Eavesdropping

Conversations between characters are seen by other characters and are taken completely out of context. When the conversation is taken out of context, people get angry and then arguments happen.

Arguments

After a misunderstanding, usually the angry character begins raging at somebody, not realizing that there was a misunderstanding in the first place. What’s worse, they don’t believe what other people tell them and thus, the argument continues.

Crying

Because the arguments got so intense, people start crying. Usually the characters who have felt wrongfully accused by the one is angry.

Love Triangles

This is yet another cause of crying in these dramas. In every show, there are always at least 2 girls who like the same guy. The most random one was when a guy dated his cousin (who has later revealed to have no blood relation), but his adopted sister secretly liked him too.

Although, in a way, I’m kind of saying, “Every action movie has explosions”, and yes it’s true that every story has a conflict involved, but the plot devices TVB uses are the same over and over. I’d like to see a show where eavesdropping or love triangles don’t happen or something. Despite this however, there are some shows that are still very amazing to watch. The amazingness comes from the dialogue people have during the arguments. For example, in Heart of Greed and Moonlight Resonance, the arguments people made were logical and well thought out. It didn’t feel like they were arguing for the sake of arguing.

The idea that an absolute right and wrong existing is false. The only “right” and “wrong” are what one values and believes. Everyone’s opinions toward something differs and everyone has reasons for why they are “right”. In the show, one of the conflicts that the characters had was who really owned the brand name in the moon cake business. For easy naming in this discussion, I will name the two parties Family A and family B. Family A had been using the name Jia Hao Yue Yuan (家好月圓) for decades, while Family B alleges that Family A allowed Family B to use this brand some time ago in the past. But Family A denies this and accuses Family B of swindling the brand name from them. This conflict eventually went to court. Each lawyer made their case with valid reasons. The conflict lay in who was better at convincing the judge using logic and reasoning. A good example that doesn’t relate to the show that many people know is the ending of Inception. Everyone had an idea for whether Cobb stayed in the dream or not in the end. There were reasons for both. Here are some more examples on a more serious note. The Iraq War, gay marriage, abortion, and stem cell research. These are all real controversies, and after looking at the arguments on both sides, they all have valid points. Both parties believe they are right, and that the other party is wrong.

A “right” and “wrong” way to live life exists too. Using the same names for the two families as before, Family A and B are both after happiness. But Family A believes this happiness can only be achieved through a loving family and not by how much money they have. Chinese people have a phrase that says, “人在天堂; 錢在銀行”, which means “The person is in Heaven, but their money is in the bank.” Family B believes that money makes them happy. They believe that by having lots of money, they can buy their way to happiness through material goods. During the show, they see Family A’s true happiness and togetherness as a family and feel jealousy towards them and made it their goal to ruin the happiness they enjoy. This part of the show shows the age old theme that “money can’t buy happiness”, but at the same time they add on to this. They show how to achieve happiness. The way to do it is by loving your family and spending time with them. In Chinese, we call this “家庭溫暖”, which literally means “family warmth”. Throughout the entire show, Family A can be seen to always be happy at the dinner table, when the whole family is together for dinner. Money never mattered to them, so long as the family was together.

Although the family lifestyles in the show are written like that, I still envied their happy lifestyle and togetherness as a family. It gives people something to work towards. It’s true that some people aim to make lots of money, but the amount of money is irrelevant. The important thing is to live happily. Despite everything I said, this is after all, only my perception of what is “right”. I’m sure some people will disagree and also have their own reasons to back up their point of view.

最近我看了 TVB 的溏心風暴之家好月圓.  林峰唱的 “愛不疚” 是這部電視劇的插曲 (歌詞在下面).  雖然首歌很舊 (2008), 我覺得首歌仍然很好聽, 很有意義.  之前我以為這首歌的名字很普通.  只有說歌裡有人愛不 “夠”.  但是看深一層, 我發現這個字是個雙關語.  一個意思是”愛得不夠”, 但是第二個意思是 “愛都沒有內疚”.  首歌的第二句說他可以在愉快的時候都能夠犧牲自己的幸福來給她人. 在家好月圓裡, 于素秋 (鍾嘉欣) 失戀的時候, 管家仔 (林峰) 一次有一次將他的時間借給她.  雖然于素秋仍然沒有放棄凌至信 (黃宗澤), 管家仔依然很對她很好.  除了家人之外, 他都沒有對其他人怎樣好.  管家仔全心全意對她好; 沒有內疚.  只要于素秋 “開心就夠”.  比著其他人, 如果他們知道他們喜歡的女人已經有男朋友, 他們會覺得很傷心.  他們可能會放棄她.  有些人可能甚至嘗試撬走別人的女朋友.  很少人好像管家仔一樣.  他很有義氣.  管家仔當時十幾歲的時候有很多同于素秋一起的美好回憶, 但是因為于素秋去了英國讀書所以他們分手. 他們長大後,于素秋認識了凌至信, 差不多跟他結婚.  于素秋曾經確實喜歡過管家仔, 但是管家仔走慢了一步. 素秋的心被至信帶走了.  就是因為這樣, 管家仔失去了一世的幸福. 這件事可以形容管家仔不可以擁有的愛.  管家仔和于素秋的感情很多年前曾經很親厚, 但是管家仔只可以 “衷心祝福然後, 就放手”.  這個情況可以說是他愛得不 “夠”.  于素秋沒可能永遠等管家仔跟他說 “我愛你” 的三個字.  近首歌的最尾, 歌詞說, “期望你幸福甚麼都有”.  他仍然想對她好.  犧牲自己的幸福不重要.  最重要是她的幸福.  疚心和愛心都不重要.

林峰 – 愛不疚 [ 家好月圓 片尾曲/插曲 ]

收藏在眼眸 常徘徊左右 愛猜到沒有
愉快玩笑後 能全然退後 你開心就夠

這種感覺太親厚 講一千句也不夠
假使講了你聽到後 或會走
這種戀愛太罕有 不須真正擁有
成全 衷心祝福然後 就放手

放手 放開所有 彼此更自由
放手 其實我絕非愛得不夠
放手 豁出所有 還有這個好友
已經 已經足夠

遙遠是宇宙 靜靜在背後 去看守就夠

這種感覺太親厚 講一千句也不夠
即使一剎有過衝動 挽你手
這種戀愛太罕有 不須真正擁有
成全 多捨不得仍然 是放手

放手 放開所有 彼此更自由
放手 其實我絕非愛得不夠
放手 豁出所有 還有這個好友
已經 已經足夠

放手 我的牽掛 找不到盡頭
放手 期望你幸福甚麼都有
也許 愛很深厚 然而我早看得透
放手 至可擁有