Story & Character: 5/10 & 6/10
The series started off strong with an attractive proposition: Main character is stuck in the game world as a mob and tries any method to getting stronger and allying himself with other mobs. It has potential to develop the game world and introduce new characters this way which it does well but after that the story becomes very predictable in terms of its major arcs and characters. Instead of exploring the world, the characters get sucked up in the same boring academy entrance exam/tournament and try to stand out among competitors which easily takes up 80% of the series. Only when the story begins to finally get address interesting plot events regarding Dongdong’s situation and others with similar experiences does the season end. It felt very lacklustre in terms of its story, but I feel it was the easiest way to introduce many characters in such a short duration especially with the sheer contrast they have in terms of traits/personalities.
Characters were better polished in Monster But Wild with a lot of characters having ulterior motives of unpredictable actions like Sein or Gu Ling of the two major factions in Azure Sky. There were some throw-away characters like the white knight who is used for comic effect but having his appearance in the show at different stages also feels like he’s developing as a character especially after every encounter he sees Paopao. The skeleton army could have a more active role in the series instead of spectating or side characters because they are a menace together with Dongdong. There were a lot of characters introduced this season but many of them still remain somewhat mysterious like Ye Wu, Luyue and even Quyiu; They all have knowledge that Dongdong seeks but nobody answers him explicitly it’s always riddles or hints - one of the worst ways to create suspense in my opinion.
Art & Sound: 6/10
The art is reminiscent of Genshin Impact especially character designs, it’s not necessarily a bad thing considering its quality. The animation does feel choppy by modern standards but it’s a trade-off for using 2.5D in comparison to CGI or 2D. I enjoyed the typographic animations; they really made the scenes pop but I noticed it less as the series progressed. The awkward character faces and expressions made for good comic effect; Paopao somehow had the most expressive character. Overall, the visuals were palatable enough to watch and not be a hindrance.
Sound is alright, there weren’t any memorable soundtracks, but the character lines threw me off a lot while watching. So many pieces of dialogue I wasn’t expecting in this series added to the comic effect as well as the sound effects.
Overall & Enjoyment: 6/10
I enjoyed Dongdong’s character, he was witty and calculative making sure he never lost in a bet which added to the unpredictability of the smaller scale plot points. I didn’t like the entrance exam arc since it felt like a waste of time with no concrete development beyond the new characters. In the end of the arc the important story development were given which made it feel like a waste of time. Overall, it was an enjoyable watch but I hope they stick to the same style of comedy as they did in the beginning.
