The Art of Being Together

How long : 20 episodes

Foreword

This is one of Bo Yee’s earlier works. Do you wish to see how his role attracts 3 women? It throws you into a lot of suspense as you will be lured by the development of events. Please forgive me if there is any error in the plot as I watched this drama very long ago and can’t recall the exact details.

Story/Introduction on characters

1. Ho Chun Kit – Lam Bo Yee
Chun Kit is a manager of a small fashion company. He goes through a lot of ups and downs in life. Not just with women but he is always connected to murders. When Tin Lan’s business associate and wife die, he becomes the prime suspect. Just when he is released from the cell with Chi Tou’s help, Tin Lan dies in a car crash to leave him a big sum of money. He becomes crestfallen and can’t concentrate at work.

Slowly, Wing Ka melts him and both become a couple. They decide to get married. On their wedding day, On Kei appears to inform that Tin Lan isn’t dead and Chun Kit learns of her real identity. He is hesitant – who should he be with as three women love him so much? He gets so troubled to land in bed, drunk. The women admire his sleeping look and exclaim how cute he is.

When he wakes up the next morning, he is astonished to find ALL of them getting out from his bed! He ends up marrying all of them in Malaysia after all become Muslims as none of them can bear to leave him. Chun Kit isn’t handsome or charming. He wins the women over with his honesty and sincerity. But to allow him marry 3 wives although he is a nice man? I doubt many people will approve that. Bo Yee is just passable here as his role is a gentleman. It doesn’t require him to have many facial expressions.

2. Lam Gai Jo – Pang Cheng Wai
He is Chun Kit’s helpful friend who also assists him in work. He finds it hard to believe that Chi Tou isn’t the same friend that both guys use to know. But after seeing how he talks to Tin Lan, he becomes horrified. He finds that he doesn’t know him anymore.

3. Lam Chi Tou – Ou Yeung Chun Wah
He is a cop and is a close friend of Chun Kit. Unknown to Chun Kit, he loves Tin Lan all along and tries very hard to woo her behind his back. He has started that even before their marriage. This is to the extent of threatening to tell Chun Kit of her real identity. He is the only one who doesn’t think that she is dead. So he tries all means to seek her out. Upon knowing that she is alive, he comes to Chun Kit’s home to harass her again. I really laugh as this usually overbearing woman suddenly turns into a mouse to hide behind a frying pan when he gives her a fly kiss from far.

Chun Wah proves that he is already making far from here. He acts well as the psychopath. He is so different from the cheeky roles that we often see him in now.

4. Yuen Tin Lan/ Cheung Siu Fong – Lam Kit Ying
She is too successful in her career to make her husband, Chun Kit scared of her. But she truly loves her husband to plan the best for him. She buys insurance to leave him a big sum of money after faking her death. Her real name is Cheung Siu Fong and comes from the mainland. She has stolen On Kei’s identity in order to stay in Hong Kong. Chun Kit is furious that she keeps such a big matter from him. But being husband and wife, he forgives her after that.

Kit Ying never disappoints me with her acting. She shines here as usual as a credible and beautiful actress. I feel very sorry for her as she keeps on coming in and out of the asylum lately in real life.

5. Yuen Tin Lan/ Hui On Kei – Kwok Ooi Ming
She is Tin Lan’s cousin who comes to stay with him when Tin Lan goes to Australia due to work. This woman has split personality. She is a confused woman in the day but suddenly becomes an enchanting beauty at night. Her change makes Chun Kit giddy. Her eyes leave him electrocuted and he is nearly seduced by her. It takes him a lot of will power to decide to send her away by rejecting her advances. At this time, she discovers that her real name is Tin Lan. Thus she wants to go to Canada to find out the truth.

The findings leave her traumatized. Due to the change in identity, she becomes an illegal immigrant. She is raped when she is sent to exile in the U.S. That is why she had the tendency to sleepwalk and seduce men at night. She returns to tell about the sad truth and Chun Kit pities her. He also feels remorseful for her plight as Tin Lan is responsible for this. Both fall in love after that. Many Ooi Ming fans love this drama as this shows many faces of her. So do I. She definitely displays her acting to the fullest in here from the helpless woman to the sex kitten.

6. Lam Wing Ka – Chan Wai Yee
She owns a boutique. She sees that Chun Kit can’t concentrate at work so she helps him to move on again. Chun Kit learns that she is actually a killer sent to kill him over the money. Still, he forgives her repeatedly. This moves her to decide to betray her accomplice to marry him. Chun Kit is shocked upon knowing that her accomplice is Chi Tou.

7. Chung Sui Leung – Hong Chiu Fung
He is Tin Lan’s working partner whom Chun Kit suspects him of being his wife’s lover. He is actually killed by Chi Tou as he chances upon Tin Lan’s identity to extort her.

8. Cheung Pui Yee – Yeung Suet Yee
To seek revenge, Chun Kit gets close to Sui Leung’s wife to find out more details. He ends up falling for her. However, both husband and wife die suddenly so Chun Kit is suspected for murdering them. Luckily, Chi Tou clears his name. in reality, she is also killed by Chi Tou as she is in the same car with Sui Leung to meet with the car accident.

Conclusion

Many will envy Chun Kit’s fortune to get the big sum of money. But he feels empty as he beloved wife isn’t with him anymore. Then suddenly, he has 3 women fighting for his attention. Tin Lan refuses to give up his lawful wife status while the other two are reluctant to leave him. He gets on a tram to want to cool his mind. The three other women go up with him to admire the night scenery together. He is no different from the legendary Wai Siu Bo here.

I come across many average or lower than average TVB productions in the 90's. That is why my reviews for them are so short. I was about to give up watching when this drama was shown over Malaysian television a long time ago. Although the cast was unknown then, I marvel at the plot development and brilliant acting. It is so closely knitted and I guess all the answers wrongly. All should not miss this terrific thriller drama.

Sukting’s ratings :

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