Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violent influencer-themed thriller has cursing, smoking.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Million-Follower Detective
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
The Taiwanese crime thriller MILLION-FOLLOWER DETECTIVE tells the story of a mysterious social media influencer and an old-school detective trying to stop a murder spree. It's October, and veteran police detective Chen Chia-hen (Ekin Cheng) is under public scrutiny after shooting well-known influencer Wei Yen (Kent Tsai) during a police standoff and then losing his temper with his fans and witnesses. It doesn't help that popular social media influencers are being found murdered throughout Taipei. As Chen faces the wrath of the police brass, rookie high-tech criminal investigator Li Hsin-ping (Patty Pei-Yu Lee) realizes that a masked social media tarot reader who calls herself "Witch Baba" is now a viral sensation thanks to her ability to successfully predict the shooting and the other influencer deaths. Chen knows that the key to solving the crime and clearing his name is to uncover Witch Baba's real identity and determine her real-time connection to the murders, but he doesn't have the internet savvy necessary to do so. He grudgingly works with Investigator Li and influencer Lin "Youzi" Ting-yu (Shou Lo) to investigate, and soon realizes that the case is much more complicated than anyone expected. Adding to his stress are the connections he's making between this case and his estranged daughter (played by Buffy Chen).
Is It Any Good?
The thrilling series offers viewers a dark and intricate look at "netizenship" (online citizenship) as it follows an investigation of a serial murder case. Throughout it all, Detective Chen (Ekin Cheng) finds himself having to negotiate his disdain for social media and the digital world while he uses tried and true old-school investigative strategy. This leads to some humorous moments, but it also creates space in the narrative for revealing insights into the professional and personal struggles he's had since the sudden death of his wife and subsequent estrangement from his daughter. All of this is interesting, but it doesn't take away from the fact that Million-Follower Detective is a well-developed detective story that's both intriguing and binge-worthy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what social media influencers do to attract viewers. Should you follow them if what they do is mean or dangerous, even if it's meant to be fun or funny?
What is a netizen? What specific social commentary does Million-Follower Detective offer about this community?
TV Details
- Premiere date : February 12, 2026
- Cast : Ekin Cheng , Patty 'Pei-Yu' Lee , Shou Lo
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Family Stories ( Dads , Moms , Single Parents )
- Character Strengths : Perseverance , Teamwork
- TV rating :
- Last updated : February 25, 2026
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