MAIDEN'S VOW

Cast: Charmaine Sheh Joe Ma Sammul Chan Sherming Yiu Evergreen Mak Kiki Sheung Wu Fung, Chan San Chung Cheung Chi Kwong Annabelle Lau Hiu Tong Maria Chan
Plot:
"Maiden's Vow" is about the four generations of women who have benefitted their family restaurant, House of Phoenix.
Generation One:
The first generation is in the Qing dynasty. This generation started off with Ngai Ju Fung (Charmaine) and Yue Chi (Joe) being born on the same day. When the two of them were children, they met each other and became friends. Years later, when they were adults, Charmaine was forced to marry Wong Yuk Lun (Sammul) and Chi left to be an apprentice for a famous chef. Although the family Fung married into is wealthy, their wealth did not last because Lun, the spoiled son, was tricked by his uncle and his "girlfriend". So Fung and her family had to survive by opening a restaurant, House of Phoenix, with Chi, who came back from his journey. When House of Phoenix opened, the restaurant was a sucess, but House of Phoenix and its owners faced trouble when war hits and new ideas arrived, along with drugs such as opium.
Generation Two:
The second generation is set in the 1920s, a time when Japan tried to take over China. Wong Jee Gwan (Charmaine), daughter to Fung, met Li Gat Cheung (Joe), her teacher, and fell in love with him. However, her family objects and Cheung already had an arranged marriage. The two eloped to Tianjin, but they had little money and so Cheung had to work as a miner. The two had to separate when Cheung fled from Tianjin for protesting for miners. Gwan then went back to House of Phoenix to help her grandmother run the restaurant. Cheung came back two years later, but as a supporter of Japan and he helped a Japanese woman take over House of Phoenix. But it turns out that Cheung was a revolutionary who was secretly spying on Japan. Unfortunately, the Japanese found that out and Cheung had to run away again.
Generation Three:
In the 1960s, Fung's great-granddaughter, Bak Wai Jan (Charmaine), is a housewife. Bored of being a housewife, Jan worked secretly because her husband, Dai Lap Yan (Joe), does not allow her to work. Jan's boss developed feelings for Jan and tried to break Yan's and Jan's marriage. His plan worked and Yan and Jan had a divorce. Jan decided to reopen House of Phoenix again and when she had troubles, Yan helped her and since then the two of them worked together to make House of Phoenix as sucessful as it was before.
Generation Four:
In the modern times, Dai Sze Ga (Charmaien) and Fong Ga On (Joe) met and fell in love. They lived together, but later broke up because of their differences. Ga then met an old boyfriend and he encourages her to reopen House of Phoenix. Ga had troubles opeing House of Phoenix because her ex-boyfriend was framed and so she decided to open Phoenix Private Kitchen. While opening Phoenix Private Kitchen, she was pregnant with On's baby. At the time, On went to Shanghi to rebuild his career. About one year and ten months later, he came back and was celebrating the recovery of his career and his sucessful project in Shanghi. He met Ga again and met his baby also when she was celebrating the success of her new book at the same resturant. At the time, Ga did not tell On that the baby was his, but he later found out. After refusing a few times, Ga finally let On in on his baby's life. On still had feelings for Ga and Ga's friend, who is a homeosexual and played by Sammul, likes On. On one unfortunate night, the three of them knew about each other's feelings and they were all feeling down. Not only that, but there is an upcoming competition for chefs to win the jaded chopsticks that were from the Qing dynasty and House of Phoenix is competing in it.
Comments:
"Maiden's Vow" is very original. I really like the ideas in it. The first and last generations are really good, but the second and third are okay. I got the feeling that the second and third generations stray a little from the House of Phoenix idea, but those generations did not stray from the whole growing-power-women bit. In each generation, you can see how each woman changes for the better as a woman and getting more strength.
A part that I really don't like in this series is the ending. That was one of the stupidest endings ever. On proposed to Ga. Ga has commitment problems and so On told her that the wedding will be just the two of them with a priest and that he'll be waiting for her at the altar, she did not say if she was going. On the day of the wedding, they showed a part with On at the altar, waiting for Ga to come even though she was really late. Then there was a scene of Ga in Phoenix Private Kitchen looking around by herself; she saw a rainbow, and went to take a closer look. All of a sudden, some door or whatever opens and the bright lights were shooting out of it. They showed Ga seeing this and smiling...and then it ended. Just like that. The credits just rolled in. So anyway, aside from the crappy ending, the series was pretty good.
Performances:
Normally, I would not rate the performances because I watch the Vietnamese dubbed version and so I think I am not entitled to say anything about the actor/actresses since what I say may not be accurate, but I have to say, Charmaine did very well in "Maiden's Vow". Normally, I don't like Charmaine and her characters because Charmaine has the same expressions and looks like a horse at times, but in this series, she did well. I think the lead female of "Maiden's Vow" will be hard to express because of the diversity of the acting, but Charmaine pulled it off. She changed from each character very well and she can express how each character she plays grows and matures. So I guess two thumbs up to Charmaine.
Conclusion:
I would recommend "Maiden's Vow" to anyone. This series does not lack originality and has a bit of humor in it. I would rather pass the second and third generation parts, but that's just me. But I would not recommend it if you do not like horrible endings.
PS I do not own this review.