Fist of Fury (TV series)
| Fist of Fury | |
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DVD cover art
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| Genre | Action Martial arts |
| Written by | Lee Yee-wah Chan Sap-sam Yau Fuk-hing Siu Kwok-wah Ho Wing-nin Mok Wai-kin Tang Kwai-sim Cheung Kwok-yuen |
| Directed by | Benny Chan Leung Yan-chuen Wong Kam-tin Cheng Wai-man Wu Ming-hoi Tang Hin-sing |
| Starring | Donnie Yen Joey Meng Eddy Ko Leung Yat-ho Kenny Lin Teruyuki Yeung Chak-lam Cong Shan Lau Chi-wing |
| Theme music composer | Kunihiko Ryo |
| Opening theme | Ching Mo Ying Hung (精武英雄; Hero of Ching-mou) performed by Donnie Yen |
| Country of origin | Hong Kong |
| Original language(s) | Cantonese |
| No. of episodes | 30 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Lung Siu-kei |
| Production location(s) | Hong Kong |
| Running time | 45 minutes per episode |
| Production company(s) | ATV STAR TV |
| Release | |
| Original network | ATV Home |
| Original release | 21 August – 29 September 1995 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (2010) |
| Fist of Fury | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 精武門 | ||||||||||
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| Simplified Chinese | 精武门 | ||||||||||
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Fist of Fury is a 1995 Hong Kong martial arts television series adapted from the 1972 film of the same title. Produced by ATV and STAR TV, the series starred Donnie Yen as Chen Zhen (Cantonese: Chan Zan), a character previously portrayed by Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury (1972) and Jet Li in Fist of Legend (1994). The series is also related to the 2010 film Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen, in which Yen reprises his role.
Plot
The series is set in early Republican China. Chan Zan travels to Shanghai with his younger sister in search of a new life after their hometown is destroyed by a group of bandits. He notices that Shanghai is divided into an international settlement under the control of various foreign powers such as Britain and Japan. Besides, he observes that the martial artists' community in Shanghai is marred with disunity and the various schools are pursuing their individual goals. That reflects the state of China: the Chinese are individualistic and are often engaging in internal conflict instead of uniting to drive out their common enemies (the overbearing foreigners) and regain sovereignty of their nation. Fok Yuen-gap, the founder of Ching-mou School, is trying hard to persuade and influence the other schools to unite under a common purpose of defending China from foreign intrusion.
Chan becomes a rickshaw puller and coolie to earn a living in Shanghai. Once, he saves the famous singer Yi-kiu from some ruffians and is invited to join the notorious Green Gang through her introduction. Chan proves himself to be the best fighter in the gang and wins the favour of its boss, Choi Luk-kan. At the same time, he encounters the bandits who murdered his family, who are coincidentally allies of the Green Gang. Chan is unable to get his fellow gang members to support him in taking revenge on the bandits. When his sister is killed by the bandits later, Chan learns a painful lesson that he should distance himself from the gang's illegal activities. He leaves the gang after killing his sister's murderers. He joins Ching-mou School after being enlightened by Fok Yuen-gap in the few earlier encounters they had. Chan becomes Fok's favourite student as he demonstrates an excellent understanding of Fok's martial arts philosophy. Fok grooms Chan to be his successor and Chan gradually matures under Fok's teachings to become a powerful martial artist who truly understands Ching-mou School's founding principles.
Meanwhile, Chan Zan also falls in love with Yumi, the daughter of the Japanese consul Takeda Yukio. However, their relationship is strained because they stand on opposing grounds and due to the fact that they come from different backgrounds. Besides, Ching-mou School is a strong supporter of the anti-Japanese movement and Fok Yuen-gap has also foiled Takeda's plans to take over Shanghai on numerous occasions. At the same time, Yumi's fiance, Ishii Hideaki, arrives from Japan to start a dojo with his brother in Hongkou District. Ishii's presence causes Chan and Yumi's relationship to be further strained.
Takeda founds the Black Dragon Society in Shanghai to spy on the Chinese military for the Japanese government in preparation for a future invasion of China. Takeda is aware that he must kill Fok Yuen-gap in order to crush the Chinese people's morale because they look up to Fok as a national hero. Takeda sends a spy to infiltrate Ching-mou School and secretly poison Fok. Fok dies from poisoning after engaging Ishii Hideaki in a leitai match. Chan Zan remains calm in the face of taunts and insults from Ching-Mou's enemies after his master's death while channelling his efforts into disrupting the Japanese's plans to take over Shanghai. Many lives were lost in the struggle between Ching-mou School and the Japanese. Chan becomes the sole survivor.
After discovering that Takeda is planning to release a deadly virus in Shanghai and use that as an excuse for Japan to launch its invasion on China, Chan breaks into Takeda's base and takes down every opponent he meets and disrupts Takeda's plans once more. He defeats Takeda in a fight and spares Takeda's life when Yumi pleads with him, but Takeda ultimately commits suicide in humiliation. Yumi has been gravely wounded by her father and she dies as Chan brings her back to Ching-mou School. In the final scene, Ching-Mou is surrounded by armed soldiers because the Japanese consulate has ordered Chan's arrest for the murder of Takeda. Chan is promised by the Chinese police inspector that Ching-mou School will prevail after his death, after which he charges out with a flying kick at the soldiers as they open fire at him.
Cast
- Donnie Yen as Chan Zan (陳真; Chen Zhen), the protagonist.
- Eddy Ko as Fok Yuen-gap (霍元甲; Huo Yuanjia), the founder of Ching-mou School.
- Joey Meng as Yumi (由美; Youmei), Takeda Yukio's daughter and Chan Zan's love interest.
- Kenny Lin-Teruyuki as Ishii Hideaki (石井英明; Shijing Yingming), Yumi's fiance, who wants to establish a Japanese karate school in China.
- Yeung Chak-lam as Takeda Yukio (武田幸雄; Wutian Xingxiong), a Japanese consul and member of the Black Dragon Society.
- Berg Ng as Lau Chan-shing (劉振聲; Liu Zhensheng), Fok Yuen-gap's eldest student.
- Eric Wan as Choi Hok-fu (蔡學富; Cai Xuefu), Choi Luk-kan's son, who becomes a hon-gan.
- Leung Yat-ho as Leung Ha (梁蝦; Liang Xia), Choi Luk-kan's bodyguard and Chan Zan's friend.
- Cong Shan as Yi-kiu (綺翹; Qiqiao), a singer and Leung Ha's love interest.
- Lau Chi-wing as Choi Luk-kan (蔡六斤; Cai Liujin), the boss of the Green Gang.
- Sin Ho-ying as Ishii Hiroshi (石井泓; Shijing Hong), Hideaki's brother and the master of the Hongkou dojo.
- Paw Hee-ching as Mrs Takeda, Yumi's mother.
- Ng Yuen-chun as Kuki (九鬼; Jiugui), Ishii Hideaki's sensei.
- Mai Kei as Wu Yan (胡恩; Hu En), Takeda's secretary.
- Renee Dai as Siu-yin (小燕; Xiaoyan), Chan Zan's younger sister.
- Bobby Tsang as Yip Tai-cheung (葉大昌; Ye Dachang), a Ching-mou student.
- Lee Mo-king as Yip Tai-cheung's wife
- Ng Siu-ching as Ma Siu-ching (馬小清; Ma Xiaoqing), a Ching-mou student.
- Stephen Au as the Thai boxer
- Cheng Shu-fung as Hung Pao (洪豹; Hong Bao), a bandit chief who murders Chan Zan's family.
- Hung Yan-yan as Hung Fei (洪飛; Hong Fei), Hung Pao's brother.
- Philip Keung as Chung (忠; Zhong), a coolie and Chan Zan's friend.
- Ken Lok as Cheung Hak-cheung (張克祥; Zhang Kexiang), an ally of Ching-mou School. This character is based on Zhang Xueliang.
- Lo Lieh as Cheung Chung-tong (張宗棠; Zhang Zongtang), Cheung Hak-cheung's father and a Manchurian warlord. This character is based on Zhang Zuolin.
- Hon Yee-sang as Choi Kam-fu (蔡金虎; Cai Jinhu), Choi Luk-kan's brother and a martial arts master.
- Simon Tsui as Uncle Kuen (荃叔; Uncle Quan), the chairman of the Shanghai Martial Arts Association.
- Fung Kwok as Nung King-suen (農勁蓀; Nong Jinsun), a businessman and friend of Fok Yuen-gap who co-founded Ching-mou School.
- Kong To as Mayor Yim (嚴市長; Mayor Yan), the mayor of Shanghai.
- Mak Kei as Inspector Lo (羅探長; Inspector Luo), the police inspector.
- Leung Kam-yim as Boss Ma (馬老闆), the Teochew businessman who hired the Thai boxer.
- Wai Lit as Fong Koi-tin (方蓋天; Fang Gaitian), the vice chairman of the Shanghai Martial Arts Association.
- Kon San as Master Kam (金師傅; Master Jin), a martial arts school master.
- Kwan Wai-lun as Cheng Tin (鄭天; Zheng Tian), the master of the White Crane School.
- Ling Lai-man as Old Fung (老馮; Old Feng), the cook of Ching-mou School.
- Lau Tsung-kei as a Ching-mou student
- Chapman To as a Ching-mou student
- Ngan Chun-lam as a Ching-mou student
- Ka Chun as a Ching-mou student
- Chan Lai-wan as the Takeda family housekeeper
- Chow Siu-lun as Choi Hok-fu's henchman
- Tsau Wai-lun as Choi Hok-fu's henchman
- Chan Kar-wai as Choi Luk-kan's henchman
- Yeung Man-tat as a rickshaw puller
- Ng Man-lai as a nurse
- Phyllis Man as a nurse
- Raymond Tsang as the Japanese vice consul
- Cheng Shu-fung
- Lau Wan-fung
- Lee Kam-wing
- Ng Ting
- Tsang Tsan-on
- Leung Bik-tze
- Camilla Choi
- Lee Mo-king
- Lau Chun
- Chan Tung
- Yiu Tze-wan
- Yu Man-bing
- Lee Chun-tak
- Ng Ming-lung
- Lo Sim
- Wong Man
External links
- Fist of Fury on Donnie Yen's official website
- Articles containing traditional Chinese-language text
- Articles containing simplified Chinese-language text
- Hong Kong action television series
- Martial arts television series
- ATV television programmes
- 1995 Hong Kong television series debuts
- 1995 Hong Kong television series endings
- 1990s Hong Kong television series
- Television programs based on films
