“The Misadventure of Zoo” to Save TVB’s Poor Viewership Ratings?
The Misadventure of Zoo <流氓皇帝> costars Kenneth Ma (馬國明) and Niki Chow (周麗淇) had a great time poking fun at each other while filming the drama’s trailer at TVB City today. Set to premiere on August 3, the comedic drama has reportedly been labeled TVB’s savior in hopes to bump up the plunging viewership ratings.
On set, Niki evoked much laughter as she pushed up the outer corners of Kenneth’s eyes to make him look like an alien. Kenneth laughed and expressed that he always played around with her. Niki then added, “He publicly admitted it! He plays around with all women, including elder sisters and aunties!” She joked that Kenneth needs to reflect on his behaviours and not be such a playboy.
Speaking of how their series is expected to save viewership ratings, Kenneth questioned, “It needs to be saved right now?” When told that Master of Destiny (風雲天地) only achieved 21 points, he remarked it is just a coincidence. Meanwhile, Niki added that their drama might be at an advantage since comedies are usually well-received and suitable for all members of a family.
Ever since her elder sister Kathy Chow (周汶錡) gave birth to a baby boy, Niki has paid daily visits to the hospital. She revealed that her nephew’s appearance changed every day, and that Kathy is ready to leave the hospital soon. At this time, Kenneth interrupted by sharing how Niki would like to have a baby with a Westerner. Niki continued to discuss her nephew and exclaimed that he had stared at her with wide eyes right after his birth. Kenneth then quickly blurted out, “[He’s] immediately looking at beautiful things!”
Source: On.cc
This article is written by Shirley for JayneStars.com.
Finally a serie im sure i’ll be enjoying the male and female leads acting…
Finally! I t hope they take a lot of BTS clips! Niki and Kenneth look like they are having a lot of fun!
I’m not quite sure how Nikki and Kenneth are gonna save rating. Neither are that popular or has that kind of fan-based power. I do like comedy but isn’t every series TVB bumps out (by themsleves) are comedy now??? Anyways, I definitely give this serie try.
Master of Destiny has low rating because it’s a horrible series! From editing, to most actings, to dubbing to storylines. Wong Jing has lost his touch and is so yester-year.
TVB should do the unthinkable; buy Journey of Flower, dub it well, don’t cut it, don’t change the music, don’t TVB-fied it except maybe to tint it more dreamily and they will have a ratings winner. The series is already breaking viewership record in China, not even counting those watching online from overseas which is unofficial.
Anyway my heart breaks that my uncut version is now slow.
@funnlim Is Journey of the Flower that good? Or just overhyped? I watched the trailer and extended trailer… It looks kind cheesy but it’s probably because of the eng dubbed dialogue, but I can’t understand mando…. CGI worm, Emperor student, monster effects, eh?
@jjwong I had the same misconception as you and the only reason I watched was for the leads and the costumes. Yes the kung fu is terrible and the cgi is laughable and some characters better at not existing. It has a taboo subject but all things considered it is the fastest paced mainland china series I have seen and the story is centred on character development. All of the actors are fantastic actors from effect for their roles so acting is not an issue. The eventual love story will be trgic and since the author is revising her own story hopefully less creepy. But it is not cheesy at all. There is a fansub version which is awesome because they even sub the ingredients to perfume. This is the first Chinese series where fansub is as the episodes are released. It is only overhyped by two groups ! Those who are fans of the novel and those who watched it and not read the book. Both groups are praising this series. I personally feel this is one of the best but like any series there are always cheesy element. Luckily you will grow to love the worn, there is a purpose to an emperor student and ignore the cgis. The costume alone is worth a watch. Anyway maybe will be posting my observations soon so maybe I hope I can convince tvb harscore fans to give it a try. Believe me with the crap by tvb these days save for hopefully captain of destiny journey of flower is top notch. But don’t take my word for it. Download a few fan subbed episodes and decide for yourself. It could go wrong in another 10 episodes and it may not be to your taste. Girls will like it though. #wallacehuiISbaizihua
@jjwong
On the surface, TJOF is about a forbidden love between teacher and disciple. For me, the story is more than that and actually revolves around the premise of whether a good person can be corrupted if the person is repeatedly let down by the people she loves and trusts.
We see this theory played out through Hua Qian Gu, the main character in the story. She’s a good person but is betrayed by everyone around her, not just one time but many times to the point that her spirit is eventually broken beyond repair. By accident, HQG will come to have great power that can destroy the world and no one can stop her. Finally, she can take revenge on a world that turned its back on her but the question is, will she do it?
The forbidden love story between HQG and her teacher is tragically beautiful, but I feel the importance of HQG’s teacher is not just for the love story but that he’s the only person who can keep HQG on the right path. He’s teaches her right from wrong, to live for greater ideals such as protecting the world and living for other people. She only knows pain and rejection, but from him, she learns how to love and forgive!!!
Personally, I love the book a lot!!! Fortunately, the cast for the drama is wonderful, which is why ratings for the drama have been exploding even though the drama airs very late at night in China.
The novel is being translated into English by me and 2 other girls. You can check it out if you’re interested at https://dorayakiz.wordpress.com/2014/10/24/the-journey-of-flower-author-fresh-guo-guo/.
@lidge beautifully summarised.,I have never read the book and am following the series and I wanna say she wont because she is a good person and a person who is good ca always be led towards the right path. From various description I do not like the novels bzh and there changes so read the book and watch the series separately. The series can be enjoyed on its own.
Give it a chance.
@funnlim
You’re right. In the end, HQG would rather destroy herself rather than a world that had only given her pain and rejection. This is the reason why I love the story so much because the plot is based on the premise that good people will always remain good no matter what. This is what I believe to be true in real life.
BZH is probably the most controversial character in the story because he loves HQG the most but is also the person who hurts her the most. A lot of people who’ve read the novel don’t like BZH. However, the novel is from HQG’s perspective so we only get to see BZH through her eyes and what he’s done.
Fortunately, Fresh Guo Guo also wrote 2 epilogues to the novel and these are from BZH’s perspective. Personally, I’ve always liked BZH just from reading the novel, but the epilogues are excellent because we get to see his thoughts and feelings. More importantly, we understand his actions and we see how much he sacrifices for HQG and how often, yet he never says anything.
I know there are plenty of people rooting for HQG with DFYQ or SQM and not with BZH. Fresh Guo Guo said that the drama also includes the epilogues so I hope people can understand BZH more.
Personally, I feel that the only people who ever love HQG unconditionally are her father, Tang Bao and BZH. Everyone else may love her and even sacrifice for her like DFYQ or SQM, but they all have their own agenda. The only person who should not love HQG and should even kill her is BZH, yet he’s always done everything he could to try to teach her right from wrong so she can have a better life. This is the reason why I believe they belong together.
Remember the part where BZH accepts HQG as his disciple? That’s my favorite part in the story and the reason why I support BZH with HQG. At that moment, she’s abandoned by everyone. She needs someone to care for her and a home to live in. She wants to belong somewhere!!! The only person who reached out at the critical moment when she needed a savior the most is BZH.
Some people can’t understand why HQG can’t love DFYQ or SQM or anyone else even though they’re great. This is because at her most desperate time, when she needed someone to help her the most, the only one willing to do so was BZH!!! And I believe this point is the start of her love for him.
@lidge “:The forbidden love story between HQG and her teacher is tragically beautiful, but I feel the importance of HQG’s teacher is not just for the love story but that he’s the only person who can keep HQG on the right path. He’s teaches her right from wrong, to live for greater ideals such as protecting the world and living for other people. She only knows pain and rejection, but from him, she learns how to love and forgive!!!”
Is it me or TV version has toned down on that? So far I don’t see that to the extreme. She knows right from wrong, she has people cheering for her, etc. Maybe the TV should have spent more time on her childhood. It was much too short to show how much she suffered that is why she is so attached to Mo.. Bing issit?
@funnlim
I don’t believe HQG knows right from wrong in the beginning. It’s true she’s a good person, but don’t confuse this with her knowing what’s right and what’s wrong. HQG’s problem is that she’s never had any proper guidance, someone to explain to her what’s right and what’s wrong and show her the right path in life. This is why BZH is important to HQG because no one is more perfect to teach her than BZh, whose life is based on doing the right things.
In the beginning, HQG doesn’t know what’s right and what’s wrong. For example, remember when DFYQ taught her to fight using reverse techniques so she would confuse people and have a better chance of winning? HQG did this until BZH told her that’s not the right way to fight because she can injure herself and others. That’s when she stopped.
Another example is when she first became his disciple and BZH took her out onto the Lou Feng boulder. He told her to look down and tell him what she could see. At that point, she could only see people, scenery and objects. BZH told her to look more carefully because she needs to see the world with her heart, not with her eyes. Her heart will always guide her to do the right things while her eyes can sometimes deceive her. This is why it’s important that HQG can use her heart to analyze the world and not just look at the world briefly and carelessly with her eyes.
In the novel, there’s another moment where BZH and HQG stand on the Lou Feng boulder. She can’t understand the difference between the good sects and bad sects. This is because she’s friends with SQM and SQM is good to her so she can’t understand why the the immortal realm and humans think SQM is bad and say he does bad things. So HQG asks BZH what does it mean to do the right things? She wants to do the right things but she doesn’t really know what’s right and what’s wrong since everyone around her says SQM is bad yet she thinks SQM is good. And I really love BZH’s answer because he tells her to decide for herself. As long as she can live with her decisions, then that means what she does is right. Not sure if the drama will include this part or not.
Concentrate on all the moments when BZH and HQG are together alone. Everything he does and says, he’s protecting her, always patiently explaining to her what’s right and what’s wrong. Just like the promise he made when he accepted her as disciple, if she does something wrong, he knows it’s not her fault because she’s a good person who unfortunately, hasn’t had anyone to guide and teach her properly. The fault lies with him, that he hasn’t taught her well enough.
@lidge Well, I don’t find the Taioists are at the right at all so far. They’re immortal and live to save but then the master can just tell BZH to kill because one girl can possibly be his downfall. This who kill one to save many isn’t very righteous to me. BUT, I understand it’s the base of a lot of this type of novels.
@funnlim Ooo, I agree that the costumes are worthy to watch. They’re beautiful, not overly the top like Empress of China. I hope it’s not as long as EoC either. I stopped watching EoC after eps 5. It was too draggy. Journey of Flower does have elements I like: tragic love, beautiful costumes, surreal scenery, and the pastel-ish dreamy feel. IDK about the blood sucking part though (it was in the trailer)… I WAS a TVB fan but not for the past few years. Still, I did get excite and my hope up with promos. But now after I’ve watched HKTV series, I became very skeptical of every TVB series. I thought Master of Destiny was gonna be good. I was totally wrong. The remotely okay and better one is Limelight Year in this year.
@lidge You subbed the novel? Wow, awesome! I’ll definitely give it a read! Just from the trailer, I don’t ship HQG and her teacher. He seems like that typical Japanese cool popular boy with a kindness deep down, who gives the female lead all kind of crap on the surface but really love her, cliché lol. I’m already rooting an UNhappily ever after ending for them xD He (the actor) is pretty though. Oooo, I really hope she does take revenge on the world! Out with the Mary Sue character and in with the not-so-saint, society-made, strong-head lead.
Oh alright, you guys have convinced me. I’ll give it a try!
I’ll keep you post (even if it’s unsolicited lol)
@jjwong Be prepared for CGI buns!! Seriously!!
Anyway…
Just from the trailer, I don’t ship HQG and her teacher.
Watch the series and you will ship them.
He seems like that typical Japanese cool popular boy with a kindness deep down, who gives the female lead all kind of crap on the surface but really love her, cliché lol.
There is a reason. He is 300 years old, never fell in love, doesn’t feel that sort of romantic love but is compassionate to take on his personal calamity out of the goodness of his heart. He is as harsh as he is gentle. And this is the TV version. She takes a lot of crap but from other people. He is the one who shows her kindness and gentleness and harshness. I really like this BZH because he could’ve killed her, but he chose to train her because he saw in her her kindness as well. He does love her but not yet romantic love.
I’m already rooting an UNhappily ever after ending for them xD
ahhhh so cruel. The way this series is heading by ep 20 I doubt you will wish that. I like the progression, it is convincing and not yucky at all.
He (the actor) is pretty though.
very pretty. Did I mention his striptease scene? Hair combing? Sitting, staring… seriously Wallace at his prettiest but then he is always pretty. This is to me his best performance especially I jumped to ep 20 and I am convinced. No bad head shaking and all. Consistent, controlled and yet the eyes speaks volume.
Oooo, I really hope she does take revenge on the world!
Defeats the purpose of the story and the tragedy.
Out with the Mary Sue character and in with the not-so-saint, society-made, strong-head lead.
I don’t think she is Mary Sue. You can’t bully her. She is nice, but she is not a pushover. She is loved by all handsome young men and hated by all older men and women and yet you don’t find her annoying. The writing and acting takes credit. I love this HQG because I have no reason to dislike her but maybe I will later on when she insists on romantic love with her shifu.
Oh alright, you guys have convinced me. I’ll give it a try!
Please do! Start with ep 1 uncut version. Get them from my blog http://www.point2e.com
@funnlim: by god, you’re not joking about the CGIs O_o; I wish their fights are actual fighting and not CGIs, finger pointings, sound effects. *sighs* Can we not do a decent, real wuxia thing anymore? Where all the talents go?!
I root for unhappy ending is from what I’ve read (pieces here and there) thus far. Even though he only hurt her for other people, for her own sake and for the world, I think it’s still creepy for a girl to still in love with someone like that. It’s abusive regardless how you slice yet or how he does care and treat her afterward. I’m never on the boat of unrequited love when the partner harms you physically or mentally. Really, I like it more if they leave it as just master/student love than turns it into man/woman romance. Then again, that defeats the purpose of this genre lol. Oh well.
Soooooo, I finished up to eps 3. Some of my assessments still stand. Once again, Wallace gets more freaking beautiful by the frame! xD 300 years have nothing on that flawless face! Lol. He’s a very decent actor, at least in this series. His eyes said a lot to me. They manage to convey a lot of emotions. His voice *sighs*, I don’t understand him but his voice *sighs* He’s like the Mando version of Liam Neeson xD The immortals are like the Asian version of LoTR elves. Looove.
The girl who plays HQG is pretty good too at being bubbly, naïve. You can tell when she’s forced herself to be brave, kind of doubt but is more afraid to be doubt. So does she have demon or godly blood? I read a summary that said Godly, but so far it seems like more demonic since she’s attracting all the bad mishaps and creatures? Guess that’s something I have watch more to find out
I don’t understand DFYQ yet, not sure why he’s attached to HQG. Guess that’ll be revealed later? His character is cute but I don’t ship him and her, at least not right now. He’s fishy and too forcy with the whole love thing.
The plot has been enjoyable thus far too. It’s not too complicated but not so farfetched. They did a decent job introducing all the characters and highlighting who’s important, good or bad, two-face, so forth. I like their music. I feel bad for BZH friend who loves that lady but she loves BZH instead. Though he’s a hypocrite, telling her to let go BZH but admitting he can’t let go of her, I still like him. He’s pitiful, I just want to hug him. Lol. Hey the older sect brother of BZH is the emperor in the Empress of China right? Their music is beautiful too and I love the lyrics. Darn you, fansubs. Why must you be so talented lol.
Verdict: I’m watching on! 🙂
Bleh, sorry if thi sis too offtopic for this article… =X
@jjwong
welcome to the TJOF club, lol
@jjwong
HQG is the reincarnation of the last god. So basically in this lifetime, she’s human who managed to cultivate to the lower level of immortality.
The reason why it’s important that she’s the reincarnation of the last god is because although she no longer has the power of a god, her body and blood are that of a god so later on, her body will be able to tolerate the great power of the Demon God when it’s transferred into her body.
[SPOILER] The Demon God is actually not the big deal, it’s the power of the Demon God which can be transferred to anyone. The power is so great that not many people can tolerate it in their body, I think only the most powerful people like BZH or SQM can tolerate it. At this point, HQG is no longer a god after her reincarnation. She’s just a human who managed to cultivate to the lower level of immortality. Technically, HQG’s body wouldn’t be able to tolerate this great power when it’s transferred into her body. The only reason she can is because her body is that of a god, that’s why. At least, that’s my understanding.
@lidge Your summary explains the need for her to be a former god. I was wondering what is the significance, now I know. BUT just a few years and she could cultivate lower level of immortality? Again I believe your explanation that she was a former god explains that as well. In fact explains a lot!
@jjwong ” He’s a very decent actor”
He’s more than decent here. I consider this his best, which speaks a lot. He has this stillness which I absolutely appreciate in the attention to details. His expressionless is to me multitude of expressions. Not forgetting he is beautiful in every frame, it’s the absolute stillness. I dare to say he is a far better actor right now (and that was a year ago) than almost all the actors in TVB right now and none of the actors in TVB can play BZH, whilst China has a few more choices, depending on level of prettiness.
“Hey the older sect brother of BZH is the emperor in the Empress of China right? ”
No! The emperor is Empress of China is a renowned veteran in China, Zhang Fengyi (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Fengyi) who would never have played such a secondary role.
Of course this older sect brother is also a rather good actor but none of them measure up to what that man can do especially in Empress of China he was the best thing in there and if you notice, again that absolute stillness punctuated only by his darting eyeballs to show what he is feeling. Absolute tremendous actor.
@funnlim this is my first Wallace series so I don’t have anything else to compare him to. I only watch 5 or 6 eps of EoC. It was too dragging so I gave up. I didn’t think the Emperor was very good in it. I like the older sect brother in here though. I swear they look very alike.
@lidge thanks for clarification. That makes sense.
@jjwong I recommend Strange Heroes Yi Zhi Mei which is available in youtube and torrents AND fully subbed in English as well. That was a unique take and I find it refreshing and oh so beautiful. Even Liu Shishi was ok. AND you get to see a familiar face from TVB, who because of this series later came back to TVB, not the other way around. And he was tolerable in there as the villain.
Got others I can recommend, where he was god smackingly beautiful but I am afraid you might want to punch his face even if you might want to punch his wife more hence you hate him less.
@funnlim
I finally just got the DVDs for that series and will be watching it soon. I debated on seeing that series for a very long time. It sounds like this one other series I saw in the past. Yes, I was surprised that Edwin is in there too.
@jjwong “Verdict: I’m watching on! :)”
Don’t say I didn;t tell you so!!