Bleak look at dating and love in Hong Kong
Everyone in Hong Kong West Side Stories was looking for love or to get an itch scratched and they didn’t care if they had to lie, cheat, or kill to make it happen. Six vignettes over 12 short episodes focused on different characters though there was some overlapping. These stories were from a decidedly male point of view filtered through the Black Mirror.The first 3 episodes featured two unlikeable men. Both received exactly what they deserved. Episode 4 was my favorite and even though it took a rather bleak, monetary look at dating, at least the couple was engaging. Episode 5 was about perception and sex in a public place. Warning--this drama has several scenes with people having sex or talking about it graphically. Episodes 6 and 7 caught me by surprise, falling under “be careful what you wish for.” Episode 8 focused on scams and a young man who was willing to work(out) for the possibility of love. 9 had a trippy twist to it. A virgin in episode 10 misconstrued messages and missent one as well. 11 and 12 gave new meaning to sibling rivalry with utterly vile behavior.
Women tended to be shown in a mercenary light or as bright as a 10-watt bulb. There were a couple of intelligent women but they were anomalies. There weren’t many episodes where a woman’s role extended beyond being in a man’s sexual crosshairs. The men couldn’t understand why they were alone or the good women didn’t want them. Um, cheating, lying, being obsessed with porn, strange or obsessive behavior or not being able to look a woman in her eyes because their gaze traveled further down. There was a “comedic” twist in one vignette that crossed the line where a woman’s consent is concerned. Despite being well made, too often instead of hoping for a happy ending for these characters I was completely revolted by them. Nearly everyone was screwing, being screwed over or screwing someone else over.
Many of the characters faced the problems of not making enough money to either pay rent or buy an apartment, much less a car. They often worked long hours with little reward. Lonely and desperate they sought out companionship in one form or another whether it was looking for love or looking to score. Friendships were as rare as healthy romantic relationships.
Hong Kong West Side Stories offered a few intriguing stories with disquieting twists. If you are in need of a feel good drama, this is not it. I found the majority of stories to be dark and depressing with people constantly self-sabotaging themselves. Though described as a dark comedy there wasn’t much to laugh about.
28 January 2024
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This review may contain spoilers
The short stories are really entertaining and have different themes. These are always controversial and have a bitter taste or ending. The actors are mixed with famous celebrities from Malaysia or the US as well and not well known in western countries. But I liked all of them.My favorite moments were the breaking of the forth wall and self-talks.
I can recommend the drama for fans of heavy content or OCN watchers. It’s something new and please don’t expect to like the main leads. Their behavior isn’t very nice...
My favorite storyline was with the actor Ka Ki Shem. He was so cute as Lucas aka part-time boyfriend.
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✒Not endorsed by the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce °7.5° °VG°
HKWSS could be considered a public service. It reminds us to not get snookered. It explores the downside of Hong Kong life and by extension, human existence in general.Most stories are one episode long while a couple occupy a second episode. Ep1: “What do Chinese people love most? Gambling. Taking risks. Even when they lose, they numb themselves as if they've won the process.” So the ML is told by his buddy who is urging him to consider a career change from insurance sales to bookie. He ends up becoming an even worse shyster - a pet telepathist. His career change starts as revenge against his gf who broke up with him after he criticized /her/ pet telepathist, to whom she had just paid 5k to try and find her cat, Tofu. The ML did nothing to help her find Tofu, she points out. Revenge turned lucrative: He's getting paid and laid. He's loving life until he realizes, in ep2, that his choices will keep him from getting what he wants most. The last story features a family of 6 who live in a 380sf apartment: Mom & dad, 2 grown sons and their wives. The couples share bunk beds, and the story is outrageous. The only other Hong Kong show I've seen is The Defected-8.2. Both of these shows are good, they are both rough, and they both have a coldness to them. Hong Kong seems like a tough place.
The opening shot is in black & white and it's, well, it's ⬇down⬇. The language sounded strange - I'm used to Mandarin, cru-’shay (but), this is Cantonese. For those of you keeping score at home, Cantonese and Mandarin are considered quite distinct from eachother. Cantonese is also considered more difficult to learn as it has twice the tonal inflections (8) as Mandarin, which has 4. It's more sing-songy than Mandarin as a result. Inflections will change the meaning of a word, making the same sound another word altogether. The populations in the Chinese provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi, Hong Kong, and Macau primarily speak Cantonese and it's the most common language spoken by Chinese expats all around the world.
HKWSS is a 2018 release that is rated 7.5 on MDL. It is 1 season consisting of 12 “30-minute” episodes. Some of them are barely more than 15 minutes sans the credits. They pack a punch for the time investment. Also Known As: Hong Kong Stories, episodes are linked by characters as we drop off one protag and pick up another. Stories are also linked by deception. Nevertheless, When They Met in Taipei 1 (ep6) is sweet. Don't let down your guard, though. These aren't happy bedtime tales.
The actors are terrific. Director Nero Ng has a keen sense of irony, and he has no mercy on the weak and downtrodden. A common thread in these stories is how people get scammed because they overestimate their own importance while wanting everything to fall onto their laps with minimal effort (gambling mentality?). Not only do we need to remain wary of others, but we always need to be working on ourselves. Many of the protags in these tales aren't the most attractive, but even the beautiful people trip themselves up. There's very few truly ugly people - Most of us are average. The sexiest thing in the world is confidence. The beauty that comes from within is the one with staying power, but that beauty eludes those who sit around wallowing in misery or looking for quick & easy solutions while never trying to improve. Keep working on yourself. Your efforts will never betray you.
The music is quite good and augments an amusing, almost lighthearted air. These people may be screwing up their lives, but they aren't taking the viewer down with them. Viewers who have an excess of empathy, like me (Charlie Brown always made me fight back tears), might feel slightly down or uncomfortable watching these short stories, but they are worth the time investment. Episode 12 actually ends on a hopeful note. Life will go on, so get along, open your heart, and love those around you.
QUOTES📢
When people lack analytical thinking for a long period of time,.. They obey the intelligent ones and do everything they're asked to do.
Do you know what humans are good at? Self-deception.
〰🖍 IMHO
📣7.5 📝7.5 🎭8 💓2 🦋1 🎨6 🎵/🔊6 🔚8.3 ▪ 🌞0 ⚡4 😅2 😭6 😱4 😯4 😖4 🤔8 💤0
Age 17+ for hard R-rated Language (F💣s), sex acts, and violence are depicted. Rated R - restricted
Re-📺? It's not that it isn't rewatch-worthy, but I don't think I want to go through these trials again. Once is enough. But maybe…
Recommendations: A Beautiful Life-7.4, Don't Go Breaking My Heart-7.7, Hello, Love, Goodbye 7.7, 🇹🇼Age of Rebellion-9.5
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