Bad Buddy (2021)

Too Much Hype, Not Enough Sustenance

Before I begin, I will be spoiling a lot of key plot points in this review. Please read this after watching the drama.

Plot summary: Two men, Pran (Nanon) and Pat (Ohm), grew up next to one another. Even though they're the same age, like Romeo and Juliet, their families hate one another due to past bad blood between Pat's father and Pran's mother. The two had been secret friends since childhood, but once Pran's mom found out that her son was friend's with Pat, she moved Pran to another school. Years later, the two are reunited in university studying at rival majors: Engineering and Architecture. Once the two meet, they discover that not only are they in the same school, they also live across the hall from one another. The more time they spend together, Pat realizes that he's always loved Pran. Pran has always had a secret crush on Pat. The two decide to get together, but being from rival households and rival majors at school, they have to navigate carefully or else they will have to break up.

The overall plot of the story is quite easy to follow, as it's a tale that's been told a million times. So there's not much originality when it comes to the plot, except that instead of a man or a woman, they're two men. My biggest critiques about GMMTV plots is that they're predictable. Episodes 1-4 usually spend time on exposition. 5-7 the two characters start falling in love. By episode 8, they are usually together, and in episode 9 we start running into the 3rd and final conflict in their relationship which takes the remainder of the drama. Episode 11 usually wraps up the drama, and episode 12 closes everyone's story arch with (usually) happy endings for everyone. I've watched so many GMMTV stories that the predictability can be a bit annoying, especially with a well known plot like a Romeo and Juliet romance.

I will now discuss my X number of grievances with this drama in no particular order.

1. The side characters did not get enough time for what I think was needed for them to actually have a role. A pet peeve of mine with side characters is that if they aren't doing significant work in the drama to have them, why show them at all? I felt like Pa and Ink's addition to the story was quite welcomed. I loved having a lesbian couple, but since the story was not about them, we barely saw their relationship bloom and even focus on them after they got together. It was just like, they're together, but we don't have time to expand on how the two developed. Mo, Louis, Safe, and Chang had no reason to be in the story as they barely had lines and could easily be removed without changing anything in the story. Korn, got more lines in the later episodes, but he was basically unneeded except to start fights. Wai is probably the only side character that mattered as he becomes a villain of some sorts in the middle.

2. Half of the story felt like fanservice. Ohm not having his shirt on for most of the drama, or taking it off every chance he could get was well great eye candy, but was it needed for the story? I felt like they knew it would attract fans by him having it off. Like a lot of the extra things that the characters did with one another to me felt like it was to have us enjoy them having sweet moments together, but not because the characters themselves would have acted like that with one another.

3. I say this about every GMMTV show. Stop having actors sell products. It takes away from the drama. Figure out a way to sell your sponsors without literally praising how good the product is in the show. Like, every show has sponsors but at this point is to have it in the background enough times that people implicitly see it and recognize your brand. It's not for your actors to sell it in the show. It disrupts the flow of the show.

4. Pran has already known and accepted his feelings for Pat. He already knew he liked him. However, Pran up until episode 4, thought he was completely straight. I would have like more than the simple one-liner where he says something like "Love is love, and I can fall in love with anyone regardless of gender." I felt like this just a revision of the horrible, I'm not gay, but I just love you trope. Instead of just saying the character is outright gay, it's that they're in love with the person or pansexual, which is fine. However, to me, it reads as, we're still keeping the female fans by giving them a bone and making them fall in love with Pat's character because he could still be in a straight relationship.

5. I read in some other review that this drama was made for the LGBTQ+ community and I couldn't disagree with this comment more. I felt like it was quite targeting to women and not the LGBTQ+ movement at all. As a gay a man, I would've loved to see more actual support for the community than fan service to make the girls fall in love. Being openly gay, or in an openly gay relationship is quite scary even if you're in Thailand. I love to see the inner struggle that gay characters go through to be themselves.

6. The plot was a bit childish at parts. Like why are grown adults fighting like high school kids. I asked my Thai friends how realistic this was and they all said not at all. It's like, why are grown adults fighting on campus? Because of some stupid rivalry. Give me a break. Unfortunately, this plot takes the first 4 episodes which makes it so boring. Even the parents. Like, I was pissed at the dad, but this whole plot point was introduced and never really resolved.

7. The pacing was poor. We spent so much time, like 4 episodes, setting the fact that they all hate one another except Pran and Pat who secretly know each other. That needed one episode. The building of the two group's tension was unneeded since most of these characters have no importance in the plot, let alone lines. The ending felt rushed from episodes 9-12. It was like, we needed to tie up loose ends, so let's even jump ahead 4 years. Show that things are kinda changing but not really... Or, that tag at the end where they're 5 years into their relationship and playing a drinking game about what they don't know about each other, albeit cute, was just fan service.

What I did Like:

1. Despite having a lot of things I overall disliked, I did find the drama enjoyable. I do recommend people to watch it because Ohm and Nanon are both excellent actors. The two had great chemistry. Especially episodes 5-8. These episodes were really well-written and well-acted. The emotions were very raw and I related to it quite well.

2. Some of the plot was interesting, especially during the whole Wai saga. He became a super villain and I was all for it.

3. The cinematography was gorgeous. I loved a lot of the emotional night scenes.

4. I loved Pa and Ink's relationship. They both had chemistry. I wish they would have their own series. I think they're both great actresses.

Final Thoughts:

I liked it. I don't think it's better than some of the other BLs. But I think it's worth the watch, especially for the episodes where their acting really shined.

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A LOVE-STORY, ROM-COM DONE RIGHT!

Yes, the story does show a rivalry between parents passed down to their children. However, this just seems so basic, right? But oh, you are in for a ride.

In this series, there's no unnecessary drama. No stupid fights. No mis-understandings. Hella great communication between the main leads. No sacrificing their relationship for the sake of others. No breakups for the sake of others.
Their relationship shown is just based on Pure Love. Pat and Pran's story is really portrayed in the most realistic way possible. And not to feed the fetishes of the "audiences". Their intimate moments and kisses seemed so natural and for their own moment.

One of the many things that I liked in this series is there is literally no homophobia in the whole show. Also, no "I don't like men, but I like you" cliché. No "wife-husband" thing. No non-consensual kisses or anything. No jealous ex-gf trope or no making the girls in the series evil. Nothing of this sort.

Once the leads get together, they made sure that they stay together, fight together, overcome every hurdle TOGETHER. A healthy relationship is finally shown.

On to the main leads. Ohm and Nanon's chemistry is so damn good. So natural. Like literally no awkward moments. There was not one single time that I felt cringe or anything. And oh my god. Their acting skills! Hella fricking good. It's the only way to describe it. Even in the moments where there were no dialogues, I FELT THEIR EMOTIONS. And to think that this is Nanon's 1st ever BL. They both really gave us outstanding performances.

Also, the director. P'Aof. Hat's off. This man just keeps getting better and better. In 2021 alone he gave 2 back to back amazing series. First being ATOTS and now BBS. At this point GMMTV should just let P'Aof direct their BL shows.

Not to exaggerate but, Bad Buddy Series should not just be the standard of BL's but also the standard of a Healthy Relationship. This series really hits home because, it is just a simple love story between 2 people, but yet, so damn special.

Cast 100% ; Storyline 100% ; Direction 100% ; Production 100% ; Acting 100% ; OST 100% ; Rewatch 100% (I already rewatched it once. More to come, lol)

Watch it. You won't regret it.

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It's better but definitely need more improvements.

After twelve torturing episodes, I can finally, completely say that the only reason I kept watching this series are the great acting of Ohm Pawat and Nanon Korapat. They had one of the best BL chemistry that made me hooked into the series, they both made me laugh, cry, swoon, above all else. Ohm's previous filmography with BL series/movies is one big advantage, but Nanon finally proved once again he's a really good actor, playing all out and no backing down. (That kiss scene in Episode 5 is unlike any other, never been I cried harder watching two men kissing so passionate and loud.) Also, kudos for GMM TV finally trying to test the water with GL story, I like it, I wish sometime they can make one.

But it's all unfortunate that many of the series's plot (outside of Pat/Pran's complicated love story and their endless feud and Ink/Pa's love story) is way too rough and illogical on many parts – on some parts it felt "jumpy" and on many other parts I honestly feels all these Ohm/Nanon scenes are fan service. I was expecting something that can be crunched slower and more smooth. Whether it was Backaof's fault or somebody else, it's hard to tell, because I feel that "jumpy" series are somewhat more common when a production is halted due to the rising cases of COVID, then the crew lost significant time and forced to rush everything, changing and cramming the script just to fit the deadline and COVID restrictions.

Ah, now about fan service. It looks like Backaof and the GMM TV team really discovered the recipe to make their viewers scream, and actually since this is the first BL premiered after the brutal Delta variant, this is all that we wanted and it's worth it. But I hope in the future we can go further and avoid playing "fan service card" too much, because ITSAY just broke all your standard for BL. I want compelling stories not fan services. Bad Buddy *is* breaking standard, but only vis-a-vis other GMM TV's BL series.

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Did everything that mattered right

The thing I liked the most about this show was how it grabbed our expectations of already known cliches and turned them into something slightly different, but that made a lot of difference in the end. Bad Buddy is a character based show, so the plot is not really the main focus here, but rather how the characters and their actions influence in how the situations play out. And the way the writers built these characters was perfect. Pat and Pran had depth, they had their own personalities that were never brushed aside to fit any desired plot development. This is what makes this show so refreshing, despite it not being unique in plot, concept and ambientation.

I'd also like to praise the structure of this series. Each episode was built on a different process of the overall plot and each of these "arcs" started and ended in a single episode. There were never pieces of a diagram that we felt like they were missing at the end of each episode. It was satisfying. And each episode ended in a way that introduced a minor narrative for the next one. That's certainly the case with many other shows out there, but compared to other GMMTV BL shows that take several episodes to get to some point of a specific narrative, I found this a very good choice. It made the experience of following the show every week more exciting.

There's nothing left to say about Ohm and Nanon that hasn't been said by other people at this point. They were amazing. Their performances were intense, their chemistry together was perfect and they delivered those goddamn KISSES that no one was expecting them to deliver. What a blessing it is to have these two as a BL ship. Idk what the future holds for them but I'd really love to see them in another BL show, playing as a couple. Maybe something more serious than Bad Buddy.

Love that this show introduced a GL couple. InkPa were lovely and the only thing missing was a kiss, I guess. But I only noticed that after I saw someone mentioning the lack of it so maybe it wasn't really missing to me. Baby steps.

Don't have anything to say about the music, I barely paid attention to that. I know I really loved the BGMs playing in the last part of episode 5 (the best BL episode of all time) and I know I didn't really like the amount of sound effects they used throughout the series.

THE LAST EPISODE. I have seen many opinions of people who loved it and who didn't love it, but my opinion is that it was what made the most sense for those characters in that point of their lives. Of course this or that might have seemed a bit forced and whatnot, but it didn't bother me too much. What I think is that when we watch a show with characters as rich as Pat and Pran, we need to look at the given situations with their eyes, not with ours. They are their own characters after all. They have their own personalities, their own vision of the world, their own life history. What might feel right in our perspective might not be what feels right for the characters perspective. This is the case for any other show too.

Overall, I'm really happy because I anticipated this show since it was announced and I believe this is the first time something I anticipated so much for so long has me completely satisfied. Congrats to Aof, Ohm and Nanon because they truly delivered here.

Rewatch value? Lol Idk, but I will probably never watch this again as a whole. It's TOO LONG! I'm an impatient person. But this show will stay in my heart as a really great drama that did everything that mattered right.

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THE BEST BL , THE HEALTHY PLOT, I DON'T KNOW AFTER THIS HOW YOU GONNA WATCH OTHET BL'S A

THE BEST BL, THE HEALTHY PLOT.
This bl was made for being the best BL gmmtv ever made
The way they broke the stereotypes .
The way they made us feel happy .
The way we all were squealing together.
The way we all were waiting for Friday's.
We were happy . The directors, ohmnanon, crew all of us together made this seires so special.
It's cliché but still not . It's make you feel so good .
You feel so good .
After this you gonna judge other BLS so highly and not watch other BLS that don't match the level of this .
Cuz BAD BUDDY SET THE STANDARDS SO HIGHH!!!
IT'S WORTHWHILE.
I LOVE THIS SO MUCH MUCH .
YOU CAN RE-WATCH IT MORE THAN 10× TIMES BUT YOU'LL STILL COME BACK FOR IT .
CUZ IT'S SO COMFORTING
ITS A SAFE PLACE .
?❤️
????
????
❤️?

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basic story line done right

I have NEVER written a review while a show was airing. I would usually wait for all episodes to be released and for it to be finished airing. But I personally NEED to tell people to watch this show, even though it's still in the process of airing.

Bad Buddy is about two boys who basically had no choice but to hate each other from birth. Their families have been hating each other ever since a certain incident. So, the mains, Pat and Pran. Have been "enemies" ever since birth. They never thought of being friends once in their lifetime. Does the plot sound basic? Yes. But does it mean it's bad? No. Basic plots can be good and amazing if it's done right. And with Bad Buddy, they've done it amazing.
The mains Pat and Pran are funny together! hilarious I could even say! I laugh at least every episode! Or most. Bad Buddy will have you CRAVING for the next episode. It'll be on your mind 24/7.

Now to the acting. I've personally never seen Ohm or Nanon in any drama I've watched. But just from this, they're official on my favorite actors list! I would go more in depth into why they're there but that would contain spoiler. I personally a certain episode will make a click go into your head. To see that they're acting is superb. The side characters aren't stargazing but Ohm and Nanon just make the whole acting category a 10.

Music? Hmmm, never really thought about it? It blends good in the background though! I haven't noticed a soundtrack that was terrible.

If you're thinking to past this because you're too busy or the time length is long for me. Do, NOT skip this! I literally just put this show on my list on a wimp, I didn’t think it would be THIS amazing! This is one of the bl's that would make your heart explode with cute/sweet/wholesome moments!

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Happy Modern Day Romeo & Juliet

Overall: they did many things right but there were still some flaws/things I wish had been different. (minor spoilers below)

Content Warnings: fights, slap (not between m/m ship)

What I Liked
- Ohm and Nanon's acting, amazing, great chemistry well done kiss scenes
- the tropes that were subverted such as cute food sharing, the "gay for you" trope
- the protagonists actually communicated with each other, they apologize to one another, care for each other, the great examples of consent, really a wonderful relationship to watch
- there is a mix of seriousness with humor (Pat's flirt skills were top notch)
- we got the backstory/set up right away, it was clear when there were flashbacks
- the director's cameo
- avoiding a super cliched/stupid ending
- some pretty well done product placements

Room For Improvement
- I think there were maybe too many flashbacks/songs in the final episode, I wanted a good scene with each of the parents.
- Wai's redemption arc was so stupid. He should have been groveling but Pran apologizes to him?? He does the bare minimum for being a decent human and all is forgiven, I disliked this whole episode. For me, what Wai did is pretty close to unforgivable.
- the four parents lied to their children and put them thru so much distress. They owe Pat and Pran huge apologies and none of them apologized to their children. Also, they appear to know their children are in a romantic relationship at the end but then don't tell them so they have to keep sneaking around, wth???!!! Grow up (to the parents, especially Pat's dad, go an apologize to Pran's mom)
- there is never a reason to slap your child, never a reason to slap anyone unless in self defense
- the plot/editing was pretty choppy from episode to episode a few times. I thought 'did I miss something when we were in a different location possibly different day?'
- time passing wasn't clear and felt rushed. I remember once I saw a "Sophomore Year" at the beginning of an episode, weren't they Freshmen, so a year plus had passed? This should have been 2 seasons or more, 1 in high school and 1-2 in college/beyond. 
- they were fixated on the husband and wife terms which seemed unnecessary, can't two guys be husband and husband???
- that Pat's sister was doing Pat's laundry, do your own laundry
- technical issues or delayed subs with the YouTube premiere (I'm super excited that it's on YouTube, but at this point GMMTV should have the staff/knowledge how to make a glitch-free premiere with the English subs on)
- the title "Bad Buddy", something with Rival like "Next Door Rival" would have been a better title

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I rarely gives a 10 for drama, BUT DAMN

Uhh, ps, sadly, i change it to 9,5 now.. only b'cause i thought it looses its glint in eps 10.. maybe its just me but thats what i felt..

(btw, I will keep updating this review, cause this is one way to vent the emotions ❤)

I CAN GIVE THIS AN EASY 10 ANY DAY!

Idk how, BUT THE STORY KEEPS GETTING BETTER!!!
That's it! You should watch this now!
Ever felt like drama puts too many filler? or just the same problem being dragged on for too long?
ITS CERTAINLY NOT THE CASE HERE!
The main thing I like about this drama is their story and acting. These talented actors act so brilliantly! Ohm and Nanon both have an amazing skill and beautiful eyes to convey the character's feeling. When you give this series a go, you should pay attention to their detail expression it was beautiful.
Kudos to all staff! Actors, writer, director, for they've made an amazing drama!

IT GETS BETTER EVERYTIME THEY AIRED!
It feels like they really use all the potential the story gets to offer! Episode 6 killed me, and I'm more than willing to die of happiness again in eps 7.
IM OFFICIALLY A SIMP. I keep rewatching this again and again in waits of their next episode, which is unhealthy, BUT WHO CARES

I really hope they will keep this up, or even somehow do better in the upcoming episode!
I'AM LOOKING FORWARD FOR THE NEXT EPISODE!!!

Episode 7:
So, hi.. I've watched the 7th episode.. IM DEAD, I'm talking to you from the grave rn.
this, is the first time I CRIED OF HAPPINESS...for a BL drama..
The ending of the 7th episode just.... shi- imma rewatch that 20 more times and will comeback for a proper review without my head being a total heaven of roses field and pink clouds

For those who gonna watch this, good luck soldier, I hope u make it out alive and sane
❤

Episode 8:
Its all fluff at first, yet always calm before storm right?
I'm so happy for them, just when I CAN FINALY SEE MAJOR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.. then shi* turn south..
My heart cant take the shock..

End thought:
This drama is so interesting, tho i hope i don't watch it until they're finish,, maybe im not the type to get hype for a long time? i kinda settle down at episode 10,
I still do think the drama is enjoyable! ^^

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MUST WATCH BL SERIES

The first and the most important thing was Pat and Pran's chemistry. Damn!  OhmNanon was the best choice. There is no one who can portray these characters better than them, They are the most convincing BL main couple I have ever seen. And the amount of fluff we got was immaculate. We got a lot better than we expected. And the ending was chef's kiss...pleasant romance they've shown sets the bar too high. I am more than satisfied.  We even got InkPa ! I mean what more can we ask! I especially loved Wai. Jimmy was so cute.  KornWai bromance is sweet too. There was not a single dull moment. <3
So, Bad Buddy has it all. There is no such BL as good as Bad Buddy in my opinion. And I have watched almost all the BLs till now but BB is so impactful and different than the most. I always skip music/songs and fast-forward scenes but there was not a single moment where I felt the need to skip while watching Bad Buddy. Right from the start, it was mind-blowing. The songs are so fitting to the situations and they are beautiful. Thank you P'Aof and the team for giving us such an amazing series. I loved BB soo much I am gonna definitely rewatch it since it comforted me very much. <3

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OHH!!! THIS SERIES MANNNNNNN!!!!

Oh god seriously! This series is so so so Good. We can say if gmmtv is producing it , it will be Amazing but the actors and whole crew seriously had taken so much efforts , which could be seen in Every slightest thing.

And the level of Softness and Cuteness killed me. I never thought I would love fluff story but this series completed attracted me . I waited for more than 8 months since it was announced. Coz i know once I see even a teaser i could never and ever stop myself.

I saw it the moment it was ended ..... They also gave the audience some sweet scene but the focus of story from the plot was never changed.

It gives some twist at the perfect time .

No wonder everyone loved it. And i am completely flying in clouds after watching it.

The actors were lovely and they put so much into their characters. I could surely sense their hard work. I have always cheered for them and seeing them doing thier own series...... OMG i m in love with this series

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Achievement unlocked ♥

- Breaking down “I’m straight but I like you” – achievement unlocked
- Breaking down “who’s top” - achievement unlocked
- Breaking down “wifey-hubby” nonsense - achievement unlocked
- Breaking down “yesterday I hated you, today suddenly I love you” - achievement unlocked
- Breaking down “Let me explain you” (but not explaining) - achievement unlocked
- Breaking down “I love you but if my friends and family don’t like I can’t be with you” - achievement unlocked
- Breaking down “a homosexual couple is something out of normal and under extra ordinary circumstances” - achievement unlocked
- Breaking down “use lesbian couple as a peripheral diversion” - achievement unlocked
- Breaking down “suddenly in the end everything is soooo easy for us” - achievement unlocked
- Breaking down “sexual scenes are awkward and not funny-normal” - achievement unlocked
- Shaking, shimmying and breaking down stereotypes - achievement unlocked
- Breaking down THE VERY ESSENCE OF BL FROM A STRAIGHTS VIEW - achievement unlocked, GOLD METAL AND GAME OVER.

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One of the best bl's to ever exist.

I usually never give something such a high rating unless I think that it is deserved. I believe this bl is one of the best series you could ever possibly watch. The relationship between the characters is healthy and written exceptionally well. The actors have fantastic chemistry, which ties the entire story altogether. This is one of my favourite series as it has one of the best LGBTQ+ represented storylines. It's made specifically for the lgbtq+ community! It has no stereotype, no "I don't like men, I only like you" trope, no internalized homophobia and no commercial/fan service soft porn. One of the best! I recommend this to everyone. This show will always have a special place in my heart.

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