Looking Back in Anger

Looking Back in Anger rewrites a familiar family drama into a relentless study of love, rivalry, and the cost of pride. The story centers on two brothers, Ding Youjian and Ding Youkang, whose relationship frays as careers, romances, and old resentments push them apart. Their choices ripple through a tight cast of friends and lovers, including Ni Chujun, Li Hua, and Zhao Jiamin, each caught between loyalty and selfishness. The series keeps the focus on personal consequences rather than sensational plot twists, tracing how everyday decisions accumulate into heartbreak and moral compromise, all set against a recognizable Hong Kong urban backdrop.

Released in 1989, the series was created by Wai Ka-Fai and Cheung Siu-Han for TVB. Its production featured an ensemble of rising stars and a theme song, "Yat sang ho kau," famously sung by Danny Chan and later by Deric Wan himself.

The show became a cultural touchstone across Cantonese-speaking communities, quoted and referenced long after its original run. Its theme tune stuck in viewers' heads, and several scenes became common reference points in discussions about TV melodrama and 1980s Hong Kong television. The cast's performances helped cement their public profiles and influenced later TVB storytelling styles.

Critics and audiences responded strongly to the series' emotional intensity and moral ambiguity, praising the performances of Felix Wong, Deric Wan, and Carina Lau. Reviewers highlighted how the writing foregrounded familial obligation, jealousy, and the fallout from stubborn pride. The series isn't light viewing, it asks viewers to sit with uncomfortable choices and their aftermath, making character psychology the driving force rather than plot contrivances.

There aren't widely reported major international awards associated with the series, but its popular acclaim was clear at the time of broadcast. Rather than trophy recognition, its lasting legacy came from audience attachment and the career momentum it gave several cast members, who went on to become prominent figures in Hong Kong entertainment.