Ridiculous plot
No chemistry between leads, the dude is poisoned and they didn't bother looking for a cure even though they know he will die from ot they keep investigating a stupid case instead of curing him first. Just too unbelievable. She believes he killed her dad with no evidence at all....then she accidentally poisons him which made no sense as he was already locked up...Then the two leads are married and hes even dying but yet they dont kiss or ever be physically intimate? YEA RIGHT they would be trying to spend as much time together as possible. The whole show is spent wasting time instead of looking for a cure. Man im on episode 17 and i think im gonna drop it. We havent even gotten a single kiss from a dying man and the love of his life and nothing makes sense...they jist keep adding a bunch of deaths and more and more layers for the supposed "case" idk if ive just watched too many dramas at this point that i cant even be bothered unless its like a 7+ star show. And this is a 5 so far. Not even worth my time.Was this review helpful to you?
Worth watching, A great production, Great acting from both ML & FL
I don't get why viewers are getting mad at the Female Lead. She's a great actress, especially her cold, strong expressions & her fighting scenes are so great. It's just that her character, she did so well for her character. She did an amazing job in her previous CDrama- Love of the Divine Tree. In here also she's doing an amazing job. please appreciate her acting. if you don't like her character in this drama, it's ok. She needs to act according to the given character, not as fans need. please appreciate her work as same as you appreciate the male lead. This drama is so good. The plot is amazing. Don't compare this with other detective dramas. Look at this from a different angle. Because this drama has a different plot. Just enjoy this the way they present it. it's really good to watch. From acting to cinematography, all are perfect.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Started predictable but got better in record time
First few episodes were heavy with familiar tropes like successful lead who gets married but loses everything & FL who is his wife wants to kill him because she thinks he killed her father, FL loves him & knows he can't be the murderer but still hurts him ends up poisoning him etc, but after they resolve their conflicts in record c drama time story starts to get better & better with each episode, interesting cases, good mystery, nice acting, good music, likeable Second leads no triangles etc. Just solving cases, it gets entertaining, it's not the best ever, but it managed to break away from the trope laden pit most c dramas fails to, usually for C dramas or any dramas first few episodes will be great then after that quality starts to decline, but for this drama story started in a way most will think it will be bad, but then it starts to improve with each episode.Important characters don't break their characters unnaturally for story purposes.
Even I was biased with this drama but ended up enjoying it & managed to finish it, leads are married but don't expect heavy romance. Story centres around ML, but the main characters are together in all episodes for solving cases etc.
Reason for giving high ratings, mainly for breaking from tropes early on & not torturing viewers with extreme frustrating elements, plus good story, music, likeable main characters & supporting characters, important characters don't break their characters & start acting weird.
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Tong Shuang Stole the Spotlight in an Uneven Ride
Unwanted Detective Series had an intriguing premise and some standout moments, but it struggled to maintain momentum throughout.The strongest performance came from Xiao Beiming, the main male lead, who carried his role with conviction and executed his assignment flawlessly. His presence gave the series much of its weight. In contrast, Xueman, the female lead, often came across as frustrating her interruptions derailed key plans and at times weakened the pacing. That said, her true importance only became clear in the final episode, where her role finally felt justified.
Among the supporting characters, Tong Shuang delivered the biggest surprise. The unexpected twists surrounding his character were some of the most memorable parts of the show. Zhugo, with his stylish flair, made for an entertaining latecomer, though his arrival after the crisis had already been resolved felt more like comic relief than real impact.
Unfortunately, the series began to drag after its first few episodes. The romance subplot felt unnecessary, and the chemistry between the leads would have worked better if left as friendship rather than forced romance. Similarly, the second wedding storyline added little and seemed out of place.
The ending, especially the final five minutes, was unimpressive and left the series without the strong conclusion it needed.
Overall, the Series had strong performances and occasional surprises, but uneven pacing and unnecessary plotlines held it back. It’s worth watching once but not the kind of series you’d return to a second time.
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The Wanted Detective: Pieces of the Puzzle
🔹 wouldn’t rewatch it, but I really enjoyed the mystery cases more than the romance✨ What happens when the kingdom's best detective returns from exile to face accusations and solve unsettling crimes?
📖 Overview 🎬
🔹 36 episodes, suspense period drama
🔹 At the time of this review, the full series has aired
🔹 Original screenplay, directed by Zhao Jintao
🔹Wang Xingyue portrays Xiao Beiming, a once-brilliant detective who is now labeled a traitor.
🔹 Julia Xiang is cast as Zhong Xueman, a fearless and quick-witted junior partner.
🔹 The story starts when Xiao Beiming returns to the capital and teams up with allies to solve unusual cases and expose corruption.
🔹 Great for fans of mystery dramas that feature historical intrigue.
✨ How It Felt Watching 💙
🔹 The initial cases develop gradually, creating tension and suggesting larger conspiracies beneath the surface.
🔹 Watching felt smart, tense, and sometimes heavy, like piecing together a puzzle one clue at a time
🔹The themes of justice, loyalty, and redemption resonate throughout every case.
🔹 I really liked the way everything was planned out and how well the team worked together, but the slower pace kind of tried my patience at the beginning.
🎭 Cast & Performances
🔹 Wang Xingyue portrays Xiao Beiming, bringing a commanding presence that grounds the story with stability.
🔹 Julia Xiang portrays Zhong Xueman, bringing warmth and courage; her sincerity makes the partnership believable.
🔹 Supporting cast: witty partners and loyal allies add excitement and depth, although some side characters remain underdeveloped.
🔹 Chen Youwei and Zhang Nan's characters add tension and variety, keeping the group dynamics engaging and interesting.
🎵 OST 🎧
🔹 Opening theme by He Luoluo
🎨 Visuals & Production
🔹Setting and Mood: The atmosphere is shadowy and mysterious, creating a perfect backdrop for intrigue.
🔹 Costumes and sets: functional and authentic, reflecting the period.
🔹 The camera work and pacing may be slow at times, but it rewards viewers who appreciate detailed storytelling.
🏆 Final Thoughts
🔹 What worked: Intriguing mysteries, evolving team dynamics, and a lead who captivated the audience.
🔹 What didn't: The pacing in the early parts felt slow, and the romance subplot remained underdeveloped.
🔹 Would I rewatch? No
☕ SpillTheDramaTea's Rating: 8/10
🌿 Tea-Scale: A nice brew, I enjoyed it.
✏️ As SpillTheDramaTea, I was caught up in the twists, but I wished the emotions had resonated more deeply.
✨ Will you take the time to enjoy the little details, or will you be looking for something more exciting and fast-paced?
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Chinese historical mystery drama with clever cases
The Wanted Detective starts off as a refreshing entry in the historical mystery genre, weaving together multiple intriguing cases under one larger story.The pacing is tighter than many dramas with concise episodes that keep the momentum going and the storytelling feels logical and easy to follow.
On the downside, some mysteries are solved too easily and the side characters don’t have much depth beyond moving the story forward.
For me, the female lead is not very likable. Her role often feels secondary and while she is meant to be a smart FL, her logic sometimes feels off.
Additionally, her acting comes across lighter compared to Wang Xingyue’s stronger presence. While the early episodes look promising, it’s still uncertain if the main conspiracy will stay clear or become messy as the story progresses and I don’t feel much chemistry in the romance between the male and female leads.
In my opinion, Wanted Detective is an enjoyable watch of historical mysteries with clever cases and a touch of martial intrigue. It would be better if the female lead were written with more independence, but its mix of mystery and quicker pacing makes it a promising addition to the C-drama detective lineup.
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The best detective story - navigates you through clues and makes you part of the detective team
Romance junkies go watch Coroner's Diary, you are rating this one for the wrong category.Others, welcome to one of the best historical detective stories. It is a great ride of finding clues, and decyphering and reading people, intentions. I love the whole Bei Ming's crew :) they are so cute :) Amazing character developments.
I think some viewers don't know how to rate a drama according to a category. But I like different plots, arcs, atmospheres and emotions of the drama, so it works for me. I like this one, I event consider it one of the best detective stories in historical setting. Top 3 for sure.
Everything is a closed lopp, and nothing is unnecessary. Once you notice this you will be hooked, it will almost train you to think as the part of the detective team. Don't blink and don't fast forward, you will miss out :D
I will not write more because this is a detective story. And as such is full of clues. It is very important not to read comment section. What is enough is to have proper expectation. This is not a romance drama. It has some romance. But romance is not main plot.
But I will mention my 2 favorites:
1. WXY performance - he has this perfect blend of investigator, humor, bickering, positively and friendly competitive, very wise, charming aura. Also has a vulnerable side, which makes you as a viewer to empathise with him. His eyes, so expressive so captivating.
2. Zhuge Kong Yun - maybe unexpected, but his character development was so layered and well paced.
Enjos. Don't read comments anywhere and don't watch tiktok. Enjoy this one as it goes.
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Severely Underrated and Misunderstood
It's astonishing how many people came into this show with preconceived notions of what it should be. Even though its genre is clearly defined (mystery, thriller, suspense), the lack of "romance" (in quotes because there IS romance, just not the stereotypical flirty kind) caused many people to drop the show without giving it a chance.Here's the thing; this is a brilliant story. It has two things that make it eminently rewarding. It has a complex matroska-style mystery, and it has great characters. The suspense alone and the shock of discovering who Yesha was and why he even existed should have been enough, but alongside that, there was significant and logical character evolution, starting, of course, with the greatest detective in Qi, Xiao Beiming.
A lot of Wang Xingyue's supporters may have watched this because of him, and I'm about to piss them off. Xiao Beiming is a better character than Xiao Heng (aka Duke Su). Beiming has a visible growth arc, unlike the perfect Duke (whom I also love, don't get me wrong). Beiming faces defeat, often, and still manages to come out on top. He falls from grace, and still manages to recover. He has flaws, and the writers are not afraid to expose them to us. They're also not afraid to beat the hero down at every opportunity--something that pissed off a number of WXY fans, I suspect. But as a trope, it's one of the best ones out there. The hero that rises from the ashes to defeat the enemy is much more impressive than the perfect hero, and Xiao Beiming really is a phoenix in this tale. He's ably supported by a series of characters each with their own amazing growth arcs, from the preening peacock who becomes friends with his rival to the fumbling poisoner who turns into the best coroner in Qi. The women aren't treated any differently--they're just characters with their own arcs. They come in all forms, from fearsome warriors to delicate flowers with their own strengths and weaknesses.
There also aren't any plastic villains. Yesha is as smart, if not smarter, as the heroes, and his evil plans are deliciously far-sighted.
Even the romance, such as it is, is beautifully done. It's not a fairy tale romance, rather it's the warm embrace of old lovers who know and support each other through countless trials. It favours emotional intelligence over chemical reactions, which is preferable for the story, considering the seriousness of the evil the characters confront.
There are real consequences to people's actions in this story, and nothing is obvious or easy to solve. Each case unlocks the greater mystery of Haiya and Yesha. At the end of the series, all the pieces of this giant jigsaw fall into place with satisfying clicks. Everything is so deeply connected that you're going to have to go back and watch earlier episodes to see if everything makes sense. And it does.
I'm truly in awe of this story. It's a visual, auditory (I love the music), and intellectual treat, and those who missed out because they wanted perfect heroes and trite romantic tropes have done the writers and actors of this show a great disservice. Without support, stories like this will be few and far between and THAT would be a great tragedy.
I'm giving it 10 stars because everything was really well done. There was some exceptional acting, especially Wang Xingyue and He Luo Luo, and I expect to be rewatching this often.
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Needs more hype!
This drama delivered everything it needed to and left me fed from beginning to end. I haven't watched a Chinese historical drama in a long time in which the ending left me content, but this did. That alone deserves a 10.In this drama Beiming is burned but rises from the ashes just like a phoenix. A character that wasn't overpowered but not useless or stupid. Throughout all the misfortunate events that took place in his life he fostered strong relationships both old and new. Wang Xingyue and his fellow actors and actresses did awesome jobs of becoming their characters.
The villain of this drama was written so well that in the end it left a bitter taste in mouth when that person said their last line to Beiming. Almost spit blood. I didn't really hate anyone in the drama funny enough, not even sure how that happened. Yes, many lost their lives due to the main villain, but many other characters were villains who received second chances.
This drama deserves all its praises. It may be one of my top 3 dramas of 2025. I don't want to give anything away but if you see any comments comparing it to Coroner's Diary please don't believe them. I watched Coroner's Diary before this and can say that they both have no similarities from plot, wherein this was focused on one major case and Coroner's Diary was not, to status with almost all main characters were princes and princess and in the wanted detective was focused on common people without connection to the imperial family bloodline. That being said they are both great watches.
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This review may contain spoilers
Yesha is coming for us all!!
This Drama is an absolute Gem!!- Good mix of horror, suspense, mystery
- Great detective work! Some of the cases, especially the last couple episodes were mind blowing!
- Mr Xiao Beiming is the Chinese Sherlock holmes for sure! Though impatient at times, he finally did solve the Yesha case!
- Mr Feng as the coroner was amazing!
- And Mr Yesha/ aka Bei Kun/ Tong Shuang! Wow! Phenomenal actor!
- The only reason I gave 9/10 is cause the romance was barely there. And this is just my personal opinion, but I think FL should have been someone else
I have to say, it took me a good few episodes to really get into the story, since I wasn’t liking the FL at all :( But if you ignore the romantic arc, it's a really good detective drama!
The way they solve mysteries along with the Little White dragon guy from Poison Valley and Ms Huo as well, every character (except FL) was really well written!
And the main storyline of Haiya and Haiya's orphans. Wow....just wow! The portrayed grief, hatred, horrors and the untold stories of the lost families lying in pool of blood in the Lonely Town! Masterfully done! It's bound to make you cry!
And our Mr Yesha! I'm so amazed that this guy is just 24 years old and did such a fabulous job palying the victim Tong Shuag and the villain Yesha! The switch from cute younger brother to actually being the older brother of Beiming! The expressions, the voice change! Everything really made his portrayal of the madman character, the Yesha so believable!
Rewatch value: 9/10
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The acting of the cast is also cool and good. I was even carried away by the very good chemistry of our main actors Wang Xingyue and Xiang Hanzhi, they are very professional in conveying it as if their feelings are very deep even though this drama is not a romance genre, but there is still a feeling of love in this drama, even though it is not much.
Besides that, I also really like some of the OSTs of this drama.
Actually, I really look forward to Wang Xingyue and Xiang Hanzhi being reunited in one project, but with the genre of a romantic drama, their chemistry will definitely explode! 🔥🔥💖
Overall this drama has a very good storyline and is cool!! 🔥🤙🏼👏🏼👏🏼
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From Badass to Brain-Dead: FL Ruins The Wanted Detective
I came to this drama with expectations. WXY has a solid track record as a male lead, and I was especially excited to see the female lead again after her impressive role as Mu Xingge in Love of the Divine Tree where she was intelligent, sharp, protective, and a total badass. But here? She’s been reduced to the most brainless, irrational character I’ve seen in a while.She’s known the ML since childhood, but the moment her father dies, she jumps to the dumbest conclusion ever: blames him for murder just because he was there when it happened. That’s it. No evidence, no logic, just vibes. Then fast forward three years, they meet again and what does she do? Poisons him. Yes, poisons her own husband. Why? Because she doesn’t want him to escape. And sure, she intended to use a poison that would only block his martial arts… but.. She “accidentally” gave him a fatal poison with no antidote. Like, girl, are you hearing yourself? What kind of twisted logic is that? Poisoning the man you supposedly still care about? I’m sorry, but this FL isn’t just flawed, she’s straight-up idiotic.
Watching her alone was enough to make me want to throw the whole drama in the bin. The writing made zero sense, her actions were painfully stupid, and the fact that the ML still chased after her, begging for forgiveness for something he didn’t even do? That just made it worse. He deserves better. We all do.
This drama is an insult to intelligence. Hard pass.
**LET ME BE CLEAR: I’m not hating on the actress herself. She’s undeniably talented and has already proven her acting skills especially in LoTDT, where she nailed the role. But in The Wanted Detective? The character she plays is absolute garbage. The personality, the decisions, the logic (or complete lack of it) are just plain stupid. It’s honestly frustrating to watch someone who’s clearly capable as an actress be given such a poorly written, brain-dead role.
Great actress, trash character. Period.
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