Black Heart White Soul is a fast-paced gripping thriller. It has an intense plot with a lot of unexpected twists and brilliant schemes. The story follows along in a logical way with all the parts closely linked together. The characters are intriguing and fleshed out. Each of them has their own ulterior motives, which serves as the main driving force of the series. The police are still made to look incompetent, but at least the lawyers know how to make a proper rebuttal this time.
The series makes the point that no one is completely good or completely bad. For example, the villains still have a good side, showing their love towards their wife, lover or daughter. And the "righteous" hero, Ron Ng, still uses morally questionable tactics to achieve his goals. It illustrates that there are plenty of grey areas in life; sometimes good or bad depends on the circumstances or perspective. I love the ending where there isn't a sudden epiphany on the part of the bad guys and they all turn good.
Roger Kwok is the perfect fit for the role of "Matt". He maintains a sincere outer appearance, while slowly letting his inner evilness seep through. I don't know who else can do that sly smile as well as Roger. Kristal Tin's role requires a lot of emotional scenes, which she handles well, but she was somewhat overshadowed by everyone else. Ron Ng is in yet another hot-headed police role, except this time he is an all-round jerk as well. He has the same facial expression throughout the whole drama, which is the exact same one he had in Ruse of Engagement. The only thing that changes is his hairstyle and not in a good way either.
A Hero Born (Legend of the Condor Heroes)Jin Yong English Translation Book 1
A Bond Undone (Legend of the Condor Heroes)Jin Yong English Translation Book 2
Reviewed by: miriamfanz
September 02, 2014