My oh My

I want to call the medical mystery C-drama series Forensic JD silly, because in many ways it is. Over-the-top, certainly. So obvious at times I knew exactly what was coming, too. The characters were often overblown, ridiculous little drama queens, not to mention self-destructive to an unbelievable degree. Despite all that I liked it (say thank you to lead actor Joseph Chang; he's mainly the reason.)

The story follows an impaired forensic scientist/quasi detective Jane Doe (Charlene Choi), referred to as JD, as she uses her extraordinary forensic skills to solve a serial murder case from two decades ago. She has HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) syndrome and evidently has lost all her memories after being abandoned by her father as a child. She was also kidnapped at some point and ended up in an orphanage. Her backstory is so convoluted you might give up on figuring it out, but actually the whole series is about her past.

There are some good aspects to the series. Lots of twists and turns, certainly. Joseph Chang, whom I liked so much in The Victim's Game, holds everything together as police detective Liu Zhiming. He protects and falls for JD while trying to find the truth and take down a massive secret society. One woman from said society seems to thwart them at every turn, and is probably the best female antagonist I've ever seen in a C-drama.

Downsides: too many, honestly. It's campy, it's implausible, and it's poorly written. The science is mostly pure fiction. HSP syndrome does not make one a superwoman of the senses. Many of the actors go overboard with their characters. Somehow Joseph Chang manages to hold the cast together as he's the only realistic character, and he does a fantastic job of playing the passionate, driven detective who loves as fiercely as he protects. He's so different from the last series I watched him in that it's stunning. I really, really like this guy. Anyway, if you don't mind a lot of overly dramatic hooey, Forensic JD might be watchable for you. Available on Viki.com.