This review may contain spoilers
I applaud the show for managing to sustain my interest - enough for me to binge-watch it in 3(?) days, despite its mystery/crime genre, which I'm usually not as motivated with. This is attributed to the overall fast pacing, compelling lead characters and relationship tension, dashes of appropriate humour, and interesting cases (though this point, I say with contention and will be elaborated on later).Before I proceed on to sound like I'm nitpicking, I would like to say that I am still quite personally fond of this drama, which is why I am feeling a little indignant about its unlived potential and significant writing flaws.
The cases are sufficiently engaging, for how the cases are set up with imaginative and intriguing leads and premise. I'm not one to get picky with mystery shows nor are they my biggest concern when I watch such shows. Even so, I have also watched a fair amount of them for someone who hasn't been that particularly interested, so I could sense in my guts that there has been something about the storytelling and portrayal of the procedural which often left me kinda empty.
I won't pick too much on some details like how sometimes I question the ethics and methods of the profession (like, CZ and LL revealing details of ongoing cases to outsiders - is that even ok?). But what truly bothered me the most is with how convoluted and imaginative the methods of crime are, the reveal often turns out to be anti-climatic. The reveals tend to be abrupt - the true backstories comes gushing out all at once when the arc approaches the end, instead of a slow build-up. (Though with this, it's interesting to note that the knowledge we have as audience about the cases can be different from what the lead characters know - I wonder what is the significance in this choice of storytelling.)
And most importantly, my main gripe with the writing of the cases is how there usually is a significant disconnect between the severity of the crimes and the perpetrators' personalities and motivations. (eg. A motherly housewife who suddenly lost all sense and planned an elaborate and cryptic murder after the death of her son; a money-grubbing, loafing, family planning an elaborate insurance fraud, etc etc.) Despite it being understandable that they're filled with hate and greed, but I still see a huge gap between the timid-looking or ordinary commoners, and psychopaths. The string of suspended disbelief usually snaps for me during the big reveal; being unable to see the justification of them being driven to such distances. It felt almost like the writers started off with thinking about ~the most exciting crimes~, without connecting it to the people who could have committed them.
Although of course I won't say that this issue is applied throughout every case and its involved characters, it still happened more often than not. (ie. I did appreciate the last two cases because it was easier for me to see what had driven the murderers to such corners, and how they went about developing the crime was realistic for their circumstances.)
Having said these, I could close an eye on the flaws of the writing because understanding and sympathising with criminals usually isn't the most important thing. And what matters to me more are the lead characters, especially in this story.
So yes, Lu Li and Chi Zhen! I started being interested in this drama when they first wrapped up filming for the drama. I see Yin Zheng and Zhai Tian Lin, both actors who I know/heard are good actors despite this not being my type of genre. Double male leads? Ah, ""brotherhood"" ... then until much later I read about them having their respective hetero love lines, it was kinda disappointing, because I didn't want to be queerbaited. Then I put this drama aside until it aired, and saw that many of the fandom friends and some cdrama commentary videos highly praising it.
Indeed, I was not disappointed by the leads' performance, especially Zhai Tian Lin! I haven't seen him in anything before, though I've heard good things about him. He's a very charismatic and expressive actor, he brought Chi Zhen to life. Yin Zheng's Lu Li pales slightly in comparison due to the gloominess of his character, but did well too.
What is the best about this show really, is the lead characters. Both of them carry with them emotional burdens - a sense of guilt to some extent for what had happened beyond their control. And with this, their lives intersect - their tension first comes with their roles as a police and lawyer, then eventually to revealed to be families of an accused murderer and murder victim. Chi Zhen is broken - he believed that nobody truly cared about him and he had been lonely his whole life, yet he was evidently still so full of empathy. Lu Li is broken too - his entire world view built since young had collapsed after his father's arrest, and once managed to open up, and that ''normal'', blissful family life left him once again. Both of them thus indirectly found solace through their professional duties - their intertwined pasts fuel their drive to uphold justice.
With the amount of time given to the cases, the unlived potential is definitely of how I don't see enough of the leads and their interactions - and their storyline in general. The show puts in effort to draw some parallels between the messages drawn from the cases with our leads, but they were extremely subtle and was kinda lost halfway through. I want to see more of our leads, I want to know more about them - we haven't gotten to the case of LL's dad and CZ's sister. I had expected more from the backstory of CZ becoming a businessman, as it seemed to involve conspiracies and bigger implications with the triads. And these are what I am looking forward to in the second season...!
Now, regarding the last episode. My main and only confusion with the story only surfaced in the last episode with Dong-ju's involvement in the last case. He has always been around, and we know he does play some a role in the background as a grey character - but there wasn't significant build-up on what would lead to his actions in the last arc - and that really came abruptly out of nowhere. Thus, it made the climax felt rushed - I didn't really feel much for LL/CZ's emotional scene in that and there wasn't enough build-up/time to process CZ's actions at that point.
This eventually developed into the infamous ending which unleashed fury on Weibo from the netizens. I didn't actually feel strongly against it but the ending left me perplexed. Chi Zhen *can* die (and his last words with the train tracing back to what he said before really was an emotional punch), I'm ok with character deaths if they're justified. Perhaps CZ was already cornered to the point he might as well be dead instead of being a fugitive... but being conveniently stabbed by a rando? That was just ridiculous. And while I was still struggling to figure out CZ's decision to kill Dong-ju and ended up on a runaway, his abrupt death leaves one stunned. To top that, CZ had been so sad and lonely his whole life, and he died when he was so close to love and being supported, it's understandable how anybody would get mad at his unjustified ending.
And here is the twist: it seemed like the 24-episode's ending was made this way because of some internal conflicts within the production team. We do know that CZ is actually not dead in the bonus clip - as it seemed to be planned by the scriptwriter initially. And now, we look forward to season 2!
If we didn't have a season 2 planned, I would be even more disappointed. Ideally, this shouldn't have been 24 episodes - but should have had a couple more episodes to resolve LL and CZ's backstories, and it would have been a complete narrative. There was so much more the drama could have achieved, so much more I had expected at the start - but it didn't fulfill, as much as I would have loved to rate it more highly.
Nevertheless, if you're contemplating to watch this, I would say that it's still a relatively worthy watch - but do so with managed expectations.
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This review may contain spoilers
Each criminal case was fascinating. The investigations and the way they were conducted were impressive. In the Crime Investigative Unit, there weren't the typical idiotic cops. There were characters who angered me but none who annoyed me. Big Plus.
Sadly, all of the main characters had dismal early development:
One's father was a convicted serial rapist & murderer.
One was repeatedly raped by her adoptive father and abused by the rest of the family.
The other carried the guilt of his sister's murder and lost the love of his mother.
Yet they all tried to live righteously. I just hate their final decision and how it ended.
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-theres sexual assault/r*pe/sex under false pretenses mentioned and kiiinda shown? more than once or twice. its not an insensitive portrayal at all, not for shock value, but still its there and u should probably b awares of that
-its not like a. huge thing. but theres def at least one protracted, kinda transphobic joke in the container hotel arc which SUCKED it wasnt even really important to the show but like. please. dont use the word renyao.
-there might be more but like these are the ones that i wish i knew the most before watching. have fun with this tho yalls
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Write Your Own Ending
Other people have already reviewed this show probably better than I can, but here are my two cents.I watched this show because A) I'm obviously into mystery / crime shows and B) I recognize both of the male leads and appreciate their work. I had seen Ronald Zhai before but I'm not sure where; I just remember being impressed with his work. Andrew was wonderful in Love Me If You Dare (*he did not get enough credit for his part in that drama). So I already knew their acting would be excellent going into this, and they did not disappoint. The other supporting cast were all pretty good: the post-mortem examiner, Andrew's younger partner, etc. They played their roles well and maintained the emotions / presence their parts required. Andrew was really good too - to bounce between the eternally chipper soul in Love Me If You Dare to the somewhat overly emotional character in Winter Begonia to this solemn fellow is excellent acting. You can see a bit of his role in Winter Begonia coming through with his almost innocent / child-like inability to manage human relationships well, but it was a different character and he pulled it off. I think Ronald was really the just 'wow' factor in this show. He plays both thug and soft emotional son / friend so very well. His emotional parts in no way undermined his strength and almost arrogance the rest of the time which is really hard to accomplish. He moved smoothly between the two and really got to your heart strings. The girl who acted opposite him was AMAZING as well. I often dislike Chinese portrayals of women because in an attempt not to make them weak, they make them annoying as hell, arrogant, demanding, self-absorbed witches you want to slap more than relate to. She was NONE OF THOSE THINGS - she was strong and kind and sweet, a great support for Ronald's character where he needed her. She really added to the plotline.
The cases I though were pretty good. You sometimes knew who the criminal was but had to prove it. Sometimes you weren't sure (or weren't supposed to know) and had to figure it out. I love mysteries and don't spend my time pulling apart how good the mystery was cause it ruins my fun time. That said, they weren't like brain twisters, but they were better than average and carried out pretty well. They dealt well with both the fact that you need justice and that sometimes it just isn't going to happen. Life sucks. . . it isn't fair. Sometimes society needs to confront the people the police cannot, even if it's something like shaming them in the future. I liked that the ending credits changed each time a mystery was completed.
I loved it and binge-watched it pretty quickly. A few cases dragged a bit or the endings weren't quite satisfying, but overall it was good. I'd watch it mainly for the interpersonal relationships - not just the partnership between Andrew and Ronald, but their relationships with their colleagues and families. It has romance, but not much (a nice balance I thought). Then watch it for the cases as a second thing.
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*THIS PART MAY HAVE SPOILERS - I TRY NOT TO, BUT . . . .
The ending SUCKED . . . . I understand there is a season 2 coming which is great because it needs it. The problem was it left so many core plotlines unfinished. One of Ronald's core themes was his need to build loyal, lasting relationships. Then just when he's finally there, they dropped everything at the end. It wasn't completed - his story is left feeling like it hit the cliffhanger and then just stopped. There's also the fact that the main crime was left undealt with. If they don't get season 2 out, it really needs a fanfiction writer to finish it up.
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A bold entry in the crime/mystery genre
This series seems like a detective or mystery drama at first, and in many ways it is one. However, while the cases are mostly very engaging, it quite boldly focuses more on the storytelling than on how the detective characters solve the mysteries. Sometimes the truth is revealed but it is a little less clear how the detective managed to solve the cases. To some degree at least, this works well because the series adamantly refuses to romanticize their profession or associate them with glamour. It has elements that are reminiscent of hardboiled detective fiction but it isn't afraid to showcase the sentimental side of the characters.The way the cases unfold aren't always going to please viewers. Those who find it odd for the series to focus less on the investigation process than it could, in particular, will find the delivery awkward. However, there seems to be a conscious departure from convention. Instead of emphasizing how capable the main characters are (and they are certainly capable policemen), there is a greater focus on the complexity of human relationships and even a certain degree of moral ambiguity. This is rather rare, especially for a series coming from China, where it can be controversial to entertain ideas like how the justice system may fail to deliver justice. The leads have a strong sense of justice, but they are not beyond bending the rules at least occasionally. This may not be entirely original, but is rather bold in a series.
I was especially surprised by the portrayal of the corrupt policeman in the series, which I think the series takes some pains to develop despite what some seem to think. The villainous policeman starts off being somewhat dubious, becomes clearly unscrupulous and eventually takes on full-scale villainy. He has clear ties to the triads, which he also betrays, as he is entirely self-serving. (I seriously didn't imagine a series from China, where the censors don't take well to a negative portrayal of authority figures, showing this and getting away with it.)
What I really appreciate about this series is the nuanced portrayal of many of the characters and their relationship. They are very much human even if not humane. Whether it is Lu Li's ambivalent attitude towards his father or Chi Zhen's relationship with his mother after he inadvertently causes his sister to be murdered, the relationships are realistically complex. Chi Zhen's relationship with his love interest is perhaps a tad clichéd but it does not really hurt the story.
To be sure, the series isn't flawless. While intriguing, a couple of the cases become a little predictable after a certain point. This is not a major issue, however. Additionally, the series adopts a rather interesting structure, with flashbacks at the beginning of many episodes. This is often effective in providing the back stories of characters, but perhaps it is so effective that one becomes disappointed by how certain things that the flashbacks lead us to expect are eventually left untouched. The case involving the supposed crimes committed by Lu Li's father is a case in point. It seems to be quite heavily hinted that the father may well be innocent but for some reason has admitted to some very heinous crimes (there are no scenes of him committing the crimes, and all the scenes of the father show no trace of him actually being someone who would commit the crimes). Unfortunately, there is no coverage of the father's case. Perhaps some of the loose threads are meant for a possible Season 2, but is it necessary to not even reveal the identity of the person who has paid for the costly surgery Chi Zhen's mother has to undergo?
I can see that the series is flawed in several ways, but there is enough in it to keep my interest and make me overlook its flaws. Hopefully a Season 2 really gets made.
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"I'm looking for my little bee"Chi Zhen's last words...it's touching that he realized he loves the girl...and finally found a true partner and friend in Lu Li...the same goes the other way around...Lu Li is much more expressive as the series progresses and she is also a true partner found in the person of Zhi Chen.
Both characters are traumatized, Zhi Chen because of his lost sister and his mother's distance, and Lu Li because of his father's guilt and the "loss" of his wife, daughter...
In the beginning, they are against each other, but then they become true friends as they solve more and more cases together.
Not even the main villain acting in the background could destroy their friendship, whose identity and actions we learn about during and at the end of the series.
I liked Chi Zhen's humanity and sense of justice, something amazing... Lu Li's sometimes impulsive behavior is also very good acting.
Honestly...it was a very good series: violence, rape, murder after murder...not to mention the unscrupulous procedure...I liked the investigation of the cases.
Incredible acting and I honestly loved the relationship between the two main characters. Although they are at odds in the beginning, a kind fate brings them fatally together as companions.
Here the supporting characters also performed quite well, I noticed them here. Everyone had a personality and a task.
The story revealed people's most secret desires in a rather cruel way: money, power, greed, cruelty, trauma, revenge as a motive... here I even felt sorry for the killer, who had motives, so to speak, why they did what they did. ..
Brilliant shots and introduction... flashbacks to the past that answer some questions about the characters' behavior and their current situation....
However, this show is not perfect either... there are plot holes that need to be resolved...
The ending was a bit rushed, but I liked the hug between the two companions... but somehow it felt like this was the last meeting... a kind of farewell from Chi Zhen.
By the way, there is a lot of character development on both sides, I liked Zhen's outbursts, Lu Li's impulsive but vulnerable character
If there is no second season, I would definitely say that Chi Zhen is dead, but... you know... will that ever happen... it's been 5 years since then... I'll add that I just saw the series, and yes, I am waiting for answers to a few questions...
No matter how you look at it, Lu Li's wife is a murderer, regardless of what she did for...but I could understand a little...what she went through...but I wonder how they live after that...
Oh, and Lu Li's father? I have a feeling that he is innocent... I have a kind of dejavu feeling from another series: an innocent man is in prison...
What about Chi Zhen... is he alive and reunited with Lu Li?
I have many questions waiting to be answered in a possible second season...
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