Calling all murder mystery fans everywhere!Miss Sis now onHBO Maxand at your disposal to watch! If you’ve never heard ofMiss S, here is a little description: A socialite in 1930s Shanghai joins forces with a detective to solve murders around town. Fun, right? The show has all the fun parts of a murder mystery, mixed with all the fun parts of arich period piece, and a little romance as well.Miss Swas produced by HBO Asia and was originally meant only for that audience. Thus, when the show made the jump to HBO Max, it was a pleasant surprise to viewers all over the world who had never heard of the show. It was also a surprise to viewers that the show was in Mandarin and not English, even though the show is set in China.
Miss Sgives you all the period piece drama your heart desires but also makes you think, thanks to the confounding mystery and social commentary that exists in the show as well. Don’t let the subtitles distract or deter you, a few words at the bottom of the screen don’t ruin any show.
What is Miss S?
Miss Sis a new and exciting take on the classic murder mystery genre. The show is set in Shanghai in the 1930s, giving viewers an interesting time period and location to inhabit. The show follows the titular Miss S as she acts as a detective in Shanghai, wearing fun period pieces and solving murders.
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However, as Miss S herself is not a detective and instead a socialite, she must team upwith Inspector Luo Qiuheng. The two pair up and have all the camaraderie and buddy-cop energy that is enjoyable in these shows. But, the two also have a bunch of scuffles and maybe don’t exactly enjoy working together at the beginning. The show was first released on HBO Asia, a separate entity of the HBO brand as a whole. After the show was successful there, HBO decided to bringMiss Sto HBO Max earlier this year. The show is filled with mystery, romance, and the extra visual elements that come with a period piece, so now is the perfect time to watchMiss Son HBO Max.
Is Miss S Based on Anything?
Yes and no.Miss Sis not based on any particular crime or specific case. The show is instead based on an Australian series,Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. WhileMiss Fisher’sis set in Melbournein the 1920s, it was previously mentioned thatMiss Sis set in Shanghai in the 30s, soMiss Swas able to be very creative with said costuming. WhileMiss Sis based onMiss Fisher’s,the shows are extremely unique in their own rights and very culturally specific.
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Miss Shas different storylines and different cases, making it its own separate entity. Fans of one don’t need to watch the other, but the two are similar enough that murder mystery fans would enjoy both shows;Miss Sjust gives a special, culturally precise touch that might appeal to viewers in this heyday of great Asian cinema. Both shows do serve a purpose for separate audiences in separate countries, but in all honesty, could be enjoyed by people from just about anywhere. People from everywhere love murder mysteries and period pieces, so language and culture should not be a barrier.
Should You Watch Miss S?
Don’t let subtitles discourage you from watching any show. Yes,Miss Sis in Mandarin, which may deter some viewers, and HBO Max made the decision not to dub any of the audio in different languages (unlike most international shows hitting streaming services). Don’t let that prevent you from exploring an extremely fun and visually luxurious world, though; subtitles can open you to a whole new area of programming that you would have never seen otherwise.
It’s okay thatMiss Slacks an English dub, even if that may (sadly) scare some viewers off.Dubbed content has its problems, as stories tend to lose a lot of meaning when the original actors are unable to voice their roles. However, when you watch international shows in their native language with subtitles, you are able to get the full experience that you were meant to have with the story, and are sure that nothing gets lost in translation. This is the experience that you can gain while watchingMiss S,not just a culturally educational one but a downright fun, old school murder mystery as well. The show isnow on HBO Maxin multiple countries, so give it a watch.
