A Game of Matching Wits
Final Verdict: Dropped
Is this a bad show? No, it honestly isn’t. I probably could skim through the final episodes, and I might still do that. However, for me specifically, it’s lost me.
The last half fizzles out in my opinion. It loses a lot of its charm. I feel like the writing just goes out the window. First of all, they did not build up the intrigue side of the show well enough for the drastic shift in the later episodes to make sense or pull you in. Secondly, some of the male characters drove me crazy… Our lead seems to grow more juvenile as the time goes on but then we’re supposed to buy it when he suddenly gets serious? And don’t get me started on how dumb the crown prince is written. It’s insane. And the antagonists… These “baddies” don’t give you a high stakes feeling at all.
And when I said second-lead-syndrome hits the chat HARD, I mean it. I found myself rooting for the other prince over the ML at times…Big yikes. Loved his character.
Look, I still honestly think a lot of people are gonna like this. So I’m not necessarily recommending against it. I really really enjoyed that first half, and maybe the flaws in the second half won’t bother everyone like it did me. But, personally, it’s gonna be a no.
Initial Review at the Halfway Point (Will Update after Finale)
I had super low expectations for this, but it has pleasantly surprised me. The romcom is definitely coming through strong. Our leads do a great job of portraying these bickering frenemies always trying to outwit the other. It’s funny and charming, and their chemistry is excellent. It’s not a perfect drama, but I’m really having a blast watching it.
Our FL has gotten a bad rap from commenters, but I get her. She’s been shaped by her awful circumstances; so she’s willing to do anything to protect herself, her little sister, and their beloved servant. She manipulates and acts “selfishly”, but reality always shows she has a heart that is strong and compassionate, and she’s brilliant too. This really is seen after episode 6. Stick it out, and she’ll win you over.
Things I’m liking so far:
• The cast is pretty solid. I love our leads, and many of the supporting characters are acted well too. You’ll fall in love with the FL’s little sister.
• The scenery, cinematography, costumes, and OST are *chef’s kiss*.
• The story, took a slow start a bit, but it’s on fire now. It’s really pulled me in. I’m invested fully and excited for the next half. It defies some trope, which I also appreciate.
Things I’m not liking so far:
• Something just wasn’t sucking me in the first five episodes. No “wow factor”. I almost dropped it, but I’m glad I stuck it out. I got done with the game of wits angle over and over because, while it was done well, it felt like there were two whole episodes just dedicated to their competitive dynamic but not in a way that kept you interested. Luckily, it shifted away from that. They still have the game of wits but it’s a part of the plot rather than the whole plot.
• I would like to see the overarching plot of the ML working for the Prince explored much better. They’re going for sneaky and vague, but it just comes across like nothing actually matters. You can’t get invested on their side because I’ve got nothing to work with. Give me some depth.
Is this a bad show? No, it honestly isn’t. I probably could skim through the final episodes, and I might still do that. However, for me specifically, it’s lost me.
The last half fizzles out in my opinion. It loses a lot of its charm. I feel like the writing just goes out the window. First of all, they did not build up the intrigue side of the show well enough for the drastic shift in the later episodes to make sense or pull you in. Secondly, some of the male characters drove me crazy… Our lead seems to grow more juvenile as the time goes on but then we’re supposed to buy it when he suddenly gets serious? And don’t get me started on how dumb the crown prince is written. It’s insane. And the antagonists… These “baddies” don’t give you a high stakes feeling at all.
And when I said second-lead-syndrome hits the chat HARD, I mean it. I found myself rooting for the other prince over the ML at times…Big yikes. Loved his character.
Look, I still honestly think a lot of people are gonna like this. So I’m not necessarily recommending against it. I really really enjoyed that first half, and maybe the flaws in the second half won’t bother everyone like it did me. But, personally, it’s gonna be a no.
Initial Review at the Halfway Point (Will Update after Finale)
I had super low expectations for this, but it has pleasantly surprised me. The romcom is definitely coming through strong. Our leads do a great job of portraying these bickering frenemies always trying to outwit the other. It’s funny and charming, and their chemistry is excellent. It’s not a perfect drama, but I’m really having a blast watching it.
Our FL has gotten a bad rap from commenters, but I get her. She’s been shaped by her awful circumstances; so she’s willing to do anything to protect herself, her little sister, and their beloved servant. She manipulates and acts “selfishly”, but reality always shows she has a heart that is strong and compassionate, and she’s brilliant too. This really is seen after episode 6. Stick it out, and she’ll win you over.
Things I’m liking so far:
• The cast is pretty solid. I love our leads, and many of the supporting characters are acted well too. You’ll fall in love with the FL’s little sister.
• The scenery, cinematography, costumes, and OST are *chef’s kiss*.
• The story, took a slow start a bit, but it’s on fire now. It’s really pulled me in. I’m invested fully and excited for the next half. It defies some trope, which I also appreciate.
Things I’m not liking so far:
• Something just wasn’t sucking me in the first five episodes. No “wow factor”. I almost dropped it, but I’m glad I stuck it out. I got done with the game of wits angle over and over because, while it was done well, it felt like there were two whole episodes just dedicated to their competitive dynamic but not in a way that kept you interested. Luckily, it shifted away from that. They still have the game of wits but it’s a part of the plot rather than the whole plot.
• I would like to see the overarching plot of the ML working for the Prince explored much better. They’re going for sneaky and vague, but it just comes across like nothing actually matters. You can’t get invested on their side because I’ve got nothing to work with. Give me some depth.
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