I liked the leads from their other starrers, but this show have me scratching my head and in need of a stiff drink.

The premise of this show is that the FL is a game tester for a new “farming” game set in a generic ancient China. The technology side is very vague.

She enters the game Fortnite style, and we know it is a game because big bold computer-generated graphics will pop up from time to time. She also talks about NPC, internet and her cell phone while she is in character. As a play tester, she never takes notes nor critique the gameplay. I hope she is not pay by the hour.

Dramas have used computer games/e-sport as backdrop for some time. A lot of them are based on wuxia games or contemporary shooters like CrossFire. Usually, the drama is firmly rooted in RL and only use recreated game segments to add some spice. However, this show is almost completely set in game except for the first few minutes where the FL was seen in the company's modern office. Oddly enough, there is very little CGI used.

Initially I was attracted to the concept but I end up finding the show very problematic. The biggest issue is the script and the setting. The FL was given a game winning goal which is a tough ask. She can’t exit the game until she reach that goal. This is an odd concept for a commercial game. What is the correlation between game time and real time? There has better be a health warning on the box.

This is not helped by the “world” being very confusing and, to be honest, sloppy. Sometimes it behaves like a game where anything goes and logic be damned. At other times, it is just like a normal world with rules and consequences. There is no clear boundary. We are left guessing if the show is going to play nice or jump the shark on the weakest pretence. This is further complicated by the ML running a more serious plot parallel to the “gaming” one. The player has no control over him, yet his actions/reactions are far more intriguing.

By the end of ep.6, the show has evolved into a tropey feudal family melodrama. Are we still watching a "game" or got bait-and-switched? I am so confused. The FL has little influence on what is happening around her but it doesn't faze her at all. There are no further hints that this is still a computer simulation. That's taking role playing and immersion to the next level.

I know this is a very circular way of asking my original question. Why does this show exist? It is disjointed, confusing and farcical. There are so many "NPCs" but most of them are awkwardly portrayed. A game can get away with it by design but not a proper drama. The show seems to have taken a shortcut to parachute the FL into the plot but then it becomes a completely different beast. The plot is lazy and self-serving. It flips from a farce to a tragedy without stopping for breath. What happened to cause and effect?

BTW, production value is questionable. Acting is definitely hammy and patchy. OST is adequate.

Maybe it will git gud later or the plot will actually make sense. How long are you prepared to wait for that to happen? It is exhausting to watch for me and I'm done. I still like the leads but I'm dropping this show on principle.

Caveat Emptor, my dear dramaland friends.