Return of the Cuckoo Movie version releases nostalgic trailer

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! I can’t. I can’t. WHYYY?? The drama killed my tender and innocent heart 15 years ago. You might notice I no longer ship drama kids who grew up together anymore because THIS DRAMA RUINED ME. The bitterness in my heart… remains till this day. And now what? They want to remedy the wound with a movie?

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Released in 2000, Return of the Cuckoowas a huge ratings hit for TVB and secured Charmaine Sheh and Julian Cheung as one of TVB’s most beloved onscreen pairings. Not sure if you guys have watched this drama since it’s very old but the story is almost tragic. The hero, Man Cho (Julian Cheung), is mute, no thanks to his cruel mother’s attempt at killing him by pouring detergent down the poor boy’s throat. She then abandoned him and he is luckily adopted by his mother’s best friend, Chu Sa Kiu (Nancy Sit). Sa Kiu’s daughter, Chuk Kwan Ho (Charmaine Sheh) is a tomboy and grew up alongside Man Cho, treating him as her brother. That is until her relationship with a well-off reporter, Szto Lai-Sun (Steven Ma), awakens feelings between the two siblings. Alas, Man Cho’s inferiority complex and Sa Kiu’s pleading push her to move to the US, believing that she is better off with her rich father and husband’s background. And that is where everything went wrong!

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Back in the days, this is the equivalent of a dance.

While I did not like how the romance played out, I love the theme of families in this drama. The majority of the kids in here grew up missing either one or both of their parents and it’s touching that they find parental figures in the people around them, knowing that they don’t have to be connected by blood to matter and be loved. I remember many scenes from this drama, and one that stands out always is the scene where Sa Kiu takes Man Cho to a distant city and tries to hook him up with a job faraway from her and Kwan Ho, after she learns that he might be having feelings for Kwan Ho. Realizing what this is all about, Man Cho turns around and fearfully asks her (in sign language), “What did I do wrong? Why do you want to abandon me?” WAHHHHHHHH. Tears. Tears. Without explicitly stating it, Sa Kiu wants the best things in life for her daughter…and he does not make the cut.

He knows it too and reassures her repeatedly that he has no romantic feelings for Kwan Ho and he too wants the best things in life for her… meaning, he knows he can’t be that person. 🙁

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Michael Tong plays Man Cho’s best friend. He has a such a sad life too. It’s nice of them to invite him in the movie too.

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Stills from the Movie/Promotions:

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Chen Qiao En plays a deaf girl, the third leg in this love triangle! WHYYY you gotta pitch my girl crushes against each other?

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Trailer:

  • Charmaine has lost so much weight. She no longer has the soft chubby cheeks anymore, which is in line with her age. While some didn’t like her short haircut back then, I loved it. It was cute and chic compared to her current hair in the movie.
  • I remember hating Steven Ma for years after the end of this drama. Lol. This was the pre-teen and well into my teen years where I had troubles separating the actor from the character.
  • Honestly, I don’t know what they are gonna do with the story… Kwan Ho has kids…did her husband die? Oh, who am I kidding, TVB sequels automatically mean that the lover (in this case the husband) is for all intents and purposes, dead.
  • What I’m worried about is the chemistry. I know they had amazing chemistry 15 years ago, but would they be able to act naturally in the same screen once again in the characters that brought so much hurt and suffering to the viewers at the time?
  • The themesong played in the trailer above is by Julian Cheung. The title is a clever pun on the female lead’s name, Chuk Kwan Ho, literal meaning Wishing Kwan Well. And that is exactly what he did all drama long. One of TVB’s classic love themesongs.
  • Julian performing the song live: Watch here and here. Lyrics Translation.

Source: 01 // 02

  1. 19 thoughts on “Return of the Cuckoo Movie version releases nostalgic trailer

    Perfect timing! I finished this drama last year, you know after Triumph in the Skies, I missed Captain Kool dearly. He was phenomenal here. I can’t imagine an actor not speaking for 2/3 of the drama. His expressions were spot on. His pain, his sadness, his love. Julian did a great job. Charmaine’s voice back then was so whining. Lol. Her character was the luckiest girl ever, while everyone lost something at the end, she didn’t seem to lose much, except years away from her mother and Julian.

    So I’m a little worried since Julian hasn’t done a role like this since forever, his natural arrogance that he carries everywhere now…might be hard…. Man Cho was such a puppy. 🙁

    Michael Tong was so handsome and masculine. Perfectly cast.

    • 19 thoughts on “Return of the Cuckoo Movie version releases nostalgic trailer

      Man Cho is the most pitiful puppy ever. Yea, Charmaine’s character was spoiled rotten by her mother and brother. Lol.

      Sometimes, I hope the ending was more uplifting to some characters. Some of them didn’t deserve the ending that tragic. =/

  2. 19 thoughts on “Return of the Cuckoo Movie version releases nostalgic trailer

    i watched Charmaine in one of TVB dramas last year, and i think this hairstyle is better than in that drama. But Julian is soooooooo ADORABLE.. OH MY GAWT! he was so cute back then.. 😀

    i wonder, what kind of love triangle is it? since Julian seems sooo innocent and adorable.. he won’t hurt anyone’s heart, i guess.. but love has that kind of power lol

    ps : Chen Qiao En’s really pretty in that pic.

    • 19 thoughts on “Return of the Cuckoo Movie version releases nostalgic trailer

      You should watch Cuckoo Yui, if you’re a Julian’s fan. 🙂

      Any love triangle introduced is gonna fail big time. It’s been 15 years, I doubt they will give us a bad ending for the two lovebirds who have been through much hurt and suffering. That would be cruel. heh.

      • 19 thoughts on “Return of the Cuckoo Movie version releases nostalgic trailer

        Where can i watch it with engsub? Viki has it? Aiyooo.. Im curious but i like watching some old dramas (just re-run All Abou Eve), aaahh Juliaaaannn.. He looks sooo damn fine!

        • 19 thoughts on “Return of the Cuckoo Movie version releases nostalgic trailer

          I don’t know where… I watched it with eng sub years ago and old TVB dramas aren’t available for streaming online…. 🙁

        • 19 thoughts on “Return of the Cuckoo Movie version releases nostalgic trailer

          Ahhhh Julian looks cute. I want to watch this..tell me if you guys find it with eng sub somewhere. And the movie has Qiao En too.

  3. 19 thoughts on “Return of the Cuckoo Movie version releases nostalgic trailer

    Arrggghhh this was THE drama that made me a Chilam fangirl, to this day. (well, he looks just about the same.) But this was also the drama which made me dislike Charmaine for a number of years. OMG she was so annoying here. I loved Chor Gor Gor but in terms of overall story, I prefer Point of No Return.

    However, I remember that scene when Nancy’s character was going to send him away!!!! So sad. Plus of course the song!

    • 19 thoughts on “Return of the Cuckoo Movie version releases nostalgic trailer

      Lol. When I watched this drama 15 years ago, I didn’t find her annoying, only Steven’s character. But watching it as an adult years later, I can’t disagree. She’s blessed to be spoiled by Man Cho and Sa Kiu.

  4. 19 thoughts on “Return of the Cuckoo Movie version releases nostalgic trailer

    OMG I remember watching Point of No Return when I was really young and they were my favourite couple!! I was forever sad Chilam and Charmaine never paired up again after that. I think I was too young when Cuckoo came out so I never got to watch it but I’m definitely going to give it a go now!! LOVE THEM BOTH SEPARATELY AND TOGETHER!!

    • 19 thoughts on “Return of the Cuckoo Movie version releases nostalgic trailer

      Unless you want to cry your eyes out and be frustrated to death, I wouldn’t recommend it. LOL.

      I love Point of No Return too! I wouldn’t survive it if they had another sad ending.

  5. 19 thoughts on “Return of the Cuckoo Movie version releases nostalgic trailer

    OMG…so excited for this movie! That trailer totally just made me tear up. I feel like I gotta rewatch the drama before the movie comes out haha.

    • 19 thoughts on “Return of the Cuckoo Movie version releases nostalgic trailer

      Nope! I’m not watching this! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. How dare they open my old wound! How dare they! >.<

  6. 19 thoughts on “Return of the Cuckoo Movie version releases nostalgic trailer

    Wow…i still remember watching this show when i was young. Now that they are doing a movie out of it -_-

    Plus addition new cast such as Chen Qiao En..can’t believe this girl is getting more and more popular!

  7. 19 thoughts on “Return of the Cuckoo Movie version releases nostalgic trailer

    Point of No Return was the drama that made me a fan of Chalim. Chalim was such a babe in the drama lol. I had the biggest crush on him growing up. I love love love them together in that drama. The chemistry was spot on.

    I’ve never seen the drama version of Return of the Cuckoo so I can’t really comment on it. I actually heard about it and saw short clips of it growing up but never had the chance to watch it. I’m glad I didn’t knowing now that it has a sad ending.

    I miss Charmaine’s long hair. She’s been having short bob for a while now. I’m not a fan of it. I don’t think it suits her. I wish she would grow out her hair. I’ve noticed a lot of actresses have been sporting this midi-bob hairstyle. I have nothing against it, some actually look good with it but I don’t particularly like it on Charmaine.

    • 19 thoughts on “Return of the Cuckoo Movie version releases nostalgic trailer

      You go by Chalim for them? I’ve always used Charlian because it rolls of the tongue like marshmallows and sounds really nice. hehe.

      I still remember the scenes where he pricks her toe and attempts to teach her english!! “A pen and a man?” LOL. 😛

      Me too. She’s been having this short hair for centuries! It was edgy at first but now she’s gotten so skinny, and it takes away her feminine angles.

  8. 19 thoughts on “Return of the Cuckoo Movie version releases nostalgic trailer

    Lol. They couldn’t find a worse short hairdo for Charmaine? Her hair in Line Walker wasn’t that bad but I guess it wouldn’t fit her image here… haha. & wah. I miss Julian :[ even he couldn’t get me through TTS2.

  9. 19 thoughts on “Return of the Cuckoo Movie version releases nostalgic trailer

    Chilam!! My actor crush while growing up ^_^ Brings back fond memories. Started crushing on him while watching the 1994 version of The Legend of the Condor Heroes and fell even further after hearing the songs he sang in Cold Blood, Warm Heart. Return of the Cuckoo further solidified his status as my favourite HK actor!

    I love the theme song 祝君好 (such wistfulness!) and still have the song in my current music player. I’m not keen on the idea of a movie sequel either because I don’t want it to spoil my memories of the original drama if it turns out to be lousy. Just a personal opinion, but almost all the HK dramas and movies I’ve seen in the last 10 years or so cannot compare to the productions from the 1990s-early 2000s. Or maybe it’s just that age and maturity will usually colour our enjoyment of shows, unlike the more impressionable teenage years.

    • 19 thoughts on “Return of the Cuckoo Movie version releases nostalgic trailer

      Good point, age and maturity definitely has sharpened our views, especially in this day and age where creativity in shows is hard to come by. TVB dramas have decreased in quality over the years due to the same reason (2014 was a good year though). Plus, the stubbornness of not moving on to newer and better technology and using new faces/talent is gonna hurt them in the long run. They need changes. And fast!

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