any_anka

If you're ok with something more melodrama, go watch More Than Blue Taiwanese version (series, not a movie). It's also a drama that kinda breaks your heart, but at the same time feels heart warming.

I didn't try to claim you should feel or think the same way as I do. Quite the contrary, my entire point was that not everyone would feel the same ;)

To what you said about Hsiao Tung wanting justice: sure. When the people who hurt her were still alive and well. At the end of the drama the perpetrators were dead, unable to hurt her or others anymore. Half of them exposed for the scumbags they were.

Are you 100 percent sure that Hsiao Tung, the same one who couldn't speak about what happened to her in front of the camera and reverted to being Pin Yu when her boss was about to film her "testimony", would want everything brought to light again? And let's be realistic, it would've been a huge story in the media considering everyone involved. And her family would be affected again. She herself could be blamed for being romantically involved with a serial killer, too...

And btw I am not trying to convince you of my opinion. And in fact I myself don't know which way would be better. Revealing the entire truth feels right. But is it worth it, is considering the repercussions and when every villain already got their punishment one way or another?

You oversimplify it. They were not "paid off". The mother made this decision, because she was scared her daughter would get hurt further by the court proceedings, the media frenzy and everything else connected. Plus, their family was all alone against how many? 5? 6 families? Some of them rich and powerful. She heard the arguments that the culprits would probably get a slap on a wrist type of a punishment anyway, but her daughter would have to relive her trauma (just as she already did once during the medical exam).
Having said that, I think the mother made a mistake. At the very least she shouldn't have made such a huge decision for Hsiao Tung. Without even consulting her at that
But saying they were paid off is ignoring all the nuance of the situation.
HT's parents were simple folks. They were not law-savvy or good at plotting and strategizing. They were faced with a crushing tragedy and handled it poorly. For which they suffered for years that followed (together with their daughter).

What makes you think the series was intended to give a lesson? Not every art is about preaching. Thought-provoking, sure, but not necessarily preaching. The very fact that ML is a serial killer shows that there's a certain degree of greyness to the characters and their actions (I would argue that most of actions) are often far from perfect.

Also, to your point. You think she "deserves" justice - but what if she doesn't want it? What if she wouldn't want to be remembered as the girl who got violated by her classmates? What if releasing everything would put her parents under media scrutiny, tabloids following them etc., making it even harder for them to mourn her death? What if they became a target of the families of those who were killed by Jen Yao? Some of them were rich and influential, mind you.

The worst three of them were exposed, be it for something else, but still. Plus, it's not the type of a situation that revealing the truth would protect their future victims, bcs they're no longer alive and thus are unable to hurt anyone else.
I think if you were looking for a "lesson" in this drama, one could be that no choice is 100 percent guaranteed to be correct.

Freshly after having watched Had I Not Seen The Sun, I am seriously contemplating checking out this one. I'm a bit scared that it won't live up to my expectations (which are pretty high at the moment considering it's from the same creators...).

I don't think so. Earlier on in the second season, when JY finds out she's Hsiao Tung and talks to her parents, they kinda explain it in clear enough terms what happened to her. They say sth along the lines that she decided to live her life as a different person from now on and not remember what happened to her (or sth like that, I dont remember the details, but I remember it was really in layman's terms, no talk abt Dissociate Personality Disorder, Multiple Personalities or sth like that). While they don't mention Pin Yu yet, cause she doesn't exist at that time or Chi Chi who's almost always hidden inside Hsiao Tung's head, I think the audience can understand what's happening drawing comparisons and anologies.

8.4 is a good rating on MDL though? From my observations, Taiwanese (and Japanese) dramas usually don't have a huge fan following like e.g. kdramas. The rating's are usually lower pretty much as a default (unless it's a BL).

She dies at the very end by walking into the sea. I don't know if you'd feel satisfied, bcs it's kinda suggested her and the ML reunite after death and fulfil their final promise to spend Christmas together.

I am a bit surprised that you can empathize with the friend who lied abt the rape, but don't extent the same amount of grave toward the BFF. Personally, similar to you, I don't blame the friend who lied, she was terrified. She was against not one person but an entire group of people with powerful parents and money who were watching her every move. However, from the BFF's point of view, of course you couldn't forgive someone who took part (even if a small one) in hurting someone she loved so deeply.

Revoking what I said about Copycat Killer being more graphic after having watched half of season 2.

Echoing what noona said: absolutely not! You might get that impression from the first meeting of ML with the reporter girl, but trust me (us), it's really nothing like that. There's a reason for... well, everything :)

ahhh ;) there'a a bit... but not much. this is not a romance-centered story
There's actually no FL - all main characters are dudes, women are just supporting characters.

It's bromance in its original actual meaning, not what the word evolved to for whatever reason. No romance or hints of romance between the guys.
In my personal opinion not much space to ship them either. It's not one of those dramas where dudes have deep long stares that suggest soul connection and whatnot.
If there are any in here, it's more for a comical effect than anything else. So unless you develop a completely new story for the characters in your head, I don't think there's much shipability here.
It's just a wholesome story of male friendship (not only that, but in the bromance department that's what it is).

There is a movie.

I'm just at episode 3 of s2 and already have cried like 5 times...

I found it very romantic, but in a bittersweet way. However, as the sachapz stated: depends what you mean by romantic. There aren't many moments that would give you butterflies etc. The attraction between the characters is more emotional than physical I'd say. Personally, I felt like for the ML the girl is like a ray of sunshine in a dark suffocating world. And I found it very moving and romantic.

Well, I probably know (and I suppose everybody else who watched it knows) which scenes you refer to. In my impression it gets a bit less... vulgar in the later episodes (or maybe I just got used to it😋). They certainly went most "wild" in the first two eps though. Not really my type of humour either, but I pushed thru because I found the other parts really fun. To me personally, this drama is overall both really fun and wholesome. Maybe try giving it another chance?

I think Copycat Killer is more graphic. This one (at least the first season) is not overtly graphic. However, there are still scenes that are hard to watch (not so much for blood etc., but just emotionally difficult to get thru)

I guess it's not really that deep for me. I simply like them musically. Liu Yan's song is a rather atmospheric ballad and I do appreciate the pipa solo in between the verses, makes me think like he's actually the one playing and singing ;)
Xi Fang Tai's song is probably the most interesting to me in terms of arrangement. It sound both very modern and at the same time very traditional, with the drums and all. I also think her singing voice sound ethereal and captivating, light and seductive at the same time - exactly how I saw her character in the drama.
Does that make sense? :P

It's already out on Viki.

I'm two episodes in and... wow. If someone told me Ivy Shao here and Ivy Shao in, say, More than Blue were two different actresses, I might've believed them. She's so different here... Granted, they gave her this femme fatale look, dark clothes, black sleek hair, red lipstick (she looks great btw), but it's not just that. Her entire aura, energy around her is completely different.
Good actress.