Legend of the Demigods

How long
22 episodes

Foreword

This is a fantasy adventure period drama. This starts in 3 star town. Three villagers, Gai Choi-Chi, Shek Kam-Dong and An Hei join forces to confront a demon to save her mother. They go to many places, facing many hardships along the way before their wish is granted. They become gods in the end.

Story/Introduction on characters

1. Gai Choi-Chi - Chung Kar Yan
She is often lucky so she is thus nicknamed "Ho-Choi Mui" ("Lucky Girl"). Many villagers like her as she is very kind and self-sacrificing. She knows that Kam-Dong and Chin have changed but she tries her best to change them. Her weapon is a purple creeper. She falls for Hei and although she is under a spell to age and die fast, he is still devoted to her to marry her. She is saved by the magical ball. Kar Yan might have overdone in some scenes but she is still good on the whole.

2. Cho Mong-Yau/Ho-Choi Ma - Wai Ying Hung
She is Choi- Chi's stepmother. She is a plant spirit and Choi-Chi's father rescues her by chance. She almost withers to death but springs to life again when he waters her and provides soil for her. Touched, she pretends to be his patient and stays to become his assistant. She later marries him and treats Choi-Chi like her own.

Wong Tai-Sin seals her fairy powers but she leaks her existence by trying to save Choi-chi from drowning. Her tears can heal all kinds of wounds. So Mo Kik Tin Chuen swallows her in order to cure her disfigured face. She goes through a lot of hardship before she reunites with Choi-Chi.

3. Shek Kam-Dong - Chan Ho Mun
He is always bullied and looked down upon when he is poor and weak. But he is filial to his mother and so Wong Tai Sin, grants him superhuman strength. However, he starts to abuse his new power and uses it to bully others, becoming a local tyrant when he gets rich. He succumbs to temptation easily. Thus, Yuk Hang Chi has to provide him a test after giving him a female demon's arm when he loses his own.

Luckily, he doesn't lose his senses and is able to control it. He is fond of Choi-Chi but fails to win her heart. He overacts too much - no wonder his career is stagnant after so many years.

4. An Hei - Chan Kum Hung
An Hei has narcolepsy, as he is always tired and falls asleep any time. His dead parents have a wedding engagerment with Chin but they do not fulfill the promise. Hei feels humiliated and vows to work hard. Choi-Chi helps him and they fall in love.Wong Tai-Sin passes him a magical sword that is possessed by the spirit of a warrior, Gon Cheung. Whenever An Hei runs into trouble, Gon Cheung will possess him and help him defeat his enemies.

The same boring good man roles - his situation is as awkward as Ho Mun. They are leading actors in some dramas but there isn't any breakthrough in their careers.

5. Wan Wan/Mo Kik Tin Chuen - Tam Siu Wan
She is a python and is Yuk Hang Chi's ex-wife. Both are practicing the way when she discovers him falling for a rabbit spirit. She kills his mistress and Yuk Hang Chi nearly kills her. He spares her life but half her face is disfigured. Since then, she doesn't believe in true love anymore.

Mo Kik Tin Chuen becomes so badly affected that she starts absorbing humans' conscience so as to deal with him. She pretends to be a fairy to deceive them. She also creates discord between the three. Choi-Chi destroys her skills by bursting her gall bladder.

I always feel that TVB has underused her. She has spent all her youth in TVB but is given too many supporting roles. Luckily, she shines in this drama as the disfigured villain.

6. Ka Lau-Loh/Mok Che- Wu Ding Yan
Mok Che is a kind person who creates Ching Fung sword. But her spirit is controlled by Mo Kik Tin Chuen to become ruthless and unfeeling. She meets Gon Cheung spirit and awakens. Both perish with the two swords to become a magical ball. Promising and with potential, I believe Ding Yan will go far if she keeps up with this momentum in acting.

7. Gon Cheung - Au Kam Tong
He is Mok Che's husband who is sentenced to death by the king after producing Chi Lien sword. He is trapped in the sword. He never stops looking for his wife. An Hei awakens him by dripping his blood on the sword. He becomes his master and teaches him skills. Another actor who is destined for supporting roles.

8. Shek Kam-Yin- Li See Yan
She is Kam-Dong's sickly younger sister. She doesn't look down on the poor Yik and is willing to marry him. Kam Dong uses his strength to chase Yik out of the town. Only when she and Mrs Shek fall seriously ill and Kam-dong's business becomes poor to make him realise his mistake. However, she dies after they exchange their marriage vows.

9. Chiang Chin - Chan See Chai
She is pampered and comes from a rich family. She looks down on the poor and is also ugly with thick sausage lips. Her only friend is Choi-Chi. In order to make herself pretty, she promises Mo Kik Tin Chuen to sacrifice their friendship. She is jealous of Choi-Chi's beauty all along. In order to be close to Kam-Dong, she creates discord between them by tempting him. It is only that she becomes normal after the spell is broken.

She is interested in Kam-Dong to try to make his favourite sesame snacks for him. But his heart is only with Choi-Chi to reject her.

10. Wong Tai-Sin - Anderson Junior
His temple is nearly deserted for a long time if not for Kam-Dong. Thus, he accepts him as his godson and provides him special powers. He is very close to the other deities.

11. Mou Long/Yuk Hang Chi - Cheng Chi Shing
He is a golden snake and is in entanglement with Mo Kik Tin Chuen for several hundred years. He becomes a Taoist and secretly helps the victims. He helps the three to become their master. He also sacrifices his own gall bladder to rescue Mo Kik Tin Chuen. She gets touched and both become a 2-headed snake in order to practise the way together again.

This is a big change for him - we have seen him as a villain in numerous dramas and his change is refreshing here. Thumbs up for his acting in mellowing down.

12. Gai Sum - Yu Yeung
He is a physician but has poor memory. So he needs others to remind him. He tries rescuing his wife but fails to be turned into a pig. Luckily, the spell is broken and he is reunited with her.

13. Mrs Shek - Cheng Hor Wai
She is a kind person and grieves over her daughter's death. She doesn't mind Long Nui to pretend to be her as she is touched by her filial piety.

14. Lau Yik - Kwan Tak Fai
He is a frank scholar and is determined to marry Kam-Yin. He fails the scholar entrance exam and is demoralized. He is sympathetic towards Sam Niong and is grateful to her for providing meals for him. But has no intention to be her husband after helping her. Many coax him to accept her after Kam-Yin's death.

Goodness gracious - he still acts like a rock all these years. Maybe Cantonese isn't his mother tongue. He should have stuck to singing instead.

15. Sam Niong/Long Nui
She is the dragon king's daughter but is very stubborn to defy him to marry a prawn. However, she gets ill-treated by him and he gets a clam spirit as his mistress. He even pulls her feelers away. Luckily, Yik passes her message to her father and she is reunited with him. She later falls for Yik and tries her best to save Kam-Yin with her scale.

16. Dragon king - Yu Chun Shun
He is angered when Long Nui defies him and banishes her from returning. The trio and Yik have to persuade him to accept her again. He freezes his son-in-law and his mistress to death as punishment so Long Nui finds him too cruel. Touched by Choi-Chi's filial piety, he accepts her as a god-daughter and gives her the pearl that she needs to rescue her mother.

17. Bed Grandmother - Ma Hoi Lun
She helps people to sleep soundly. She helps Choi-chi whenever she can.
18. Day spirit - Lau Siu Tong
She is a rabbit and is in charge of the day.

19. Night spirit - Peter Lai
He is a turtle and is the day spirit's husband. As he is dark, he appears at night. However, we will often see the couple together.

20. Flying bird - Sam Hor Yan
She is Ka Lau-Loh's follower to pass messages to Mo Kik Tin Chuen. She pities Ka Lau-Loh's predicament and tries to help her. Later, she becomes Hei's follower after her death.

Song
The ending theme is 'swear' by Kar Yan. Only listenable for a while.

Interesting facts

It was a challenge for Kar Yan as her debut period drama. She disguised as an evil woman and also an old woman. The ugly appearance attracted lots of attention. She was hesitant as she had sensitive complexion and was worried that the make-up might cause irritation.

The loopholes shared by netizens : An Hei did not know how to swim in the beginning but he was good at it later. There was also a scene that Choi-Chi did not use the transparent jade but yet she could see Gon Cheung. All could see the present china number under the bowl when Lau Yik drank the dragon king's blood.

At 41st TVB anniversary award show, it was nominated for Best Drama, "My Favourite Male Character" (Chan Kum Hung - An Hei) and "My Favourite Female Character" (Chung Kar Yan - Gwai Choi-Chi). Wu Ding Yan won the best actress in improvement award.

Conclusion

This drama uses plenty of special effects. In fact, they could be too much that I grow sick of it. Luckily, it isn't as disastrous of the horrendous 'Devil's disciples' as the character images are still very traditional. But I do like the make-up for the demons. They stand out and they look attractive. The commoners are very common, though.

As for the deities, it might be over the top. It doesn't help when their outlook lose out to the demons - can you imagine Long Nui to have dyed light brown hair?? The most pitiful character is the tortoise prime minister of the sea by Chun Wong - he is practically painted green from head to toe! Most either give a boring or over-the-top performance. But thankfully, their scenes are cut to a minimal.

The storyline is quite messy. There is no focus. It is a complete waste of my time. We see the three always depending on luck to get special powers. You will feel giddy on how they suffer for a while and later survive for no reason. Choi-Chi depends more on sincerity. The displaying of martial arts skills really make me shake my head. Many look very clumsy and unconvincing.

If this goes on, it might spell the end of proper period dramas. How I miss the good old dramas that TVB has produced in the past.

Sukting's ratings :

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

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