Justice Bao (1993)

I have re-watched this version of Justice Bao at least three times already as an adult by choice. Yes, all 236 episodes. At some point in the future, I'm probably going to re-watch it again. Another one I really wish someone would make subtitles for but will likely never happen.

Although the three main actors here reunited in later years to re-make a small portion of the series, it just doesn't have the same feel. One of the main differences is that this series maintains a relatively short amount of episodes per story so there isn't much room for drag. And because of this, they incorporated many more "cases" into this one.

I have spent a significant amount of time trying to find other series that capture the essence of Justice Bao and still have yet to find one. But it should be said that I haven't seen any other versions of the series as these three main leads together are hard-coded for me.

The series had a bit of everything and revolves around a righteous and compassionate magistrate/judge who helps people find justice. Most of the cases are very emotionally intense as those who come to him are usually turned away by other magistrates, wrongly charged, or they simply don't have evidence. There is also plenty of humor in some of them as well as a bit of the supernatural.

This is one where the plots supersedes its age. If you speak Mandarin and decide to check it out, keep in mind that some of the actors outside of our leads have repeat roles in different cases.

It should also be noted that Justice Bao is a real historical figure.

Read More