Oselame
United States
Entertaining. If you let it to be.
It feels like you're watching an anime. And not a drama based on one.
Everything is exaggerated. Which, even not being an anime kinda guy, I really liked. That trick they use to slightly change the eyes of the actresses, change their facial expressions completely. It is a very cool effect that gives a very stylish, distinctive look to the more tense scenes. It gives a more dark tone to the performances. Just like an anime.
It is nice to have those over the top performances. Since there isn't a single character with a trace of personality. So, the actors don't have much to work with.
A hat tip to Morikawa Aoi, who plays Saotome. She really embraced the "animesque" style of acting. With a very well balanced performance within what the series proposes. She found the perfect timing between being over the top and knowing when to "slow-down" a bit. It was really fun to watch her going full-throttle on her scenes.
The games were what attracted me to this series. But they're nowhere as clever as the ones you would find in Liar Game, for example. The characters don't use their wits to win the games. It is all luck, cheating and Deus-ex-Machina.
But the games, most of them at least, are played and finished within the episode. And the episodes themselves are short. About 22 minutes each. Which makes for a pleasant experience. Since there isn't much substance to keep the episodes going for more than that.
Also, the number of episodes is short. Add the short running time of each episode. And you can watch it in one sitting if you want. And that's a big plus for me. Someone who hates over stretched, draggy and filler full dramas.
Things happen fast. The pacing of the drama, alongside the exaggeration and absurdity of it all, is one of the things that kept me watching it to the end. Start to finish in one afternoon.
About the plot. There isn't one. At least not on this first season. We don't know anything about the main character. We don't know about her motivations. We don't know where those kids get all that money to play with. We don't know who the bad guys are and what they want. We don't know anything really. Except that they like to play games.
The first seven episodes are the most formulaic and repetitive. But, also, the most fun. After the series drops the formula, it loses a lot of momentum.
I still recommend it. And I would add. If you can wait for the second season to watch the whole thing at once. Maybe, it will be an even better experience. Since this first season cuts right in the middle of (what seems to be) the conclusion of this arc of the story.
There's some negatives in it. But, you'll have fun if you just let go of the details and just go along with it.
Everything is exaggerated. Which, even not being an anime kinda guy, I really liked. That trick they use to slightly change the eyes of the actresses, change their facial expressions completely. It is a very cool effect that gives a very stylish, distinctive look to the more tense scenes. It gives a more dark tone to the performances. Just like an anime.
It is nice to have those over the top performances. Since there isn't a single character with a trace of personality. So, the actors don't have much to work with.
A hat tip to Morikawa Aoi, who plays Saotome. She really embraced the "animesque" style of acting. With a very well balanced performance within what the series proposes. She found the perfect timing between being over the top and knowing when to "slow-down" a bit. It was really fun to watch her going full-throttle on her scenes.
The games were what attracted me to this series. But they're nowhere as clever as the ones you would find in Liar Game, for example. The characters don't use their wits to win the games. It is all luck, cheating and Deus-ex-Machina.
But the games, most of them at least, are played and finished within the episode. And the episodes themselves are short. About 22 minutes each. Which makes for a pleasant experience. Since there isn't much substance to keep the episodes going for more than that.
Also, the number of episodes is short. Add the short running time of each episode. And you can watch it in one sitting if you want. And that's a big plus for me. Someone who hates over stretched, draggy and filler full dramas.
Things happen fast. The pacing of the drama, alongside the exaggeration and absurdity of it all, is one of the things that kept me watching it to the end. Start to finish in one afternoon.
About the plot. There isn't one. At least not on this first season. We don't know anything about the main character. We don't know about her motivations. We don't know where those kids get all that money to play with. We don't know who the bad guys are and what they want. We don't know anything really. Except that they like to play games.
The first seven episodes are the most formulaic and repetitive. But, also, the most fun. After the series drops the formula, it loses a lot of momentum.
I still recommend it. And I would add. If you can wait for the second season to watch the whole thing at once. Maybe, it will be an even better experience. Since this first season cuts right in the middle of (what seems to be) the conclusion of this arc of the story.
There's some negatives in it. But, you'll have fun if you just let go of the details and just go along with it.
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