Love Forever

Foreword

The cast is now acting as parents in many dramas and movies. Singer, Lam Chi Cheung also starred in this drama. Do you wish to find out how they act when younger? This is also Wang Ming Kuen’s second drama of acting as twins. It tells of 5 romances that depicts the four seasons – with joy and sorrow.

Story/Introduction on characters

1. Tsang Mun – Wang Ming Kuen
She is a factory worker but is very strong willed. She is espectacled and has very long hair. She accidentally causes Shu Yan’s suit to turn wet and worries that she will be retrenched. To her surprise, she is promoted as the section’s leader. Wing Piew takes some time to win her heart. She learns of Wing Piew’s debt to his friend so she borrows money from Bo Wan and Yuen Tin. But this man gambles the money away instead of winning more money.

Upon knowing that Wing Piew is involved in Tin Oi’s kidnap, Mun looks for him and he is chased by his friend. To avoid Mun from getting killed, he pushes her aside and escapes but she faints due to a concussion after broken glasses pierces into the back of her head. Although Yee and Yuen Tin suggest sending her to a mental hospital as she looks slow, Wing opposes to it. When Wing Piew’s friend, Shek comes to threaten her again, she goes berserk and Wing has no choice but to send her to the asylum.

Mun almost recovers and returns home. All are happy for her. When Wai is sent back to Macau, Shu Yan plans to settle with her in Singapore to build a branch there. He will leave Wing Piew to manage the Hong Kong business. Mun is grateful to him and also envies Wai for her good fortune. Mun sees the person who has hurt her and recalls all of her past. She is fully recovered and Wing agrees to Wing Piew’s proposal.

2. Tsang Wai – Wang Ming Kuen
Wai is Mun’s twin younger sister who dons a short hairstyle. She comes to Macau and wishes Wing to pay money so that she can come to Hong Kong illegally. Bo Wan finds excuses not to pay the money. Yuen Tin borrows money and Yee is touched. Wing Piew hides in Macau after escaping from his friend and mistakens her to be Mun. Upon knowing her plight, he offers to help her.

Although Wai manages to reach Hong Kong, she has missed the time for registering. Wing is afraid that she will be caught by the police so he wants her to resume Mun’s identity to stay at home. Wai discovers that Bo Wan is wooing Tin Oi. Bo Wan is afraid that she will ruin his plan so he reports her to the police.

Wing has cold feet when the police arrive and Wai gets to distressed that she admits to be an illegal immigrant. Yuen Tin then has a good idea – he claims that Wai is Mun so she is mentally unbalanced. The police leaves and Wai is safe. Bo Wan demands Wai to divorce him and hand over the marriage certificate. She is about to take it out when Wing lies that it is still in China. He suspects the scheming Bo Wan has called the police so he decides to keep it as evidence.

Wai sees Bo Wan and Tin Oi together. He lies that Wai is his cousin and threatens to give her trouble if she reveals everything. Getting disillusioned, she intends to return to Macau but wing dissuades her. Wai decides to look for a job in Hong Kong and becomes a dancer – the occupation that she holds in China.
Shu Yan sees her dancing and Wai knows that he is Mun’s boss. She pretends not to know Mun. Shu Yan has no suspicion as he has thought that it is natural that some people resemble others.

She slowly accepts Shu Yan. Shu Yan introduces her to work in the television station but she finds the environment complicated so she becomes a dance teacher. The company that she sets up with Shu Yan is damaged by Shek as Shek thinks that she is Mun. Mun calls the police to arrest him. Wai accepts the first case but the singer is suspected of hiding drugs. The singer is innocent. Bo Wan is the one who sabotages Shu Yan’s company so that it will fold up. Shu Yan is enraged but he has no evidence against him.

Wang said that she had acted as twins before in 「孖生姊妹」. Thus she is more experienced in here to get immersed in the roles well. This was my first time watching her acting as twins and I found her acting fairly well.

3. Hon Suet Mui - Yip Tak Han
She is the eldest child but defies Siu Nien for not managing his factory but to become a DPP. Yuen is interested in music and doesn’t have a decent job. So she is looked down by Siu Nien as Yuen and son stay with her family. Still, she supports Yuen’s decision. Siu Nien dotes on this grandson and sends him to boarding school, wanting him to receive the best education.

She has given in to Yuen all the time but can’t stand his infidelity. She waits for him the whole night when he doesn’t return and is shattered that he wants to leave Hong Kong as he feels that he is being looked down by her family long enough. Despite Shu Yan’s advice, he still refuses to return home till his son falls sick. Both finally reconcile.

Suet Mui and her friend, Chin Wah discovers that Bo Wan has opened a finance company. Siu Nien wants to settle with Bo Wan but Tin Oi’s illness hinders him. He finds that he is old and requests Suet Mui to help him. Suet Mui has lots of disagreements with her boss and agrees. Siu Nien then removes Bo Wan’s position to let Suet Mui take over.

4. Ou Yeung Bo Wan - Hui Siu Hung
He is Mun’s brother-in-law and is Wai’s husband. As he doesn’t have a stable job, he can’t apply for Wai to come to Hong Kong. Thus, Mun recommends him a clerical post in her factory. Although Mun discovers some imitation goods that can burn easily when heated, he hides them to show them to Shu Yan. Shu Yan is impressed and later promotes him to assistant supervisor.

He becomes very close to the Hons and woos Tin Oi to bring her out for dates. He is cold upon knowing that Wai has reached Hong Kong so Wing suspects him. Wai feels wronged when the villagers mistaken her to be the mentally unbalanced Mun. Bo Wan doesn’t want her to stay with him and cooks up excuses. He later marries Tin Oi but still gets into illegal business.

He is drunk one day and confesses to Tin Oi that he has never loved her. They end up divorcing but he loses the custody of their son. Wing Piew and he try to seize the company rights for Korean wine. Wing Piew is mad when he loses the contract to Wing Piew.

He bribes Shu Yan’s product designer’s wife to lie that she loses the contract so that Suet Mui will take it out to show her. This woman memorizes the numbers to steal the contract. The Hons are at a loss as they have no proof to the endorsed products and are sued instead. Shu Yan later gets a call from Bo Wan’s man that he wants a fee for the contract.

Wing Piew offers to go and pay for the contract. He intends to go to Europe for honeymoon with Mun after this but his dream is never realised as he gets killed. Although Bo Wan is later found guilty and jailed, Mun turns mad again as she can’t accept the shock and has to stay at the asylum.

5. Hon Tin Oi – Cheng Hor Wai
She is the youngest child and is timid since young as she suffers from heart disease. Still, she wants to prove her worth and holds a job. Worrying for her condition, her family gets her a dog to protect her. Piew and his friend damage Bo Wan’s car so that they can kidnap Tin Oi. Suet Mui gets her private eye friend, Chin Wah for help but the two escape with the money.

Piew’s friend drugs Tin Oi and rapes her. He even videos her and sends a clip back to her home to extort her parents after releasing her. Tin Oi has seen Wing Piew’s face and tells Bo Wan. Bo Wan visits the Tsangs to discover a paper package that contains the video and the nude photos. He quickly puts some papers to fill it up. He passes the film and video to Shu Yan and doesn’t want any reward. Shu Yan is grateful to him. Wing Piew learns that Bo Wan has taken the things and runs away.

Tin Oi learns about her rape and tries killing herself. Bo Wan rescues her but Siu Nien blames her for her plight. He also suspects Bo Wan’s motive for getting close to Tin Oi. But Mrs Hon feels that it is good enough that Bo Wan doesn’t mind Tin Oi’s past and wishes them to get married. Bo Wan gains trust from Shu Yan when he exposes the identity of illegal workers in the factory so he becomes the supervisor now.

On her wedding day, Tin Oi is unwell due to her heart ailment. After treatment, she gets better. Mrs Hon is contented upon seeing how well Bo Wan treats Tin Oi. Tin Oi is pregnant but her health condition doesn’t allow her to keep the baby but her parents have to agree to it when she begs them. All are thrilled when Tin Oi gives birth to a baby boy. But her relationship with Bo Wan is strained upon knowing that he doesn’t love her. He even attempts to seize her son away on his first month.

The two settle for divorce and fight over the custody of their son. He seizes their son home but the baby gets sick as he doesn’t take good care of him. Tin Oi suffers from too many setbacks and becomes critically ill. But she is finally relieved that the court gives her the custody and she dies peacefully.

6. Mrs Hon - Heung Yee
She wants the best for her three children. Tin Oi worries her the most due to her health. Upon knowing that Shu Yan has a girlfriend, she wants him to bring her back on Suet Mui’s son birthday. Upon knowing that she is a dancer, Siu Nien sulks as he doesn’t like people from the arts. She still doesn’t mind it. Bo Wan is scared of facing Mun so he lies of working overtime. Wai also misses the dinner as she has to send her dance student to hospital.

Knowing that the elders intend to accept Wai into the family, Bo Wan informs them that Wai has lived in the asylum before. The two then oppose firmly to their marriage.

7. Lam Wing Piew – Wong Kum Sum
He is a property agent but turns to open a games centre with a friend. He is basically a kind man but is too greedy for money. He gets involved in jewel smuggling. However, he is genuine to Mun as he wants to earn more money to marry her. The jewels get stolen and he has to shut down the games centre to work as a car salesman to pay his friend, Shek back.

Shek kidnaps Mun and demands him to pay back. He has not wanted to get involved in kidnapping Tin Oi but is forced to do it as he needs the money. When it fails, he has to hide in Macau. The immigration point gets Wais’ particulars from Bo Wan and detains her. She is found guilty and sent to Macau. All of them are upset. Wing Piew learns of it and decides to return to Hong Kong to meet Mun again.

The two have to meet secretly due to Wing’s opposition. Knowing that Mun likes the godeess of mercy statue in the temple, he steals it for her as he knows that she likes it so much. Wing is finally touched and forgives him. Shu Yan still suspects him and learns from Chin Wah that Wing Piew has kidnapped Tin Oi in the past due to pressure. Shu Yan then gives him another chance to let the two work for the Hons. Wing Piew is grateful and works hard.

8. Ko Yuen – Lau Siu Ming
He is interested in dancing but his father-in-law finds him a good-for-nothing as he earns little. He has a supportive wife and intends to go into musicals. Suet Mui gives him encouragement and so is Shu Yan. Shu Yan sees him writing songs for the dance troupe. Shu Yan meets Wai and finds her familiar looking to Mun. They later become a couple and he becomes their matchmaker.

Yuen borrows money from Shu Yan to Yuen finance the dance troupe. He becomes close to the dance troupe leader. He returns home late due to practices – so is Suet Mui who is busy with her work. The couple quarrel when Yuen thinks that she has implicated their son to be nearly kidnapped due to Chin Wah. She turns up. Suet Mui also finds him spending too much time on dancing.

Still, she turns up for his performance but to her horror, she finds him kissing the dance troupe leader backstage. She gets enraged and both get into a cold war when he stays over at the woman’s home for the night. He decides to go to Europe with the woman to complete his dancing dream. But later he stays back to be with her again. Although he knows that Shu Yan faces a lot of opposition from his family, he hopes that Wai will encourage her.

9. Hon Shu Yan – Lam Chi Cheung
He is the second child but the only son of the family. Although he is interested in music, he has to give up his dream to manage his father’s factory. Still, he provides Yuen the monetary needs that he requires. He meets Wai and is impressed by her dancing. When Wai is about to leave, he invites her to join a dance troupe to go for the audition to be the lead dancer.

Wai knows that he is Tin Oi’s brother and tries to avoid him. However, his sincerity moves her and she decides to give herself a chance. He accompanies her to watch a ballet performance. They meet Tin Oi and Bo Wan there. Bo Wan thinks that she hasn’t given up and wants to be the young mistress of Hon family. He scolds her and this makes her determined to join the dance troupe instead.

Wai notices that her ankle hurts during her practices. She gets tense when the performance date arrives. The first performance wins applause but she faints in the next solo dance on stage. Shu Yan quickly carries her to hospital and she is discharged after a few days. She is scared of hurting herself again and lacks confidence although Shu Yan encourages her. Shu Yan manages to find her ex-teacher to coach her. Wai improves her dancing and becomes famous when the television station shoots a programme on her.

Her teacher dies after watching it. Wai gets very distracted after that. Shu Yan gets worried and sends her back home. Hon family owns a villa in the village that Hon family stays. All villagers watch the programme and think tha she is Mun. Why can she dance when she is out from the mental institution? Suet Mui learns of the news and tells Shu Yan about it. Shu Yan doesn’t mind and Suet Mui also approves them.

Wai is upset that Shu Yan’s parents do not accept her, thinking that she is Mun. Wing agrees that they should tell him the truth. Shu Yan overhears them. Even after knowing that she is an illegal immigrant, he doesn’t mind it and doesn’t obey his parents. Wai doesn’t wish him to go against his family. Shu Yan still insists of marrying Wai. He intends to marry her in Macau to bring her to Hong Kong later.

Siu Nien suddenly doesn’t oppose anymore. He tells the rest that Shu Yan has resigned and he sets up an entertainment company with his friends.

10. Tsang Wing – Lau Hak Xun
He has four children but all of them worry him. Although he is old, he is very sharp but none of them posses this quality. After Mun’s accident, he moves her to live at Yuen Tin’s hometown, hoping that she will recover soon. When knowing that Wai’s dancing programmes is going to be aired on television, he gets the whole family to support her.

11. Tsang Gei – Yim Chau Wah
He is the youngest and only son in the family. He is able to turn toy guns into real ones after reading some magazines. Unknown to him and greedy for money, he gets paid after making 3 guns and is sentenced to the boys’ home for 6 months. He is released and is thrilled to know that Wai reaches Hong Kong. As he is jobless for a long time, he will be sent back to the home soon.

Shu Yan introduces him to work in the factory but Bo Wan accuses him of stealing to fire him in front of Siu Nien. Suet Mui finds Wai’s family complicated and forbids Shu Yan to be with Wai too. Only Yuen supports Shu Yan. Bo Wan knows that Shu Yan will not give up and comes to Wai’s home to threaten her. This offends her instead.

12. Tsang Yee – Chong Yuet Hing
She is the eldest daughter but she has very poor judgment of men. Her first boyfriend cohabits with her to extort money from her. if not for her doctor neighbour, Yuen Tin, this man will appear at her doorstep endless times. Her next husband to be has 3 wives and many children so she breaks up with him after learning that he intends to take her as his concubine.

She becomes a rich man, Chow’s personal nurse and gets a lot of presents. Wing comes to take a peep, worried that she will get cheated again. However, he gets to see her pushing an old man on a wheelchair and flying a kite with him to make him happy. Wing feels contented. Chow’s children think that Yee wants to cheat their father of their money but she is willing to take care of him free of charge as she pities him.

They later intend to send Chow overseas and dismiss her. She feels upset upon knowing that Chow dies of a heart attack upon reaching the airport. She becomes a bar hostess and gets a few rings from a customer, not knowing that these are stolen item. This causes Gei and her to be arrested. Wai and Shu Yan come to bail them out. Shu Yan is very concerned and discusses with Suet Mui to get a lawyer for them.

The thief comes to Yee’s home to try to search for the rings. He attempts to take Wai hostage but Gei manages to capture him to clear their names.

13. Hon Siu Nien – Lok Kung
He is an influential businessman so he wants the best for his children. He is pissed off with Yuen for doing music. He can see through Bo Wan’s motive of wanting to marry Tin Oi. He tells Bo Wan that it is fruitless to get money and status. Bo Wan deliberately stops visiting Tin Oi. This makes Tin Oi and Mrs Hon feels that he has backbone and even consent to the marriage. This gives him no choice but to give consent.

Siu Nien frowns when seeing Shu Yan spending little time at the factory. He gives Bo Wan more control of the factory. Bo Wan becomes the factory organizer while Shu Yan becomes Siu Nien’s personal assistant. Shu Yan is upset over this and Wai tells him to beware of Bo Wan. But it is too late when Bo Wan has done so much damage that Siu Nien has to mortgage the factory to the bank.

14. Fong Yuen Tin
He is a doctor in the village and has liked Yee all along. Yee has not noticed him till he does so much for her family. He not only lends her money to settle all her family troubles but he also gives Mun a place to stay at her hometown when all the villagers shun her due to her mental illness. He is happy for Wing Piew and Mun to be together again so he buys two bottles of wine.

The two men end up being poisoned. Chin Wah checks into the case and learns that the culprit is Bo Wan’s shareholder. Shu Yan suspects Bo Wan to have a hand in it. Although Mrs Hon wishes to be forgiving, Shu Yan doubts that he will change and he gives all details to the police. Bo Wan hates the Hons for cuasing him to lose his business deals after that.

15. Lee Chin Wah
He is Suet Mui’s friend who is a an ex-cop. Although he is a private eye now, he still checks on many cases and helps Suet Mui out whenever he can as he has been in love with her for a long time.

Favourite character
Shu Yan, although he comes from a rich family, he is very humble. Despite what happens to Wai, he stands by her. A close second is Wing, he is such a loving father. Lau has always been cast as a villain but he does well this time as a good man.

Most hated character
Bo Wan, he can harm his ex-wife although they have been married for so long. He is definitely scheming and rotten to the core.

Song
The song has the same title. It is by Wang herself. She did a good job as always. But the song has more sadness than happiness as more tragedies happen than merry incidents.

Conclusion

After attending Wang’s Singapore concert in 2009, her singing of this themesong triggered me to write this review. But as usual, memory failed me as this was such an old drama that I watched it over television so many years ago. So my neighbour became my synopsis supplier again. I must say that Wang is at top form for the drama.

Mun is independent and strong to be a modern woman. But Yip steals the glamour from her as she is moe competent in her role with more struggles in emotional scenes.

The producer might be biased against women. Wai is weak and doesn’t even know that she is being cheated. She goes through so much trouble just because of a heartless Bo Wan. I don’t know why TVB likes to portray mainland women to be poor, innocent, weak, gullible or ignorant and easily deceived. Luckily, the mindset is changed recently. Tin Oi is also no different from her. So is Yee. That is why I keep beating my chest when seeing how they are cheated repeatedly.

When compared, the guys are smart, cunning or capable. Getting Wang to act opposite Wong Kum Sum is a refreshing change from seeing her to pair with Cheng Siu Chau all the time. But my attention is more on Lam Chi Cheung. How coincidental to have two actors with moustaches to pair with her.

No wonder he was her guest star for her Hong Kong concerts too. He definitely acts as well as he sings! He is very natural and expressive. He is neither the only son and doesn’t have sisters. Yet he delivers a fine performance, not to mention that he is also excellent in love scenes. He should have acted in more dramas.

Cast wise, there is nothing to fault on their acting. That is why they can stand through the test of time to become veteran artistes in TVB till this very day.

Sukting’s ratings :

On acting : **** (Scale of 5)

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

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