Qi pao mei tan

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.

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!

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 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.

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.