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"Had I not seen the sun, I could have borne the shade..." E Dickinson
Had I not Seen the Sun has been a difficult drama to rate and write a review for. Certain elements left me wanting and others I found completely engrossing. Also, given that we must wait until December for the second half to air, the drama ends on a cliffhanger meaning the story is not complete. I went out on a limb with my score hoping the writers bring everything to a satisfying ending.
Li Jen Yao turns himself in, confessing to several horrific murders. A small film company receives permission to do a documentary on him. Their goal is to discover the one thing the police were unable to ascertain…the motive for the grisly killings. Chou Pin Yu is the young film assistant. She’s moved into a haunted apartment and begins to be possessed by someone with a connection to Li. Pin Yu is given a ghostly guided tour of the lives of Li and the ballerina he loved.
The present time escapades did not work for me largely because the actress playing Pin Yu is extremely inexperienced and she lacked the ability to give any depth or nuance to a complex role. I rarely comment on acting abilities as it’s very subjective, but I nearly dropped this drama early on because I could not connect with her performance. When the drama largely moved to the past I fell into the story. The narrative may not have been original and was overtly melodramatic, but I don’t mind a little drama mama action. I’m tempted to say the writers were heavy-handed with their butterfly metaphors but can’t bring myself to criticize their uses of my namesake.
“Moths (at night) keep going in circles mistaking lights for the Moon…Butterflies only appear under the sun and go anywhere they want to.”
I’m curious to see how the writers will resolve the mysteries of which there appeared to be many. If nothing else, this drama was a strong motivation for cameras in classrooms and child advocacy programs and more.** With the exception of one girl’s family, there were no people deserving of children in their lives in this drama. Most of the teens involved lived in the darkness. They either basked in the sun hoping to learn how to walk in the light or attempted to drag the light into the darkness with them. We'll see if anyone sees the sun by story's end.
20 November 2025
Trigger warnings: SPOILERY
-a violent sexual assault, numerous beatings, and glimpses of disturbing murders.
**Spoiler comment below**
**** There is also a need for better protections for sexual assault victims with the police, schools, and more public education that girls/women who are raped are NOT sluts or responsible for the vile acts committed against them and they are not tainted goods. The protection of boys is not more important than the welfare of their victims and the victims deserve justice though it is too often denied. Li Jen Yao should have aimed lower.
Li Jen Yao turns himself in, confessing to several horrific murders. A small film company receives permission to do a documentary on him. Their goal is to discover the one thing the police were unable to ascertain…the motive for the grisly killings. Chou Pin Yu is the young film assistant. She’s moved into a haunted apartment and begins to be possessed by someone with a connection to Li. Pin Yu is given a ghostly guided tour of the lives of Li and the ballerina he loved.
The present time escapades did not work for me largely because the actress playing Pin Yu is extremely inexperienced and she lacked the ability to give any depth or nuance to a complex role. I rarely comment on acting abilities as it’s very subjective, but I nearly dropped this drama early on because I could not connect with her performance. When the drama largely moved to the past I fell into the story. The narrative may not have been original and was overtly melodramatic, but I don’t mind a little drama mama action. I’m tempted to say the writers were heavy-handed with their butterfly metaphors but can’t bring myself to criticize their uses of my namesake.
“Moths (at night) keep going in circles mistaking lights for the Moon…Butterflies only appear under the sun and go anywhere they want to.”
I’m curious to see how the writers will resolve the mysteries of which there appeared to be many. If nothing else, this drama was a strong motivation for cameras in classrooms and child advocacy programs and more.** With the exception of one girl’s family, there were no people deserving of children in their lives in this drama. Most of the teens involved lived in the darkness. They either basked in the sun hoping to learn how to walk in the light or attempted to drag the light into the darkness with them. We'll see if anyone sees the sun by story's end.
20 November 2025
Trigger warnings: SPOILERY
-a violent sexual assault, numerous beatings, and glimpses of disturbing murders.
**Spoiler comment below**
**** There is also a need for better protections for sexual assault victims with the police, schools, and more public education that girls/women who are raped are NOT sluts or responsible for the vile acts committed against them and they are not tainted goods. The protection of boys is not more important than the welfare of their victims and the victims deserve justice though it is too often denied. Li Jen Yao should have aimed lower.
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