The historical costume mystery drama “Judge Dee's Mystery” is currently airing on Youku. In recent years, there have been two main trends in historical costume mystery dramas. The first is to extract intriguing stories from the obscure corners of history, with a stronger focus on historical details rather than dramatic conflicts. A typical example is Youku's popular summer drama in 2018, “The Longest Day in Chang'an”. The second trend is to blend traditional costume detective dramas with the style of road movies, adopting an episodic format where the investigation and personal growth intertwine. These works are highly dramatic and can be considered legendary tales with a down-to-earth touch. “Judge Dee's Mystery” is a standout in this regard.
This highly anticipated drama has garnered over 7 million reservations on Youku prior to its release, and as of now, the number of viewers “following” the show has soared to 9 million. The brain-teasing suspenseful detective genre has also won the favor of male viewers, making it the most anticipated series for 2024.
“Judge Dee's Mystery” lives up to these expectations. It is adapted from the eponymous novel by Dutch diplomat Robert van Gulik, and since its premiere, it has shown great potential. “The Phoenix Seal Case” combines the logical reasoning of traditional detective novels with the independent thinking of modern women. In “The Folding Screen Case”, the thrilling, bizarre, and enigmatic atmosphere captivates the audience through the screen. It can be said that during the Spring Festival season, a highly competitive period for video platforms, Youku has played its cards and opened the curtain of competition.
A New Recreation of Di Renjie
What should Di Renjie look like? Different people have different answers. “Judge Dee's Mystery” does not replicate past classic characters; nor does it follow the trend of shipping Di Renjie and Li Yuanfang together as a team, like a game. Instead, it injects new aesthetic tastes and contemporary values into the original work. This is a completely new Di Renjie that has never been seen before in Chinese TV dramas.
The novelty of Di Renjie lies in his character design. After the broadcast of “Detective Dee”, the image of Di Renjie gradually took shape in the minds of the audience – a non-martial arts practitioner who is overweight. But in the martial Tang Dynasty, anyone who dared to travel afar had to master a few techniques.
In “Judge Dee's Mystery”, Di Renjie has witnessed the moon over Kunlun, strolled through the yellow sands of the Western Regions, and ventured alone into the dens of wolves and tigers. He has read countless books and traveled thousands of miles. It is precisely because of his extensive travels that he dares to confidently assert that the new policies are beneficial: what has been changed is the monopoly of the aristocracy; what has been saved are the starving refugees; what has been stabilized is the empire of the Great Tang. Compared to a weak scholar, such a character undoubtedly resonates more with the aesthetic preferences of young viewers.
The novelty of Di Renjie lies in his spirit. In the creation of film and television dramas, it is not only about understanding individuals and society, but also about expressing one's own views on the world. In “Judge Dee's Mystery,” Di Renjie appears as a normal figure. However, he possesses a modern sensibility that allows him to communicate effectively, without flattery towards the powerful or bullying the weak, and with disdain for the aristocracy and aversion to hidden rules.
He carries a pure heart, but in the face of setbacks, he becomes confused and restless, questioning, “In the vast city of Chang'an, where is the truth to be found?” However, when he encounters Empress Wu, who shares his idealism, he transforms into a strategist and practical thinker. The relationship between the Empress and Di Renjie in “Judge Dee's Mystery” goes beyond the traditional dynamic of ruler and loyal subject; they share a common goal. Reform implies change, but also chaos. In times of chaos, governance is needed, and the people rely on the rule of law for stability.
The novelty of Di Renjie lies in his contemporary values. He embodies the spirit of fairness and justice through the rule of law. Throughout history, the highest praise for Di Renjie has been as the “Divine Detective.” This title not only signifies his ability to solve cases that others cannot, but more importantly, in an era where personal rule prevails, he upholds the solemnity of the rule of law.
Who is Changsun Qing? Wei Wuji made it clear that he is a three-time elder statesman, a minister who commands life and death, a member of the royal family, and the highest leader of the powerful and influential forces of the Tang Dynasty, like a complex and deeply rooted tree.
Such a character cannot be shaken by the son of a mere fourth-rank official. It is ridiculous for a gnat to challenge a towering tree. But Di Renjie refuses to believe in such superstitions. Does high rank and power exempt one from following the law? He persistently upholds principles of fairness and justice, believing in the adage that the heavens' net is vast and no one can escape it. He is angered by baseless and arbitrary accusations, and he despises the political infighting that disguises itself as serving the people. There is no true dedication to the nation and the people; it is all about personal gain and selfish interests. Such matters have plagued the dynasties, with only selfish schemes and calculations prevailing.
However, Di Renjie is not merely a naive idealist who shouts about fairness and justice. Each era has its own rules, and taking a half-step forward is genius, while taking a full step forward is madness. In Chang'an, in Penglai, he unravels the threads, conducting on-site investigations time and time again. The slightest doubt prompts him to dig deeper. He knows that closing a case is easy, but achieving fairness and justice is difficult.
The Eastern reinterpretation of Western detective novels
It is well-known that mystery dramas are usually divided into two categories: classical deduction and social deduction. The former is famous for its high-intensity logical reasoning and shocking criminal methods, characterized by strong typification and stylization, as seen in “Day and Night” and “Be Reborn”. The latter is characterized by extremely complex emotions and the ability to refer to reality, touching the softest parts of each person's heart with a heated social atmosphere and the grayscale between good and evil.
However, if we simply define “The Di Renjie Mysteries” as either classical or social deduction, it would be biased. If the original work by Robert van Gulik depicted Chinese cases in the style of Western detective novels, then the visualized “Judge Dee's Mystery” is a reinterpretation of Western detective novels through Eastern aesthetics.
In “Judge Dee's Mystery,” expressions of Eastern thriller aesthetics are found everywhere. From “Classic of Mountains and Seas” and “In Search of the Supernatural” to “Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio,” after thousands of years of cultural influence, the Chinese people have a natural curiosity about supernatural tales.
“Judge Dee's Mystery” effectively combines these supernatural tales with feudal order. Beneath the calm and peaceful surface lies the cruelty and sorrow of treating human life as insignificant. From the tragic poisoning of the prefect of Yangzhou to the silent suicide of the imperial guards, from the burned victims of Ju Water Lane to the self-immolation of Wei Wujie (played by Zhang Jiayi), all for opposing the “Pin Ji Si Chen,” a feeling of being consumed by feudal ethics is palpable.
“Blank space” is one of the traditional painting techniques in Chinese art, and later this technique gradually found its way into other cultural forms. In this article, “blank space” refers to the idea of “words within words” and “meanings within meanings,” as seen in Liu Heping's script for “Ming Dynasty in 1566,” The dialogue in “Judge Dee's Mystery” often contains unspoken implications.
Di Renjie is a master of leaving things unsaid. With thousands of thoughts in his heart, he expresses only a few words. The unresolved aspects of the case leave the audience as clueless as Qiao Tai and Ma Rong. When the truth is finally revealed, a sense of sudden enlightenment and satisfaction arises. In the midst of emotional turbulence, the feeling of exhilaration manifests itself. This is the mystery of Eastern understated aesthetics.
What is even more commendable is the portrayal of the magnificent scenery of the Tang Dynasty in the drama. The “Zhenguan Era” was the most prosperous period in Chinese history. After Emperor Gaozong ascended the throne, the Tang Dynasty reached its largest territorial extent, with a stable political situation and flourishing national power. If the “Tianbao Prosperous Tang” in “The Longest Day in Chang'an” is known for its grandeur, then the Tang Dynasty in “Judge Dee's Mystery,” which is still in the period of rising national power, retains a sense of strictness and solemnity.
In “The Phoenix Seal Case,” the bustling streets of Zhuque Avenue in Chang'an are filled with people during the day, with a constant flow of carriages and horses, but at night, it suddenly becomes empty, with only 108 blocks of lights remaining. Looking into the distance from a high point, the golden guards on horseback dash through, the juxtaposition of the cool black and the scorching yellow, such extreme Eastern splendor.
What is more interesting is that the city of Chang'an in the drama is completely fictional – whether it is the flow of people, the street scene, or the building architecture, everything is generated with the help of AI. Compared to traditional special effects, AI technology can create various virtual scenes in a shorter time and generate high-precision visual effects, meeting the creative and imaginative needs of film and television production.
Treasure ship filled with gold in the trailer. The Netherlands is known as the “carriage driver on the sea,” and as a Dutch diplomat, Robert van Gulik is no stranger to navigation. The production team built a complete ancient ship that is 70 meters long in a 6,000 square meter studio. However, when towering waves strike, even the sturdiest keel will sway. Not to mention, the terrifying nature of human hearts is far more terrifying than the darkness of the ocean. This “Golden Mystery” that takes place in a closed space has aroused great anticipation.
A reboot of the suspense drama
As an important part of Youku's content layout, “Judge Dee's Mystery” has made a big splash. On February 4th, Youku released its 2024 Dragon Year lineup, announcing the “three verticals and one horizontal” content layout, aiming to create differentiated content mindset. “Three verticals” refers to the “Historical Mystery Universe,” “Dawn Universe,” and “Youth Fantasy Universe,” while “one horizontal” refers to the treasure trove film library.
“Judge Dee's Mystery” is the first chapter of the “Historical Mystery Universe,” and later Youku will release a series of ancient costume suspense dramas such as “Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival” and “Zang Hai Zhuan.” The “Dawn Universe” is based on modern suspense themes, such as “Xin Sheng” and “The First Shot.” The “Youth Fantasy Universe” focuses on live-action adaptations of comics and science fiction themes, covering high-quality content such as the “I Am Nobody” series, “The Immortal Ascension,” and “Dashing Youth.”
“Universe-ification” has become a common practice in Chinese film and television productions in recent years. Youku goes a step further on the basis of the conventional film and television universe, constructing a “big universe” in a thematic form, deeply linking content style with platform temperament, achieving the construction of IP differentiation and unity.
Prior to the premiere, Youku announced that it would gift the television broadcasting rights of “Judge Dee's Mystery” to the Netherlands and produce a Dutch-language version for local audiences. With the release of the trailer, the drama has also attracted attention overseas. The Dutch news agency reported that the “Divine Detective” of the Tang Dynasty in China may set off a wave of new Oriental cultural trends in the Netherlands and even globally.
One day before the premiere, Youku's announced that Netflix had acquired the television broadcasting rights for “Judge Dee's Mystery.” The drama will be available in over 190 countries and regions worldwide through Netflix and Youku International.
This is Netflix's first acquisition of an ancient costume suspense drama and a new milestone in the history of Chinese dramas going global. It brings to mind the success of “The Longest Day in Chang'an.” In 2019, “The Longest Day in Chang'an” was available on platforms such as Viki, Amazon, and YouTube, sparking a craze for watching dramas overseas.
Chang'an during the prosperous Tang Dynasty was already the largest city in the world at that time. “The Longest Day in Chang'an” and “Judge Dee's Mystery” both depict Chang'an, but in different ways. If the former's Chang'an still embodies a cultural essence based on ethnicity, then bringing the original work of Dutch author Robert van Gulik to the overseas screen is a kind of global cultural integration.
In fact, the still unforgettable “Day and Night” had already successfully landed on Netflix seven years ago, becoming the first widely spread Chinese web drama overseas. After the rise of video websites, suspense dramas have become the most cutting-edge force in Chinese dramas, allowing overseas audiences to see the unique and mind-boggling aspects of the East.
