This review may contain spoilers
This Drama is…Mmm! Mmm! Good
I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect when I first started watching this drama. But boy, was I happy that I started watching it. You will not be disappointed because this drama grips you from the very beginning because of the two main leads. Which I can only say, they are hot!Leo Yang (Zhu Guan Wen - ML) and Chen Shujun (Lin Bao ER/Xin Tong - FL) have the most amazing chemistry. Sparks fly as soon as they look at each other or are on screen together. You never know what you will get or who is going to make the first move.
Leo Yang just oozes sexiness with his subtle gazes and that husky voice. Chen Shujun holds her own with him quite well. I loved seeing that she remains the "smart woman" throughout this drama. She was able to show her true self in every scene which was leading and teasing him making her a woman who was not only in control of her emotions but his as well. The way they banter between each other and their flirting at every opportunity keeps you totally immersed in the world that they have us fall into as we watch this mysterious love story unfold.
Miss Mystery revolves around Xue Tong who witnessed her family being brutally murdered. For 18 years she waited to take revenge against those who killed her family. She returns back to her hometown under the guise as Miss Lin Bao Er, the daughter of a weather Nanyang businessman.
This girl is no shrinking violet, she is clever, smart, cunning, good with a gun, skilled with strategizing and understanding her opponents. As she is being chased by men, she knocks on the door of the charming young master of the Zhu family - Zhu Guan Wen. As he opens the door (only in a towel mind you), Lin Bao Er burst in and pushes him up against the door, telling him to be quiet. The men come to Zhu Guan Wen’s room (he is now dressed) and are met with him pointing a gun at them telling them they are messing up his good time, as we see Lin Bao Er hidden under covers.
Once the men leave, the two being to have a fight with a gun. Getting the upper hand on Lin Bao Er he takes the gun from her and tells her she owes him a favor for saving her. Not to be outdone, she then gets the gun from him. Toying with him, she runs the gun down his open shirt which shows his naked chest. Putting the gun down from him, she runs her hand down his chest as he says to her, “Ms. Lin, are you satisfied with my charm.” Which her response was taking his tie, wrapping it around his neck and pulling him towards her, as he leans in to kiss her, she places her finger on his lips, “Too bad, I already have plans, or I would spend some more time with you.” Thus, begins this very sexy “cat and mouse” game.
The sexual tension between these two is off the charts. Their game gets more intriguing when she shows up at his engagement banquet which she did not have an invitation. But upon his arrival, she latches on to him to use him as her entry to get into the banquet. But he turns the tables on her, because this is his engagement banquet to which he announces the love of his life and his fiancée…Ms. Lin Bao Er. As she stands there in shock amazement along with the other guests, oh and the girl who thought was going to be his fiancée, he leans in and says, “Now, this time, are you satisfied?”
They both need each other so they entered into this contract:
- Zhu Guanwen and Lin Bao Er are engaged in name only, with no interference in each other’s personal lives.
- During the contract period, Lin Bao Er can engage in business in the capacity of Mrs. Zhu, with profits split fifty-fifty.
- Lin Bao Er will reside in the Zhu Manor during the contract period but with separate beds and not disturbance to each other (you see how long that last).
You can’t help yourself cheering for Zhu Guanwen who has fallen hopelessly in love with Lin Bao Er by episode 5.
He finally confesses to her after another close moment of being injured: “It’s in Zhu’s manor, or more precisely, in Xue’s manor. At that time, you were hiding in the closet, and bore scars on your shoulder. I didn’t know why you were there, but all I knew was I had to hide you, protect you, and keep you out of sight from others. I never thought I’d ever meet you again. At first, I was just curious about you. But slowly, I was captivated by your every move. I couldn’t help but want to know more about your past. I even imagined every day how I wished I could be with you and protect you all the time in the 18 years since we first met. So now, I’m really grateful to fate for bringing you back to me and letting me fall into your trap. I don’t care if you’re using me. I don’t care if you’re Xue Tong or Lin Bao Er. All I know is…I love you.” She finally accepts his ring…and the kiss…whew, what a kiss…. which leads to, well, you know…
Lin Bao Er wants to get revenge at those who murdered her family, the Zue family which are: Zhu Mao, Yang Jian, Qian Tong, and Dou Huaizhong. Every opponent she takes down with precise precision except for one and he turns out to be Zhu Guanwen’s father - Zhu Mao.
But there is a mystery behind Zhu Mao which both Zhu Guanwen and Lin Bao Er discover which tells her why her parents were murdered. Zhu Mao was originally a gang member active in the underworld of Guangzhou. He transformed himself, or so everyone thought but was secretly trafficking humans. He even secretly murdered Zhou Jishu, a rich businessman in Guangzhou and took his wife, Chen Peiqin. This was Zhu Guanwen’s mother. He was forced to accept him as his father.
Further revelations ensue, Zhu Mao tells Zhu Guanwen that his father and him were best friends in childhood. He tells him he passed away at a young age. He saw how pitiful his mother was, so he took them in. Lin Bao Er’s family was murdered because they knew too much about Zhu Mao.
The final showdown does come, with Lin Bao Er and Zhu Guanwen facing off with Zhu Mao who gets his demise at the hand of Lin Bao Er. Justice has been served.
Now with all of the drama behind them, they now have a beautiful wedding with plenty of fireworks, oh and not those just in the sky, but those many kisses too!
I have to say each episode to me kept getting better and better. I could not wait to watch the next episodes because their love seemed to be deepening along with their sexual desire for each other. You will see that it is not only Zhu Guanwen who is the aggressor in initiating these sexy encounters but Lin Bao Er as well because she tried to but could not help but fall in love with him. This couple will just make you smile because they are so good together.
Oh, and the sexiest scenes are two, and trust there are plenty because these two just sizzle – but a piece of candy and a lollipop will have a whole new meaning for you after you see how he kisses her, and she kisses him. It is Mmm..Mmm..good!
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Average typical Republican low-budget web drama. It's OK. Nothing special.
The Republican era seems to be a really popular time period for these low-budget short web dramas. How does “Miss Mystery” stack up against the likes of “Provoke”, “Maid’s Revenge” and “Everlasting Bride”? Well, I think it’s in the middle of the pack.The story is straightforward - hidden identity, secrets, revenge, and falling in love. Since this is a short drama, I’m glad it didn’t have too complicated a plot. That was my biggest complaint about “Everlasting Bride”. Cinematography, acting and chemistry are not as good as “Provoke”, and the ML is not as handsome as Mr. Abs, Dai Gao Zheng, but he does have some nice abs. LOL. I also don’t think the FL is as pretty as the female leads in other dramas.
Acting is not impressive in the earlier episodes, especially for the female lead. Her portrayal of the calm and smart FL is a little bland and emotionless. ML is a little better. However, I did notice some improvement towards the second half of the drama. For some reason, I found the dubbed voices ‘acted’ better than the actors themself. ML’s voice sounds so much more mature than the actor’s face.
The plot is nothing special and we’ve seen this many times. At least we have a male lead that’s not mean or abusive to the female lead (except for one drunken, frustrated scene). I would have loved to see the push-and-pull between the leads last a little longer, and the ML not falling in love and be so smitten that quickly. It doesn’t have the sexy tension that “Provoke” has. However, I do applaud them for some pretty good kisses from both leads. Female lead is also too smart. Everything goes her way and she’s the mastermind of everything.
Given this is a lower budget production, the quality is decent. Nothing seems too cheap. I like the mysterious opening theme song. I do dislike the use of slow motion in romantic scenes and especially in non-romantic regular scenes. Why would you do that?
It’s an OK drama and I probably won’t recommend it unless you are a fan of the actors or this type of genre. These are short 15-minute episodes, so if you want something quick and easy, it’s OK.
Completed: 3/14/2024 - Review #417
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This review may contain spoilers
A mini series worth watching
This drama was definitely worth watching -- everything was on-point - never once losing momentum in terms of taking revenge against those who killed the main female lead's family - to all those hot kisses exchanged between the two leads -- to the main FL being quite strong and always finding ways to get ahead of that game - to not be trapped in any way -- at the same time -- taking all those down around her. The chemistry between the two is definitely off the charts!! The trust between the two of them - the love (unconditionally) and support that Zhu Guan Wen gives to Lin Bao Er/ Xue Tong - is very well executed - and shown at the same time. That's what I can call true love - he supports all her actions and willing to fight alongside with her at the same time - giving no leeway for anyone to hurt her. He's always there to protect her no matter what - for their rest of their lives -- and that's one amazing relationship to have between two people. Super glad that they had a wonderful ending and that Mr. Zhu got what he deserves in the end for all that he has done to the others!! Courtesy to Lin Bao Er/ Xue Tong's advance planning to prevent anything bad to happen to her or Zhu Guan Wen.Was this review helpful to you?
Revelations of Revenge
So much to unpack within this miniseries. The chemistry between the lead couple was intense and at times captivating. The sequence of events to take revenge were clever and not too far fetched. The revelations of connections weren't forced into scenarios which was refreshing. The various parts of the storyline where the ML and FL acted 'out of character' with one another to continue to trip up their prey was done well. This was definately a solid miniseries full of action, tension and passion that is worth the watch.Was this review helpful to you?
Such a great surprise
This is by far the best chinese mini series I've watched so far.Highlights:
- the leads chemistry was insane, the kisses were real, frequent and captivating.
- the romance development was actually well done, specially considering it's such a short screen time compared to dramas of traditional length.
- the story line was actually interesting, intriguing and I was interested until the end.
- the plot execution was also quite good, the best I've seen in a mini series. I didn't have the feeling I usually get from these mini dramas where it seems like they had 2 dollars and a dream.
- the male lead was... perfection. That's just my entirely subjective opinion.
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Much better than many hyped cdramas out there
In my opinion, 2023 is the year of mini cdramas, because, with "Miss Mystery", we had another mini cdrama that was much better than several hyped and large budget cdramas out there.An interesting script, great chemistry between the lead actors and a story that makes sense, at least to me.
The mood of the drama is dark, mysterious and sexy at the same time, so I think that anyone looking for a cdrama in this style, "Miss Mystery" is perfect.
The FL is an anti-heroine, and I love it when FL's are like that, because generally cdramas like to infantilize women and make them exist just for male validation. At the same time that she is strong and powerful, she also had the chance to experience love.
I like it when female characters are simply normal, able to move between vulnerability and strength, and not just be "cute" or just "independent". Women can be several things at the same time.
Furthermore, the story, despite being short, delivers a good conclusion. I really liked it, and I will definitely rewatch it at some point.
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Enjoyable revenge drama marred by poor acting
I enjoyed Undercover Affair and wanted to check out Leo Yang's other work. So I watched this drama and was disappointed in particular the acting of main actress.What I liked:
1. Story - Revenge seems to be a popular theme for mini dramas. Female lead's parents were killed by a group of 4 friends and the surviving daughter sought justice. I like how the story unfolded though there were some noticeable plot holes e.g. how did FL get that scar.
2. Romance - Wow, there are many kissing scenes in this mini drama and most of them were hot. Too bad Chen Su Jun was stiff & emotionless.
What I disliked:
1. Acting - I noticed that actresses in mini drama tend to overact but Chen Su Jun's acting is underwhelming. She didn't have range of facial expressions. She seemed bored or zoned out most of the time. It'd be great if she could express conflicted feelings when Zhu Guan Wen confided in her or express desire when she gave in to Guan Wen's kisses.
2. Bao Er's adopted brother - I don't understand the purpose of having adopted brother appearing in Lianghe Town. Perhaps his purpose to make Guan Wen insecure but it'd be better if director & writer could show his role in Xue Tong's vengeance plan.
3. Last love scene - I find it disturbing because Guan Wen was drunk & aggressive. So that scene looked like a coercion. I wish Leo Yang gave a different spin to the scene by expressing self-loathing and love for Bao Er at the same time.
Favourite scene
The conversation and make out session in episode 16.
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This review may contain spoilers
Perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would like to know what is the problem with the actors?Does ML not have a feminine face?
FL doesn't have a broken porcelain doll with lots of cream?
When by some miracle we find a decent and even intelligent c-drama, are you worried about the appearance of the actors?
There are a lot of trash dramas with pet actors out there.
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Ignore this score, today it's 7.9, that's ridiculous, it deserves 10 without trying too hard.
Impeccable performance.
aphrodisiac chemistry
The couple was perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And without technology, just effort and talent. This is to show that it is possible to create something of quality even if it is low-cost dramas.
This type of show values the actor.
If you want something good and different, watch it.
Because it's different? Stupid things didn't participate in this show, that's it.
Unfortunately only 24 episodes
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Great for a short drama
It was good for a short drama, I ama. Fan of s Chinese short dramas ( generally way better than korean ones) they tend to tell the story better , like a very long good quality movie.The story was interesting, a bit cliché and simple revenge plot . Quite straightforward.
The episodes are very short and the pace is fast so you will be able to finish it in one sitting/afternoon.
Quite sexy and provoking. The chemistry is awesome and there’s a lot of good kisses and unexpected skinship between the main couple.
If you are looking for something interesting and simple with a bit of fluff and passionate romance, this will be for you.
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Go for it
I really don't know why I gave 10 out 10 , may be I liked the story and the direction part ,even background or the chemistry between the leads or may be introduction of small characters like the reporter who always helped them or may be her cousin brother's character .Story was about revenge . Main male character's family killed the female lead character . However she saved . She return back to her place after so many years to take a revenge for this she used the male lead's character . The different thing I had observed in the drama that hero knew everything except the actual truth . He knew that she purposely entered into his life but he ready to use and even he told her also that he knew everything and helped her till last . This difference I had seen in the story.
Atleast give a try to this drama dear viewers.
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Une agréable romance malgré un scénario maintes fois vu
Le paysage des mini-dramas chinois fourmille de ces intrigues de vengeances familiales à la "Provoke", où l'héroïne s'introduit dans la famille du héros pour se venger de la mort de ses parents et tombe amoureuse de son ennemi dans un contexte années 20. Si ces scénarios sont tous calqués les uns sur les autres et qu'on n'y observe que peu de variations (le héros est un dangereux officier ou un dandy sexy, quant à l'héroïne c'est une aventurière, une domestique ou une chanteuse de cabaret), on a aussi, hélas ! souvent droit à un ML maltraitant et une relation assez toxique avant que l'amour ne vienne comme par hasard arranger les choses."Miss Mystery" est presque un copié-collé de "Provoke" (même la cachette secrète est la même), mais j'ai mieux accroché à l'acteur principal (peut-être tout simplement parce que j'ai trouvé son physique plus sexy et moins gamin), et nous avons également une histoire d'amour plus saine que d'habitude avec une héroïne loin d'avoir froid aux yeux. Bon il y a bien quelques passages où elle doit jouer la demoiselle en détresse sinon le héros n'aurait aucun intérêt, mais on va dire que ce sont des passages obligés et elle n'est jamais énervante lors de ces moments. Quoi qu'il en soit, c'est clairement la FL qui mène la danse dans la relation, n'hésitant pas à prendre elle aussi l'initiative à l'occasion, ça nous change des prudes rougissantes. Elle est décidée à atteindre son but, et même si l'amour risque de parasiter sa détermination, elle ne laissera pas tomber pour les beaux yeux du ML. Quant à celui-ci, c'est un green flag ambulant qu'on aimerait toutes avoir pour chéri. Dès le début il choisit d'aimer et de protéger sa bien-aimée inconditionnellement. Leur première rencontre fait des étincelles et l'alchimie est évidente entre les deux acteurs. Leur romance est belle, leurs scènes sont chaudes et tendres à la fois, et on a droit à plein de beaux baisers.
Alors oui, on pourra regretter quelques personnages unidimensionnels (l'evil bitch habituelle sans aucune nuance, des méchants qui manquent un peu de charisme), ainsi qu'un scénario-prétexte sans aucune surprise et rempli de trous, facilités et autres incohérences (la gamine est censée avoir péri dans l'incendie de la maison, d'une part personne n'a été fichu de vérifier si elle était bien morte, d'autre part la maison ne porte aucune trace de cet incendie...), mais à côté de ça la bande-son est plutôt sympa, le court générique donne le ton (et envie...) et l'histoire est sans temps morts ni passages inutiles. D'habitude je ne perds pas de temps à commenter ces mini-dramas historiques tous identiques parce que c'est le genre de trucs qu'on consomme comme un quatre-heures sur Youtube, mais j'ai quand même voulu m'y pencher davantage parce que si vous devez en choisir un parmi tous ces courts formats à la mode, je vous conseille de visionner celui-ci. Rien que pour la romance saine, le couple sexy, la voix chaude et les abdos alléchants de Leo Yang, vous n'aurez pas perdu votre temps.
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