fanifesto | 大唐女法医 | Miss Truth (TV) (Reply)

NOTE: If you're into Korean Pop, you may recognize Zhou Jie Qiong in the middle here, who under the name Kyulkyung performed in I.O.I, Pristin and Pristin V and possibly some other groups.

It's 36 x 45 minute episodes and is available on youtube and Amazon Prime (included in subscription). It's also available on some iterations of Netflix and Dailymotion though you have to track down the individual episodes on DM.

Miss Truth centres around Ran Yan (Zhou Jie Qiong), a Tang Dynasty (yes, you read that right) forensic coroner. Disowned by her family in childhood as a jinx who brought about her mother's death (she grew up in a house in the yard of her parent's house), she was informally adopted by a coroner who taught her everything he knew. Her focus is on finding her mother's body so she can find clues to who murdered her. However, her family has decided it's now time to marry her off in a fashion appropriate to her family's station in life. Needless to say, she's against this idea. :D

That proposed marriage, however, is definitely the 'B' plot. The 'A' plot is totally focused on solving a series of mysteries some of which link into a far bigger mystery although not all of them. The Ancient China forensic work is fascinating and the mysteries have a nice complexity to them without the series cheating us out of the necessary clues. Also, there are various subplots of shenanigans involving different groups.

I'd have to say the first half is stronger than the second half after a location change but it's still one of my favourite Cdramas. :D

Along the way, Ran Yan encounters Su Fu (played by Pei Zi Tian/Tim Pei), a shadowy assassin, and Xiao Song (played by Li Cheng Bin/Toby Lee), a high ranking government official/detective, both of whom have their own difficulties involving family, loyalty, betrayal, obligations and position, just like Ran Yan does. I will say this show has period typical sexism but that also these poor fools are having to deal with Ran Yan.

Xiao Song is on the left, Su Fu on the right.

Is Su Fu dark and mysterious? Well, yes and I'll admit, objectively, he's a total biscuit with cheekbones you could use to slice bread. Meanwhile, Xiao Song is attractive, if not totally biscuity, but he's incredibly smart and funny and trades one-liners and insults with Ran Yan ("Miss Truth") in a Beatrice & Benedick style.

The supporting cast is wonderful, featuring Bai Yi, Xiao Song’s right hand man (Wang Yi Zhe) and Sang Chen, a scholar who's managed to skilfully avoid becoming a government official, despite always coming first in the Imperial Examinations (Lan Bo).

Bai Yi is on the left, Sang Chen is on the right