This review may contain spoilers
Too. Many. Characters.
It was not great to me, and did not live up to the hype. I loved the first season, like really loved. I think I've watched it 7 or 8 times. And I am a big fan of the cast, of all of them, so I was really looking forward to this season. I waited until it was over to watch so I could get the full, immersive experience, I really wanted to like it more than I did. They probably shouldn't have done a 2nd season, but since the first season was so popular I can understand wanting to capitalize on that. But honestly this ruined a lot of the characters for me. The rest of this review is my opinions of the characters and how the series portrayed them.
There were just WAYYYYY too many characters, no one's story felt complete, I was so let down by the storylines of the side couples and characters. If they were going to have that big of a cast and make so many couples they needed to do a 24 episode season.
Apparently I had STRONG feelings about this series, I realized as I was writing how much I actually didn't like it. So be warned, there is probably unpopular opinions coming up.
I KNOW IT'S BASED ON A BOOK AND THERE WILL BE LIMITATIONS ON WHAT A SERIES ADAPTATION CAN CHANGE. I HAVE NOT READ THE 2ND BOOK. THESE ARE JUST MY OPINIONS ON HOW THE CHARACTERS WERE PORTRAYED IN THE SERIES ADAPTATION.
Pete trauma screwing his unrequited dead loves twin was weird, it would have been less weird if they had more screen time to grow their own story and develop a relationship. Though they do good NC scenes, it kind of felt like that's all the relationship was there for. I did like Chris though, his motivations were clear and he had no connections to these people so I wasn't expecting anything of him and I wasn't annoyed or offended at his actions like some of the characters were. Once he caught feelings (and got caught at Way's place) he was honest with Pete about his background and purpose. His conversation with the other 2 lab workers about disappointing someone was very cute, you could see character growth. And I'm glad he stood up to Pete about not being a stand in for Way and leaving so Pete could figure himself out. I just wish we got to see it.
Alan going bad guy because he's older than his boyfriend and wants to be stronger was also weird. I can kind of understand the trying to save Kenta and Dean and going to Tony on his own, but the please give me special alpha powers was unnecessary and a big let down for me. It felt like he was saying powers are the answer to everything when he knows how much Jeff and others have suffered with powers. Jeff, well he was just kind of there, like the first season he's Charlie's confidant, but other than that he's not much of a presence in this season, too many characters and not enough time. Though him and Dean were funny together, and I am glad they redeemed Dean.
And speaking of Tony, immortal special alpha powers. Like why? He was a great villain in season 1, and I know we're already in the realm of powers, but giving him this overpowered ability to bring him back seems lazy. They could have created a new villain, someone taking over his empire, or something. And making Winner his main assistant/henchman, why? He was such a wimp and he showed that in season 1, it doesn't make sense that Tony would pick him. The end when he's running away from Kim and company was very funny, though I can't believe they let him go.
Willy as a villain didn't make sense, and yes he was forced into it blah blah, but if he has the power to freeze time why did they need to go the seduction and almost SA route? Wasn't that done enough in season 1 with Way? Bad storyline. Just no. And once again if he had more screen time maybe he could have been a complete character. But nope. Bad guy does bad things, gets caught, helps good guys, the end. He needed depth and we needed to see his redemption.
And Charlie. He was the worst. In the first season he did everything without telling Babe because everything was for Babe, he loves Babe, must protect Babe at all costs. Then he gets mad at Babe when Babe goes to try and pretend seduce Willy without telling him. Like the nerve! He pretended to die and almost ruined Babe!!! I don't think what Babe did was right, but what right does Charlie have to be so pissed? And this season he continues to play the hero martyr by breaking up with Babe and moving out, then quitting the team, because he's worried Tony will hurt everyone around him to get him. This man had no character growth. How is he still repeating the same patterns when he has seen how much they hurt the person he loves more than his own life? I understand the desire to create the power nullifying drug, but wasn't he an editor? Why does he need to practically live at the lab, what does he even do there other than get constantly injected and monitored? When Babe was crying at the garage saying Charlie loved him more when he was chasing him it was so sad, and so true! But Charlie does everything for Babe including sacrificing his relationship with the man all for Babe's own good, and are we supposed to be ok with that because he just loves Babe so much? Other than Babe's failed pretend seduction I actually liked him a lot. He passed the broody never love anyone phase and is trying to own his love for Charlie and have a great life with him. If only Charlie would cooperate. On the Charlie and Babe storyline the amnesia was unnecessary with the way they did it here. Maybe if we had seen their interactions more and Charlie re-falling in love with Babe it would have been fine, but it was so rushed and glossed over that it felt like it didn't add anything to the series.
I'm glad we got North and Sonic together finally, but they needed more air time, we needed to see them being a couple. Sonic came back, they danced around eachother, Sonic got frustrated, they're both insecure, then boom they're together, the series is wrapping up and Sonic leaves to go finish school. There was no payoff to their buildup, and no I am not talking about NC scenes, so once again it felt like they were being coupled just because they could.
Lastly, Kim and Kenta. They deserved more. I do actually understand and respect Kim's decision to leave and not ask Kenta to go to Korea, and Kenta's decision to live for himself finally. That was probably what I understood most about their relationship. We barely saw them together and then bam Kim likes Kenta. How and when did that even happen? I like the actors as a pair but it came out of nowhere and was put in just for the sake of pairing up the actors, at least that's what it felt like. Maybe if they had more screen time before the confession it would have been more believable for me. Then after that it's all Kim loves Kenta who loves Pete who loves deaf Way and is trauma screwing dead Way's twin Chris who caught feelings for Pete in return. Kenta gets captured still only contacts Pete when he's undercover, and then it feels like he basically imprints on Kim because Kim keeps coming to his rescue, is the only one showing up for him. That's why I liked how they ended, it wouldn't have been believable if they were all of a sudden a couple. Or maybe it would have if we had seen more of their relationship growth before Kenta was captured. If we had gotten any context about their relationship, anything that would show them growing closer other than Kim consoling Kenta over Pete and rescuing him from fights I would have been all in on KimKenta, but there just wasn't enough. I do hope they get their own series, ASAP, as the leads. They deserve it.
Once again, no I haven't read the 2nd book, and now I really have no interest to, so I don't know how closely the series followed the source material. If they were following it maybe they shouldn't have. It would have been better to be a sequel seperate from the book. Inspired by the book, based on characters from the book, but done with the production team's own writing, I think that could have been better. If they already weren't following the source material closely then I don't know what they were doing.
There were just WAYYYYY too many characters, no one's story felt complete, I was so let down by the storylines of the side couples and characters. If they were going to have that big of a cast and make so many couples they needed to do a 24 episode season.
Apparently I had STRONG feelings about this series, I realized as I was writing how much I actually didn't like it. So be warned, there is probably unpopular opinions coming up.
I KNOW IT'S BASED ON A BOOK AND THERE WILL BE LIMITATIONS ON WHAT A SERIES ADAPTATION CAN CHANGE. I HAVE NOT READ THE 2ND BOOK. THESE ARE JUST MY OPINIONS ON HOW THE CHARACTERS WERE PORTRAYED IN THE SERIES ADAPTATION.
Pete trauma screwing his unrequited dead loves twin was weird, it would have been less weird if they had more screen time to grow their own story and develop a relationship. Though they do good NC scenes, it kind of felt like that's all the relationship was there for. I did like Chris though, his motivations were clear and he had no connections to these people so I wasn't expecting anything of him and I wasn't annoyed or offended at his actions like some of the characters were. Once he caught feelings (and got caught at Way's place) he was honest with Pete about his background and purpose. His conversation with the other 2 lab workers about disappointing someone was very cute, you could see character growth. And I'm glad he stood up to Pete about not being a stand in for Way and leaving so Pete could figure himself out. I just wish we got to see it.
Alan going bad guy because he's older than his boyfriend and wants to be stronger was also weird. I can kind of understand the trying to save Kenta and Dean and going to Tony on his own, but the please give me special alpha powers was unnecessary and a big let down for me. It felt like he was saying powers are the answer to everything when he knows how much Jeff and others have suffered with powers. Jeff, well he was just kind of there, like the first season he's Charlie's confidant, but other than that he's not much of a presence in this season, too many characters and not enough time. Though him and Dean were funny together, and I am glad they redeemed Dean.
And speaking of Tony, immortal special alpha powers. Like why? He was a great villain in season 1, and I know we're already in the realm of powers, but giving him this overpowered ability to bring him back seems lazy. They could have created a new villain, someone taking over his empire, or something. And making Winner his main assistant/henchman, why? He was such a wimp and he showed that in season 1, it doesn't make sense that Tony would pick him. The end when he's running away from Kim and company was very funny, though I can't believe they let him go.
Willy as a villain didn't make sense, and yes he was forced into it blah blah, but if he has the power to freeze time why did they need to go the seduction and almost SA route? Wasn't that done enough in season 1 with Way? Bad storyline. Just no. And once again if he had more screen time maybe he could have been a complete character. But nope. Bad guy does bad things, gets caught, helps good guys, the end. He needed depth and we needed to see his redemption.
And Charlie. He was the worst. In the first season he did everything without telling Babe because everything was for Babe, he loves Babe, must protect Babe at all costs. Then he gets mad at Babe when Babe goes to try and pretend seduce Willy without telling him. Like the nerve! He pretended to die and almost ruined Babe!!! I don't think what Babe did was right, but what right does Charlie have to be so pissed? And this season he continues to play the hero martyr by breaking up with Babe and moving out, then quitting the team, because he's worried Tony will hurt everyone around him to get him. This man had no character growth. How is he still repeating the same patterns when he has seen how much they hurt the person he loves more than his own life? I understand the desire to create the power nullifying drug, but wasn't he an editor? Why does he need to practically live at the lab, what does he even do there other than get constantly injected and monitored? When Babe was crying at the garage saying Charlie loved him more when he was chasing him it was so sad, and so true! But Charlie does everything for Babe including sacrificing his relationship with the man all for Babe's own good, and are we supposed to be ok with that because he just loves Babe so much? Other than Babe's failed pretend seduction I actually liked him a lot. He passed the broody never love anyone phase and is trying to own his love for Charlie and have a great life with him. If only Charlie would cooperate. On the Charlie and Babe storyline the amnesia was unnecessary with the way they did it here. Maybe if we had seen their interactions more and Charlie re-falling in love with Babe it would have been fine, but it was so rushed and glossed over that it felt like it didn't add anything to the series.
I'm glad we got North and Sonic together finally, but they needed more air time, we needed to see them being a couple. Sonic came back, they danced around eachother, Sonic got frustrated, they're both insecure, then boom they're together, the series is wrapping up and Sonic leaves to go finish school. There was no payoff to their buildup, and no I am not talking about NC scenes, so once again it felt like they were being coupled just because they could.
Lastly, Kim and Kenta. They deserved more. I do actually understand and respect Kim's decision to leave and not ask Kenta to go to Korea, and Kenta's decision to live for himself finally. That was probably what I understood most about their relationship. We barely saw them together and then bam Kim likes Kenta. How and when did that even happen? I like the actors as a pair but it came out of nowhere and was put in just for the sake of pairing up the actors, at least that's what it felt like. Maybe if they had more screen time before the confession it would have been more believable for me. Then after that it's all Kim loves Kenta who loves Pete who loves deaf Way and is trauma screwing dead Way's twin Chris who caught feelings for Pete in return. Kenta gets captured still only contacts Pete when he's undercover, and then it feels like he basically imprints on Kim because Kim keeps coming to his rescue, is the only one showing up for him. That's why I liked how they ended, it wouldn't have been believable if they were all of a sudden a couple. Or maybe it would have if we had seen more of their relationship growth before Kenta was captured. If we had gotten any context about their relationship, anything that would show them growing closer other than Kim consoling Kenta over Pete and rescuing him from fights I would have been all in on KimKenta, but there just wasn't enough. I do hope they get their own series, ASAP, as the leads. They deserve it.
Once again, no I haven't read the 2nd book, and now I really have no interest to, so I don't know how closely the series followed the source material. If they were following it maybe they shouldn't have. It would have been better to be a sequel seperate from the book. Inspired by the book, based on characters from the book, but done with the production team's own writing, I think that could have been better. If they already weren't following the source material closely then I don't know what they were doing.
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