Wasted Potential
Censorship butchered what would have been a remarkable show. Scenes felt disjointed, characters referred to scenes we hadn't been shown, and important plot points were glazed over, causing momentum to be lost. The final nail in the coffin was the rushed and underwhelming ending. The show had its flaws outside censorship, like the maid with zero brain cells (why write such a frustrating, useless character!) If this were a cheesy rom-com, I'd give it a bit more grace, as I'd be able to shut my brain off and watch without too much analysis. However, it covers darker, more mature material that deserves more intentional story-telling. All that being said, the cast did an amazing job portraying their characters and the overall story was unique. With all its faults, I would still recommend the watch, it was entertaining. I suppose that is most important in the end.Was this review helpful to you?
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Seriously what was that?
When I saw the ratings and hype around this show, I was so ready to enjoy a good action comedy. However, I finished feeling underwhelmed and annoyed. Let’s start with the good; I loved the male lead. He brought a lot of charisma to the role. Observing him move around the school and engage with the students was entertaining. The students were also a fun watch, particularly Ye Na, as she was probably the only major deviation from the typical tropes. Now the negatives. I did not care for the romance in this show. It felt forced, with very little romantic chemistry between the leads. At first, the female lead made me feel really irritated and uncomfortable. It took quite a long time for her to grow on me and she ended up being lukewarm at best. The villain was a lifeless caricature that left me feeling indifferent. The actress gave a decent performance, but you can only do so much with poor writing. She wants money, she wants power, yawn. There was an opportunity to make her more layered. Speaking of the writing, the numerous plot holes made me feel as though I was watching a children's film. When they revealed the picture of the male and female lead “dating,” I was wondering how it took so long. These are probably the sloppiest NIS agents ever. Some might say I’m taking this comedy too seriously. You might be right. I think I’d be less critical if they leaned a bit more into the over-the-top and campy nature of the drama. However, tonally they were all over the place. Overall, the show is just fine; albeit rather predictable (down to the final reveal about the gold), but it has moments of entertainment.Was this review helpful to you?
