Reset (Chinese: 开端; pinyin: Kāiduān; lit. 'Beginning') is a 2022 Chinese time-travelwhodunit television series based on a novel by Qidaojun directed by Sun Molong and Liu Hongyuan. It tells the story of a college student Li Shiqing (Zhao Jinmai) and a video game designer Xiao Heyun (Bai Jingting) who are trapped in a time loop on a soon-to-explode bus. The drama premiered on Tencent Video on January 11, 2022.[1]
The show was a critical and commercial success. In September 2023, producer Hou Hongliang and writer Qidaojun announced an upcoming companion series titled Restart (开启).[2]
Plot
University student Li Shiqing is riding a local bus on Route 45 when she is caught in a time loop, whereby the loop repeats every time the bus explodes and kills all passengers on board. In one loop Li Shiqing drags fellow passenger Xiao Heyun, a game designer, off the bus before the explosion happens, and this brings him into the time loop with her. The pair are able to disembark from the bus and avoid dying, but the loop still repeats when they fall asleep. They decide that they may have to save everyone on the bus, and work together to investigate the passengers and identify the bomber.
During their investigation, Li Shiqing and Xiao Heyun gain appreciation and sympathy for their fellow passengers who come from various walks of life, and whose appearances can be deceiving. In some loops, Li Shiqing and Xiao Heyun encounter the police, primarily Deputy Captain Zhang Cheng who is helpful but notices their odd behavior. Although Li Shiqing and Xiao Heyun are detained by the police in some loops, they are also able to get information from the police in these encounters.
The pair eventually learn that the bomber is elderly lady Tao Yinghong, and her accomplice is the bus driver, Wang Xingde. Li Shiqing and Xiao Heyun use their accumulated knowledge from previous loops to direct the police's investigation, and so discover that Tao Yinghong and Wang Xingde are married, and that they are enacting revenge for the death of their only daughter, Wang Mengmeng. Five years prior, Wang Mengmeng was riding a bus on Route 45 when she demanded to disembark at an unsafe point on the bridge, and upon stepping out of the bus was hit and killed by a truck. Tao Yinghong was dissatisfied that the police closed the case, believing that Wang Mengmeng had good reason to demand to be let off the bus. Li Shiqing and Xiao Heyun discover that Wang Mengmeng was sexually assaulted on the bus and demanded to be let out to get away from her assailant.
When the final loop starts, Li Shiqing immediately contacts Zhang Cheng to notify him about the bomb, enabling the police to set up a road block to stop the bus on the bridge. Li Shiqing and Xiao Heyun also work together with the other passengers to restrain Tao Yinghong and get her away from the bomb, and talk down Wang Xingde by revealing what they know about Wang Mengmeng's death. They are successful, and Zhang Cheng throws the bomb off the bridge, allowing it to explode in the river. Afterward, the police arrest Wang Mengmeng's assailant, and Li Shiqing and Xiao Heyun, now a couple, pay their respects to Wang Mengmeng.
Ordinary programmer, worldview architect engaged in game development. He got on the No. 45 bus at the stop before Li Shiqing got on the bus, and then fell asleep. Later, during the 6th cycle, Li Shiqing dragged him off the bus and he became trapped in the time loop with her. After escaping the loop, he became Li Shiqing's boyfriend.
A junior student. On the day of the incident, she was preparing to take the No. 45 bus to buy books. She unexpectedly fell asleep on the bus, waking up just before the explosion when she heard a mobile phone ringing. Instead of dying, however, she was caught in a loop. After discovering that the bus she was riding was in a loop, she and Xiao Heyun began to try to find the truth. After escaping the loop, she became Xiao Hyun's girlfriend.
The driver of the No. 45 bus. He has been commended and published in newspapers for doing good people and good deeds. Because Li Shiqing often took this bus, the pair became acquainted.
She looks indifferent and doesn't care about everything that happens around her, even if someone asks her to talk to her and borrow something, she remains aloof. She keeps her bag under her feet to watch it closely. Later, when Li Shiqing investigated the identity of the passenger, she found that the plastic bag contained a pressure cooker, which turned out to be the bomb.
Suffers from Asthma, loves ACG culture and cats, and claims to be "Lu, Cat's Apostle, Asthma Conqueror, Chosen one of Light, Di". In the second cycle, he was blocked by the hero and heroine from getting on the bus, but ultimately still didn't enter the loop. He enters the bus with a backpack, and there is a stray cat in his bag.
A watermelon farmer who travels to Jialin to meet his son.
This passenger has a Northwest accent, and has served many years in prison for causing death in an accident. He carries a woven bag into the bus which contains watermelon he intends to give to his son.
Deputy Captain of Criminal Investigation of Jialin City Public Security Bureau. A veteran criminal policeman who is very capable, clear-headed, and has strong analytical and reasoning skills. He is the main person in charge of the No. 45 bus bombing. In multiple cycles Xiao Heyun and Li Shiqing were interrogated by him and his colleagues.
Deputy Director of Jialin Public Security Bureau. A leader with a serious appearance and a calm heart. She is one of the main leaders of the task force established for the No. 45 bus bombing case.
The only daughter of Wang Xingde and his wife. She died in a traffic accident when she was studying in Jialin City five years ago. The police closed the case as a simple traffic accident. Five years later, due to a serious new case (the attempted bombing of the No. 45 bus), the investigation was restarted again.
Working partner of Xiao Heyun at their game studio. After hearing of the bombing and homicide on the bus, he advises Xiao Heyun to voluntarily surrender.
The driver of the No. 45 bus accident on the Cross-River Bridge five years ago. He was found partially guilty of Wang Mengmeng's traffic accident, and lost his bus license. He was interviewed by the police after the No. 45 bus bombing.
Li Shiqing's counselor at school, and also the counselor of Wang Mengmeng and Liu Yao 5 years ago. She is involved in identifying Liu Yao as the witness of Wang Mengmeng's harassment.
The drama premiered on Tencent Video on January 11, 2022.[3] It was released in China on LINE TV the same day, and later on Viki. It was released in Thailand on TrueID,[4] in Korea on Asia N, A+Drama, in Hong Kong on MyTV SUPER, and on in the China, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei.
Members were able to watch the first six episodes on release, and then a new episode each Tuesday and Wednesday. On January 19 three episodes were released. Non-members were able to watch one new episode each day from Tuesday to Friday of each week.
VIP members were able to watch a new episode each day from Wednesday to Saturday each week. Non-members were able to watch a new episode each day from Thursday to Saturday of each week.
The first episode aired on Tencent Video on 11 January 2022; by 23 January 2022 its first 13 episodes had surpassed 1 billion total views on the platform.[7] In Taiwan the first episode debuted on 12 January 2022 on Line TV. In Thailand the series began airing on 19 January 2022 on TrueID.[8]
Reception
Its popularity has led to much discussion in China on social topics such as social responsibility and cyberbullying.[9] International reception has also been overwhelmingly positive.[10] It has a score of 7.9 (610k) on Douban and 8.1 on IMDb.
^"白敬亭赵今麦主演的电视剧《开端》今日开播" [The TV series "The Beginning" starring Bai Jingting and Zhao Jinmai starts broadcasting today]. 新浪娱乐. 2022-01-11. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
^"白敬亭赵今麦主演的电视剧《开端》今日开播" [The TV series "The Beginning" starring Bai Jingting and Zhao Jinmai starts broadcasting today]. 新浪娱乐. 2022-01-11. Retrieved 25 December 2022.