Now that I have completed the Urek Spinoff, here is my take:
Floor 2 Plot & Stakes:
Mixing all the plots on Floor 2 elevated the stakes. The premise of the arc was solid and very characteristic of Urek being Urek. What felt jarring, however, was the abrupt transition from passing the Crown Game to Rankers literally blasting everyone. Loose ends piled up quickly due to the rapid pacing and limited exposition—ranging from the unnamed princess to the new Rankers gatekeeping the tests, Mago’s resurrection, and whatever else the plot required. This highlights a clear distinction: Season 1 of TOG was primarily character-driven (centered around Bam), whereas this spinoff is heavily plot-driven (centered around events surrounding Urek).
Convenience of System Bypasses (or bug on the system as they call it):
While they managed to hide on that island, the Floor Guardian should have intervened given that the laws of the Tower were being breached. For instance, when Enryu appeared on the Floor of Death (FoD) and rained Shinsu everywhere, the Guardian intervened not simply because Enryu was wiping out cult followers, but because an anomaly occurred (Enryu opening a door/portal that violated the Tower's fundamental laws). Having two timelines (or rerunning it repeatedly) on an area due to Mago constitutes a major anomaly. Furthermore, having multiple exceptionally powerful Irregulars staying in the Inner Tower—essentially four, considering Eduan and Urek—should have generated massive headlines throughout the Empire.
Expectation vs. Depiction of Urek:
The blog posts (BP) are largely responsible for this gap in expectations. The BP stated that Urek rarely holds back and fights aggressively, yet his depiction in the spinoff was the exact opposite. ToG Urek was ready to throw hands to whatever is on the table during the zyngaena arc but in the spinoff, he consistently followed the rules handed to him in a conscientious manner; even during the Crown Game, Mago's team managed to bargain with him to take another test. In reality, Urek could have simply blitzed everyone and resolved the situation immediately.
The Spinoff as the Dragon Ball GT of the Dragon Ball Series:
The spinoff offers glimpses of TOG lore, but its trajectory isn't strictly linear to the main story (YET). The Penta lore received significantly more development here—which is surprising given it only had a single panel in TOG. The Ari Family also received well-deserved spotlight. I had hoped the spinoff would address existing lore questions more directly—such as how Evankhell became ruler of the 2nd Floor, linking Zygaena to the Yeon Family through Mago or the Shining Jewels, or connecting Endorsi’s Snake Sworn Enemy to the Snake Guardians.
Abrupt Character Sidelining:
A number of seemingly talented Regulars showcased impressive feats early on, positioning them as potential mainstays. However, as the pacing shifted, they were reduced to background characters reacting to events as the conflict scaled up. Similarly, the original Test Admins—who were initially meant to design tests capable of making Urek bleed—were suddenly sidelined alongside Rahab, allowing to focus more on Urek vs New Admins. This mirror issues in Seasons 2 and 3 of the main series, where minor characters drive the plot briefly, only to vanish on the succeeding arcs with their storylines left unresolved. Additionally, several characters appeared without proper introductions simply to move the plot forward (e.g., the suspicious Khun girl, Obrion becoming relevant due to the Neoleo situation, the Queen of Dolphins creating a convenient escape route, and Bel being introduced late purely to serve as a threat to the Regulars).
Disruption of Power Scales & Factions:
The introduction of Shining/Darkness beings disrupts the established ranking system. Given that these entities are clearly Irregulars that FUG or other anti-Jahad factions failed to recruit, it is puzzling why they remained in hiding—especially since some possess strength comparable to Family Heads (FH). They could have easily established their own faction and recruited High Rankers to rival FUG or the Revolutionaries.
Floor Express Pass:
It is surprising that SIU sanctioned this mechanic, given that the Hell Train was previously established as the sole means to bypass floors. Allowing rapid traversal from Floors 4 to 10 undermines the exclusivity and prestige of the Hell Train's "Express" designation. It also diminishes the weight of Urek's climb, especially considering Bam and the original group climbed exceptionally fast without relying on such a shortcut.
Middle area fiasco:
The middle area became a testing ground, which is the worst writing so far on the story. How come the event on the 2nd arc (the 5th floor) test was in the middle area? I didn't follow it thoroughly, but this is ridiculous.
Overall Assessment:
If this were a standalone story unrelated to TOG, I would enjoy it on its own merits. However, tying it to existing lore—while generating minimal traction or direct relevance—makes its purpose questionable. Furthermore, claiming that killing anyone from the Ha Family guarantees immediate, severe retaliation feels inconsistent with how the family dynamics were framed in the main TOG narrative.
I understand SIU may be concerned that clashing with established TOG world-building could create continuity issues. However, as a prequel meant to foreshadow future events of TOG, it should function much like A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms does for A Game of Thrones.
