On Spcnet's Return of the Lost Cuckoo

[Mystery]

I enjoyed the eloquent writing style and SPC's take on the views projected by the series. However, I also disagreed on several points.

Many people watch Chinese series with a Western mind. It's not a bad/good thing but if we read or watch something without considering the other factors, we don't get the full flavor. I don't particularly enjoyed "Return," but I thought the relationship between the main characters were beautifully written. Nancy, as a mother, cannot stand back and watch her daughter married a mute when she has a rich, handsome and successful boyfriend waiting on her. It's cruel and discriminated but it's a mother's love.

Even though he found himself harbor romantic intention toward Charmaine, Chilam was raised as a son to Nancy and a brother to Charmaine. Beside the "inferior complex," part of himself also acts as her protector (older brother tends to do that a lot). Most "brothers" did not want their sisters to be with someone who is mute and is not confident in his feelings for his "sister."

Chilam also owed Nancy a debt (for his life). He choose to repay that debt by withdraw from Charmaine's life. It's the Eastern's attitude toward life vs. Western's. Sometimes, self is not the most important thing on earth.

[spcnet]

Hi Mystery, thanks for your comments (I didn't notice this so I apologize for the late response!)

I agree that many TVB series have an Eastern outlook and that what Chilam's character Man Chor did was out of unselfishness. But, whether it is Eastern or Western values, the point I really wanted to make was that the series preaches a kind of submissiveness to what you are born with. That if you are mute or handicapped in some form, you are not worthy. Perhaps some people in Asia really think that way, but as a modern day series, it is rather terrible to project that kind of ideology to viewers.

At the end of the series, the message the series portrays is that it is 'right' for Man Chor to give up his love because Guan Ho has a good and 'better' life now.

Not to say that you must have the person that you love (maybe I'm a romantic) but I felt that when the other person also loves you back, it is something worth fighting for.

To me, it is not considered selfish to fight for your love or to try to overcome other people's prejudices since you could be changing and challenging ingrained discriminating mindsets of society.