Under the Skin

An Engaging Detective Mystery Drama

Under the Skin is a thriller mystery detective drama starring Tan Jianci as a gifted portraitist working for the police bureau. It's only 20 episodes long, which is relatively short for C-dramas. But the fewer episodes allow the drama to make full use of every scene; not a moment is wasted and everything serves a purpose. Hence, it is one of the most well-paced C-dramas I've ever watched to date. In fact, it is more similar to American crime dramas from the 2000's like CSI, Profiler, Lie To Me, Criminal Minds, Bones, and the like than any C-drama I've seen.

The story centers around Shen Yi, a troubled art prodigy who finds himself involved in the murder of a highly decorated police officer. Overcome with guilt and remorse, he starts working for the police as a sketch artist in hopes to make a difference and ultimately find redemption. Shen Yi partners with a rough-around-the-edges hotshot detective who despises and blames him for the murder of his senior officer. Their uneasy alliance soon turns into a deep friendship that's founded on trust, and this partnership is the core of the story. So basically it's a buddy cop drama.

It reminds me somewhat of the Chinese animated series, Link Click, but so much better in terms of writing and charactertization. Unlike Link Click, Under the Skin makes an effort to build up its main characters, making them more relatable and sympathetic, so you know exactly who they are whether you like them or not. The cases they work on are even more intriguing and compelling. I found the story about the teenage girl who developed a crush on a tomboy thinking she was a real boy especially interesting. Considering that China has stringent censorship policies and homosexuality is taboo, I thought the writers did a good job writing about lesbianism without being too overt about it. I also rather liked the case regarding two women who plotted the murder of their abusive lover. The supporting characters are also well-written because I learned to care about what happens to them.

Generally speaking, the writing is pretty good. The dialogues, most especially, are written quite well. But there is stuff that defies logic no matter how they try to justify it. Some are too farfetched for me to even consider them plausible. I wish they had used more believable scenarios instead. The production value could've been better as well. But I'm willing to forgive those flaws because the good outweighs the bad.

All in all, this is a solid drama with great plot progression, acting, characterization, and screenplay. I give it a 9 out of 10. Season two is in the works so you can bet your bottom dollar that I will watch it the moment it hits streaming.

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Thoroughly engaging investigation mystery drama

My attention was completely caught by this drama as I started watching, it reminded me of Reset in that way how I just couldn't stop watching and wanted to know more about was was happening.

I loved each case in this show, every episode always featured a new way to showcase Shen Yi's skills as a portraitist, and although some of his skills seemed a bit far fetched to me, I didn't really care or focus on that and was just looking forward to see the cases be solved. Also really liked the relationships between the members of the Police team, they all worked well together.

Some plot points were closed a bit too quickly and abruptly for me, specifically Hong Ge's case but overall it's a well written and very engaging series. Till the end, my attention did not wane; from Eps 18-20 more so, I was even more hyped because of the change of pace as we were heading towards the climax, truly nail biting stuff towards the end that made me feel tense and kept me on my toes.

Great series, and I'm excited to check out S2!

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An artist solves crimes by drawing plus good friendship between the Leads

This drama has unique way of solving crimes never seen before in any other detective drama ,, the male lead is a brilliant artist also a very smart person who uses his creativity in his drawings to expose criminals and solve difficult crimes but he has mysterious past that wasn't ever revealed in the drama also he's some what lonely , polite and very calm not arogenate genius
that's what I love about the male lead ,,he's not just a genius artist no he also a genius detective ,, psychological profiler and very polite towards people around him , he wasn't ever arogenate nor condescending as the other male lead
There are a lot of un answered questions in this drama about the male lead
like
was he an orphan ?? what is his background ?? they didn't mention but the incident that turned him in a detective artist and his teacher's case that's it
also the friendship was lacking alot and the director wasted so many good scenes to show proper friendship or Bromance
they are two detectives who are in danger most of the time and they save each other rather quickly then move on with no much of friendship talk scenes or caring scenes as if they were wrong to happen between them
but there were good friendship scenes towards the end nothing big just some jokes and ordinary friendship
also
The cases were really smart for the first half of the drama and really intriguing very fast paced ,, they didn't drag any case but they used too much time to confuse us in every case
this drama is one of the best detective chinese dramas and it's light with absolutely no romance to ruin it
I hope there is a second season for it
this drama will get you hooked from the start to finish but it has so many holes and rushed scenes unfortunately
but I recommend it to anyone likes friendship and unique detective drama

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ORIGINAL SYNOPSIS

What I like about this? Original story, different synopsis from any C-drama, Tan Jian Ci and collaboration of the casts, ordinary people with real contribution in life. One of good drama in 2022....trust me on this.

1. Original story, different synopsis from any C-drama
Shen Yi (Tan Jian Ci) was still an art student when a man came to ask a drawing what a child would look like as an adult. He did so well that later caused the death of an undercover agent Lei Yi Fei. A young policeman Du Cheng (Jin Shi Jia) was raging mad of Shen Yi, he accused him for the cause of the death of his long-time friend and mentor. Out of guilt, Shen Yi accepted the invitation of Director Zhang of the Public Security Bureau and became a portraitist of the Interpol Team in five years later. By that order Du Cheng had to accept reluctantly Shen Yi to became a colleague with annoyance and uncooperative assistance toward Shen Yi’s drawing to solve cases, and the two became the “ticking bomb” in the team. The strange thing is that, no matter how hard Shen Yi tried of recall for a few years, he couldn't draw the face of the man who asked him to paint the child's photo. Eventually, Shen Yi helped out to uncover many mystery of crimes with his drawing including the biggest case of his involvement 5 years earlier.

2. Tan Jian Ci and collaboration of the casts
As a talented criminal sketch artist (Forensic Artist) he's a character that could translate details from witnesses at the crime scene, to make sketches that police and the public may use to identify and capture criminal suspects. Teaming with Du Cheng (Jin Shi Jia) was kind of frienamy - they knew they're depending to each other and respect their own field but because of mistrust and grudge, Du Cheng found it hard to get along with him. Lots time working solo, Shen jin forced to endure 'cold reception' from the team until proven to be successful. All the casts did well, Tan Jian Ci acted he's the real artist.

3. Ordinary people with real contribution in life.
All actors didn't have visibly make up like they're just ordinary people that doing their job well in real life; sweating, panting, running, angry, protest all done convincingly just like the real investigators.

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10/10 no notes

This is how you make a good show!
I loved everything about it. The chemistry between the leads is amazing and both of them are amazing actors and bring so much to the table. I couldn't imagine a better casting choice than those two. The way they just compliment each other is just chef's kiss.

The writing was also so good, you can tell they did their homework. The cases were all interesting and all had so many deeper levels to unpack. There was no bad episode in the whole season, which is rare. The quality is there from the start and keeps that level. Also just because that barely gets a mention but the camera/scene framing work in the series is simply stunning. There is just so much thought behind it and I really enjoyed that on an artistic level.

Speaking of art: My only tiniest critique would be that Shen Yi's clothing and fingers are way to clean for someone who paints, especially with his lighter wardrobe.

I also love all the other members of the team. They all compliment each other so well.

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Binge worthy crime drama

This is a new take to crime dramas centered around a portrait forensic artist, instead of just a policeman. It gives the crime solving plot a different feeling, which was very refreshing. I love art myself, so seeing art used as a way to solve crimes is so intriguing. I don't know how much of this is real though. Maybe it's too exaggerated in some cases? I think they could have toned done how "genius" Shen Yi is with his portrait accuracy.

Talking about Shen Yi, the actor Tan Jianci, did a really good job portraying his character that was mentally, psychologically scarred by a crime that changed his entire life. He had this baggage that I felt in his eyes. He acts with his eyes, and subtle facial expressions. One scene when he cried, a tear ran down his face. I actually felt the sadness. I am impressed. I've never seen any of his other works, so I'll be interested to watch more of him. It could be that this character finally gave him that break through. I'll give him a 10/10 on acting.

Du Cheng's character is the typical rash policeman, so nothing special about this character. I didn't feel Jin Shi Jia's acting, which was usually sprinkled with loud and exaggerated actions. hence why I dropped acting down from a 10. The reason was in his "sad expressions", when someone dies or some sad scene, I can't feel his sadness. In some scenes, he looked like he was smiling not frowning. The tip of his lip was supposed to angle downwards, but it twisted upwards a bit. His facial expressions seem hard and stiff.

The story started with the main "crime" that interweaved throughout the story and of course ended the series. It was well paced and told well overall. No major plot holes which are common in Chinese dramas. The lighter crimes sprinkled throughout the series had their pros and cons. I liked the high school crime story most because it had a sad theme around the whole situation, that feels realistic (except how Shen Yi got to the victim's portrait!). The small crimes were mainly there to show different situations of portrait forensic artist's job. At the same time, it built up the trust between Shen Yi and Du Cheng. Their character relationship development was built up in a well paced manner. I felt their bond, especially in life and death situations. It was believable.

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Good script

I have now watched a few Cdramas and
I havent been disappointed . I knew who Tan Jiance was as he is a great talent in Cpop world his vocals are beautiful..Hes a dancer..a rapper and even sang "You
raised me up" in perfect English and another arrow to his bow he can act. I
thoroughly enjoyed this series..the acting was great..the storyline was well thought out.Tan played the part of a forensic profiler adept at sketching people's faces from descriptions given by the victims. I enjoyed it more knowing TanJ was in it so Im biased to watch it but overall the actors..
Scriptwriter..Director and the storyline made it a great series.
TanJ is also great in Lost you Forever..fantasy drama wbere he plays a not so pleasant vampire...

.

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Must watch for Thrill lovers!!!

You will be missing out on so much if you haven’t watched this drama.

This is my first Chinese crime investigation drama. I had only watched rom-coms till now but after watching this one I’ll be trying more. I am glad I saw this.

1. The casting was amazing. This is my second drama where Tan Jian Ci is in the lead role. And after seeing this one, I fell in love with his acting. He is a versatile actor. He portrayed Shen Yi so beautifully. Because of this drama, I came to know so many new things.

2. I wanted Du Cheng’s character to shine through the drama. But the character got lost midway and took a back seat at some point. But then shined again in the last 3 episodes.

3. Love the writing of the drama. The cases were so well written. The catch for me was how all culprits became victims of the cases at the end of their confession. It was so sad. The culprit was predictable from the start but I was still on edge about their backstories and that's where all the twists came for me.

4. Kudos to the artists who drew every sketch and painting. I love how perfectly they blended different styles of art with the cases. My favourite was thread one on the wall.

5. My only disappointment was the main case of human trafficking. I did not expect it to wrap this fast. They built so much tension from the start for this case because this was the major plot of this drama. I was expecting more twists in that case because of the villain’s dialogue delivery in episode 19. I mean he spoke like he had so much on his sleeves to save himself and the next minute he was caught.

All in all, this was a perfectly written drama which will be going on my top list.

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Amazing crime drama with wonderful cast & intriguing cases

I wanted to watch more non-romance dramas this month so I picked 'Under the Skin' because this show was highly recommended on a few reddit posts. I enjoyed it immensely.

What I liked:
1. Acting - I have watched dramas of Lu Yan Qi and Baby Zhang but was unfamiliar with Tan Jianci and Jin Shi Jia. I was very impressed by their acting and supporting cast too. Some guest roles made an impact on me for example Jiang Ge (episodes 1-3), Qu Lan Xin & Ren Xiao Xuan (episodes 3 - 5), Chu Tian Qi (episodes 10 & 11).
2. Character development - I really enjoyed watching Shen Yi's growth as an artist and as an individual. He was like a superhero whose power is sketching & painting. Captain Du Cheng also had some growth as a police officer.
3. Drawing - I love seeing the sketches done by Shen Yi although I found him to be too perfect. Like he's a savant. I also enjoyed the drawing on the blackboard especially the one in the last episode.
4. Pacing - I liked the format of this series - thank gosh it's not one case per episode because most cases were complicated and needed more time to be investigated.
5. Supporting characters - My favourite is Du Cheng's sister. She appeared after halfway mark of the series but her appearance were integral to the main arc. I also liked Jiang Feng, He Rong Yue and Li Han.
6. Music - The score reminded me of Queen's Gambit score. Anyway I liked the score a lot!

What I disliked:
1. Supporting characters - Baby Zhang's character was very interesting so I wish she had more screen time.
2. Rash - Shen Yi made a few rash decisions in order to catch culprits. It's silly because he was a rookie cop and inexperienced in handling dangerous suspects & culprits.

Favourite scene
When Shen Yi led a case instead of Captain Du Cheng

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Art importantance in crime

The individual cases were layer up until the last one making the audience comfortably enjoy the complexity of human nature and the unfortunate circumstances the victim and perpetrator ended up with. It shows human behavior and how art is used to show that as it not only identified suspects but was a vital part of Shen Yi and who he is
Shen Yi is a very perspective individual who noticed the little things that made breakthroughs in cases making him highly popular among the police force which for me made but likable with his empathetic nature toward others
There is character development as at first he is a little unsure of himself and his position but slowly warms up, especially with Du Cheng whose past is linked to him with a tragic event.
Du Cheng, I believe he is a great officer but at times reckless with his decisions endangering other's lives

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The Ultimate Crime Thriller with Masterpiece Bromance and Elite Chemistry – 10/10!

Under the Skin is a phenomenal, smart, and highly addictive crime drama that keeps you completely glued to the screen. It proves that you don't need a heavy romance when you have a brilliant plot and a legendary brotherhood leading the show.Story (10/10):The narrative is incredibly sharp, fast-paced, and unique. Using forensic art and psychological profiling to solve complex, dark, and thought-provoking cases makes every episode fascinating. What makes the story truly elite, however, is the character progression. The transition of the main duo's relationship from tragic past grievances and deep mistrust into an unbreakable, safe-haven partnership is beautifully written and executed. The tension and pacing are flawless.Acting & Cast (10/10):Tan Jianci and Jin Shijia delivered absolute career-defining performances. Their on-screen chemistry is legendary. Tan Jianci perfectly embodies Shen Yi’s quiet, observant, and fiercely brilliant artistic genius, while Jin Shijia is phenomenal as the rugged, protective, and hot-headed Captain Du Cheng. The unspoken trust, the intense glances, and the way they naturally complement each other's strengths create one of the best bromances in dramaland history.Music & Production (9.5/10):The production value is gorgeous, utilizing artistic cinematography, sharp editing, and atmospheric visual metaphors that beautifully connect art with crime-solving. The soundtrack is eerie, modern, and perfectly amplifies both the suspenseful psychological mind games and the heartwarming moments of ultimate loyalty between the leads.Overall:Under the Skin is a mandatory watch for every enthusiast of dark mysteries and top-tier brotherhood. Driven by an exceptional mastermind character, brilliant cases, and an electric main duo, it is a flawless 10/10 masterpiece with massive rewatch value. Highly recommended!

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