This review may contain spoilers
Love this
After watching the first six episodes, I'm already loving it. I think it's funny that so many people already prefer the second male lead when we're not even halfway through the story or the main couple's relationship yet. ðŸ˜
I've seen a lot of dramas and read novels with the academic rivals trope, but most of the time it's the female lead who's trying to surpass the male lead. That's usually seen as cute, inspiring, or even romantic because she's working hard to catch up to someone she admires. So I find it a little strange that when the roles are reversed, people immediately label the male lead a red flag just because he wants to surpass the female lead. Wanting to prove yourself doesn't automatically mean you're trying to put someone else down. Context matters.
In this case, I think his motivation actually makes sense. If he succeeds while they're on the same team, people could easily say it's only because he had the genius beside him. Even her own brother wants to step out of her shadow because everyone would assumes his achievements are only possible because she's his sister or because she helped him. That's why he hides the fact that they're related.
Even the title itself centers around her. She's introduced as the genius, and the story constantly reminds us of that. Everyone around her including the male lead is viewed in relation to her brilliance. If he finally achieves something while standing next to her, there's a good chance people will still see it as her achievement rather than his. That's why I don't think it's unreasonable for him to want to prove that he can shine on his own first.
To me, that's not a red flag. It feels more like someone wanting to build his own identity instead of always being compared to someone else's success. Of course, we'll have to see how the story develops, but so far I'm really intrigued and I'm loving it.
I've seen a lot of dramas and read novels with the academic rivals trope, but most of the time it's the female lead who's trying to surpass the male lead. That's usually seen as cute, inspiring, or even romantic because she's working hard to catch up to someone she admires. So I find it a little strange that when the roles are reversed, people immediately label the male lead a red flag just because he wants to surpass the female lead. Wanting to prove yourself doesn't automatically mean you're trying to put someone else down. Context matters.
In this case, I think his motivation actually makes sense. If he succeeds while they're on the same team, people could easily say it's only because he had the genius beside him. Even her own brother wants to step out of her shadow because everyone would assumes his achievements are only possible because she's his sister or because she helped him. That's why he hides the fact that they're related.
Even the title itself centers around her. She's introduced as the genius, and the story constantly reminds us of that. Everyone around her including the male lead is viewed in relation to her brilliance. If he finally achieves something while standing next to her, there's a good chance people will still see it as her achievement rather than his. That's why I don't think it's unreasonable for him to want to prove that he can shine on his own first.
To me, that's not a red flag. It feels more like someone wanting to build his own identity instead of always being compared to someone else's success. Of course, we'll have to see how the story develops, but so far I'm really intrigued and I'm loving it.
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