I smiled throughout My Roommate Is a Detective. It's a bromance (yea!). It's a romance (eh!). It's a mystery in the most remedial of ways. But damn if it's not just a good watch. Lu Yao ( Hu Yi Tian), a money loving rascal, is recruited by Qiao Chu Sheng (Leon Zhang), a police inspector (once mafia boss) to solve murders. Initially based on money, the 2 develop a friendship and make quite the team. The main cast also includes Shane Yan as Bai You Ning, a reporter at a tabloid and the daughter of the War Lord, Mr. Bai, in charge of the British section of Shanghai.

As I stated the mysteries were remedial. Very little comes in the way of twists and the red herrings were more like pale pink. It was almost like watching an episode of Columbo. You know whoever he bothers is the killer. The who is a given. The how is what it's about. Unlike Columbo there is an underlying mystery/force behind all the other mysteries. The writers skim the political surface of the British annexation, racism, and ruthlessness. I wish they would have delved further. At first I had remind myself that this is Chinese drama and there's only so much one can air. After a couple of episodes the thought never crossed my mind.

The acting was very good. I loved every scene with Hu and Zhang. They had great chemistry. Yan had to be taken with a grain of salt. She is a bully and childish. The character can be great one second and completely annoying the next. Aside from her wardrobe, there was really nothing likable about her. The supporting cast was good. As a whole they were solid.

Let me take a moment to mention the production which was superb. The sets and wardrobe were sublime. Admittedly, I adore the fashion of the 1930's and 40's. The music was also great. I caught 2 modern songs that were out of place. One character was humming a song and a 30s style arrangement of "Dancing In the Streets" was played in a club. It makes me wonder what else I may have missed. The opening and ending titles are extremely good CG accompanied by fantastic songs. The opening theme "Enigma" by Chinese rapper After Thought sets the tone for each episode, while Shu Si Ding's sexy "Awake" leaves you with a sense of wonder.

While I wish the writer was more daring, I did enjoy MRIAD completely from beginning to end. I don't know if I'd ever watch it again, but I'd definitely check out a sequel. I'd like to know what's next for the characters. Overall, I'd give it a 9-9.5.