Kai Duan (2022)

"Surpassing Expectations: A Captivating Journey With Time Traveling"

When I started watching this series, I had no expectations whatsoever. In fact, my expectations were even lower due to its high rating and a synopsis that didn't particularly stand out to me. However, after watching it, I found myself thoroughly intrigued and extremely glad that I gave it a chance. The male actor's performance was exceptional (as usual), and I was pleasantly surprised by the female actor's acting skills as well.

I particularly enjoyed the time-traveling aspect of the story, despite the repetitive nature of the time loops. Each loop managed to captivate my interest, keeping me on the edge of my seat throughout every episode. I wish I could rewatch the series right away, as it left me wanting more.

Moreover, I appreciated the development of the lead characters' personalities and how they gradually grew closer. Although the story wasn't solely focused on romance, their chemistry was palpable, adding a delightful tension to the narrative.

However, I do have one point to mention regarding the ending. While it did conclude the major plot points, I feel that it could have delved further into the romantic aspect of their lives. Having more closure in that regard would have wrapped up the show even more satisfactorily.

Overall, despite my initial reservations, this series managed to surpass my expectations with its captivating storyline, strong performances, and intriguing time-travel elements. It left me eagerly anticipating more, and I highly recommend giving it a watch. I hope to watch a show that is just as amazing as this in the near future.

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Breathtaking Drama

I always been sucker of time travel/time loop kind of story. Among others, this is the best I ever watch.

Super trilling, intriguing, breathtaking—I literally should telling myself several times to take a breath. I watch it in two sitting, but somehow I wish I watch in one sitting. I'm so immense in the story, as if I'm part of the bus passengers, as if I'm the third person in the time loop. One time, I had my meal while watching this. Those were... the most intense chewing I ever do✨

We always get something new and exciting every episode. It's weird because we almost always get back to same place, in almost same situation. The storyline is so neat, the pacing is so spot on. Moreover, there are a lot of easter eggs spread everywhere. Even rewatch this would not make me boring. This series is so detail. I even catch some metaphors that I didn't know it's that true or it just me being over thinker.

All cast playing so well. Especially the bomb bearer, crazy good! I also love that all characters are so well written, so alive, have unique characteristics and background story. For the romance part, our main couple love story is amusing in my opinion. It's like falling in love during a war😂

The cinematography is very effective, bring the right mood, help us to catch the tone, immersive.

The music is working for the scenes. I would not put them in my playlist (except the closing song) but they work well to set the mood etc.

This one opening my eyes to the bigger world of Cdrama. Definitely worth to watch. 15 episodes, well packed.

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R E S E T

this is hands down one of the top few dramas I have watched so far, and probably the highest rating I have given on MDL? Maybe it helps that I did not had much expectations for this in the first place, but it's a totally reset outlook for me! especially for a cdrama! I knew i had to watch it when it's only 15 episodes. Mind you cdramas are typically almost more than 40 episodes, which means storyline tend to get dragged out at the back.

Story
It's a simple story, but i won't say an easy to execute plot. But the production nailed it~
Shiqing (Zhao Jin Mai) wakes up finding herself stuck in a timeloops. In a desperate attempt to return, she accidentally pulls fellow passenger, Heyun (Bai Jing Ting) into the loop. Together, they learn that they will die, and must find a way to stop an explosion aboard to return to where they belong. Along the way, there are several touching backstories to some of the passengers and also subtle romance between the 2 leads. Btw, the two acted really well and i enjoyed thoroughly. I do wish maybe there had been more development for the romance portion, but then again the experience might have been different if that happened. Also, there's veterans Liu Yi Jun & Liu Tao whom i will say delivered as expected as Detective and Du Ju. It really gets better, and more thrilling & suspenseful at the back, and also touches on some of the social and mental issues faced in the societies today. And I found it clever how this production only made use of limited spaces, props and clothing (the leads were always in the same clothes since they keep repeating the timelooops) but it still kept be glued to my seat!

Music
Honestly, the only music I remember now was the canon ringtone and opening music ? Which imo is smart directing because they didnt really had much OSTs, and maybe there was some bgm along the way but i was too focused on the plot to even notice it!!

Rewatch
Honestly, it's a short series that is good for a rewatch. But I am pretty sure the experience will be different during my second watch, so I will leave it as it. But i think it's definitely worth a rewatch once in awhile though for suspense/ thrill lovers.

Overall, this production delivered beyond my expectations?? and goes to show that less might be more. You do not need many episodes, to deliver a good story, and this is an evident example of it. You do not need flashy props, venues to attract viewers, because it's the story and experience that keeps the audience. I look forward to cdrama having more of such short stints rather than draggy long plots. Honestly, I believe this production should be placed on NETFLIX because the amount delivered should be exposed to a larger audience!!

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Mind blown! Incredible!

OMG! That’s all I have to say! This short but incredible Cdrama totally blew my mind!!! 🤯🤯🤯
I’m so glad I watched it with my hubby so I had someone to discuss it with. This is not a show to watch on your own because you NEED to talk each episode out to organize all the Resets.
The entire time I kept asking why and how the Resets were happening and when I finally figured it out at the end, I was 😭.
Also, may I say that this show is the first time I’ve watched a CKdrama where the police were amazing at their job!!!
The cast was amazing! Especially the crazy person. The acting was too notch. And the plot had zero loop holes. Pardon the pun. 😜Usually with storylines like this, you’ll always find unanswered questions or plot holes but there’s none. They tied up everything so neatly. I’m still so flabbergasted. Just watch it!!!

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FAIL BUT DETERMINE

Reset was a great episodes of failure, start all over full of plans and determination with the cost of repetitive death from hard trying with doubts or half-baked plans that had to be reprogrammed and relearned the scenarios to get full extend of success which was to change the destiny of everyone else on the bus. The accident happened in about 20 times over before they got it right and fulled in motion. It's great drama with so much sadness and anger, reality of situation, self doubt, costly failures, and determination.
Bai Jing Ting (Xiao He Yun) and Zhao Jin Mai (Li Shi Qing) were amazing in here, Jing Ting who usually taking 'physical' role in other dramas - here he was kind of a geek who would rather save his own life than thinking about other passengers, only with the pressure from Shi Qing (Jin Mai) he'd do what she told him to do. Kind of different role which out of his usual box. Jin Mai was the hero of this drama, a young collage student who determined to change their fate against the past by recruiting He Yun, Lu Di and Polices. Her half-baked plan costed her death few times over until they got it right by planning to catch the bomber and complicit. When the time wasn't right to execute the plan, they reset and started over while He Yun got weaker by next trying.

Liu Yi Jun (Zhang Cheng) was also amazing here, he usually took in a 'bad guy' role but here he's a Head Detective investigate 2 young people who had 'weird' connecting of bus bombing, who his gut tells him that these 2 young people might not appear as what they said they were...who mingled the whole police dept into a mess of never ending time loops. All characters were terrific and the end everyone had their own happy ending...love their ending. The best part was everyone very much like their own selves. Watch it....I fully recommend it.

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Better than Hollywood movies in the same genre

Okay not necessarily BETTER than some classic ones, but it depends on what you're into. Good time loop stories tend to try to be smart and clever, with characters using the time travel mechanic in interesting ways in order to propel the story forward. Reset's not really that kind of story. Characters do utilize time loop mechanics, but the purpose of the time loop is not really for the characters. The true purpose is to inspire a viewer's interest in learning ABOUT the characters. We open up to a scene with various people we don't know; they're stuck in an unusual, highly dangerous situation, and the only hope of anyone surviving is to understand why a certain event takes place, which requires delving into everyone's past. In this show, the time loop functions more like a narrative style; just as a book or script might flash back to a point in the past in order to explain the present, the show flashes back, except in a literal sense. And it does this very, very well.

I'd argue that the individual elements of this show are fairly mundane. The characters themselves don't break much boundaries. The editing style and camera work aren't revolutionary either. However, the way the pieces fit together is so harmonious that this is a show I come back to whenever I think I want to watch a good show. It feels like telling a familiar tale through a slightly nontraditional lens. If dramas are culinary dishes, there are some that might be edgy, Michelin star experiences where you feel just a little out of sorts because it's very new and exciting, yet slightly uncomfortable. This is a home-cooked meal by your grandma, where there's just something different about it that no other chef can replicate, because it was made with love and just suited to your taste. There are no ingredients added just to draw your appetite. There's no caviar, no gold leaf, no wagyu steak. Just wholesome, good quality components that, if you were to never have it again, you'd miss far more than any Wolfgang Puck creation. Yet if you were to explain why your grandma's cooking is so good, there's no individual part that you can name. This show is sort of like that. Everything is just harmoniously mixed together, so things flow so smoothly, and in a way it's nice that there's nothing in particular that stands out, because they all mesh together very well.

Give it a go. It will leave you feeling warm, much more so than any cold blockbuster movie.

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Masterclass in modern fantasy C-drama!

Basd on the very high rating, I expected a good drama, but I didn't expect it to be actually worth the high rating. Modern C-drama's don't usually excite me that much, but this one is really different.

The first 3 episodes are setting the scene. The problem, an explosion where everyone dies, is served and the main characters are introduced. The thrill and events really pick up from ep 4 and onwards. Every new episode, new problems and situations are presented and the issues get more and more complicated. Our 2 protagonists are dealing with getting everyone out alive, not dying in the process and not getting arrested and questioned because nobody will (and does) believe them.

Despite the many repeating situations (since they are in a time loop), the fact that there are some days they stay in the bus and others they try and succeed to venture outside makes it so it does not get boring. We are being fed clues and information to keep us engaged in the whodunnit part of the story, but we also get glimpses of the characters and lives of the people involved. Nobody is who they seemed to be in the beginning.

There is amazing pace, just enough action, plenty of suspense and even a little romance. This is a master class in how to make a modern fantasy/sci-fi drama.

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Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

I've been watching asian dramas(specially korean and chinese dramas) for quite a long time now.......As far as I have seen, most of the chinese dramas are basically about cute fluffy rom-com but this one was something else......I started it accidently as it was recommended by youtube and tbh I never had any type of high expectations from this drama but I was so wrong.......This is one of the best c-drama I've ever seen..

Specially, the plot......wowwwwwww.....it's so amazing and it'll keep you hooked from first ep to last....there's so many things going on in this drama and the thing I love the most is the way they have shown the lifestyle and problems of each and every passengers.....

The cast is amazing and their acting is on top( at least better than some overhyped actors and actresses)

It was a short and exciting drama that will keep you guessing on what's gonna happen next???....

You should definitely give it a try.....It's worth your time

I've given less rewatch value because it's a mystery drama having many suspenses and I don't prefer rewatching mystery dramas that much so.......

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Binge-worthy and suspenseful

Reset is a time loop story of a college going girl, Li Shi Qing, who wakes up in a bus only for it to get into an accident and explode instantly killing her and all passengers. The only time she manages to get off the bus is when she drags a boy, Xiao He Yung, who is a game designer into her plan and both manage to get off together. But getting off the bus is not enough. They both find themselves stuck in the loop and realise that saving the passengers is their only escape.

Positives:
1. The episodes are under 45 mins long and it's easy to binge watch because your curiosity wants to see the leads tackle the situation they've found themselves in.
2. The series also explores the stories of the passengers and some of the police officers involved in the investigation.
3. One of the drawbacks of time loop dramas can be the repetitive nature annoying audiences and Reset manages to avoid much of it with new directions being undertaken by the leads. Adding the mystery/suspence element to the story helped.
4. Multi-layered characters.

Negatives:
1. I have seen several types of time loop stories but I wouldn't rate this as high simply because the story telling process is quite slow. Around episode 3, I was feeling a bit annoyed by their actions and the actions of others.
2. Some of the questions were not answered as to why these two were the ones chosen to enter the time loop and not others.
3. Why the police were more cooperative in some loops and more suspicious in others.
4. What was happening to Xiao He Yung?

I have other grievances related to some of the important characters and their reactions that were not as natural as one would expect in certain situations especially towards the climax.

I would still recommend the series and found it fairly well thought out.

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Just perfect... as expected from daylight entertainment. unconsciously binge watched.

Damn good story with amazing actors... engaging story line writers are perfect. I’ve watched like around 7 to 8 loop based stories , but on max I feel bored like common not again from the first. And this drama made me feel like when would they go back in to loop.?? Or like why wouldn’t they just go back. Whenever they go back to find things it’s very fun, engaging and not at all boring. What I most liked was ML was not a sudden hero when the time comes type.. he just like any ordinary citizen .
Bai jingting delivered a great performance . He just mended in to the character.... really memorable for his commendable acting. Zhao jinmai also did a very good job. Although I haven’t seen her previous works I could say she’s good actress.
If it isn’t for those annoying police officers I would have rated 10 to this. They almost have to be spoon feed on every thing. They just blame 1st one they saw didn’t even investigate. Even if they got spoon fed they would doubt the leads like .. “did u guys poisoned this spoon “,as if they are Joeson dynasty kings or something. .😏😏

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captivating story plot

It’s amazing how something that may seem difficult to work on, where the characters go through the same day everyday, can eventually be made into something so interesting.

The acting of the leads are so superb!!! Their acting makes the whole show not boring to watch, of course the plot was decent too, though with several loop holes. Towards the final part, where the parent’s backstory is shown is good too. Her acting is super real, and I could feel her pain through the way she portrayed her emotions.

The entire drama is decent, though we have to admit that there are loopholes and also the gore because I’m scared of the gory stuff.

Am glad I gave this a try, I definitely did not regret watching this!!!

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