Reaching Out

A heartwarming series of three orphans who grew up together in an orphanage. They are as close as siblings. Dai Fook Sung (Gordan Lam) is the protagonist. His character is the "lit matchstick that burns itself to illuminate others". He is very helpful and is the "Big Brother" among his friends.

Benny Chan plays Lau Yee Sok, a lazy bum, but grew up in the same orphanage as Fook Sung. He depends entirely on Fook Sung and refuses to find a steady job to support himself.

Nicola Cheung is the third orphan friend. She plays Gao Hwee Ting (aka Ting Ting/9th Sister). She is the opposite of Yee Sok; harkworking and has a steady job as a reporter.

As the series unfolds, more characters are introduced into the story. Chan Kieu (Michelle Mei Suet) claims that she is Fook Sung's mother. Lau Lik (Ha Yu), Yee Sok's real father, returns to Hong Kong but his son does not regard him as a father. Jess (Michelle Yip) is Fook Sung's first girlfriend. She is also good friends with 9th Sister. Later on, Jess falls for a rich guy, Ken (Samuel Chan).

However, the most prominent character introduced is Yu Hiu Guan/Yu Hiu Nga, both played by Kenix Kwok. She plays double roles as sisters, but with opposite qualities. Hiu Guan is the pessimistic Spider Lady, whilst her sister is optimistic. At first, Spider Lady is very mean to everyone except her sister, but after meeting Fook Sung, she lightens up a little. Many events also unfold when she is introduced into the series. All dark secrets of the characters are revealed and she is determined to wipe out all who oppress her. Hiu Nga requests to meet Fook Sung on her birthday, and she later dies of liver disease. Fook Sung promised Hiu Nga that he would look after Hiu Guan and change her, but then Hiu Guan also develops the killer disease...

I fell in love with this series because the storyline is so heartwarming: it is all about helping other people. The ending was so touching that I could hardly contain my emotions.

The chemistry between Gordon, Benny and Nicola as friends was intangible. They were so funny together!!! Also, the cast had a strong balance of veterans and newbies. This balance made the series a blast.

The only downside was that Kenix was introduced so late in the series. If she had been introduced earlier, I believe that she would have many more scenes with Gordon. Their chemistry together was excellent and their love story was very emotional. They really showed that love needed so much sacrifices.

A must-watch series for all!!! Though draggy at times, there are light-hearted moments that release the tension accumulated.

CAST:
Gordon Lam as Dai Fook Sung: Did well in portarying his charcter. It would be lovely to know that such kind-hearted people do exist in society after all.

Benny Chan as Lau Yee Sok: He was lazy, but also lovable. After his father took the rap for him for copyright infringement, he started to acknowledge him. He also started to work hard and got a job in 9th Sister's studio. Both of them progressed beyond just a brother-sister relationship... Great performance by Benny. He made me laugh many times.

Nicola Cheung as Gao Hwee Ting: The sweetie-pie 9th Sister can have angry flashes at times. She helped Yee Sok get his job at the studio, and he also helped her out of a family crisis, and they became a couple. I haven't seen Nicola in many series, but she did a good job here.

Kenix Kwok as Yu Hiu Guan/Yu Hiu Nga: As always, excellent performance from the fa-dan. She plays her roles well. A pity that she only arrived in the middle of the series. No prizes for guessing who she ends up with in the last episode.

Michelle Mei/Ha Yu as Chan Kieu/Lau Lik: Good performances from these two veterans. Not much to say about them, but their experience in acting really helped in the series.

Michelle Yip as Jess: Not bad for a newcomer, but there is still much room for improvement.

Samuel Chan as Ken: Another newcomer, but his acting is very raw. There is much room for improvement.