I was looking forward to Mr. Bad (我的反派男友) after watching a few lengthy dramas in a row for the past few weeks. So, 24 episodes was like a welcomed change as I wasn’t in the mood for another long-winded story. The fact that this is a rom-com sealed the deal for me. At least, I can just enjoy this without thinking too much and complete it quickly. Well, did it meet my expectations of an enjoyable watch? Catch my Mr. Bad review below for my take on this drama.
My rating: 7.5/10
Episodes: 24
Type: Romance, Fantasy
Aired: September 2022
Images Credit: iQIYI Taiwan Facebook
The Cast Of Mr. Bad
- Chen Zhe Yuan as Xiao Wu Di
- Shen Yue as Nan Xing
- Luo Ming Jie as Lu Zi Chen
- Qu Jing Jing as Ye Qing
- Dong Xuan as An Ni Na
- Su Zi Shan as Xiong Si Si
- Guo Xiao Tian as Xiao Hao
Main Characters
Xiao Wu Di
Wu Di is an ancient villain in a web novel written by Nan Xing who came alive. He is confident, smart, and a fast learner. But he is domineering and can get easily annoyed. Wu Di is a handsome guy whom women are easily attracted to.
Nan Xing
Nan Xing is an ex-discus thrower and fresh graduate. She is a very strong girl with an athlete style who doesn’t have any dating experience. She also writes web novels as a hobby and Zi Chen is her idol author. Nan Xing has a cheerful and bubbly personality.
Supporting Characters
Lu Zi Chen
Zi Chen is a popular author and president of a publishing company called X-Culture. He is a reserved and shy man when it comes to his feelings for another. He also can be temperamental at times. Zi Chen spends most of his time on writing and leaves the running of the company to Ye Qing.
Ye Qing
Ye Qing is the CEO of X-Culture. She and Zi Chen go back a long way as they knew each other from their student days and built up the company together. She was his personal assistant in the past. Ye Qing is a workaholic and responsible executive.
An Ni Na / Aunty An
Aunty An is Nan Xing’s mother and they share a loving relationship. They live together and she is a very open-minded parent. She looks forward to seeing Nan Xing date and views Wu Di as good boyfriend material.
Xiong Si Si
Si Si is an athlete and Nan Xing’s good friend. She is Nan Xing’s junior and still studying in university.
Xiao Hao
Xiao Hao is Si Si’s teammate and fellow student. He is interested in Si Si but she seems nonchalant about his feelings for her.
Synopsis
Nan Xing writes web novels in her free time. Wu Di is a character she created for her novel. He is written as a bad guy from an ancient dynasty 500 years ago. One night, Wu Di was summoned and came alive when Nan Xing leisurely wished for an unforgettable love at a fairy wishing fountain.
Both of them don’t get along and start off being annoyed with each other. This is especially so when Wu Di will get teleported to Nan Xing’s location each time she calls her help. Wu Di wants to return to his world and he surmises that the only way to do that is to fulfill Nan Xing’s wish for an unforgettable love. Hence, Wu Di tries to set Nan Xing up with her boss and idol. However, he starts to get jealous in the process and discovers that he is falling for her.
Mr. Bad Ending (Spoilers Alert!)
I see Mr. Bad as having a happy ending. Well, at least it ends with a kiss! If you are confused, just remember that Nan Xing is an author. In the last 10 minutes of the drama, she is shown to be narrating her novel in a meet-the-fans session. Thus, the whole story is a product of her imagination even if some of the characters and events in the book may have some resemblance to her real life experience. She tells her fans that the story is purely fiction.
In her real life, Nan Xing’s husband is Mao Xiao Jun who looks like the fictional character, Wu Di, in her book. He is also her childhood sweetheart and a university professor. Mao Xiao Jun appears on stage together with Nan Xing then and they share a kiss to end the drama.
Also at the session is Ye Qing who acts as the emcee and Zi Chen who is observing the proceedings from the back. After Mao Xiao Jun gets on stage, Ye Qing is seen slipping to the back to join Zi Chen. There is no explanation as to the nature of the second couple’s relationship outside of the book. They are just seen smiling and standing close to each other as they watch the main couple on stage.
When Did The Couple Get Together?
Nan Xing and Wu Di do not really like each other at the start. They become friendlier with each other from Episode 6 after Wu Di feels guilty for pranking Nan Xing that he is dying and causing her unnecessary worry. Wu Di starts to get jealous in Episode 8 when he tries to set her up with her boss to fulfill her wish for an unforgettable love so that he can return to his world. He falls for her in Episode 10 and comes up with tricks to get her to spend time with him.
Nan Xing begins to change her view of Wu Di and finds him cool in Episode 13 after he helps Si Si to confront some bullies. She starts to fall in love with him in Episode 14 after they worked together to write a novel. She experiences a heart-fluttering moment when he holds her hand.
Nan Xing confesses her love in Episode 16. Wu Di rejects her initially. He explains that it would be selfish of him to accept when they have no future since he is not from this world. However, Nan Xing convinces him that she wants to cherish what she has in the present so that there will be no regrets later no matter the outcome. They start dating then. The couple have their wedding in Episode 24 and a few years later, they already have a little daughter.
Is There A Breakup And Love Triangle?
No, there isn’t any breakup. However, Wu Di did get angry and confused about the purpose of his existence in Episode 17 when he finds out that he didn’t time-travel but merely a fictional character created by Nan Xing. When she helps him to overcome the confusion in Episode 18, he fades from the real world as they kiss. He reappears back in his ancient world until Episode 20 when Nan Xing’s desperate cry for help in her panic mode teleports him back to her.
Wu Di is able to get back to the real world because he struck a deal with Fairy Zhen. His mission is to cure Nan Xing’s panic disorder. Once his mission is accomplished, he will cease to exist. Wu Di still chooses to help Nan Xing and does so in Episode 23. He fades back to his world only to be told by Fairy Zhen that the fictional character is what will disappear. He takes the character’s place as a human and reappears back in the real world to be together with Nan Xing.
There is also no love triangle in Mr. Bad. Both the couples are very sure of who they love. Nan Xing only sees Zi Chen as an idol and boss. She has no interest in any romantic relationship with him and makes it clear to Wu Di in Episode 8.
Where Did Wu Di Come From?
The background story of how Wu Di came about is revealed in Episode 23. Nan Xing always thought that Mao Xiao Jun didn’t like her one bit but he secretly did. In fact, he loved her a lot since they were young kids. When Mao Xiao Jun was a boy, he met Fairy Zhen who tricked him out of a candy. In exchange, Fairy Zhen gave him a coin for him to make a wish. The fairy thought Mao Xiao Jun would wish for a toy like any other kid. But he wished for Nan Xing to be forever safe and happy.
Therefore, Fairy Zhen felt obligated to fulfill Mao Xiao Jun’s wish after his death. The chance came when Nan Xing herself wished for an unforgettable love one night. Wu Di who came into being was actually Mao Xiao Jun’s creation. Mao Xiao Jun wrote out the character as a hero to protect Nan Xing in his imagination. He called the character Wu Di as Nan Xing has mentioned the name before.
That is why Wu Di is not exactly a villain like what Nan Xing has written him to be. Instead, he possesses some of Mao Xiao Jun’s thoughts and emotions. What Fairy Zhen wants Wu Di to do is to love Nan Xing and protect her as per Mao Xiao Jun’s wish. Hence, the mission he gives Wu Di is a test of his love for Nan Xing. When Wu Di is willing to sacrifice his existence for Nan Xing’s welfare, he passes the test and Fairy Zhen then transforms him into a real human to be with her.
How Did Mao Xian Jun Die?
Nan Xing narrates to Wu Di what happened to Mao Xiao Jun and her father in Episode 22. She and Mao Xiao Jun were neighbors. One night, her father had to work the night shift in the lab and she was with him. Because Nan Xing liked Mao Xiao Jun and wanted to see him, she kept pestering him to bring them supper. When he arrived, the lab was on fire. After ensuring she was safe, he went into the lab to try to save her father as requested. But both Mao Xiao Jun and her father died in the fire.
Because of the incident, Nan Xing developed a panic disorder. She will freeze up and panic at the sight of fire at times. She also has a tight knot in her heart due to guilt and regret as she blames herself for causing Mao Xiao Jun’s death. In Episode 23, Wu Di recreates her experiences with Mao Xiao Jun to convince her that the latter loved her and his death is not her fault. It was Mao Xiao Jun’s choice to try to save her father because of his love for her.
Zi Chen And Ye Qing
Both Zi Chen and Ye Ching have feelings for each other but kept it to themselves. Zi Chen told his father that he and Ye Ching are only business partners and will never be a couple when they wanted him to invest in their company at its inception. This is shown as a flashback in Episode 13. In Episode 15, Ye Qing is shown striking a deal with Zi Chen’s father. She gave her assurance that she will never date Zi Chen in exchange for his investment in X-Culture.
Hence, Ye Qing tries her best to maintain a strictly business relationship with Zi Chen. However, Zi Chen finally summons up the courage to confess to Ye Qing in Episode 16. She rejects him as she is afraid of the consequences of an office romance and the future of the company. They quarrel over it in Episode 17 which leads to her resignation in Episode 18.
After Ye Qing’s resignation, Zi Chen has to shoulder the running of the company all by himself. He also learns of his father’s agreement with Ye Qing. As a result, Zi Chen sells his house to buy off his father’s share to escape from his control in Episode 19. He becomes more matured and realizes the pressure Ye Qing had been under while working for him. In Episode 22, he tells Ye Qing not to give up her freedom to work for him. He wants her to do what she likes instead. But she decides to return to be his personal assistant as that is what makes her happy. Ye Qing buys her own wedding ring which Zi Chen uses to propose to her in Episode 24. A few years later, they are happily married with a daughter in the novel.
Mr. Bad Review – A Fantasy Romance
Mr. Bad is an idol drama that will resonate more with the younger audience. It is a rom-com and have to be viewed as such for it to be enjoyable. That means you are not suppose to overthink and apply logic to the events. It is pure romantic fantasy with the male protagonist being a fictional character created by the female lead. The good thing is this deviates from the usual CEO plot which we can find from Dating In The Kitchen to Dine With Love when it comes to romance dramas. But the bad thing is the plot can also be too farfetched for some.
In other words, if you want something different from the usual and don’t mind all the fantasy involving a young couple, you might end up liking Mr. Bad. But if you want something more grounded and matured like The Oath Of Love and Forever And Ever, you will have to stay away from this one.
Personally, I find it boring midway through as the plot novelty wears off after a while. Maybe I’m not in that age group whereby harmless jealousy and shyness in admitting being in love seems sweet. It is not a bad drama. It is just more suited for a particular group of younger viewers who are into first love romances. Nevertheless, I did manage to complete the drama as I wanted to know how it will end given the fantasy involved.
Plot Twist (Spoilers Alert!)
There is a plot twist involving the male character which makes the story more interesting to me. It adds to the originality. However, as with all fantasy and time-travel dramas in the mainland, it has to conform with the guidelines. If you have watched The Day Of Becoming You before, Mr. Bad has a similar ending in the last 10 minutes before the close. Basically, what happened from the beginning of the drama isn’t “real” but simply the female protagonist’s narration of her novel.
The ending is still sensible but it also takes away the attachment that you might have to the characters once you realize that everything is merely a figment of the protagonist’s imagination. It also feels weird that the man she married in real life has the same name as the character that she killed off in the novel that she wrote. Why she did that is not clearly explained although it was emphasized that the novel is purely fiction.
Personally, I expected the ending to be as such given China’s censorship rules. It might seem like an easy way out to end everything by regarding the fantasy as a story from a novel. But to be fair, the ending of the novel itself has been tied up quite well before the scene switches to the real world whereby the author is on stage to narrate it.
Not That Funny Nor Cute
I think Mr. Bad is meant to be light, funny and cute. Yes, it is a light watch without toxic jealousies and love triangles. It is not an angsty drama and you can sit through it without experiencing a roller-coaster of emotions. So, it is good if you are looking for some stress-free time. The drama also tries to be funny with some humor thrown in. But I don’t find it to be particularly humorous with no laugh out loud scenes that I can recall. At most, it just managed to evoke a few grins.
The main couple is also supposed to be cute. But somehow I just can’t sense the cuteness either with the bickering in the early stages. There is a tinge of innocence to the romance since they are young and it is their first time falling in love. So, there is some level of sweetness there. Perhaps what really saves the drama from being utterly boring would be the leads’ chemistry.
Acting And Chemistry
In terms of acting, Shen Yue does fit the role of Nan Xing. She has that innocence about her with her big eyes and sweet looks. Perhaps this kind of roles is getting stale for her as she has been in quite a few dramas with more or less the same personality and/or status. She also played a fresh graduate in Use For My Talent and a university student in Be Yourself. So, Mr. Bad shouldn’t be a big challenge for her although some might find her acting superficial as she tends to smile a lot in the drama. The crying scenes also need improvement but she still managed to give essence to the character in general by being relatable.
This is my second time watching Chen Zhe Yuan after Our Secret. He displayed the right charm as a not so evil villain required by the role. He appears suave in his suits with a smugness in his expressions which is consistent with the character’s high intelligence and confidence in his own ability.
The 2 of them look very natural in their interactions with each other on screen. The chemistry is evident which I’m sure some would even see it as sizzling. They look matching to me with above average chemistry but I will stop short of labelling it as flammable. Basically, it is good enough for a young couple romance in a rom-com setting.
My Verdict – For The Young At Heart
Frankly speaking, Mr. Bad isn’t really my cup of tea. I’m not particularly fond of first love romances due to the recycled themes of shyness, immaturity, and jealousy which tend to be prevalent in this kind of dramas. Mr. Bad also has these elements despite the fantasy attached to the story. The start is interesting which is what drew me in initially. But then it starts to go the way of a typical youthful rom-com that it ends up being a little boring for me until the story picks up again towards the end.
I understand that this title has garnered high ratings among viewers. The unique plot is probably part of the reason since it is different from the usual. It is not exactly a time travel or parallel universe drama like Shining For One Thing and neither is it the protagonist’s dream like in Legally Romance. The girl didn’t get pulled into the novel but the character she created came into her world. Thus, it is refreshing in that way, at least in the first quarter of the drama. The plot makes use of that fantasy element and then fuse it with the sweetness of first love romance to create that uniqueness.
If you find the leads to be appealing to your eyes and their interactions to be super sweet, then the high ratings will seem justifiable when combined with the plot. However, I don’t think I can be as generous. For this Mr. Bad review, even a score of 7.5/10 seems on the high side to me. I gave it some leeway though mainly because of the fantasy plot. It is watchable to me but also forgettable once it ended. It just doesn’t have the depth for that “unforgettable love” that the protagonist wished for.
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