Overview - My Life as Loan Shark

Loan-shark king Kent Chang has always used underworld tactics to run his loan-shark business and employs improper methods to collect debts. Although his wife Maggie Siu has urged him to wash his hands of the business, he is unrepentant. As Kent operates his business and collects debts, he attracts the attention of detective Chris Lai. Chris, who is righteous and abhors evil, vows to fight against evil forces. One day, lightning strikes down from the sky and Kent is moved by the heavens. Since then, he has laid down the butcher's knife and used his fortune to give back to the community, becoming a "Neighbourhood Fortune Man".

Overview - I Bet Your Pardon

Con artist Kent Cheng is imprisoned after being set up by Chinese detective Kent Tong and his senior Paul Chun. Kent T. even steals his girlfriend, Angie Cheong. Five years later, Kent C. has become a renowned film producer. He has two assistants (Babyjohn Choi and James Ng), as well as his daughter (Ada Wong), whom he recently reunited with. When his junior Parkman Wong is murdered, Kent C. suspects that his disciple (Edward Ma) did it. The two face off on the gambling table... Ada confesses to her dancing teacher Angie that she has a crush on rookie director Dominic Ho. It leads to an unexpected reunion between Angie and Kent C. Angie steals Kent T.'s books with his illegal transactions and prepares to elope. Outraged, Kent T. tries to destroy the pair. As Kent C. is escorted to prison, he is broken free by a mysterious person. They plan a trap and vow to lure the tyrannical Kent T. inside.

Overview - My Dangerous Mafia Retirement Plan

From their childhood to becoming the top two figures in the mafia, Kent Cheng and Tommy Wong have stuck together through the thick and thin. When Tommy was imprisoned for killing a cop, Kent helped him look after his mistress, Alice Chan. But Kent and Alice secretly get married behind Tommy's back. Soon after, Kent retires from the mafia and opens a food business, living a plain life with his sister-in-law (Kingdom Yuen) and daughter from his previous marriage (Eliza Sam). Tommy gets released early and turns to Kent for support. Their brotherhood is tested, and it even fractures Eliza's relationship with her boyfriend Matt Yeung. As the family is falling apart, Tommy persuades Kent to make a comeback in the mafia. Kent's ex-wife Amy Fan reappears again after having been missing for many years and reveals an unknown secret. Everyone becomes implicated in a nerve-wracking mafia fight...

My Dangerous Mafia Retirement Plan Promo Clips

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Extended Trailer

King Maker Review

Producer: Leung Choi Yuen

Genre: Imperial rivalry

Cast: Kent Cheng, Wayne Lai, Pierre Ngo, Chris Lai, Kingdom Yuen, Florence Kwok, Kristal Tin

Plot: Essentially three ministers vying to determine the destiny of the faltering Song Dynasty. (Read more here)

Review:

With the same leads, same producer, same costumes, almost same setting, King Maker will definitely draw comparisons to The Greatness of a Hero. And the conclusion is… King Maker pales in comparison.  

Perhaps it was the length of the drama. The Greatness of a Hero was fast-paced with only 20 episodes. King Maker felt a lot slower with 28 episodes. There’s no need to repeatedly show the flashback montages. Nor the long heart-felt conversations paired with slow music. They can even cut some of the added attempts at drama, such as the whole Vivien Yeo jealousy act at Natalie Tong. I would have preferred it if everything was crammed into a much more intense 20 episodes.

Or perhaps it is the familiarity of it all. The same old plots are being recycled again and again. Where have I seen the voodoo doll scheme before? The failed delivery of rice? The is-he-the-real-son crisis always leading to a highly dramatized blood-test which never fails because of some type of trick? We need some new creativity. Also please end the recycling of those “golden” lines from previous dramas.

In what was billed as “TV King meets Film King”, the actors did their job BUT… For Wayne Lai, I feel like there’s nothing new. The holding-his-anger-by-clenching-his-jaw and the serious, non-smiling expression are things I’ve seen before. And especially when he does the yelling scenes, it reminds me of Chau Kau of Rosy Business. As for Kent Cheng, what is with those weird expressions, loud yelling and tone changes? He talks too fast as well. Nonetheless, they were still very, very good, along with everyone else that had an important role. Special praise should go to Pierre Ngo for his excellent portrayal of the traumatized prince when he returned to Song.

Mind you, the drama is not nearly as bad as I’ve made it sound. It is a drama full of schemes, deception and betrayal. There is a unique take with the First Prince having to recover from post-traumatic disorder. The character relationships were intriguing. Initially, the sons of the minsters weren’t on their father’s side. Elaine Yiu had complicated connections to all three ministers. This series will leave you wanting to watch the next episode, except you may want to fast forward within some episodes.

By the way, in real history, Pierre’s First Prince is indeed not the son of his predecessor. However he was still a descendant of the Song royal family. (Read more here)

Conclusion: Like No Regrets: exciting but needlessly dragged on.

Rating: 4/5

Overview - King Maker

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Synopsis:
Within the imperial court of Southern Song, there are two factions: 1^st Prince Pierre Ngo and 2^nd Prince Chris Lai both desire the throne. The Left and Right Chancellors Wayne Lai and Kent Cheng were originally friends before Wayne’s father, KK Cheung, was exiled for angering the Emperor. As a result, Wayne was separated from his younger siblings, Patrick Tang and Natalie Tong. Patrick is tricked to become a eunuch, while Natalie loses her memory and is adopted by the triad leader Kristal Tin. Wayne believes that Kent betrayed his father for self-interest and vows to exact revenge. He colludes with the corrupt court official Joseph Lee. The battle commences on the imperial court with treachery, schemes, murder and more...

Related Article: Original Article

Palace dramas about scheming women have always been a ratings guarantee, from War and Beauty to Beyond the Realm of Conscience to Curse of the Royal Harem. The reason for the success is same: competition. The upcoming series, King Maker, will feature fierce competition. But instead of a battle between females, it will be a grand showdown between men. Following The Greatness of a Hero, Film King Kent Cheng and TV King Wayne Lai face each other again to see who can be the ultimate kingmaker!

Kent and Wayne are mentors to the two Princes. In order to help their Prince become Emperor, they will turn against each other with evil plots and cunning schemes. Last time in The Greatness of a Hero, Wayne was evil to no extent, but this time it is Kent’s turn to be the villain. Wayne says, “The Greatness of a Hero was in the Tang dynasty, King Maker is in the Song dynasty. A few hundred years apart, it is like a re-carnation. It is interesting that Kent and I switch between good and evil roles.” Kent, who seldom portrays the antagonist, says that his role will leave a lasting impression on the audience. He jokes, “Wayne and I will fight for the Best Supporting Actor Award.”

TVB’s focus on “lovey-dovey” plots in recent years has received negative criticisms from many fans. Even in the police drama, Tiger Cubs, scriptwriters have inserted unnecessary love plots, which has annoyed viewers who only want to see the SDU in action. King Maker breaks with tradition to emphasis competition over romance. Film King and TV King will obviously contribute their spectacular acting skills. They are supported by solid actresses, such as Kingdom Yuen, Florence Kwok and Kristal Tin.

The cast also features younger actors with great potential, such as Pierre Ngo, Chris Lai and Natalie Tong. Of them, Pierre’s performances can never be discounted. Collaborating with two heavy-weights, this may be a chance for “Spare-ribs Boy” to gain reach higher heights. For viewers tired of TVB’s repetitive love themes, King Maker will surely not disappoint!

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