The World Between Us (2019)

This is the first Taiwanese drama I watched in more than 10 years, and it really surpassed all my expectations. This is a deep, mature, well-constructed story about collateral damage resulting from an act of violence. At only 10 episodes, it moves along at a very good pace with no unnecessary fluff. The dialogue is sharp, spoken by characters who are well-defined by their moral values and dispositions. Most importantly, this drama is thought-provoking and timely—especially for me as an American.

If I were to describe this story, I'd say, imagine tossing a stone into a pond. This drama is about the ripples extending outwards from the stone; but not only are we looking at these ripples, we are also prompted to ask ourselves why the stone was tossed in the first place. It's of interest to note that the title is translated literally as, "The Distance Between Us and Evil," which really says a lot, because a major theme in this series is examining the distance between labels: good/evil, victim/perpetrator. In the end, the story serves as a wakeup call for society, a reminder that we all tread between the lines.

I would recommend this to those who prefer serious, heavy dramas that bring important topics to the table and enjoy character studies. This is produced by HBO Asia, so those with HBO subscriptions may be able to access it; if not, hopefully subtitles surface soon.

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I typically stay away from the overused expression "woven-tapestry" when describing works of fiction, but this one, following the lives of the victims' and the perpetrator's families after a mass-shooting, is exactly that.
After watching "我們與惡的距離" (The World Between Us), I mostly feel impressed. Impressed because I'm familiar with the building blocks of fictional stories, and I think this is one of the best I've seen in years!
Right from the start, I was shocked (as in upset), then surprised, quickly angry/frustrated after that and eventually reached some form of acceptance, and from that point on, mostly cruised until the end with the occasional bout of wonder and surprise, but always, always impressed.

Most of the main characters (except for the young man suffering from schizophrenia) had flaws, qualities and circumstances that fueled their growth in a way that made sense. They sometimes surprised or frustrated me, but I loved each and everyone of them and really enjoyed the journey they each went through, even if it was painful at times.
Ironically, my favorite character is the one played by - arguably - one of the least talented actress/actor of the six I have in mind, but she was perfect for it.
I could write a lot more about this story, about how it portrayed human frailty so well, how it showed what makes us great and how small we can get. About how choosing to set many of the main characters in the world of the media was brilliant in this day and age. I could go over all that, but I don't want to bore you with things that are best left for you to discover...

I will leave you with a few more words on the casting, an example of character growth and a note on my favorite character.
The casting was excellent, and that includes supporting characters. Yes, most characters are attractive, but the type of beauty works for each.
Just to give you an idea of what I mean, physically swapping the husband working for the Herald and the lawyer wouldn't have worked as well, though the two actors have the needed dramatic range.
Similarly, the soft and slightly plump pampered young lady works, just like the thin, sophisticated, physically assertive female news director does.

About the pampered young woman, it was fascinating to see how her mother (so astute), her father (with his narrow view about providing) and her husband (with his moral compass) all helped her - through their very different opinions and actions - get where she needed to be. And this isn't the most impressive growth in the story...
Unlike other characters whose lives were tragically affected before the events depicted in the story, my favorite character's world comes crashing in front of us. Although a hardworking person, there was some naivete/simplicity about her, and that gradually gets crushed. She digs into herself to find a way out, while pulling others up with her. In that, she's also different.

The story wasn't perfect, but its flaws can easily be overlooked, which is why it will stay with me for a long time.
It is a pity though that because of the way media markets work, this one will not be as widely distributed as some other better known but less compelling Korean or Chinese alternatives...

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