I must admit that it's difficult to write Copycat Killers without the spoilers. Every time I got spoiled with the events - I just kept watching more of it. It's because the mysteries in the show are utterly very good in unwrapping themselves. Mind Game and Light the Night weren't exactly that good. In this one, we've got a villain only known as Noh (actually Chen He Ping, I warned you about the spoilers in the title). This is a series of serial killings done against women for a reason. We also do have Shen Jia Wun whose mother tried to turn him into a woman. Jia Wun takes his frustrations out on women. Meanwhile, Hui Ping is one incredibly sadistic bastard you just can't ignore.
At first, I thought Copycat Killer was a true story. Yet, behind every fictional villain has a very evil character that inspired him or her. The original Japanese story was written by Miyuki Miyabe. I'm yet to see the film (and I might exercise discretion). What I discovered so far was Miyabe's writing of the story and what became her inspiration. So far, it seems that He Ping wasn't based on a real person but there was someone who inspired the novel villain:
Let us make it clear. Chen He-ping is not even a fictionalized version of Tsutomu Miyazaki. There are several distinctions between the two of them, especially concerning their motives, modus operandi, number of victims, etc. However, there are several unignorable similarities as well. Miyazaki was infamous for taunting the family of one of his victims as he sent her body remains to her family. In the series, He-ping does the same as he sends Yi-jyun’s hair and a piece of cloth to her grandfather. He also unsettles Lin Shang-yong by kidnapping his daughter and sending him a photo of her chained up.
Directors Chang Jung-chi and Henri Chang’s characterization of He-ping also reminds us of one of the most infamous serial killers of all time, the Zodiac Killer. The Zodiac Killer sent letters and cards to regional newspapers to boast about his crimes the same way He-ping sends tapes to TNB to boast about the murders he committed. Both killers assumed an identity to commit the murders. The unidentified killer in the United States wanted the world to know him as the Zodiac while He-ping chooses the identity of Noh. According to one of the Zodiac letters, the killer admitted to murdering random victims for “fun” the same way He-ping kills random victims for amusement.
I guess the writer herself took as many cases as possible to create a real threatening villain. What truly amazes me is how Yao Chun Yao makes the villain believable. He Ping, at first, feels to be your all-around good guy. However, as the series progresses, the audience starts to feel what the main protagonist Prosecutor Guo Xiaoqi feels. It's revealed in the middle of the show that He Ping was orchestrating the murders as "Noh". It's almost like a Taiwanese rendition of Ghostface of the Scream series. He Ping does create a facade even as he commits murders. He Ping does later murder Yao Ya Cih (Ruby Lin-Huo) using an ashtray. He later uses her death to gain ratings.
The flashbacks do present one incredibly disturbed child. Yes, it seems He Ping is a devil seed of sorts. The Cinemaholic does present this explanation of the antagonist's MURDEROUS BEHAVIOR:
Kuo’s suspicions concerning He-ping being the serial killer eventually turns out to be true. His murderous instincts came out when he was a child, especially when he burned down his pet dog alive. After joining TNB as a reporter, he got assigned to prepare a story about the rise of pornography in the region. He ended up in a sadomasochist club named Sodom as part of the story, only to witness people relishing the opportunity to hurt others. The time he spent at the place revived the sadist in himself as he tortured several women who worked at the place. Hurting someone made him feel superior and powerful.
That was when He-ping got connected with Jia-wun, a regular at Sodom at the time. They kidnapped a girl from KINK, where the DJ worked. The reporter locked her up and tortured her to feel the power he can exert on the abducted girl. The duo brought Cun-yi to take the girl’s photographs and when he started to fear her dying, He-ping went on to kill her. The reporter strangled her to death only to see Cun-yi’s helplessness and fear, which cultivated his potency. He started to cherish the control he had over the photographer, especially when he asked the latter to confess to the murder if he wanted his father to stay alive.
He-ping then continues to kill for feeling superior and potent. He wants to be the man in control, which boosts his superiority complex. More than killing his victims, taunting them or their families makes him feel like he is nothing but God. That’s the reason why he makes Jia-wun drives his potential victims to their family members. He-ping finds satisfaction in seeing the same family members suffer due to their helplessness while he determines the fates of their loved ones. Making Shang-yong apologize for being a terrible father and Yi-jyun’s grandfather imitate a dog are part of cherishing their helplessness. He-ping witnesses their impotency while sitting with them at the TV studio.
Becoming a renowned TV personality further adds to He-ping’s superiority. Even after committing murder after murder, he ends up controlling the narrative by becoming a famed television show host. By proposing theories and pretending to be protective of his victim’s family members, he makes everybody else a fool in his mind. In his view, the people around him are impotent enough to beg him even after suffering from the misfortunes he caused. By killing their loved ones, He-ping adds to their misery, which satisfies his craving for witnessing others’ pain and suffering.
I may not be too fond of dogs myself. However, how can anybody even think of burning their own pet dog alive as a KID? He Ping sets a dangerous show that causes people to die in a fire he started. Later, the guy wants more attention. His sadism was further fed when he went to the sleazy club rightfully named Sodom. He Ping ended up participating in the activities, feeling good about the misery he did, and well, there's always this sadism and narcissism within him. He murders people and puppets them from Behind The Scenes just to feel good about himself.
What I enjoyed about the villain was how hard it was to take him down. Xiao Qi ends up being dragged down to a crook's level. I kinda wish Xiao Qi murdered He Ping. Instead, He Ping was able to get away with it. This villain made me ask, "Will I become evil if I ever try to take down all the evils of the world myself?" Xiao Qi gets his license suspended over an act of vigilantism. Later, Xiaoqi does serve sentence before he's allowed to practice again. It was interesting to see how the villain pulled the strings to even look innocent. As said, without proper evidence, how can you act anyway? Xiaoqi wasn't the type to make evidence. The influence of "Noh" goes even more as there were some people who tried to release him.
What disappointed me (in part) was when He Ping got life imprisonment over the death penalty. Though, some may argue that He Ping should be allowed to rot in jail before his dark soul descends into Hell. A more karmic turn of events happens. An unknown person (and motives are unknown) wearing the same kind of mask STABS HIM. This was one realistic stab that truly, REALLY ended his life. It was pretty much Laser-Guided Karma when he finally got murdered. However, I wonder who the killer was. Was it someone who wanted revenge or was it someone worse than him? I wonder if we'll get a second season to connect it or not? If so, I hope they will continue to make mention of how He Ping truly messed Taiwan up.
Comments
Post a Comment