Reset (2022)

Filler and concerned faces stuck on a time loop

Story: It seems like a complex plot, with each time loop adding more insight towards the 'investigation', but I found the plot to be simplistic and over-reliant on a suspense-driving storytelling mechanism - the time loop. That mechanism didn't do much for me, intellectually, and certainly not emotionally. That mechanism lost value by the following issue: pace.

Pace: Consider episode 15 of 15, 21:27 - 23:00, a scene with just vehicles driving around and sparse, inconsequential dialogue; 90 seconds of no plot or character development; it was about as interesting as looking at my hands for 90 seconds. There are a lot - truly a lot - of scenes throughout the show like this; they are filler. This could easily have been a 6 or 8 episode show, with tighter storytelling pace and keeping our heart rates higher. Instead, it felt like a slow burn detective story despite its design as a thriller. This is one of the most fast-forward-able shows I've ever seen. And in fast forwarding, it's easy to catch what's going on in the plot. Therefore, if you don't want to invest a lot of time, just fast forward a lot. I probably watched the 10 hours of actual content in about 6 hours of viewing time with hardly any issue in comprehension.

Characters: The ML and FL lack depth and are essentially 'tools' for the 'investigation'. We get a little bit of backstory, but there's not much to their characters other than the role they're playing in the 'investigation'. In fact, they are really the investigators using the police to help them solve the puzzle. Early on, it seems character development might happen with Lu Di (the cat dude), who adds interest to the plot. But Lu Di doesn't continue in the loop and returns to being a tool for the plot schematic. The perpetrators actually have the most development. We find out what is driving their terrible choices. Many character motivations are non-compelling and don't make sense. Basically, character development was muted and that limited the following: acting.

Acting: With such limited characters, the actors seemed to do their best, but there wasn't much 'range' of expression. We get a LOT of concerned looking characters, wrinkly foreheads, over and over. I'll try to highlight the best of the best in terms of acting. Liu Tao as Du Ju was understated, but very well done within the narrow design of the character; she was convincing as a poised, mature leader of the investigation team. Liu Yi Jun as 'Uncle' Zhao or 'Old man' Zhao also performed well. Incidentally, Liu Tao and Liu Yi Jun were also cast and performed well in Nirvana in Fire; however, in that show, their characters are deeper and more compelling. These veteran actors show us how skilled they are with their limited Reset character roles. The younger ML and FL have potential, but didn't show a lot of subtlety or range; these are not the best roles to judge their ability. Not for one moment did I feel their pairing to be chemical. Their connection looked and felt, as was written in the plot, forced. None of the acting in Reset was bad, but the limited character depth put a ceiling on what the actors could do.

Because the plot and characters are not well developed or particularly meaningful, I'm left to believe the storytelling mechanism - the time loop - is gimmicky. If the mechanism can enhance story and plot, I'm for it. But in this show, it seemed like the writer wanted to display the clever mechanism more than 'characters' or a meaningful story. It's as if the genesis for the story was "let's do something with a time loop" and that became the central focus of the writing. It wasn't started with an approach like "hey, I've got an interesting story and characters, what if we told it in a fresh way using a time loop".

The music was completely unmemorable. But it wasn't inappropriate either. It sounded like filler. Kudos, at least, for not being cringey or off-vibe.

My emotional satisfaction for this show was basically non-existent, maybe a 1/10. The most emotional I got was feeling bad for the watermelon guy. I rate it 6.5; because from a film craft perspective, it's not bad, it's just narrow. If I time loop back to the start of watching, I would probably pass.

P.S. Respect to bus drivers. They deal with crazy sh*t.

Leggi di Più

what a fantastic Drama to start of the year.

Reset has now became one of my fave cdramas of all time. Everything about this drama was just perfect. from the pairing of the main Couple Bai Jing Ting as Xiao He Yun and Zhao Jin Mai as Li Shi Qing, to the plot which i found was soo different from any thing ive seen in Cdramaland.
The drama Tells the story of a young couple died in a bus explosion, they were then revitalised ten minutes before the explosion. Their whole reality became a loop reviving ten minutes before the explosion. They then decided to find out the reason for the explosion and to make sure that the bus reaches its final destination.
In the process of going through the cycle of time and searching for the truth, this drama also focus on some social phenomena and explore real-life issues. This drama also shows us the true meaning of life using the characters experiences, thickness of life, the gesture of survival
I liked how the supporting characters were not used as a tool to support the main Couple but each and every Character in this drama was just utilised very well telling the story of how each character became entagled in the time loop.
This drama also has lowkey love story between Bai Jing Ting and Zhao Hin Mai who both had an amazing chemistry. Every episode also linked soo well together and nothing seems out of place and. This drama was writting very well and produced very well and i think was even better they used the actors own voices.
Must Watch Drama. its a 10/10 for me.

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A Thrilling Adventure

With just 15 episodes, Reset (开端) is truly a fast-paced and thrilling C-drama!

Story:
- I really like the plot of this drama, it is my first time watching something with a time loop and was definitely very refreshing to see in the sea of idol romance dramas.
- Elements in this story reflect on problems in real life. Online bullying was a theme in this drama that I believe is relevant in this day and age. Reset explores the psychological effects of writing snide online remarks as it is one of the factors that propel the whole drama forward.
- I LOVED how we viewers were able to learn more about the other passengers on the bus and understand their lives and the hardships they go through. It was super wholesome, sometimes sad, to learn about their backgrounds. The ending scenes were super sweet! :D
- The cinematography was also really good. Explosions felt pretty realistic and Xiamen (filming location) looks so green and beautiful. (I must say though, when I first started Reset, I found the colours to be way too bright and colourful)
- Con: Because this is a time travel drama, there is repetitiveness and it can feel kind of boring at times. But the action, thrillers and urgent adventures make up for it!
- Con: Xiao He Yun's backstory seemed like it was suddenly just forgotten? I thought his backstory as a game developer would have played a larger role...
- Con: I enjoyed the ending, it was fair and reasonable. However, one more episode wouldn't hurt. It would have been nice to have an explanation for how everything happened and for some relationship progression (ex: relationship with other bus passengers)

Acting:
All the important characters were really good at their roles. Actress Liu Dan who played Tao Ying Hong deserves special praise! It really felt like she was SO SO in character and her emotions and reactions felt so raw and real. Amazing performance!

Music:
Background music was appropriate, and was not distracting. Loved the outro sang by Zhou Shen. He has a beautiful voice.

Rewatch Value:
I don't really like to rewatch entire dramas but I would definitely rewatch snippets on Reset! Since Reset only has 15 episodes around 45 minutes long, it definitely wouldn't be hard to rewatch again (could probably do it in one sitting).

Overall, the story, acting and cinematography/production were a success in my opinion. It is definitely a good watch, especially if you are into sci-fi thrillers that relate to video games (completing missions and resetting if you fail).

Leggi di Più

This is a really solid time loop thriller with a great cast & 15 episodes was the perfect length. I wouldn't have expected to see Bai Jing Ting and Zhao Jin Mai paired together, but they were a great fit for their characters & I enjoyed seeing how they grew individually and together. Their characters are both relatable, ordinary young people so when they try to change their fates each time, you really feel that you'd perhaps act similarly.

I enjoyed watching this so much that I didn't wait for the English subtitles and watched new episodes as soon as they were out. Episodes 5-7 were a bit slow, but afterwards the pacing picked up again. Liu Yi Jun had a really memorable performance here and I loved every moment that he was on screen. I really liked his (Too bad Liu Tao's role wasn't as memorable.)

This isn't a 10 for me because there were some unanswered questions (nothing too major) and some aspects I wanted to see more of, but overall I found this to be a very satisfying watch!

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Best modern thriller sci fi chinese drama ever

I love the male lead for starter ,, I watched ping pong drama of him and my hero ,, he was amazing ,, he looks like a kid but he has deep voice and strong charisma also he choses his dramas really well ,, his acting is amazing
secondly
This drama has familiar concept to American movies about time loops but very unique perspective of how to handle the concept not like the American movies ,,, It's very realistic when it comes to character's personal lives and how they live it
it's not overly dramatic nor light,,, it has very good balance between fiction and reality ,, you won't feel detached from the story
actually i experienced some of the things that happened in this drama in real life ,, the exact same things and I'm not talking about the timpe loop of course LOL
It will keep you on the edge of your seat not knowing what's going to happen in the next loop ,, the thrilling part done right
also it's very fast paced not one dull or boring moment ,, no wasting times in this drama by nonsensical matters ,, every thing has a purpose and related to the overall story ,, the writer didn't put any fillers into it
thirdly
the characters were amazing even the secondary characters ,, they aren't secondary at one or two episodes ,, they had the light shining on them as the leads in their own story ,, that's one of the best things about it ,, it's not focused only on the two main leads
the main leads were tired and exhausted especially the male lead ,, he's the one I felt for the most ,, he was actually suffering the most I don't know why ,, they didn't explain why especially him not the female lead
they didn't explain also How the time loop started in the first place or why was he the one having hard time the most ?
The female lead at one point I was annoyed by her ,, she didn't care that much about her friend not near the ending ,, she was too focused to get out of the loop and save everyone ,, she ignored him practically ,, that what annoyed me most
I know of course there were no time for romance or properly address what was going on with him ,, she was cold and precise very practical actually
this drama has layers and layers of deep human emotions and connections ,, I really love the plot and how it was made
I recommend this drama so much to anyone ,, it's one of the best I've ever seen

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A gem that must definitely be seen

I'll keep it short - this drama is a gem.

10/10, binge watched it in one go (good thing I had next day free XD), it's that good - got me hooked with 1st ep and kept me going to each next episode because the mystery/process of it & the plot and how it will unravel kept my interest 100%

Excellent writing and execution.
Not everything needs an explanation, but what does need to be found out, will be.

Also, an excellent example of how not to judge a book by it's cover, the damage a single person can cause and the suffering of loved ones due to other's & society's uncaring & cruel attitude.
I'd almost say this is a slice of life because it sure does showcase a lot of the bad & good of our society and one can learn to be a better person.
I'm already ready for a re-watch.

Leggi di Più

A fresh start every time .

This story was like a totally new concept as a Chinese drama . The series was amazing , short ,no extra bullshit . The story was straight to the point with linear plot but a lot of patience.

The first two episodes tell us about our leads and their perspective of the explosion. and later on we catch up on the back story of other passengers.
Everyone played an important role and deserved recognition as everyone contributed to the storyline .

The subtle hint of romance between the leads was also amazing , no extra cuddly bullshit was present rather it looked natural .
The acting was too perfect .

It is short and engaging making it easy to finish in a single setting with every episode ending with a cliffhanger and just making you reach for the next episode.

Leggi di Più

Most Unexpected drama to start 2022!

Omg! Let me shower my love for the drama first! Splendid cast and quite a fresh genre in Chinese dramas! I'm glad Zhao Jing Mai finally took up a role that suit her very well and not to say how much she has improved as an actress, I would she has successfully made a break though into an adult actress and no longer just under the shadows of other more successful similar age actress!

Bai Jing Ting too did a really great job portraying a character that could seem boring and two-dimensional, both his and Zhao Jing Mai's character grew at a nice pace as the story built up. I'm really thankful that he finally got the chance to prove his worth as an actor and not just some "idol" star! Kudos to their chemistry and professionalism despite the age gap and WOW I am satisfied with a proper and hilarious romance they had!

All of the romantic moments didn't seem awkward and you can see the director did not try to shove us with fake romance and typical "sugar" scenes like many big budget dramas did in 2021 and not to mention all the details in the entire script. I almost want to cry when I saw the drama is so serious with the story!

The good thing about this drama is that it allowed me as an viewer to feel like I'm involved in the situations too. I felt the emotions strongly as the story progressed and the scenes made me think too what the ways to stop the explosion, not just following the flow of the drama!

Just some parts that I feel are loopholes! First is definitely the unexplained part where Zhao Jing Mai being pulled into the cycle for no reason. Second, whereby the policemen that appeared in every cycle, like do the policemen just stopped in their time once the next cycle starts or do both the main leads disappear from being investigation suspects in previous cycle like they didn't exist from the start and the police continues the investigation that will never derive at an answer? Third would be a confusion for me when Li Shi Qing brought Xiao He Yun to a house to wash away the blood when Xiao He Yun accidentally stab the murderer in one of the cycles. It felt very odd for me like why Li Shi Qing knows the area so well and even managed to escape the police's search as though she lived there... (Maybe I had missed out on the details! ><)

Overall, really great drama and super worth it to watch it not to mention how short the drama is! Don't be worry about weak story plots because it's NOT! And if you are looking for interesting genres to watch and not just those brainless "beautiful" idol dramas then this will definitely be great one!

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Time is an illusion.

I am someone who firmly believes in this headline, although I know that it's impossible for me to track back and change the very root of the concept of time and space.

Kai Duan, or Reset has been on my radar since last year. Being an avid fan of the time travel genre, I was particularly excited -- last year's First Love Again had been satisfying in delivering a believable story, although it's production was far from perfect.

Although it has a rather strange number of 15 episodes, a distinct change from the regular conventions of CDramaland that have an unspoken rule of dragging stories endlessly to fill 24 to 36 episodes and ruin the experience, it rarely disappoints.

Following a Groundhog Day like plot, Li Shi Qing, a young college student, is inadvertently pulled into a time loop after she dies in an explosion aboard Bus No. 45. In a desperate attempt to save someone from their fate and also get down from the bus, she yanks Xiao He Yun, a game developer, into the loop. Now with the added burden of being the prime suspects and getting chased by the police force, the duo search for a way to stop the explosion and terminate the loop.

Following the themes and background that are literal staples of any forms of entertainment involving time travel/time loop, the very succinct and clean execution of the plot is something that is particularly rare to find. Especially in Chinese Dramaland, where a deluge of dramas with absolutely little to no effort is being put behind them are produced aplenty.
While the story, particularly the time travel aspect, was far from perfect, the very basis of this drama's strength lies with the entire cast and characters. Except for a few of passengers in the bus, we get indepth backstories about everyone. The police officers, particularly Captain Zhang, was meticulously and excellently portrayed. The leading actors were right on par with the more experienced cast.

One minor fault with this drama might be Li Shi Qing's guardians' complete absence. And the final episode was satisfying, but also left me feeling discontended as there were a few unexplained topics that remained.

I will rate this a 9.0 for now, thanks to the writers' uncanny ability to make me tear up for everyone.

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Great Watch

Finished 'Reset' two days ago and still feel impressed by the show. I know a thing or two about constructing plots and I must say it is very hard to make a story soooo gripping while basically staying within the same frame for 15 whole episodes: the main leads wake up on a bus that is about to explode in some minutes and they try hard to prevent that from happening by playing out various strategies...

I had imagined it would be a bit boring to watch right from the start, but I was pleasantly surprised because the show got me hooked within the first couple of minutes. So I kept on watching, while thinking it would eventually still lose the dynamics, but that never happened! The story is ADDICTIVE from the first episode through to the last one and it never gets slow or boring! I finished it in two sleepless nights :-)

Moreover, it has the vibe of a video game: you keep replaying the same situation because you want to pass the level, but you always fail... The only difference is that you see real people instead of pixel characters.

Speaking of which, I really appreciated the two leads: their acting skills are superb, they managed to convey all the complicated emotions their characters went through. I had seen BJT before, so his acting did not come as a surprise, while the FL -- ZJM -- has easily made it into my personal list of favourite actors and actresses :-) I really, really liked her way of portraying her character: mine is probably an unpopular opinion, but I am extremely tired of the FLs in CDramas who act too childish, too cute, pout their lips, speak like they are five year-olds, etc. so I felt a huge relief when I saw a normal, relatable, real-life young girl in 'Reset.'

A huge thank you to the whole crew! I will be looking forward to new projects like this one.

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