Chinese drama Mobius review: Bai Jing Ting's thriller is brilliant, savage and strangely obsessed with squids

Imagine being stuck in the same day, not once, not twice, but five times — and instead of spiraling into an existential crisis à la Groundhog Day, you decide to fight crime, solve murders, and occasionally cash in on lottery numbers. Welcome to Mobius, the latest C-drama thriller that has viewers alternating between 'wow, what a ride' and 'wait, did that squid just threaten murder?'

Let’s break it down. Detective Ding Qi (played by the endlessly watchable Bai Jing Ting) is your not-so-average cop who accidentally gains the ability to time travel — but only five times a day. These aren’t infinite loops; no do-overs forever. Midnight hits, everything resets, and everyone forgets what happened… except a few unlucky (or lucky?) people called Time Cycle Perceivers who remember everything. Ding Qi uses the first four loops to gather clues, prep his moves, and try to prevent disaster on the fifth and final 'ultimate cycle day'— where the stakes are highest, the villain is smarter, and literally anything can happen.

The big bad in all this: A mysterious figure calling themselves 'Squid' (yes, really), who seems to be manipulating events across the loops and might even have time-loop powers of their own. This all leads to biotech conspiracies at MOMA (think shady executives dropping dead one by one, corporate secrets that could alter reality, and a generous helping of betrayal). Each loop turns up the tension: allies might stab you in the back, clues might be traps, and just when you think you’ve figured out the killer… nope, reset.

And honestly? It’s fun.

From episode one, Mobius doesn’t waste time with unnecessary exposition. We’re thrown right into a loop mid-crisis, with BJT dodging bullets and somehow not getting hit even once (yes, it’s a little ridiculous, but we forgive him because he looks good doing it). Fans on r/CDrama were here for the action — 'blown away by the action sequences,' as one put it — and loved that someone finally had the good sense to use a time loop to win the lottery and buy stocks. Honestly, it might be the most relatable thing a C-drama protagonist has ever done.

BJT also deserves credit for making Ding Qi both serious and endearing. He dances when he wins, checks his hair mid-investigation, and straight-up asks people if he looks handsome — and somehow it works. The show balances its thriller vibes with just enough comedy to keep you from drowning in tension.

A surprising fan favourite: The Cantonese. Set in the fictional city of Hua’Ao (basically Macau with the serial numbers filed off), the show regularly switches between Mandarin and Cantonese. Native speakers loved it — 'refreshing,' one fan said — and it adds an extra layer of realism and texture to the story.

It also keeps you on your toes because you never know when someone’s going to drop a line in another language right before the loop resets and you have to process that too.

One of the spiciest comment-section debates wasn’t about time loops or conspiracies but about whether Ding Qi and Dr. An (his colleague and occasional damsel-in-distress) have chemistry. Spoiler: most fans said no.

“It’s worse than watching paint dry,” one commenter declared, while another admitted they were “ok without it” since the subtle background romance doesn’t hijack the plot. And honestly: They’re right. Mobius works best when it leans into the thriller aspect — suspicious CEOs, midnight resets, everyone being a potential traitor — and not when it tries to cue romantic elevator music.

Of course, not everything is perfect. Some moments are… questionable. For example, there's a scene where someone sends a murder threat via a video of a squid. The police chief who blames Ding Qi for a failed protection mission is maddening. And the sheer number of characters who look sketchy at any given time? Well, that’s part of the fun. You end up suspecting everyone — even the wife, even the old man with too many clocks — because the show keeps reminding you that every clue might be a trap.

If you love fast-paced thrillers with clever time-loop mechanics, morally gray conspiracies, and a hero who manages to be both badass and goofy, then yes, Mobius is absolutely worth your time. It’s a tight, engaging ride with just enough twists to keep you guessing — without drowning you in complicated timelines.

If you’re here for romance, though, temper your expectations. The love subplot is subtle to the point of barely existing, which some viewers loved (it keeps the focus on the mystery) and others found disappointing (they wanted more sparks).

Also, prepare for a little frustration — the show is very good at cliffhangers and will happily reset just when you thought things were about to resolve. It’s basically emotional whiplash, but in the best way.

Mobius is smart, stylish, and a little bit savage — much like its title suggests, it twists itself into a perfect loop of crime, conspiracy, and chaos. BJT carries the show, the time-loop mechanic stays fresh through clever variations, and the Cantonese-Mandarin mix is a refreshing bonus.

Yes, it occasionally leans into melodrama, yes, the romance feels forced, and yes, you might find yourself yelling at the screen when everything resets again. But that’s the magic of Mobius: it makes you care enough to yell.