Miss S | Recap and Review

An eccentric detective crosses path with a strait-laced officer. 

Notable Actors/Actresses

Ma Yi Li: Su Wen Li

Gao Wei Guang: Luo Qiu Heng

Bu Guan Jin: Xiao Tao Zi

Wu Hao Chen: Shen Xiao An

Xu Shao Ying: Lao Song

Director

Deng Ke

Chinese Title
旗袍美探

Genres: Republican, Romance, Mystery, Republican Romance

Network: Tencent Video

Year: 2020
Episodes: 10/34

Recap Grade: D
First Impression: 3/5

[Dropped]

Jump to Review

Mini Recaps

[Ep1-2] Su Wen Li arrives in town. Her friend's husband died and she becomes very involved in the case. She's always interrupting Luo Qiu Heng officer. After she solves the first case, she opens her own detective agency called 愛思. The pinyin is "Ai Si" which for non-Chinese speakers, it might be a stretch for y'all but it sounds like "S". Chinese has a thing with breaking down 'S' into two syllables. For example, in Cantonese, a lot of times "basement" is pronounced as "bay-see-ment". There's an extra syllable for S. Luo Qiu Heng asks why 'S' is meaningful. She uses her S line to show it. Ha. It's also the first letter of her last name "Su". 

Su Wen Li takes Xiao Tao Zi, the maid of the victim from the previous case as her little helper. Su Wen Li isn't just smart and cheerful, she's got this beautiful soul who's willing to help anyone who's wronged. She also has a case of her own that remains unsolved: her younger sister's death. 

1st Case's Criminal: The wife. She killed her useless husband who fails at business and harasses women (rapes the maids). 

[Ep3] 

• Su Wen Li meets Officer Luo Qiu Heng on the train again. This is her greeting: "Good to see you detective! There's always someone dead when I see you."  
• It's the first time Xiao Tao Zi gets her own room. She's never had one before. She cries and that makes Su Wen Li cry. Bu Guan Jin is such a good actress.

[Ep4] 

• Su Wen Li's home is so grand it makes anyone speechless. Luo Qiu Heng is interested in knowing who cleans it. The butler only replies that it's not him. 

2nd Criminal: The daughter's boyfriend. He's vying for future-mother-in-law's money but this mother won't let him in her family. Mom looks down on him. This boyfriend is also a failed medical student who's been expelled from school. He's got no future if he doesn't kill this mom to get his hands on the inheritance. Daughter was in on the plan but she wasn't expecting him to actually kill her mother. 

[Ep5] The chemistry between Su Wen Li and Luo Qiu Heng picks up. It's kind of hilarious actually. She's trying to solve a case but he arrests her for trespassing. The above photos are her taking mug shots. Pft. Shen Xiao An, a police officer under Luo Qiu Heng, is taking the pictures. He's hilarious too. 

Su Wen Li works her charms to get Luo Qiu Heng to cease his anger towards her. She pretends to injure her ankle and he actually tends to her. She also feeds him and he finally opens his mouth to allow her. With that, she's got her hands on the pictures for the case she's trying to solve.

[Ep6] Xiao Tao Zi and Shen Xiao An have a date. They're both so cute. The driver and the other girl aren't that cute. They leave out poor Lao Song.  

[Ep7] 3rd Criminal: The singer's lover / trumpeter. He did it out of love for the singer because the victim kept harassing her. The singer was going to take the blame all on herself to save her lover. The trumpeter seems to know the prisoner who is assumed to have killed Su Wen Li's sister. 

[Ep8] Chemistry between Su Wen Li and Luo Qiu Heng continue to light up. Luo Qiu Heng is a foodie. Food can get him to do anything, probably.

 
[Ep9]

• Shaving scene between Su Wen Li and Luo where she seductively closes in on him and asks about his past relationships. He had one but it’s long over. A hint to her appearance in later episodes perhaps? 
• The drivers are buddies again. I guess they’re the true third CP. 

4th Criminal: The uncle who wanted the gold formula after he felt like he was betrayed by his godson

[Ep10] Luo wants Su Wen Li away from the crime scene, she’s like “no, no, no.” This is a crime scene, she must be present.
[Ep11]
[Ep12]
[Ep13]
[Ep14]
[Ep15]
[Ep16]
[Ep17]
[Ep18]
[Ep19]
[Ep20]
[Ep21]
[Ep22]
[Ep23]
[Ep24]
[Ep25]
[Ep26]
[Ep27]
[Ep28]
[Ep29]
[Ep30]
[Ep31]
[Ep32]
[Ep33]
[Ep34]

Remarks

[First Impression (Ep1-8)] Apparently this is a remake of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries which I have not seen. This is currently highly rated in China. I say a lot of it has to do with the fame of the actress plus it is a solid detective drama but mostly because of the actress. Ma Yi Li's acting was a little unsettling at first. The tail of her eyebrows are way too long but that's not an issue. As I watched more of her prancing around, her acting grew on me. It's very theatrical. She makes the drama fun and really sells the retro concept. Then there are suddenly these sizzling scenes between Ma Yi Li and Vengo Gao Wei Guang that I find more hilarious than they are romantic. The cases are relatively interesting. I'm usually not a detective drama person so I don't know if I'll stick around. I have a soft spot for Bu Guan Jin so I may just watch a bit more for her. 

[Actors/Actresses] All the other actors bring their A-game as well. Vengo Gao Wei Guang plays the effortless suave dude in a suit. Bu Guan Jin, Wu Hao Chen, and Xu Shao Ying are solid, solid, solid actors. Bu Guan Jin and Wu Hao Chen are so cute together. They both look so clueless. I have yet to see more of Xu Shao Ying but I'm expecting a good performance from him too. 

[Dropped] I'm not into episodic detective dramas and the romance isn't engaging for me.