The Learning Curve Of A Warlord (大帥哥) marks the return of Dicky Cheung Wai-Kin to TVB after a long absence of about 20 years. Although this is just a single project collaboration rather than an extended contract, the effort that Dicky Cheung has put into this drama is obvious for all to see. Many Hong Kong viewers also have high anticipation for this production as it has been a long, long time since the actor made an appearance on the small screen in the territory. In the Learning Curve Of A Warlord review below, I will try to let you have an idea if this drama is worth watching after all apart from just the star power of the leading actor.
Episodes: 30
Type: Comedy
Aired: December 2018
Images Credit: TVB
The Cast
- Dicky Cheung Wai-Kin as Dik Kei
- Sisley Choi Sze-Pui as Cheung Yuen Yuen
- Tony Hung Wing-Sing as Ma Tan
- Zoie Tam Hoi-Ki as Yip Tin Gui
- Vivien Yeung Sau-Wai as Nga Nau
- Tsui Wing as Law Yee
- Raymond Cho Wing-Lim as Koo Lok Lo
- Oscar Li Ka as Tung Loi
- Max Cheung Tat-Lun as Lee Sai Kwai
- Jerry Koo Ming-Wah as Sieh Nam
Main Characters
Dik Kei
Dik Kei started off as a lowly soldier but through luck and fate, ended up as Marshal of a small town. He is projected as a street-wise, quick-thinking and smart character who is not afraid to put his life on the line for the people he loves. He believes in fate and although he is a soldier, he is not cold-blooded like other leaders around him. He values brotherhood and cherishes his 3 “wives” who were thrust upon him.
Cheung Yuen Yuen
Yuen Yuen is one of Dik Kei’s 3 women and the one he truly loves. She is a revolutionary party member who sees the warlords as the enemy of the people. Yuen Yuen also has a medical background which she uses to treat the local population. She is not the type of woman who likes to fight for the attention of her man by being loud and petty. Instead, her character is depicted as quiet and unassuming with a desire to fulfill her missions as a revolutionary. She also suspects that Dik Kei is the one who killed her father and feels conflicted later on in the drama because of her love for him.
Yip Tin Gui & Nga Nau
Tin Gui and Nga Nau together with Yuen Yuen are the 3 “wives” of Dik Kei. The 3 of them are actually gifted to Dik Kei when he was promoted to Marshal by a warlord. The drama projects them as his women rather than wives because he isn’t married to them in a traditional way.
Tin Gui was a geisha while Nga Nau used to be a singer in nightclubs. Thus, they are very good at using their feminine wiles to flatter Dik Kei. This results in a fierce competition between them at home to get into his good books so that they can become his favorite woman. The way they compete with each other is funny to watch and will easily make you laugh out loud.
Ma Tan, Law Yee & Tung Loi
The 3 of them are Dik Kei’s sworn brothers. They were rescued by Dik Kei when they were young and ended up following him through the years, including struggling as lowly soldiers with little to eat at one point. The 4 of them are very close and will not hesitate to give up their own life for the other.
Ma Tan and Law Yee are good marksmen while Tong Loi is physically strong and a fighter. Ma Tan is the most ambitious and impulsive of the lot and he would lose control easily when he sees women getting harassed as his own mother was a rape victim. Law Yee is upright and would never do anything that is considered traitorous to Dik Kei while Tung Loi is a loyal man of few words who has trouble expressing himself.
Koo Lok Lo
Lok Lo is a well-read army strategist. He is money-minded and he sells his problem-solving skills to whomever who is willing to pay for his services. But deep down, he is also a loyal servant as he has been searching for the son of his former employer ever since they got separated years earlier.
Later on, Lok Lo started to work for Dik Kei as the latter has knowledge about the person that he is looking for. Gradually, they become good partners as they have mutual respect for each other’s skills and strengths.
Synopsis
The comedy-drama is set in the chaotic era after the fall of the last Emperor when warlords ruled the provinces in China and foreigners were getting involved for their own self-interest. The Learning Curve Of A Warlord starts with an attempted assassination on Warlord Mung Tai Tung by revolutionaries including Yuen Yuen. However, the warlord was tipped off and he tricked Dik Kei to stand in for him. The assassination plot was foiled but Dik Kei let Yuen Yuen off when he recognized that she is the daughter of a school teacher whom their army has killed a few years earlier.
Later on, Dik Kei was promoted to Marshal when he and his sworn brothers saved Warlord Mung from being killed by his own subordinate. But this position wasn’t a bed of roses as he had to contend with a depleted treasury and non-existent local army. With 3 other Marshals under Warlord Mung eyeing his town, he had to use all the tricks up his sleeves to fend them off and even conquer their territories.
Furthermore, the Japanese was also pressuring him to cooperate with them and they even have a spy in his own household. If that isn’t enough, Dik Kei also had to manage the 3 women in his home. 2 of them were always fighting for his attention while the third, Yuen Yuen, is also a revolutionary member who could get him into trouble with Warlord Mung.
Basically, the whole plot of The Learning Curve Of A Warlord is how Dik Kei overcome crisis after crisis in order to protect his turf and the people around him. It is also about how the spirit of brotherhood can change when confronted with self-preservation, power, and ambition.
The Learning Curve Of A Warlord Ending
Dik Kei & Yuen Yuen
The Learning Curve Of A Warlord has a happy ending that sees Dik Kei choosing Yuen Yuen over being a Marshal. Dik Kei together with Ma Tan bombed Warlord Mung to death and returned to the town as the Marshal. But when he realized that Yuen Yuen is leaving the town, he abandoned the ceremony and headed to join her instead. Yuen Yuen decided to leave because she wanted to continue her ideals as a revolutionary member and didn’t want Dik Kei to sacrifice his position for her.
Tin Gui
Another spoiler is the death of Tin Gui, She appeared as a harmless woman to Dik Kei earlier in the drama but was actually a Japanese spy. She blackmailed Dik Kei into marrying her (she did love him after all) when the Japanese held Tung Loi and 2 other girls hostage. On their wedding day, she relented and released the hostages who were stuck in a room after a confrontation with Dik Kei and Yuen Yuen. Dik Kei let her go but Ma Tan chased her down and shot her to death.
Ma Tan
As a result of letting go of Tin Gui, Dik Kei was imprisoned by Warlord Mung for supposedly collaborating with the Japanese. Ma Tan was promoted to Dik Kei’s position instead. When Law Yee helped Dik Kei to escape from the prison, he was shot by Ma Tan in a duel. When Dik Kei saw what happened to Law Yee, he knew that Ma Tan needed to be stopped before the latter becomes even more uncontrollable with his power.
Eventually, Ma Tan realized his mistakes and he came at a crucial moment to help Dik Kei when the town was under attack by Warlord Mung. They chased down the warlord in his armored vehicle. Both of them climbed onto the vehicle and dropped a bomb inside. Ma Tan died in the process.
On a side note, Ma Tan is also the one who killed Yuen Yuen’s father. Dik Kei kept it a secret from Yuen Yuen because he didn’t want her to take revenge on Ma Tan who is like a brother to him.
The Learning Curve of A Warlord Review – Should You Watch?
The Learning Curve Of A Warlord is vintage Dicky Cheung. He is at his best here with his trademarked lines and expressions. Even for someone like me who is not a big fan of his, this drama is enjoyable and you should be able to sit through all the episodes without feeling bored. Well, maybe the beginning is a little slow but the pace picks up after the first few episodes.
However, you do need to be really fluent in Cantonese to be able to enjoy this comedy. The lines spewed by Dicky Cheung will leave you awed because they are delivered rapid-fire style. The lines are also incredibly long with his own brand of humor and acting style. I won’t say that his acting is top-notch but his style is unique and charming and he is able to make the witty character very lively indeed.
Other Actors’ Performance
I think Sisley Choi and Tony Hung still have much room for improvement. I won’t say they are bad in this drama but Sisley Choi’s portrayal of Yuen Yuen seems a little wooden at times. Maybe the character is more reserved in this case which makes it hard to be expressive compared to Tin Gui and Nga Nau.
As for Tony Hung, I feel that his portrayal of the bad Ma Tan is lacking in some ways. Perhaps if his hatred and dissatisfaction can be more effectively shown, the difference between the good and bad Ma Tan might be more pronounced.
The nice surprise is the performance of Zoie Tam and Vivien Yeung as Tin Gui and Nga Nau respectively. They are fun to watch as they know how to express themselves freely to suit the roles that they are playing. Whether they are bitchy or teary, loving or evil, they are able to deliver to make each scene great to watch.
The Plot
I have to say that the plot is interesting and the storyline sucks you in as the drama progresses. I find myself wondering how Dik Kei would get out of the various sticky situations and this keeps me engrossed from one episode to the next. Basically, I kept watching because I want to know what will happen next.
The Ending (With Spoilers)
The ending definitely could be done better. Warlord Mung is supposed to be a powerful leader who commands a large army but the battle between Dik Kei and him towards the end of the drama looks a bit simplistic. With Dik Kei leaving the town with Yuen Yuen, the story is also left hanging as to who would be the next Marshal and what happens to Nga Nau. After all, she is Dik Kei’s responsibility as one of his women. These small details are left out which brings the ending down a notch.
My Verdict
If you are a Dicky Cheung fan, then The Learning Curve Of A Warlord is not to be missed. Even if you are not, I still think this is one of the best TVB dramas for 2018. Watch it for the dialogue and storyline. You won’t be able to get another drama with such flavour from any other TVB artiste.
Overall, the comedy is enjoyable and the drama has a what-will-happen-next feel. For me, the only good reason to give this a miss is if you are not proficient in Cantonese. If so, you will miss the amusing meanings behind the lines uttered by Dik Kei. This will then automatically take away one of the best features of The Learning Curve Of A Warlord.
Good review. I agreed with you 100%. I feel like there is a lot of plot holes too & the ending left everyone a little hanging thought it is a happy ending.