Reviews

Asuka making progress

This is a well told fast paced story. Asuka is not a Mary Sue character. In spite of her complete creation of her father’s game at the tournament, she learns she is just an above average player. This makes sense if she hasn’t played in 20 years. Her tutor is interesting. He has as deep a grudge as she does but we still don’t know why. It is hinted that maybe his father might be the reason. Her brother is such an ass. I am not sure if he cares for his betrothed or not. Does he really want her life to be smoother or does he just want an easy way out of the shogi world and his overbearing mother? I did laugh when his fancy contract was eaten before his eyes.😂 Asuka has walked through learning the game and has gained the interest of the best woman player, but she gave me a surprise collapsing from PTSD with the rook piece playing her father’s words in her head. I will now have to wait a week to find out what happened with the interrupted match and to see if her new tutor can help her surpass this mental roadblock.

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To protect what you hold dear

I see this episode not as a rebellion arc, but more like different factions going to great lengths to protect what they hold most dear: status, family, and future. In such times when d8@th would always knock on one's door at the most unexpected times, people take huge measures to protect their beloved, sometimes to the point of no return. Humans are such fragile beings that a small stain can make them waver, and it's hard to keep tiptoeing on the thin line of good and evil. As of the latest episodes, we see that the villains weren't purely villains from the start; they were made to become one. These people fell victim to the deadly sins of human beings, be it due to revenge or led by desperation to count on the last remaining silver lining they have to survive...

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Is it fate, or is it a choice?

This is one chilling episode. When a parent decides, it's absolute, and nothing can stop them from protecting their children. No matter how good a person was, their morals and principles get tested when confronted with huge dilemmas that revolve around their beloved people. For the Zhuangs, it was Zhuang Shen (to avenge his son), then it was the Empress (to avenge her father and to protect her son, and their rightful status). For the Murongs, it started as a grudge by the son, Murong Yao, which led to the father Murong Zhong choosing the bloody path to cover for his son... The Fengs' harsh past pushed the Emperor on to a twisted road, which eventually broke the relationships not only within the family, but also with his close aides, who once served the country and fought on the battlefields together during their younger years. So what exactly went wrong? Was it simply one's fate, or was it the choices these people made? It's such a dilemma....

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Jae Min was such a nut-case, & know that…

Jae Min was such a nut-case, & know that when dealing with crazy people - there isn't a right or wrong thing u can do or say, cause u can never really know what will make them to lose it.... so even though i was annoyed by how passive Da On was (considering the situation) i got why he might have been terrified into that passivity. *********************************************& i kinda got Su Hyeon freezing in place - cause Jae Min was genuinely crazy scary. but i didn't get his giving up that easily cause he froze, when it counted most. if anything Jae Min's crazy taunting would/should've turned Su Hyeon more obsessive about what he meant. but as this the last ep, so it needed to get wrapped up... so never mind & am glad that he did a 180 at the last moment - letting Da On go. **********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************this was a well acted, well written plot, on a whole i don't think there was anything unnecessary that was used as filler & i would've loved Da On being less passive, letting the stronger / manipulative character's just push & pull him like he was a doll. the only way he knew how to deal with any given situation, was to run - which i get when u r a teen or a child but as an adult that was supporting himself, he should've shown some growth in that aspect. but again - it is what it is at this stage, at least he realized who he really loved & admitted this fact (something better then nothing) & the cherry on top he apologized to Seong Hyeon, didn't just confess. this was a fun watch that took me too long to finish (idk why) maybe cause i didn't want it to end lol. either way this going on my rewatch list.

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