TVB Trends: Rape Scenes

Rape scenes seem to be the new norm at TVB’s scriptwriting office nowadays. In three consecutive series, there have been rape scenes – Aimee Chan in The Last Steep Ascent, Kate Tsui in Highs and Lows, and Tavia Yeung in Silver Spoon Sterling Shackles. I know people have complained that it is disgusting and perverted. I do not condone rape in real life whatsoever, but personally, I have no problems with showing rape scenes on TV. Murder is just as bad and wrong, yet we see it all the time in detective and lawyer shows. Everyone knows it's fake. Besides, how much do we really see from TVB shows anyways? So to the people who are complaining: get a grip of yourself and change the channel if you don’t want to watch it. Not everyone wants to watch rainbows and ponies all the time.

With that being said, the rape scenes at TVB in recent memory.

Aimee Chan in The Last Steep Ascent

Aimee was drinking heavily on the street, catching the eye of a drunken man, who chased her into a back alley and raped her. The scene shows the man ripping her clothes off and slapping her, then it flashes forward of her crying in the alley. She tried to commit suicide after she became pregnant from the rape.

Kate Tsui in Highs and Lows

Kate was forcibly shot with drugs, then gang raped by a fallen triad leader whom she had betrayed and his henchmen. This was a lot of talk and hype about the scene, even claims of how Kate’s acting in the scene was good enough for TV Queen. In the end, the anticipated scene was only 1 second, showing an unconscious Kate and the faces of the gangsters.

Tavia Yeung in Silver Spoon, Sterling Shackles
Tavia was captured by three men for not giving “face” to their boss. The scene cuts to a crying Tavia next to the boss, who is laughs at having taken her virginity. He then invites the three men to rape her as well. The damage from the gang rape causes Tavia to be infertile.

Grace Wong in House of Harmony and Vengeance

Grace’s elegant dancing attracted attention from the son of a government official, who tricked her into a room and attempted to rape her. The guy held her down on the bed and tore off her clothes, revealing her cleavage, before Bobby Au-Yeung rushed in and killed the guy.

Aimee Chan in The Other Truth

Aimee was accompanied home by an Indian man, Chima. She is forced down on the sofa, screaming. They are shown arguing in their undergarments until her boyfriend enters and she cries that she has been raped. Later, it is discovered that she had actually seduced him. 

Sire Ma in Relic of an Emissary

Sire is dragged into the storage room and raped by one of the guards. In the scene, the rape was represented by the spilling of rice from the sack. She is seen afterwards in a shocked state with her bare shoulders showing.

Credits

Natalie Tong in A Fistful of Stances

Natalie is chased down in a forest by Eric Li. As she screams for help, the scene is intercut with her brothers feeling a bad omen elsewhere. Eric finally catches her in a flying leap and pins her to the ground. The scene fades out as her cries echo in the air.

The trend will continue. From news articles, upcoming rape scenes include:

Samantha Ko in Friendly Fire

Samantha will be raped by a spoiled rich guy, portrayed by former Mr. Hong Kong contestant Ronan Pak. This scene will surely be anticipated by the netizens who view Samantha as a “goddess”. 

Mandy Wong in A Change of Heart

Portraying a prostitute, Mandy will be knocked out with a chloroform pad and raped in a dark alley. Luckily, Niki Chow, a police officer, arrives on the scene to save her.

Natalie Tong in Detective Columbo

Natalie reveals that she will be raped by Pierre Ngo. She said the scene only took her one take and joked that she was the most professional rape victim at TVB.

Sire Ma in Will Power
In the series, Sire is the manager of a modelling agency and will be dating Vincent Wong. Unfortunately, Vincent will turn bad and rape her.

Myolie Wu in Rosy Business 3
There will be lots of steamy scenes for Myolie Wu who works as a spy, including passionate kissing and bed scenes. The rape scene will involve Japanese soldiers.  

Repeat Offender: Eric Li
It's been said that out of ten roles, nine of Eric's roles are villainous and of the nine villain roles, eight are rapists. A sampling of his victims:

- Natalie Tong in A Fistful of Stances
- Charmaine Li in Ghost Writer
- Queenie Chu in A Journey Called Life
- Participated in a gang rape in D.I.E.

What do you think of rape scenes on TV?