This review may contain spoilers
Would have been better if it didn't leave so much unresolved
This is probably one of the more unique series from Hong Kong's TVB in recent years. It's pretty solid in many ways, but roughly halfway through the series, it gets unnecessarily complicated and leaves too much unresolved (the "cliffhanger" for a Season 2 starts way too early for the ending to be satisfactory.The series adopts an unconventional approach to several conventional elements. In a way, it is a series about a serial killer and also a detective series that has several mysteries. It is also about mental illness. The unconventional approach: the identity of the serial killer is revealed surprisingly early, and he is also caught but we are kept guessing if he might be the main villain of the series. There is no single straightforward detective figure--even the serial killer is at one point one of the detective figures. And there is a surprising load of mental illnesses featured in the series, with various characters suffering from them at some point, including the (apparently/likely) good guys. It's not the same old "killer with multiple personality disorder" plot for sure.
It seems, unfortunately, that the HK audience has not taken very well to the series, finding it confusing. Actually it is not confusing--perhaps the ending is a tad confusing because it deliberately leaves major questions unanswered, but it is quite easy to follow most of the time. To me, the problem is that, halfway through the series, that narrative trajectory suddenly splits into several mysteries (as though the series itself is getting a sort of multiple personality disorder). It isn't confusing, but it is quite a risky way of telling the story. It demands patience from the audience, and the fact that some of the mysteries do not get solved by the last episode may upset those who patiently follow the series.
If there's anything that makes the series worth expending patience on, it's Kara Hui and the character she plays. Her performance is remarkable throughout in her role as someone with schizophrenia. She convincingly portrays a pitiful victim of mental illness, a fiercely loving mother afraid that she would harm her children but also willing to go to extremes to protect them, and even a person with a somewhat sinister and menacing presence at times, all in one character. She has to be convincing as a victim and as someone who might just be playing the victim at the same time. It's a very difficult role to handle, especially when she is a character who has secrets right to the very end: if she overdoes one facet of the character, the overall effect would be compromised.
I was also interested in how the police would be portrayed in the series, given the controversy surrounding the HK police since 2019. Glamorizing the police would perhaps make people upset while an overly negative portrayal may cause the series to be more politically provocative than it wants to be. The portrayal turns out to be somewhere in between. Some of the police characters are flawed and self-centered, but they can also be smart and competent. I don't see any overt political messages, just a number of complex characters motivated by different things.
I still feel a little cheated that so many things brought in so early in the series do not find closure by the last episode and there's no promise of a sequel. But the series is also intriguing enough to keep me watching.
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Can more TVB dramas be like this?
The production quality of this drama was not like others, from the dark lighting to the eerie music. They have done a DID drama before, but this one actually feels different and unique.Every actor did an amazing job with their roles, especially Kara, Victor, and the little sister, who's a newer actress. It was really binge worthy for me at first, but then I got bored during its climax because they kept dragging it. The romance feels really cringe to be sharing one person, and didn't feel necessary.
I really enjoyed the last episode, which revealed one big mystery, although they of course, had to hint more mysteries in order for a second season. Worth a watch, although some parts I was bored and had to skim through.
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This Drama deserves more recognition!
Iam very glad lately i find series which end to be little gems.At least to me.Murder Diary is one of them.It is a combination of "Bad and Crazy" + " Two Cops"(Kdramas),with a bit of "Bones"(USA Drama) and a hint of "Danger Zone"(Taiwanese Drama).
Or at least those Dramas came across my mind while watching this.So if you watched any of those too,you could have an idea about Murder Diary as well.
Music:I liked the main OSTs.Both songs has beautiful melodies and lyrics.But thats all about music.Definetely i wanted more themes.
About intro & Outro:
The Intro as visuals was really good although nothing special or new.It is based on the old and good recipe of gathering scenes from the whole drama.
But there is a tiny detail which was an extra bonus to me regarding the professionalism of this production.After the first few episodes the intro has a small change pointing a huge plot twist and revealing a clue.Of course we-viewers-already know the twist by watching the episodes but i liked they changed the intro to match the given clue.I found it really smart and i love this kind of details.
As for the Outro i never paid any attention to it as i always was in a hurry to press the "Next episode" button.I only checked and fully watched it at the last episode for the sake of this review.So the closing music score as well as the visual is equally good to the intro.I pick the virtual library of the outro as one of my bests so far.
Production/Direction:Everything was just fine and smooth.Cinematography is one click better and there are somes scenes which are absolutely amazing.(The dancing scene in library was FA-NTA-STIC!)
Cast:I don't know any of the actors.Actually this was my first Hong Kong Drama so i can't tell .
Acting: But judging from acting all actors were really good indeed.Some roles were very demanding in terms of acting and the actors did a great job!
Characters:All i can say is that this drama has so many and different kinds of chars.The Great Manipulator.The Annoying Type.
Strong and Weak chars.Smart and not so very smart!Brave and Cowards.Psychopaths & Serial Killers.
Choose your type!My favorite was the ML!(There is a bizarre but so sweet and cute quartet too!!)
Story/plot:
I cannot go into a deep analysis without spoiling things.It can't be a full review because i really do not want to give away even the smallest detail.I don't want to ruin the whole fun for you.So i suggest you go fully blind.Slowly learn and explore each and every character.Let the story unfold.Give it time.Sometimes you may feel the story is way too complicated and messy,but actually is not.As in every Drama there are side-stories revolving the main one.All it needs is a bit of patience.It will definitely pay you off eventually!
Everything here has to do with Mental illnesses.What i really liked about this Drama is the fact that they approached the issue with much caution and care.They never overused or abused this sensitive topic.
And although the story is all about mental disorders the Drama itself is not heavy to leave you broken and sad.So we learn things about mental diseases but we can handle it.
Murder Diary is not a Masterpiece with absolute terms but is really close to it.Is a very good Drama with an interesting story and more interesting characters and side chars too.
It really sads me when such dramas stay hidden.Really worth your time.
And iam very greedy.I wish for S2!
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This review may contain spoilers
I've only watched a couple of episodes and dropped this drama because it was just unbearable to continue.I first want to state that the production was done very well, from the set to the effects.
STORY: The beginning of the story really captured my attention. I really enjoyed how the story shined a light on mental health awareness since there are not many HK dramas like that out there. This drama was refreshing, concepts like serial killers and mental disorders aren't common in recent HK dramas. I really enjoyed how the drama showed what MC's mind looks like and the setup with his relationship with his sister and the psychiatrist. The drama did a great job showing MC's past and trauma and his strained relationship with his mother.
But there were minor details here and there that ruined the whole show for me. It didn't make sense that the MC was able to join the police investigation since he had no connection to the police. I'm surprised his original personality was useful because all he ever since was slack off and chase after girls. Madam Sing (FL) who was a bomb disposal expert, also randomly joined the special crime unit, even though that's not her specialty.
Also, I didn't like how they made MC's sister into a damsel in distress who can't do anything by herself. I would've been more okay with this if the story developed her original personality more since now she just feels like an empty husk without a real personality. The drama was too fast-paced in mending MC's relationship with his mother. Attempting to murder your children and abandoning them is not something that's easily forgivable. Also, the MC had a grudge against his mother for most of his life, so it was weird how he forgave her so quickly. Additionally, it didn't make sense how MC's second personality came back after he "cured his DID after making up with his mom".
And personally, the serial killer's signature green eye is just cringy and Madam Sing's outfit is questionable to wear while working in the police force.
ACTING/CAST: I think they did a wonderful job in the casting. They're all seasoned actors/actresses that starred in many past TVB dramas. They made the right choice to make Benjamin Yuen play the psychiatrist. He portrayed his character well, being well-mannered, friendly, but mysterious and off-setting at the same time.
MUSIC: I didn't really focus on the music, there weren't really any outstanding soundtracks, but I never once thought there was a song out of place.
REWATCH VALUE: I would not rewatch this drama, as you can see I dropped it not even halfway completing it. Throughout episodes 5-7, I practically forced myself to continue it, but I just couldn't see any more potential. Everything I enjoyed about the drama disappeared after episode 6 and I lost interest.
OVERALL: This drama had an interesting start that drew me in with curiosity, but it goes downhill from there real quick. The only thing that kept me going was MC's family relationship. I'm not sure if the story redeems itself or what I saw was just a small piece of the big picture, since I dropped it in the beginning and don't have the patience to continue.
However, I do think you should check out this drama at least once because it's something new that's not really seen in HK dramas before. Who knows, maybe you'll like it?
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