Heroine of the Yang II

The Twelve Widows

How long/Year produced:
28 episodes done in year 1998

Introduction

I disliked this sequel so much -- it has nothing special. No interesting plot, no outstanding villains, and also no great acting!!!! I practically gave up hope after watching a few episodes.

Characters:

Chan Sau Mun as Mok Kwai Ying
Of course Sau Mun shines as usual but I don't think she deserves to look so old in here. Her hairstyle adds 20 years to her present age. We really pity our poor heroine who loses her husband and father. She plays the strong character well but I must complain the number of limited scenes that she has with Vincent Jiao! Why so few to end their happy times in 8 episodes? Not to mention that they quarrel at all time.

As a parent herself, she plays the role of a doting mother well. But knowing that her son, Mun Kwong, is gullible and Zhong Bo is no longer around, she starts to control him with an iron hand which is necessary. She also controls the household well too since Tai Kuan is getting old. Although this sequel is really bad, I still like the way she handles the love scenes with her family members, especially with her son. In order to help Bat Mui recover, she puts up with all her tantrums. She has to witness the death of the second aunt with her own eyes. Because of Mun Kwong, she risks being a demoness in practising evil skills to save him. Sigh -- is there a need to make her suffer so much?

Jiao En Jun - Yong Zhong Bo
Zhong Bo becomes a very stubborn person and inflexible man after marriage. Although I dislike him in here, I still have to praise for him for protecting his family and being strict with his son. Although Kwai Ying chides him for being too stern, I think there is a need to. See how the others dote on him and this person can turn to be a horrible brat if not disciplined properly. The part where he whacks him with a cane is well-done -- I wonder whether Jiao does that to his daughters at home, though.

Jiao really plays the role of a father well with adequate strictness. Many of my friends lament on how the moustache has hidden his clean-cut looks. But all of us are convinced by his acting which he has never done before as a parent. All along, he only plays younger roles and this is a major change for him. But alas, why does he only appear in 8 episodes?????

The tragic scene when he is killed shows his heroic act well and is cooly done. The scenes of him being a helpless ghost are magnificent too. I don't think anyone can do it better than him. Although Jiao only makes a brief appearance here, he still leaves a deep impression in everyone's mind.

Lam Wai San - Ye Lut Hou Nam
He is evil in Part 1 but he turns a new leaf here due to his loss of memory. Expect to see a haggard Hou Nam. Although Lam acts well as an innocent man, I still prefer to see him shine as a villain. He pales here in this sequel although he has better chemistry with Chung Han. Sigh -- Lo Wai Kwong cannot reach his standard which makes this whole serial so disappointing.

Man Chung Han - Yong Pai Fung
I pity this woman -- torn between her love and loyalty. Pai Fung has suffered so much and when she forgives Hou Nam, the Yang family don't understand her and reprimands her. She has to face a lot of pressure. When we think that she is happily married, something drastic happens again. Hou Nam regains his memory and wants to be a monk to atone for his sins. Even before they settle happily ever after, they still have to escape from Yuen Ho first. Chung Han has been playing so many demure roles and this is a repeat again. Sigh -- how boring it is!

Tien Yu Lei - Yong Mun Kwong
What can I say about her acting? Her acting, dressing and everything are artificial!!!! I just can't stand the sight of her. Because of Mun Kwong, his loving parents end up quarrelling. He is a perfect scum/parasite/good-for-nothing/brat/jerk who brings so much worries and trouble to his family members! First in being poisoned, then in leaving home. What kind of son is this???

Also, the part on making him fall in love with Princess Bak Far is a BIG mistake. We know that both are actresses so how can we get interested??? The way that Tien handles the spear is not with agility, but is with clumsiness. If you ask me which is the scene I like best, it is the scene where Zhong Bo punishes him with a cane. Actually to me, it is more like a punishment for her for acting so badly!!!! Also to blame on his lousy skills to be caught by Yuen Ho so easily.

She doesn't make Mun Kwong loveable, as done by Lee Run Kei in the two other Yang Warriors serials. Her face is too chubby too. Can't they get a man to play this role? I am so thankful that 'he' doesn't get any girlfriend in the end. The thought makes me sick.

Kwok Kum - Princess Bak Far
The first look at her makes me feel that she has a striking resemblance to Yung Hung. But she is too thin and fragile looking here. Her acting is also quite wooden although she is pretty. But she improves towards the end where the tragic story of Bak Far having married Yuen Ho and being forsaken by him is revealed. I think his younger brother, Yuen Mun, will make a better choice for Bat Far but too bad this woman has poor taste in men.

Lo Wai Kwong - Lee Yuen Ho
Normally the presence of villains in a serial will keep you awake. But Lo is the reverse. He makes you sleepy!! He has no charisma of a villain because his acting isn't as good as Lam. Although he is quite okay looking, I yawn at the scenes that he is in. He is good in fighting scenes but more can be done in acting. It is too obvious of him being a sneaky fellow -- he has the evil twinkle in his eyes at all times and yet ALL people don't notice it.

And is he gentle to the two women whom he is supposed to be interested in? I doubt so. He is the first prince of Sai Har but he looks boarish even when dressed in the Sai Har gown in shots with Bak Far. How is she attracted to him in the first place? I can accept Kwai Ying to be wooed by Zhong Bo and Hou Nam in part 1 because she is indeed a good catch. But does Yuen Ho deserve such attention? Luckily, his second wife, Bak Mui, is ugly to match him.

Wong Yuen Yiu - Yong Bat Mui
This is the person I hated most in the serial. Knowing that Pai Fung has always love Hou Nam, how can she tell her to kill him?? This doesn't make sense to me. If she wants, she might as well recover first and kill him on her own. Why is she so harsh to force the poor woman? Luckily, later she tries to cover up Hou Nam's identity in front of Tai Kuan.

I really detest her because she is always sulking most of the time, especially on her pathetic thin, long, and sharp edged face! Yucks -- she looks extremely ugly and still expects Yuen Ho to like her???? She tries to be more demure and feminine but I practically throw up upon seeing how fake she is. Come on -- back to her common sense! Her sweet younger sister will make a much better choice. Most crying scenes of her being crippled help us to see how ugly she is.

Even after her recovery, she still doesn't make a loveable Bat Mui. She has become a hateful and revengeful woman. After knowing Mun Yin's identity, she shows no gratitude to him for saving Tai Kuan before that. She even stabs him and when the poor man shields her from being killed by his brother, she is still wary of him. How can a man love such a horrible woman????

Another thing I dislike about her is how she kills Yuen Ho in the end. Before dying, the poor man crawls to reach to sit on the throne for the last throne. She kills him with her spear before he does it. How cruel she can be -- is there anything wrong to fulfil the poor man's final wish for the last time? Maybe I am a soft-hearted person -- I feel disgusted with the evil look in her eyes when she does this.

Lo Sing Yu - Lee Yuen Yin
Although he is the second prince of Sai Har, Mun Yin is a gentle and humble man. He is a good friend of Yang Wu Lang and tries his best to help Hou Nam in distress. He does not approve of his brother's evil deeds and always tries to make amends to the Yang family. When seeing Wu Lang dying from the blows from Hou Nam, he even tries to revive him with his own inner strength.

But alas, it doesn't help to be a nice man. We can see how the poor man suffers in Bat Mui's hands. He is better skilled than Bat Mui but upon being reluctant to spar with her, he ends up being injured by her. Even then, he does not bear a grudge against her and still ends up being scolded by her. Does this poor man deserve such poor treatment? Luckily, the producer does not arrange him to like her, otherwise, this will be a complete spoiler ending for all of us.

Interesting Facts
Chung Han becomes a good friend of Jiao. She went to Taiwan with Sau Mun to promote this serial. Many lamented the few scenes that En Jun had with Sau Mun. Sau Mun found it a pity too. En Jun was a good host, bringing the two to places of interest during their free time. Knowing that Chung Han is easy-going, he made fun of her by telling the reporters all her blunders when shooting the serial. Chung Han didn't understand Mandarin but from the amused expression of Sau Mun, she could gather the meaning.

In return, she told them on how she made fun of him over the set too. Knowing that he is beauty-conscious to look in the mirror for his best image, she deliberately kept his make-up kit secretly several times, making him frantically search for it everywhere. Of course, all were amused to know how vain this Dap Hup was.

Conclusion

There are so many flaws in this serial. If you wish to watch it, you may try watching the first few and the last few episodes. Firstly, the leads are not given a good script. The part where only Kwai Ying is the only one who suspects Yuen Ho is ridiculous. Her father has so many experiences in life and yet he cannot see through his minor tricks? The same can also be said for Tai Kuan. She is usually so witty and observant. How can she be so blind to marry Bat Mui off to such a man? And also Princess Bak Far, so much hatred for Yuen Ho can die in just an episode??? This is absolutely impossible.

The path of Yuen Ho upon losing his skills and later retrieving them back happens too fast. Especially when we know that Hou Nam always puts his ideals before love. Will he agree so easily to impart his skills to Yuen Ho? I am so disappointed with such an arrangement. Especially the part where he even kills Wu Lang. This is unbelievable!

Secondly, some people don't seem to grow old. Concubine Pang, the emperor (without a moustache) and also the general from Liao still look the same to me. The Yang servant who serves Zhong Bo is youthful too standing beside Mun Kwong. The other poor leads look so haggard and old after the make-over. ATV has done a bad job.

The serial is made too long -- to kill our time and interest. Actually, ATV should stop at Part 1 -- let everyone happy, get over, and done with. The sequel is absolutely unnecessary as it has no luring element to keep the crowd. The using of Mun Kwong's birthday to break the trap again is redundant. However, the scenes of the duel between Kwai Ying, Hou Nam and Yuen Ho is still watchable if you are not too fussy.

sukting's Ratings:

On acting:* * 1/2 (Scale of 5)
On the story: * *(Scale of 5)