LayarHijau– The realistic crime drama Justifiable Defense (正当防卫) officially premiered on July 9, 2025, through Mist Theater on iQIYI. Directed by Li Yunliang and written by Jia Dongyan and Wu Yao, the series stars Gao Ye and Zhang Luyi, with Bai Jingting making a special guest appearance. The cast also includes Zhang Xinyi, Zhang Baijia, and Ye Qing in key roles.
According to Yunhe data, the premiere episode recorded an effective viewing market share of less than 2%, ranking 12th. However, its popularity on iQIYI showed an upward trend: from a score of 5,536 on the first day to 6,757 the next day, as reported by Sohu. As the storyline deepens, these numbers are expected to keep rising.
More Read
Justifiable Defense revolves around two “justifiable self-defense” cases that span 14 years and intertwine the fates of eight key characters. The story opens with senior prosecutor Duan Hongshan (played by Zhang Luyi) mysteriously turning himself in during a rainstorm. As a guardian of the law, why is he suddenly seated in the defendant’s chair? What crime compels him to face trial?
Meanwhile, young prosecutor Fang Lingyuan (Gao Ye) takes on a domestic violence case where a battered wife kills her husband in self-defense. Unexpectedly, this case connects to a stabbing incident from 14 years earlier that Duan Hongshan once prosecuted—an incident involving Li Mufeng (Bai Jingting), Mei Zheng (Zhang Baijia), and Jiang Ting (Ye Qing). As the investigation unfolds, the relationships and hidden truths among these characters gradually emerge, revealing how two seemingly separate cases mirror each other.
The drama employs a back-and-forth timeline, showing how the three main characters—Fang Lingyuan, Duan Hongshan, and Li Mufeng—remain linked across time. Fang Lingyuan is a young prosecutor determined to uncover the law’s deepest truths; Duan Hongshan is a senior prosecutor caught between his past convictions and present dilemmas; while Li Mufeng, once a defendant, becomes the catalyst reopening the old case and shaking the lives of everyone involved.
The narrative structure forms a mirrored reflection between the two cases of justifiable self-defense that happened in different times and places. Ultimately, both cases merge into a profound reflection on the limits of self-defense laws. When the law no longer simply judges others but starts to question itself, each character faces a difficult dilemma: where should justice lean? And can they bear the price of their choices?
Inspired by Real Cases, a Subtle Critique of Legal Dilemmas
The script of Justifiable Defense draws inspiration from real-life cases and was shaped through multiple revisions under the guidance of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate Film and Television Center. The series professionally reconstructs the complexities of applying the legal principle of “justifiable self-defense” in practice, portraying complex issues such as domestic abuse resistance, school bullying, and the pressures of public opinion realistically without oversimplifying the narrative.
The drama also highlights the shifting roles and inner struggles of law enforcement figures: Fang Lingyuan, an idealistic prosecutor who stands firm on her principles; Duan Hongshan, who begins to question his role; and Lei Shuang (Zhang Xinyi), a former prosecutor now turned defense lawyer, revealing another side of the legal system. Female characters like Mei Zheng and Jiang Ting are not mere passive witnesses but individuals fighting for their destinies, challenging and defying fate.
Through diverse perspectives—from prosecutors and lawyers to defendants, witnesses, and victims—Justifiable Defense depicts the legal system’s complexity in three dimensions. Between heaven’s justice, the law of the state, and human emotions, every choice the characters make leads them toward vastly different fates.
By framing law as a living, conflicted entity, the drama doesn’t present justice as an abstract concept but as a personal battle each character must face in their struggle between life and death.
