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A Must-See Taiwanese Drama of 2025
The story plot, the diverse set of actors, and the production got me interested in watching this drama, and correct me if I am wrong, but I think I havent seen any Taiwanese dramas that has a Southeast Asian actor as the main (and maybe titular) character other than this drama.Medical dramas might not be everyone's cup of tea (including myself), and so as dramas with social themes, but in my own honest opinion, The Outlaw Doctor is not your ordinary medical drama. It's a medical crime drama touching the very complicated issues that Taiwan is facing like the welfare of the migrant workers in the said country who have no status, illegal medical practice, human trafficking, organ trade (implied), etc.
But most importantly, this drama shows us about embracing empathy towards one another, esp. migrant workers, and looking at the other side of the story.
Fan Wen-Ning represents every foreign worker trying to make a living in Taiwan for their families (while saving his fellow foreign workers' lives even if it's in illegal practice). Cheng Wan-Ping represents every mother who wants the best for her son's condition without realising the consequences of those decisions. Every character, including the two main characters, is flawed, but later accepted and embraced empathy and compassion towards themselves, towards every person, and towards every situation cos not everyone's lives go out smoothly.
As what Fan Wen-Ning said, "No matter how the world treats us, we need to be kind."
This drama honestly hits me closer to home, and it's a masterpiece for me.
(PS: TW - more and more blood scenes that are not black and white in the first two episodes, so better prepare yourself)
(PPS: I wouldve given the Acting part a perfect 10, but tbh, the way the actress who portrayed Prosecutor Chou delivered her lines ruined it for me, so I jave to give it like a bit lower.)
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This review may contain spoilers
台灣較為成功的東南亞跨國合作
這部劇=《名不虛傳》醫療糾紛與愛情+《八尺門的辯護人》非法移工與族群認同+《你那邊怎樣，我這邊OK》與東南亞跨國合作與類型劇敘事+台灣觀光局宣導。此劇大概是說一名越南醫生來台灣探望母親，卻因為醫者仁心，在台灣非法執行醫療行為，和一名台灣醫師捲入司法糾紛，並躲入暗處，開始認識多國在台移工，於是展開為受傷非法移工的地下救援，同時台灣醫生為了幫助他，從醫院拿走大量醫材。之後，他們更是捲入了根基於移工社群的跨海器官販賣集團的犯罪活動，使情況更為複雜嚴峻。
先說我不喜歡的地方，裡面一些醫療場景的劇情非常瞎，先不說手術對於無菌的要求很高，他們拿取醫材卻從未被院方發現，又年紀很小的孩子在手術室幫忙提供手術器具，又犯罪集團有一整個龐大的地下醫院？且犯罪集團的犯罪方式、術語和權威、規模都不清不楚，很像只是虛設一個反派，把問題複雜化。
我也不喜歡女檢察官和新二代警察，一個「我恨誰我就是老大」窮追猛打，一個「我想證明我和同類不一樣」抓補移工。不過他們是故事情節最主要的動力，不能沒有他們。我還真遇過緬甸第二代的台灣警察，他和同僚在我們台灣的緬甸聲援活動鎮場，和他聊天才知道他也在學習緬文。移民的失落大抵如此。
我喜歡的是越南醫生的非法醫療，不只出自醫者仁心，還有出於對「同類」的庇護，這種「同類」並不是因為是來自同鄉，而是擴大到和他一樣共同處境，「不能見光」的非法東南亞籍人士，而這種受壓迫的集合，正是台灣社會環境所形塑的。從「醫生」到「外籍嫌疑人」，天壤之別的身份轉移，會讓觀眾有「為何正常人會走投無路」、「為何正義感的人終將被毀滅」的感受，更能讓觀眾消化「一國公民，如何成為另一國的非法移工」這樣的議題。
然後這是我看的第二部張鈞甯演繹東南亞移工相關作品，之前是看《查無此心》。從議題處理到語言使用狀況這部好很多，期待，再期待。
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