The Resurrected

"It's not hopelessness that makes me suffer, but the endless hope"

When two grieving and angry mothers feel that justice has not been served, they bring a killer back to life in order to exact their revenge in The Resurrected. Vengeance turns out to not be so slick and clean, nor easily attained.

Wang Hui Chun is vigilant in the care of her daughter Jin Jin who lies in a coma in the distant country of Benkha. Her abusive, unfaithful husband continually berates her for not pulling the plug on their daughter but Hui Chun clings to the hope her daughter will one day awaken. Widow Chao Ching’s daughter Hsin Yi was brutally murdered by the same people responsible for Jin Jin’s coma. The mothers use their own resources to bring the killer to justice with the aid of another victim’s mother. When the killer dies “with dignity” it is too much for them and they put into motion an unnatural plan to resurrect him. Chang Shih Kai is not so easily manipulated and begins to create doubt in the mothers. Hui Chun and Chao Ching also grapple with the powerful people behind Chang, who could prove to be far more dangerous than the dead man.

The strength of this drama lay with the lead actresses. Shu Qi as Hui Chun was the follower of the two, usually siding with whatever Chao Ching decided on. Her world was swallowed up in debt and caring for the comatose Jin Jin, and drowning in endless hope. Angelica Lee’s Chao Ching came across as hard, obsessive and ruthless in her desire for vengeance. Broken by the cruel death of her daughter and her own guilty feelings, her only reason for living was to punish anyone involved with Hsin Yi’s suffering. She doggedly followed every lead offering zero compassion. Fu Meng Po as the killer Chang Shih Kai spent most of his scenes bloodied and tied up. He had to dig deep to bring nuance to the mothers’ despicable foe. While the writers tried to soften him with a tragic backstory, it had no effect on my view of him. He and his organization emotionally and physically tortured young people, killing them when they were no longer useful.

I had no problem with the mothers’ desire for vengeance on the man who tortured and killed their children. Hsin Yi died a horrific death. A mother’s need to protect resides deep in her DNA. Knowing her child was in danger, crying out for her and she’d been unable to save her, would be a parent’s worst nightmare. The first few episodes were enthralling. Even the social commentary on the wicked ways of the rich fit into the story. Then it seemed the writers didn’t trust their characters and added mysterious layers that were unnecessary and garbled things up. KISS is always best (Keep It Simple Stupid). The last few eps ran off the rails, though they managed to salvage the two mothers after tearing their characters up. The writers also reverted to a trope at the end that was tired and overused by the 1980s. I don’t think they were setting up a sequel, I think it was just a cheap trick at a jump scare.

I loved watching Shu Qi and Angelica Lee delve deeply into their characters’ pain and anger. They were quite compelling to watch. For these two alone, it was a drama worth giving a try. Despite the erratic and convoluted nature of the writing in the last three episodes, I still enjoyed this drama overall. The Resurrected was a dark, twisted vengeance drama that will not be for everyone. Please take note of the triggers. Others may find it far too tame. The supernatural element didn’t play into the story too much. The real draw for me was watching two, actually three women process their grief and rage in different manners, all by skilled actresses.

17 October 2025
Trigger warnings: Torture-both of the guilty and the innocent. Sexual assault. Sexual content. Brief nudity. Drug use. Smoking. The occult.

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Revenge for the dead

There are many revenge dramas and movies out there. Some bad, some good and some exceptional. The Resurrected belongs to the last category.

It has twists and turns, it has shocking and emotional moments, it is gripping from start to finish. It is a suspenseful cat and mouse game and it is just so different than anything else I've seen in the genre.

But one of the most important things in any revenged-themed story is to feel for the characters and here you don't only understand them, you root for them.

I won't start talking about acting, directing and all that jazz. The series is phenomenal in all aspects and everyone that likes "darker" dramas should definitely give it a watch.

For me, it's better to start watching this completely blind, unless you have any TW (which is the reason why I advise checking the tags if you do).

And lastly, I can't help but say this. It is such a pity that some productions don't get enough attention or promotion simply because people tend to avoid series made in (insert country name).
If this was a Spanish or American series, or even a Kdrama it would become very popular, but now barely anyone knows this even exists.

Anyways enough with the rant. I'll leave you with a quote from the drama.

"It isn't the despair that hurts the most. It's the endless hope"

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Aigoo, Who is the True Victim & Who is the Actual Villain here, hehe :)

Trust No One!
Suspect Everyone!!

Do not miss to watch this interesting Crime Revenge Drama.

***
First of all,
The Title misled me little -- I expected Supernatural theme more but in entire drama, there are only three such scenes.

This is exclusively, a Crime Revenge family drama n not Supernatural.

So Supernatural genre lovers, be aware of it -- Watch, without expectations!

Even though, it's just minor content (3 scenes -- Opening scene of the drama, Resurrecting the criminal & One scene in Finale), I LOVED THIS IDEA of including Witchcraft / Resurrection/ Supernatural element in a Crime Revenge Drama 👍🏻
It's NEW and DIFFERENT!!

***
Opening scenes of the drama -- introduction to Resurrection by tribals (or whoever is practising that witchcraft) -- all those scenes are well directed, Cinematography there, is cool n Visuals are Wow.
As a Supernatural genre lover, those are mesmerizing!✨

***
Story, Direction, Cinematography are Good.

Pacing is Slow for most of the episodes.

OST -- Opening theme music n Closing credits song are Very Good

The idea of using three languages -- Taiwanese, Thai n English, as per the story demands, is Good.


*** STORY:
Set in a fictional city, Two mothers desperately fighting to seek justice for their kidnapped daughters, go to any extent to avenge for their daughters like using witchcraft, kidnap the culprit etc.

In their journey, we get to see Different Characters, many Secrets, many Selfish acts n Manipulations by everyone, Threats, Blackmails etc.

It's sad to see the Moms who teamed up for their daughters, turn as rivals, because of bad guy's manipulation.

The Story progresses with a lot of Twists n Turns, making the viewer to suspect every character.
(At one point in the drama, I lost trust on every character n suspected everyone, including the two moms, haha)

Also, in some situations, U will definitely feel bad for every character including the bad guy.
Watch it, to find out Who the True Victim is & Who the Actual Villain is!
Those twists are Good.

The Story took a turn from
Supernatural
To 3 girls being kidnapped
To Their moms trying to take revenge on the culprit
To A big spam call fraud involving teen gals
To illegal money laundering case involving an organization.


*** WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
I need to rant about STORY NARRATION.
It is confusing at times.

For eg, the Timeline and the Location of the crimes are very confusing.
Initially, it is said that moms are fighting from an year but there's a lil baby gal, related to the crime, who is around 5 years -- This is made clear only in the finale.

Also, whatever crime that happened with the 3 gals and the money laundering organization are based in the fictional city, where they speak different language (mostly Thai), not Taiwanese and only few people speak Taiwanese.

So, it means the entire drama is set in that city only n moms stayed there for whole five years (without knowing the language), huh?
But then, there is a time limit of seven days for the resurrected perpetrator.
So the entire story / drama has happened within seven days in that fictional city, huh?

Or moms are fighting for justice from 5 years and came to the fictional city, resurrected him n entire drama has happened in those 7 days.
If so, jin jin (coma patient) should already be in Taiwan, not in that city and they shouldn't be speaking about an air ambulance for her.

Some points in the writing of the plot do not add up clearly.
Location of the story is ok but I'm not at all clear with the Timeline of the story.

I'm not sure whether this confusion is caused by the Editing of drama or lost in translation of the dialogues.

Whatever, these confusions made me to lose interest to watch n I couldn't connect with the flow of the story, though the overall story is easy to understand.


*** EPISODES:
First three n last three eps are Very Interesting n Captivating.

Remaining three eps in the middle are Good but Execution is lil bad. The story progress is very less here.

The Mystery and Suspense of
What exactly had happened with the three girls in that city in the past,
Who the actual culprit is and
Who, among all the characters are bad -- Everything is Well Maintained till the end of the drama.

Finale is lil rushed.
The Final Twist in the climax is Very Good.

*** RATING:
My Rating is 8/10.
(Though some eps are 8.5 or 9, Slow Pacing, Rushed Climax n Confusing Narration made me give, just 8 )

Definitely, a Good n Interesting Drama but One Time Watch!

***

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Too many twists and turns

Starting first with the story, I get that Zhao Jing wants revenge for her daughter, and the fact that Zhang Shi Kai got no comeuppance for what he did was naturally infuriating to a mother. Resurrecting him to inflict on him what he did to her daughter, though legally wrong, is emotionally understandable. I actually like the torture scenes, but I don't think they were "enough". Sadistic sounding, but I think we need more on the vengeance side when it comes to Zhang Shi Kai.

There are also a couple of things I don't understand, and I think many people echo the same thoughts. First, the back and forth on who ratted on the girls. What is the point of throwing out all these red herrings when they don't make logical sense? Second, why attempt to absolve Zhang Shi Kai of blame by giving him a sob story? Plus those few last minute turnarounds which left more questions and not answers. Who is Pong? Who is the mastermind behind the scenes? Are they related? Are you trying to tell me there's going to be a sequel?

Do also allow me to diss the random loveliness added in the penultimate episode. What's with the sudden love interests? I did not see them coming!

On to the acting. Shu Qi was attached to the project at the very start, and she was actually offered the role of Zhao Jing. Actors of her pedigree seem to have an obsession with going against people's expectations, and she chose to play the timid housewife Wang Hui Jun instead. Under normal circumstances, I would understand. Usually what happens is that the actor sees a character that's stronger or more interesting than the lead, and they are drawn to that role instead. In this case, I don't see it. I think Wang Hui Jun has interesting aspects, because she's exacting revenge very meekly, but she still has that resilience. But ultimately the character feels more like comic relief. It could also be deliberate portrayal, but I definitely think this isn't as good a role.

After Shu Qi chose the other role, they approached Sinje Lee for Zhao Jing, and it was a brilliant choice. Given that this is the "original lead" who sets the tone for the show, they found someone with gravitas in Lee. I would say that I cannot imagine Shu to be as good in the role (though it's all hypothetical). However, I find Lee's obvious Malaysian accent surprising at the start, because I am familiar with the actor, and she used to sport a perfect Taiwanese accent when doing media duties ten, twenty years ago. They explained that the character is Malaysian, and I was like "whatever you say, man". I did read articles where she talked about this, and I think they obviously modified the character for the actor rather than the other way round. But if it's what it takes to get Sinje Lee back on screen again, why not? She's a very subdued actor, very convincing and an extremely charming presence on screen.

I also really liked seeing both female leads acting together. So even though I can't say that the young actors were terrible (they were probably pretty good), I must say that I did not want to watch their parts that much. I was dragging the progress bar to skip to the mums.

There aren't any obvious weak links really. Well, except Patrick. Though I've also seen raving praise for Chung Hsin Lin's portrayal, but I think the makeup did about 90% of the work for her.

Overall, the drama is paced as if the episodes were dropped one by one instead of all at once. The reversals appear to be because the creators wanted one revelation every episode, and it was also written like that, which is why everything seems very frivolous and illogical. But is it entertaining? I think so.

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A show covered that comes in good quality packaging but the actual product…….sucks.

I was sure I had found a unpopular Netflix gem, that’s my first mistake because Netflix produces more hot trash than good shows.

I started this show hoping the pacing will be good and that the supernatural aspect will be used well. However, the first 2 eps builds up this hope and sets this scene for ABSOLUTELY nothing good ahead. At ep6 itself I clocked this was going to be bad but I thought I was being impatient and not letting the story play out completely. But even after I held on….i was right, i want my time back!!


ONE GOOD THIS ABOUT THIS DRAMA: The actors actually act, most are decent/good and the production is actually nice and great enough to keep my attention.


MY RANT ON WHY THIS SHOW SUCKS and no I’m not being dramatic or hateful.

They could’ve def made a decent short show with the scam organization plot but they decided to sabotage everything.

The scenes are misleading the viewer consistently to have it’s own story going on in the back to quote on quote sell a thriller with suspense and twists that NO will see coming .

It felt like this was a project that they tried out to see if it will garner any attention however, I haven’t personally seen any major promotion for this so idk what they were really even aiming for.

The reason I won’t say this plot has holes is because……the plot was actually never truly there. Like of course story like this is interesting and CAN have a lot of twists but this one just has major plot points and scenes that need to be shown but the sequence to those events and flow towards it are all SO not there. It’s like sticking something together but the glue isn’t there or rather it’s so poor in quality that the papers will fall apart eventually.

The story itself about scam centers could have def been a good watch if told well with a compelling story and not just the same old same old messed up things happen, the ‘protagonists’ try to get revenge and have a fight, then some losses happen and they TOTALLY shift their entire goal. THEN, the show ends with a potential sequel.

By the end of the show I stopped trying to figure out what is even happening cause they could quite literally start doing anything at that point. ANYHOW, I wanted to drop this right at the 6ep point because by that time I realized I was, once again, scammed by the drama being good quality visually and acting wise, and watched a complete waste of my time ;D The reason I finished is to shit on it after COMPLETELY finishing it so I can be SURE it sucks. But finishing it made me even more mad and my rating was at least going to be 5.5 but now it’s being dropped down to 3.5 JUST BECAUSE I hate Netflix and their obsession with not being able to tell a good story or ruinning any good source material OR adding 500 seasons to a show that doesn’t even deserve the original one.

Edit: i totally forgot to mention this one point that made me absolutely SO furious and that's the use of the supernatural powers. The whole story is set in a fictional place called 'Benkha' but truly i'm sure everyone can tell where it's TRULY set in so im not going to elaborate. They just used the fictional aspect to avoid any actual portrayal of real events and made it easy to just not care about cultural nuances, the language differences and even the law in that particular place.

From what i can remember, the little boy in ep1 turned to ash because 7days had passed. Which would mean, shih kai would also dissapear in one week time HOWEVER, you can't convince me that everything that happened, happening in a weeks time frame. Like WDYM THEY WERE TRAVELLING BY AIRPLANE BACK AND FOURTH SO MANY TIMES AND IT'S ONLY BEEN A WEEK ???
If the time frame to disappear was actually more than 1 week or based on something else, then that should be clear to viewer but it's not.
That's why it made me even more mad when the supernatural powers are being used only in the end to show that jinjin has a more 'GRAND PLAN' along with the 'Big boss' who we were not previously aware of. The use of magic was only done in the start and only re-appears in the end to sell the viewer on a potential season 2 and i can ALREADY TELLL IT'S GOING TO SUCK AGAIN so yeah,,,,i won't be tuning in and im already mad enough i gave this attention when i could've watched other things tsk tsk.

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“The body may be gone. The weight never leaves.”

Two mothers, Wang Hui Chun and Chao Ching, bring their daughters’ killer back to life for seven days. It might sound like the start of a fantasy story. But it isn’t.
What emerges is not the supernatural, but a system built on abuse, money and bodies held captive. A bold premise, almost a narrative gamble, capable of drawing the viewer right into the thick of the action before throwing them off balance.

At first, to mislead him with elements that seem to belong to the realm of fantasy, only to gradually reveal a more down-to-earth, contemporary dimension, where exploitation and money reshape every balance.

That's where the story draws its strength: in the constant deception—not just as a theme, but as a structural device—which leads the viewer to doubt, time and again, not only the nature of the story, but also that of its characters.
This suspended space is inhabited by two figures who share the same trauma, yet are separated by a circumstance that radically reshapes their perspective.

On the one hand, a definitive, irreversible loss—a daughter who cannot be brought back, not even symbolically. On the other, a suspended presence, a body that still breathes, and which keeps alive a possibility, however fragile.
It is in this asymmetry that the story finds one of its deepest tensions: for whilst the pain is shared, its direction is not. One moves within absence, the other within a state of waiting.

And this difference – subtle yet decisive – ends up gradually undermining not only their alliance, but also the very meaning of what they are trying to achieve.
In this context, revenge does not hold the same meaning for both of them. For someone who has lost everything, it may well become the only possible form of redress—or of survival. For the person who still clings to a glimmer of hope, however faint, it risks becoming a choice that calls into question what remains to be protected.

And when the target of this revenge is a man who is already dead, the matter becomes even more complicated: for what remains is no longer justice, but an extension of it—prolonged, organised, and increasingly difficult to distinguish from the very thing it was meant to fight.
This delicate balance is further destabilised by the portrayal of the daughters, Jin Jin and Hsin-yi, which operates by way of reflection and, progressively, through reversal.

Whilst the two mothers follow divergent paths—one rooted in absence, the other held back by a possibility—their respective daughters initially seem to confirm this dichotomy, presenting the viewer with an apparently orderly, almost reassuring interpretation.

It is a perception that the narrative carefully cultivates, leaving it to the viewer to construct a system of correspondences: innocence and guilt, protection and betrayal, victim and complicity. But it is here that the deepest deception takes root.
As the narrative unfolds, what seemed set in stone begins to crumble, and identities start to defy any fixed categorisation.

The daughters do not merely mirror their mothers: they challenge their mothers’ assumptions and complicate their choices, to the point where the distinction between victim and active participant in the system becomes increasingly difficult to draw.
The figure of the torturer, brought back to life, also forms part of this ongoing shift: no longer merely the source of evil, but an element that reveals, by contrast, the extent to which that evil is already widespread, internalised, and ready to resurface elsewhere.

The ending does not introduce a sudden revelation, but brings to a conclusion a process already underway: that of a gaze that is guided, directed, and ultimately disillusioned. Not so much because the truth is hidden, but because it is gradually rendered unrecognisable.

If the narrative tension unfolds naturally, culminating in an inevitable emotional breakdown, it is also thanks to the perfect and complementary performances of the two leading ladies.
Shu Qi’s presence is, at least in my view, the main draw of the story: a measured performance, often achieved through understatement, restrained yet deeply empathetic.
In contrast, Lee Sinje defines the measure, the stylistic signature, through a modulation of pain that unfolds in the absence of any prospect of hope, allowing choices to emerge that, almost inevitably, become increasingly irrational.

Around these characters, a context unfolds that does more than simply serve as a backdrop; it actively contributes to the construction of meaning.
A world in which money circulates without any apparent source, fuelling a culture of get-rich-quick schemes, identities that are constantly being constructed and renegotiated, and life paths defined more by opportunity than by choice.

In this network, deception is not an exception, but an organisational principle. It takes various forms, adapts and transforms: from the violent and direct structure orchestrated by Zhang Shih-kai, to the more subtle and seemingly legitimate version reflected in his mother’s activities, where the promise of redemption is intertwined with strategies of control and profit.
Two distinct yet perfectly interconnected models, which paint a picture of a system capable of replicating itself without interruption.

Even where the possibility of detachment seems to emerge, it ultimately gets swallowed up by the same pattern: relationships built on self-interest, performed identities, and dynamics that reverse roles to the point of turning the observer into an integral part of the mechanism.

Alongside this dimension lies a contrasting and complementary realm: that of opulence, of impersonal spaces, of hotel rooms and boutiques, of an aesthetic that suggests possibilities whilst concealing structural fragility.
And, in contrast, marginal realities, peripheral environments, places that bear the tangible traces of a system that consumes and redistributes without ever truly making up for what it takes away.

It is in this constant shifting—between visibility and invisibility, between construction and loss—that the drama establishes its identity, creating a dialogue between a seemingly ‘fantastical’ framework and a reality that, by contrast, seems all too familiar.
At this point, one cannot help but question the very nature of the framework underpinning the narrative: the resurrection, the seven days granted, the final return.
These elements, when viewed through a strictly realistic lens, would seem to call for a precise, almost demonstrative explanation.

But the story never seeks such coherence. From the very beginning, it establishes its own balance, in which death ceases to be a definitive limit and becomes a state of limbo, serving the purpose of what is yet to emerge.
And it is exactly in this suspended space that the reversal takes on meaning: not as an exception, but as the logical outcome of a perspective that is already biased, already susceptible to deception.

What concerns daughters—their nature, their role—does not require explanation, but rather recognition of what it becomes the moment certainties begin to crumble.
It is not, then, a question of whether or not to believe in the process, but of accepting the ground on which it operates: a system in which identity, responsibility and truth are constantly being redefined, to the point where every distinction becomes unstable.

The final return does not open up a new perspective, but brings to completion a dynamic already in motion: that of a world in which nothing truly comes to an end, but everything is absorbed, reorganised, and put back into circulation.

It is also in this choice—risky, exposed, at times imperfect—that the drama finds its own identity: an unstable equilibrium which, precisely in its imperfections, defines its strength.
Nothing truly ends. It simply changes hands.

7 ½

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Até onde se iria por vingança?

Navegando pela Netflix, me deparei com essa sinopse muito interessante e contei a uma amiga. Como boas brasileiras que cresceram vendo as novelas do próprio país, ficamos ansiosas para ver a série, afinal, adoramos uma boa vingança.

A trama acompanha duas mães enlutadas pelas suas filhas, uma morta e outra vivendo à base de aparelhos, que veem o agressor das meninas ser condenado à pena de morte, mas essa pena que deveria representar o início de uma nova vidas pra elas, acaba parecendo insuficiente.

Inconformadas, elas decidem cuidar disso por conta própria, roubam o corpo do criminoso e o levam a uma seita onde uma deusa é capaz de ressuscitar os mortos por sete dias. A partir daí, acompanhamos o passo a passo de uma vingança que promete ser perfeita.

Embora se venda como algo sobrenatural, esse é um tópico pouco explorado. Apresentado como uma das partes centrais, ele praticamente desaparece após os primeiros episódios, durante o decorrer dos episódios ele não é desenvolvido nem mencionado na narrativa, e só retorna nos minutos finais.

Apesar da proposta curiosa e da relação entre as mulheres e o criminoso, muitos pontos da história começaram a me incomodar conforme a trama avançava, quanto mais eu pensava, mais coisas estranhas via.

Com 9 episódios, a série começa lenta, mostrando no cotidiano das personagens e a execução do criminoso. De repente, as coisas começam a ficar frenéticas. Investigação, viagens de avião e reviravoltas que não me convenceram em nada com a linha do tempo de apenas 7 dias.

Com plots, que pra mim, são previsíveis. O drama termina com pontas soltas, sem explicar várias coisas, e tenta vender um final "bombástico", deixando um gancho pra uma possível segunda temporada, que sinceramente, não tenho desejo de ver.

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