Life for Life This afternoon, I watched the last episode of a TVB serial called "Life for Life". I've watched it 3 times already but still feel that this is one of the best serials I've ever watched. It isn't a mega production. Neither does it have a mega cast. In fact, it didn't even have a single A list artiste in it. The male lead isn't even good looking. I has a very simple plot.


Life for Life

This serial started off when a judge from heaven, whose job is to lead the souls of dead people up to heaven, meets a trainee lawyer, Fang Jiaxi. Although Jiaxi has heart disease, she is a kind hearted girl who goes all out to help people. In contrast, he comes to meet another successful lawyer, Zhuang Yuxue. Yuxue however, is the exact opposite of Jiaxi. She has an extremely healthy body, but a disgusting attitude.

Unable to comprehend the fact that the good gets a short life span, while the bad gets to live a life of luxury till 80, the judge secretly switches their life fortunes and is forced to escape to earth, and into the body of a Casanova, Dai Yaodong.

Jiaxi is cured from her heart disease, while Yuxue, on the other hand, realises she only has 6 months to live. Jiaxi's career takes off, while Yuxue's goes down the drain.

Yaodong soon realises that it doesn't pay to defy heaven as Jiaxi turns bad, while Yuxue changes for the better.

He falls for Yuxue and they soon starts dating. However, Yuxue's time is almost up, and Yaodong tries to defy heaven again by trying to stop Yuxue from dying. He fails and Yuxue dies in the hands of Jiaxi.

I've watched this serial 3 times, and everytime I watch it, it has never failed to set me thinking.

Is it true that it is only when you are about to die that you begin to realise the goodness of life? It is only when you get to leave behind all your burdens of success and the greed of money, that you have the time to actually sit down and do good?

But two things I know for sure. I for one, definitely believe in fate. When it is your time to go, its your time to go. No matter how much you run away from it, you can never hide away from the One up there keeping the records.

But I reject the phrase that "Leopards can never change their spots." We arn't leopards. We are humans. That's the distinct difference between human and animals. We have the ability to change our behaviour and attitude towards life and towards people, whenever we want, however we want, even though we can't change fate.

Oh yeah. Happy New Year!!! Let's all hope for a better 2005!
  ¶ Saturday, January 01, 2005