A Fist Within Four Walls
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''A Fist Within Four Walls'' () is a 2016 Hong Kong
martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
television drama In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or docudrama, semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humour, humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms t ...
produced by
Jazz Boon Jazz Boon is a Hong Kong television producer, director, and writer. His professional TV career started in the early 1990s, when he was hired by TVB as a production assistant. His first drama as director was the 1995 police procedural ''Invincibl ...
and
TVB Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong SAR. The Company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its main Cantonese language service, and ...
. It premiered on
TVB Jade TVB Jade (), or simply Jade, is a Hong Kong Cantonese-language free-to-air television channel owned and operated by Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) as its flagship service, alongside its sister network, the English-language TVB Pearl. Bro ...
in
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
,
Astro On Demand Astro On Demand (Simplified as Astro AOD) is a Cantonese-language drama TV channel service co-established by TVB and Astro. It features the latest TVB drama series and broadcasts the same time as the origin channel. The channel was officiall ...
in
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
and TVB First in
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
on 1 August 2016. The final episode aired on 28 August 2016, totalling 28 episodes. ''A Fist Within Four Walls'' takes place in the triad-ridden
Kowloon Walled City Kowloon Walled City was an ungoverned and densely populated ''de jure'' Imperial Chinese enclave within the boundaries of Kowloon City, British Hong Kong. Originally a Chinese military fort, the walled city became an enclave after the New Ter ...
in the early 1960s. The plot revolves around Chor Au-kuen, a gifted martial arts novice who takes on the duty of protecting the walled city against evildoers. ''A Fist Within Four Walls'' is the highest-rated drama of 2016, and its final episode was the second most-watched series finale of the year in Hong Kong. It received generally positive reviews during its broadcast. The drama received multiple awards and nominations at the StarHub TVB Awards and the TVB Star Awards in Malaysia, winning Favourite Drama, Favourite Actor (
Ruco Chan Ruco Chan Chin-pang (; born 14 January 1977) is a Hong Kong actor and singer. Chan is the first TVB actor to win My Favourite TVB Actor at the StarHub TVB Awards for three consecutive years (2014, 2015, 2016), and is also the first actor to make ...
), and Favourite Actress (
Nancy Wu Nancy may refer to: Places France * Nancy, France, a city in the northeastern French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle and formerly the capital of the duchy of Lorraine ** Arrondissement of Nancy, surrounding and including the city of Nancy ...
) at both ceremonies. It won six awards at the TVB Anniversary Awards, including Best Drama, Best Actor (Chan),
Best Actress Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress awar ...
(Wu), Most Popular Male Character (
Benjamin Yuen Benjamin Yuen Wai-ho (Simplified Chinese: 袁伟豪; Traditional Chinese: 袁偉豪, born May 11, 1981) is a Hong Kong actor and singer contracted to TVB and Shaw Brothers Pictures. Yuen’s career started when he became the winner of Hong ...
), Most Popular Female Character (
Grace Wong Grace Wong Kwan-hing (born 5 May 1986) is a Hong Kong television actress and singer formerly contracted to TVB. She is best known for her role as Fa Man in the martial arts television drama '' A Fist Within Four Walls''. Early life Grace Wong ...
), and Most Popular Drama Theme Song ("Never Know You Are the Best").


Premise

''A Fist Within Four Walls'' is characterised as a kung fu drama with frequent
comic relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic episo ...
. It takes inspiration from Hong Kong
manhua () are Chinese-language comics produced in China and Taiwan. Whilst Chinese comics and narrated illustrations have existed in China in some shape or form throughout its imperial history, the term first appeared in 1904 in a comic titled ''Cu ...
and
martial arts films Martial arts films are a subgenre of action films that feature numerous martial arts combat between characters. These combats are usually the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often are a method of storytelling and character expres ...
. The story mainly takes place in the
Kowloon Walled City Kowloon Walled City was an ungoverned and densely populated ''de jure'' Imperial Chinese enclave within the boundaries of Kowloon City, British Hong Kong. Originally a Chinese military fort, the walled city became an enclave after the New Ter ...
during the early 1960s, when a majority of the city was virtually ruled by Hong Kong triads. The walled city was a largely ungoverned settlement at the time, with high rates of gambling, prostitution, and drug use, earning the name "Three Lawless Zone" (三不管; ''saam1 bat1 gun2'').


Plot

In 1945,
Bajiquan Bajiquan () is a Chinese martial art that features explosive, short-range power and is famous for its elbow and shoulder strikes. Its full name is kaimen ba ji quan (). Origins Baji quan was originally called bazi quan ( or ) or "rake fist" ...
masters Duen Tung-tin and Chiu Mang-san form a brief alliance to protect the once-peaceful
Kowloon Walled City Kowloon Walled City was an ungoverned and densely populated ''de jure'' Imperial Chinese enclave within the boundaries of Kowloon City, British Hong Kong. Originally a Chinese military fort, the walled city became an enclave after the New Ter ...
from falling into the hands of ruthless gangs. The alliance breaks when Duen is poisoned and beaten to death by a mysterious assailant, and Chiu is suspected to be the killer. Chiu allegedly commits suicide, his children separate, and the walled city falls under the control of triads. Fifteen years later, Chiu's now adult son Chor Au-kuen returns to the walled city to find his long-lost sister. Concealing his true identity, he gets acquainted with Tiu Lan, the lady boss of a local hair salon, and finds a job as a water labourer so he can pay his rent. By chance, Kuen meets the dentist Duen Ying-fung, the only son of Duen, and finds that the Duen family has now closed down their Bajiquan
kwoon A kwoon () is a training hall for Chinese martial arts. According to ''A Chinese-English Dictionary (Revised Edition) 1978'', from Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press (PRC), the word ''guǎn'' can also mean 1) Accommodation for guest ...
to start a dental clinic. Fung is skilled in Bajiquan but only trains it in secret, as he does not want to be seen as a threat against the city's leading triad organisation, The Fellow Association. To protect the city's people against the growing power of The Fellow Association, Kuen and Fung recruit other kung fu practitioners to form the Kowloon Walled City Welfare Association. Though naturally gifted in martial arts, Kuen refuses to learn Bajiquan from Fung, as he believes that his father's Tiger Climbing Mountain fist to be the strike that had killed Fung's father fifteen years ago. Instead, Kuen takes up the mentorship of store owner Yuk Bo-fung, a retired kung fu master, and learns mixed styles of
Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...
and
Wing Chun Wing Chun (Chinese: 詠春 or 咏春, lit. "singing spring"), sometimes spelled Ving Tsun, is a concept-based fighting art, form of Nanquan (martial art), Southern Chinese kung fu and close-quarters system of self-defense. In Mandarin, it is ...
. Her son Lung Shing-fu, the right-hand man of Fellow Association leader Or Man-cheung, finds his loyalties divided. A leader of The Fellow Association mysteriously dies under the hands of a Bajiquan master, and Fung becomes the number one suspect. Kuen and Fung investigate, and the case leads them straight to Fa Man, the leader of a stripping dance troupe. As the drama progresses, more mysteries behind the deaths of Chiu and Duen begin to unravel. Kuen finds that The Fellow Association is not the only society that is plaguing the walled city with evil.


Cast and characters

*
Ruco Chan Ruco Chan Chin-pang (; born 14 January 1977) is a Hong Kong actor and singer. Chan is the first TVB actor to win My Favourite TVB Actor at the StarHub TVB Awards for three consecutive years (2014, 2015, 2016), and is also the first actor to make ...
as Chor Au-kuen (左勾拳; ''zo2 ngau1 kyun4''): Known as Kuen Lo (拳佬; "Fist Guy"), the main protagonist. Kuen is a water labourer who possesses impressive physical strength and is naturally gifted in martial arts. He was born Chiu Yeung (朝陽; ''ziu1 joeng4'') and was the son of Chiu Mang-san, a
Bajiquan Bajiquan () is a Chinese martial art that features explosive, short-range power and is famous for its elbow and shoulder strikes. Its full name is kaimen ba ji quan (). Origins Baji quan was originally called bazi quan ( or ) or "rake fist" ...
master from the walled city. When his father was accused of a crime and later killed, 10-year-old Kuen escaped the walled city to
Macau Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...
to live with his great aunt. Fifteen years later, he returns to the walled city in hopes of finding his long-lost sister. He gets acquainted with several martial artists within the city and takes up the mentorship of Yuk Bo-fung, a master in
Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...
and
Wing Chun Wing Chun (Chinese: 詠春 or 咏春, lit. "singing spring"), sometimes spelled Ving Tsun, is a concept-based fighting art, form of Nanquan (martial art), Southern Chinese kung fu and close-quarters system of self-defense. In Mandarin, it is ...
. Bearing the guilt of his father's crime, Kuen refuses to re-learn Bajiquan, but soon discovers that his father's death was not as everyone believed it to be. As the drama progresses, Kuen gains the skills necessary to take on The Fellow Association, the city's leading triad organisation, and forms the Walled City Welfare Association to protect the people against them. Kuen is cheerful and kind-hearted, but can be at times too naïve and impulsive. Yeung Hoi-pok portrayed 10-year-old Chor Au-kuen. *
Nancy Wu Nancy may refer to: Places France * Nancy, France, a city in the northeastern French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle and formerly the capital of the duchy of Lorraine ** Arrondissement of Nancy, surrounding and including the city of Nancy ...
as Tiu Lan (刁蘭; ''diu1 laan4''): Kuen's feisty and bossy landlady who owns a hair salon in the walled city and has a crush on Fung. Though stingy and at times overbearing, she is innately honourable with a strong sense of justice. Tiu Lan has a mysterious past, and has demonstrated on several occasions that she is an extremely skilled mixed martial artist, with a fondness for knives. Viann Ngai portrayed 10-year-old Tiu Lan. *
Benjamin Yuen Benjamin Yuen Wai-ho (Simplified Chinese: 袁伟豪; Traditional Chinese: 袁偉豪, born May 11, 1981) is a Hong Kong actor and singer contracted to TVB and Shaw Brothers Pictures. Yuen’s career started when he became the winner of Hong ...
as Duen Ying-fung (段迎風; ''dyun6 jing4 fung1''): Known as Ngah Lo (牙佬; "Tooth Guy"), Kuen's occasional rival and the successor of the Duen Family Bajiquan. Fung was the only son of Duen Tung-tin, an influential Bajiquan master and protector of the walled city. When Fung was 10, his father was beaten to death by a mysterious assailant, and his family was forced to close down their Bajiquan
kwoon A kwoon () is a training hall for Chinese martial arts. According to ''A Chinese-English Dictionary (Revised Edition) 1978'', from Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press (PRC), the word ''guǎn'' can also mean 1) Accommodation for guest ...
due to the growing intimidation of triads. Fung's uncle warns him to keep his Bajiquan abilities low-profile so he would not fall into the same fate as his father. Fung is introduced at the start of the drama as a local dentist who trains in secret. After meeting Kuen, Fung realises the importance of his skill and co-forms the Walled City Welfare Association to protect the walled city against The Fellow Association. Fung is logical, levelheaded, and has a very calm and collected style of fighting. He is the stark contrast to Kuen's brute strength. Alvin Lau portrayed 10-year-old Duen Ying-fung. *
Carlo Ng Carlo is a given name. It is an Italian form of Charles. It can refer to: * Carlo (name) * Monte Carlo * Carlingford, New South Wales, a suburb in north-west Sydney, New South Wales, Australia *A satirical song written by Dafydd Iwan about Prince ...
as Fung Chun-mei (馮春美; ''fung4 ceon1 mei5''): One of the leading figures of The Fellow Association. He controls most of the city's prostitute houses and performance clubs. A rough childhood turned him into a heartless, cruel, and a little twisted in the mind, but he remains extremely protective of his younger brother, Fung Ha-moon. His feminine appearance and demeanor hides his true persona of a ruthless, cruel and sadistic triad boss. He is a master in the Eagle Claw. *
Philip Ng Philip Ng Wan-lung (; born September 16, 1977) is a Hong Kong-born American actor, martial artist and action choreographer. He is currently based in Hong Kong. Early life Born in Hong Kong on September 16, 1977. Ng's father is Sam Ng. Ng's mother ...
as Lung Shing-fu (龍成虎; ''lung4 sing4 fu2''): Kuen and Fung's rival. He is a highly skilled
Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...
fighter and has never lost a fight in the ring. Fu is the only son of Yuk Bo-fung, a retired kung fu master from Thailand. To keep his mother safe, Fu joins The Fellow Association and becomes Or Man-cheung's right-hand man. His mother is highly against this decision, and they enter an estranged relationship. Fu is extremely filial, protective, and would go to extreme lengths to protect his mother, even if he has to betray The Fellow Association. *
Yuen Qiu use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , body_discovered = , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinates ...
as Yuk Bo-fung (玉波鳳; ''juk6 bo1 fung2''): Known as Thai Por (泰婆; "Thai Lady"), Kuen's mentor. She is a retired
Wing Chun Wing Chun (Chinese: 詠春 or 咏春, lit. "singing spring"), sometimes spelled Ving Tsun, is a concept-based fighting art, form of Nanquan (martial art), Southern Chinese kung fu and close-quarters system of self-defense. In Mandarin, it is ...
and
Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...
master from
Mainland China "Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
, but moved to
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
to start her family. After her husband's death, she brings her only son, Lung Shing-fu, to Hong Kong and settles in the walled city. She disapproves of her son's involvement with The Fellow Association, but would do anything to protect him. Thai Por owns a mini store across the street from Tiu Lan's hair salon, and the two often compete for customers. *
Lam Tsz-sin Lam Tsz-sin (born 1982) () is a Hong Kong actor. Career In 2005, Lam began his acting career. Lam has made appearances in one of Stephen Chow's movies. He is best known for playing unconventional characters and comedic characters. Examples of ...
as But Tak-liu (畢得了; ''bat1 dak1 liu5''): Kuen's roommate and one of Tiu Lan's tenants. He works as a
general contractor A general contractor, main contractor or prime contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and the communication of information to all involved parties throughout the course of ...
and was the first person to bring Kuen into the walled city. *
Grace Wong Grace Wong Kwan-hing (born 5 May 1986) is a Hong Kong television actress and singer formerly contracted to TVB. She is best known for her role as Fa Man in the martial arts television drama '' A Fist Within Four Walls''. Early life Grace Wong ...
as Fa Man (花曼; ''faa1 maan4''): The mysterious leader of a striptease dance troupe. Fa Man is a powerful Bajiquan fighter, and was hired by Fung Chun-mei to cause unrest between Or Man-cheung and Fuk Sau-kam. Hedia Yeung portrayed 9-year-old Fa Man. *
Moon Lau Moon Lau Pui-yuet (, born 9 September 1989) is a Hong Kong actress under Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) management. She also holds the second runner-up title of the 2013 Miss Hong Kong Pageant. Early and personal life Moon Lau was born in ...
as Or Tak-li (柯德莉; ''o1 dak1 lei4''): Also known as Audrey, the daughter of Or Man-cheung. She has just returned to Hong Kong after graduating university from abroad. Rebellious and fascinated with the culture of the walled city, she takes up a teaching post at the city's local public elementary school and becomes acquainted with Kuen, who she starts to fancy. She is generous and sympathetic, but is also quite mischievous. *
KK Cheung KK, K.K., kK, k.k., or other sequences of two k's with or without punctuation may refer to: Arts and media *KK, the production code for the 1967 ''Doctor Who'' serial ''The Faceless Ones'' * "KK" (song), a 2014 song by Wiz Khalifa * Kk. or Kirk ...
as Or Man-cheung (柯萬長; ''o1 maan6 coeng4''): A Hong Kong business tycoon and a leading figure of The Fellow Association, and controls most of the gambling operations within the walled city, including the city's biggest underground fighting ring. He is a hidden master in
Tai Chi Tai chi (), short for Tai chi ch'üan ( zh, s=太极拳, t=太極拳, first=t, p=Tàijíquán, labels=no), sometimes called "shadowboxing", is an neijia, internal Chinese martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits and medita ...
, and fights with a weaponised umbrella. *
Vincent Lam Vincent Lam (born September 5, 1974) is a Canadian writer and medical doctor. Early life and education Born in London, Ontario and raised in Ottawa, Lam's parents came to Canada from the Chinese expatriate community in Vietnam. He attended ...
as Fuk Sau-kam (福壽金; ''fuk1 sau6 gam1''): One of the leading figures of The Fellow Association. He controls most of the city's drug rings, and is also a drug addict himself. He is a master in the
Piguaquan Piguaquan (), also known as Piguazhang () due to its emphasis on palm techniques, is often practiced along with Bajiquan () and is a style of wushu (Chinese martial arts) that features explosive, long-range power. It originated in Cangzhou, ...
, and takes medication to neutralise his sensitivity to pain. Fuk Sau-kam has a sadistic mind, and takes joy in torturing others for his entertainment. *
Oscar Li Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...
as Fung Ha-moon (馮夏滿; ''fung4 haa6 mun5''): Fung Chun-mei's younger brother who co-rules his prostitution empire. He is a notorious pervert that rapes all the new girls sold into prostitution. Fung Ha-moon is a skilled wrestler, a stark contrast to his brother's stylistic Eagle Claw. *
Jimmy Au Jimmy may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * Jimmy (2008 film), ''Jimmy'' (2008 film), a 2008 Hindi thriller directed by Raj N. Sippy * Jimmy (1979 film), ''Jimmy'' (1979 film), a 1979 Indian Malayalam film directed by Melat ...
as Yeung Chuk-luen (楊竹鑾; ''wong4 siu2 zi3''): The honest owner of a
put chai ko ''Put chai ko'' () is a popular snack in Hong Kong. The pudding cake is palm size and is sweet in taste. It is soft, but can hold its molded shape outside a bowl. The cake is made from white or brown sugar, long-grain rice flour with a little ...
(缽仔糕) factory who helps the walled city citizens as much as possible, while smuggling drugs for Fuk Sau-kam to protect his employees.


Production


Development and filming

On 15 April 2015, TVB and producer
Jazz Boon Jazz Boon is a Hong Kong television producer, director, and writer. His professional TV career started in the early 1990s, when he was hired by TVB as a production assistant. His first drama as director was the 1995 police procedural ''Invincibl ...
announced the development of ''A Fist Within Four Walls'' after casting martial arts star and action choreographer,
Philip Ng Philip Ng Wan-lung (; born September 16, 1977) is a Hong Kong-born American actor, martial artist and action choreographer. He is currently based in Hong Kong. Early life Born in Hong Kong on September 16, 1977. Ng's father is Sam Ng. Ng's mother ...
. Ng negotiated with TVB for three months before agreeing to star. The series would revolve around a group of martial artists living in the Kowloon Walled City, an ungoverned former enclave in Hong Kong.
Him Law Him Law Tze-yat (born Law Chung-him on 28 August 1984) is a Hong Kong actor currently contracted to TVB. Law began his acting career by starring as supporting characters in several well-known films, most notably in ''Mob Sister'' (2005), whic ...
and
Sammy Sum Sammy Sum Chun-hin (born 4 May 1983) is an actor based in Hong Kong. Biography Sammy Sum speaks fluent Hong Kong Cantonese, Mandarin Chinese, Canadian French and North American English. He was born in Hong Kong, but at the age of 10 Sum moved ...
were subsequently announced to star, with Law attached to a villain role.
Benjamin Yuen Benjamin Yuen Wai-ho (Simplified Chinese: 袁伟豪; Traditional Chinese: 袁偉豪, born May 11, 1981) is a Hong Kong actor and singer contracted to TVB and Shaw Brothers Pictures. Yuen’s career started when he became the winner of Hong ...
and Moon Lau joined the cast a week later, but Law and Sum dropped out and was replaced by Ruco Chan and Benjamin Yuen, respectively. The cast was finalised in July 2015 with the addition of
Ruco Chan Ruco Chan Chin-pang (; born 14 January 1977) is a Hong Kong actor and singer. Chan is the first TVB actor to win My Favourite TVB Actor at the StarHub TVB Awards for three consecutive years (2014, 2015, 2016), and is also the first actor to make ...
,
Nancy Wu Nancy may refer to: Places France * Nancy, France, a city in the northeastern French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle and formerly the capital of the duchy of Lorraine ** Arrondissement of Nancy, surrounding and including the city of Nancy ...
,
Yuen Qiu use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , body_discovered = , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinates ...
, and
Grace Wong Grace Wong Kwan-hing (born 5 May 1986) is a Hong Kong television actress and singer formerly contracted to TVB. She is best known for her role as Fa Man in the martial arts television drama '' A Fist Within Four Walls''. Early life Grace Wong ...
.
Philip Kwok Philip Kwok (; also known as Kuo Chui, Kwok Chui, Kwok Chun-Fung; born 21 October 1951) is a Hong Kong-based Taiwanese actor, martial artist, and stuntman. He rose to fame as a member of the Venom Mob, an ensemble of highly-talented martial ...
was hired as the series action director and choreographer. On 14 August, the cast of ''A Fist Within Four Walls'' attended an open wushu training course and were interviewed by the press. A blessing ceremony for the drama was held on 28 August, a week after shooting began. Principal photography lasted until the third week of November.


Soundtrack

;Track listing


Reception

On 6 November 2015, TVB released its 2016 calendar, which has a promotional image of ''A Fist Within Four Walls'' attached to the month of November 2016. The first trailer for the drama was presented at the 2016 TVB Sales Presentation on 10 November 2015. ''A Fist Within Four Walls'' was the last TVB drama presented at the Hong Kong FILMART in March 2016. On 26 July, a week before the drama's premiere, Hong Kong
manhua () are Chinese-language comics produced in China and Taiwan. Whilst Chinese comics and narrated illustrations have existed in China in some shape or form throughout its imperial history, the term first appeared in 1904 in a comic titled ''Cu ...
author Yu Yee accused ''A Fist Within Four Walls'' of plagiarism, claiming that parts of the character design in Fung Chun-mei (portrayed by Carlo Ng) came from a character in his manhua ''City of Darkness'', a story that also takes place in the Kowloon Walled City. He also claimed that "Typhoon", the assumed nickname of KK Cheung's role Or Man-cheung, is an exact copy of another character in his manhua. TVB has denied all accusations. Producer Jazz Boon responded by saying that the characterisation of Fung Chun-mei is actually inspired by
Dongfang Bubai Dongfang Bubai, literally "Invincible East", is a fictional character in the wuxia novel ''The Smiling, Proud Wanderer'' by Jin Yong. He is the leader of the Sun Moon Holy Cult (), an "unorthodox" martial arts sect. In his quest to dominate ...
, the famous villain in the popular
wuxia ( ), which literally means "martial heroes", is a genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fiction, its popularity has caused it to be adapted f ...
novel ''
The Smiling, Proud Wanderer ''The Smiling, Proud Wanderer'' is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). It was first serialised in Hong Kong in the newspaper ''Ming Pao'' from 20 April 1967 to 12 October 1969. The Chinese title of the novel, ''Xiao Ao Jiang Hu'', literally ...
'' by
Jin Yong Louis Cha Leung-yung (; 10 March 1924 – 30 October 2018), better known by his pen name Jin Yong (), pronounced "Gum Yoong" in Cantonese, was a Chinese wuxia (" martial arts and chivalry") novelist and essayist who co-founded the Hong Kong d ...
. He also clarified that "Typhoon" is not the nickname of KK Cheung's character, but added that the name "Typhoon" is a "very typical and popular" name in fiction.


Broadcast

''A Fist Within Four Walls'' premiered on 1 August 2016, as part of TVB's ''Amazing Summer'' program line-up. It is also broadcast by
Astro On Demand Astro On Demand (Simplified as Astro AOD) is a Cantonese-language drama TV channel service co-established by TVB and Astro. It features the latest TVB drama series and broadcasts the same time as the origin channel. The channel was officiall ...
in Malaysia,
StarHub StarHub Limited, most commonly known as just Starhub, is a Singaporean multinational telecommunications conglomerate and one of the major telcos operating in the country. Founded in 1998, it is listed on the Singapore Exchange (SGX). History ...
's TVB First in Singapore, and premiered it on the same time as Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, the first episode received an average rating of 30 TVRs (TV ratings) and peaked at 31 TVRs, reaching over 2 million viewers. It was the most-watched Hong Kong drama debut since ''
Ruse of Engagement ''Ruse of Engagement'' (; literally "The Traitor Escapes") is a Hong Kong action crime television drama produced by TVB. Created by Amy Wong, the drama follows two brothers who work as paramilitary officers in the Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF), a fic ...
'' in 2014. It finished the week with an average viewership rating of 26.7 TVRs, the highest-rated premiere week for 2016. One complaint was submitted to TVB and Hong Kong's Broadcast Authority, deploring the drama's violence. The series finale, aired on 28 August 2016, was the second most-watched finale of the year, averaging 32.9 TVRs. It peaked to 35.2 TVRs, drawing in 2.28 million viewers. TVB and Hong Kong's Broadcast Authority received six complaints after the finale's broadcast. Four letters criticised the ending for having character deaths, while two complained about the drama being too gory and violent. The authorities did, however, receive two letters praising the cast's performance. ''A Fist Within Four Walls'' is the highest-rated Hong Kong television drama of 2016, averaging 30.7 TVRs per episode.


Critical response

The critical reception for ''A Fist Within Four Walls'' has been generally positive. On
Douban Douban.com (), launched on 6 March 2005, is a Chinese online database and social networking service that allows registered users to record information and create content related to film, books, music, recent events, and activities in Chinese c ...
, a Chinese media database, the drama received a rating of 8.1 out of 10 based on 5,000 votes. Most of the critical praises were directed towards the drama's writing, cast, and fight choreography.
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
filmmaker
Patrick Kong Patrick may refer to: *Patrick (given name), list of people and fictional characters with this name * Patrick (surname), list of people with this name People *Saint Patrick (c. 385–c. 461), Christian saint * Gilla Pátraic (died 1084), Patrick ...
gave the first five episodes a positive review, calling it one of TVB's "most chase-worthy drama in recent years." He applauded the drama's compelling story-telling and its well-directed fight choreography. Online critics praised the drama's humor, action-packed story and well-written characters but criticised the predictable plot and the overuse of
slow motion Slow motion (commonly abbreviated as slo-mo or slow-mo) is an effect in film-making whereby time appears to be slowed down. It was invented by the Austrian priest August Musger in the early 20th century. This can be accomplished through the use o ...
shots during the fight scenes. Several critics noted the cultural elements of the drama, and interpreted them to be a social commentary on Hong Kong's current political situation. The last episode received mixed reviews. Lam Tung-yin of ''HK01'' said the last episode was ridden with clichés, corny twists, and that the final villain was given an anticlimactic and lazy ending.


Viewership ratings

The following is a table that includes a list of the total TVRs (rating points) based on television viewership. "Viewers in millions" refers to the number of people, derived from
TVB Jade TVB Jade (), or simply Jade, is a Hong Kong Cantonese-language free-to-air television channel owned and operated by Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) as its flagship service, alongside its sister network, the English-language TVB Pearl. Bro ...
ratings, in Hong Kong who watched the episode live. *A According to
Nielsen ratings Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
, ''A Fist Within Four Walls'' averaged 27.2 TVRs per episode in live TV viewership. With online viewership included, the drama averaged 30.7 TVRs per episode.


Future

The cast has expressed interest in returning for a film sequel, should there be one. Boon said doing a sequel "is possible", but it would happen only after he completes his priority projects.


Accolades


References


External links

* *
''A Fist Within Four Walls''
on
Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming and Renting, rental service of Amazon (c ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fist Within Four Walls, A TVB original programming Hong Kong television series Hong Kong action television series 2010s Hong Kong television series 2016 Hong Kong television series debuts Martial arts television series Television series set in the 1950s Television series set in the 1960s Triad (organized crime)