Short End of the Stick [Drama Review]
September 24, 2016
My Rating: 8.5/10 (for a TVB comedy)
I actually enjoyed this drama although I haven't watched any of the series with the similar cast (The Great Eunuch and Overachievers). It was very relaxing to watch this since it is a no-brainer. The chemistry between the cast is great and the whole Kam family reminds me of the family dramas produced back then (Moonlight Resonance, Heart of Greed, Can't Buy Me Love). There are villains in this drama but they are a joke so they don't get you pulling your hair out when you know they will not succeed.
Synopsis:
Eunuchs Lee Suk-gung (Wayne Lai), Dan Tin (Power Chan) and Chan Siu-fung (Raymond Cho) served the last Qing emperor Puyi and the royal family in the Forbidden City until Puyi's distrust in eunuchs led to the release of all eunuchs from the Forbidden City. Life outside the Forbidden City was miserable for the three since eunuchs were constantly berated so they had to keep their identities a secret. The three befriends Chiu Jun-sing (Edwin Siu) a fake Eunuch after encountering revolutionist Yip Ching-yee (Ram Chiang) and decides to escape to Tianjin.
The four becomes entangled with the Kam family, first robbing the eldest Kam daughter Kam Dai-nam (Rosina Lin) who likes to cross-dress and then being taken in by Dai-nam's aunt Kam Heung after paying for the wounded Siu-fung's medical bills.
Cast:
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| The "Five Tigers" is just missing Raymond Wong |
"Four" Eunuchs:
Wayne Lai as Lee Suk-gung
Power Chan as Dan Tin
Raymond Cho as Chan Siu-fung
Edwin Siu as Chiu Jun-sing
Kam Family:
Older Generation:
Suet Nei as Kam Suk
Nancy Wu as Kam Heung
David Chiang as Kam Cheong
Rachel Kan as Ng Yin-wai
Ram Chiang as Yip Ching-yee
Younger Generation:
Rosina Lin as Kam Dai-name
Toby Chan as Kam Dai-Tse
Grace Wong as Kam Dai-da
Jack Wu as Fung Chun-sai
Yoyo Chen as Wan Tai-tse
Yiub Cheng as Kam Do-bo
Family Members & Workers
Harriet Yeung as Kam Tai-lik
Willie Wai as Law Hai
Natalie Tong as Wong Lin
Dickson Lee as Ng Yin-cho
Villains:
Lee Shing-Cheong as Tsui Tai-fu
Parkman Wong as Dung Gut
Derek Wong as Fu Suet
Steve Lee as Wu Ma General
More information can be found on Wikipedia.
My Thoughts:
1. I haven't watched such a lengthy family-oriented drama since Moonlight Resonance. Although this can't compare to Moonlight Resonance but it was very entertaining and relaxing to enjoy.
2. There are numerous villains in the show but most of them turn good or have their plans ruined. If you are expecting serious drama and multifaceted villains, this is not the drama for you. As mentioned before, the villains are a joke so no need to take them seriously.
3. The main watching point is the comedy. From Wayne Lai's Lee Suk-gung to Raymond Cho's flamboyant Chan Siu-fung and to child actor Yiub Cheng's Kam Do-bo, Each character brings laughter in their own ways. My mother still remembers Kam Do-bo whenever she sees the child actor in a new TVB series.
4. Watching a few TVB series here and there in the past few years, I haven't really root for any couples since I paid more to plot development. But in the series, I thought Natalie Tong and Edwin Siu had great chemistry and I enjoyed watching them portray as a couple.
Music:
I found the theme song to be nothing special. After awhile you might start liking it but once you finish the drama, it's one of those songs you can't seem to remember.
Opening Theme: Blue Sky (蓝天白云) by Sammy Sum
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