The Year of Chameleon

Set in the final months before the 1997 handover, The Year of Chameleon centers on Cai Xiaofeng, a man whose get-rich-quick obsession gradually eats away at his personal life. He treats relationships as transactions, trading loyalty for advantage and leaving heartbreak in his wake. The story follows how his choices affect a tight circle of friends, lovers and family, and how pragmatic shape-shifting becomes a survival skill when social rules feel unstable. The series keeps its focus tight on character and consequence, showing the slow corrosion of trust without revealing key surprises or endings.

The show premiered in 1997 and was created by Jimmy Sin Chi-Wai and Leung Tin. Its principal cast includes Eric Wan Tin-Chiu as Cai Xiaofeng, Joey Man Yee-Man, Annie Man Chung-Han, Wong Mei and David Lau Chi-Wing, who anchor the ensemble drama.

There are no widely documented major awards or international nominations linked to the series. It did not become a fixture in major award lists, and records of high-profile honors for the show are not readily found.

The Year of Chameleon spoke to anxieties surrounding the handover, and it captured a mood where identity and opportunism were being openly discussed. Its title image, of someone who changes color to fit a setting, became an easy shorthand in some conversations about social behavior in late 1990s Hong Kong. While not universally famous outside its market, the series remains a cultural touchpoint for viewers who remember that fraught moment.

Critics and viewers who remember the show point to its unflinching look at ambition and moral compromise, and to performances that make the central character’s choices feel real. The drama focuses on how economic pressure and political uncertainty warp trust, and how personal reinvention can harm as much as it helps. Actors like Eric Wan and Joey Man help keep that tension believable across the run.