Kai Duan (2022)

A great time loop drama

This totally exceed my expectations. Definitely worth my time of watching. Really really nice. The story unfold perfectly, easy to understand, not feeling rush and makes you want to continue cause you can't really guess what will happen next. It is also heartwarming at times because we get to know side character story as well. This is what i love the most actually. At the end of the story we know all them so well (the passengers in the bus) and their life story which makes it more meaningful and viewers can immerse into the story more easily. So touching to watch them at the end after knowing their life story. 15 episodes is the perfect amount for this story. Too many or too little will spoil it. Such a great script and of course great acting too for all the casts. Our main leads Bai Jing Ting and Zhao Jing Mai have great chemistry. Watching them from strangers to something more after each loop makes you feel like you grow with them. Mostly everything makes sense, can't really find any faulty part so it is a really great drama (very rare to not able to find faults in a drama). For anyone doubting, waste no time start it now. I definitely enjoyed it a lot.

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Series of Second Chance

Because my Mandarin is not good enough, searching for information on C-Drama in English sometimes is challenging. So I picked this drama just because I was looking for a new release in 2022. I didn't recognize Bai Jing Ting at first, but quite familiar with Zhao Jin Mai or Angel Zhao. These young actors almost discouraged my oldish head, hey, I'm an old lady that would not interested in the youngster's romance anymore! I gave it a try anyway, and before the first episode ended, I knew I was going to stick my eyes on the screen till the last episode.

At first, I thought this drama is "the usual time travel" story, but it is not. It is more than that. It reminds me of a Holywood movie--Groundhog Day. But, in Reset, the protagonists are in action, they're actively resetting, getting into the time loops to achieve their purposes. Of what the purposes are, I can't tell in terms to avoid posting story summaries.

WHAT I LIKED

(1) Story; I give it 10 points. I would give it whatever the highest point--whatever available, but the top of the top. To put science fiction into something enjoyable--I mean that the viewer doesn't need to frown while watching is not easy. But, in this drama, we're aware that all of this is a tale, but at the same time, we could follow through nicely while the story flows. There are several twists that pump our adrenaline. However, you would not feel being fooled around, the twists were so natural and after your heartbeat calm down, you will immediately agree with the situation. Overall, this is not just a story of reset now and then. This drama also intelligently tells the ordinary people's struggles, hope, loves, and hate. Their behaviors are so natural; each of the characters has some heartwarming aspects that are beautifully packed in only 15 episodes. Each of the characters in this drama is able to win our appreciation, pity, and admiration.

(2) Acting/Cast
Super! I can't say who is has performed better, because every cast performed brilliantly. They make me believe that they're the real people I might encounter in my daily life.

(3) Music
In science-fiction-like this, I didn't expect a romantic, melodious song like 'My Only" sung by Zhōu shēn (Charlie). But, it's turned out this closing theme song for each episode is able to represent the personality of our main character. So it does feel right. The other OST is Wake Up by Wang Xiaokun for me is represents logical thoughts, while Rebound by Chen Hui which I think is a kind of hypnotic music, I shall not forget to give two thumbs up for the opening music and its animation.

(4) I think I will rewatch this drama after some time later. Not because it has no rewatched value, but if too soon, I will not able to enjoy the adrenaline pumps created by the twists. Maybe, when it almost fades away from my memory, I can watch it again.

After watching all the 15 episodes, I went to read other reviews and found out that this drama was produced by Dongyang Noon Sunshine Film and Television Co., a company that pays close attention to quality. No surprise Reset come out to be this satisfactory to watch.

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15 episodes packed with details that will get you hooked from the get go

This drama is so worth my time. Every minute of it is filled with details to solve the mystery. Every detail is so well executed.

Bai Jing Ting has a few cute camera moments but I will skip commenting on the main characters and zoom directly to the supporting casts.

Goodness, the supporting casts of this drama is just world class. So real and believable in every aspect.

I will start with the lady holding the pot. Wow... Her acting skill is unbelievable. I don't know how she does it so well to portray someone who is empty and soulless. It's incredible that she can look so determined and hopeless at the same time. I took extra effort to look at her hands and feet and realise that she actually looks very good as an actress of her age. Her features were very fine. Her performance was just crazy.

The man with the luggage bag. I believed 100% of whatever this man is portraying. His wrinkles, skin tone, facial lines demonstrated the hardship he had gone through. The way he searched his luggage to find the item for the main FL and when he passed it to her... I am completely sold on who he said he is.

The blogger. He is so cute! It's incredible how direct and straight forward he could be when he talks and yet no one was angry with him filming them all the time.

The old grandma with medicine bag. She is another cute character. Really look like any other grandma we would see on public bus.

Xiao Long and his mum are so believable as well. That weary look on her face. His disappointment with himself and the helplessness were all portrayed well.

Old Zhang policeman. Nothing to say. He is a seasoned actor. He can sell any character he plays.

Jiang policeman. He did a very good job as well playing the young hot headed policeman. I am sold by his performance as well.

All in all, I think why I find this drama so good is because they developed the story behind every passenger well. It would have been so boring if it was only focused on the infinity loop that the ML and FL are experiencing. Luckily, this is not one of those drama.

Very happy that this drama doesn't waste our time by dragging it long. Every sequence that took place had a reason and it was not for nothing.

I would definitely rewatch it again just to catch more details that I could have missed.

Highly recommended it everyone.

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What. A. Show!

Never before have I been so impressed by the plot, the cast, the acting, the whole setup of a show ever in my life even if I include KDramas into the list. As soon as the show starts, you're thrown into the situation, yes, it looks like a slow start, but only if you give up in the first few episodes.

The protagonists Heyun and Shiqing are played by some great actors, looking at behind the scenes, Bai Jing Ting was very active and involved in the show, trying to get his scenes as perfect as he could, improving and working on his actions, portraying his feelings better. They both did an excellent job in bringing out their emotions. The choices they make are very reasonable, sure Heyun did frustrate me for a while when he decided to not get involved anymore and Shiqing when she didn't say too much to the cops at start or explain what was going on, but if I were in their shoes, maybe I would have probably done the same. The gradual build up of trust and friendship between them that blossoms into romance is well paced.

I was wondering with the level of progress our protagonists were making, 15 episodes seemed a bit of a stretch but as we delve deep into the story of different characters, the number seems reasonable and good enough. And I'm happy they gave us their backstories without rushing through anything, it added more to the overall scene and their personalities.

The characters Wang Xingde, but Tao Yinghong especially steal the limelight of the show as we head towards the ending of the drama, their acting is impeccable. You might question and ridicule their motives when you find out about them at first, but when you see the pain and anguish in their eyes, you cannot but help shed a tear and sympathise with them.

Even the cop roles played by Zhang Cheng (this guy was intimidating and scary as hell) and Jiang Feng (that cop who never trusts you or takes you at your word) are so well portrayed. The cast couldn't have been any better than this! They were all perfect.

And the script, it would be incredibly hard for anyone to find a plot hole that sounds logical. They covered their bases well and filled in all the gaps by the end. It really was the most satisfying ending one could ask for.

I can't say much about the Music in the show, but the use of Rebound in the last episode, at that particular moment, simply hits different. I've already gone back to that scene 7-8 times with speaker on full, it just feels good.

You've gotta watch this Cdrama at least once, from start to finish, only then you will be able to realise the brilliance of the show! 10/10 is a modest rating lol, it really deserves more!

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Tight writing, smooth pacing, satisfying conclusion.

I went into watching this drama with a lot of reservations and fears - how can they make a 15 episode series about a one day loop in one place and not make it boring? How many versions of the same event can I watch before I take myself out of this journey? On that aspect, Reset surprised me quite a lot.

The writer/director did an amazing job at slowly expanding the shown world - including more people and places - one loop at the time. Showcasing the same event from different angles and perspectives allowed the drama to avoid a painful repetitiveness that is often a problem with time loop stories. The writing was surprisingly tight. Add to that background stories for the characters and you get 15 episodes in which nothing felt like a filler.

Is the plot predictable? Not really. While it’s possible to guess some things not long before they are revealed, nothing is obvious from the get go - what happened, why and who was behind it. They concluded the stories in a satisfying manner, not leaving any plot lines open nor plot holes to be detected (maybe except for the effects time loop had on our main lead). As a viewer, I was able to fairly well understand the mechanics of the time loop thanks to a rather smooth narration and well paced hints and explanations the main leads came up with each repeated day.

If I had to complain about anything writing wise, it’s the police attitude towards the leads closer to the end - with how they were set up, the ending just felt a bit… convenient?

For a suspense show like that, it had surprisingly a lot of heart and depth to its characters. Even though the majority of side plots and background stories of the bus passengers were not explored to a full potential, they still represent a variety of different social issues and struggles - allowing everyone to find a story they can relate to.

The main leads were well written - flawed, but driven young people who ended up on an unexpected journey of finding the truth and preventing a tragedy from happening. I especially enjoyed Xiao He Yun and his character development. Li Shi Qing was more hot headed in her actions and decision making, which led to quite a few obstacles that could have been avoided. That said, the duo worked well together with He Yun being the brain and Shi Qing being the heart and driving force.

Other characters that caught my attention were Lu Di - the adorable Kitten Boy and Zhang Cheng - smart and observant detective.

I have no complaints about the acting. One performance truly amazed me, but stating who it was could be a giveaway on how important they were in the plot, which is not obvious from the start.

Overall, It took me about 6 episodes to truly get into it, but from that point it was an exciting and smooth ride at the same time. They kept the suspense tight, and the pacing smooth. That said, while I enjoyed the plot, I was not really that invested in the characters. Will they die? Will they survive? I did not care, as long as I got my answers.

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An Addicting and Thrilling Drama!!

Wow. Where do I begin with this drama? This drama has blown me away. I usually avoid modern cdramas since most of the time, they're not to my liking. I saw this drama was trending on Weibo, saw my family watching it too, and figured I would give it a shot since it was just 15 episodes. And boy, I was in for one heck of a ride.

The drama had me hooked from the first episode. The directors, writers, and producers did a fantastic job with the plot, the story, the cast, everything (with minor plot holes of course). You would think a time loop would be boring and repetitive to watch, but they made sure that with each episodie and time loop, the drama would be more interesting and intense than the last. The setup of each episode made it really easy to follow the time loop too. I also appreciated the fact that we got to see into the different lives of the bus passengers. Initially, I never thought the drama would show us their lives and they would remain strangers. The show even had us suspecting them! But by the last episode, I had grown attached to many of these sweet and caring bus passengers who were just trying to get by in their lives.

I also enjoyed the romance in the show!! It was minimal enough to not interfere with the whole time loop plot, but enough to satisfy me to a certain extent. (While I do want to watch more episodes of the leads together, I'm satisfied with what we got too. Any more romance added to the show would have likely ruined the whole point of the show.) Also, the cast!!! They really brought the story to life with their great acting. I got attached to the characters and definitely got emotional at times throughout the episodes.

If you're hesitating to watch this show, I want to say it's definitely worth your time. It was absolutely thrilling to watch, and you'll be in for one heck of a ride :)

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The type of drama you want to watch again for the first time

Intriguing, exciting, emotional and so damn good - a few words to describe this drama.

Initially, I got a bit frustrated watching ep 1 as a couple of characters started off quite annoying and the story was not going as I expected but boy, this became the charm of the drama. By the end of the 1st episode, I fell in love with the main characters. Kudos to the writer because the story is very unpredictable and just kept getting better with each episode. The acting was top notch and even the minor characters evoked emotions. At the end, I just wanted happiness for every single one of them.

Dare I say, this is the best modern C-drama I've ever watched. I gave a slightly lower rewatch value because the unpredictability of this drama made it so damn good. I wish I could watch this drama all over again for the first time. Seriously, if you're still thinking about it, watch it! The reviews speak for themselves.

The OSTs were icing on the cake. They were very meaningful and sung beautifully.

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The best cdrama I’ve ever watched

We love to see a good thriller, mystery drama where romance is not hugely part of the plot. The cast was amazing, everyone did such a great job at acting, especially the villain (scared the heck out of me). This sort of plot where it involves timeloop is not easy at all to keep the audience interested/engaged BUT the writer(s) somehow managed to do it. This drama deserves nothing but praise, the quality is also fantastic. The two leads have such good chemistry and I would definitely support their future works. I love the FL, her personality is not too extreme. She is not the typical weak, naive airhead character or is not too unrealistically strong, she is in the middle. She is strong and smart but she is not savage (some dramas make fl just savage and call that empowerment, which looks stupid to me).

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The masterpiece of its kind...!

How I felt about it?

I felt like I am woken up from the crazy world to this serious shit...i mean I liked it. This is probably the best thriller, time loop c-drama i have watched so far. Well i haven't watched much of the c-drama content so for me, yes this is.

This is basically like a game or a project if you try to relate to your daily life where, if you make even a small mistake you have to do the whole thing again...like back to where you started and you know how frustrating this is, I suppose...

[INTRIGUING PLOT:]

Li shi Qing and Xiao he Yun are the two ordinary people, former is an University student and latter is a game designer... Their life changes completely when they get involved in a time loop, in which, the bus they are in explodes. They and the rest of the passenger die in a bus explosion... The tragedy arises when Li shi qi realises that the dream she is having is no longer a dream but a reality she is living and dying again and again...she then pulls Xiao he Yun into the time loop and together they try to uncover the truth behind this well planned accident.

Story does a good job pulling you into this dangerous world, where you have to keep your senses together in order to understand this properly...i hardly expect such things from cdramas, i guess I am proved wrong here.... I found no loophole in those time loope, probably I am not smart enough to get them right, i guess.

Doubting everyone and everything is what drove them throughout the drama. The female who planned all the accident was excellent, i got nervous everytime when they tried to approach her... This is one of those dramas that leaves a space for you to run your brains and predicts the things ahead, and in that case they (screenwriter) nailed it. Romance is a minute part some you might not even want to notice that but i somehow came to like it.

Thank god! It ended the way I expected. I got the sigh of relief at the end after such a hassle...

[ACTING:]

Zhao Jin mai is a very good and excellent actress and gorgeous of course... This is my her first drama and I am really impressed by her acting and she is just 19 y.o. she looks stunning in this. I appreciate how she tried to tackle the situation with morals and beliefs and gives her best to save everyone in the bus.

Bai jing ting is the male lead. A rather different from the female. He is more like a self centred and protective. His character is a well written and has a development with the course of episodes in this series.

I barely know rest of the cast and i think they did excellent job... They are meant to frustrate you throughout the drama and find truth at the last so yes they did perfect job...^_°

This is a time loop, thriller drama, yet it tries to convey very important matters of public transport ( bus).

[MUSIC:]

As for the music it is good...
I loved the song, 'My Only (周深 Zhou Shen),
though i didn't understand why it was given if thought about the thriller and sci fi plot
Anyways ost was pretty good to my ears.

[RE-WATCH:]

Though I had a good time with this one, i would not come here again....cause then You'd already have known the further things. I could have if this had sweet moments to keep me here. Anyways it is rewatchable and who knows? you might want to rewatch it when you feel so.

[Overall:]

This is one more mind-blowing thriller, mystery and time loop drama that you would not want to skip at least for the leads. This is the masterpiece of its genre ..go ahead if you are in need of such elements you won't be disappointed....



Thanks for coming here.…
Happy watching!!!

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The Story, the Acting and their CHEMISTRY !!!

This was so good. Like REALLY REALLY GOOD. From the first episode to the last, the story was consistent, i never got bored watching every single episode. The cast did so well, not only the main characters but each and every single character potrayed their roles so well. Even though the story is focused on the leads, but you get to know the bus passengers stories too.

The story was so INTENSE, this is one of those stories that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The main characters were so into their roles, they showed their emotions perfectly that you also feel what they felt. The ML did a good job as someone who got pulled into something he never expected, you felt his anxiousness throughout out the drama. The FL did a good job showing her emotions, when she cried you felt her struggles too.

Last but not least, their chemistry was INSANE!!! they went from strangers, to people who literally depended on each other. They put their trust into each other in every single loop they experience. Their growing affection to each other was so beautiful to watch and finally them going through life and death together makes every single person root for them.

I give this a 10/10. It was a good watch.

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Time after time

This turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I watched the first episode and it was super interesting. The plot kicks in immediately and there is not even one boring moment.
The ending is happy which is satisfying. After getting blown up so many times and struggling to survive, it would be sad and disappointing that they died.

Thing's I liked
- The way the main characters learned from their mistakes. They would mess something up and then fix it in the next loop.
- Main characters being smart, they made plans and tried all kinds of different things to end the loop.
- Li Shiqing and Xiao Heyun being cute and brave many times.
- Episode 8 was something else, it was shocking but really good.
- The characters, everyone had their time to shine.
- Old Zhang, he was my favorite character. He listened and observed everything without jumping to conclusions.
- Ludi, he was an unexpected character, I wish we saw more of him. He was really excited to be in a time loop and that was fun to watch because characters mostly don't believe in time loops.
- The mystery of why the bus explodes.

Overall, a great story with great characters.

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Like the edge of a Bus seat! Thrilling.

This is how you do a sci-fi, time-resetting and thrilling story.
And make that into a Brilliant Drama. Like this one!
There is a story to tell here, and it may be repeating at times.
But there are differences in each reset. The story can be predictable at times
and sometimes you will be shocked indeed. Like I was!

The actors in this drama, did a FANTASTIC JOB! The main leads
were the pillars of this Drama. They had nice chemistry also.
The supporting actors and actresses were also fantastic.
Especially Liu Dan and Liu Yi Jun.
The side characters were well fleshed out and were given
the necessary screen time and attention.

The Music was good, but could have been better.
The ending is also satisfying and not draggy .
Over all this is strongly recommended from me!

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