The World's Finest (Tian Xia Di Yi)
Tian Xia Di Yi
AKA Hero, Worlds Finest, Number One in the World, Greatest in the World
Starring: Li Ya Peng, Roger Kwok, Wallace Huo, Michelle Yip, Tammy, Damian Lau, Gao Yuan Yuan
Guest Appearance: Eva Huang, Dicky Cheung, Monica Chan, Kent Tong
In a villa, known as Tian Xia Di Yi, owned by the emperors Uncle (played by Damian Lau), includes only the best of best in the world. The emperors Uncle developed this villa to battle against the powerful Head Eunuch in the palace. However, that is only the beginning of the full story. Tian Xia Di Yi centers around four of the top members in the villa. They are:
Tian Ya (played by Li Ya Peng) with the title Heavens Number One. He is the number one in the art of thesword. He indirectly causes the death of his beloved wife and vows never to love another woman again, until fate forces him to marry her sister .
On acting- After praises for his roles in State of Divinity and Legend of the Condor Heroes, Li Ya Peng stars as the swordsman with a loving heart. Li Ya Peng did an average job in the beginning of the series because he still lacks emotional expression, especially in the love scenes with Eva. It is not until the last episodes that he impressed me with his Dai Hap allure. His story was not as interesting as the others.
Yi Dao (played by Wallace Huo)- with the title Earths Number One. He is the number one in the art of the saber. His past is mysterious while his sabre strikes fear into every victim. He is known to be cold, but has a soft stop for his Miss Hai Tang.
On acting- Wallace plays the fighter obsessed with taking reveng for his father. Tragically, his road to revenge had caused him to lose everything. One can really feel pity for his character. Wallace had one of the best performances in the series. He can play a cold character with a bit of warmness. Whenever he looks at others, he shows detest and disrespect. Yet, when he looks at the woman he loves, he becomes as shy as a little boy. His eyes can express so many emotions within seconds, from coldness, anger, sadness, and to joy. Excellent job.
Hai Tang (played by Michelle Yip)- with the title Xuan Number One. Her strategical skills, Chess skill, and calligraphy skills are second to none. She dresses as man most of the time for easier access on her missions. She once loved Tian Ya, but her heart soon goes towards Yi Dao.
On acting- This is the second time Michelle dresses as a male in her series next to Eternal Happiness. Many people can draw similarities in this role with Eternal Happinesss, but I would say they are different. In Eternal Happiness, her character was more impulsive and childish. In Tian Xia Di Yi, her character was more calm and calculating. I could tell the difference between the two characters by her acting. This proves that Michelle'ss acting has improved. I once read that she tried to use her eyes to express her emotions, which is highly favored in China. So I did notice how she tried to use her eyes to act. It was a nice try, but she still needs more improvement in this area. Also, her crying seems a little too forced in some scenes. But overall, this is one of her best jobs.
Shi Fei (played by Roger Kwok)- with the title Gold Number One. He is carefree and optimistic. He is the epitome of a sparrow turning into a phoenix since he begins as a street rat and emerges into undefeatable fighter and marries the playful princess.
On acting- Roger proved to me that he is versatile. In this series, his acting was very funny and he had great chemistry with the princess. I think his role was mostly a comic relief, but I'll let you guys decide.
All four of these warriors are sent out all over the world by the Emperors Uncle to carry out missions. Their pasts are slowly revealed as the series progresses. As they complete their missions, they soon discover that not everything is what it seems to be as the Uncle begins to change in his ambitions.
Comments: The plot line is a bit innovative by focusing on the four top fighters. However, I felt that by focusing on the four fighters, the overall plot suffered. It was a bit too rushed towards the end where everything is revealed. My complaint is that certain parts are too tedious and non essential for the overall plot. The problem could lie in the dialogues itself since it tended to be long and indirect. However, all of these factors did not affect how enjoyable the series was. The fighting for the most part was very nice. Although the cheesy computer graphics did leave me feeling irked at certain points, the choreography was nice to watch. I found Tian Ya's storyline to be slow and Yi Dao's was the most touching. I just can't help but wonder why the director did not elaborate much on Hai Tang's past as he did with the others.
Of course, I couldn't let out the most important aspect of the series. I watched this series because of the big Wallace and Michelle hype. Yes, they had wonderful chemistry. Their scenes together were few, but each scene evoked so much chemistry and emotions from both characters. It is a tragic love line since both sacrifice their life for each other and yet still, they could never have the happy ending that viewers wanted.
Final Saying: The Wallace and Michelle factor is enough to make the series enjoyable. I do warn you that the series can drag, but it is not anything major. It is a good series with as strong cast. Anyone interested in the themes of love and power struggle should give this a try.
