This review may contain spoilers
They ruined Jack and Ten
I just finished episode six and am kinda stumped as to why the producers sanitized the Jack and Ten storyline so much.There is literally zero tension between them in the show and it's just Jack giving in so easily and doing all the major emotional heavy lifting.
I'm the most recent episode, Jack goes to "confront" ten, but winds up reassuring him that he'll wait for ten and give him the chance to explain himself after the competition. Ten is solely framed as this misunderstood character instead of the reality that he has legitimate grievances while still having no loyalty or respect for others. They just completely undermined the weight of him helping Jack's girlfriend cheat. I read the book specifically about them and it's rife with tension and true expressions of anger, but the adaptation just takes all of that away.
why even include the cheating if they aren't going to give it the emotional focus it deserves?
I think the other characters were so well done and I actually like the heavy Lakorn aspects. When cheesiness is well done, it really does add a lot of wholesome energy to the narrative.
I love how restrained Bas' performance was. He was so expressive and whimsical in Fourever You, but here he is quiet and observant - the emoting is silent a lot of the times. I think it's the perfect role for him. I hope he continues to get both drama and comedy roles throughout his career.
Overall I like this show, just didn't understand the bizarre creative choices in regards to Jack and Ten's adaptation.
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First Impression: Be My Player Two (uncut version)
Overall: the humor was hit or miss, giving it the benefit of the doubt. 10 episodes about 45 minutes each. Episode 1 was 48 minutes. Airing on WeTV uncut https://wetv.vip/en/play/xi5rkwzl3ytaphi/s4102vq3tsf-EP01%3A_Be_My_Player_Two_(Uncut_ver.) and cut version https://wetv.vip/en/play/h744e3d4hzqgs3r/c4102dqtj4b-EP01%3A_Be_My_Player_Two (episode 1 cut version was about 5 minutes shorter than the uncut version)Content Warning: in game violence
What I Liked
- visuals
- their dynamic/opposites attract
- I did laugh a few times
Room For Improvement
- not all of the humor/style worked for me, one character has a very exaggerated style
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Interesting Approach
With only one episode aired, I'm already impressed with some of the production team's innovative choices. Dramas set in the world of esports are plentiful, and a major challenge facing the writers, directors (et. al.) is how to make the gaming feel like it has narrative consequence; and you most likely are not going to accomplish that by simply showing segments of game play. Gamers might find it thrilling to watch game play, but your average viewer isn't going to necessarily connect game play with characterization, plot progression, and emotional investment. Be My Player Two has found an interesting approach- to intercut animated game play with live action scenes of the actors mimicking gameplay (in a fantastical way). It's an interesting approach and I'm invested to see if it truly helps with our emotional investment , our ability to understand the consequence of gamer choice during game play, and to solidify audience allegiance. Bas, in particular, seems to have undertaken this challenge in his acting choices, and in these "fantasy" sequences, he even attempts to mimic the staccato movements of gaming characters in his gait, his stiff body movements, and his pace.It's nice to see Maxky doing the broad, heavy-lifting in this piece. In Fourever You, his character was more grounded, laid back, and observant- the character didn't require a broad range of physicality or emoting in every scene because he was the "zen" grounding for the chaotic elements around him. This time around, he is the chaos, but he offsets it neatly with a maturity that prevents his grandiosity from becoming cloying.
Solid start to a very hyped drama.
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