This Hong Kong Drama Is A Must-Watch For All Supernatural & Mystery Fans

By Amanda on 29 Sep 2019

Digital Editor

Amanda enjoys writing about fashion and lifestyle (even though she can't dress and has no life). She is also a self-professed cheese, mala and sparkling water lover.

If you have been watching Hong Kong dramas for a while now, you will know that they have very intense plots that keep you captivated from the first episode to the last. In recent years, TVB has been putting out dramas that revolves around the supernatural such as The Exorcist's Meter (降魔的) and The Unwinding Ethos (十二传说) and gained many positive reviews.

Barrack O'Karma (金宵大厦), one of the blockbuster dramas for 2019, revolves around the supernatural theme as well and even though the drama has only showed halfway so far, it was met with many positive feedbacks and support as well.

Find out more about the show here!

Photo from TVB

Barrack O'Karma's storyline revolves around an old and decrepit building known as the "Golden Building" with a long history. Joel Chan (陈山聪) plays a simple-minded security guard who has a crush on an air stewardess played by Selena Lee (李施嬅) after dreaming about her all his life. The two uncover their entangled destinies in the Golden Building, which seems to have supernatural powers that affects its tenants.

Photo from TVB

The series is presented in the form of 10 mini stories which involves the two leads and the other tenants of the building. Each of these stories takes up two episodes of the drama and has something to do with the supernatural powers that the building has. These stories are unnerving to say the least but also has underlying life lessons that the audience can relate to.

Photo from TVB

SPOILER AHEAD! In the mini-series "Son", a boy (played by Yiub Cheng) goes missing in the Golden Building after playing ping pong in the basement and soon everyone forgot about his existence, even having his birth records wiped out. The boy's parents (played by Samantha Ko and Gary Chan) retraces his steps before he disappears and enters a supernatural realm helmed by the Crow Lady, a supernatural entity known to abduct children. The boy was pressured by his parents' want for him to perform in life and chose to follow the Crow Lady so he did not need to grow up.

Photo from TVB

The stories in Barrack O'Karma may not have happy endings like what we are used to but they serve as poignant lessons that one can learn from. Through these mini-series, we also find out how the two leads have their fate entangled, from their previous lives to their present lives. The Golden Building holds many secrets and you have to watch the drama to unravel all these secrets!

Photo from TVB

There are comments that this drama may stir up a second wave of interest in Hong Kong dramas after Korean dramas gained popularity since the early 2010s. The acting of the two main leads are praised to be natural, transitioning between their past lives and present lives characters flawlessly, and the supporting characters in the drama adds flavour and depth to the show unlike other dramas. If you are a fan of the supernatural and love a good and exciting drama, you have to check out Barrack O'Karma.

Check out the teaser here (Cantonese only):