The second season of Taiwanese drama, "The World Between Us", pushes the envelope on story and production scale as well as special effects, demonstrating what the local content industry is striving for. The production team behind the new series talks about resurfacing a blockbuster after a five-year break. 

The teaser for "The World Between Us" season two, Taiwan’s scripted show of the moment, throws down a challenge: “How many people are going to be sacrificed before you change anything?... It’s up to you to decide”. The question is as big as the ambitions behind the return of the Taiwanese series five years after season one in 2019. A co-production between Taiwan’s Public Television Service Foundation (PTS), the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), AsiaPlay Taiwan Digital Entertainment and KOKO Entertainment, season two spans two decades and involves two families with six main story lines.  Season one dealt primarily with media issues. The story in season two delves more into politics, “which is an everyday topic of interest in Taiwan, but harder to address,” says Lu Shih-Yuan, who wrote both seasons. Ahead of its intended 2025 premiere, Jayde Lin, CEO of production house DaMou Entertainment, scriptwriter Lu Shih-Yuan and director Lin Chun-Yang spoke to ContentAsia about five years of development, the thinking behind the dramatic upsize, and the challenges the production team faced as they brought the series to life. 

What was the most challenging aspect of such a huge production? 

Lin Chun-Yang: “We didn’t specifically define our approach as breaking new ground. I would say that because the first season created such a strong response, Shih-Yuan had already started thinking about the story direction for a second season. We had several challenges. One was the large cast, and then the six family storylines. We span 20 years within the story, exploring these characters’ current predicaments and tracing back 20 years to understand the cause of the present tragedy. Ten years later, when the perpetrator was still young and might have been able to be saved, was there an opportunity for him to be supported? Why was that chance missed? This structure – a reverse chronology – shows the result of an event and goes back to explore why this tragedy happened. So, the two main challenges for us were the cast size and the time span, which required a massive amount of props, scenes and special effects.” 

You also made what you describe as a bold decision... 

Lin Chun-Yang: “...to have the actors portray their younger selves from 20 years prior. We felt the audience would find it hard to connect if a new cast played the characters’ younger versions. So we asked these incredibly talented actors to portray their younger selves, making use of special effects and the actors’ abilities to overcome this challenge.”

As the producer, what was your challenge? 

Jayde Lin: “So many come to mind. I think from the moment we received the script, we knew this production would require every ounce of our past experience, and more. The difficulty lay in the story’s structure, covering five stages, spanning 20 years, with a reverse chronological order and a tightly woven narrative featuring six families, each going through five different stages. And then there’s the setting of Qingyun County, a place Shih-Yuan created in the story. To bring this imagined county to life, we filmed across six cities around Taiwan. The cast size was another huge challenge.” 

Shih-Yuan, what inspired you to write season two?

Lu Shih-Yuan: “The origin was unintentionally signing the contract. Once I’d signed it, I couldn’t go back...”

Is there more?

Lu Shih-Yuan: “No, it ends here. There won’t be another accidental contract signing.”

It feels like this series portrays issues often overlooked in traditional drama, but seen in news reports. In Taiwan, this perspective is also rare – to explore issues in a holistic way rather than focusing on a single theme... It’s a blend of multiple topics that explores complex social dynamics...

Lu Shih-Yuan: “There has been a gradual shift among Taiwanese creators toward this kind of narrative, which I think is positive.”

What’s the connection between the first and second seasons? 

Lu Shih-Yuan: “They’re in the same universe. The World Between Us parts one and two and Wave Makers (人選之人－造浪者, 2023) all occur in the same universe, with the same two political parties and Taste News.  In part two, Wang She (played by Wu Kang-ren) also returns as a defence lawyer, maintaining the connections within this universe.”

Lin Chun-Yang: “In season two, we brought back some actors from season one for guest roles, connecting their characters from the first season. This expanded the entire universe we created.

“Regarding casting, since this is a very realistic story, we had to fill in many details to make it a believable, complete world. But we also wanted it to feel slightly separated from the real world, even though it takes place in Taiwan. If we used real-world names – of TV stations or political parties – it would be difficult for viewers to separate the show from reality, which could cause tension. So we created fictional TV stations, political parties, and even locations, making the story feel very close to Taiwan but still maintaining enough distance to let the audience observe calmly.”

“This approach lets viewers feel the events are very realistic, like something that could happen in their lives, but with enough separation to enjoy the storytelling. When certain dramatic coincidences happen, they’re seen as part of the drama rather than a commentary on real-world events. Of course, we hope this story resonates deeply and creates echoes within society. But first and foremost, our priority was to create an engaging, well-made drama.”

Were there any specific scenes that took extra effort to craft? 

Lin Chun-Yang: “One notable element is our first filming inside Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan, in the main hall. In the past, many productions in Taiwan, where there’s creative freedom, have filmed scenes involving the Legislative Yuan. But no one has actually filmed inside their debating chamber. For one scene, we managed to stage a chaotic debate in a setting similar to the real ones we see, capturing a key moment in the series... 

“The first season explored societal reactions to a random killer, bringing in the role of the media. In season two, we wanted to tackle more themes, so we introduced politics as one of the main threads. I don’t want to reveal too much about the content at this point, but I can say the storyline will be more complex and layered, triggering many associations when you watch it. Politics, the media, and the perpetrators and victims of crime are all intertwined here, creating that unique ‘flavour’ of the show.”

Jayde Lin: “After season one aired, many people might have wondered, ‘What happens next?’ or ‘After all these years, what now?’ In season two, Shih-Yuan has posed a lot of new questions, encouraging us to keep exploring these dialogues. I think this aspect is intriguing for us, and we hope that when it’s released, the audience can engage more deeply in discussions of good and evil. But before that, we’ve first and foremost created a strong story. For me, that’s what’s most touching – journeying with these characters through 20 years of their lives. These reflections on morality emerge as we follow them into their lives, and it all starts with a compelling story.”

Are there production techniques or aspects that differ from what we’ve seen before in Taiwan? Or is this just an increase in scale?

Lu Shih-Yuan: “We debated for a while whether to recast the roles from 20 years ago or keep the original actors. I found it exciting to have the same actors portray their younger selves from two decades earlier. Seeing Vic Chou in a way I didn’t expect was actually moving – showing his character at his lowest initially, then later as a vibrant, young medical intern. This gave a more complete picture of the character, which was a huge challenge for the actors, the director, and the entire team.”

Lin Chun-Yang: “I’d like to add to that. In dramas, whether in Taiwan or elsewhere, it’s common to explore a character’s past by jumping across different periods – like their childhood or teenage years. But it’s rare, if ever, to use such a distinct structure where we clearly break the timeline into episodes. You follow the characters in the present, feeling empathy for them, and then suddenly shift to 20 years earlier in the next episode, meeting these characters in a completely different phase of life. This isn’t just a flashback; it’s a fully realised time jump where we experience what they went through at that point in time.”

Lu Shih-Yuan: “Everyone returns to 20 years ago, which brings a unique difficulty, largely due to the structure.”

Lin Chun-Yang: “Yes, the difficulty is one aspect. But another is the layered experience this story offers for viewers; I think this approach hasn’t really been used recently.”

Morris: From the audience’s perspective, this spans across generations, allowing them to fully grasp the characters and immerse themselves in this world. But we also have to communicate the cause and effect and the details of each character’s personal story clearly.

Jayde Lin: I’m really looking forward to the audience enjoying this series. At first, it might take a bit to find the character you most resonate with among this extensive cast. But eventually, you might reach an episode and suddenly remember something a character said 20 years ago. Watching their present-day life, you might realize, “Oh, they did say that back then.” I think that’s a unique enjoyment for viewers. Structurally, it’s almost like handling three different shows within the ten-episode series. We aim to make the viewing experience as seamless as possible, bringing audiences smoothly into this vast story without feeling the breaks in timeline. Every aspect, from filming to editing and post-production, is crucial in achieving this.

Morris: Speaking of different aspects, I’d like to ask about production preparation. For a large-scale drama like this in Taiwan, where we typically work with seasoned professionals, was there anything unusual in terms of funding or creative resources that you needed?

Jayde Lin: Funding is simple—just a matter of needing more funds to create a single show with the scope of three. We’re extremely grateful to PTS (Public Television Service), which originally held the IP for Season 1. Our production budget was tight for a show of this scale, which isn’t a period drama but has the magnitude of one. Thankfully, PTS opened up the IP to allow other investors to join, making this project possible. Ultimately, we have four investors involved.

Jayde Lin: To pull off a production this extensive, we are very grateful to PTS (Public Television Service), which originally owned the IP for Season 1. Due to the constraints of our production budget, we were able to create a large-scale drama that’s not quite a period piece but is on a similar scale. With PTS’s support, we were able to bring on additional investors, which gave us a path forward. We now have four investors in total.

Morris: This project truly required leveraging various industry talents. Jayde highlighted that the audience’s expectations have grown, especially with streaming now. When the first season of The World Between Us aired five years ago, viewers’ habits were different from now. Now, we aren’t just competing domestically but internationally. Given these viewer expectations, I’d like to turn to Shih-Yuan. During the writing process, you handled diverse issues, from random killings to public trials and mental health. How did you approach making these topics comprehensible and engaging, while fostering meaningful dialogue?

Lu Shih-Yuan: For me, as long as we focus on the emotional aspect, the rest is secondary. No matter how complex the topic is—whether someone starts as a council member, then becomes a legislator, then the speaker—the key is making it relatable. The hardest part is finding those shared emotions that allow viewers to feel something real. We try to avoid letting the themes control the narrative; instead, we aim to keep it grounded in genuine feelings to foster a stronger connection.

Morris: I think "The World Between Us" has already illustrated this well, showing how every character balances both good and bad within them. This aspect of humanity, whether public or private, really brings the characters to life. Since we only have a bit of time left, I’d like to ask one more question related to production for our international friends here today. With this project, what do you hope international audiences might learn about Taiwan—whether it’s a social issue, a political theme, or perhaps the intricacies of human relationships?

Lin Chun-Yang: I wouldn’t say it’s exclusively a Taiwanese story. When The World Between Us aired, we licensed it to Korea for adaptation, and it was also picked up by a Japanese OTT platform, where it received a lot of feedback. I believe the themes are universal. The ripple effects of a major crime, for example, can reveal so many dramatic layers and impact society significantly. This could resonate just as strongly in Korea, Japan, or Southeast Asia, as similar cases exist everywhere. Although set in Taiwan, I believe the emotions of the characters are widely relatable.

Morris: Indeed, there are similar dramas internationally that delve into comparable themes, making this a universal topic. With our remaining time, is there anything else the three of you would like to share with our peers in Asia’s entertainment industry, such as a scene or insights from the production process?

Jayde Lin: We’re currently in the post-production editing stage and aim to release next year. Today, we’re sharing just a brief two-minute clip. By the time we officially premiere next year, I hope today’s discussion will give everyone a seed of interest and add more enjoyment to the viewing experience.

Morris: We’re really looking forward to releasing Season 2 of "The World Between Us"

▶ Published in ContentAsia December 2024 Magazine