War and Destiny
Encyclopedia
War and Destiny is a TVB period drama series released overseas in July 2006 and broadcast on TVB Jade
Channel in March 2007.
during World War II
, and the characters live through the infamous Rape of Nanjing
. The Chinese title for this series shares the same Chinese name with the 1939 film Gone with the Wind
. To fit the general ratings on TVB, the series toned down much of the violence and bloodshed.
(1930s) as a prestigious household in a wealthy part of Nanjing. Soon, words spread that the city is being taken over by Imperial Japanese forces. The Ku family, which had all daughters and a father and mother of weakening health, are soon forced to pack their belongings to leave the war torn area. One of their servants recommends they move to the rural areas. To their dismay, life is incredibly difficult and they live in poverty. The family is in pieces as each daughter struggles with numerous difficulties in the countryside. However, all members of the family eventually grow closer together as they work in the rural area.
Eventually, Nanjing falls to Japan. One of the daughters, Ping-On, was shocked to find out that Hao-Yee, a childhood friend, is actually the son of Japanese military officer Chung Tin-Ngai (Shek Sau). She also discovers that Hao-Yee, whom she considers to be her fiancé, is actually in love with Cheng Yuet-Fung (Leila Tong
), the 4th wife of her father. Meanwhile he is also treated as a spy and traitor by all the Chinese villagers he grew up with. In the end Ping-On unexpectedly falls in love with Poon Sai-Cheung (Sunny Chan
) whom she had first hated with a passion and believed to be a traitor…
TVB Jade
TVB Jade is a flagship TV channel in Hong Kong, established by Television Broadcasts Limited, and is one of the free-to-air Cantonese language television channels in Hong Kong, the other being its arch-rival ATV Home...
Channel in March 2007.
Production note
The background of the plot is set in the NanjingNanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and the characters live through the infamous Rape of Nanjing
Nanking Massacre
The Nanking Massacre or Nanjing Massacre, also known as the Rape of Nanking, was a mass murder, genocide and war rape that occurred during the six-week period following the Japanese capture of the city of Nanjing , the former capital of the Republic of China, on December 13, 1937 during the Second...
. The Chinese title for this series shares the same Chinese name with the 1939 film Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind (film)
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard...
. To fit the general ratings on TVB, the series toned down much of the violence and bloodshed.
Synopsis
The Ku family are living in the Republic of China eraRepublic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(1930s) as a prestigious household in a wealthy part of Nanjing. Soon, words spread that the city is being taken over by Imperial Japanese forces. The Ku family, which had all daughters and a father and mother of weakening health, are soon forced to pack their belongings to leave the war torn area. One of their servants recommends they move to the rural areas. To their dismay, life is incredibly difficult and they live in poverty. The family is in pieces as each daughter struggles with numerous difficulties in the countryside. However, all members of the family eventually grow closer together as they work in the rural area.
Eventually, Nanjing falls to Japan. One of the daughters, Ping-On, was shocked to find out that Hao-Yee, a childhood friend, is actually the son of Japanese military officer Chung Tin-Ngai (Shek Sau). She also discovers that Hao-Yee, whom she considers to be her fiancé, is actually in love with Cheng Yuet-Fung (Leila Tong
Leila Tong
Leila Tong Ling is an actress in Hong Kong. She was born into an Indonesian Chinese family. Her birth name is used in her works during her childhood and adolescence.- Career :...
), the 4th wife of her father. Meanwhile he is also treated as a spy and traitor by all the Chinese villagers he grew up with. In the end Ping-On unexpectedly falls in love with Poon Sai-Cheung (Sunny Chan
Sunny Chan
Sunny Chan Kam-Hung is a Hong Kong television and film actor. His breakout film role was in the internationally multi-award-winning 1998 Hong Kong film Hold You Tight, for which he won the coveted Silver Screen Award for Best Actor at the Singapore International Film Festival in...
) whom she had first hated with a passion and believed to be a traitor…
Cast
| Cast | Role | Relations | Description |
| Ron Ng Ron Ng Ron Ng Cheuk-hei is a Hong Kong TVB actor, singer, professional dancer, ambassador, and model. He is one of the most demanded artists from TVB.-Early Childhood:... |
Tin Hao-Yee (田孝義)/ Chung Tin Hao-Yee (松田孝義) Matsuda Takayoshi |
Friend of Ku Ping-On Son of Chung Tin-Ngai Lover of Cheng Yuet-Fung |
He began his childhood as a poor Chinese villager in Nanking. He once had many Chinese friends and even risked his life to free a rice supply from the imperial Japanese troops to feed the villagers. Eventually he turned out to be genetically Japanese and lost credibility with the Chinese people. He was also in love with Ku Man-Chai's fourth wife, Cheng Yuet Fung, even though he knew he wasn't allowed. At the end of the series, Cheng Yuet-Fung (鄭月鳳)Leila Tong Leila Tong Leila Tong Ling is an actress in Hong Kong. She was born into an Indonesian Chinese family. Her birth name is used in her works during her childhood and adolescence.- Career :... marries him. |
| Myolie Wu Myolie Wu Myolie Wu Hang-yee is a Hong Kong actress for the Hong Kong TVB television station and a singer under contracts with Neway Star-Career:... |
Ku Ping-On (顧平安) |
Friend of Tin Hao-Yee Daughter of Ku Man-Chai Daughter of Yeung Sau-Lin |
She is the hardest working member of the Ku family. But was mostly an illiterate and naive farm girl. |
| Sunny Chan Sunny Chan Sunny Chan Kam-Hung is a Hong Kong television and film actor. His breakout film role was in the internationally multi-award-winning 1998 Hong Kong film Hold You Tight, for which he won the coveted Silver Screen Award for Best Actor at the Singapore International Film Festival in... |
Poon Sai-Cheung (潘世昌) |
Lover of Ku Ping-On | He began as a wealthy merchant and appeared as a businessman who sold anything to the Japanese and betrayed China. He turned out to be a Chinese republican spy. |
| Lau Dan Lau Dan Lau Dan is a Hong Kong actor.- Works :Lau is known to portray good characters, but could play cunning and sly characters with ease... |
Ku Man-Chai (顧萬齊) |
Husband of Yeung Sau-Lin Husband of Luk Yin-Chun Husband of Cheng Yuet-Fung Father of Ku Ping-On Father of Ku Dak-Yee Father of Ku Chiu-Yee Father of Ku Oi-Yee |
Rice Merchant and head of the Ku household. He tried hard to keep the family together, though he was obsessed with old traditions and the preserving of family surnames Chinese surname Chinese family names have been historically used by Han Chinese and Sinicized Chinese ethnic groups in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and among overseas Chinese communities. In ancient times two types of surnames, family names and clan names , existed.The colloquial expressions laobaixing... via a male child. |
| Leila Tong Leila Tong Leila Tong Ling is an actress in Hong Kong. She was born into an Indonesian Chinese family. Her birth name is used in her works during her childhood and adolescence.- Career :... |
Cheng Yuet-Fung (鄭月鳳) |
Ku Man-Chai's 4th wife Lover of Tin Hao-Yee |
She was forced to be married into the Ku family by her brother. Her original purpose in the Ku family was to have a male child to prolong the Ku family name. Ku Man-Chai was old enough to be her father. She was actually in love with the much younger Tin Hao-Yee. |
| Halina Tam Halina Tam Halina Tam, also known as May is a model, singer and television actress. She is also best known for her role in Legend of the Demigods and The Gentle Crackdown with co-star Wayne Lai.Tam was the winner of the Miss Hong Kong Pageant 1994... |
Luk Yin-Chun (陸燕珍) |
Ku Man-Chai's 3rd wife | She was supposed to father a male child for the Ku family. But her son was born mentally ill and was constantly looked down upon in the family. |
| Angelina Lo (盧宛茵) | Yung Yuk-Wah (容玉華) |
Ku Man-Chai's 1st wife | She was the oldest and main wife of the family. Though she was accustomed to the high lifestyle in Nanking and had difficulties adjusting to the war time poverty life. |
| Bill Chan Bill Chan Shek Sau is a Hong Kong actor working for TVB. His son Sam Chan is also works for TVB as an actor. In 2005, they appeared in a cooking show together for a Father's Day promotion.-Filmography:-External links:*... |
Chung Tin-Ngai (松田毅) Matsuda Takeshi |
Tin Hao-Yee's father | He started as a Japanese merchant, but had significant influence on Japanese troops, commanders and Nanking politics. |
| Mandy Cho Mandy Cho Mandy Cho Man-Lei is a Hong Kong beauty contestant and television personality.Cho studied in San Francisco, United States. She came back from her studies in 2003 and competed in the 2003 Miss Hong Kong Pageant. A favorite at the start of the competition, she made it into the semifinals and won the... |
Shum Yi-Ping (沈依萍) |
She was a shidaiqu Shidaiqu Shidaiqu is a type of Chinese folk/European jazz fusion music that originated in Shanghai, China, in the 1920s.-Terminology:The term literally means "songs of the era" in Mandarin... nightclub singer who also played a major role as a spy. |
|
| Anita Kwan (關伊彤) |
Ku Dak-Yee (顧得兒) |
Daughter of Ku Man-Chai Daughter of Yung Yuk-Wah |
She was the most educated member of the family, but struggled in the farm life where education and literacy was often useless. |
| Charmaine Li Charmaine Li Charmaine Li Si Yan , one of the many graduates from Belilios Public School and School of Drama, The Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts in Hong Kong, is presently an actress with Television Broadcasts Limited.-Filmography:... |
Ku Chiu-Yee (顧昭兒) |
Daughter of Ku Man-Chai | She wanted to be a Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour... movie star. But later ended up making Japanese propaganda Propaganda Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group.... films. |
| Casper Chan (陳凱怡) |
Ku Oi-Yee (顧愛兒) |
Daughter of Ku Man-Chai Daughter of Yung Yuk-Wah |
She was a bookworm, who had asthma Asthma Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath... and numerous health problems. |
| Mary Hon Mary Hon Mary Hon is an actress from TVB in Hong Kong. She has appeared in many television series, such as Beyond the Realm of Conscience.-TV series:-External links:... (韓馬利) |
Yeung Sau-Lin (楊秀蓮) |
Lover and servant of Ku Man-Chai Mother of Ku Ping-On |
|
| Samuel Kwok (郭鋒) |
Lit Wun Shan (聶泓山) |
He was a Japanese businessman and film director who tried to install Japanese culture into China. He had constant political conflict. | |
Comparison with reality
- The Japanese troops did not commit much atrocities in the series. The killing was portrayed in a manner that was often quick and very clean. Especially during the grave scene where the hundreds of innocent citizens were buried, the bodies were all intact.
- In the story Ku Man-Chai had 4 wives, each trying to give birth to a male son. Up until the 1930s Republic of China era, this was common practice in the culture. And was a major problem in China up until it was fixed by the more extreme One Child Policy.
- The earlier Ku family owned a private truck, while Poon Sai-Cheung owned a Rolls RoyceRolls-Royce (car)This a list of Rolls-Royce motor cars and includes vehicles produced by:*Rolls-Royce Limited *Rolls-Royce Motors , which was owned by Vickers between 1980 and 1998, and after that by Volkswagen...
. Both attempted to escape war-torn Nanking by car, while the other 99% of the population escaped on foot. This demonstrates the huge wealth gap between the rich and poor.
Viewership ratings
| Week | Episode | Average Points | Peaking Points | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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March 12 - March 16, 2007 | 1 — 5 | |
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March 19 - March 23, 2007 | 6 — 10 | |
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March 26 - March 30, 2007 | 11 — 15 | |
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April 2 - April 6, 2007 | 16 — 20 | |
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April 9 - April 13, 2007 | 21 — 25 | |
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April 14, 2007 | 26 — 27 | |
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Award nominations
40th TVB Anniversary Awards (2007)TVB Anniversary Awards (2007)
TVB Anniversary Awards 2007 is an award ceremony that celebrates the best in TVB programming of 2007. The award ceremony took place on November 17, 2007.-Best Actor:"Best Actor in a Leading Role" Award ....
- "Best Drama"
- "Best Actress in a Leading Role" (Myolie WuMyolie WuMyolie Wu Hang-yee is a Hong Kong actress for the Hong Kong TVB television station and a singer under contracts with Neway Star-Career:...
- Ku Ping-On) - "Best Actor in a Supporting Role" (Lau DanLau DanLau Dan is a Hong Kong actor.- Works :Lau is known to portray good characters, but could play cunning and sly characters with ease...
- Ku Man-Chai) - "Best Actor in a Supporting Role" (Bill ChanBill ChanShek Sau is a Hong Kong actor working for TVB. His son Sam Chan is also works for TVB as an actor. In 2005, they appeared in a cooking show together for a Father's Day promotion.-Filmography:-External links:*...
- Chung Tin-Ngai) - "Most Improved Actress" (Leila TongLeila TongLeila Tong Ling is an actress in Hong Kong. She was born into an Indonesian Chinese family. Her birth name is used in her works during her childhood and adolescence.- Career :...
- Cheng Yuet-Fung) - "My Favourite Female Character Role" (Myolie WuMyolie WuMyolie Wu Hang-yee is a Hong Kong actress for the Hong Kong TVB television station and a singer under contracts with Neway Star-Career:...
- Ku Ping-On)
External links
- TVB.com War and Destiny - Official Website
- Butterfly's Place.net War and Destiny - Synopsis