Light the Night is a Chinese murder mystery show, written by Ryan Tu, that can be streamed on Netflix.  The series details the love and hatred between the Japanese hotel proprietress  Yang Jin Hua and stars Taiwanese actress Ruby Lin, playing Rose or Luo Yu-Nung, Taiwanese actor Tony Yang, playing Pan Wen-cheng, and Taiwanese actress Cheryl Yang, playing Sue.  The show also includes many guest appearances from Taiwanese actors Joe Cheng, Jacob Wang, and Xiu Jie-kai.  Light the Night made its premiere on Nov. 26, 2021.  The season contained eight, 45 to 50 minute episodes.  

The plot begins with a group of people coming across a half buried hand in the middle of the woods.  Although the buried body is not identified, the group becomes associated with all of the drama surrounding the corpse.  This evidently, is not the main mystery taking place within the show.  The Light Bar in Taipei is filled with all sorts of women, who are struggling to find a balance between work and their home life, and the main murder occurs after a scene in the bar.  

Despite the series being jam-packed with action and mystery, it takes some time for the story to unfold and for viewers to figure out the details of the murder.  Many of the characters are not satisfied with their thoughts on the murder, which draws in many viewers.   

“I love all the drama.  It keeps me at the edge of my seat.  Ruby Lin does such a phenomenal job with her acting, and I’m always blown away by the way Ryan Tu develops the plots of these breathtaking films,” said junior Ryan Epstein.  

 Lien Yi-Chi, the director of the show, was born in 1977 in Taiwan; he is married to Fang Yu and has a son, Sean Lie.  He has directed other shows, including All Because of Love, Sweet Alibis, Let’s Cheat Together, and Acting Out of Love, and has written other Chinese mysteries and dramas.  The show Light the Night is based off of the novel, written by John Culea.

“Although I didn’t read the book, I found it fascinating how the storyline stayed very clear to me and was easily understood,” said sophomore Tali Sanders.  

Ruby Lin is a famous Taiwanese actress, who has appeared in other shows such as My Fair Princess, The Way We Were, and Romance in the Rain. Tony Yang is known for the film Formula 17, which he won the Golden Horse Award for Best New Performer.  Cheryl Yang is another Taiwanese actress, who started acting when she was 14 years old in a commercial on television.  She is in Do You Love Me As I Love You, Saving Mother Robot, and Twenty Something Taipei.

Light the Night takes place in the early 1900s in a residential neighborhood in Taipei, where there are many bars and restaurants that serve authentic Japanese food, tradition and culture.  Ryan Tu does a phenomenal job of keeping the viewers intrigued throughout the entire show.

“I love how you can really get a feel for how they live in Taipei by watching how they eat and live their everyday life.  The producers do a fantastic job showing in depth the authenticity of this city,” said junior Reed Paltrow.