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Brother's Keeper II
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 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2016) |
| Brother's Keeper II | |
|---|---|
 Official poster | |
| Also known as | Big Wheel II |
| 巨輪II | |
| Genre | Dramatic programming |
| Created by | Amy Wong |
| Written by | Cheng Sing-mo |
| Starring | Edwin Siu Kristal Tin Grace Chan Louis Yuen Hugo Ng Jade Leung |
| Theme music composer | Alan Cheung |
| Opening theme | "誰可改變" (No One Can Change) by Ruco Chan |
| Country of origin | Hong Kong |
| Original language | Cantonese |
| No. of episodes | 39 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Amy Wong |
| Production locations | Hong Kong Macau Okinawa Island |
| Running time | 45 minutes |
| Production company | TVB |
| Original release | |
| Network | TVB Jade |
| Release | 29 August – 21 October 2016 |
| Related | |
| Brother's Keeper II | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 巨輪II | ||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 巨轮II | ||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "big wheel" | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Brother's Keeper II (Chinese: 巨輪II; lit. 'big wheel') is a Hong Kong television drama serial produced by Amy Wong and TVB. It is the sequel to 2013's Brother's Keeper, and takes place one year after the events of the original series. It stars Edwin Siu, Kristal Tin, Grace Chan as the main leads in the second installment of the series.
Brother's Keeper II premiered on 29 August 2016 on Hong Kong's TVB Jade. The final episode will air on 21 October 2016, totalling 39 episodes.
Brother's Keeper II differs from Brother's Keeper in types while the Brother's Keeper is focusing on historical events, the sequel is more focusing on the conflict within business.
Synopsis
[edit]After years of blood, sweat, and tears, Lo Wai-son and Yiu Man-ying finally succeeded in spreading their bakery chain, Pasterilia Lo Son Kei, across Hong Kong and Macau. Their growing influence starts to upset junket promoter-turned-property developer Ko Tin-tsau, who attempts to suppress their chain from spreading even further. Along with the betrayal of his close confidant Tsui Chi-lik (Mat Yeung), Wai-son starts to lose all hope.
Overwhelmed by his chaotic world, Wai-son escapes to Okinawa, where he falls for a mysterious Hong Kong girl Nana. However, Wai-son’s special getaway also gets him entangled in an unsolved homicide that happened twenty years ago.
Meanwhile, Man-ying’s husband, Lung Fei, gets in an aviation accident and suffers a severe brain injury. He starts treating Man-ying like a stranger. Around this time, Wai-son’s older brother Sam suddenly makes a return to search for his lost love, Rachel. Facing setbacks in family, love, and business, what does Wai-son and Man-ying have to lose?[1]
Cast and characters
[edit]Main cast
[edit]- Edwin Siu as Lo Wai-shun (羅威信; Lo Waiseon): the owner of Pasterilia Lo Son Kei. Shun started off as the owner of a small peanut brittle vendor in the streets of Macau, and eventually expanded his small mobile food business to a large multi-chained bakery shop. Shun's story from rags to riches is inspired by the real-life story of Leong Chan-kuong, the owner of Macau's most famous bakery shop, Koi Kei[2]
- Kristal Tin as Yiu Man-ying (姚文英; Jiu Manjing): Shun's best friend and the co-owner of Pasterilia Lo Son Kei.
- Grace Chan as Ko Yee-na (高伊娜) Gou Jinaa): known as Nana, Shun's love interest. She is the adopted daughter of Ko Tin-tsau, and was educated in Okinawa, Japan.
- Louis Yuen as Lung Fei (龍飛; Lung Fei): nicknamed Lung Siu (龍少; "Young Master Lung"); Ying's husband and a close friend of Shun. Educated overseas, Lung hails from a wealthy family in Macau, and works as an insurance sales agent.
Guest appearance
[edit]- Linda Chung as Rachel Cheuk (卓靜; Ceok Zing): Sam's first lover and wife and fashion designer.
- Ruco Chan as Sam Kiu (喬天生; Kiu Tinsang): Son's older brother. A former Hong Kong police officer and an ex-convict, Sam returns to Hong Kong to start anew and to search for his ex-girlfriend, Rachel. In episode five, he finds Rachel in Okinawa and realizes she has died but finds out she is not dead and ends up getting married.
- Leanne Li as Emily Cheuk (卓寧; Coek Ning): Rachel's older sister.
- Susan Tse as Lau Lai-kuen (劉麗娟; Lau Laigyun): Rachel and Emily's mother.
Recurring cast
[edit]- Hugo Ng as Ko Tin-tsau (高天鷲; Gou Tinzau): a wealthy property developer and the chairman of the Royal Condor Group. Prior to establishing the Royal Condor Group, Ko Tin-tsau was involved with the triads and is Son's enemy.
- Jade Leung as Shum Mei-wa (沈美華; Sam Meiwaa): Ko Tin-tsau's wife and a board member of the Royal Condor Group.
- Mat Yeung as Tsui Chi-lik (徐知力; Tsui Zilik): known as Luck, an ex-convict who befriends Son and Ying.
- Tsui Wing as Ma Man-tai (馬文泰; Ma Mantaai): known as Terri, a triad leader associated with Ko Tin-tsau.
- Steven Cheung as Piscine Ko (高先柏; Gou Sinpaak)—known as Pi, Ko Tin-tsau's adopted son and the legal consultant of the Royal Condor Group.
- Ali Lee as Chung Wing (鍾穎; Zung Wing): Pi's girlfriend.
- Lau Kong as Lo Fu-shing (羅富誠; Lo Fusing): Son's father.
- Becky Lee as Chief Inspector Mandy Yeung (楊曼芝; Joeng Maanzi): Sam's close friend.
- Lisa Lau as Kwok Hoi-lam (郭凱琳; Gwok Hoilam): Son and Fei's close friend and IT manager of Pasterilia Lo Son Kei.
- Chun Wong as Yiu Hang (姚亨; Jiu Hang) and Ho Yuen-tung as Yiu Ho-nam (姚浩男; Jiu Hounaam): respectively Ying's father and Ying's younger brother.
- Willie Wai as Szeto Biu (司徒標; Sitou Biu): factory manager of Pasterilia Lo Son Kei.
- Yue Chi-ming as Lung Kwong-kam (龍廣鑫; Lung Gwonggaam) and Angelina Lo as Yuen Shuk-ngo (阮淑娥; Jyun Sukngo): Fei's parents.
- Parkman Wong as Chung Kwok-po (鍾國寶; Zung Gwokbou): Wing's father and a former police officer.
- Toshimitsu Ochi as Sawa Kaneshiro (金城 沢): Emily's Japanese boyfriend.
Viewership ratings
[edit]The following is a table that includes a list of the total ratings points based on television viewership. "Viewers in millions" refers to the number of people, derived from TVB Jade ratings, in Hong Kong who watched the episode live.
| # | Timeslot (HKT) | Air date(s) | Episode(s) | Avg. | Peak | HK Viewers (in millions) |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mon–Fri, 8:30 p.m. | 29 August – 9 September 2016 | 1–5 | 23.5 | 26 | 1.52 | |
| 2 | 5–9 September 2016 | 6–10 | 22.2 | — | 1.44 | ||
| 3 | 12–16 September 2016 | 11–15 | 20.8 | — | 1.35 | ||
| 4 | 19–23 September 2016 | 16–20 | 22.9 | — | 1.48 | ||
| 5 | 26–30 September 2016 | 21–25 | 21.1 | — | 1.36 | ||
| 6 | 3–7 October 2016 | 26–30 | 23 | — | 1.49 | ||
| 7 | 10–14 October 2016 | 31–35 | 25.3 | — | 1.64 | ||
| 8 | Tues–Fri, 8:30 p.m. | 18–21 October 2016 | 36–39 | 27.5 | 35.2 | 1.78 |
International broadcast
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ Addy (20 August 2016). "Synopsis of 'Brother's Keeper 2', premiering August 29". JayneStars. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
- ^ "Edwin Siu leading over Ruco Chan in Brother's Keeper". Sudden Weekly #921 via IHKTV (in Chinese). 22 March 2013. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
External links
[edit]Brother's Keeper II
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Development and Production
Development
TVB announced the development of Brother's Keeper II as a sequel in early 2016, capitalizing on the original 2013 series' strong viewership ratings—peaking at 32 points—and its win for Best Drama at the TVB Anniversary Awards, which highlighted themes of family bonds and business ethics.[7][8] Producer Amy Wong, who helmed the original, led the creative team and expanded the narrative to incorporate international settings, including scenes in Okinawa, Japan, to explore broader business opportunities and personal growth for the protagonists.[4][2] The scripting process involved a collaborative team emphasizing moral dilemmas in corporate rivalry and ethical family decisions, deliberately avoiding the predecessor's multi-decade timeline in favor of a more focused contemporary storyline set shortly after the original's events.[9][10] Pre-production planning included budget allocations for overseas location scouting in Macau and Japan to enhance the series' scope on global entrepreneurship.[2] TVB opted for a 39-episode run to fit the weekday 8:30 PM slot on Jade channel, allowing deeper exploration of plot intricacies while aligning with the network's scheduling for high-impact family-oriented dramas.[4][9]Casting
Edwin Siu and Kristal Tin reprise their roles as Lo Wai-shun and Yiu Man-ying in Brother's Keeper II, continuing their characters' storyline as owners of the successful Pasterilia Lo Son Kei bakery from the original 2013 series. Their return was prioritized to maintain narrative continuity after the predecessor's strong performance, with producers pushing them into lead positions based on their established portrayals.[11][12] To introduce a new romantic dynamic for Lo Wai-shun, TVB cast Grace Chan as Ko Yee-na (Nana), a fresh face from the 2013 Miss Hong Kong Pageant, pairing her opposite Edwin Siu. This decision aligned with TVB's strategy to groom pageant winners like Chan, Sisley Choi, and Moon Lau as next-generation leading actresses amid the departure of established stars, providing opportunities for newcomers to take on prominent roles.[13] For guest appearances, original leads Ruco Chan and Linda Chung briefly returned as Sam Kiu and Rachel Cheuk, appearing only in the first five episodes to resolve their unresolved romance from the predecessor and bridge the sequel's narrative. Their limited involvement was intended to leverage their popularity for initial viewership while shifting focus to the new ensemble, offering closure to Sam and Rachel's 20-year love story through marriage after overcoming a car accident's aftermath.[14] Mat Yeung was selected for the supporting role of Tsui Chi-lik, Lo Wai-shun's close confidant who betrays him in a key antagonistic arc, adding tension to the business intrigue.[4]Filming
Principal photography for Brother's Keeper II commenced in 2015, spanning several months to align with the series' premiere on August 29, 2016.[4] Filming utilized diverse locations to capture the story's scope, including urban settings in Hong Kong for business-oriented scenes, sites in Macau to depict expansion efforts, and Okinawa Island, Japan, for sequences in Wai-shun's escape arc that incorporated shots of beaches and local cultural elements.[15][16] In November 2015, the cast and crew traveled to Okinawa for a two-week shoot, focusing on outdoor sequences that highlighted the island's natural landscapes.[15] This international leg presented logistical challenges, particularly in coordinating travel and accommodations for the Hong Kong-based production team across multiple regions, including preparations for weather-dependent beach filming.[15][17] Post-production followed, involving the editing of raw footage into 45-minute episodes to maintain narrative pacing across the 39-episode run, with careful integration of location-specific visuals from Hong Kong, Macau, and Okinawa.[5]Plot and Themes
Synopsis
Brother's Keeper II follows the continued struggles of Lo Wai-shun and Yiu Man-ying as they expand their successful bakery chain, Pasterilia Lo Son Kei, across Hong Kong and Macau, only to face fierce rivalry from the ambitious property developer Ko Tin-tsau.[4] The expansion is complicated by internal betrayals, particularly from Wai-shun's trusted associate Tsui Chi-lik, who aligns with Ko Tin-tsau's aggressive tactics to undermine their business.[3] Overwhelmed by these setbacks, Wai-shun flees to Okinawa, where he becomes romantically entangled with the enigmatic Nana and unwittingly drawn into a long-buried 20-year-old homicide case tied to her past.[4] Running parallel to Wai-shun's arc is the mounting strain in Man-ying's marriage to Lung Fei, exacerbated by his severe brain injury sustained in an aviation accident, which alters his personality and creates emotional distance between them.[3] As personal and professional crises escalate across the 39 episodes, returning characters from the original series, such as Sam Kiu, reemerge seeking lost connections, including his search for Rachel.[4] The narrative builds toward resolutions that intertwine family reunions, business rivalries, and personal reconciliations, exploring themes of loyalty and redemption amid escalating conflicts.[3]Connection to Predecessor
Brother's Keeper II is a direct sequel to the 2013 TVB series Brother's Keeper, set one year after the original's conclusion in 2013, shifting the focus to the adult lives of surviving characters like Lo Wai-shun and Yiu Man-ying as they navigate their successful bakery business, Pasterilia Lo. The original series covered a historical period from 1980 to 2013, emphasizing the half-brothers' moral struggles and bonds amid family and societal changes, whereas the sequel adopts a contemporary timeline without the extensive time jumps of its predecessor, centering on present-day business conflicts in Hong Kong, Macau, and Japan.[18] Retaining core themes of brotherhood, loyalty, and ethical dilemmas, Brother's Keeper II evolves these into a modern business drama, where Lo Wai-shun and Yiu Man-ying face corporate intrigue, betrayal, and expansion challenges absent in the first series' more personal and historical scope. The narrative highlights their efforts to grow the company internationally, including ventures in Japan, contrasting the original's domestic focus on family and crime elements like the diamond heist. This shift underscores creative choices to explore economic pressures and moral choices in a globalized era, maintaining the spirit of fraternal support while avoiding rehashing past plots.[14] To tie loose ends from the original, the sequel features guest cameos by key actors from the first series, notably Ruco Chan reprising his role as Kiu Tin-sang (Sam) and Linda Chung as Cheuk Ching (Rachel), appearing in the initial episodes to resolve their characters' fates, such as Rachel's outcome, without delving into the original's central heist storyline. These appearances provide closure to the brothers' relationship and lingering romantic threads, bridging the two series narratively while allowing the sequel to stand on its own contemporary plot.[14]Cast and Characters
Main Cast
Edwin Siu stars as Lo Wai-shun, the ambitious owner of the bakery chain Pasterilia Lo Son Kei, who faces profound betrayal from his trusted aide Tsui Chi-lik and seeks solace in a budding romance after fleeing to Okinawa.[4]Kristal Tin portrays Yiu Man-ying, Lo Wai-shun's steadfast business partner and co-founder of the bakery empire, who grapples with a devastating family crisis after her husband suffers a severe brain injury in an aviation accident.[4]
Grace Chan plays Ko Yee-na (also known as Nana), Lo Wai-shun's enigmatic love interest and an adopted daughter in Okinawa, whose relationship with him unravels long-buried family secrets tied to a 20-year-old homicide.[4]
Louis Yuen depicts Lung Fei, Yiu Man-ying's devoted husband whose accident precipitates emotional and financial turmoil for their family, testing the bonds of their marriage amid his recovery struggles.[4]
Supporting Cast
Hugo Ng portrays Ko Tin-tsau, the chairman of the Royal Condor Group and a wealthy property developer who emerges as a primary antagonist, relentlessly suppressing the protagonists' business endeavors to expand his own empire.[19] His character's aggressive tactics, including illegal online gambling schemes, create ongoing conflicts with the leads, particularly Law Wai-shun.[4] Jade Leung plays Shum Mei-wa, Ko Tin-tsau's wife and a key board member of the Royal Condor Group, acting as his ally in corporate maneuvers that involve pressuring property owners and sabotaging rivals.[6] Her role advances the rivalry subplot through strategic involvement in the group's expansion efforts against the main characters' interests.[20] Mat Yeung depicts Tsui Chi-lik, a trusted associate of Law Wai-shun whose betrayal—stemming from personal ambitions—devastates the protagonist and propels the narrative into the Okinawa arc.[4] This treachery heightens the family and business tensions, forcing Wai-shun to confront overwhelming chaos in his professional life.[3]Guest Appearances
Several original cast members from Brother's Keeper made special guest appearances in Brother's Keeper II, providing narrative links and fan service through limited-episode returns that tied up emotional loose ends from the predecessor series.[14] Ruco Chan reprises his role as Sam Kiu, Wai-shun's estranged brother, in a brief arc spanning the first five episodes, where he seeks closure regarding his lost love while investigating family-related conflicts.[14][21] Linda Chung returns as Rachel Cheuk, Sam's former lover and a successful fashion designer, appearing in both flashback sequences recapping their past romance and present-day scenes that explore her evolved life post-separation.[14][22] Leanne Li portrays Emily Cheuk, Rachel's sister, in select episodes focused on family reconciliation, where she updates Sam on Rachel's circumstances and facilitates emotional resolutions amid ongoing tensions.[22][6] Susan Tse appears as Lau Lai-kuen, the maternal figure to the Cheuk family, in targeted guest segments that weave in longstanding emotional threads, offering guidance and closure to key relationships from the original series.Broadcast and Reception
Airing Details
Brother's Keeper II premiered on Hong Kong's TVB Jade channel on August 29, 2016, and aired through October 21, 2016, in the standard 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. HKT weekday timeslot for prime-time dramas.[3][4] The series consisted of 39 episodes, each running approximately 45 minutes, and was produced by TVB as a direct sequel to the 2013 original. The opening theme song, "No One Can Change" (誰可改變), was performed by Ruco Chan.[5] Promotional trailers, highlighting the series' connections to its predecessor and scenes set in international locations, began airing on TVB channels during the summer of 2016 to build anticipation ahead of the premiere.[23] The series concluded after its planned run with no immediate extensions, though viewership performance prompted a brief adjustment to Tuesday-through-Friday airings for episodes 36-39 (October 18-21, 2016).Viewership Ratings
Brother's Keeper II garnered solid viewership in Hong Kong on TVB Jade, with ratings tracked via Nielsen TAM methodology. The series debuted strongly, averaging 23.5 rating points across its first five episodes and drawing roughly 1.52 million viewers, reflecting sustained interest from fans of the original.[24] Throughout the early to mid-run, ratings held steady in the mid-20s, but dipped to an average of 20.8 points for episodes 11-15 amid the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday period, corresponding to about 1.35 million viewers per episode in that block. This temporary decline was influenced by heightened slot competition from emerging rivals like ViuTV, though the show's established fanbase provided a stable foundation. As major plot arcs reached climactic resolutions, particularly involving intense confrontations and character revelations in the later episodes, viewership surged to averages around 27.5 points, equating to approximately 1.78 million viewers. The finale episode peaked dramatically at 35.2 points (episode average 33.3 points), with the peak attracting 2.28 million viewers and marking one of the highest-rated TVB conclusions since 2014, boosted by gripping twists that rewarded long-term investment in the narrative.[25][26]| Episode Block | Average Rating (points) | Approximate Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|
| 1-5 | 23.5 | 1.52 |
| 11-15 | 20.8 | 1.35 |
| 36-39 (finale block) | 27.5 (average) | 1.78 |