Decent romance but the show spent too much time treading water

TL;DR: Decent rom-com with a sports theme but draggy and a bit claustrophobic.
Most shows are like a jigsaw puzzle. It is made up of lots of pieces and when the pieces fall naturally into place you get a good drama, when the pieces don't fit well, you get half formed picture that tells a confused story.
This show started well. The swim team members are handsome and they have a strong bond with a healthy dose of macho bromance. The FL seemed to have a good heart and strong moral compass even though she is only an intern. It was quite obvious who the anointed OTP is and they do look cute together. Their meet-cute was tropey but it worked. Another positive aspect is the swimming competition, They were shot skilfully with great action scenes. The daily grind of a swim team is also front and centre rather than just gamify the subject like some other sport based drama. However, not all the jigsaw piece are fitting in nicely, there are missing pieces and others jammed in and felt out of place.
One of the problem is the portrayal of 2ML (Lin Zi). He just came across as creepy and an unlikeable character. He was obsessed with the FL and is revengeful against the ML. The whole plot with him worming himself in her workplace as her assistant is just unrealistic. How can an intern gain an assistant? Have the writer heard of office politics? What did the other interns think, let alone other reporters and senior staff? At one stage, he also set up a "love nest" for the FL and decorated it all by himself (while holding onto a spare key?). It is just as well that that subplot came to a dead-end or we'd have a psycho thriller on our hands instead of a rom-com. Regardless, I feel icky watching a lot of his early scenes.
The development of the FL is also lacking until the end. In the beginning, she was shown to be intelligent and headstrong but as the show progressed, she seemed to go backwards. With her first encounter of the 2ML, she'd labelled him a weirdo but then once he entered the company, she was easily manipulated by him and just seemed to missed all the clues to his shenanigans. In fact, she didn't clue in to his subterfuge until her best friend told her late in the story.
This bring us to my biggest gripe, the show is draggy. 36 episodes was too long. Even though it is obvious who the OTP is (and the 2OTP for that matter) and everyone around them all clearly of the same opinion, they spend half the show denying there is anything between them. Even after the ML confessed to the FL (only after seeing the 2ML confessed first) she was still going around doing the "I am confused/I should sacrifice myself for your career" trope for several more episodes to the general detriment of all concerned. Even after the 1OTP situation settled down, the 2OTP took up the baton and went on to denying their growing attractions. I was getting tired of hearing "No, no, that's impossible!" shouted by the leads every time someone asked whether they are dating or liked each other.
This slow plot progression is not helped when the competition subplot proved to be quite claustrophobic. It all centred around the fictional Dream Cup college championship and the races were largely against the same people over and over. The show hyped up the competitors as if they were national celebrities but I'm not sure how a college swim team can attain such high profile. If anything, I wished the show was set at a higher level so that the competition offer higher stakes than just the South campus matched against the North campus and some no-name competitors. I felt the show was just treading water for 2/3 of the show.
If you think the show was going to settle down to some quality CP time on the home straight then you will be mistaken. It changed tone again and went full on melo. Surprisingly, that actually had a positive effect on the show. Whilst there were a lot more angst and confusions, it ultimately acted as a cathartic release of penned up emotions and brought clarify to our protagonists. I'm glad it happened or it would be a happy ending that was not earned.
The group of young actors did what they can with their roles. I won't say that the acting was great but acceptable. I think the female actors gave more nuanced performances while the guys had too much machismo and only showed moments of vulnerability. The ML's mum was a gem. She is a real scene stealer. What a shame that she disappeared just when the show gained momentum.
To be frank, It was a struggle to sit through some of the episodes until the 2/3 mark, the fast forward button helped. It picked up after ep.27 and really gathered steam around ep.30. As expected, the ending was uplifting and satisfying. I actually felt better about the show after I finished it. It wasn't a bad show overall but it was patchy.
The OST was quite good. The score were well matched to the scenes and well produced.

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It takes a village to raise the best junior badminton team

Watching this show is like eating a whole tub of ice cream by yourself. It is a little naughty but so satisfying and a guilty pleasure. You almost feel a little embarrassed to admit you liked it so much.
This show has all the things that you'd decried about tropey, over-the-top scripts with questionable story telling but it has so much charm and energy that you didn't realise until you are hooked and it is too late to bail.
A lot of that energy came from the young cast. There are a lot of testosterone, teenage angst and bravado on display and sometimes it can feel monotonal but most of the time, the young actors, especially the Racket Boys, pulled it off. A special mention goes to Tang Jun Sang. He was impressive in Move to Heaven and he did not disappoint in this show. One to watch as his career develops. Kim Kang Hoon was a joy to watch, a mix of cuteness and determination. The veteran actors provided the glue that gave the show cohesion and a nurturing environment for the youngers to grow and be themselves. To be honest, some of those roles are from central casting and there is not a lot of depth to their characters but the fact that they are instantly recognisable is also comforting within this dramaverse.
As you can imagine, humour is central to a show like this but some of it is pretty crude and they are served with extra cheese. The show can be cringy as it farmed all the clichés and set up tropey situations just to milk the laughs/tears. What made it worked is the ensemble cast (both young and old) and the fast pacing so that you are never given enough time to analyse each scene. For much of the show, there is a definite coda, see setback -> overcome obstacle -> plot advances/character grows -> rinse and repeat. The show also tapped into many other themes beyond sports, found family, friendship, romance, dislocation, alienation and many more. Even a bit of supernatural towards the end which you can only shrug and say "why not". You would think it is a mess and it was but you are too invested to care (or you'd have dropped the show a long time ago). You'd forgive a lot of their trespasses just to see what happens next. However, this is a doubled edged sword as you knew things will never get too rough and the reward is always a few scenes away.
However, not everything can be dismissed offhandedly. The way the show dealt with antagonists can be quite tone deaf and lackadaisical. Foreigners and city dwellers are easy foils. Bad people will do bad things, end of story. The whole land developer subplot was heavy handed and farcical.
Romance was a big part of the show and a source of minor frustration as the teasing and push/pull goes on and on. There is little skinship to talk about but it is rated PG15+ more for other contents.
I have read some comments on the badminton games were not realistic. I beg to differ. I doubt any sport based drama has ever portraited their sport 100% realistically. Drama and plot development must come first so tight editing and a bit of CGI are used to create tension and magic. I think the young actors did their best to impress us on how physical and challenging the game is at elite level and I'm sure they'd have sweated through tough training sessions as well. They deserve a bit more credit.
One thing that did irked me was how Kang Tae Seon gets to play in the national team selection match against the ML. According to the show, Kang has not played badminton for 10 years. Putting aside his fitness and skill retention there must be some kind of ranking system so that people have to demonstrate a certain level of merit to earn a wildcard entry but to go straight to the top seemed to take the mickey out of the system, Consider his character was introduced late in the drama and probably will not show up again (unless there is a season 2), it served little purpose other than to take the ML down a notch and to humanise the head coach.
Even with the questionable subplots, I definitely enjoyed this show and it demands very little from you. The less critical you are, the more enjoyable this show will be. Like I said, it is a guilty pleasure that you can binge watch easily.

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Lovely healing romantic drama. Shame about the unravelling plots

Genre meshing is very common in k-drama. Supernatural/romance, romance/crime and many other combos. A lot of the time it works and that is usually because the plot grew around each other organically. In this case, the opposite happened.

Before you assume this is a negative review, it is not. I really liked this drama and the romance/healing plots were so well done and it was so sweet in a natural way. The crime/revenge plot was also very intriguing and complex, it is the lack of cohesion between the two at the later stage of the drama that pains me.

In terms of the positives, the acting from the cast is great. There were the odd overacting but their characters demanded it, otherwise it was well above average. The love story was cliché but seasoned actors pulled it off and pulled you into their lives so that you really want to swoon at their cheesy antics. The cinematography was wonderful. So many scenes were beautifully shot with depth and nuisances. Some were very thought provoking and impactful as well. Ditto the use of colour and lighting to signify moods. The production values were good all round and the OST was thematic. Most rooftop dwelling in k-drama equate cheap and cheerful housing for the lower income protagonists but this one is luxe. I want to live somewhere like that!

Now the not so good bits. The main issue for me is the two main plots were intertwined in the beginning and the crime side was very impactful for a few episodes but then it started to head off into its own space. There were intersecting points along the way but it felt like meeting of acquaintances rather than close friends. This is a shame as the crime thriller side could stand on its own but there was only about an hour of solid footage in 16 episodes. The tonal shift between the main sunny romance plot and the much darker revenge plot was getting uncomfortable as the show progress and the relationship between the OTP and the 2ML become more and more tenuous. It was never jarring but it does beg the question what impact does one plotline have on the other and the answer is not a lot. I'm sure the writer wanted us to see the self destructive nature of the revenge plot but it yin-yang too much. In the end. I pretty much focused on the romantic stories and basked in the warm sunshine and frolicked with the unicorns while paying less and less attention to the revenge subplot. I think that is a shame but I was shipping the OTP too hard to suddenly shift my mood 180 degrees every so often just because the writer-nim wanted me to.

I would still recommend this drama but treat it almost as if it is two separate dramas and how much enjoyment you get out of this will depend on where your focus is.

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Superficial Candy drama that barely made a splash

Let's get the good bits out of the way. It is technically a remake of the k-drama Clean with Passion for Now. It has been given the Chinese rom-com treatment so that the sharp corners were rounded off and extra CP's added to amp up the sugar quotient. The CP's are good looking and have decent chemistry. There is a decent amount of skinship that didn't looked forced. It is only 24 episodes long.
HOWEVER, the script is a mess. It is just a chain of artificial sweetener moments and then downers so that the writer can ramp up to the next sugar high. This meant one tropey situation follows another with little ground work which, over time, made you care less and less about the overarching storylines. Character development is cosmetic at best. This is a real shame as I did find the drama engaging for the first few episodes.
The antagonist was the worst I have seen for some time. Why that guy hated the ML so much and how he kept doing the dirty deeds even though everyone knew he did it but he was never called to account. Even after his most devastating act, he just walked away and the show conveniently forgot all about him. The grandfather was from central casting and it was quite fanciful that after years of abuse and the prime trigger for the ML's illness, the reconciliation happened over a meal and a few encouraging words. I knew the script demands it at that point so that we can get on with the happy endings but it beggars belief.
Acting was ok for the most part but there was no chance of a breakout role. Shen Yue did a good job and I like her acting in this a little more than Love So Beautiful where she was less convincing as an older version of herself towards the end of LSB. Jasper Liu was handsome and gentle. They do have swoon worthy moments but you can spot them from a mile away. CP2 was the classic celeb/bodyguard trope. Worked fine here and probably the more interesting of the 3 pairings but it was straight out of the rom-com central. The weakest link was CP3 which is the older girl and younger man pairing. Their push/pull was not particularly strong and it was always just a matter of time before they become official. A much better recent drama with that theme is My Fated Boy.
Now my biggest issue with this show, the 2ML. Why, writer, why? The 2ML was an odd character and the kindest way to describe him is chaotic neutral. The meet-cute with the FL was cliché and he was so overbearing. His behaviour as the ML's therapist was all manner of wrongs. Malpractice came to mind, to be honest. His actions were ambiguous, obsessive and pretty much at the whim of the writer. There is no chance of the Second Lead Syndrome.
Ultimately, many things about this show were superficial and so scripted that you just felt disengaged. The tropey plots will motor along with or without you. It was a lightweight, fluffy show and quite forgettable.
P.S. You must watch the ending, it is SO cheesy.
P.P.S. There is a bonus epilogue available on YouTube. Saccharine overload but actually quite cute. :D

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I'm not bad, I'm just scripted that way

TL;DR version: This show is a fair introduction to Chinese period rom-com and is a must watch for any fan of the leads.
Long version: You would think that doubling down on the arranged marriage and mistaken identity trope would yield lots of opportunities for engaging stories and character developments but due to a lazy script and directions, this show just moved along the well trodden path and did little more than kept pace with other run-of-the-mill period dramas.
Like so many before it, the potential is there. The two different settings, two pairs of good looking CP's. Historical crime, present day felony, political manoeuvrings, unrequited love are all fodder for this genre and many a good yarn have been spun before. Yet this show just never seemed to want to take the bull by the horns so the characters were one dimensional, character developments were minimal, plots felt tired and by the book. Everything is serviceable but that's about it.
Case in point, the FL was a simple, naïve girl with a heart of gold, the actor played it dead straight and she was like that the whole show. That made her seemed gullible and a lot of her actions counterproductive. That is a shame as there were lots of room for her character to grow but it was barely explored. Ditto, the 2FL was lauded for her intelligence and cleverness, yet she was trapped in the same predicament for the bulk of the show. I'm not going to start writing about the antagonists as that would fill paragraphs and involve spoilers but you get my drift.
Overall, the actors did their best with the parts they were given so the problems must lie with the script and directions.
I thought the beginning of the show held a lot of promise but it soon settled into a trudge that included all the time worn tropes. There were cute moments but I don't feel a strong chemistry between the CP's. There were some production issues which is pointless to detail here but attested to the general lack of care surrounding this show. It was a fluffy, harmless viewing but that is damning it with faint praise.

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This show doesn't know if it wants to be a horse or a mule

It is rare to see foreigners in a k-drama. Even rarer for them to have major roles. This show is definitely ground breaking in that regard. However, it is also a bit of a two way bet as most of those actors are trying to be more Korean than the Korean actors. It was an odd feeling when you see them together all speaking (I assume near perfect Korean). Compounding this disorientation, the Korean students who were supposed to return after living aboard for years (hence why they are in the international dorm) showed little "foreignness". They hardly spoke a word of English and you can forget any slangs or idioms. So it is basically like watching an American school sit-com but in a Korean setting with a juxtaposition of faces but utterly Korean.
Now that's out of the way, on with the show, I mean review. The plots of the show are simplistic. Slice of life with some odd ball side characters and running gags. Some storylines are fairly topical for a k-drama, love, money, fame, beauty standard, etc. It works most of the time if you are not expecting anything deep and meaningful. Plot developments are telegraphed well in advance, no horrible twists but there is a darker undertone which was not resolved by the end of this season. I do find the laughing track overused and largely pointless.
Overacting is pretty much to be expected in a sit-com setting and some times the actor's inexperience does show but they tried their best.
It is odd to say this but I felt that I would have enjoyed it more if it was allowed to be a true sit-com set in an international dormitory in Korea. Where foreign students behave like, well, foreign students. Suffering cultural shock, committing faux pas and mangling Korean idioms. I fully understand that it will be a fine line between cutting humour and racist undertone but comedy only works if your audience are not confused. Now it just felt like they had a foot in each camp and is straddling a pool of muddy water.

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Promising start to a 3 seasons series

I am a late comer to this drama. I decided to take the plunge when I heard that a third season of the show has been released without much fanfare.
While the show is entertaining, it is also a bit patchy in parts. The whole time travel, soul swapping trope is not new but it was not as prevalent as today so there is an element of originality when it was made. The show did make decent use of that device with the FL's modern spunky persona coming to the fore time and time again to create some funny moments and genre bending twists. It worked better here than the usual modern person trying to role play and blend in approach. It gave the first half of the show a distinct personality.
Having said that, the whole reason why the FL ended up in ancient time was very old school and I don't even want to hint at the overarching plot as it will give the whole story away. This bring on the other issue with this show, the show started as a rom-com and then it got melodramatic and finally moved to full on high fantasy. The show had to do this to bring the current show to some form of conclusion but open ended enough to set up the next season. The problem is that the second half of the show felt very tropey and predictable. The production value seemed to drop as well when they moved to the fantasy land.
I will definitely watch the next two seasons as the chemistry of the CP is great and the show is built upon and carried by their relationship so if you ship them then you will want to find out what happens next.

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What an odd little goldfish in a bowl of tropey rom-coms

It is rare to watch a Chinese period drama that paid so much attention to details and the coherence of the script.

Unlike many dramas that have a weak plot or poor script and relied heavily on star power or tropey sugar romance to carry the show, this one really went out of its way to put the story front and centre. The fact that the production value was good and the acting in general was superior were just icing on the cake.

While having a detective or a doctor as the central character is not new but this drama took it to a different level. It started with a fairly forensic look at the job of a coroner in ancient China (probably fanciful to be honest) but it also added scientific law enforcement into the mix. The script writer then built up a very complex overarching plot that spanned a generation just so that the M/FL can work as a team and unravel the mystery together (and fire up the romance).

If this was the only positive aspect, the show is already doing well but on top of that, most of the support characters were also quite intelligent and at worse, competent in their roles. There were no tropey love triangles or crazy subplots just to stir things up. Everyone had a job to do and they did it to their utmost abilities. It was refreshing to have storylines that were just "normal" and people were treated as professionals regardless of their birth or gender. Bravo, writers and director!
The plot was a real cat and mouse game. The villains were setting clever traps and playing the long game while our young guns were using their brains and skills to work through the leads, solving cases and laying down their own counter traps.

This is great if you like a good detective story and the whole logical deduction process. If you came in thinking that this is another cute period rom-com then you might be disappointed. Not that there wasn't romance. The CP's were quite cute together and there were swoon worthy moments. There was a little bit of skinship but very tame. There were some action but a lot of talking and expositions on the complicated plot. Your mileage will differ.

Another aspect I appreciate was the production values. The sets were of good quality and formed a coherent backdrop. I really liked their lighting design. They used a lot of natural lights during the day and candles were used extensively at night . Most of the time, the artificial light mimicked the natural light sources. Flickered and glowed as appropriate. I find it disconcerting when some period sets were lit up brightly and uniformly or have spotlights from the ceiling.

The acting of the ML was great. He started like Mr Spock but as the show progressed, he became more human and showed all the emotions. He had some very emotional scenes later on in the show which he did very well. The 2ML was quite a fun and lively character by comparison, there was a nice bromance between them as well. On the other hand, the FL felt a little out of her depth. She started well enough in the coroner role but around the mid to late show she was over shadowed by the ML and the villains so her acting seemed muted and a little wooden. Other support casts all made good contributions. Good dynamics between them.

OST was nice and easy listening. Rewatch value is hard to gauge because it would be like rereading a detective novel. It is up to the individual.

P.S. I deliberately kept this review spoiler free as any spoiler will give the plot away and I don't want to tell you up front that the maid did it. (oh damn!)

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2 things stopped it from being a 10/10

In many ways, this was an excellent c-drama. The OTP's romance was super cute and wholesome. They are a true power couple with both doing important and demanding jobs. No wall flower here, thank you. A lot of the story telling was great, awesome meet-cute. How can you go wrong when one half of the story was based in a hospital and the other half was about policing! However, it did tripped over its own feet on two things.
1) The 2OTP was too frustrating to watch. Their relationship was in limbo and dragged on for too long. On, off, mixed messages, reset, noble idiocy, friend zoning, the works. This went on for 30 episodes! Yes, when they did get together it was all rainbows and unicorns and there were some very funny and cute moments but it really went round the garden path a few times.
2) The show was too long. 40 episodes were not long by c-drama standard and It would have been fine if there was enough substance to do 40 episodes but there really wasn't. A few signs pointed to this, the first half of the show was action packed and very well paced. A bit after the disaster relief operation, things started to slow down. There were still dramatic moments but these were islands. The 2OTP issue was particularly noticeable then. When they introduced the girl in the wheelchair subplot, it was pure classic filler trope that came from nowhere and went nowhere. The overseas study trip was another. At least it wasn't too abrupt but it was just a time skip padded out with some video chats and a long sad build-up. They could have shipped her off to a fortnight's training course somewhere and got her onto that bus without changing narrative stride. I think 35 episodes would have been more realistic.
Acting was good all round, I last watched the FL in Oh My General and she did a good job there too. The ML wasn't all stony faced male god and that was good. The male leads all look very smart in uniform.
The OST was nice and easy on the ears. The rewatch value is there but I would hit the fast forward around the 2/3 mark and skip to the good bits.

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Romance and healing in equal parts

I have not seen SITR so I'm not going to make any comparisons.

I could write an essay on this show but I don't want to bore you so I'll keep this short.

This show is not an easy watch. It touched on a number of Korean societal issues. There were relationship breakdowns, familial pressures, prejudices and more. Through finding love and supporting each other did the OTP heal their emotional wounds and find happiness.

The story was beautifully told. It was not hurried but each lull are bracketed by impactful codas. You can take a breather and maybe even enjoy some swoon-worthy moments but you can never let your guards down. It is that underlying tension that lift the show above the pack. It is not a dread in the pit of your stomach but a sense of foreboding as you know that it will not be plain sailing for the leads. And fight they did, to find love, to be allowed to love and to preserve what they won.

Acting of the leads were superb. You feel their sadness, confusion and joy. Even the support case were great. Each have their own story arcs and the sum total of their contribution was certainly great.

Ultimately, it was an enjoyable and satisfying watch. You will feel a bit worn out but it only make the reward that much sweeter.

OST was good. Crafted to suit the drama being played out. Rewatch is a given.

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Very well acted youth romance with a loving heart

I really enjoyed this show. It was one of the better youth romance I've seen. While I believe the OTP and most of the support cast made the show, some of the story telling was a bit patchy.
The show broke from the typical male god/ice king vs the bumbling, feisty FL trope. While the story started at the final year of high school and the FL was the top student there, she was not low on EQ as you'd expect. The ML was a transfer student with a murky past and bad rep after being placed at the bottom of the same class as the FL. It was definitely a love-hate relationship from the get-go. However, once the FL found out that he was actually misunderstood and a diamond in the rough, the spark of romance was well and truly ignited. That flame burnt brightly during their college years.
The OTP had great chemistry. We are not talking about hot and sexy type but more of the sweet and innocent first love variety. There was some skinship but nothing over the top. The kisses weren't exactly awkward but they weren't passionate either. I'd give them a pass mark.
The ML was superb in his role. Instead of the aloof stereotype, he was handsome but totally grounded and relatable. He smiled (and what a smile!), he laughed and he cried. He suffered and he cheered and he made you care for his character and the OTP. The FL did a good job as well. A good match with the ML and she had to pull her own weight especially in the more dramatic scenes. Most of the support cast were 3 dimensional characters that grew (and grew up) with the OTP. Their story arcs were integral to the central story and it was a refreshing change from the central casting roommates ensemble.
It was interesting to see the ice king trope actually played out in the 2OTP pairing and when you consider some shows would have gone 30-40 episodes based on that trope alone you had to wonder why we still accept that trope being the norm. Not that the 2OTP was boring, it just felt predictable and cliché. Luckily, they only had a fraction of the screen time. They also provided some counterpoint to the main pair's romantic development and added some spice to the show once the OTP's relationship became unshakable.
Speaking of relationships, I'm afraid the writing became a bit weak on that front and became a bit tropey. The whole wilful mother, unrequited love, crushes and love triangle tropes were given too much oxygen. So many setbacks and meddling came from the many actors circling the OTP like sharks. It was never life or death situation but the show could do more to balance it. Honestly, many scenes of the OTP were so sweet and loveable that they could have bottled and sell the essence but you can't shake the feeling that something bad was about to befall them (and it usually did). It was a bit tiresome by the end.
That brought us to the main antagonist and I'm afraid he was just not up to the task. He was not really evil and came across more like sleazy and annoying.
My final minor gripe was the use of the forced separation trope towards the end of the show. It was unnecessary, full stop. I understood the writer wanted to show progress and bring the show to a conclusion sometime in the future. All we got was a bit of angst, sad parting and then BAM, time skip 2 years. Fortunately, the OTP parted with an understanding that the relationship will just become a long distance one and they can chat and video call whenever. I appreciate that as most show would just make it as if the departing lead went to the moon and out of communication for the duration.
The last episode was a complete and utter fan service and I'm eternally grateful for that. It tied everything up with a pink bow and a herd of unicorns were frolicking in the meadow. Every key character had closure (except one, it was odd as his name was mentioned and a subplot started but it went nowhere) and lots of cute moments. One thing did gave me pause, the antagonist was completely rehabilitated and given a happy ending. I know it sat well with the light tone of the show but it was not really sending a good message and the one sentence explanation was barely plausible.
OST was catchy and breezy for the most parts. Rewatch value is high as long as you skip some of the tedious shenanigans. I would have given it a higher score if it was less "drama for drama sake". Can't complain about the OTP and their sweet, sweet ending. I would highly recommend this drama.

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Standard watchable youth drama with a bit of a twist

I don't think anyone who has watched a decent number of j-drama would be surprised by this movie. Fairly standard set up with an over protective brother who is secretly in love with his sister. The sister was confused about her feelings both because of the brother's love-hate behaviour as well as the taboo nature if she was attracted to him. Obviously, the drama can only go for the sad ending or a happy ending so I won't spoil it for you.
The acting was fine. A bit of overacting was to be expected. Music was un-intrusive. The OTP chemistry was quite good and they look cute together. More so than the FL/2ML pairing. Rewatch value is good.

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It is more than an e-sport drama

TL;DR version: This is an amazing drama. A must watch. One caveat; if you hate gaming or e-sport then give it a miss.
The long version: this drama combined two fully realised dramas into one. What is even more impressive is that it was an ensemble cast of well over ten leading characters. All those characters were three dimensional and acting was great and on point.
With such a complex and interwoven plot there were definitely issues but the show just took you on such a rollercoaster ride that you just hung on tight and enjoyed it.
The promise of the main plot is some kind of temporal anomaly that linked the lives of two crossfire game players, one lived in 2008 while the other in 2020. To help identify the two parallel plots, I'll refer to one as -08 while the other as -20.
First we must address the elephant in the room. If you are concerned about the butterfly effect or time paradox then be assured that the show took a bazooka to them and walked all over their ashes. The show used the time anomaly as a convenient plot device whenever they see fit. All kinds of time shenanigans happened but they all seemed to have minimal impact to the timelines or the world as a whole. Just tell your cognitive functions to go on a paid vacation.
As I mentioned earlier, with such a complex plot(s), there were issues which you can either take umbrage or just shrug your shoulders. The perfect example was the recovery of ML-08 from a prolonged illness. Totally unrealistic but they had to take that route or the show will grind to a halt. Ditto, 2ML-20 which was all nicely set up as a love triangle for OTP-20 and he just disappeared after a couple of episodes. See memo re cognitive functions.
On the whole the 2008 timeline was better written and acted. It just felt more raw and gritty. It started fast and furious and didn't let up until the halfway mark. The 2020 storyline was more like a youth drama with a hint of "The King's Avatar". It could have formed the basis of a standalone c-drama if they wanted. It was well told and well acted but paled in comparison with the 2008 storyline. The 2020 ensemble was still strong but felt a bit cookie cutter (the cosplayer was a standout).  
Around the 20's episodes mark, it did turn very dark and the various plots took a breather while the writer sort things out so that the two timeline can meld into one stream in 2021. A lot of the personal relationships were resolved and cemented around then.
Speaking of relationships, there are three key pairings, one in '08 and two in 2020. They all grew organically and didn't steal the limelight from the main plots. Unsurprisingly, I found the romance of 2OTP-20 was more engaging and funny and they were allowed more latitude with their courtship with several really funny moments while in game. However, having said that, the kiss of the OTP-08 in ep.33 was one of the best c-drama kiss, ever. The penned up longing and passion was overflowing and it was so natural. Swoon.
Speaking of funny moments, it was very clever of the show to use a mix of in-game graphics but more importantly, have the real actors dress up as their game characters and do the fight scenes. There were some tense moments but some of the funniest scenes were done in that alternative game world. Look for ML-08 teaching the FL-08 the game and the bromance scenes later on. Classic, totally classic. I won't be surprised if they recreated some championship games as they were really good matches.
The villain of the piece was also done well. I am a bit tired of the tropey hidden mastermind or Psycho killer with questionable motives. The show's villain suffered a chain of events that got him deeper and deeper into trouble. He was nasty and despicable in the end but you went on that dark ride with him and can empathise.
Kudos also goes to the writer for putting ML-20 in a wheelchair. As a gamer myself, I have been fascinated by the idea that online games are the ultimate leveller when a disabled person can live a full life in a virtual world without hindrance nor discriminations. Ditto giving real gamers cameos and showing photos of past greats in the end credit.
One small gripe is the last 7 mins of the show skipped ahead 5 years but you don't feel anything has changed and there was no obvious character developments. The show hinted is that everyone just cruised along for 5 years which is unrealistic (not even their hairstyle?). After making so much effort to make the timelines feel authentic, those last few minutes just felt out of place. If they have done a 1 year skip and gave us an update on the team/individuals then it would have been a more satisfying conclusion and gave us closures.
OST was good. A mix of battle music, love songs and incidental music. High production value all round.
In conclusion, I suppose I am a bit biased but even if you tone down the gaming side, it is still a good drama. Definitely recommended.

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The show failed to capitalise on a good beginning

Many reviews have already mentioned the big age gap between the FL and the ML. I don't have a problem with that as long as the older ML, being in a power position did not pressure or trick the younger FL into a relationship. So long as they fall in love organically (within the rules of dramaland) then it is what it is.
I did like this drama, especially the beginning 10ish episodes. It was tropey with the boss/employee plot but it was done with a lot of energy and cuteness. There was also a lot of heart in the familial/friend relationships. I was wondering where the show would take us.
What I did find disappointing was that as the show progressed, it got more and more tropey and clichéd. The second half of the show just felt predictable and flat. Yes, lots happened, domineering mother, meddling 2FL, poor communications, sick grandfather, spunky half bro and more. Not that the tropes were not staple of such dramas but in this case, they felt computer generated. They served to generate a bit of angst or more likely, a bit of awkwardness but you never felt that the show was going to surprise you. I understand the show wanted to be angst lite but there were a lot of weak sub plots when a stronger focus on a couple of meatier plots would have been more impactful.
The plot became a bit rudderless once they became a couple. It just hopped from one event to the next until near the end. Promising storyline like the FL being a top chef hit a wall. A more engaging plot line would challenge the FL further as a chef and the ML supporting her through thick and thin. The awesome food porn also faded away by that stage.
The 2OTP was actually not bad, their romance was more grounded but still cute. OST was fine and pleasant. The support cast did a good job.
The tone got dark around episode 20/21 when they introduced a big revenge plot that was unnecessary to the storyline and if anything, showed most involved in a poor light. It just felt staged and cliché. After all the kerfuffle, the ML undid the whole thing and just handed back everything he won in the last episode. Yes, it paved the way for the happy ending but it also made the previous two episodes fairly pointless.
The ending was all rainbows and unicorns but a bit rushed. We are talking multiple pairings including pairs that came out of left field (the uncle's pairing?) and every wish was granted.
To be honest, the show was sustained by the OTP's awesome chemistry and their cute, sweet moments. Good amount of skinship without awkwardness was a bonus. If you are happy to watch the show for the romance alone then it would go down a treat but the rest of the fluff was a bit tedious for me.

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A sweet little modern day fairy tale

Let us be totally honest, this show is about a fantasy. There is also hint of "Ode to hard work" buried in the romantic theme. Don't get me wrong, I totally enjoyed the show and it was a short and a fun watch. The ML is just too perfect. Sure, he was/is a workaholic himself but he certainly enables the FL and supports her (hard) work ethnics 120%. It was never really explained why he fell so hard for the FL but ask no questions and you are given no lies. Not exactly realistic but this is dramaland where they love to throw improbable scenarios at viewer. Other than that, it is low angst, sweet rom-com with a nice amount of skinship. It is even rewatchable as it is so short.

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