16.5M Hours Watched: Netflix Sci-Fi Series Mobius No Longer a Hidden Gem

While most of the biggest shows on streaming become household names, like The Pitt or Stranger Things, some shows still pull in an impressive audience, but continue to lie under the radar. That's exactly the case of the 2025 series Mobius, which first released on September 17, 2025. The Chinese series, which is available on Netflix in the US, is the definition of a sleeper hit, garnering, according to FlixPatrol, over 15.6 million hours and 1.3 million views from July to December 2025. The impressive numbers meant that the series was the 24th most-watched science-fiction series of the time, sitting between fellow Netflix titles Supacell and Cassandra. But while Mobius' numbers might be surprising, a quick dig into the series' shows what kept viewers tuning in and gripped until the very end.

What Is 'Mobius' About?

Mobius, directed by Liu Zhangmu, tells the story of a renowned detective named Ding Qi (Bai Jingting), who has a flawless track record but faces his trickiest and toughest case to date. When a killer begins leaving no witnesses, no evidence and no trace to himself, Ding Qi becomes determined to uncover the meticulous killer who's wreaking havoc in Hua'ao City. Using time travel as his new secret weapon, Ding Qi goes back and forth in time to find clues and investigate the killer. As the season goes on, and the potential threat of the killer, who seems to have time-travel skills of his own, looms closer, Ding Qi races against time to uncover the truth, and save the lives of countless victims.

But Ding Qi's time travel is far from straightforward. As it turns out, he's only allowed to rewind a day five times, with reality resetting and coming back to what it once was by midnight. Most people forget what happened, except the so-called "Time Cycle Perceivers" who can see it all. In each of the first four loops, Ding Qi does his best to gather clues, come up with plans, and prevent disaster from striking. In the fifth loop, or "ultimate cycle day," the stakes are higher than ever, and all bets are off.

'Mobius' Has Become One of Netflix's Biggest Sleeper Hits

From the streaming numbers alone, it's safe to say that Mobius' action-packed and mind-bending mystery has enticed fans and kept them on their toes. After all, despite not having a Rotten Tomatoes score yet, either from critics or the public, the series' has already entertained millions of viewers. According to the one available review on Rotten Tomatoes, from Gulf News, the series works because it balances science-fiction with action, as well as a sprinkling of romance, all while Jingting nails being a main character that's both fierce and determined, and charismatic too. "[Mobius] twists itself into a perfect loop of crime, conspiracy, and chaos," the review reads. "BJT carries the show, the time-loop mechanic stays fresh through clever variations, and the Cantonese-Mandarin mix is a refreshing bonus."

With that said, while the one-season miniseries has no plans of continuing on with a second season, Mobius will likely continue to win over fans. With a strong lead, unique time-travel ground rules and a plot that will leave viewers waiting for the finale, Mobius has become one of Netflix's most underseen yet surprisingly successful shows. If the last six months of 2025 are any indication, more and more Netflix subscribers will be tuning in soon enough.