This review may contain spoilers
The Exorcist’s Meter (2017)Story: Wasn't the best thing I've ever watched, but it was consistent & made sense! And that's rare for TVB drama LOL.
It has been a while since I’ve completed a TVB drama. I’ve long forgotten when I stopped keeping up with TVB series; with all its disappointing plot, one dimensional characters and reused actors/actresses. After the Golden Years, everything just went down hill for TVB. However, it looks like things might be changing for them in the next few years. We’re seeing more and more “support” characters stepping up to main roles as well as brand new faces and more grounded plot ideas. And this drama, The Exorcist’s Meter is one of the rare gems of the end of 2017 that got me excited for 2018 TVB’s lineup.
Likeable characters, good acting, and most importantly consistent story telling! At 21 episodes with 43 minutes each, the series goes by pretty quickly. Every episode ended in such a cliff-hanger that it was so hard to refrain from clicking on the next episode! There wasn’t one dull moment. I wasn’t expecting a lot when I decided to watch this series. I thought it would be one of the one ghost per episode kinda show where they actually go and defeat ghosts, something like My Date With a Vampire. However, it turns out to be a family series and it worked; wasn’t boring (though I really wish TVB would do something like My Date With a Vampire or Vampire Experts). The show didn’t meet my expectation for a horror TV show, however it was still entertaining as a fantasy/family show(?).
The story is a simple one, though I notice that a lot of people were still confused about Ma Kwai’s supernatural power and that some deaths were unnecessary. I have to disagree. I feel like they were all important to Ma Kwai’s development as a character and there was a reason for each death. However, I don’t want to spoil anything so you just have to watch and see for yourself ;] I'll address this in the comments with spoilers warning.
Acting/Cast:
The characters were great! I love the interactions between Ma Kwai and Shek Gam Dong. Most of the LOL moments are from them. Ma Kwai’s taxi crush for Chi Yeuk was heart-melting, however I find it hard to root for them because Ma Kwai & Booi Booi shared a very good chemistry (>_<). I find the Ma Kwai’s taxi group very likeable, too bad there wasn’t much story on them except for the Long Mao’s arc at the end. However, if I have to pick the best relationship in this series, it would be Ma Kwai + Ma Ka Lit + Kwai Lei Fu (the noodle shop’s couple). As for the casting, I think almost everyone did a super duper job in their respective roles. There was only 1 person I had a problem with and it’s sad because I’m a big fan of her work: Mandy Wong. I feel like she was more of a supporting role than the main female lead. It could be because of the script & role she was assigned, but there wasn’t anything memorable with Chi Yeuk. That said, her other role later on in the series was much more interesting to watch though, it was too short and she could do less with the head jerking movement ^^ll All in all, this wasn’t one of her strong roles. I would like to see her play a villain in future series; it’ll be interesting. My favorite would have to be Ma Kenneth as main guy, Ma Kwai. His emotional scenes were great with King Kong & Yuen Kitty. At first I thought he looked too old to play Ma Kwai, but then I saw his smile… :D Yeah, he’s perfect.
Music:
I’m in love with the OP and ED! Especially the ED song. I tear up every time I hear it. The songs matches with the theme of the series and it really enhance the sad moments. For those who want to look up the songs:
OP: Here for a Visit" (????), sung by Hubert Wu
ED: "Out of Reach" (????), sung by Hubert Wu
Insert: "Blood-Weeping Rose" (????), sung by Jinny Ng
Rewatch Value:
For me, it’s a one time thing. The open ending left room for a season 2. I’m very interested on how they will handle season 2. Do I recommend this series? YES.
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At times funny, others a bit of mood whiplash as they hit you with angst, it always made me want to binge watch it in one go. I forced myself to a limit of only 2 eps a night, as I discovered it way after it had started.
I will be looking to see if they ever pick this up again.
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The drama was super easy and light to watch. I decided to watch it while working on one of my art pieces, since I understand Cantonese and thus the drama did not require me to read subtitles.
It was ultimately about Ma Gwai and the discovery of his identity and role in the world. Shek Gamdong guided his way, and allowed him to see his importance and impact on other people's lives. Although it is a light-hearted drama to watch, there were scenes (especially the ones about how much his birth parents and adoptive mother loves him) that pulled on my heartstrings and had me in tears. I do wish that they had more action and interactions with the supernatural side of the story, but unfortunately it didn't and I felt that that made the story lack a little bit of spice. A lot of the more supernatural activities happened towards the end of the drama with the fighting and such, but don't get me wrong, it was funny and still managed to keep me interested in the story just fine.
Going off on a tangent, Kenneth Ma (plays Ma Gwai) has really gotten older. I wouldn't say this is one of his super-duper best dramas, so I would recommend checking out his other ones too! He is actually a very good actor and super funny. Also, Ram Chiang's hair in the drama...hahaha!!
Overall, I recommend watching it if you would like to binge on something light-hearted and funny.
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Awesome Story, Good Music, Prepare the Tissues
Such an awesome series! I especially like this drama because it was not one of TVB's heavily backed dramas that year. It had a smaller budget and lesser known writers and producers (correct me if I'm wrong). The CGI and special effects are a bit cheesy, but I think it is fitting because this is not meant to be a horror drama-- just a story that takes place in the supernatural world. The best thing about this series is the story line (Kenneth Ma's acting really helps drive the feels home though!). The plot line coupled with the amazing OST by Hubert Wu brings you on a lot of feels trips. Highly recommend!!!Was this review helpful to you?
