AS SURE AS FATE

Category: Comedy
This series is one of my very favorites. It is a lighthearted comedy which incorporates other themes: mother-son relationships, misunderstandings, and trust. I remember I first watched this series when I was relatively young, but old enough to understand what was going on. I became hooked onto this series and watched it repeatedly as I was growing up. I remember there was a point when I actually memorized the lines in the entire series because I had watched it so many times. It's a wonderful series. Sadly, it never got the star-recognition it deserves, perhaps this series lakcs a studded cast. Maybe if Hacken had been as popular then as he is now, this series would've had more hype.
Characters
The Mo Yung Family: Kwok Fung - Mo Yung Fat (The father; roughly translates into "Never wealthy") Ching Hoa Wai - Szeto Wai Kuen (The mother) Louis Yuen - Mo Yung Tuk (Eldest son; rougly translates into "Never succeeds") Cutie Mui - Mo Yung Ju (Middle daughter; roughly translates into "Useless pig") Joyce Tang - Mo Yung Fei (Youngest daughter) Law Kong - Szeto Ming (Wai Kuen's brother and the three kids' uncle) Florence Kwok - Gan Jing Mei (Tak's wife; roughly translates into "Leftover") The Li Family: Hacken Lee - Li Siu Sum (Roughly translates into "You be careful!) Joey Leung - Hui Mun Keung (His character's name is the same as Chow Yeung Fat's character in the popular TV drama some years ago, "The Bund") Lai Shuen - Grandma Rebecca Chan - Au-Yeung Fung Others: Eileen Yeow as Kay Kay, Sum's ex girlfriend Michael Tse as Cheng Wing Geen, Fei's ex boyfriend
Overview
The main couples in this series are Joyce Tang and Hacken Lee, Cutie Mui and Joey Leung, and Louis Yuen and Florence Kwok. 'As Sure As Fate' starts off when Joyce's and Hacken's boyfriend and girlfriend elope together, forcing the bickering Hacken and Joyce to team up to try to track them down. They eventually get to know each other and become friends.
Meanwhile, through a series of coincidences, Cutie Mui winds up working for Joey Leung's photography studio. At first, Joey cannot stand Cutie, since she is a bit slow (and dumb). Eventually, he falls in love with her. Their relationship is tagged by many hilarious incidents.
Louis Yuen and Florence Kwok met and married in Canada, but decided to return to Hong Kong and live with Louis's family when their business failed. Florence Kwok is a very dominating wife, while Louis is very submissive. They make a very funny pair. Their world changes, however, when Louis has an affair.
Other side stories include:
-Law Kong's affection for Rebecca Chan and the hilarious chase that followed. -Rebecca and Hacken's mother and son relationship. Because Hacken's father died when he was young, Rebecca worked hard in running her wedding business and did not spend much time with her son. As a result, Hacken is closer to his grandma than to his mother. -Kwok Fung and Ching Hoa Wai's relationship and Ching Hoa Wai's suspicions that Fung isn't over Rebecca (his ex). -The constant arguments between Florence and her mother-in-law. It's so funny to watch.
Cast Performance
Hacken Lee: Hacken did a good job at the quick witted, quirky Siu Sum. His chemistry with Joyce Tang was good, but personally, I thought they had better chemistry while they were fighting than when they discovered that they liked each other. His chemistry was Rebecca was very solid and believable; their relationship did not get better overnight, but gradually (unlike many series nowadays, where the characters reconcile with their parents after one particular incident). His chemistry with Joey Leung can be described as one word: AWESOME. The way they laugh and joke around, and are still able to have serious conversations, is spectacular. No wonder their current show, 'Minutes to Fame', is such a success.
Joyce Tang: Joyce did a good job as the stubborn Fei, although her crying scenes need improvement. Her baby voice is pretty annoying as well. But she did show her growing affection to Hacken well.
Joey Leung: Another good performance by Joey. He portrayed Keung well: the reckless boss sensitive to no one's feelings while working, the good-natured buddy of Sum, etc. For those of you who've seen this series, one of the funniest scenes was the first day Cutie worked for him. The way he yelled at her was so mean, but so funny.
Cutie Mui: Although I am not a big fan of Cutie, her character was my favorite in this whole series. Selfless, kind, a little slow; this girl is always willing to put everyone ahead of herself. She acted this character very well. Although I do not think she is too pretty, her looks fit her character really well.
Louis Yuen: Louis did okay in this role. Maybe this role is not too challenging, but I personally did not like his character.
Florence Kwok: Florence played the unreasonable, smart-mouth wife to perfection. Of the cast, Florence had the most chemistry with everyone: the times she lived at Rebecca's house and annoyed her whole family, the way she intimidates her husband, her catfights with her mother-in-law, and more. It's great to know she's coming back to TVB.
The rest of the cast delivered solid performances as well. Law Kong's performance is especially commendable; he plays the slow-witted but righteous uncle very well.
I cannot capture the funny moments of this great series in a review. This whole series is full of witty comments, but they are crafted in such a way that it is funny without being cheesy. This series incorporates sentimental moments as well, and those are not overdone.
Also, this series encompasses numerous subplots. Each subplot is developed very nicely; there is sufficient screen time so the plot is well-developed, but not dragging.
Some of my favorite scenes include: (may not be in chronological order) -The first day when Cutie worked for Joey. He held out his hand and she shook it, thinking he was welcoming her into the studio. Instead, he was asking for film! -When Rebecca and Hacken exchanged gifts that made them closer. It was poignant without being overdone. -When Hacken gave Joyce the Pooh bear. How sweet. -When Florence overheard her mother-in-law chastising Louis and telling him that Florence would always be her "sum po" (daughter-in-law) even if he does divorce her. -When the Li family and the uncle went on the trip to Ocean Park.
Overall, this series is one of the best series I've ever seen. Although it is no means a grand production, if you appreciate a simple but great series, this is the series to watch. I cannot give enough praises for it.
PS I do not own this review.