Bone-deep gaze and unspoken wounds or how to raise a quirky cat
Justice in the Dark is an intensely emotional mystery thriller that does the riveting source novel justice. The casting director must have been inspired the day they chose Zhang Xincheng and Fu Xinbo as leads, because they both delivered such emotionally layered and heartfelt portrayals, I can't imagine anyone else in these roles. Their on-screen chemistry flows with emotional authenticity and unspoken tensions. It has to be said that, being a danmei adaptation, this drama went through two rounds of censorship cutting a lot of the emotional moments, teasing and gestures suggesting growing intimacy. However, the deep feelings are still embedded in the story and come loud and clear through the acting. Their silent boiling gaze conveys so many emotions, it's sometimes painful to watch.
The opening scene of this series is one of the best I've ever seen. With an intriguing play of light and shadows invoking a sense of mystery, it perfectly sets up the visual mood and ambiguous nature of the main protagonist Pei Su, played by ZXC, who captivated me with his beauty from the very first second on screen. On the surface it's just a casual conversation with a therapist about people carrying a ‘zero degree empathy' gene, touching on the subject of free will vs determinism which is a recurring theme in the story, but the longer they talk the more you start to wonder if he's really talking about himself. One of the best things about this drama is its layered narrative - posing a lot of questions but withholding the answers, leaving room for your own interpretation. As PS sat with half his face obscured by darkness, it made me feel he's someone who hides his true self in the dark, feels disconnected from other ‘normal’ people and undeserving of their trust …but maybe the real him was as he appeared when leaving the room - a flirtatious rich second-generation with just a professional interest in ‘apaths’? There's an immersive quality to ZXC’s acting that draws you in as you try to break through the layers of disguise his PS has wrapped around himself and puzzle out who he really is, what he's plotting and what's hidden in his past.
Fu Xinbo's Luo Weizhao, a captain of a special investigative unit, is a compelling character in his own right with a great charisma and commanding presence. They start off having a lot of conflicting feelings about each other. PS has a thorn in his heart when it comes to LWZ's suspicions of him, while the other has a biased view of PS. For the first third of the drama they constantly needled each other with insults which was a lot of fun. I loved LWZ's brand of dry humour. He definitely didn't hold back when disciplining his underlings:) I liked the whole team at SID - they're quirky, warm and actually competent at their job. Well, mostly… Xiao Hanyang brought out the worst in LWZ, which made their interactions outrageously funny. I also found his digs at PS being a cat raised by him hilarious (喂猫千日用猫一时;))
LWZ comes off as a decisive person firmly grounded in reality, but as the story progresses his earlier beliefs are upended one by one leading to a series of heartbreaking realisations. Every time another layer gets peeled off from the complex picture that is PS - LWZ is always in the frame with his expressive eyes pulling you in, making you experience the emotions with him - doubling the emotional weight. I loved how they used atmosphere and visuals to maximise the emotional impact of those moments, especially in that one red-tinged scene that played out without a single line of dialogue… making me feel like I was standing right next to LWZ getting a terrifying glimpse into the abyss of PS's mind…
There are five individual cases being investigated by the team that tie into an overarching mystery. They are cleverly written, suspenseful and will likely tug at your heartstrings. Every case opens a new chapter in the story and is accompanied by a literary classic giving better insight into the minds of the criminals. I'll write out the titles to give you some idea about the nature of the crimes:
Chapter 1: Narcissism - Julien from Stendhal's The Red and the Black
Chapter 2: Paranoia - Humbert Humbert from Nabokov's Lolita
Chapter 3: Sociopathy - Shakespeare's Macbeth
Chapter 4: Obsessive-compulsive - Verkhovensky from Dostoevsky’s Demons
Chapter 5: Avenger - Edmond Dantes from Alexandre Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo (I don't really like the choice of this novel. I think there are other classics that’d fit this part of the story better)
The quotes from these novels are skillfully used to provide clues and set up a foreboding atmosphere. Some of them sounded so sinister and unsettling, it pushed my imagination into overdrive. The script follows the book closely but because the story covers sensitive topics some of the key scenes, explaining the motivations behind the crimes, didn't make it into the drama. As a result, those storylines aren't as detailed and hard-hitting as in the book, and the case resolutions feel a bit anticlimactic. A lot of characters show up with minimal backstory, which works well to streamline the story and keep a fast pace, but since the storylines are interconnected it pushes your memory to the limit. With so much of the story unfolding in conversations (and they speak fast!), it's way too easy to miss crucial details. Also, some of the scenes cut off abruptly, the characters' reactions seem out of sync with the situation or the atmosphere doesn't fit the dialogue. It all impacts the story flow and emotional continuity, and makes it harder to follow and understand what's happening. I think I'd prefer them rewriting those parts completely in a way that'd fit the guidelines and make it flow more smoothly, instead of leaving obvious gaps in the narrative with loose threads and emotions left dangling.
To sum up, this is the kind of drama that will tug at your emotions in a hundred different ways and linger in your mind for a long time. Better have a box of tissues ready:) There’s a lot to unpack and digest within the story itself but adding the cohesive artistic vision, evocative acting, powerful visual language, thought-provoking themes, aura of mystery and urban noir vibes it all keeps you engaged on a deeper level, creating a stronger emotional connection. I have to mention the lighting and soundtrack separately because they were absolute scene stealers in this drama (right along ZXC's acting;)) There are so many memorable scenes that resonate deeply with how lighting conveys the change in underlying feelings, highlights the characters’ internal conflicts or heightens the suspense. The OST songs are pure emotion! with lyrics that fit the characters and their journey really well. Look for @YiguoSubs on yt, they translated all the songs (and BTS) to multiple languages. I better stop here or I'll just start retelling all my favourite scenes (and probably use the word emotional another 20 times;)
Tl;dr It's an immersive thriller with brilliant acting and fascinating characters you feel deeply for, watch it with good subs or you'll be completely lost like PS in LWZ’s eyes!
The opening scene of this series is one of the best I've ever seen. With an intriguing play of light and shadows invoking a sense of mystery, it perfectly sets up the visual mood and ambiguous nature of the main protagonist Pei Su, played by ZXC, who captivated me with his beauty from the very first second on screen. On the surface it's just a casual conversation with a therapist about people carrying a ‘zero degree empathy' gene, touching on the subject of free will vs determinism which is a recurring theme in the story, but the longer they talk the more you start to wonder if he's really talking about himself. One of the best things about this drama is its layered narrative - posing a lot of questions but withholding the answers, leaving room for your own interpretation. As PS sat with half his face obscured by darkness, it made me feel he's someone who hides his true self in the dark, feels disconnected from other ‘normal’ people and undeserving of their trust …but maybe the real him was as he appeared when leaving the room - a flirtatious rich second-generation with just a professional interest in ‘apaths’? There's an immersive quality to ZXC’s acting that draws you in as you try to break through the layers of disguise his PS has wrapped around himself and puzzle out who he really is, what he's plotting and what's hidden in his past.
Fu Xinbo's Luo Weizhao, a captain of a special investigative unit, is a compelling character in his own right with a great charisma and commanding presence. They start off having a lot of conflicting feelings about each other. PS has a thorn in his heart when it comes to LWZ's suspicions of him, while the other has a biased view of PS. For the first third of the drama they constantly needled each other with insults which was a lot of fun. I loved LWZ's brand of dry humour. He definitely didn't hold back when disciplining his underlings:) I liked the whole team at SID - they're quirky, warm and actually competent at their job. Well, mostly… Xiao Hanyang brought out the worst in LWZ, which made their interactions outrageously funny. I also found his digs at PS being a cat raised by him hilarious (喂猫千日用猫一时;))
LWZ comes off as a decisive person firmly grounded in reality, but as the story progresses his earlier beliefs are upended one by one leading to a series of heartbreaking realisations. Every time another layer gets peeled off from the complex picture that is PS - LWZ is always in the frame with his expressive eyes pulling you in, making you experience the emotions with him - doubling the emotional weight. I loved how they used atmosphere and visuals to maximise the emotional impact of those moments, especially in that one red-tinged scene that played out without a single line of dialogue… making me feel like I was standing right next to LWZ getting a terrifying glimpse into the abyss of PS's mind…
There are five individual cases being investigated by the team that tie into an overarching mystery. They are cleverly written, suspenseful and will likely tug at your heartstrings. Every case opens a new chapter in the story and is accompanied by a literary classic giving better insight into the minds of the criminals. I'll write out the titles to give you some idea about the nature of the crimes:
Chapter 1: Narcissism - Julien from Stendhal's The Red and the Black
Chapter 2: Paranoia - Humbert Humbert from Nabokov's Lolita
Chapter 3: Sociopathy - Shakespeare's Macbeth
Chapter 4: Obsessive-compulsive - Verkhovensky from Dostoevsky’s Demons
Chapter 5: Avenger - Edmond Dantes from Alexandre Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo (I don't really like the choice of this novel. I think there are other classics that’d fit this part of the story better)
The quotes from these novels are skillfully used to provide clues and set up a foreboding atmosphere. Some of them sounded so sinister and unsettling, it pushed my imagination into overdrive. The script follows the book closely but because the story covers sensitive topics some of the key scenes, explaining the motivations behind the crimes, didn't make it into the drama. As a result, those storylines aren't as detailed and hard-hitting as in the book, and the case resolutions feel a bit anticlimactic. A lot of characters show up with minimal backstory, which works well to streamline the story and keep a fast pace, but since the storylines are interconnected it pushes your memory to the limit. With so much of the story unfolding in conversations (and they speak fast!), it's way too easy to miss crucial details. Also, some of the scenes cut off abruptly, the characters' reactions seem out of sync with the situation or the atmosphere doesn't fit the dialogue. It all impacts the story flow and emotional continuity, and makes it harder to follow and understand what's happening. I think I'd prefer them rewriting those parts completely in a way that'd fit the guidelines and make it flow more smoothly, instead of leaving obvious gaps in the narrative with loose threads and emotions left dangling.
To sum up, this is the kind of drama that will tug at your emotions in a hundred different ways and linger in your mind for a long time. Better have a box of tissues ready:) There’s a lot to unpack and digest within the story itself but adding the cohesive artistic vision, evocative acting, powerful visual language, thought-provoking themes, aura of mystery and urban noir vibes it all keeps you engaged on a deeper level, creating a stronger emotional connection. I have to mention the lighting and soundtrack separately because they were absolute scene stealers in this drama (right along ZXC's acting;)) There are so many memorable scenes that resonate deeply with how lighting conveys the change in underlying feelings, highlights the characters’ internal conflicts or heightens the suspense. The OST songs are pure emotion! with lyrics that fit the characters and their journey really well. Look for @YiguoSubs on yt, they translated all the songs (and BTS) to multiple languages. I better stop here or I'll just start retelling all my favourite scenes (and probably use the word emotional another 20 times;)
Tl;dr It's an immersive thriller with brilliant acting and fascinating characters you feel deeply for, watch it with good subs or you'll be completely lost like PS in LWZ’s eyes!
Was this review helpful to you?
