Mobius
Mobius is a 16-episode Chinese mystery thriller from iQIYI. It aired from September 17, 2025 to September 24, 2025, and all episodes are out. In the US it streams officially on Viki (free with ads) and iQIYI (VIP, episodes 1-2 free), checked October 25, 2026. It is adapted from a novel by Zhang Xiaomao.
Where to watch Mobius
Official services only, checked by hand for your country. Free options come first.
Watching from the US? Did it work for you?
Watching from the UK? Did it work for you?
Watching from Canada? Did it work for you?
Watching from Australia? Did it work for you?
We check the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Showing United States.
Is it worth watching?
Final verdict coming soon. It goes up once our editor has seen the ending. How we rate
Viewers who like Bai Jingting, time-loop puzzles and short, plot-first thrillers with action and dry humor
The story, without spoilers
What to Expect
We haven't watched this one. This section is based on the iQ.com, Viki and Netflix listings, Chinese previews and recaps, and two English reviews, and we'll replace it with a verdict once we have one.
The hook is the loop. The rules, as Chinese previews and English write-ups describe them, are simple. Ding Qi can relive a day up to five times, and the repeated day shows up at random. Each reset happens at midnight, and most people forget everything, except a few "loop perceivers" who keep their memories. The first four repeats are for investigating, and the fifth is the last one. He also can't tell his colleagues how he knows what he knows, which is where much of the friction comes from. Squid may have a power of his own, and Ding Qi may not be the only perceiver.
Tone-wise, the reviews we found point to a stylish genre piece rather than a slow mystery. Gulf News called it brilliant and savage, and said it mixes action and humor with only a light romance. A Substack reviewer said much the same, adding that the story switches between Mandarin and Cantonese, that the romance is minimal and that the Squid mystery was hard to follow in places. On Douban, the score was reported at 7.5 early on, and a Taiwanese magazine later cited 8.1, so we don't pin a single number here. A content note: the drama includes violence, murders and an explosion.
The Story
Ding Qi is a detective in Section 4 of a city police force, and he has a secret: he can relive a day, up to five times, while almost everyone around him forgets it ever happened. When a bank robbery ends in an explosion and the executives of a biotech company called MOMA begin turning up dead, he has to use those repeats to chase a murderer who calls himself Squid (乌贼, wuzei). Mobius (不眠日, Bu Mian Ri) is a 16-episode iQIYI thriller from 2025, starring Bai Jingting as Ding Qi, with Janice Man and Song Yang. Liu Zhangmu (刘璋牧) directed it. It is set in a fictional city called Hua'ao (华澳) and adapts a Chinese mystery novel series. It aired in China in September 2025 and streams internationally on iQ.com.
Release Notes
Mobius premiered on iQIYI on September 17, 2025, with Netflix carrying it internationally the same day, according to Wikipedia and D-Addicts. HK01 reports that on day one iQIYI members got five episodes at noon and non-members got two. After that members got two a day at 18:00, and from September 22 one a day. Wikipedia and Chinese Wikipedia give September 24 as the last release date. Some finale recaps are dated September 21 and 22, which probably reflects an early-access tier, and Wikipedia also gives a later date for regular viewers, so we're hedging on the exact finale date. Dragon TV began airing it on September 18. Taiwanese and Thai platforms began in early October, and Chinese Wikipedia lists a Hong Kong run on TVB Jade from July 2026, which we found only there.
Liu Zhangmu directed, with Yusufjiang (玉苏甫江) credited alongside him as group director. Bi Qiang (毕蔷) and Jiang Wu (姜无) are the credited writers, and the production companies are iQIYI, Youhug Media (耀客传媒) and Leben Culture (乐本文化). Filming wrapped in March 2025. Wikipedia reports more than 300 million views in the first week and Netflix top-ten placings in several Asian markets, including second place in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. These are platform and press claims, so treat them as such.
The soundtrack is listed on both Wikipedias. It includes Feifei Run (飞飞跑) by Muma Band (木马) and Bai Jingting, 5 Ci Jihui Zhengjiu Shijie (5次机会拯救世界) by Zang Binggan (臧丙干), Fei Ni Mo Shu (非你莫属) by Xiao Mier (小蜜儿) and Tiantang (天堂) by Journeyy Belton. From the US on October 25, 2026, Viki had all 16 episodes free with ads, and iQ.com had episodes 1 and 2 free with the rest for VIP members. Netflix also has a title page, which we couldn't load to check. No second season has been announced.
Does Mobius have a happy ending?
Nothing opens until you ask. The first step shows only the type of ending; the details come after.
Happy, sad or open?Shows only the type of ending, nothing about what happens.Show ending typeHide
We have not finished this one ourselves; this is based on outside sources. Fans disagree about how to read it.
In Brief
Ending spoilerShow the ending in brief
Mobius ends happily for Ding Qi and An Lan, with a hook for more. Chinese recaps agree on the main shape: Squid is unmasked, a medical breakthrough saves Ding Qi, and he and An Lan get together. They disagree about the very last minutes, which leave the loop power and the villain's fate open. Season 2 has not been announced.
Full Ending Explained
Full spoilersShow the full ending
This account comes from Chinese finale recaps (Tencent, NetEase, China.com, Baidu) and a Taiwanese ending piece (Marie Claire), not from watching. They agree on the broad shape and differ on the last minutes, and we say where.
Squid. The recaps name Mo Yuanzhi as Squid. They say he is trying to save the woman he loves, Feng Wanqing, who they say died after joining an RNA trial eight years earlier. One recap says he kept her body frozen and kept researching. The recaps say he staged the deaths of the MOMA shareholders Han Song and Tang Shaorong as accidents, an electric leak and a billboard explosion, to pressure Jiang Yuwen into handing over half of the early experiment data.
Jiang Yuwen. According to the recaps, he injected himself with the experimental serum eight years ago, which is what woke the loop sense. He then faked his own death. By the end he has visibly aged, and Marie Claire notes that the actor, Liu Yijun, would like him to return looking young.
The last loop. The recaps put the showdown on a rooftop helipad. Ding Qi arrests Mo Yuanzhi, but his heart fails afterward, which they present as a side effect of the loop sense. An Lan, a geneticist, has by then developed a reagent that wakes her mother and also saves Ding Qi. The couple share a kiss under fireworks by the river, Mo Yuanzhi is arrested and the lab is sealed.
What the recaps disagree on. Two Chinese recaps say Ding Qi decides to take the antidote and give up the loop power. A Baidu recap says he doesn't, and keeps it, which sets up a second season, and Marie Claire's account of the last scene points the same way. Sportskeeda reportedly says he loses it for a while and then loops again. On Mo Yuanzhi, a Baidu recap says he attacks a prison doctor and escapes when a new loop begins. Tencent and NetEase say a doctor killed him, which looks like a misreading of the same scene. China.com and Marie Claire say a new loop begins and he gets free or hurts someone in prison. Marie Claire also says two mysteries are left unsolved. We can't settle any of this without watching.
Change what opens automatically in .
Did you finish it?
Anonymous. One vote per device. We never show a score from these.
Finished Mobius? Watch next
Picked by our editors for the same feel. Finished dramas first.
The Longest Day in Chang'anAll 48 episodes outBittersweetBittersweetA condemned ex-soldier gets twelve hours to stop an attack on Tang-dynasty Chang'an during the Lantern Festival, working for a young Taoist official.
VikiVikiVikiViki
Mystic NineAll 30 episodes outBittersweetBittersweetZhang Qishan and the Nine Gates hunt a vanished army unit through a haunted underground tower, then face a government purge of their own clans.
VikiVikiVikiViki
The Vanishing BeautyAll 28 episodes outHappy EndingHappy EndingA pampered heiress learns her perfect marriage is a con and quietly turns investigator, in a modern revenge drama about marriage and money.
WeTVWeTVWeTVWeTV
Cast and characters
Also starring
- Ding Qi (Bai Jingting): a Section 4 detective. His loop ability lets him replay a day, but he can't explain to anyone how he knows what he knows.
- An Lan (Janice Man): a genetic biologist at MOMA, caught up in the case because of her work and her family.
- Mo Yuanzhi (Song Yang): a businessman and scientist who owns a big share of MOMA.
- Jiang Yuwen (Liu Yijun): a scientist who vanished eight years before the story begins.
- Maggie (Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying): an investor and an old friend of An Lan.
- Yu Shiya (Zhang Bojia): Mo Yuanzhi's wife, from whom he is estranged.
- Duan Zheng (Chen Baoyuan): Ding Qi's section chief.
- Fu Jun (Tian Lei): a delivery driver who used to work at MOMA as a technician.
- Squid (乌贼): the serial murderer who signs the killings. Also called X in some write-ups.
Identity Reveals
Ending spoilerShow identity reveals
The central mystery is who Squid is, and that is the show's biggest reveal. The synopsis only says Squid is a serial murderer who may share Ding Qi's power.
Ending spoilerReveal who Squid is
Chinese recaps say Squid is Mo Yuanzhi, the MOMA shareholder who is also a scientist. They describe his motive as saving Feng Wanqing, a woman he loved who died after an RNA trial. A Sohu article before the finale listed five suspects and ruled out four of them. Reviewers also said some viewers found the reveal hard to follow.
The novel behind it
Mobius adapts Ni Shi Zhen Cha Zu (逆时侦查组, "Reverse-Time Investigation Team"), a mystery novel series by Zhang Xiaomao (张小猫). Chinese outlets say the series has four books. A Sohu article says the first book won a Douban best-mystery prize in 2020, and a search summary we saw lists the first book as Ni Shi Zhen Cha Zu: Xiongshou He Shi Lai Fang (逆时侦查组：凶手何时来访), published by China Friendship Publishing. We only found each of these once, so treat them as reported rather than confirmed. The novel's lead is named Lu Tianfeng (路天峰), while the drama's lead is Ding Qi, so the adaptation changes at least that much. We haven't found an official English edition. A sequel to the series, Ni Shi Zhen Cha Zu 2, is mentioned in Taiwanese coverage of the possible second season.
- Original title
- 逆时侦查组
- Author
- Zhang Xiaomao 张小猫
- First published
- Other
- In English
- No official translation that we know of
Words and customs you'll hear
Mandarin and Cantonese
The characters switch between Mandarin and Cantonese, and Bai Jingting reportedly learned Cantonese for the part. Wikipedia says the shoot took place in Guangdong, with scenes set in Hong Kong and Macau. The made-up city of Hua'ao (华澳) uses characters that can be read as "China" and "Macau", which may be a nod to the Pearl River Delta, though we haven't found the production saying so.
The title
Bu Mian Ri (不眠日) means roughly "sleepless day". English Wikipedia lists Sleepless Days as the literal rendering, and the drama was earlier called Give Me Five, which may refer to the five repeats. Squid is wuzei (乌贼), the Chinese word for cuttlefish and squid.
Mobius FAQ
What is Mobius about?
Mobius is a 2025 Chinese time-loop thriller on iQIYI. Detective Ding Qi can relive a day up to five times, and he uses the repeats to chase a serial murderer called Squid after a bank robbery and the deaths of executives at the biotech firm MOMA. Most people forget each reset, except a few "perceivers" like him.
How many episodes does Mobius have?
Mobius has 16 episodes of about 45 minutes each. iQ.com, Viki, Netflix and Wikipedia all list 16, and all of them have already aired. It is a single season, and the story is told in full by the finale, although the last scenes leave a hook that fans have linked to a possible second season.
When was Mobius released?
Mobius premiered on iQIYI on September 17, 2025, with five episodes for members on day one. Wikipedia lists September 24 as the last date for members, while some finale recaps are dated a few days earlier and Wikipedia gives a later date for regular viewers. Because those sources differ, we can't say for sure which date is right.
Where can I watch Mobius?
In China it streams on iQIYI. From the US on October 25, 2026, Viki had all 16 episodes free with ads and English subtitles, and iQ.com listed all 16, with episodes 1 and 2 free and the rest for VIP members. Netflix also has a title page, which we couldn't check.
Is Mobius on Netflix?
Netflix has a Mobius page, and Wikipedia says Netflix carried it internationally from the premiere. We couldn't load the page, so we can't confirm the US, UK, Canada or Australia. In the US, Viki has all 16 episodes free with ads, which we checked on October 25, 2026.
Who is in the cast of Mobius?
Bai Jingting plays Ding Qi, Janice Man plays An Lan and Song Yang plays Mo Yuanzhi. Liu Yijun plays Jiang Yuwen, Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying plays Maggie and Zhang Bojia plays Yu Shiya. Chen Baoyuan, Han Li, Tian Lei, Song Jiateng and Qian Ying are also in the cast, and Wikipedia lists more.
How does the time loop work in Mobius?
Ding Qi can relive a day up to five times, and the repeated day appears at random. Each reset happens at midnight, and most people forget it, except a few perceivers who keep their memories. The first four repeats are for investigating and the fifth is the last. He can't explain how he knows what he knows.
Is Mobius good?
Reviews we found were positive. Gulf News called it brilliant and savage, with action, humor and a light romance. A Substack review liked it but said the Squid mystery was hard to follow. Douban was reported at 7.5 early on and 8.1 later. We haven't watched it, so this is only what critics and viewers say.
What is Mobius's rating?
Douban users gave it 7.5 early in its run, and a Taiwanese magazine later cited 8.1. Viki shows an age rating of PG-13, Netflix lists it as TV-14 and iQ.com as TV-PG. Scores and labels like these change over time, so they may have moved since.
Is there romance in Mobius?
Only a little. The Substack review we read says the romance is minimal, and Gulf News describes it as light. The show is mainly a time-loop thriller with action and humor. Expect the case, not the couple, to drive the plot.
What happens in Mobius episode 1?
According to iQ.com and Chinese previews, the story opens with a bank robbery that ends in an explosion, and executives at MOMA are then murdered. Ding Qi uses his repeated days to investigate. We haven't watched it, so we can't say how the synopsis splits across the first episode.
Where can I watch the Mobius trailer?
iQ.com has trailer and preview pages for the drama, titled "MOBIUS 不眠日". We haven't verified an official YouTube upload, so we don't embed one. From the US, iQ.com's preview pages are the official place to see a clip, and episodes 1 and 2 there are free to watch.
Is Mobius based on a novel?
Yes. It adapts the mystery novel series Ni Shi Zhen Cha Zu (逆时侦查组) by Zhang Xiaomao, which Chinese outlets say runs to four books. The novel's lead is named Lu Tianfeng, while the drama's lead is Ding Qi. We found no official English edition, so check bookstores before assuming one exists.
Is there a Mobius season 2?
No season 2 has been announced. The director reportedly hinted that fans' wishes might be met, iQIYI ran a social-media topic asking about it, and the novel series has a sequel. These are only indirect signs. We found no statement from iQIYI or the producers confirming a second season.
Does Mobius have a happy ending?
SpoilerShow the answer
Minor spoilerReveal whether it ends happily
Mostly, according to Chinese recaps. Ding Qi survives, Squid is caught, and he and An Lan become a couple. The recaps disagree on the last minutes, including whether he keeps the loop power and what happens to the villain, and those loose ends set up a possible sequel. We haven't watched it.
Mobius ending explained: who is Squid?
SpoilerShow the answer
Ending spoilerReveal who Squid is
Chinese recaps say Squid is Mo Yuanzhi, a MOMA shareholder who wants to save a woman he loved. They say he staged the deaths of two shareholders to pressure Jiang Yuwen over his early research. These are recap summaries, not our own viewing, so the finer details may differ on screen.
Does Ding Qi die in Mobius?
SpoilerShow the answer
Ending spoilerReveal Ding Qi's fate
No, according to the recaps. His heart fails after the final confrontation, which they present as a side effect of the loop sense, but An Lan's reagent saves him. The sources disagree on whether he gives up the loop ability afterward. We haven't watched it, so treat the detail as unconfirmed.
Still have a question about Mobius?
Ask us anything: an episode, a character, where to watch it. We answer the common ones on this page.
If you liked Mobius
More mystery & thriller our editors rate.
