Quite a good period drama with a few significant flaws

There is a pretty interesting story about a conspiracy and the gradual unraveling of the conspiracy is nicely done. One thing that is nicely done is how our suspicion of one of the characters to be the main conspirator is aroused but we are kept guessing whether our suspicions are founded. The main characters, Gao Bingzhu and Wu Siyue, are the most nicely developed and most interesting characters while Baili Hong Yi (Wang Yibo playing yet another not-very-sociable character) is somewhat more bland but still likable. Various aspects of the production like the set design point to high production values.

Still, there are a few flaws that bring down the series as a whole.

First of all, many viewers are irritated with the character, Liu Ran. I don't think it makes a story or a series bad because a character is irritating because there are irritating people in stories, just as there are annoying people in real life. The problem, however, is that Liu Ran doesn't blend quite well into the story as a character. Sometimes she is an example of an intelligent and strong-willed woman, but sometimes she acts stupidly and her sole function seems to be: (1) to create trouble for Baili Hong Yi, and (2) to show that Baili Hong Yi is someone with affections despite his cold exterior. The character doesn't seem to exist as someone interesting in herself but as a function in the story.

And the chacterization of Liu Ran is inconsistent. She is supposedly intelligent and devoted to Baili Hong Yi, but sometimes she is a little petulant and doesn't see the sort of trouble she is creating--it's like she will be whatever suits the story at whatever time. And the romance between her and Baili Hong Yi isn't exactly necessary to her story. The only time the character worked very well--unintentionally, I think--is towards the end when Wu Siyue relies on her to do something important. Having seen how she creates trouble despite her best intentions, the suspense regarding whether she can do whatever Wu Siyue asks her to do is enough to give one a heart attack.

Another flaw of the series is the editing technique that doesn't always work well. There is frequent intercutting between scenes that are happening at about the same time in the story, often with flashbacks thrown in. At times, this is effective in building tension. However, there are times when the intercutting seems too frequent and purposeless, and maybe it is done just so that some scenes will be broken up into shorter parts or so that there can be some suspense (not a very good way of creating suspense, if you ask me).

There are other points in which the series relies on inelegant techniques. The death of a main character at the end of the series seems totally unnecessary and seems to have been worked into the story simply with the hope of creating some emotional intensity.

Finally, the portrayal of the political situation could have been more nuanced. There can be a better sense of why the conspirators are so bent on overthrowing the emperor. The fact that the emperor is a woman seems to be a complaint of at least some of the characters, but there needs to be more than that (especially since the emperor is based on an actual historical figure). And I think the conspirators are too negatively portrayed--in many ways, they are straightforward villains except for those whose loyalty to the movement is shaken. However, I would imagine that the historical political situation is far more complex. For a series of almost 40 episodes, there could have been effort to portray the complexity.

There is a lot to like about this series, but it would have been much closer to perfection if it had avoided some of the above flaws.

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Decent basic story and acting, but the series falls short of the expectations it leads us to have

I won't summarize the story, but if I were to do so, it is likely to sound like a fairly good story with a good measure of suspense and a nice twist. Yet, there is something underwhelming about the series.

To be fair, the basic story of a serial killer out on the loose is quite good. The actors have also done quite a good job overall. Shen Yu is probably the most complex character, and I appreciate the ambiguity in her character, which helps with the building of suspense.

On the other hand, the ambiguity in Shen Yu, which does not go away even at the end of the story, may not be handled very deftly. At times, she seems almost psychopathic, like how she smiles when she deliberately gets a woman (who has killed her husband after years of abuse) agitated. Perhaps because she a main character, there was a decision not to make the character tilt too much to the dark side eventually, but there is a need for more overall coherence even if there is ambiguity in the characterization.

Then there are also the peripheral cases that don't seem all that relevant to the main story about the serial killer. The case of the murder of a pet killer does not appear to have been resolved very fully. In the end, it seems to have been written in solely for the purpose of showcasing Xia Mu's sleuthing ability (something that is emphasized at the start but ultimately does not play such a huge role) and casting doubt on Shen Yu's character. This is an instance of how the details in the telling of an otherwise decent basic story lacks finesse.

Somehow, the story also contains distractions that border on the implausible and they don't even qualify as red herrings (which can sometimes be impressive if done properly). The way one of the characters is (almost) scapegoated by the serial killer stretches one's ability to suspend one's disbelief. The sheer number of coincidences, the arrangements that need to be made and the psychological tactics that need to be employed with the exact effects intended (when there is no way to be sure of their effectiveness) weaken the story as a whole.

The serial killer is supposed to be someone really intelligent, meticulous, resourceful and probably has plenty of free time on his hands to watch some of the characters. Then when the identity of the killer is revealed, it is a bit of a letdown. He seems delusional (though inconsistently so) and does not exude the aura of a killer who has been able to conceal his crimes for almost three decades. The extent of his cruelty (such as placing a clock in front of his victims so that they see the clock ticking as they die slowly), the chosen method of killing (using a mix of anesthesia and muscle relaxants) and how he obtains the material needed for the killings are all unaccounted for. (To make matters worse, what does get explained, like how he learnt to give injections, can be rather bizarre if you think about it.)

Finally, although there is supposed to be a lot of emotional intensity, I somehow don't feel it. I know the cop (Leng Xiao Bing) who misses a chance to shoot the serial killer is supposed to be guilt-ridden, and the actor does a good job portraying it, but the scenes don't really convince me of it. We don't really see the psychological depth behind his inaction; neither do we really see much of his struggles with guilt over the years. Xia Mu is supposed to be suffering from PTSD firstly due to the murder of his teacher (who is like a mother) and later due the fact that grandfather is killed, but we get too few glimpses of how attached he is to these two people in his life. (In fact, he doesn't even seem to have witnessed the grandfather being killed, but it triggered a relapse of the PTSD?)

There are elements of the story that can make for a relatively good sales pitch. A serial killer is on the loose. A cop wants to correct the error he has made as a rookie. A young man becomes a cop to nab to solve a cold case because his loved one is a victim. A doctor who may or may not be abetting or even instigating crimes. Unfortunately, the series makes one expect so much only to deliver so little.

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A classic that stands out amongst other excellent dramas

There are some dramas that are excellent and popular in their time but end up being forgotten soon enough. This series, however, has the makings of one of those classics that can well get remade again and again with room for a different interpretation or emphasis on different things, kind of like some of Louis Cha's novels that have been repeatedly made into new series. The complexity of the plot, the intertwining of the plot and subplots, together with the nuances in characterization make this a series that truly stands out.

There are some series or movies that become famous because of the stars, and there are actors who become huge stars because of a particular series or movie. But this is one of those instances in which it works both ways. Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo have become really famous because of the series, but, at the same time, it would be hard to imagine anyone else playing the two main characters. It is one of those series where, if there is a remake years down the road, people are going to look back and say that it can't match up to the Xiao Zhan/Wang Yibo pairing.

The series is adapted from a novel with strong BL elements, but it does not tell the story simply for the sake of showing the relationship between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian. This distinguishes it from a lot of BL series in which the relationship between the main characters take primacy over all else. For instance, the attention paid to Wei Wuxian's relationship with Jiang Chen and Jian Yanli (more like siblings to him although he isn't really an adopted son in the family) also makes the story really moving. Although I see commenters who don't seem to see the depth of Jiang Chen's brotherly love for Wei Wuxian, the series actually portrays Jiang Chen's emotions with nuance. Sure, there may be resentment because of some misunderstandings and even a bit of jealousy, but even when Jiang Chen seems determined to kill Wei Wuxian, he still doesn't hate Wei Wuxian thoroughly. When Wei Wuxian is able to fall off the cliff, Jiang Chen seems to hate him enough to want to stab him to death, but he ends up stabbing the rocky cliff instead (it's rather hard to miss his target, so he probably couldn't bring himself to end Wei Wuxian's life at that crucial moment). From the start, even when they are on good terms, Jiang Chen's bark is worse than his bite, and he is very harsh with his words when talking to Wei Wuxian. But he really cares about Wei Wuxian--even after the Jiang Sect is exterminated and he seems to blame Wei Wuxian for it, he still has enough trust that Wei Wuxian will not turn evil and *pretends* to fall out with him when other sects are out for Wei Wuxian's blood.

The brotherly relationship between Jiang Chen and Wei Wuxian is a nice contrast to the relationship between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian. In a way, the feelings between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji cannot simply be bromance. Although Lan Wangji usually maintains a cold and emotionless exterior, his feelings are shown quite early on through his brother (who seems to be able to read his mind), through how he keeps everything related to Wei Wuxian, including Wei's favorite wine (which is contraband in his sect). On Wei Wuxian's part, he also quite early on seems to like to get Lan Wangji's attention and be close to him, trying to talk to him when others try to avoid him out of fear. He also asks Jiang Yanli at one point about what it's like to "like" someone (who else could be be referring to?). He just doesn't seem to realize how much Lan Wangji loves him. Then there's also the symbolism of Lan Wangji's headband, which he is not supposed to let anyone but his beloved touch.

Perhaps in the future, in a more open-minded world, we will have a remake that showcases the censored BL more. But the censoring of the BL elements isn't necessary a bad thing. Of course, if everything else remains the same, it would be at least a bit better if the love between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian had a chance to be shown more clearly. Yet, the series seems to do better than the novel (which I have read only snippets of) in showing the emotional bond between the two characters, and the relationship is more romantic with the sexual aspects taken out. (I can totally do without softcore-porn scenes although I would appreciate a clear portrayal of them as a couple rather than "confidantes".)

The Untamed has often been compared to Word of Honor, which is also one of my favorites. But Word of Honor really doesn't come close in terms of developing a good story with a range of complex characters with interesting development. What Word of Honor does better is passing and bypassing the censors simultaneously, but I think this strategy probably started with The Untamed and is pushed further in Word of Honor.

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Good story but the delivery isn't consistently top-notch

I can't quite articulate why I took such a long time to watch this series; in fact, I almost forgot about it after watching till Episode 25-26 and only resumed watching months later. This is odd because the series does have quite a solid story. However, somehow, some aspects of the overall delivery didn't work very well for me although most aspects of the production are impressive. Perhaps it was the rather exaggerated behavior of Bai Ying, a sort of villainous splinter of the female protagonist, Si Teng. Perhaps it's the somewhat confusing portrayal of Bai Ying, which required some patience to continue watching to understand. Perhaps it is how some parts end up being a little too draggy (particularly Episode 26 onwards) and it felt almost as though the series was stretched a few episodes beyond what was necessary without really succeeding in enhancing the emotional impact.

Still, there are merits to the story, I find the first two-thirds of it much better that the rest, especially with the range of characters contributing to both heights of tension as well as lighthearted moments of comic relief. The story of mutants and the supposed battle between the humans and mutants (hybrids of life forms on earth and aliens) is interesting enough even if it ultimately resembles more conventional Chinese folklore about animals/plants cultivating themselves into demons (think: Journey to the East sort of demons) except that the setting is China in the 20th to 21st centuries. The last one-third or so of the story has a somewhat different personality, and this is where it may lose some fans.

The historical setting spans from China in the early 20th-century to contemporary China as Si Teng reawakens in the 21st-century after being "killed" by her splintered self decades ago. The unraveling of the circumstances that have led to her conflict with her splintered self and with the anti-mutant humans is the best part of the story. What I didn't quite like, however, were the borderline propagandistic messages about how utopian contemporary China is compared to the past.

We have a 30-episode series, but there is an Episode 31 that features an alternative ending. The ending in Episode 30 is more coherent, and the crowd-pleasing alternative ending in Episode 31 would have been good if it had not left too many things unexplained: how does Si Teng splinter another self when her powers are practically exhausted (there's something about a seed, but ...), how does Qin Fang find her after her disappearances, how does Si Teng manage to survive and why doesn't Qin Fang age? Perhaps the two main characters don't exist in a physical form anymore? (But then why would they talk about meeting up with their old friends, who have literally become older?)

The series does deserve a lot of praise except that I find it hard to praise it effusively. The concept is good, the story is interesting, and the overall production values are good. But it lacks a little something that would make it an unforgettable classic.

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Contemplative, if not everyone's cup of tea

Maybe it is best to start off with what this film is not. It is not a movie with an engaging storyline, full of suspense, twists and action. And while it may be classified as a film with LGBTQ+ themes, it is not too focused on LGBTQ+ issues either. The film may not live up to expectations because of what it is not, but it is also beautiful in its own way.

The film has quite a number of characters though the ones who take up most of the screen time are the old man and the teenager. It is just that there isn't that much of a narrative where these two characters are concerned. The old man takes buses and inexplicably spits in the buses, to the chagrin of the bus drivers and other passengers. A teenager, who is trying to record evidence of her father having an affair, sneaks into the old man's apartment without permission because it offers a good view of the adulteress' apartment. However, she accidentally leaves her phone in the old man's apartment and when she tries to retrieve it, the old man damages it, so she keeps harassing him for payment or to let her use his apartment for her self-imposed task of catching her father in bed with the woman he is having an affair with.

In many ways, the film foregrounds the distance between people in society. There is so much going on in the lives of people around us, but do we really ever stop to care? If we see the old man spitting in a bus, do we stop to wonder if he may be someone with a sad story or do we simply feel disgusted and wish that he does not bother us? The teenager does not make an effort to understand her mother; neither does the teenager's brother and father. She is feeling dissatisfied with her life, envying a friend who has some sort of a career while she only gives piano lessons to a young man hoping to be a star. On the other hand, perhaps people also prefer to keep things to themselves. The teenager's mother does try to find out what she has been doing, but she is impatient and irritated by the motherly questions. The teenager's brother and the mother's piano student are gay and in a relationship, but the mother has to find out in a most awkward way--just as she starts taking a romantic interest in the student (perhaps psychologically explainable as a sort of a bid to re-live the youth she has lost). So lonely as we might be, there are probably things that we prefer to leave unsaid. After all, we live in a society with people who can mercilessly gossip about and judge others, such as when people speculate that the teenager is an underaged prostitute who has been going to the old man's house to provide her services.

The film, nevertheless, is humane in its portrayal of the plethora of characters, showing their dark secrets without judging them. Perhaps there is a personal risk in opening up to others, but it can also forge a connection between people, as the old man does when he reveals to the teenager that he is transgender when he tries to advise her not to hurt herself more by exposing her father's adultery to the rest of the family. The film ends ambivalently, with the old man seeming to be on the verge of suicide when the teenager appears and calls out to him. She walks towards him, stops some distance away, and the film ends. Is it the connection between them that is emphasized or the distance between them that is emphasized?

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Unconventional, possibly in unintended ways

At first, this series seems like it would be firmly in the crime thriller genre. There are criminals, including a serial killer on the loose from the time the main male character is a child to the time he is grown up and has become a criminologist. There are different criminal cases, but there is a connection between the cases even though the crimes are unrelated. Yet, it does not go very heavy on the solving of mysteries. As some viewers have noted, the investigations don't even seem professional. The story is pretty good fiction, but if you are expecting a solid criminal investigation story or even a realistic portrayal of psychopathic serial killers, this series will defy your expectations. The police don't seem to be very good at their work and requires the expertise of the male protagonist, and the male protagonist himself has to rely on his resourceful friend (a wealthy art dealer of all things) to find out information. Eventually, his reliance on the friend becomes a self-conscious joke in the series as the friend observes how the male protagonist would keep on giving him orders to investigate things. (And yeah, it's not very nice to blackmail your gay friend into doing things for you by threatening to out him to his father.)

I think there are several narrative threads left hanging: I found myself asking at the end, "Wait, so is the guy who flees to the Philippines and gets arrested there a serial killer or has a serial killer made use of him to kill?" Also, what has really happened to the main female character's father? And perhaps the oddest of all: why does the story end with the identified (main serial killer) still on the loose in a drama that sets itself out to be some sort of crime drama? I can't really tell whether it is merely an attempt to have some sort of cliffhanger for Season 2 (which may not happen) or if it is a daring deviation from genre conventions.

A deviation from what one may expect from the crime genre seems plausible because the deviation is present way before the ending. Sometimes, the deviation is interesting. For instance, one might already guess from Episode 1 who the "monster" referred to is, but even when one guesses it, one may watch on to find out how the dots are connected. Also, the fact that the main serial killer has someone in the police force helping him secretly is strongly hinted at (together with the precise identity of the person helping him), but even upon getting the hint, one may want to watch on to find out exactly why the person is helping the killer. This makes the story more fun than merely having sudden revelations that no one would expect, something that I think too many series try to do.

On the other hand, there is awkwardness in the way the series defies genre conventions. For one, the serial killers (yes, there is more than one) are "humanized" a little too much. They seem to be psychopaths though I don't recall the term being used in the series at all. The term "monster" is used, perhaps because the series is meant to explore human nature without pathologizing certain behaviors. There is allusion to a story about how there are two wolves in every person (one good, one evil) and how the wolf that one is fed will govern the person's behavior, and the duality of human nature seems to be the focus here. Yet, the series seems to take this a little too far in showing the humane side of people whom we might understand to be psychopaths, showing them to be highly capable of true empathy and affection. Yes, there is the nature vs. nurture debate, but is it possible for someone to have the capacity for love and empathy when both nature and nurture have worked together to efface the person's good side (assuming there is one) from a young age, as in the case with the male protagonist's brother?

The depiction of the male protagonist's relationship with his brother is also quite unconventional. I'm pretty sure it is not my BL-fan imagination shaping my perceptions, but there are points when the brothers are depicted almost in a way one might expect lovers to be depicted. It might well be possible to do a montage of their scenes together and convincingly present it as a trailer for a BL series that does not exist. It's not that I mind the portrayal of brothers being really chummy and not exhibiting any toxic masculinity towards one another--after all, it is not as though there is actually any incest going on in the story. But what is the point of it all? Especially if we remember that the younger brother is actually rather selfish in telling their father not to believe what the older one says, his longing for brotherly affections can't possibly be as innocent and sympathy-inducing as the series eventually makes it seem. I would guess that the younger brother just wants to be loved without loving anyone, but this doesn't seem to be the case eventually. In other words, the story seems to venture into a rather dark terrain and then suddenly chickens out and heads the opposite direction instead.

Many seem to hate the main female character, but she isn't really that bad. There are some points when she is a rather badly written character. For instance, she is supposed to be a rather feisty person and a daring police officer who will investigate and stop crimes even when there is danger, but then she would suddenly behave like an idiot afraid of ghosts when exploring a house. Unfortunately, the character seems to be quite unnecessary (especially with the lack of elaboration on what has happened to her father) and seems to be placed in the drama for some obligatory romance though some scenes between the male lead and his brother seem more romantic than her scenes with the male lead.

Overall, the story is quite intriguing even with its flaws. I don't know how faithfully it has followed the Korean original, but assuming that it has followed the original story closely, I think it should have taken liberties to correct the inherent flaws in the story.

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Quirky but fast-paced and entertaining

You wouldn't be wrong if you think this is a BL that uses a not-very-original "from fake boyfriends to real boyfriends" story. That's really what it is, but it also has its own character. It's the sort of series that is not afraid of being a little quirky with its use of a musical style (the characters break into song every now and then ) and the main setting in Isaan rather than Bangkok. The series has good looking actors but does not make them unrealistically good looking. The end result is something both familiar and unfamiliar enough to be accepted by a wide audience.

The story is light-hearted but does work itself to some moments of heightened tension, so it is not an entirely light and frivolous offering. Together with the fast pacing, however, this means that there will be times when the shifts in tone are a little too abrupt. We can have a break-up one moment and a comic scene the next.

There are three BL couples in the series, and they are all rather likable. The main couple, Ruk and IG, could have had a more fleshed out story--it's cute when they become a couple, but the break-up occurs quite quickly after that and it doesn't feel as heartbreaking as it could have. The two side couples do not get that much attention but, especially for Nukrob and Grateen, manage to be likable enough for us to care about them.

The last couple of episodes give closure to the story, but do not seem to be as good as the earlier episodes. Some parts feel a little rushed while other parts feel draggy in the last couple of episodes. Still, this is quite an entertaining series. It's not the kind that will leave you craving for a second season, but nice to watch when you just want to relax.

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Wish it had paid more attention to the details

At first, this series seems to be just a B-grade horror comedy with some BL thrown in. The ghost carrying a head and scaring people is just one of the things that give this impression.

However, as the story progresses, it becomes more intriguing. As a group of students is quarantined in a dorm and frightened by ghosts there, they gradually find out more about the deaths of two students there ten years ago. The mystery of what causes the deaths of the two students, a same-sex couple, does get interesting as the revelations of the past lead more more mysteries that to be solved.

Unfortunately, while the general trajectory of the story is rather good, the devil is in the details. Sometimes the details are contradictory. At one point, one of the ghosts seems to have regained a physical body and is surprised by it. Yet, this is not really explained and he still seems to have no physical body anyway. At one point, one of the students (ten years ago) is two-timing, dating his boyfriend while also flirting with their female best friend. But when the boyfriend finds out that they are meeting secretly, it is as though he has misunderstood the both of them when they are planning a birthday surprise for him. (Hey, the boyfriend isn't wrong. Later, it seems that the two-timer realizes that the one he truly loves is his boyfriend, but these revelations aren't entirely satisfactory,) The relationships amongst the side characters are also poorly developed. In one episode, Pao Pao has a crush on Met. In another episode, it's Joker having a crush on Met.

Another loophole in the plot is how people can suddenly appear in the dorm under quarantine. The caretaker, Auntie Ann, is suddenly revealed to be there, providing food for the students from the start of the quarantined. (It's like she is there out of good will, and the students could have been left there to starve to death during the quarantine.) Then several episodes later, the female best friend (human) of the gay couple (now ghosts) from ten years ago turns up. I don't think this is how quarantine works.

The flashbacks revealing the past bit by bit with additional revelations giving a twist to what one might assume from earlier revelations is conceptually good but ends up being poorly executed. This is such a pity because, if it had been done properly, this series could well be elevated a few notches.

It is commendable, nevertheless, that the series manages to integrate the BL storyline with the other elements like the mystery and ghost elements. It could simply have been a horror comedy with some BL romance thrown in as a selling point (like Ghost Runner, a lackluster horror series with BL romance thrown in). Admittedly, the series exaggerates the contrasts between the attitude towards gay couples ten years ago and contemporary attitudes. Even in the most open societies today, there is still quite a bit of homophobia, and Thai society is likely no exception. (Of course, the attitudes of young, college-age students may have changed more significantly.) Nevertheless, it conveys a clear message now how toxic homophobia can be.

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Excellent story, beautifully unraveled

How do I even begin to praise this series after all the praises that have been heaped on it?

Perhaps I should start by mentioning how unassuming it is. It doesn't try too hard to impress. Instead, it tells a very solid and well-constructed story without convoluted plot twists. It also doesn't organize the story according to cases, as many "forensics" series do. This means that we have 36 episodes of an increasingly complex mystery and as truths are revealed, more needs to be discovered. This culminates in a interesting climax. I particularly love how the series does not pretend that it has impressive plot twists or is revealing things that are totally unexpected. It strength is that even when there are events we see coming, we remain engaged because we want to find out more about these events (such as the real identity of the ultimate villain of the series).

The series is also likely to appeal to viewers because of the very likable characters. The romance and friendship between the characters are given just enough attention to make us care about them but the moments showing their relationships do not stray from the plot. I particularly like the friendship between Xiao Jinyu and Jing Yi as well as the relationship between the brothers, Xiao Jinyu and Xiao Jinli. (I bet many are fantasizing an alternative universe in which Xiao Jinyu and Jing Yi are a BL couple, and there are a couple of moments to tease us about it.) Occasionally, I find the coroner's lines a little repetitive: she's always mentioning how she finds certain things very strange, for instance. But this is not a major issue. After all, her expertise is in examining the bodies and she complements Xiao Jinli's brains by providing critical information with her expertise. This makes the series rather unique. Rather than focus on how a single detective figure manages to solve all the cases, the teamwork here is made very believable.

It's rare these days that we get an interesting story told without resorting to plot twists that stretch the limits of credibility. The Imperial Coroner manages to do this. It doesn't aspire to be too many things but it punches way above its weight in whatever it is doing.

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Strange but strangely enjoyable in some ways

The are some rather strange things about this series. First of all, it is absurdly lighthearted for a story that involves the mysterious deaths (likely murders) of two students in a school, with a few more being harmed in rather violent ways. It even has a student (not even 18, I think) apparently prostituting herself to a man old enough to be her father (well, he's literally old enough to be her father because he does turn out to be her schoolmate's father). Then there are the apparently uncaring teachers and some rather inconsistent characters.

But I won't really say that the series is terrible either. It's enjoyable in some a B-movie sort of way. It does turn out to be fairly suspenseful though I do get a lingering sense that things are made up and improvised along the way -- it does not feel like I'm watching a nicely constructed story unfolding. The mystery gets solved and un-solved (and I don't just mean that it remains unsolved) at the end.

The "solving" of the mystery is certainly not satisfactory. The revelation of the culprit(s) is unconvincing because it doesn't explain how the second girl who is killed gets killed, and it's bizarre that classmates would send a culprit behind so much trouble sweet little notes urging the person to get well and return to school.

Then the mystery gets un-solved eventually. What I mean is that there is a twist and it turns out that the mystery hasn't really been solved. It is strange because the twist comes in a side story (right at the end of the final episode), something which is usually reserved for fluff and/or product placements. I'm not exactly averse to such a move, but it would only be brilliant if both the solving of the mystery and the un-solving of the mystery are convincing and executed with finesse.

There is one BL couple in the series (Song and Ming), together with plenty of moments of BL fan service (Pound and Joemy; Kyumin and Ricky). The BL couple is rather cute and while there is a fair bit of attention on them, I did wish there had been more of them instead of all the bitching and rivalry amongst the female students. Yes, this is one of the series that are sexist in the way they portray female characters to be often full of bitchiness (despite being more complex), unlike the more innocent and simple male characters. So be warned.

There are some moments of meaningless digressions that I can't really make sense of, such as the moments with this girl and some doctor she's obsessed with. Some parts are pointless and even exploitative, such as the scene in which the male students, not wearing any clothes, are taking a shower together in a tiny cubicle. In the last episode, there is even a scene in which Ricky and Kyumin come out of the same toilet cubicle one after another: Ricky looks at Kyumin and points at his own cheek. I thought he is asking for a kiss, but he is ... well, actually telling Kyumin about the white liquid substance on his (Kyumin's) face. Yeah, I so absolutely convinced that's a moisturizer or some skincare product because Ricky used to sell skincare products, haha.

I started watching this series because I wanted to see more of Ohm Pawat's acting, but while he doesn't disappoint, I must say Tonson who acts as Pimp (what a name!) impresses me the most. She can look affected, devious, victimized and yet still seem convincingly innocent when the situation calls for it. The character is a little inscrutable, but Tonson has managed to bring out all the aspects of the character very well.

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Reasonably good, but the weakest amongst Wu Xin 1-3

Of the three Wu Xin: The Monster Killer series so far, this is probably the weakest in terms of plot. It's almost as though there is some uncertainty as to how to proceed.

Season 1 ends with Wu Xin going into his once-a-century deep sleep--he wakes up and forgets everything, including his lover, who has died, and his friend. Season 2 begins some time after Wu Xin wakes up, but Season 2 features some of the actors from Season 1--apart from Elvis Han who plays Wu Xin, there is Ian Wang and Sabrina Chen (the villain in Season 1). One may notice quite early on that the characters are given a bit of a reboot. It's understandable for Wu Xin since most of his memory is erased after his deep sleep, but his relationship with Bai Liu Li seems rather different in Season 2. Wu Xin and Bai's frequent squabbling despite their deep friendship is actually interesting and Bai appears very little in Season 1, so this change is forgivable.

The odder change is with Sabrina Chen's role. Perhaps there was uncertainty as to whether to bring back the villain of Season 1 or to create a new villain (who may or may not be played by Sabrina Chen). Eventually, despite frequent references to the Season1 villain (with the suggestion that she may return), the story doesn't really involve her. Instead, Sabrina Chen plays a male character--she does a good job of it, though there is really no reason to use a female actress for the role, much less one who looks exactly like Season 1's villain. In the end, it feels like Sabrina Chen is used to tease the fans of Season 1 only to disappoint them.

The supernatural element in the second season is also somewhat disappointing. There is some self-reflexive recognition of the weakness of the first (the monster killer, Wu Xin, actually has no powers apart from using his blood to get rid of evil forces) and some attempt to make it more interesting. But we are left with a lingering sense of a more powerful villain who may appear, only to be disappointed. The story centers around two magic mirrors (of sorts), and there's no real reason for the monsters in the mirror to appear after the death of the villain.

Some of the uncertainty in the direction, however, give rise to potentially interesting characterization. Ian Wang, who plays Gu Xuan Wu in Season 1, now plays Gu Xuan Wu's son (Gu Ji). Wu Xin's vague recollections of Gu Xuan Wu causes him to treat the son as a friend easily. For a while, the friendship between Wu Xin and Gu Ji seems like a rehash of Wu Xin and Gu Xuan Wu's friendship in Season 1. Perhaps there is a deliberate attempt to avoid rehashing the same idea, so Gu Ji's character turns out to be a much more selfish person. This does become quite interesting.

The romance element in Season 2 is probably the weakest amongst Seasons 1-3. Wu Xin's love interest seems (actually she is) too young. She is not even 18, and appears more like Wu Xin's kid sister. The romance plot seems to be added in for the sake of having romance.

Despite its flaws, the series is still fairly interesting. Those who feel no compulsion to watch all the three seasons (so far) can, however, probably go straight to Season 3, which is more interesting.

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Satisfactory but not all that satisfying

There seems to be a trend of detective dramas set in the Chinese Republican era recently (Detective L, My Roommate is a Detective). Perhaps the setting allows some circumvention of censorship to some extent--it's probably easier to get away with portraying the police or some policemen somewhat negatively in a made-in-China series since it represents a bygone era not under the current political regime.

The Case Solver is a somewhat decent addition, but it is hard to sing praises of it. The series can roughly be divided into six main cases, with links between a couple of them. About half the cases involve some fake supernatural occurrences, and perhaps this could have been a feature of the series though I guess making it a feature would not really allow the historical context to be fully exploited.

What we end up with is a few rather implausible cases, some with a better story than others. The weakest story is probably the one involving a magician who uses hypnosis. The main revelation is a little too predictable and the crimes committed are simply quite impossible to execute with the supposed methods. If you do not care too much about plausibility, most of the stories are interesting enough.

The final case is clearly meant to be the most exciting, but it is also one of the more erratic ones. To be fair, the last episode does not end up being as rushed as expected, but the turn of events does not really fit the rest of the series. Furthermore, the dialogue sometimes seems a little too silly (like the male leads wishing each other a happy new year after the villain gets his just desserts--it just seems silly coming after the spate of violence that have resulted in the deaths of a loved one).

Sometimes interesting characters and relationships may compensate for flawed stories, but this series doesn't shine in the characterization department either. The romance between the second male lead and a female reporter isn't very interesting or touching. Although they clearly like each other, they spend most of the time bickering with or teasing each other. There is a hint of potential romance between the first male lead and the forensics pathologist, but there is no development.

The bromance between the two male leads is better handled--they become closer progressively. Although the first male lead seems like a somewhat cold person, he clearly cares a lot about the second male lead, putting a coat over him when he gets drunk and shedding tears when he has to point a gun at him and arrest him.

There also seems to be a missing back story about the first male lead and his teacher (who happens to be the father of the forensics pathologist). It also remains unclear how the first male lead has sustained an injury that gives him frequent headaches. The acupuncturist who is able to relieve his pain is an intriguing character, but nothing much is revealed about her.

The series does turn out okay, but it isn't really outstanding in any particular way.

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Didn't expect this to be so good

When I first read the synopsis for this drama (not having watched the movie version before), I was wondering if the show would end up over-glamorizing the teenage cheats or over-moralizing on how wrong it is for them to cheat. Thankfully, it does neither.

What we have is not only a good story that is paced and directed well but also a nuanced take on the rampant corruption and inequality in society. We are invested in the characters early on--the main characters, Lin and Bank, are definitely likable people in whom we invest our emotions. The scene in which Bank carries a small boy so that the boy could get a balloon that has floated to the ceiling shows the innate kindness in both Lin and him as they try their utmost to help the boy, who does not even seem friendly at first.

Lin and Bank are the geniuses that the title may refer to--they are really good academically, which is why they can help others cheat in exams. (I do wonder why the school seems to exclusively have MCQ tests, but we can probably ignore this lack of realism.) The other two main characters, Pat and Grace, are also developed in interesting ways although I thought they would be flat characters at first.

Although Bank later turns into someone we may have reservations feeling sympathy for, the story of his gradual loss of innocence is compelling and saddening story. Despite being an innocent and upright boy, he betrays his own principles when his mother is injured and requires a massive sum of money for surgery. However, after he is caught for taking part in a cheating scheme, he is expelled from school and will not be able to fulfill his dream of enrolling in medical school and becoming a doctor. At this point, his moral descent begins as he he sees his future destroyed and hatches another exam cheating scheme, even going to the point of betraying his friends and cheating the customers who pay him to help them cheat. Can we really blame him when his poverty drives him to cheat to get money for his mother's surgery and as a reward for his filial piety, he gets expelled from school and have his dreams destroyed without a second chance? (No doubt, had he the money to bribe the headmistress, he would perhaps have been able to continue studying in the school.)

The depiction of the characters is wonderfully executed. There is neither harsh judgement on their morally ambiguous actions nor unnecessary valorization of their behaviors. In contrast, the irony of the headmistress moralizing to Bank for cheating is hard to miss. She is, after all, one of the key faces of the corrupt society that benefits the privileged and exploits the underprivileged. The reason the cheating has become something like an organized crime is the corruption on the part of people like her in the first place: Lin realizes that her father has to borrow money and pay a hefty sum of money for her place in the prestigious school, and she only gets "half" the scholarship although the money used to bribe the headmistress is more than enough for her fees for a few years. The headmistress herself tries to get Lin to give up applying for a scholarship so that her nephew can get it. One feels a sense of injustice throughout the series, so even as we know that the cheating teens are doing something wrong, we may just find ourselves hoping that they get away with it.

With the story premised on teens trying to earn money by coming up with elaborate cheating schemes, the ending is a bound to be challenge to write. Do we let them be caught and punished and risk undermining the social critique of injustice by emphasizing the immorality of their actions? Do we let them get away with it and risk sending the message that society is unfair and cheating is a legitimate way of making things right?

Thankfully, the writers are clever enough to find a way out of the quandary. The students do get caught (after one confesses), but the story does not transform into one that simply moralizes about how the teens are wrong to cheat. The differing punishments for the four teens actually hammers in the message about inequality further. The wealthy Pat essentially gets away scot free because his father is able get him off the hook (presumably with money). Amongst the less privileged, however, the less privileged you are, the more you suffer: Grace and Lin get away with a suspended sentence whereas Bank is sent to a boys' home. Why the difference? Lin is lucky enough not to have a record for cheating in the earlier scandal because he mother is around to help her whereas Bank, the least privileged, has no one in a position to help him get away with it. On top of this, we shouldn't forget that the criminals who get punished here are minors whereas adults like the headmistress get away with accepting bribes that are more or less an open secret.

The inherent unfairness even in the repercussions suffered by the perpetrators of the cheating schemes is observed by Lin herself as she eventually concludes that she and her peers have to use their intelligence and talents to change society without breaking the law because they the legal repercussions they have to face will prevent them from fighting the unfairness in society further.

In the end, we see Lin realizing that cheating will not help her achieve what she wants. We might see that she is perhaps just following her father's footsteps, trying to change the system in small ways whilst being part of the system. However, she is also more ambitious and intelligent, and there is hope that she will achieve more with her peers. Perhaps the ending is a tad too optimistic, but I won't complain too much in this regard.

This is definitely one of the best dramas of 2020 that I have watched so far.

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Good story with important issues dealt with sensitively

When I started o this series, I wasn't expecting rape to figure so prominently in the story. The theme can be a little heavy, but, interestingly, it has not been excessively so. Three different main characters experience rape in the series, and their individual experiences are all different.

Lookkaew is raped by a guy she is seeing when she is too drunk to resist. Som, who broadcasts erotic performances live, is raped by someone offering her money purely for a meal. Nhao is raped by two guys he meets at a bar.

The reason rape happens so often in a series with merely thirteen episodes is not directly explained (thankfully), and it's up to us to realize that every victim is different and yet rape is rape and their experiences similar in some ways too. This sounds like a ridiculously obvious thing to say, but perhaps people just do not get it that rape can be a wide-ranging experience but no matter what, it is traumatic. The case of Lookkaew shows us that a person can be raped by a good-looking and attractive guy who does not seek consent. With Som, we see that a woman who is willing to strip on camera for money is not necessarily willing to have sex with someone for money, and boundaries have to be respected regardless of what she is doing. With Nhao, we see how men can also be victims of rape. There is a different point to make for each of the three victims, but they also show how traumatic the experience can be.

The bigger point the series is making, however, that the judgement of others in society is almost like a continued rape for the victims. A revealing photo and video of Lookkaew is leaked, causing people to make derogatory comments about her without knowing that she has been raped. But even after it is made public, people question her intentions and wonder if she is seeking attention. Som refuses to even say that she has been raped, knowing that if she makes the claim, she will be criticized for being stupid enough to walk into a trap. She claims that the sex video of her being gang-raped is merely an act and bears with the judgement (which she has been getting for her erotic broadcasts). Nhao's identity is not revealed publicly, but he is no less traumatized because his parents judge him for being gay--to his father, it obviously matter less that he has been raped than that he is gay and has gone to a gay bar.

Nhao's case is particularly painful because he commits suicide, and though he does not tell anyone why he kills himself, we see flashbacks to all the comments that his parents have made about how being gay is abnormal as he commits suicide. Even if he may be able to eventually cope with having been raped, he is unable to deal with the homophobia of his parents.

It is quite amazing how much the series has managed to do within thirteen episodes. Apart from dealing with rape, misogyny and homophobia, it also comments on how the very institutions that are supposed to stand up for the victims may try to protect their reputations and even punish the victims. And then, even if redress is given, the victims' victimhood may be exploited by others for their own benefits. Lookkaew's school, for example, punishes her with probation and tries to stall the case after she reports having been raped--because the perpetrator, another student, is the son of an influential figure.

The series also deals with the issue of how leaked pictures and videos can be circulated on social media, causing the victims to be further victimized by the judgement of others and be subject to further harassment. And then there is also an exploration of victimhood: it can be a double-edged sword to speak up against one's victimization: it is necessary when one seeks redress, and yet it can also consign one to perpetual victimhood and cause one's identity to be reduced to one's victimization.

A potentially controversial aspect of the series is the portrayal of Lookkaew's rapist, Aud. It is a surprisingly nuanced portrayal. He can be quite an asshole, but he is also young and not brought up to be a responsible person. The series makes it clear that this does not make his actions excusable, and he himself realizes his mistake and decides to confess and face the music. I think the scriptwriters took a risk with this character because the sympathetic portrayal of a perpetrator of rape can be appalling if it is not handled well. It seems to have been worth taking the risk, though, for the character shows how important upbringing and education are when it comes understanding the notion of consent. (One may, of course, still be incredulous that he doesn't realize the gravity of his actions despite being grown up enough to be in the university, but maybe there is something about how easy it is for non-consensual sex to be normalized.)

It is unfortunate that none of the other perpetrators of rape are brought to justice despite their heinous actions. Perhaps that's the reality--a lot of times, the victims are left to suffer and cope while to criminals get away. Nevertheless, Aud seems to get away a little too easily. The university decides to suspend him for what he has done, and he himself feels that the punishment is too light and protests against it by leaving the university. But he is also a wealthy person and he tells his friends about going overseas. While he is genuinely remorseful, his act of raping Lookaew doesn't haunt him the way it continues haunting Lookkaew (as someone starts claiming that she has spoken up about the rape for attention). Because of this, the final episode isn't entirely satisfactory.

Still, the series comes across as a well-meaning and nuanced exploration of important issues like rape and the (lack of?) recourse victims has, It does this while telling a solid story, which is commendable. At first I was wondering if the subplot of Nhao and his boyfriend would merely end up being a barely related side story (as is sometimes the case with Thai series I have watched), but it ends up intersecting with the main plot rather well.

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This whodunit series has interesting cases, most of which are solved within the same episode. It manages to have quite a few surprising endings without trying too hard to have twists or maintain suspense. I like the classic feel to this series. Unlike some other series from the same genre in recent years, it doesn't have a lot of focus on forensics and high-tech equipment but focuses on locked rooms. The detective is also not a detective but a locksmith who is more interested in unlocking rooms. It is charming in how it doesn't take itself too seriously, sometimes making fun of the genre itself.

What makes the series stand out is perhaps the overall quality of the production. The stories are good, the main characters are entertaining and likable, and it is well-paced. I actually watched a couple of episodes of the Chinese remake of this series and I dropped it to watch this. The stories may be similar (based on what I have watched), but this is just so much better.

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