The Story of Ah Q

In early republican times, there was a very obscure village - Muzhuang. There was an unknown man who came from there and nobody knew where he was going. Only Ah Mao knew that his name was Ah Q, so he called him that. Ah Q put his hair in a bun, smoked a long cigarette, and sat proudly at the village entrance, watching the passersby. He was best at the "spiritual victory method", where he claimed to have won even though he had lost, causing a series of jokes. Ah Q asked around the village and learned that Master Zhao's son had become a scholar. Ah Q looked down on this and returned to his seat to drink. Other onlookers who saw his expression walked up to him, and Ah Q proudly claimed that he was the same age as Zhao's grandfather. They listened to him respectfully, but with some suspicion. The local constable demanded that each household pay two hundred yuan to congratulate Master Zhao, but everyone rejected the proposal......

Directed by Dennis Chiu Jan-Keung, The Story of Ah Q leans on a strong ensemble — Kong Ngai, Rainbow Ching, Lee Pang-Fei — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The series landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about comedy titles of 1976.