Naman Shrestha
Based on ‘The Fourth Victim’ by INFINITY, Netflix’s ‘The Victims’ Game’ is a Taiwanese crime thriller series that focuses on the dangerous adventures of Fang Yi-jen, a forensic scientist with Asperger’s syndrome, and an investigative journalist turned public relations manager named Hsu Hai-yin. After investigating a case related to his daughter in the first season, Fang Yi-jen finds himself trusted into a series of deaths, making him a prime suspect in the sophomore season.
Determined to prove his innocence, the scientist takes the help of Detective Chao Cheng-kuan and forensic examiner Hsueh Hsin-ning as prosecutor Chang Keng-hao tries to bring him and his mentor Lin Ching-jui down. Originally titled ‘Shei shi bei hai zhe,’ the show not only focuses on the uncovering of truth but it also underlines the complexities in different kinds of human relationshops and the value of life. Featuring Joseph Chang, Ann Hsu and Jason Wang in starring roles, the film’s dark visuals against some eerie settings complement the overall themes of the story.
The Victims’ Game Filming Locations
Shooting for ‘The Victims’ Game’ takes place in its entirety in Taiwan, primarily in Taipei. The principal photography for the inaugural iteration seemingly commenced in early 2020 and wrapped up in April of the same year. Fortunately, the makers were able to shoot and edit all the episodes of season 1 before everything was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Interestingly, even though the show is taped in Taiwan, it does not include any sort of depiction of Taiwanese governance, sovereignty, and democracy.
Taipei, Taiwan
A majority of ‘The Victims’ Game’ is lensed primarily in and around the capital of Taiwan — Taipei, officially known as Taipei City. Situated in the northern region of the country, several iconic and popular locales of the City of Azaleas are featured in the backdrop of many pivotal sequences. For instance, many of you might be able to locate Taipei 101, the Presidential Office Building, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, and Qixing Mountain.
During a conversation with NiewMedia, Dean Fujioka, who portrays prosecutor Chang Keng-hao in the second season of ‘The Victims’ Game,’ shared his experience of working in Taiwan again. He stated, “…I was reunited with old friends in Taiwan, opened the script in Chinese, and spent time with the film crew on set, which naturally reminded me of the beginning of my acting career and gave me a message from my “past self” to my “future self”. I am more than happy about that.” Apart from ‘The Victims’ Game,’ Taipei has served as a production location for various film and TV projects, including ‘Rebels of the Neon God,’ ‘The Terrorizers,’ ‘Bad Education,’ ‘Copycat Killer,’ and ‘Light the Night.’
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