HaEl987
England
This review may contain spoilers
Simple and enjoyable.
Keeps you engaged, with sweet moments and an interesting mix of gameplay/tactics and personal relationship aspects.
A gaming plot is nothing new but I think they executed it very well and managed to add in some fresh aspects. Refreshing to see a gaming drama where they can work towards the same dream together. It was nice that they attempted to bring to light the issues with sexism and cyberbullying/problematic fan behaviour in the industry. The gaming terms may be a little confusing at first if you’re not familiar with them but over time you get used to them. The gameplay sections are well-balanced so you can fully enjoy the drama even if you don’t enjoy the tactics. The intermittent CGI gameplay was a nice touch so you can even enjoy the scenes even if you don’t understand the game.
What was fresh and enjoyable was that the FL was offered some opportunities for her to grow/solve problems on her own merits. Yes, she received emotional support and advice or even team support, but that makes it real. The FL is a little bit physically fragile and has a few white-knight protection moments but it’s a C-drama so it’s unsurprising. It strikes a good balance.
The romance is pure and believable and the witty personalities are a bonus. There wasn't really any unnecessary angst or dragged out/prolonged issues, so you can enjoy the show with a light and easy feeling.
A few side characters were lacking a little depth but for the most part, they seemed well-rounded and added another dimension to the story.
To sum up, it was a well-balanced drama that I think has a nice flow/pacing with lots of simple, enjoyable scenes. There wasn't anything earth-shattering about it but it was good and very easy to breeze through with well-acted, believable characters.
As to what I didn't like: The subtle anti-Korean sentiments and the obvious and awkward Korean dubbing dulled my enjoyment somewhat and it didn’t seem necessary. I thought the same rivalry effect could have been achieved while keeping it domestic. However, as someone who is English and not part of the gaming scene, there may be more subtle intricacies, or political strife, that I’m unaware of that make this necessary or valid? I would also have liked for them to explore the sexism angle a little deeper. While the issue was touched upon and started out strong at the beginning, it wasn't really a central plot issue and some of the meaning seemed to get lost along the way.
A potential for S2 if they really wanted to. Perfect as a stand-alone series as well though - a well-rounded, pleasing ending.
A gaming plot is nothing new but I think they executed it very well and managed to add in some fresh aspects. Refreshing to see a gaming drama where they can work towards the same dream together. It was nice that they attempted to bring to light the issues with sexism and cyberbullying/problematic fan behaviour in the industry. The gaming terms may be a little confusing at first if you’re not familiar with them but over time you get used to them. The gameplay sections are well-balanced so you can fully enjoy the drama even if you don’t enjoy the tactics. The intermittent CGI gameplay was a nice touch so you can even enjoy the scenes even if you don’t understand the game.
What was fresh and enjoyable was that the FL was offered some opportunities for her to grow/solve problems on her own merits. Yes, she received emotional support and advice or even team support, but that makes it real. The FL is a little bit physically fragile and has a few white-knight protection moments but it’s a C-drama so it’s unsurprising. It strikes a good balance.
The romance is pure and believable and the witty personalities are a bonus. There wasn't really any unnecessary angst or dragged out/prolonged issues, so you can enjoy the show with a light and easy feeling.
A few side characters were lacking a little depth but for the most part, they seemed well-rounded and added another dimension to the story.
To sum up, it was a well-balanced drama that I think has a nice flow/pacing with lots of simple, enjoyable scenes. There wasn't anything earth-shattering about it but it was good and very easy to breeze through with well-acted, believable characters.
As to what I didn't like: The subtle anti-Korean sentiments and the obvious and awkward Korean dubbing dulled my enjoyment somewhat and it didn’t seem necessary. I thought the same rivalry effect could have been achieved while keeping it domestic. However, as someone who is English and not part of the gaming scene, there may be more subtle intricacies, or political strife, that I’m unaware of that make this necessary or valid? I would also have liked for them to explore the sexism angle a little deeper. While the issue was touched upon and started out strong at the beginning, it wasn't really a central plot issue and some of the meaning seemed to get lost along the way.
A potential for S2 if they really wanted to. Perfect as a stand-alone series as well though - a well-rounded, pleasing ending.
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