Reset (2022)

Reset. Resetting the Time Loop device for better.

Time Loop dramas are my favourite. However, they are difficult to come by, especially good ones that uses the time loop device in such a setting to be taken so seriously, and to feature so much screen time in regards to the story. In regards to this, I must thank the creators of Reset for doing something that I believe should be done more frequently. To make something that is normally used as a comedic or "silly" writing device into something so serious yet beautiful.

By the way, if you would like to get into more "time loop" related dramas, please check out this article I co-wrote with user @goxia - https://mydramalist.com/article/why-you-should-check-out-time-loop-dramas

Other beautiful things about this drama were the acting, characters and OST. This is the first C-Drama I have ever completed so I was not sure what to expect in regards to anything. All cast members were new to me, but every single person acted perfectly. The characters were also perfectly written and the perfect mix to encaptivate the viewer. Also, as previously mentioned, characters were also perfectly portrayed by their acting counterparts, making me believe that time loops are a real thing! (FYI: That is when you know a time loop in a drama is great!). OST was absolutely beautiful, just perhaps a little inconsistent. I remember hearing lots of music in some episodes, and hardly any in others, but that may just be speculation on my part.

So, why is the overall rating an 8.5/10 and not higher?

This is probably going to be a highly unpopular opinion, but for me, what let 'Reset' down first of all, was the pacing. During the first third/first half of episodes, perhaps for three episodes, the pacing felt extremely off, which actually made me put 'Reset' "on-hold" for a while. Could this be one or two episodes shorter? I wouldn't guarantee it, but I can say maybe.

The only other thing I wasn't to keen about, was a few bits of the camera work. It felt a little basic. (Not talking about the bus scenes, obviously there is a limited amount of what you can do on a bus).

All in all, I highly recommend Reset. Just potentially prepare for some bad pacing in the first third/first halfway through.

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one of the best dramas within this genre so far to come out of 2022

Honestly, i didnt think i would have loved this as much as i did. I became emotionally invested in these characters and making sure they were alive by the end of each episode. Despite the fact that the show was about being stuck in a time loop, each new loop created was original in its own way. nothing was overplayed and dragged out. i feel like 15 episodes were the perfect amount of episodes needed. Any more and it would have been draggged out. My only problem was that i wanted to see more of the main couple life after they escaped the loop. other than that, it had a great plot and important message. I dont often enjoy this genre because they're often dragged out but i 100% recommend watching.

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A must-watch sci-fi gem

Reset can be considered as one of the earliest shows that I watched back in 2022, long before I start Love & Redemption. At that time, I was still innocent of the C-drama world. Together with my mom, we skimmed through the series though I would say I only watched a chunk of here and there, but I could still understand the plot lol (thank goodness it's only 15 episodes). Please apologize for my late review.

Okay, we will delve into the plot now. Reset is adapted from a thriller sci-fi novel '开端' while also utilizing the time-travel trope in an ingenious way. There are a lot of plot twist at the end of every episode, which make the watchers feel curious and want more (I happen to feel the same way too). Anyway, the story tells us about two passengers (Li Shiqing and Xiao Heyun) of a bus that is 'destined' to perish. Somehow, both of them don't die and get stuck in a repetitive time loop. Each time the bus explodes, they will be sent back to the past time before the explosion occurs. Having died 'multiple times', Li Shiqing and Xiao Heyun finally crack the mystery of the explosion. They slowly managed to convince the other passengers and even the police. Eventually, the team succeed in destroying the explosive materials, and thus the time loop immediately stops.

As for the cause of the explosion, it is actually a plot concocted by a pair of husband and wife whose daughter had died on the very same bus, so both of them are hellbent on revenge and want to commit mass-suicide so as the other innocent passengers join their daughter at the underworld. This is based on what I remembered 2 years ago. If there is anything wrong, you can inform me.

Though I don't know most of the casts here, I can say they had done a very good job in playing every character especially the pair of husband and wife who want to avenge their daughter's death. As for the main lead (Bai Jingting and Zhao Jinmai), their acting exceeds my expectation. I've now become one of Zhao Jinmai's fans and I hope I can see more of her new works.

I absolutely recommend this masterpiece to everyone, old and young alike! Do try it!

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Time Loop Masterpiece!

I didn’t have many expectations starting this drama but it freaking blew me away. This is a masterpiece (and I don’t use that word lightly) that I will forever recommend to everyone! The drama is similar to groundhog day concept where the two main leads repeat the same day in a time loop. The main leads keep waking up during their bus ride and need to save all passengers in order to stop the loop.

I was worried that 15 episodes of repeating the same day would be boring but NOPE. Every day the leads do something differently and the outcome is different. The plot twists are so good and intense that I was literally gasping in shock while watching. Time flew by while watching this, even though every episode is 40 minutes, for me it felt like 5 minutes!!!

POSITIVE:
- Unpredictable and fabulous plot twists (one of the best I’ve ever seen).
- 100% angst, suspense and mystery vibes.
- Subtle, slow burn romance that is a cute bonus to this masterpiece.
- Intense level 100%. The drama keeps you at the edge of your seat the whole time and you can never guess what’s coming next.
- Acting, editing, music, honestly everything is 10/10.
- No filler/boring or draggy parts.
- No plot holes. The mystery about the villain is explained well and solved.
- Strong-willed, intelligent and selfless female lead.
- Supportive and smart male lead.
- Heart-warming side characters (all of them have amazing stories that add depth to the drama but at the same time they are short and don’t drag the plot).

NEGATIVE:
- None. Literally. None. Well actually there is one small thing at the end of the drama. It’s a spoiler so I can’t write it here. I understand why it wasn't included but I kind of wish it was? Anyway, it doesn’t really take away my enjoyment of the drama.

OVERALL:
I feel like everything I’ve written above is not enough to describe how much I loved this drama. It made me FEEL so much. The plot is perfection. I was so immersed in the story that sometimes I literally forgot I was watching a drama. My emotions were so heightened that I felt I was IN the drama. In that crazy bus ride alongside the main leads. Until the very end, I was cheering for them so hard to win. I was screaming at my screen when they were hurt and when they weren’t receiving the help they needed! I gasped in surprise, I laughed during cute moments and I literally cried because I felt so connected to all the characters!

If you want a mystery/thriller drama that is filled with angst and unpredictable plot twists AND If you want a strong-willed, intelligent and selfless female lead with a subtle/cute romance with her supportive male lead - WATCH THIS DRAMA NOW.

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This drama set the bar high for Chinese drama this year

Time loop theme in Chinese drama? It's refreshing. And it is so damn good. Really...really...good.
The story, the acting, the emotion, the effect, oh my God! Completely in another level. Bai Jing Ting not a super power guy with manly demeanor. Jin Mai still that pure and kind girl with strong will, but with more intense and deep emotion. They both show us a really fantastic develop of acting.
I am not expect to opening this year with this super amazing drama. Definitely 'MUST WATCH LIST'. I can't express my satisfied and pleasant feeling about this drama with word. I think it kinda explain how great it is.

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It's worth the wait

At the first two episodes, it's kinda slow paced, but just wait and see, it's gonna blow your mind! This is the first Chinese drama I've ever watched, and made me set a really high standard on C-drama because it's so good.

It's not boring despite the setting is time loop, because it surprises you on every loop they passed, not to mention, the revelation and closure for each characters, it was really neat, I really enjoy it.

The casts also did an amazing work, everyone of them acted flawlessly, they made me emotional in every scene, they can project their emotion and make us feel what they feel.

I love how the length of the drama is perfect, not too short nor too long, it's just as long as it's needed.

This drama is a whole package: a really good story with amazing acting in an amazing execution. Highly recommended for those who loves fantasy, thriller, crime drama.

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Cheap writing and overly dramatic without logic

When time loops are involved, it just gives the writer the infinite possibility to write whatever they want, being sloppy and illogical. I only enjoyed up to Lu Di’s story, then come episode 8, and it got overly dramatic and emotional. I only completed the drama to try to understand why people gave it 10. Plus I don’t like dumb leads, who seem to forgot what did work the previous time loop. All they had to do was tweak “the solution” a bit and it would have solved the problem. Don’t put a muscle man in the show if his muscles were only for show. The acting was disappointing, very much overacting and trying to portray as much emotions as possible just to show off who can get red eyes and tears the fastest. After X loops, is there any more shock value?! Why are you still acting all shocked?!

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A fantastic use of the timeloop concept

It's not easy to do a timeloop show well, because it's about the same event over and over and you need to keep it fresh somehow. This show excelled at showing just how much exists around a fixed point in time -- the people, their lives, their stories... Though it's the same event repeated over 10 episodes, you never feel bored. Each episode explores a different character on the bus and their stories and experiences, and there's also a good amount of tension, dread, and shock to keep you stricken and guessing. The cast was truly fantastic here -- the two leads have good chemistry and even better acting. You feel for their existential dread as they're trapped going through the same horrific event over and over. Sadly this is not a very rewatchable series because once you know the 'why', the episodes all make sense, and the suspense and mystery that drives you to keep watching is totally resolved. One of the best dramas I've ever watched imo.

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solid and packed storyline

I have so many good things to say about this drama, I don’t know where to begin but first off, the story is nicely-written and editing is well done. I usually hate the editing in cdramas but this is one of the fews that’s edited really well. However, I wish they had explained more about how the two characters got stuck in the time loop and I found the ending to be a bit forced(I don’t know if it’s the correct word) but even without these, it’s a good drama that I could easily get anyone anticipate till the very end.

The chemistry of the cast is also quite great, taking the audience along to sympathize and question as the plot goes. Both Bai Jingting and Zhao Jinmai did very well in terms of acting, as well as the senior actors, it’s quite flawless. This kind of drama isn’t something you would give a rewatch but you would remember it for a long time once you’re done watching.

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Unexpected Twists

I've seen the time loop trope done so many times that I wasn't really sure what to expect coming into this ... but wow, the story was unexpectedly thrilling, had a great storyline, and was filled with interesting characters that you could relate to and/or empathize with.

Every episode I felt contributed to the overall story, and there wasn't any moment where it felt like they were filler scenes. Production, acting, story - all were high quality, and you could tell they really put a lot of thought into the making of this drama. I've watched so many cdramas with at least double the length of this, but this really did feel like the perfect length to me, because nothing dragged on - I personally wouldn't have even minded if it was extended to an episode or two more, but this felt like the perfect ending to a great drama.

Highly recommend giving this a watch!

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Pretty decent

First off...this is the shortest C-Drama I've ever watched...that being said, it wasn't drawn out or overdone! I think it was well presented, and the stories were explicit. I loved it. I loved how they took the time to tell almost everyone's story who was on the bus...at least the ones who they suspected. When the leads found out who the culprit was, I was like...why are there so many episodes left? Get the bomb off the bus, and you're good to go. However, it developed into so much more once the real culprits were discovered, and I loved how the story was written in such a way that you cared for every passenger by the end of the series. It is a must-watch for sure. I don't think it needed a romantic line, but they didn't dwell on it too much for it to be awkward. To me, it came out of nowhere, and it felt a bit out of place. I'm glad they started the romance off with a hug and not a kiss. As a romance fan, I would've been okay with a deep connection at the end because the drama didn't need it, in my opinion. Still a good watch. I love this kind of drama.

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