Copycat Killer (2023)

Just go and watch it!!!

I am a sucker for thriller/crime/mystery dramas. I especially enjoy the Taiwanese ones, because they are always creative and graphic (all the props look so realistic!). This drama isn’t an exception. It is visible that the team creating it spared no efforts to provide us with a very high quality production.
The acting is amazing, but I expected nothing less from this talented cast. The story is thrilling, I just couldn’t put my laptop down after starting it and I ended up binging the whole thing (never mind that I have exams coming lol).
I kinda knew who was going to be the killer, but this is only because I’ve read too much crime novels.
P.S. I sooooo hope there’s going to be a second season, because I just want to see these actors working together again, but in my heart I know that with this drama it just made sense to end the way it did.

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"The truth depends on who tells it best"

Copycat Killer was a copycat of numerous serial killer stories, set apart only by its relentless and gratuitous images of young women been tortured and murdered. Told in a time before social media, it tried to paint television news as bringing as much chaos to society as the brutal murders of imperfect victims.

The drama utilized character types we’ve seen before. Chris Wu played the brilliant and moral prosecutor with a tragic past who is a thorn in everyone’s side for not tolerating any dishonesty and doggedly devoting his life to solving crimes. I found this confusing. Prosecutors in my country use the evidence police bring them to go to court and try the cases, they don’t dig up the evidence themselves. Cammy Chiang was the overly earnest young reporter disillusioned with the news media. The criminally underused Ko Chia Yen was Wu’s ex and a psychologist to help him make sense of the killers’ motivations. Ko is a gifted actress who had few scenes and none of which showed her range. Ruby Lin’s news anchor and producer had potential but the writing let her down as well. The villains ranged from mildly complex to laughable.

Copycat’s writing was uneven and the pacing slow. The first three episodes were more confusing than world building. Story lines that promised follow-ups were dropped. In the initial episode, a killer made the statement, “As long as the evil in your heart is triggered, anyone out there has the capacity to become a killer…Do you think there’s no evil in you?” The writing clumsily tried to push Wu’s prosecutor into that ethical corner. The news media was shown as morally bankrupt, uncaring of how much damage their coverage did to victims and their families as long as the ratings were high. Due to their race to air the most graphic or emotionally volatile content they became complicit in the killers’ crimes.

Aside from the writing and pacing issues, the main problem I had with this drama was its depiction of women. It tried to have it both ways-repeatedly show scantily clad women tortured and murdered in a titillating manner and then call out the media and society for blaming the victims. One character that was written for us to empathize with due to his loyalty and connection to main characters simply emphasized how unimportant young women’s lives were. The noble citizenry vilified the imperfect young women as being unworthy of justice and finding their killers a waste of tax payer money. The old myth of only the perfect victim, the chaste and obedient woman from a good family, being worthy of our sympathy or help was trotted out again and again. Perhaps Copycat was highlighting how victims and their families are often victimized as much by “righteous” people as the criminals who committed the heinous crimes but the lingering shots on chained women or extended scenes of gratuitously murdered women muddied those waters. The drama also briefly addressed the troubling old belief that the family of a perpetrator was as guilty as the criminal and not worthy of a happy life even if they had nothing to do with their relative’s actions.

Copycat Killer was a disturbing drama, not because it dealt with serial killers or had gory scenes, which it did, but because in trying to show society’s misogynistic and limited views of women they simply reinforced violence against women as a means of entertainment.

11/17/23

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The Same ol’ psycho-plot but still thrilling enough to hook you up

It starts of real nice the first few minutes into the show and it literally gave me goosebumps , the only problem with me is the Main Character is too basic don’t know what went wrong not sure if it’s the acting cuz Wu-Kang ren is GOOD like fr but I couldn’t sympathise with Xiao-qi but except for that the whole show is amazing the characters and the 10/10 Acting ,, He-ping’s character is absolutely amazing so is Shen-Jia wen and others no major plot holes except the sloppiness they made after they had secured a major suspect in catching him basically although the main character again as I said is a little too plain to be the main character and the scenes with him felt lacking compared to He-ping’s part the actor nailed every second of it , definitely worth watching once but a little weird to rewatch it cuz you watch it for the story and ofc not for the blood splattered on whosoever’s hands so yeah 1st time watch would be great but rewatch value is low

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Character-driven social commentary

One thing I've noticed about these Taiwanese mystery thriller dramas is that it's not necessarily about the whodunnit or about blowing your mind with plot twists. It's about making social commentary through the eyes of different characters. Copycat Killer did a really good job of that.

Don't get me wrong, I still really enjoyed the mystery element, but I realized I shouldn't overthink the actions of different characters and waste my time trying to figure out who did it. Instead, the drama made me think about the killer's motivations and psychology, and most of all how the media and the rest of the public enabled it.

This is a really character-driven (as opposed to plot-driven) story; if someone keeps those things in mind, I think they'll really enjoy this one.

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Another crime drama uses women as voyeuristic collateral damage

I'll preface this review by saying that I don't normally watch crime dramas because they're copaganda and certain shows revel in gratuitous violence as a form of voyeuristic titillation. I made an exception for Copycat Killer because of the stellar cast.

As far as the twists and turns and pacing of the plot goes, that was all fairly enjoyable. But I was disappointed with three things.

1) The drama follows the tired old trope of unhinged men killing young women. These perpetrators of gendered violence are depicted as social anomalies – as if gendered violence were the result of just a 'few bad apples' – when we know that isn't true. And yes, while this is a work of fiction, I draw a line at gratuitous displays of gendered violence. This drama offers sadistic voyeurism and no critique.

2) I think there was an attempt at some kind of commentary on the spectacularisation of media. It was superficial at best – possibly a very confused take on Baudrillard's Simulacrum – and was ultimately undermined by the drama's own spectacularisation of violence at the meta level anyway (see above).

3) Despite an amazing cast, the actors weren't given a lot to work with. The characters were written in such a way that they were all easily identifiable crime drama 'types' that had each been customised slightly to fit the storyline. I'm not just talking about the unhinged misogynist trope. Male lead as man-turned-judicial-warrior because his family was murdered is a tired old trope. Journalist struggling for justice is a tired old trope. Woman psychologist who serves as a love interest and to give emotional substance to the male lead is a tired old trope. I was even hoping they might do something with Ruby Lin's anchor character but, alas, no.

This very much sucks because these are incredible actors we're talking about. This is the 4th drama I've seen with Chris Wu, 3rd with Ruby Lin, 2nd with Ko Chia Yen, and 2nd with Cammy Chiang. I know they're all excellent actors but because of how their characters were written, they just didn't have room to show off their full ability. That said, they did wonderfully with what they'd been given.

Just to end on a positive note – special mention to the lighting crew and director of photography. There were some beautifully lit and coloured scenes as well as a couple of choice angles used in shots. Nice work.

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Bumpy road with not so smooth storytelling.

Copycat Killer is for sure not anything groundbreaking, but it has its charm thanks to the 90’ set up and great performances.

It’s best to watch it without trying to figure it all out. If you start to pay too much attention to the plot and certain details, you’ll start to get more and more frustrated. Yes, it’s the case of poorly done detective work and letting the killer get away a few too many times before the final face off. If you just go with the flow, it’s a rather entertaining watch and game of wits from people who don't really have that much wits in the first place.

Honestly speaking, I truly enjoyed the first 3 and last 3 episodes, but the middle part was just not well constructed and, at least for me, it failed to connect the initial set up to the given conclusion. All the revelations made sense, but they never truly felt earned. I also wished we had more background on the mastermind, more information and explanation for his motives. They spent a lot of time developing things that by the end did not matter as much as the vital aspect that were left underdeveloped.

Copycat Kill in a not so subtle way delivers a message about the biased portrayal of victims in media and the negative consequences of chasing after topics, disregarding feelings of people who are involved. While the message was clear, even that felt a bit wishy-washy in the presentation.

Best aspect of the drama? Undoubtedly the performances. Chris Wu aced the role of the justice driven, hardworking prosecutor with a tragic past. The raw emotions and vulnerability he delivered on screen amazed me quite a few times. That was truly a one man story. Technically speaking there were 7 main characters, but by the end of the show, everyone seemed like a supporting character for Guo Xiao Qi’s journey.

Personally, I loved the production quality. Great and detailed set designs, beautiful use of lighting, smooth editing and transitions between scenes. The 90’ aesthetics were presented in a realistic way without making the show look dated. The few gore scenes had perfectly done makeup and practical effects. It's not over the top graphic just to shock the audience, but it also does not shy away from the reality of the gruesome crime.

Overall, a nice watch. Nothing thrilling enough that would make you binge watch in one sitting, but something that might make you want to watch an episode every few days.

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Excellent crime drama with suspense and thrilling. Highly recommended.

I usually don't watch much drama from Taiwan, but Copycat Killer is one of the best crime dramas I have seen. It's much better than crime dramas that come out of China.

It is short, only 10 episodes long, with 60 minutes per episode that you can binge-watch in 2-3 days. It was suspenseful and thrilling, and I didn't expect the killer to be someone else, and the person who played the killer did a very good job.

The only thing I didn't like was that in each episode, a woman got killed; not to spoil the ending, but his ex-girlfriend got killed, and Guo Jian went ballistic. The killer was narcissistic and crazy; he still wanted the camera to be on him even to his death.

The acting is good for the entire ensemble. Highly recommend this drama, and I give it an 8.5 rating. The production quality was good with realistic facial colors, and everyone was painted white like dramas come from China.

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Just watch it

I am not a big fan of psychological thrillers and ones that start so slow and keep going in spirals till you peel back all layers. But this I loved. Just when I thought the drama might lag in middle and what they will do with all the time they had , the show definitely surprised me with the twist and oh god , the performance of each main character was so amazing.

The story isn't new but it has been plotted well and manages to keep tje viewer hooked till the end. Love how they set up the ML character with the first case he is shown in. Brilliant.

Very much appreciate the female casts in this drama - so inspiring , competent and loyal.

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Obsessão através das lentes

Uma jornada desesperadora, cruel e despida de pudor. Estava esperando algo simples quando dei play nessa obra, mas fui completamente surpreendido ao ser jogado de cara num complexo e diabólico abismo.

Aos poucos é possível perceber que não é só mais um típico "jogo de gato e rato" entre polícia, mídia e serial killer, como costumamos ver na maioria das séries por aí. Com o passar dos episódios, camadas e mais camadas são acrescentadas à história, os plots estão escancarados em nossa face desde o primeiro instante, mas ainda assim continuamos buscando por mais.

O enredo é forte e bastante importante pra atualidade, não consegui perceber nenhuma negligência ou abordagem errônea, oque foi ótimo!

Com atuações esplendorosas e magníficas, Copycat Killer encanta ao mesmo tempo em que assombra, é definitivamente algo que ficará marcado na mente de quem o assistir.

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A Thrilling Crime Drama

COPYCAT KILLER is an excellent Taiwanese crime drama with only 10 episodes so far. Perhaps a second season is coming? This series was exceptionally made, well-written, and well acted as well, with the exception of having a fairly unmemorable main lead. Usually this is a fatal crime for a good drama, but considering all else was top notch and excellent quality, and considering how much enjoyment (engagement) this caused from me, I can't honestly dock it any points. This was a really great show, albeit quite dark and gruesome. The story itself was thrilling and intriguing, with twists and turns to keep viewers ever guessing.

I mainly enjoyed the entire cast except, as many others have said as well, the main lead. For me he just felt underwhelmingly portrayed and very bland, as well as underdeveloped. There were only a few times which one might see glimpses of deeper working of the character. I understand he was intended to be portrayed as detatched and cold for a reason, since work is his life and he grieves a dark past, as well as the loss of a dear relationship. But ultimately the character felt deeply lacking and hard to connect with, and I wasn't very impressive with his portrayal. The remaining cast were all really great, all giving vivid and memorable performances.

I highly recommend to fans of international mystery and crime drama series, especially if you don't mind brutality, murders, violence, sexual assault, gore, and other dark, triggering subject matters. This drama is about serial killers, and graphically depicts deceased women in various twisted forms of death. Very intense, and yet dark series.

[NOTE: Trigger Warning. Murder. Violence. Rape / Sexual Assault. Abuse. Torture. Language. Dark Adult themes. etc.]

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not what you’re expecting

As always, these ramblings are my own thoughts and opinions and not intended to offend anyone.


This was a rather good drama from Taiwan that gave me pretty much everything I could ask for from a thriller. Do be warned, there is gore and some very good effects in terms of makeup, as well as foul language. Also, trigger warning for animal abuse in one episode.

Hsiao-Chi Kuo is a prosecutor on the hunt for a serial killer who seems to be mimicking the earlier killing of a young woman - or could it be related? Via a story filled with so many twists and turns, the audience is left in a constant state of surprise as more and more shocking information is revealed.

There were so many times that I thought reveals were too early, but it all paid off, and actually added to the mysteries (that were plentiful). There are so many twists that even when you think, “this can’t go anywhere else” they still find another shocking path to lead you down.

Much of the story seems to revolve around BDSM; the series shows consensual BDSM, where it’s managed in a club setting with proper care and consent (albeit illegal), before showing how some people can take it to extremes in which it is no longer a thing of pleasure, but an excuse to hurt women. I’d like to point out that what the killers are practising is NOT real BDSM, but torture. (I know I probably don’t need to explain this, but all to often BDSM is considered wrong or viewed in a poor light, and I feel like this series did try to show that the club was consensual whilst what happened outside of it was not. I do hope that makes sense.)

The cast was fantastic, and whilst I did manage to call out a few plot points that felt a little predictable to me, the story really did keep me on my toes. So much so, that when I woke up the morning after finishing episode 6 I quickly picked up the show again because I needed to know what happened next.

There was one character that constantly left me angry and stressed out because we could obviously see what was going on but the characters couldn’t - that was some good acting. (Sorry that is vague, but I don’t wanna spoil.)

Towards the end, the series felt a bit like a Joker-ish story, but executed in a much better way at a more enjoyable pace.

Over all, this show was fantastic. I didn’t expect to get so invested; I thought I’d end up quitting within two or three episodes, but the storytelling was absolutely brilliant and I cannot recommend it enough. I really hope a second season is coming, because there are so many more creative possibilities with this series.

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Phenomenal script and case conceptualization

I'm deeply impressed by the psychological components of this thriller (I'm in the therapy/psychology field!). I think the writers were thorough in their research and the portrayal of complex psychological issues. From the long-lasting effects of PTSD for Hsiao Chi, to the CPTSD + psychosis (with hallucinations) + substance use disorders for Jia Wen, to the interwoven ASPD and NPD for He Ping -- I could keep going -- all of them were portrayed with a believable level of accuracy, nuance, and complexity. I felt like, throughout the show, there was significant character exploration; personal values, personality, and developmental experiences were all explored in a really meaningful way. And!! There was character development even in people who I thought wouldn't change too much like Ya Cih. I'm not sure if she reflected on the killings and thought about what her absence meant for her child's development and that's why she decided to be home more and take a different job, but that was a truly exciting part to see.

Of all the characters, though, Mr. Ma was the character for me. Often times religious or spiritual identities are portrayed in an extreme and negative way, but his spiritual/religious identity was what made him vital to the plot, as well as wise and empathetic. From the beginning, he stood by his belief that his granddaughter was a good person despite the persecution he faced. He accepted his granddaughter exactly as she was, saying he didn't care about her religion. He spoke about acceptance for how things are/were, and finding a pathway forward. He made reference to Lao Tzu who authored the Tao Te Ching, and he talks about the belief that we are like water. Not only do we have the strength of water, but we have the flexibility of water to move over the stubborn rocks and obstacles, moving through and around it to continue on the path toward a life worth living. And, boss move of it all, he called He Ping out on his shit to his face without any hesitation. Though he was considered a "support character," I think he played a pivotal role, and without him, I don't think the characters would have developed and transformed as they did.

I do think that some of the characters weren't as human as they could have been. For instance, we rarely if ever got to see them outside of their career, not even for simple things like eating out together, playing games, watching movies - simple things that could bond them in a healthy way (bc let's not lie, most of them were trauma bonded lol). Such a minor issue, but nevertheless, something I considered. I'm also a bit disappointed Yun Hui died. I get that her death forced Hsiao Chi to act violently - which served meeting the killer's expectation / taunt - but I feel like he had already lost so much...I would have been grateful for the writers to give him at least one thing.

The unfolding of the plot was very nicely paced. I was worried that, with Jia Wen being revealed halfway through, they would really drag out the remaining episodes in a way that wouldn't be noteworthy. But, they added the components of multiple accomplices (which I predicted), moving through misleading evidence, and through He Ping's evasion of the authorities. For people suffering from such delusional grandeur and narcissism, I think he was unnaturally lucky he didn't slip up more often or in more obvious ways, and yet, it was believable enough to move the plot along. I liked that all the characters were involved in making the plot move and that there were powerful female characters in the show too. The women were not all victims - they demonstrated gentle strength, intellectual prowess, cleverness, and resilience. I was glad that they weren't tossed to the wayside and depicted as entirely helpless.

There were a couple of things that were bothersome, but not enough to change my rating. The level of gruesomeness, especially the inclusion of a lot of the victim's crying and screaming during flashes of their pictures before/after their deaths, felt intolerable at times. I either had to stop watching or skip through because the audio-visuals were so overwhelmingly horrific (despite knowing, obviously, that it was fake and no one was actually harmed). I also couldn't understand how Hsiao Chi ended up being a public defender after getting out of jail. Are there no stipulations against it in Taiwan? Idk! Feels unrealistic though.

TLDR; this is a worthwhile watch, and i may rewatch it in the future :) the psychological elements, the character development, and the pacing with nice twists made it entirely worth binge-watching.

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