This review may contain spoilers
Some good elements and worth a watch
This drama actually ended up being better than I expected. I was turned off by the initial trailer and the caricature of European fancy that the drama seemed to be using. It ended up working a bit. It was over the top on design, but still really stunning to watch. The concept was also a decent set up with some compelling storylines, but most of them got nerfed in favor of bed scenes. Don't get me wrong, the bed scenes are very well done, but they definitely sacrifice any plot buildup to get them.For me, Khanin's character didn't make a lot of sense in his decision making. He started off compelling and then seemed to throw away any drive to find his attackers in favor acting spoiled and putting his guard in a really bad ethical position. BLs are no stranger to icky power dynamics, but this one was really bad. He puts Charan in a horrible position ethically and professionally and doesn't seem to really care. It gives off Young Adult novel chosen one vibes. They introduce some compelling political elements, but it all just gets caked over so the tension cuts out after 5 minutes. Plus, the ending didn't make much sense. Why would he need to go back to university in the UK when everyone he cares about is in Emmaly? They don't have solid universities there? Also, the fact that his father is totally fine with waving goodbye to the son he was just reunited with? It really doesn't work at all.
I do give huge credit to Zee here. He looks like he worked insanely hard to get into peak condition and actually looked decent in the fight scenes. I think he's a solid actor and I hope to see him in more before he leaves the industry.
We even got a bit more depth to Nunew in this one, but they seem to only want to write him the same kind of characters; soft, spoiled and kind of bratty. I really hope he gets the chance to try some different writing. I'd love to see what else he can do and have him flex creatively in other types of characters. Overall, it's still a decent watch and a good showing. If you're a fan of the genre, give it a chance!
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