Night Journey (1996)

A really fun series, even if you’re not a fan of those hopping vampires jiangshi. Much of the credit goes to the writing, which proudly showcases the Chinese occult. Viewers get a crash course in feng shui, divination, corpse reanimation, and folk superstitions. The writers seamlessly work these into a fast-paced story with a good balance of laughter, romance, and horror. If you’re a scaredy cat like me, don’t watch this alone at night.

Our leading man is Yuen Wah doing what he does best: physical comedy. Unlike his useless role in Marvel’s Shang-Chi, he gets to shine here as the quirky Taoist master Chong Tin. He is well-matched with an equally quirky Louisa So. Their relationship is a refreshing change from your typical dreamy romance. For those who like to see a younger and hotter pairing, there is Halina Tam with a baby-faced Daniel Chan to drool over.

This show wouldn’t be nearly as interesting without the supporting characters. Who could forget the bumbling police chief played by Woo Fung? Who wouldn’t cry for the elderly Mr. Yam who sacrifices much for his despicable son and grandsons? Who wouldn’t be intrigued by Dong Siu Hong? He looks like someone who could be the hero, the leading man, until he makes some questionable choices and sinks deeper and deeper into a hell of his own making.

The jiangshi myth has ties to the opium trade, a crisis that crippled China and left it at the mercy of the west. The writers do not shy away from this dark topic. We see China undergoing a great shift, during which its people must either adapt or be left behind. There are those who adapted to do good, like Chong Tin. Then there are those who lost their way, like Siu Hong. The series showed us that change is poignant. Change is also scary, for who would want to be turned into a jiangshi?

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