Unknown – Guan yu wei zhi de wo men Review
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The Taiwanese series “Unknown” evokes thoughts of the psychological phenomenon known as “The Mere Exposure Effect,” which hypothesizes that familiarity can foster attraction. According to this theory, spending a significant amount of time with someone can lead to increased liking for that person. The show revolves around four primary characters, led by Wei Qian (portrayed by Chris Chiu), a high-school student involved in illegal activities to support himself and his younger sister, Li Li (Tammy Lin), since their parents are dead. Soon, Wei Qian takes on the responsibility of caring for an orphan boy named Wei Zhi Yuan (Kurt Huang), whom he finds starving and scared on the streets. The trio, along with Wei’s best friend, San Pang (Jae-Hoon Kim), spend considerable time together. Tension arises within the group when Wei Zhi Yuan matures and confesses his love for Wei Qian, while Li Li becomes romantically involved with San Pang.
Directed by Ray Jiang, “Unknown” (Taiwanese title: Guan yu wei zhi de wo men – 關於未知的我們) spans 12 long episodes, and has been adapted from the web novel “Da Ge” by Priest. It’s a bloated, haphazard series is made watchable only due to the earnest performances of lead actors Chris Chiu and Kurt Huang. Chris Chiu is sincere and hard-working as Wei Qian, who has no time for romance in his life and is solely focused on bettering the lives of Li Li and Wei Zhi Yuan. Wei Qian is so busy working, he fails to notice anything off about Wei Zhi Yuan’s excessive attachment to him. So, the main conflict in the story revolves around Wei Zhi Yuan grappling with his feelings for Wei Qian, who sees him as a family member.
The plot focusing on Wei Qian’s involvement with goons and illegal activities is poorly fleshed out, thankfully, he goes on to quit a life of crime to focus on his academics and begins to work on a gaming start-up with his friend San Pang. But even the start-up scenario is half-baked, and oftentimes the office is treated like a guest house during work hours. The most believable bit about this show is Wei Qian’s concern and protectiveness towards his family and Wei Zhi Yuan’s feelings for someone who saved him from a harsh life on the streets.
Both the plot and execution of “Unknown” needed a lot of work. For instance, Li Li’s character is exceedingly one-dimensional and childish, she talks and behaves like a 12-year-old even after she grows up and starts working. Actor Tammy Lin is actually very cute as Li Li, and does what the script demands, but the writers should’ve done better, instead of portraying her as a dumb child throughout.
Towards the climactic episodes, the creators introduce an unnecessary, contrived violent conflict, which is then drowned in excessive sentimentality. Overall, “Unknown” feels a few episodes too long, and the live-action adaptation struggles to blend its familial themes with gang violence convincingly, particularly with a complex romance as its focal point. Watch it if the primary plot sounds interesting to you, since there are definitely no exciting twists and turns to expect.
You can stream “Unknown” on Viki and Youku.
