Story of Zom-B
| Story of Zom-B | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | 食腦喪Ｂ |
| Genre | |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by |
|
| Starring | |
| Opening theme | "Great Ambition (大志)" by Deep Ng |
| Original language | Cantonese |
| No. of episodes | 20 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Ng Koon-yu |
| Production location | Hong Kong |
| Running time | approx. 45 minutes per episode |
| Production company | TVB |
| Original release | |
| Network | |
| Release | 18 April – 13 May 2022 |
Story of Zom-B (Chinese: 食腦喪Ｂ, lit. Brain-Eating Zom-B) is a Hong Kong fantasy-comedy television series produced by TVB. The 20-episode series was first available for streaming on myTV Super in July 2021 before airing on TVB Jade from 18 April to 13 May 2022. Starring Matthew Ho, Kaman Kong, Arnold Kwok, and Milkson Fong, the series follows a human-turned-zombie as he navigates his new reality while confronting family secrets, budding romance, and personal growth.
Cast
- Matthew Ho as Yu Yeung-kwong, a carefree man who becomes a brain-eating zombie with the ability to absorb memories
- Kaman Kong as Mok Siu-chun, a hot-tempered woman who later develops feelings for Yeung-kwong.
- Arnold Kwok as Koo Tak-ming, a forensic intern who studies Yeung-kwong's condition and helps him control his zombie instincts.
- Milkson Fong as Warren, an amateur Taoist priest who assists Tak-ming with Yeung-kwong's zombie crisis.
- Ashley Chu as Yu San-hei, Yeung-kwong's lawyer elder sister who tries to protect the family.
- Iris Lam as Yu Man-ha, Yeung-kwong's younger sister who helps at the family's hot pot restaurant.
- Suet Nei as Pak Ma San-kan, Yeung-kwong's grandmother who runs the family hot pot restaurant.
- Ram Chiang as Yu Gwo / Yu Cheung-kim, the Yu family's mysterious grand-uncle who knows their hidden past.
- Stephanie Che as Man Chau (Sarah), Siu-chun's mother and a mahjong parlour owner.
- Mark Ma as Shentu Ching-fai, a restaurant worker secretly linked to the zombie research.
- Hera Chan as Leung Sin-tung (Bella), Yeung-kwong's childhood crush.
- Jackson Lai as Scott, a scientist whose research to cure his son triggers the zombie outbreak.
Plot
The series follows Yu Yeung-kwong (Matthew Ho), the heir to a hotpot restaurant, who becomes infected with a zombie virus following an accident. To sustain himself, he must consume human brains, temporarily acquiring the memories, skills, and personality traits of the deceased. His path crosses with Mok Siu-chun (Kaman Kong), the heiress to a mahjong parlor, who inadvertently pushes him off a bridge and later becomes one of the few people aware of his condition. With assistance from forensic intern Koo Tak-ming (Arnold Kwok) and Taoist Warren (Milkson Fong), Yeung-kwong deals with family tensions at the restaurant, romantic entanglements, an impostor named Yu Gwo (Ram Chiang) posing as a relative, and dangers posed by a secretive Japanese organization linked to new chef Shentu Ching-fai (Mark Ma).
As events unfold, the accumulation of absorbed memories increasingly affects Yeung-kwong's mental health, leading to memory loss, hallucinations, and episodes of diminished self-control. Efforts to find a cure coincide with escalating threats, including attacks on Siu-chun and disappearances among the homeless population, culminating in a full zombie outbreak across Hong Kong. Following a major clash with zombies in an abandoned factory, Yeung-kwong leaves in order to protect his family from further harm. Hong Kong Island is subsequently quarantined as a restricted area, with surviving residents preparing to defend themselves against the spreading infection.
Yeung-kwong later returns, and during a confrontation it is revealed that his saliva functions as a vaccine capable of reversing the zombie transformation and restoring infected individuals to human form. He uses it to cure others, leading to the containment of the outbreak. However, Yeung-kwong and other infected individuals suffer amnesia as a side effect, causing him to forget his relationship with Siu-chun. Despite this, the two eventually reunite and begin their relationship anew.[2]
Music
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Great Ambition (大志)" | Hayes Yeung | Dominic Chu | Deep Ng | 3:10[3] |
| 2. | "Great Ambition (大志) (2nd version)" | Hayes Yeung | Dominic Chu | Matthew Ho, Arnold Kwok, Milkson Fong | 3:11[4] |
Ratings and reception
| Week | Episodes | Airing dates | Ratings[a] | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 – 5 | 18–22 April 2022 | 18.2 points | [6] |
| 2 | 6 – 10 | 25–29 April 2022 | 16.6 points | [7] |
| 3 | 11 – 15 | 2–6 May 2022 | 15.8 points | [8] |
| 4 | 16 – 20 | 9–13 May 2022 | 15.5 points | [9] |
Cast controversy
During the filming of Story of Zom-B in 2020, actors Ashley Chu and the married actor Jackson Lai were involved in a widely reported personal scandal, which drew media attention and public scrutiny. Both later issued apologies, and Lai publicly acknowledged a brief relationship with Chu.[10][11] The controversy led TVB to temporarily shelve the series before its eventual streaming release in 2021 and free-to-air broadcast in 2022.[12][13]
Notes
References
- ^ myTV Gold 《食腦喪B》搶先睇 何廣沛 搞笑喪屍出籠 [myTV Gold Story of Zom-B First Look — Matthew Ho as a Hilarious Zombie Unleashed]. Sing Tao Daily (in Traditional Chinese). 23 July 2021. Archived from the original on 22 March 2026. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
- ^ 食腦喪B．第16-20集劇情︳唔怕怪異喪屍題材 唔係「燒腦」就得 [Story of Zom-B: Episodes 16–20 Plot − Not Afraid of Weird Zombie Themes, It Doesn't Have to Be 'Mind-Bending']. Yahoo! Hong Kong (in Traditional Chinese). 9 May 2022. Archived from the original on 20 May 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
- ^ "Great Ambition (大志) (Theme song from TV Drama Story of Zom-B by Deep Ng on Apple Music". Apple Music. Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 8 March 2026. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ^ "Great Ambition (大志) (Theme song from TV Drama Story of Zom-B by Matthew Ho, Arnold Kwok, Milkson Fong on Apple Music". Apple Music. Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 8 March 2026. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ^ "TVB Interim Report 2025" (PDF). TVB. 2025. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
- ^ 群星效應！《聲生不息》周日收16.9點收視報捷 [All-Star Effect! Infinity and Beyond Hits 16.9 Sunday Ratings]. Oriental Daily News (in Traditional Chinese). 25 April 2022. Archived from the original on 10 May 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ^ 《金宵2》結局收視再跌 《聲生不息》平穩 《勁騎26》吸24萬觀眾 [Barrack O'Karma 2 finale ratings drop again; Infinity and Beyond steady; Free Rider draws 240,000 viewers]. Ming Pao (in Traditional Chinese). 3 May 2022. Archived from the original on 1 February 2026. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ^ 無綫《雙生陌生人》首周收視低開13.5點 近88萬人收看 [TVB's Strangers Anniversary premiered with 13.5 ratings points, drawing about 880,000 viewers in its first week]. Ming Pao (in Traditional Chinese). 10 May 2022. Archived from the original on 15 September 2025. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
- ^ 黃梓恒 (16 May 2022). 三台收視報告｜《雙生陌生人》止跌勢 《食腦喪B》暫排今年榜尾 [Three-Station TV Ratings: Strangers Anniversary Halts Its Ratings Slide; Story of Zom-B Currently At the Bottom of the Chart]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 10 March 2026. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ 陳栢宇 (29 April 2020). 朱智賢黎振燁│謝東閔陪開記招 女主角哽咽：對唔住受傷害嘅人! [Brian Tse Accompanies Ashley Chu to Press Conference, Chu Apologizes to Those Hurt]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 12 March 2026. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ 【黎振燁出軌】偷食事件後首現身認錯斷霧水緣 懷孕妻顧念舊情終原諒黎振燁偷食 [Jackson Lai's First Public Appearance After Cheating; Admits Mistake; Pregnant Wife Ultimately Forgives Him]. Hong Kong Economic Times (in Traditional Chinese). 1 May 2020. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
- ^ 遭無綫雪藏一年 傳有監製聯絡黎振燁亮相節目 [Shelved by TVB for a Year; Producer Rumored to Invite Jackson Lai on Show]. Ming Pao (in Traditional Chinese). 18 July 2021. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
- ^ 獨家丨朱智賢：上了好貴的一課 拍《食腦喪B》撻着人夫形象大跌 [Exclusive: Ashley Chu's Image Tarnished After Affair During Story of Zom-B]. Sing Tao Daily (in Traditional Chinese). 4 May 2022. Archived from the original on 12 March 2026. Retrieved 12 March 2026.