Copycat Killer

It's a dark, violent and gritty thriller nominally focused on the hunt for a sadistic serial killer. Although based on a Japanese novel and set in Taiwan, the dour tone and deliberate pace are reminiscent of Scandi-Noir. Genre cliches abound and the show doesn't shy away from depicting brutality. It's also guilty of the same thing as virtually every other streaming series in padding the run time with extraneous subplots and overcooked melodrama. That said, this show is nevertheless well-done and engaging, with good performances, slick production, and enough twists and turns to keep things interesting.

The show was good overall and worth a watch. However there were a few issues that held the show back from getting to the next level. I feel like the last 4 episodes were kind of unnecessary. They could of stopped the series halfway and I would of still enjoyed it. The villain's logic was flawed and the way the killer was brought to justice was lazy writing. The show seemed to drag a bit from time to time within episodes too.

There was a lot of positives though. Without giving too much away, I liked some of the motives to the villains. It seemed as a way to help redeem them in some way. Some of the twists were creative with a good storyline.

Was introduced to this show when looking to fill the post-show blues after watching Light the Night.

The storytelling was a little confusing in the first few episodes when characters were introduced one after another and the plot of each episode seem to be quite siloed. The timeframe of the show was also confusing as there was little to done to suggest it was the 90s. (Some parts of modern Taiwan does resemble the 90s.) This was complicated by the non-linear timeline at the beginning which shuffles between different years.

However, the plot took a turn in the second half when the storylines start to weave together to form an engaging plot. Relationship between the media, the judiciary and the serial killer becomes clearer.

Overall, the pace and level of detail was just right. It is well-balanced between dialogues and action. All the characters were pretty well-developed for a short 10-episode drama, except the lead himself. A stronger link between his personal story and his career as a prosecutor could have added more dimension to his character.

I can't help but compare it with Taiwan's top Netflix series from a year ago which happens to be of the same genre - Light the Night. In my two cent, Copycat Killer pales in comparison as the plot was much simpler with less suspense build-up. Pacing was probably the only aspect it had triumph over Light the Night. Nevertheless, one thing I noticed and appreciate about Taiwanese mystery thriller is the way it contextualise to their local culture and societal issues. Looking forward to Taiwanese films and series making a comeback!

This show started off very promising until it became clear that the writing was just not upto the level expected of a good serial killer drama show. All the major characters involved in solving the crime/s i.e the Prosecutor and Police Task Force act illogically and irrelevantly throughout the whole show making the viewing rather infuriating.

The directing, production values and cinematography are all top notch however. The acting is generally pretty good except for a couple of actors.

There is a good show hidden underneath but unfortunately the creators were unable to execute it successfully due to subpar writing.

This Series Left me speechless by the end, with multiple twists and turns shifting the expectations again and again. Chris Wu being the lead is what truly solidified my rating as his character was much different from what I'm used to. In a role where the director would apply more pressure for sympathy, Hsiao-Chi Kuos Traumatic past takes a backseat while still being prevalent. Where other titles would make this character very vulnerable Copycat Killer Lets Hsiao-Chi Kuo be a more stoic and stable character throughout the majority of the series. Every Character is given the opportunity to grow and learn from the experiences in the series that makes you care about them. The killers motives were very unique as well with Jia-Wun Shens Character being particularly heartbreaking. By the end every characters story ended at the perfect time with the right outcome leaving no extra weight for an unneeded cliffhanger.