| Num Seasons: | 2 | ||||||||||||
| Num Episodes: | 28 | ||||||||||||
| Open Theme: | Obsession (执念) by NZBZ | ||||||||||||
| Network: | iQIYI | ||||||||||||
| Runtime: | 45 minutes | ||||||||||||
| Camera: | Multi-camera | ||||||||||||
| Executive Producer: | Chen Sicheng | ||||||||||||
| Producer: | Dai Ying Shang Na | ||||||||||||
| Country: | China | ||||||||||||
| Language: | Mandarin | ||||||||||||
| Director: | Ke Wenli (Season 1) Dai Mo (Season 1) Yao Wenyi (Season 1 & 2) Lai Mukuan (Season 1) Wang Tianwei (Season 2) | ||||||||||||
| Genre: | Mystery Crime Drama | ||||||||||||
| Native Name: |
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| Creator: | Chen Sicheng | ||||||||||||
| Related: | Detective Chinatown Detective Chinatown 2 Detective Chinatown 3 |
Detective Chinatown is a Chinese mystery crime drama web television series. It is executively produced by Chen Sicheng, with the first season having an ensemble cast including Roy Chiu, Janine Chang, Zhang Yishang, Chen Zheyuan and Yuxian Shang, Haoming Yu and Kenny Bee joining in season two.[1]
The web series serves as a spin-off from the acclaimed Detective Chinatown film franchise, featuring detectives Tang Ren (Wang Baoqiang) and Qin Feng (Liu Haoran). However, it goes beyond by introducing new detectives and delving deeper into the intricate mysteries and cases within the Detective Chinatown universe.
The web series was designed to be a part of the expanding Detective Chinatown universe storyline [2] with events of the web series beginning in the aftermath of the first film, Detective Chinatown, and running concurrently with those of Detective Chinatown 2 and Detective Chinatown 3.
Premiering in January, 2020 and then in February, 2024, both seasons were made available exclusively on the subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service iQIYI with the initial episodes made free to watch and then subsequent episodes available for VIP members.
Several weird cases happen in succession in Thailand. Lin Mo, a disciple of Tang Ren (Wang Baoqiang) who’s reputed to be the #1 Detective of Chinatown, and Noda Koji, Noda Hiroshi’s (Satoshi Tsumabuki) younger brother, also get involved and become overwhelmed during the investigation. The victim’s wife Ivy (Janine Chang), Wen the bar singer, Lu Jingjing, a member of the Five Spirited Detectives, and Sa Sha (Zhang Yishang) the rookie policewoman come on stage one after another. Behind intricate clues, the truth hidden in the dark is being brought into daylight.
The season is separated into three cases, with the first two focusing on master detective Lin Mo (Roy Chiu), while the third follows leader of the group Five Spirited Detectives Noda Koji (Chen Zheyuan).
A series of bizarre cases have re-emerged overseas. With Tang Ren's (Wang Baoqiang) senior disciple Lin Mo, the genius hacker Kiko, and many new detectives and characters making their appearances one after another! In the pursuit of truth, the veteran detectives once again gather to stir up the storm in the Chinatown! The suspenseful story combines a humorous style with profound meaning, presenting a new wave of detective works.
The season is separated into four cases, with the first two focusing on master detective Lin Mo (Roy Chiu), while the other two follows talented hacker Kiko (Yuxian Shang).
The events of this case occur after the Gold Murder Case from Detective Chinatown and during the Five Elements Serial Murder Case in Detective Chinatown 2, unfolding concurrently with Case 3 - Amusement Park (Episodes: 9-12) from Season 2.
This case serves as a prequel to the Mandala's Dance case and takes place just before the Five Elements Serial Murder Case in Detective Chinatown 2.
The events of this case occur after the Five Elements Serial Murder Case depicted in the film Detective Chinatown 2.
The events of case 1 and 2 take place after the Locked Room Murder Case depicted in the film Detective Chinatown 3.
The events of this case take place just before the Five Elements Serial Murder Case in Detective Chinatown 2 and concurrently with Case 1 - Mandala's Dance (Episodes: 1-5) from Season 1.
The events of this case unfold immediately following the Locked Room Murder Case in Detective Chinatown 3.
Tang Ren's apprentice. Lin Mo is extremely sensitive to smells. He originally had a wealthy and happy family, but he witnessed his mother being murdered and became an orphan. After that, he continued to train his sense of smell in order to catch the murderer again by smell one day. The sense of smell has also become a powerful weapon for Lin Mo to investigate cases. He repeatedly uses the smell left at the crime scene to find the suspect's trace. He is currently ranked #4 on the CrimeMaster App. He also makes a cameo appearance in the film Detective Chinatown 3.
A Chinese female police officer (deputy inspector) at the Chinatown Police Station in Bangkok. Sasha is cool and reliable in her investigations, and she is quick and skillful. She uses her special talents and keen insight to solve confusing mysteries. She is smart and sweet in her daily life, with a hint of the cuteness of a little girl. The contrast between the two sides is moving.
An e-sports gamer and a young detective who is the leader of the group - Five Spirited Detectives. The second son of Japan's richest woman Masako Noda, the 36th heir to the Noda Foundation. He is the younger brother of CrimeMaster App #3 Noda Hiroshi (Satoshi Tsumabuki), whom he regards as his mortal enemy and firmly believes is stronger than him. He is currently ranked #2999 on the Crimemaster App. He also makes a cameo appearance in the film Detective Chinatown 3.
First introduced in the Five Elements Serial Murder case in Detective Chinatown 2. She is a female hacker from Hong Kong who is proficient in technology and speaks multiple languages. A genius hacker who is proficient in various computer technologies. She can break through firewalls at a very fast speed, freely enter and exit the network systems of police stations around the world, and obtain massive information sources in the database without leaving any traces. Any information that needs to be investigated can be easily obtained by her as long as there are clues. Although she is more proficient in science and technology, her logical reasoning ability is not inferior. She is currently ranked #5 on the CrimeMaster App. She also makes an appearance in Detective Chinatown 3.
The wife of the deceased in the "Name of the Rose" case was once Lin Mo's partner. She was a flower shop owner who immigrated to Thailand with her mother when she was 14 years old. She had been married four times, and all four husbands died abnormally. The police believed that Ivy was related to the rumored Smiley Face Organization in Thailand. This organization would find beautiful women to lure rich people into marriage, then find killers to kill the rich people and make it look like an accidental death, and use the marriage relationship to transfer all assets. She is one of the members of Q, the villainous organization in the Detective Chinatown universe. She also appears in Detective Chinatown 3.
A policeman in Bingang City, he is persistent in pursuing the truth. He has been trying his best to investigate the truth in the Shao Feifei case, even if it means losing the opportunity to be a candidate for the director. He has a father who used to be a policeman. His father also gave a lot of help in this case, and together with Kiko, he found out the truth step by step in secret.
Lin Sen's father, a retired policeman, and Kiko's detective partner. Although he sometimes looks like a naughty boy, he never lags behind in pursuing the truth and investigating cases. In the amusement park case, he worked together with Kiko to find out the truth about MASK and bring Fanan to justice.
Shooting began in December 2018 and lasted 114 days, with total length of more than 2000 hours shooting. Filming locations included Bangkok, Kaohsiung, and Tokyo.[4] The largest scene film utilized more than 800 actors at once, with the set area exceeding 11,000 square meters. Shooting also mobilized military helicopters and a Boeing 747 for specific scenes.[5]
Shooting began in August 7, 2022 and finished on the October 7, 2022. Filming locations included Shenzhen, Guangdong province, Jiangmen and Macau.
The original soundtrack to season 1 was released on January 1, 2020 by Yitong Productions. A total of 53 tracks were released.[6]
The original soundtrack to season 2 was released on March 8, 2024. A total of 55 tracks were released.
The first season currently holds a 7.0 with an average of 4 out of 5 stars on Douban with more than 300,000 user reviews.[7] Website MyDramaList users rated the season a 7.9, praising the detective storyline and character development, particularly highlighting the show's acting.
In 2020 the first season was a part of the 9th iQIYI All-Star Carnival: Top Ten Television Series.
The second season currently holds a 6.1 with an average of 3 out of 5 stars on Douban with over 60,000 user reviews.[8] Website MyDramaList users rated the season 7.9, praising the character development of the main protagonists and the strong story themes throughout.