A modern career pivot into traditional funeral rites forces a clash between outdated customs and contemporary values, ultimately healing fractured family bonds.
Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases
Crossing the Threshold
Financial desperation forces a career pivot into the funeral industry. Initial clashes with traditional practices and family dynamics establish the central cultural conflict.
Key Events
Pandemic Financial Crisis — Protagonist faces bankruptcy due to pandemic lockdowns. Location: Wedding Planning Office
Taking Over Funeral Parlour — Career change decision leads to inheriting a funeral business. Location: Retiring Uncle's Funeral Parlour
Meeting Master Man — Introduction to the traditional Taoist priest performing rituals. Location: Funeral Parlour
Domestic Tension at Man's Home — Witnessing heated family arguments over traditional gender views. Location: Master Man's Residence
Friction and Adaptation
Modernization efforts meet resistance. A high-stakes embalming request forces collaboration, bridging the gap between protagonist and master through shared labor.
Key Events
Domestic Tension at Man's Home — Witnessing heated family arguments over traditional gender views. Location: Master Man's Residence
Modernization Attempts — Introducing tailor-made services clashes with traditional methods. Location: Funeral Parlour
The Mummification Request — A grieving mother requests unusual embalming, drawing financial interest. Location: Funeral Parlour
Blackmail and Panic — Protagonist tries to force help from a reluctant family member. Location: Back Room
Master Man's Intervention — Priest steps in to assist, citing spiritual consequences of the request. Location: Preparation Room
Shattered Foundations
Personal revelations trigger family fractures. A medical crisis and revoked titles force characters to confront outdated beliefs and impending separation.
Key Events
Master Man's Intervention — Priest steps in to assist, citing spiritual consequences of the request. Location: Preparation Room
Formal Training Begins — Dedicated practice in transportation, dressing, and embalming. Location: Training Ground
Dinner Revelation — Sharing life stories bridges the gap between living and deceased care. Location: Dining Room
Pregnancy Announcement — Girlfriend reveals pregnancy, creating uncertainty about the future. Location: Home
Priesthood Revocation — Master Man strips son of priest title, resulting in a sudden stroke. Location: Hallway
Hospitalization and Regret — Son contemplates migration after school rejection, daughter assumes care. Location: Hospital Ward
Breaking the Cycle
Legacy transfer and final rites demand tradition be rewritten. Siblings unite to perform the ritual, resolving generational trauma and embracing new paths.
Key Events
Misogyny and Slap — Father rejects daughter's help due to outdated beliefs, escalating tension. Location: Home
Public Protection — Father finally relents and shields daughter from public harassment. Location: Street
License Transfer — Master Man entrusts the parlour to the protagonist before passing. Location: Bedside
Final Note — Deceased leaves gratitude for inspiring consideration of the living. Location: Bedside
Ritual Protocol Breach — Protagonist announces female priest participation, defying industry norms. Location: Funeral Hall
Ritual Performance and Reconciliation — Siblings perform the rite together, apologizing and breaking barriers. Location: Ceremony Ground
Story Breakdown
Career Displacement — Economic pressure drives the protagonist into an unfamiliar industry.
Pandemic Collapse — Wedding planning business fails due to lockdowns.
Parlour Inheritance — Taking over a retiring uncle's funeral business.
Cultural Friction — Modern business practices collide with rigid Taoist traditions.
Service Modernization — Introducing custom requests and merchandise.
Ritual Skepticism — Master Man questions the protagonist's dedication.
The Mummification Arc — A unique embalming request tests professional and spiritual boundaries.
Financial Temptation — Unlimited budget attracts the protagonist.
Spiritual Intervention — Master Man assists while warning of reincarnation consequences.
Family Fractures — Secrets and outdated beliefs tear the priest's family apart.
Gender Bias — Daughter faces systemic exclusion and misogynistic treatment.
Crisis and Loss — Medical emergency and impending departure force painful reckonings.
Stroke and Revocation — Master Man loses his son's priesthood and suffers a stroke.
License Transfer — Final entrustment of the business to the protagonist.
Ritual Resolution — Defying tradition to honor the deceased and heal the living.
Protocol Breach — Announcing female participation despite industry backlash.
Sibling Reconciliation — Performing the rite together to close generational wounds.
Despite the pandemic sending most industries into recession, debt-ridden wedding planner Dominic (Dayo WONG) gets a miraculous chance to turn things around when a funeral planner retires and passes the baton to him. His creative gimmicks for funerals help his business find unexpected success, but Dominic’s biggest obstacle is winning the approval of respected and sternly traditional Taoist priest, Master Man (Michael HUI). After some unordinary funerals, Dominic gradually understands Master Man’s code of ethics and the meaning behind each farewell.
