In a nutshell, Holland V is indeed an entertaining drama serial. However, the plots and storyline are haphazardly written in a manner that oversimplify one important element that is commonly referred to as "life".
I have come across individuals, especially youngsters who commented that the serial is predominantly & highly unrealistic; basing its evolving plots on themes and premises that most Singaporeans would find too hard to believe in.
Most of the times, the situation is presented in either black or white terms; good or bad; right or wrong; jubilant or depress; wise or dumb; rich or poor, etc. Whereas in real-life, most Singaporeans who are well-known as being pragmatic lots know instinctively that things are hardly defined, polished and distinguished as those depicted in the serial.
Cases in point. Richard Yu Hongzhi (aka Xiaoxin) who is repeatedly dubbed as a so-called computer whiz actually doesn't come across as the person he's touted to be. Seriously speaking, just because he's managed to fix a remote-controlled car, in other words, a toy, does not make him ultra intelligent.
His personality also doesn't rhyme with one who happens to be a successful corporate figure. And he's not just anybody, mind ya all. He is one of the leading personalities in the Silicon Valley!! Or so according to the drama serial.
Real-life technopreneurs or businessmen for that matter are hyper-aggressive; not the least whiny and wimpy like Xiaoxin. Steve Ballmer (Monkeyboy), Larry Ellison, Bill Gates, Scott McNealy, etc. The scriptwriters ought to have had researched the personalities' traits of these individuals before giving birth to the character of Hongzhi.
Next, Mo Yanyan. Every working adult would find it laughable and odd learning that someone of her stature can actually get away with doing what she did at her workplace. eg. getting into the office late; talking back to her immediate superior when she's being lambasted on; and when she's seated at her workstation, she doesn't even do her works.
Come on! In real-life, Yanyan would have long been asked to pack her stuff, and head out of the door. No employer would tolerate such behaviors at the workplace. Period!
It is no wonder then that most youngsters in Singapore are not keen on being glued to the telly, watching the locally-produced drama serials; with Holland V being one of them.
Holland V is at best produced for those who find solace and comfort in the idealistic relics that were highly prevalent in the past. Modern-day Singapore certainly doesn't allow for such a luxury. :-)
P/S:
"In fact also back then when it first aired in my country, it even broke down language barriers where even the non-Mandarin speaking Singaporeans do watch the show, and the English subtitles did helped them to understand the plot. Never really in the history of Singapore television as I know has happened such a thing".
Correction. Circa 1991 when Pretty Faces was being aired on Channel 8, I have personally known that a great number of non-Chinese Singaporeans and even Malaysians (those who live in JB) would diligently tune in to the Ch8 to catch Bobo (Zoe Tay) strutting her stuff. As such, Holland V isn't exactly the maiden serial which has caught the non-Chinese and non-Mandarin speaking folks to watch Chinese drama serials in the first place.
