Plot Synopsis
"The Hunter" tells the story of determined narcoticspolice officers, led by Zhao Younan, who relentlesslypursue and ultimately succeed in eradicating a drug trafficking organization headed by Huang Zongwei.
In the tranquil coastal town of Sanping City, the narcotics task force unexpectedly seizes a large quantity of a new type of crystal meth during an operation. The scale andpurity of the seizure are extremely rare,prompting an immediate investigation by the SanpingPublic Security Bureau. Zhao Younan, a former militarypolicewoman, uses her sharpinstincts and insight to narrow down the target to Huang Zongwei, who is involved in the chemical trade.
Huang Zongwei, a cunning and elusive figure, ignites the fighting spirit in the inexperienced Zhao Younan. Regardless of where he hides or how sophisticated his disguises are, she relentlesslypursues him, determined to uncover clues, discover the truth, and apprehend him without hesitation.
The story unfolds as thepolice force, led by Zhao Younan, and the drugproduction and trafficking organization, led by Huang Zongwei, engage in a relentless game of cat and mouse. One side refuses to let go, while the other employs various tricks and expertly conceals their activities.
Episodes Recap
- 1-4
- 5-8
- 9-12
- 13-16
Episode 1 : Zhao You Nan infiltrated the tiger's den, where Huang Zong Wei was producing crystal onions.
Episode 2 : He Hong Zhang killed to silence Zhao Younan's investigation of Huang Zong Wei.
Episode 3 : Huang Zong Wei withdrew to avoid the limelight, while He Hong Zhang encountered Chen Chang in the Dongguang Province.
Episode 4 : Huang Zong Wei evaded capture, while He Hong Zhang was apprehended.
Episode 5 : Huang Zong Wei narrowly escaped and the police arranged for his arrest.
Episode 6 : Zhao You Nan and Duan Ming Hong rushed to Guangning to meet Huang Zong Wei and Chen Chang.
Episode 7 : Zhao You Nan investigated the paper mill collaboration between Huang Zong Wei and Chen Chang.
Episode 8 : Gunfire sought refuge with Boss Tan, and Zhao You Nan investigated the drug ingredients.
Episode 9 : Zhao You Nan found the hiding place of Huang Zong Wei, and Chen Jian Chang's subordinates resisted stubbornly.
Episode 10 : Chen Jian Chang fled to Guangqin, and Zhao You Nan was his comrade in arms.
Episode 11 : Huang Zong Wei eliminated the Pang brothers, and gunshots destroyed Tan's border station.
Episode 12 : Zhao You Nan's arrest of Chen Jian Chang and Tan Tian failed, and they had a falling out.
Episode 13 : Undercover Gunfire Exposed, Tragically Sacrificed - A Sheng Kills Big Brother Chen Jian Chang.
Episode 14 : Ye A Lan broke ties with Huang Zong Wei, and A Long encountered A Sheng at the bathing center.
Episode 15 : Huang Zong Wei and A Dong arrived at Shan Yue. Captain Tian persuaded A Hui to betray A Dong.
Episode 16 : A Mei kidnapped the triplets and threatened Huang Zong Wei.
Cast & Role
Huang Zong Wei
(Zhang Song Wen)
Zhao You Nan
(Yao An Na)
Ye A Lan
(Bao Wen Jing)
A Biao
(Wu Ting Wei)
I think the female lead's performance was excellent. Firstly, she portrayed a girl without acting skills or plastic surgery, and that kind of acting is truly commendable.
Secondly, the entire series with just one expression, isn't that difficult? It's really challenging, you know.
Thirdly, she appeared for all 9 episodes since the premiere, and that must have been exhausting.
Fourthly, the police officer carrying a military dagger and directly slashing through factory items during an investigation, do you know how heavy that is? It's quite heavy.
Fifthly, what I want to say about her performance is that a discharged soldier disobeying orders and openly confronting a leader, do you know how much courage that takes?
All soldiers should learn from her, and on the battlefield, they should challenge their commanders more often.
Sixthly, today's 9th episode was truly amazing.
That's what I admire about her. She was chasing after A Long but ended up running in the opposite direction and directly reached the drug lord's hideout.
If it were me, I'd contact my military superiors, prepare an intercontinental missile, and send them the coordinates. That would be a perfect ending.
You're not a police officer, you're like a character from a fragrance commercial.
Once again, it proves that the Earth is round. After running around the Earth, she finally found the drug lord.
I'm really looking forward to your future performances.
I support you!
Episode nine is so damn good! It made me redefine what it means to be a narcotics police officer. It's as refreshing and unforgettable as those epic anti-Japanese dramas in war settings.
First of all, the female police officer is extremely dedicated.
From staking out during the day to the night, she can glance at something from a distance and instantly know what kind of chemical it is. It's an understatement to say she has 20/20 vision.
Secondly, she's a sports enthusiast. She can keep up with a diesel truck while running.
It's a speed that can only be achieved after hundreds of years of training. The remarkable thing is, she's not a normal human being in terms of physiology. She can run several kilometers without getting out of breath or sweating, and her hair always looks perfectly flowing.
I truly envy her unique physical traits.
Furthermore, she has a built-in "Hongmeng" positioning system. Even if she chases the fleeing suspect in the wrong direction, it doesn't matter. With "Hongmeng" in her hands, she can locate him.
She cleverly deduced that the big boss was also inside. Her logical reasoning abilities are unmatched.
Lastly, she's a staunch opponent of bureaucracy. She doesn't listen to her superiors. She believes in what she thinks is right.
With just one phone call, she can summon a provincial-level leader. It doesn't matter if her colleagues are in danger. As long as it doesn't hinder her investigation, it's all good.
In conclusion, the female police officer is an incredibly outstanding investigator.
Without her, this drama wouldn't be explosive.
The thing is, I can't figure out who that woman is chasing after. It's that tall guy who keeps asking me, but I can't remember who he is. She hid behind the tricycle and shook him off, so I don't understand how he managed to follow her to the destination.
If you ask me, you should be able to figure it out by asking.
After it was all over, the male police officer was exposed. While they were moving things during the transmission, someone held a spray bottle to his head.
Oh, and after they patted him down, they just let him go. That person on the shore with the spray bottle didn't even give him a shot. And the guy with the spray bottle didn't even fire a single shot at him, even though he wasn't wearing a bulletproof vest.
Honestly, I'm not someone who enjoys watching dramas with continuous storylines, but Zhang Song Wen's performance really makes it easy to immerse oneself in the story. Seeing him, the whole drama gives me a sense of heart-pounding suspense, and it's just inexplicable that I want to keep watching.
However, if certain actors are replaced, it's easy to lose interest in the show.
Perhaps that's the difference between actors and acting. Overall, it's still a captivating drama, although some parts are a bit nonsensical. I can't help but want to see the further development of Zhang's character.
It's strange, I'm the same. Normally, I really don't like watching dramas. I feel like the pace is too slow and there's a bunch of filtered scenes with extravagant costumes that don't feel real. But for some reason, I can keep watching this drama, and I actually look forward to the updates.
I can understand the talented characteristics assigned to the female lead, such as being good at tracking, having good physical fitness, being alert, having strong observational skills, and a strong sixth sense. But there's one thing that I don't understand at all.
She comes from a special forces background, where discipline and following orders are of utmost importance. But now we have this character... When she's alone, I can understand her not wanting to give up on tracking the enemy and willingly risking her life to pursue them alone.
But when the whole police force is present, she still goes after them alone. Couldn't they at least assign tasks or report the situation to their superiors? It's as if she's on a first-name basis with everyone. And in the end, she directly assigns tasks to the chief.
I'm truly amazed.
With limited manpower, she happens to be a newcomer, coming from a poor family and having no social status. The anti-drug police don't value her much, even if she gets injured or dies, it would be the least loss for them. Chinese people have always been doing the most exhausting work like this, and the achievements are credited to others.
I feel the same way. When I watched the first few episodes, I even wondered if the female protagonist had a normal discharge from the military, considering her age, agility, and the way she was portrayed as being incredibly skilled. Logically speaking, someone like her would be a talent wherever she went, so why did she inexplicably leave the military and become a small-town police officer?
I feel like she probably got into trouble during her time as a special forces soldier due to not following orders and acting on her own, which led to her being demoted and sent to a lower rank to calm down.
Once again, I am amazed by Zhang Song Wen's extraordinary acting skills. His immersion is just too strong. The intensity and explosiveness he brings, his superb acting fills the character completely.
Every time Zhang Song Wen appears, with just a look or a gesture, he vividly portrays the character to the fullest.
On the surface, he appears simple and honest, but behind the scenes, he is a chemist with meticulous thinking.
To be able to deliver such a brilliant performance under the constraints of a small to medium budget production is truly the epitome of the saying "a thousand faces for a thousand people"!
It's a simple truth. There are only a limited number of roles for actors. Giving Yao An Na so-called "opportunities for growth" would mean that more talented and hardworking individuals won't get a chance.
It forces the audience to endure the imperfections of this drama.
If your acting skills are not good, you can work on improving them and then come back to act. But if your acting skills are poor and you still want to disgust the audience, then there's no point, is there?
The way they portrayed the case based on Liu Zhaohua is a total disappointment. They wasted such a great case and let down the real majority of anti-drug police officers!
Liu Zhaohua managed to escape and evade capture for nearly 10 years, and he never killed anyone nor was he ever detained! During the arrest, police officers wouldn't go in front without wearing bulletproof vests, and they wouldn't engage in a shootout with a drug dealer using a shotgun while holding a handgun themselves!
This is defaming the police force! What's even more absurd is that drug dealers can only use brick-sized mobile phones, but you, an ordinary police officer, pull out a flip phone!
The most outrageous part is in the ninth episode when they forcefully enter the luxury mansion. If there was a gunman with a shotgun hiding behind any window on the second floor, just one five-shot burst could take down all of you!
This police officer is doing a good thing, but the way the plot portrays the police is simply ridiculous. They deceive ordinary people to go undercover and end up getting killed. They deceive elderly people and illegally search for millions of dollars, all while smiling.
They can't catch Huang Zong Wei themselves, but when they hear that his son has been kidnapped, they're happy about it. They even make it seem like the police are the ones who kidnapped his son in order to catch him.
With these few plot points, it's hard for ordinary people to like the police in this drama.
Is the screenwriter doing this intentionally?
Episode 4 is so fake. How can an out-of-town police officer understand the terrain? Even if they do, how can they understand it better than the local officers and catch up to the suspect?
Moreover, when they got off the car, these out-of-town police officers immediately split up to chase after him. How did they know which direction he ran in, and how could they catch up to him in that amount of time?
From the time they got out of the car, it would have taken at least a few minutes. If one person ran into the bushes and others started chasing a few minutes later, they definitely wouldn't be able to catch him.
A Mei will seek revenge. She is a strong-willed person, otherwise Huang Zong Wei wouldn't have admired her.
From love to hatred, she initially believed that Huang Zong Wei loved her, so she was willing to make sacrifices.
However, after being released from prison, Huang Zong Wei didn't even make a single phone call to her and never visited her while she was incarcerated. It's normal for her to feel resentment, especially since the drama also reveals that he cares a lot about his son.
Therefore, A Mei's revenge is to kidnap his son to force him out.
A Mei's love for Huang Zong Wei is love at first sight, without a solid foundation of love. On the other hand, Ah Lan's love for Huang Zong Wei stems from their childhood friendship and the fact that they have three children together.
A Mei has a impulsive personality, and as they say, impulsiveness is the devil. Ah Lan, on the other hand, is more rational. She makes the most appropriate decisions and choices to protect her children and deal with her husband who cannot be won back.
Yao Anna's acting is terrible, to put it bluntly. Her acting is simply unbearable to watch. And as for the undercover police in the drama, the portrayal completely lacks a deep understanding and thorough exploration of the undercover role.
It's so obvious that they are undercover agents without the caution, meticulousness, and subtle psychological game that an undercover should possess.
On the other hand, Zhang Songwen's portrayal of Huang Zongwei, and Han Geng's portrayal of A Dong, the leaders of the drug traffickers in the drama, whether in terms of expressions or actions, their acting easily draws viewers into the roles of these drug traffickers.
It doesn't make people feel awkward or uninterested while watching.
Huang Zong Wei intends to use his son as a hostage, but this is just a strategy. He would never actually put his son in danger. For Huang Zong Wei, his son is his lifeline and, of course, his weakness.
Everything he does is for the sake of his son.
When it comes to things, we should see them from both sides. Just because she is the second princess, there's no need to criticize her with envy and jealousy.
In my personal opinion, in terms of acting skills, the female lead did a fantastic job. Shouldn't she portray a young person who recently transitioned from the military to the police force in 1996?
Do you expect her to have exaggerated and flamboyant expressions in order to be considered a good actress?
The character she played is a young person who recently joined the police force after leaving the military in 1996.
We should consider how the character should be portrayed based on that era and environment. Actors follow the script and director's requirements. From which perspective do you see her acting as not good?
You mention that she runs a marathon every day, but that's what the script calls for. If she wasn't the second princess, I believe many people wouldn't criticize her randomly.
There are actually many people with a grudge against the wealthy.
Let's approach this objectively and impartially. This drama is really good, and it accurately portrays the environment of that time.
It even mentions the incident of Kunsha surrendering to the government army and being placed under house arrest. Yes, it happened in 1996.
I feel like the ending is not perfect. A Dong is the most ruthless, cunning villain among all the drug traffickers. Professor Huang should have continued to escape with A Dong and develop drugs for another 20 years. Professor Huang's three children should have grown up and become police officers, personally working to turn him, their own father, against the law.
A Mei shouldn't have appeared; she was just an unnecessary character and the kidnapping of the children felt forced. It's a pity that someone as smart and capable as Professor Huang had to meet such a fate. The storyline should have allowed Professor Huang, A Dong, A Long, and A Sheng to continue living.
It's a shame that A Sheng, as a villain, was clever and ruthless enough, but ended up sacrificing himself for a woman. It's truly not worth it.
Also, the police character Zhao Younan gives off a poker-faced vibe.
Throughout the entire series, he hardly displays any facial expressions, making it hard to sense his emotions. It's quite strange!
Honestly, the whole series feels like a waste of talent. It's a pity for characters like Professor Huang and A Dong, who were intelligent and ruthless.
The ending, with their deaths, is disappointing.
Huang Zong Wei appears warm on the surface, but there's actually a hidden agenda behind it all. When the woman shares her family matters, it's mostly to gain sympathy. By portraying herself as impoverished or having fallen into a life of hardship due to unfortunate encounters, she aims to see if she can gain greater benefits.
Huang Zong Wei, on the other hand, seemingly agrees with her, but when he says, "So, that's where you live. Now I know," he's actually hinting that if she speaks carelessly, he knows where she lives and how many people are there.
By combining enticement with threats, the other party will truly be willing to keep the secret.
Why was Zhao Younan crying at the end? If you didn't know any better, you'd think he had harmed Huang Zongwei's child. A police officer crying to persuade a drug trafficker?
Seriously, if I were that drug trafficker, I wouldn't even bother coming back. Just find someone to save the child, and if the child survives, great. If the child dies, then there are no ties or consequences.
Do you know what a person without ties or consequences would be like?