“Noblesse Oblige” Will Be Lighthearted Comedy

Producer Lee Tim Sing’s (李添勝) Noblesse Oblige <宦海奇官> will be airing on December 29. The Qing Dynasty drama stars Kenneth Ma (馬國明) as To Chun Fung, a lazy but good-hearted county magistrate who is given the task to clear the government from corrupted officials. Tavia Yeung (楊怡) stars as Kenneth’s sidekick Wai Lam, a Buddhist nun.

During its production, Noblesse Oblige underwent several title changes. Lee Tim Sing explained, “Initially, the drama was called “Top Quality Petty Official” <極品芝麻品>, and Kenneth Ma portrays that character. However, I thought the title was too simple, so I later decided on “The Realm of Unusual Officials” <宦海奇官>. Simply put, it is about strange government officials.”

In the end, Lee believes that a catchy title is not the most important. What is most important is that the story itself is interesting. Lee said, “This is a lighthearted drama, but it is not an over-the-top comedy. I told my actors that they should not make their performances comedic. I don’t want them to use their eyebrows to act. The humorous situations should come from the plot itself. The foundation of the story is solid.”

To Chun Fung (Kenneth Ma) is the slothful and privileged second son of wealthy banker To Chor Nam (Lau Dan 劉丹). Unlike his elder brother To Chun Ming (Joel Chan 陳山聰), a ranked scholar, Chun Fung is uneducated and lazy. However, Chun Fung has a heart of gold and a brilliant mind. He convinces his father to open a specialized bank for beggars and peasants, which involves lending food rather than money. The bank is based on the real-life Grameen Bank, which was founded by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Muhammad Yunus.

Wai Lam (Tavia Yeung) and Wai Yu (Cilla Kung 樂瞳), who were originally preparing to become Buddhist nuns, become servants of Chun Fung’s family to pay off their debts. The sisters are highly skilled martial artists and often fend off enemies for Chun Fung.

Noblesse Oblige will have two main story arcs. The first story involves the search for The Book of One Hundred Officials, a record that lists all the crimes and misdoings committed by government officials over the past ten years. Whoever possesses the book has the knowledge of all corruption in the empire. Over 80 percent of government officials formed secret alliances to cover up each other’s crimes, and the Prince (Ram Chiang 蔣志光) recruits the help of Chun Fung to find the book and capture the leader of the corrupted faction.

The second story arc involves Wai Lam’s mysterious family history. When Wai Lam was eight years old, she suffered a great family tragedy which caused her to suffer from post-traumatic memory loss. Chun Fung helps Wai Lam regain her memory and avenge for her family.

Producer Lee promises that the story of Noblesse Oblige will be solid. While the story is lighthearted and funny, the humor is tasteful and not exaggerated. As to whether or not the characters and setting in Noblesse Oblige is Lee’s way to use the past to disparage the present, Lee said, “As for that, I don’t need to say any more! Everyone has different associations. Comprehend it yourself!”

Source: Ming Pao

This article is written by Addy for JayneStars.com.