The Beautiful Scent 美丽的气味

This is the 4th collaboration between Malaysia’s ntv7, and Singapore’s Mediacorp Ch 8. Debuts on 23 July 2007 on ntv7 at 9.30pm, and on 11 February 2008, at 7pm on Ch 8.
It is a remake of the 2005 Singapore drama, ‘My Lucky Charm’ 情来运转, which starred Huang Biren, Chen Hanwei, Chew Chor Meng, Mary Bukoh, Jeanette Aw, Allan Wu, Michelle Chong, Zheng Geping, Cavin Soh, Margaret Lee, Michelle Liow, Jesseca Liu

Huang Biren won Best Actress in Star Awards 2005 for her role as Lucky, a compulsive gambler who has no interest in her personal hygiene, and is constantly owing money to many people, so much so that she runs out of food to eat, and her electricity gets cut off.

Singapore actors acting in this remake include: Pan Ling Ling, Zheng Geping, Dawn Yeoh & Bernard Tan
Malaysian actors acting include: Leslie Chai, Cai Peixuan, William San, Janelle Chin, Annie Wong…

Zheng Geping played Lucky’s husband in the original, but he died on their wedding night, for Lucky drove the car which went out of control for the brakes were tampered with.

The main theme of ‘My Lucky Charm’ was tai-chi, and the original title was actually called ‘The Tai-chi Lass’, while the sub-themes were the money making ventures of Chew Chor Meng’s character, a love rectangle between Jeanette Aw, Allan Wu, Jesseca Liu, and Michelle Chong, as well as the great pairing of Huang Biren and Chen Hanwei.

In this remake, Pan Ling Ling plays Winner, while in the original, Huang Biren was Lucky. Both marry twice and both husbands die. They finally find their true love in Zheng Geping and Chen Hanwei respectively. Dawn Yeoh plays Jeanette Aw’s character, a girl with body odour. Zheng Geping does not reprise his role in the remake, but plays Chen Hanwei’s role. Chen Hanwei’s role was that of a sissy, but Zheng Geping will not be playing a sissy, but a normal man, although, like Chen Hanwei’s Fafa, he is surrounded by women who like him.

Everything is mostly the same of the original, just that the setting is in Malaysia, and that Zheng Geping does not run a rival shop selling beauty products, but exercise equipment.

[the comparison below: credits to zh; but i edited it too ]

Original vs. Remake

Lucky Zhang Qiuye (Huang Biren) — Winner Chen Li (Pan Lingling)

Chen Jinfa (Chen Hanwei) — Macho Tang Zhangyao (Zheng Geping)

Fang Lixiang (Jeanette Aw) — Zeng Meili (Dawn Yeoh)

Zhang Fengshou (Chew Chor Meng) — Chen Yong (Leslie Chai)

Lisabelle (Mary Bukoh) — Tang Lijiao (Annie Wong)

Lin Meiya (Michelle Chong) — Lin Xiaotong (Wayne Chua)

JK Ma aka Xiaoma-ge (Allan Wu) — Dominic aka Xiao wangzi (William San)

Fang Yingying (Margaret Lee) — Xiaoyan (Janelle Chin)

Lin Tianming (Zheng Geping) — Li Cheng (Bernard Tan)

Cindy (Joey Ng) — Mona (Joyce Hon)

Chen Qingyun (Cavin Soh) — Wu Yingjie (Wymen Yong)

Xiu Wen (Jesseca Liu) — Shiyun (Emily Lim)

Paul Yong (Andrew Seow) — Isaac (Wee Kheng Meng)

(Michelle Liow) — Jody (Brenda Chia)

() — Lin Xiaoping (Crystal Chooi)

(Zzen Chang) — Guang

THE STORY:

Chen Li, also known as Winner, is a widow, a compulsive gambler, the head of the tai-chi school which she has neglected, and the co-owner of a shop selling beauty products, which is run by her sister-in-law Xiaoyan. She is always taking money from her daughter, Meili, and her so-called friend, Macho, who runs a shop selling exercise equipment right across from their beauty product shop.

In order to get her back on her feet, and stop her from gambling, sleeping, and lazing around, Macho gets her to teach tai-chi to his loyal customers, to “pay” him back the huge amount of money she owes him.

Later, a rich businessman, Li Cheng takes interest in her, and pursues her. Macho urges her to accept him, but she is hesitant, as she can’t put down what happened to her late husband. She and her late husband were happily married, and he bought a bouquet of flowers for her. Seeing her across the road, he dashed across, not looking at oncoming traffic, and was knocked down. He died right in front of Winner, thus, she feels responsible for his death. Macho helps her put down this burden of hers, but when she finally accepts Li Cheng, Macho realises that he likes her, but nevertheless, he wishes them the best.

Winner marries Li Cheng, but on their wedding night, they meet with an accident, and although nothing serious happens to her, Li Cheng is in a critical condition. The operation does not succeed, and Li Cheng dies. She then gets into a bitter quarrel with his arrogant and snobbish sister, who insists that she married Li Cheng for his money. Winner gives all Li Cheng left her to his sister, in exchange for his ashes.

EVERYTHING which happens to Winner is the same as the original! Does she end up with Macho? In the original, the result of their relationship was open-ended…

Macho runs a shop selling exercise equipment, with his sister, Lijiao. He is always surrounded by women, the 2 in his shop, who treat him to food, and always try to outshine the other, and Xiaoyan, who is his rival professionally, but personally, she likes him. He gets a shock when Jody’s underworld father forces him to marry Jody (1 of the girls in his shop), or eat the pile of faeces on the floor. Luckily, someone saves him from that ordeal. In actual fact, Winner was the one who saved him, but she let Xiaoyan claim the credit. When Macho realises that it was Winner who saved him, he is disappointed she already accepted Li Cheng, leaving him vowing to win her back. However, she marries Li Cheng. Li Cheng dies, leaving Macho with a chance… But will their final ending be happy?

Meili is Winner’s daughter, and a very hardworking girl. But the problem with her is that she has body odour, and that makes people shun her. She gets a job at the restaurant where her good friend, Xiaotong, is the chief chef, and because of her kind nature, she is bullied by her co-workers. When her idol, star chef Dominic comes to Malaysia, and is the guest chef at the restaurant she is working at, she is elated. Nursing a crush on him, she tries to help him in whatever he does. However, her body odour makes him loathe her. He is still pining for his ex-girlfriend, Shiyun, who has since married, and needs money for her husband’s operation. Dominic also has an ailing father, whom he cannot bring himself to visit. Meili later becomes the face of their tai-chi school, after she apprehends jewelry robbers using tai-chi. The whole process is filmed, and she became a household name. As time goes by, Dominic starts to appreciate all she has done for him. However, he had already fallen for Xiaotong, and although he stays by Meili’s side when she is bedridden, his heart is with Xiaotong. Xiaotong had run away from the altar when she was supposed to marry Issac, as she has a phobia about marriage. Meili is lucky, and does not become paralyzed, and heads the tai-chi school. Xiaotong overcomes her fear of marriage, and with Meili’s blessings, she and Dominic get married.

Winner’s brother, Chen Yong is a good-for-nothing person, who is liked by Macho’s sister, Lijiao. It is because of Lijiao that he managed to get back on his feet and do something productive with his life. After numerous failures with Chinese medicinal products, they finally succeed. With an incomplete formula, his daughter, Charlie, whom is the daughter of his ex-girlfriend, Mona, together with Yingjie (Meili’s good friend) and Lijiao, they manage to concoct a special face cream. Then Mona returns, and wants to get back with Chen Yong, claiming to be carrying his child. He forgets about Lijiao, and all she has done for him, treating her as only his good friend. But he later realises that Mona has been tricking him, and that he does, genuinely, love Lijiao.

REVIEW:

I feel that this show lacked the ‘life’ that the original, “My Lucky Charm” had. The setting of this show, and the feeling; the whole mood is very dull, and the quality of acting here CANNOT compare to the original AT ALL! Only Pan Lingling, Zheng Geping, Cai Peixuan and William San perform well. The same cannot be said about Janelle Chin – her OTT portrayal of Xiaoyan is excruciatingly painful to watch! The role in the original was played by Margaret Lee, and although her acting isn’t fantastic, it’s miles better compared to what Janelle Chin was doing! Gosh. And Annie Wong. Mann. The original role was played by 93.3 DJ Mary Bukoh, and her portrayal was so much better, as the sweet and innocent, cute Ah-Li, which Annie Wong does not grasp. Instead, Annie’s Ah-Li is a rather ‘auntie’ character – no cute factor. Leslie Chai – his acting is wooden, but it’ll be unfair to compare him to Chew Chor Meng, who played the original role. In terms of experience, they are just not on par.

The mega cast, which injected life into the story and whole feeling of “My Lucky Charm”, cannot be substituted by anyone in this remake. “My Lucky Charm” was a one-of-a-kind drama, which had a wonderful cast who gave the show it’s life, and that whole package made it one of my favourite dramas. This show, however, fails miserably in bringing the script to life, and capturing the brilliance which “My Lucky Charm” is still remembered for.

RATING: 2.5/5.0 (Average) I’m utterly disappointed! Very, very, frustrated!

The theme video – Fu Huo 复活, sung by Lin Yu Zhong 林宇中 and Jin Sha 金莎:

i like the song!!

The ending song – 我介意, sung by Jin Sha 金莎
(I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY KINSHIP II HAD TO USE THE SAME ENDING THEME!
THIS SHOW WAS AIRED EARLIER! how irritating!)

Source 1 – ntv7 homepage

Source 2 – The Electric New Paper

Source 3 – The Star Online

Source 4 – Channel 8 Chinese edition

Source 5 – Sin Chew Daily (Chinese)

Source 6 (Chinese) – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Source 7 – Kwong Wah Daily (Chinese)

Behind the scenes – pictures during filming