1
depressed
Amazing iirst 20 eps, but starts dragging its feet towards the finish line
Short placeholder review for now.
First 20 eps were great. Solid balance of romance and gaming. Although Douban seriously hates this drama (mostly because Chinese viewers don't like how it "disrespects professional gamers"), I thought it was a great and fun watch. The first 20 episodes had great character building and we got to see the amazing supporting characters as well. Strong female lead - although she's the quiet and stern type, she's not shy - great change of pace from all the bubbly/upbeat/naive female leads we normally see.
The episodes definitely start dragging past episode 20. Once the main character gets together, the plot becomes messier, both from their gaming standpoint and real-life standpoint. The first 20 episodes paint their team as the favorite so the plot has to introduce challenges. Sometimes a game takes too long to finish and other times, are way too short. Sometimes, it feels like their team moves backwards as well (unexpectedly suffering from arrogance or extreme sadness from losing a game - very different from the general atmosphere of the drama and a bit out of character). The real-life plot points also follow one cliche after the next - scumbag male lead, fan backlash from revealing their relationship, crazy fans, misunderstandings, etc. It's natural to have challenges for the main couple to face, but some of these plots took away from the strengths of the drama. I would have liked to see more organic plots, perhaps learning more about the side characters or more about the male lead's family and their business.
Nonetheless, still a very enjoyable show. I'd recommend watching this for the female lead herself. Finally a down to earth main character. She's had a relationship so she knows what to expect. She's calm, cool, collected and great at her profession, but isn't a Mary Sue. Finally more nuance in a character rather than being upbeat all the time and blushing at everything the male lead says. The gaming portion is done well and the animation is a step up. Romance is also developed gradually but also has some faults at time. Would recommend.
First 20 eps were great. Solid balance of romance and gaming. Although Douban seriously hates this drama (mostly because Chinese viewers don't like how it "disrespects professional gamers"), I thought it was a great and fun watch. The first 20 episodes had great character building and we got to see the amazing supporting characters as well. Strong female lead - although she's the quiet and stern type, she's not shy - great change of pace from all the bubbly/upbeat/naive female leads we normally see.
The episodes definitely start dragging past episode 20. Once the main character gets together, the plot becomes messier, both from their gaming standpoint and real-life standpoint. The first 20 episodes paint their team as the favorite so the plot has to introduce challenges. Sometimes a game takes too long to finish and other times, are way too short. Sometimes, it feels like their team moves backwards as well (unexpectedly suffering from arrogance or extreme sadness from losing a game - very different from the general atmosphere of the drama and a bit out of character). The real-life plot points also follow one cliche after the next - scumbag male lead, fan backlash from revealing their relationship, crazy fans, misunderstandings, etc. It's natural to have challenges for the main couple to face, but some of these plots took away from the strengths of the drama. I would have liked to see more organic plots, perhaps learning more about the side characters or more about the male lead's family and their business.
Nonetheless, still a very enjoyable show. I'd recommend watching this for the female lead herself. Finally a down to earth main character. She's had a relationship so she knows what to expect. She's calm, cool, collected and great at her profession, but isn't a Mary Sue. Finally more nuance in a character rather than being upbeat all the time and blushing at everything the male lead says. The gaming portion is done well and the animation is a step up. Romance is also developed gradually but also has some faults at time. Would recommend.
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