Saving the best for last, 82-episode blockbuster The Gem of Life will be released in about two weeks as the 41st Anniversary series. Capturing the luxurious sights of tourist attractions around the world, including France, Thailand, and Tibet, one year was required to complete filming. Producer Johnathan Chik is eager to repeat the success of War and Beauty and erase the failure of Dance of Passion; he is perhaps taking a heavy risk with Gem. From elegant wardrobes to expensive sets, the upcoming drama seeks to dazzle us with the glamorous lifestyles of the rich and expose the ugly layers of socialites.

Since the provocative Sales Presentation clip last year, few spoilers have been made public and the level of buzz surrounding the series has been surprisingly moderate in comparison to that of highly-promoted Moonlight Resonance. Recently, Astro On Demand has put out the opening theme video, several promotional trailers, and previews of three episodes to salivate our mouths in preparation for the jewel-studded main course.

Although Gem will not be nominated for any awards this year, a segment during the Anniversary Lightning Ceremony featured a Catwalk. Cast members Ada Choi, Maggie Siu, Gigi Lai, Linda Chung, Moses Chan, Bosco Wong, Bowie Lam, and Kenny Wong modeled sets of jewelry and diamond-encrusted cell phones priced at over HK $38 million. Ada and Linda flaunted their accessories fiercely and appeared to be the brightest stars gracing the stage that night. Amidst the display of sparkles, the true highlight was the opening theme (click HERE to download) by veteran singer Shirley Kwan playing in the background. Her strong, sultry vocals well-suited the Latin-style track.

I truly believe The Gem of Life has the script, cast, big budget, and more to become a modern classic.

After patiently waiting for months, we are finally treated to The Seventh Day (最美麗的第七天), a series with the great potential to tell TVB’s most tragically beautiful love story. Set primarily during the winter of modern Japan, Seventh explores the different relationships of two couples. While a love triangle developed between Niki Chow, Kevin Cheng, and Bosco Wong’s characters in Under the Canopy of Love, the 2006 hit to which Seventh is very loosely based on, Natalie Tong’s character is now brought into the picture as the main love interest of Bosco’s.

“Ah Yan” (Niki Chow) and “Chi Wing” (Kevin Cheng) are the first future couple introduced. On her way to board the ferry, “Ah Yan” bumps into an artist who is working on The Seventh Day of the Eighth Month, an illustrated story revolving around the lives of two boys born on August 7th. One of these boys is shown to be very cool with dark sunglasses while the other is looking happy with his fists pumped high. In the next scene, we find out who the cool fellow represents. After a vending machine unsuccessfully dispenses her drink, “Ah Yan” looks back to see “Chi Wing” holding one. Naturally, she attempts to thank him, but he ignores her and walks off. Throughout the episode, her perception of him worsens: he uses an unconventional method of saving a suicidal friend by pushing that person off the building to land on large airbags and later uses her cellphone to engage in an inappropriate conversation with someone she assumes to be a girlfriend. However, at the end, “Chi Wing” redeems himself by helping “Ah Yan” stop two thieves who steal her wallet. Of course, often in TVB series, this kind of “bad” boy is misunderstood. I like his cool demeanor and calmness in tight situations, so it’ll be fun to watch how she learns to understand him.

From what we’ve already seen in the trailer of The Seventh Day released last November, the relationship between “Ah Don” (Bosco Wong) and “Sa Sa” (Natalie Tong) is a bit comical and more carefree than that of “Chi Wing” and “Ah Yan.” In contrast to the first encounter between the latter two, “Ah Don” leaves a good impression on “Sa Sa” by cheerfully giving away the last drink in the vending machine to her. Unfortunately, this favor is not returned as she repeatedly causes trouble for him later: her sudden braking in traffic leads to an accident that halts his drive to work, she mistakenly locks him up in a bathroom for an hour, and a glass figurine she clumsily flings nearly hits him on the head before he painfully kneels on its scattered pieces. What makes these meetings more entertaining - except for the wounded knee part - is how grateful “Ah Don” is to “Sa Sa” for being there to “help” him each time. Unbeknownst to him, she is the reason why he is in need of rescue to begin with! It’ll be interesting seeing their relationship develop; she seems to have positive feelings toward him and he has no clue just how grateful he should be.

The presence of the artist during some of the scenes is very meaningful. With each stroke of the pencil or dab of color, his story is brought to life as the characters in the series become the characters in The Seventh Day of the Eighth Month: “Chi Wing” and “Ah Don” are the two boys who share the same birthday yet lead different lives and have opposing personalities. This idea is reinforced as sequences/characters are occasionally divided into moving panels on white background. It’s as if we are flipping through the pages of the artist’s book and studying each piece of illustration. I absolutely look forward to “reading” through the next chapters of the The Seventh Day. The first one certainly does not disappoint.