Ben
Overhyped and Overrated: A Decent Start Undone by a Poorly Directed Ending
The reincarnation premise is fairly standard, but the concept of a “game” was poorly executed and didn’t make much sense. Unlike Joy of Life or My Heroic Husband, which maintained straightforward and cohesive narratives, this series struggled with its framing and direction, particularly as it leaned heavily on anime-style storytelling that felt disconnected from the earlier tone.
While the emotional moments between the main character and the side characters were well portrayed, and their motivations were clear, the repetition of certain scenes—over and over again—became tiresome and greatly diminished their emotional impact. This overuse felt unnecessary and nonsensical, detracting from the overall experience.
The overall story started off mediocre, with the MC gradually climbing the ranks by influencing those around him. But as the series progressed, particularly in the later episodes, the writing became increasingly reliant on convenience. The MC’s path became suspiciously smooth, with everyone around him simply agreeing to his plans without question or resistance. This lack of hurdles or disagreements reduced the tension and made it feel as if characters were treating him like the “main character” without a logical foundation.
The music was initially okay, matching the theme, but its overuse made it exhausting. The same OSTs were repeated across vastly different scenes—whether for villains, MC’s triumphs, emotional moments, or side character dynamics. This interchangeability diluted its impact, as it failed to complement the scenes appropriately.
The fight scenes were generally clean and enjoyable, with great choreography, though a few were overly hyped with excessive VFX, making them feel artificial. Surprisingly, there was little focus on confrontations with the Da Geng Ren, who seemed more like background threats than actual antagonists. They were showcased sparingly, with most conflicts handled by high-ranking soldiers and the MC, leaving the rest of the forces essentially useless—contradicting the series’ premise.
As the story approached its final 10 episodes, the pacing became erratic and heavily reliant on slow-motion shots and repeated segments to artificially stretch the runtime. Fight scenes were shorter and relied too much on VFX instead of intricate choreography, while side characters had interactions and conversations driven purely by plot convenience, offering little to no organic development. The overemphasis on some side characters also felt redundant, repeating the same emotional beats without adding value to the story.
The final four episodes were a complete disaster. The decisions made by the government/king and their followers were illogical and inconsistent, apart from moments when the MC conveniently resolved everything. These episodes, in particular, saw a sharp decline in storytelling quality compared to earlier parts of the series.
Some might argue this is reflective of a modern storytelling style, but for someone familiar with traditional, modern, and newer dramas, it came across as bad writing. It felt like a cheap stunt, designed to manufacture artificial mystery and anticipation—not for artistic purposes, but as a marketing strategy to tease a second season.
If I were to rate this:
Episodes 1–30: A solid 8, thanks to decent storytelling, modern humor, and strong character dynamics.
Episodes 31–32: 7.5, as the cracks in the pacing and logic began to show.
Episodes 33–36: 7, as the repetition started to drag down the story.
Episodes 37–39: 6–6.5, where both the storytelling and choreography took a nosedive.
Episode 40: 6 at best, capping the series with a rushed, incoherent conclusion.
The quality and engagement clearly declined after Episode 30, as both the direction and overall narrative fell apart. Even the fight scenes lacked excitement by the end, with simplified choreography and little effort to maintain earlier standards.
While there were aspects I enjoyed—such as the acting, conversations, comedic moments, and modernized take—it’s undeniable that the last stretch of episodes felt disappointing, rushed, and poorly thought out. Honestly, they should reconsider remaking the final few episodes before diving into a second season. As it stands, my interest and expectations for Season 2 have plummeted, and I believe the series is significantly overrated in its current state.
While the emotional moments between the main character and the side characters were well portrayed, and their motivations were clear, the repetition of certain scenes—over and over again—became tiresome and greatly diminished their emotional impact. This overuse felt unnecessary and nonsensical, detracting from the overall experience.
The overall story started off mediocre, with the MC gradually climbing the ranks by influencing those around him. But as the series progressed, particularly in the later episodes, the writing became increasingly reliant on convenience. The MC’s path became suspiciously smooth, with everyone around him simply agreeing to his plans without question or resistance. This lack of hurdles or disagreements reduced the tension and made it feel as if characters were treating him like the “main character” without a logical foundation.
The music was initially okay, matching the theme, but its overuse made it exhausting. The same OSTs were repeated across vastly different scenes—whether for villains, MC’s triumphs, emotional moments, or side character dynamics. This interchangeability diluted its impact, as it failed to complement the scenes appropriately.
The fight scenes were generally clean and enjoyable, with great choreography, though a few were overly hyped with excessive VFX, making them feel artificial. Surprisingly, there was little focus on confrontations with the Da Geng Ren, who seemed more like background threats than actual antagonists. They were showcased sparingly, with most conflicts handled by high-ranking soldiers and the MC, leaving the rest of the forces essentially useless—contradicting the series’ premise.
As the story approached its final 10 episodes, the pacing became erratic and heavily reliant on slow-motion shots and repeated segments to artificially stretch the runtime. Fight scenes were shorter and relied too much on VFX instead of intricate choreography, while side characters had interactions and conversations driven purely by plot convenience, offering little to no organic development. The overemphasis on some side characters also felt redundant, repeating the same emotional beats without adding value to the story.
The final four episodes were a complete disaster. The decisions made by the government/king and their followers were illogical and inconsistent, apart from moments when the MC conveniently resolved everything. These episodes, in particular, saw a sharp decline in storytelling quality compared to earlier parts of the series.
Some might argue this is reflective of a modern storytelling style, but for someone familiar with traditional, modern, and newer dramas, it came across as bad writing. It felt like a cheap stunt, designed to manufacture artificial mystery and anticipation—not for artistic purposes, but as a marketing strategy to tease a second season.
If I were to rate this:
Episodes 1–30: A solid 8, thanks to decent storytelling, modern humor, and strong character dynamics.
Episodes 31–32: 7.5, as the cracks in the pacing and logic began to show.
Episodes 33–36: 7, as the repetition started to drag down the story.
Episodes 37–39: 6–6.5, where both the storytelling and choreography took a nosedive.
Episode 40: 6 at best, capping the series with a rushed, incoherent conclusion.
The quality and engagement clearly declined after Episode 30, as both the direction and overall narrative fell apart. Even the fight scenes lacked excitement by the end, with simplified choreography and little effort to maintain earlier standards.
While there were aspects I enjoyed—such as the acting, conversations, comedic moments, and modernized take—it’s undeniable that the last stretch of episodes felt disappointing, rushed, and poorly thought out. Honestly, they should reconsider remaking the final few episodes before diving into a second season. As it stands, my interest and expectations for Season 2 have plummeted, and I believe the series is significantly overrated in its current state.
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