A month ago, I was lucky to finally find a DVD copy of the
Cantonese series My Date with a Vampire. I first watched it when I was in
elementary school more than 10 years ago. Back then, vampire-themed series were
not as many and I think the Western rival would have to be Anne Rice’s
vampires. It is important to note though that My Date with a Vampire is a
romantic series (though not as sappy as Twilight) merged with popular Chinese
mythology and religion except that the vampires in this series are not like the
jumping zombie vampires with paper seals on their foreheads, but are vampires
patterned after those from the West.
Just recently I picked up from where I left off last month
and did a marathon from episodes 5 to episodes 12. While I initially intended
to write a per-episode summary cum review, I changed my mind, feeling the need
to be realistic since I have a lot of backlogs to take care of. So what I’m
going to write about in this entry is the summary of My Date with a Vampire so
far.
The series opened with the main character 況國華
(later況天佑) fighting as a guerilla against the Japanese during the
Second Sino-Japanese War. He infiltrated the Imperial Japanese Army base headed
by山本一夫 and planned on bombing the place and partially
succeeded but sustained injuries. When he came to consciousness, he was
already resting inside a village hut where he met 阿秀 with whom he fell in love. The Japanese army came to the village
and discovering that the villagers had helped the guerilla soldier, killed the
villagers one by one. By that time, 況國華 had already fled together with the
eight year old 復生. 山本一夫
manages to track況國華 down and the two engage in a
fight. Suddenly, the progenitor of all vampires將臣 appears and so does馬小玲’s predecessor馬丹娜.
況國華, 復生, and 山本一夫 are all bitten by the vampire and
became unconscious. Before況國華 fainted away, he is able to take a
glimpse of the sword-wielding pigtailed girl ghostbuster in traditional Chinese
clothing.
Fast forward to 1998, 況國華 renames himself as 況天佑 and now works as a police officer while he "takes care" of his "son" 復生. 況天佑 meets 馬小玲 and 王珍珍 while in Japan. When the vampire first saw the ghostbuster, you know at that moment that there will be something special between the two. And 況天佑 even kissed 馬小玲 when the latter needed to swallow a pill while fighting.
And so when the three return to Japan, they meet again. 況天佑 rents at 王珍珍's mom's estate. 王珍珍 falls in love with 況天佑 but the latter is apparently still in love with former lover 阿秀 whom he met one last time as the old woman lay dying. Then more characters appear like the funny guy 金正中 who pretends to be able to talk to ghosts for money. 金正中 later becomes 馬小玲's disciple. 求叔 is the guy to go to when 馬小玲 needs item repair or answers regarding the supernatural. 求叔 manages an arcade shop where ghosts play at night.
On the other side of the camp, 山本一夫 and his minions are preparing for doomsday, or the day when they will turn everyone else into vampires and rule the world. His daughter 未來 does not think the same though and rebels against her father. Her bitter resentment stems from her disgust at being turned into a vampire, aside from her father being the reason for her mother's death.
AAAAND... 未來's mother looked a lot like 王珍珍. No wonder when she first saw 王珍珍, she looks as if she wants to hug her. 未來's role at first was as the cause why 阿平's mother became a living dead and harms people to "protect" her son. Both mother and son die, but are fortunate to have been helped by 馬小玲 to cross over to the spirit world for reincarnation. It is clear from here that Buddhism plays an important role. (In fact, from what I remember, in later seasons, reincarnation would be a dominant theme as mysteries unfold.)
More and more are revealed and things are getting more interesting with each episode. 山本一夫 finally meets 妙善, the reincarnation of the Goddess of Mercy who appears on earth every 33 years and whom 33 persons can ask 3 questions each. 山本一夫 asks what can stop him from his plans (the other two I forgot...)
And 況天佑's camp does not know of the evil that awaits the world yet...
But while these are happening, 金正中 seems to be falling for 白素素, the legendary White Snake who fell in love with the mortal 許仙. And I'm glad I got to watch the movie 白蛇傳說之法海 (2011) which helped me understand a bit of the legend. (And I'm off to research more on 白蛇傳.)
See here for summary of episodes 13-19 and
episodes 20-35
Fast forward to 1998, 況國華 renames himself as 況天佑 and now works as a police officer while he "takes care" of his "son" 復生. 況天佑 meets 馬小玲 and 王珍珍 while in Japan. When the vampire first saw the ghostbuster, you know at that moment that there will be something special between the two. And 況天佑 even kissed 馬小玲 when the latter needed to swallow a pill while fighting.
And so when the three return to Japan, they meet again. 況天佑 rents at 王珍珍's mom's estate. 王珍珍 falls in love with 況天佑 but the latter is apparently still in love with former lover 阿秀 whom he met one last time as the old woman lay dying. Then more characters appear like the funny guy 金正中 who pretends to be able to talk to ghosts for money. 金正中 later becomes 馬小玲's disciple. 求叔 is the guy to go to when 馬小玲 needs item repair or answers regarding the supernatural. 求叔 manages an arcade shop where ghosts play at night.
On the other side of the camp, 山本一夫 and his minions are preparing for doomsday, or the day when they will turn everyone else into vampires and rule the world. His daughter 未來 does not think the same though and rebels against her father. Her bitter resentment stems from her disgust at being turned into a vampire, aside from her father being the reason for her mother's death.
AAAAND... 未來's mother looked a lot like 王珍珍. No wonder when she first saw 王珍珍, she looks as if she wants to hug her. 未來's role at first was as the cause why 阿平's mother became a living dead and harms people to "protect" her son. Both mother and son die, but are fortunate to have been helped by 馬小玲 to cross over to the spirit world for reincarnation. It is clear from here that Buddhism plays an important role. (In fact, from what I remember, in later seasons, reincarnation would be a dominant theme as mysteries unfold.)
More and more are revealed and things are getting more interesting with each episode. 山本一夫 finally meets 妙善, the reincarnation of the Goddess of Mercy who appears on earth every 33 years and whom 33 persons can ask 3 questions each. 山本一夫 asks what can stop him from his plans (the other two I forgot...)
And 況天佑's camp does not know of the evil that awaits the world yet...
But while these are happening, 金正中 seems to be falling for 白素素, the legendary White Snake who fell in love with the mortal 許仙. And I'm glad I got to watch the movie 白蛇傳說之法海 (2011) which helped me understand a bit of the legend. (And I'm off to research more on 白蛇傳.)
See here for summary of episodes 13-19 and
episodes 20-35
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