Hello again my friends! Psychological thrillers are one of my favorite type of dramas to watch and today I’m here to discuss two psychological thrillers I recently watched. “Mohouhan” and “Copycat Killer”, are both based on the book “Mohouhan” by Miyabe Miyuki.
Mohouhan (2016)
Country: Japan
Episodes: 2 (2h each)
Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Psychological, Drama
My Rating: 9/10
Copycat Killer (2023)
Country: Taiwan
Episodes: 10 (60’ each)
Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Psychological, Drama
My Rating: 7/10
The main plot is more or less the same in both versions. A serial killer is kidnaping and murdering girls. The police and the media are trying to chase him, but the murderer always manipulates them into what he wants them to see and slowly, more and more people get involved into the mess he creates. Although the core is the same in both dramas, there are many differences between them, mostly the characters and the way the plot unfolds. Let’s watch them in detail and talk about the pros and cons of each one.
There are some spoilers ahead, but not fully detailed.
Timing
“Mohouhan” takes place in 2016, the same year as the series got released, but “Copycat Killer” takes place in the 90s or early 00s, as I could guess by elements such as video games, mobile phones, and the fact that the original book got released in 2001. The 90s vibe was very strong, it felt very nostalgic and I loved how they paid attention to every little detail from cars and electronic devices to hair and clothes. Even the fact that they were smoking literally everywhere.
Plot
As I said, the core plot is the same in both versions. We follow the investigation for a serial killer. At the start, they make us believe we know who he is, but after he dies at an accident there is a huge plot twist that made him just a helper and then the original killer appears.
The Taiwanese version had a steady pace with a plot that built tension gradually and featured numerous plot twists. You think you know it all, but at the next minute you know nothing. As the episodes go it gets darker and hard to watch sometimes. The plot strongly focused on the journalist and there is also a bit of romance in it.
An interesting fact is that the original killer is a main character, but until the 7th episode you have no idea who he truly is. After this episode, the plot twists go crazy and finally the series concludes with a very clever 10th episode where the original killer is forced to confess.In Japanese version we follow the story through police’s and the journalist’s POV and that made me feel like I’m part of the investigation. There was a whole team investigating. I felt that the depth and the angst were stronger in this version. Also, the way that the journalist managed to make the killer finally confess, caught me by surprise and I felt that despite it was very risky, it was also very smart and brave.
The original killer did not appear until after the first one died and that’s an interesting difference between the two series, because the vibe was completely different. I also loved how we watched flashbacks of both killers working together as a team, something that was missing from the Taiwanese version.
Characters
In the Taiwanese version, the focus is mostly on one person, the prosecutor. We follow him investigating and slowly solving the mystery as he nearly got crazy and lost himself through this journey. All the characters, involving him, seemed perpetually hopeless and sad, which sometimes felt a bit forced and detracted from the authenticity of their struggles.
In the Japanese version all the characters play an important part to the story and they took the time they needed to make us get to know and bond with them. They’re all very well-written and powerful in their own way and that made their actions feel very natural.
Acting
In Taiwanese version, I felt that the acting was ok, but sometimes I got tired watching them always looking so exhausted and helpless. For example, there was multiple scenes with the prosecutor taking pills and I felt that the focus was lost. I could totally understand each of their feelings, but there was a lot of overacting and they didn’t succeed on making us feel the characters.
The actors in the Japanese version were very talented. They felt more dynamic and realistic compared to their Taiwanese counterparts and I also loved that there was a lot of focus on body language.
Killer
In the Taiwanese version, both actors were good, but I must say I expected more of them. The first one was always looking sad and scared and that was a bit out of character for him. I liked the original killer’s acting and how he turned from a calmly looking good boy to a serial killer, but I also believe I needed more craziness from him.
Both actors in the Japanese version were very good and I believe they portrayed their roles better. The first killer was very talented and it’s very interesting to watch him manipulates everyone into his plans. But I was totally blown away by the original killers crazy talented acting. He had me captivated from the moment he appeared. He was 10 times more manipulative than the first one, so much that I looked him with fear.
Finale
In “Copycat Killer”, after the killer was finally caught, it was interesting to watch how the lives of everyone who got involved in the case was affected and how this bad thing may change them in a good way. But on the other hand, I felt that the ending was slightly rushed. I thing I’d prefer something deeper than the original killer getting killed by a random guy, but I guess that has also its meaning.
“Mohouhan’s” ending was very heartbreaking. The scene where the journalist uncovered the killer and manipulated him into revealing his identity was truly captivating and I could feel the angst all over the place. But what I kept at the end, is that no matter what, people who are gone will never come back.
Personal opinion
“Mohouhan” means “Copycat killer”, so we could say that both dramas have the same title. But as I completed both series, I felt that the word “copycat” has a different meaning in each series. In the Japanese version, it’s more about the way they finally managed to make him confess his crimes, but in Taiwanese version, it refers to the way he tortured and killed his victims.
Even though the Japanese series lasts only 4 hours, it is deep, concluded and focuses on all the right points. The acting is extremely good and I also loved the soundtrack on this one.
The Taiwanese version is easier to watch but it gets excessive at some points. The 90s vibe is a lovely bonus and the acting is good. As it is a NETFLIX production, I guess the romance part was also needed.
Both of them are full of angst and plot twists, keeping the viewer thoroughly engaged. But I have to add, that even though I watched “Mohouhan” after “Copycat Killer” so I guess I knew some things would happen, it still kept me fully captivated.
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Thanks for reading this,
Utaku.