one character amazing... the other not so much
I'm almost done, currently at episode 11 and I'll say... I hate kawi with. burning passion lol. As much as I wanted to enjoy this, I couldn't bring myself to do it... especially because the cool concept was just underutilised and overlooked for a whiny ass character. I've never written a review before but my hatred for Kawi mixed with the overwhelming positive reviews praising the couples 'communication' made me want to rip me hair out.Ive never seen any of Krists past shows, so no, I didn't have a rosy, nostalgia filled lens while watching this show. All I saw was a 30 year old, talking in a baby voice, whining constantly and had an acting scope of a wooden plank. 90% of the time Kawi had one facial expression which was frustrated and annoyed... This made me dislike the dude because honestly I don't know how anyone can stand staring at such an annoying expression especially when u did nothing wrong to him. Call him to dance, he gets annoyed that u called him and then proceeds to do the whole, I'm not good enough, everyone hates me talk. Then when he had a chance to change things... what does he do? He continues to be annoyed and whine at everything. How did the god given green flag like pisaeng fall for this dude. WHAT DID HE FALL FOR?;!! WAS IT SOLELY BECAUSE HE LOOKED CUTE WHEN HE ATE?!!!!
A mess I tell you. I saw more emotional communication and understanding going on between Max and Pisaeng for god sake. Let me tell u, Kawi is still a shit friend to Max and he's still so bratty... The only thing helping him actively change his life and get better opportunities is Pisaeng. The writing makes Kawi look even bad. During the amusement park date where Kawi is worried about his first time, I thought they would use the rollercoaster as an allegory of trying new things and liking it which would then naturally lead to him trying his first time... Instead Kawi gets mad at Pisaeng for even mentioning riding the rollercoaster, gets mad when Pisaeng tried to drive with the hood down and then proceeds to act like he had a good time?!! no... u did not have a good time. You actively made things worst. It's like he isn't willing to do anything his partner wants to do, not even try... Everything has to go his way or it's not happening at all.. WHAT IS MY BABY PISAENG DOING WITH HIM... HE LOOKED SO SAD AFTER THAT STUPID DATE AND HE STILL THOUGHT HE WAS AT THE FAULT AND NOT KAWI. god... then nk explanation, next scene they're having sex. After making such a big deal out of it, that was just how they decided to approach this...
KAWI IS A WHINNY BRAT, AND A COMPLETE VICTIMISATION MINDSET... As someone who's had a friend like him, they're the worst to put up with. Always complaining if stuff doesn't go their way and if you try to do smt your way, you're attacking them... God this character is such an ass
Gawin as Pisaeng was very well done though. his acting improved a lot from not me and I'm proud it did... That's my positive from this show. Pear, Pisaeng and Max... They carried me through it with the plots about their parents, acceptance and more. I'll be finishing the last episode for them.
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Krist & Gawin are good, but not great with each other
With most time-travel storylines, one can expect the usual live-life-to-the-fullest tropes and standard themes like the interplay of friendship, family and romance. I was hoping for more plot twists or surprises but overall, the show still hit the right notes in a nice balance of funny and heartwarming.When it came to the main couple, unfortunately, I have to say it – I’m not fully convinced of the GawinKrist pairing.
There was nothing inherently wrong with their on-screen chemistry. Both of them were super professional, delivered the scenes perfectly, and brought out the necessary ~feels~ when the situation called for it. They were good but they just didn’t fly when paired with each other.
If anything, BMF shows the importance of having 2 people who look effortlessly good together. This was a perfectly decent story, with well-constructed and likeable characters, and a talented cast.
And yet, something still felt off between Kawi and Pisaeng. One day, Gawin will find his OTP, but it’s definitely not with Krist.
Full review: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2023/08/13/be-my-favourite-2023-bl/
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GMMTV HAS REALY SURPRISED ME THIS PAST BLs
Where do I start...I guess from the day we found out that Be My Favourite was going to come out. We found out that the leads were Krist and Mike, and I am gonna admit it that I was part of the people who were like: wtf...they literally do not make sense as a couple. And then Mike left and GMM posted on Insta that Gawin would be taking his place. I'll admit again that I was a part of the group of people who went: WTFaaaaa bruhhhhhh, that makes even less sense!!!!
Because let's admit it, Gawin and Krist did not make a pretty image at all in our heads. Man oh man was I wrong. I pride myself with my imagination and in my head, BMF was bound to burn to ashes and stay ashes. So imagine my surprise when I first saw them together and it made sense. I fell in love with them the second I laid eyes on them, and I gave myself a stern taking too. NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER.
I am glad that I gave this a chance, it is easily one of my top 5 GMMTV BLs. The first few episodes really had me in my feelings, especially with how Kawi treated Pisaeng. What I love about this, is that they didn't rush the process of them falling in love with one another. They didn't rush the process of Pisaeng coming to terms with his sexuality, Kawi coming to terms with his sexuality and also realizing that, although he can travel through time; he can't change everything.
It was painful yet beautiful to watch our two mains go through their troubles and then have them finally come together as a couple. I will admit that I thought it was too soon for them to become a couple, and I worried what the episodes to follow would become. Turns out I worried over nothing, I loved watching them as a couple, I loved watching Kawi let go and just give himself to Pisaeng(who in my own opinion, is too good to be true. I kept waiting for him to mess up, but that moment never came. He is easily the man of my dreams).
The dreaded ep 11 curse came after we were softened up throughout the episode. GMM made sure to make us turn into mush and then hit us with, I believe to be their greatest plot twist. I didn't see it coming, I actually clapped my hands after the episode and I was worried of the decision Pisaeng would make in the last episode.
The message was loud and clear, that even though you are faced with adversities in life and you know what your future will look like. The point is to not focus too much on that future, the point is that you live in your present to the best of your capabilities, that you have no regrets about what the future might hold. Every choice you make shouldn't make you want to turn back in time to fix that choice. Just...live man, love, laugh, and be happy.
A beautiful BL, a rare GMMTV win.
Will be rewatching it until I die.
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This review may contain spoilers
Easily Everyone’s Favorite
When I first watched the trailer for "Be My Favorite," I was delighted to see Gawin Caskey in another BL. At this point, I'm indifferent to Krist, as I've never watched SOTUS nor will I ever watch it. It's just not my cup of tea. I know Krist had a homophobic scandal, which, depending on whether you're a SOTUS fan or not, will impact your feelings. I don’t have any interest in Krist like I do with Gawin as a Not Me fan. I just needed Krist to be good in this series.The premise of the series revolves around Botkawee, who's in love with Pearmai. However, his unrequited love is hindered by Piseng. His life changes when a broken musical crystal ball is repaired by a strange old man, transporting him back in time to the age of eighteen. Everything turns upside-down. Instead of fulfilling his hopes with Pearmai, Botkawee somehow ends up in the arms of Pisaeng. Thus begins their cat and mouse game, with Pisaeng chasing after Botkawee. However, old feelings for Pearmai become a detriment to their blossoming romance. Enraged, Botkawee keeps twisting the crystal ball in an attempt to get desired results, leading to unexpected consequences.
When the series started from episode 1, I wanted to literally punch Kawi in the face because I thought he was a selfish prick who only thought of himself. As much as people hate Not, this is how much I hated Kawi. I didn’t get why people were fawning over him. There was nothing cute about anything he did. Kawi was a judgmental prick who blamed everyone for his miserable life of his own making. The only reason he is nice to Pearmai is that he likes her. If he didn’t have feelings for her, he would be his usual prickly self. He and Not are cut from the same cloth in this respect.
Piseng is just the nicest guy Kawi had the fortune of meeting. Piseng was being a good friend to his childhood friend, Pearmai. Overall, he is very kind and sweet. Piseng is such a people pleaser to the point of being annoying when Kawi takes advantage of him again and again.
Max is truly the MVP of Kawi’s life. He helped Kawi with his self-development as a person. He wasn’t as fleshed out as I would’ve liked, but it was good enough for a BL series.
Pearmai wasn’t a typical female trope, and I feel so bad for her. Always being the pretty girl everyone thinks has it all, but in truth, she didn’t get Piseng, her childhood crush. She didn’t get Kawi because of her childhood crush. Then to be knocked up by Not as a backup marriage plan after her failed relationship with Kawi. I’m glad she had her happy ending and resolved her childhood issues.
I didn’t like Kwan for two reasons: first, for going along with pranking Kawi and Pear on the trip. Like no! Second, for having such low self-esteem to allow a lowlife like Not to use her as a side piece. But she got her just desserts when she cleaned house of being Not’s side piece.
Not is so not doing it for me. He’s a total piece of trash that isn’t worth recycling. He's trash left out in the basking sun for too long that not even dung flies want to swarm around him. The only redeeming arc I want to see. Not to lose all his friends and hit rock bottom for years before he gets the realization that he’s the problem like Kawi did. Then he changes to become a decent person.
Let me just say the relational relationships with the parents of each main character were so good. From Kawi letting his father know that he did the best he could to raise him as a single dad, that he doesn’t need to compare himself to other parents because Kawi loves him for doing his best. Plus, that speech about how there isn’t a set standard of how to be the perfect parent. It’s true. Kawi turned out okay in the end despite his hard circumstances. He isn’t Not, who I'm sure had more affluent and supportive parents, and look at how he turned out as a person.
Then Pear, being raised by her single dad because her mom wanted her own selfish goals to matter more. It really was eye-opening for the mom when she thought her success should be celebrated at the expense of her daughter’s resentment over being abandoned. Even the dad, who has forgiven the mom, but didn’t understand that asking a kid to be understanding of being abandoned by a parent isn’t right. When Pear said she felt expected to be perfect, it shows adults don’t always get it right. I'm glad the dad told Pear she’s entitled to change her opinions and feelings as she grows.
Piseng’s mom, while verbally supportive, lacked the actions to show him the support he needs. Sometimes what we say and what we do are in direct contrast to each other. I’m glad Piseng called his mom out on it.
I love how each parent is shown to be flawed, and they don’t always do the right thing or know what is best. You just need to listen to your kid as they are becoming adults and knowing their own minds. I enjoyed the parents in this series. They were shown to be flawed people too.
I was a little mixed about Kawi’s hesitation to be romantic with Piseng. I’m not talking about intimacy or sex, but just the fact that they are in a room together, he won’t allow Piseng to hug him or kiss him. I mean, he was fine with Pear kissing him on the cheek when he walked her home. It’s annoying that he asked Piseng out but they can’t even hold hands or hug each other. Like I get he was self-identifying as heterosexual but when you knowingly get into a gay relationship and you can’t even hold hands or hug, it’s just not doing it for me. However, the uncertainty of Kawi having sex with Piseng for the first time is beautifully portrayed.
I started to dislike Kawi or Krist after they got into a relationship; their chemistry was so awkward to watch in that episode. (Krist stans, I don’t give a damn if you disagree or think I’m a hater just because I didn’t like his performance here. If you see I did praise his acting in other areas so zip it.) I can’t help but wonder if Krist is just uncomfortable doing these kinds of romantic scenes, or it’s just GMMTV unwilling to show viewers what a healthy romantic relationship looks like. I’m fine with the Director skipping sex than putting in scenes that are disappointing because they look so awkward. At the bare minimum, I expected plenty of hugging and kissing, as Piseng is just that type of guy. It wasn’t like Kawi was opposed to it.
The ending was near perfect except for Not showing up. "Be My Favorite" is easily my favorite series from GMMTV this year.
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Little GMMTV Gem
Can't say that this series disappointed, and like others, I'm pleasantly surprised by my enjoyment of the story, the romance, and the overall production of this series. Be My Favorite, while still having trouble finding the meaning behind the title, I found the meaning of the series which is that of, "past or present, love always wins".Let's Dive In.
This series did amazing with the portrayal of time traveling and trying to change the future. My biggest worry was that this was going to be pretty cliche, and while it was (in the BL aspect of the story), it still threw in some plot twist that I wasn't expecting. For one, I was for sure that Kawi was going to be able to prevent his dad from passing, but in each timeline, he does. It goes to show that -- even though there's no way for us to physically change the past -- what happens in our lives is unavoidable, no matter how many ropes we climb or battles we face; the past is the past. There were just other things in this that I really loved, including Kawi's different futures and the becomings of them.
Onto the romance, I really enjoyed it! Going into this, Krist and Gawin were the most random pairing that they paired, but in the end, it worked well. Mostly because both actors can act and Gawin is amazing at pretending to be in love (which is why GMMTV keeps giving him every partner in the company), so the chemistry obviously works. Now from time to time, I was hooked on the romance, and other times not so much, but for the most part, it worked and it worked great. I also really like that Gmmtv is allowing Gawin multiple screen partners so that they can enhance his acting ability and on-screen chemistry. It's great! His acting has also been so fucking good since Not Me aired, I'm so proud of him.
Also, this series is VERY LGBTQ+ represented and it shows tremendously. From Pisaeng accepting himself for being gay, visiting a gay bar, conversations with Max, confessions to his mom -- to having an entire speech and rally included in an episode fighting for lgbtq+ rights and that of sex workers and women. Great, great great! Also, I love Max and his little emo pink highlights lol.
I loved how they also dedicated most of the 10th episode to Kawi being nervous about sex to even having discussions about it with Max to showing a very organic, very sensual NC scene. Very well done, and very well executed.
Now some nit-picky things: Honestly, this series is only getting an 8/10 because I genuinely believe there only needed to be maybe 8-10 episodes. A lot of what we watched felt dragged out. Very nicely done, but I can't deny that I was finding myself to be a bit bored at times. Also not the biggest fan of Pisaeng having to go back to the past to help save Kawi, just felt like they were reaching for something else to put on screen when they realized it was pretty much happily ever after after episode 10.
Ratings:
Story: 8.5/10 - The Time-travel storyline was so good. it flowed nicely, it made sense, and it was enjoyable. There were some other things that were a bit tedious, but it doesn't take over the pleasure of watching this series. The romance is nice, all the side characters have their own stories which are also planned out accordingly, and in the end, it was great.
Acting: 9/10 - Oh gosh, Gawin did great since having seen him Dark Blue Kiss. He just gets better and better by the year. But honestly, for me, Aye (Pearmai) stole the show. Loved her acting, loved how versatile she was, and thank the heavens the writers made her bearable and friendly, and accepting. Everyone else did a great job, with Krist also shining through.
Music: 6/10 - Didn't pay attention to it, so it wasn't distracting.
Recommendation Value: 9/10 - this series has surprisingly low views on YouTube, and I'm going to guess that has something to do with the odd pairing, or maybe Krist who not everybody is very fond of. Either way, please help support the wonderful talent that created this little gem of a series, it truly is amazing with lots of LGBTQ+ representation and lots and lots of fluffiness that just makes a BL series what it is.
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Epic Friendship More Than Romance
Overall I enjoyed it and I would recommend it, just know you'll be watching for an epic friendship more than a romance. As a story it's an 8, as a romance it's a 6. A good ensemble show.The sci-fi element was really well thought through and there were no plot holes or threads left hanging. Everything stayed true to the "rules" that were set for this world. There were quite a few moments I laughed outloud and only a couple of spots I fast-forwarded (either because it felt slow or because the messages were repetitive to what I've seen in other shows).
All of the characters were written and acted like real people (no 2-dimensional caricatures), except for maybe the main character Kawai who was borderline a little shallow as a character. Kawi did have some character development but he was often annoying and rarely acted his age (both in how he was written and acted).
Krist and Fluke (Gawin) have best friend vibes but not romantic chemistry. Fluke was believable as a gay character who is somwhat attracted to Kawi and wishes for more, but it never feels truly reciprocated. Krist has difficulty acting attracted, and the writers and director didn't help by making his character freak out and avoid physical affection apart from a few kisses.
Even after they've been together for many years Kawi seems put-off by touching, teasing, and sweet words. This trend in BLs is so unrealistic, annoying, and frustrating to me. It's like disguised homophobia that is supposed to be viewed as "cute". It's not, and it negatively affects my satisfaction with the series.
There are a couple of catchy songs, one of which I added to my playlist.
Great for one watch but I probably won't see it again.
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WATCH IT RIGHT NOW!!!!
I literally just binged this entire series and I’m so glad I didn’t wait too long to watch it. This is not only one of the best productions that GMMTV has done but one of the best productions period. This is one of the only few dramas I’ve watched with fully fleshed characters. There is literally no wasted screen time. Every scene and character has a purpose and there’s no unnecessary drama.The OST is great, the cinematography is gorgeous and more importantly the CAST CAN ACT!!!! I can literally rant about how good this show is for hours but instead of telling y’all about this beauty I just need you to experience it for yourself first hand!!!!!
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Despite my waning interest, I continued watching, hoping that the show would recapture the spark that had initially drawn me in. Unfortunately, this was not the case, and as the final few episodes played out, I found myself skipping through scenes and fast-forwarding to the end.
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Surprisingly very good?? Hope they don't ruin it somehow
I expected this to be a hot mess because that's all GMM seem to be able to deliver these days but oh wow!Amazing to see Gawin and even more amazing to see Krist. I would have thought it was an odd pairing but it really works.
This is really good so far. The writing is good and they use the plot to their advantage to really develop Kawi's character. Nothing comes out of nowhere.
It keeps things light and funny but really skilfully pivots to darker issues. I love love love it so far! I'm actually worried that they will ruin it somehow towards the end but we shall see.
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Cute series but needs some work
This series is cute and sweet, but I have to agree with a few that I am not a fan of Krist acting in this series nor am I not a fan of the character Kawi. I get that they are trying to show growth and development of the character over time, but sadly he comes off child like, never learning and annoying relying on thinking money and getting the girl is happiness, and only wanting to make him self happy no matter the cost to others, when there are a lot more important things he should doing. Hard to believe he has held on to loving Pear for 10 years not having a life but then wants to go back over and over to make things work for him hurting others and then changes love interest until 8 episodes down, way to long. The storyline was lacking in real development and at times was annoying with the time going back and forth. I sadly found my self fast forwarding just to get through it. The side characters and friends were a nice touch and interesting and I love Fluke playing as Pisaeng, his character was great with emotions, growth and development. I wish the friends had more screen time. The series had a lot of potential to tell an amazing story but fell flat in execution, to many few parts did not fit and there was a lack of chemistry between the two leads felt more like bromance then Boy love I enjoyed the concept of the series and enjoyed some characters but Krist "Kaiwi" did not do a good job with this role and character. The last to episodes was the best of the series only.Was this review helpful to you?
Cuteness overload
This is actually so good???!!! Lately I have fallen out of love of thai BLs and haven't watched them for a while but this bought me back. And its a production from GMMTV too, which is even more surprising. GMMTV has a lot of misses but when it hits it hits hard. Anyways, this was such a unique concept and a breath of fresh air. I concept of time travel is done really well and I couldn't really fine obvious plot holes. The characters were interesting and had good plot. I loved that there were no clique BL tropes like misunderstanding, girl as the main villain, annoying main lead, and dumb plots or problems that are easily solvable. I also loved that going back in time didn't solve everything and that there are just some things you can't change and it makes it able for the main lead to counter these and express their feelings. I also loved how the Main lead didn't easily accepted his sexuality but had a hard time to come into terms with it and finally accepted himself. I also loved the representation of the LGBTQ+ community and the problems of same sex marriage in thailand. All of this was done really well. Now the acting was also very good. Which was very rare sadly in bl world nowadays, especially in thai. Fluke is such a terrific actor and has a bright road ahead of him and also Krist as well. They did the characters justice and had a lot of chemistry. Would definitely rewatch the sweet scenes all over again and again. Really good and I am really sad that it is ending.Was this review helpful to you?
Absolutely a New Favorite!
This show was one I've been excited for since it was first announced in December 2021, and I'm so glad it ended up being so good! I was a little concerned after the first few episodes of the trajectory of the show, just because it went in such a different direction than I initially thought it would, but it pulled everything off so well. I ended up feeling so satisfied with the story stold, which was heartfelt and loving in the best way. Gawin and Krist had great chemistry, and they worked so well together! Together and separate, they both did an amazing job.Krist was funny and over-the-top in a way that just added to the humor and joy of the story, and Gawin-- agh, he is just *so* talented! One heartbroken look from him and I'm sobbing, and then his smile makes me want to swoon. He is such a star and I sincerely hope this is the start of a long string of lead roles for him. He really deserves it.
This show had the absolute right combination of everything I love: romance, comedy, heartfelt moments, actual acknowledgement of the queer community, and just a touch of speculative elements. I liked that the show didn't rely too heavily on the time travel aspect, so when it did come into play it felt more impactful.
For anyone who's been hesitant about this one, I beg you to give it a try. It was so much fun to watch, and I think you would really enjoy it.
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