Shades of Life


Shades of Life is a 2014 Hong Kong modern drama produced by TVB, starring Jack Wu and Elaine Yiu. The series began airing on July 20, 2014 and was broadcast on the following Sundays at 9:00 p.m with 12 episodes in total.
The series centers around the Ko family, a modern Hong Kong family and the ordinary people they encounter. The series tells of the struggles and social issue of ordinary Hong Konger. Each episode does not continue on from the previous episode and each is a new standalone story.

Main cast

Ko family

Episode 1: Succeed 望子成龍
Episode 2: Same Root 同根生
Episode 3: Influence Life With Life 非常校長
Episode 4: Sub-divided Hero 劏房英雄
Episode 5: Winter's Fairy-tale 冬天的童話
Episode 6: Successor 接班人
Episode 7: Dream Dwelling 蝸居夢
Episode 8: So Close, So Far 這麼近, 那麼遠
Episode 9: Father and I 公公與我
Episode 10: What Is Good 餘何是好
Episode 11: Sunset Warrior 夕陽戰士
Episode 12: Homeward Bound 歸去來兮

Controversies

Shades of Life received over 1500 complaints in its 2nd week of airing. The series was slammed for depicting Hong Kong citizens in a negatively and inaccurate portrayal of stereotypes. Also providing misleading information when depicting other country societies, such as episode 1 where it is mentioned about the difference between Hong Kong students and American students, one of the characters ask "why Hong Kong students carry backpacks to school when in the United States students does not carry backpacks because everything they need is already provided by the school".