Mr. Bad

 

I was looking forward to Mr. Bad after watching a few lengthy dramas in a row for the past few weeks. So, 24 episodes was like a welcomed change as I wasn’t in the mood for another long-winded story. The fact that this is a rom-com sealed the deal for me. At least, I can just enjoy this without thinking too much and complete it quickly. Well, did it meet my expectations of an enjoyable watch? 

Main Characters

Xiao Wu Di

Wu Di is an ancient villain in a web novel written by Nan Xing who came alive. He is confident, smart, and a fast learner. But he is domineering and can get easily annoyed. Wu Di is a handsome guy whom women are easily attracted to.

Nan Xing

Nan Xing is an ex-discus thrower and fresh graduate. She is a very strong girl with an athlete style who doesn’t have any dating experience. She also writes web novels as a hobby and Zi Chen is her idol author. Nan Xing has a cheerful and bubbly personality.

Supporting Characters

Lu Zi Chen

Zi Chen is a popular author and president of a publishing company called X-Culture. He is a reserved and shy man when it comes to his feelings for another. He also can be temperamental at times. Zi Chen spends most of his time on writing and leaves the running of the company to Ye Qing.

Ye Qing

Ye Qing is the CEO of X-Culture. She and Zi Chen go back a long way as they knew each other from their student days and built up the company together. She was his personal assistant in the past. Ye Qing is a workaholic and responsible executive.

An Ni Na / Aunty An

Aunty An is Nan Xing’s mother and they share a loving relationship. They live together and she is a very open-minded parent. She looks forward to seeing Nan Xing date and views Wu Di as good boyfriend material.

Xiong Si Si

Si Si is an athlete and Nan Xing’s good friend. She is Nan Xing’s junior and still studying in university.

Xiao Hao

Xiao Hao is Si Si’s teammate and fellow student. He is interested in Si Si but she seems nonchalant about his feelings for her.

Nan Xing writes web novels in her free time. Wu Di is a character she created for her novel. He is written as a bad guy from an ancient dynasty 500 years ago. One night, Wu Di was summoned and came alive when Nan Xing leisurely wished for an unforgettable love at a fairy wishing fountain.

Both of them don’t get along and start off being annoyed with each other. This is especially so when Wu Di will get teleported to Nan Xing’s location each time she calls her help. Wu Di wants to return to his world and he surmises that the only way to do that is to fulfill Nan Xing’s wish for an unforgettable love. Hence, Wu Di tries to set Nan Xing up with her boss and idol. However, he starts to get jealous in the process and discovers that he is falling for her.

Mr. Bad Ending (Spoilers Alert!)

I see Mr. Bad as having a happy ending. Well, at least it ends with a kiss! If you are confused, just remember that Nan Xing is an author. In the last 10 minutes of the drama, she is shown to be narrating her novel in a meet-the-fans session. Thus, the whole story is a product of her imagination even if some of the characters and events in the book may have some resemblance to her real life experience. She tells her fans that the story is purely fiction.

In her real life, Nan Xing’s husband is Mao Xiao Jun who looks like the fictional character, Wu Di, in her book. He is also her childhood sweetheart and a university professor. Mao Xiao Jun appears on stage together with Nan Xing then and they share a kiss to end the drama.

Also at the session is Ye Qing who acts as the emcee and Zi Chen who is observing the proceedings from the back. After Mao Xiao Jun gets on stage, Ye Qing is seen slipping to the back to join Zi Chen. There is no explanation as to the nature of the second couple’s relationship outside of the book. They are just seen smiling and standing close to each other as they watch the main couple on stage.

When Did The Couple Get Together?

Nan Xing and Wu Di do not really like each other at the start. They become friendlier with each other from Episode 6 after Wu Di feels guilty for pranking Nan Xing that he is dying and causing her unnecessary worry. Wu Di starts to get jealous in Episode 8 when he tries to set her up with her boss to fulfill her wish for an unforgettable love so that he can return to his world. He falls for her in Episode 10 and comes up with tricks to get her to spend time with him.

Nan Xing begins to change her view of Wu Di and finds him cool in Episode 13 after he helps Si Si to confront some bullies. She starts to fall in love with him in Episode 14 after they worked together to write a novel. She experiences a heart-fluttering moment when he holds her hand.

Nan Xing confesses her love in Episode 16. Wu Di rejects her initially. He explains that it would be selfish of him to accept when they have no future since he is not from this world. However, Nan Xing convinces him that she wants to cherish what she has in the present so that there will be no regrets later no matter the outcome. They start dating then. The couple have their wedding in Episode 24 and a few years later, they already have a little daughter.

Is There A Breakup And Love Triangle?

No, there isn’t any breakup. However, Wu Di did get angry and confused about the purpose of his existence in Episode 17 when he finds out that he didn’t time-travel but merely a fictional character created by Nan Xing. When she helps him to overcome the confusion in Episode 18, he fades from the real world as they kiss. He reappears back in his ancient world until Episode 20 when Nan Xing’s desperate cry for help in her panic mode teleports him back to her.

Wu Di is able to get back to the real world because he struck a deal with Fairy Zhen. His mission is to cure Nan Xing’s panic disorder. Once his mission is accomplished, he will cease to exist. Wu Di still chooses to help Nan Xing and does so in Episode 23. He fades back to his world only to be told by Fairy Zhen that the fictional character is what will disappear. He takes the character’s place as a human and reappears back in the real world to be together with Nan Xing.

There is also no love triangle in Mr. Bad. Both the couples are very sure of who they love. Nan Xing only sees Zi Chen as an idol and boss. She has no interest in any romantic relationship with him and makes it clear to Wu Di in Episode 8.

Where Did Wu Di Come From?

The background story of how Wu Di came about is revealed in Episode 23. Nan Xing always thought that Mao Xiao Jun didn’t like her one bit but he secretly did. In fact, he loved her a lot since they were young kids. When Mao Xiao Jun was a boy, he met Fairy Zhen who tricked him out of a candy. In exchange, Fairy Zhen gave him a coin for him to make a wish. The fairy thought Mao Xiao Jun would wish for a toy like any other kid. But he wished for Nan Xing to be forever safe and happy.

Therefore, Fairy Zhen felt obligated to fulfill Mao Xiao Jun’s wish after his death. The chance came when Nan Xing herself wished for an unforgettable love one night. Wu Di who came into being was actually Mao Xiao Jun’s creation. Mao Xiao Jun wrote out the character as a hero to protect Nan Xing in his imagination. He called the character Wu Di as Nan Xing has mentioned the name before.

That is why Wu Di is not exactly a villain like what Nan Xing has written him to be. Instead, he possesses some of Mao Xiao Jun’s thoughts and emotions. What Fairy Zhen wants Wu Di to do is to love Nan Xing and protect her as per Mao Xiao Jun’s wish. Hence, the mission he gives Wu Di is a test of his love for Nan Xing. When Wu Di is willing to sacrifice his existence for Nan Xing’s welfare, he passes the test and Fairy Zhen then transforms him into a real human to be with her.

How Did Mao Xian Jun Die?

Nan Xing narrates to Wu Di what happened to Mao Xiao Jun and her father in Episode 22. She and Mao Xiao Jun were neighbors. One night, her father had to work the night shift in the lab and she was with him. Because Nan Xing liked Mao Xiao Jun and wanted to see him, she kept pestering him to bring them supper. When he arrived, the lab was on fire. After ensuring she was safe, he went into the lab to try to save her father as requested. But both Mao Xiao Jun and her father died in the fire.

Because of the incident, Nan Xing developed a panic disorder. She will freeze up and panic at the sight of fire at times. She also has a tight knot in her heart due to guilt and regret as she blames herself for causing Mao Xiao Jun’s death. In Episode 23, Wu Di recreates her experiences with Mao Xiao Jun to convince her that the latter loved her and his death is not her fault. It was Mao Xiao Jun’s choice to try to save her father because of his love for her.

Zi Chen And Ye Qing

Both Zi Chen and Ye Ching have feelings for each other but kept it to themselves. Zi Chen told his father that he and Ye Ching are only business partners and will never be a couple when they wanted him to invest in their company at its inception. This is shown as a flashback in Episode 13. In Episode 15, Ye Qing is shown striking a deal with Zi Chen’s father. She gave her assurance that she will never date Zi Chen in exchange for his investment in X-Culture.

Hence, Ye Qing tries her best to maintain a strictly business relationship with Zi Chen. However, Zi Chen finally summons up the courage to confess to Ye Qing in Episode 16. She rejects him as she is afraid of the consequences of an office romance and the future of the company. They quarrel over it in Episode 17 which leads to her resignation in Episode 18.

After Ye Qing’s resignation, Zi Chen has to shoulder the running of the company all by himself. He also learns of his father’s agreement with Ye Qing. As a result, Zi Chen sells his house to buy off his father’s share to escape from his control in Episode 19. He becomes more matured and realizes the pressure Ye Qing had been under while working for him. In Episode 22, he tells Ye Qing not to give up her freedom to work for him. He wants her to do what she likes instead. But she decides to return to be his personal assistant as that is what makes her happy. Ye Qing buys her own wedding ring which Zi Chen uses to propose to her in Episode 24. A few years later, they are happily married with a daughter in the novel.