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Zheng Ye Cheng once again proved his acting ability
This drama is made for those who want to take their time and enjoy the content.Xin Yun Lai, who played Luo Fei, was a good fit. Unlike his true character, he passionately played the role of a calm and taciturn detective with the thorns of a past case in his heart.
The supporting cast, including James Yang as Bai Ya Xing, was also excellent. However, Merxat, who has a reputation as a villain, could have brought more tension and depth to the drama by enhancing Bai Ya Xing's personality.
Today's viewers are more interested in simple, easy-to-understand dramas like New Life Begins, which was a hit last year.
This drama is based on an original story, so it is impossible to make major changes, but to summarize it in 24 episodes, the seven deadly sins are seven cases, and each case is solved every two episodes (two episodes were aired each day), with the main character's hypnotism leading to the resolution of the case in 14 episodes. If the plot had been as simple as a Hollywood drama, with the remaining 10 episodes to reveal the truth of the main character's mother's death, the mastermind's motive, etc., and finally solve the case, it might have been more acceptable to a wider audience. It would have cut down on the depth of this drama...
In this, Zheng Ye Cheng once again proved his acting ability. Even in scenes without dialogue, he is able to express detailed emotional swings.
In Chinese drama productions, the romance category has the largest number of viewers and becomes a blockbuster drama, whereas these dramas are in a minor category and are usually unlikely to become a hit. However, Desire Catcher has become a hit in its own right, with a seeding volume of over 500 million.
Zheng Ye Cheng is, in fact, also good at romcom dramas. Despite its low budget, The Sleepless Princess and My Sassy Princess were near S-class hits.
Although his popularity would have exploded if he continued to appear in romcom dramas, he has chosen not to appear in this category, instead appearing in Enlighten your life, a national policy drama about the pioneering era of nuclear power generation, and Stealth Walker, an undercover investigation drama.
Zheng Ye Cheng belongs to a private agency, so he has not been able to appear in S-class dramas as a leading actor, and his fame is not as high as that of popular young actors (many people have not seen him since loveO2O), but his acting ability is probably one of the best among actors.
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Pandora's Box
This Pandora's box of a psychological thriller was something I picked up after a trusted source suggested it and I read the premise. It reminded me a lot of the dynamic of "Under the Skin" only there it was a cop and a sketch artist and here it was a cop and a hypnotist. I've never seen anyone from the cast before, so as always went in without any expectations or preconceived notions.Pros: As always the dynamic of the two ML's had to develop as one couldn't just blindly trust a stranger especially when law and crime was involved. The cases all early on suggested a very rich and powerful psychotherapist that was also a psychopath was the main villain. Even though the people committing the absolutely horrible crimes had their own reasons, they were essentially vigilantes which goes against all forms of societal justice. Yes you feel bad for some of them and who they were trying to protect, but killing innocent people like Xiao Liu, the officer just trying to do his job, was not justice. It was greed and self pity. Both ML's were struggling with inner demons related to the same case from 10 years back and I did enjoy their back and forth as they tried to figure that case out amongst all of the others. Finding their balance of trust as cop/consultant and friends was often heartwarming and often frustrating.
Everyone on Team Luo was essential even the one they lost and the one that transferred in. They not only formed a formidable task force but their care for one another was just a very bright spot to see even when things seemed to get out of hand. The main villain's true motive didn't come into focus until the last few episodes but it didn't take away from his viciousness nor depravity. Which made him a great and absolutely psychotic antagonist. I wish we got to see more of his psychological disfunction throughout the series; I spent many years researching serial killers like him and he reminds me a lot of Dr. Harold Shipman and Ted Bundy in his ability to essentially hide in plain sight and yet be this series version of Dr. Death. He used others to commit crimes for him never getting his hands dirty until the last one. His ability to manipulate those around him was in line with him refusing to take any responsibility for the crimes that started everything. He played God though he was dying and thought he was in the right until the very last breath he took. Other than needing more time on screen, he was a great big bad wolf.
The OSTs were on point and I also liked the flashbacks as the audience got to understand what had happened or why certain things went a certain way. Everything was placed just right. I was pretty neutral on LFP always having lollipops with him or LF handing them to him later because that was his own psychological way to handle anxiety after the death of his mom.
Cons: Ok I'm getting this out of the way but who's idea was it to give LFP a Hobbit wig? The thing was absolutely atrocious and made him look ridiculous. Was it in order to show him during and after his prison term with a bowl haircut looking somewhat normal, because when he ran or moved fast it was so obvious it was glued to his head, it just didn't help with concentrating on the scene. Wardrobe in general for him was a few sizes too large and just didn't fit his character. Wish they kept him in the tone of less is more.
Why didn't a single officer carry a gun with him unless told to do so? Xiao Liu did bring a gun but LF didn't in the episode Xiao Liu was killed. Wasn't part of being a police officer that you had to always carry your service piece and know how to use it? Go to target practice, make sure you always are up to date with knowing how to use your firearm? Plus, never enter a cave or any other unknown location without backup? That entire part of episode 10 was completely unbelievable in police procedure in any country. I have seen this in a few of their series where the perps had weapons but the cops had zilch. A gun fired for an officer's safety doesn't mean use of deadly force. The perp is trying to stab you, shoot the knife out of his hand. A survivable and light wound for him, but you're alive. Guess they had to kill off Xiao Liu in that one because even when LF called his name in that tunnel, Xiao Liu could have called for help but didn't and that was such a huge loophole. LF always using his martial arts only when others have pipes and knives was just unreal.
I mentioned this in the comments but LFP getting 7 years (served less) for manslaughter. It should have been involuntary manslaughter as the big bad didn’t give them a choice other than suicide by cop plus stopping the bomb attached to LY. That should have been probation max. That made a whole lot of no sense to me and I often feel that their criminal laws give a greater punishment to protectors than perps.
Lastly, I wish LFP was shown doing more hypnosis in the series and where we really got an understanding of how it worked on a smaller scale. But that wasn't much of a con.
Would I recommend it? I absolutely would. If you don't look at this from a procedural perspective and can overlook the annoying as hell wig, this is actually a pretty engaging and entertaining series. I'm glad I watched it. There's an extra episode with links in the comments too.
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A piece of art disguised as a detective drama
Don’t be fooled by the moderate rating of this drama. It truly is a piece of art - just not what some people were expecting…The marketing decision to promote this drama as a “bromance” certainly didn’t do it any favours, as the source material really did not offer much opportunity for any bromance and thus left viewers who specifically watched under this premise, sorely disappointed.
Watching this drama without any preconceptions or expectations is probably the best way to enjoy it. I initially just started watching it on a whim in order to see Zheng Ye Cheng in a modern setting (and with a dorky haircut) but for me it turned out to be a highly addictive show.
This drama isn’t the usual fast-paced detective/suspense drama - it has long sequences without any dialogue, artful use of modern architecture for highly atmospheric shots with the background music and OST perfectly complementing the visuals. The showdown in episode 18 is an absolute feast for the eyes which reminded me very much of French nouvel vague films.
The plot of the drama is a patchwork of elements from the three volumes of The Evil Hypnotist novels by Zhou Hao Hui. The fact that the protagonist in the novels is Luo Fei who works with a different hypnotist in each volume while the protagonist of the drama version is Lu FengPing (who only appeared in the last volume of the novel series), may explain some of the inconsistencies and strange behaviours of the lead characters.
The detective-hypnotist duo come across a number of strange cases that are somehow connected and despite solving these cases some mystery remains as it becomes clear that there is a dark mastermind pulling the threats. Both lead characters have their own issues tied to some events of the past, which prevent them from being honest with each other until nearly the end (episode 18) of the series. This gives the two lead actors ample opportunity to show their acting skills.
Zheng YeCheng delivers a very nuanced portrait of a traumatised person who can be cocky one moment and highly vulnerable the next. His face and his eyes literally speak volumes which made him the perfect choice for a production where dialogue was always less important than the visuals. So far I had only seen ZYC in historical roles where I admired his martial arts skills (and his looks, of course), but he really impressed me with his acting in this one.
Xin Yun Lai as the detective who analysis everything but rarely speaks had a tough role to master because there is a fine line between portraying a cold character and coming across like a piece of cardboard. There were some moments, when I saw him on the wrong side of that line, but overall his acting was pretty decent.
The main antagonist, played by James Yang, was one of these villains that I love to hate. Every time he was on screen I intensely disliked his character all the while admiring the actor playing this role. For me he was really the surprise discovery of this drama.
Even though the chief villain was impressive and (wonderfully deranged, in a way) the motivation and background stories of the villains was probably the weakest point of this drama. As it is a patchwork of elements from the three novels in the Evil Hypnotist series, a lot of changes had to be made to tie everything together somehow. Many of the flashbacks seemed to somewhat exonerate the main villain by giving us a glimpse of his tragic life before he turned bad which is quite a substantial deviation from the overall tone of the novel.
The theme of personal guilt over causing tragic events that runs through the first volume of the novels has been replaced by random events that turn people into victims which in my view deprives the drama of the psychological depth that it could have had otherwise.
This is a drama that I will certainly re-watch again and again, simply because of the artful production that makes it such a pleasure to watch.
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Guión y Recorte
La serie pinta muy bien desde el principio. El tema de la hipnosis está bueno, pero siento que se quedó medio a la mitad. Creo que podrían haber puesto algún elemento de ciencia ficción o agregarle algún rasgo de personalidad a Lu FengPing (más allá de que come chupetines porque se siente triste ¿?). Hablo como algún elemento de hipnosis (una fragancia, un pañuelo para tapar los ojos, etc) que lo hubiese hecho sobresalir entre los demás hipnotizadores. Si los malos tenían un tipo de alucinógeno, ¿Qué elemento le podría haber facilitado a él la hipnosis? Solo tenía una cajita de música que no usaba siempre, era más como un relicario donde tenía la foto de la madre. Medio flojo.Hasta el capítulo 16 tenemos una trama bastante interesante con sus puntos bastante flojos. Siento que faltó desarrollar la relación entre los dos protagonistas (no me refiero como algo amoroso, pero en esto por ahí tiene que ver la censura) porque cuando Lu Feng Ping se "mata" medio que no tiene sentido que Luo Fei se sienta tan mal si el tipo lo único que hizo fue desconfiar de su camarada, y el otro ni mostró tendencias -ni siquiera vamos a decir suicidas- pero de estar triste, o dejado, o abandonarse. Para mi eso perdió todo el impacto de la escena en sí, siento que faltó complicidad con el espectador. Las cosas que se me ocurren para solucionar esto son:
a-que el tipo estaba triste en serio, todos nos lo hubiésemos comido
b-que el tipo hubiese fingido la tristeza para con el equipo, mientras se mostraba al personaje ploteando todo pero solo el espectador lo veía.
Debe haber más, pero hasta ahí llega mi imaginación. Después de este momento todo medio que decae porque una vez que Lu Feng Ping se niega a matar al asesino de su madre la trama se vuelve rari. La obsesión del "malo" es medio una cagada y como va atando los hilos para su plan queda medio pelo: creo que de haber querido arruinar posta la industria de la hipnosis tendría que haber hecho todo a una escala más grande.
El final medio que me dió paja. Le sobró un capítulo. Cuando Lu Feng Ping mata a Bai Ya Xing y después va PRESO porque el tipo ya se había rendido me parece de lo peor. Si el malo realmente se hubiese rendido, entonces hubiese detenido la bomba que tenía en el cuerpo de Liang Yin, ¿Cómo puede contar como rendido alguien que todavía está amenazando la vida de otra persona? Eso es chantaje lisa y llanamente. El guión venía flojo pero después del capítulo 16 se cae a pedazos.
Para finalizar me gustaría darle el changuí a la serie y a la relación entre los protagonistas diciendo que editaron varios minutos de varios capítulos: no sé si tiene que ver con la censura de la relación entre Luo Fei y Lu Feng Ping o con algún otro incumplimiento de la serie (al ser policial, a veces puede resultar más difícil).
Así que para mi esas dos cosas dejaron a la serie muy a mitad de camino. Igual la disfruté, me gusta mucho como actúa
Zheng Ye Cheng y espero ver más cosas de él.
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MY opinion on the drama i watched with expectations.
I initially got drawn to the drama after seeing an edit, and it started off strong, captivating me to the point where I neglected my final exams. However, as the story unfolded, it took a downturn with noticeable plot holes that even Luo Fei’s handsome face couldn’t distract me from. The overall plot felt underwhelming, especially with the villain’s background story lacking depth.Now, regarding Lu Fengping, the supposed main character, his limited involvement was disappointing. Unlike typical main characters with an air of arrogance and skills to back it up, Lu fengping fell short, merely being a pretty face with rare moments of actual contribution. I anticipated his “big moment” showcasing his skills as the best hypnotist, but it never came.
Despite these drawbacks, the standout performance of Luo Fei kept me engaged. His well-written character, a man of few words, never had his spotlight stolen. Unfortunately, the ending also left much to be desired.
While acknowledging the hard work of the actors, actresses, and the production team, it’s evident that the writing fell short of doing justice to their efforts.
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Starts off strong but is goes downhill by the third act
This drama ticked all the boxes: good character dynamics and a plot that tackles some pretty hefty themes without any over-the-top depictions. Act one was especially good at keeping my attention and building the story, and the second act fully developed most of the characters while exploring their motivations. All of this build-up to the reveal of the big bad, and then it goes downhill from there. I feel like the expectations created during two-thirds of the plot are very different from the end result. Instead of a cold and calculated serial killer with strict personal morals, we got an unhinged maniac. What was his deal anyway? He couldn't be with his girlfriend and decided to murder everyone because being sad is bad? The nurse was much better written to be honest and was overshadowed by the idiot in a white suit.On another note, this drama is the first one where I liked the soundtrack. So I'm saving the ending theme for later.
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Definitely gonna rewatch and recommend this one!
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Anyone can say anything: I think it's a light crime-bromance work..
Well....Desire Catcher...I'm not saying it's a flawless work... regardless, it was enjoyable to watch, although I was annoyed at some points...
The strength of the series is the well-choreographed action scenes and beautiful atmospheric shots... and the OST, I've been listening to it often since then, I love it.
And the other plus: the acting!
The side characters are neutral for me, sometimes I didn't even notice them...
Here, I was convinced by the performance of the two main characters, especially Lu Fengping, who played by Zheng Yecheng. I fell in love with him!
Although in the eyes of many this relationship is not a bromance... it wouldn't hurt to see behind the lines and notice the looks and gestures... and especially to understand... because what they do for each other tells a lot...
Quite a lot of interactions reveal how much they complement each other... you just have to notice...
Although their relationship is uncertain and more tense until episode 18, after which it goes into a state of rest, it was still enjoyable to watch them because there were still strong scenes.
The main villain was played quite well by the actor, although his reasons were a bit weak and selfish in my opinion. The nurse was better...
Overall, the plot was not bad, I liked the solutions to the crime, although the police are almost always "slow" and idiotic, but acceptable... however, the ending was a bit rushed..
Of course, there were actions in it that did not add anything to the story, and were even unnecessary, like the death of Xiu Liu....
I didn't really like the ending either, because the whole series is unfair to Lu Fengping, but it made up for it that they reunited with Luo Fei and the team at the end... at least the series didn't give an open ending.
Overall, this light hearted bromance crime drama was a pleasure to watch, I will probably watch it again.
Feel free to try it without listening to the negative comments!
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It is a hypnotism crime drama that is unrealistic. Too long and draggy.
"Desire Catcher" is a crime drama about the world of hypnosis, which is unrealistic in real life.The plot is about solving crime by cooperating with the true genius in the field of hypnotism, Feing Ping (played by Zheng Ye Cheng), and the lead officer, Lou Fei (played by Xin Yun Lai)
This is the second crime-related drama with Zheng Ye Cheng as a lead. I was not impressed with it. He is better in historical wuxia drama than modern drama. His acting ability in modern dramas was not as engaging and luring. I watched him in a RomCom called "Love Under the Full Moon," it was not that good either.
I would give a higher rating if the drama were cut to 12-16 episodes. Twenty-four episodes were too long and draggy, and the bad guy was reviewed, and it did not show how he learned hypnosis. He was self-fish and a bad person and had people stupidly follow him. It took the police too long and too dumb to find him. The ending is so stupid. I am giving it a 5.5 rating and being generous about it.
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Superb
I didn't want this series to end it was that good.It was a long series which sometimes puts you off watching it but I decided to have a look and after the first two episodes I was hooked.
Everyone of the cast did an amazing job.The two main actors Zheng ye and Xin yun who were drawn together by murder were first class actors..Lu feng and Luo fei couldn't be more poles apart in personalitys but they had a connection which drew them closer to each other to find out the truth. All in all one of the best crime dramas of 2023.Dont be put off by the 24 episodes. You will miss out.The
only other series which matches up is The Devil Judge.
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O roteiro é interessante e bem amarrado, em alguns momentos da trama o enredo fica meio sem nexo, mas depois o roteirista retoma o sequenciamento. Não há romances, mas a interação entre os dois protagonistas é agradável e deixa dúvida se a relação é uma grande amizade ou algo mais. Os personagens foram construídos de modo a deixar dúvidas, pois, em vários momentos, todos aparentam ser suspeitos e, mesmo, os protagonistas não escapam de dúvidas no decorrer da trama. As atuações do elenco são boas.
A direção conduziu o drama de forma satisfatória, não houve cenas de preenchimentos sem que nada de novo acontecesse no decorrer do drama e nem correria na finalização. Poucos erros na edição.
A trilha sonora é agradável e foi usada de forma adequada nas cenas.
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