Mr. Bad (2022)

Don't hesitate, just watch.

I almost missed out on this series because I wasn't sold on Chen Zhe Yuan being cast for the main lead. Not having seen him in anything else, I erroneously thought he was another pretty face with little to show for. This was one of those rare occasion where I have been proven wrong and credit should be given where credit is due.

Summary:

The story follows Nan Xing a young woman navigating adulthood with crippling anxiety brought about by the tragic loss of her father and first love. After the tragedy, Nan Xing would immerse herself in reading mystery novels and fanfiction writing to self-sooth. Luckily, she is resilient and tries to carve out as normal of a life as she possibly can for herself. She longed to be love and be loved just like any girl coming into her womanhood. One day, she found herself in front of a wishing fountain thinking out loud her desire for an "unforgettable love". And as fate would have it, a fairy who has been watching over Nan Xing decided he would fulfill her wish. Swept into a dream, Nan Xing awoke with a strange man next to her. Later it will be revealed the man is actually the ruthless and evil villain, she had created in her fanfiction named Xiao Wu Di. Hilarity and chaos ensue as Nan Xing tries to manage an evil villain who she can't seem to shake off.

Plot:

The series beams with "feel good" vibes and I can appreciate the uncomplicated and easy to digest plot. It is a gratifying take on the "Isekai" genre and I am here for it. Expect a lot of laughs and angsty tension between the ML and FL. While I wish the character Nan Xing has been given the same attention as Xiao Wu Di in individual development, I can appreciate the effort that was taken to ensure both the 1st female and male lead and the 2nd female and male lead's relationship progressed naturally and are believable. Contrary to what I have read about the 2nd female and 2nd male lead's relationship, I quite enjoy their story and found it to be sweet and satisfying.

Acting:

Shen Yue
I am saying this as a Shen Yue fan, and I take no pleasure in doing so, while I love Shen Yue's portrayal of Nan Xing, I hate that she is typecasted in roles that limits the range I know she is capable of displaying. Nan Xing (Mr. Bad), Dong Shancai (Meteor Garden), Shi Shuang Jiao (Use for My Talent), and Chen Xiao Xi (A Love So Beautiful) might as well be the same character with varying names. Poor Yue Yue cannot help but to portray the roles she is handed, and while she does a good job at bringing the characters to life, it weakens her performance. I sincerely hope her team will work hard at helping her break free from these roles so that she is given the opportunity to grow beyond what we have seen her done.

Chen Zhe Yuan
It was a colossal mistake on my part to underestimate CZY. I was very impressed by his portrayal of XWD. Just watch how XWD looks at the Nan Xing as he began to realize his feelings for her. CZY does such a wonderful job at conveying feelings without speaking a word. It's these little nuances that makes his portrayal of XWD so delightful to watch. He is definitely an actor to watch out for in the future.

I think everyone should give this series a go. You will enjoy the ride and before you know it, you will find yourself back at episode one excited to give it a go again.

Lire davantage

Good acting, okay plot and bad ending.

It is not a bad show. The acting is good, the plot is not bad and the music is also fine. But I liked the second couple way more and I guess that's saying something about the show.

I mean, to be fair, I am not a fan of fantasy. This time travel or fairy and other stuff just does not appeal to me. So, I was constantly overwhelmed by the plot itself. If you enjoy such elements, this might be a perfect show for you because it doesn't have other unnecessary drama like evil second leads or drama or angst in that sense. But if you get overwhelmed by such elements like me, 90% of the angst for me was that he is going to disappear and this is going to be a sad af ending. So do consider that when you decide to watch this show.

The acting is good by the actors. I wouldn't call it a sizzling chemistry, it's rather cute but chemistry is there nonetheless. It's a very childlike love story, pretty straightforward with lots of cute and funny elements.

However, the highlight for me was the mature love story, support and business understanding between the second leads. I feel like they made a really good pair and acted really well. I was very happy for them throughout.

Another letdown for me was the ending. It MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE TO HAVE HIM BE Mao Xiao Jun when you've associated him with this brother-like character throughout. I wanted him to the the Xiao Wudi in real life as well. Like, I have no issues with the book trope but come on, don't change the essence of the entire chemistry for me. Such a horrible end, straight away -2 for me.

Other than that, it's an easy watch. Not very captivating but not overly underwhelming as well. I can't binge-watch this show. I actually put it on hold once. But, you can watch it once! :)

Lire davantage

Recommended it to everyone

I've just finished watching this and i really love it.It has really unique story and i really like their acting i just love it,it's very funny and cute i hope SY and CZY can act in future projects too.I really like their chemistry their chemistry is natural.
Somepeople just want to badmouth and say bad things about this drama just by reading those reviews you shouldn't judge watch yourself i sure you will love it.And i had seen some posta in twitter saying to write bad review about it so it gets love rating and it also said write bad about shen Yue it was some lusi or something fan acc i hope other celebs fan acc don't to write those types of comment and without watching not to judge i hope they can support each other instead of saying bad about other celebrities

Lire davantage

Chemistry is so natural and I loved it!!

This drama is just recommended by my friend, and surprisingly I really loved it. The story, the music (OST)
and most especially the leads.
Shenyue is very charming and cute actress, she has potential and I'm wishing her the best of luck in the future.
To be honest, the chemistry between her and chenzheyuan is definitely amazing for the scene in the wedding
and then when they have baby xixi. They really look like a real family.
Hoping that they will collab in the future, for costume or modern romance drama again.
INDEED A MUST WATCHED DRAMA!!!!!!!!

Lire davantage

Unexpected good!

This drama was a pleasant surprise for me. I wasn't expecting anything, in fact I was expecting something very cliché but it was totally different. No villain, no obsessed SML, no annoying SFL trying to separate the couple, no parents wanting to rule their daughter's life, no jealous co-worker, no stupid disagreements... just a lovely romance with likeable, fun characters. Although the romance is not "hot" but more youthful and innocent, it is very sweet to see the main couple, totally cute. I loved SFL, so mature and determined and FL's mother always supporting her daughter. All in all, a drama that made me smile and made me cry. It's so good when we don't expect anything but receive everything. ☺️

Lire davantage

the most important thing is that Shen Yue comes out and I love her as an actress

I love every chapter of this drama, I'll start by saying that the choice of casting actors was the right one for a few years since I've been following Shenyue's work mainly and I must say I feel that this nanxing character has been one of my favorites she is so suitable here I deliver such a clean and pure performance her crying scenes are so realistic and touching that every time she cried I did too, I did not have the pleasure of meeting the actor chenzheyuan and seeing him acting alongside Shenyue was very good, it shows that he is a great actor and human being While I wait for them to work on another project together, I'll keep watching Mr. Bad for a long, long time. ???

Lire davantage

I had to come here to leave my review because I've been seeing a lot of haters around here and on viki. Honestly people lose their grip and live as if everything is a competition and attack people mercilessly. These actors did an amazing job and the whole crew did too. Mr.Bad brought back the snoring that everyone had been waiting for years again in China, a sweet, cute story with many personal layers. The actors have incredible chemistry and timing, many of the lines, such as the wedding vows, were improvised and filmed in just one take to give a real feeling and it worked very well. I cried, China cried and everything was so beautiful that it even became a reference for weddings in China. They didn't get the budget, marketing and promotion they needed and yet they won the hearts of many fans and passersby. Mr.Bad is not just a romantic comedy, it's a drama that touches everyone's feelings of happiness.

I see comments from fans of other actors and actresses and it bothers me that you don't have a critical sense or respect for each other. Think that one day you do this to them and the next you can do the same to your idol.

They were giants for making this drama one of the most commented and with a good reputation in China, even with so many haters, they have 7.4 on Douban with 43,000 thousand reviews, with only 9 days of broadcast and with boycott of the platform.

Another fact is the hatred that many have for Shen Yue for absolutely no reason, you need to grow up and review your attitudes with unnecessary and exhausting comments out of jealousy of a cp or an actor. COME PEOPLE. everyone is aware of the malice in the comments they make.

Finally. Shen Yue and Chen Zheyuan delivered as usual and received the recognition they deserve from real people. The data is there whether you haters or not. For people who have a critical sense and are not spoiled or driven crazy by cps that only exist in their head: Watch this drama, it's worth every moment, it's light and fun and if you have time, look for the backstage and the stories behind the scenes. ?

Lire davantage

Shen Yue and Chenzheyuan super chemistry!!!!!

Here's my review for this C-drama, that I can consider my comfort drama:
1) The most loved c drama of 2022 perhaps, I love the plot of the story of Mr. Bad
2) Very light drama, heart fluttering most of the time, funny among the leads.
3) Shen yue nailed her character as nan xing, and in addition their tandem Chen zheyuan is amazing.
4) This is the first drama that ive watched with the most touching wedding vows, I swear i cannot moved on with this.
It as if im watching a real couple wedding.
5) The OST- omg i loved all the songs in this drama.
6) no second lead syndrome and even a girl who like to steal your boyfriend etc hahahahhaah.

Overall if your looking for a drama, that can make you laugh, cry and with lots of lessons in life. This drama is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Thank you Shenyue and Chen zheyuan for this drama. Hoping for your next drama pairing in the future. KUDOS!!!!!!

Lire davantage

Turn off your brain and you will enjoy this cute and fluffy ride!

If you can watch this drama without thinking too logically and critically, this will be a fun and cute ride. I was having a hard time in the beginning to just let loose and enjoy, thus I found the first half not as enjoyable. The first two points listed in my dislikes below explain more about my criticism. However, I finally found my groove and enjoyed the second half of the drama a lot more, and felt that the drama finished strong. If you are looking for a fluffy and cute romance without any angst, this is the drama for you.

What I Like (quick bullet point version)

♦︎ Great chemistry. Both couples are different but chemistry is good.
♦︎ Great acting between the main leads - they make me smile when they’re so cute together, and also make me cry when they cry. Chen Zhe Yuan and Shen Yue exceeded my expectations especially with the emotional and conflicted scenes.
♦︎ I like the secondary romance as well. It offers a good contrast to the main romance. I like seeing how the second male lead matures but doesn’t lose his quirky self either.
♦︎ Love strong and independent female leads. Both are go-getters professionally and romantically.
♦︎ FL’s mother is the MVP. We need more mothers like her in C-dramas.
♦︎ No annoying character.
♦︎ Like the two male leads’ outfits - they both look great in suits and long coats.
♦︎ It has one of the best, most heartfelt wedding scene.


What I don’t quite like or have mixed feelings about:

♦︎ My biggest dislike is the characterization of ML as someone who came from 500 years ago and transitions to the modern world without much trouble. He adjusts to the modern world too quickly, just because he’s supposedly smart and can read books at the library. I am not used to characters like that without time to adjust to the real world.
♦︎ Even if this is a fantasy drama, the plot just moves along to the romance and ignores the interesting and fun part about ML’s development.
♦︎ Initially, I had trouble with ML’s evil personality as it seems to have disappeared after a couple episodes. I want him to be the anti-hero for longer. I think the drama tries to explain his personality towards the last few episodes with the “twist”.
♦︎ FL needs a better wardrobe. Her outfits are horrendous and the worst of everyone in the whole drama.
♦︎ Not enough plot wise in the first half of the drama aside from the developing attractions.
♦︎ I forgot all about FL’s best friend and her boy toy until they showed up again in the last episode. Even then, I didn't recognize them until her name was called.


Completed: 10/17/2022

Lire davantage

Funny and Silly

Another time travel love drama which is really overdone these days in CDramas and KDramas. However, the acting especially from the FL is funny and comedic. She suits the part very well and is cute as a button. She does a much better job in this than Meteor Garden. Forget about the plot, story, the predictability of it, or any of it making sense. Stick your brain in a box and leave it there while you watch this.

I did an initial eye roll when the GF wanted to start this as she was anticipating it for a while. The first episode wasn't that great, it started to get pretty good between the second and third one. The chemistry between the FL and ML is pretty good, lots of banter and ML is of course Mr. Bad or more like Mr. Egotistical. Haven't really seen the ML before this, his acting is funny and expressive. I would consider him one of the better CDrama actors so far in the romcom category. The chemistry between the leads is one of the main selling points of this series. I snorted multiple times when the ML kept asking her what she really wished for at the fountain. At one point, the ML comes up with a plan to fulfill her wish and the scenes that ensue were enjoyable and hilarious. The ML eventually falls for the FL first, of course she is clueless to all his shenanigans to draw her in.

The SML and FML characters were not engaging and their scenes were boring, there was a fair amount of fast forwarding through those parts.

I'm watching it for the acting, laughs, chemistry, and banter between the leads. A good light hearted youth comedy.

Lire davantage

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.

Lire davantage