The Disguiser

Set in the Japanese occupation era, the rich yet naive young master Ming Tai is trained to become an agent, and is later sent to become an underground spy for the Communists. Together with his brother and double agent Ming Lou, they try and bring down Wang Wei's Kuomintang Secret Service Headquarters.

The Disguiser (2015) is a Chinese spy drama series created for Hunan Television, iQiyi, Mango TV and Youku, a single-season run of forty-eight episodes. Set during the Japanese occupation of China, it follows the rich yet naive young master Ming Tai (Hu Ge), who is trained as an agent and sent underground as a spy for the Communists. Working alongside his brother and double agent Ming Lou (Jin Dong), he must infiltrate the rival forces and try to bring down Wang Wei's Kuomintang Secret Service Headquarters. The engine is constant risk: every disguise, every contact and every handoff can expose the brothers to interrogation, and each episode turns on tense small deceptions as the pair weighs personal loyalty against ideological duty. Other principal figures, including Wang Kai as Ming Cheng and Wang Ou as Wang Manchun, widen the web of allegiance and betrayal. Its tone is tense, sober and emotionally weighty, with a wartime atmosphere of paranoia and quiet sacrifice. Fans of The Americans, Spy Game and Pride and Glory will find resonance in its layered espionage, divided family loyalties and historical political intrigue. The story unfolds as a single continuing arc where order matters throughout.

• The Americansshared espionage thriller tones, wartime undercover intrigue, serialized spy plotting
• Spy Gameshared wartime occupation setting, double agent intrigue, serialized spy drama
• Pride and Gloryshared period espionage, historical political intrigue, brotherhood under pressure

Release Date

2015-08-31

Episode runtime

35 min

Rating

7.6 / 10 (20)

What is The Disguiser about?

A naive young heir is trained as a spy and sent underground during Japanese occupation, working with his double-agent brother to topple a Kuomintang intelligence headquarters.

What is The Disguiser like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Disguiser as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.

Is The Disguiser violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Disguiser as moderate.

Which shows are like The Disguiser?

Shows with a similar feel include The Americans, Spy Game, and Pride and Glory.

How long is The Disguiser?

The Disguiser: 1 season, 48 episodes.

Is The Disguiser still running?

No, The Disguiser has ended.