Let me just jump right in and say that without comparing this version with the original in any way whatsoever, I absolutely HATED both the ML and the ending in this version. I had to get that off my chest right away.

For you happy-ending lovers (which I am 99.9% of the time), never fear because your happy ending is there. But for the life of me I did not want to see them end up together. I don't think I'd need all of my fingers on one hand to count how many times that's been the case for me after watching an entire drama.

First, I'm going to review the drama as a stand-alone, without comparing it to the original version. Then I'm going to do a breakdown of what I liked and disliked between the two.

For this version, let me just say the CGI was god awful quality. I don't understand why they even tried. Like, they knew they had to based on the original version - they just couldn't avoid including any gaming completely or it would automatically be treated as a complete sham - BUT they should have made sure they at least set aside a decent budget to produce something at least AVERAGE. This was way subpar. What I DID like was that they actually showed on-screen shots of the characters playing on their computers. That version of the graphics quality was at least acceptable AND I LIKE that they used that method because, that's really what it's like in reality when we play games. We aren't actually in the games talking to other people in a virtual world like they keep showing in these dramas (including the original) so it felt good seeing a more realistic aspect of them gaming.

The FL character in this drama is one of the best I've seen in a while. She's strong and confident. I genuinely liked her. There was a period of time where her behavior bothered me a bit though, because it seemed out of place. It was when she met the ML in real life and found out who he was in game. The thing is, they'd already interacted both in game and in person before. When they'd interacted in person they were friendly and comfortable around one another. So for her to close up completely on him and be so standoffish made no sense. Yes, she'd be surprised and caught off guard, but she made it suddenly seem like just interacting with him on a friendly level in a public setting was totally taboo and such a big deal. Like WHAT? But, when she finally came around I LOVED that they maintained the strength of her character all the way to the end, and I sincerely mean that. I'll explain why later on.

The FL's best friend was AWESOME, until she wasn't. That complete 180 she suddenly pulled in ep 8 made absolutely no sense whatsoever. None. It was completely illogical. But I'll go more into that when I do my comparison.

The SML turned out to be a decent guy which is good. More on that to come in my comparison too.

Now. The ML. I ended up hating him with a passion. He was a weak, pathetic loser with absolutely no backbone and who in no way whatsoever deserved the FL. NOT. AT. ALL. He was wimpy about approaching her in the first place so I should have caught on then but I honestly couldn't see him turning out to be this much of a douche. Early on, like when they finally agreed to meet offline, the FL kept having to be the one trying to get a conversation going. He didn't really seem to put any real effort into making things work except for in the middle there when they did date a bit and finally agreed to be a couple. But then the BS started and let me tell you how much I hated that man! He let his girl suffer alone and did NOTHING, NOT ONE SINGLE THING, to try to make things better for her. NOTHING! Not once did he protect her, stand up for her, reassure her. The man did nothing. Instead, when the SML calls him out for being the pathetic tool that he is, he responds by completely ABANDONING HER in the face of everything she'd already been enduring all alone. Bear in mind that at this point he doesn't even know that her best friend isn't even talking to her because, you know, his ass never bothered actually caring about her life anyway. When did he ever show any interest in what was going on with her? Only when he heard about her being behind on classes? Seriously? Yes the SFL may have gotten into his head but what kind of pathetic man do you have to be for her comments to affect you that way? He saw how much the FL was hurting and instead of stepping up and trying to protect her - especially after the SML called him out - his response is to drop her like a hot potato!

THEN the drama tries to convince us that he did it for her own good? Like WHAT THE EVER-LOVING FUCK! Excuse my language. THEN! He NEVER APOLOGIZES! NOT ONCE! They make HER win HIM back?! WTF?!!!!!! They even get engaged! Like, WHAT?!!!

Okay, just breathe. *Woooooosaaaaahhhhhhhhhh***

Let's just move on to my comparison.

WHAT I LIKED COMPARED TO THE ORIGINAL:

1) The FL - I don't dislike the actress in the original version. Even despite her scandal and everything that transpired after I've never disliked her. However, the actress in this was, in my opinion, so much prettier and HEALTHIER! She didn't look anorexic. She was very strong-willed and wasn't ditsy. I liked how they actually showed her analyzing her game play like a real gamer too. I liked her strength and there was a consistency to her character that caught even me off-guard at the end. Like I mentioned before there was a period where her behavior didn't make sense based on what had already happened in the drama. When she was acting cold and distant and a bit skittish towards the ML it just didn't flow with the character's behavior before. By the end though, I was actually surprised by how well they maintained the character's personality. While I was infuriated by the fact that she started practically begging him to get back together (thankfully, he pulled another dick move before she could actually go through with it, stopping just before I'd been about to go ballistic) it hit me right away that it made sense for the character to fight for her relationship. To give it her all to make it work. That's what she did and understanding that about the character's personality allowed me to accept her behavior when, normally, that wouldn't ever be something I could accept.

2) The FL's best friend - I couldn't stand the one in the original. From the beginning she grated on my nerves and it just never got any better. In this version I LOVED the FL's best friend, UNTIL ep 8. Then I loved her again in the final episode. She was one of the best sidekick to the FL characters I've come across in a while. Very supportive and gave great advice.

3) The development of the relationship between the leads, both in-game and out, prior to them getting together - I liked that, in this version, the leads didn't just suddenly get married out of the blue in game. He had her meet his friends and battle together for a bit and they got to know each other some before she finally agreed to do it. Offline too, I liked that, not only did they interact in person before actually agreeing to meet offline, but that even after they agreed to meet in person they didn't start dating right away. I like that the ML interacted with and observed the FL some before even approaching her in game and asking her to marry there. I like that they showed them getting to know one another a bit and learning to be a bit more comfortable around one another and going on dates before becoming a couple offline too.

4) The SFL was barely present - I like that we didn't have to deal with the SFL much at all. She wasn't terrible in the original version either (no that was her best friend...who, I now realize, was problematic in this version too although we didn't have to see her much at all, thankfully) if I'm being honest but she really wasn't bad here at all and she was barely present. For me, that's a good thing because I hate interlopers getting a lot of screen time in my dramas. I like that they also never made her a really bad person.

5) The SML!!!! - This one is HUGE for me. To this day, I cannot even stand to see the face of the guy who played the SML in the original version. I haven't even been able to watch him in another drama. I hated that character so much in the original version that I could never separate the character's personality from his gigantic ass chin. So whenever I see the chin I'm turned off. It's completely illogical, I know, but it's been years and continues to be the case. The SML in this one...at first I really did NOT like him. He had a girlfriend so why was he trying to get close to another girl. I also don't like guys who use underhanded means to get close to girls so I was turned off a bit in the beginning. But then he completely won me over when he told the ML off later on for being a shit boyfriend and for letting the FL suffer on her own. From there one he had my support. If she ended up with him I'd have been okay with it. Not necessarily happy, as I'm not a second lead syndrome kinda gal but I'd have been able to accept it...much better than I'm able to accept her being with the ML in the end. I honestly wanted her to just stay single and say no to both, if I'm being 100% honest.

WHAT I DISLIKED COMPARED TO THE ORIGINAL:

1) CGI - For the life of me I cannot fathom why they bothered even attempting to produce the drama without first making sure they had at least a decent CGI budget. Like, seriously. You're remaking a drama where you KNEW how critical that aspect of the production would be. This was released in 2021. A kid in high school could probably produce better CGI in his software programming class than they did in this drama. Seriously. It was abhorrent.

2) The FL's hesitancy towards the ML when they met offline - I didn't like that once they met up she became hesitant and put up walls and kept her distance. I actually loved the insta-romance in the original version but was happy when I saw the build-up before them meeting offline here. I figured at least they gave us more to work with. But then she started acting all aloof and brushing him off. It was a turnoff.

3) The FL's best friend AFTER ep 8 (I'm leaving the big guns for last) - I get that they wanted to keep the story somewhat in line with the original story but the complete 180 they pulled in ep 8 just to have the girls argue was the stupidest thing ever. There was no basis for her to become as upset as she was and nothing to even begin to explain why she'd be angry enough to completely turn her back on her best friend especially as she's seeing her go through all the online and on-campus bullying she'd been enduring. In the original version I'm sure we can all agree that the best friend's reaction there too was a bit overboard as well but 1) we could at least see and understand what had driven her to that reaction and 2) she was a bit of a flakey airhead in the first place anyway so it wasn't that far or a stretch for someone with her personality. Here though, the best friend all along had been smart, rational, logical, confident...she was pretty awesome in the first place, so this weird reaction from her was just completely nonsensical, and that it lasted as long as it did too before she came to her senses just made it worse.

4) THEY BROKE UP! - One of the things I absolutely treasure about the relationship between the leads in the original version was how completely unshakeable they were. They were both very confident individuals, both in themselves and in one another, and also in their relationship. People coming between them was a non-issue. I LOVED THAT! It's one of the biggest reasons why it continues to be one of my favorite dramas to this day. Now, you're probably wondering why I dislike that they broke up when I've also said I didn't want them to end up together. It's the fact that he broke up with her, and in the manner he did, while she was still going through hell she had been that cinched the deal for me of not ever wanting her to get back with that prick.

5) THE ML! - I HATED HIM WITH A PASSION! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Yang Yang *ahem* the ML in the original version. That unshakeable confidence of his was to die for. That presence of his and his resourcefulness. *sigh* It made sense that the FL was enamored by him, and him her if I'm being honest. She had her own confidence and resourcefulness that made sense would appeal to him too. There's no way anyone was going to mess with his woman. He'd protect her to the end. Period. He always knew what was going on with her and always took care of her. She was never left fighting a battle on her own or feeling completely abandoned. THAT WAS THE ESSENCE OF THE ENTIRE DRAMA! THAT AND THE STRENGTH OF THEIR BOND! For them to completely take away both of those factors from the original story completely destroyed this version for me. The ML here was nothing but a coward. He was weak and pathetic. Instead of standing up and gaining a backbone when finding out the FL was in trouble he chose to walk away instead. He literally did NOTHING to protect her, nothing to defend or stand up for her, nothing to even support her in her daily life, not even before things went bad! He bought her a necklace and gave her a few rides. Big whoop! He never tried to know what was going on in her life or any of that. The ML here sickens me. THE MAN NEVER EVEN APOLOGIZED FOR BREAKING UP WITH HER! She had to win his worthless ass back! UGH! I'm angry all over again!!!

I still gave the drama a somewhat high overall rating though. I'm being very generous. Mainly because, up until ep 8, I was still really enjoying the drama and, for the most part, liked it in some ways a lot more than the original. But those last 2 episodes and that ending...BOY!