Miss S (2020– ) User Reviews

The Phryne Fisher of the East

[lotekguy-1 · 7/10 · 27 July 2022]

Miss Fisher fans should check out this reboot, preferably after being prepared for what's the same, and what isn't. Here are some key points:

1 - The scripts closely follow the original in both the mysteries and the players, with some East-West and temporal adjustments. The 30 episodes of Miss S's first season are clones of 15 tales from Phryne's first two seasons, stretched into 50+-minute two-parters. The more you remember from before, the less you'll be surprised by the outcomes. This one's set in the 1930s - a decade later than the former, reducing the carryover from World War I in everyone's backstories. They do include the running thread of the heroine's childhood trauma from the creep who abducted her sister.

2 - Miss S is wealthier than Phryne. Her mansion makes Miss F's elegant abode look like tract housing. Her car is more exotic, as well. The Shanghai sets and costumes in general are a bit more lavish than in the Australian original.

3 - The supporting players are quite similar. The new will-they-won't-they police inspector, Weiguang Gao, is more handsome than his counterpart, but even more of a stiff. A few characters repeat in diminished roles, like her aunt, doctor friend and butler. A huge bonus comes from the casting of her new assistant/protege. Guanjin Bu takes Dot's charming innocence to new heights. She's petite and absolutely adorable, making her growth in the job even more delightful. Her constable love interest is more of a dufus than the original's Hugh, adding to the comic element.

4 - The biggest difference between our eponymous women may be due to cultural constraints. Miss S. Is as bright, confident and worldy as Phryne, but more reserved in her degree of coquettishness. Her flirting is relatively tame; her amorous byplay virtually non-existent. She shows more leg, particularly in long Chinese dresses with deep side slits, but no decolletage. Miss S. Is also more of a damsel in distress during physical encounters, lacking the toughness and survival skills Phryne periodically summoned for self-defense. For Western viewers, that's quite a loss. Instead of Emma Peel's putative grandmother, we get a younger, hotter Jessica Fletcher.

I hope these comparisons help maximize your enjoyment of this charming series.

NICE REHASH OF MISS FISHER

[nursedopple-73246 · 7/10 · 7 July 2022]

This series pays a nice homage to the "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries". If you are a fan of the original series set in Melbourne this is quite a treat. Miss Su is Phryne Fisher with the series being set in Shanghi instead of Australia. It does incorporate some cultural differences but the spirit of the lead remains the intact. An independent woman of means who becomes a lady detective in the 20's. The costumes are a delight, and much of the original storyline remains intact. I would recommend the Essie Davis version as a first introduction, but this is a very nice adaptation.

Miss S has its own unique identity, and yes, I think it's better than Miss Fisher.

[bmward-83027 · 8/10 · 12 September 2022]

I have watched many of the Miss Fisher's Mysteries - still haven't seen Crypt of Tears yet, so I can echo some other reviewers. While these do initially follow the basic profiles of the characters and some of the plots, the shows come off as a totally different experience for me, especially from a cultural sense. Like anyone who covers a good song, Miss S is successful in making this show its own enjoyable take.

I'm trying to avoid having to do a spoiler tag, so here goes. What did I enjoy most about the show?

1) Su Wenli is so likeable from the very beginning. I honestly think her some of her best scenes in the whole show are her interactions with Su Yun (Li Ya Zhen). Her emotion just pours through the screen sometimes. Plus, Yili Ma is just a classic beauty, looking gorgeous in every outfit and I admit I had a little bit of a crush going on.

2) The best character arc for me is Tao Zi's. She may be my favorite. Her transformation over time is just more satisfying than Dot's arc, as well as her relationship with Xiao An.

3) I have greatly enjoyed the relationship between Inspector Luo and Miss Su, much more than 'Phrack'.

4) The show doesn't take itself too seriously. I mean, there are plenty of serious moments, but the humor, though sometimes a little on the nose, just works so well.

5) I thought the acting was great. By the end of these 30 episodes, everyone seemed to have found their stride.

The only reason I didn't give it a 10 was mostly because of the production value:

1) some of the small inconsistencies with localization on the subtitles (especially when it came to describing medical conditions). Fortunately the context of the show gave no problems in identifying the afflictions or conditions of certain characters. And I don't mind subtitles anyway.

2) Props at times were a little anachronistic. Wenli browses through a PATRICIA CORNWELL book while in Inspector Luo's office. A unicycle at the cirus has a modern knobby BMX type tire on it. Little things like that.

3) Some of the set pieces were a bit on the cheap side (the jail, the walls of the sauna room in Episode 2). A couple of times I thought a wall might fall over.

Some viewers may not be used to the way the script delivers each story with its approach to dialogue, whereby there are often times when in a conversation one character may rephrase and repeat what another one just said a minute or so before. Also, people may not be used to how characters speak another character's name to express concern over their emotional condition. If Wenli was upset and crying, instead of saying "Wenli, I'm really sorry about your sister," the other character will just say "Wenli..." or perhaps use their full name. I watch a lot of shows from Japan, Korea, and China, so I'm used to this.

I really really liked that HBO didn't release a dubbed version. So much is lost in a dub. Although the 70s and 80s Shaw Brothers kung fu movies have a certain nostalgia about them with the sometimes terrible dubs, my experience has always leaned towards the slightly unfavorable. Miss S would have had a totally different atmosphere and loss of enjoyment without being able to hear the emotion and tone of the native Mandarin (and some Cantonese here and there).

If you like fun murder mysteries that have occasional crazy twists where you do find yourself maybe second-guessing what you had right from the beginning then you'll love Miss S. Kudos to HBO for bringing this to America.

My family and I liked it very much every episode was very exciting. I wish they make season 2 of this series

[via-60832 · 10/10 · 22 January 2023]

This Series is good to watch with your family and friends if they like mystery and thriller. I wish they make another season of this series it's really good and the lead duo and their assistant were very funny. Personally, the series was good with a great plot and the costume and sequence were great. I was very sad when I finish watching it. I recommend it to all the people I meet and it's one of my go-to series. I really hard time watching this series or movie like this but this series was just really light for me to watch. If you have a recommendation series like this i really appreciate it.

Adored it!

[kerry_lynne-61710 · 10/10 · 20 May 2023]

I really loved everything about this series! I thought it was so fun and very well done. The actors were all phenomenal, and the two leads have fantastic chemistry - I was completely engrossed by their developing relationship in the last 6 or so episodes! The outfits and settings were all beautiful, and I want to buy so many of her clothes!

Each case takes up two episodes, and I appreciated that they felt well-developed. There is also a theme running throughout about the disappearance of her sister when she was a child, which culminates in the final episode. I see from other reviews that some people didn't love the final episode, but I really enjoyed it.

I'm now reading the books because I have become so obsessed with this show, but I will say that I so far I definitely prefer the show. I hope they consider doing another season to incorporate the rest of the Ms. Fisher mysteries. I'm currently re-watching the show because I loved it so much! Don't let the subtitles scare you away, this show is so worth it! Highly, highly recommend!

Splendid viewing in Shanghai

[pjsabine · 10/10 · 21 September 2022]

Well of course it's based on the Ms Fisher series, but so what? It stands on its own as an entertaining, likeable and enjoyable series. The key characters are fun, interesting and act with great chemistry. If it's not true to its time for all things, then it's still very appealing. Miss S and the Inspector make it all worthwhile and their restraint while flirting made it only more enjoyable. The support cast have their moments and generally strengthen the show's appeal, though I agree old Uncle Xiang is a bit dopey and useless. Overall a good show and while was hoping to use it to improve my rusty mandarin, I found the subtitles absolutely necessary and sometimes quietly hilarious.

Very hard to get into.

[TristanSilya · 5/10 · 22 October 2022]

I thought the show was about crime and mystery but it really isn't. The show is a constant hedonistic glamour show. There's more focus on flexing and displaying wealth and power than anything else.

The main character is very unlikeable. She's always kidding or messing around and she always has a condescending attitude towards everyone around her.

I absolute LOVE the fashion, styles, colors, and art in this show but it shouldn't be the main focus of the show. The story feels like an afterthought and sort of thrown in.

A lot of the scenes make no sense and the main character is pretty much a Mary Sue. She an extremely rich person that can do and say anything she wants and things always just work out.

Great Miss Fisher Remake

[abzpniut · 8/10 · 13 July 2022]

I really enjoyed this Miss Fisher remake! As you would expect, there were a lot of changes made for cultural reasons when you compare Miss S to Miss Fisher, but that made watching even more enjoyable and interesting even though I already knew what was going to happen. This series and the actors had their own unique personalities and comedy that was true to the original but still unique and very likable, they kept me laughing. The staging and wardrobe was beautiful, I definitely want to watch a second time when I'm not only focused on reading the subtitles and would love a dubbed version for the same reason. I did take off a couple stars for a few reasons: the Dr. And Uncle Xiang (Mr. Butler) are not as developed as in the Miss Fisher Series and I missed them, I wished that Miss Su was a little bit more "kick butt", and because the accuracy of the wardrobe and styling was REALLY off for the era. Everything worn was beautiful, and I especially loved seeing the more traditional Chinese dress woven in, however the mix of random vintage stiles was pretty distracting and made it hard to get into spirit of the era. This series is supposed to be set in the early 1930s, as opposed to Miss Fisher which is late 1920s, but the primary style theme of Miss S was strongly leaning towards 1950s with a random mix of other decades too. Overall, very enjoyable and I really hope they make another season. It's pretty cool that I, an American, get to enjoy a Chinese remake of my favorite Australian show!

Chinese version of Miss Fisher

[qui_j · 2/10 · 9 July 2022]

This is a lavish Chinese production of the Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. The sets and decor are quite well done but probably not meant for a global audience as it lacks appeal. Probably would do very well with a local Chinese audience.

Young Jessica Fletcher meets Dick Tracey in a Shanghai Chicago

[ENIGMA05 · 9/10 · 15 April 2022]

FINALLY! I got a chance to watch this series. I was quite upset when it first came out and didn't have English subtitles anywhere on any site legal or otherwise. This was my very first Republican Era drama so I wasn't sure what to expect but wanted to watch it because I follow Vengo Gao. It definitely didn't disappoint; quite the opposite and if it wasn't for parts of the very last episode, I would have given it a perfect score which for me is very rare.

Pros: Everything was exquisitely beautiful; from the sets to the costumes, the makeup. Su Wenli was like the epitome of what a modern day woman of even today acts like (she took the initiative to kiss Qiuheng first). Clothing on her looked like she should have been a model. Just about everything in this series was absolutely stunning. The music, OSTs, not a single stitch was out of place.

Both of the leads acting and chemistry was on point from the very beginning. As older actors then the 20 somethings you see in most of their dramas, here the experience and the understanding of both actors was visible. All of the support cast were there for as long as they were needed. The story flowed seamlessly from one murder investigation to another. It really was like a young Jessica Fletcher (from Murder, She Wrote) met Dick Tracey and they added a Chicago (the Musical) flair.

Su Wenli and Luo Qiuheng started off on a bickering note which was absolutely hysterical; as he tried in a lot of vain to prevent her from entering various crime scenes only for her to find a back door. Since every case took up two episodes, they would just about always have someone Su Wenli knew either asking for help or being the victim. With the two SLs Taozi and Xiao'an to add to the hilarity, made each investigation even more interesting.

Su Wenli had a superb eye for detail that helped each investigation. Many people she met from the first episode ended up becoming a part of her extended family; from the two random cab drivers (Tong and San) at the pier that took her home, to Taozi (a maid of family friend's) in the very first murder case who became her assistant and a younger sister and the orphan (Suyun) she adopted after the homage to "Murder on the Orient Express" episode. She had inherited a huge mansion and massive property from her grandmother and her gaggle rag-tag family lived there.

Luo Qiuheng played by the very handsome Vengo Gao was a wonderful, caring, yet upright investigator who took each case seriously no matter who the victims were. We never knew much about his past (other then his ex-gf was the daughter of his mentor) or where he even lived, but his character in no way played second fiddle to Wenli. Both were equals. I have until this drama not seen Vengo in something non-costume but feel he needs more of these kinds of dramas.

It was very funny how the crime busting duo was always bickering or betting on information and yet still ending up solving each case together. Their chemistry even in those most funniest of moments was palpable. It amused me to no end how Wenli would always find a way to go undercover in any situation with just a pretty dress and the power of persuasion; everyone opened up to her without fear.

I loved and was actually quite surprised by just how much made it past censorship; a gay couple was shown in photographs holding hands and being really close as well as the topic of homosexuality was discussed openly without issue. Small amounts of nudity was allowed as well. A mentally disabled boy was involved in 2 episodes towards the end and related to Wenli and he wasn't treated as some freak but with respect and love; usually none of these would be able to get anywhere near one of their dramas, so it makes me wonder if the requirements for Republican era dramas are different then the other genres.

Cons: The biggest reason I couldn't give this series a full score was because almost the entire last episode was screwed up pretty badly and it was the pivotal case. The biggest mystery of the series was that of Wenli's kidnapped and long thought to be murdered younger sister, Wenfei. Though this fact and the man responsible were sparsely spread through many episodes, it wasn't until about the last 6 that that case started to take shape. Ding Rushan was jailed for 10 years on suspicion of kidnapping and murder but escaped.

In the last episode, they turned Wenli into this hysterical, unhinged, crazy woman who goes to rescue Suyun and Qiuheng alone while locking a few officers in a jail cell. It absolutely made no sense, though I understand her being distraught when she came home to find practically everyone drugged and Suyun missing, she knew it was the work of Ding Rushan but then she goes off to the police station and when Qiuheng tells her to stay put she starts acting a plum fool causing him to go alone without backup because someone has to watch her.

For 33 episodes even if she was in grave danger, she always kept a level head and found ways to get out of the situation and always asked for backup from the police or Tong and San or the combination of the two. Here she takes her little gold pistol like a one woman army to go after the most dangerous man in the entire series who's essentially a crazed serial killer. It was ridiculous; what made it even more so was that said serial killer was a nutcase who wanted to sacrifice women to bring his own daughter back from the dead in some twisted "The Mummy Returns" scenario which absolutely made no sense in this very progressive drama.

Of course Wenli was captured and though she retained some of her old characteristics, much of her acting until she was rescued was like some completely different person. It felt like for a solid half hour I was watching a totally different show. There was also a huge inconsistency, in the second to last episode where Ding Rushan had come into their home and cut the phone cord so no one could call, yet in that last episode when Taozi tried calling home to warn Wenli, the phone rang like the line was never cut. Another minor inconsistency was that Wenli was filthy rich but would wear a lot of the same clothing over and over again, even though she had a massive walk-in closet with racks of clothing. It didn't make sense for her to wear the same outfit 2 or even 3 times.

This pivotal point when Wenli finds out where the body of her sister is and the entire mystery is finally solved, the gravitas is completely lost because of this completely out of character and off topic scenario and it makes me sad because it should have been so much stronger than that. It lost its humor, quality, and any actual logic. Thankfully afterwards it regained its previous momentum to be able to finish the last 25 minutes in the same style as what got me hooked to it in the first place.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. That one portion of the very last episode doesn't drown out the rest of this aesthetically pleasing and truly remarkable series that will have you rolling around laughing at the absurd situations, subtle yet very obvious flirting and romance of our leads, jealous and chivalrous moments of Qiuheng, and just fall in love with this bunch of people who, though not blood, are truly a family in the best sense of the word. 9.5/10.

Simply Wonderful

[caprilnorris · 10/10 · 11 April 2023]

I just finished Miss S. Simply wonderful. The production was top notched, beautifully done. The acting was fantastic! If you liked Miss Fisher, you should LOVE this! It is fun to compare the 2 versions. There aren't that many differences and the ones that are actually made it more enjoyable. And the fashions on Miss Su and Inspector Luo are beautiful. In fact Inspector Luo dresses better than Detective Robinson. I hope they do the rest of the Miss Fisher stories. GREAT fun! A must see! I really can't anything wrong with it at all. Don't let the fact it is Chinese stop you from watching. I'm a middle-aged white woman from Texas.