I barely even know where to start with this masterpiece. If you have no time for a long review, here is my TL;DR: Missing Noir M is possibly one of the most arresting, soul-destroying detective shows I have ever come across.
Now before I begin, I need to stop here and say that crime and detective mysteries are kind of my thing. I'm still new to Asian drama, but I've most likely read and watched every Poirot, Miss Marple and Sherlock Holmes story out there, along with a whole list of other British detectives from back in the heyday of vintage crime. Yet I don't remember any other detective, story or series that has repeatedly left me in hysterical tears - and what shocks me even more is that this didn't happen just once or twice. Almost every single episode left me shell-shocked, crying, and questioning what I knew of my own humanity. That is the power of Missing Noir M.
I'm sure you already know that this isn't a happy, fluffy series, and you're absolutely right. But they don't go out of their way to make things tragic or melodramatic, either. The only phrase I can think of is "brutal honesty", with no bias or cues to tell you how you should feel - and as the key theme to the series is morality and what we define as "right and wrong", the fact that the viewer is always given a totally impartial view makes complete sense. If there is a corpse you will see an ugly corpse, not a stylised or easy-to-see version. Characters are represented as raw and honestly as possible, with no stereotypes or cues to tell us how we are supposed to feel about them. Nothing is hidden from you; nothing is painted as good or bad. You are left to make your own decisions, and treated as an intelligent viewer.
Speaking of characters, credit needs to be given as much to the actors as to the script-writers. A high level of craftsmanship has obviously gone into creating the people behind each episode, especially considering how detailed some plots can get. Whether you're watching a protagonist, antagonist or supporting role, every single character in every single case is a fleshed-out, complicated, irrational and mistake-prone human being - which has been both written well, and acted beautifully. There are also no character tropes for you to latch onto, so it is impossible to guess the way a person will react, what their intention is, or who is truly "innocent" or "guilty". Because in real life, how often does a 100% evil person commit a crime against a 100% sinless person, then have their case solved by somebody 100% impartial?
Exactly.
Story is the only category that gets a 9, and that's because some moments can feel very out of the blue. Once or twice there is a sudden onslaught of information you just don't have time to process before the next scene, and occasionally some interactions between characters take a hugely unexpected turn with no explanation. The "blink and you'll miss it" moment in the final episode (you'll know what it is when you see it) is my best example of this - no lead-up as to why it might have happened, and never referenced again. However these are pretty much the only negatives I can find. Some people disliked how it ends, but to me it really drove home the show's theme of morality being subjective and ambiguous. It wasn't sad, nor happy; just brutally, soul-destroyingly honest. So for me the ending was perfection.
Anyway, that's it! This is such an essay haha, but I hope this review helps you with what you want to know. And as I said in my TL:DR... if you're still wondering whether to watch it, just watch it! You won't be disappointed. I promise.
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