Editorials 
3
1
A promising investigation undone by its own finale
This drama may not be the best in the investigative genre, but it carries considerable emotional weight and leaves a lasting psychological impact on viewers. Each story arc evokes empathy for innocent victims and for those driven to do terrible things by the circumstances they find themselves in.
Moreover, the drama does an excellent job of keeping viewers engaged in the investigative process. Cases are solved through a systematic process of information gathering, forensic examination, analysis, and brainstorming. In other words, the drama takes the time to show how the investigations unfold rather than simply presenting the answers. This makes the investigative process itself an integral part of the storytelling.
That said, the supernatural and magical elements sometimes make the very premises of certain cases difficult to accept from the outset. Examples include a tree that devours humans, human puppets capable of killing, mutated wolves, and so on. As a result, despite being an investigative drama, it asks viewers to suspend not only their disbelief but also, to some extent, their critical thinking, accepting phenomena that are impossible or scientifically implausible in the real world.
Beyond these aspects, another thing that drew me to this drama is its protagonist, Li Si, the supposedly deceased fourth prince. His backstory is fascinating from the very beginning. A brilliant prince and the king's favorite, he becomes the target of his brothers' jealousy and is eventually believed to have been murdered. However, the child who dies in his place turns out to be someone else. Li Si himself is secretly saved by his enemies, not out of compassion, but because they intend to use him as a pawn for their own agenda.
The moment he finally uncovers the truth—what really happened to him and how he, too, has been nothing more than a pawn in someone else's game—is truly heartbreaking. It is a revelation that makes his backstory all the more tragic. Unfortunately, Li Si's plot armor is ridiculously thick. At times, his survival becomes so implausible that I almost wish the drama would let him suffer some lasting consequences for once. After surviving multiple stab wounds and even a fall off a cliff, surely he could have been left with a serious injury or at least a scar?
Another downside is that the producers have made Li Si a little too flamboyant and easygoing for my taste. Given his tragic past and the disturbing truth about how he has been manipulated, I would have preferred a darker characterization, one that hints at something far more sinister lurking beneath the surface than what he allows others to see. There is so much potential in his backstory for a more complex and unsettling character, and I wish the drama had explored that side of him more deeply.
On top of that, the final arc feels far too cartoonish. The ultimate villain turns out to be someone who barely played a role in the previous arcs, making the revelation feel less like a satisfying twist and more like an arbitrary attempt to manufacture a final threat. The investigation and resolution in this arc also fall short of the standards set by the earlier ones.
Could the writers really not think of a better strategy than the rather contrived Trojan horse approach they went with? And did proving one's loyalty really have to involve killing people and acting cold toward one's own allies? The plot could have followed the same general direction, but I wish these actions had emerged as natural responses to a situation in which the enemy genuinely held the upper hand, rather than being deliberate performances designed to deceive the opposition. That would have made the characters' choices feel far more convincing and the resolution much more satisfying.
Personally, one of the things I dislike most about investigative dramas is when a supposedly meaningful chain of events turns out to have been nothing more than an elaborate act. Twists and deception are certainly part of the genre, but they need to feel earned rather than contrived. Unfortunately, that is exactly where this drama falls short. After spending so much time drawing viewers into its investigations and encouraging them to follow the clues, it ends by making the audience feel as though they have been fooled, too. For me, that is a deeply disappointing way to conclude a drama that had so much potential.
Moreover, the drama does an excellent job of keeping viewers engaged in the investigative process. Cases are solved through a systematic process of information gathering, forensic examination, analysis, and brainstorming. In other words, the drama takes the time to show how the investigations unfold rather than simply presenting the answers. This makes the investigative process itself an integral part of the storytelling.
That said, the supernatural and magical elements sometimes make the very premises of certain cases difficult to accept from the outset. Examples include a tree that devours humans, human puppets capable of killing, mutated wolves, and so on. As a result, despite being an investigative drama, it asks viewers to suspend not only their disbelief but also, to some extent, their critical thinking, accepting phenomena that are impossible or scientifically implausible in the real world.
Beyond these aspects, another thing that drew me to this drama is its protagonist, Li Si, the supposedly deceased fourth prince. His backstory is fascinating from the very beginning. A brilliant prince and the king's favorite, he becomes the target of his brothers' jealousy and is eventually believed to have been murdered. However, the child who dies in his place turns out to be someone else. Li Si himself is secretly saved by his enemies, not out of compassion, but because they intend to use him as a pawn for their own agenda.
The moment he finally uncovers the truth—what really happened to him and how he, too, has been nothing more than a pawn in someone else's game—is truly heartbreaking. It is a revelation that makes his backstory all the more tragic. Unfortunately, Li Si's plot armor is ridiculously thick. At times, his survival becomes so implausible that I almost wish the drama would let him suffer some lasting consequences for once. After surviving multiple stab wounds and even a fall off a cliff, surely he could have been left with a serious injury or at least a scar?
Another downside is that the producers have made Li Si a little too flamboyant and easygoing for my taste. Given his tragic past and the disturbing truth about how he has been manipulated, I would have preferred a darker characterization, one that hints at something far more sinister lurking beneath the surface than what he allows others to see. There is so much potential in his backstory for a more complex and unsettling character, and I wish the drama had explored that side of him more deeply.
On top of that, the final arc feels far too cartoonish. The ultimate villain turns out to be someone who barely played a role in the previous arcs, making the revelation feel less like a satisfying twist and more like an arbitrary attempt to manufacture a final threat. The investigation and resolution in this arc also fall short of the standards set by the earlier ones.
Could the writers really not think of a better strategy than the rather contrived Trojan horse approach they went with? And did proving one's loyalty really have to involve killing people and acting cold toward one's own allies? The plot could have followed the same general direction, but I wish these actions had emerged as natural responses to a situation in which the enemy genuinely held the upper hand, rather than being deliberate performances designed to deceive the opposition. That would have made the characters' choices feel far more convincing and the resolution much more satisfying.
Personally, one of the things I dislike most about investigative dramas is when a supposedly meaningful chain of events turns out to have been nothing more than an elaborate act. Twists and deception are certainly part of the genre, but they need to feel earned rather than contrived. Unfortunately, that is exactly where this drama falls short. After spending so much time drawing viewers into its investigations and encouraging them to follow the clues, it ends by making the audience feel as though they have been fooled, too. For me, that is a deeply disappointing way to conclude a drama that had so much potential.
Was this review helpful to you?
