly bad (did they not have time to practice?) considering how they have been praised for dancing. William was better than the other two. Raymond who’s a decent singer totally shocked me w/ his awful lipsyncing version of Justin Timberlake’s “Sexy Back.” It made me cringe. But nothing upset me more than the results! It was like the criteria for the crown included having names that no one’s seen before. This is the first time in Top 3 MsHK history that the names have been so unique!

I guess this year took everyone by such surprise. Kayi may very well lose out the “Worst MsHK title” to Edelweiss, which is a good thing for her!

My Picks (in order):

1. Samantha Ko
2. Sire Ma
3. Hilda Leung

Edelweiss Cheung

First of all, where did she get that name from?! I don’t even think she pronounced it right. For someone whose not from overseas and writes poorly in English on her blog, I’m surprised that she has such a complicated name. Not only did I feel that she was the least beautiful in the Top 5, but I did not see anything special in her performance throughout to justify her winning the crown. While her height did stand out, it stood out in a bad way. She looked so awkward and odd. For someone of her height, she should definitely gain some weight. Edel looks like a walking skeleton. While she may have somewhat of a “Fala Chan” smile, I feel she is more of an awkward-looking Isabella Leung. As I said, I do not see anything exceptional from her, and am sort of convinced that the competition may have been rigged (since her Dad’s rich and has sponsored TVB before) in her favor. None of her scores were exceptionally high, so I don’t see how she could have won. Hopefully, I will never have to see her in a TVB series. (Not to mention she doesn’t exactly fit the Ms. HK image either as the tabloids have shown us that she’s a party girl. She’s promised to change ..well to try to fit the MHK mold, but is that what we really want – a girl to ‘play’ the role of Miss HK instead of being herself?)

Skye Chan

Skye was definitely the dark horse. I’m neutral to her placing. Like Grace Wong, Runner-up from last year, Skye was said to be the most friendly of the contestants and was often complimented for her kindness. It’s nice to know that for the past two years, at least from what the audience is aware of, inner-beauty has a role in the competition. At the auditions, I was OK with Skye and thought she was very plain, but likable looking. However, her haircut during the competition did not please her face. But who would have thought extensions would work such wonders? Her looks improved tons during the night of the competition and I, in a way, feel that she deserves her placement for the drastic change. Not only did her looks improve, but her conduct and poise was decent as well. Personally, I don’t think we’ll see Skye onscreen. She just doesn’t have that X-factor, but I wouldn’t mind seeing her as a host.

Sire Ma

Sire is just adorable. From the moment this tiny girl walked into the auditions and asked for the audience/judges to give her a chance in her little accent, she had me. Some say she resembles a Japanese actress, but I see a striking resemblance to Queena Chan Dan Dan, a cameo actress at TVB who too has a mandarin accent (haha. I personally don’t have a liking for Queena though). Honestly, I’m not sure why I like Sire, but there’s just something about her. I can see her in a series, but just not making it big. I would like to see Sire take on small roles, possibly ancient ones. Not to mention, I LOVE her Chinese name. It’s so weird and cute! For someone with an accent, I felt that Sire answered her questions quite well and fluently. I thought her performance was decent and worthy of being crowned. (I was literally screaming when she placed. Usually my favorites make it Top 5 and don’t get crowned!) I was also glad that she swept away the Miss Photogenic Award. At least someone I picked got that award (the past few years have been disappointing!).

Samantha Ko

Samantha has been one of my favorites since the beginning. She possessed the sharpest beauty of all the contestants, even though I felt that no one really stood out this year (everyone was so average and standard – there wasn’t one girl who you could point to and say “That’s her! That’s MsHK’08!”). While I like Samantha due to her looks and her pretty Chinese name, I’m not sure there’s anything else I like about her. Her poise and answers were decent, but, like the rest of the girls, nothing exceptional.

During the show, I had a strange feeling that Samantha would walk away with nothing aside from Miss Tourism Ambassador (very reminiscent of Suki Tsui & Lily Ho, who both received that award). Most likely, like her two predecessors, Samantha will be favored by TVB to start filming and hosting shows. She has that “look” – the cutesy look that TVB seems to like. I wouldn’t mind seeing her occasionally, but I too feel that she won’t make it into anything big. While she may have stood out during the competition, she doesn’t stand out in the colorful-actressfull (is that a word?) TVB. Furthermore, I didn’t like how she replied to the news of her half-nude shots. It was her job as a model to fulfill her job, as she mentioned, but if she really felt that way, she should have justified it with confidence instead of sounding like she was at fault during her interview. It was the way she answered the news, not what she said and I feel that she definitely has to work on that if she were to start a career in TVB.

Hilda Leung (Canada)

Dubbed the Stephy Tang look-alike, Hilda was a hot favorite to take the crown. However, many were disappointed as she ended being only a Top 5 finalists. Personally, Hilda didn’t stand out to me much. She is very plain-looking and lacks much of any charisma. Despite this, she does have the crown-look to her. She has poise and looks that are very acceptable. I actually wouldn’t have minded if Hilda took the crown or any of the Top 3 spots. However, it wasn’t meant to be. She didn’t stand out, but I didn’t think anyone else really did either. I somehow don’t think we’ll see Hilda in TVB. She’s expressed disinterest, but who knows. If anything, I just don’t see the charisma in her to become a star. The most I could see her as is a big-time cameo or some 4th line actress.

Haha, found this in my drafts. Did I ever post this lol? (This was from July 2008)

OMG!! I so fell in luv w/ Andy & Tessa from last season’s The Bachelor!! They’re such a happy couple!! I was so addicted to the show (mostly cuz of tess!) ..woohoo… hope the next season can live up to this one…but i much doubt it!! For those who don’t know.. Tessa’s 1/2 Polish & 1/2 Chinese (hence the exotic look lol) and her grandpa is rumored to be one of the richest men in HK (her mom’s last name is ‘Li’). Kinda upset abt the cancellation of the engagement a few weeks ago…hope all is good in Andessa-land tho!

*the new guy is ABC’s own McSteamy lol…. eric dane is so much hotter tho!

It seems like there has been more controversy over this years’ MHK than ever. I’ve watched the show and read like a dozen reviews on it, so I decided to add a little of my 2 cents. Just to clarify, the below are strictly my opinions and are in no way written to purposely offend anyone. With that said, here we go….

MsHK 2007 1st Place – Kayi Cheung

I must admit, I, like many viewers & maybe Kayi as well, was shocked when #3 was announced as MHK’07. First of all, I really didn’t think anyone shined that night so I was rooting for my favs since the start, but Kayi was definitely not one of them. When the 16 candidates were presented, she was actually one of the girls who I thought didn’t stand a chance. Although I think it’s a little harsh to dub her a female WH or the worst MHK, I do somewhat agree that she doesn’t exactly rank in the beautiful category. I’ve kinda become neutral to her, since it was a while ago since I’ve seen the show. If I had blogged earlier, this post would be full of the words “omg, ugly, and disappointed.” However, now that whole feeling has already worn off and I feel bad for her as she has to withstand a bundle of criticism. After all, it wasn’t her fault (unless she used bribery); blame the judges! Kayi has handled herself well and she does probably look more pleasing offscreen. All in all, as long as she doesn’t rush into the acting-biz, I won’t feel any dislike towards her.

1st Runner Up – Grace Wong

Grace was not exactly what I’d call Photogenic. I was so surprised she won that award! Initially, I thought she was really not pleasing on the eyes, but a pretty good dancer. Her looks improved dramatically during the finals (lots of whitening facial i bet) and I think her smile and personality grabbed her all the awards as opposed to beauty and Q&A. She does seem friendly and that made me neutral to her (but the giggling which was a plus from me was probably a minus for the judges who seemed to be looking for a more mature MHK). It came to the point where I would have preferred Grace to win.

Loretta was one of my faves from the start. I never watched the World Singing Competition she participated in, but her singing in the interview show really did make her shine. Although she has a slight resemblance to Flora Chan, I think Loretta has a unique beauty as well. However, I don’t think any of her pictures does her justice, because her mouth always looks so big in the pix. She looks so much prettier onscreen (she has a sweet smile) and her height/figure really did convince me she should win (and all the guys at the interview liked her!). Well, I was kinda prepared for her being crowned third though because of her height (haha..ironic that being tall has its downsides). TVB seems to like to crown the tall girls 3rd so they can compete for Miss World/Universe, which is in a way understandable (but shouldn’t a pageant be: the best girl wins?). Though I would have loved it if Loretta won (because it seemed possible..though in my personal ranking she would have been 2nd), I’m glad she at least placed. I see a lot of opportunities for Loretta, acting and singing wise since she has the looks. I also believe that, though she looks mature, being at the young age of 19 really showed through during the night. Her answers and her constant uncertainty (her arm on her neck) might not have been qualities the judges found attractive.

Top 5-

Candice Chiu

Candice was my favorite from the start. I guess it was her doll-like face and the fact that she seemed so sweet (I loved her accent when she said “har kow siu mai” and the fact that she quieted everyone backstage). However, I knew she didn’t have the winner’s look (though she was #1 on my ranking), but she should have at least placed. I didn’t feel that the makeup was her best in the finals and I had a feeling something might have happened backstage to make her so nervous when she came out. She lost the confidence she had before and I think that was her pitfall. Truth is, I don’t think her losing out had much to do with Leung Siu Ling being her mom (not many of us even know who she is lol. Though I heard she was a really famous ATV actress back in the day along w/ Winnie Shum’s mom Li Ying) except that it might have interfered w/ her performance. Although I liked the way she talks, I think her blunt and short responses might not have sold well w/ the judges (she’s like a yes/no person w/ one word replies). After listening to her answers a second time, I actually thought Candice was very quick on her feet and witty, but it was the tone of her voice and the way she said things that didn’t make her answers as eloquent. I’m glad she made top 5 and felt she deserved to place in top 3 as well by her own abilities, not her Mom’s status. I have a feeling Candice will be signed by TVB. I hope to see her onscreen in the future, but her cute face might not get her too far (she might only be taking on cameo roles).

Mandy Wong

Mandy has a very plain looking face. I wouldn’t have minded if she had won and I actually would’ve rather she had been crowned as opposed to Kayi. I really didn’t see anything special from Mandy and she hardly stood out so I was shocked when she placed in top 5. However, when the last 3 candidates stood together, (due to candice’s bad makeup) Mandy did look like she had the winner’s look moreso than the other two. Despite her decent looks, her eyes kinda bothered me since it’s like one is slightly bigger than the other. Same as Candice, I have a feeling Mandy will be signed by TVB.

Hot Doors-

Nicole Lee and Lily Ho

Nicole really did not shine on the night of the finals. She was decent looking and I wouldn’t have minded if she was crowned. However, I think Nicole looked less pretty than usual on the final night and her answer didn’t stand out.

Lily did remind me of the Suki Tsui of this year. TVB has, unfortunately, taken a liking to her and we might be forced to watch her in upcoming series. Personally, I don’t find Lily attractive. I don’t think she’s ugly, but I really don’t see anything special either. I do believe her nervous shaking of the mic and her disporportioned figure cost her many points. When Lily was introduced early on, I remembered seeing her on an ATV show where college students traveled to China to study the lives of historical poets. I didn’t like her then (though she was depicted as a good girl who wanted to become independent) and didn’t like her during the pageant either (might have to do w/ the way she talks). I’m glad she didn’t win but was surprised she didn’t make top 8.

Notable Mention – Kendra Wong

Kendra was one of those girls that I wouldn’t have minded placing in top 3. She has a very plain face that reminded me of a Miss Vancouver from years ago (Tracy Wong Yuet Ming – a cameo at TVB for a while) and later on, I saw a slight resemblance to Linda Chung (though I don’t like Linda). I personally wanted Kendra to be 2nd runner up (#1 – Candice, #2 – Loretta, #3 – Kendra), but unfortunately she didn’t make it very far.

The Show

The show had a very Victoria Secret Show feel to it as many have mentioned. Though I thought the foreign lady pretending to hurry them was a bit ridiculous, I thought the show was pretty good overall. The stage was pretty, the music good, the performances decent. So all in all, it was pretty enjoyable. It was a change to see a Non-singer performance, but instead Raymond and Kate. I thought their dancing was alright (nice and short), but the lipsyncing didn’t sound too good (i always prefer live singing even if it’s not as good for some singers). One thing I did notice was that Kate has gotten incredibly skinny (I think she’d be a lot better off w/ a few more pounds on her; i really hate HK’s unhealthy view on what is a standard weight).

My favorite part of the show was when the previous MHK’s came out. They were all so pretty(the winners of course; i didn’t really think Carrie or Sharon were compared to the rest and Aimee looked Ok, but not amazing), even the one’s that usually aren’t (ie. Shirley, Anne, Kate, Tracy…no offense). I thought Sonija was stunning. It really does prove she is a big part of the MHK legacy (one of the prettiest). It’s a shame that Kate always seems to look good during MHK events, but not in series. (Haha, you would think TVB would make her look pretty all the time esp. when it’s possible)

Good Luck MHK!

Well, we must all move on in life and forget about criticizing this year’s winners. In contrast to what many feel, I actually thought this year’s contestants were of pretty good quality. There were a handful I liked or wouldn’t have minded winning as opposed to last year, where I didn’t have a single favorite. Also, this year’s overseas candidates as well as those educated outside of HK, spoke decent/fluent Cantonese, which was very different from the other years where girls who couldn’t even speak the language properly were finalists. Here I wish the MHKs of ’07 good luck at promoting Hong Kong and what ever they may choose to do!

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