Under the Skin Season 2 (2024)

Exploring the Mind of Shen Yi While Others Trail Behind

"I don't want to draw just their faces and personalities, I want to draw their hearts." That seemed what season 2 was aiming to portray. Delving deeper into SY's work and progressing as the genius sketch artist he really was. This was one of my more anticipated dramas of the year as season 1 was so strong. That said, this season didn't deliver the same gravitas as the first one. You were literally exploring the mind of SY while the others just trailed behind. Hopefully season 3 could tighten that up with a satisfying finale.

Pros: TJC as SY really went an extra mile in solving cases in this one. It was like he development a second personality or jumped into the mind of the killer. The compelling cases like the "abducted" kid and abusive father, the guy creating an alter to his sister at the bottom of the cliff by playing God essentially, the guy who created a play of bodies after his beloved died tragically. Also the last case how it started with the "serial killer" gene and grew into the final case about genetically engineering humans which goes against human nature and all laws of society. In all of these, we see SY's growth and letting go of past disappointments like the girl in the red dress that haunted his dreams for a long time after he ignored her when he felt something was off and a day later she was found dead in an alley.

The rest of the cast played well as support and their partnership was moving along from case to case. DC realized at the end that he had to be less rigid with SY as his ideology didn't fit SY and that's what seemed to drive SY towards FKY. Out of all of antagonists, FKY was the creepiest and he actually thought he could change SY to be like himself and drive a wedge between the two but that's not what happened. He only got temporary satisfaction as SY was onto him and he wouldn't let anything ruin his friendship with DC. I'm glad at the end it was SY who brought him down. The bureau gang was always nice to have around and even captain Liu from the regular bureau made a guest appearance for a bit which was a good guest spot. SY achieved his goal of painting the heart from the heart while also dispelling his own inner demon.

The cliff hanger was done very well. I couldn't help but notice the similarities of DC's stabbing that was done in a remote alley while he was on the phone to the one in season 1 of his mentor by some dude completely covered up. I think there's symbolism somewhere in there. Hopefully they will actually talk about that in season three. I'm a fan of those as long as we don't wait 3 plus years for season 3. But DC being stabbed and only feet from where SY was walking. The perp at this point could be a clone, doppelgänger, or even someone who had plastic surgery and genetic engineering by FKY to look like the SY from S1. I won't rule anything out.

Cons: As the title suggests, this season had our leads essentially running parallel investigations even if they were on the same cases. They were more separate than together and it seemed off. The rest of the bureau just seemed there not like season one's tight group like was depicted in their first picture. This season they felt more like just flailing on the sidelines. I wanted that connection between SY and DC that drew us to this duo in the beginning. And it was briefly shown in 28 when they finally brought FKY and his co-conspirators to justice. But I really felt DC was way too rigid and even almost jealous of literally anyone who became friends with SY unless it was their own little group. He also moved too stiffly and almost never smiled; it was like conducting an investigation or riding in a car with Oscar the grouch. They need to sand down those edges.

Also quite a few cases though important because they highlight the problems in society everywhere, were underwhelming. Like the first case of the contortionist obsessed fan who the idol essentially used to murder for him, the stalking case which exposed the guy supposedly caught in a love triangle but when in reality he was the one who was the ultimate player and both women got rid of him. Or of their hoarder coworker that had trauma from her grandmother so adopted that way of life. Or the girl who lied about her age to get the guy who assaulted her a bigger sentence and we had flashbacks of Captain Li. Another supposed love triangle where one poisoned the boyfriend and that contributed to his death later. Other cases were also very forgettable. There just wasn't as strong pull towards them. And there wasn't much breathing room in between cases where our group could do outside things or we see their lives or hanging out together as much as we did in the first season. That's how they grew as close as they did, through both work and otherwise. One thing just bled into another.

The writing needed to be tightened and not just let the body grow multiple heads going in different directions while headed to the same destination ultimately. I would have given this series an 8 but the extra .5 I gave for how well the last episode brought together and especially SY and DC having that heart to heart with both coming to their own realizations understanding each other on an even deeper level. The cliff hanger was also a nice touch since they weren't going to have a finale this season.

Would I recommend it? Yes, I would. But you have to watch season one or a lot won't make sense here. Despite the disconnect overall, the cases and the team's work was still what we wanted to see. A lot of the cases brought serious issues to light. Let's wait for season 3 together!

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It feels like they didn't expect to do a second season and used everything on the first

I think they gave everything interesting they could think of in the first season, that everything they were left with is a bit dry in comparison.

Script: It's not that it's bad, it's just that S1 was filled with explanation of how Shenyi does what he does, that in this S it's not that special or unique. He draws from blurry images or a covered face caught in security cameras and skulls but it doesn't feel as good as it felt in the S1.

I personally think they didn't do themselves justice with putting the first case as the first case. It's so beautifully written and done on the psychology of the characters and it's so complicated that you don't know who to root for. Even when you tell yourself the law is the law you keep wondering if it's fair. Also the murder method was so interesting and difficult to figure out. Everything after that falls short because of how good it was.

It feels a bit random at times even tho the cases are interesting. Like Li Han's story is so real and well written on the psychological part. I could see myself in her, being lost and afraid, but it felt out of place. We didn't get to see her a lot before so we didn't see any signs that her character is going through some things.

I'm wondering what they're gonna do with the girl in the red dress part of the plot and the weird stranger (Fang Kai Yi). If it gets messed up then I'll be disappointed cause Tan Jian Ci is a great actor and can deliver, guilt, losing oneself to ego and playing g0d, so well. We already saw a glimpse of it in one of his conversations with Du Cheng.

Acting is good:
I think Tan Jian Ci is a great actor. Really good in emotional scenes but just as good with sassy moments.

I hoped Jin Shi Jia will change a bit and have more charisma. He is good with the emotional parts but when it comes to giving orders or just standing there, he looks like a child that doesn't know what to do with his hands.

Zhu Jia Qi is great. All the product placements fell on his shoulders and he was so natural. He is so good in that role it feels like he is Jiang Feng.

Lu Yan Qi did so well with her story. Better than I expected.

Overall the acting is good. All supporting actors did well. All the guest ones did well.

Directing and Fight choreography is good.

Editing is a bit harsh on the eyes. Color grading-color correction is too bright when you look at windows at day time.

Overall, I'm satisfied with it. I didn't expect anything more cause I felt like it'll be hard to match S1. I might add to my review when the show is finished (English isn't my first language so sorry for any typos or grammar mistakes)

Edit. Tan Jian Ci was so creepy in the opera eps. The "why are you behind me" was so good. I really liked that ep

Edit 2.0. The entire girl in red dress was just so we know he has good intuition? Why didn't they use it more? The thing about the changing dna was interesting at the beginning but it feels so weird that they didn't think to connect the girl in the red dress to Fang Kai Yi instead of making him a mad scientist. I get what they wanted to say with the 'one uses his intelligence for evil doing (even tho it's with good intentions) while one is doing good' but their power dynamic doesn't make it seem like they're the same or similar. Shen Yi feels so weak compare to Fang Kai Yi.

And I'm sorry but the min Du Cheng said Shen Yi changed I was just like 🤨🤔🧐 Does he not remember Shen Yi almost drowning himself in order to get the vision of the woman? Shen Yi was always an oddball. He didn't change by wanting to learn more about the human behaviour. That's just who he always was. That's literally his job. To interpret the human behaviour of the artists through their art.

This season felt forced, lacking effort and the lazy writing at times just made me so disappointed...

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As fans of the 1 series & Tan Jian Ci, of course I have to watch this…

Story about The Beijiang police squad, Du Cheng (DC) and his team and also portraitist Shen Yi (SY). Story about how the Beijiang police squad teamed up with SY to help with the case. In this season, SY uses his ability to dig deep into the human emotion and dark side.

That’s pretty much all I can tell about this season. Now what I like and don’t.

What I like:
+ We can see more interesting and better drawing from SY
+ The relationship between DC & SY you can’t really say only brotherhood. Haha… It has the BL vibe all over the place…
+ More interesting crime story. And how the way SY dig deep into human emotion and dark side.
+ The original cast went back to their place…. Oh I really appreciate they changed none of the squad cast from the 1st season.

Overall if you’re a fan of the first season this is something you’ll watch. But if not… Hm… I don’t really feel this is really interesting. Below I’ll write what I don’t like from this season. But that means SPOILER ALERT! So Read it at ur own risk.













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SPOILER ALERT!!!
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What I don’t like:
- The story was more interesting in the first season.
- The way SY digs into human’s heart is a little over the top. It feels like something only possible on paper rather than reality.
- They don’t continue the story with the perpetrator from the 1st season. I am really curious about that woman.
- They closed with another open ending. The one that makes me want to hang the director.
Overall this season is really like AvenueX said on YouTube. Feel like a step mother taking a kid and trying to work with it without knowing what the kid is best at or what make it special. Haha… Feel like all the interesting things that sucked me into this drama are all gone….

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Pretty Solid Psychological/Profiling Drama

I think this is a pretty solid season (up to ep 15). After reading other reviews, I realised that if you only enjoyed the 2 leads' chemistry and/or the mysterious syndicate which caused the death of Du Cheng's ex-colleague in 1st season, you're likely to be disappointed by this one. However, if you're into psychological/profiling genre and the criminology context, you might like this one.

Below contains spoilers, read at your own discretion.

It's pretty clear that this season's plot and characters development are advancing in a quite different direction than the previous. Below are some points about this season (might change with EPs update) which I like.

Point 1.
While S1 is mainly focusing on using forensic artist and their sketches to apprehend suspects, S2 is advancing the police force into venturing ways of preventing crimes instead of investigating crimes that's been done.

This is evident with Superior Zhang supporting Shen Yi's passion and research into using profiling to determine the potential suspects, preventing them to commit crimes. This theme is similar to Psycho Pass (anime) and The Mouse (kdrama) where you're judged guilty once you're assessed and predicted to have possessed the intention and/or the ability to commit a crime. However, this leads to the critical moral dilemma, which is my Point 2.

Point 2.
Moral dilemma for the legal system: instinct vs logic.

Shen Yi realises that his sharp instinct and deep understanding on humans' psychological aspects allow him to determine suspects of crimes up to a certain degree. Failing the prevent a potential crime in the past caused him guilty and more determined to use his skills to prevent any crimes in future. However, this method is flawed with the current justice system and by law of humanity - innocent until proven guilty. Which is why Du Cheng is against of this method as he believes in logic and science when solving crimes instead of apprehending yet-to-be suspects using instinct. This flaw is evident in later case, where the suspect did not commit the crime in the end, showing there's a line between intention vs commitment of crime.
***(This point is supported by the leads' recent interview)***

Point 3.
Working as a team vs duo.

As their professional roles are different in the police force, it's reasonable for them to work with other team members on assigned tasks to ensure the efficacy of their investigations. I like the diverse dynamic between different combinations of team members they're showing us. Hence, I don't think the 2 leads should be stick together in a single frame for most of the time. And, I think both leads have fair share of screentime and presence. Hence, I'm confused with comments that mentioned about screentime/presence issue for another lead.

Point 4.
As I mentioned before, this season focuses on psychological, induction, hypothetical (what-ifs & predictions) vs last season's evidence-based, deduction, science (if so then so). I like psychological and crime genres. Hence, I enjoy the exploration on the individuals and their contexts. The environmental and personal factors that structure their behaviours and mentality. Of course this does not justify their actions but it gives a critical perspective on crimes prevention. This exploration is helpful for formulating effective interventions for treating the root cause of crimes instead of the symptoms.

This drama also has some room for improvement. E.g.

1. The ranks and orders in the police force is not as systematic as I expect. They seem to be able to take up whatever cases they're interested in even though some presented conflict of interest. Regarding some simplified procedures to gain approval (e.g. part timing in entertainment company), I'd take it as part of the drama nature, to keep up with the pacing. And I really like how they keep each case to 2 EPs max.

2. Like some comments had mentioned, I'd prefer to have some focus/pick up on the main case (the secret syndicate in S1) on earlier EPs. At least foreshadow something or provide clues in the background of some cases would have kept the balance between the day-to-day case and this primary plot.

3. I also felt some gaps in S2 due to missing of characters, e.g. the female friend/art student who was with Shen Yi in S1. As Shen Yi hasn't relocated, some mentioning/brief reveals of communications would've been more natural in terms of characters' life. I do like the developments of some characters relationships in this season, showing how time flows.

That's my personal review so far. Looking forward to the next ep and expecting on how the story will unfold.

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Great drama! Just go and watch it :)

I don't know where to start, because this is probably the best drama I have watched in a long while. So to start with the nutshell: If you're into crime, if you like complex and not entirely satisfying (everyone is happy, justice is served, amen) storylines, and great acting, then this is your drama.

Plot:
The tone and stories are, in my opinion, darker than season 1, but I prefered that. There's not a single case with easy answers, and in at least one of them, the final solution feels realistically unfair. Characters are multifaceted, and often victims and perpetrators are not that easily categorized. So, great plot!

Shen Yi's art is used in more varied ways in this series, and some of the statements about art... They took some liberties there, and, call me a philestine, but I don't get the map he's trying to draw. But still, the ideas are really ingenious and set the drama apart from other detective dramas.

Acting:
The two leads, Tan Jianci and Jin Shijia are really the showstoppers of this drama. There's some brilliant acting going on! They had me on the edge of my seat, crying and laughing and awwing. The dynamics between the two leads is probably the best reason to watch this drama apart from the cases themselves. If I could I would shower them in awards!
But it's not just he main leads' performance. In fact, the acting in this drama is on point even down to minor characters and guest roles. There are some really remarkable performances of suspects and victims here.

Re-watch Value:
In my opinion, both seasons are really worth re-watching, because they contain more depth the second time around.

In a nutshell: Brilliant acting - realistic and consistent characters - great script - interesting, challenging cases - great title song - some real cliffhangers - and addiction factor 10/10.

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Painting the portrait of Justice

"Genius suspended above the abyss"

The story so far. .
The first few episodes in this season felt unfamiliar yet familiar at the same time, exploring the numerous cases one by one I think the plot was carried well, some of the cases were heavy but some balanced out the other. There is still a part of me that is confused with the scenes surrounding the little girl in the red dress and who slashed the painting in season 1, i thought it was pretty vague or some kind of loophole. Overall .. I've still got my own questions and I look forward to season 3.

I'm glad that we got the chance to delve deeper into the lives of the other members in the squad, it definitely made me- as an audience feel more connected to the characters since season 1. I feel even more happier knowing that the series revealed/included the issues surrounding AI and the art community, I think that was genuinely thoughful of them to add in the show. . I think I was confused more on what Shen Yi's role is, because slowly he seemed more like a criminal profiler than a portraitist to me. . It heavily reminded me of Criminal Minds as well. The show did well in showing us the bond between the main leads by being eachother's compass,

As for the acting. .
I really felt fascinated and impressed with Tan Jianci's acting as Shen Yi, he portrayed his character so well, but I believe Jin Shijia did amazing too in bringing Du cheng's emotions and inner turmoil to life as he tries to support/encourage Shen Yi's passion and at the same time protect him from falling into the abyss. . I felt uneasy along side him. . I also think that Fang kaiYi's actor AKA Zheng Yulong was incredibly talented! Fang kaiYi's character was intriguing and sorta reminded of Moriarty, a cunning genius. .

OST was amazing, my headline is literally a lyric from one of the OSTs as well . . The songs and its lyrics were good too. Its worth listening !

Overall, I had fun watching this season a lot more than season 1 ~ If you heavily enjoy watching crime series with some thriller, suspense, mystery with interesting and different cases, (with a bit of comedy) I recommend this ! I look forward to season 3 !

I rarely write reviews, infact english is not my first language so apologies for any confusion-

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Unlike any other crime drama

Under the Skin (1-2) is a unique and fascinating police and crime drama. The heavy focus on aethetics and ambiance makes it different from the conventional police procedural dramas. It doesn't try to be realistic and isn't, in the way the crimes are solved.

Producer Zhang Yiyun explained:
“Traditional crime dramas often focus on realistic styles, hardcore reasoning, and strong plots to tell stories. But we’ve been exploring how to create a non-traditional crime drama in terms of narrative style, visual aesthetics, and thematic expression. For example, we avoid overly complicated cases, gruesome criminal methods, or overly brain-twisting reasoning processes. Instead, we focus on the dramatic changes in character fates and relationships, using them as the core suspense and plot twists. The show emphasizes the emotions and humanity behind the cases.”

Much of the drama revolves around forensic artist and psychological profiler Shen Yi's thought processes and observations, which he expresses in visual form in his drawings. Captain Du Cheng is the more solid bread and butter police. Their teamwork and differences are enjoyable and the essence carrying the drama which consists of episodic cases.
The pacing is excellent. When the most interesting aspects of a criminal or a case are revealed, the plot moves very quickly on to a new case.

I enjoyed S2 even more than S1, bc they really went head on to unchartered waters. There was an even heavier focus on psychology, aesthetics and cinematography. Some scenes are utterly poetic, like the garbage magic garden (case 2), the streamer girls' doll room, and the wedding-that-was-cancelled decorations.

We learned more about how Shen Yi did his psychological analyses. The scenes with Shen Yi getting face to face with suspects in their own environments, encouraging suspects to open up and tell their stories, telling allegorical stories to them, explaining the meaning of artifacts in their homes, are my favorite ones. Priceless, really.

Shen Yi was the key character this season. The police chiefs were hoping that Shen Yi's insights into the human psyche and way of interpreting traces could be turned into a manual that helps also other police in psychological profiling. Shen Yi's writing of is the "Human Atlas" that is talked about in the last episodes. In the end Shen Yi's art, his "portraits of the heart" as the second level of portrait drawing, constitute this atlas.

The cases I enjoyd most are the AI chatbot case, the opera case and gene editing case.

The last case about gene editing was again very realistic, as was the AI chatbot case. The means for tampering genes with the CRISPR scissors already exist and gene therapies are introduced without much or any long-term testing. Although I absolutely hated it when Shen Yi didn't seem to dispute the Fenk Kai Yi the Mad Scientist's claim that all humans are by nature evil. But he was actually just listening and making his own observations and conclusions, as always. In the last episodes Du Cheng also finally had the opportunity to shine, something I had been wanting to see more. In the last episodes he emerges the strong pillar that he was in S1. The moment when he takes SY off the case bc derailment in wrong direction, was very satisfactory. The friendship between the Mad Scientist and SY on the other hand was difficult to swallow, as it made SY look weaker. As if he had actually been choosing and believing the freak. I wanted to yell "go back to your teammates" at the screen.

But the season ended beautifully with SY and DC honestly talking things out and summing up how they complement each other. Those last dialogues were exceptionally fine writing. I'm ready for S3 and even more experimentation from the writer and producers. The team made a fantastic drama. As for the the last scene (SY stabbing DC), I think the meaning was again to say that within every human being is both good and evil and that they'll explore this further in S3.

Zhang Lai said: "Writing about crime is not to showcase evil, but more importantly, to explore the multifaceted nature of humanity. Good and evil stand side by side, but love is the antidote to redemption, and the law is the thunderbolt that punishes evil. This is our ultimate message."

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A Thrilling Masterpiece of Mystery and Bromance

Under the Skin 2 takes the intriguing premise of its predecessor and elevates it into a truly gripping masterpiece. While the first season was a unique blend of psychological drama and crime-solving, season 2 refines and intensifies every element, creating a more complex, emotional, and visually stunning experience.

The evolving bromance between the painter and the detective becomes even more compelling as they face darker, more intricate murder cases. Their emotional depth, combined with the show’s haunting blend of art and police procedural, adds layers of mystery and human tension that make each episode unmissable. Cinematically, it is beautiful, intellectually stimulating, and emotionally charged. This series is a brilliant continuation of a standout series, transforming it from a captivating thriller into a true work of art. It’s a must-watch for fans of suspenseful crime dramas and powerful character-driven stories.

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The second season amazed me!

As an artist and a writer, the second season is also mind-blowing and smart. Everything is so amazing especially how they use different form of arts and how it contributes to the execution of the cases. For this season they highlighted a lot of topics including the Artificial intelligence, Social and Psychology, Science and of course Art. I am so happy that in this season, the arts are expressing more emotions through colors and the cast executed very well. I love how the character developments seen here. Also, the details of each episode is very unique and again smart. You'll gain knowledge from this series and it taught us alot professionally. Hoping for 3rd season since it's gaining attention to weibo being top 1 trends for the past few days and still the cliffhanger :) Kudos to all the creators, cast and staffs of Under the Skin Series! 再见 !

谢谢猎罪图鉴2!

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Wasted plot ideas and character development

Let me just start by saying that while I enjoyed the first season I didn't love love it, but was very interested in the second season just because of what was teased at the end of the first season and what the trailer seemingly promised: Dark Shen Yi. I wanted to see Shen Yi go down a darker path and somehow claw his way out with the help of his friends and colleagues, but that was not what we got.
Dark Shen Yi aside, I at least want to be entertained by the cases, but holy moly I really wasn't. The first season had this problem (for me) too. The cases are easy to predict and the actual police work boring to watch (other than Shen Yi and his drawings).
I sound really bitter, I guess I am because this drama has all the threads of an exciting and interesting show, but they continually fall short, just giving the bare minimum. Everything felt so surface level and not deep in the way that I think they're trying to be. I think I'm most disappointed by it all because it feels like the writers/directors are wasting an excellent characters and ideas.
Also, I know there's talk of a 3rd season which I would check out because they pulled me back in with Evil!Shen Yi. A twin? A long lost brother? Who knows. But what I do know is that while they've set up something so interesting, I doubt they'll do anything really worth while.

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