Hong Kong romances are often melodramatic, and in the 1990s, increasingly geared towards teenagers. However, some filmmakers were still experimenting with the genre.
We look at three outliers: a surreal science fiction romance, a love story that morphs into a fantasy and a film about a presumed incestuous relationship.
Saviour of the Soul (1991)
This postmodern sci-fi romance, loosely based on the popular Japanese manga City Hunter, is a thoroughbred romance at its core.
Set in a futuristic-looking Hong Kong, Saviour of the Soul stars Andy Lau Tak-wah as the sword-wielding assassin Ching, who falls for one of two identical sisters, both played by Anita Mui Yim-fong.
When sister one’s fiancé (Kenny Bee) kills a powerful criminal, his acolyte Silver Fox (a hammy Aaron Kwok Fu-shing) exacts his revenge.
Sister one disappears, and the lovelorn Ching searches for her, much to the chagrin of sister two. But the return of the vengeful Silver Fox threatens their already difficult romance.