Go Go Squid 2: Dt. Appledog's Time

Go Go Squid - Retelling of the story that would fit the current meta and DT n AD's love story

This show made me fall head over heels on Li Yitong.

Story
Likes
+ Gives a fresh take on how DT and AD's story will unravel.
+ Gun God and Little Squid's cameo was just right to connect the 1st Go Go Squid.
+ If this was the author and director's take on how it should go for DT's love story then this got me sold very well.
+ Wu Bai and Ai Qing's chemistry was perfect. Truly a love that was planned for 10 years.
+ Question's that were left unanswered in 1st Go Go Squid is answered here. Which is surely a way to complete the Go Go Squid series
+ I love the ending monologue for both Wu Bai and Li Yitong that gives more flavor and shows that how they want to make DT and AD's love so deep.

Story
Dislikes
- Some arcs/parts where shorten that if you would wish they put a few more minutes before transitioning to the next scene.
- Wished the story never ended in 38 episodes. Just me wanting to rewatched it for the 3rd time cause I just finish watching it the 2nd time now.

Acting/Cast:
Likes
+ Hu Yi Tian and Li Yi Tong's acting have so much chemistry.
+ K&K and SP team's cast: K&K got 2 returning cast while SP got huge overhaul of cast and character - Their acting were fitting to the current show's direction.
+ Grandpa Han - is more lovable here :3
+ No need to comment ont Hu Yi Tian, well established and really the one and only Wu Bai for this story.
+ For Li Yitong, didn't really started falling at the start but as I watched episode by episode. I felt what Wu Bai's reason for falling and that was wonderful for the show and how the acting Ai Qing's character worked well with the story.
I just didn't fell in love with the sugary scenes but even the minor details from eye and body movement got me like having goosebumps or your heart melting. Li Yitong's Ai Qing isn't like the sugary Tong Nian of 1st Go Go Squid, but Ai Qing here on 2nd Go Go Squid was more of my ideal female lead. I want to tell more but I would just end up going fan boy mode.

Acting/Cast:
Dislikes
- Manager Lin/Director Lin - hahaha on the arena scene hahahahaha and that he couldn't wink.


Music
All Likes
+ Already on my Spotify playlists and playing on my 24/7 playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0563nkE58dab2Y0ywHkBUi?si=Ah2sSKFpQfWlaSOc3mLJQg (This containts JP and CH songs worth 14hrs. of playtime)

Rewatch Value
If I were to compare the rewatch value for 1st Go Go Squid vs. 2nd Go Go Squid.
2nd Go Go Squid would be the show I would not get tir ed repeating at 100%.
It is not that 1st Go Go Squid, I will get tired but but the cast and character portrayal here got me more sold than the 1st.

Now Li Yitong is now one of my most adored Chinese actresses.


Overall, this adaptation must be taken with a different perspective and never say it is directly following the 1st Go Go Squid.
As this show wrappeds around DT and Appledog thus the story was adjusted to adapt a what-if story if it centered DT and AD instead of Gun God and Little Squid. I love the director's take for this one and made it a story that stands on its own and go par with the 1st Go Go Squid. It is not my first to encounter this story telling and glad they did it instead of having it follow the 1st Go Go Squid and just made an expansion on the scenes that should have focus on DT and AD. That is all for my review and do take that this is very biased but I reassure you that if you can watch it with a different view and not compare it the 1st but use the 1st only as reference then you will love and not just like the show.

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cotton candy and lollipops

Firstly, be prepared fore many comparisons with ggs1 beccause I enjoyed ggs1 and I also like this one.

Story: Time, space, and events are similar to ggs1, just the focus moved from Han Shangyan n Tong Nian to Wu Bai and Appledog, and the sport is not ctf, but battlebots. I used to watch Battlebots since seccondary school, and watching this drama is like a flashback to my school times. Low on angst between Wu Bai and Appledog, but some conflicts between Shen Zhe(Grunt) and Ai Qing. Enjoyed Grunt's romance most, because of the conflicts and it is less exposed. The main couple is exposed almost all the time, and with the less conflicts, it became bit boring in the middle because it's a 38-episode drama. Don't wait for Han & Tong because they don't appear much. Story is more comedic, Wu Bai is more expressive than in GGS1, and more romance-oriented, bcoz GGS1 focuses more on KK, SP, and the ctf industry.

Cast: The best actor goes to Li Yi Tong. She is mature, she can play as a manager and a mature lover who balances work n love.
Hu Yi Tian plays a more expressive character than the one he usually plays. He Is more expressive, comedic, and a good friend.
Supports are good, Wang An Yu again shines with his expressions, xiaomi looks more handsome here then ggs 1 >:), but he has no gf in ggs2...*sad* sadly no demo :(
The actor i don't think is suitable is Solo. His face is just too happy, not like in ggs1 in which solo is a very sad, depressed, melancholic character who always have that dazed, boring, sad face that fits his character. Here the issue about solo, su cheng, and xiao ai isn't taken very seriously, solo looks like he's not stressed, and the team isn't sad when su cheng leaves them. Su cheng looks like happy leaving them, too.
'
VFX: looks like a low budget drama(sorry), the cgi is so simple, the venue is neither as grand as ggs1. the robot cgi looks very cheap. The kk base also feels more like an abandoned house for homeless people, not like ggs1 which the kk base feels so like home.

OST: some reused ost from ggs1, new osts are also good.
+points: the battle is longer, so the struggle is more real, not like ctf where each battle is only in seconds. But the teamwork isn't as good as ggs1 because it's more of a personal game.

gonna rewatch some good scenes.

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SAME DRAMA , DIFFERENT LOVE STORY

I just finished watching this drama..it wasnt bad at all ..the only episode i enjoy the most is during KK battle with Naya to win world championship.
Other episodes was just OK..
What was not OK was...no scene or communication of Solo team with han shangyan at all..Even during KK biggest competition , Han Shangyan wasnt there to watch them. His name was mentioned many times during the drama , but his scene is too little.
38 episodes but not even a single scene Han Shangyan talking to Solo Team..this is weird!
I thought this drama is continue from GGS , but just a repeat story with different character.

Sigh.

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See it without comparing it to Go Go Squid!

Should you? Would you? Could you?

You should watch this one (YES! )
You would recommend this to others. (YES!)
You could watch this again. (YES, in parts)

When you start seeing this one you have unconscious expectations of it being an extension of Go Go Squid and that’s where we all go wrong. Let that be a backdrop for this one. There are parallels in the story with instances being similar which is needed but don’t go with expectations of the actors being the same. If you can let go of that, then you will enjoy this one a lot.

The lead actress, Li Yi Tong is brilliant. Her smile and her confidence is bewitching.
This is perhaps the male lead actor Hu Yi Tian’s best so far. There has always been this restraint that I have found in his acting which to me he has broken free from in this drama. And I am glad to see him mature as an actor. The longing in his eyes, the steadfast, unshakeable love which shines from his face is so convincing. The scene where he gets possessive about the female lead and pushes her in the car just shows the depth of emotion in the character.

The second lead pair is adorable. I have seen Wan An Yu’s other drama and have liked him in that too. He’s a v expressive actor.
The supporting cast is brilliant as usual. Really liked the role of Solo played by Pang Han Chen.

I wish the story would have focused more on gaming than the romance. There are many episodes that could have just been eliminated from this series but I guess that’s the writer's prerogative.
I love the fact that even though there is fierce competition between the teams of SP and K&K, they are united in their quest to win the competition for their country and don’t hesitate to help each other out when the need arises. This shows strength of character.
Also loved the fact that the last episode had both couples from both series. I loved the lead pair of Go Go Squid and the glimpses which we see of them in this one is a treat.

I enjoyed it. I fast-forwarded the parts that I found unnecessary and I finished it with a sense of completion. This is a personal choice. If you liked Go Go Squid and want to see how Dt & Appledog mature in their love, then do watch it.

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Not a sequel but a spinoff

So this is cannot be characterized as a sequel as it is not the same story but the characters remained the same. The changes in the cast at first didn't sit well with me but the actors sure delivered. Maybe it was better. I have to talk about that, aside from Han Shangyan and Wu Bai, the most handsome guy in both versions is Xiao Mi. When I saw that they changed the actor I was legit disappointed but dude let me tell you that when I saw him I was left with my mouth hanging wide open. So let's get to the review. (Spoilers ahead)
The story is completely different, nothing like GGS but if you looked past that, it's easy if you treat the show as something new, it had the same energy with GGS. The things that didn't sit well with me were 2: 1st Wu Bai was kinda obsessed with the girl and sometimes he was throwing under the bus his club just for Ai Qing to be happy, and 2nd the way they made Wang Hao to be shown as someone who thinks that the girl is a prize he can win. For me it would be better if they made him give up after he learnt about WB and AQ, they spoiled a good character in the name of jealousy.
Grandpa was the best as always, along with 97 and Zhou Yi, best wingmen in the world.
Shen Ze and Ai Jing left me with mixed emotions. They were cute but kinda toxic at first so even if later they grew as characters I still had objections about the pairing.
Lastly the friendships were the best thing ever, especially when they went to pick up the bride the games they played were so funny 😂.
Definitely gonna rewatch.

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the most endearing love story - without being childish

This review consists of two parts: Part 1 GGS1 vs GGS2; Part 2: Drama Review
But first the most important question, do I need to watch s1 in order to understand s2? Simple answer: NO - but it's a unique drama experience to have more background information and if you have the time I would recommend to skim through s1 or watch a compilation edit of Wu Bai but it's not necessary.

PART 1:
I watched GGS1 and GGS2 back-to-back within a month and by far this one is the better romantic cdrama.
I understand that while it was airing s1 had more hype and this season was a letdown to the fans, but I watched it in 2023 and quite frankly my capacity to watch another 'pastell-pink-wearing-emotionless-boy-chasing-air-head' Female Lead has run out a long time ago (sorry for the harsh words but that's how I felt).

S2 is a prequel to S1 until mid episode 11, then it happens simultaneously and the final 2 episodes go beyond S1's finale.
Despite cast changes and the overall eSport change, I don't regret watching the first one because there are plenty of mentions of events and people that you make you go "oh i remember that".
But most importantly you see the ML of s2 as a supporting character and in that regard I have to fully give it to Hu Yi Tan, who in my brain, is forever engraved as Wu Bai. I mean... he IS Wu Bai. I tried watching him in other dramas but realized his acting range is pretty much one character type BUT I first saw him as Wu Bai and so it's perfect.

About the eSport: I preferred s2 because they had more time and resources to actually focus on showing the sport and the intensity. From my understanding s1 had to change their entire eSport from a game to CTF during censorship when they already finished filming, therefore you only ever see them sitting at the PC but that's it. Where as in S2 they use combat robots in an arena (give it a try, at first I was skeptical too)

Patriotism: Another thing that was toned town by at least 50% in s2. Towards the second half of s1, all I could hear was "for chinaaa", and "we need to do this for china".... to the point I where I was like. Are they doing this to appease the censorship board since they already weren't favored due to applying for a eSports drama and being rejected the first round?... well anyway in s2 it happens far less and that was nice.

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PART 2: REVIEW

Oh, the romance is so sweet. Our ML looks up to FL, who is three years his senior. He has liked her for a long time and so the story goes. He is like a puppy, but a very calm one. He only has eyes for FL and it's sooo nice to not have any annoying side characters.
Since the family drama was already dealt with in s1, this season we got smooth sailing. Yes there are some bumps but not any annoying ones caused by other people. And If I think about it again, all they needed was time to get together and they did so in the most adorable way.

It's a very sweet and endearing love story, that made me swoon a lot. There were many kisses, including some steamy ones (another difference to s1) and they had Healthy Boundaries. They worked on opposite teams and made it a rule not to talk about work or stand in each other's way. Something they proved over and over again, when standing in the arena on opposite sides.

I also liked the second lead couple, that were fighting a lot but more like cats and dogs so it was fun. Wang An Yu is always easy on the eyes.
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There are only two dislikes I had about this and they're only benign:

THE HAT! In the first season Wu Bai was always seen wearing a black cappy and I think he looked very good in that, but in s2 he only wore it a couple episodes which was such a shame :(
Number two: It was a tad bit too long. Not even in a draggy way but since there is little conflict within the relationship you get to see them for almost 20 episodes as a couple, and they make it work - but i would have been fine with 30 episodes too.

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Final verdict:
It's by far the most endearing and stress-free romantic drama I've seen that was not childish and easy to watch with a ML that loves the FL even before the drama starts. It wasn't anything breathtaking or fantastic, so I'll give it an 8/10 but if you truly want sweet-sweet romance, that isn't cringy, then give it a go :)

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Easy, Sweet, & Relaxing

A boy falls in love with his idol and vows to become someone worthy of standing by her side - will he succeed in this endeavor?

Okay, I adored Wu Bai in Go Go Squid so I was so happy to get his story! And while it does help in some aspects to watch them in order, you can also watch them as standalone dramas and follow along fine since the details do differ between the two (which confused me at first, but not enough to detract from my enjoyment.)

So our ML sees our FL at one of her competitions and immediately falls in love with her. His feelings for her set him on a course of entering into the same field as her and becoming one of the top contenders in the sport. He sets a goal of 300 wins and then he’ll make his move for her. Because of her seniority, in both age and profession, he knows he needs to prove himself worthy of her before he makes his feelings known.

Y’all - this guy… 🫠 He’s so precious and the FL is so blessed to have his full devotion. His love and support of her never waivers. They develop a beautiful friendship and a deep bond of trust and respect. When he wins her heart, they’re just adorable. I love their chemistry and the way they don’t allow their roles as competitors in work to impact their partnership in life. They’re truly couple goals. 💚

I found them to be a really easy duo to watch. They were both genuinely good people, well-liked & highly respected by their peers. They were loyal, steady, & true - to themselves and to one another. I loved how they encouraged & protected one another in equal parts. While it may seem at times like the ML is more invested, the FL does show her love for him in numerous ways. They’re very equal and well-balanced, both fully invested in nurturing and safe-guarding their love.

If you watched the first season, I definitively think you should watch this. There’s cameos of S1’s main leads, plus the beautiful wedding scene for them all. So precious!

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-⬇️ S P O I L E R S 🚫 B E L O W ⬇️-


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The things I always want to know 😏😉…
- First(real)Kiss : ep.17💋
- Together : ep.17 👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻
- BreakUp: Nope 💍

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worth watching

This series stands out from typical dramas by delivering a focused and engaging storyline without unnecessary distractions. Unlike many other shows, it avoids excessive romance, unnecessary subplots, or irrelevant characters, ensuring a clear and well-structured narrative. Every episode contributes meaningfully to the main plot, keeping the audience immersed without the frustration of side stories that add little value.

One of the most impressive aspects of the series is its attention to detail in setting up each match. The stage settings, strategies, and pacing are executed flawlessly, making every competition feel intense and realistic. Rather than diverting attention with unnecessary rivalries or forced conflicts, the series remains centered on the core theme, allowing viewers to fully appreciate the skills, determination, and teamwork on display.

Another strong point is its clarity. There are no confusing plot elements, no forced rival dynamics, and no excessive backstories that take away from the primary focus. The narrative remains straightforward yet compelling, ensuring that viewers can follow along effortlessly while staying engaged. Each character has a meaningful role, and their presence adds to the progression of the story rather than distracting from it.

Overall, this series is a must-watch for those who appreciate well-executed storytelling without unnecessary embellishments. It delivers thrilling matches, well-developed characters, and a clean, structured plot without any filler. If you’re looking for a drama-free, engaging series that keeps you entertained from start to finish, this is definitely worth your time.

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sloooooooow e-sports drama

So, I'm under the impression that e-sports drama are "fast" in the sense that there's a lot of things happening. Music is fast, scenes and camera angles change quickly, lots of movement.

This is perhaps one of the slowest dramas I've seen. It is now my current multitasking drama, it's so slow. I'm a third into drama and honestly, the first 13 episodes could have been condensed down to something like 3. There are so many long, staring at each other scenes with thoughts voiced in some dream-like state.

In short, don't take it as a sequel to Go Go Squid. It's almost an alternate universe where time has stopped too. It's a romance drama with an e-sports background.

Perhaps the remaining 2/3 will have more e-sports stuff? I dunno. I've not seen a set up this long before for this genre.

Having said that...

Love the actors and actresses, love the music, and the absolute best character in this drama is Wu Bai's grandfather. It's worth watching just to see him. He's so funny and sweet!

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First season is better

When I started watching this drama I thought that it would be continued with the the first season .
But I never felt by seeing any of the episodes that it was a continued of first season because there they had tournaments related to some coding or a sort of video game and here they played with robot . But in second season they introduced the same company SM OR SN AND K&K . and the breaking up story of apppledog's was same . Now doubt arise
First ,in first season's last episode apppledog's and Wu Bai already met ,she knew he is Han Shang cousin but in this second season she didn't know who is he ? Like this many things confused me a lot that I was not enjoying the drama much .
After watch more episodes I realised that this season was fresh one and it had nothing with first season.
But I like first season more than second season because of Tong Nian's role she was looked cute and adorable all the time and she had so many cute and romantic scenes with Hanshang and my favourite scene was when she got drunk and messing up with Hanshang and thought him as strawaberry and eating his lips and again again saying that she loved him so much and kiss him many times . I never felt bored to watch any scene of the first season .
In this season starting few episodes were bored and sometimes Wu Bai and apppledog's scenes too .
I liked second lead couple story more than first lead .
When Shen Zhe carried Ai Jing on his shoulder and took away from her blind date that was my favourite scene .
One more when Wu Bai drunk and called his father in law's brother that was little funny episode.
One more would be my favourite scene that was their marriage but can't as I am Tong Nian's and Hanshang love stories's fan so I expect atleast they should have 20 minutes scenes that was enough for me but they had I guess 5 minutes role .
One thing I realised by watching this drama Hanshang was forcefully doing this drama because
I didn't see the spark on his face that was I had seen in first season and about Tong Nian's she had the same spark , bubbly girl .
Though Wu Bai and Apppledog was lead but I always expect that Hanshang and Tong Nian should have some scenes in last few episodes of the drama. all backgrounds songs were good .

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I'm dissatisfied and disappointed with the outcome

I was really looking forward to season 2 and I was actually quite disappointed with the outcome. I found it boring (no offense) compared to the first season which I hope would have another season for more Tong Nian and Han Shangyan scenes. I was not totally satisfied with this season and I somehow found it dull and pretty boring. Idk if it was just because of the pandemic that they had to lessen the cast but it did not really seem as lively as the first season. The old K&K was very lively and fun unlike this season's K&K. 97 and One were the only one's left from the original cast from K&K except for Han Shangyan and Wu Bai. I missed the times when they would always put Demo into trouble or put him as a bait because they were all afraid to approach Shangyan. I was also quite disappointed that Han Shangyan had only a few appearances in this season. To think that he's the boss of K&K. I know that this season is revolving in DT & Appledog's love story but he needed more appearances but all there was was his voice through calls and all. Even in the competition, since he was the boss, he had to be there. The other Solo members were there, they got together but he wasn't in the picture which actually made me sad.

Not to be rude but tbh, I just forced myself to finish this one because I was looking forward to Tong Nian and Han Shangyan's appearances plus 97, One and Grunt's crazy antics. Though I was also disappointed with the changing of casts. Honestly, during the first episodes, I was actually lost with who was who because most of the casts from season 1 were already gone and they had different ones in this season. I actually needed the guide first to know who the casts were portraying so that I could cope with the story, plus the plot was somehow different so it was really hard to know who was who. It felt like a guessing game for me.

Also, I don't mean to offend Yi Tian but I was dissatisfied with his performance here. I was actually looking forward to Li Xian's guestings than his parts. I felt like HTY's role here was so boring and awkward. I know that DT's personality was really like that but since season 1 he seems to have been in a very very very awkward position. I felt like he was very stiff and I did not really feel their chemistry all that much compared to the one I felt just by looking at Li Xian and Yang Zi. Even if it was just a glance, I felt butterflies, but with Yi Tian, I did not feel anything at all. I dunno if the butterflies I felt for him in A Love So Beautiful have faded or I just got sick of him?

But overall, I was really disappointed with the outcome though I'm still rating it with 7.5 for a job well done and for the effort. I just wish there will be a season 3 that may focus on K&K and their married lives and I wish that they could relive the old lively spirit felt in K&K during season 1.

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This series considered as alternative reality which focus on different lead

For me this series is considered a alternative reality with the same ending as first GGS, but it's focus is on Wu Bai/DT, Han Shang Yan's cousin and his lovestory to Ai Qing/Appledog.

It's alternative reality for some reasons:
*The season one game competition is all about hackers game while season 2 is all about robotic game
*In some episodes we will see some scenes which doesn't exist in season 1..The storyline happens before and during the events of season 1,with some different scenes but with the same ending;to be exact an extended ending on what happen to season 1, like double wedding celebration of main characters of season 1 and 2..
*The female lead of season 1 is more like a noona personality, while season 2 is more like acting the same age as Wubai

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