“Let It Be Love” Explores Homosexual Love
Producer Jonathan Chik’s (戚其義) new television series, Let It Be Love <4 In Love> spurred numerous controversies. After Kenny Wong (黃德斌) ate a meal on a bus and a transgender wedding between Leo Ho and Vin Choi (蔡淇俊), the latest plot development hinted that the married Tang Chi Fung (鄧梓峰) will possess homosexual feelings for Kenny Wong.
In Let It Be Love, Tang Chi Fung and Kenny Wong were former members of the Hong Kong Basketball team. Later, the friends joined the same television station and became colleagues. Chi Fung and his wife, Alvina Kong (江欣燕), later became a husband-and-wife news anchor team. The trio were good friends. Kenny was often frustrated in love, in which he dated Janet Chow, Lee Ying Kei and Queenie Chu. Chi Fung shocked Kenny when he finally admitted that he has been secretly in love with him for many years. However, Chi Fung’s love declaration was not accepted by Kenny. Chi Fung and his wife, Alvina, will divorce, while her relationship will develop with Kenny instead.
In a telephone interview, Tang Chi Fung said, “I normally film comedies. Portraying a gay character was a major breakthrough for me! Kenny and I will not have any intimate contact, as I will only use words to express my feelings. Finally, my character will divorce Alvina Kong.” (Is this due to your homosexuality?) “No, it was due to my wife’s misunderstanding over another matter.” (Are you afraid of complaints?) “No, I hope the audience will accept my attempt to portray a new role.”
Jonathan Chik handled the exploration of homosexual love carefully in Let It Be Love, often personally monitoring the filming progress of the series. Unlike normal wild declarations of love, Chi Fung’s character revealed his feelings towards Kenny in a serious manner. In the scene, Chi Fung spoke of the love life of mature adults and thus he did not feel embarrassed while filming the scene.
Excerpts from Apple Daily and Oriental Daily
Jayne: Many people expected that the Tang Chi Fung will portray a gay character in Let It Be Love, especially after his reaction in the transgender wedding scene.
Tang Chi Fung (鄧梓峰) English name is Patrick Dunn.
Surprisingly, this is probably his breakthrough acting role in TVB series.
I guess it is good to know that TVB is getting more open and bold in their ideas for series. In the past, they would even dare do anything like this. I guess they have to since they are running low on ideas and now have to compete against some new emerging companies…. This is a breakthrough for them.
It’s mostly Chik’s series though and he’s leaving soon… TVB might revert back?
He said he may be leaving, I don’t think it’s confirmed yet, so TVB may try hard to retain him.
He might stay in TVB,who knows?? Even if he did leave, he may also come back just like many of the artists that have left in the past… TVB will lose a big treasure if they lose him…
“However, Chi Fung’s love declaration was not accepted by Kenny. Chi Fung and his wife, Alvina, will divorce, while her relationship will develop with Kenny instead.”
Now this is a cruel twist. Why not show Kenny also love him back? Now that would be revolutionary eh?
B/c if kenny was gay, tang chi fung wouldn’t need to harbor secret feelings for him all these yrs.
Whether gay or straight, unrequited love btwn friends is an interesting storyline.
It is a used storyline. Always the sideline storyline. Can’t a gay guy harbour secret love for another gay guy who is with another gay guy?
They could both be closeted lol
Being in the closet is a hugely problem in gays’ lives. TVB needs to encourage gay youth in Hong Kong to accept themselves, and gay seniors to accept gays
This is a nice change of pace from TVB’s previous portrayal of gay people since they mainly end up being crazy or go back to being straight.
Also, the wigs in this series bother me. lol
What series did they have the gay person go crazy or become straight again?
I remember in placebo cure, there was a cross dresser and it kind of negatively showed the impact on his daughter.
Seeing these comments aggravated me a lot over TVB (not over you lol) “BECOME STRAIGHT AGAIN?!” TVB is out of their minds! There is no “become straight again”, you’re BORN with teh sexual orientation you have, and it’s natural seriously 0sfjiowrfiwj pissed off
It appears that the gay relationships in LIBL have grabbed the HK ent headlines lol
I think these kinds of series may help HK become more modernized and accepting of gay, lesbian and other types of relationships that were not accepted during the traditional years back then. It is also something new for TVB as well. It may be hard to accept at first, but I think they will eventually be more accepting of these other kinds of relationships…
Well said. It’s perfectly normal to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, etc. Love is love and love is always a beautiful thing.
Are there any know homosexual celebrities in Hong Kong? I always hear about celebrities in Hollywood who are gay but never heard anything about Asian celebrities being one. (unless some are hiding in the closet and refuse to come out).
Dead: Leslie Cheung.
Alive: Denise Ho. Susanna Kwan.
And this is the thing that needs to be stopped. Celebrities and idols serve as idols to youth, and gay teens and young people, and mature gays as well, need the encouragement and need to know that they are perfectly normal. Straight people need to understand this too.
Shock to know that Susanna Kwan is lesbian.
I think Leslie Cheung is the only celeb in HK to admit to be gay or there are others as well?
Didn’t Alan Tam also admit?
Fox,
Huh? When did Alan Tam say he was gay? He comes across as quite masculine and has 2 wives.
Are you thinking about Roman Tam (Law Man)? I don’t know if Roman ever admitted but there were speculations.
Below are rumored gay artists in the industry. Don’t know if they have ever admitted outright in public:
Remus Choi (Grasshoppers)
Danny Chan Bak Keung
Roman Law Man
Hins Cheung (rumored with Kenny Kwan)
Kenny Kwan (rumored with Hins Cheung)
Wong Hei
Bowie Lam
Joey Yung (rumored to be with Denise Ho for years)
Alfred Hui (photographed in a public park kissing male friend)
Sorry, I mistaken the name again :P. Roman Law :).
Jayne, masculine does not equal straight lol.
Alfred Hui gay?? OMG!!!!
Such a waste that Remus Choi of Grasshopper is gay,he is so hot looking.
I really think that TVB should move out of these conservative realms and make dramas depicting LGBT issues PROPERLY. At the moment it seems that only Jonathon Chik is making the effort to open the minds of the public, but even then TVB limits such things. I think a topic that TVB should seriously consider is closeted teenagers…it’s a big problem for gay teenagers and they need this kind of encouragement and parents’ minds need to be opened more. The media can do that. The media managed to open minds in issues such as racism and feminism, now Hong Kong really should use the media to open minds about homosexuality and LGBT. And I think they shouldn’t make a novelty out of it either, TVB dramas should tell stories of issues with homosexuals, such as homosexuals lovers, homosexual teenagers, and show that it is perfectly normal to be gay or lesbian or transgendered. And it should also show that LGBT should be treated normally. Why are there kissing scenes between straight couples yet you can find hardly any homosexual intimacy in TVB dramas? Have there been any gay kisses? There’s been gay men and lesbian women, but what about gay teenagers? In America and the UK and Europe, there are lots of series portraying them and showing their problems, and these couples are shown in a light that they are, in fact, normal and deserve equal treatment. TVB needs to do the same for the world to progress in the age of enlightenment.