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Pleasantly Surprised!
The Unusual Prosecutor is a modern, legal drama inspired by Legend of Justice Bao Zheng (包拯). The story follows Pau Hey-Yan, Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, who suffers from Mirror Touch Synesthesia. Because of his condition, he deeply feels the pain and sorrow crime victims have to bear. By understanding victims’ suffering, he vows not only to seek one hundred percent of the truth but also to shield victims from further distress of court appearance. He faces many challenges and obstacles to uphold justice but receives great support from his assistant, Kung Suen Pak and inspector, Chin Hung Fei.
The show writers deserve “a pat on the back” for a job well done. To stay close to the original legend, the series writers modernize symbolic cases such as The Case of the Black Basin and Civet Cat for the Crown Prince. Furthermore, this is one of very few shows that attempts to explain why the protagonist is so righteous. Pau Hey Yan, who has to shoulder victims’misery, can risk losing everything including his own freedom to ensure the truth is revealed. Writers also set the tone of the show very early on: there will not be many courtroom scenes as court appearances place a great burden on victims. Due to my personal experience, I greatly appreciate this aspect of the series. It also shows how humane and kind the protagonist is.
Having said that, the Unusual Prosecutor shows multiple flaws in its plot. While some cases are unnecessarily dragging, the final showdown lacks development and seems rushed. I believe these issues are due to budget constraints and promotion intentions. Since TVB is grooming young actors and actresses, their screen time is longer than needed. While it is understandable, it causes imbalance in the story.
In terms of acting, my score is purely for Joe Ma and his ability to carry the team. Joe Ma delivers a better than expected Pau Hey Yan, who is kind and righteous but lonely and hurt. Pau Hey Yan seems stressed and unhappy often. I do not know if Joe Ma intended to act that way or he was actually under pressure at the time of filming. But his distress look fits perfectly to the story. Pau Hey Yan is the man who understands the feeling of the world, but is struggling to recognize his own. Joe Ma does not show his teary eyes, which seems to be the preferred acting method at the moment, too often. However, his microexpression is enough for sympathy! Besides Joe Ma, Alice Chan is an experienced actress, she is her usual-self, unfortunately providing no “icing on the cake”. As for the younger actors and actresses, there is still so much to learn, thankfully they have been given chances to polish their skills.
I had not ever paid attention to Joe Ma until The Unusual Prosecutor. With this newfound interest, I probably will rewatch the show for him. However, like all crime drama series, mysteries and surprises disappear after the first watch. I do not think there is any rewatch value for the show.
On another note, Joe Ma personally refuted the rumor that he was retiring. Having said that, I believe he may be entering his semi- retiring phase, where he accepts minor supporting roles to satisfy his passion for acting. He may fill his time with other hobbies and spend time with his family. Too bad, I am too late to this party. I do not think I can catch him being the first male lead anymore!
The show writers deserve “a pat on the back” for a job well done. To stay close to the original legend, the series writers modernize symbolic cases such as The Case of the Black Basin and Civet Cat for the Crown Prince. Furthermore, this is one of very few shows that attempts to explain why the protagonist is so righteous. Pau Hey Yan, who has to shoulder victims’misery, can risk losing everything including his own freedom to ensure the truth is revealed. Writers also set the tone of the show very early on: there will not be many courtroom scenes as court appearances place a great burden on victims. Due to my personal experience, I greatly appreciate this aspect of the series. It also shows how humane and kind the protagonist is.
Having said that, the Unusual Prosecutor shows multiple flaws in its plot. While some cases are unnecessarily dragging, the final showdown lacks development and seems rushed. I believe these issues are due to budget constraints and promotion intentions. Since TVB is grooming young actors and actresses, their screen time is longer than needed. While it is understandable, it causes imbalance in the story.
In terms of acting, my score is purely for Joe Ma and his ability to carry the team. Joe Ma delivers a better than expected Pau Hey Yan, who is kind and righteous but lonely and hurt. Pau Hey Yan seems stressed and unhappy often. I do not know if Joe Ma intended to act that way or he was actually under pressure at the time of filming. But his distress look fits perfectly to the story. Pau Hey Yan is the man who understands the feeling of the world, but is struggling to recognize his own. Joe Ma does not show his teary eyes, which seems to be the preferred acting method at the moment, too often. However, his microexpression is enough for sympathy! Besides Joe Ma, Alice Chan is an experienced actress, she is her usual-self, unfortunately providing no “icing on the cake”. As for the younger actors and actresses, there is still so much to learn, thankfully they have been given chances to polish their skills.
I had not ever paid attention to Joe Ma until The Unusual Prosecutor. With this newfound interest, I probably will rewatch the show for him. However, like all crime drama series, mysteries and surprises disappear after the first watch. I do not think there is any rewatch value for the show.
On another note, Joe Ma personally refuted the rumor that he was retiring. Having said that, I believe he may be entering his semi- retiring phase, where he accepts minor supporting roles to satisfy his passion for acting. He may fill his time with other hobbies and spend time with his family. Too bad, I am too late to this party. I do not think I can catch him being the first male lead anymore!
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