Un petit bijoux à ne pas louper
Il y a comme chaque année des dramas qui passent allègrement sous le radar, parfois sous nos yeux pourtant aguerris. La multitude des sorties mensuelles n'aide pas beaucoup. Et il faut avouer que le succès des K-dramas dessert un peu ceux qui viennent de la Chine continentale, du Japon ou de Taiwan. C'est encore un bel exemple d'excellence qui sera peu vu. Peu apprécié. Peu partagé. D'où ma plume ici."Under The Skin" a comme originalité de nous parler d'un artiste talentueux devenu portraitiste pour la police. Je n'ai pas souvenir d'avoir vu ce thème traité jusqu'à présent. Et c'est aussi ce qui m'a attiré vers ce drama. Et c'est aussi un des points forts de cette série. Car ici, point de gribouillage brumeux tracé de loin par un acteur tenant maladroitement un fusain, essayant vainement de nous convaincre de sa soi-disante maitrise. Les portraits, les dessins, les peintures sont magnifiques et dégagent un réel talent, une densité qui plus d'une fois m'a ébahi. Les coups de crayon ont été filmé sous divers angles nous donnant le sentiment que Tan Jian Ci tient réellement le crayon (comprenez par là, dessinant lui même les sketchs). Les esquisses prennent alors vie sous nos yeux émerveillés.
Toute la subtilité de l'art est ici mise en valeur, comme un personnage principal qu'on aura mûrement donné forme. Presque amoureusement. D'une simple esquisse en passant par la sculpture, la peinture, le scénariste porte cet art au firmament, sublimant un simple visage en noir et blanc. Du grand art! Sans parler des explications de Shen Yi, ses analyses et observations fines mêlant techniques artistiques et psychologie humaine, je ne dirai qu'un mot. Merci. Merci de nous avoir offert ces dessins, peintures sublimes. Merci de ne pas avoir pris le spectateur pour un idiot.
Chéri qui n'a pas du tout la fibre artistique m'a suggéré à ma grande surprise "et si nous allions voir une galerie d'art?", c'est pour dire....
Mais il faut avouer que sans un excellent scénario, sans personnages charismatiques, le drama n'aura été une fois de plus qu'une simple série policière. Cela tombe bien, ce drama possède tout cela : scénario solide et duo addictif!
Je ne suis pas une grande fan de ces séries policières où les cas s'enchainent à chaque épisode (comme chez les états-uniens), voire tous les 2 épisodes, et résolus, brillamment ou pas, faisant avancer plus ou moins l'intrigue principale. Rappelez-vous de "The mentalist" ou "X-Files" (ah ma jeunesse....), séries US, qui bien qu'intéressantes avaient le défaut récurrent de nous faire miroiter une trame principale intense... au début et à la fin de chaque (nombreuse) saison. Seulement.
Vous n'aurez pas du tout ce problème ici, ou dans les dramas asiatiques en général. Bien que le vilain de l'histoire n'apparaisse pas de suite, ou que l'affaire ne fasse son apparition qu'ici et là, les cas que traitent nos deux protagonistes ont déjà l'honorable but de tisser un lien entre nos deux personnages, de créer l'inviolable confiance qui conclura la trame principale, mais aussi nous déverser cet art si méconnu sous toutes les coutures. Ou presque, car la saison 2 devrait nous en dévoiler encore plus. Ah saison 2...mais n'anticipons pas.
Chaque cas, bien que peu original, ce qui serait dur à moins de tomber sur des criminels imaginatifs et innovants dans la matière, est pourtant intense et émotionnellement chargé. L'intérêt de ces cas réside dans le fait que rien n'est tout noir ou tout blanc. Ce n'est bien sur pas la première fois que nous voyons des crimes qui renferment une bien triste histoire, une vitrine mensongère. Je pense par exemple au délirant mais non moins excellent "Sometimes when we touch" qui avait le même principe, nous conter une histoire d'apparence classique mais avec une arrière scène bien souvent différente et (bien sûr) d'une tristesse indescriptible. Des émotions comme la compassion, la tristesse mais aussi la colère et la volonté de voir à tout prix (mais en vain) ces crimes impunis nous envahissent face à ces êtres humains qui n'avaient que pour seule échappatoire : le crime, bien souvent le meurtre. Ou devrais-je dire de se défendre? Ce n'est certes pas excusable. Du moins pas au yeux de la justice. Mais aux nôtres? En ce qui me concerne, j'assume. Je trouve que ces coupables, au final un bien grand mot, ne sont que des humains luttant pour leur survie, sans être rarement entendu. Un geste de trop. Un geste qui les aura d'une certaine manière sauvé d'eux même.
Ce qui est intéressant est la place donnée à la morale derrière chaque histoire, un peu comme une fable, mais aussi cette interpellation qui nous interroge : Pouvons-nous juger la douleur des victimes? Pouvons nous criminaliser un acte de survie? Pouvons-nous punir des êtres au bord du précipice? Pas une seule fois, nos protagonistes ne se poseront en juge, ne faisant qu'après tout leur devoir d'avoir à trouver le coupable, mais à travers justement leur réserve à ce sujet et surtout leur écoute sincère, dévoilant au fur et à mesure des confessions, une nature humaine primitive et peut-être selon moi, nos instincts les plus naturels, bien avant d'être policé à l'extrême, une nature devenant ainsi dompté : un être civilisé.
Si je dois donc résumer ma réflexion : La société a été incapable de les protéger, ils se sont donc protégés. Peut-on toujours les considérer comme des criminels?
Un scénario intelligent, un thème intéressant et superbement réalisé. Que reste-t-il pour en faire un très très bon drama? Un duo de choc!
Loin, très loin du duo que nous conte régulièrement depuis des décennies les séries/films policiers, que cela soit au US ou ailleurs, "Under the skin" nous délivre un duo unique, rafraichissant et addictif. Si une certaine animosité se fait sentir dès le début, Du Cheng ayant pris en grippe 7 ans auparavant Shen Yi, leur relation va se développer, inévitablement, vers un respect réciproque et une amitié solide. Alors écrit comme cela, on va me dire "heu, oui mais encore?". La force de leur relation n'est pas le classique "je ne t'aime pas mais au final si", mais la façon dont les liens se tissent, et surtout l'attitude de Du Cheng et de Shen Yi. Ce dernier ne cherche pas la reconnaissance de Du Chen, mais à utiliser son art afin de faire avancer les choses. Ses regrets et sa mauvaise conscience suite à son "erreur" de jeunesse le poursuivent depuis 7 ans mais n'en font pas pour autant un personnage blasé et mal dans sa peau psychologiquement. Bien au contraire, nous sentons bien de sa part parfois sa détresse mais aussi son désir de résoudre cet énigme, Shen Yi continuera de briller par ses sourires, sa pensée positive.
Le protagoniste ne se dédouane pas et fera toujours face à sa responsabilité en essayant notamment de s'en souvenir par tous les moyens, même les plus extrêmes. Son attitude calme, pondéré (à la limite de paisible), respectueux à tous les égards gagnera rapidement la confiance de Du Cheng. Shen Yi, bien que talentueux, et ayant confiance en ses compétences ne cherchera nullement la gloire, se contentant de donner le meilleur de lui-même.
En face, Du Cheng ! Un officier de police comme on les adore, tel l'officier Zhang Cheng de "Reset" ou plus récemment l'excellent capitaine Luo de "Be Reborn", un officier de police loin de la brute colérique habituelle, du rebelle qui sort des clous procéduriers classiques ou du pitre de service cachant bien son jeu. L'intelligence et la sensibilité de Du Cheng nous le font aimer presque de suite. Réticent dans les premières minutes du drama, et après quelques (petites) tentatives d'isoler Shen Yi, Du Cheng n'hésite pourtant pas à l'inclure très rapidement dans ses enquêtes. Jamais haut et fort proclamé, son attitude respire la confiance et le respect vis à vis de son partenaire. Les petites piques d'humour et de complicité de Shen Yi sont à eux seuls révélateurs de leur amitié hors norme. Ni trop, ni pas assez, juste ce qu'il faut pour être accro à ce duo unique. Il faut souligner aussi que l'intelligence dont font preuve les deux protagonistes rendent ces enquêtes non seulement intéressantes, mais nous évitent les écueils habituels et frustrants des enquêtes ridicules, trop simples ou illogiques.
Si les personnages secondaires ne sont pas à la hauteur de ce duo, ils sont pourtant attachants permettant ainsi une dynamique dans l'histoire malgré leur courte apparition pour certains. Ils apportent cette petite touche simple d'humour, de tendresse ou de loyauté qui en font un drama plus léger malgré le drame de certaines histoires.
C'est donc un drama de grande qualité dont il serait dommage de passer à côté. L'intelligence et la forte alchimie de nos protagonistes combinées à une très belle réalisation sur un thème méconnu en font une série dont on ne s'ennuie pas une seule seconde. On sourit, on applaudit, on retient parfois sa larme, souvent son cri scandalisé.
Une saison réussie et maitrisée, le drama nous laisse entrevoir une saison 2, et c'est tant mieux!
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Coup de cœur !
Je ne souhaite pas m'étaler des heures parce que les critiques précédentes sont toutes si bonnes que la mienne ne ferait que pâle figure en comparaison. Cependant, je ne pouvais pas ignorer la page de Under the Skin, car il est mon premier coup de cœur de l'année.Je vais essayer de ne pas trop en dire. En réalité, j'ai déjà passé pas mal de temps sur la critique publiée sur mon site pour ne pas trop en dire. Et comme je n'aime pas faire de stupide copié/collé. Bref ! Sachez juste que cette review n'est pas à la hauteur de Under the Skin qui mérite mieux.
Le scénario était stupéfiant. On part d'un fil rouge qui va s'étirer tout du long, mais on va lui apporter de nombreux connecteurs afin de ne pas tomber dans une ambiance terne et monotone. Certains pourront avoir le sentiment qu'il manque quelque chose. Mais cela dépendra de ce que vous attendez réellement de ce drame. Une histoire pleine de suspense avec de multiples sous-intrigue et un aspect tranche de vie ou une façon différente d'aborder les crimes en se concentrant sur les enquêtes. Les cas sont traités d'une façon unique et fascinante - je suis fascinée en tout cas. De simples cas, on construit toute une intrigue autour et chacun étant en lien avec le travail de Shen Yi, le dessin. C'était incroyable d'ailleurs de voir les portraits s'esquisser pour prendre vie par la suite. Et les personnages ne sont pas en reste.
Le casting était parfait ! Tan Jian Ci était spectaculaire dans le rôle de Shen Yi. Il est l'image même de Under the Skin avec sa palette d'expressions maîtrisée et la façon dont il a abordé son personnage au fil des épisodes.
Jin Shi Jia incarne bien le flic un peu brut en surface, mais au cœur tendre et au bon fond. Le reste du casting était bon, chacun amenant du dynamisme quand il le fallait et où il le fallait.
L'image était bonne avec des couleurs prenantes. La palette de couleurs nous plonge dans une ambiance. La musique était très bien. Mention spéciale au générique d'ouverture.
Under the Skin était pour moi une fascination qui aura alimenté mes soirées avec passion - la rime c'est cadeau. J'aime les séries policières, mais rares sont celles qui vont me marquer de la sorte. Et c'est totalement ce que fait Under the Skin. Difficile de l'ignorer une fois commencé, difficile de l'oublier une fois terminé.
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pas incontournable
Ce n'est pas une mauvaise série, mais elle ne fait pas partie des séries "À voir absolument".Il y a des choses intéressantes dans le scénario (le postulat de départ est plutôt original) et les personnages ne sont pas aussi simples qu'ils le semblent le paraître au premier abord. C'est plutôt bien interprété, mais pas de grosse révélation de ce côté là non plus. Et puis, la fin est cousue de fils blanc, c'est sans surprise (bonnes ou mauvaise)
Je n'en garderais pas un souvenir impérissable et je ne la reregarderais pas.
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A picture paints a thousand words
As usual every year we will get at least one underrated C-drama gem in dramaland. Under the Skin is this year’s gem for me. Along with Reset, this drama becomes 2022’s first quarter surprise package. Another astonishing aspect is that although this iQiyi production is a detective investigation thriller and whodunit mystery, it doesn’t carry the Mist Theatre’s Light On series tag. Which is just as well considering the disappointment with the recent (2021) additions to the series.For the first time ever in a Chinese crime drama, as far as I’m aware, the concept of forensic art is featured extensively as the main premise of the story. The narrative revolves around the talented and highly perceptive mock portrait artist, Shen Yi, and his partnership with police detective Captain Du Cheng of the Beijiang Branch’s Criminal Investigation Detachment. Each of them share an interwoven backstory that provides the backdrop of the overarching main mystery and the development of their dynamic and respective character growth. The drama is presented in an episodic procedural format where the leads utilise their unique skill sets in solving extremely unusual cases, usually involving murders.
Under the Skin is based on the original screenplay co-written by Jia Dongyan, winner of the 27th Shanghai TV Festival Magnolia Award for Best Screenplay, and Wu Yao, Gold Award recipient for the Feature Film category at the 2012 New York International Film Festival. Jia Dongyan also serves as art director for the production, which is directed by the prolific Xing Jianjun. Principal photography took place in Xiamen which began in March 2021. The production team reportedly conducted considerable research into crime scenes depicted in famous art pieces as well as the application of forensic art methodology in criminal investigations.
What I Loved
There are numerous aspects of the production which I absolutely love and in comparison with many Chinese crime dramas in recent years, for me this drama ranks amongst the best in the genre. It’s innovative, refreshing, and does the basics of storytelling very well with a fantastic cast and crew. It may not appear as gritty or visceral and perhaps lack a little bit of realism at times but despite what I feel are subtle flaws, the things that exceed my expectations leave an indelible impression indeed. To briefly summarise the positive points:
1. The forensic art premise that focuses on how art is used to aid police investigations in its various forms. Whether as a composite sketch, predictive facial renderings or age-progression/ regression predictions and many others, I find the entire concept and display extremely enthralling. I’m a huge fan of crime thrillers, noir and procedurals but I’ve never encountered such an in-depth study into this subject matter before. The added bonus is seeing all the beautiful art pieces and creative artwork on display.
2. The characterization of Shen Yi, an artist of immense talent who possesses a perceptive mind and sharp deductive reasoning. I find his inherently calm demeanour and generally empathetic nature deeply endearing. This character captivates not only with his enigmatic backstory but also his multifaceted and rather charming personality. He is by no means faultless or exemplary for he constantly has to face the presence of his inner demons throughout, as well as the initial prejudice by his colleagues but he gradually overcomes all these challenges with poise and sensibility.
3. The second male lead, Du Cheng, who at times feels more like Shen Yi’s sidekick. His character progression and the subsequent evolution of his working relationship as well as personal friendship with Shen Yi is heartening to see. The “buddy cop” depiction here which incorporates elements of enemies-to-friends and bromance is one of the most rewarding strong suits of this drama.
4. The well-structured and coherent storytelling approach along with uniquely written individual cases as well as the overarching mystery. Most, if not all, of the cases depicted are highly unusual as far as either the method of execution or the motive behind the premeditated crimes. Where the investigations are concerned, I love that this drama is straightforward and no nonsense where viewers are immediately immersed into the cases and without the interference of fillers, unnecessary side stories or off putting comic relief. Even when the focus shifts to the characters’ interactions and development, it never feels redundant or superfluous to the overall tone which remains consistent throughout the show.
5. The depth of the narrative. Despite being an episodic procedural, it feels more like an anthology of short stories because each case spans more than an episode. Rather than simply focusing on solving the crime per se, it explores the background and related characters involved within each case to the fullest, complete with all the emotions of the human drama. Most of the culprits are not merely bad or evil perpetrators but are written as profoundly layered individuals who are bound by a tragic twist of fate that has led to their existing circumstances. The drama very delicately imbues subtexts on current societal concerns and even cautionary tales that enhance the storytelling. I find it surprising that the presence of certain themes actually passed censorship; for instance the subtle hints of GL, showcasing domestic violence as well as psychological abuse and gaslighting.
6. I have to pay tribute to the production team because the technical execution is quite superb. The editing renders remarkable scene transitions, clear sound mixing and audio quality even if overdubbing is utilised, and the authentic production design. The music is truly on another level with an impressive versatility to capture the different moods, in addition to the sinister “Hitchcockian” vibes of the more chilling scenes. Coupled with the impressive cinematography and beautiful colour grading, each case has a distinctive feel to the atmospherics - carefree youth, sweet romance, melancholic sadness and regret, as well as intense edge-of-the-seat suspense. Kudos as well to the styling department for the way Shen Yi is presented. I really like his fashion and overall appearance which makes him stand out from the rest of his colleagues.
7. The perfect casting choices. It’s my first time seeing Tan Jian Ci in a lead role and what an inspired selection it has been. He is perfect as Shen Yi where his portrayal exudes much intrigue, charm and likeability that draws you in deeper as the story unfolds. He possesses a strong sense of presence that encompasses a wide variety of emotions indeed. I think I finally understand why he is chosen as the lead for Winner is King so I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for him there. His co-lead, Jin Shi Jia, delivers a decent depiction of Du Cheng who balances grit with adorable goofiness at times. Both leads work very well together and are absolutely fun to watch.
Final Thoughts
Under the Skin is such a pleasant surprise and has to be considered an absolute gem for the first quarter of 2022, if not the whole year. Despite the somewhat far-fetched final arc and Shen Yi appearing exceedingly "superpowered" at times, they did not detract from the ingenuity of the writing and my overall enjoyment. I’m also tremendously pleased with the ending that provides a fitting and most satisfying closure to what truly has been a wonderful viewing experience. This comes very highly recommended indeed.
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Under "Your" Skin
Under The Skin is a 20 episodes crime drama produced by Linmon Pictures . The narrative revolves around a forensic criminal profiler and a detective who meets again after 7 years and proceeds to work together to solve cases while uncovering what happened 7 years ago. Under The Skin is compelling, thrilling, and emotional. It has an engrossing plot, impressive cinematography, and art direction.As a crime drama, Under The Skin is not groundbreaking, but in my opinion, it is one of the best out there. What makes Under The Skin different from any other crime dramas is how they solve the cases. Instead of just going through the tracks and pieces of evidence like any other crime drama, this drama focuses on another aspect, forensic art, which is rarely seen in other dramas.
The drama has simple yet interesting cases, it is compelling, easy to follow, and has good moral messages behind every case. The process of case solving is also relatively simple, but still engaging. Each of the story arcs manages to be complex and intriguing while still showing the very real human emotions being experienced by the characters. I love how there is always a human element in each case, the culprit is not labeled as a "black" character, but more to grey. The drama shows you their own fascinating background story and makes you understand why they took down "THE" path.
Under The Skin script shed a light on social issues, there’s a human element and empathy in every episode. For instance, in the first case, you can see women’s prejudice in the workplace and what women need to go through to break the glass ceiling. The cases are realistic, it may resonate with the audience. My personal favorite case is in episodes 11 and 12, “girls help girls - woman can understand woman, woman protect woman”
Under The Skin is written by 6 scriptwriters, 5 of them are females which is why you might find that a lot of the cases and plot mostly revolves around women. The drama also manages to showcase the diversity in the police force, there’s a female detective, police officer, forensic doctor, and more (also there’s a lot of pretty ladies in the drama).
Other than a compelling script, the script is also immensely elevated by the excellent acting of every actor and actress in Under The Skin. The actors and supporting actors and actresses acting are phenomenal, they add so much emotional nuance that brings the characters to life. Both of the male leads, Tan Jianci and Jin Shijia portray their character very well. Tan Jianci as a natural and gentleman, and Jin Shijia as a charming yet rough character.
Despite all its hits, it also has it’s miss. For me, the only miss from the drama is the plot holes in the cases and some of the cases are not wrapped clearly and perfectly. But other than that, the whole drama is a hit!
Under The Skin keeps you at the edge of your seat with the thrills and suspense at the end of every episode. I believe this drama is worth the binge, those who watch this will feel addictive to consume the whole drama in one sitting.
Fun fact: yes the whole criminal profiling profession is indeed that amazing and 神奇. In 2017, the murder of Zhang Yingying in the United States. The police was not able to identify who was the culprit, and they asked help from a Chinese forensic profiler, Lin Yuhui. And he managed to draw out the culprit just from a blurry CCTV and helped solved the case!
P.S. Season 2 is coming! on one of the scriptwriter weibo post, she mentioned she went to gather some materials for Under The Skin season 2 and she also mentioned the drama should've have some more art aspect but was omitted due to the limited number of episodes, and she hopes that she can put those ideas in season 2 and the extra episodes!
Weibo post: https://m.weibo.cn/1461807075/4673683987108245
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How much can one's skin, one's face tell you…
Under the Skin is a crime drama that revolves around two main characters Shen Yi (Tan Jian Ci) and Du Cheng (Jin Shi Jia) and how they solve cases together. Shen Yi was an art professor but he joins Criminal investigation Detachment of Beijiang as a forensic artist and helps them with his great observation skills and his professional art skills. Captain Du Cheng bears a grudge against Shen Yi as he once drew a portrait for his undercover friend who later died.
The balanced tension between these two where one carries guilt and the other carries a past grudge was visible right from the beginning but since this combo was tied together by circumstances it was gonna be fun watching how the latter story progresses. Their bond that develops over time and the trust that comes along as they solve mysteries together is the precious part.
Favorite lines from the drama »»»
—"Humans give intriguing expressions when they're alive but once they're dead, their face becomes so dull"
—"Dead men are expressive too. Sometimes it's even reliable than a living person"
A major highlight of the drama are "portraits". If not for this drama, I could've never expected art is this deep and they can actually recover faces with such less hints. I appreciate the amount of art and portraits in this drama. It made things more realistic and reasonable. It's about the details that makes this drama more interesting.
This has a total of 10 cases including 9 cases of the present and 1 case from past 7 years ago which are intriguing, unpredictable and unique. The best part is that their stories will not disappoint you at all.
Acting — Tan Jianci as the invincible portraitist is the perfect actor for this role. His minute expressions everytime he is drawing or sketching is just flawless. The way he acts as if he is observing things looks so real and he is like totally into his character. Jin Shijia is also good acting as the cool leader of the team. Even all those guest actors who acted only for 2-3 episodes when their case was going on were so on point. I was touched by some of their stories and no doubt their acting played an important part.
Okay so overall, I enjoyed the drama totally. I was looking forward to the revelation of all those cases and I liked the stories in them. The acting is perfect and I recommend this thriller mystery drama that has little sprinkles of bromance along.
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1The mind's eye.
Under the Skin is a police procedural that is built around the use of forensic art to solve cases. This fresh pitch within a well established genre is what makes this an interesting and fairly enjoyable watch.The drama opens with a classroom analysis of Jean-Louis David's "The Death of Marat", one of the most political and epochal masterpieces of the French Revolution. This beautiful lie of a painting that rearranges the crime scene and depicts the unsightly and radical Marat as a matyr makes the point that appearances can be deceiving. The assassin, feminist activist Charlotte Corday who in her own words, "killed one man to save a hundred thousand" is regarded as a heroine by many. It is clear inspiration for the drama's social commentary that highlights women's issues and the often empathetic portrayal of the perpetrators of the crimes. It is truly wonderful how carefully these recurring themes are woven into the cases and how deftly art is used to portray the distinction between first impressions, perception and different realities for different people.
This is all embodied in the mind's eye of genius artist Shen Yi, who is able to marry deductive observations from the scene and the nature of the crime with intuition to uncannily recreate images of the culprit, at times the victim and how it all went down. Tan Jianci is an actor I have kept an eye on for quite some time and I am excited to see him land lead roles. While he delivers a charming and nuanced articulation of this very reserved "still waters run deep" kind of character, it is not a role that best showcases the range and depth of his abilities as an actor. The real issue lies with the character blueprint itself, which is sad to say rather two dimensional. Shen Yi is simply too good to be true; beyond his artistic genius, he is also a master interrogator, chess player, indeed he is a jack of all skills required to solve the case. I am not quite sure what this elite Beijing Interpol team did without him. He is a loner with no real friends or family, has no vices or other flaws other than nodding off in cars either because he himself or Du Cheng is a snooze fest. Even though justice is blind in so many of the cases, he remains too unquestioningly a truth seeker and enforcer of the law. This is at odds with the many cases that conclude with a sense that the perpetrators were the true victims and it bothered me that it didn't bother Shen Yi.
Where Shen Yi is clearly the brains, Du Cheng is the muscle archetype; the man of action that takes stray bullets and runs into windows as and when needed. Yet like Shen Yi, Du Cheng is a likeable but ultimately hollow character with limited definition and development that comes very late in the game. The relationship between the two protagonist is so tentatively explored and inhibited that they barely make eye contact until we are in the final innings of the story. This is a shame because Tan Jianci and Jin Shijia share a very comfortable chemistry that the production did not fully take advantage of. I am left with a dissatisfied feeling of having been told rather than shown how the unbreakable bond of friendship and trust builds between them. The main antagonist is another shallow and uninteresting character who becomes pretty obvious well before the reveal even though their motive is unfathomable to the point of making no sense. It is fair to say that the characters in this drama are very much like Shen Yi's sketches; they are just nice outlines that lack dimension, colour, weight and substance.
It can be argued that two dimensional characters are par for the course in good, meaty plot driven dramas but unfortunately the plot is where this drama disappoints the most. Even though I appreciate the empathetic spotlight on current social issues, the cases or sub-plots are hit or miss and they don't deepen the main plot. There are only two solid, tightly wrapped up cases that I found very enjoyable. The other cases are rather predictable, had logic flaws and often don't wrap up the issues raised in a satisfactory manner. As for the main plot, the best part of it is how ingeniously the villain is trapped. The mastermind's involvement in the 7-year cold case that brings Shen Yi and Du Cheng together is frankly ridiculous. They were too successful very early on in a very lucrative field to need to engage in such a risky, difficult and time consuming business. There are at least two other potential masterminds, each of which would have made for much more convincing villains in terms of motive, means and opportunity. I feel the finale's message simply panders to the Chinese government's recent data privacy paranoia and crackdown on a big industry.
I can tell that a lot of research and meticulous attention to detail went into the procedural aspects of this drama and setting and artistic aesthetics are phenomenal. Even though the stage is set with amazing props and really nice camerawork, the overall impression is bland. There are no larger than life characters or relationships that will rock your world. There is no tension, no conflict, no suspense build up, the drama doesn't really peak it is just monotone throughout. That said it has some unique aspects and it is well made enough to be a good way to pass some time. I rate it a solid but ultimately forgettable 8/10.
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Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers
I’ve never been so intrigued with a C-Drama as much as this
First off, I don’t normally write reviews (although I read them to get a general idea if I should watch or skip a drama), so you know if I’m writing one that means it got under my skin (see what I did there lol). First off, story was epic from beginning to end. I started this drama originally on Viki and while waiting for new episodes to air, I went to iQIYI out of the blue so I can watch another drama while I waited. I’m glad I did because iQIYI had their episodes up and fully subbed so I could watch them asap. I like mystery and crime shows and to me, this was a cross between Law & Order SVU and Ocean’s Eleven. It’s a whole big bag of whodunnit with just enough drama to keep me interested. Aside from Tan Jian Ci and Baby Zhang, this cast was unknown to me (although the actress who played Li Han looked familiar), so it was refreshing to see different actors instead of the same ones over and over again, and each one played their role perfectly. I won’t go into too much about the OST because honestly I skip the beginning and ending credits and I didn’t really pay attention if there were actual songs in this drama, so if you’re hoping for a good OST and maybe a little romance, then this is not the drama for you. They have a good amount of bromance though although it took awhile, they got there. And finally, the last episode and especially the last scene, tied everything together. Or did it? Are we going to have another season? One could only wish. I hope this review will help you determine if you should watch it or not, but don’t just read my thoughts. Let the high reviews and praise help you start (and/or) finish this masterpiece.Cet avis était-il utile?
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Often implausible, but interesting and has nicely developed main characters
As a mystery/detective series, the cases in the story are intriguing enough. However, the way the cases are solved is often too far-fetched. The skills of Shen Yi, an artist turned cop, are better placed in a series featuring someone with supernatural powers. And while the biggest case of the series (the one case that, by convention, we are introduced to at the start and only gets solved right at the end) does get very interesting, the way the case is solved seems a little too implausible (and it's not because of Shen Yi's skills, which we have probably gotten used to by the end of the series).Still, there is plenty to love about this series. The acting is good. The portrayal of the changes in the relationship between Shen Yi and Du Cheng is excellent, making them characters whom we feel for. They have pretty solid back stories that are related to the mystery cases and shape their respective characters. The friendship is nicely developed without pandering to fans who want to see bromance, and this may be a good thing too. We see how Du Cheng is at first hostile towards Shen Yi, how he begins to recognize Shen Yi's abilities, his increasing concern for Shen Yi, his protectiveness towards the artist who barely knows how to use a gun, and his genuine acceptance that Shen Yi should not be blamed for an incident causing a senior policeman to die years ago. Even before Du Cheng says it directly, we can see that he regards Shen Yi as a friend and a colleague he looks up to. And eventually he uses the term "buddies".
If you are really demanding in terms of the plausibility of the cases and how the are solved when it comes to detective stories. I won't really say this is highly recommended. But if you can suspend a bit of disbelief and take it that Shen Yi's abilities are so extraordinary that they border on being superpowers, this is actually a very enjoyable series.
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Mr Plod the Policeman plays Cluedo with Sherlock Sigmund da Vinci
Okay, suckered again by the rating and reviews. This is the first Chinese cop show I’ve watched and as this one is reputedly the crême de la crême (MDL rating 8.7, March 2023), then it will probably be the last. Don’t be deceived into false hope by the quality of the murals at the start of Ep 1. It’s not going to live up to them. Every time I thought, oh this is getting better maybe it’s actually quite good, something eye rolling would happen.Having said that, the ideas are not all bad and in better hands, given more time and depth, some could have been good. However, it’s got a cater-to-the-lowest-common-denominator type of script with dialogue that’s way too banal and explainy. That’s coupled with a shallow and pedestrian execution complete with impossible leaps of logic and events that catapult you forward way beyond the bounds of credibility. It does improve as you get further into it, and has flashes of inspiration, but you have to wait until the last few episodes. Overall it never really manages to be anything other than heavily flawed.
I was hoping for something deep and convoluted, but it mainly comprises sequential procedurals of unrelated crimes lasting one or two episodes, that are far too easily solved with:
1) a remarkably surprising lack of leg-work;
2) a forensic artist who could put a collaboration between Sherlock Holmes, Sigmund Freud and Leonardo da Vinci into the shade;
3) criminals who obligingly fess up before they’ve even been asked to, or roll over and spill the beans the moment they get rumbled.
The police characters have no real distinguishing marks and range from featureless to faceless. For the first 6 eps no one shouts, no one laughs, no one reveals much emotion and about the most impolite you get is entering the boss’s office without knocking. Any aberrant, impulsive behaviour needs to be (quote) “supervised”. Wow, what an ordered, stress-free life the Chinese police lead.
The most interesting character, and the best performance, is the forensic artist, Shen Yi, well played by Tan Jian Ci and mercifully he is centre stage for the majority of the time. This paragon embodies every speciality that is needed to solve the crime, including that of a handwriting expert. But you have to wait until Ep 8 for his story to really begin to unfold.
It’s a story shared with his cop partner and as it is the most interesting part of the drama it would have made a good central focus with the whole thing built around it. But instead it’s just a hastily composed fragment rushed through at the end.
Look I’m prepared to stretch credulity on occasion, but there were a lot of scenes in this drama particularly regarding client confidentiality, colour blindness, gun procedure, DNA extraction, virus tracking, lack of procedure and the take down scene at the end, that had me snorting with laughter. I mean really folks, handing out guns to untrained people like candies to children—there’s a limit… Research! Just do your job and research before you put fingers on the keyboard to write the script unless you intend for it to be comedy.
On the upside, the creative artwork and cinematography are a total joy. You also get to learn a lot about the world of the forensic artist and the techniques they employ, even though, I swear, some of it is lifted from a fairy tale.
What my rating means: 6+ Some aspects of it were OK but it had serious flaws. It will pass the time but you can find something better.
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I always admire the work of art create by someone & to make drama about forensic art is something new that I've never expected. This drama sometimes remind me about American drama, Bones. How Bones, and here Shen Yi (SY), create portrait of someone by her skull or younger picture of someone.When I watched this drama really amaze me, how SY really can picture someone face when they younger or older just base on the picture or someone face... Sometimes I really think they really stretch it beyond believable, just like the rape or the bombing case ... How can he draw just base on that messy explanation. Really SY mind or imagination is really impressive.
What I like:
+ I really like how all the actor play their part here
+ I like how they not stretch the episode into long & boring one. They make it short & to the point, no extra episode needed to stretch it out.
+ The growth relationship between SY & Du Cheng (DC). DC who once is almost treat SY like enemy but upon the time the trust grow & DC finally can see how important SY's job for the police force.
+ The Big Boss is someone we never expected. But actually that easy to trap him is like the minus poin for this drama. But yeah sometimes the more arogant someone is easier to trap them.
Overall upon among the Detective drama out there, this is one of the best for you to watch.
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Art with a dash of Crime! My new Cuppa!
Under the SkinI absolutely loved this show to bits. From the first episode to the last episode. There was not a moment I felt a scene was unnecessary. The show had a very solid production, excellent music and perfect casting.
One of the biggest strengths of the show is the script. I thought it was a very intelligently written show and the direction surely brought the vision on screen. What differentiates this show from generic crime shows is that it took forensics as a focus, specifically artists/portrait sketchers in forensics and stuck to it. This helped get into the details of a single aspect of forensics and get to see cases from a very unique perspective. Sometimes, it felt a bit unreal, but as the show progressed a lot of it got explained or made sense to me. The show chose not to show the full spectrum of case solving and it was left to us audience to understand that there is more to a case solving than what is just shown. (e.g other detectives are doing their work finding past crimes or doing field work etc which wasn’t the focus of this show.)
One thing that struck me most in the show is how women were portrayed here. Be it the professionals, the criminals or victims. Women were not exploited or shown with intent to victimize women from a voyeuristic male gaze. Women were part of crimes at both ends. I would even say it was mostly a women-centric drama. What made is even more special to me was that it was not shown from a female viewpoint. Usually, women centric shows end up having women leads. This show did a great job in casting two men as the leads and still making this a women centered drama. Kudos to the team for this!
Shen Yi! My heart! When was the last time we had a male character who was sensitive and so empathetic?. I don't think I have seen one. I loved how they made him so sensitive to his emotions and others around him (very relatable to artists) yet not making him an emotional vulnerable mess, but a pragmatic police officer! Case in point, when he had to deal with his partner being a suspect - he was overcome with his emotions but he still did the right thing as a police officer and as a partner (asking and listening to him).
Art: I loved how much research went into tying the art pieces to cases. I loved reading up on the art and its meaning. It was all seamlessly done and really added a lot of depth to the cases. (Also made me go to the internet for research and slowing my drama watch). They also made a lot of subtle social commentary here, without coming across as preachy. This show made me realize how much female artists have been sidelined over the course of history and made me look up female artists in history and I am hoping to learn about their works over a period of time.
And like many have said, the art porn in this drama is insane. Truly phenomenal and inspiring. It makes me want to sketch/paint more.
Overall Rating - 9/10
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