DEFINITELY NO SPOILERS
After the trailer was released I was kept on the edge of my seat for two whole weeks waiting for the series and much unexpectedly when it came I had very high hopes which in deed weren't let down you must check it out if you haven't.I have just watched the series and I am very much impressed by the rather powerful start because they don't linger around the past story too much and yet I can entirely understand the whole series as the background is brief and precise you don't feel anything lacking in it.
I was excited when I saw the poster and moreso the cast list which was full of Handsome and cute actors, some of my favourite by the way, along with their characters in the series which are easy to tell from the start, you feel from the first episode that this series is very original and not cliche while it's like a gang romance so you'll definitely be dying to watch it while if defining the chemistry between all actors and their roles, they seem to understand how best to play their parts as I found the first episode flawless from the beginning to the end.
The plot in addition was very remarkable along with the graphics and the scenes, what I really have admired so much about the series is the in depth feeling of emotions being well portrayed that is anger, sadness, curiosity as I got totally immersed in the show it almost felt so real. Besides another much deeper analysis is that the mystery leaves you with so many questions which I like because it makes the scenes much more unpredictable as you are always driven from one extreme to another when you least expect which puts so many suspects in question and at times I can't easily tell whom to trust or who the protagonist and antagonist is towards the innocent White.
The two characters that are played by Atthaphan Phunsawat are very captivating in their own way and the somewhat unspoken innocence of Jumpol Adulkittiporn makes it a to die for series after their success as a couple in THEORY OF LOVE, PUPPY HONEY, I'M TEE ME TOO made it seem worthwhile for me to watch and the chemistry wasn't disappointing at all as one way I promise you start almost soon enough to feel a cute romance that is between them even by them just looking at each other there's a total rush of readable emotions on their faces and romantic heartbeats.
All in all, the drama was well executed as a whole with those remarkable fighting scenes which for a Thai series were above the charts that I wasn't as well disappointed and If you are a bl fan this is going to be one of the best gang bl romance series you have ever watched whose story is easy to understand, the plot unpredictable, the characters very intimate and the Bromance very sincere starting off as a feeling of mixed emotions it doesn't feel too rushed.
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Good Enough
Thai Drama "Not Me" has an enjoyable soundtrack and a brilliant main lead.On that note, the music was excellent and just right for the story, without having one song being repeated throughout the whole series. Rather, there was a variety of songs and all of them feated the mood of the drama. As for the leading actor, he did an excellent job transitioning from Black to White, in which he proves his dynamics as an actor. The rest of the cast did a good job as well.
Unfortunately, the drama had not a smooth pace and the last episode just conveniently and rushly concluded everything. There were a few questionable decisions of the characters as well, some of them even got annoying after a while.
So, overall, six out of ten.
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Not Me, Not You, But Everyone...
I recommend this series 110%. The plot, the acting, cinematography, everything was amazing. You learn some real life lessons along the way when dealing with an oppressive government; one being that not everything, especially the characters, are black or white; Well besides the twins who are actually named Black and White...From the struggles the gang of college kids went through together for justice to the heartbreak some faced, it was a great journey to be on. I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a strong case of second couple syndrome cause I did, tho main couple was great in their own way, had me rooting for them too. The unexpected ghostshiping was also strong at times hahaha. Soundtrack was good, nothing I paid too much attention besides intro song, mainly cause I was busy bawling my eyes out. So yes I also recommend lots of tissues for your tears. That's all I'll say without being spoilery. Would definitely rewatch it in a heartbeat.Was this review helpful to you?
Brilliant! Top for 2022!
Finally some production company allowed these actors to 'act' and what you end up with is a brilliant reality play. It is a necessary, essential tale apparently itching to be told, of a story that is universally understood - social justice, And it is told with romance in such an ordinary way under extraordinary circumstances. I was mesmerized by all the performances and thought the acting was brilliant and near perfection. Plus its message is a universal one. The inequities in justice and fairness and discrimination are universally felt and understood. But the fight is real and dangerous. Yet love still takes hold and manages to blossom. But the fight must go on. This is simply a brilliant, extraordinary BL series and will not doubt be on the Top Ten List for 2022.Was this review helpful to you?
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A very underwhelming ending for a good series
I overall like Not Me, but that ending… it does not fit with the tone of this series. The cast is great, I liked almost every character and the soundtrack is fantastic. But I can not understand how a series like Not Me could end up with a happy ending for everyone.I’m not saying that i wanted everybody do die, nor that I was rooting for Tawi. But let's be real, that happy ending for every single main character makes 0 sense! Todd is the only character that did not get a happy ending, but it’s not like he had a terrible ending either. Everyone is alive and all the couples are together and happy. I really expected either Dan or Yok to die, because that would be the ideal way to show the stakes and move the plot. If Dan dies, he ends up showing his will to correct the mistake of his past and show that he cares about Yok and the gang, specially after betraying them. Yok dying would show that the fight and their methods have consequences, and would push Dan to fight with the gang (I know that it would be very hard for Dan to accept that he indirectly killed Yok by betraying the guys).
And what about Gumpa?! We get no explanation about him and his story. What’s his motivation? Where did he get all that training? How did he get all the information on Tawi? And most of all: How did his fingerprint unlock Dan’s car? (OK, the last one is not a major point, but it’s weird).
I feel like everybody knows this by now, but Gun once again proved that he’s one of the best actors at GMMTV.
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Content Warnings: violence, fight scenes, restraint and kidnapping, past trauma, dub con kiss (drunk, sleeping), non con touch (sleeping)
What I Liked:
- the consent in episode 9 part 1 was amazing, I loved the check ins; related is the realistic way that there wasn't just 1 kiss with a certain couple but continued displays of physical affection (hugs, cheek kisses, sniff kisses, etc)
- addressing several social justice issues that are issues everywhere in the world
- the realistic visuals (i.e. no excessive make up, filters, blurring)
- a trans character is not portrayed as an overly comedic character
- the beautiful music
- the acting and chemistry
- the action/mystery plot
- there was some funny moments including Sean being sassy
- good production value and character styling
Room For Improvement:
- non logical/odd things, plot holes, loose ends, stupid decisions, I'm not going to get into all of them but it reminds me of Manner of Death
- the pacing felt too slow at the beginning and then very rushed at the end
- lack of smart plot twists, the ones presented I guessed a mile away (except for the G)
- they should have reduced characters (side eye to Sean's female "friend) and then fleshed out other characters like Gumpa and another couple that has a criminally low amount of screen time especially in the beginning
- the punch at the end was unnecessary in my opinion
- the lighting in some scenes was too dark and it was difficult to see what was happening and the camerawork was too shaky at times
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Impactful , Awesome Chemistry, Great Acting by Gun (Black/White)
Completed - 3/28/2022 - 8.75 rounding up to 9.0"Not Me" introduced many international viewers to Thailand's social injustices and inequality via the popularity of BL dramas. I probably would not have watched this drama if it's not a BL drama, and I am the targeted audience for such a genre - straight woman. But I am so glad that I get to watch such great drama. There hasn't been any other BL dramas that my novice brain can recall that includes serious topics as social injustices and inequality, mixed with romance. We have seen many too many high school and college dramas, good and mature ones are hard to come by.
What I Enjoy:
1. Tackling Social Issues - As mentioned, "Not Me" has a strong focus on regular citizens speaking up and fighting social and economic injustices. It discusses issues such as upper-middle class/elite privileges, evil corporation monopoly and dirty /illegal business tactics/practices, police corruption, disability rights, marriage equality, etc. Even though it doesn't go into details about all of these topics, it brought light to viewers that Thailand also struggles with these issues. I am not sure if Thailand has censorships like China, but I guess because "Not Me" does not target the government, it's free to discuss other issues. I also enjoy the discussion of 'Rule of Law' vs "Rule by Law'. There are some very intelligent discussions about this, and I appreciate that.
2. Gun's Acting - When White was first introduced and moved back to Thailand, my first impression of him was a dorky but smart college grad who looks like a high school kid. But throughout the drama, I have witnessed his transformation from dorky White to an inexperienced Black and to become very comfortable in his new identity. Gun portrays all these identities so well. You can see from his eyes how they change from persona to persona. The aura he gives out is very different as well. This is my first drama of Gun, and I was concerned initially when I see dorky White that he might not live up to the expectations. What an impressive acting range Gun showcases by playing both White and Black.
3. Off's Acting - Off might have been a little overshadowed by Gun's impressive acting, but he did a fantastic job as well. His character also provides him with many opportunities to showcase his acting ability. He switches from an impulsive & aggressive Sean, to a very smitten and totally-in-love Sean effortlessly. He also has great emotional scenes.
4. Second Half Drama + Romance - It took me a couple episodes to feel really invested in the story and the characters, as the first half covers some very serious topic. But from the middle to the second half of the drama, there is a very good mix of drama/action and romance. The pacing is great and I am totally invested in their cause, and also in their love lives. The chemistry between Black and Sean is incredible, though I have minor issue about how it all started (discussed more below). But the scenes when they are together, you can feel the sizzling chemistry and you just want them to hug and kiss (great kisses, by the way). The same goes to how Yok looks at Dan/UNAR. I can feel how he was initially attracted to the mysterious UNAR and the scenes of them together are just as awesome (though I don't like Dan's acting as much). It broke my heart towards the end of the drama with scenes between Yok and Dan at the hospital.
5. White as Black- I like how White, as an outsider, joins the group and tries to support them using more appropriate measures. Instead of just following what is instructed of him, he comes up with alternate solutions that yield much better results. I also enjoy how he matures and realizes that he's part of the problem, as someone coming from an upper-middle class family with connections to help pave his road for success.
What I don't quite Enjoy (nitpicking a little):
1. They don't look their character age - A few characters, especially Todd, looks like a high school kid dresses in his dad's clothes. He has such a young face, yet he's already a business tycoon. I find that a little hard to believe. White also looks like a high school kid instead of a college graduate when he was initially introduced. Eugene looks like a high school cheerleader, though she is really pretty and I enjoy all her dances.
2. Black/Sean falling in love - I feel that they fall in love too quickly. They were just arguing and beating each other up in one scene, and then in another they are giving each other love glances at the protest. The transition from enemies-to-lovers needs a little more development. Don't get me wrong, I love their chemistry, it just happens a little bit out of the blue.
3. Other's Acting - Because Gun and Off's acting is so great, comparatively, the other team members don't measure up to their level. I feel that Dan is the weakest link out of all the guys. When he's not crying, he seems to only have one facial expression when he's with Yok. Gram and Tod's acting is also just so-so.
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#NotMe #NotYou #NotGramBlack
So I waited until the week episode 11 premiered to begin Not Me. Once it started, I could see why it was so popular, even without OffGun, I really enjoyed the humor, the mystery elements, the politics and class consciousness and queerness of the series, and what I thought would be this big reckoning when Black woke up/White figured out who hurt him.I feel like the first half of Not Me was doing a lot of set up and tension building and creating all these possibilities and the last arc, for me, just didn't meet those expectations they set. The Tawi plot is not resolved/offscreened. The gang spends most of the series operating outside the system and then offscreen surrenders themselves to the system. And I'm still wondering what the point of the GramBlack scenes/hints were if it was also leading to nothing.
I think the plot on paper and the strength of Gun's acting for Black and White is what has kept this series relatively high for me. I like that it's more mature and that it has a political/class conscious POV. I feel like it the back half could have landed the plane better Not Me could have been a top series for me. But I don't think it will have a lot of rewatch value outside of Black's scenes because the plot set up of the first episodes is not concluded well.
I like this series, I thought I would love this series, but the last arc was a bit of a letdown, outside of Gun's phenomenal portrayal as Black.
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Orginal plot, but messy plot.
Gun's performance always outsells. We expect and he overdelivers. We can clearly see some improvement in Off's acting, which I'm totally here for. Gawin's acting was and continues to be terrible. Honestly, I have yet to see a decent performance by him. Mond was good! Everyone else was ok. The plot was interesting and original, but they made it messy as hell. Coulda and shoulda have been better written. Definetly hoped for more black/white interactions than this. And would have loved to see the development of sean's and black's relationship after they became "family". Yok and Dan's relationship was terrible from beggining to end. And i liked yok's character, although he was clearly too naive at times. (and a lil stalker, tbh).Was this review helpful to you?
Nothing is easy, but this was easily a 10
Everything about this was well-thought-out. From the clothing, lighting, props, and music to the dialogue, line delivery, and message.It doesn't paint its protagonists as always right. More often than not, their points of view are challenged, often by each other. And, there is no easy answer. Peacefully protesting is a great way to speak out but does not guarantee a solution. Many companies are happy to wait it out until the public forgets about it. Acting illegally but nonviolently to expose deep-seated corruption is another way. But you can be arrested and/or have the public turn against you. For many, the end does not justify the means. And, if the law can be so easily disregarded, what is the point of it? Removing one person in power doesn't necessarily make the root of the issue go away; someone else will take their place.
None of it is easy. Even though this drama ended, it wasn't the end for the characters. They won the battle, but they're still fighting the war.
Our protagonists, while working together, aren't even on an equal playing field with each other. I think this is best shown through White's internal dialogue about growing up privileged and ahead of others and how unfair that is reflected by what he sees around him and what others say.
This wasn't a cash-grab romance drama with "brownie-points" material thrown in. This was a genuine attempt to portray working-class people being taken advantage of, discriminated against, and still fighting for equal rights.
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Hey that’s my button!
Very, very good. If you're debating watching, don't even read my review, just go watch it.This story is incredibly captivating! Honestly, I’m not sure I need to write a review on this one because there are so many already but I do have a few thoughts on some things that I am a little confused about. None of these are drama-ruining, just thoughts.
1. White's Dad. What happened to that dude? White was like "I'm out!" and his Dad was just like, "Yeah okay *shrug* Have a nice life without me.” We literally never heard anything about him after White left. I guess both parents are just really uninterested in being parents.
2. I don't fully understand who took the picture of the van and how there came to be a full-on protest that intercepted the van...
3. Todd - Why so wishy-washy? Are we trying to kill Black or nah? Why did Todd let Black go after almost drowning him when he almost had him killed before? Later he says that he can't kill him because they're friends but then why beat Black within an inch of his life before that? If all he wanted to do was lure White to help him, why not kidnap Black and tell White he needs to go undercover to find out who took him?
While there are some spots when this drama feels a tad slow with the side stories, looking at you Eugene, and other times where production seems to have messed up what time of day it is, it’s morning in one place and midday in another. At one point it was an entirely different day in one scene but still the day before in another. DESPITE those production errors, the main story is really compelling. Sean and White are adorable and watching their relationship unfold was really a ride. This drama really delivers angst without being terribly uncomfortable. It's just the right amount to keep you on the edge of your seat unable to stop yourself from needing to see what happens next.
Don’t hesitate on this drama. It’s worth the watch.
Would 100% Recommend
Would 100% Re-Watch
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Less Rhetoric and More Stories
I was excited about this series. It looked dark, and dingy with A+ actors such as Gun and Off, but I walked away very disappointed. I have been to Thailand and I know about the political protests, but in my opinion, there was way too much moral grandstanding and preaching. I felt like the writers took 1960's American talking points and wrote a story around it. To me, this is an example of the elites, grooming other elites to be "revolutionaries," but who will probably be authoritarians themselves when they take power in the future (e.g. look at the leaders who imposed pandemic lockdowns, travel restrictions, freezing bank accounts of protestors, throwing protestors in jail without bond, etc). They missed opportunities to present problems that poor Thais face (except for Yok's mom), and chose to use rhetoric instead. In social science classes, we are always reminded that by sitting in a chair at university, we are by definition elite, regardless of where we start in life. Yok is the only member where you see a person living in poverty with a disabled single parent. Since this is fiction, of course, he is probably on his way to becoming a famous artist, and he saves himself (successful artists become rich) at the end by describing proletariats as a state of mind, not SES, or class. Instead of white savior syndrome, it's university educated syndrome, reinforcing that a formal education is the only pathway to a meaningful future. This is just my amateur opinion.The acting was top notch, and I could see a difference between Black and White, that's how good Gun's acting was. I think that Gun deserves many acting awards for this role. I enjoyed seeing him paired with women partners too. Off has really grown as an actor as well, and he has gotten over his awkwardness when he has to do intimate scenes with Gun. I especially liked that they didn't use the normal filters, so we could see the actors' pores, blemishes and lines on their faces. The sets they used were just as gritty and grimy, fitting with the tone of the story. I felt that Black and White disowning their family was another 1960's cliche, and it made it seem like, all people working in government and the legal system are morally corrupt people.
I'll only rewatch if I fast forward through all of the rhetoric. Had they spent less time on rhetoric, and more time focusing on the characters (Yok's mom could have used more screen time) and people who are really struggling, I think that I would have enjoyed it more.
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