2
13
3
virgievirgie
Lost in Dramaland
Good first half but slow second half
Completed - 4/18/2022 - 7.75 rounding up to 8.0
Having binge-watched season 1, I am glad I took a little breather before diving into season 2. Season 1 wasn't a very enjoyable experience for me (see my review here: https://mydramalist.com/profile/voicelesslove/reviews/203095). But taking a break allows me to reset and I enjoy this season more than the last. It might also due to the fact that there are only 20 episodes here, yet I still feel the pacing is quite slow at the end. You will need to watch season 1 first before this one, otherwise, nothing will make sense.
First Half of the Drama:
Season 2 continues where it was last left off. Our leads went through the Abyss, and the first half of the drama was set back 1000 years ago. I really enjoy this story arc, much more than the present day storyline. General Duan Mu is a character I can root for and is likable, much more so than the happy-go-lucky deity in season 1. I follow her journey of shouldering the burden of the Duan Mu army, continuing to fight for gender equality and the never-ending fight to prove that she's worthy of being the lead general. Zhang Yan (ML) proves to be a great support system for her emotionally, physically and in warfare. I enjoy their romance here - quiet, mature, supportive, and honest. On the other hand, we also see a different storyline about Hong Luan (2FL) and Wen Gu (2ML). We found out why Wen Gu was so attached to Duan Mu and why he likes her so much. Actually, who would not like General Duan Mu. At first, I wasn't a fan of Duan Mu's fiancee, General Hu Lu, but his character grew on me. He also had an amazing battle scene that was full of emotions and strength. His part was small but he made an impression on me. The villain of the drama was slowly incorporated into this portion of the story. I knew there's something fishy about him when he regained his past lives memories. You just knew he's up to no good.
Second Half of the Drama:
I would have given this drama a solid 8.0 or even 8.25 if it's not because of how slow the second half is. Now that everyone is back to the present day storyline, it's no surprise that the goal is to eliminate the villain. Unfortunately, I found our villain to be very one-dimensional, cartoon-ish and not "sophisticated" enough. I personally was bored towards the last few episodes and had to increase my watch speed. The scenes are slow, the talking is slow. On the other hand, after a very mature romance in the abyss, I suddenly found the romantic words spoken between our leads to be somewhat cringey. I did not like Darren Chen's acting when he has those sad puppy (somewhat bored) eyes. His facial expressions and eyes lit up more when he's in the playful and bickering scenes with FL (as in season1). Darren Chen is a very handsome guy, but I don't know why I find his more emotional/sad scenes to be less attractive. I prefer him being the quiet support of General Duan Mu. But a bright spot is introducing me to Gu Zi Cheng (who played Wen Gu). He has one of the more interesting characters in this drama. He's cool and aloof yet smitten as Doctor Wen Gu, then turned into revengeful Demon King, then loyal and faithful as Soldier Wen Gu and lastly as the young and innocent new Wen Gu. Towards the end of the drama, there are quite a few plot inconsistencies and plot holes in regards to Duan Mu's magical powers. Without going into spoilers, I feel that it was quite a stretch for her to have those powers in the final fight.
Overall, I feel that the drama could combine both seasons into one. A combined 40 episodes (instead of 52) is probably enough to tell its story with better pacing and a tighter storyline. For my personal enjoyment, I enjoyed season 2 more than season 1, thanks to the plot in the army.
Having binge-watched season 1, I am glad I took a little breather before diving into season 2. Season 1 wasn't a very enjoyable experience for me (see my review here: https://mydramalist.com/profile/voicelesslove/reviews/203095). But taking a break allows me to reset and I enjoy this season more than the last. It might also due to the fact that there are only 20 episodes here, yet I still feel the pacing is quite slow at the end. You will need to watch season 1 first before this one, otherwise, nothing will make sense.
First Half of the Drama:
Season 2 continues where it was last left off. Our leads went through the Abyss, and the first half of the drama was set back 1000 years ago. I really enjoy this story arc, much more than the present day storyline. General Duan Mu is a character I can root for and is likable, much more so than the happy-go-lucky deity in season 1. I follow her journey of shouldering the burden of the Duan Mu army, continuing to fight for gender equality and the never-ending fight to prove that she's worthy of being the lead general. Zhang Yan (ML) proves to be a great support system for her emotionally, physically and in warfare. I enjoy their romance here - quiet, mature, supportive, and honest. On the other hand, we also see a different storyline about Hong Luan (2FL) and Wen Gu (2ML). We found out why Wen Gu was so attached to Duan Mu and why he likes her so much. Actually, who would not like General Duan Mu. At first, I wasn't a fan of Duan Mu's fiancee, General Hu Lu, but his character grew on me. He also had an amazing battle scene that was full of emotions and strength. His part was small but he made an impression on me. The villain of the drama was slowly incorporated into this portion of the story. I knew there's something fishy about him when he regained his past lives memories. You just knew he's up to no good.
Second Half of the Drama:
I would have given this drama a solid 8.0 or even 8.25 if it's not because of how slow the second half is. Now that everyone is back to the present day storyline, it's no surprise that the goal is to eliminate the villain. Unfortunately, I found our villain to be very one-dimensional, cartoon-ish and not "sophisticated" enough. I personally was bored towards the last few episodes and had to increase my watch speed. The scenes are slow, the talking is slow. On the other hand, after a very mature romance in the abyss, I suddenly found the romantic words spoken between our leads to be somewhat cringey. I did not like Darren Chen's acting when he has those sad puppy (somewhat bored) eyes. His facial expressions and eyes lit up more when he's in the playful and bickering scenes with FL (as in season1). Darren Chen is a very handsome guy, but I don't know why I find his more emotional/sad scenes to be less attractive. I prefer him being the quiet support of General Duan Mu. But a bright spot is introducing me to Gu Zi Cheng (who played Wen Gu). He has one of the more interesting characters in this drama. He's cool and aloof yet smitten as Doctor Wen Gu, then turned into revengeful Demon King, then loyal and faithful as Soldier Wen Gu and lastly as the young and innocent new Wen Gu. Towards the end of the drama, there are quite a few plot inconsistencies and plot holes in regards to Duan Mu's magical powers. Without going into spoilers, I feel that it was quite a stretch for her to have those powers in the final fight.
Overall, I feel that the drama could combine both seasons into one. A combined 40 episodes (instead of 52) is probably enough to tell its story with better pacing and a tighter storyline. For my personal enjoyment, I enjoyed season 2 more than season 1, thanks to the plot in the army.
Was this review helpful to you?
