Colourful Life (2001)

The series was true to its name, referencing both the Ching family cloth dyeing business and its colorful cast of characters. The use of colors and costumes was amazing. Each character had a distinctive look. The naive Wing Si wore soft pale robes, the tomboyish Dun Chu sported a simple hair bun and minimal ornaments, while the very insecure Siu Siu covered her hair in gold. Despite being the male lead, Frankie Lam wore a simple head cloth and no silk, as his character Chi Hin did not care for wealth and status. The Ching brothers all had their own color palette that complemented their respective wives. The clothing not only fit the personalities, they helped you keep track of who’s who in this huge cast.

How this show juggled so many actors in a short 20-episode run was nothing short of brilliant. The actors perfectly captured the dynamic of in-laws living under the same roof. Chi Hin and Dun Chu added to the tension with their own brand of romance. They went from contempt for each other to grudging respect, to friendship, and then fell in love without even knowing it. Annie Man was smart in her portrayal of Dun Chu. She looked slightly uncomfortable in her hanfu, true to her lot as a foreign bride who didn't quite fit in.

What I like about this show is that it didn’t try too hard to be cute, clever, or quotable. It stuck to simple themes, let the cast play off each other, and focused on showing a good story. Yes show, not tell. Watch how they introduced the main villain. Viewers don’t need other characters to tell us why this guy was a piece of trash, we just know it from this brief scene with him and a little parrot. We get his M.O. and his motive for bringing down the Ching family. We cheered at the payoff in the end, when the family triumphed over adversity.

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