The title "Wong Kar-wai's first-ever drama" was reason enough to watch Blossoms Shanghai (繁花). Wong Kar-wai, the maestro who built his own unparalleled aesthetic through masterpieces like Chungking Express and In the Mood for Love, is a genre and brand unto himself. The news that he was directing a TV drama—and for China's state-run CCTV, no less—sparked both curiosity and a hint of skepticism. The initial impression of Blossoms Shanghai was somewhat bewildering. While Wong's signature sensory visuals were present, there was an inescapable feeling that it was somehow tacky and exaggerated. However, this unfamiliarity gradually transformed into admiration with each episode. By the end of its 30-episode run, Blossoms Shanghai had revealed itself not just as a drama, but as a magnificent epic of an era and a masterpiece that proves Wong Kar-wai's new potential.
Blossoms Shanghai is based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Jin Yucheng. The drama focuses on a specific part of the novel's sprawling narrative, zeroing in on 1990s Shanghai to tell the tumultuous success story of its protagonist, A Bao (played by Hu Ge), who is often called "the Gatsby of Shanghai." The 1990s, in the wake of Deng Xiaoping's Southern Tour, saw a wave of reform and opening-up wash over the city. Shanghai was a roiling crucible of opportunity and desire. The stock market surged daily, and miracles where ordinary workers became millionaires overnight were commonplace.
The protagonist A Bao is a man who navigates this turbulent era head-on. After a business failure leaves him broke, he hits a turning point when he meets a mysterious mentor, "Uncle Ye" (爷叔). Instead of simply handing him money, Uncle Ye teaches A Bao how to survive in the Shanghai business world through a series of harsh tests. "Take this stock on credit for 6,000 yuan and turn it into 10,000 within a week." This first task was a gateway to test A Bao's nerve and skill. After passing, Uncle Ye provides him with a room in a high-end hotel and a custom-tailored suit, crafting the persona of a successful entrepreneur: "Mr. Bao" (宝总). This was more than a change of appearance; it was a process of internalizing the grammar and survival tactics of Shanghai's business world. From this point on, under the new name Mr. Bao, A Bao moves freely through Shanghai's social circles, stock market, and trading industry to build his own empire.
The "tackiness" felt upon first viewing Blossoms Shanghai was, in fact, a deliberate recreation of the era's reality. To visually capture the excessive and chaotic energy of 1990s China—especially a Shanghai just awakening to capitalism—Wong Kar-wai intentionally chose a retro mise-en-scène. The dazzling neon signs, the stark contrast of primary colors, and the characters' somewhat exaggerated gestures and fashion directly reflect the overflowing vitality and naked ambition for success of the time.
Wong Kar-wai cleverly adapts his signature sensory language for the 30-episode drama format. The slow-motion sequences that maximize a character's emotions, the dramatic use of light and shadow, and the meaningful objects and symbols are all still here. However, he increases the narrative immersion with much faster-paced editing and dense dialogue. The use of music is particularly masterful. The Chinese pop songs of the 90s are not mere background noise; they are a core device that shapes the mood of each scene and evokes the nostalgia of the era. The initial sense of unfamiliarity soon becomes a gateway, pulling the viewer deep into the unique world of "1990s Shanghai as reinterpreted by Wong Kar-wai."
In Blossoms Shanghai, the city of Shanghai is not just a backdrop; it is a living, breathing protagonist in its own right. There's a saying that if Beijing is China's capital, Shanghai is its commercial capital, and the pride of the Shanghainese people is immense. The drama vividly captures this urban character. The fierce business negotiations unfolding in the glamorous restaurants of Huanghe Road, the roar of investors filling the stock exchange, and the simple daily lives of ordinary people in the narrow 'lilong' alleys—all these scenes paint a multi-faceted portrait of 1990s Shanghai.
A Bao's success is not achieved alone. By his side are three women who, in their own ways, help him, and at times, push him into crisis. There is Ling Zi, who holds the poignancy of a first love; Miss Wang, a business partner and supporter; and Li Li, the mysterious and powerful owner of the top restaurant on Huanghe Road. The complex and subtle relationships with these three women form another axis that drives A Bao's humanistic struggles and growth, adding rich emotional texture to the drama.
The fact that a film director—especially a stylist as unique as Wong Kar-wai—chose to direct a drama for China's state-run CCTV rather than a free-form OTT platform is significant in many ways. It reflects the changed status of the Hong Kong film industry and the immense influence of the mainland Chinese market. It can also be read as a new attempt by the master to communicate with a broader audience while maintaining his artistic integrity.
The result was a resounding success. Blossoms Shanghai received explosive praise from both critics and the public, proving its quality by winning the "Best Creative" award (the equivalent of Best Drama) at the 2024 Busan International Film Festival's Asia Contents Awards. The drama vividly portrays the dynamic development of capitalism in 1990s China, something we might not easily imagine within the ideological frame of a communist state. Transcending the story of one man's success, Blossoms Shanghai is a grand panorama of the dreams and frustrations, loves and farewells of people who lived through a turbulent era. With this drama, Wong Kar-wai has magnificently proven that his aesthetic is not only still valid on the small screen but can gain new vitality within a broader narrative. It is a masterpiece that is powerfully addictive, leaving a deep and lasting impression about a pivotal moment in time.
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