A Different Kind of HK Drama: “Line Walker: The Prelude” Wastes No Time
The following article contains spoilers for Line Walker: The Prelude, which premiered Monday, September 18, 2017.
After over a year in the making, the highly anticipated prequel to 2014’s Line Walker <使徒行者> finally premiered on Monday, September 18, 2017. The original 2014 drama, produced by Jazz Boon (文偉鴻), followed a CIB investigator’s mission in uncovering several undercover agents that went missing after their handler was murdered. It starred Michael Miu (苗僑偉) in the lead, with Raymond Lam (林峯) and Charmaine Sheh (佘詩曼) costarring as the missing undercovers. The drama has spawned a film sequel starring Charmaine with Nick Cheung (張家輝), Louis Koo (古天樂), and Francis Ng (吳鎮宇), which was released last year.
TVB’s series prequel, Line Walker: The Prelude <使徒行者2>, sees the return of Michael Miu as CIB Senior Inspector Cheuk Hoi, who attempts to tie up loose ends after a failed secret mission in Bangkok, Thailand. Meanwhile, former undercover agent Tam Foon-hei (portrayed by Hui Shiu-hung 許紹雄) avenges for the death of his wife by establishing his own triad organization, and goes head to head with Mr. Mobius (portrayed by Moses Chan 陳豪), the underworld’s most powerful leader. The Prelude is set in 2010, and it will lead up to the events of 2014’s Line Walker.
So Man-chung, the producer of The Prelude, said Line Walker is an “independent label” that can be stretched out into multiple seasons, with multiple stories. “It’s the epitome of the classical Hong Kong crime genre. There are triads going against each other. There’s that ongoing suspicion of who is the real undercover… this kind of genre can stretch on forever. This show can go up to seasons 3, 4, or 5. Each season can have a different producer with different actors, adding more creativity and different styles to the show. We can also do parallel universes. Why aren’t we doing a sequel instead? Look at James Bond and other spy film series. There are new elements and styles to every installment. Following the same characters might not be a good thing. Instead, we get to explore our creativity with new characters and settings. We have so much room to do that.”
The Prelude, which will air for 30 episodes, centers on Cheuk Sir’s self-redemption journey. The story starts off with the death of five Hong Kong undercovers in Thailand, and Cheuk Sir sets off on a mission to find the remaining five undercovers who went missing. To complete his mission, Cheuk Sir had to seek the trust of powerful figures in the underworld, becoming a “black cop”.
“The writers and I love to twist things around,” said Producer So. “Unless the show’s ending, I want it to be hard to guess. Of course, we’re not going to add the twist for the sake of having a twist. There’s going to be logic behind it. Everything has to make sense.”
The producer further added that The Prelude is not going to be following the style of a “typical Hong Kong drama”.
“Hong Kong dramas likes to concentrate on the family a lot. The themes are usually about family or morals. But this one is going to be different. We’re going to take a step forward, and not talk about family at all. It’s not like the characters don’t have a family, but you won’t get a scene with a bunch of characters sitting down on a dining table eating noodles. There’s going to be a point in everything these characters say. It’s fast-paced, like American dramas. I’m sure the audience will really enjoy that.”
Source: Mingpao.com
This article is written by Addy for JayneStars.com.
Watched around 5-6 episodes.The plot is very similar to its original but it has a fast paced movie style feel to it. Hui Siu Hung is carrying the series so far along with Moses who is excellent. Jessica’s character is interesting and I can see having her in this series will add depth to the cast. The weak link is Pakho Chau who’s acting is very unnatural and raw. Stanley Cheung is badly miscast as Mose’s serious bodyguard too.
i am on episode 3 and it is not bad so far. Let hope there is no disappointment .
@hannah i have watched up till episode 10. out of the blue, michael miu has a 徒弟. how in the world does Priscilla and Pakho come into the picture if this is supposed to be a prelude? Where is Jimmy Au?
@janet72 how in the world did u watch so many already? Where did u get the other episodes from??? Illegally downloaded??
@flocky1
First 10 episodes had been broadcasted in China already.
@janet72 haha i know right, i just finished all 10 episode.
The producer has made some big promises. There will be twists but they will have logic so he says. Hope he delivers on that.
Moses looked so uncle from the picture above even Michael looked younger than him. Looking forward to this drama.
Michael Miu has the charm always. Why must Moses have such an ugly hairstyle? Watched several Jazz Boon productions…i like the original LW with Raymond and Charmaine. If LW 2 is going to be a prelude, then i hope to see Jimmy Au.
@janet72 actually his hairstyle very stylish, but it just doesnt fit his face. plus he is too skinny that make him looks old and ugly. i think this kind of hairstyle fits michael miu perfectly.
@kolo no no no…michael miu is really going to look like a clown with that ugly hairstyle. since moses is the bad guy, he can have that clown hairstyle.
Oh, gawd. Another none sense, unrelated comparison to James Bond. Seriously, HK people need to either get smart on the things they’re comparing to or stop sounding so dumb. Line Walker, first series, the movie and this one, can’t be compared to James Bond. Just because you have someone working for someone else in secrecy doesn’t automatically equate to 007. Just like when you have someone in suit, kick people around and carries a gun (Jimmy Au in Unholy) doesn’t mean he’s a James Bond. Ugh.
I almost fall out of my chair when they said Moses served in USMC on one of the trailers. Don’t tell me he was with the SEAL xD
@cutie777 @janet72 Yea, MM has definitely aged more gracefully than MC.
@passingby Yea, I wouldn’t hold my breath for those promises to be delivered xD
Someone reliable please watch this and let me know if it’s remotely decent to waste time on 😛 The first one was so-so, honestly. Never shipped Charm/Ray. Sharon/Sam got annoying and boring af. Benz was the saving grace.
@jjwong no way can Line Walker be compared to James Bond…it’s totally unrelated. this producer is nuts!!!
Moses looks awful with that curly hairstyle.
I don’t fancy watching Sharon Chan either…nauseating.
Line Walker (2014) original one is good…but can’t imagine having Nick Cheung and the others in it. if this is supposed to be a prelude, for goodness sake, don’t throw in guest stars. Bring in Jimmy Au.
@jjwong LOL…oh gawd is right! The comparison to James Bond is downright stupid. This is just another example of HK audiences’ worship of the West….they just make themselves look like fools half the time with those dumb comparisons (though I’ve heard worse from ordinary HK citizens so yea…).
Like I stated below, most of what So Man Chung said in the interview makes no sense…he’s probably just throwing crap out there to get people hyped up and interested in his series. Kind of like what Jazz Boon did with Unholy Alliance, where he kept throwing out hints and hyping up the ending (though he went overboard IMO, as he didn’t just do interviews, he was also on Facebook like every day pushing his series, lol) – and we all know how that turned out….
I love Michael and Benz, but definitely not watching this series….as it is, I’m already getting worked up enough just reading the plethora of articles and commentary on the series (only first couple episodes and it already beats TUA in terms of media exposure and coverage, lol).
@jjwong haha HK viewers are hilarious
@hannah @llwy12 @janet72 If they (producer, TVB and likes) want hype, they should at least put some thought in doing in properly. Randomly throw out James Bond comparison is lazy. Randomly said this is Line Walker Prelude is dumb. All they have to do is THINK. If they want to worship an US movie to compare it to, use The Departed. It has the exact, carbon copy premise and is critically acclaimed. If they want to milk Line Walker’s popularity, say it’s Line Walker: Alternate Universe. Prelude (or “second” in the Chinese title) means it has to be a continuation of the first one. DUH! Now if you’re too darn lazy and lack creativity to make it all fit together, yet still want to burrow some popular characters and reuse same actors, said it’s AU. Then viola! No diehard fans nitpicking. No timeline to be worry about. No continuity needed. Ugh, seriously, why HK entertainment seems so incompetent??? -_-;
I’m already this worked up and shaking my head at their stupid without watching the series… Image my blood vessels if I do watch it… Lol.
@jjwong Lol…well, seeing that The Departed was a direct copy of Infernal Affairs, probably would’ve been better for them to bring up Infernal Affairs – but then again, that was a HK movie so less prestigious than linking it to a legendary, internationally known franchise such as James Bond / 007. Besides, they (not TVB but former TVB people in collaboration with Mainland production company) are already re-making Infernal Affairs into a TV series so probably didn’t want to mention it so they wouldn’t get sued. The James Bond thing aside though, it’s still stupid that the producer is trying to spin this as an independent series with the possibility of TVB adding more installments to the franchise all supposedly with different plots and produced/written by different people but with same overall story arc and same characters – it really sounds like TVB is going to milk this Line Walker thing even worse than they did Laughing Gor! Oh and is it just me or does anyone else have problems with TVB sticking veterans in the series as cameos then killing them off before the episode is over? Man, I feel sorry for Eddie Cheung – if they are going to pull that crap, get a newbie or a kelefe or someone at that level to do it…why waste his time having him film for them when he only gets a few minutes of screentime essentially?
Hahaha…welcome to my world…that’s how I feel about TVB (and today’s HK entertainment industry as a whole) pretty much all the time now, lol. Oh I just read about some other TVB stupidities today (they’re pulling another “Phoenix Rising” move – unburying an old program produced like 11 years ago that had been sitting in their warehouse all this time and finally airing it…honestly, why even bother???). And tomorrow is going to be something else no doubt…argh….
@llwy12 I thought about using Infernal Affairs but since that’s HK and not Western so I picked The Departed. See, just a little thinking and common sense go a long way TVB. Side note, both are actually a copy of a Thai movie. I can’t remember the movie but I remember researching the similiar between IA and tD to show my ex that US made a carbon copy of HK. Lol.
Yea, that is a waste of Eddie. They should’ve given Eddie Benz’ role (considering this is a “Prelude”). Physical wise though, I think Ram Chiang look like him and can probably pull off as a younger him. Moses need to take a few lesson from Eddie and Sam Gor on staying fit and youthful. Moses really aged! He looked scary then to me, though I did liked his acting. Now, he looks extra creepy. Funny, his hair style is similar to Chris Lai in Tofu War. Chris wears it so much better! Lol. Age aside of course.
What old series are they putting up now?? They’re so strange! Yet they’re so successful…
@jjwong It’s not a series – it’s an old talk show / comedy skit type variety show hosted by Jerry Lamb and Chin Kar Lok that was produced back in 2006. The “story” is that TVB refused to air it back then because the show not only poked fun at many of TVB’s top execs and spilled the beans on some of their “secrets”, it also put TVB in a bad light – so due to its “sensitive” content, the show got thrown into the warehouse and never saw the light of day (it didn’t even air overseas like Phoenix Rising and other “warehoused” series did). TVB has now decided to pull the show out and broadcast it starting next week on their Big Big Channel platform (supposedly to “test the waters”)…however there is speculation that they might still cut out some of the content…when the reporters asked Sandy Yu about it, she pretty much said they decided to air the show because it’s “comedy” and so audiences should get a chance to watch it (lol, what kind of a lame explanation is that?) – as far as whether they will cut anything out, she didn’t give a straight answer, only saying that they will “try” to broadcast the show in its original form…
TVB must be desperate to get attention on themselves in whatever way possible….I mean, why else would they drudge up some never-before-seen variety program from 11 years ago and broadcast it now like its a brand new show when most of the content is probably irrelevant now anyway (those type of “comedic” routine oriented shows have a short shelf life – most of the “jokes” are probably outdated already). But I guess it’s not that surprising given Sandy Yu’s style and how much she loves stirring up controversy to gain attention – after all, negative attention is better than no attention, right?
@llwy12 Yea, wow, that’s very stupid to air a contemporary comedy skit a decade later. All the jokes would be so dated and irrelevant like you said. What’s the point? Just to fill airtime? Dumb, dumb, dumb. They’ve always been quantity over quality though. So I’m not too surprised. I’m more surprise with how long they’ve been so blind with all bad and what seems like bad business choices/decisions. I’m baffled really… Eh. So glad I have other options besides TVB or HK entertainment.
@jjwong LOL…you haven’t seen the worst of it. These past couple weeks have been saturated with so many TVB “what the hell were you thinking” moments that my head is spinning now from “TVB bad decision” overload, lol. It’s bad enough that TVB isn’t doing too well in the series department, now many of their variety shows have issues too (ok, well their variety shows have been problematic for at least a decade already but looks like HK audiences are just now starting to notice, lol). It sounds like TVB’s poor decision-making over the years is finally catching up to them now, though on second thought, I think it’s more a case of no one over there (specifically referring to those in the management ranks) really caring anymore, which I guess I shouldn’t be surprised since the writing has been on the wall for a while already that TVB’s “interests” are no longer in the HK market….I don’t think it’s a coincidence that TVB has made some drastic financial changes in the past year with shifting of investments to Mainland market and also to Hollywood (I think I mentioned somewhere the news from several months back about TVB teaming up with Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment to produce original TV shows and movies for Hollywood and American audiences…). TVB’s largest shareholder Li Ruigang has already made it pretty clear that the Hollywood venture will be a “significant part of TVB’s growth strategy in the coming years” (yea, I’m totally stoked about TVB bringing their crap over here and saturating our market with it…NOT!!). Either way though, whether TVB will be investing in Mainland or Hollywood, one thing’s for sure – HK audiences will end up with the short end of the stick, as none of the investment ”plans” so far include HK….
@jjwong Eddie probably agreed to participate in the series because of Michael Miu, since they’re buddies. And most likely he didn’t get paid for it either (or he got the “pat on the back + red envelope with pocket money” payment that the “friendship card” artists usually get). Honestly, Eddie needs to stop doing his buddies favors, lol…with 2 best actor awards from prestigious international film festivals under his belt, he has enough merit in his own right to not let TVB treat him this way, even if he IS only doing it as a favor for his friends…
@llwy12 Holy shat. No. Keep this TVB nonsense contained! Hollywood is shatty as is without TVB help. Speaking of thay, that HK actor who did/does Borderland is starring or at least in the new Laura Croft Tomb Raider movie. Glad Asians are branching out into the West. Hope Western world takes them seriously.
Regardless, I really hope TVB put up good effort and best of the best. Their current arsenal of talents are like none existence. Anything or anyone less than great would be a laughing stock in the Western world and tainted ppl view. I want Asia to success, darn it. On good merits! Like both Jackies and Stephen Chow, they’re someone Western genuinely awed at. I like Phat Gor but his influence in the West was a joke and I think bc his people didn’t fight for him. Only put in the whole any kind of exposure is good exposure nonsense. I feel Jet Li ilhas the same fate in Hollywood.
Honestly, I haven’t been overly impressed by Eddie in his TVB series. I think he’s been coasting bc all the chars they gave him are so easy to portrait. I’m glad that he’s not dependent on TVB. All these friendship cards need to stop; even though we’ll suffer bc no nostalgic feel, but it’ll teach TVB a lesson, maybe, hopefully, probably not lol. I like Nick Cheung in one of his interviews about his horror movie that he sworn he’ll never use friendship card. That’s so pro and I admire him for that. I want to watch more his produced movies now lol.
Though why can’t TVB and HK entertain take a lesson from Studio Ghibli? They stayed domestic, honed their crafts, and mastered their skills. The West took notice and aspire to be like them. Then viola, doors open on ST own turf and continue to stay true and inspire others. Gotta give to the Japs, they take something, run with it, make it their own and master that niche market. From entertainment to technology to food.
Never liked line walker. Everyone was a mole and unconvincing at that. But since Moses is in this, is he really good as the cold hearted bad guy? Or is he another mole?
Moses’ hair is really distracting lol
@tiffany his hair is so ugly.
i finished up to episode 10. watched on ipad. i think the site is icdrama.se
Um, sorry but So Man Chung seems to be speaking nonsense here. If you have the same characters and essentially the same story, then it’s a sequel/prequel, not an “independent” series. If they want it to be independent and not linked to the original LineWalker at all, then remove all references to the original and change the story as well as characters completely. Honestly, I feel like TVB is shooting themselves in the foot with this one. Already, there are die-hard LineWalker fans out there taking apart this series and comparing it with the original as well as the film. The problem is that TVB hasn’t been able to make up their mind on what they want to do with this franchise. They change things but then keep the same characters and now of course they have continuity issues, with people saying that the timelines make no sense between the original series, the prequel, and the movie, Foon Hei Gor’s storyline is screwed up big-time, etc.
I’m so glad I’m not watching this series because I would be pissed off as hell but more than anything, I am super glad I wasn’t a fan of the original Line Walker because if I were, I know I would want to watch just to see how badly TVB butchers things, which of course would tick me off even more.
@llwy12 the producer of the prelude (aka LW2) should have been produced by Jazz since he did a pretty ok job with the original one (although there were too many deaths). Moses and Jessica screwed up this drama. Even with Benz and Michael Miu, LW2 is pretty rubbish.
@janet72 lol. Tot u binge watched all 10 eps already? Ive just finished ep 2. Not comfortable with the amt of bloodshed I’m seeing. It seems to be just bang bang bang kill kill kill.
I will admit that the drama is decent and entertaining so far. At the back of my mind, I know TVB will somehow butcher this.
Jimmy Au should be in as he was in the trailers. Funny how a lot happened already in the 10 episodes. Makes me wonder how the 2/3 will play out. Scarlett (Jessica) is an interesting character. Also I am suspecting Benjamin is a UC. Decent performances so far.
James Bond is different lol. The opening sequence may be similar to the visual opening in the movies but this is an apples and oranges comparison. 007 is a British spy bringing down global threats and more dangerous crime syndicates. Bring up Infernal Affairs at least…
@kirigiri i suspect Benjamin is also a UC…there are supposed to be 5. so maybe Jessica could also be one unless she has turned bad.
The pacing is nice! Here’s to hoping it will maintain the momentum lol
I gave up on it after episode 3. Any show with a gun that has unlimited ammo is a failure. The scene I believe was in 2nd episode where the shooting occurred in the kitchen. Come on TVB give me some hope that future dramas will be better like the old days.
So Man Chung produced The Borderline so I have faith that this won’t end up like Jazz Boon’s no plot shows.
I think Moses hairstyle is a good change though, otherwise he would just look very uninteresting and old. Admit it! He is old regardless! But Sam gor is looking fab as usual.
Lol I see people bashing on Priscilla and how she can’t compare to Ah Sheh. But I think Priscilla is fun to watch ( swipe tap love die hard fan here lol).
Ben’s hair colour bothers me though. But his bod makes up for it haha.
UA was a flop because they had zero character development. Imo Tsum Foon Hei is one of the most interesting character tvb has created. I liked that LW2 is a prequel instead of tvbs usual follow up stories and actually relates to the 2014 LW.
I do think this drama will put up a fight for Best Drama with Legal Mavericks
@bubbles23 Don’t forget that The Borderline was an HKTV series and the way they operated over there was way different. There was true creative freedom over there where the writers and producers could pretty much do whatever they wanted in terms of creative vision – at TVB, that’s not the case. So Man Chung still has to operate under TVB management’s “vision” and adhere to whatever restrictions they place on him…the most he can do is make small changes here and there and apply his own ideas within the tight realm of what TVB allows him to do. In a way, I guess you could say that it boils down to the TV station and the way it is managed that determines what type of programs they churn out, not really who the producer is.
@bubbles23 Swipe Love Tap! Yaasss! That was one underrated series. Since our taste is acute, maybe I’ll see how you think of LW2 and whether I should chase it lol.
I like Priscilla too. There’s something natural, easy going air about her. From trailer, her char is nothing like Charmaine’s. So people need to stop comparing. This is the plague they’ll get strictly because they chose to use Line Walker in the title. SMH.
Ironically enough, I did not finish Borderline. I liked most of HKTV productions but I couldn’t get into that one. IDK why… I agree with @llwy12 though. Even if Borderline did great and non-TVB like, there’s very high chance LW2 having a different fate because of TVB.
@jjwong ‘Swipe Tap Love’is one of my favourite modern series in recent years. Well thought out and deep love series. I’m a big fan of Priscilla. Having her in Line Walker 2 just makes the series more watchable. However due to her weak voice which is no fault of her own, I can’t see her acting TV series career advancing too much.
@jimmyszeto Yes! STL is a very thoughtful, logical even, rom. Everyone and characters were likable and relatable. I even felt bad and rooted for Tony and his character for better love. I liked this Jonathan’s acting and character the most out of all his other ones. Priscilla does have a weak voice/tone, but I think she can improve with vocal coach. I hated Charmine squeaky voice when she first started, especially in the Cheung Mo Kay series with Lawrence as him. She changed. Look at Sisley. She improved. So I think Priscilla can get better
@jjwong yeh Swipe Tap Love has many great performances including Eddie Kwan’s classic oldie character. Even Kelly Fu, a fame and money seeker in real life had a lovable role. Kaki Leung too who is usually annoying in most series was annoyingly good. I’m not sure Priscilla’s voice can be improved. It’s real broken stop/start type while Charmaine’s voice in the past was squeaky but flowed fine. It may not work well in long TV series but should be fine for movies if she ever gets to that stage.
@jimmyszeto Oh yes, Eddie! He was funny. I liked Kelly too. I think she’s another one that has acting potential.
I have hope for Priscilla because I like her. Maybe she needs to venture to kelefe in movies to learn a few things like Sisley did. Though IDK if she has that ambition. She seems like a chilled, too chilled to care or to take initiative or be aggressive for more. Hope so though.
@jjwong
I think a lot of people couldn’t stand The Borderline because of Lam Kar Wah, which is understandable.
Glad to hear some people like Priscilla. I have watched all her series since debut and I feel she’s the only one able to give off a different vibe in each character, unlike Myolie or Elaine. (not hating, I like Elaine too)
@bubbles23 Wait, what? Are you referring to Dominic as in his acting or his character? Dom is a good actor. Why is the hate on him? If anything, I would think he and Uncle Chi saved that series. I stopped watching after 1-2 eps because too effing dark lighting (lol) amd the dubbing of that Hawkeyes-like character and a couple other ones.
@jjwong I think it it is both lol , especially for the younger obes like myself he’s kinda old.
@bubbles23 RLY? So younger generation doesn’t think he can act? He’s not a looker, sure. But this guy can act over any given current young actor/idol. He was brilliant in the HKTV with Frankie Lam that all shots at night. He was lead and the glue in that series for me.
@jjwong See, this is what I mean when I said in that other thread about the younger generation not respecting acting talent. To not like an actor or actress just because he or she is “too old” or “not good-looking” is really shallow and to be honest, it irks me to no end. People who automatically dislike a series just because the leads are older should just stick to watching idol series with “little fresh meat” in them and not bother with anything else….
@llwy12
@bubbles23 posting ‘a lot of people can’t stand Lam Ka Wah and that is understandable.’ Can’t get a more irresponsible comment than that. No opinion or explanation on why he’s disliked. No statistics to prove if he is actually hated. It’s a horrible comment to make.
@jimmyszeto @jjwong
I’m sorry that my comment got yall upset, didn’t mean to.
I’m not hating on Lam, and I agree it is unfortunate most people base things off of looks. But that’s apparently how it is, and how the industry is.
Many people I know, do in fact avoid watching shows with people that aren’t from their generation.
@bubbles23 Not upset, mate. It’s more like a pity that you and younger generation missing out on good acting solely because the actor or actress is older. If eye candy you’re looking for, consider like Mr. HK or fashion show or the likes emphasize on looks. Movies should be watch for plot and acting. Sure there are idol drama, but those idols will age with no substance. Don’t you get bored with Idols drama? They’re essentially same theme and plot and close up shots, lol. I recommend you expand your horizon and taste, give more substance actors and actresses a chance. Look pass the facade. Enjoy!
@llwy12 I hear ya. It’s very subjective to them, when it should be objective. They exist. Is it irritating? Yes. Don’t get too worked up because it’ll fall on death ears regardless. We’re not gonna change them overnight and definitely not with posts on a forum. It is sad, unfortunate and lame. Eh, I take the say what I want to say and then leave them be. No point of wringing their necks, lol. We “ain’t got time for that” none sense, lol.
No doubt the the director who directed The Borderline and Line Walker 2 is really talented and will become a decent movie director in years to come if not already.
So far Infernal Affairs copycats. Please point more out if you spot more!
1. Line walker-powerful Ngai family. Son Ngai Dak Sun(Moses) who is calm and calculated takes over from father who is an almost retired triad leader. Son wants to make a statement by eliminating leaders in the gang. One loyal boss(Benz) escapes.
Infernal Affairs-powerful Ngai family. Ngai Wing Hau (Francis) is head of family and is calm and calculated wants to eliminate leaders of the gang to avenge his father’s murder. One loyal member escapes (Eric Tsang).
2. Line walker-Minor boss(Benz)has a fearless wife(Alice) who is very loyal to husband and slaps hard. Wife is murdered and minor boss and seeks revenge.
Infernal Affairs-Minor boss(Eric) has a fearless wife(Carina) who is very loyal to husband and slaps hard. Wife is murdered and minor boss seeks revenge.
3. Line Walker-Minor boss seeks protection in Thailand and is saved by local boss.
Infernal Affairs-Minor boss seeks protection in Thailand and is saved by local boss.
4. Line walker-Under minor boss(Benz) he has a loud mouth member who talks rubbish (Brian Tse) while others don’t take him seriously.
Infernal Affairs-Under minor boss(Eric) he has a loud mouth member (Chapman To) who talks rubbish while others don’t take him seriously.
5. Line Walker- Powerful corrupt cop called Lau kin Ming(randomer)
Infernal Affairs-Powerful corrupt cop called Lau Kin Ming(Andy Lau)
@jimmyszeto Great job, jimmy! This is obviously another instance of TVB blatantly plagiarizing a work that’s not their own. Now I’m definitely glad I didn’t bother watching this series! Media Asia (the company that produced Infernal Affairs) will probably be pissed, especially since they already re-made Infernal Affairs into a TV series on their own and has plans to release the series soon….TVB just stole Media Asia’s “first dibs” spotlight…I honestly hope they (Media Asia) sue the crap out of TVB (and make them pay a hefty royalty fee while they’re at it)!!
@llwy12
It’s watchable because of the brilliance of Infernal Affairs. Line Walker 2 is much better directed than the original. The plagiarism is a major problem though. I’ve seen worse. Tiger Cubs 2 when the first robbery case including the brilliant twist was 100% copied from ‘The Inside Man’ movie.
@llwy12 Dont be a noob please. You make urself shameful only. Ideas for drama and movie can never be plagiarism. People can follow the idea of robbery, murder and whatever. You go for writing exam also you can use whatever idea you like. Dont so butthurt whenever TVB can produce excellent drama that got 100million viewer in 14 hours time. TVB not like HKTV that got no license that produce crap dramas with crap actors/actresses.
This line walker is excellent. The acting skills are tip top. Who cares if you dont watch the series? Most important the majority of chinese is watching it that matters!
@lam86 Um, you’re bloody joking right? It’s one thing to be inspired by an idea. It’s completely another to bluntly copy from char to char and play to play. It’s plagiarized, where you take someone else work and call it your own. As @jimmyszeto pointed out all that chars and plots are one to one lifted from IA. It’s not brilliant. It’s lazy writing. Good number of people watch doesn’t equal top notch story. Now, I can guess great performance from Benz and Michael since they’ve proven themselves in other works. But that doesn’t mean it’s automatically good script. As @llwy12 pointed out, it’s script and plot that are weak, or rather just taken from someone else’s work. Why then the credits should be given to copier? TVB in this case, hrm?
I won’t entertain you with TVB vs HKTV because you already made your mind and worship TVB. So it’ll be like talking to a wall. Have a nice, blindful life. /peace
@jjwong
Although it’s lazy writing but I love Infernal Affairs. I can’t help but watch this even though its as blatant as it gets. Watch Brian Tse and rewatch Chapman To’s breakthrough role. Watch Moses and watch Ngai family boss Francis. Would have taken a couple of hours for the TVB writers to use Infernal Affairs and change a few things.
@jimmyszeto I had to look up who Brain Tse is… Sound like he took Oscar’s role. Poor Oscar, so typecast and forgotten.
Did you like LW 1 too then? From what I gathered, it’s pretty much in lined with LW1. MM found Charm/Priscilla first. They then found Sammy/Pakho. The bad group is run by mysterious and fearsome boss, Benz/Moses. The did-UC-turn-back “mystery” cliche is Raymond/Jessica. Somewhat outlair is Sharon/Benjamin. So really, is it IA they copied or more like they copied their own work, which most likely did copied from IA lol. Regardless, I’m still sticking to my gun of not watching. It’s all the same more or less. No fun. -_-;
@jjwong
I have to admit I quite like Line Walker 1 up until the last few episodes where they used the typical main actor Michael Miu became ‘black cop’ and pretended to kill Raymond and Charmaine to gain trust of the leader. It’s the same as The Unholy Alliance apart from TUA went downhill after a couple of episodes. Line Walker 2 is a much better series due to it being well directed with a movie feel but that was to be expected because the Borderline was well directed. You are correct that the same main storyline has been copied from the original. Police Handler dies and Michael Miu is looking for the police undercovers who have lost their files. However, many of the characters and settings are fully copied from Infernal Affairs I and II. I cant remember III because a lot of it was in mandarin and I’ve only seen it once. Moses calm and intelligent quiet character and triad family is plagiarised from IA II and Brian Tse character is almost copied to the exact original Chapman To character. There’s no other role out there that talks like Chapman To’s ‘Sor Keung’ and Brian Tse is doing it quite well. The whole Thailand drugs was used in IA II sequel and Eric Tsang had to get past big boss Francis Ng’s to get into a powerful position in IA I. We all know that Benz is powerful in Line Walker 1 but he needs to get past Moses first. I’m not going to give TVB the full rejection for plagiarising as long as the series makes sense and the performances are good. I wouldn’t argue for the sake of it unlike some members and I don’t have any idols. My philosophy is ‘credit where credit is due’ and not ‘I love Ruco’
@jjwong i am not joking and please dont embarass yourself. There is no such thing as plagiarism here. Are the actors repeating the same words, same shirts and sound track or any sound with the other movie?
Majority just want to enjoy top acting drama not enjoying new idea and story. So dont crapping on your own preference into everyone else.
@lam86
Please watch the movies and the series carefully first. It’s not just robbery, triads and murder that are copied. It’s also the more intricate details and actions of characters. I can’t comment on whether it’s legal or not because I don’t know but I feel it’s quite unethical (unless permission is granted by original owners) because the original script writers, producers and actors have put in a lot of effort into their work. In this case the plot was copied from a very successful award winning movie franchise and the characters that were taken were absolute classics characters.
@jimmyszeto As long as its not illegal, tvb can do whatever they want. They used different actors with different acting skill different conversation different music. They not copy the same sound track and script.
You can copy the idea not even the police or court will convict you. Just like you can copy the idea to cook fried chicken spicy. Will people catch you? You registered the chicken idea and others cannot use chicken to cook spicy chicken?
But if without tip top acting, how you copy the idea for your drama also useless and no 100million viewers within 14 hours for sure.
@jimmyszeto @jjwong Looks like the media is catching on to the fact that LW2 is a carbon copy of Infernal Affairs II, as I’ve already read several articles today that talk about this, with one article doing a side by side comparison of the characters, their backgrounds, mannerisms, actions, dialogue, various plot points, etc. and how similar they are. How “un-creative” of TVB to blatantly copy Infernal Affairs so closely (though of course not surprised given this isn’t the first time that they’ve done this kind of stuff)…and as usual, TVB is denying that there are any similarities whatsoever (even though the similarities are so glaringly obvious). And yes, the die-hard, delusional TVB sheep fans are still trying to defend TVB, which is ironic, since it’s quite obvious TVB still thinks their audiences are idiotic fools who will just blindly lap up whatever they churn out, no questions asked. Talk about being brainwashed….
Another great TVB drama in the pipeline! Great critics out there but every spew of criticism pales in comparison!
I am certainly hooked by its intense plotline; a potpurri of sleek actions, heart-rending emotional scenes, powerful and profound lines plus quotes etc.
I just finished watching the first episode but no, i didn’t get hooked lol! Will catch more episodes when time permits before i decide if it’s worth chasing.
Watched first episode of OCTB 2017! So good! Way better than this drama!
@anon
Just opened up the theme song of OCTB 2017 and the cast looks amazing. It’s a combination of experience and talent without dependency on idols. There’s certainly no ‘Pakho Chau’ type of actor in there. If this is an internet series then this must be the future! We won’t have to rely on TVB’s monopoly, its rotation of idol actors and ridiculously flawed scripts.
@jimmyszeto
Agreed! The cast, the plot and the acting are amazing so far. Whomever that wrote and produced this drama must continue to create more quality series. TVB will go down in history if they keep this up. I haven’t been so optimistic and ecstatic about an HK drama in years. I am on Ep. 6 of 30 episodes so far. I will go far as saying that this is the best HK-produced drama in recent years (including all of the HK television networks), even the 2nd and 3rd line actors are amazing.
@anon It does feel like I was watching an old HK movie! It’s amazing! What company is it? Is it a onetime thing?
@kaykay408
I’d like to know as well. Maybe @llwy12 might know.
@anon
I was impressed with the acting and directing in OTCB 2017 but not with the storyline of episode 1. It was the typical ‘young and dangerous’ type of storyline. Very past it’s sell by date but I’ll continue to watch since it looks like there’s a lot more to come.I’m sure a lot of money is involved with the calibre of actors and guest stars in this series.
@jimmyszeto
The plot thickens from there. Be patient!
@anon LOL…how do you know I would know? 🙂
@kaykay408 @anon
Ok, first, OCTB is NOT a TVB-produced series so let’s get that out of the way first. In fact, the series has absolutely nothing to do with TVB whatsoever (wanted to make that clear for obvious reasons, lol).
OCTB is actually a web-series that is the result of a collaborative effort between 2 little known Mainland production companies. The producer is HK actor/dancer Danny Chan Kwok Kwan (his wife is singer Emme Wong), who also stars in the series (for those who may not be familiar with him, he’s primarily a movie actor and is nicknamed “Little Dragon” because of how closely he resembles Bruce Lee). The reason why Jordan Chan is in this is because he is buddies with Danny, so he agreed to co-star together with him. Danny’s wife Emme Wong is also in the series. They invited boatloads of HK veterans to participate in this, both from the movie and television worlds but not only that, they actually put a lot into the script as well as the production itself – the production costs top 60 million HKD, which is A LOT of money for a 40 episode web series. Also, the series was actually shot last year but they only started airing it this week (probably to go up against TVB’s much-touted Line Walker 2 premiere). And yes, if there seems to be a “Young and Dangerous” / gangster / old HK vibe to the series, it makes sense because so many of the veteran actors they invited were famous for their roles in Y&D and all those other triad / gangster-themed series….also the setting for the series is 1980s HK…even the theme song is an old classic, the theme song from HK’s very first cop series produced back in 1977, which was originally sung by Michael Kwan (Benji Chiang, who also stars in OCTB, was given the honor of re-making the song for the series and also serve as producer for the rest of the music in the series).
The other interesting fact is that this series is indeed giving Line Walker 2 a run for its money. As of yesterday, the number of “hits” for LW2 over a 5 day period is close to 200 million however for OCTB, it has already surpassed the 100 million mark in less than 3 days of broadcast. Personally, I prefer OCTB over LW2, not just because of the cast but also the quality of the production overall, which pretty much leaves LW2 and TVB in the dust….
@jimmyszeto “Just opened up the theme song of OCTB 2017 and the cast looks amazing. It’s a combination of experience and talent without dependency on idols. There’s certainly no ‘Pakho Chau’ type of actor in there.”
True, no Pakho type of character, but there IS a comparison being drawn by the media, since Pakho’s former colleague Justin Cheung (both were under same management company prior to Pakho switching to TVB), who plays the crazy baddie character in OCTB, is kicking arse with his impressive performance in the series, getting lots of praise from audiences (versus the criticism that Pakho has been getting for his lackluster and wooden performance in LW2). A little ironic to be honest…
@llwy12 IDK why your comment about OCTB isn’t showing up here but it shows on “recent comments” page. Anyways, I caved and watched OCTB. Holy moly, I’m glad I did! Besides obvious quality of heavy-contending stars; the feels, the production, and the filming are great. The POV are refreshing yet nostalgic at the same time. Yes, it’s very Y&D feel, which that in itself is new. I like how it’s taken from the “black side” side and unlike these UC series from TVB where has no focus angle. They put in some effort in the dialogues, used a lot of slangs. It’s pretty cool. Even the cops’ “moral speeches” aren’t overly cheesy and cringy.
I’m definitely chasing this one 🙂
@jjwong My comment is awaiting moderation apparently…not sure why..
@jjwong @anon
@kaykay408 @jimmyszeto
Trying my comment again (got to break it up into parts because I have no idea what is causing it to get banned so if the below sounds choppy, I apologize)…
OCTB is actually a web series that is the result of a collaborative effort between 2 little known Mainland production companies. The producer is HK actor/dancer Danny Chan Kwok Kwan (his wife is singer Emme Wong), who also stars in the series (for those who may not be familiar with him, he’s primarily a movie actor and is nicknamed Little Dragon because of how closely he resembles Bruce Lee).
The reason why Jordan Chan is in this is because he is buddies with Danny, so he agreed to co-star together with him. Danny’s wife Emme Wong is also in the series. They invited boatloads of HK veterans to participate in this, both from the movie and television worlds but not only that, they actually put a lot into the script as well as the production itself – the production costs top 60 million HKD, which is A LOT of money for a 40 episode web series.
Also, the series was actually shot last year but they only started airing it this week (probably to go up against TVB’s much-hyped Line Walker 2 premiere). And yes, if there seems to be a Young and Dangerous – gangster – old HK vibe to the series, it makes sense because so many of the veteran actors they invited were famous for their roles in Y&D and all those other triad – gangster-themed series….also the setting for the series is 1980s HK…even the theme song is an old classic, the theme song from HK’s very first cop series produced back in 1977, which was originally sung by Michael Kwan (Benji Chiang, who also stars in OCTB, was given the honor of re-making the song for the series and also serve as producer for the rest of the music in the series).
The other interesting fact is that this series is indeed giving Line Walker 2 a run for its money. As of yesterday, the number of hits for LW2 over a 5 day period is close to 200 million however for OCTB, it has already surpassed the 100 million mark in less than 3 days of broadcast. Personally, I prefer OCTB over LW2, not just because of the cast but also the quality of the production overall, which pretty much leaves LW2 and TVB in the dust….
Also, my understanding is that this series has nothing to do with TVB, though I think someone mentioned that Shaw Bros is partly involved hence why there are some TVB actors in this (though very few TVB people from what I can see – if they were truly involved, the series would be filled with majority TVB people). I have not seen anything specifically saying Shaw Bros is involved so I am going to stick with this having nothing to do with TVB unless there is proof to show otherwise…
@jjwong where can i watch this and who are the cast?
@passingby Youtube. Title OCTB.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNORTw_uosRNGgdEjwdHvuw
@llwy12 and other who’s watching OCTB, the flaws come out glaringly started eps 7 when they introduced the Big Boss George. I wonder if that’s really THE boss or just another facade pawn. I reall yhope it’s the latter. The assistant could’ve been someone with more oophm too. At least they have a good voice to do her English dub voice over, lol. Also, their make-up department needs to be a little better. Scenes with blood are really fake xD
I do like the “swan song” at the end of each eps from the characters. It’s like their last words of the wise.
@jjwong thx! Will check it out.
So this is BS because my posts are waiting for moderation now… @jayne do something please. A lot of recent posts are hung up the black hole. Very annoying…
@llwy12 Check your AF 🙂
@llwy12
Thanks for the insightful post! I am up to episode 8 now. I hope this production company will produce more HK dramas in the future. They definitely have the right formula going.
Question though, how do they make money online as a web series? I’ve been watching it on Youtube. I highly doubt they can recoup their cost from YT views, nevermind making a profit from this. They must be broadcasting this on other online platforms as well.
@anon Good question! I’m actually not 100% sure how it works but I did read somewhere that advertisers who usually put their money towards traditional television have started warming to the idea of web series in recent years, as they are starting to recognize the huge influence that the internet and social media platforms have on the general viewing public…..plus, advertising for traditional television had already been on a decline for many years anyway, so some advertisers are happy to switch to a platform that will give them better returns. There’s definitely a market for web series out there, which is why so many media companies are either switching to this platform or integrating it into the services they offer. In the case of OCTB, I’m not too familiar with any of the Mainland production companies involved with the series, so I’m not sure where they are getting their money from and how they are turning over a profit. I would have to assume that they are indeed teaming up with one of the media platforms in the Mainland to air the series over there, since Youtube is banned in China and a lot of the “hits” they are referring to include Mainland audiences. When I have time, I’ll do a little research and see if I can find out anything….
@anon There are ads played throughout an eps on YT. Also, I haven’t really looked but there might be product placements in the series. It might not pull in as much as traditional ads, no immediate ROI, but in the long run, it’ll probably benefit the production company if/when the series becomes a hit. On top of that, I like to think these vet actors agree mostly to entertain, for the audience sake and for better good of HK entertainment industry *pumps fist*
@anon I watch it from the site icdrama.se. They always have up to date dramas and constantly reupload older dramas (even the very old ones too). Not sure who they are.
@llwy12 Thank you very much for the info. As always you’re the go to person so anon was right lol.
Moses has a gun. He passed his gun to Michael Miu the bodyguard who doesn’t have a gun.
Sighs. My comments keep getting awaiting mod… yet someone with copy and paste messages able to post over and over and over and tag a whole load of people… So JS, I’m giving up on you. Peace out!
@llwy12 see you on AF. Whoever else can find me under same screenname there.
OCTB FTW!!!
@jjwong Sorry for the spam filters error. We approved all your comments. Hope you come back to our site in the near future.
@admin
How about my recent post? I spent a long time analysing my opinions of two series but it still says ‘awaiting confirmation’ the next day. Posted it again and the same thing. Please approve the post! Thanks
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