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The World Between Us (Taiwanese TV series)

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The World Between Us
Promotional poster
Traditional Chinese我們距離
Simplified Chinese我们与恶的距离
Hanyu PinyinWǒmén Yǔ È Dĕ Jùlí
Hokkien POJNgóo-bûn ú ok tik kū-lî
GenreDrama
Written byLü Shih-yuan
Directed byLin Chun-yang
StarringAlyssa Chia
Wu Kang Ren
James Wen
Tracy Chou
Pets Tseng
Chen Yuu
JC Lin
Ending theme"Don't Let Me Drift Away 別讓我走遠" by Yoga Lin
Country of originTaiwan
Original languagesMandarin
Taiwanese Hokkien
English
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10
Production
Executive producerYu Pei-hua
Production locationTaiwan
CinematographyChen Ko-chin
Kao Tzu-hao
Ku Yao-hua
EditorLee Chun-hong
Running time50 minutes
Production companyDaMou Entertainment
Original release
NetworkPublic Television Service
CatchPlay
HBO Asia (season 1)
Release24 March (2019-03-24) –
21 April 2019 (2019-04-21)

The World Between Us (Chinese: 我們與惡的距離; lit. 'The Distance Between Us and Evil') is a 2019 Taiwanese television series written by Lu Shih Yuan and directed by Lin Chun Yang. The series follows the aftermath of a mass shooting at a movie theatre and the fates of all involved: the killer, the victims, the victims' families, the media, and the legal defense team. Contemporary Taiwanese social issues are explored, such as the death penalty, mental health stigmas, journalism ethics, and media sensationalism.

The series stars Alyssa Chia, Wu Kang Ren, James Wen, Tracy Chou, Pets Tseng, Chen Yuu and JC Lin. The World Between Us is produced jointly by the Public Television Service, HBO Asia and CatchPlay. The series premiered in Taiwan on March 24, 2019 and consists of 10 episodes.

The series has renewed for the second season,[1] with the story happens two decades after the original series.[2]

Synopsis

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Wang She (Wu Kang Ren) is a defense attorney whose desire to serve society's marginalized, including defending the shooter, has strained his young growing family. Li Ta-Chih (Chen Yuu) is a young woman working at a TV news station and the sister of theatre shooter, Li Hsiao Ming (Wang Ko Yuan). She has changed her name to escape the stigma of her brother's crime. Ta-Chih's boss, an ambitious woman named Sung Chiao An (Alyssa Chia), lost her son in the theatre shooting. Laden with guilt over her son’s death, Chiao An lashes out at both her employees and her husband, Liu Chao Kuo (James Wen), a newspaper journalist. Wang She enlists Chao Kuo to investigate Hsiao Ming's true motive for the shooting.

Cast

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  • Alyssa Chia as Sung Chiao An
  • Wu Kang Ren as Wang She
  • James Wen as Liu Chao Kuo
  • Tracy Chou as Ting Mei Mei
  • Pets Tseng as Ying Ssu Yueh
  • Chen Yuu as Li Ta-Chih (Li Hsiao Wen)
    • Monica Tsai as young Hsiao Wen
  • JC Lin as Ying Ssu Tsung
  • Shih Ming-shuai as Lin Yi Chun
  • Allison Lin as Sung Chiao Ping
  • Honduras as Liao Niu Shih
  • Hsieh Chiung Hsuan as Mrs. Li
  • Chang Chien as Mr. Li
  • Amanda Fan as Ah Ling
  • Ho Yu Tien as Ah She
  • Chien Chi Feng as Side Judge
  • Yao Hsiao as Mrs. Ting
  • Hsia Teng-hung as Sie
  • Hsu Hao Hsiang as Chief of Society Division
  • Lin Chen Hsi as Wang Fei (Hsiao Fei)
  • Liu Hsiu-fu as Ying Si De
  • Crystal Lin as Hsiao Ching
  • Lin Hsin Hui as Clerk
  • Lin You Lun as Liu Tien Yen
  • Lu Shih Yuan as Judge
  • Ba Ge as Mr. Ting
  • Sheng Chu Ju as Tzeng Ching Chuan
  • Tsai Pei Li as Hsiao A
  • Tsai Yi Cheng as Interpreter
  • Ryan Tu as Presiding Judge
  • Wang Ko Yuan as Li Hsiao Ming
    • Tsai Jui Tse as young Hsiao Ming
  • Rose Yu as Liu Tien Ching


Production

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Lu Shih Yuan (Dear Ex and Long Day's Journey into Night) was hired as its screenwriter. In interviews with Taiwanese media, Lu described how she and the other creators of the series analyzed mountains of data from sources such as PTT, Taiwan's equivalent to Reddit, to understand themes of interest. After observing the public's reaction to the 2016 "Little Light Bulb Incident" in Taiwan (小燈泡事件),[3] in which a young girl nicknamed "Little Light Bulb" was beheaded publicly on the street by a troubled individual suffering from schizophrenia, she narrowed down the premise and spoke with numerous human rights lawyers, judges, and psychiatrists to form the plot. She lamented that Taiwan lagged behind other democracies like Japan and Norway in producing socially realistic dramas and wanted to help Taiwan in this regard.[4]

Themes

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Mental health and the justice system

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Attorney Wang She repeatedly discusses how Taiwan’s legal system should have more empathy for the mentally ill and respect international human rights standards. This example and the topic of journalism ethics are unprecedented themes for mainstream Mandarin-language TV.

Journalism ethics

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Taiwan’s National Communications Commission censures Sung Chiao An's news program, creating a discussion about ethics in journalism and how media outlets must balance increasing viewership with reporting integrity.

Human nature

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The show’s Chinese title 我們與惡的距離, translating to “the distance between ourselves and evil,” captures the main source of angst in the series. Each character struggles with their proximity to "evil", either as victims, enablers, or individuals who, had they made slightly different choices, might have ended up as perpetrators themselves. The show reminds viewers that “evil” and “good” are shades of gray rather than black and white. This level of nuanced moral exploration is another novelty for Taiwanese dramas and Mandarin-language television at large.[5]

Reception

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On Chinese review website Douban, the series obtained a score of 9.5 out of 10.[6] In April 2019 television series entered the top 50 popular topics of the multilingual Wikipedia.[7]

Awards and nominations

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Year Ceremony Category Nominee Result
2019 14th Seoul International Drama Awards[8] Best Mini-series The World Between Us Nominated
54th Golden Bell Awards Best Television Series Won
Best Leading Actor in a Television Series Wu Kang-ren Nominated
Best Leading Actress in a Television Series Alyssa Chia Won
Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series JC Lin Nominated
Honduras Nominated
James Wen Won
Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series Pets Tseng Won
Best Director in a Television Series Lin Chun-yang Won
Best Writing for a Television Series Lu Shih-Yuan Won
Best Cinematography Kao Tzu-hao, Chen Ko-chin, Ku Yao-hua Nominated
Best Film Editing Lee Chun-hong Nominated
Best Lighting Award Ye Ming-guang Nominated
Best Art and Design Award Luo Wen-jing, Pan Yin-yu Nominated
Best Innovation Program The World Between Us Nominated
Busan International Film Festival[9] Asia Contents Awards of the Asian Film Market - Best Writer Lu Shih-Yuan Won
2019 Asian Academy Creative Awards[10][11]
Best Drama Series The World Between Us Nominated
Best Actor in a Leading Role Wu Kang-ren Nominated
Best Actress in a Leading Role Alyssa Chia Nominated
Best Direction (Fiction) Lin Chun-yang Nominated
Best Editing Lee Chun-hong Won
Best Original Screenplay Lu Shih-Yuan Won
The 6th Douban Film Annual Awards[12] Best Chinese Drama, TV The World Between Us Won

References

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  1. ^ Frater, Patrick (8 November 2023). "'Itaewon Class' Remake 'Fired Up' Sets Taiwan Cast for DaMou, KOKO and HBO Asia". Variety. Retrieved 11 November 2023. At an event held within the Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) on Thursday, the two companies also confirmed plans for a second season of "The World Between Us," a 2019 drama series that premiered on Taiwan's Public Television Service and regional streamer Catchplay.
  2. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (6 November 2024). "'The World Between Us II' Unveils First Teaser at Taiwan Creative Content Fest". Variety. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
  3. ^ HBO、公视合作推出的最新高分台剧:《我们与恶的距离》. Sohu (in Chinese). 29 March 2019.
  4. ^ "Review: HBO's "The World Between Us" Showcases Taiwan's Democratic Norms". Cinema Escapist. 2019-10-07. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
  5. ^ "Review: HBO's "The World Between Us" Showcases Taiwan's Democratic Norms". Cinema Escapist. 2019-10-07. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
  6. ^ 我们与恶的距离 我們與惡的距離 (2019). douban.com (in Chinese). 2019.
  7. ^ 我們與惡的距離. WikiRank. Archived from the original on 24 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  8. ^ "Seoul International Drama Awards". Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  9. ^ "BIFF Press Release - Winners of the Asia Contents Awards of the Asian Film Market 2019 Announced". Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  10. ^ "2019 Asian Academy Creative Awards Regional Winners". Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  11. ^ "2019 Asian Academy Creative Awards Final Winners List". 7 December 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  12. ^ "The 6th Douban Film Annual Awards". Retrieved 29 September 2020. (in Chinese)
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