TWDrama: Reaching for the Stars (2004)

Reaching For the Stars (2004) stars S.H.E members Selina, Hebe, and Ella. The story revolves around three friends who share the same birth date and experience an eventful moment in their lives where their destinies seem to be intertwined.


Ella Chen plays the part of Ren Jie, a hardworking girl of lower-class status who struggles to pay her ailing brother's hospital bills. She works at a pizza place by day, and sells handmade jewellery by night. Her young brother's health is not optimistic and her rent has gone unpaid for months. Finally, when her landlord can no longer stand it, Ren Jie is kicked out of her tiny apartment and is forced to take refuge in the garage where she works at.

Selina Ren is Lei Lei, the spoiled rich daughter of a high-class family. She fails in carrying an independent spirit and is easily swayed by her mother's harsh teachings. Hoping to reap the benefits of an obedient daughter, Lei Lei's mother constantly nudges her in the direction of her "friend"'s son, in an attempt to join the two wealthy families together. Lei Lei's innocence is most obvious when she's around her father who dotes on her endlessly. However on her birthday, her father suffers a heart attack and dies. Feeling alone and depressed, she seeks consolation from her crush, Zheng Hao.

Hebe Tian plays Xiao Rou, a feisty cop who hates it when guilty criminals are freed. She soon loses her job because of her hardheadedness. Her longtime boyfriend Chen Kai proposes to her and suggest they move into a modest house together, but she refuses. Unable to let go of responsibilty of her grandmother, Xiao Rou insists that Chen Kai wait ten years for her, when her responsibilities can be more balanced. Unfortunately, Chan Kai, in a drunken state, falls prey to a girl from a bar and is seen kissing her by Xiao Rou. She then breaks things off with him.
Reaching for the Stars is what people would call an idol drama, a drama starring famous faces to increase publicity and ratings, even if their acting is not up to par. The Best Acting Award goes automatically to Ella. Her acting may not exactly be perfect, but her skills are far better than that of Hebe or Selina. Her crying scenes are believable and evoke strong sympathy from the audience. Some of her expressions may be over exaggerated, but her overall performance is excellent. I found Selina a bit shrieky during her scenes where she vents out her anger to Ella. Her voice has an extremely sweet and high quality, which may be perfect for her singing career, but make her a bit hard on the ears when you listen to her attempts to warp her voice to fit her character's emotions. Hebe is the most emotionless in her performance. Even though her character did not experience major drama, her expressions and voice were lacking in emotion. The scenes where she had to evoke the most emotion (i.e. when Chen Kai died) were simply forced. The male side of the cast needs no reviewing because their performances were in sync with Selina and Hebe's: simply inexperienced.
Rating: **.5/*****

Top 5 Faces of Hong Kong

Sister of model Kathy Chow, you can definitely say beauty runs in the family. With Kevin Cheng as arm candy, Niki tops my list of prettiest faces.

With a sweet face in wedding endorsements and a seductive stare in movie Love is Not All Around, Stephy's pretty face gets the 2nd spot on my list.

Proving that you can be feminine with short hair, Vivien Yeo's graceful aura and playful smile prove that she her beauty pageant roots haven't gone away.

Despite the rumours of boyfriend-stealing and provocative wardrobe, Fala has the staying power in the crowd of wannabe-actresses with her improving Cantonese and girl-next-door looks.

It's no wonder she won last year's MHK: Aimee Chan has flawless features and knows how to dress right.

MHK: Addressing the Disappointment

The results of the Miss Hong Kong 2007 were certainly shocking. Asian websites everywhere are buzzing about the newly crowned MHK and the runner-ups. Grace Wong (on the left) is pulling the kissy-pouty look, while Kayi Cheung (middle) smiles tightly. Loretta Chow has the most natural smile out of the three. Seeing as Kayi won the title, I wonder why she isn't smiling more radiantly.

Kayi Cheung... really, you should see what they're saying about her. People say she is undeserving of the title and that her smiles are forced and fake. Someone even photoshopped a pig's nose onto hers. Although I don't think she has the exceptional looks of past MHKs, the pig's nose thing was going way too far. People should give her a break; she should be able to enjoy her title and not be plagued by constant criticism. I think the only problem with her is that her face has a little too much baby fat and her smile isn't completely natural.

Grace Wong, the 1st runner-up, is the one I think who is most undeserving of MHK, or even a runner-up. Hearing that she won Miss Photogenic, I was shocked. Her overly large eyes on her small face is a major turnoff and her smiles are either fake, exaggerated, or forced.

Although I'm not completely satisfied with her looks, she does have the most natural smile out of the top three girls. Nothing much else to say about her.

The past winners/runner-ups was probably the highlight of the show because they looked stunning in their evening gowns. Everyone was graceful and elegant and exuded a glow like when they first won their title.

And last, but not least, last year's winner Aimee Chan hands her title to Kayi Cheung. She looks extremely pretty and feminine in her pink-tiered dress, with the air of a competent MHK.

Top 5 Korean Faces

Korea is probably best known for its number of pretty faces, real or fake (i.e. the works of plastic surgery). Here, I name the top 5 pretty faces I've noticed. Note: this does not mean everyone else is butt-ugly; these five ladies just stand out with their versatility at sweet innocence and hot sexiness. Also, these girls aren't named in order of their beauty, so don't get on back on who deserved the coveted #1 spot.


BoA is known for her pretty face, strong voice, and many endorsements. She's the classic figure of beauty and needs only a few brushes of makeup to make her look picture-perfect. She's has an extremely graceful aura in the pics above, which is extremely important in terms of feminine beauty.

I first saw Yoon Eun Hye in the KDrama Goong, where she played the spunky, happy-go-lucky Chaeg Young. Her face had a visible amount of baby fat that separated her from the disturbingly large number of stick-skinny idols. Although YEH lost a significant amount of weight recently, she still looks pretty. I've noticed that she has many different styles: cute, innocent, mature, professional.





Best known as one of the four girls of the group CSJH The Grace, Lina strikes me as a classic beauty, pulling off her look as a long-haired beauty and an excellent dancer with shorter hair. Recently I saw a video of her with her CSJH members, and she said she was envious of Stephanie, the natural dancer of the group and who won the hearts of many men with her sexy looks. Although Stephanie is pretty, she's only good at mastering her sexy image. Linda, on the other hand, has more grace (you should see her in their My Everything MV).

Lee Hyori, famously known for her sexy image has another side to her, as seen in the photos above. With a charming smile oozing with charisma, she manages to pull off a good girl-next-door feel. And at times, she's able to shy away from her sexy style and wear some mature, yet style-focused clothes.

Park Shin Hye is an amazing (and young) actress with an adorable face. Best known for her role in Stairway to Heaven, this young starlet moved on to a more mature role in Goong S. Her wardrobe was excellent and her pretty face managed to make her role more believable. Her adorable poses in candid photos and the more serious, professional face in photoshoots wins her my #5 pick.

Sunshine Heartbeat Cast: Where Are They Now?

After 2003’s Hearts of Fencing, there was Sunshine Heartbeat, a short drama about three sisters who set out on a search for the oldest sister’s true love. As cutesy and melodramatic as Hearts of Fencing, Sunshine Heartbeat produces a new set of wannabe actors.

Vivien Yeo: (Yip Ching “Mia”) Before Sunshine Heartbeat, she won Miss Malaysia Chinese International 2003 which explains why she had an accent in Sunshine Heartbeat. After the drama aired, she had various supporting roles in Into Thin Air, Under the Canopy of Love, Forensic Heroes, The Price of Greed. She will also star in the upcoming dramas: The Ultimate Crime Fighter, Evil Kin, and War of In-Laws II. In 2006, she produced a song on the Lady In Red CD, a cover of Ron Ng’s Don’t Blame Her/Him.

Charmaine Li: (Yip Kiu “Ah Kiu”) Like Vivien, she continued to pursue acting, taking small roles in Real Kung Fu, When Rules Turn Loose, Forensic Heroes, War and Destiny, Glittering Days, and the upcoming The Legend of Demigods, The Slicing of the Demon, Evil Kin, and The Seventh Day.

Yoyo Chen: (Yip Yan “Yan-Yan”) She recently appeared in the TVB drama The Brink of Law where she plays the rebellious younger sister of Steven Ma’s character. Also, she’s the suspected face behind an X-rated video.

Charles Szeto: (Yue Yat Sun “Ah Sun”) He had roles in The Gateau Affairs and Under the Canopy of Love.

Vin Choi: (Nic Fong “Ah Nic”) Starring with Yoyo Chen in The Brink of Law, he played the jerky, wealthy son of a prominent family.

Hearts of Fencing Cast: Where Are They Now?

TVB’s 2003 Hearts of Fencing was a short miniseries revolving around the sport fencing. The main characters (there are many) were played by young, fresh-faced wannabe actors. The story revolved around a group of high school girls who eventually all meet their destined significant other while overcoming the turbulences of high school. Tie that all in with fencing and you have a melodrama fit for young teens.
After Hearts of Fencing aired, its sequel Sunshine Hearbeat had the young cast playing their roles as older adults as a backdrop for the new cast. Some members of the cast went on to star in other series while others pursued a career in singing. Others… were just never heard from again.

Race Wong: (Cheung Ka Lam) She played the main character with a distinctive accent and poor acting. Haven’t heard much from her, really, though according to Wikipedia, she went on to star in a handful of movies, though I doubt her acting has improved any. Hopefully her accent’s been a little more diminished and her understanding of Cantonese has improved. I also saw her appear in Nicholas Teo’s MV 錯了再錯 recently.

Natalie Tong: (Ko Ching) As probably the fastest rising star from the Hearts of Fencing cast, Natalie has improved immensely in her acting, though is currently still playing the younger sister of the main character in various dramas (Just Love, Under the Canopy of Love, Life Art). Recently she snagged the second leading female in the TVB series The Seventh Day co-starring Kevin Cheng, Niki Chow, and Bosco Wong.

Renee Dai: (Wong Miu Yee "Dai Jek Miu") Anyone heard anything from this girl?



Elaine Yiu: (Lam Suet Man "Man Man") Her portrayal of the timid Man Man in Hearts of Fencing was likeable; but afterwards her choice in roles basically ruined her image. I remember seeing her in Revolving Doors of Vengeance as the third party in Ron Ng and Ella Koon’s relationship. Very bitchy. I don’t remember much from her role in To Catch the Uncatchable and never bothered to watch Always Ready. And surprise of the year: she landed a leading role in Safe Guards opposite Steven Ma. Now these roles probably aren’t as bad as Revolving Doors of Vengeance, but her acting is just… bad. Hopefully her role in the upcoming The Seventh Day won’t make me hate her more.

Kelly Fu: (Chui Kam Mui "13 Mui") No comment. Seriously, anything about this girl recently?

Don Li: (Au Yeung Lok) He only starred in two other series (not including Sunshine Heartbeat) after Hearts of Fencing. Instead of continuing acting, Don went on to pursue a career in singing. I haven’t been paying much attention to him, but I’ve heard he paired up with Mandy Chiang and released an album (correct me if I’m wrong).

Chris Lai: (Au Yeung Yat) Like Natalie Tong, Chris continued to star in various dramas as a supporting actor. His acting has improved considerably and was recently seen in the TVB family drama Heart of Greed in which he received a lot of praise. Out of the entire Hearts of Fencing Cast, Chris probably has the most experience: he’s starred in To Catch the Uncatchable, Ten Brothers, Always Ready, Safe Guards, Land of Wealth, Glitterying Days, Welcome to the House, and The Green Grass of Home.

Eddie Lee: (Chu Moon Tong “Don”) Unless you’ve been watching your TV very closely, it’s hard to notice Eddie in his too-small roles in various dramas as the lowest of supporting actors. Apparently, he starred in The Academy, Revolving Doors of Vengeance, Forensic Heroes, and Heart of Greed. And like some of the Hearts of Fencing alumni, he’ll be in The Seventh Day.

Sam Chan: (Kwan Yu Lung) As the son of actor Shek Sau, he’s been pretty low-key.

JDrama Overview: 1 Litre of Tears

I watched JDrama 1 Litre of Tears after watching a fanmade MV which used clips from the drama. I have to say that the drama is truly inspiring and moving. Like many other dramas, most notably Korean ones, 1 Litre of Tears explores the difficulties of someone living with a (usually incurable) disease. You may have noticed many dramas with this same element (Stairway to Heaven, Snow Queen, etc) and about 99% of the time, this comes off as a major cliché. But in 1 Litre of Tears, the drama follows a different path, focusing more on the obstacles of being disabled and tied down with an incurable disease, than of love relationships. Aya is a normal schoolgirl who has just been accepted into a prestigious school. Her father runs a tofu shop and she lives comfortable in a family of three other siblings and her parents. Everything seems normal until Aya experiences instances where she cannot control her movements and her vision is sometimes impaired. One time, while walking to school, Aya trips and falls, but fails to stop her fall and lands on her chin. During her stay at the hospital, her mother urges her to get a checkup, worried about Aya's well being. It is then that her mother discovers the true cause of all Aya's mishaps: her daughter has spinocerebella degeneration, a disease in which the patient slowly loses control of their limbs. When Aya learns of her disease, she is devastated, but tries to live life as normally as possible. Her classmate, Haruto slowly becomes drawn to her, noticing her strength through the time in which she suffers through her weakness. When Aya is forced to use a wheelchair to get around, she realizes her dream of being a normal schoolgirl is far from becoming possible, and with many tears, she leaves her school and enrolls in a school designated for handicaps. And while Aya goes on living her life however painful, her family, notably her siblings, grows to accept her disease and unconditionally continue to support her. Knowing she will not life long, Aya distances herself from Haruto. During the final last years of her life, Aya's movement becomes more restricted until finally she succumbs to her relentless disease. However, before her death, Aya asks her mother to publish her diaries, wanting everyone to understand of her disease and to not give up in life.

1 Litre of Tears takes tearjerkers to a whole new level, exposing the horrifying effects of spinocerebella degeneration. Erika Sawajiri's portrayal of Aya was thoroughly believable. Her tears evoked the pain of Aya to the point where viewers found themselves reaching for tissues. When you see her crying scenes, the expression is filled with so much pain and sorrow that it's really quite unbelievable that such a young actress could portray a character with such strong emotions. On the other hand, when Erika flashes her smile at the audience, it's so bright and happy that it's hard to believe she can cry with true emotion. I like to think that she has a smile similar to Kim Jung Hoon's because his completely lights up a whole room. Ryō Nishikido plays Haruto, the quiet brooding teenager whose brother dies from an accident. His character evolves into a more pleasant person, someone who smiles more and is able to joke about things. His dream has never been the same as his brother's, but at the end of the drama, he is set on becoming doctor because of Aya's disease. He learns to break away from the confines of his life after his brother's death and becomes a more open-minded and active person.