It's a very sad story. A baby girl from China adopted by well off Spanish parents. They were both hiding things. The truth will never be told so you can only go on the physical evidence and speculation. The drugging was real. The reason for it? We don't completely know. An assumption? Well that the father was abusing his child. The attack in the night. The marks around her neck? That was real. Was he drugging her so he could abuse her? The mother knew and allowed it? The father might say he's innocent of murder but did he drug her? Did he make the marks on her neck? Who gave her the fatal overdose and why? Was she going to tell someone? I expect we'll never know. Poor child needed loving parents. This, she never got. It's just very sad.
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rivkasieff27 April 2024
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Rosario and Alfonso report that their adopted Chinese daughter Asunta, 12, has vanished, a Police search begins, and her body is tragically found, her parents are suspected of conspiring in her death.
First off, I had no idea this was based on an actual case, it goes to some pretty dark and bleak places.
Let's be honest, this is a very, very watchable series, but please take my advice, watch it in its original, Spanish form, don't watch the English dubbed version, the voiceovers make it virtually unbearable, Rosario sounds as if she's in a constant state of surprise.
Once I switched it, it came to life, and I could truly appreciate the acting, especially the characterisation of Rosario, The Judge is such an interesting character, you'll wonder if he's right, or simply got an axe to grind, by episode 5, you'll have the answer.
Well paced and never dull, it doesn't lull at any point, one of those shows you'll want to binge watch over a night or two.
Episode five was the most surprising of all, I watched with my jaw open, it was the high point.
8/10. -
mattof7-680-55344530 April 2024This is an excellent series but it's hard to watch because one main character, the mother, is the stupidest woman I've ever encountered in fiction or real life. How anyone could have ever been attracted to her and then actually married her is beyond comprehension. Sometimes it was so painful to watch her whining and displays of cluelessness, I had to fast forward to the next scene. How would a woman like that ever qualifiy for an adoption? She is so idiotic and selfish you want to slap her until she begins to resemble a normal human being. But again, this is a well-made production with fine acting and direction.
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BulletProofGirl10 May 2024Good acting. Everyone did good in acting their roles that I was almost convinced they were real people. Almost. The side stories of the lives of those involved in the investigation were added for the narrative flow but I think they weren't necessary at all. They didn't have anything to do with the case. Like Christina's fertility issue and the judge's father's situation. Those side stories, for me, were the reason why the documentary felt fictional. Because in real documentaries, no one shows the personal life of investigators involved in the case. I was quite hooked to the story but it was very upsetting in the end because I still feel like I wasted my time on an unresolved case. The parents were very suspicious, yes. But I still don't know what really happened and that is just so upsetting. I don't know if the kid was given justice or not.
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I've watched tons of murder series and this was really sort of a letdown, mainly because you are led to believe one thing, and then the ending is not that. I'd say the first 60% of it was exciting and interesting and kept having more revelations. But the difficulty was that the revelations never added up to any resolution.
Is the idea that this is just how real life is? That no one will know for sure what even happened? What was the point of the film? To be describe a murder that couldn't ever be proven, and all the fakery and stretching of the facts on both sides leading up to it?
I don't mind if that's the point, but because that's very atypical for most murder series, a viewer is led to believe there will be a final twist that exposes what really happened. So then the last two episodes before the final one in the courtroom, were just total speculation and so I literally just fast forwarded through them.
Overall, it's very interesting to watch, I thought the characters were well done, if not bizarre, but it was just very frustrating that no one will even know what the truth of this situation ever was.
I liked that they included the real photos at the end. It was a nice touch that made it all more sad and unfathomable. -
danielcereto28 April 2024I'm Spaniard so I really wanted to watch this mini series based on a true crime case. I love to support everything coming from my country. The cast is great, the crime was outrageous but the execution of this series is just so, so. It's just a copy paste of the original documentary and does not add anything new.
First, there is a memorable acting masterclass coming from the mother, that's all. Nothing else. I mean, it could have been a masterpiece but it is not. Several good actors in, so why not to make shine all of them?....
Second, the execution is mostly poor. The camera work is far from other great productions coming from Netflix. Locations are just ok. Nothing remarkable.
Third, the storyline and some of the invented fictional characters are terrible. They try to imitate "Galician accent" and it is embarrassing. Why not to hire real people from Galicia? For example, the great Luis Zahera is one of the most talented and loved ones in Spain. A big letdown.
Last, there are other great series based on Spaniard true crimes like "El cuerpo en llamas", "Antidisturbios" and "Crims" from Carles Porta. Far superior all of them and more accurate, realistic and interesting than this copy paste. -
seagull_200628 April 2024This series kept me enthralled from beginning to end and I had to binge watch the entire show just to see what happened next as there were many twists and turns.
Javier Gutierrez is particularly good here ( I've seen him in several films recently but he excelled in this series), but to be fair, all the actors without exception are fantastic, especially the actors who played the parts of the parents .
There is enough back story to make the police and even jury members realistic. There is also the backdrop of the beautiful Galician landscapes.
This was a real life tragic case but I feel it was sensitively interpreted by the directors and cast. -
brummieman2 May 2024The English dubbing in this is terrible, it does spoil the show a little but I managed to get through it all and score it a 7 because beyond the dubbing you can see that the actor/ess are good and the story is interesting and chilling.
An adopted Chinese girl who appears to be very loved by her adoptive parents goes missing and is found murdered shortly after. One arrogant judge is convinced the parents have done it while another lawyer is convinced they did not hence starts a point / counter point investigation that may, for a short time, leave you doubting who did it, the show will clear that up mid way through and then you will have to watch the rest to see if justice for the girl is carried out
Verdict. Watchable not gripping but interesting. -
Guanche4828 April 2024Great true crimes series!
With deep characters that generate a lot of interest, the cast is excellent!. The one who stands out above all of them is the wonderful and in Spain well-known actress Candela Peña, in the role of the unstable mother. It is is worth watching just to see her in the role of Rosario Porto. And of course I must also mention the role of Tristán Ulloa, really great in the role of the father, Alfonso Basterra.
The series does not invent anything and it is very well detailed, it is very intriguing and there is a lot of tension. Really gripping. This is a case that filled hours of discussions and that shocked Spanish society, the terrifying and tragic murder of Asunta. What really happened the night she disappeared?
The Judge Malvar, played by the great actor Javier Gutiérrez, is very obsessed with having the winning hand. Without caring if along the way he exposes those prosecuted to a process without all the guarantees. His attitude reaches the point that leads us to wonder if all judges are like that, and if victory and the desire to win are the only things that matter.
Another interesting thing is the media's role in this entire mess. Whether or not you believe the outcome of this case, we cannot deny the role of the media sensationalizing this horrible case, which, at its core, is of a young girl's tragic murder. It definitely makes you think and ask yourself whether the people who are supposed to protect and care for the general public really have our best interests in mind.
And please you have to watch it in the original version with subtitles, otherwise it won't work at all.
You shouldn't miss this one, with a sensational cast of actors, a true crime story told accurately and a tragic and powerful drama and mysterious thriller. -
I thought this was a particularly well acted, well written script. The Spanish actors are all very seasoned, and really capture, from everything I can tell the essence of the real people who were involved in the situation.
Particularly the mother who plays Rosario, who does a remarkable job in portraying a confused, drama laden, scatterbrained, somewhat mentally unstable, overwrought, calculated, possible killer. Superb acting.
I think the way the story was laid out, woven together, was very effective. It's also an excellent view into the Spanish judicial system. We Americans often think our approach to justice in these cases, as much different than in Europe, so it's interesting to see their similarities.
I don't watch anything below 7.0, and gave this a 8.0 with the hopes it'll elevate the rating because I think this was very well crafted and solid piece that's won't waste your time. -
rdmceagles5 May 2024This was so boring and ridiculous. It could've and should've been a 2 hour movie at best. The dubbing was horrible and the mothers "acting" was atrocious. All her constant whining and crying was so distracting. No actual resolution and you had to look up what actually happened to both of these idiots. Plus the fact that no plausible theory was even put forward. Why allude to a mystery theory and not get the actual reason why they killed their daughter?? The police and the judge seemed to be the only ones that actually wanted to solve the case and kept digging. Netflix loves stretching out these crime dramas too much and what should be maybe 2 episodes at the most turns into 6 or 8 and just keeps dragging on.
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Firstly I would like to address the few reviews I have seen here that downvoted this series because the dubbing was bad. If you really cannot read subtitles and rely on dubbing to watch foreign language films then perhaps you should not be watching them? Dubbing is a travesty where the subtle nuances of some excellent acting are replaced by inferior voice actors reading the script. I would never watch a dubbed film. But if you must watch a dubbed version then please do not downvote it for that reason as the fault is with you - not the production.
Having got that off my chest, now to the series itself.
The series tells the story of the murder of a 12 year old Chinese girl adopted by Galician parents. The dramatisation is meticulously true to the actual known aspects of the events. The parents were both eventually jailed for her murder but the tale is told in such a way as to leave the viewer with some doubts as to the outcome. The motive is never revealed and many of the so called 'facts' do not add up. Both parents continued to deny their involvement and the mother eventually committed suicide in prison. It is suggested that the parents clearly loved their adoptive daughter - so what possible reason could they have for murdering her?
Some aspects of the evidence clearly point to the mother as the murderer but the father's involvement is vague and sometimes troubling in its possibilities.
This is one of the best Spanish series I have seen. Firstly the acting is superb. Candela Peña stands out in the leading roles as a broken and troubled person. And Javier Gutiérrez as the clearly biassed judge is also excellent. But every member of the cast delivers a very realistic and convincing performance. The story is told in a way that presents alternative theories as to what may have happened but the truth is never known.
To some people, the fact that this story leaves loose ends may be unsatisfying. But this is real life and the truth is often never forthcoming in such situations. The doubts about the veracity of some of the evidence are there and left for you to decide.
The involvement of the media is also highlighted and the fact that the media had already found the parents guilty before the trial and jury members could never be impartial is explored. This was clearly not a 'fair' trial and if I was on the jury I certainly could not be 'beyond reasonable doubt' in terms of the guilt of the parents. But ths system is what it is and the outcome was as it was. The involvement of a judge suffering from serious 'confirmation bias' is also explored - he made up scenarios and twisted the facts to fit them, whilst conveniently ignoring inconsistencies.
This series left me thinking for a long time after seeing it - which to me is a good thing. Was the mother guilty of what was described? Was the father also involved or was he just protecting the mother? Were there darker aspects to the father's involvement which were never known? Or was this a miscarriage of justice where the actual perpetrator is still free? We will never know but this was an excellent dramatisation of an extremely intriguing true story.
I highly recommend it and give it a 10 if only to counter the negative reviews about the dubbing. -
minepdgracia28 April 2024Loved every second of the TV show and the characters are very credible in their acting.
This serie is an almost non-stop thriller where the truth comes out near the end.
It just kept me enthralled from beginning to end and I had to watch the entire show just to see what happened next as there were many twists and turns.
It has very deep characters that generate a lot of interest, the cast is excellent!.
I just loved the story and how it evolves. Even though the real story is pretty sad at the end it gives you the sensation of wanting to know more, why this happened and how they were in real life. Definitely worth watching. -
gordanatasevski1 May 2024One of the best series ever. Don't wanna give a spoiler. Story is true. Actors are perfect. I couldn't stop thinking about it for days. Don't even think not to watch. Rate is really low, and deserves 10/10. You will watch it without catching a breath. In one day. And will stay in silence for hours. Without pause. I must say that Spain has such a great entertainment for years now. They are beyond everyone lately. La casa de Papel showed us truly face of Spain actors scene. I'm so glad for them and us who can watch over over theirs masterpieces. Much love from Serbia, can't wait to watch something else.
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This is one of the few Spanish-language shows I chose to watch because the content seemed compelling. The acting is generally good and the real-life story is curious, but the way it's told is long and tedious. Not much depth to the direction, just seems like they're trying to create constant suspense when it's not really needed. The story itself is enough, but the direction focused too much on the principal actors. Yet, I've chosen to watch the whole series!
Do I recommend watching it? I don't say to avoid it but know that it may just put you to sleep instead of keep you on the edge of your seat. -
I loved the series especially that is based on a true crime story. The set up of legal system shown was quite interesting and baffling at times. That way this story unravels without unnecessary dragging it on is excellent. But the mother's character absolutely infuriated me with her constant on the edge moaning, high pitched tone, total lack of logic, clear thinking, any sign of grey cells plus English lector which was awful. I mean if I knew anyone like this I'd run miles away after a few minutes as any minute longer would have been hell.
Judge seems to be a bit biased although does a good job. The by line about his father was interesting enough but I didn't think it necessary made any contribution. -
The Asunta Case had me on the edge of my seat through every episode. This highly talented cast, in culmination with excellent writing, makes this show stand out above the rest. Even with factual evidence and revelations through the show, you can't help but question your reality at every turn. Just when you think you have made up your mind, you are met with new jarring information that brings you back to square one.
Candela Peña was the highlight for acting in the role of Rosario Porto, with her deteriorating mental health and desperation leaving you feeling unsettled, empathetic, and even forgiving.
Tristán Ulloa similarly suits his role as Alfonso Basterra as a quiet and intelligent man who carefully conceals his inner turmoil until it bursts out at times of immense pressure.
It is unfortunate that the show seems to unravel more doubt and loose ends as it progresses, and certain plot holes leave you feeling a sense of confusion and dissatisfaction when the credits roll at the end.
With language barriers, time jumps and contradicting scenes, you may feel like this show is difficult to keep track of. I would have liked to see more continuity between timelines so the story was a bit easier to follow; If certain elements of the case are uncovered that could change everything, those plot lines need conclusive resolutions for the story to be digestible.
The Asunta Case is a psychological rollercoaster that stands as a reminder that being on a jury for a trial such as this one is no envious task. The investigation is fraught with mistakes, potential corruption, leaked information and improper judicial procedures that make you wonder how the case concluded without argument for a mistrial.
I want to add that I went into this show with zero background knowledge on the real Asunta Case, offering the show 100% of my attention and mental direction. Knowing the fate of the parents or the story beforehand may spoil some of the unsettling feelings the show intends to portray in each episode, so I encourage watchers to go in as blind as possible.
As I watched each episode, I couldn't help but feel that the level of storytelling, acting and writing is a Spanish equivalent to Breaking Bad. That being said, one season is not enough. A second season would allow the writers more liberty in tying up loose ends, and the story has ample room for growth, whether it be based on the true story or not. I hope a second season would allow the writers the liberty to answer the unanswered .
My final rating for this series is 8/10 with plot holes being the biggest impact on score. Despite this, the show, and especially the acting, is worthy of praise as a Spanish classic. -
pourtoutetrienmv28 April 2024I loved to hate the judge character from the start because he is very bias. A judge is supposed to be totally impartial... and he was not. And how can a judge be part of the investigation with the police?
All of the actors are very credible in their acting. This series is an almost non-stop thriller where the truth comes out near the end. I just loved the story... but I'm also very sorry for this little girl who was adopted by those monster cold foster-parents.
And how can parents (foster or biological) be so cold liars during their interrogation and during the whole time?
They deserve to rot in hell! -
mmartic-219374 May 2024I am shocked to learn this series is one of the most popular on Netflix.
It's so long and boring, your finger will be on fast-forward button all the time.
There is an incredible number of unnecessary fillers, meant for character development (?) of police officers and lawyers. Unfortunately, they bring nothing to their characters. You won't care about any of them, and you'll fast-forward those fillers.
In addition, there are long pauses whenever people are turning, thinking, walking, meeting or driving. Yup, fast-forward button.
This should have been a short documentary, not a series.
You will get annoyed with the dumbness of mother and her annoying reactions.
In the end nothing is truly explained and leaves you with the feeling of loosing time on this.
Don't even get me started on the most horrendous dubbing ever.. -
This series was hard to watch because it was done so well. It was excruciating watching any scene with the little girl, Asuna, in it. The actors were so believable it was as if you were watching the real non fiction case unfold. The couple made me sick so I had to fast forward through a couple of parts because I couldn't stomach it. If you like to watch sinister true crime style shows this will be a good fit. I had so many emotions. Disgust, anger, fear and anxiety before bed wasn't the best decision for restful sleep on my part. Still, I couldn't turn it off until the end. I'm a very difficult audience member to please. This one really makes an impression.
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rasul19768 May 2024If this is how the Spanish police/legal system really work it's both scary and laughable!
After dragging out the story with boring stereotype characters absolutely nothing happens. To watch how extremely poor this investigation was handled and how they treat suspects/crime scene/evidence it's not stange that the trial was a spectacle.
It's truly scary that a big, rich country like Spain have such a bad legal system.
Everyone in Spain knows that some police are corrupt but to make up your mind and not even looking at other evidence is just stupid.
I really hope they've changed to the better! -
I never leave reviews. I couldn't wait for this to be over. Maybe it was the English dubbing. The actress playing the mother was awful. Like nails on a chalkboard awful. Many other performances were very good. Again, maybe it was the dubbing. The story was intriguing. I wasn't familiar with the case and I love true crime. I just find it hard to believe that the mother - any mother - could be so easily manipulated and driven to murder her child. Both parents were clearly psychotic. I'm so sad for poor Asunta and can't imagine what her life must have been like leading up to her death living with those maniacs. I hope she has some Peace now. This series never should have been made - it maybe could've been okay as a movie with better dubbing and a different actress. I'm just glad it's over.
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The acting in this was horrible and the the English used to convert the original language was terrible. And I know this is petty, but oh OMG, could you move that hair covering your right eye through most of this series?! I kept watching, hoping one of them would spill the beans. I have to use 321 more characters for my review to be posted. Don't waste your time watching this because in the end you won't know anymore than you did in the beginning. I wonder if the actress playing Asunta's mother was on lorazepam like the real mother. She acted as though the bogeyman was going to pop out at her at any minute!
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leonardooliva-1613517 May 2024This series is based on a very controversial and media case from a decade ago.
The death of a 12-year-old Chinese girl allegedly at the hands of her adoptive parents.
The plot starts well, it is a mystery, we begin to see the clues and we are introduced to the characters little by little, although with little depth. There is not much emphasis on the parents' story and we go straight to the crime itself, which is not bad, but in particular it would have been useful for me to know more about the mother's context (it is not mentioned that she was sick with lupus with the connotations in his behavior that it could have had).
It happens to me that as the plot progresses the narrative loses strength to the point that the last two chapters are the most boring and dense. I'm still trying to understand what exactly they wanted to do in the 5th in particular.
All this results in a quick resolution without any mystery, in the end only the facts are told as we know them.
Then everyone draws their own conclusions, a few credits at the end and that's it... It is recommended to watch later videos of the case itself and its repercussions to fill in the gaps in the story. -
nealegillin17 May 2024I enjoyed the show, apparently based on a true story of which I had not heard.
The acting i thought was ok to good with lots of long drawn out scenes of staring, typical European style.
Trying to understand the police and legal investigations was very different to what happens in US or Australia, hard to get used to the heavy involvement in the investigations by the judge Malvar but that must be the Spanish system. Felt like it was a bit too drawn out though also.
But sadly the dubbing was dreadful, very American and the worst voices.... In particular the mother Charo's voice was really grating and almost off putting to be honest... whiny and childish voice.