Mr. Bad (2022)

A cute and fluffy drama which warms your heart

'Mr Bad' can easily be described as one of the most cute, fluffy tale of love. Although the drama itself has it's own plot holes and drawbacks and it isn't the most perfect one but non the less it's enjoyable as it'll surely bring a smile on your face.


Few things which I thoroughly enjoyed was -


1. It's Positivity. The drama itself is very positive from the start without any kind of villain or typically used jealousy trope which is a great relief. It also gives a message to all the females that we should be ourselves and don't have to change our outer appreance for someone to like us. Your other half will like you just the way you are.

2. Chemistry. The chemistry between the leads were bubbling throughout the drama. They have more deeper conversation and hugs rather than lots of skinship and kisses and even though I'm not against it, it's refreshing how a drama could engage it's viewers without it. People are definitely going to swoon over this couple for sure. And not to mention one of the most healthy relationship I've ever seen.

3. The villain is the hero. Loved how xiao wudi isn't portrayed as the perfect hero which is another charm of this drama.

4. Female lead isn't the damsel in distress and even though xiao wudi had to save her, it's not because she can't fight but because of her own trauma because of which she was unable to. Though I really hoped to see her fight more like in the first episode but it's okay I guess.

5. Own concept with a new twist. Even though the concept of fictional character coming to life is nothing new but the way they've executed it was refreshing. They just didn't make the ML and FL fall for eachother from the very beginning and rather it was slow burn. Loved how ML was trying to set the FL up with other guys so that he could go back to his own world (which also shows that the ML was selfish and not the perfect hero to begin with.)

6. Side characters. Everyone was the typical rom com side characters and the drama was mainly focused on the leads so there isn't much they've done and played a very significant role. Whatever they were assigned with they did a pretty decent job.

7. Mom of nan xing. God she was so understanding, positive and supportive that I loved her throughout the drama and loved her relationship with both the leads and she was extremely beautiful too.

Now the things I didn't liked -

1. The second couple - I couldn't find any kind of chemistry between them tbh. I think personally there individual scenes with others were great instead of them being together on screen. And it's not even about acting cause they acted well and portrayed there own individual character to life. But their story wasn't nurtured more and was dragged till the end untill they became a couple. I didn't understand their problems honestly. I mean the way they separated was something I found weird and not needed. They lacked chemistry and I felt like they were better off as friends because honestly I never felt that connection between those two.

2. To many unnecessary side characters - that sisi and the guy who liked and were friends with nan xing from college disappeared in the middle that I forgot about them tbh. They didn't have much screen time to begin with and doesn't have anything useful to do. All the colleagues that were introduced by name weren't also necessary.

3. The whole mao xiao jun plot was the most unnecessary plot. The way that guy acted when he was alive with nan xing it won't take a genius to figure out that he didn't liked her. Nan xing thought he hated her witch wasn't wrong from her place. And then at last the script writers had to make him look like the best guy who cared so much about her and xiao wudi was actually his creation and xiao wudi got all those feelings because of mao xiao jun. They didn't just invalidate wudi's feelings towards nan xing. I mean nan xing clearly said that she just once mentioned the name xiao wudi to mao xiao jun then how in the world both of their main descriptions were same regarding xiao wudi's character and not to forget that he actually acted like a selfish villain which was similar to nan xing's character description and not like a perfect hero which mao xiao jun has made. I'll just assume that mao xiao jun was never there and xiao wudi was indeed the character from nan xing's fan fiction and he naturally fell for her but not because mao xiao jun.


Lastly I wanna say that the ost was pretty good to and matched the whole theme of the drama.

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When your favourite wuxia bad boy male lead comes to your modern world

This is my first modern cdrama that I've watched and it has exceeded my expectations. The storyline is clever and very realistic even with the fantasy elements. The comedy is top notch and the male lead is fantastic in his role of wuxia bad boy with a soft heart. All the characters are very well written and fleshed out. There is good character development too.

The main tone of the drama is lighthearted cute rom-com but surprisingly there is a mix of thriller vibes which made it quite unique. I love that everything in the drama makes sense, even the fantasy aspects of it. I'm a big lover of Wuxia so having that small bit of magic shown in the modern world was super fun to watch. There is a second couple who at first appeared to be boring but turned out to have quite an enduring storyline.

Certainly the best parts of the show are the romance, the unexpected plot twists and the chemistry between the main leads. It's absolutely worth watching if you are looking for a drama to warm your heart and crave a little bit of Wuxia magic.

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Shen Yue needs get a new agency!

Its really hard to do a review on this drama as the sad fact is with this dialogue, it never got going!
The script really is horrible, the cast along with the script just didn't feel compatible and really struggling to see where the chemistry is aswell.... Just too much went wrong with this drama from the 11 episodes that I watched when I decided that enough was enough!

* What can we say about the script?.... Lazy, boring, childish which was banking on humor to keep the audience drawn in but seriously the jokes were not even funny.

* The support cast, well lets see - boring, very stale dialogue they were given. The third pairing has only had like 6 minutes screen time but from what I have seen, haven't added much excitement either to the plot.

* The Male Lead 'Chen Zheyuan'.... CZY has more promising lead roles that are up and coming that surely those performances will make up for this one, I just wasn't feeling the humor from him in 'Mr Bad' & wasn't feeling the chemistry with Shen Yue..... CZY is a good actor, obviously he has proven it, all actors will have at least 1 strike to their name so I think we can cut him some slack for this drama. CZY has brilliant lead roles coming up, 'Go Princess Go 2' with Wu Xuanyi, also 'Chinese Paladin 4' with Ju Jingyi & of course the highly anticipated drama 'Hidden Love' with which I think right now is the #1 ranked Chinese Actress 'Zhao Lusi'.... I think he can rebound just fine with some good performances in exciting scripts with some of these actresses just mentioned.

* Female Lead 'Shen Yue'.... This is tough as SY is a cute actress whom I adore however I feel need to hit some hard truths about her acting & where I think things are heading.... ALSB 2017 obviously was the big role that made her the household name & a well built international fan base, however things have never been the same for her since that performance. 'Meteor Garden' was a fine drama, but this is when I started noticing limitations with her acting ability. My worst nightmare came true for SY which was one horrible script after another....- Another Me - Use For My Talent - Mr. Bad....

Shen Yue agency I fear has wasted a good 5 years of her development by not addressing key issues with her acting and not landing her roles to really build up her skills.... Zhao Lusi my opinion was in a similar situation few years back with skillsets that really needed brushing up however her agency has thrown away rubbish scripts, has made sure her dramas have solid support casts.... 'Mr. Bad' drama for me just feels like another strike to SY name, given her track record since ALSB I just hope she hasn't completely striked out for future opportunities for brilliant roles. I think best path forward is back to basics, land some support roles with big name leads to really gather momentum....

With this drama, if you are reading this review and want to see if this drama is worth watching.... I say please watch something else....

I hope my review hasn't offended anymore however i think truth sometimes needs to come out!

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Adorable Main Couple & No Annoying Characters

As i was watching the show, i kept waiting for any of the characters at the FL's workplace to turn into a cringy villain trying to humiliate her because I have been traumatized by those cliches. However, what i found was the colleagues the FL worked with were quite supportive and often looked out for her.

FL and ML were so adorable together. Storywise, they could have explored more of the villainous side of the ML so that the drama wouldn't have been so tame. Apart from that, it is a good watch. I'm not eager to watch it a second time but I know I didn't waste any time on this.

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It's alright

My personal two cents regarding this series. The show is alright, I wouldn't say bad or good. I have seen quite a number of shows from Shen Yue and Chen Zhe Yuan, but somehow I don't really see the chemistry of romance between this 2. They are a nice pair, especially comically, but I wouldn't say they are "sparks are flying" kind. Story wise, it is quite nice, although it was quite a turn off (in a way) to find out that it was all a book. The entire cast did quite a good job bringing the series to life, that is for sure.

I don't regret watching the show, but for me - personally - I would not really go for a rewatch.

The music is not that bad, I especially love the duet sung by both Shen Yue and Chen Zhe Yuan. Beautifully sung.

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At first, I thought both main characters were a little dumb and very silly but I gotta say this was super entertaining and fun! I actually shed so many tears in the later episodes, I didnt't expect that at all. Once our main couple got together, they were soso!! cute and even the episodes leading up to the relationship were so fun and sweet. And of course Xiao Wudi (my favorite trophy husband) and Lu Zichen are girl dads -- I expected no less hehe. I loved how this drama didn't have any toxicity between the main characters, or work partners/colleagues. The president was cool but nice and empowering as well as encouraging, Lu Zichen mostly just really awkward and so comical, and the employees kind and forthcoming. I really loved seeing the mother-daughter relationship, too. Overall, a really sweet drama with a heartwarming ending <3.

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Very funny and cute romance

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2022 Chinese romantic fantasy drama with 24, 35-47 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.

Synopsis

Nan Xing (Shen Yue) has talents at all ends of the spectrum and as a former athlete she has gained somewhat super heroin status in her ability to aid the police in stopping criminals. Another of her interests is writing fan pieces and other online literary posts so when one of her characters is criticized as lacking depth and not being villainous enough, she rewrites his character to be super bad. Little does she know that action will come back to haunt her. Because she has such a strong and unique character she scares off potential suitors who trend to the fragile femme fatale. Frustrated with her fails in the romance department she makes a spontaneous wish for unforgettable love in front of Fairy Zhen's water fountain. At first she does not realize that the appearance of the villain from her web novel, Xiao Wudi (Chen Zhe Yuan) is connected to her wish for love. Having a character come to life is startling enough and why would she think a villain is her heart’s desire? Xiao Wudi is not pleased to be summoned from his past world and by none other than Nan Xing, a woman he does not find suitable as a romantic partner. Threatening to expose his presence to her mother, Xiao Wudi gets Nan Xing to allow him to stay in her spare apartment next door. He is able to gain some wealth and independence in this new to him world by selling jewelry he was wearing. He also learns all about this time 500 years in his future by using his photographic memory to absorb reference materials. He plans to carve out his own life in this new realm until he discovers Nan Xing can summon him, from wherever he is, when she needs boyfriend like services. Since he was pulled from his world to satisfy Nan Xing's wish for an unforgettable love, Xiao Wudi determines if he plays fairy godfather/cupid and finds an unforgettable love for Nan Xing, he can return to his world. After all nothing in the wish fulfillment dictates that unforgettable love must be him. However the mire time Xiao Wudi spends around Nan Xing transforming her into an ideal romantic partner, the less villainous he feels toward her. He was after all summoned by magic as her unforgettable love and fate might have known its business.

Review

If you like heart warming romance that is not overly complicated and ends happy then I highly recommend this one. I laughed so often at Zhe Yuan’s antics. I thought the main couple were believable as I could see two people such as them fall for each other. The story was well paced and there was resoltion to all major plot points and a very happy, well developed, ending.

Spoilers

It was a little odd that Nan Xing makes a wish, this character from her story appears, and then that is not even a big part of the story. She seemed incredibly underwhelmed that this strange miracle just happened. Some people thought, in the end, when she was reading parts of her novel to her fans, that the whole thing had been a dream and never happened. She did say some things like that about time travel and all but I just took that as the “cover story” so no one would examine her relationship further. He did have her childhood love’s identity but the mother never acted like he was her actual son.

Xiao Wudi did not show any obvious magical ability in the beginning. She could summon him but that magic seemed external to him. He used what seemed like concrete physical abilities for most of the series. So I thought it was odd when he was suddenly able to fly around like when he wanted to prove the story to the mother. He was not a God or any other supernatural so they did not integrate nor explain that ability well.

I thought it was strange that he was not her made up character after all. They never explained how this character made up by two people independently would have the same name and so many similar characteristics. They were calling him a hero when he went back to the past but there was no details on what made him heroic.

The love she had for her childhood sweetheart was not at all compelling as, up until the fire, he was fairly cruel to her. It felt very much like “he pulls your pig tails because he likes you.” So I never found that unrequited love that was actually requited angle very engaging. To me it felt like he was meant to be the reincarnated son, but for some reason they never went that route, but they had everything set up for that to be the case. Instead, he just had some of his memories for some reason we never really fully got to understand.

When he was desperate to find her the unforgettable love and set her up with all the potential Mr. Rights he dressed her so over the top then set her up with the most ridiculous possibles but then acted confused when she was mad at him about it. He did not dress her well as an actual potential marriage partner but perhaps as an escort. It was unfortunate there was no friend or other outside character to point out to him that he had foiled his own attempt, perhaps deliberately, as he was already starting to like her.

The lead male character‘s animosity towards Nan Xing’s boss, never made a lot of sense, because he was never set up to be a romantic rival as he never showed any interest in her that way. It was like they were Frenemies for no real reason. I determined he acted that way towards him simply because he didn’t like anybody else having her attention but that was never made clear that that was his motivation.

I honestly was just never very interested in the second couple. They were sort of late in telling us their backstory, which helped in understanding why he was so into her. Without knowing their backstory, and the fact that they had a romantic thing going until she made the agreement with his dad, it made no sense why he was doggedly pursuing her, as there was no clear basis for his feelings. They were such opposites that understanding their tie was important to getting their romance.

It was weird that they made the female President of the company out to be a tragic character like she sacrificed so much taking on that role was a little hard to swallow. Being that high up in any company in any country in the world is a hard roll to get and a lot of people would dream to have that job even if it didn’t pay a lot. She did not seem picked on holding such a rare position, that she excelled at, if not for the wealth then just for the status and prestige that came with it. The fact that the company was successful indicated there must’ve been some cash flowing in or they wouldn’t have continued, she had to of been making some money. Ifshe really did not want to work in that job she had built her resume enough to work elsewhere. President Ye striking out on her own and working with her family in the restaurant was weird because it did not seem preferable to being some high-powered president of a company. Then she comes back but only as his assistant. I cannot see anybody being happy dropping rank and influence. I mean if you hate it that much, get an a vice president that can take on some of the responsibility when you’re gone. That also made their relationship a bit awkward because it made it like she sacrificed the whole time when it felt like she really only sacrificed in the beginning.

The wedding night to me was cringy. Their awkward physical advances was unnecessary. That is usually left to the imagination and I am fine with that. The may I this can I that made it weird. And seeing the kids and so forth felt like a little too much of their after the happily ever after.

Having the other office couple catch the boquet and confess at their wedding was not good timing for a third romance.

#MrBad .
#ChenZheYuan
#ShenYue

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Funny and lighthearted drama with CZY owning the "Villainous" hero

If you are looking for a lighthearted drama with a splice of comedic interludes here and there by the ML, you've got your show.

The fantasy elements were not distracting and although it should've been integral to everything in the plot, it was all in the back burner and were only addressed when it was convenient. This is a modern drama through and through. Most of the conflicts were resolved within an episode which was nice since I would probably have lost interest midway if the conflicts were dragged out for more than 2 episodes. The characters were consistent throughout the series, and their character growth were nice. Just don't try to make sense of the novel/drama logic in this. It'll definitely give you a headache. Just go with the feels, the feels are good.

Although I do think the actors were the perfect fit for their roles, I find that their chemistry was a little off and awkward. There were times that ML was sweet and swoon worthy but then I feel nothing from the FL and vice versa. Maybe it's just me but heck. I love them individually, maybe I need another drama with these two together to feel the chemistry.

The 2nd couple, skippable as their romance/storyline was, they were great support to the FL and ML. 2ML's clueless/dense boss character was funny, I really liked him for that. His moping around tho, I had no patience for.

The OST I think was the biggest weakness of this. Having a peppy lovesong playing as bgm was a bit distracting from the serious love confession/sombre discussion between the characters sometimes.

Overall, I had a great time watching this one even though I was on the verge of losing interest here and there, but it was either CZY or NanXing's character that drew me back in and continued this. I'm rather on the fence about the ending for this one though. I'll just go with the happy feels.

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Don't hesitate, just watch.

I almost missed out on this series because I wasn't sold on Chen Zhe Yuan being cast for the main lead. Not having seen him in anything else, I erroneously thought he was another pretty face with little to show for. This was one of those rare occasion where I have been proven wrong and credit should be given where credit is due.

Summary:

The story follows Nan Xing a young woman navigating adulthood with crippling anxiety brought about by the tragic loss of her father and first love. After the tragedy, Nan Xing would immerse herself in reading mystery novels and fanfiction writing to self-sooth. Luckily, she is resilient and tries to carve out as normal of a life as she possibly can for herself. She longed to be love and be loved just like any girl coming into her womanhood. One day, she found herself in front of a wishing fountain thinking out loud her desire for an "unforgettable love". And as fate would have it, a fairy who has been watching over Nan Xing decided he would fulfill her wish. Swept into a dream, Nan Xing awoke with a strange man next to her. Later it will be revealed the man is actually the ruthless and evil villain, she had created in her fanfiction named Xiao Wu Di. Hilarity and chaos ensue as Nan Xing tries to manage an evil villain who she can't seem to shake off.

Plot:

The series beams with "feel good" vibes and I can appreciate the uncomplicated and easy to digest plot. It is a gratifying take on the "Isekai" genre and I am here for it. Expect a lot of laughs and angsty tension between the ML and FL. While I wish the character Nan Xing has been given the same attention as Xiao Wu Di in individual development, I can appreciate the effort that was taken to ensure both the 1st female and male lead and the 2nd female and male lead's relationship progressed naturally and are believable. Contrary to what I have read about the 2nd female and 2nd male lead's relationship, I quite enjoy their story and found it to be sweet and satisfying.

Acting:

Shen Yue
I am saying this as a Shen Yue fan, and I take no pleasure in doing so, while I love Shen Yue's portrayal of Nan Xing, I hate that she is typecasted in roles that limits the range I know she is capable of displaying. Nan Xing (Mr. Bad), Dong Shancai (Meteor Garden), Shi Shuang Jiao (Use for My Talent), and Chen Xiao Xi (A Love So Beautiful) might as well be the same character with varying names. Poor Yue Yue cannot help but to portray the roles she is handed, and while she does a good job at bringing the characters to life, it weakens her performance. I sincerely hope her team will work hard at helping her break free from these roles so that she is given the opportunity to grow beyond what we have seen her done.

Chen Zhe Yuan
It was a colossal mistake on my part to underestimate CZY. I was very impressed by his portrayal of XWD. Just watch how XWD looks at the Nan Xing as he began to realize his feelings for her. CZY does such a wonderful job at conveying feelings without speaking a word. It's these little nuances that makes his portrayal of XWD so delightful to watch. He is definitely an actor to watch out for in the future.

I think everyone should give this series a go. You will enjoy the ride and before you know it, you will find yourself back at episode one excited to give it a go again.

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