Mr. Bad

A Must Watch!!

Mr. Bad tells the story of an ancient fictional character, Xiao Wudi, summoned by a writer named Nan Xing, into the modern times.

The plot was such a grabber. I have not yet encountered any similar plot since watching Chinese dramas or movies. Somewhat it was refreshing and sooo much enjoyable.

I don't think words is enough to commend this drama. It just captivated me big time. Maybe it was the acting of the actors or the plot itself, I don't really know since everything in the drama was so perfect. The plot was superb, acting was commendable, and OSTs are good.

I have seen quite a few dramas of Shen Yue and I can say she really is a great actress. No doubt about that but there is just something about her in this drama that makes it different. I love how she was able to pull her bubbly side in this one. I think she was not acting at all, she was just being herself and that makes it so much special.

For Chen Zhe Yuan, the only drama I have yet watched with him is the Hidden Love. I watched it because I got curious why is it so popular and I understand now why. Though, it never hit me like I got hit from Mr. Bad. I like Zhe Yuan more as Wudi, I must say. He was clearly enjoying every bit of his antics, which I love the most. It's like his a natural trouble maker in nature and just being as himself on the screen. I love it when he try to be cool but ending up embarrassing himself everytime LOL. Either way, Chen Zhe Yuan, drove me crazy for him after watching Mr. Bad.

For all the other characters, they are all so lovable. The second lead couples are adorable together with a nice love story plot too. Aunt An and all the characters in X-Culture was so fun and engaging to watch. And oh, the senior and junior trope love story of Nan Xing's friends are also very cute. Every characters and it's actors are so great no matter how tiny their appearances on the screen since their screen time are always worthwhile.

I definitely recommend this drama if you want a refreshing, light, and enjoyable watch. There was no toxic character in Mr. Bad and no villian so the problem was more of how can they stay together despite their worlds apart. Mr. Bad delivered consistently till the end without any single dull moment. Also, the leads are adorable with such a strong chemistry but not cringe and overacting. Mr. Bad is Rom-com drama with a touch of fantasy love story between an ancient fictional character and an ordinary writer that is yet to discover her real capabilities in the industry.

P.S.
Please prepare your lungs and gasp for air before watching, for a lot of funny and embarrassing moments will be witnessed.

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Sweet On & Simple

What drew me in was the original storyline and my first ever "Sweet On" series. Though very similar to "Dear Diary", this actually made sense. By no means is the screenplay perfect or even close to award winning, but it was sweet on & simple. Never seen anyone in the cast before other then adoptive mom of NX who played a very beloved character in LOF; actress is very versatile in both modern and costume roles.

Pros: Favorite character actually was hard because it was a combo of XWD, mom, and YQ. Each had their own strengths as in the ML was convincing in all of his mannerisms, I even loved how he didn't blame his existential crisis on the FL. He acted very mature about it. Mom was great; she was a supportive parent not an obnoxious/controlling one like SML's dad who wanted to choose who his son was with. She was loving, caring, gave great advice even if she wasn't NX's biological mother. I really appreciated her character and the fact that she was an independent woman, not relying on a man to be happy; 2 couples were enough here. YQ, she was the bomb! Best female boss I've seen since "Master of My Own." She was a bit slow in matters of the heart but I think ultimately she did things her way with the help of those around her. Her relationship with NX was wonderful to see; she wasn't just her semi-boss, but a great advisor, and good friend.

Other favorite characters were the FL or NX though I do have some gripes with her and those I'll discuss below, LZC was the eccentric, immature man whom evolved when he had no other choice but to grow up. The fairy dude was ok...kind of weird though. The story flowed more or less though it definitely had some dragging moments while the leads were trying to figure out how to get together or even kiss. Many people in the comments didn't like the second leading couple but I disagree; I like that we had like this almost kid like attraction and then a more mature adult one with life experience. And yet in the end, both sets taught each other something and were very close. No toxic ex's, no clingy one-sided crushes.

What I also liked about the story was that it incorporated the PTSD/ panic attacks of NX and how XWD ultimately helped her heal but it wasn't rushed or some falseness was created from it. It is a real disorder that takes different ways to heal. As someone with PTSD, I was pleased with how they handled it. The comedy was a hit and miss; when they tried too hard with the slapstick, it didn't pan out but otherwise many things made you giggle. XWD's two disappearing acts were a bit eek-inducing (the first time especially) but there was literally no angst here. It was all about living in the moment and growing both apart and together so once they reconnected fully and neither separation lasted too long, they were stronger together.

Cons: My largest pet peeves in this entire series were, for starters, NX's nonstop talking to herself out loud. Didn't matter whether she was alone in her room or in public or at work; it looked so childish and dumb that it made me cringe. They tried to make it funny when she was caught but it didn't look that way at all. Every other character was equipped with inner monologues, but not our girl, she would just yammer away and I wanted to reach into the screen and duct tape her mouth. The other thing was her clothing; we're supposed to believe this is a college graduate who is working in a corporate environment even though it's for an author, but she goes to work looking like a middle school student. Even if she couldn't wear heels, they could have put her in flats. Standing next to a well dressed leading man like XWD made her look like his sister not his girlfriend. Glad she slowly evolved wardrobe wise later on but still. Production really screwed up there.

The whole childhood friend talking to XWD in his dreams arc was completely out of left field and never explained. Why all of a sudden was this introduced? And if this was all part of making her heal from her PTSD trauma, it could have been gradually brought on. It was thrown into the final maybe 5 episodes and then once he returned the second time, totally forgotten. There were no warning of time lapses in the show though those happened twice; first time was when XWD disappeared after their official first kiss (which by the way, I have no idea how that first kiss even symbolized unforgettable love, but no time to properly flush that out in 24 episodes, I suppose) and the second after they got married. One moment it's their wedding night and they are enjoying married life, the next they have what looks like a 4 year old daughter playing with the second couple's child; talk about a whiplash. Ending shouldn't have been that rushed and the OSTs were all relatively bland and forgettable.

Would I recommend it? If you want a simple rom-com and don't mind the nonstop yammering of the FL, it's an easy yes. This had zilch angst and was very easy on the brain. Watch for simple pleasure.

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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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The tile should be Ma Xiaojun’s wish :D

What I like-
- He is very smart from the beginning. Writing is good for Xiao Wudi. They didn’t waste time about learning things of the present world. I liked that part that he was not at all dumb.
- There was no love triangle. I was craving for some sweet and simple drama with no unnecessary bitching and negative character and this drama gave me that.
- Not even a single character was negative. Her workplace was so positive. Every person was supporting Nan Xing.
- I love Ma Xiaojun’s mother. She could have hated Nan Xing for her son’s death but rather became her mother.
- How underrated was Nan Xing’s friendship with Ye Qing?
- The twist in the last two episodes was so good. I was not expecting it at all but I feel bad for Ma Xiaojun.


What I don’t like-
- It started great. In the beginning, I was thinking of placing this drama on my top list but by the end of episode 16 or 17, it got boring. Because they only got together for one episode then he found out about his true identity and then the second thing I saw that he was gone to his timeline. All in all, it got messed up in the later episodes.
- But then the writer thought that he had to wrap up everything in the last two episodes and he did until those last 7 minutes came. I mean what is with the Chinese censorship? They did that in “Day of Becoming You” as well and I literally hated that and now they did the same in this. Now was she really in fire? Was she really going through that fire trauma? What about her father? If Ma Xiaojun is alive then the Dad should be alive as well right? I seriously hate confusing endings that is why I didn’t review the previous drama.
- Lu Zichen needed to grow up and he need in the later episodes but I wish it could have been sooner so that we could see more of their chemistry.

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An Interesting Story That Lost Its Direction

This drama had an interesting concept and a strong start, but weak writing and inconsistent character development prevented it from reaching its full potential. While it was enjoyable in parts, especially because of the male lead and the fantasy premise, the story became slow and less engaging toward the end.

Character and Acting

Xiao Wudi (Chen Zhe Yuan)
Xiao Wudi was easily the highlight of the drama. He is intelligent, manipulative, and emotionally complex, and his gradual character growth was the most compelling part of the story. Chen Zhe Yuan did an excellent job portraying both his cunning nature and emotional vulnerability. His performance carried the drama.

Nan Xing (Shen Yue)
Nan Xing was introduced as a strong athlete, but her character felt inconsistent. She switched between being independent and helpless depending on the scene. Shen Yue did fine overall, but some emotional scenes lacked depth. Her athlete backstory and trauma were not explored properly and felt unnecessary.

Lu Zi Chen (Luo Ming Jie)
Lu Zi Chen was a soft, flawed, and somewhat childish character. His awkwardness and emotional confusion made him realistic and occasionally funny. Luo Ming Jie portrayed him well and brought charm to the role.

Ye Qing (Qu)
Ye Qing was calm, independent, and supportive. She was one of the more stable and well-written side characters. Qu delivered a solid and convincing performance.

Supporting characters
Nan Xing’s mother stood out the most among the supporting cast. The second and third couples were interesting but lacked proper development and screen time.


The Good

• Xiao Wudi’s character and Chen Zhe Yuan’s performance
• Strong and interesting fantasy concept
• Fluffy and entertaining early episodes
• Male lead falling first was refreshing
• No frustrating or dragged love triangles
• Some emotional and heartwarming moments
• Strong supporting characters like Ye Qing and Nan Xing’s mother

The Average

• Main romance had sweet moments but uneven chemistry
• Second lead couples were interesting but underdeveloped
• Comedy was present early on but disappeared later
• Fantasy elements and powers were underused
• Workplace and side plots lacked realism

The Bad

• Weak and inconsistent writing, especially for the female lead
• Nan Xing’s character felt poorly developed and inconsistent
• Confusing identity and novel plot elements
• Slow pacing and boring final episodes
• Emotional impact weakened toward the end
• The last part of the drama felt unnecessary and confusing

This drama had a lot of potential and started off strong, but poor writing and inconsistent character development held it back. Chen Zhe Yuan’s performance as Xiao Wudi was the biggest strength and the main reason to continue watching. It was enjoyable in parts, but not memorable enough to revisit.

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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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