Nicely executed twist

The absence of Namtan in Season 2 is nicely explained (the actress is apparently studying overseas but the character doesn't simply have an unexplained disappearance. In fact, the reason for Namtan's absence is nicely integrated with the plot). The twist in this episode, which involves what the students of the gifted class in Season 1 is planning to do, is nicely executed. Perhaps the presence of a student group that is practically just a terrorist group stretches one's credulity somewhat (but what are you expecting from a story premised on the concept of a group of students with superpower potential?). A possible political allegory aside, it would be interesting to see if the crafty director is actually behind the scenes manipulating some students.

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Getting better but still...

Episode 3 is not bad, but there can afford to be a bit more focus on TinCan. Viewers who have watched Season 1 may not have the patience to wait week after week to see how the story develops from point when Can rejects Tin. It looks like there will be quite a few more episodes before we reach this part. (Season 2 might well work well for those who have not watched Season 1, but how many such viewers are there?)At this point, we are still looking at a rewritten version of the Season 1 story (with some changes), but the way Tin meets Can's family in Season 1 was more interesting. There are some plus sides to Season 2's development (we see Tin taking an interest in Can and being conscious of it compared to roughly the same parts of the story in Season 1). So far, I don't think it's as bad as many have made it out to be. I guess the disorienting beginning has left a bad impression and people just aren't patient enough to wait week after week to see the Season 1 TinCan plot repeated with changes. Maybe binge-watching after a few weeks would be a better for those who love the TinCan story and still want to give LBC2 a chance.

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Getting better

- Tin and Can do seem to have a lot of the adorable relationship dynamics that we loved in Season 1 though the story has been modified.- We now better understand Tin's disdain for the girl he spurns (he spurns a girl in Season 1 too, but I'm not sure if it's the same character). He can be really nasty if triggered, but is generally just aloof rather than nasty.- Tin throwing Can a bottle of water, claiming that he didn't want to see someone standing next to his car choke to death is cute and funny. The Season 1 Tin would just have driven away. I guess Season 2's Tin is more of a tsundere though not entirely one. - Can is troubled by how Tin says he's dirty but says he's cute (cuter than the girls). Well, maybe he just finds you cute and has dirty thoughts about you.- Can's personality is exactly the same as in Season 1 as far as I can see. - There's may some suspense intended regarding the Ae/Pete break-up, but it's not working for me. I'm not here for the suspense anyway. That Saint isn't acting in Season 2 is possibly part of the problem here, but Pond obviously knows the reason for the breakup and it seems a little awkward that the reason is not revealed.I think I remember reading somewhere that Trump (not the president but a no less awful character who blackmails Pete in Season 1) is the cause of the problem between them, but I can't be sure. Anyway, it may be different in the series.- With the flashbacks using Season 1 footage (featuring Saint as Pete), it is unlikely that Pete will be played by another character even briefly. If we want a happy ending for Ae and Pete, we can probably only hope for a surprise cameo appearance by Saint at the end of the series. It will really spoil the Ae/Pete story for everyone if they don't have a good ending this season. Perth is good as Ae and it's nice seeing Perth as Ae again, but I do hope there is a good reason for including Ae in Season 2 instead of just leaving both Ae and Pete out of the story.

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TinCan Reboot

Episode 1- The story of Tin and Can has been rebooted. In LBC1, Tin and Can met each other around the same time as Ae and Pete got to know each other and became a couple. In terms of timing, LBC2 does happens after LBC1: Ae and Pete have for some reason broken up, and Tin and Can meet each other Ae and Pete's break up.- The opening scene in LBC2 should have been left out. It shows Tin and Can hugging after Can losing a competition, but immediately after that, the show flashes back to the point before they meet. That's still ok, except that we can't tell it's a flashback for a while. - If Pete isn't going to appear in this series at all (even briefly in the last episode for a nice ending) apart from flashback clips from S1, I would rather they just leave the Ae/Pete story alone. Are they trying to torture audiences by having a bad ending for TinCan in LBC1 and a bad ending for AePete in LBC2? That would be awful. :(- Comparisons with LBC1 are inevitable. LBC1 had a really sweet and innocent opening, with Ae and Pete meeting each other and the story develops quite quickly and nicely. LBC2 seems to take the entire first Episode to reorient the audience, but I can't help but feel that something is lacking. It may certainly get better, and I can't say that Episode 1 is poorly done until I have watched more.- Some actors have been changed for the same characters; some characters (like Can's friend) seem to have been replaced.(Why does Techno look so cute here? He was already cute in LBC1, but looks even cuter here.) . The timeline mismatches across various related series (LBC1, LBC2 and TharnType) can be a little confusing, but not trying to connect the dots actually helps. Just pretend that you are watching a different series and connect whatever dots later.- LBC2's Tin is better written if we treat him as a new character. We see his both his aloofness and vulnerability quite early on, and the level of aloofness is just about right. Essentially the personality is the same, but the writing makes it more believable now. Unlike the Tin in LBC1 that takes the aloofness to crazy levels at the start, LBC2's Tin more likable from the start.- Somewhat promising after such a long wait for Tin and Can, but also a sense of dread. Why? Why make Ae and Pete have a breakup when this series doesn't seem to have Pete and Saint is unlikely to reprise his role as Pete.

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