My Roommate Is a Detective

Worth the watch

This show brought a mix of crime and romance. Though most crime is a result of a romance gone bad this series gave it new life. It was funny, emotional and compelling. The plot was simple enough where basically crime happens and the police solves it. The interesting thing to me about this series is that everything made sense.

Every motive, every deduction, every conviction... They were all logical thought out and the investigative procedure made sense. Nothing seemed made-up or a stretch from logical and chemical reasoning. The crimes were all well written and didn't fall under the regular crime drama means, though the motives were usually basic. The execution is always a thrill. Hats off to the writers, they did an excellent job of writing the crime stories and they even put in some amazing dynamics between the main characters. The background family dynamics was also a nice touch to the overall story. Having gangs and political influences and pull made the characters more well rounded and complimented the story where it had to, building most of them to a well rounded "oh so that is why you are so" level.

Lu Yao and Qiao Chusheng, are the two male leads in this series, and their chemistry was amazing from the first to the last episode. Even though it seemed like a basic work arrangement, the development into something more could be seen, without it ever been spoken. Their bromance can only be summed up by the last Episode... But You don't kill for just anyone, but for your brother... lets start a war if you try to take him from me. The ending wasn't anything to write home about to be honest, but getting their made it worth the wait.

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So misleading

Based on the article that has been published, this is considered a BL series it also show's in some of the pictures but why did the annoying bai youning ended up marrying lou yao? The chemistry between lou yao and Qiao Chusheng is much better. I really am so disappointed considering the fact I made such a great effort on watching it waiting for the moment that Qiao Chusheng and Lou Yao will finally have their own sweet moment. But instead, they decided to change the plot and have Lou Yao marry Bai Youning.l. If the couple could've been Qiao Chusheng and Lou Yao I believe this will much more well known worldwide☹️☹️😭😭😭

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It's good drama...

The way they analyzed the cases really impressive... A lot of scientific explanation... Each cases giving me goosebumps... Comedy part was super cool.. I really I like it.
I only dislike the romantic part of Miss Bai and Mr lu.. I don't know why I feel it's unnecessary. I know they put the romance to attack viewers. But I will again say that it was unnecessary.
They put a journalist during case solving.. that's unfair. Because as long I know a journalist can't directly involved during interrogation. It's quite annoying. That's why I can't give full score to this drama. Without this two fact it's a worth to watch drama...

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super short review coming~

i'm normally not the type to watch detective/mystery/thriller dramas because i'm a scaredy cat but i did this for hu yitian haha~ slowly after watching the episodes i became really interested in the drama itself & i never thought that i will ever in my life like a thriller drama , i became so interested in how they solve the crimes and i thought that it was so cool! i came into this drama thinking that i will only focus on the characters and not the story line because obvi im scared lol but how the tables have turned hehe~~ i love the chemistry between the actors of course cause i always look out for the actors chemistry , the storyline is amazing and i'm in loveee with their costumes ahhh!! i am literally a simp for romance dramas and i enjoyed the little slow burn romance action going on in this drama , i love that they ended with a happy ending and im vv satisfied. i highly recommend this drama and i can assure you , you will most likely be obsessed with this drama like me aye.

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BEST DETECTIVE DRAMA WITH 1920'S VIBES!

Ok, where do I even start? First of all, I am not a big fan of Hu Yitian but this show made me one. I never thought Hu Yitian could play a funny, goofy, materialistic and gluttonous guy. But, Lu Yao's character was definitely made for him. I have never seen any of the works from the other two leads, but Leon Zhang was amazing. He has a gorgeous smile and the bromance between him and Hu Yitian was so excellent. In fact, I never really shipped Lu Yao with the female lead although Lu Yao ended up getting married to Youning. Tbh, Lu Yao had more chemistry with Land Lady than with Youning. For me, Youning and Lu Yao seemed more like siblings and less like a couple...though I loved the love confession during gunning and the marriage proposal.

This is the first time I am seeing a detective in a C-Drama who accurately replicates Holmes. Lu Yao might be too much of a materialistic and a foodie guy, but his observational skills are on point. He is very knowledgeable and it pains me that his family ignored his talent and tried to control his life. I have become a great fan of Lu Yao. It was so fascinating to see him solve the cases. Also, I like how he keeps his material cravings to a certain limit - he only goes for the rich and helps the poor.

Like everybody else, I hated Youning initially. She was annoying, she fabricated the news to sell the paper, she beat Lu Yao frequently and meddled with the cases. But, gradually she became less annoying. There are times when her instincts are precise - she accused Tong Li and the butler of the lightening case because they were mean to her and turns out they were the real culprits. She tried to get Lu Yao out of the venue before Zou Jing died in the explosion. And let's be honest, she had all the information in her fingertips and she was well-connected with people, so she was an integral part of solving the cases.

Chuseng was a gangster before he became a police officer. He was all about fists. In almost all cases, Lu Yao was the mastermind in solving the cases. Without Lu Yao, he couldn't do anything. He was also a playboy, but for some reason, I liked this playboy. He genuinely loved and cared for both Youning and Lu Yao. I would have loved to see more of Chuseng's past life as a gangster. As a BL fangirl, I'll just pretend that Lu Yao and Chuseng ended up together.

There were so much handsome men in this series. Especially, I loved Adou, Salim and the coroner. The actor playing Salim is an Indian and I was so happy to see him on a C-Drama. And I loved the 1920's vibe of the show...it must have taken too much efforts for the setup for each case. The cases were interesting and some of them even made me emotional. I love the fact how they linked all the cases to the final big boss.

Overall: 8.5/10. Would love to see a S2.

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Sherlock Holme vibes but with cultural differences...

LONG POST AHEAD

Story 7.5

As a romance fan, I do not like shows based in the Chinese Republican era as they rarely have a happy ending, knowing that there will be a war coming. However, I’m a fan of detective shows and I liked the cast so I gave episode 1 a shot. The show was giving me Sherlock Holme vibes and I decided to carry on watching it whenever I run out of other dramas to follow. The casts were met with new cases in every/every other episode (23 cases in 36 eps), some of them are quite interesting. Actually, the cases and the bromance are what’s keeping me from dropping the show as the chemistry for the romance between the FL & ML due to their character set is kinda meh. More on that below.

Acting/Cast 8.0

I have seen many comments about the Bai You Ning, the female lead played by Shane Yan being annoying for the viewers. Her actions are sometimes confusing but not to the point of annoying. BYN is a rich man’s only daughter who studied overseas. For someone of her background and resources to turn out rebellious. I’m glad her actions only inconveniences the detectives and is less of a hindrance than she could have been. To me, she is a likable character since her nature is good and she stands by her beliefs. Only because it's her, the ML gets his freedom. Also because it's her, their relationship stood up to his father. Her actions in the show are quite understandable and the constant bickering with the male lead is a common start of a love-hate relationship in Rom-Coms (i.e. I can understand it being a scripted part of the drama).

Hu Yitian played Lu Yao, the male lead. The character is portrayed as a guy who is very materialistic and has loose moral boundaries, where he likes to colour outside the box. He plays a consultant of sorts to the detective but only assists in cases if he gets paid or has something to gain. He has a wide range of interests, appreciates antiques, art, and music and loves collecting novelty items. He steals from one of the suspects (for the item’s monetary value), showing the character’s warped sense of morality, which is a known part of his character that the detective Qiao Chusheng played by Leon Zhang and BYN at one point or another warns him against it. Since he is a very smart character that does not give in to social norms, his action keeps me guessing what is he up to (very much like Sherlock in "Elementary").

Qiao Chusheng played by Leon Zhang is a character that seems to have a complicated background. I have a very vague understanding of the power play (due to my disinterest) and his role in it as a detective who takes orders from BYN’s father. The show has him showing mostly his detective activities which he contributes by using his connections to gather intel and I enjoy the bromance vibes between him and LY.

[QC comes off as a character who I feel would have better suit BYN with his big brother vibes that is protective over her. In my own imaginary world, he would protect her and she would be her bratty self with LY being a smart sidekick. the chemistry might have been better]

Despite the lead actors and actress's good job portraying what I believe is how the character is scripted, the relationship development in the story is less than subtle.

In terms of romance, I can hardly feel the chemistry. LY jokes around with the BYN too much and I can’t take him seriously. Also, because Hu Yitian has played several characters that act kinda cool and doesn’t show much emotion so I feel like he is kind of stuck in that frame. Even when he is showing his affection for BYN, the jump from his goofy character is very stiff. The relationship between the characters needs a deeper level of analysis to understand.

SPOILER[ (scroll beyond this paragraph to avoid):
There was a scene where BYN brought up getting married to keep LY in shanghai which has been an on-going topic brought up from time to time in several episodes with both LY and BYN poking the nest and running away. Due to the pressing situation, BYN suggested they might have to resort to actually getting married and LY says, "If you don't like me, I can marry you." which I see it as him not wanting to lead BYN on. If he doesn't believe that BYN likes him, he could have just agreed, which means at this point he already senses BYN's feelings despite her saying that she doesn't like him. That being said, he just wants to keep things neutral until he can confirm his own feelings.

The rom-com preferring side of me is screaming in pain when I watch the show. The story would probably have suited a platonic relationship structure better but then rom-com lovers would not have watched the show. I couldn't really feel the chemistry between BYN and LY, so the coupling feels quite forced and I am really dissatisfied in this aspect. The pick of actors and actresses were quite fitting for the characters, the playful & strong-headed BYN, suave & loyal QC, smart & egoistic LY. I'd give 8 for that.

Music 7.5

The music, the outfits, and setting are pretty fitting for the era that the drama is set in. Nothing too amazing but it’s a fairly well done. Totally love the opening music though.

Rewatch Value 5.0

The story in respect of the detective genre is interesting but not that impressive and the chemistry for the romance is pretty lacking so I don’t recommend watching it a second time unless you like to analyze their relationships.

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A good start but a disappointing ending

As a whole, this drama is quite good. A good story Sherlock Holmes-like with a fast paced plot so we don't really have the time to get bored. But there are a few very bad things that, I think, spoilt this drama.

First, it may be too fast paced. I would have liked that they sometimes spend more time solving a case because there's one case every two episodes and we don't really have the time to get involved in each and every case. Also, the killers are almost all very easy to guess.
Second, the romance was so forced that it was painful to watch. The two actors don't have any chemistry at all and they couldn't make me believe that they were in love. I don't know why they included this romance part of the story but I couldn't believe that Lu Yao had any feelings for Bai Youning. I honestly was more inclined to believe that he was still in love with his ex but they started this romance thing with Bai Youning at the same time as the return of the ex so it was really weird. The guy in love with his ex but is forced to love another girl. Also, making the ex the killer was a too easy way to get Lu Yao and Bai Youning together... I would have prefered him ended up with his ex, their story was more believable. And it is kind of sad that all the girls in this drama - that we only see a couple of episodes - have more charm and appeal than the FL...
Speaking of the FL, I didn't really have a problem with her until this romance thing. She was an okay character. Not the most useful one and quite annoying at times, but she brought something to the plot with her family background. It's a shame that they had to spoil her character by adding this romance thing with Lu Yao.

The romance part of the story really spoilt the drama for me. It appeared a bit out of nowhere and was really rushed (they kissed episode 29 or 30 and get married episode 36 while they started really flirting at episode 29 when Lu Yao's ex arrived in town). Also, they put aside the cases they were working on to develop the romance which was weird!! Especially the last case. Lu Yao starts investigating it, but then, he completely stops only to propose to Bai Youning and get married until Chusheng reminds him that he still has a case to solve! That was so weird to watch...

Anyway, I could go on and on about this romance catastrophe but I'm going to stop here.
I would still recommend the drama for the investigation part of the story and better skip the romance part.

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Watch the first 12 episodes to enjoy charming detective comedy with great male leads and then drop it like a hot potato.


"My Roommate is a Detective" is a Chinese detective comedy done right. It has all of the ingredients: funny charming (and hot) characters who always look sharp in their impeccable period get-ups, genuinely funny slapstick humour, engaging banter, and fresh cases (especially for those unaccustomed to Republican era dramas). Most importantly, the story is very consistent and fast-paced so occasional silliness of the cases is easy to forgive.

The titular roommate-detective Lu Yao is particularly delightful as the story never lets him get out of any situation with his dignity intact. One moment he's a genius Sherlock Holmes wannabe / arrogant Oxford alumni and the next he shamelessly stuffs his face with free food, gets his thin lies (and pickpocketing habit) exposed, and runs away at the slightest sign of danger.

Inspector Qiao, on the other hand, is a stern no-nonsense official who can bark orders like any other quasi-military personnel but who is actually very patient and easy-going. His street-smarts allow him to spot and hire Lu Yao while his patience allows him to tolerate the genius detective's antics. Inspector Qiao's perpetual dry amusement and air of contentedness is a a balm for the viewer's soul.

It goes without saying that both characters are played by gorgeous actors.

The female lead Ms. Bai does grate on one's nerves at the beginning of the drama. She gets away with some really outrageous actions and her struggles are hard to sympathise with. I wouldn't agree with those who say she isn't necessary for the plot because she does provide case details and occasional funny banter. Moreover, her scenes become less and less eye-roll worthy as the show progresses.

The cases themselves are a bit on a sillier side but quite inventive. They lean more towards Conan Doyle than Agatha Christie with the focus on forensic analysis and gathering of the clues. None of that 'let's all meet at the ballroom in our evening best to dramatically reveal who is the murderer among us' stuff. On the other hand, the time period means that police brutality, nepotism, and dealings with mafia are the norm.

Moreover, C-dramas ostensibly can't portray good people being killed so every other victim turns out to be a person who has committed severe crimes. That makes culprits more sympathetic than the victims which is a weird dynamic for a lighthearted show where the viewer is supposed to root for the detectives.

Some problematic stuff appears here and there, not to mention that Inspector Qiao is a gangster but a honourable one?? The viewers aren't supposed to take any of that seriously but some cases really push their luck.

The opening and ending music themes are really nice.

All of the above concerns the first 12 episodes of the show. The 13th episode makes it clear that there will be no meaningful character development or dramatic story-line in the rest of the show. The heroes begin to act out of character and the focus of the story shifts to romance and family drama. This makes it harder to tolerate the silliness of the cases with their at times truly atrocious resolutions. The super-obvious fanservice and in-your-face romantic scenes are also nothing to celebrate.

If you aren't put off by any of that the drama continues to be quite watchable. I believe, though, that even as light-hearted as the drama is it should have taken itself seriously at least some of the time. Too many questions beg for answers (Will Lu Yao find the courage to stand for what he believes in? Will Inspector Qiao fight for real justice or remain a mafia lackey? Will Ms. Bai gain real independence? Will she get awareness of her own privilege?) while it becomes increasingly clear that the answers will not be in any way satisfying.

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SUPER ULTRA MEGA SPOILER BECAUSE I WAS REALLY DISAPPOINTED!

Yes, I dropped this because I was massively disappointed on how the events turned into! This was supposed to be a BL or even just a BROMANCE but they let Lu Yao marry Bain You Ning and just left Qiao Chu Sheng in the end! THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BROMANCE! Uuuuugggh! They could just have them buddy-buddy until the end and no marriage at all.

Yes, the story is interesting and not new but it was fun along the way. I like the interaction between the two male leads but I was disappointed on their story, like frickin’ disappointed to the core I can’t even describe it.

The casts visuals are really stunning, especially Yi Tian (I love him). As for their acting, tgey really did well in portraying theor roles. They did great in every episode. I think I would like to commend the female lead because she really annoyed me, always bugginv the two male leads, even snatching Lu Yao from Chu Sheng!


I was really disappointed to the reboot of this story.

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Chinese Republican Era

I've never like Chinese Republican era. I don't know for sure but usually setting was too dark and this was the example - during that era where people struggled to live; poverty, war, politic and ideology division, starvation, darkest era for human's history. But I love the 2nd lead actors, Leon Zhang, saw him from different dramas and his funny side, Leon Zhang wasn't afraid for being silly, in here though his character was pretty serious - a cop who helped 1st ML to round up mystery. The land lady acted better than Shane Xiao - she nothing special. Different mysteries brought in different solutions just need to keep up what and when...there where I lost it....couldn't remember which mystery case when I had to pause or absent. I decided, after postpone it, to drop it. It wasn't interesting enough for me to get excited to watch it, curious enough want to finish the drama.

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