Unpopular opinion time: I really preferred this to Go Go Squid. It's hard to not compare the two dramas not because they involve e-sports but because the general plot is quite similar. Not sure if the source material was the same but this one definitely is better imo. This is why:
- the main leads are better matched, overall have a healthier relationship. Although admittedly the main leads of GGS had better chemistry, this is attributed to the fact that the FL in GGS was much better than in this drama. Admittedly the FL is the weakest point of this drama and needs a lot of work in her emotional scenes. - The sismance is cute and adorable. - The ML is much more likeable and shown (not just told) to be a better leader. He is kind, feels an incredible sense of responsibility and the drama goes to great lengths to show how he brings out the best in people. The ML in GGS was always proclaimed to be a great leader and yeah he cared about the kids, but he was always just angry and grumpy. I could never figure out why people followed and believed in him as much as they did. I still can't figure out what the FL saw in him. - As a non-gamer I appreciated the visuals of the e-sports in this to GGS . I didn't like the competition scenes (which were too many) in GGS cause it was just watching random coding run across the screen. That and they way this drama described the game seemed like it required more strategy in comparison to just speed in GGS. - Technically, this drama was better shot, had a better set and has a much much much better editing team. - Although pointless patriotism exists in this drama as well, it isn't as repetitive and in your face as GGS. GGS was too much of RAH RAH CHINA BEST RAH RAH!!!
In conclusion worth watching, but if you are looking for romance it is slow and the chemistry isn't that amazing. However the ML and his story and development is worth watching.
Dang really? I'm right at episode 12 and a little annoyed at the second male lead tbh. Should I stop?
Ok I'm so glad I stopped watching when I did cause damn that would have annoyed the heck out of me. I would have then raged watched it. I wish drama writers would tackle this subjects more seriously. Mental health issues and almost-sexual-assault only in the plot for the hero to save the girl only for everything to be sugar sweet in the next 5 mins - are tropes that need to die by writers who don't know how to handle sensitive topics.
Currently watching, but there is something that keeps annoying me af. Why the hell the that bastard manager of…
SAME! I just posted above you before I read your comment. Why do drama writers think sexual assault can be brushed off so easily!? 2 beers and a piggy back ride and *poof* it's as if it never happened!
On episode 11 and Manager Zhao doesn't seem to even be facing the consequences of sexual assault??? I hate when writers uses SA as just a pointless plot point and have it be forgotten about and acted as if it has zero affect on the victim. Something so violent like what the FL experiences are just brushed away with 2 beers and a piggy back ride. GTFO.
Dang really? I'm right at episode 12 and a little annoyed at the second male lead tbh. Should I stop?
THIS SO MUCH!!! I am so horrified at his role. He could be sued and lose his license for the way he acted. If a therapist feels like there's a conflict of interest they should stop seeing the patient and refer them to someone else. I can't believe the writers thought it was totally ok to write in a character like that AND have him be portrayed as sympathetic. It never ceases to amaze me what writers think is ok to put in a drama.
ALSO the writer did very little to no research on therapy and how it works. The way they try to "desensitize" him is also pretty horrific. Forcing him to eat food that he would clearly have issues eating rather than trying to understand the root cause of his issues and working through the trauma? Gah! It really got to me how they wrote this drama.
Interesting thing about this drama…I am more excited to watch Lee Soo Hyuk in his role as Cha Joo Ik, rather…
Ah I never watched that, I was comparing to him in Reply 1997 and shopping prince. In comparison to which this is a very different role. But usually he is really good at emoting, but you can literally see him losing interest in doing the same scenes again and again (I don't blame him).
This drama..... so many mixed feelings. The acting was great, the side characters were great, the chemistry between the leads, the sismance and even the humour was good... and then there was no plot. I can't believe the writer took such a great premise and then....did nothing with it. The second half is just the same scenes repeated over and over again and it was so sad to see the actors put their all into it but getting so bored cause....we already cried about this issue twice in the last episode?
The writer could have really taken the fantasy element of this so far but kept focusing only on the terminal illness. Even the wish DK, the one I kept wondering what would it be, what could she possibly wish for to change everything was so....pointless. You could literally see Seo In Guk lose all motivation for his character towards the end.
The writer did this cast dirty. Still- I finished it for the acting (which was really good all around) and the fluff. It's not a terrible drama, but it feels like so much potential was lost.
This drama started off really well and handled the enemies to lovers trope well. The initial few cases are really interesting as well and you get pulled into the investigation. Both the Ml and FL acted really well, they were both portrayed to be equally intelligent and witty which is so rare in a drama. The ML really has good comedic timing.
But the last third of the drama realllly drags. Plus whilst the couple have great chemistry when they are bickering, I really didn't feel any chemistry in the romantic scenes. The writer made the FL push the ML away too much and it really made me bored. Then the in the third and final act I was just watching the drama at 2x the speed to finish it up. Could have been much better without dragging about and less filler scenes in the last part.
Really cute drama, and for once the FL was cute but not annoying at all. She really was able to pull off adorable but smart which is sometimes rare in a drama. Actually all the main female characters in this drama were really well written and it deserved to be watched for that. The chemistry isn't mind blowing between the leads but its really cute and it's definitely there. I did skip a lot of the story of the secondary couple even though I liked both their acting and chemistry but the drama just had too many filler scenes. This could have wrapped up nicely in 25 episodes. I really wish c-dramas would cut down their episode counts to make tighter scripts. It's great that they take time to establish the world/characters but there are a loooottt of unnecessary scenes.
Still this drama is completely what you want if you want nice fluff with a good FL and a cute story. Esp if you love books because the writer clearly cares deeply about books. And I loved that (and the bookstore) in this drama.
Side note: Does anyone else feel that Ryan Ding is too thin, everytime I watch his drama I worry about him starving himself. You are ok to put on a little more weight please!
This drama was suppose to be 16 episodes but they dropped it to 12 because of the low rating while it was airing…
I can totally see why they dropped it to 12 episodes to be honest. There wasn't much more of a story to tell and they could have wrapped it up really nicely if they hadn't wasted time with the whole "I need space to figure things out" story line in the last episode, which they even resolved with her saying "was I ever even scared?" which just shows how dumb that story point was. All in all the last episode (the write knowing it was the last episode) could have ended it much better.
Such a good drama, if only it wasn't for that waste of a last episode. I would have really liked the drama more. For this kinda story I think 12 episodes were enough, but they just dropped the ball in the last episode with a pointless plot. Super annoyed about that.
Otherwise it could have been a 9/10 because of the acting and the way it was shot and directed.
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- the main leads are better matched, overall have a healthier relationship. Although admittedly the main leads of GGS had better chemistry, this is attributed to the fact that the FL in GGS was much better than in this drama. Admittedly the FL is the weakest point of this drama and needs a lot of work in her emotional scenes.
- The sismance is cute and adorable.
- The ML is much more likeable and shown (not just told) to be a better leader. He is kind, feels an incredible sense of responsibility and the drama goes to great lengths to show how he brings out the best in people. The ML in GGS was always proclaimed to be a great leader and yeah he cared about the kids, but he was always just angry and grumpy. I could never figure out why people followed and believed in him as much as they did. I still can't figure out what the FL saw in him.
- As a non-gamer I appreciated the visuals of the e-sports in this to GGS . I didn't like the competition scenes (which were too many) in GGS cause it was just watching random coding run across the screen. That and they way this drama described the game seemed like it required more strategy in comparison to just speed in GGS.
- Technically, this drama was better shot, had a better set and has a much much much better editing team.
- Although pointless patriotism exists in this drama as well, it isn't as repetitive and in your face as GGS. GGS was too much of RAH RAH CHINA BEST RAH RAH!!!
In conclusion worth watching, but if you are looking for romance it is slow and the chemistry isn't that amazing. However the ML and his story and development is worth watching.
ALSO the writer did very little to no research on therapy and how it works. The way they try to "desensitize" him is also pretty horrific. Forcing him to eat food that he would clearly have issues eating rather than trying to understand the root cause of his issues and working through the trauma? Gah! It really got to me how they wrote this drama.
Really watching it till 14 eps was generous.
The writer could have really taken the fantasy element of this so far but kept focusing only on the terminal illness. Even the wish DK, the one I kept wondering what would it be, what could she possibly wish for to change everything was so....pointless. You could literally see Seo In Guk lose all motivation for his character towards the end.
The writer did this cast dirty. Still- I finished it for the acting (which was really good all around) and the fluff. It's not a terrible drama, but it feels like so much potential was lost.
But the last third of the drama realllly drags. Plus whilst the couple have great chemistry when they are bickering, I really didn't feel any chemistry in the romantic scenes. The writer made the FL push the ML away too much and it really made me bored. Then the in the third and final act I was just watching the drama at 2x the speed to finish it up. Could have been much better without dragging about and less filler scenes in the last part.
Still this drama is completely what you want if you want nice fluff with a good FL and a cute story. Esp if you love books because the writer clearly cares deeply about books. And I loved that (and the bookstore) in this drama.
Side note: Does anyone else feel that Ryan Ding is too thin, everytime I watch his drama I worry about him starving himself. You are ok to put on a little more weight please!
Otherwise it could have been a 9/10 because of the acting and the way it was shot and directed.