Kai Duan (2022)

The first modern day c-drama I've loved

Pleasantly surprised. I've had a hate relationship with modern day cdramas, so I didn't expect to love this. It's the first modern day cdrama I've rated above 6

Positives
What hooked me?
The plot and the acting (chef's kiss if I may say)
I found myself shocked when some truths were unveiled, making up my own theories, emphasising with some of the characters and generally enjoying it. Plus for romance lovers, it did have a lil hint of romance though not much but enough to keep you sorted. All in all, I loved it.

Negatives
I found some plot details too hyperboled though. Like one or two.

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Best time loop I've ever seen!!

This is hands down the best time loop drama I've ever seen. Not a single dull moment; I was hooked from the beginning, but what truly kept me glued was the resolution. How would everything unfold in the end?

The plot was compelling, delving into the origins of the time loop, the events that triggered it, and how the main leads would approach it as detectives. Their bravery and intelligence in tackling the case were remarkable. I particularly appreciated their methodical approach—identifying suspects, verifying their stories, and unraveling the mysteries one by one. The evolution of their strategies from the initial discovery of the problem was impressive, and their relentless pursuit of a solution kept the story engaging.

Bai Jing Ting and Zhao Jin Mai, the main leads, delivered stellar performances. Their teamwork was seamless, and every supporting actor contributed effectively, adding depth to the plot.

Despite not being in the mood for dramas initially, I still enjoyed it, although perhaps not to the fullest. Nevertheless, it was undeniably worth the watch and time invested. The cherry on top was the satisfying happy ending!

In summary, a must-watch with a captivating plot, solid performances, and a resolution that hits all the right notes

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This was an unexpected surprise

I have a very hard watching series and usually find it hard to complete something, but this is just one of the things that I just couldn't stop watching to uncover all the mysteries. I usually go for romance-comedy shows, but I stumbled on this one by accident and I really don't regret watching it. I never leave reviews anywhere, but I created an account just to write a review on this because of how good I thought it was.

I liked it because of how the story focused on so many different characters that each had their own personal little backstory that kept me wanting to learn about the next person on every new episode I would watch. I thought the acting was really great and the way everyone acted was pretty realistic to me emotionally wise compared to so many other things I've watched in the past. The story was rich and there were so many societal problems that were tackled and it leaves you thinking and there was a moral to every thing in it. All the problems people were living related to their families and backgrounds were real problems a person watching could relate to very well.

The only comment I'd have is that it's a shame that they kept using the same few background music that they had for suspense scenes. Don't get me wrong, they were really amazing and clever, but I would've liked to hear more diversity.

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Refreshing in every way

I’m the type of fussy drama watcher who typically doesn’t like to commit to watching something unless I see a good amount of positive reviews so you can imagine when I saw this drama pop up on mdl as a solid average 9 star rating I was so excited to watch it and it did not disappoint !

Every aspect of this drama was so refreshing to me as a longtime lover of cdramas who’s had to suffer from the mediocrity of 2021 cdramas along with everyone else … from the episode count to the plot to the cinematography, everything about this drama felt like a cut above most other dramas I’ve watched recently. The short episode count of this drama ensured basically no drag and I’d say time was overall utilised very well here to the point I didn’t feel scenes were being wasted or padded with filler. Additionally, the acting and soundtrack were both so good and really elevated this.

Time loop stories are not my thing AT ALL and I can’t ever recall having genuinely enjoyed a time loop story ever before this one. I just think the way the plot unravelled and the growing relationship between the leads was so well handled that the time loop aspect became almost secondary at points (the mechanics of it are never explained and I appreciate it; for the most part it’s just something that exists and is allowed to just be). Each day is novel and a whole host of different interactions and outcomes occur each time and I think the well handled mystery element and amazing supporting cast really prevented this show from falling into the typical time loop trappings of getting boring or repetitive.

Speaking of secondary characters, this drama was so universally well acted and almost all of the characters that appeared on screen got their moment of development to the point that at the end I truly felt a connection to most of the characters (even the annoyingly likeable cop guy ugh).

I felt so empty after completing this because I hadn’t had a drama experience like this in too long ! I was so immersed and completed this all within 24 hours… now this drama certainly isn’t without some flaws but there’s not much to pinpoint that I’d want to change. I’m glad for the most part the romance was light and I think the relationship buildup was so so realistic; the characters truly gave this abnormal premise so much realism that it felt grounded and believable, elevating it beyond the whole time loop gimmick into just a genuine character driven mystery drama with a twist. The only character complaint id have would be that the two leads sometimes felt as if they were the least developed characters on the whole damn bus - what was shiqing even studying at university? Guess we’ll never know..

But overall i really have nothing negative to say about this drama. It made me feel so many emotions and was so well crafted and as I’ve said a million times it was so REFRESHING to watch. It really reignited my love of watching dramas and made me dash to try and find other dramas to watch to fill the void after I’d completed this. I can’t recommend this show enough it is so beautifully handled.

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Very good

I read the reviews of this drama but I was still surprised by how good it was.
The story is good. The only reason I deducted half a point is because we never get to know the reason behind the reset.
The acting is also very good. The elder actors are especially impressive but the younger ones don't lose out. Some moments really hit home in a powerful way. The production team did a good job of casting and the costumes were realistic unlike most idol dramas of the same genre.
The music is good. Subtle but very fitting for the drama.
Overall, I recommend this drama.

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Pressure Cooker!

Reset is a thriller time travel bus ride of a taut, suspense thriller! I was fully engaged with the mystery and thrilled with each twist and turn of the story. The two leads are realistic and you do cheer for them to save the day. They begin by working reluctantly together to a friendship and blossoming into a romance. It's a gradual relationship transition and well balanced against the other elements of the story such as suspense and solving the mysteries. We also discover the heartwarming stories of the side characters on the bus. By the end, you come to care for everyone on the bus. They are not just collateral characters in an action film.

I don't want to spoil the plot because it's intricate and well worth watching to unravel it. Overall, it's a 9.5/10 in its genre of time travel thriller. I love well thought out time travel stories and enjoyed Reset tremendously.

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is time loop gonna be the next hit genre?!

saw this one on netflix and watched it immediately! Super good i won’t lie and definitely worth adding to your netflix list!

The drama focuses on the time loop and gave many different endings to the bus explosion throughout the whole dramas depending on the actions taken by the actors & actresses!

The main leads are goood too! Not much flaw i would say! Story plot wise, just a little sad that the video game story was dropped and no background story of the muscular man was introduced in the drama!

Anyway I really love this kinda genre and it’s really something new to me! I hope to see more of such genre in netflix soon!

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Best C-drama there is. Fight me.

This is not repetitive, boring, or monotonous like a more foolish version of myself previously assumed. In fact, this drama represents the maturity and growth that the NIRVANA IN FIRE TEAM have achieved since the 2015 masterpiece. Yes, this is written by the same people.

The plot boils down to one sentence:
Two young residents of the city Jialin are stuck in a time loop on a bus destined to repeatedly explode.

I find most of the good dramas I watch can be generalized into one sentence descriptions because it means they maintain focus on the larger picture/story throughout. This one does just that while incorporating countless relevant themes (such as cyberbullying, parental affection, how society reacts to absurdity), a fantastically written script, and believable, human characters.

The characters aren't fillers; they think, they feel, they're just like the rest of us. They have their own distinct motivations and desires. The MCs aren't generic. They're pretty damn scared and traumatized, but also courageous and intelligent. All the side characters have wonderfully paced and told backstories that are actually relevant to the plot (how the story introduced so many important themes- oh how I appreciate relevant, ingenious creativity). The acting should theoretically ALWAYS enhance the characters, which it does in this case. Liu Yijun's intense, questioning stares and Liu Dan's acting haunt my dreams to this day. All other actors and actresses deserve a standing ovation too; there's some seriously inspired acting here.

Finally, the pacing is pretty incredible. 15 episodes held my interest all the way through to the point I often forgot to breathe, cried, and laughed all at the same time. It's an adrenaline rush that builds in intensity all the way through.

Only critique would be the last three loops and how the MCs thought through them. It was a little convoluted for how simple it could have been, but that's not a big deal. For what it's worth, this drama is a 10 all the way through. For both me and you, here's to many more times watching Bus No. 45 explode.

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Amazing, Unique Time Loop Drama

Wow, this was an amazing drama. I literally just finished the last episode and I had to come here immediately and leave a review. Initially, I wasn't sure about this drama and was confused as to how a time loop drama could possibly last 15 episodes and have such good reviews. But since it was unique and I was curious, I decided to give it a shot. At the beginning, I wasn't too invested and I was confused as to why everyone was praising this drama. But as I kept watching, I got more and more hooked and more and more invested in the characters. I loved that each cycle was different so it wasn't just a repetitive explosion over and over again. I loved that they took the time and developed stories for our side characters and made us grow to love and relate to them. The criminal of this drama was also perfectly casted and I absolutely loved their portrayals of the criminal. Everything came full circle at the end and it was so relieving to finally get a resolution to the story and understand what was happening since episode 1. Of course, I loved our strong, independent female lead. She was just an ordinary student but she stayed true to herself and stuck to doing what she believed was right. I also appreciated that the romance story was slowly developed throughout the drama and it took a backseat so that we could focus on the main plot of the drama.

Overall, I really enjoyed this drama. I think I had a harder time staying engaged in the first half, but I think it was just a problem with my own, limited attention span and not really anything to do with the drama. I started to really love the drama during the second half when everything was ramping up and each episode became better than the last. Props to the writers, cast, and producers for making such an amazing and unique drama!

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