At the end of Blossom Shanghai Chinese drama, Mr. Bao used a series of “confusing” tactics to prevent himself from falling into the trap set by Qiang Mujie. He fulfilled his promise to everyone – to win is for two, to lose is for one!
He “changed from Mr. Bao back to A Bao” and left the Peace Hotel.
Mr. Bao used his “exit” to save everyone around him and let them land safely.
Ling Zi and A Bao parted ways, and she finally had the confidence to venture into a bigger world on her own.
Li Li helped Mr. A pay off all his debts. She was jailed for one year for using the identity card for counterfeiting, and later became a monk at Nanhua Temple…
In the end, A Bao failed to get together with Miss Wang. The two looked at the completed Oriental Pearl Tower across the Huangpu River.
The old Shanghai, the extravagant life, the Jianghu loyalty, and the changes of the times all come to an end with the ending of the characters in the drama.
In his way, Wong Kar-Wai inspired all the living beings in Shanghai in the 1990s, which is detailed, smooth, and charming.
Wong Kar-Wai’s Return
Blossom Shanghai is a TV series adapted from the novel(繁花Fán Huā) by Jin Yucheng. It depicts the life and destiny of Shanghai people from the 1960s to the 1990s by showing every detail of Shanghai’s urban life. It tells the story of a poor boy, A Bao, who finally changes his life and destiny after going through the ups and downs of the business world and emotional entanglements.
The play is not only joined by a luxurious cast such as Hu Ge, Ma Yili, Tang Yan, Xin Zhilei, You Benchang, etc., but it is also Wong Kar-wai’s return after ten years of hard work.
Although it is an adaptation of a novel, the style is very different from the novel and has a strong personal temperament of Wong Kar-wai.
In this drama, Wong Kar-wai uses his unique camera language to show the Shanghai scene in the 1990s, the prosperity on the Yellow River Road, and the characters of the common people one by one to the audience. He also portrays the love story between men and women and multiple female characters unforgettably. The whole play can be said to be a “continuation” of a Shanghai story in his mind.
This drama opened with a score of 8.1 on Douban, and now 430,000 people have rated it 8.7. This is an achievement that only high-quality Chinese dramas can achieve.
As the most unique and artistic director in the Chinese moviedom, Wong Kar-wai has won numerous awards for his literary films.
The most impressive thing about director Wong Kar-Wai is the aesthetics of his films, so much so that the term “Wong Kar-wai Aesthetics” has been coined.
Exquisite camera language, philosophical lines, and unique light and shadow aesthetics…
In his many years of directing, Wong Kar-wai has only made 11 films, all of which are famous.
But after Wong Kar-wai’s The Grandmaster in 2013, he hasn’t directed a film for ten years.
That’s why the attention generated by the TV series Blossom Shanghai was amazing when it started.
After the finale, fans took a magnifying glass and searched for relevant clues in this drama from “Wong Kar-Wai’s Cinematic Universe”.
The iconic frame extraction, rich and full-color aesthetics, and fast-paced editing style make the characters’ faces always looming in close-ups, using mirrors to create blurry double images, or using the out-of-focus foreground to reflect the complex changes in the character’s heart. These can be glimpsed in movies such as The Grandmaster, Chungking Express, Ashes of Time, Days of Being Wild, and 2046.
In the dazzling bullet screen of Blossom Shanghai, words of praise such as “Wong Kar-wai single-handedly reshaped the aesthetics of Chinese drama” abound.
This time, Wong Kar-wai has won again.
The Plot of Blossom Shanghai
The plot of Blossom Shanghai is based on Shanghai’s urban life and shows the changes of an era through the perspective of the protagonist A Bao. It not only talks about the current of times after the reform and opening-up policy in China, but also focuses on the struggles of individuals, as well as the intrigues in business wars and the evasion and affection between men and women.
The main story of the whole drama is about A Bao’s rapid rise through stock trading and foreign trade, becoming the famous “Mr. Bao” in Shanghai, and his ambiguous relationship with three women with different identities and personalities – Ling Zi, Miss Wang, and Li Li.
The characters in the play are vivid and the plot is compact, making people feel the unique charm of that era. In terms of plot processing, the director skillfully uses flashbacks and flashforwards, making the plot more fascinating.
Blossom Shanghai is a drama rich in details, with elaborate scenery, complex camerawork, and undercurrents of dialogue between characters.
Some people watch the costumes and scenery, pursuing the visual effects, and savoring the hustle and bustle of Shanghai in the 1990s; some people like the literary and artistic styles, appreciating the characters’ interpretation of the operation of the camera, style and elegance of the lines; some people pay attention to The business war story, and study the constraints, cooperation and friction between the various forces; some people watch the drama after the male protagonist A Bao, watching a person’s struggle and ups and downs, and writing a legend of a business tycoon.
Different audiences have different focuses of the drama.
The theme of Blossom Shanghai is to explore the impact of life, destiny and changes of the times on individuals. The characters in the play are all created against the background of the times. Their fates are full of twists and turns, but they also show the brilliance of human nature. Through the ups and downs of these characters’ destinies, the director conveyed a profound truth to the audience:
Life is like a prosperous dream, in which everyone is looking for his or her place.
Shanghainese and Shanghai drama
As a TV series focusing on Shanghai, this drama has gathered a large number of outstanding actors from Shanghai. The success of Blossom Shanghai is inseparable from the wonderful performances of all the actors.
Blossom Shanghai has two versions, Shanghainese and Mandarin. The Shanghainese version was recorded live by the actors.
Hu Ge vividly portrays Mr. Bao, who is the strategist and master of the Yellow River Road. He has finally regained the temperament of a charming man of the era, and every move is full of style.
As soon as Xin Zhilei appeared, the elegant and domineering boss lady Li Li jumped onto the screen.
It has to be Wong Kar-wai. People have never seen Xin Zhilei so stunningly beautiful. Every frame looks like a character stepping out of an oil painting.
Tang Yan is no longer just a silly and sweet screen image. She gives a milestone performance in her career, bringing to life the character of Miss Wang, who is decisive and sharp on the outside but delicate and soft on the inside.
The boss lady Ling Zi, played by Ma Yili, perfectly captures the charm and vitality of Shanghai women, and has been hailed by netizens as one of the best in the show.
As we all know, Director Wang is famous for his good use of actors. In addition to the protagonist, the performances of the supporting actors in Blossom Shanghai are also very eye-catching, and some of them have great backgrounds.
For example, Chloe Maayan, who plays the role of the little foreman Min Min, does not have a big part in the drama, but she is stunning in every scene. Who would have thought that such a small supporting role actor would be a Hong Kong Academy Award winner?
Lu Meilin, played by Fan Tiantian, is also a highlight of the drama. The domineering and tragic Lu Meilin on the Yellow River Road is ultimately both pitiable and hateful.
Since we are talking about the outstanding supporting role in the drama, the manipulator behind A Bao, Uncle Ye, who runs through the whole drama must be mentioned.
As the first old mage in Shanghai, he is full of aura and can make the audience fall into the drama instantly with every word.
The life experience of Mr. You Benchang is also quite legendary. After graduating from college, he entered the Central Theater of China. He spent the first half of his life playing small roles for 30 years. At the age of 52, he reached the peak of his career when he starred in Ji Gong for the first time.
Although he is now over 90 years old, You Benchang still works hard for 10 hours a day, adhering to the belief of “leading people’s hearts through literature and art.” After the broadcast of Blossom Shanghai, 90-year-old You Benchang once again became famous overnight. Some netizens said that they saw the difference between artists and stars from You Benchang.
There are also the calm and principled Jin Hua, Xiao Jiangxi who has her own desires but always hits the wall, Mr. Fan who speaks Hangzhou Mandarin and is naive but the most affectionate, and Mr. Wei who is a bit funny but impresses the audience with his indomitable foolishness. Even the performance of the villain Mei Ping is unforgettable. There are also teachers Ge, Ling Hong, Tao Tao, etc. who were with Lin Zi in “Night Tokyo”, all of which left a deep impression on the audience.
In addition to these actors who have been involved in the film and television industry for many years, there are also many industry leaders who have crossed over from other fields.
For example, Manager Pan of Zhizhenyuan is Li Li’s right-hand man in the play. She is resolute and meticulous in her work. She is indispensable for Zhizhenyuan to become the number one on Huanghe Road.
Tong Chenjie, who plays Manager Pan, is not well-known as an actor. But in the modeling world, she is one of the first-generation Chinese models as famous as Du Juan.
Papi Jiang, an Internet celebrity, plays the role of Lin Zi’s best friend Ling Hong. She majored in directing. She has no experience in acting, but her acting in the drama is also remarkable.
To say that the one who has crossed the furthest boundary in the drama is Fan Zhiyi, who crossed over from football. For the role of Master Fan, he initially rejected Wong Kar-Wai several times. But the director repeatedly insisted that this role belonged to him, and it was not until his wife’s persuasion that he decided to give it a try.
Unexpectedly, this test turned out to be a classic.
“General Fan”, who was born and raised in Shanghai, did not need to memorize his lines at the scene. He relied entirely on his on-the-spot performance to perfectly nail Master Fan’s aura and tone.
The group portraits in Blossom Shanghai are like vivid portraits of the characters in the 1990s. They are all stunning at first sight and meaningful when you think about it carefully.
A Bao, a Wandering Footless Bird
Blossom Shanghai talks about business war in the overt line, and emotional war in the dark line.
A Bao has strong emotional bonds with the four women in the drama.
But in the first episode, Wong Kar-Wai told us by having A Bao to imitate Tony Leung’s appearance in Days of Being Wild: A Bao is a footless bird, destined to wander for a lifetime.
Miss Wang
Wang Mingzhu, as the name suggests, is as bright and dazzling as a pearl.
Her relationship with Mr. Bao is No. 27 and pork ribs and rice cakes.
The two met when they were still small potatos. At that time, Mr. Bao was still A Bao and Miss Wang was still little Wang. They upgraded along the way, built the famous brand in Shanghai, and established a deep revolutionary friendship, but also had ambiguity.
Miss Wang loves Mr. Bao, the kind who falls for him at first sight.
And Mr. Bao will always support Miss Wang in every possible way and dote on her regardless of the consequences.
After Miss Wang was betrayed by her colleagues, Mr. Bao did not hesitate to give up the cooperative career.
Mr. Bao willfully told Uncle Ye that pork ribs and rice cakes had never been a business for him.
Mr. Bao went to Zhuji for business. Miss Wang, who was usually frugal and disciplined, got excited and took out the 20,000 yuan given by Mr. Bao, bought a car on the spot and drove to rescue him.
It didn’t matter if the car crashed. What she was most worried about was Mr. Bao’s safety. The moment they met, she rushed over to hug him regardless of her official status and reserved personality. She cried so hard.
He remembered the car, and even more so the crying spirit that night, and that was how he gave back the “Cadillac” worth hundreds of times.
After all, Miss Wang was naive. When something happened, she wanted to resign and accompany Mr. Bao to sell tea eggs. In her simple emotional experience, love was overwhelming at that moment.
She didn’t understand that Mr. Bao loved Miss Wang of No. 27.
He loved Miss Wang who had dreams, energy, stubbornness, can endure hardships, and wanted to do something big.
Mr. Bao didn’t go to the last “pork ribs and rice cake” appointment, and even received a slap from Jin Meilin for her.
Mr. Bao thought it was for protection, but that slap was 100 times more painful for Miss Wang than hitting her on the face.
She has always been strong and has been doing foreign trade for so many years, but she couldn’t get a place on the Yellow River Road.
At that moment, she suddenly woke up.
She shouted that she would become her own dock and open her company in the storm of life.
In the end, she became her own dependence.
Ling Zi
The relationship between Mr. Bao and Ling Zi is that of Night Tokyo and rice in soup.
Night Tokyo does not make money, only information. Ling Zi did not directly help his business, but Night Tokyo was the channel and source of information for A Bao to contact all parties.
Every time he came to Tokyo, he had to eat rice in soup. He mentioned more than once how important this bowl of rice in soup was to him –
Ten Australian lobsters on the Yellow River Road can’t exchange for a bowl of rice in soup here.
Twenty dishes in the hotel are not as comfortable as a bowl of rice in soup here.
When he went back to the house, he had to make a bowl of hot rice in soup and two dried radishes. After eating these two things, the day will be perfect.
Mr. Bao’s rice in soup was served by special staff at a fixed time in Night Tokyo.
Mr. Bao and Ling Zi don’t have many passionate and romantic moments, but for him, Night Tokyo is a staple food and an indispensable taste of home.
They help each other, and there is no need to explain everything.
However, their ending was already written the moment they met.
Back then, A Bao, who was unfamiliar with the place and could not speak Japanese, went to Japan to do business and met Ling Zi who made a phone call in Shanghainese. With Ling Zi’s care and luck, he was able to negotiate a cooperation and save the factory.
The two were waiting for Yamamoto under the street lights with falling snow at night. Ling Zi said that when she returned to Shanghai, she would open a hotel, and she had already thought of a name, called Night Tokyo.
Ling Zi asked A Bao if he heard it. A Bao said he was so intent on waiting that he didn’t listen.
As a result, six months later, Ling Zi received a plane ticket from A Bao and the business card of the manager of Night Tokyo.
The background music of that scene was “Sudden Love” by Oda Kazumasa, the theme song of Tokyo Love Story.
From the very beginning, what Ling Zi pursued was not career, but love.
Wong Kar-Wai is a master of details. The night when A Bao left Ling Zi in Japan, the background music was “你是我胸口永远的痛”(You Are the Forever Pain in My Chest) by Dave Wang(Wang Jie).
But in Shanghai, all A Bao can give Ling Zi is “no sound”.
But Ling Zi’s love is so full that she must need a response.
At the moment when she couldn’t hide it the most, she finally asked: “Only one of the two can stay. Who do you love in your heart?”
She overestimated her patience.
The roof of Ling Zi’s house is repaired every year and leaks every year, which symbolizes her most secret feelings for Mr. Bao. There are no traces of it on the outside, but it is always wet inside.
So, later Ling Zi got angry. She threw Mr. Bao’s chair and broke all the glass that could be broken. The deeper the love, the more violent the destruction of Night Tokyo.
She knew from the beginning that Mr. Bao would not marry her, and even if he did marry her, he would not be a good husband, but she still looked like a moth to the flame, lively on the surface but lonely on the inside.
Finally, she found her original dream of opening her own store.
After breaking up with Mr. Bao, she devoted all her energy to the management of the hotel.
Thanks to her efforts, Night Tokyo’s business has become extremely hot.
Later, she went to Hong Kong to open a branch and start her new life.
Growth is created by the continuous healing of scars. Like the knots of a tree, those textures are the precipitation of time’s struggle and release.
Li Li
When Mr. Bao was still A Bao, he devoted himself without any reservation. At that time, his life had no career, it was all emotions.
In the drama, the moments when Mr. Bao mentions Xue Zhi the most are the moments when he is with Li Li.
It was a rare moment when he let go of his pretense and exhaustion and became real and vulnerable.
Li Li made a fortune of 30 million and became the most mysterious and unpredictable woman on the Yellow River Road in the entire drama.
Unlike Ling Zi and Miss Wang, her feelings for Mr. Bao cannot be seen through. What she shows to others is only her ambition.
Mr. Bao said that when he was eating hot pot ten years ago, he couldn’t see Xue Zhi’s face clearly. Ten years later, he still couldn’t see clearly, but he could see himself clearly.
Mr. Bao and Li Li were eating hot pot, and Li Li sat opposite him.
The longer the hot pot lasted, the clearer Mr. Bao saw.
The Li Li he saw had surging desires.
But Li Li can’t forget Mr. A, that is her belief and her way back.
Mr. Bao and Li Liming competed on “who is quieter” and “who is more naked” in the business, but in such repression and competition, their passions became more and more volatile.
The red lips and high heels at night, the blank clip where they hesitate to speak, the shot of Li Li looking back as though she was kissing but not kissing…
The final moment of Li Li’s showdown was her most secret confession to Mr. Bao.
Only Li Li, not Chen Zhen, can temporarily fall in love with Mr. Bao, and Li Li’s fate is to eventually become Chen Zhen.
Opponent, a mirror image of each other, it is never possible, and the beginning is the end.
At Last
Compared with Mr. Wei, who grew up in a good family and was simple and public in the play, A Bao comes from a humble background and may make a comeback if he seizes the slightest opportunity. His default position is always insecure. Because he is the duckweed of the times.
His unforgettable love for Xue Zhi is just a cover-up. His heart has always been a wasteland that cannot be fully opened. The high-spirited Mr. Bao on the Yellow River Road is just his projection and evidence of his existence in this great era, but A Bao will always stay in the wasteland in his heart. He moves forward, but in this ever-changing era, his soul never has a firm habitat.
On the contrary, the three women except Xue Zhi, Ling Zi, Miss Wang, and Li Li, all used their own way to cross the river of A Bao that once almost drowned them, and finally became themselves and had their own docks.
Feelings can be like blooming flowers, but flowers never last forever. We can feel it, but we must also understand it.
Wong Kar-wai’s emotional world has never been just about love between a man and a woman in a narrow sense. It is more like a jianghu world of friendship, kindness, righteousness, and then love.
Every relationship is a life-long friendship, which is the true heroic spirit of the jianghu world.
All in all, Blossom Shanghai Chinese drama is well worth watching. It shows the charm of Shanghai city life from a unique perspective, with distinctive characters, ups and downs of the plot, unique directorial techniques, and profound themes. Whether it is the plot, characters, director, or theme, they all demonstrate the high level of production of Blossom Shanghai.
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