Return of the Cuckoo and Cheung Chi Lam

A series which I missed so much. Until today, I never made any effort to look for or watch it despite the opportunity. And this is what I got from the internet which I'm really thankful to the reviewer - I'm making a copy of the review for my memories.

Update: After finished watching this series, I'm not so fancy about how it ended.

Return of the Cuckoo

Reviewed by: Wind2
Rating:      

Cast includes:
Chilam Cheung, Charmaine, Steven, Nancy, Michael Tong, Irene Wong and more
Before watching this show, I had long heard about it from the internet, newspapers etc. This show had the highest rating in Hong Kong. Thus, I have been looking forward to seeing it. Finally the show was shown and, to tell the truth, it is nice and simply great throughout, not to mention its rather sad ending too. I was practically looking forward to it every day, searching for anything relate to this series from the internet.
My opinion:
I felt most sorry for Chilam. He acts as a mute, caused mainly by the quarrels between his parents. When he was a young boy, his father had left his mother. In a fit of anger, his mother poured detergent into his throat, attempting to kill him. Luckily, Nancy was there and saved him in the nick of time. However, his voice was gone. Nancy then raised him up as her own child. Charmaine played Nancy's daughter who grew up together with Chilam and their friends, Michael and Irene. Chilam meets Steven one day while Charmaine had a misunderstanding with Steven. However, their relationship grows with time. Chilam's and Charmaine's relationship is that of brother and sister until one day, Chilam discovers his love for Charmaine. Nancy notices it and wants to send him away. This is a really sad part - how Nancy wants the best for her daughter and Chilam, being mute, knows that he can't compare to Steven. Thus, he promises Nancy that he would not be with Charmaine. The next sad part with Chilam is the part where he meets his own mother. His mother had found another rich guy from Malaysia and was about to marry him. She doesn't want to acknowledge Chilam though. Chilam tries all ways to try to talk to her but he couldn't speak out. In one scene, he tries to use sign language, spelling out 'Mum'. But instead of hugging him, she slaps him hard across his cheeks. Despite that, Chilam writes a letter to her and attaches all his money that he had saved since young. Finally, she acknowledges him and hugs him after Chilam finally manages to shout 'Mum'. It's really touching. I watched this scene twice. It's so sad when Chilam writes that letter, giving her all his money and they both hugged each other, and how Chilam finally shouted out a word. The scene where Chilam hugged Irene was also sad. The hugging was not that sad, but the words and tears by Irene and Chilam were quite sad. It made me feel sad and I could almost understand both Charmaine's and Chilam's plight.

I think Charmaine's character is another pitiful role. She had thought of Chilam as a brother until she discovers her love for him. She then finds herself caught between Steven and Chilam as she doesn't want to hurt either one of them. Finally one night, when they went to watch the shooting stars, she confessed her love for Chilam. Chilam, although wanting very much to acknowledge her love, denied it. He even told her that he loved her too but only as a sister. Charmaine was hurt by it. Furthermore, when he could speak, the first sentence he uttered was a wish that Steven and Charmaine would be happy together. Charmaine was again hurt by his words and treated it as the truth. Towards the end of the show, Charmaine was given a chance to go to America with Steven. Nancy, however, didn't want to give trouble to Charmaine's father. Thus, she made up a story, telling Steven that she would allow Charmaine to go if he gave her a huge sum of money. Charmaine thought strange of this and was again deeply hurt. She just couldn't understand why her mother had changed. Next, came Chilam. Chilam too didn't want to get between the Charmaine-Steven relationship. Thus he pretended to be dating Irene. Chilam even kissed her on her forehead knowing that Charmaine was watching them. Charmaine was deeply grieved by this as she couldn't understand why her own family was treating her like that. Chilam then also announced that he would be going to Malaysia to look for his own mother. Thus, they had a farewell the day before Chilam was to leave. Although Charmaine appeared happy, Chilam knew that she was actually unhappy but what could he do? Later that night, Charmaine asked for a piggyback before he leaves. Chilam agreed and rocked Charmaine to sleep, humming the song that they used to 'sing' for Nancy. This scene was quite sad, for both Charmaine and Chilam. While I was watching this scene and the farewell scene, my mind was thinking back to the scenes with Chilam and Charmaine. How they played along with each other and loved each other, but no fruit came to bear of this relationship. At that particular time, I could almost feel their sadness, especially when Chilam was rocking Charmaine to sleep. I could almost sense his love but he had once promised Nancy that he would not go after Charmaine. Thus, he could only wish her happiness even though he was not a mute now.
Overall, Return of the Cuckoo can be considered to be a rather sad show. There are funny scenes but to me, I think it stopped towards the middle of the show. The show then becomes very sad. How Irene got separated from her lover and how Chilam knew that his love for Charmaine would come to no conclusion. It was also from this that he decided to 'date' Irene. The last part where Nancy spoke to Steven's aunt on the phone was also sad. I was also deeply touched by her words. I also finally understood how a mother would give up everything for the sake of her own daughter, to the extent of even lying to her. At least, there are some not so sad parts in the ending. Chilam did not leave for Malaysia and lived with Nancy as he knew that she was lying and knew that she needed him since Charmaine was no longer around. Irene was also found to be pregnant with her lover's child.
Spoilers!!!
If you have not watched this show and were thinking of whether you wanted to rent/watch/buy it, don't read this! It will spoil your enthusiasm. Go and rent it now! It will be worth your money. Even if you don't like to watch Chilam/Charmaine, rent it for the sake of its high ratings and Chilam's acting. This is his first time playing a mute and I think he acted it out very well.
There are quite some spoilers for this show. One, which is obvious, is the love between Chilam and Charmaine. The next is the relationship between Nancy and another guy who has liked her since a long time ago. He later dies due to some illness (I think it is cancer). From this, I understood how vulnerable life is. Next, there's the relationship of Irene and another guy. They loved each other deeply but couldn't be together. When they finally got together, the guy meets with an accident and dies. All this makes Return of the Cuckoo a rather sad show. Another spoiler is the ending.
Years after Charmaine had left, she comes back with two kids. She badly wanted to find out the truth, so she went back to Macau. It was then that she finds out that both her mother and Chilam had left Macau. She then meets Irene and mistakens her child for Chilam's child. Irene then tells Charmaine the whole truth which shocks her. Never did she think that her best friend had plotted with her brother to lie to her.
Chilam had opened a restaurant and now works as a chef. Nancy was also with him. Charmaine then came along and stopped outside the restaurant. She had wanted to go in and eat something (she didn't know Chilam was in there) but then, she changed her mind. She chose to eat by the roadside instead. One of her kids then asks something about the whistle and she blows into it. Chilam, who was eating, hears it. He stops eating immediately. He asks the surrounding people but none had heard it. Charmaine then brings her two kids to pay their respects to their grandfather. Somehow, Charmaine and her daughter were walking along when she heard the song, 'Every minute I need you', playing on the harmonica. Curiously, she went towards the source of the music and found Chilam playing the harmonica with a group of people singing. He was enjoying himself and Charmaine could feel her tears coming. She calls out to him, 'Mun Chor Gor'. Chilam stops playing and holds his harmonica tightly as he recognises the voice. Slowly, he turns around and faces Charmaine. 'Hi, Juk Gwun Ho.'

That's it. That's the ending! Even my mother asked, 'That's the ending?' I really couldn't believe it, what type of ending was that? They should have had more scenes at the back. Anyway, I hope that there will be a sequel to this.
Charmaine's character's name, Zhu Jun Hao, is the title of the theme song. Besides the fact that this series was nice, the theme song was also great. It clearly portrayed Chilam's feeling. How he felt as a mute, and what he couldn't do as a mute.
Characters:
Chilam - As you can read from the review, I felt very sorry for him. I just couldn't understand why he gave up his love. I could understand it when he was a mute but after he regained his voice, why couldn't he go after Charmaine? Although Steven had helped him a lot but love is selfish and Charmaine had already declared her love for him too! And the fact that he was willing to give up his love, he was simply too kind-hearted! One thing, he was really very faithful. Despite the fact that Charmaine had to leave with Steven for America, he did not go after any other girl. It is hard to find this type of men in this world anymore. And being Charmaine's brother, I think he was responsible too as the series showed how he took care of Charmaine, for example, how he rocked her to bed.
Charmaine - another pitiful person. Loved Chilam but thought Chilam treated her as a sister. Loved to have fun with Chilam. But after Chilam denied his love for her, their relationship seemed to drift a little. Later, she unhappily leaves Hong Kong with many questions left unanswered.
Nancy - a great mother. At first, I was quite bothered that she prevented Chilam from being together with Charmaine but her selfishness shows that she would do anything for her daughter. The words that she said towards the end were also great!
Irene - another pitiful person. She loves a guy but is separated from him. Later, when they are together, they again separate...forever.
Best scenes:
Almost all with Chilam and Charmaine. Some funny/sad scenes too.
Worst scenes:
Those scenes which are a bit 'draggy'.
Note: This is my first time writing a review, thus I apologise for any mistakes or a poor review.
I know that I spent almost all the review talking about Chilam. Well, throughout the whole series, I think I enjoyed watching Chilam the most.

Source: spcnet.tv