I Am What I Am 2

To earn money for his father's medical treatment, Gyun travels to Shanghai to find work. He is recruited by the declining Chuanwu Kung Fu Gym to be its representative at the “Shanghai Fight Night” martial arts tournament, where he has to face competitors and techniques from all over the world.

Director Sun Haipeng had not originally planned to make a sequel to I Am What I Am, but the success of the first part led to a further development of the story.

Although Shanghai was initially only chosen to take Gyun out of familiar territory, Sun later realized that the city “despite its modern façade [...] has a strong martial tradition that is evident in its association with figures such as kung fu master Huo Yuanjia”.
The Guangdong-based creative team visited Shanghai seven times in all four seasons, photographing textures and details to accurately capture the city's atmosphere. The team took inspiration from landmarks such as Shanghai's City God Temple, the Ferris wheel in Jinjiang Action Park and the traditional Shanghai shikumen architecture of residential buildings. Sun's visit to a building that will soon be demolished inspired him to create the cramped 5-square-meter apartment that Gyun and his friends live in.