Plain Love II

What can I say? This is simplicity at its finest. To be honest, the only reason that I watched this was because I am a die hard Jacky Cheung fan and I knew that he was singing the theme tune to it. I don't know why it's called Plain Love II because literally translated from the chinese title it means, "Tea is farmed in the homeland".

I saw the first episodes but didn't think much of it but was intrigued by why the Fong's didn't drink tea, so I carried on watching. I am very very glad that I did. PLain Love II expresses some of the most basic values of chinese culture. Sadly, chinese culture has gone pretty much downhill since the introduction of the Western ways. This really brought it home for me. Plain Love 2 tells us of how loyalty to your family can overcome the odds. Um Chun Jai's (Gordan Lam) loyalty and sense of pride in his father took him from being a wimp to being a respected tea farmer. It also tells us that if you wait for the right time, love will come and it will stay. Much like if you wait for the right time to 'chow' the tea, you will have good tea.

Tea was a big theme in this series, which I think drove it. Tea to us nowadays seems like such an insignificant commodity but if you think back to only just a century ago, it was pretty much a significant part of people's lives. I liked the fact that Tea was the Inspiration to Lam Ka Tung's character to come out of his shell. To stop shying away, to do what is right and to bring back the honour that his father lost in his death. Tea also brought people together. Yau Wai and Poon (Maggie Chueng) got together because of it and so did Ngau and Surng Wah. They got together not mainly because of their love for each other but for their mutual love of tea. Yes, Poon may not have seen the ideals of tea but she sure ended up loving it. And yes, Ngau just saw the money side at first but then he realized that tea was not to be underestimated, and in fact, it was what brought him back to his wife in the end.

Plain Love 2 was not only moving because of the story lines and acting but also because of the scenery. It was nice to see TVB break away from their usual drab set that they always seem to use for every single period drama. It was wonderful to see them actually get back to what China is--a beautiful country. The landscapes are awe-inspiring. It is beauty that moves you to tears. It is what China is. Too many people nowadays are interested in places like Hong Kong. Forget it--go back to your Hurng Ha (homeland) and you will see the real China. I come from Wu Bat and the scenery from Plain Love 2 reminded me of it.

PLain Love 2 is the epitome of what China is. Look beyond the bright lights of the city and this is what you will see. This is China.