Reset

Thrilling and suspenseful!!!!

Reset is one of the best Chinese drama that I have watched.Based on a time loop concept,this drama is told in an engaging manner.
A college going student Li Shi Qing, accidentally falls into a time loop and with the help of a copassenger Xiao He Yun on the bus who also falls into the time loop,tries to find a way to break the loop and also uncover the hidden mystery and mastermind behind it.
Zhao Jinmai's acting is perfect and on point.The way she portrays intensity,tension,anxiety,despair, determination to find the truth and all the emotions were excellent.I really loved her character.
Bai Jingting as Xiao He Yun was also very good in his acting.
I liked the way the mysteries were unfolded in the loop following the leads from the previous loop they had fallen into and also eliminating the suspects one by one in each round of loop.
I also liked the way there was a development in both the characters of the main leads and the relationship between them.
Also,the analysis of each suspect and their backgrounds,and all the other details were perfectly written without any flaws.
I would highly and definitely recommend this edge on seat thriller drama It is a worth watching drama in suspense category.

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“Reset” is one of the most gripping and thought-provoking dramas to come out of China in recent years. What begins as a high-concept time-loop thriller quickly evolves into something deeper — a study of empathy, guilt, and the value of a single human life. It’s tightly written, superbly acted, and emotionally resonant from start to finish.

The story follows two ordinary passengers trapped in an extraordinary situation — a bus explosion that repeats endlessly. Bai Jingting and Zhao Jinmai deliver stunning performances, portraying confusion, fear, and determination with subtle realism. Their chemistry grows not through romance but through shared trauma and courage, creating a partnership built on trust and moral conviction.

What makes “Reset” special is how it uses science-fiction elements not as spectacle, but as a mirror for humanity. Each loop reveals more about the passengers, uncovering hidden pain, kindness, and the consequences of neglect. The tension is constant, yet the series never forgets the emotional weight behind every decision.

The writing is sharp and efficient — every detail matters. The pacing is deliberate but never slow, and the gradual revelation of each character’s story keeps viewers hooked. By the end, the mystery transforms into a message about understanding and compassion.

Visually, the show is sleek and claustrophobic, capturing both the monotony and terror of reliving the same tragedy. The music underscores each emotional beat without overwhelming the story.

“Reset” reminds us that heroism doesn’t require superpowers — just empathy and persistence. It’s a rare thriller that stimulates the mind while touching the heart, proving that even in endless repetition, humanity can still choose kindness.

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when speed meets Groundhog Day

After watching Mobius with Bai Jingting, I felt a little underwhelmed. One reviewer here on Dramalist suggested I watch Reset, also starring BJT along with my favorite actress, Zhao Jin Mai — and I’m glad I did. Though it revolves around the familiar “bus with a bomb” trope, I truly appreciate its Hitchcockian approach to building tension and suspense.

The acting was superb across the entire cast, making this a rare C-drama where the performances truly shine. It doesn’t rely on unnecessary comedic filler; instead, it stays tightly focused on the story and its emotional depth.

Interestingly, I didn’t feel there was a single lead character. I found myself empathizing with each of them — every person’s loss and sacrifice felt deeply human and real.

Bai Jingting remains consistent in his performance style, much like in Mobius, but what sets Reset apart is its careful attention to the characters’ backstories. It’s a series that asks the ultimate “what if” question — what if life gave us second, or even multiple chances, to correct our mistakes?

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Same old thing in terms of timing and motive but divergent encounters and experiences every cycle

Warning: Minimal spoilers ahead but still safe to read before watching the drama.

I'm late to the party but man this was a ride! If you haven't seen this drama yet, do it now! This is one of the rare dramas out there that will treat you to a balance slice of its genre coverages. I accidentally clicked an account here in dramalist with over a 100 reviews done. I stumbled upon their "Reset" review. I was intrigued so I checked it out and binge watched for a day straight. Now, I officially caught a vibe. A little paranoid post-binge watching. The ringtone isn't exactly horror but hearing it haunts me and gives me so much goosebumps. The plot is so interesting. No boring parts. Every character mattered. It gets better as episode goes by. Bunch of takeaways for you to bring as you venture life in the long run. OST sounds good enough. Required emotions were nailed by the actors. I'd say "MASTERPIECE". Once you're in, you're legit in. They'll make you starve for more details about their findings and other possibilities. Eventually, you'll find yourself invested in the show.

All cast members are new to me. I personally don't get enticed by C-dramas as they're usually full of cliché. But this one is different. The characters and the story itself got me hooked. I love how the female lead and, eventually the male lead, felt a sense of responsibility to stop the loop. Most likely because their personal lives are also affected. The way they solved the mystery - and the investigation they did will truly entice the viewers to participate and create their own theories. There'll be times wherein letting out a scream or sigh is required. You might also feel hopeless at times, but hey don't worry, you can just anticipate the next cycle if there's more! LOL. Jokes aside, the slow paced romance was sprinkled around just the right amount. It wasn't draggy and cheesy. The way the police officers do their job. The brilliant interrogation that will exhaust the hell of weirdos who try to explain some sci-fi to dead serious cops. After watching this, I'm eager to check more C-dramas. As well as follow the careers of the main leads and some supporting acts. We'll see if they can successfully lock me into their world.

Anyways, don't waste no time reading for more reviews. It's just 40 minutes long per episode with an additional 10 minutes for the finale but nobody's complaining. This is worth your time. A very unique story that comes with a great effort in production. Realistic blood color though a little extra explosion effect. But for real, go now, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the ride!

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A solid series for my first review!

Reset is one of the most binge-worthy C-dramas if you love a good thriller.
What’s good? It completely avoids relying on cheesy special effects. Instead, it focuses on the passengers, and honestly, the side characters' backstories hit hardest. The altercations between the main duo and the cops are brilliant.
The ML and FL’a relationship is way more "partners in crime trying not to die" than actual lovers, which honestly makes the partnership feel way more realistic.
What’s bad? It’s not flawless—some of the middle loops drag a bit, and the ending is a little too perfectly wrapped up in a bow but at only 15 episodes, it’s a good, solid watch.

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Wow, mixed feelings (basic spoilers)

I just bought a projector and would be watching cdrama with my mom for the first time on YouTube. It was really fun. I was trying to find an interesting, highly rated drama to show her.

A low 8. I considered rating it a 7.75… but it is better than that

Story:
-good character development (reminded me of 2023 Fake It Till You Make It)
-themes of empathy, especially online (wish that was further shone)
-extremely suspenseful and easy-to-binge (3-4 ep per night with my mom wow)
-first 5 episodes are bit weird and confusing but we slowly understand
-story itself is really simple, it’s the characters that made it interesting
-yes it can get a bit repetitive, but we slow down to plan and stuff so it’s not like it’s 100% set on the bus
-love how all the people in the drama acted like normal people. They had normal human reactions to things happening. It made the drama seem more real and intimate
-our main leads are not that naturally smart at all. But all of the time loops force them to find out things
-I like how the drama moved on, it got better and didn’t have a saggy middle or end
-the end was mainly pretty well done

-very efficiently written. As someone who wants more meat, I would have liked a bit more. Stretch this to 18 ep to better explain some parts
-some loose ends (Ml’s video game and suspicious police officer with the weird ringtone and biases)
-also why time loop? Did just random time loops just happen?
-romance was lackluster. Slight romance is great but them suddenly proposing girlfriend-boyfriend when it came was really sudden. Actors acted it well, but wish we had more of a buildup.
-some supporting character got better backstories than the main leads. Like, by the end, we still don’t understand their back stories. Like, who really is Li Shi Qing (family, friends, past trauma blah) ? Even the male lead has barely any background

Acting
-great acting by supporting characters, especially main leads
-saw Zhao Jin Mai in A Snowstorm of Love. This is a very different role, showing her versatility as an actress
-first time with Bai Jing Ting. Very good actor
-both did very very well, highlight of drama
-didn’t like Bai Jing Ting’s lip color (his hair in more recent productions are better)
-injuries in this drama were produced with such high quality, it looked so real that I had to cover my eyes at literal paint. Sometimes embers would be on the clothing even
-cinematography was really good

Music
-background sounds were pretty good
-they underused their songs
-some songs the used way more than others
-literally only 3 songs that were ok
-ring tone for the thing was cool

Rewatch:
-now that I know all the plot twists, I’d want to see any details I missed
-because of the plot twists, there’s only so many times you can watch

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A Justice Requires A Big Struggle To Achieve

A science fiction, mystery, suspense, drama. Centered on a girl whom a college student stuck in a metro bus that suddenly expload. She got shock because she's waking up again—after those expload at the same seat of the metro bus. She's figure it out that she is at the time loop event. But, she keeps wondering about how she get out of that metro bus and that damn time-loop-situation.

Not only the story of time-looping for uncountable times, but also the tale of revenge for the beloved one. The justice that sometimes feels gray and doesn't come to the right person. The justice that somehow need requires a big struggle to achieve.

If you expecting this to be science accurate like any other sci-fi time loop theme, then this ain't for you. Not focusing on science matter, instead focusing on mystery itself. The whodunnit, wheredunnit, whendunnit, and howdunnit in the same event. The big questions that keeps coming up as far as the show runs. The layering conflict that many amount of it, but they success to explained it well enough. Like a tangled thread that slowly straightens out

Dare I say the performance of both heroine were utterly magnificent. Both Bai Jingting and Zhao Jinmai have nailed it. I love how Zhao Jinmai serving her best mimic, her amateur expression, her trembling voice, her frustrate were fit perfectly. And Bai Jingting that portraying as someone who's innocence and clueless of what's going on was match precisely. I love the way he could balancing the dynamic emotion with Zhao Jinmai as the female protagonist. Looking at their acting was seizing me through the screen, like I was dragged by them and joining to be one of the metro bus passenger. The amateur touch at its finest.

Not only profound by the actors performance and the screenplay, they also stunned by the visual and sound design. I love the exploading sound effect, felt majestic and rumbled, also the scoring that insanely odd yet enhance the tension. Reminds me that this is dolby atmos worthy, by the way.

The visual design, eventho they barely use many set places, and mostly used two set places. I'm beyond amazed with the way they serving it with the shaky camera movement which felt amateur, the lighting that felt different of each moment eventho they used the same place. Success craft to giving different ambience in just two different set places. Don't forget to mentioning the CGI explode that felt better than any other chinese drama.

Overall, by those positive things that I mention, they still have the minus one. Sadly they had a couple plot holes in it. But, it's not a bad at all. Instead, this is one of the best sci-fi cdrama I've ever watched. If you love time loop and mystery theme, you might like it. The tension was worth to experience!

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Groundhog Day Meets Speed

In a nutshell, Reset is Groundhog Day meets Speed. If you've seen those movies, you know exactly what I'm talking about. It's a high-stakes suspense action thriller with sci-fi/fantasy elements. It's one of the most highly rated C-dramas to date and for good reason. It has a great cast and very compelling main characters. I must say my favorite is Officer Zhang. I actually like the actor, he's one of their better veteran actors. It has pretty good writing for the most part albeit some parts leave things to be desired. It has a decent enough pacing with edge of your seat type of tension.

But, and this is a big BUT, I personally don't think it deserves its almost perfect rating and accolades. First of all, 15-episodes is way too long for a story that can be told in just 12-13 episodes tops. If they had made the episodes 1-hour long, 10 episodes would suffice. The story is seriously not that complex to have that kind of length. By the 10th reset or so, I was bored. You can only endure so much repetition of the “same” predicament over and over again. They have to figure out how to diffuse the bomb without killing others or themselves and this goes on until the very last episode. It drove me nuts!

Yes, I know it's already short for a C-drama with most series spanning 30-40 episodes. But because of this, there are filler episodes and a lot of fluff that the series could do without. There's one particular episode that shouldn't have existed because it doesn't add much to the story imho. Some might say that it's part of Xiao Heyun's character development. Okay, I'll give them that. He learns firsthand that violence is not the answer. But do they show him creating non-violent video games later on? No, they don't. So what's the purpose of him getting his hands bloody and feeling remorse for having killed someone? He didn't kill her anyway as things always reset if they don't achieve their mission. That woman ended up in prison and still very much alive. So what was the purpose of that episode of him feeling like utter trash and them being chased by the police like criminals on the loose? Nothing. It achieved nothing but prolong the series. Perhaps, some would argue that it was a way for the viewers to get to know him a little by showing a little character background. That could've been achieved in just a few scenes or so, not one whole episode. Besides, we know next to nothing about Li Shiqing's background, and yet it didn't matter because we got to know who she is based on her actions and how she handles the situation. We already know that the experience has changed Xiao Heyun. He went from zero to hero trying to defend Li Shiqing. We know who he is. So really, there's no need for that episode. This is precisely why I don't normally watch modern non-costume C-dramas, they are ridiculously overstretched. I don't have the time nor the patience to sit through 30 episodes of couples fighting over manufactured conflicts and being all lovey-dovey after all has been resolved just so they can reach their quota of episodes.

Also, I might have missed this so if there's anyone who can explain this to me, I'd appreciate it. Based on what I've seen and understood, they never really explained why Xiao Heyun was experiencing a physical break down the more time resets. He just mentioned that it was affecting his health because he had reached his limit and time had stopped moving up with every new reset. So what? Li Shiqing didn't feel any side effects from that. Why was she fine and he wasn't? It doesn't add up. This is my beef with many sci-fi/fantasy C-dramas and novels/manhua, some have logical explanations but some don't. They are not consistent. I would've been more likely to accept things as they were if they had simply employed magical realism and not explained some things logically. It's like you're just supposed to suspend your disbelief when they can't offer a logical explanation for a phenomenon or conflict they've inserted. They could've made them both susceptible to side effects of the reset but written Li Shiqing to be more physically fit than Xiao Heyun so she is able to handle the effects better.

To be honest, I was somewhat disappointed with some of the writing in this. While I do appreciate that they took the time to build up the minor characters as they are needed to help the mains execute their plan, I don't like the fact that they gave very little importance to the other passengers like the old woman and the bungee jumping guy. They were part of the whole and had roles to play in the endgame. But they were treated as fodder. I expected so much more from this drama as it is highly rated, but it could've been a lot better than what it was. I am normally more critical of series that are critically well-received because my expectations are considerably higher than usual.

Overall, it's a good drama, I can't say that it isn't. I would still recommend it to anyone who likes this type of genre. However, I would've enjoyed it more if it had better writing and fewer episodes.

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def worth all the hype, so thrilling, so intense

holy heavens. I've been putting this off just because it's got a really high rating and I just knew I would love it, so I didn't want it to be over already. And boy, did it not disappoint.
I finished it in two days, and it's one of the only shows ever where I found myself daydreaming about it throughout the day. I didn't know what I was getting into at all, but it was def worth every moment at the edge of your seat.
Great acting by our MCs but I have to clap my hands more for the phenomenally intense plot. Although it kept resetting and resetting, there was never a moment when I was ever bored. Very scene unlocked a new plot twist as we found out more and more information along with the MCs.
I cried at every sad scene, happy scene, intense scene, and plot twist. I could never predict what could happen next, and that's what made everything about this show so great.
And what I am especially grateful for was that they really took their time with the ending.
10/10 stars, will def rewatch again someday.

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Amazing plot BUT....

Disclaimer: I do not usually watch chinese dramas and I must have seen about 3 out of over 400dramas I'd completed so I am writing this as a complete ignoramus as far as the c-dramas usual tropes are concerned!

Reset comes highly recommended so I decided to give it a go.
I am a sucker for a good time travel/time slip/time loop story which are notoriously difficult to write without plotholes or illogical events!
No such problem here! They managed to write a believable plot, create complex characters, introduce a strong and smart FL, present beautiful songs (mostly in english! Why is that?).
What we have here is "Groundhog Day" on a bus where two people get stuck inside a time loop and must find out who the culprit is, why is he/she commiting a crime and stop him/her without casualties! It is just a nailbiting rollercoaster ride of a plot!

BUT I wish another country had made this drama which had been completely ruined, IN MY EYES, by chinese official propaganda!
I come from a former socialist country and I can recognize brainwashing when I see it! And I had been brainwashed in my childhood! Here, I could see the same slogans on the walls, the same fidelity to state and party proclaimed all over the place, the same, selfless people fighting for the greater good of the society! And of course: the police, here to protect everyone but you have to tell the truth they want to here, police commissioners thoughtfully looking at slogans on the wall for inspiration, all present surveillance making sure everyone understands that they can run but they cannot hide anywhere! Unbearable!
There are CCTV in Korea and the police dramas use them a lot but not to this extent!

Anyway this is a great drama if you can look past propaganda! I could not and therefore my note is rather low!

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