I share similar sentiments. I am used to preposterous plots, but the last episode takes the cake. The episode…
Wattpad inspired is exactly the description I was looking for - I feel vindicated hahaha. As far as dramas go plenty of shows have shown that even blatant wish fulfillment can land satisfyingly when executed right. I feel like the usual healthy suspension of belief can't even save this one from it's own absurdity. Weird, wacky, and alltogether incomprehensible.
Controversy notwithstanding the last episode felt narratively bizarre. As someone who is generally a hardheaded happy endings only person, it's obviously nice that everyone gets their happily ever after but I'm not even sure what to feel after that... I'd be interested to see if the novel ends the same given how random and out of place ep 12 seemed to me. My enjoyment of the show up to that point is minimally impacted but I'll probably be scratching my head about this one for a while
Heaps of potential and many stellar moments but execution falls frustratingly flat. Beware of incoming rant.
TLDR: Oozing cool factor and hype moments, with excellently choreographed action barely covering a mess of lazy writing, silly story, and some really poopoo character development.
Casting changes and fandom drama aside, I thought the show got off to a pretty promising start. The action was there, the mystery was there, and the plot seemed to show sparks of being something really special.
On the acting front, I don't have many complaints. The quality maintains itself at an objectively high level throughout as far as dramaland is concerned, and no-one really stuck out to me as straight-up bad.
It's the characters though that really disappointed me. Eunsom, Saya, and Tanya in particular feel like such a wasted opportunity. Every season leading up to this laboriously lays the foundation that Eunsom, Saya, and Tanya are in some way cosmically connected and will be a central driving force of Arthdal and the world. Instead, about halfway through the season everything becomes a chaotic mess, devolving into a crazy cycle of artificial highs where you know in your head what the writers want you to feel, but it makes so little sense that its just empty.
If I had to put it into words, it feels as if the show is striving desperately to make as many "Avengers Assemble" moments as possible, rather than actually trying to tell a good story. Inaishingi and the Ago tribe, the Momo tribe, and the Neanthals all had some pretty badass moments - BUT - and this is a massive BUT - none of it feels earned.
Mubaek dies for no reason, Horse Jesus dies for no reason, and the Neanthals are reduced to hot hippie hobos with God-tier martial arts that randomly appear when it's time for a cool fight. Literally every significant plot point just becomes another device for cheap thrills.
Also, the fact that they constantly bombard you with subtitle reminders of characters names that appear LITERALLY EVERY EPISODE is low key insulting and goes to show that the writers were in over their head. Like I don't need you to remind me of the main freaking Ago tribe warriors names every time they appear - just make the story make sense!
As others in the thread have noted, Tagon and Taealha feel like the real stars, driving the story forward with actually rational motivations. They are such a great pair and seriously nailed their parts. If there is one thing the story and characters do right, it is these two.
They could have gone for a simple good vs evil story, a villain wins every time story, or even a balance and nature are the most important story. If they had picked any one of those I probably would have walked away feeling pretty stoked. Instead, they try to do everything at once and end up creating a nobody wins and everyone loses situation.
Don't get me wrong, this show is pretty good. It just feels like such a waste of a potentially awesome plot, great acting, and super high-budget production. It seriously pisses me off thinking about how much better this could have been.
I honestly can't even get angry at this point. Well done tencent, you have successfully sucked all my anticipation dry.
Whether this delay was intentionally planned or not I feel like most of us aren't desperate enough to get played by this sort of nonsense. My initial excitement for this show has taken some pretty big hits. Shame too, cause the trailers look frickin' good.
I really hope the final product doesn't turn out to be a letdown. Would make this already dumb situation an even bigger farce.
This seriously exceeded all expectations. The relationship of the main leads' was the best I've seen in forever. Kinda funny how healthy, stable relationships are now counter-cliche. While there were some characters that sort of fell into the "exists to manufacture problems" category, I really appreciate that overall the show strayed away from creating drama just for the sake of it. Highly recommended - a real breath of fresh air.
I'm finding Zhao Pan'er to be really refreshing. I like how they don't detract her from her femininity in trying to make her "strong". The fact that they went for a nuanced and subtle character is a really welcome change from the "anything you can do I can do better" sort of female empowerment that often just reduces "strong female characters" to a brainless badass just because they needed a cool woman. Sanniang and Yinzhang seem very human as well with their own strengths and weaknesses. They have actual feelings and motivations instead of just existing to prove the point that women aren't inferior to men. I think other female-centric dramas need to be taking notes. What? Actually sensible characters?? You mean you can do that?
Also, Gu Qianfan isn't a one-dimensional sword-wielding edgelord that materializes for a few 15 second fight scenes only to evaporate into a pretty set-piece for the rest of the show.
ahhhhh.. Not a surprise but honestly disappointed. The way they wrapped up everyone else's story was great and the story telling was still amazing throughout the finale. Everything was just as beautifully shot and poetic as it was from the beginning. Still, I can't help feeling let down by HD and YJ's ending.
The breakup was about as realistic as I've ever seen and the weight of the relationship in earlier episodes meant it hit like a truck. Especially that argument by the tunnel. Like damn. TOO REAL. But while I totally get and half expected their approach it honestly feels like SUCH a squandered opportunity. It seems like a disservice to the first 15 episodes to end it like this. It felt like they saw harder times and overcame more trying difficulties together.
Before I started the episode I felt like if they chose to end with a separation I would find it super emotional but honestly I was about as tired as the leads were by that point. Especially when you have the contrast of JW and YR who ended up together "just because" (don't get me wrong I liked that they got a happy ending), it makes the agonizingly long breakup feel like a dodgy public service announcement about how growing up means a butt ton of problems with no answers. I suppose the message they wanted to give was about moving on in life and still being able to treasure precious memories of the past. But still. It almost felt like the real reason behind their break-up was fatigue. That whole finale just felt like one really long sigh. Realistic enough (a bit too much) - but not the ending I think this show deserved. It feels dissonant and inconsistent with the characters we all felt like we came to know.
I can totally appreciate the beauty this drama tried to portray and I suppose this is what we all signed up for from the beginning. The execution was pretty impeccable. But man.. What a freaking demoralizing ending. Bloody deflating. Somehow the feeling of nostalgia I think they intended seems overshadowed by a subtle message that the strength of your character/emotional maturity is eroded by the real world and that growing up is accepting that and moving on. Leaving this one with a bitter taste in my mouth. Feels like a lacklustre finish to the ending that could have been. Like we all waited and waited and waited for the payoff and it just never came. Although I guess that was kind of the point.
" but a relationship with weight and value that stood the test of time "100% agree with you! Yijin is really in…
Any skepticism I had last week about Yi Jin's character has been well addressed this week. SO glad they didn't go and do him dirty with crap character development like the half-assed "he does what he does because he is what he is" sort of lazy writing that a ton of shows constrain themselves to these days. Fingers crossed tomorrow brings what we all want!!
IF THEY DON'T END UP TOGETHER, I'LL REALLY THROW HANDS FOR DESTROYING MY HOPE IN THIS FREAKING REALITY CALLED…
YES! I feel like this show hits so freaking hard. It's what drama's have been missing I think. Although stupid brainless entertainment is always fun 2521 was like the thing I never knew I needed. If they destroy our hope they will drown in our tears.
COMPLETE turnaround from episode 14. I was kind of on the edge after the last one but this episode takes the cake. Hands down best tv portrayal of a relationship I've ever seen. Rooting so hard for them to pull through the heartbreak and distance together. Would make a "happy" ending all the more rewarding.
P.s I feel like "happy" is too simple a term for the ending at this point. If they end up together it won't be a brainless illogical happy ending for no reason, but a relationship with weight and value that stood the test of time. And if they don't - well it'll be heartbreaking but perfectly bittersweet at the same time. (Please writer-nim spare my heart)
Legit this drama has done relationships - romantic, family and friendships SOO damn well. All of them are grounded - realistically dysfunctional yet simultaneously hopeful, healthy and refreshing. However this ends I'm 90% confident they will nail the ending at this point. If they do this will be THE undisputed best drama I've ever watched bar none.
I really felt Yijin a lot in today's episode and I'm proud of his decisions as a reporter. He's really doing it…
SAME. I liked the way they presented him in episode 15 a LOT more than last weeks episode. He's clearly an empath and his struggles seemed much more fleshed out. Also, this episode rekindled my hope for a happy ending. Never rooted for a relationship to pull through so hard in my life.
TLDR: Oozing cool factor and hype moments, with excellently choreographed action barely covering a mess of lazy writing, silly story, and some really poopoo character development.
Casting changes and fandom drama aside, I thought the show got off to a pretty promising start. The action was there, the mystery was there, and the plot seemed to show sparks of being something really special.
On the acting front, I don't have many complaints. The quality maintains itself at an objectively high level throughout as far as dramaland is concerned, and no-one really stuck out to me as straight-up bad.
It's the characters though that really disappointed me. Eunsom, Saya, and Tanya in particular feel like such a wasted opportunity. Every season leading up to this laboriously lays the foundation that Eunsom, Saya, and Tanya are in some way cosmically connected and will be a central driving force of Arthdal and the world. Instead, about halfway through the season everything becomes a chaotic mess, devolving into a crazy cycle of artificial highs where you know in your head what the writers want you to feel, but it makes so little sense that its just empty.
If I had to put it into words, it feels as if the show is striving desperately to make as many "Avengers Assemble" moments as possible, rather than actually trying to tell a good story. Inaishingi and the Ago tribe, the Momo tribe, and the Neanthals all had some pretty badass moments - BUT - and this is a massive BUT - none of it feels earned.
Mubaek dies for no reason, Horse Jesus dies for no reason, and the Neanthals are reduced to hot hippie hobos with God-tier martial arts that randomly appear when it's time for a cool fight. Literally every significant plot point just becomes another device for cheap thrills.
Also, the fact that they constantly bombard you with subtitle reminders of characters names that appear LITERALLY EVERY EPISODE is low key insulting and goes to show that the writers were in over their head. Like I don't need you to remind me of the main freaking Ago tribe warriors names every time they appear - just make the story make sense!
As others in the thread have noted, Tagon and Taealha feel like the real stars, driving the story forward with actually rational motivations. They are such a great pair and seriously nailed their parts. If there is one thing the story and characters do right, it is these two.
They could have gone for a simple good vs evil story, a villain wins every time story, or even a balance and nature are the most important story. If they had picked any one of those I probably would have walked away feeling pretty stoked. Instead, they try to do everything at once and end up creating a nobody wins and everyone loses situation.
Don't get me wrong, this show is pretty good. It just feels like such a waste of a potentially awesome plot, great acting, and super high-budget production. It seriously pisses me off thinking about how much better this could have been.
Whether this delay was intentionally planned or not I feel like most of us aren't desperate enough to get played by this sort of nonsense. My initial excitement for this show has taken some pretty big hits. Shame too, cause the trailers look frickin' good.
I really hope the final product doesn't turn out to be a letdown. Would make this already dumb situation an even bigger farce.
Also, Gu Qianfan isn't a one-dimensional sword-wielding edgelord that materializes for a few 15 second fight scenes only to evaporate into a pretty set-piece for the rest of the show.
Hooray for actual characters!!
The breakup was about as realistic as I've ever seen and the weight of the relationship in earlier episodes meant it hit like a truck. Especially that argument by the tunnel. Like damn. TOO REAL. But while I totally get and half expected their approach it honestly feels like SUCH a squandered opportunity. It seems like a disservice to the first 15 episodes to end it like this. It felt like they saw harder times and overcame more trying difficulties together.
Before I started the episode I felt like if they chose to end with a separation I would find it super emotional but honestly I was about as tired as the leads were by that point. Especially when you have the contrast of JW and YR who ended up together "just because" (don't get me wrong I liked that they got a happy ending), it makes the agonizingly long breakup feel like a dodgy public service announcement about how growing up means a butt ton of problems with no answers. I suppose the message they wanted to give was about moving on in life and still being able to treasure precious memories of the past. But still. It almost felt like the real reason behind their break-up was fatigue. That whole finale just felt like one really long sigh. Realistic enough (a bit too much) - but not the ending I think this show deserved. It feels dissonant and inconsistent with the characters we all felt like we came to know.
I can totally appreciate the beauty this drama tried to portray and I suppose this is what we all signed up for from the beginning. The execution was pretty impeccable. But man.. What a freaking demoralizing ending. Bloody deflating. Somehow the feeling of nostalgia I think they intended seems overshadowed by a subtle message that the strength of your character/emotional maturity is eroded by the real world and that growing up is accepting that and moving on. Leaving this one with a bitter taste in my mouth. Feels like a lacklustre finish to the ending that could have been. Like we all waited and waited and waited for the payoff and it just never came. Although I guess that was kind of the point.
P.s I feel like "happy" is too simple a term for the ending at this point. If they end up together it won't be a brainless illogical happy ending for no reason, but a relationship with weight and value that stood the test of time. And if they don't - well it'll be heartbreaking but perfectly bittersweet at the same time. (Please writer-nim spare my heart)
Legit this drama has done relationships - romantic, family and friendships SOO damn well. All of them are grounded - realistically dysfunctional yet simultaneously hopeful, healthy and refreshing. However this ends I'm 90% confident they will nail the ending at this point. If they do this will be THE undisputed best drama I've ever watched bar none.