This review may contain spoilers
I Remember It, I Just Didn’t Feel It
📝 Review (Go Go Squid 2: Dt. Appledog’s Time)
(WARNING: Potential Spoilers — I’m Not Saving You from Any Emotional Damage)
Let’s get this out of the way immediately: this is not a sequel. I don’t care what the marketing says, what the title suggests, or what technicalities people want to argue in the comments section. This is an alternate-universe spin-off wearing Go Go Squid’s name like it borrowed the jacket and never quite gave it back.
And I’m going to be honest—I felt that difference immediately.
Where Go Go Squid had this chaotic, slightly unhinged emotional energy that somehow worked, this one feels like it went to therapy, got its life together, and forgot to invite the fun part of itself back into the room.
Now, the robot battles. I tried. I really did. I sat there waiting for the moment where I would suddenly care about mechanical warfare and strategic robot combat like everyone else apparently does… and it just never happened. It was giving “important storyline,” but my brain was giving “background noise while I scroll my phone.”
People hype it up like it’s emotionally gripping or intense or whatever, but for me it was just metal men doing metal things while I politely nodded like I understood the assignment. I did not.
The romance? Also… fine. That’s the problem. Just fine. Not bad, not offensive, not confusing—just aggressively okay. And I think that hurts more than it being terrible, because I wanted to feel something for it. Instead, I kept thinking about how Go Go Squid did it better without even trying to act like it was trying that hard.
It’s like this drama is very aware of itself—very controlled, very structured—and I am over here missing the version that was slightly chaotic and emotionally questionable but at least made me feel like I was being dragged through the story instead of politely guided through it.
Wu Bai getting more personality? Yes, that was needed. That part I’ll give credit for. Appledog as a lead? Also fine. Everything is fine. That’s kind of my problem. I don’t want “fine” when I know what this universe is capable of when it actually leans into being messy and fun and a little emotionally reckless.
Because this version? It felt like I was watching things happen rather than being pulled into them. Like I was observing a story instead of accidentally living inside it at 2am with no self-control.
The entire thing sits in that “I could absolutely be doing something else and not lose anything important” zone. Which is dangerous. That’s how dramas end up becoming laundry-day background noise instead of obsession fuel.
The wedding episode at the end though? Okay. I’ll admit it. That one actually worked. That one had a pulse. That one briefly reminded me that emotions exist in this universe. But even then—I wanted more Shang Yan and Tong Nian. I’m not asking for much. Just a crumb. A cameo. A blink-and-you-miss-it emotional payoff. Something.
And yes, I’m biased. Fully aware. Go Go Squid is still the one I actually care about. This one didn’t replace it, didn’t upgrade it, didn’t even really challenge it. It just quietly existed next to it like, “hey, remember this world?” and I was like… yeah. Unfortunately.
And that’s probably the most accurate way to describe my entire experience:
I remembered it. I just didn’t feel it.
(WARNING: Potential Spoilers — I’m Not Saving You from Any Emotional Damage)
Let’s get this out of the way immediately: this is not a sequel. I don’t care what the marketing says, what the title suggests, or what technicalities people want to argue in the comments section. This is an alternate-universe spin-off wearing Go Go Squid’s name like it borrowed the jacket and never quite gave it back.
And I’m going to be honest—I felt that difference immediately.
Where Go Go Squid had this chaotic, slightly unhinged emotional energy that somehow worked, this one feels like it went to therapy, got its life together, and forgot to invite the fun part of itself back into the room.
Now, the robot battles. I tried. I really did. I sat there waiting for the moment where I would suddenly care about mechanical warfare and strategic robot combat like everyone else apparently does… and it just never happened. It was giving “important storyline,” but my brain was giving “background noise while I scroll my phone.”
People hype it up like it’s emotionally gripping or intense or whatever, but for me it was just metal men doing metal things while I politely nodded like I understood the assignment. I did not.
The romance? Also… fine. That’s the problem. Just fine. Not bad, not offensive, not confusing—just aggressively okay. And I think that hurts more than it being terrible, because I wanted to feel something for it. Instead, I kept thinking about how Go Go Squid did it better without even trying to act like it was trying that hard.
It’s like this drama is very aware of itself—very controlled, very structured—and I am over here missing the version that was slightly chaotic and emotionally questionable but at least made me feel like I was being dragged through the story instead of politely guided through it.
Wu Bai getting more personality? Yes, that was needed. That part I’ll give credit for. Appledog as a lead? Also fine. Everything is fine. That’s kind of my problem. I don’t want “fine” when I know what this universe is capable of when it actually leans into being messy and fun and a little emotionally reckless.
Because this version? It felt like I was watching things happen rather than being pulled into them. Like I was observing a story instead of accidentally living inside it at 2am with no self-control.
The entire thing sits in that “I could absolutely be doing something else and not lose anything important” zone. Which is dangerous. That’s how dramas end up becoming laundry-day background noise instead of obsession fuel.
The wedding episode at the end though? Okay. I’ll admit it. That one actually worked. That one had a pulse. That one briefly reminded me that emotions exist in this universe. But even then—I wanted more Shang Yan and Tong Nian. I’m not asking for much. Just a crumb. A cameo. A blink-and-you-miss-it emotional payoff. Something.
And yes, I’m biased. Fully aware. Go Go Squid is still the one I actually care about. This one didn’t replace it, didn’t upgrade it, didn’t even really challenge it. It just quietly existed next to it like, “hey, remember this world?” and I was like… yeah. Unfortunately.
And that’s probably the most accurate way to describe my entire experience:
I remembered it. I just didn’t feel it.
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