''Detective Chinatown'' () is a Chinese

mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' *Mystery, a seahorse that SpongeBob SquarePants adopts in the episode " My Pre ...

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

web television series. It is executively produced by

Chen Sicheng Chen Sicheng (born February 22, 1978, in Shenyang) is a Chinese actor, director, and screenwriter. He graduated from the Central Academy of Drama, and is known for his leading roles in the films ''A Young Prisoner's Revenge'' and '' Spring Feve ...

, with the first season having an ensemble cast including

Roy Chiu Roy Chiu (; born 14 October 1981) is a Taiwanese actor, singer and racing driver. He earned two Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actor The Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actor () is given at the Golden Horse Film Awards. Hong Kong ...

Janine Chang Ning Chang (; born September 4, 1982), previously known as Janine Chang, is a Taiwanese actress and film producer. Chang is known for portraying Guan Xin in '' The Hospital'' and Lan Xi Ying in '' Black & White''. Since 2010, Chang began wo ...

, Zhang Yishang,

Chen Zheyuan Chen Zheyuan (; born October 29, 1996), is a Chinese actor. He is best known for his roles in the wuxia drama '' Handsome Siblings'' (2020) and coming of age drama '' Our Secret'' (2021). He gained mainstream recognition starring in the popula ...

and Yuxian Shang, Haoming Yu and

Kenny Bee Chung Chun-to (born 23 February 1953), also known by his stage name Kenny Bee, is a Hong Kong singer, musician and actor. He is best known as the singer of the group the Wynners, and as a solo artist who has been active in the Hong Kong ent ...

joining in season two. The web series serves as a spin-off from the acclaimed ''

Detective Chinatown ''Detective Chinatown'' () is a 2015 Chinese comedy- mystery buddy film directed by Chen Sicheng and starring Wang Baoqiang and Liu Haoran. It was released in China on 31 December 2015. A sequel, was released in February 2018, and a third film ...

'' film franchise, featuring detectives Tang Ren (

Wang Baoqiang Wang Baoqiang (; born 29 May 1984) is a Chinese martial artist, actor and director. Wang first received recognition in the film '' Blind Shaft'' (2003), for which he shared the Best New Performer prize at the Golden Horse Awards. He went on to ...

) and Qin Feng (

Liu Haoran Liu Yuan (born 10 October 1997), known professionally as Liu Haoran, also known as Turbo Liu, is a Chinese actor. Liu haoran 18th on ''Forbes'' Forbes China Celebrity 100, China Celebrity 100 list in 2020, 19th in 2019, and 89th in 2017. In 2021 ...

). 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 ''

'' universe storyline with events of the web series beginning in the aftermath of the first film, ''

'', and running concurrently with those of ''

Detective Chinatown 2 ''Detective Chinatown 2'' () is a 2018 Chinese comedy- mystery buddy film directed and written by Chen Sicheng, starring Wang Baoqiang and Liu Haoran. A sequel to 2015's '' Detective Chinatown'', the film was released in China on 16 February 201 ...

'' and ''

Detective Chinatown 3 ''Detective Chinatown 3'' () is a 2021 Chinese comedy mystery buddy film directed and written by Chen Sicheng, starring Wang Baoqiang and Liu Haoran. It is a sequel to ''Detective Chinatown 2'' (2018) and is the third installment in the ''Dete ...

''. Premiering in January, 2020 and then in February, 2024, both seasons were made available exclusively on the

subscription video on-demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos, television shows and films digitally on request. These multimedia are accessed without a traditional video playback device and a typical static broadcasting ...

over-the-top Over the top may refer to: Music * "Over the Top", a 2017 song by Hey! Say! JUMP * ''Over the Top'' (Cozy Powell album), 1979 album by British drummer Cozy Powell * ''Over the Top'' (Infinite album), 2011 album by South Korean band Infinite * ...

streaming Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...

service

iQIYI iQIYI (, pronounced in English as ), formerly Qiyi (), is a Chinese subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Baidu. Headquartered in Beijing, iQIYI primarily produces and distributes films and television series. i ...

with the initial episodes made free to watch and then subsequent episodes available for VIP members.

Synopsis

Season 1 (2020)

Several weird cases happen in succession in Thailand. Lin Mo, a disciple of Tang Ren (

) who’s reputed to be the #1 Detective of Chinatown, and Noda Koji, Noda Hiroshi’s (

Satoshi Tsumabuki is a Japanese actor. His breakthrough film was '' Waterboys'' for which he was nominated for the "Best Actor" award at the Japanese Academy Awards, and won the "Newcomer of the Year" prize. He is also the bassist and lead singer of the Japanes ...

) younger brother, also get involved and become overwhelmed during the investigation. The victim’s wife Ivy (

), 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 (

), while the third follows leader of the group Five Spirited Detectives Noda Koji (

Season 2 (2024)

A series of bizarre cases have re-emerged overseas. With Tang Ren's (

) 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 (

), while the other two follows talented hacker Kiko ( Yuxian Shang).

Episodes

Season 1

Case 1 - Mandala's Dance (Episodes: 1-5)

The events of this case occur after the Gold Murder Case from ''

'' and during the Five Elements Serial Murder Case in ''

'', unfolding concurrently with Case 3 - Amusement Park (Episodes: 9-12) from Season 2.

Case 2 - Name of the Rose (Episodes: 5-8)

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''.

Case 3 - Ghost Invitational (Episodes: 9-12)

The events of this case occur after the Five Elements Serial Murder Case depicted in ':Detective Chinatown 2''.

Season 2

Case 1 - Angel's Melody (Episodes: 1-5)

The events of case 1 and 2 take place after the Locked Room Murder Case depicted in ''

''.

Case 2 - Devil's Breath (Episodes: 6-8)

Case 3 - Amusement Park (Episodes: 9-12)

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.

Case 4 - Golden City (Episodes: 13-16)

The events of this case unfold immediately following the Locked Room Murder Case in

Timeline

# (2016 - Bangkok, Thailand) Gold Murder (''Detective Chinatown'') # (2018 - Bangkok, Thailand) Name of the Rose - Season 1 - Episodes: 5-8 # (2018 - Hong Kong, China) Amusement Park - Season 2 - Episodes: 9-12 # (2018 - Bangkok, Thailand) Mandala's Dance - Season 1 - Episodes: 1-5 # (2018 - New York, United States of America) Five Elements Serial Murder (''Detective Chinatown 2'') # (2018 - High Seas, Taiwan) Ghost Invitational - Season 1 - Episodes: 9-12 # (2018 - Tokyo, Japan) Locked Room Murder (''Detective Chinatown 3'') # (2019 - Hong Kong, China) Golden City - Season 2 - Episodes: 13-16 # (2021 - Bangkok, Thailand) Angel's Melody - Season 2 - Episodes: 1-5 # (2021 - Bangkok, Thailand) Devil's Breath - Season 2 - Episodes: 6-8

Cast

Main Cast

as Lin Mo () 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 ''

''. * Zhang Yishang as Sa Sha () 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. *

as Noda Koji () (Season 1) 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 (

), 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 ''

''. * Yuxian Shang as Kiko (Cameo - Season 1, Main Cast - Season 2) First introduced in the Five Elements Serial Murder case in ''

''. 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 ''

''.

Supporting Cast

as Ivy () (Main Cast - Season 1, Cameo - Season 2) 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 ''

''. * Haoming Yu as Lin Sen () (Season 2) 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. *

as Lin Yingshu () (Season 2) 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.

Cameos

as Tang Ren () (Season 1 & Season 2) *

as Qin Feng () (Season 1 & Season 2) * Xiao Yang as Kun Tai () (Season 1 & Season 2) * Yuxian Shang as Kiko (Season 1) * Zhang Shi as Dulang () (Season 1 & Season 2) *

Tony Jaa Tatchakorn Yeerum (born 1976) (, , ; formerly Phanom Yeerum (, )), better known internationally as Tony Jaa and in Thailand as Jaa Phanom (, , ), is a Thai martial artist, actor, action choreographer, stuntman, and director. Known for his expl ...

as Jack Jaa (Season 2) *

as Ivy () (Season 2)

Additional Cast

Season 1 - Mandala's Dance (Episodes: 1-4)

* Xie Wenxuan as Lin Shuiqing * Wang Zhener as Ah Wen * Gao Ye as Di Nan * Huang Kaijie as Qin Jun * Dai Mo as Pei Shan * Wang Yang as Cha Ya *

Deng Enxi Deng Enxi ( zh, s=邓恩熙, born 18 April 2005) is a Chinese actress. Career In 2017, Deng made her acting debut in the suspense thriller film '' The Devotion of Suspect X'', based on the novel of the same name by Keigo Higashino. The same yea ...

as Xiao Ai

Season 1 - Name of the Rose (Episodes: 5-8)

as Ivy * Zhang Yishang as Sa Sha *

Zhang Songwen Zhang Songwen (; born 10 May 1976) is a Chinese actor and acting coach. After gaining local recognition for his role in the Cantonese Cantonese is the traditional prestige variety of Yue Chinese, a Sinitic language belonging to the Sino-T ...

as Wen Song * Chen Yusi as An Qi *

as Xiao Ai * Chang Shih as Du Lang * Zhang Jingwei as Kun Da *

Chang Kuo-chu Chang Kuo-chu (; born 17 October 1948) is a Taiwanese actor. He was erroneously declared the winner of the 2007 Golden Bell Award for Best Supporting Actor, because his name was similar to awardee . Both were acknowledged as joint winners. His ...

as Lao Yu * Ma Yuke as Jia De * Hu Lianxin as Mei Xin

Season 1 - Ghost Invitational (Episodes: 9-12)

as Yetian Hao'er/Noda Koji *

Cheng Xiao Cheng Xiao (; , born July 15, 1998) is a Chinese singer, dancer, and actress. She made her debut as a member of the South Korean girl group WJSN in 2016. In early 2018, she began her solo activities in China and took a hiatus from the group sin ...

as Lu Qingqing * Ma Boqian as Shan Ben You Tai * Li Mingxuan as Liu Feng * Cui Yuxin as Cheng Tianshun * Huang Jianwei as Lao K *

Bryant Chang Ray Chang (born March 31, 1985), formerly known as Bryant Chang, is a Taiwanese actor. He is known for his role in '' Eternal Summer'', for which he won the Best New Performer award at the 2006 Golden Horse Awards The Taipei Golden Horse F ...

as Ah Ji * Kao Yinghsuan as Diao Delong * Ding Chuncheng as Wu Xichao * Yen Tsao as Li Chang E * Shi Mingshuai as Ma Guoqiang * Wang Keyuan as Xiao Fei * Ye Ziqi as Da Wang * Suo Lang Mei Qi as Er Wang * Dong Nina as San Wang * Guo Jiamin as Si Wang * Xiao Ai as Wu Wang * Clara as Beauty

Season 2 - Angel's Melody (Episodes: 1-5)

*Yi Tian Xiong as Sha Ma *Lynn Hung as Dai Xi *Deng En Xi as Xiao Ai *Fu Jun as Pianist *He Nan as Miss Mao *Zhou Chu Chu as Nan Xi *Zhai Wen Bin as A Lai *Jackson Lou as Hospital Director *Ma Yu Ke as An Song *Ge Yi Ming as An Song (young) *Wang Yi as Ying Hua *Yuan Ya Xuan as Ying Hua (young) *Shang Bo Jun as Ying Hua's stepfather *Li Yun as Ying Hua's mother *

as Jack Jaa *Zhang Yi Shang as Sa Sha *Zhou De Yang as Dentist

Season 2 - Devil's Breath (Episodes: 6-8)

*Raymond Chiu as Na Wen *Meng Zhi Xu as Xiao Cha *Tanny Tien as Huang Po *Zhang Bo Jia as Tina *Chang Shih as Du Lang *Lei Guan Ming as Yan Jing *Tian Yi Feng as Bi Tou *Xu Dong as A Ming *Zhou Hong as Man Di *Cao Yang as A Ming's mother *He Xin Lin as Huang Po's daughter *Zheng Ying Xian as Huang Po's granddaughter *Cheryl Yang as A Xin *Jia Hong Wei as Ji Layu *Sun Yi Ming as Kang Song *Mei Xue as Na Mu *AWAN ARSHAD IQBAL as Ao Yi

Season 2 - Amusement Park (Episodes: 9-12)

*Yvonne Yung as Wang Jiaoyun *Alex To Delfino as Fa Nan *Rong Zi Shan as Neo *Li Xing Yao as Shao Feifei *Chen Hua Feng as Chen Yixin *Yang Tian Ming as Xu Jiayuan *Wang Yi as Shao Feifei's mother *Bu Wen Hui as Shao Feifei's father *Min Jian as Li Can *Michael Tong as Zhuang Yan *Wang Yi Lun as Wu Zhiyuan *Rao Xue Jing as Wang Xiaoke *Lu Mian Da as Receptionist Manager *Sun Yi Han as Fang Siya *Zhang Bo Jia as Tina

Season 2 - Golden City (Episodes: 13-16)

*Jackie Lui as Chen Jinghan *Xia Zi Xuan as Chen Jinghan (young) *Yvonne Yung as Wang Jiaoyun *Zhang Bo Jia as Tina *Yue Xin as Qiao Shanshan *Yin Zi Wei as Huang Hai *Andrew Lien as Qiao Qingshan *Li Xiang as Hui Jiezhi *Min Jian as Li Can *Chen Hua Feng as Chen Yixin *Yang Tian Ming as Xu Jiayuan *Jiang Yun Lin as Ouyang Zhi *Hu Hao Fan as Police *Yang Tian Qi as Police *Yang Ming Yi as Chen Jinghan's father *He Yu Tong as Chen Jinghan's mother *Ding Si Bo as Chen Jinghan's younger brother *Qiao Hua as Chen Jinghan's younger sister

Production

Season 1

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. 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 The Boeing 747 is a long-range wide-body aircraft, wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2023. After the introduction of the Boeing 707, 707 in October 1958, Pan Am ...

for specific scenes.

Season 2

Shooting began in August 7, 2022 and finished on the October 7, 2022. Filming locations included Shenzhen, Guangdong province, Jiangmen and Macau.

Original soundtrack

Season 1

The original soundtrack to season 1 was released on January 1, 2020 by Yitong Productions. A total of 53 tracks were released.

Season 2

The original soundtrack to season 2 was released on March 8, 2024. A total of 55 tracks were released.

Reception

The first season currently holds a 7.0 with an average of 4 out of 5 stars on

Douban Douban.com (), launched on 6 March 2005, is a Chinese online database and social networking service that allows registered users to record information and create content related to film, books, music, recent events, and activities in Chinese ci ...

with more than 300,000 user reviews. 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

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

with over 60,000 user reviews. Website MyDramaList users rated the season 7.9, praising the character development of the main protagonists and the strong story themes throughout.

References

External links

*
Detective Chinatown
' on

Sina Weibo Weibo (), or Sina Weibo (), is a Chinese microblogging ( weibo) website. Launched by Sina Corporation on 14 August 2009, it is one of the biggest social media platforms in China, with over 582 million monthly active users (252 million daily ...

*
Detective Chinatown
' on

IMDB IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...

*
Detective Chinatown 2
' on

{{Detective Chinatown 2020 Chinese television series debuts 2024 Chinese television series endings Chinese crime television series Mandarin-language television shows Chinese web series IQIYI original programming Television shows based on Chinese novels