Kotori
Singapore
This review may contain spoilers
Good drama with a bad ending
I am normally not a fan of investigation drama, and only have watched a few medical dramas but started this drama because of Zhang Ruo Yun and the good review. However, I am left with a bit of bitter taste in my mouth. This drama has a really poor ending. But I would still recommend this drama for those liking investigation drama and the actors.
The good part: I really like the freshness of showing an investigation drama from a forensic examiner’s point of view - this helped me really to appreciate how much value this job provides to successfully solving a case. At the same, it also shows the bias and the disappreciation the general public has on this job. I very much like that each case is a small arc of 1-2 episodes, and the total episode number being only 20; much easier to watch. Each case is well crafted, containing a lot of learning on human anatomy and criminals investigations. Though there were some small illogicalities and exaggeration to create the dramatics, in general, the cases were interesting, mysterious, sometimes horrific and result not easy to predict.
The production was of high quality. I was surprised how realistic they reproduced all the operations and the dead buddies (parts), even more details to some of the medical dramas I have seen, to the degree that it is really gross in some episodes.
The plot clearly shows how the leads characters have grown together as a team. The cast chosen well - each of the leads having a distinguished character. The chemistry between the leads is amazing and the acting is outstanding. Zhang Ruo Yun and Li Xian’s acting is a no brainer but I was really impressed by Jia Jun Yan’s acting. She is probably one of the best young Chinese female actresses I have seen in drama so far in terms of acting skills. Also, the way she portraits the boyish character Li Da Bao was not at all unnatural (not like many other dramas in which a lot of the actress pretending to be “boyish” but then still ended up feminine). I would love to watch a drama in which she can play a feminine character.
I am also very satisfied with most of the supporting actors in each of the cases (maybe except for the police head), esp. the villains; some cases even displayed 3-dimensional characters which is difficult to do in only 1-2 episodes.
Now the not so great part: the execution and the plot of the ending/last case...
Normally the only problem I have with pure investigative drama is that the lead characters are normally not affected by the stories but often just a tool to showcase the cleverness of the cases. So I was happy to see that the last case affected Qin Ming personally. But it was just very badly executed... it contained way too many illogicalities and plot holes that one just cannot ignore them. Esp. it’s an investigation drama things need to be logical and the last 4 episodes just completely failed in doing that. I am not sure if the original novel has answers to all these gaps but it was the bad adaptation of because the producers want to squeeze everything in 4 episodes so leave all these out or what has happened here. For me, they needed another 2 episodes at least to fill those gaps. So unfortunately because of ending, I cannot give this drama a higher rating which is really a shame.
Here are some of the major plot holes for a laugh (not exhaustive):
1. Does the mole tooth have any meaning? If yes what is that?
2. Why would Chi Zi not want to revenge the police or the lawyer but a poor forensic examiner?
3. Who was Chi Zi’s husband and what was the story behind?
4. How come Dr. Qin never recognized Chi Zi in the Restaurant but instantly recognized her at the end?
5. How did Qing Ming’s dad die? From drug or from the fall or from both?
6. Why is the drug alone the evidence that the uncle is the murder? How did Chi Zi find this out? Was the uncle killed by Zhi Zi or Zhang Chao? Why would Zhang Chao kill for Zhi Zi and even willing to take all the blame for her?
7. How can Zhang Chao be confirmed as the killer only knowing that he has the same blood as Dr. Qin? Was it because of the glove and the scalpel? Why didn’t he destroy them?
8. Why was Dr. Qin not able to overthrow Chi Zi at the final scene? He is much stronger than her.
9. How did Lin Tao find them? He was not informed!
10. How can Ling Tao miss Chi Zi as he is professional police and she was standing back to him? Why didn’t Qin Ming break the water horse or the small lock instead with his pistole?
11. Which diamond ring is that stable that the diamond will not fall off after putting so
the force on it?
12. Why did Ling Tao let Qing Min do all the glass breaking job but was just standing there?
The good part: I really like the freshness of showing an investigation drama from a forensic examiner’s point of view - this helped me really to appreciate how much value this job provides to successfully solving a case. At the same, it also shows the bias and the disappreciation the general public has on this job. I very much like that each case is a small arc of 1-2 episodes, and the total episode number being only 20; much easier to watch. Each case is well crafted, containing a lot of learning on human anatomy and criminals investigations. Though there were some small illogicalities and exaggeration to create the dramatics, in general, the cases were interesting, mysterious, sometimes horrific and result not easy to predict.
The production was of high quality. I was surprised how realistic they reproduced all the operations and the dead buddies (parts), even more details to some of the medical dramas I have seen, to the degree that it is really gross in some episodes.
The plot clearly shows how the leads characters have grown together as a team. The cast chosen well - each of the leads having a distinguished character. The chemistry between the leads is amazing and the acting is outstanding. Zhang Ruo Yun and Li Xian’s acting is a no brainer but I was really impressed by Jia Jun Yan’s acting. She is probably one of the best young Chinese female actresses I have seen in drama so far in terms of acting skills. Also, the way she portraits the boyish character Li Da Bao was not at all unnatural (not like many other dramas in which a lot of the actress pretending to be “boyish” but then still ended up feminine). I would love to watch a drama in which she can play a feminine character.
I am also very satisfied with most of the supporting actors in each of the cases (maybe except for the police head), esp. the villains; some cases even displayed 3-dimensional characters which is difficult to do in only 1-2 episodes.
Now the not so great part: the execution and the plot of the ending/last case...
Normally the only problem I have with pure investigative drama is that the lead characters are normally not affected by the stories but often just a tool to showcase the cleverness of the cases. So I was happy to see that the last case affected Qin Ming personally. But it was just very badly executed... it contained way too many illogicalities and plot holes that one just cannot ignore them. Esp. it’s an investigation drama things need to be logical and the last 4 episodes just completely failed in doing that. I am not sure if the original novel has answers to all these gaps but it was the bad adaptation of because the producers want to squeeze everything in 4 episodes so leave all these out or what has happened here. For me, they needed another 2 episodes at least to fill those gaps. So unfortunately because of ending, I cannot give this drama a higher rating which is really a shame.
Here are some of the major plot holes for a laugh (not exhaustive):
1. Does the mole tooth have any meaning? If yes what is that?
2. Why would Chi Zi not want to revenge the police or the lawyer but a poor forensic examiner?
3. Who was Chi Zi’s husband and what was the story behind?
4. How come Dr. Qin never recognized Chi Zi in the Restaurant but instantly recognized her at the end?
5. How did Qing Ming’s dad die? From drug or from the fall or from both?
6. Why is the drug alone the evidence that the uncle is the murder? How did Chi Zi find this out? Was the uncle killed by Zhi Zi or Zhang Chao? Why would Zhang Chao kill for Zhi Zi and even willing to take all the blame for her?
7. How can Zhang Chao be confirmed as the killer only knowing that he has the same blood as Dr. Qin? Was it because of the glove and the scalpel? Why didn’t he destroy them?
8. Why was Dr. Qin not able to overthrow Chi Zi at the final scene? He is much stronger than her.
9. How did Lin Tao find them? He was not informed!
10. How can Ling Tao miss Chi Zi as he is professional police and she was standing back to him? Why didn’t Qin Ming break the water horse or the small lock instead with his pistole?
11. Which diamond ring is that stable that the diamond will not fall off after putting so
the force on it?
12. Why did Ling Tao let Qing Min do all the glass breaking job but was just standing there?
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