The Wanted Detective

Got confused.

I git confused in the middle of the drama, and i didn't like about the ending is Yesha's second identity. It creates unnecessary melodrama and makes their motive too.
however, it was great when we got and explanation of what happened in haiya and true yesha was revealed. in the final episode, I wanted to see we they went back to help people of haiya and when the emperor clarified what happened and people knew about haiya.
In the middle the messy storytelling ruined it, and got me confused, it was actually felt cluttered and disjointed. The conversations were the biggest issue for me as they often abruptly shifted between serious tones, to sudden humours, to sudden emotional outbursts - all this in one scene! This made me feel like I was watching a parody.

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Yesha can be anyone and everyone.

The winds of ill omen sweep through the Qi kingdom as hallowed statues weep blood tears. Within days, three of the realm's highest officials meet violent ends, all hinting at supernatural forces at play. A shadowy figure, Yesha or Night Fury, claims credit for the murders and threatens the empire itself. The No. 1 detective of Qi, Xiao Beiming, cockily assures the emperor that his Elite Constables will apprehend Yesha in three days. On his wedding day, Beiming sets a bold trap. But Yesha turns the tables on him with devastating consequences. Framed and injured, he disappears—estranged from his friends and his young bride.

Three years later, he returns to the capital, chasing signs that Yesha may have resurfaced. Older and wiser, he understands that to deal with this nemesis, he needs all the help he can get from friends, lovers, and competitors alike. He reunites with his childhood sweetheart, Xueman; humbled, contrite, and determined to clear his name. Beiming's new team—Xueman, coroner Feng Qingzhou, constable Tong Shuang, and disguise artist Hua Dairong—tackle seven eerie, linked cases, with the unwitting aid of the flamboyant No. 2 detective, Zhuge Kongyun. They quickly find all roads lead to a hidden seaside village, Haiya, and a terrifying secret that could rock the foundations of the empire.

Even though this is largely a plot-driven mystery, the characters are authentically written, and their development is fantastic. Reputations aside, there are no super-sleuths; Beiming and Kongyun are neck-and-neck the whole way. If anything, it is Yesha who stays a few steps ahead, only caught when they choose to be. This is a team effort where everyone contributes unique skills and insights. Each character has their own mini-arc that highlights what makes them tick—their strengths, flaws, past troubles, and personal struggles. They are bound by a shared sense of morality and justice born from their own trauma, loss, and grievances.

No one is perfect, and they all make mistakes, so don't be too quick to judge. Xueman loses her two life anchors on what should have been the happiest day of her life. She needs answers and closure but is left alone and in limbo for three long years. Of course she lashes out; what's important is that she ultimately chooses restraint. Tong Shuang also experiences loss and seeks justice, but when he acts out, he wins audience sympathy and understanding. Similarly, Beiming is rarely called out for his over-protective stifling of Xueman's desire to be part of the team or for his over-confidence and missteps at Fengbo Lake. This kind of persistent misogyny, where female characters are held to unfair and unrealistic standards of perfection, is deeply disappointing. Beyond the terrific banter and camaraderie, it is the team's imperfections and their good and less-good decisions that made me invested in their shared journey of self-discovery and growth.

The mild fantasy elements add an eerie thrill to the seven mysteries, which unfold in a case-within-a-case format that pieces together the main conspiracy. Each case brings a growing dread and a horrifying glimpse of the unspeakable event that happened in Haiya. I was hooked—what went down there? Who was Yesha, and what was their grand master plan? Although there is some deliberate misdirection, an attentive viewer has a fair chance of solving the case ahead of the reveal. All the clues are hidden in plain sight, down to several disparate and fleeting moments where the villain gives themselves away. At some point, everyone seems suspect, which is the point: Yesha can be anyone and everyone who is so tormented and radicalized by injustice that they go full scorched-earth. All characters are tested, and their moment of truth is whether they decide to give in to their worst instincts. It is Zhong Yunchi's last lesson to Beiming—that the greater good cannot be rationalized by a lesser injustice; that two wrongs don't make a right. While they share moments of perspective, Yesha is Beiming's antithesis, a person who chooses to fight darkness with darkness instead of light. They are a complex and almost tragic antagonist whose darkening is understandable but not inevitable.

This is an ensemble cast of promising young actors whose vibrant, cohesive energy conveys a shared purpose and infectious enthusiasm that smooths over some less-polished individual performances. Wang Xingyue's lines are fantastic, and he delivers a few fiery, moving speeches that gave me goosebumps. Deng Kai is another fabulous character actor who tries to steal his greatest rival's limelight with his bombastic braids, showy outfits, and side-splitting braggadocio. He Luoluo delivers a charismatic and empathetic portrayal of Tong Shuang's bromance with Beiming and his character's inner conflicts. While Xiang Hanzi's acting is still a work in progress, her "angry bird" Xueman is quite adorable, and she overall captures her character's anger, hurt, and confusion at Beiming's betrayal well. Unlike most actresses whose idea of fighting is posing and flailing at air, she moves with lethal speed and packs a powerful punch. I enjoy Zhang Nan's acting, but her character, Huo Dairong, didn't have room to shine. While Chen Youwei delivers a credible performance as Feng Qingzhuo, he didn't interpret his character in a particularly impactful way.

There is limited room for romance in a plot and character-heavy story like this, and arguably, too much would be a distraction. Beiming and Xueman's romance is established from the start, but it's clear neither was ready for marriage. I like how she grows up and he learns to make room for her to have the agency she always wanted. The second romance seemed to be there because why not? It isn't well-developed or grounded in substance, and I didn't sense genuine chemistry between either couple.

The narrative builds to a strong finish. The reveal makes sense, and everything more or less falls into place without a long-winded, boring walk-through. There are no unnecessary tropes; everything happens for a reason and comes full circle. The Haiya case raises profound questions—is national security and the greater good an end that justifies any means? Are there some acts so heinous that an eye for an eye is the only way to appease the victims? There are no easy answers; we can only hope we never have to make such choices.

The only thing I didn't like about the ending is Yesha's second identity. It creates unnecessary melodrama and makes their motive too personal when the final message should be on Haiya and "never again." That said, even though I would have preferred a slightly different ending, it is not a fatal flaw. This is still a suspenseful and riveting mystery from start to finish, and one I am pleased to highly recommend.

Final rating: 8.5/10.0









Major Ending Spoilers:



I don't think it was necessary for Yesha and Beikun to be the same person. It would have been more in-character for Zhong to have given his friend's child to the poison master, Bei Hai's sect brother, rather than to someone with no relationship to the child. I believe the writers originally intended for Beikun to be Feng Qingzhou, as Bei Hai's mutant pill is the 疾风丸 (Jífēng Wán) or Swift WIND Pill, while Coroner Feng's name, 风清浊 (Fēng Qīng Zhuó), can be translated as "WIND Purge" or "Cleansing WIND." I suspect they changed course and went with the actor who resembles Wang Xingyue enough to be his sibling. This choice dilutes Yesha's motive and makes it seem hypocritical, considering his father made the pill and urged the late emperor to use it. If Yesha were just an ordinary Haiya orphan, his hatred would have been more understandable. It's not a fatal flaw, but it makes Zhong's decision questionable and weakens the impact of Yesha's motive and message. It would also have been more satisfying to see Bei Hai's sons work together to atone for his mistakes.






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A Rare Gem in the Plethora of Detective Stories

And here I thought I was just going to see another crime drama....yeah right! This not so little rare gem came out of nowhere and jumped up to receive a perfect score from me; someone who doesn't give them out easily. Also something that literally becomes better in later parts of the series as opposed to the beginning. The entire cast for the most part did great and I know all of them save a few people. Despite the rating (which I never care about), this drama gave a lot of other detective/crime/conspiracy/supernatural etc genre shows a run for their money.

Pros: Dude, ML or BM played by WXY and TML or TS/BK played by HLL were my favorite though DK who played KY or Peacock 🦚 was hot on their heels. A serial murder occurs on a boat on a lake with only one guy left alive; BM who is quickly framed for it. He is shot with an arrow and falls into the water disappearing for 3 years, when he returns, his old sweetheart whose father was one of those that was killed, stabs him, shackles him, than poisons him with the most lethal poison instead of the one she wanted to give him. By her side is doctor/coroner Feng, someone she saved, while by his side is someone he saved named Tong Shuang or TS and secretly placed in the constable unit to seek information on the murderer known as Yesha who is getting revenge on everyone in connection with a mysterious case from 20 years ago or the 36th Ningtai year as it's known for a while from a town known as Haiya. Slowly the squad forms eventually also including HD a woman whose father is murdered and was part of the Haiya story.

There are 7 cases in total including the main large case. The squad solves each murder only to realize each one is connected to the original case. Hot on their heels is KY from the rival constable company wanting to catch BM as he's thought to be Yesha; the guy spends nearly the entire series trying to clear his name and get reinstated while trying to find a cure for his poison and find the real and very elusive Yesha. The killers and minions of Yesha are orphans of what turns out to be the massacre of Haiya. The twists are great especially of the poison of BM, the real Yesha (will be spoken about in the villains section), the fact that KY doesn't really want BM dead but loves the competition between them and ends up helping the squad a lot before joining them and becoming one of them. Dude was called peacock 🦚 first on Weibo then it made its way to MDL because of his wardrobe, hair (wig), and makeup. He was comic relief though second in intelligence after BM; DK played him to the hilt and it was awesome. WXY as BM was fantastic; he got all of the emotions & actions down pat; arrogance, maturity, loyalty, kindness, intelligence, anger, love, grief, depression, etc. still hard to reconcile how well he acts with his young age.

The main villain aka Yesha, made your mouth drop when you realized who it was because he was next to them the whole time. And not only that, there were two of them; first one (another general and original resident of Haiya) groomed or trained the second one before dying in that boat lake case 3 years prior and his well camouflaged protégé took his place. The actor, fairly unknown played the hell out of both characters in one person. He reminded me of Ted Bundy and the phrase “the mirror has two faces”; you never would have thought the handsome man with women on his arm and college graduate was a serial killer until he was caught. But he was none other than BK or BM's brother also known to the squad as TS until he faked his death and went full throttle on his persona and his horrifying plan. Turns out that both brothers and HD were Haiya orphans and 2 out of 3 turned out just fine; with the last because of who ultimately raised him, became a wolf in sheep's clothing, a killing machine.

My two favorite moments during the show is when BM told the Emperor, what was what essentially calling everyone out who participated in the Haiya massacre as well as the cover up that happened after including the emperor himself saying that there were survivors living in hellish conditions and they deserved better, enough of the cowardice. It was very powerful. And the second, even stronger scene was the face to face with his brother in the last episode when BM hammered into his brother that he used Haiya as an excuse for all the murders he did because he was manipulated and allowed himself into thinking the worst, and that he used other people who could have lived better lives but died tragically because of him after committing murder and those in the wilderness are living in hell in part because of his actions with that pill and mutations. That had their situations been reversed BK would probably had been a better constable and person but BM would never be a more wicked person than BK because even if he had to suffer he knew there was hope and there was always suffering and bad stuff in the world and it was their jobs as humans not to make it worse. He just kept chipping away at every excuse BK had until there were none left. Than he told him that he had plenty of chances to turn back and when a defeated BK said it was out of his grasp in this lifetime, BM reminded him that he had in fact had it in his grasp once meaning when he was TS; he had so many chances to tell them the truth as he had the love of a real family and not just his brother. That entire exchange was remarkable, raw, and powerful and BK took his own life as BM walked away after telling his "didi" that if there was another life, he hoped they wouldn't meet which I took to mean that he would still feel ashamed and guilty to face his brother even in the next lifetime. So thankfully no redemption for the ultimate predator but it was still so sad because it didn't have to happen that way and he was a character we had all grown to love a lot.

Everyone else whether squad members or others all did their parts well. And everyone was there for as long as they needed to be; no unnecessary appearances or disappearances. Great costumes (especially for peacock lol), sets, OSTs. I don't think this was a large budget production but it did well with what was shown. There was some comedy and though there were technically two couples, this was not a romance drama but more of a thriller which I was very happy with. The squad had 5 people at any given time with one single guy but it never felt like he was the 3rd or should I say 5th wheel. Everyone was equal or maybe because the leads always called each other "junior sister" or "senior brother" lol, kind of gave that incesty feeling though they were not blood.

Cons: Though I did give it a 10, it still had some flaws. It had many tiny inconsistencies like the dumbing down of the FL (going alone to rescue BM from Old Bug or constantly asking "what do you mean" when the answer was staring her in the face) or her having RBF for the whole first arc and well into the second though the actress usually does great with emotions so perhaps there was problems with the writing. Even with his redemption arc in the end after essentially being a glorified asshole the entire series, Mr. Zhuge aka peacock's father, I still couldn't get to like. The actor though did a good job playing him. Also found the poisoning portion of the story just slightly draggy; could have made it take up less episodes.

The largest inconsistency was why Mr. Zhong who was FL's dad and BM's Shifu didn't keep both BM and BK as he had carried both boys out of Haiya after the massacre. Had he kept BK and raised both boys, these tragedies may not have happened or at least BK would have had the same loving upbringing as BM had and not been abused so severely or found by first Yesha and turned into this monster. An answer as to why was never given. And it was very sad.

Would I recommend it? What do you think, with a perfect score lol? This is an awesome rollercoaster that ticks many genre boxes and where the second and third arcs were way stronger than the first. Will def be rewatching portions. Great job cast and crew!

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it waste of money to build this drama, sad

At this point, the drama is likely to have a rating between 7.0 and 7.4. Each episode continues to bring back negative memories from episode 3 onward. Entertainment usually focuses on something light and accessible, not complex historical twists. Most viewers prefer clear distinctions, good is good, and bad is bad, while this drama attempts to portray moral gray areas, blending good and bad without making them coherent or meaningful. As a result, it confuses the audience and hinders character development. Moreover, only viewers who are deeply attached to the characters, or those who enjoy seeing morally questionable behavior, are likely to give it high ratings

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This review primarily presents my subjective perspective on the drama as a whole.

Acting-wise, all the characters played their roles exceptionally well. My favourite character apart from the main leads is Zhuge Kong Yun, the red peacock 😆🦚. His sassiness knows no bounds, and his character bears a striking resemblance to Bei Ming's. It's just that our male lead is always one step ahead of him. Both of them made huge mistakes which affected many people, but they learned their lessons and turned over a new leaf. The one thing I feel unfulfilled is their scenes together, solving cases and betting with each other. (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠) / "🎲

As for the story, I wasn't intrigued initially, but only after reaching nearly half of the drama did I get entirely hooked. Starting from clearing his name and their journey together to Haiya. Boy, those episodes were GOLD✨. The story took a 180-degree turn from a less chaotic city investigation to an all-out combat mode in an unfamiliar land. There was no boring moment at all~ The romance part is sufficient for this kind of drama, and I'm loving their chemistry here. Their buildup was much better in the latter episodes.

In conclusion, [The Wanted Detective a.k.a. Calming Waves] is a unique premise with gripping mystery elements and heartwarming friendship. The cases were interesting and made me keep guessing who the culprit might be. It's a 9 for me~

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don’t take drugs guys especially if it was made by some random guy called Bei

Simply mind blowing—I don’t even know what to say or what to react,my minds circling around,questioning my existence in what this show has torn me into.

I feel really mesmerised by the characters and all these plots

first of all,Bei Ming.A top detective smart,intelligent and all the works.He got too cocky and screwed up causing his own downfall.After watching ‘Coroner’s Diary’ it felt as if Bei Ming wasn’t just simply another genius case-solver,he had a childhood sweetheart,childhood friend,a deep brotherly bond.Bei Ming gambles.Romance in this show isn’t even that much of a problem if you dislike romance (the only kiss is at the last episode)

also most people are saying that why did the female lead poison Bei ming or why did Feng qingzhuo do that well guess what my bros,it’s the thing that saves the whole damn ending

secondly,Xueman—the king of constable’s daughter.Well respected in the field and has a childhood sweetheart.At the beginning she was angry at Bei Ming but protected him like gold.At episode 35 she decided to sacrifice herself just to break the wall for the gang

If im going to talk about all the characters I liked that would take pretty long

Also did we all get baited by Tong Peng bc of his cute face ???? Like I gen could not believe this cute little guy going around and killing powerful individuals


In these cases of Yesha vs Qi I always thought to myself—Were they any wrong?Yes they did things in wrong ways but hear me out on this one.Yesha,was he wrong?Yes and no.He has a reason to be angry from the slaughter but he took it out wrongly.Qi was also like that,they were both wrong and yet right too.Hypocrisy,very ironic.

The vendetta of Haiya,but do the haiyans want to?Yesha dragged Haiyans down when they lit are already at the rate of extinction.Yesha lowk stupid for that but ey at least the zhu yitie killing method looked cool asf.

Hey but I mean Yesha was groomed by the previous Yesha so can’t blame his ass when he grew up in killing killing settings

Honorable mention to my goat zhuge kongyun!!!!!! My man was underrated asf bro he’s so goated

Character development,plot twists,villains I am flabbergasted

Yesha (the henchmen) were just orphans but Bei Kun made them into revenge machines their only purpose as once they finish their murders they self annihilate

Can we talk about Bei Kun not wanting to blow up the gang maybe because he saw them mourning his corpse?Like I can be wrong but still

anyway I still find it stupid this story exists because of a man who got cocky (like bei ming) to the emperor.Truly biological father and son ey.

I also really like the zhuge tong part with Zhong yunchi and his friendship together

Yesha’s act feels too good to be true,can directors cast Yesha into dramas soon?


anywho I have some recs of shows that feel like TWD/CW
Coroner’s Diary
Go East
The imperial coroner
The legend of Zang Hai
The ingenious one

These are shows I have heard about there’s probably many more but thanks for reading lol

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Framed & Fugitive: The Best Detective Fights to Clear His Name

The show spans 36 episodes, blending historical drama with mystery and suspense. It follows elite detective Xiao Beiming (Wang Xingyue), who is framed as the demon “Ye Sha” on his wedding day and vanishes—only to return 3 years later to clear his name with help from his clever allies. Each of the seven interlinked cases—from "Bloody Statue" to "Sea Cliff Monster"—functions as a piece of the puzzle that gradually reveals the bigger conspiracy and identity of Ye Sha.
All the actors and actresses gave strong performances and delivered their roles exceptionally well. I'm impressed ♥

----------------------------------------------------------FROM THIS PART SPOILERS BEGAN ---------------------------------------------------


....................................STORY ABOUT HAIYA.................................



Haiya is a tragic yet pivotal location within the narrative. The drama reveals that this region was once home to the elite Canfeng Army—a cadre once led by Xiao Beiming’s master, Zhong Yunchi, and General Huo Zongyao. By Episode 23, Xiao Bei Ming discloses to Fang Tianzheng that Haiya is tied to the roots of the “Yesha” (Night Devil) mystery. He explains that Yesha likely originated from Haiya—an orphan driven by vengeance over the Fengbo Lake incident—and that Yesha’s followers hinted at the region's deeper, darker secrets. The tension escalates by Episode 30 when the story unveils Haiya’s devastating fate: a deadly infection transforms the soldiers into feral beasts. The late emperor, fearing chaos and collapse, orders a brutal containment—sealing the city and, in essence, condemning innocent civilians to a brutal fate. It’s described as a place that has “become hell on earth.” In a courageous and emotionally wrenching act, Zhong Yunchi and his allies defy the imperial decree to save at least one infant—an emblem of hope amid ruins. A chain of poor decisions ultimately led to this tragedy.

The finale reveals Tong Shuang (He Luoluo) as the true Night Devil / Yesha. He basically started to hate people around him. As he was literally treated poorly by his adopted parents, no one truly cared about him. I felt bad for him. 😢
And I think I became a fan of Yesha. I think i'm crazy 🤪 😂 He consistently stayed a step ahead of Bei Ming. He was really smart 🧠 Big Brains U know 😂
The concluding arc emphasizes justice, sacrifice, and teamwork, wrapped in intellectual drama. The romance thread, while present, plays second fiddle to the mystery-driven storytelling. If you're drawn to thoughtful, puzzle-like mysteries wrapped in historical ambience, with morally probing character arcs, The Wanted Detective is well worth your time. It rewards attention to detail and patience with its layered storytelling.
However, be prepared for a romantic subplot that takes a back seat to the central mystery.

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Excellent writing in executing a great mystery investigation and redemption from Start to Finish

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.75

I cannot believe I am typing this out. “The Wanted Detective” is an underrated drama starring Wang Xing Yue!!! Wang Xing Yue!! Can you believe that? There are less than 8000 watchers at the time of this review. Why? Possibly because viewers were alerted that there’s only a ‘slight romance’ tag, and it was airing when the highly anticipated “The Legend of the Female General” was airing at the same time. Maybe many just finished watching “The Coroner’s Diary” and had enough of crime investigation. Ok, that poster is awful, too.

However, if you are a fan of mystery, thriller and crime investigation, this is a rare, well-written drama from start to finish. Each case/subplot and death is tightly connected back to the original mystery in episode 1. The drama never loses its focus, and as you watch episode after episode, you get little clues here and there. You try to find out what really happened on that boat and who was the villain. The journey was full of thrills and plot twists. I had no idea who the real villain was until it was revealed.

Wang Xing Yue played our wanted detective, Xiao Bei Ming. This is a great role for him as he navigated the different stages of Xiao Bei Ming. Starting out as the genius, beloved and a little arrogant detective, WXY shows off a more animated side of the character. But as his character goes through injustices and life-threatening events, we see a different side of WXY. I also really enjoy Julia Xiang’s portrayal of the fierce and badass heroine, Zhong Xue Man. It’s refreshing to see her character development from a young detective wanting to prove her worth, to suffering through the death of a family member and needing to grow up fast. Zhong Xue Man can hold her own in front of all the men, and for the most part, kicks their butts. She never lost that quality until the very end when she was the one who made a crucial and dangerous decision to save everyone.

The supporting cast is also likable and well-acted. Each has their unique skills and advantages that complement this 5-person group in uncovering the mystery. I like that the drama showcases how each of them contributes to the success, and is given sufficient screen time for us to know them on a personal level. I also really like the veteran cast and many guest roles. There are so many intelligent characters with interesting backstories.

If I have to pick on the drama, unsurprisingly, it is the romance. I totally understand that romance is just a small part of the drama. As much as I like the couples, I just needed a little more, given how they navigate many life-threatening events. Wang Xing Yue/Xiao Bei Ming and Julia Xiang/Zhong Xue Man give me a very strong sibling or friendship bond, but not as lovers. The secondary romance is also very light with a few scenes here and there to show that feelings are mutual. There aren't any secret gazes or longing for each other, nor do the actors convey a deep romantic love for each other.

But on another positive note, I really like the action scenes. Despite a few slow-motion moves, I really like the fight choreography. I was especially impressed with Julian Xiang. She looks amazing as the badass detective. The drama poster is so bad that it gives off a low budget vibe. But in reality, the sets, the costumes and production quality is pretty good. I even enjoy the cult dance and the non-skin smoothing (just need to tone down Wang Xing Yue’s white powder a tiny bit here and there). I think except for Julia, the main cast all dubbed their own voices. Props to Wang Xing Yue who does that quite often.

I definitely would recommend this drama, especially if you enjoy mystery, thriller and crime investigation. It’s rare to find a well-written drama that keeps the mystery going from ep 1 all the way to the end. Despite my minor criticism of the romance, I am giving this drama a high 8.75. I was going to round it down, but decided to round it up to 9.0 to give the rating a little boost. It deserves more attention, especially when acting, writing and execution are good.



Completed: 8/20/2025 Review #615

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