[1] For Kenneth Lee, having attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) means he has always been interested in learning different things. “I took visual arts and history, and I learned Photoshop just so I could personalise the cards for the online game Game of Heroes: Three Kingdoms,” recalled the 31-year-old product designer. Three Kingdoms was popular in Hong Kong during the 2000s and involved players being assigned a customisable historical character.
[2] Today, Lee expresses his creativity through ChiQSinTV, which translates to “crazy TV” in Cantonese, on Instagram and YouTube. He launched his Instagram account in April. By July 28, he had amassed 37,500 followers. His most popular content features him reimagining the Harry Potter film series with Cantopop idols or beloved characters from Hong Kong films like Young and Dangerous (1996).
[3] “It takes three days of locking myself in my room after work to make an episode,” Lee said. “The most frequently asked question in my comments section is whether or not what I do violates copyright law,” he added. “I’ve done some research, and as long as I’m not making money from the content, then it’s OK.”
[4] His love for Cantonese films and television stems from the death of Hong Kong icon Lydia Sum Tin-ha in 2008. “I remember watching ‘Dodo’ Cheng Yu-ling visibly tear up and wiping away tears on live television while hosting the TVB tribute special to [Sum]. I really felt that as these legends age and pass, we lose a bit of our culture,” he said.
[5] Lee was introduced to Harry Potter at the age of six, when his grandfather took him to the cinema to watch Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. However, he did not pick up the book series until he was studying at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. “My father bought me the book in English when I was young, and I felt I had to understand every single word to appreciate the book, which brought on task paralysis ... so I never finished reading it,” he said.
[6] The idea to cross Harry Potter with popular Cantonese culture came about because of his curiosity in AI. “I started using ChatGPT when it came out, at first just to help me organise my thoughts and research, but as time wore on I felt I could create more.” He feels that ChiQSinTV is a culmination of his life experiences with ADHD. Meanwhile, Harry Potter showed him how a magical wizarding world could coexist with modernity, and his love for Hong Kong films led him to cast Chinese celebrities in the Harry Potter roles in his head.
[7] He wants people both with and without ADHD to know that whatever they spend their time on will not go to waste. “What doesn’t seem useful now might help you in the future,” he said. “Don’t be afraid of being curious.”
Source: South China Morning Post, July 28
