Detective Chinatown (web series)

Detective Chinatown (Chinese: 唐人街探案; pinyin: Tángrénjiē Tàn Àn) is a Chinese mystery crime drama web television series. It is executively produced by Chen Sicheng, with the first season having an ensemble cast including Roy Chiu, Janine Chang, Zhang Yishang, Chen Zheyuan and Yuxian Shang, Haoming Yu and Kenny Bee joining in season two.

The web series serves as a spin-off from the acclaimed Detective Chinatown film franchise, featuring detectives Tang Ren (Wang Baoqiang) and Qin Feng (Liu Haoran). 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 Detective Chinatown universe storyline with events of the web series beginning in the aftermath of the first film, Detective Chinatown, and running concurrently with those of Detective Chinatown 2 and Detective Chinatown 3.

Premiering in January, 2020 and then in February, 2024, both seasons were made available exclusively on the subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service iQIYI 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 (Wang Baoqiang) who’s reputed to be the #1 Detective of Chinatown, and Noda Koji, Noda Hiroshi’s (Satoshi Tsumabuki) younger brother, also get involved and become overwhelmed during the investigation. The victim’s wife Ivy (Janine Chang), 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 (Roy Chiu), while the third follows leader of the group Five Spirited Detectives Noda Koji (Chen Zheyuan).

Season 2 (2024)

A series of bizarre cases have re-emerged overseas. With Tang Ren's (Wang Baoqiang) 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 (Roy Chiu), 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 Detective Chinatown and during the Five Elements Serial Murder Case in Detective Chinatown 2, 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 the film 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 the film Detective Chinatown 3.

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 Detective Chinatown 3.

Timeline of Cases

1. (2016 - Bangkok, Thailand) Gold Murder (Detective Chinatown)
2. (2018 - Bangkok, Thailand) Name of the Rose - Season 1 - Episodes: 5-8
3. (2018 - Hong Kong, China) Amusement Park - Season 1 - Episodes: 9-12
4. (2018 - Bangkok, Thailand) Mandala's Dance - Season 1- Episodes: 1-5
5. (2018 - New York, United States of America) Five Elements Serial Murder (Detective Chinatown 2)
6. (2018 - High Seas, Taiwan) Ghost Invitational - Season 1 - Episodes: 9-12
7. (2018 - Tokyo, Japan) Locked Room Murder (Detective Chinatown 3)
8. (2019 - Hong Kong, China) Golden City - Season 2 - Episodes: 13-16
9. (2021 - Bangkok, Thailand) Angel's Melody - Season 2 - Episodes: 1-5
10. (2021 - Bangkok, Thailand) Devil's Breath - Season 2 - Episodes: 6-8

Cast

Main Cast

• Roy Chiu as Lin Mo (Chinese: 林默)

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 Detective Chinatown 3.

• Zhang Yishang as Sa Sha (Chinese: 萨沙)

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.

• Chen Zheyuan as Noda Koji (Chinese: 野田昊二) (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 (Satoshi Tsumabuki), 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 Detective Chinatown 3.

• Yuxian Shang as Kiko (Cameo - Season 1, Main Cast - Season 2)

First introduced in the Five Elements Serial Murder case in Detective Chinatown 2. 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 Detective Chinatown 3.

Supporting Cast

• Janine Chang as Ivy (Chinese: 金绮雯) (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 Detective Chinatown 3.

• Haoming Yu as Lin Sen (Chinese: 林森) (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.

• Kenny Bee as Lin Yingshu (Chinese: 林英树) (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

• Wang Baoqiang as Tang Ren (Chinese: 唐仁) (Season 1 & Season 2)
• Liu Haoran as Qin Feng (Chinese: 秦风) (Season 1 & Season 2)
• Xiao Yang as Kun Tai (Chinese: 坤泰) (Season 1 & Season 2)
• Yuxian Shang as Kiko (Season 1)
• Zhang Shi as Dulang (Chinese: 度郎) (Season 1 & Season 2)
• Tony Jaa as Jack Jaa (Season 2)
• Janine Chang as Ivy (Chinese: 金绮雯) (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 as Xiao Ai

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

• Janine Chang as Ivy
• Zhang Yishang as Sa Sha
• Zhang Songwen as Wen Song
• Chen Yusi as An Qi
• Deng Enxi as Xiao Ai
• Chang Shih as Du Lang
• Zhang Jingwei as Kun Da
• Chang Kuo-chu as Lao Yu
• Ma Yuke as Jia De
• Hu Lianxin as Mei Xin

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

• Chen Zheyuan as Yetian Hao'er/Noda Koji
• Cheng Xiao 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 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
• Tony Jaa 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 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 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 iQIYI 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 Douban 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
• Detective Chinatown on Douban
• Detective Chinatown on iQIYI
• Detective Chinatown on IMDB
• Detective Chinatown 2 on Douban
• Detective Chinatown 2 on iQIYI
• Detective Chinatown 2 on IMDB