Secret Battle of the Majesties

Cast:
-Kong Wah: Main character of the series
-Erica Choi Hiu Yee: Kong Wah's main love interest
-Annie Man Chung Han: Kong Wah's cousin
-Yan Chi Keung: Kong Wah's blood brother, same mother and father

The 1995 ATV series, "Secret Battle of the Majesties", was excellent, and for all those who have seen it, I believe they too, will agree. The series is memorable for its intricate plot and superb acting, but most importantly, because it managed to capture the many faces of human nature all too realistically.

Set in the Ching Dynasty, the reigning King had fourteen sons. Kong Wah was the main character of this series and the fourth of the fourteen Princes. The series revolved around the internal fight within the Imperial Palace among the fourteen Princes who all wanted to be the successor to the throne. The subplot of the movie was about the struggle between powerful families who all wanted to become even more powerful. Parallel to this, the series also followed the character development of Kong Wah. It was through a spiral of events which occurred that explained Kong Wah's future actions and inevitably the destiny he carved for himself. To be more concise, the series followed Kong Wah's descent into evilness which enabled him to attain the throne.

This series captured many human traits in its complex characters. It captured loyalty portrayed by Kong Wah's two followers who helped him ascend to the throne. One was a master in war strategy, and the other was more intelligent than any mortal. Another human trait captured was everlasting love. The love between Kong Wah, a prince, and Erica Choi, a peasant, showed that love had no boundaries. In addition to this, the series also managed to portray the trail of blood left behind because of one man's determination to become king. Last but not least, it portrayed man's inherent belief that no one is completely trustworthy--even those who helped you attain your cause--except for yourself.

At the same time, the series also captured subtle details of human characteristics, such as our frequent tendency to underestimate people, the devastating consequences of our impulsiveness, success would eventuate to those who keep trying and many more. Another reason why I enjoyed this series was because the story deviated from all other types of series which I have seen. In all the series that I have seen, "Good always conquers evil," however, this was not the case in this series, and in my opinion, it truly reflected real life. Success in real life not only demands courage and determination, but also the ruthlessness and decisiveness of Kong Wah. In other words, being totally good without the ability to injure or harm those standing in your way was not enough. You had to be ruthless to win.

I also strongly suggest that viewers who like war strategies, battle of the minds, and intricate plots watch this series.