2
Something Feels Missing
"Checkmate by Chaos, When the Writer/Director Becomes the Dumbest Player"
[after 16 eps ] I neither see love nor hate in this , there’s no glimpse of a love-hate story. There’s absolutely no chemistry between the couple; they come across more like strangers, co-passengers just traveling, or colleagues working together.
The story is decent, and no doubt the actors are talented , I’ve seen and appreciated their work before. But here, they’re unable to bring that emotional depth into the narrative. Something feels off, which is why I can't really connect with it. It feels more like they’re just going through the motions, as if there’s no real spark. Makes me wonder if there’s some off-screen issue that’s affecting their on-screen performance.
Also, once the real identities are revealed, all the characters suddenly go through a 180-degree change, which doesn’t feel organic or in sync with the story’s flow. It seems like the makers are playing it safe , like romantic comedies (light hearted ) are often considered a "safe zone" genre.
Overall, it’s an okay-ish drama. There’s nothing particularly exciting or intriguing to keep you hooked or on the edge of your seat. I’m watching it mainly because there’s nothing else to watch , not because it’s genuinely compelling. That said, it doesn’t frustrate or annoy me either, which in itself is a plus point.
Other dramas not only fall short, but they’re also frustrating to watch. This one, despite its flaws, doesn't frustrate , like I said, it feels like a safe play.
overall okay-ish drama watch if you have nothing.
[after 28 eps ] Dragged by Fillers: There are more fillers than actual meaningful content, and the pacing is extremely slow. This story could have easily been wrapped up in 10–20 episodes.
Equality Claimed, Not Shown : If the female lead (FL) is supposed to be equal to the male lead (ML), then why doesn’t she have her own kingdom, palace, army, or loyal subordinates? Why did she have to make a mortal sect her follower? I mean, she can do that, but shouldn’t she already have her own people, especially if she holds equal status to the ML?
Also, they keep saying FL and ML are equally powerful, but FL isn’t even able to leave a scratch on ML. It’s only because of ML’s deep feelings for her that he allows himself to get hurt , he’s holding back. That’s not equality in strength; it’s just ML’s emotional restraint.
No Heart, No Hook : All the characters and the story feel lifeless. There's no depth, no backstory , nothing that helps develop the plot or the people in it. The way it has been executed makes it seem like the creators didn’t even try to give the characters any individuality. Everyone feels like background extras just standing around, rather than real people with real emotions or purposes.
I can't connect with this drama because it evokes absolutely nothing in me , no love, no hate, no sympathy, no empathy, not even sadness or happiness. And when a viewer feels that way, it’s a clear sign that the drama has failed to reach their heart. For me, this drama is a complete failure.
[after 32 eps ] From start to finish, this story is filled with foolish decisions and a complete lack of purpose. Not a single character can be called wise, nor did anyone truly demonstrate strength in the real sense. Every character kept making irrational, senseless choices. Even after achieving something as significant as immortality, they still came across as weak and directionless.
It felt like all the characters were pawns on a chessboard, and the writer was just randomly moving them around without any strategy. The writer was pulling the strings, but instead of crafting a clever game, he made every wrong move. The pawns-these characters, were being killed off at random, and for what? If this was a chess match, let me tell you, Mr. Writer, you’ve already lost.
Honestly, the biggest fool in this entire drama is the one writing it. And in the end, what does the female lead even achieve? Living in an illusion? Changing the past that doesn’t even affect the future? This is one of the most baseless and illogical endings I’ve ever seen in any drama.
Usually, I don’t care whether a character lives or dies at the end, what matters to me is the emotional closure, the meaningful farewell or message that most stories offer. But here? Nothing. No impact. It's as if the script was written under the influence of something, like the writer was high while drafting it.
I initially gave this drama a 5-star rating, but I’m changing that now. Even that rating feels undeserved.
Since giving a rating is mandatory while submitting a review, my rating will appear on this drama’s profile. But honestly, I didn’t even want to touch the rating section , I would’ve preferred to leave it completely blank. Thankfully, it’s not compulsory on the user profile, so it won’t show up in my actual list. Why should I even bother struggling to decide what rating to give something that doesn’t feel worth rating at all?
❌spoiler minor❌
A blunder worth mentioning: The villain says that he found out the female lead (FL) is the male lead’s (ML) weakness when they were imprisoned together for 10 years. But this makes no sense. If the villain was imprisoned for those 10 years, and during that same period the FL was being tortured in the mortal world, how could the villain have orchestrated or even been involved in manipulating her pain?
Isn’t that a clear contradiction?
Yes, if there had been some magical element or explanation allowing him to influence things from prison, that would be different. But nothing like that was mentioned or shown. So this stands out as a major writing flaw , a clear plot hole on the writer's part.
[after 16 eps ] I neither see love nor hate in this , there’s no glimpse of a love-hate story. There’s absolutely no chemistry between the couple; they come across more like strangers, co-passengers just traveling, or colleagues working together.
The story is decent, and no doubt the actors are talented , I’ve seen and appreciated their work before. But here, they’re unable to bring that emotional depth into the narrative. Something feels off, which is why I can't really connect with it. It feels more like they’re just going through the motions, as if there’s no real spark. Makes me wonder if there’s some off-screen issue that’s affecting their on-screen performance.
Also, once the real identities are revealed, all the characters suddenly go through a 180-degree change, which doesn’t feel organic or in sync with the story’s flow. It seems like the makers are playing it safe , like romantic comedies (light hearted ) are often considered a "safe zone" genre.
Overall, it’s an okay-ish drama. There’s nothing particularly exciting or intriguing to keep you hooked or on the edge of your seat. I’m watching it mainly because there’s nothing else to watch , not because it’s genuinely compelling. That said, it doesn’t frustrate or annoy me either, which in itself is a plus point.
Other dramas not only fall short, but they’re also frustrating to watch. This one, despite its flaws, doesn't frustrate , like I said, it feels like a safe play.
overall okay-ish drama watch if you have nothing.
[after 28 eps ] Dragged by Fillers: There are more fillers than actual meaningful content, and the pacing is extremely slow. This story could have easily been wrapped up in 10–20 episodes.
Equality Claimed, Not Shown : If the female lead (FL) is supposed to be equal to the male lead (ML), then why doesn’t she have her own kingdom, palace, army, or loyal subordinates? Why did she have to make a mortal sect her follower? I mean, she can do that, but shouldn’t she already have her own people, especially if she holds equal status to the ML?
Also, they keep saying FL and ML are equally powerful, but FL isn’t even able to leave a scratch on ML. It’s only because of ML’s deep feelings for her that he allows himself to get hurt , he’s holding back. That’s not equality in strength; it’s just ML’s emotional restraint.
No Heart, No Hook : All the characters and the story feel lifeless. There's no depth, no backstory , nothing that helps develop the plot or the people in it. The way it has been executed makes it seem like the creators didn’t even try to give the characters any individuality. Everyone feels like background extras just standing around, rather than real people with real emotions or purposes.
I can't connect with this drama because it evokes absolutely nothing in me , no love, no hate, no sympathy, no empathy, not even sadness or happiness. And when a viewer feels that way, it’s a clear sign that the drama has failed to reach their heart. For me, this drama is a complete failure.
[after 32 eps ] From start to finish, this story is filled with foolish decisions and a complete lack of purpose. Not a single character can be called wise, nor did anyone truly demonstrate strength in the real sense. Every character kept making irrational, senseless choices. Even after achieving something as significant as immortality, they still came across as weak and directionless.
It felt like all the characters were pawns on a chessboard, and the writer was just randomly moving them around without any strategy. The writer was pulling the strings, but instead of crafting a clever game, he made every wrong move. The pawns-these characters, were being killed off at random, and for what? If this was a chess match, let me tell you, Mr. Writer, you’ve already lost.
Honestly, the biggest fool in this entire drama is the one writing it. And in the end, what does the female lead even achieve? Living in an illusion? Changing the past that doesn’t even affect the future? This is one of the most baseless and illogical endings I’ve ever seen in any drama.
Usually, I don’t care whether a character lives or dies at the end, what matters to me is the emotional closure, the meaningful farewell or message that most stories offer. But here? Nothing. No impact. It's as if the script was written under the influence of something, like the writer was high while drafting it.
I initially gave this drama a 5-star rating, but I’m changing that now. Even that rating feels undeserved.
Since giving a rating is mandatory while submitting a review, my rating will appear on this drama’s profile. But honestly, I didn’t even want to touch the rating section , I would’ve preferred to leave it completely blank. Thankfully, it’s not compulsory on the user profile, so it won’t show up in my actual list. Why should I even bother struggling to decide what rating to give something that doesn’t feel worth rating at all?
❌spoiler minor❌
A blunder worth mentioning: The villain says that he found out the female lead (FL) is the male lead’s (ML) weakness when they were imprisoned together for 10 years. But this makes no sense. If the villain was imprisoned for those 10 years, and during that same period the FL was being tortured in the mortal world, how could the villain have orchestrated or even been involved in manipulating her pain?
Isn’t that a clear contradiction?
Yes, if there had been some magical element or explanation allowing him to influence things from prison, that would be different. But nothing like that was mentioned or shown. So this stands out as a major writing flaw , a clear plot hole on the writer's part.
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