Introduction
At first, I wanted to do an episode recap for this drama because of the time-loop complexity, but it has only 16 episodes. The drama finished airing, and I’m quite sure future viewers just want to binge-watch back-to-back. You don’t need a recap to remember what happened just minutes earlier, lol.
Regarding the article title, you’ve heard the English phrase “the third time is the charm”, which means two efforts at something have already failed, but perhaps the third will be successful. However, the protagonist can turn back time to the start of the day up to five times and solve the case at the end of the fifth loop.
Drama Info
Drama title: Mobius (Native title: 不眠日 )
Alternative titles: Bu Mian Ri
Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Sci-fi, Supernatural
Aired: 17 Sep, 2025 - 21 Sep, 2025
Episodes: 16 | Duration: 45 min.
Directors: Liu Zhang Mu ( 刘璋牧 ) and Yu Su Fu Jiang ( 玉苏甫江 )
Screenwriters: Bi Qiang ( 毕蔷 ) and Jiang Wu Ji ( 姜无及 ) - first draft
Adapted from the novel "Ni Shi Zhen Cha Zu" (逆时侦查组) by Zhang Xiao Mao.
Where to read: Webnovel (English translation)
Where to watch: iQiyi, Netflix, and Viki
OST: Full playlist (Fan audio - English translated)
Trailer
Synopsis
Homicide detective Ding Qi accidentally gains a strange ability: under specific circumstances, he can turn back time to the start of the day up to five times. Ding Qi utilizes his new power to solve difficult cases by traveling back in time to gather evidence, then putting all the pieces together on his fifth loop. However, when Ding Qi receives an ominous warning from a suspect nicknamed “Squid,” he starts to wonder if others have also gained the ability to time-travel. Ding Qi’s investigations lead him to a genetic research group where several executives have recently died, raising even more questions. Alongside researcher An Lan, Ding Qi commits to uncovering the truth behind these deaths – even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice (Source: Viki).
Characters
Character Chart
Main Characters
Bai Jing Ting ( 白敬亭 ) as Ding Qi
He was originally an ordinary college student in Huaao City, but after accidentally obtaining the ability to time loop, he chose to become a criminal police officer.
Janice Man / Wen Yong Shan ( 文咏珊 ) as An Lan
A scientist at Moma Biotechnology. She was involved in the case because of the investigation into the disappearance of her best friend and the treatment of her vegetative mother.
Song Yang ( 宋洋 ) as Mo Yuan Zhi
A scientist and a senior executive of the Moma Biological Company
Supporting Characters
Jiang Yu Wen (Liu Yi Jun) – a scientist who disappeared
Maggie (Aokbab Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying) – foreign investor’s rep
Yu Shi Ya (Baby Zhang/Zhang Bo Jia) – a researcher and Mo Yuan Zhi’s wife
Ye Kun/Feng Qi Ming (Han Li) – stuntman
Han Yu Fei (Song Jiang Teng) – the murdered scientist’s son
Fu Jun (Tian Lei) – a deliveryman and former Moma technician
Tang Xin (Cao Yang Min Zhu) – Intern researcher at Moma
Duan Zheng (Ricky Chan/Chan Bo Yuen) – police captain/Ding Xi’s boss
My Rating
My rating for this drama was based on MyDramaList’s scoring system, which is from 0.0 to 10.0. For any drama/movie/show I completed, I gave a minimum rating of 6.0 to appreciate the hard work of the production team, and to adjust to MyDramaList’s overall score base. From 6.0, this drama has additional scores of:
- 1.0 for the unique time loop concept (five times, other loop perceivers)
- 1.0 for the directing and cinematography that shows a blend of culture and filming sets (Hong Kong, Macau).
- 0.5 for Ding Qi/Bai Jing Ting, who is the draw in this drama.
My final rating was 8.5/10
I detailed my explanation as to why I gave such additional scores in the Review Section below.
Review
Story and Plot
Story
Time loops in dramas are not a new phenomenon. Because this is a fantasy sci-fi concept, skilled screenwriters could expand on this idea with added imagination to refresh it and keep viewers engaged. This was exactly what screenwriters Bi Qiang and Jiang Wu Ji did.
The story of Ding Qi, an ordinary man who accidentally gained a superpower, is surprisingly down-to-earth and has some humor, as introduced in the first episode. Moreover, other people who are included in the time loop have vague consciousness and a sense of déjà vu.
The story gets more interesting as other characters in this drama become the time loop perceivers, and even the killer also has the superpower to time loop.
In the Earth’s circulatory system, there are humans with “awakened consciousness”. Some used bugs to punish evil and promote good, while others used bugs to kill people. This form of game between the two sides is quite interesting.
The new paradigm of loop confrontation is no longer Ding Qi’s one-sided search for the truth. Because two characters are in the time loop, it incorporates the two sides’ moves and counter-moves in the time dimension. Each time loop brings a new battle situation.
Adding a limited number given to the time loop, in this case five, is exciting, like counting your days being in the underworld.
That being said, the sci-fi part of this drama is not without imperfection. Despite the story setting being a genetic biotechnology organization, the scientific research is carried out with a minimum of effort. For example, the laboratory wastewater is discharged randomly, resulting in mutation.
Plot
The first episode is extremely fast-paced and full of adrenaline, showing how Ding Qi, using his supernatural ability, solves the bank robbery case. We also see a funny introduction to his early days before he became a police officer.
Starting the second episode, the plot starts to slow down when we encounter the main investigation. The rhythm between the two loops is slower. FYI, the robbery case in the first episode is just an introduction. The main and only case in the drama is what happened in Moma, with the connection to the suspect named “Squid”.
This case is a prolonged suspense case. As a typical detective drama, viewers need patience for several reasons, including the slow and methodical pace, the complexity of the plot, and the gradual development of characters. Unlike the fast-paced action in the first episode, most of the later episodes are a slow burn, requiring you to pay attention to details and trust that the story will resolve satisfyingly.
Although the main plot revolves around “Squid”, the changes in each cycle and the investigation of each person involved can be viewed independently. It seems to be decrypting around one thing, and everyone is a suspect. Seemingly insignificant details have been built into the power to change the direction of the ending in each cycle. By adding different elements to each cycle, the slow-burning drama becomes more exciting and tense, and the suspense is stronger. There is no unnecessary dialogue, and everything is closely linked. However, apart from some small bugs, the plot is very tight and basically everything is explained.
The only small shortcoming was that the connection between the suspense and the emotional subplots was not very good.
The pace of the last four episodes has obviously slowed down, and coincidences have begun to increase. It takes a suspension of disbelief to finish the drama.
Do male and female protagonists have to fall in love in every drama?
I do think the love plot between Ding Qi and An Lan in Mobius is unnecessary. And this is an opinion from someone who watches romance dramas. I get it that they had known each other from an old case; however, talking about love starting in Episode 2 takes away the excitement of a suspenseful drama, which starts with thrilling action scenes in Episode 1.
With a lack of chemistry between them, the romantic connection between Ding Qi and An Lan seems forced and illogical. For example, in one explosion scene, Ding Qi becomes unprofessional as a police officer. He only thinks about saving An Lan and asks others to get out of the way quickly, which means that other people’s lives are not as important as the person he loves.
Character and Acting
Character
Ding Qi, a man of action, is interesting and different from other heroes in action dramas. He tries directly in the first loop, makes mistakes, and goes through five cycles trying different things to solve the case.
I’ll be honest. The female protagonist’s personality looks super boring, maybe because An Lan is a scientist/researcher. Ding Qi has more ‘chemistry’ with his boss Duan Zheng, and the camaraderie with his fellow police officers is fun to watch, too.
I like that the drama makes everyone, sans the police squad, suspicious and related to “Squid”.
Regarding “Squid” oneself, the difference in loop ability between Ding Qi and “Squid” is too great. Viewers could hardly see what favorable conditions “Squid” has gained because of his/her loop ability. On the loop day, Ding Qi takes clues, but “Squid” does nothing. In the end, “Squid” is completely controlled by Ding Qi. Except for breaking the defense, “Squid” has no achievements. It’s a bit of a pity to make a somewhat weak villain.
Acting
The leading actor, Bai Jing Ting, not only perfectly interpreted the feeling of having the superpower of looping 5 times a day with his explosive acting skills, but also perfectly combined the infinite flow with the brain-burning criminal investigation elements, making the plot suspenseful.
I noticed that Bai Jing Ting frowned a lot in this drama. In my opinion, he still needs to perfect his acting, being a cool action hero, without frowning a lot to look serious.
Besides Bai Jing Ting, however, other characters are really too boring. They are like NPCs, lacking individuality, self-awareness, and original thought. They have no life, no feelings, no motivation, and their sub-stories are just rushing to complete the tasks arranged by the screenwriters in each episode. Too bad, because the character’s relationships with the main plot are interesting.
Maybe because it’s only a 16-episode drama?
Production Values
The visualization in this drama is to be praised, thanks to the chief director’s expertise. Liu Zhang Mu came from a photography arts background and was nominated a few times for the prestigious China’s Magnolia Award. The quality of the director’s work is quite assured, and the texture and lens of the series are quite detailed. The carefully chosen camera angle showcased the effective shooting of the fighting scenes. The gunfight is exciting, the fighting is bloody, and it meets expectations. Every gunfight was filmed with a movie-level texture, which made the adrenaline rise. No wonder, everyone got excited watching the first episode!
I also like the blend of culture, in the form of different languages spoken (Mandarin, Cantonese, and English), and filming locations (Hong Kong and Macau).
Conclusion
In conclusion, watch Mobius if you like a clever time-loop plot with stellar performance by Bai Jing Ting, who carried the whole emotional weight of the narrative, as other characters lack depth. Storywise, the blends of thrilling suspense with moments of humor are engaging. However, forget about the romance.
