Mr. Bad (2022) 我的反派男友
Directed by Gia Lee, starring Chen Zheyuan as Xiao Wudi and Shen Yue as Nan Xing.
Watched 13 - 17 October 2024 — 24 episodes (VIKI PASS)
*Finished this silly and fluffy fantasy comedy in a couple of days. I basically binged it, not because it was so good but I was curious how the story would unfold/end and it was an easy watch. Yet it's not nearly on the same level as the other lovable Chinese dramas I watched (When I Fly Towards You, Hidden Love and Our Secret). For me the biggest draw was the male lead actor Chen Zheyuan, and even though his character is not fleshed out well, he makes the best of his role. In fact, the writing here is seriously flawed and the story and characters could have been developed better.
*There's decent chemistry between the main couple but nothing like the chemistry Chen Zheyuan has with his female leads in Hidden Love and Our Secret. I found some of the kissing scenes a bit awkward and forced. Still, the romantic leads definitely share cute moments together.
*The story premise is interesting and full of promise. The female lead character Nan Xing is a would-be writer and the bad villain character Xiao Wudi from her novel appears in the real world as a result of a wish she makes at a fairy fountain (she wants an unforgettable love). But this bad character is never really bad or villainous, and it would have been so much better if he would have been really bad and then redeem himself.
*The actress Shen Yue is pretty and her sparkling personality holds a lot of appeal but her character Nan Xing can be a bit annoying (e.g. she acts really stupid in her new job, behaving weird in front of her boss, the second male lead). Yet overall I liked her.
*Around episode 10 the show started to drag and I was ready to put it on hold (too many cutesy moments). I was waiting for an interesting plot turn which didn't come. More episodes and it still dragged but I persevered. I was eager for Xiao Wudi to find out that he didn't just come from the past but that he was Nan Xing's creation, and I was curious to find out how they would resolve it, how Xiao Wudi could stay in the real world.
*There are good moments too, and a lot has to do with Chen Zheyuan's acting. In ep. 16, there's Nan Xing's love declaration and she asks Xiao Wudi to be her boyfriend. I like that he tells her in earnest why he can't be with her because he might disappear but she dismisses his objection and just wants to live in the present with him. In ep. 17, I felt for Xiao Wudi when he finds out he's a fictional character, and Chen Zheyuan is so good in conveying his emotions.
*I love the friendship between Nan Xing and the second female lead Qu Jingjing as Ye Qing. Also the relationship between Nan Xing and her mother.
*Fortunately there's no love triangle with the second male lead, Luo Mingjie as Lu Zichen. It was clear from the start that Nan Xing was not interested in Lu Zichen romantically and he only had eyes for Ye Qing.
*I like the second couple Lu Zichen and Ye Qing and was invested in their love story. I love how they didn't rush things in the end and gave them a proper happy ending with wedding proposal and all.
*Love the twist in ep. 23 with Nan Xing's first love being the one to have created Xiao Wudi's fictional character, because he wanted to create a big hero in order to protect the girl he loves.
*Probably the best moment in the whole series is the scene with the wedding vows in ep. 24. It looks so natural and Chen Zheyuan shows some serious acting chops. I love when he breaks down emotionally during the vow. Too bad not everything is on par with this scene. The wedding night moment, for instance, is really bad. And that hideous dress, what the hell is she wearing!
*MAJOR SPOILER ALERT: There was still some time left at the end of the final episode and I wondered what else was coming. Well, there's another twist thrown in in the last minutes. We find out that Nan Xing's husband is her childhood friend (the one who actually died in the fire) and not the fictional character Xiao Wudi (who in the end got to stay in the real world, so that bit was resolved already and they could have ended it there). And then Chen Zheyuan appears, playing the childhood friend. I was a bit confused, not having expected this at all. So basically the whole series is the representation of the fantasy novel Nan Xing wrote, and none of it is true in the real world and Mr. Bad is not a fantasy drama at all. Boo! (Later on I read that the ending is the result of complying with Chinese censorship rules which forbid the presentation of time travel as fact.)
*By the way, pleasant OST!