Maybe the title of the series should have been Cop and Healer rather than Killer and Healer, but I guess Killer and Healer has a nicer ring to it.

The story of how a Republican-era policeman and a doctor come together and work against the illegal opium trade in their city, linked to a conspiracy to stage a coup, is compelling. Instead of relying too heavily on "shocking" plot twists that some may find predictable, the series prepares the audience from the start for certain revelations about the identity of the masterminds behind the conspiracy while making the possibilities open enough to keep us guessing. The story is thus presented with aplomb.

As an adaptation of a BL novel, the series plays safe and largely erases the BL between the two main characters, Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi. At times, this appears a little schizophrenic. While we see the characters referring to each other as brothers (the bromance sort of brothers), we also see a hint of a romantic relations when Chu Ran (who is in love with Yuelou) see the two of them together and seem to understand that she does not stand a chance.

Comparatively, the relationship between Zhan Junbai and the opera singer, Boss Yu, is full of homosexual innuendo that is cleverly depicted, with them singing the opera, Farewell My Concubine, together and with allusions to historical figures like Dong Xian and Emperor Ai. Despite how Zhan later uses the word "friend" to describe how he treats Boss Yu, the affections he displays seem more like romantic love. Perhaps it was less of a risk to place such innuendo in the supporting characters.

Unless you are watching it solely for BL, the series tells a very good story. The only part I find disappointing in the ending -- both the original ending and the alternative happy ending versions. In the last episode, the masterminds of the conspiracy are too easily defeated. In a different story, it would likely have been fine. However, for a series that relies very heavily on the resourcefulness of the villain, the ending appears a little too rushed and sudden. Spoiler:

In the original ending, the villain is shot to death after killing one of the main characters while, in the alternative ending, the villain is caught before that can happen (this is simply narrated through an intertitle), Given the way the villain is portrayed as a ridiculously cautious person with a knack for hatching elaborate plots and a very calm disposition, the way he suddenly appears to shoot one of the main characters in public seems a little off character even when he is already driven to desperation. As for the alternative ending, the way he is caught is not even shown. I'm not sure if the original ending is faithful to the novel, but if liberties are to be taken with the source material, I would rather have the villain dying after being defeated--even if it is by suicide (since he seems to be prepared for every possible scenario anyway).

One thing I really love about this series is Mao Zijun's performance in this series as Jiang Yuelou. He very much brings the character to life by coherently portraying the different aspects of the character. He manages to seamlessly bring together the many facets of the character he plays: a cop with an uncompromising sense of righteousness, a man with emotional issues and hiding the childhood trauma he has undergone, a lonely man who wishes his cat would live a few more years to keep him company, a remorseful person who has failed to do something when a girl is kidnapped, an occasional playful grown-up and even a socially inept person who would simply ask a woman whether she likes him when the idea is suggested to him. (And more.) I can imagine how a different actor would have made the one person seem like many different characters instead.

Despite the somewhat disappointing ending, the series is really compelling throughout. I kept finding myself surprised by how quickly each episode seems to end. It's hard to stop after you start watching it.